July 15, 2005

Vol. LXXXIV No. 44 Omaha, NE

Celebrating 84 Years of Service to Nebraska and Western Iowa

8 Tamuz, 5765 July 15, 2005

Lifetime Dream in Reach of New Grad by GARY JAVITCH Special to the Jewish Press The opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream does not come too often. But for Matt Kutler, the chance to grab the “brass ring” is clearly in sight. The prize: a possible career in major league baseball. A baseball standout at Brown University, the May graduate earned “AllIvy” accolades as a left fielder with an awesome .427 batting average. The fouryear starter also achieved honors in the classroom when the Ivy League named him to their Academic first team during his sophomore year. All this attracted the attention of the Florida Marlins who selected him in the annual major league draft a little over six weeks ago. After that, events moved very fast. A week later, on June 16, the young graduate reported to the Marlins Rookie Training Camp in Jupiter, Fla. There, he underwent various physical exams, and eight days later, Matt earned a slot as the starting center fielder for the Gulf Coast League Marlins. By press deadline, Matt had accomplished several things in his first eight days as a professional ballplayer: he started in all seven games, had gotten at least one hit in each contest and became his team’s leading batter by smashing three hits in the last game, raising his average to .360. Life in the Rookie Leagues The road to stardom, however remains a long way off. As a rookie in the minors, Matt does not lead a soft life. “I’m up at 7 a.m. every day,” Matt explained. “I squeeze in breakfast and a van comes

by and takes us to the field complex mostly with the college guys. around 7:45-8 am. I participate in early The coaching staff is bilingual. The hitting practice by 8:15 and a regular manager is Puerto Rican. Because of the team practice at 9 a.m. for about two hours. Then we clean up and take a break for lunch. Next we change into our uniforms to play a game. The game starts at noon. “I do this six days a week. We get Sundays off. “There are four teams in our league. We play 60 games. The other cities in the circuit are Port St. Lucie, Vero Beach, and Melbourne-, and all are in Florida,” Matt elaborated. The trek to and from the cities extends their day. For food, the team members get meal vouchers. Unlike the major league players who journey to all the big cities, opportunities for “action” in the smaller cities remain minimal. They are without cars. Of his 30 or so teammates, about a third are Matt Kutler recently graduated from Brown University in just out of high school; a Providence, Rhode Island, where he was named Ivy League third are Latin players and Player of the Year. He was drafted by the Miami Marlins and is the remainder have just now playing for its Gulf Coast farm team. completed college or have a college background. team diversity, Matt appreciates his high At 23, he is among the older team school Spanish classes a bit more now. Comparing College and the Majors members. Although all his teammates “Playing ball in the pros is different enjoy camaraderie, he hangs around

Jewish Doctor Overturns Reliance by Science on Nazi View of Hearing Loss

Sponsored by Hazak and Hadassah,

by JOANNE PALMER For almost 70 years, women with a hearing-loss disease called otosclerosis have had to choose whether to become pregnant or to retain their hearing. That choice, it turns out, was based on Nazi junk science. It took a Jewish otologist, who gathered his research data in Israel, to figure that out. Otosclerosis is a condition in which one of the bones in the inner ears, which should vibrate to transmit sound, instead becomes fused. The condition, found twice as often in women as in men, most of the time it begins between 10 and 40 years of age, Dr. William Lippy of Warren, Ohio, told JTA in a telephone interDr. William Lippy, who has view. debunked Nazi medical Lippy, like all medical sturesearch. Credit: Courtesy dents in his specialty, had of David Lippy been taught that women should be discouraged from having more children once their disease was diagnosed, even though it can be remedied through surgery. The connection between pregnancy and progressive deafness from the disease was unquestioned, he said. Continued on page 4

by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator An informative, thought-provoking panel discussion exploring the issues surrounding stem-cell research will be held on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2 p.m., at Beth El Synagogue. The entire community is invited to attend the event, which is being co-sponsored by the synagogue’s Hazak organization and Hadassah. Panelists who have been asked are: Toby Schonfeld, PhD, Assistant Professor, Section on Humanities and Law, Department of Preventive and Societal Medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center; Howard Gendelman, M.D., chairman of the UNMC Department of Pharmacology and director of the Center for Neurovirology and Neurodegenerative Diseases (CNND); UNMC Professor John Sharp, PhD, who works in the areas of radiation and oncology; and Sanford Goodman, chairman of the Public Policy and Advocacy Committee for Nebraskans for Research. Hazak President Dr. Jim Wax will moderate the discussion. Topics to be explored will include the speakers’ viewpoints regarding the goals and accomplishments of stem-cell research, the variety of diseases which might benefit from such research, and their views regarding if and why fetal stem-cell research is needed. Mark your calendars for Nov. 6, and be sure not to miss this fascinating afternoon. Further details will be made available in upcoming issues of the Jewish Press. For more information, call the Beth El office at 492.8550.

Inside Opinion Page see page 20

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Beth El to Host Stem-Cell Research Panel Discussion

Next Week: Health and Wellness Starts on Page 13 The 17th Annual Maccabiah Games Open in Israel: Page 2

than at the college level, even in the minor leagues,” Matt stated. One major difference is the bat. Aluminum bats are not permitted in professional ball. With a metal bat, you can hit a home run, even if you do not connect on the “sweet spot.” There is far less margin with wood, where to get a solid hit, you really need to hit the ball squarely. His favorite “stick’ is the popular Louisville Slugger; its size--31 inches; its weight: about 31 oz. Another difference evolves around the game itself. In college, for example, it’s a team game. Now it’s more individual. Wins and losses don’t have as much meaning. The goal throughout the length of the grueling schedule is to move up to the next level. If you play well, despite your team losing, it’s “ok.” Moving up Matt, like almost all newcomers to the pros, began at the rookie level. He hopes to advance to Single-A, Double-A, Triple-A, and finally the Majors. (For reference, the Omaha Royals is a Triple-A, minor league “farm” team for the Kansas City Royals.) While he has no timetable, the young slugger hopes to climb up the ladder, a rung each year. A spectacular season or an injury to a player in his position in a higher level can accelerate his transition. The pay: While first round draft picks may get millions in signing bonuses, the typical rookie doesn’t see that kind of payoff. The compensation is similar for everyone in each league. Rookie level compensation begins at about $1100 per Continued on page 4

Israel Through the Eyes of a Nurse: Page 8

The national park of Ramat Gan is a magnet for visitors from all around Israel. The 475-acre park is south-east of the city, adjacent to the Ramat Gan Safari Park and zoological center. An attractive man-made lake with small islands is set to one side of the park and is used for fishing and boat rides. For most months of the long Israeli summer, families can be seen making barbeques in the open areas. Scores of people can be seen walking, running and jogging around the perimeter of the park. This form of exercise has almost become a cult in Israel, as more people take up this activity to maintain good fitness. For all these walkers, there can be no nicer environment in one of the country’s best kept parks. Copyright: ISRANET

Next Week: Federation’s Update on Strategic Planning Solomon’s Pool’s Crossword Puzzle: Page 11

Beth El Quilts Bring Color, Harmony to Social Hall: Page 24

Page 2

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

July 15, 2005

THE 17TH MACCABIAH GAMES

The children and grandchildren of Ruthie and Merle Potash and Phyllis and Jerry Wasserman invite you to join them for Shabbat Kiddush Lunch on July 23 at Beth El Synagogue in honor of their 50th wedding anniversaries.

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TUESDAY, JULY 19 BBYO Night, 6 p.m. Maccabi Parent/Athlete Meeting, 7 p.m. JELS Conversational Hebrew Class Level 1, 7 p.m. and Level 2, 8 p.m. C L I P & S A V E

THURSDAY, JULY 21 Walk-in Drop-in, 10 a.m. Yiddish Group, 1 p.m. Book Discussion Group, 1 p.m. at Kripke Library JELS Conversational Hebrew Class Level 1, 7 p.m. and Level 2, 8 p.m. 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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by PETER EPHROSS and Israel. NEW YORK, July 5 (JTA)--Ron Carner has no probThough he has competed in the Maccabiah several lem mixing politics with sports--in fact, that’s one of the times--winning gold in 1989 at the age of 65 -- this trip reasons he’s so proud of the Maccabiah Games. is special, Kleckner says, because his son-in-law will be “We’re telling the anti-Semites where they can shove competing and several members of his family will be in their hate,” says Carner, the vice president of Maccabi attendance. USA, which is sending about 780 athletes to the 17th “This is the experience of a lifetime,” says Kleckner, Games, which began July 11 in Israel and runs through who lives in Greenwich, Conn. July 22. “I feel very strongly about that.” In 1932, the First Maccabiah Games were held in Tel That hate almost led the Games to be called off in 2001 Aviv, with 14 countries and 390 athletes participating. because of concerns over Palestinian terrorism. The “The Maccabiah would show the world that Eretz Games were eventually held, although the number of ath- Yisrael is the land of a strong and healthy Jewish people,” letes--more than 3,000--was said Josef Yekutieli, considdown from previous Games. ered to be the founder of the A record number of parMaccabiah. ticipants is expected for this The Second Maccabiah year’s Maccabiah--including Games were also held in Omaha’s Ben Jacobson, a Palestine, but because of starter for the USA Men’s World War II, the Games Basketball team. It’s the secwere not held again until ond time he’s played in the 1950, when they took place Maccabiah Games, the first, in Israel. The next Games in 2001 when he was still in were held in 1953; since that high school. Nearly 8,000 time they have been held, like Jewish athletes from around the Olympics, at four-year the world will be competing intervals. in the Games, which include In 1989, the Games expandcompetition on four levels-ed, with the addition of open, youth, junior and teams from behind the Iron masters. Curtain. The Lithuanian The daughter of former team was the first from the Omahans Robin Martin and Soviet Union to take part. Bob Feldman, Emily In 1997, four members of Feldman of San Ramon, CA, the Australian team died is a member of the USA Girls when a bridge collapsed durBasketball Team. ing the Games’ Opening traditionally Swimming Ceremonies in Ramat Gan. Two sky divers on one parachute come to land at the arena draws some of the highestA memorial service was slatof the National Stadium at Ramat Gan in celebration of the level athletes from around ed to be held at the site of a opening of the 17th Maccabiah Games. the world--former Olympic new bridge in the Israeli city Copyright: ISRANET gold medalists Mark Spitz on Friday. The Ramat Gan and Lenny Krayzelburg have won gold at past Maccabiah Stadium hosted this year’s Opening Ceremonies on July Games. 11. Krayzelburg, who is slated to be inducted into the Throughout their history, the Games have attracted International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame at Israel’s some of the top U.S. athletes: In addition to Spitz and Wingate Institute on July 14, is the honorary captain of Krayzelburg, gymnast Mitch Gaylord, tennis player Andrea Leand and basketball players Danny Schayes and this year’s U.S. team. Soccer, women’s basketball and tennis also draw high- Larry Brown--who now coaches the NBA’s Detroit level athletes, says Carner, who is also the vice president of Pistons--have competed in Maccabiahs past. It’s no different this time around. the Maccabi World Union. American swimmer Scott Goldblatt, who won a gold For most of the athletes, particularly the younger ones, medal in the 800-meter freestyle relay at the 2004 the competition is the draw. “I haven’t competed outside the U.S. before,” says Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, will compete--as will gymnast Joshua Fox, 15, of Ellicott City, Md. “I think it fellow Kansas City resident Max Jaben, a swimming hopeful for the 2008 Olympics. will be stiff competition.” Jaben said he found irony in the fact that he is going to Like many of the younger athletes, Fox earned his spot Israel for the first time as the result of his swimming skills. on the team through a tryout. But many have a sense that this is about more than just He said his pursuit of swimming at such a high level--with weekend meets and constant practicing-- kept him away sports. For some, it’s about American patriotism. “It’s an honor to represent my country in a sport I love from his family’s synagogue during childhood. That’s exactly the point, Carner says. so much,” said Jordan Schilit, 14, of Tampa, Fla., who “Sports is the hook,” he says. The Maccabiah is a way will be competing in track and field. Though not an athlete, Laynie Ginsburg is also in Israel to “build Jewish solidarity and a way to get people to for the Maccabiah Games. A 2004 graduate of Kansas Israel.” The American athletes will also get around Israel as well. University, she works for Maccabi USA in their Philadelphia office. Her responsibility is to the nearly 800 The teens on the American team -- each of whom had to contribute $5,000 for the experience -- flew to Israel a American athletes participating in the Games. Others say they are proud of competing against other week before the Games to tour the country. During and after the Games, there will be other tours as well. Jewish athletes. “We change a lot of lives,’’ Carner says. “The fact that we are all Jewish gives us a bond,” says (Wendy R. Levine Gross of the Jewish Press of Tampa, South Jersey’s Jamie Hacker, 16, who will be on the girls Fla., David Portnoe of the Jewish Community Voice of soccer team. Cherry Hill, N.J., Stacy Karten of the Baltimore Jewish Older athletes are just as serious about their sports. Take tennis player Stan Kleckner, for example. Over Times, Rick Hellman of the Kansas City Jewish the last 40 years, Kleckner has won 150 amateur tour- Chronicle, Judie Jacobson of the Connecticut Jewish naments, including gold medals won while representing Ledger and Carol Katzman of the Jewish Press of Omaha the United States in Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Japan contributed to this report.)

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July 15, 2005

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 3

At Jewish School in New Jersey, Autistic Students Make Progress by TZVI KAHN LIVINGSTON, N.J. (JTA) The first graduating class at the Hineni school here might have been small, but it still represented a milestone for the institution, which serves Jewish children with autism. Founded in 2002 and with a current enrollment of 11 students ranging from ages 3 to 12, Hineni is one of the only schools in the country for Jewish autistic children. Because they are small and have problems qualifying for federal funds, Jewish schools have particular difficulties helping special-needs children. But as the June 15 ceremony at Hineni demonstrated, the rewards can be great. The 20-minute ceremony featured a brief video about Hineni, the presentation of diplomas and a short musical performance by students in the school, which is a branch of the Sinai Special Needs Institute. The Sinai institute consists of eight schools in New Jersey serving Jewish children with learning and developmental disabilities. The graduation resonated with Barbara Listhaus. Her son, Jonathan, not only graduated from the school, he is also one of the chief motivations for its founding. Though Jonathan, 13, had attended several therapeutic programs in his early years, Barbara Listhaus wanted to send him to a school serving autistic children in a Jewish religious setting. So she approached Laurette Rothwachs, the dean of Sinai, and suggested the establishment of a program dedicated exclusively to educating Jewish autistic children. Together, they worked to develop a curriculum based on the principles of applied behavior analysis, which seeks to build language and social skills through structured learning programs and constant reinforcement. Students also receive occupational and speech therapy. “We do a lot of review and repetition and we work hard to make sure they’ve mastered their skills before they move on to new skills,” says Judi Karp, the assistant dean of Sinai. According to the Medical Research Council, one in 165 children in the United States is born with autism, a psychiatric disorder that begins when children are young and is marked by severe language impairment and an inability to develop social skills. Rothwachs says the rates among

children in the Jewish community are the same. Almost all of Hineni’s programs consist of one-on-one instruction. The school also has special observation booths featuring one-way mirrors adjacent to the classrooms, allowing parents and faculty to observe students without being seen by the students. What makes Hineni unusual, however, is that it is located within the Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy, a modern Orthodox day school in Livingston. That backdrop enables Hineni students to integrate with their peers in social settings such as sports, prayer services, meals and even the school bus. “The most important thing is that he’s been able to socialize and be with other kids,” Listhaus says. “That has a significant i m p a c t . Because we don’t feel embarrassed by him, we don’t have to Jonathan Listhaus, 13, one of the new graduates of Hineni, a Jewish school for autistic hide him.” Nearly all of children in Livingston, N.J. Credit: Hineni at Sinai the students live in New York or New Jersey, enabling a convenient commute. Listhaus, in fact, relocated to New Jersey from Allentown, Pa., so that Jonathan could attend the school. Hineni’s direct embedment within the broader Jewish day school system is particularly important for the families of the students. “Special needs families desperately need the support of their community,” says Rothwachs. Hineni “affords them the opportunity to stay within the community.” Community programming also includes the Chabadrun Friendship Circle, in which local teenagers, some of them Kushner students, come visit theHineni students in

their homes at least once a week in order to play with them. The variety of social opportunities presented by the school as well as the scientific advances in research have facilitated the advancement of Hineni students, Rothwachs says. Next year, Jonathan Listhaus will be attending a more advanced vocational school, while the other two graduating students will be entering a different Sinai program within Kushner. “When I started in the field, they spent the rest of their lives” in developmental programs, says Gedalya Persky, the administrative director of Hineni, who has worked with autistic children and adults for more than 25 years. That, he says, is no longer the case. At Hineni, students “have a chance to really blossom in life. The technology of teaching children has really advanced.” The program isn’t cheap, though: Tuition at Hineni is $65,000 a year. According to administrators, most of the students’ families receive funding from the school district. In order to receive government funding, Hineni is officially nonsectarian; the Jewish studies component of the curriculum is optional and takes place both before and after regular school hours. Persky notes, however, that not all the students come from religious families, and that many parents send their children to the school in large part because of the high quality of its education. While Sinai has no immediate plans to open additional schools for autistic children, Rothwachs says Hineni’s success reflects the growing need for such programming in the Jewish community. “I get calls from people in Canada and Florida” asking about Sinai programs for their children, Rothwachs says. “It’s taking on a life of its own.” Testifying to the school’s success, Hineni last year received accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. “You and your students have touched us deeply; we marvel at the task you have set for yourselves and the apparent success you are achieving,” the commission report stated. “The devotion with which you approach your goals is commendable.’’

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

July 15, 2005

Jewish Doctor Overturns Nazi View of Hearing Loss Continued from page 1 An active member of the Jewish Federation in Youngstown, Ohio, and on the national board of what was then called United Jewish Philanthropies, Lippy first went to Israel in 1968. Struck by what he called the lack of sophistication in some hospital procedures, he returned twice a year to perform surgery to correct otosclerosis. “While I was working in Israel all those years, I saw many ultra-religious women who had multiple pregnancies” and suffered from otosclerosis, he said “It took a long time, but it finally dawned on me that their hearing was no worse than that of women who had one pregnancy, or two pregnancies -- or even no pregnancies.” Puzzled by what he was seeing, about a year ago, he designed a retrospective, age-matched study. All the women in the study had otosclerosis; the study group had children and the control group did not. “The results of the study definitely prove that women with children did not hear any worse than women without children,” Lippy said. “And there was no correlation between hearing loss and the number of children.” Next, Lippy decided to trace the mistake. He eventually found its origin in a scientific paper published in Germany in 1939. The link between otosclerosis and pregnancy, Lippy learned, was forged through misunderstanding and hardened by fascism.

The results of Lippy’s study were released at a conference earlier this month. People tend to date events in their lives by their own personal histories. “Women remember life events according to their pregnancies,” Lippy said. “When you take a history and say ‘When did you notice your hearing loss?’ a woman will say ‘During my first pregnancy,’ just as she’d say ‘and I had a broken leg after my second pregnancy, and during my third my husband changed jobs.’” The 1939 paper described the results of a meeting where such evidence was presented. “There were nine doctors at that meeting, and only three felt that otosclerosis was made worse by pregnancy,” Lippy said. “But there was a Nazi Party administrator there, and he made a eugenic decision to eliminate the disease from the Aryan race.” All pregnant women with otosclerosis had to report to a government agency, the Nazis decreed. The study reported that 79 such women presented themselves; 69 of them were made to have abortions and 23 were sterilized as well. Since then, the connection between pregnancy and otosclerosis has been accepted without challenge. “I was trained in New York 40 years ago, and we were all taught that otosclerosis was made worse by pregnancy,” said otologist Dr. Noel Cohen of New York University Medical Center. “It became common knowledge. “I never carried it to the extent of telling people not to

Lifetime Dream

have children -I thought that was a repulsive idea, and not warranted--but I have spoken with many of them about how you should calculate this information, factor it into your decision to have more children.” Cohen was at the meeting where Lippy presented his paper. “Now I will tell them not to pay any attention to what they’ve heard about pregnancy making otosclerosis worse,” Cohen said. “It’s really not so. Otosclerosis is a genetic disorder, but it does not appear to get worse with pregnancy.” Lippy’s pleased with his findings, but he has some regrets. “I discouraged women from getting pregnant or having more pregnancies,” he said. “I feel very badly that I ill advised women for so many years.” But now he has good news for his patients. He talks about a patient of whom he is very fond, a woman who has had a series of surgeries for otosclerosis. She and her husband “had two children, and they wanted more,” Lippy said. “I discouraged her,” he said, and she did not get pregnant again. “Three or four months ago she was in my office, and I told her the story. She said, ‘Dr. Lippy, do you mind if I use my cell phone?’ “I said, ‘No, of course not.’ “She said, ‘I want to tell my husband to come right home!’ ”

Visions--Check Us Out!

Continued from page 1 month. Out of that amount, the team takes out $13 per day for living and food costs. You earn more money each time you advance a level, getting between two and three thousand monthly at the Triple-A level. The big money comes when you reach the Majors, where in 2003, the league minimum starting salary was $300,000. The players are evaluated frequently by the coaching staff, including the manager, the hitting or pitching coaches. “Traveling” coaches, also known as “Rovers” periodically join the team, work with players and evaluate them also. They send reports to the Marlins main office, where the Head of Player Development reviews them. The “front office” decides to move you up or down a level. Matt’s manager is Edwin Rodriguez, a former major leaguer. Matt is, however, not without a support system. His biggest backers are, of course, his parents. “Matt has lots of discipline,” Debi Kutler commented. “He was always disciplined, giving up a lot for his dream. He spent all of his summers away from his friends, recalling in particular the summer he played in Cape Cod, MA. Yet he always stuck with it. We’re very proud of him. He has a chance to fulfill a dream that most kids never get.

“We always said to him if it ever became ‘not fun’, then don’t do it. He’s loved it since he was a little boy.” Even a thumb injury, which forced him to not only miss a season, but also drop out of college for a year, did not deter him from his goal to become a pro. Like many kids growing up, Matt had a favorite player. It was Jose Conseco. He points out that because of Conseco’s unfair use of steroids, he has switched his allegiance to Boston Red Sox outfielder, Manny Ramirez whose career he followed while a student at Brown. The Gulf League gives four drug tests a year and the tests can come unannounced. David Kutler described his son’s hard work, strong desire and his success. He added, “I can’t wait to see the box scores from the games that are posted after midnight. If you’re interested you can follow along at www.minorleaguebaseball.com or www.Milb.com where you can select the team: GCL Marlins.” By the way, five years ago, in a Jewish Press story about three graduating high school academic and baseball stars, I wrote that Matt Kutler (as well as Ryan Malashock and Dusty Friedman) had a chance to increase the size of the Book of Famous Jewish Athletes. Here’s hoping Matt becomes another page.

Visionaries traveled up north to the quaint Dutch community of Orange City for the Tulip Festival, including: Sue Mandler, left, Sissy Silber, George Shafer, Claudia Jacobs, Anne Skolkin, Sylvia Swartz, tour guide with son, Ethel Goldston, Esther Wax, Rose Pitlor, and Stan Mandler.

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Overseas Meds Fill the Rx for Seniors by JORDANA JACOBS Philadelphia Jewish Exponent Staff With no drug coverage as part of her Medicare insurance, Harriet Kay was happy to learn that she could save money by purchasing her and her husband’s medications from pharmacies abroad. She was even happier to find that some of these pharmacies were based in Israel. “If I’m getting the drugs, I might as well support Israel” at the same time, said Kay, a resident of Wyndmoor. “Let them get the money.” The 74-year-old, who says that at first, was “very she leery” about filling her prescriptions from a pharmacy she’d never visited - much less seen -is one of a growing number of people who obtain prescription drugs from online international pharmacies, where prices could be as much as 50 percent less than buying them inside the United States. As if that weren’t incentive enough, in the past several years, the introduction of the Israelbased Web sites www.MagenDavid Meds.com and www.Isrameds.com has allowed American consumers to do their part in supporting the country’s economy. “I do it because of the low price, and because I want to give Israel business to help support it,” said Reva Rosard, who’s been buying from Isrameds since her gynecologist made her aware of the possibility two years ago. “Even if Canada’s prices were a little bit less, I would still opt for Israel.” ‘Expecting a Return’ Drugs sold overseas are often cheaper than those sold in the United States because governments in other countries --Israel, Canada, Germany, Britain, Spain and Greece, to name just a few--regulate the prices. Here, big pharmaceutical companies set prices based on a simple economic model: High demand allows for high profits. “There’s a major driver in this country, and it’s called the stock market,” said Mitchel Rothholz, vice president of professional practice at the Washington D.C.-based American Pharmacists Association. “There are investors who are expecting a return, and pharmaceutical companies want to show them a profit.” Take, for example, Lipitor, the popular pill that reduces cholesterol levels. According to www.pharmacychecker. com--a site that compares prices for such products--the cost per a 10-mg. pill at CVS is $2.52 for a 30-day supply; the cost at MagenDavidMeds is $1.36, a nearly 46 percent savings. According to Nathan Jacobson, founder and chairman of MagenDavidMeds, the Lipitor he sells contains the exact same ingredients, and even originates from the same Pfizer factory in Ireland. Though buying medications overseas seems to be gaining in popularity, technically, under the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, it’s illegal for a consumer to bring a foreign drug product into this country--if it is available at a local pharmacy--unless it meets certain requirements. Food and Drug Administration policy allows for patients with serious or life-threatening diseases to import certain pills if they are not available here.

Though ordering from the online international pharmacies is unlawful, the seniors and the uninsured -- the main users of the services at this point -- are rarely, if ever, prosecuted. The FDA says the agency doesn’t have enough money or manpower to search packages coming into this country, though “once in a while,” mail is detained and searched. The agency also does not go after individuals purchasing medications from abroad; though it would like to crack down on those international companies at fault, it must work with the corresponding FDA counterpart of a nation abroad -- a difficult feat in and of itself. In the works, Avi explained Fadida, marketing for manager Isrameds, is legislation that will allow Americans to legally have access to low-cost medications from Israel and other foreign countries. In April, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions held a hearing on the Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act of 2005, proposed by Sens. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine). The full Senate has yet to deliberate on the bill. ‘Pharmacists Answer Questions’ Naysayers contend that prices in the United States remain exorbitant to cover research costs incurred by U.S. pharmaceutical companies that allow for cuttingedge medications to be developed, and thus used by the entire world. They also say that consumers could be exposing themselves to rogue pharmacies and unregulated medications when purchasing items overseas. “There is more that you get from a pharmacy than a medication,” said Rothholz, explaining why having contact with a local pharmacist has more value than purchasing from an unknown international one. “Pharmacists answer questions, and make sure you aren’t having interactions with other medications you are on.” Still, Jacobson claims that Israel has a near fool-proof system of dispensing medications because of steps taken to protect against terrorism. Because of the country’s strict regulations, drugs purchased from Isrameds and MagenDavidMeds are packaged in tamper-proof, foil-wrapped blister packs, according to company representatives, and have a lot number and expiration date on both the box and the bottle. All drug information is written in English and Hebrew, and sometimes, even Russian and Arabic. The packaging, some say, is much safer than that provided in the United States. “It’s like the airlines,” explained Jacobson. “What’s the best airline in the world? El Al. Not because it wants to be, but because it has to be.” In addition to the packaging and the ability to support an economy nearly 6,000 miles away, customers of the two Israeli-based sites can be assured that medications are kosher. “My medications arrived in eight days-and even had a lovely note with it,” reported Kay. “It was in April, and it assured me that the medications were all kosher for Passover.”

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July 15, 2005

Sandwich Generation: Pulling Double Duty by SHARON BARGAS JFS Program Coordinator No one expects to receive a call from a parent informing them that their final resting place has been decided on, but Sandy Epstein knows all too well the initial surprise and ultimate feelings of relief as a result of her mother’s decision to share this information with her. The Lipp family had expressed their wishes on issues of death and dying after Sandy Epstein’s parents became ill several years ago. “My parents were so vibrant and always on the go, but once my mother was involved in an accident my parents health began to spiral downhill,” says Epstein. “We knew then that it was vital to sit down with them to ensure their end of life wishes were written down.” Life for Epstein hadn’t been easy once her parents became ill. She embarked on a perpetual emotional roller coaster ride taking care of her immediate family while handling the simplest tasks for her parents. More than 25 percent of American families are caught in what has been described as the “Sandwich Generation” caring for children and aging parents at the same time. This creates a whole set of additional challenges for those that may be caught in the middle. These families encounter a myriad of issues such as financial, legal, medical and spiritual beliefs. “Once we turned that awful corner with my mom, I

ENGAGEMENT BROWN/EPSTEIN Rachael and William Brown of Atlanta announce the engagement of their daughter, Laurie, to Jeffrey Epstein, son of Bob and Bobbie Epstein. The bride-to-be is the granddaughter of Joseph and Latifa Cohen of Atlanta and the late Samuel and Elizabeth Brown. She received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Boston University and is a sales representative for YNOA Advertising in Atlanta. Her fiance is the grandson of Arthur and Charlotte Adler and the late Sam and Ann Epstein. He received a bachelor’s degree from Tulane University and is the President of Omaha Paper Stock Company. A wedding is planned for Aug. 6 in Atlanta.

knew there was no turning back and then were immersed in caring for my parents’ daily needs while still caring for a teenager at home,” says Epstein. Described as the hardest discussion she ever had with her parents, she felt relieved knowing that her parents’ wishes were well-known up until their deaths. According to Epstein, she feels her actions set an example for her children on the importance of talking with family before it is too late. The Jewish Federation, through Jewish Senior Services and Jewish Family Service, developed the Peace of Mind Project addressing many issues that face individuals and families regarding health care wishes and end of life decisions. JSS is assisting the Jewish community by providing a community-wide storage service for completed personal documents. These documents will be made available to family members on an as needed basis, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Epstein’s parents spent their last days at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. “I’m a huge proponent of the project and what it represents.” “I still grieve everyday for my parents,” says Epstein. “I have some comfort knowing we did the right thing.” For more information on the Peace of Mind Project, contact Shelly Fox at 334.6532 or check out information on www.jewishomaha.org and click on “Peace of Mind Project.”

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by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator Temple Israel’s Caring Committee has been renamed the Caring Community and “encompasses the concept of a communal response including every segment of the Temple Israel family from the youngest children, teens, young adults, parents, empty nesters, to seniors,” Rabbi Craig Marantz explained. Temple’s Caring Committee members have been active since the late 1980s visiting the elderly at the Blumkin Home, sponsoring Shabbat Comes to You at Remington Heights, and scheduling an annual blood drive among other compassionate endeavors. More congregants of all ages have gotten involved in caring for the Temple family as well as the larger Jewish and secular communities through annual Mitzvah Days. “Those caring responsibilities are everyone’s obligation,” indicated Rabbi Marantz. “Everyone should have the opportunity to express their compassion. It’s a responsibility that demands a village not just individuals,” he added. Some activities, such as visiting people who are homebound and baking food to take to those recently released from the hospital, have already gotten underway. Congregant Lisa Epstein has led a small baking brigade in the kitchen at Temple. They’ve baked and individually wrapped approximately 40 to 50 challahs and “a lot of little bags of rugelah,” she said. “I really like to bake and cook,” she added. “It’s a good way to show people warmth and love. I try to call people as they come home from the hospital and ask what they need in the way of food.” The baked goods are sometimes taken by the clergy when they make hospital visits. These “homemade” baked items are also presented to new members. Epstein said food items can always be brought to Temple and dropped off in the kitchen. “I’ll know what to do with it!” she said. “We are also trying to define a broader set of areas within which we can provide caring,” Rabbi Marantz pointed out. He noted some of the opportunities could be taking flowers to a grave that is no longer visited, giving new members welcome baskets, shopping for people for whom it’s difficult to leave home or helping them out inside their homes, advocating for people who have physical challenges or suffer from mental illness, or being congregants who are “voices of chesed (kindness).” Rabbi Marantz welcomes anyone who is interested in being a part of the Caring Community. He can be reached by phone at Temple Israel at 556.6536 or by e-mail at cmarantz@templeisraelomaha.com.

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Maimonides Society Party How to Succeed on Any Diet! A Jewish and Friendly Guide to Dieting and Exercise Serves as Introduction by CHAVA GOLDMAN Foreword by Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski Distributed in the USA by Israel Book Shop I don’t know about you, but after Passover I always feel so uncomfortable in my body. All that matza and rich food makes me feel, and look, at least a size larger than I was before the festival. It’s about this time of year that I start thinking about either going on a new diet, or getting back on the old one I was on before Passover. And then I start wistfully thinking about how helpful it would be if only there was a diet and exercise guide for us Jewish women. I don’t mean a particular diet, rather some kind of diet and exercise guide that understands our way of life and gives us lots of practical tips, together with plenty of motivating ideas to help us lose all those unwanted pounds. You know, one that leaves out all the stuff that is not applicable to our life style, but helps us out when it comes to Shabbat and the Festivals. One that we can use when we are away on vacation or when we go to a restaurant, or a wedding. But every year those wistful thoughts remain just that, wistful thoughts. That is, until this year. In what I can only call an encyclopedic masterpiece, Chava Goldman has put her years of experience as a diet consultant and her position as one of the premier aerobic instructors in the Jewish world, together with her already well known talent for writing, to produce the first ever guide to dieting and exercise specifically made for the Jewish woman. Entitled How to Succeed on Any Diet! A Jewish and Friendly Guide to Dieting and Exercise, this book is exactly what the title says it is. It is a book that will help you succeed on any diet you choose. Tailor-made for the

Jewish woman, this book covers such topics as Shabbat, the Festivals, vacationing in a bungalow colony, eating at a wedding or bar mitzvah and much, much more. “For nearly my entire life, I have been fat and on some sort of diet or another,” Goldman told me. “When I finally got so sick of being 60 pounds overweight I decided I was going to research the dieting and exercise issue so thoroughly that I would become an expert in it and could finally lose those unwanted pounds, once and for all. Goldman saw that not only were there no books applicable to a Jewish lifestyle, there were barely any weight loss consultants who could help either. “Almost everybody I knew who was going to a proper diet group or a professional weight consultant was going to a nonJewish one,” Goldman added. The book helps you analyze your lifestyle so you can decide which diet is best for you and then proceeds to give you hundreds of practical, well tested tips to deal with all the potential stumbling blocks that a dieter may encounter throughout the year. In addition, this book is full of inspiring messages, motivating thoughts, lots of sound advice and plenty of encouragement. To top it all off, there is an entire section dedicated to exercise that explains, guides and demystifies the often overwhelming world of fitness. But I must say, what I enjoyed most about this book is that it was so interesting and fun to read. I didn’t want to put it down. I felt that the author was having a conversation with me in my living room. The subtitle says the book is friendly, and it certainly is. With her English sense of humor, Goldman lightens up even the most boring subjects. To predict this book is going to be a runaway best seller doesn’t do it justice. This book sets the standards for all such works in the future. From its eye-catching cover to its beautiful interior layout, it is a classy, polished, professional masterpiece that belongs in every Jewish woman’s home--even if she doesn’t need to diet. This book is distributed in the United States by the Israel Book Shop, 888.536.7427.

by MARY SUE GROSSMAN JELS Administrator Members of the Maimonides Society enjoyed the opportunity to socialize during the Maimonides Society Cocktail Party last month at Ironwood Country Club. During the evening, Sam Cemaj and Dan Schuller, Maimonides Steering Committee members, gave a presentation on the upcoming Emergency Response Group (ERG) Mission. The next mission will be Sept. 15-23 with the Western Galilee Hospital (WGH) in Nahariya.

Lourdes Secola, Andrea Prevan, and Yaffa Schuller were attendees at the Maimonides Society Cocktail Party. The ERG course is a weeklong program designed to familiarize physicians and hospital administrators from abroad with WGH’s emergency preparedness procedures. Each participant is paired with an Israeli colleague in his/her specialty who is the professional host for the week. The 40-hour course includes lectures, hands-on workshops, scripted mini mass-casualty drills, tours, on-site instruction with IDF border medical units, and 10 hours in specialty units/departments. For additional information on the ERG mission or on the Maimonides Society, please call the JELS office at 334.6445 or visit the Maimonides Society page on the Jewish Federation website at www.jewishomaha.org.

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July 15, 2005

Israel Through the Eyes of a Nurse by GLORIA SHUKERT JONES open a health clinic in Jerusalem. Five years later, she deal with two languages. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to take opened a nursing school so Israel would have its own When I questioned Lainof about the major differences a week-long trip to Israel with a portion of the expenses nurses and not have to rely on foreign personnel. There between Israeli and American health care, she indicated paid? This was a dream come true for Carole Lainof, were 22 graduates that first year, and Hadassah nurses the biggest difference is socialized medicine, which is along with 72 other nurses, who recently attended what have been involved in the development and improve- practiced in Israel, making it possible for everyone to was referred to as “A Professional, Educational and ment of the Israeli Health Care System ever since. have health insurance. Additionally, all citizens are treatSpiritual Journey for Nurses”, but is more informally Academic nursing has been the school’s goal ever since ed equally in the Hadassah Hospital system, whether known as “Nurses’ Mission”. This annual event, subsi- it was founded, but it took 61 years before that dream they are Israeli, Arab or Ethiopian. dized partially by National Hadassah, took place from was realized. Today’s nurses uphold the highest stan“This,” Lainof stated, “is their whole philosophy.” May 15-22 this year. dards of care and health practice. In that same tradition, At the Ein Kerem Hospital, a new Center for Highlights of the trip included visits to Hadassah the Masters’ program in Advanced Clinical Nursing was Emergency care was opened in response to terrorist Henrietta Szold attacks. This Center was the benchSchool of Nursing, mark for emergency rooms, because and Ein Kerem and in addition to the latest in technolMt. Scopus Hospitals, ogy, it has the facilities to care for where attendees were over 200 emergencies simultaneable to experience ously. The Pediatric Ward is also multicultural, political well equipped as an auxiliary emerand social challenges gency room if more space would be of nursing practice, as required. well as connecting An educator as well as a nurse, and sharing nursing Lainof took particular interest in with experiences visiting the International School of Israeli nursing colPublic Health at Hebrew University leagues. In addition, in Ein Kerem. There were students they got to travel to from 12 different countries. Lainof Safed, exploring the is a registered nurse on the faculty Kabbalistic aspects of of the Community Health Judaism, and their Department of Nursing at Nebraska effects on nursing and Methodist College, an affiliate of patient care. Methodist Health System, here in The trip was comOmaha. She has been a community pleted at a holistic spa, health nurse since 1968. She indideep in the Carmel cates her primary focus is on comForest, where the parmunity health care, with further ticipants integrated the emphasis on public health issues, experiences of their such as health promotion and journey, and bonded reducing high-risk behaviors. together with their Carole and her husband, Wayne, Israeli peers, in mind, Carole Lainof at Henrietta Szold School of Nursing during Lainof chats with the tour’s guide Ami in front of Hadassah have two daughters, Meredith body and spirit. Nacher and Amanda Hoffman. University School of Nursing at the Ein Kerem campus. the 25th Anniversary of the Academic Program. Although this was a Meredith is the daughter who lives first Nurse Mission event for Lainof, she had been to Israel begun, and the school continues the pursuit of academ- in Israel with her husband Robert, and their two children, many times previously, as one of her daughters lives there. ic excellence in curriculum, research, principles, critical Shira, age 3, and Sarah Rivka, a year and a half. But this time, she met the nurses at both the school of thinking and evidence-based practice in order to continAmanda lives in Lincoln with her husband, Eric and nursing and the two hospitals. This year marked the 25th ue advancing nursing care in Israel into the future. their two children, Gabrielle, age 8, and Will, age 5. So anniversary of the academic (bachelors degree) nursing All Mission events were planned and organized, and when she’s not teaching or being a nurse, Carole manprogram with Hebrew University, which was also part of each nurse was assigned to an area of specialization. For ages to spend time with her family. She has been to Israel the celebration. Lainof, it was orthopedics. She was surprised to learn 10 times since 1981 to visit daughter Meredith. There is a long history of the Henrietta Szold that nursing classes in Israel are taught in Hebrew, but Though diminutive in stature, Carole Lainof is bigger Hadassah-Hebrew University Nursing School that dates their books are printed in English. This was explained as than life when it comes to career experience and her back to the turn of the 20th century. Henrietta Szold, a cost-effective measure, as it would be too expensive to future agenda. She found the Nurses’ Mission trip so fasthe founder of Hadassah, appalled by the morbidity and have translators re-write the books in Hebrew. Thus, it cinating and educational that she is eagerly looking forpoverty she witnessed in Israel, sent two young nurses to would seem to make learning more difficult, having to ward to attending again in the near future.

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Hadassah’s 91st Annual Convention Features Session on Stem Cell Research by ROBERTA ELLIOT Public Relations Director for Hadassah “What So Proudly We Hail” salutes Hadassah’s love of country and Israel. Close to 2,000 Hadassah members from all over the United States will gather in Washington, DC for the annual national convention of Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, to be held July 17-20. The 91st annual convention will bring together the two most important concepts to Hadassah members: American patriotism and love of Israel, perfectly captured by this year’s convention theme, “What So Proudly We Hail.” Over the course of three days, a roster of government officials, academic experts, and medical professionals will serve as keynote speakers and on discussion panels, empowering delegates to advocate with their national and local representatives on an array of American and Israel-based issues. “There is a certain energy in 2,000 Hadassah members arriving in the nation’s capital that always makes a Washington convention especially exhilarating,” said June Walker, National President. “This year, we are particularly energized by the recent vote in the House of Representatives in favor of stem cell research and by our activities this past spring to promote positive stem cell legislation. We plan to take that message - and the message of preserving a strong, safe Israel - to our representatives on the Hill.” The national convention serves as an educational and motivational forum to launch and enhance volunteer programs that delegates will use in their chapter and unit activities throughout the upcoming year. Attending delegates comprise the governing body of Hadassah, and during the convention they elect officials and pass policies and resolutions on Zionist and American issues. Socializing, networking, and rejuvenating one’s spirit are also major components of Hadassah conventions. Hadassah National Convention program highlights include:

• What So Proudly We Hail will be perfectly expressed in the plenary session, The State of the Union, which will examine the alliance between the U.S. and Israel and feature The Hon. Daniel Ayalon, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. and Sen. Joseph R. Biden (D-DE). • In keeping with the convention’s capital theme, it will be run like a political convention with a series of caucuses and plenaries addressing issues of concern: • Israel on the Hill will feature Prof. Shlomo Avineri, Hebrew University; Ester Kurz, of AIPAC; Tamar Cofman Wittes, Saban Center for Middle East Policy. • The First Amendment: Are Your Freedoms at Risk?: Gloria Feldt, past president, Planned Parenthood; Rep. Janice D. Schakowsky (D-Il); Nadine Strossen, president, ACLU. • The Future of Advanced Medical Research: Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE); Prof. Benjamin E. Reubinoff, Director Hadassah Research Center of Human Embryonic Stem Cells; Daniel Perry, president, Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research. • Heart Disease Doesn’t Care What You Wear: Dr. Nieca Goldberg, Lenox Hill Hospital; Dr. Vivian W. Pinn, NIH; Judy Palkovitz, convention Co-Chair. • Politics & Policy - Why Women Matter: Ellen Malcolm, president, EMILY’s List; Letty Cottin Pogrebin, author; Linda Chavez, political analyst; Dee Dee Myers, political commentator. • Some 1,500 delegates will spend an entire morning on Capitol Hill advocating on U.S. and Israeli issues with their own senators and representatives. • The Henrietta Szold Award, Hadassah’s highest honor, will be given to the Hon. Daniel Kurtzer, U.S. Ambassador to Israel, and Mrs. Sheila Kurtzer, president, Corps Diplomatique. • Delegates will be fully briefed on Hadassah’s medical and educational projects in Israel and entertained by Israeli singer Dudu Fisher and the political satire musical group, the Capitol Steps.

Omaha Chapter of Hadassah Welcomes New Members Denver, Colorado prior to moving to by GLORIA SHUKERT JONES Publicity Chairman for Hadassah Omaha, but is originally from New Sunset Valley Country Club was the Jersey. All the models had fun showing scene of a style show and dessert tea last off the beautiful clothing. Adorable chilmonth. The event, dren’s outfits from Prince and hosted by Sandy L’il Kohll, honored new Princess were also on and life members, display. A compatible board members and mix of congenial prospective memcompany, refreshbers of Hadassah. ments and trendy Modeling selected fashions produced a styles furnished by delightful evening. M a i n s t r e a m Georgia Ann Fashions, were Steinberg, president Barbara Taxman, of the local Hadassah Carole Lainoff, chapter, made several Nancy Wolf and her New member Hannah Wolf, right, visits with a n n o u n c e m e n t s , daughter, Hannah, Phyllis Fried including the fact Bernice Dahlberg and this writer. that the national organization has been Hannah is a new life member; Bernice, nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for a transfer member, spent some time in its medical and health work.

IN THE NEWS As part of the Bench Marks art project, Annette Fettman’s painted bench is located at 108th and Madison streets (just north of Harrison) on the west side. Rita Paskowitz authored the slogan, “Every Language has a Word for Peace. Why not say it in yours?” “Peace” is expressed in seven languages on the bench, sponsored by Friendship Programs, Inc.

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

July 15, 2005

Camp Ramah Darom Offers Summer Camp for Families with Autistic Children by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator Thanks to Camp Ramah Darom, located in the North Georgia mountains, Jewish families with autistic children can now enjoy an exciting new family camp, tailored to the special needs of the children. The recentlyestablished “Camp Yofi” will be in session from Aug. 24-28, bringing together Jewish families from across the country to enjoy a fun-filled week of Jewish living and learning for family members of all ages. Camp Yofi is a new addition to Ramah Darom, part of the Conservative Movement’s Ramah camping system which operates under the auspices of the Jewish Theological Seminary. During its first season, enrollment is open to 20 families with children with autism between the ages of five and 14. The camp welcomes all Jewish families, regardless of denomination or synagogue affiliation. Single parents, grandparents and siblings are also invited to attend. The camp’s scholar-in-residence will be Rabbi Shawn Fields-Meyer, founder of Ozreinu, a Torah-oriented, non-denominational spiritual support group for Jewish parents of special-needs children. Rabbi Fields-Meyer, herself the parent of a child with autism, is the co-author of A Day Apart: Shabbat at Home. Cost to attend Camp Yofi is $250 per family. For more information, please e-mail campyofi@ramahdarom.org.

BIRTH Laura and David Hornstein announce the April 18 birth of their daughter, Haley Morgan. Grandparents are Sheila and Ray Tomps, Joan and Ernie Bahm and Larry Hornstein. Great-grandparents are Helen Ernest, the late Beff and Julie Hornstein and the late Reva and Morris Ruderman.

Yachad Takes On Challenge of Boulder Creek by DUANE J. PIEPER stream to its final destinaIt was a typical warm and tion. In the gallery cheering humid Nebraska Sunday everyone on were Rabbi afternoon and the Omaha Allan Gonsher and Carol area golf courses were filled Parsow. with avid enthusiasts lookEvery golfer dreams about ing to improve their game. that allusive hole-in-one shot. For the excitement and In like fashion, Yachad traveled to thrill of accomplishing that members feat speak to Jeff Steinberg. Boulder Creek Miniature Watch out Tiger Woods! It Golf to take on the chalwas extra special to have Eric lenge of this new course. Friedberg back with us after Equipped with hats, sunmeeting the challenge of screen, water bottles and shoulder surgery. With his enthusiasm they were prepared. arm in a sling he played a competitive round of golf, Some members chose the an encouragement to us all. Sport Course with its extra The second half of the long greens with simulated summer continues to be roughs and sand traps--a challenge to the best of putbusy with a variety of events. ters. Others opted for the Eric Friedberg, left, lines up a putt while Josh Parsow waits Yachad will be taking a bus Adventure Course that takes his turn. to Shramm State Park to a solid strong putt to get you to the top of the first visit the Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium, followed by a picnic. green. This was followed by a variety of challenges, Later in the month, on July 24, we will attend a Royals including putting across a draw bridge into a trappers Baseball game at Rosenblatt Stadium. cabin. Anyone interested in joining us at any event as a On another hole the ball traveled down a white water Friend of Yachad, please call 334.6491 to reserve tickets.

Miller Time: Book Group Honors Arthur Miller by GARY KATZ Library Administrator Join the Kripke Jewish Federation Library Book Group on Thursday, July 21, noon, for the movie, Death of a Salesman. Arthur Miller, who died on Feb. 11, 2005, left his imprint on the American theater scene and the book group wishes to honor his memory. Written in 1949, Death of a Salesman is one of the seminal plays of the 20th century. Viewed by many as a caustic attack on the American dream of success through economic enterprise, it made both Arthur

Miller and lead character Willy Loman household names. It was greeted with enthusiastic reviews, received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1949, and turned Miller into a national sensation as a playwright. This play is constantly revived in community theaters throughout the country. On Thursday, Aug. 18, 1 p.m., in the library, the book group will discuss contemporary Jewish short stories. Copies will be available for $3. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend. Call the library at 334.6462 for more information.

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July 15, 2005

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

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Solomon’s Pools

ORGANIZATIONS B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Bruce Lex Stofko will be the guest speaker at B’nai B’rith Breadbreakers on Wednesday, July 20, noon, at the Park Inn Regency, according to Gary Javitch, chairman. Stofko, a Retired FBI agent and ‘Master Police Instructor’ will discuss “Terrorism: A domestic and international overview.” Cost is $11 for a full lunch and $2 for beverage service only. WALK-IN, DROP-IN For those members going on the day trip to Ameristar Casino, please meet at the JCC Thursday, 8:45 a.m. For transportation to the JCC please call Maggie Conti at 334.6521. LOMIR REDN YIDDISH Come to the Lomir Redn Yiddish meeting at the JCC on Thursdays, 1-3 p.m. Call Anne Skolkin at 343.1638 for more information. VISIONS Cruise down the river on the River City Star on Tuesday, July 26, 6:30-8 p.m. (meet at the dock at 6 p.m.) Enjoy good company, music, food and a super evening. Cost of $27 per person includes the cruise, dinner buffet and music. Send reservations to: Sandy and Fred Bromley, 13419 Marinda St., Omaha, NE 68144

by July 18. Visions Summer Picnic is Sunday, Aug. 21, 12:30-4:30 p.m., at Chalco Hills Recreation Area. Join the festivities and summer fun with a Las Vegas Show; Terry Edwards will perform. Cost is $7 per person. Send reservations to: Ethel Goldston, 1108 No. 92 St., #101, Omaha, NE 68114 by Aug. 12. For information, call Jean Elkon at 551.6656. Visions Annual Baseball and Dinner is Monday, Aug. 29. Dinner is on your own at the Stadium View Club at 6 p.m. Game starts at 7:05 p.m. Cost is $5 per person. Send reservations to Harry Alloy, 11317 Harney Plaza Circle, Omaha, NE 68154 by Aug. 15. Don’t miss the trip to Branson Sept. 19-23. No deposit or insurance charge with this new tour company. The trip includes show and dinner cruise on Showboat Branson Belle, Yakov Smirnoff, The Lowe Family, Shoji Tabuchi, Broadway and the Mickey Gille Show. The tour also includes: the Engler Block and guided tour of Branson, Four nights of lodging, and eight meals. Send reservations to: Anne Skolkin, 1010 Regency Parkway, #302, Omaha, NE 68114. Make checks payable to Visions for all events.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Staying true to their mission of showcasing the talents of women, Little Apple Productions, one of Omaha’s newest and dynamic theatre companies, announces it’s upcoming production of the Tony Awardwinning musical, Nine, playing through July 24 at the Bellevue Little Theatre. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays, 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m.

Based on the classic Fellini movie, 81/2, Nine features a book by Arthur Kopit, with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston. Randall Stevens directs this production with music direction by D. Laureen Pickle, and produced by Mary Carrick. The cast includes many of the area’s most seasoned

performers, including Sherry Fletcher. The Bellevue Little Theatre is located at 203 W. Mission Ave. in Bellevue. Tickets are $15 general/$12 seniors and students and may be purchased online at www.littleappleproductions.com or reserved by phone by calling 402.344.3257. Group ticket discounts are available. The Omaha Children’s Museum will host the following events in July: Tuesday, July 26, 10:30 a.m.-noon, Origami Station will be open. Thursday, July 28 – Fri., July 29, Japanese Calligraphy and Dances 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; Blair High School’s Ricki Wulf will bring students to visit the museum from their sister school in Japan (Seshin High School in Kurashiki, Japan). On both days, there will be traditional dances performed by the students, a calligraphy workshop where visitors can get their name printed out by the students, and many other fun activities. On Friday, July 29, we will be setting up a butterfly house in our Japanese garden and will talk about how butterflies are born and have special craft activities all about butterflies. Our chrysalis will take about three weeks to hatch, which should be around August 18 or 19. You might want to return to watch the birth of our butterflies. For more information about membership and museum hours, call 342.6164.

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ACROSS 1. Mast appurtenance 5. EDGE OF ANY OF SOLOMON’S LARGER POOLS, e.g., 40 ACROSS 10. Shave a fruit or costs 14. Where Bush, Kerry studied 15. Former CIA head 16. CITY SW OF 63 DOWN 17. Greek porch 18. Sea duck 19. Former Attorney-General Janet 20. RED SEA ARM, SOLOMON’S SHIPS PLIED IT--AS NAMED TODAY (4 words) 23. Fencing sword 24. Sault ___ Marie 25. Figure in posture of prayer (art) 28. Steal 31. Priest whose Biblical book described the Return and American poet of same (first) name 35. Decimal fractions 37. SOLOMON’S COURT LIVED OFF THE ___ OF THE LAND 39. Father of Bezalel, artisan of Exodus 40. ALSO CALLED LAKE KINNERET (4 words) 44. A long, long time 45. Fix starter 46. Keeps up a subscription 47. Set indentations again 50. WHAT SOLOMON HAD TO DEAL WITH--JUD., EPHR, DAN, OR OTHER 52. Starting point, as of an illness 53. SOLOMON’S BRO.

ABSALOM WAS ONE 55. Descartes 57. ______ _____ ___ (3 words, followed by 63 DOWN, GIVE THE STREAM AND LARGE SALT LAKE IN ISRAEL’S GREAT RIFT VALLEY) 64. Wolf, in Roma 65. von Furstenberg 66. American poet/writer James 67. “_ ___ day is dawning!” 68. Degeneres 69. Tivity’s inventive start 70. Wolves and thieves have them 71. Reckon again, for short 72. Sweeney ____, demon barber DOWN 1. Tel. or nerv. 2. ____ of least resistance 3. Medicinal plant 4. Substances that react with each other, especially in a lab 5. Marker such as the Moabite stone 6. YOUNG COW, SUCH AS SOLOMON OFFERED IN THE TEMPLE 7. ____-graph, measures wave forms 8. CORAL STRUCTURE FOUND ON FRINGES OF 20 ACROSS 9. “And the matter ---”, in Latin legalese 10. “______-vous Francais?” 11. District 12. Declaim noisily, shriekingly 13. Tokyo, formerly 21. “Golly, I’m __ ___

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creek!” 22. ENDING FOR CANAAN OR MOAB 25. River or sea mammal 26. Do garden work again 27. About, concerning (obsolete) 29. What a home buyer gives a seller 30. “It’s in the ___” 32. “SOLOMON _____ FROM THE THRONE”, AS ONE IN HIS TIME MIGHT SAY 33. “___ __ ready for this?”(2 words) 34. Nap, in Madrid, for short 36. In a tree, it rises in spring 38. La Brea has a lot of it 41. Morsel 42. Sierra _____ 43. Inside performance? 48. SOLOMON’S ARCHERS NEEDED THEM 49. May have your sleep number 51. SALTY WATERS OF 63 DOWN 54. One who loads a ship 56. SOLOMON’S ANOINTING, OR YOUR WEDDING 57. May have 28, 29, 30, or 31 days 58. It’s an ____ and shut case 59. RIVER SOLOMON’S EGYPTIAN WIFE HAILED FROM 60. Breathe morbidly 61. Nomist starter knows soils, crops 62. Want, poverty 63. THE ____ SEA 64. WHEN ABSALOM WAS A GROWN MAN, SOLOMON WAS JUST A ___

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

July 15, 2005

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ual generally has either a physical or a cognitive impairment: 1) Physical impairment. Activities of daily living (ADLs) are the most common measurement for physical ability. Most of us take these activities for granted. The ADLs requiring assistance typically occur in a specific order. When assistance is needed with ADLs, some individuals may simply require that a health care practitioner remain within arm’s reach to ensure that the activity is completed safely. This is referred to as standby assistance. As the care recipient’s needs increase, someone may be needed to physically assist with completing the required activity. This is referred to as hands on assistance. 2) Cognitive impairment. When a cognitive impairment exists, individuals are frequently able to complete the physical activities but may not remember how or when to complete them. This level of impairment is usually segmented into three categories: • Short or long-term memory loss, • Orientation as to person, place or time, or • Deductive or abstract reasoning. This situation tends to require intervention by a third party to ensure that the activities are completed safely. Common examples of a cognitive impairment are Alzheimer’s disease, senility, or dementia. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and receiving an annual check-up at your doctor’s office are effective ways of minimizing that risk. However, even these steps cannot eliminate a long-term care event from happening to otherwise healthy people, or prevent the normal effects of aging. By working with a knowledgeable and trusted financial representative, you can learn how long-term care insurance may help protect you against the costs of long-term care. Today’s long-term care insurance policies offer freedom of choice when it’s needed most and at a fraction of the cost compared with paying out-of-pocket. Rob A. Randels is a Financial Representative with Northwestern Mutual Financial Network. He is licensed and appointed to sell long-term care insurance for Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Co., Milwaukee, WI, a subsidiary of Northwestern Mutual and can be reached at 390.8271.

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Rob A. Randels MBA, ChFC, CFP® Investment Specialist Northwestern Mutual Financial Network of Nebraska Embassy Tower, Suite 500 9300 Underwood Avenue Omaha, NE 68114 • (402) 390-8271 rob.randels@nmfn.com www.nmfn.com/robrandels 05-2057 © 2004 Northwestern Mutual. Agent, The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee, WI. Securities offered through Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS), member NASD and SIPC. NMIS is an affiliate of Northwestern Mutual. Northwestern Mutual Financial Network is the marketing name for the sales and distribution arm of The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates, including Northwestern Mutual Financial Network of Nebraska. Northwestern Mutual and Northwestern Mutual Financial Network of Nebraska are not registered investment advisors or registered broker-dealers. 4044-157

New Medicare Initiative for 2006 Leaves Patients with Many Questions by DAVID KOHLL, Pharm D. The Medicare Modernization Act is a prescription drug benefit under Medicare (Medicare Part D) for outpatient prescription drug coverage. This plan replaces the prescription discount cards previously used. Medicare Part D has many people confused about whether or not they qualify and how they apply for the program. Kohll’s Pharmacy & Homecare can help you to better understand this process. The following are some frequently asked questions: Q. To whom does this benefit apply? A. All Medicare-eligible patients, including both seniors and disabled persons who receive Social Security benefits. Q. When can I enroll? A. If you are already enrolled in Medicare, the initial enrollment period will be from Nov. 15, 2005 to May 15, 2006. If you are eligible for Medicare later, you will have three months prior and three months after the month you become eligible to enroll. Q. What if I don’t enroll as soon as I am eligible? A. A late fee will be added to your monthly premium once you do enroll. to avoid paying late fees, let Kohll’s pharmacists assist you in selecting your prescription plan. Q. What if I receive Medicaid?

A. You will now get your outpatient prescription drug coverage through Medicare Part D. You will be automatically enrolled in a plan in October or November. After this, you can choose to switch to a different plan. Let Kohll’s pharmacists help you get a Kohll’s preferred prescription plan. Q. What are my plan options? A. If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan that offers prescription benefits, you must choose their MA-PD. (Medicare Advantage Prescription Plan). If you’re not enrolled in a Medicare Advantage program or the Medicare Advantage plan does not offer a qualified drug plan, than you can enroll in a PDP. (Prescription Drug Plan). Q. What will it cost? A. The cost will vary depending on your income level and the plan you choose. Q. Can I switch plans throughout the year? A. No, you can only switch plans during the open annual enrollment period unless you receive Medicaid. It is very important that people who qualify get enrolled in the appropriate program. Kohll’s pharmacy staff can help you determine which program would be best for you and with any questions you might have on the application process.

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July 15, 2005

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

July 15, 2005

The Best Tai Chi for Seniors by ARIEH LEV BRESLOW Fear of falling is the number one fear of older adults, according to a recent study. And it’s no wonder. In the United States, 60,000 of the 300,000 people who break a hip from a fall will die during the twelve months after their accident. One important way for older adults to stay on their feet is by practicing the Chinese health exercise, Tai Chi. However, most seniors taking Tai Chi classes are not getting the help they need. Recently I received a telephone call from a woman who was taking Tai Chi classes at her local YMCA. She had read that Tai Chi could help her balance but she found the exercise too demanding. She could not practice at home because she could not remember the sequence of the movements. She was aware that classes twice a week was simply too little to improve her balance in a significant way. She had clearly identified the major obstacle preventing older adults from learning Tai Chi. Memory! Tai Chi, as it is generally taught, is made up from 60 to 120 movements in sequence depending on the form. I am now sixty and I am glad I learned Tai Chi when I was 30. It is no secret that as we age, our short-term memory becomes less reliable. To some degree, concentration becomes more difficult for older adults. Physical problems may also stand in the way of older adults learning Tai Chi. For example, most of weight sinks down on one leg or the other. If someone has knee, foot or other leg problems, which many elders have, Tai Chi will prove to be too painful. Yet Tai Chi has been shown to improve balance. A major study at Emory University concluded that adults over 70 doing Tai Chi fell 47.5% less than the control group. This led to a sense of well-being about walking because the participants felt themselves less likely to fall. The Emory study also reported other important benefits of Tai Chi such as a reduction in blood pressure and an increase in hand-grip strength. Suddenly Tai Chi was on the exercise map for older adults. So the dilemma is this. With all the benefits that Tai Chi has to offer seniors, can it be modified to meet their needs? Fortunately the answer is yes. The Emory Study actually points the way to solving

this problem. A closer look at the study’s method shows that the Tai Chi taught to the older adults was a modified form of only a few movements. Moreover, for the first few weeks Dr. Tingsen Xu, the Tai Chi teacher of the study, concentrated on breathing, focusing the mind and developing a sense of a center of gravity. In other words Dr. Xu curtailed the longer sequence and excluded the more difficult moves of Tai Chi while emphasizing certain Tai Chi principles to aid balance and walking. I believe we can utilize Dr. Xu’s methodology and take it one step further. We can extract the principles that form the basis of Tai Chi and teach them in a simple exercise I call, ‘Tai Chi Walking.’ The following are ten principles from ‘Tai Chi Walking’ that will improve your balance and help you walk better. I. The First Principle is ‘Mind Focus.’ Tai Chi grew out of the eastern martial arts. Perhaps the most important characteristic of these disciplines is the ability to focus the mind on a particular task. Once it was fighting. Today it is also health. With ‘Tai Chi Walking’ the goal is to use your mind to compensate for the weakening of the body. In other words you must learn to concentrate on the way you walk. II. The Second Principle: Step forward with the heel first. When you take a step forward, always place your heel down first. Then roll your weight onto the bottom of your foot. This is the natural way to walk. It is dangerous to step flat on the foot or with the ball or toes first. If there is an obstacle sticking up in your path, you are likely to trip over it. So, as you walk using Mind Focus, be certain to step with your heels first. If you cannot do this, then you need to make an appointment with

your physician or physical therapist to find out why. III. The Third Principle: Allow your weight to sink into your ankles and knees as if they were springs. This will allow you to move more from your center and will impart a sense of buoyancy and fluidity as you walk. If your knee and ankle joints are held in a rigid or locked position, you will walk as if on stilts and you can easily lose your balance at the slightest bump or irregularity in the walking surface. IV. The Fourth Principle: Using Mind Focus be aware of the shifting weight from one leg to the other. This will improve your balance by providing you with a solid connection to the floor with each step. You will also discover what your balance problems are if you do this slowly. Often you will discover that one leg is weaker than the other and is causing an imbalance. You can then work on strengthening it. V. The Fifth Principle: Walk from your belly button. Your belly button is approximately the center of your body. When you walk from your center, you will be more balanced and less likely to topple over. Imagine you have a belt around your midsection with a piece of it extended out. As you walk, visualize that someone is gently pulling the belt forward. Remember, this is only a helpful image. VI. The Sixth Principle: Walk with an upright body, meaning vertical between the ceiling and the floor. This is the unique way the human species evolved. The image often used in Tai Chi is that of a string gently lifting the head and neck toward the sky. VII. The Seventh Principle: The arms should swing naturally at the sides of the body. This is important because the arms provide balance and momentum. Moreover, if they are held in your pockets, they cannot be used to prevent or to cushion a fall. VIII. The Eighth Principle: Breathe deeply in a natural way to relax the body. A relaxed body is less stiff and thus less likely to fall. Deep breathing can help to mitigate the fear of falling. I believe that it is extremely important not to allow the fear of falling to rule your life. If you stop walking because of it, your health and quality of life will surely decline. Continued on page 15

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 15

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READ IT AND E AT Reviewed by LOIS FRIEDMAN Without being redundant let’s say this cookbook is as easy as one, two, three. A little bit of background...Gold became a dieter at age 13, “then a funny thing happened on the way to size 16: I became a chef�--not just any ’ole chef mind you, but chef to New York Mayor Ed Koch, then a restaurant consultant, cookbook author. One thing led to another and she chalked up lots of cookbook awards for her 1-2-3 eight book series written with Helen Rothstein Kimmel, dietitian/nutritionist...featuring three magic ingredients and inspired by the Chinese proverb that says, “He who cooks simplest cooks best.� After the diet revolution comes the revelation and their latest 1-2-3 cookbook featuring low carb, low fat (never more than 6 grams per recipe and using olive oil, trimming all the fat and no trans fat) and low calorie (under 399 calories per serving for main dishes). The recipes are for those wanting to eat healthy or to lose weight. The point of this cookbook “is to eat not dogmatically but well�...eating sensibly, simply and lots of variety. Good reading in each chapter, headnotes and nutritionist’s notes (my personal favorite was one about schmaltz...that chicken fat rendered from the chicken skin has about half the saturated fat and almost twice the good monounsaturated fat of butter). The chapters begin with the Low-Carb Kitchen (Gold’s kitchen is simple “no dishwasher, no microwave and a minimum of pots and pans�). Some 225 recipes follow, for Morning and Party Food, Soups & Starters, Meat Poultry, Fish, Vegetables & Side Dishes, Desserts, and Snacks & Menus. The clear instructions detail cooking techniques to develop the flavors. One recipe-to-a-page format includes nutritional data. All this with only three ingredients (kosher salt, pepper and water don’t count)..and you’ll qualify for the express lane at the supermarket! Three cheers for 1-2-3 and this Low-carb salad recipe that is a variation of a Turkish cucumber recipe called cacik. TURKISH-STYLE CUCUMBER SALAD 2 medium cucumbers 2 teaspoons dark Asian sesame oil 1 cup low-fat plain yogurt Peel the cucumbers. Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise and, using a small spoon, remove the seeds. Slice into 1/4�-thick “half-moons.� Place in a bowl. Add the oil, yogurt, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours before serving. Serves 4

by SCOTT SIMON with SilverStone Group, Inc. Wellness has become a hot topic since companies began experiencing double-digit increases in their health care costs during the past several years. Common responses include making plan design changes by raising co-payments, deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums. Employers are also shifting cost increases to their employees. While these options can help to lower the impact of healthcare increases, they are only shortterm solutions. Some other challenges employers face today are addressing the varying needs of their members with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity. Better access to preventive care, disease management programs and technology can assist with improving their quality of life while reducing healthcare expenditures. Individuals with chronic conditions have a much higher incidence of health care claims than those who do not. High-risk individuals typically represent 15-25% of a group’s overall

claims experience. The high-risk individuals also represent the greatest potential for savings in a medical plan. There are a variety of wellness options available today. Many of them are very basic in nature and typically include a company health fair. The more comprehensive programs contain a health risk questionnaire and medical evaluation that would include a full blood work-up. There are proven results that demonstrate a wellness program can reduce a company’s claim costs as well as reduce absenteeism, increase productivity and enhance employee morale. An effective wellness program needs to target an entire employee population and their dependents. The primary goal of such a program is to empower plan members to become more active and aware of their lifestyle and medical risk factors so that they will make choices that will result in better health. For people to have positive outcomes, they need to be motivated to participate and stay active in these programs. Education and guidance are critical in helping participants to achieve their goals.

Make Your Smile Extraordinary The Best Tai Chi for Seniors by DR. TRACY BRIGDEN Visiting the dentist every six months is something not everyone always thinks of in order to stay healthy, but it is just as important as visiting any other doctor on a regular basis. Too many skipped visits to the dentist can lead to gingivitis, periodontal disease, and in some instances, even tooth loss. The experienced and caring staff at Legacy Dental want to do everything they can to ensure your teeth and gums stay as healthy as possible. Here are a few dental facts for you to consider: 1) Healthy gums have a healthy pink color, 2) Healthy gums will hug the tooth tightly, and 3) Healthy gums will not bleed. If this sounds like a description of your mouth, you likely are practicing good dental hygiene. Unfortunately, no matter how well we try to take care of our teeth and gums, many of us are still plagued with annoying dental problems. If you feel you may not have healthy teeth and gums, you are not alone. Three out of four people show warning signs of periodontal disease. Some things to watch for include: 1) Gums that bleed when you brush, 2) Gums that are red, swollen, or tender, 3) Gums that have pulled away (receded) from teeth, 4) Permanent teeth that are loose or separating, and 5) Persistent bad breath. These conditions can only be accurately assessed by your dentist and hygienist. If you are already experiencing any of these symptoms, give Legacy Dental a call at 39-SMILE. You can schedule a free consultation and Smile Analysis, or if your teeth and gums are already healthy, you can schedule a routine cleaning with his hygienist to continue practicing good dental health. Let us take your smile from ordinary to extra ordinary!

Continued from page 14 IX. The Ninth Principle: When you turn to the right or left, first turn your head. Look in the direction you want to go and then turn your body. I have worked with many older adults who have fallen when they turned their bodies too fast. One man was standing at a bus stop. He heard the bus coming, turned quickly and fell to the sidewalk. X. The Tenth Principle: Wear shoes that fit comfortably and promote balance. Look for shoes that are stable and support you from side to side. Many seniors with walking problems wear shoes that have a narrow base and have straps that hold the shoe on the foot. These shoes while attractive and comfortable offer virtually no support. In the ‘Tai Chi Classics,’ a series of essays in poetic form, it is written that the purpose of Tai Chi is ‘to lengthen life and maintain youth.’ There is little doubt that if you will apply Tai Chi principles to the way you walk, you will improve your balance, strengthen your legs and greatly diminish your fear of falling. As a direct consequence, you will enjoy better health and quality of life. Former Lincolnite Arieh Lev Breslow is the author of The Tai Chi Falls Prevention Manual for Seniors and the Physically Challenged and the accompanying video. The son of Minnie Breslow and the late David Breslow, he can be reached at taichi@bezeqint.net or visit www.taichiwalking.com.

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Page 16

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

July 15, 2005

Sandwich Generation: Pulling Double Duty by SHARON BARGAS JFS Program Coordinator No one expects to receive a call from a parent informing them that their final resting place has been decided on, but Sandy Epstein knows all too well the initial surprise and ultimate feelings of relief as a result of her mother’s decision to share this information with her. The Lipp family had expressed their wishes on issues of death and dying after Sandy Epstein’s parents became ill several years ago. “My parents were so vibrant and always on the go, but once my mother was involved in an accident my parents health began to spiral downhill,” says Epstein. “We knew then that it was vital to sit down with them to ensure their end of life wishes were written down.” Life for Epstein hadn’t been easy once her parents became ill. She embarked on a perpetual emotional roller coaster ride taking care of her immediate family while handling the simplest tasks for her parents. More than 25 percent of American families are caught in what has been described as the “Sandwich Generation” caring for children and aging parents at the same time. This creates a whole set of additional challenges for those that may be caught in the middle. These families encounter a myriad of issues such as financial, legal, medical and spiritual beliefs. “Once we turned that awful corner with my mom, I

ENGAGEMENT BROWN/EPSTEIN Rachael and William Brown of Atlanta announce the engagement of their daughter, Laurie, to Jeffrey Epstein, son of Bob and Bobbie Epstein. The bride-to-be is the granddaughter of Joseph and Latifa Cohen of Atlanta and the late Samuel and Elizabeth Brown. She received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Boston University and is a sales representative for YNOA Advertising in Atlanta. Her fiance is the grandson of Arthur and Charlotte Adler and the late Sam and Ann Epstein. He received a bachelor’s degree from Tulane University and is the President of Omaha Paper Stock Company. A wedding is planned for Aug. 6 in Atlanta.

knew there was no turning back and then were immersed in caring for my parents’ daily needs while still caring for a teenager at home,” says Epstein. Described as the hardest discussion she ever had with her parents, she felt relieved knowing that her parents’ wishes were well-known up until their deaths. According to Epstein, she feels her actions set an example for her children on the importance of talking with family before it is too late. The Jewish Federation, through Jewish Senior Services and Jewish Family Service, developed the Peace of Mind Project addressing many issues that face individuals and families regarding health care wishes and end of life decisions. JSS is assisting the Jewish community by providing a community-wide storage service for completed personal documents. These documents will be made available to family members on an as needed basis, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Epstein’s parents spent their last days at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. “I’m a huge proponent of the project and what it represents.” “I still grieve everyday for my parents,” says Epstein. “I have some comfort knowing we did the right thing.” For more information on the Peace of Mind Project, contact Shelly Fox at 334.6532 or check out information on www.jewishomaha.org and click on “Peace of Mind Project.”

“A Respite in the City” by GEORGIA BICHEKAS Absolute Serenity Day Spa, fashioned after day spas found in Europe, has as its focus not only beauty but health, wellness and spiritual well being as well. The array of services of Absolute Serenity Day Spa range from the often found pedicure to hypnosis and acupuncture with a myriad of things in between. Our estheticians can assist you in minimizing the damage of exposure to sun and pollutants by combining high quality professional products like Cellex-C and Kinerease with the detoxifying effects of moist heat and the nourishing effects of pure oxygen. In addition they can assist in improving conditions such as acne and eczema. Our body workers draw on the teachings of the Eastern Schools of practice to provide you with the stress relieving and therapeutic effects of several types of massage, Shiatsu, Reiki and reflexology. They also provide treatment for fibromyalgia and chronic pain. Hypnosis and personal coaching attend to the issues of spirit as well as those of the body. With those we address a diverse range of issues including nutrition, herbology, weight loss, smoking cessation, interpersonal relationships, and spirituality among others Our staff can provide you with manicures and pedicures as well as waxings and exfoliating treatments to externally enhance appearance while treatments such as ear candling, detoxifying wraps, energy work and acupuncture can be utilized to address other issues of the body. PAID ADVERTISEMENT

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by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator Temple Israel’s Caring Committee has been renamed the Caring Community and “encompasses the concept of a communal response including every segment of the Temple Israel family from the youngest children, teens, young adults, parents, empty nesters, to seniors,” Rabbi Craig Marantz explained. Temple’s Caring Committee members have been active since the late 1980s visiting the elderly at the Blumkin Home, sponsoring Shabbat Comes to You at Remington Heights, and scheduling an annual blood drive among other compassionate endeavors. More congregants of all ages have gotten involved in caring for the Temple family as well as the larger Jewish and secular communities through annual Mitzvah Days. “Those caring responsibilities are everyone’s obligation,” indicated Rabbi Marantz. “Everyone should have the opportunity to express their compassion. It’s a responsibility that demands a village not just individuals,” he added. Some activities, such as visiting people who are homebound and baking food to take to those recently released from the hospital, have already gotten underway. Congregant Lisa Epstein has led a small baking brigade in the kitchen at Temple. They’ve baked and individually wrapped approximately 40 to 50 challahs and “a lot of little bags of rugelah,” she said. “I really like to bake and cook,” she added. “It’s a good way to show people warmth and love. I try to call people as they come home from the hospital and ask what they need in the way of food.” The baked goods are sometimes taken by the clergy when they make hospital visits. These “homemade” baked items are also presented to new members. Epstein said food items can always be brought to Temple and dropped off in the kitchen. “I’ll know what to do with it!” she said. “We are also trying to define a broader set of areas within which we can provide caring,” Rabbi Marantz pointed out. He noted some of the opportunities could be taking flowers to a grave that is no longer visited, giving new members welcome baskets, shopping for people for whom it’s difficult to leave home or helping them out inside their homes, advocating for people who have physical challenges or suffer from mental illness, or being congregants who are “voices of chesed (kindness).” Rabbi Marantz welcomes anyone who is interested in being a part of the Caring Community. He can be reached by phone at Temple Israel at 556.6536 or by e-mail at cmarantz@templeisraelomaha.com.

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July 15, 2005

Stress: How Much is in Your Bucket?

Talking Your Way to Feeling Great

by LINDA GRUNBERG Director of Communications Wellness Coordinator Senior Market Sales, Inc. A friend of mine once told me that when we are born we are all given a huge bucket filled with all kinds of stress. We can do what we want with this stress. We can ignore it and hold onto it…or we can use it up. The trick is that we need stress to live. Stress triggers our internal “fight or flight” mechanism. So, his advice was to pick and choose carefully how you use your bucketful of stress, for when it’s depleted, you are dead. It seems we all have a tendency to succumb to our conscious or unconscious need to feel stress. Maybe it makes us feel alive. We all have plenty of stress in our personal as well as our professional lives. We worry about work. We overwork. We take on too many projects or join too many service organizations. We just keep dipping into the bucket, day after day after day. Senior Market Sales, an insurance marketing firm owned by Milton and Marsha Kleinberg in Omaha, understands that employees need to work at managing stress. The company recently renovated and moved all its employees to the fifth floor of Morgan Place on 84th and Dodge. Included in the new space is a brand new “wellness” room equipped with a phone, small writing table, light reading materials, CD player, and for the weight conscious, a scale. Lighting can be adjusted using the dimmer switch. Brochures with all kinds of health and fitness information are placed in a display rack for employees to take at will. Management understands the importance of providing staff with not only a break room, but a place where they can go for a little solitude and privacy during the day. According to Merriam-Webster, stress is defined as a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation. In this busy and chaotic world, it’s nice to work for a company who cares and has done something to help us from depleting all the stress in our buckets.

by BARBARA KENYON What do you say when you talk to yourself? “I’ll give it a try, but I just don’t think I can do it”. Or are you one of the few who practices positive self-talk? “I have the confidence and skills necessary to help me succeed.” Your mind believes what you tell it repeatedly with emotion. Your imagination is a powerful thing. Here’s an example: Imagine picking a large, ripe lemon. You slice it open and let the juices flow out. You smell the tangy fruit. Now you bite into the lemon and let the imaginary juice fill your mouth. Is your mouth watering? Albert Einstein said that imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world. One useful strategy is to write down what you quietly say to yourself when you are working toward what you want. Your thoughts may be less than positive, as in, “What wrong with me?” “It’s not my fault.” “If only I were stronger, smarter, younger, older.” We can literally talk ourselves into not succeeding. Now write a positive thought next to every negative thought. Make a commitment to think about your new thoughts morning, noon, and night, with positive imagination and continue this for ten days. Is this easy? No! Does it work? Yes! Is it instant and like magic? No! It is a gradual process but you will soon have a new momentum and it will seem like magic. You will become free from your old self defeating habits. So ask yourself this: “What in my life is not quite the way I want it do be?” “What am I thinking about? What will I be thinking about starting today?” “The inner speech, your thoughts, can cause you to be rich or poor, loved or unloved, happy or unhappy, attractive or unattractive, powerful or weak.”-- James Allen

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Robert Alter’s The Five Books of Moses, available in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library, has some critics up in arms while others applaud his efforts to return the work to its original Hebrew meanings and beautiful repetitions. His argument is that past translations either get the Hebrew wrong or mangle the syntax or lose the power of the work. He was also determined to reinstate every single “and” that other translators left out, saying that part of book’s majesty is built by its use of repetitions. Professor Alter says the 1611 King James version, perhaps the most famous book ever written by a committee, is fraught with “embarrassing inaccuracies” and often substitutes Greek or Latin words and Renaissance English tonalities and rhythms for biblical ones. This lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact the Kripke Jewish Federation Library at 334.6462.

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 17

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

July 15, 2005

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New Book Explains Kosher and Jewish Food

BOOK REVIEW by RABBI RACHEL ESSERMAN The Reporter Group Every Jewish lifecycle event from birth to death usually includes a meal. Every Jewish holiday well, except for fast days, features a special culinary treat. Food is an integral part of Judaism. A rabbinic saying suggests that after death, we not only have to answer for the sins we’ve committed, but for the righteous treats we denied ourselves; the category of righteous treats is believed to include food. Two recent works look at the Jewish connections to food. How to Keep Kosher: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding Jewish Dietary Laws by Lisë Stern (William Morrow) gives an excellent overview of the rules of kashrut; in addition, it contains almost 70 pages of recipes for those looking for a taste of Jewish cooking. Matthew Goodman’s Jewish Food: The World at Table (HarperCollins) is primarily a cookbook; however, readers who prefer to read rather than cook will find his essays describing Jewish cuisine a treat. Anyone interested in keeping kosher, or in just learning more about the dietary laws, will find Stern’s work an excellent place to start. How to Keep Kosher gives step-by-step explanations for everything from how to kasher (make kosher) your kitchen to the additional restrictions on cooking during Shabbat and the holidays. In her introductory sections, she tells of her own personal journey toward kashrut, which began when she was 9 and her parents decided to keep kosher (something she “objected to initially... [until the change] evolved into personally meaningful practices”) and quotes from others who find practicing the dietary laws a spiritually rewarding experience. She also does a wonderful job covering a wide variety of topics, including the difference between being “ingredient kosher” and demanding kosher certification; an explanation of the art of shechita (ritual slaughtering); an introduction to numerous chemical additives and preservatives, and their kashrut status; and an extensive look at the food restrictions followed on the holiday of Passover. One of the advantages of Stern’s guide, as compared to other books this reviewer has read, is that she includes both Conservative and Orthodox rulings, explaining where they differ and why. (Stern also suggests that anyone with a specific question should consult their rabbi.) Her look at the Jewish year through food not only teaches about the different dietary customs for each holiday, but explains the meaning behind each holiday and the way it’s practiced. I was also impressed with her account of “where do these kosher laws come from, anyway?” For those who are interested in cooking kosher, Stern offers basic recipes for such staples as challah, matzah balls, kugel and cholent, and more exotic Jewish foods

such as sficha (a Syrian meat dish) and New England fessenjen (a Persian dish made with either meat or poultry). Anyone who still feels insecure about deciding if a dish is meat, dairy or pareve (food neither meat nor diary) will be glad to note that each recipe is given the appropriate dietary label. In the introduction to “Jewish Food,” Goodman discusses what makes a food Jewish, since Jewish cuisines differ from country to country. For example, while bagels and lox may epitomize the quintessential Jewish food to Jews from Eastern Europe, if Jews from India, Italy or Yemen were offered this combination, they might scratch their heads, wondering how anyone could consider these strange foods to be Jewish. For Goodman, “Jewish food is a product of history and geography; it is an expression of the area in which it has been made. In this case, the area happens to span not merely a particular country... but instead much of the world.” His cookbook offers a taste of foods from all parts of the globe, from appetizers to desserts, including Moroccan orange and black olive salad; Greek fish soup; Mexican fried fish balls in a spicy tomato sauce; Alsatian onion tart; Iraqi chicken with rice; Hungarian Sabbath stew; Calcutta deep fried potatoes; Yemenite flat bread; and Italian baked ricotta pudding. While Goodman’s “Jewish Food” contains a number of recipes I would like to try, what I really loved were his explanations of the ingredients and dishes. Food trivia buffs will have a field day with what he has to offer. Did you know that: • “The invention of British fish and chips is generally attributed to a Jewish immigrant from Eastern Europe named Joseph Malin, who in 1860 set up a shop that served batter-dipped oil-fried fish alongside potato ‘chips,’ a street food sold by Irish immigrants.” • The honey mentioned in the Bible did not come from bees. Instead it was “a thick syrup made from figs, grapes, and dates, a kind of syrup called halek, that is still made by Jews of Iraqi descent.” • “In Libya, okra was considered a food of mourning, and was traditionally eaten, with onions and tomato sauce, before Tisha B’av.” • In Europe, tomatoes were not only considered poisonous, but unkosher, since they were believed to contain blood. Potatoes were thought to cause leprosy and to arouse sexual desire. Before the introduction of potatoes to Europe, latkes were cakes made from curd cheese that was fried in either butter or olive oil. While Stern’s book is mainly for those interested in keeping kosher, food lovers will be delighted with both works. Not only would they be welcome additions to any Jewish bookshelf, they also make excellent shower, wedding or house-warming presents. If given as a gift, be sure to hint to your friends that you’ll be happy to sample their culinary efforts. Now if I can only find a way to persuade someone to invite me along.

New Cassel Pictures Retirement Without Recliners by RIC MILLER ‘Retirement’ and ‘Recliners’ often are envisioned simultaneously for many, when they see their own retirement setting or that of their parents or grandparents. New Cassel Retirement Center in Omaha has been providing an alternative to this depiction of retirement, and it’s working. Staying fit and healthy is important for everyone, regardless of age. For some people, getting older means settling into the recliner and snoozing in front of the television ... relaxation is a good thing, but it is important to stay active as you become older. Staying active can help control diseases like heart disease and diabetes. In addition, it reduces the effects of osteoporosis and arthritis, and helps a person to stay limber and able to function with greater independence. Exercise classes with small free weights are available, along with a wellness center including a tread mill, stationary bicycle, step climber, and weight machine. Surrounding the facilities at

New Cassel is a paved sidewalk, and many residents and staff enjoy daily walks around the campus, encircling the facility three times is equivalent to one mile. Additionally, a physical therapist visits New Cassel weekly, assisting the residents with various exercises for strength and conditioning. Nursing professionals provide on site assistance 24 hours each day, seven days a week. It is true that the body’s energy needs decrease with advancing age, but it is important that everyone continue to enjoy their food in sufficient amounts. Meeting the dietary and nutritional needs of 156 residents with varying dietary requirements, is a large task, but managed daily by the nutritionists on staff at New Cassel Retirement Center. “Our wellness program follows the seven facets of well being,” said Glenda Hallberg, associate administrator at New Cassel. “They include physical and nutritional well being, but expand to include spiritual, intellectual, social, emotional and service to others.”

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 19

ADL and the Omaha Royals Hit One Out of the Park by BETH KATZ of fans from our community. In addition to the The Anti-Defamation League took its community- Omaha Royals, the Creighton Blue Jays, Omaha Beef based No Place for Hate® campaign to the ballpark on and other amateur sports organizations have joined June 30, with an interactive information booth at the No Place for Hate® campaign. Rosenblatt Stadium. Volunteers from ADL’s Youth Having a presence at the baseball games is as symLeadership Mission treated Omaha Royals fans of all ages to No Place for Hate® temporary while tattoos they talked about the effort to combat bigotry and foster understanding and respect for diversity. The volundirected teers baseball fans to the No Place for up to get their Volunteer and Youth Leader Mission alum Tiffany Cain applies Hate ® Com- Fans of all ages lined ® No Place for Hate® tattoos to young baseball fans. No Place for Hate tattoos. munity Resource Guide published earlier this year and the companion bolic as it is strategic. ADL Regional Director Bob web site that offer suggested activities to make Omaha Wolfson said, “Baseball is a treasured American pasa more inclusive community. time and we hope to make celebrating diversity a great The Omaha Royals and other sports organizations American pastime, too.” have joined ADL’s No Place for Hate® in a unique Anyone can participate in the campaign simply by sports-oriented program titled “Prejudice is Foul signing the No Place for Hate® Resolution of Respect, Play.” That initiative began with professional sports and committing to complete at least three anti-bias associations and renowned athletes who lent their activities that foster understanding and respect. The names and celebrity to promote the simple message activities must be completed over a one-year period that when it comes to fighting prejudice, we’re all on and submitted to the ADL office or to www.noplace forhate.com. the same team. ADL volunteers will also be at Omaha Royals games “Sports exemplify a rare exception in life where talent and moxie transcend race, religion, national origin on Sunday, Aug. 9. For more information on particand other factors that can be barriers for some people ipating or contributing to the No Place for Hate® in our society,” said ADL-Plains States Region campaign, contact the ADL-Plains States Regional Director of Communications and Community Office at 402.333.1303 or visit the No Place for Development, Sharon Brodkey. “The partnership with Hate® website at www.noplaceforhate.com. To get the Omaha Royals is a ‘natural’ because the diverse more information on the Aug. 9 Omaha Royals Omaha Royals team draws a very broad cross-section games, go their website at www.oroyals.com.

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

July 15, 2005

A Healthy Jewish Community Maintaining a healthy lifestyle in a Jewish community (in any community) requires a state-of-the-art fitness center, swimming pools, qualified instructors in a variety of sports and athletic endeavors, as well as mental health professionals, and classes for children, teens, adults and seniors in everything from eating nutritionally sound meals to exercise to parenting to balancing medications. Thankfully, the generosity of the donors in this community is benefitting us all with the services and programs of both Jewish Family Service and the Jewish Community Center’s spectacular Fitness Center. Would that more members of the Jewish community would take advantage of both. The offerings in Omaha more than match what is available in larger Jewish communities; visitors are often surprised at what an impressive facility this is. But being healthy does not mean being of one mind. A healthy community is also one that can disagree on issues and still remain whole and viable. Disagreement does not necessarily mean fracture; community leaders need not fear that dissent will lead to destruction. In fact, the reserve is often the case--resolution of heartfelt disagreements can lead to a closer community. You’ve heard the old lawyers’ dictum--a good negotiation is one that leaves all parties a little bit unhappy. When one party gets it all, the other parties get mad; with everyone giving up a little, all parties can truthfully say they learned to bend and accommodate--and the results usually portend a fair solution. So what is there in the Jewish community upon which we disagree? We could start with Israeli politics: from ordaining non-Orthodox rabbis to accepting marriages and conversions performed by the same non-Orthodox rabbinate. Of course, there’s the disengagement from Gaza, expected to take place in August. And of course, there’s the whole issue of the

West Bank and East Jerusalem to discuss. (On what parts wouldn’t we disagree in this complex issue?) Then there’s the issue of terrorism--in Israel, in the rest of the Middle East, in Madrid and now in Britain. There are some who want to delve into the “whys” of how terrorists are created and some who want to bomb them into oblivion. We could also tackle politics in this country: appointing judges to the Appellate and Supreme Courts, stem cell research, reproductive rights, marriage for homosexuals, tax policy (including charitable deductions and estate taxes), foreign policy, and the list goes on. In Nebraska, we could conduct lively discussions on giving tax breaks to corporations who build large retail developments, office buildings or factories here. And of course, there’s always the OPS proposal to take over Ralston and Millard schools. But why stop there? What about issues of contention in the Jewish community? Are there any? And if so, can we argue them in public? Without a doubt, the answer is “yes.” Whatever the issue is-whether it’s end-oflife cases like Terri Schaivo’s (which definitely elicited more Letters to the Editor than any other single issue in the last 10 years) to moving institutions to reprioritizing our community’s goals--the pages of the Jewish Press continue to be a

(Founded in 1920)

safe place where the community can express itself. People are allowed to hold different opinions--even strong opinions--on what may be contentious issues. Publishing letters or other op-ed pieces on these pages can give our readers food for thought. An opinion piece might even change someone’s mind--but even if it doesn’t, readers should be open to learning what others think. There’s an old joke about the two men found on a desert island. Their rescuers are amazed to find three synagogues. “If there are only two of you, why do you need a third?” the rescuers ask the two Jews, who reply in unison: “Why, we wouldn’t set foot into that one!” See--even they agree on one thing! Let’s put all our issues on the table and discuss them like the rational adults we claim to be. If we have a healthy attitude, we’ll resolve our differences and arrive at solutions that make this community even stronger. Abie gezunt! To your good health!

Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press the Jewish Committee, 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. Editorial The Jewish Press is a Constitutional Committee of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Deadline for copy, ads and photos is: Thursday, noon, 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.

Still Healing, Two Years After a Suicide Bomb Attack

BEHIND THE HEADLINES by SARRI SINGER On June 11, 2003, an Arab homicide bomber boarded the #14 bus in Jerusalem and blew himself up, murdering 16 innocent people and maiming many more. It was the day that changed my life forever. I was on that bus. It is now two years later, and I am still witnessing the lifelong wounds and trauma that hundreds of people continue to experience as a result of this tragedy. Often, people who experience or witness such horrifying terror will bury the event deep in their minds and painfully suppress it for the rest of the lives. Yet others may cling to those who shared in their life altering event in order to remember. To remember the loved ones they lost. To remember those who have been physically injured. To remember those who have been emotionally or psychlogically wounded, haunted by the terror that paralyzes their lives. And that is what I did last month, when I reunited with a group of survivors from bus #14 to commemorate two years from that fateful day. Everyone there that night of the commemoration had lost someone they loved or had themselves been injured in some way from the bomb. Everyone shared their personal stories of how their lives had been changed forever as a result of the bus tragedy. I listened, and I cried. I cried for those murdered, for those who survived and yet live with the horror, for

those whose physical wounds and fear have destroyed their lives. Then I cried for a world where people have lost all morality and have no value for the sanctity of human life. A world where an innocent human being can board a bus, only to exit in a body bag. But then I stopped crying, because I am a Jew. The Jewish reaction to tragedy is not to perish in despair, but to build and to grow. After pain we persevere and we learn the lessons that emerge from our experiences.

...the only thing that hate achieves is the destruction that I witnessed...I will be strong for Israel and her people as they were strong in taking care of me. This experience has taught me about the fragility of life. One second it is here and the next--it is gone. I learned that my life is part of a greater whole and that I survived because my work in this world is not finished and my time here is not yet up. Time is an incredible thing. It may pass and stand still for no one and yet, it does not always heal. When I close my eyes I am brought back to the events of that day which are still fresh in my mind. I remember nonchalantly choosing my seat on the bus, a choice that I now know saved my life. I remember hearing the sounds of crushing metal and feeling the shock wave as the explosion tore through the bus. I remember imme-

Joanie Jacobson Chairman Carol Katzman Editor Richard Busse Managing Editor Allan Handleman Advertising Manager Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Managing Editor Barbara Kirkpatrick Bookkeeper Amanda Marcuccio Sales & Marketing Intern Jewish Press Committee Howard K. Marcus, Vice-Chairman; Bobbi Leibowitz, Secretary; Scott Meyerson, Finance Chairman; Steve Simon, Treasurer; Fred Tichauer, Immediate Past-chairman; David Herzog; Jamie Meyerson; Stanley Mitchell; George Quittner; Linda Saltzman; Joe Shyken; Michael Siegal; Nancy Skid; Dorothy Spizman; and Melany Weinstine. 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, Jewish Educational and Library Services, Jewish Family Service, and Jewish Senior Services. The Jewish Press is a constitutional committee of the Jewish Federation.

diately shutting my eyes, a seemingly insignificant neurological instinct that saved my sight. And then the moment of eerie silence that followed, a silence so frightening, so telling, silence of those who were dead in every seat around me. Then I screamed. I will never forget that I screamed so loud that a stranger, who had heard the blast from three blocks away, heard my cries and ran toward the mangled bus and pulled me out. I will never forget the old woman who stood by my side holding me as I was burned, bleeding, and frightened. I will never forget the kindness and love that was shown to me by those I had known my entire life and by those who I had never met. I am often asked if, as a survivor of such a horrific experience, I am filled with hate or a desire for revenge. I refuse to succumb to hate because the only thing that hate achieves is the destruction that I witnessed on that tragic day. I will not let this experience destroy me or drive me to do the terrible things that the need for revenge does to a person. I will live my life showing kindness to others as others have shown kindness to me. I will be strong for Israel and her people as they were strong in taking care of me. I will teach love and hope because love has brought me to this day and hope is the only thing that will bring us into the future. Sarri Singer is the U.S. East Coast Director for One Family Fund, a volunteer-based, non-profit organization that provides emotional, financial, and legal support to victims of terrorism and their families. For more information on One Family Fund visit www.onefamilyfund.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 $31 per calendar year U.S.; $35 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. 132nd St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198 or e-mail to: jpress@jewishomaha. org.

Nebraska Press Association

National Newspaper Association

July 15, 2005

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 21

Jewish Newspapers Can Help Transform and Revitalize Jewish Life

STAYING IN TOUCH by OZZIE NOGG When this paper printed my first feature column back in 1989, I had no idea how long (or even if) my foray into journalism would continue. I’m a Gemini, you see, a mercurial type, not known for singleness of purpose. Yet here I am, 16 years later, still scribbling stories, a member of the American Jewish Press Association, the newly elected freelance representative to the group’s Exec Committee and recently returned from its annual conference in Boston. Who’d a thunk it. My trip to the conference was made possible, in large measure, thanks to the efforts of Carol Katzman, our editor, and Joanie Jacobson, chairman of our Press Committee, and the Press Committee itself. Their generous support of this freelance writer is (I now know) without parallel, unmatched by other AJPA papers, even the metro NY and LA big boys. Perhaps we simply have more heart in the heartland... ...Now, to be in Boston this past June was to be part of a gathering that satisfied on several levels. In personal terms, I finally got to meet out-of-town editors for whom I’ve supplied features over the years, while also putting the lie to their assumption that “Ozzie� is a man. I hugged Jeanne and Joe Samuels (he 82, she 81) of the Houston Jewish Herald Voice, the first paper outside Omaha to buy my work. The couple, still going strong, are role models for all of us, especially young editors (in their 20s and 30s) who--despite the increasing glut of on-line content--risk their shirts to start old-fashioned (but slick) Jewish print publications. During the conference, I made friends with men and women who had, previously, only been names on the AJPA roster. Most came from either coast, and are marginally plugged into the Jewish life of middle America. (Whaaat? You have how many congregations in

Omaha?) Over lunch, on a boat trip around Boston Harbor, at late-night gab fests, we shared our experiences, compared goals, and eventually came to understand how alike we are in our love of Judaism and its values. On the professional level, the conference gave me the opportunity to learn from some extraordinary Jewish movers and shakers: Brandeis University’s Dr. Jonathan Sarna (dubbed one of America’s 50 most influential Jews by the Forward). Dr. David Gordis, President of Hebrew College. Gail Twersky Reimer, founding Director of the Jewish Women’s Archives. Yossi Abramowitz, CEO of Jewish Family and Life. Lisa Hostein, chief editor of Jewish Telegraphic Agency syndication service (to which this paper subscribes for its outstanding national and international news). Their message was clear. Jewish newspapers can help transform and revitalize Jewish life. How? Editors, publishers, staff writers and freelancers were encouraged to take a stand, be crusaders and speak up about the issues of the day -from the high cost of Jewish education to the tragedy of Darfur. (It seems all human issues are Jewish issues.) We were urged to rouse our communities, assume a leadership role, investigate and write about the successes and failures of our local Jewish organizations, fill our pages with lively debate and not be afraid of controversy. (It was even suggested that a healthy paper should run at least two pages of letters to the editor.) During Q&A, it became clear that practicing this brand of aggressive journalism is not a one-size-fits-all proposition, and is difficult (if not impossible) for papers beholden to special interest groups or bound by contributors’ purse strings. Be too bold and the bucks could go bye-bye. Even so, presenters warned us never to be a mouthpiece. “Let readers come to their own conclusions,� JTA’s Hostein advised. “Readers tune out if the paper’s voice is too one-sided. You can be fair and responsible, and still be edgy and controversial.� A session titled, Education and the Future of the Jewish People, challenged papers to become points of

entry to Jewish life. “Make your paper the place where readers go for spiritual nourishment on their path to deeper Jewish identity and commitment,� Hostein said. “Let your paper widen the tent, be inclusive, build common ground for communal discussion. Be the link that connects Jewish people locally and around the world.� Dr. Gordis came at the issue from a scholar’s perspective. “Jewish education used to mean kids and Hebrew school,� he said. “Now the focus is on adult learning. Challenge your community to move forward. Increase your educational content. Print what’s creative and cultural. The question used to be, ‘What are other people going to do to Jews?’ Today the question is, ‘What are Jews going to do about being Jewish?’ � From all reports, adult learners hope to find the how-and-why of being Jewish on the pages of Jewish publications. Jonathan Sarna offered proof. “On any given Shabbat,� he said, “more Jews will receive Jewish papers in their homes than hear a rabbi’s sermon.� Of all the statements I heard at the AJPA conference, Sarna’s hit the hardest. In his words we recognize the enormous responsibility placed on Jewish weeklies. Think about the implications. If the editorial positions, columnists’ points of view, even the advertisers’ messages in today’s Omaha Jewish Press actually impact you more deeply than the sermon you don’t hear this Shabbat, then we owe you our best work. At the same time, readers must recognize and appreciate the high wire on which our editor and her staff must balance in an effort to be “fair and responsible� while trying to give equal time to the various voices in our diverse community. In either case, ‘tain’t easy, McGee. Will the prickly issues raised at the AJPA Conference find their way into my writing? Stay tuned. We Geminis, however, are prone to see both sides of an issue and try our darndest to make everyone happy, so the chances of my column becoming “edgy or controversial� are slim. I’m more apt to embrace the philosophy of Judith Huober, Editor of the Reporter Group based in Vestal, NY. “Our classic task,� she said, “is to remember we are storytellers.� Suits me. And you, too, I hope.

President Bush Speaks on His Position on Stem Cell Research

FOCUS ON ISSUES by NOAM NEUSNER Special Assistant to the President and White House Liaison to the Jewish Community In response to multiple inquiries, I have collected together several pertinent pieces of information regarding President Bush’s stem cell research policies. As you are probably aware, this issue was taken on by the President shortly after he took office. I hope you will take time to review these policies, as they are informed by science and by a deep respect for the creation of life. In 2001, President Bush made the decision to open, for the first time, the laboratory doors to federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research. The President determined, however, that federal funds should not be used to encourage or support the destruction of living human embryos, a principle that has been part of federal law since 1996. Accordingly, the President announced that federal funds would be available for stem cell research derived from embryos that had already been destroyed. • An Ethical Decision: The President's decision reflects his fundamental commitment to preserving the value and sanctity of human life while exploring the potential and promise of this important medical research. • The Current State of Embryonic Stem Cell Research: More than 500 shipments of eligible human embryonic stem cell lines have been sent to researchers, and there are more than 3,500 additional shipments

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maintained by the owners and available to be shipped. Because stem cell lines divide continuously in culture, these lines can be used by hundreds of individual researchers. One line alone has already resulted in 136 shipments to researchers. No other country in the world has as many stem cell lines widely available. The President’s policy on embryonic stem cell research is only a part of a broader scientific effort on all types of stem cell research that he has strongly supported. Such research includes adult stem cell research that does not involve the destruction of the human embryo and does not present the same ethical issues as embryonic stem cells. • Growth in Federal Funding: Under the President's Administration, federal funding for embryonic stem cell research has grown from zero in 2001 to $24.8 million now, with no cap on future funding. Since 2001, total federal funding for all types of stem cell research has rapidly increased. Under his leadership, the Administration last year spent almost half a billion dollars on all forms of stem cell research. Because of his decision in 2001, hundreds of researchers are now using federal funds to perform medical research on eligible human embryonic stem cell lines, allowing these scientists to explore the potential of this research to benefit the lives of millions of people who suffer from life destroying diseases. • Unlimited Private and State Funding: The President’s policy places no obstacles in the path of private or state funding for stem cell research. Based on 2002 data, aggregate spending was estimated at $208 million in private sector research.

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

July 15, 2005

Candlelighting Friday, July 15, 8:38 p.m.

Synagogue Listings

B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

22, 9 a.m.-noon.

B’nai Israel Synagogue

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

BEYT SHALOM

618 Mynster St. Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE

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 nebraskajudaism.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 jewishnebraska.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.tiferethlincoln.org

If you’re looking at this space, so are others! YOUR AD CAN GO HERE...

to reserve space, call Allan Handleman, 334.6451.

FRIDAY: Musical Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning service, 9:30 a.m.; Summer K’tantan, 10:45 a.m.; Kiddush is sponsored by Beth El Synagogue; Evening Service, 8:50 p.m. Sitter Service is available during Friday night and Saturday morning services, on a drop-in basis, at no charge. WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sunday, 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.; Weekdays, 6:55 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. BIBLE STUDY CLASS: Sundays, 10 a.m., led by Prof. Leonard Greenspoon; in the synagogue library.

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE Office Hours: MondayThursday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Fridays, 8:30 a.m-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Jonathan Gross. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Free Babysitting, 9:30 a.m.; Junior Congregation, 10:30 a.m.; Kiddush is sponsored by Sisterhood; Mincha, 8:45 p.m.; Havdalah, 9:45 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Contact the synagogue office for Mincha/ Ma’ariv service time. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Contact the synagogue office for Mincha/Ma’ariv time. Intensive Summer Hebrew Class continues weekdays through July

FRIDAY: Shabbat in the Home. SATURDAY, July 23: Potluck dinner and Havdalah at the home of the Schlossman/Ferber’s, 6 p.m. Come join us for good food, conversation, and singing.

CHABAD HOUSE Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. FRIDAY: Services, 7 a.m. SATURDAY: Maamar class, 9 a.m.; Services, 9:30 a.m., followed by a Kiddush luncheon. SUNDAY: Services, 8:30 a.m. Mishneh class, 9:30 a.m.; Medicine in The Jewish Tradition, a study group for Jewish physicians to learn and discuss various interesting aspects of Medicine in Judaism, 9:30 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Services, 7 a.m. MONDAY: Halacha, 7 p.m. TUESDAY:Torah for Teens, 4:15 p.m. THURSDAY, Services, 7 a.m., Jewish Thought class led by Rabbi Katzman, 12:45 p.m. MONDAY, July 11-FRIDAY, July 15: Gan Israel Summer Camp--Kiddee Camp, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; Gan Israel Summer Camp-Older Division, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Programs are open to the community. For information or to register, call the office or visit: www.nebraskajudaism.com.

CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN Friday evening Shabbat Services

will be led by members of the congregation. B’nai Jeshurun will welcome Rabbi Ilan Emanuel beginning Aug. 1. FRIDAY: Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m., led by Barb Straus, with guest speaker Gary Hill, with oneg provided by Nicole Wall. SATURDAY: Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. led by Robert Friedman; Game Night, 6 p.m. for all ages. Join us for a potluck supper and puzzles and games afterward! Questions? Contact Deborah Swearingen at 476.7528.

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

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

TEMPLE ISRAEL FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. Cantor Wendy Shermet will officiate. Summer worship-study discussion: “Praying in the 21st Century.” SATURDAY: Bagels and Sacred Books, 9:30-10:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. SITTER SERVICE will not be available during summer worship times. Check the Temple website, www.templeisrael-ne.org, for the fall schedule. Chinese Food for the Jewish GLBT Brood: Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Jews, their partners and families are invited to

a no-host dinner on Sunday, July 24, 6:30 p.m. Call Hollis Glaser, 553.5106, for more information, location and to RSVP.

NEIGHBORHOOD MINYAN FRIDAY: Kabbalas Shabbos, 7 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharis, 9 a.m.

TIFERETH ISRAEL Services conducted by Rabbi Stanley Rosenbaum. Minyan, MONDAY & THURSDAY, 9 a.m. FRIDAY: Services, 8 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning service, 9:30 a.m. TUESDAY: The Ladies’ Lunch Bunch will meet at Olive Garden, noon. If for any reason you don’t receive a call for your reservation, just call Marcia Kushner at 423.5959. Let her know if you need a ride and someone would be glad to pick you up. WEDNESDAY: Men’s Lunch Group will meet at the Knolls, 12:30 p.m. Contact Yale Gotsdiner at 423.7066. Israel’s #1 box office smash Nina’s Tragedies, is showing at the Ross Theater from July 22August 4. Nina’s Tragedies is the winner of 11 Israel Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and is an official selection by the Sundance Film Festival, New York Jewish Film Festival, Seattle Film Festival, and the Southeast Jewish Film Festival. Tickets are $8 for general admission, $6 for Friends of the Ross and for everyone before 6 p.m. Look for show times in the Journal-Star.

JTA NEWS BRIEFS • NEW YORK--Two El Al flights left Tuesday, carrying the largest-ever, single-day aliyah of North American Jews to Israel. The flights, sponsored by Nefesh B’Nefesh and the Jewish Agency for Israel, from New York and Toronto packed with some 500 new olim. The planes are the first of six dedicated El Al flights this year carrying 3,200 North American immigrants to Israel through these organizations. This is the first year since 1983 that more than 3,000 North American Jews will be making aliyah, and the first time a planeload of olim leaves from Canada. • NEW YORK--More than 30,000 people streamed by the grave site of the Lubavitcher rebbe to mark the 11th anniversary of his passing. Many of the visitors reflected and prayed Saturday night and Sunday at Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson’s burial place in the Old Montefiore Cemetery in Queens, N.Y., said Rabbi Zalman Shmotkin, a spokesman for Chabad-Lubavitch. “The tens of thousands who came to the rebbe’s grave, the hundreds of thousands who asked others to bring their names to the rebbe, and the mil-

lions of people whose lives have been deeply impacted by the rebbe's influence is testament to the ever-increasing mark the rebbe’s soul continues to have around the world,” said Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, a leader of the Lubavitch. • NEW YORK--Hamas will remain on the European Union’s list of terrorist organizations, the E.U.’s foreign policy chief said. Javier Solana made the comments in a meeting Monday with Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, the Jerusalem Post reported. Israeli and U.S. officials were upset by recent revelations that E.U. officials have held talks with lower-level members of Hamas. • BERLIN--A comedy about German Jewish life was the big winner at the German film awards. Dani Levy’s Go for Zucker won six Lolas over the weekend, including best film, best actor and best director. The movie depicts a secular, near-bankrupt German Jew trying to cope with the death of his mother. • WASHINGTON-- A team of investors bidding for the Washington Nationals is led by a

Nixon administration official who cracked down on Jewish government employees. Fred Malek, who leads the Washington Baseball Club, compiled a list of Jews who worked at the Bureau of Labor Statistics at President Nixon’s behest. Nixon believed that Jewish staffers were skewing employment statistics to make him look bad. Some of the staffers later were demoted or transferred. Malek, then Nixon’s personnel chief, says he regrets his role and tried to talk Nixon out of the task. • JERUSALEM--Israel’s vice prime minister said the Gaza Strip withdrawal could take as little as two weeks. “I think it will take no more than two weeks,” Ehud Olmert told the Jerusalem Post Sunday, adding that the government wanted the pullout from Gaza and the northern West Bank, slated to begin in mid-August, to be carried out “as fast as possible.” • JERUSALEM--Israeli forces raided a West Bank city used as a Palestinian terrorist base. Troops and tanks swept through Tulkarm before dawn Wednesday, clamping a curfew on the city. A Palestinian Authority policeman

fired on the soldiers, wounding two of them, before he was shot dead. Tulkarm was the launching pad for Tuesday s suicide bombing by Islamic Jihad in the Israeli city of Netanya, and the army said it would remain in the city until the masterminds of the attack were captured. Five suspected terrorists were arrested.

• NEW YORK--An organization that features terror-fighting dogs is offering free services to governments to help them fight terrorism. Pups for Peace said it is making the offer in the wake of last week’s bombings in London, which killed 52 people. PERSONALS I gratefully acknowledge the many good wishes, cards, and donations from everyone during my recent illness. I am recovering from heart surgery and plan to be back on the treadmill very soon! Abe Kukawka We would like to thank all of our dear friends and relatives for their love and prayers following an auto accident that put me in the hospital. God Bless you all. Sam and Bette Alloy

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Trusting Your Instinct?

SPARKS FROM THE WORD by RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Parashat Pinhas The Bible has at least two instances of approving acts of violence that resulted in death, acts that responded to a sudden rush of judgment at the sight of repulsive actions. The one that comes to mind first, of course, was the act of Pinhas in slaying the Midianite woman who had seduced an Israelite man and the man himself. According to the Text, he used a single thrust of his spear while the two brazenly had coupled in public, including before him. The only legality involved is that the names of the two are recorded. The other case involves Moses himself and was the key to his career as leader of the Israelite people. Moses, brought up as an Egyptian prince in the royal palace itself, saw an Egyptian taskmaster beating an Israelite slave. Without stopping to consider any consequences, Moses attacks the Egyptian taskmaster and slays him. Only moments later, with his mind cooled, Moses realizes that he has no defense. He flees to Midian, far away from Egyptian justice. It is there that he becomes committed to leading the Israelites out of Egypt. Our sacred text approves both of the violent act of Pinhas and, long before, of the murderous rage that

overcame Moses. The rabbis later, with their intense demand for justice, have to go through serious mental gymnastics to find ways to approve of these two instinctive acts. See for a moment that this problem is not one of ancient Israel alone. Our newspapers tell us again and again of armed officers of the law using their weapons, instinctively, when they are confronted by a situation that does not permit cool consideration of the consequences of immediate action. Every now and then a police officer is faced with charges of using his weapon when less violent action might have sufficed. Human beings of generations long ago are not different in this respect from ourselves and our companions. How much may we trust instinctive reaction to the sight of our eyes? What ought we to do when some violation of law or morals is thrust before us, whether we are officers of the law or simply citizens who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time? Would not a citizenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s arrest have sufficed instead of violent action? Is the citizen simply exercising his alleged right to violence, when it is only in fact his love of violence itself that moves him to rigorous action? The court, prosecutors and witnesses and the whole shmear is obliged now and then to try to understand the motives of one who has resorted to violence, particularly when, so to speak, it was not his business altogether. So we are left with unanswerable questions. Would Moses have acted differently had he had time to let his head cool? And Pinhas? Should you trust your instinct?

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20th & HWY 2 â&#x20AC;˘ LINCOLN, NE â&#x20AC;˘ 402.423.5000 SAUL GRAETZ Saul M. Graetz, 94, died July 5 after a short illness. Services were held July 7 at Beth El Cemetery. A graduate of Tech High School, he was a member of its first varsity wrestling team. He was also an Aleph Godol of AZA 1, of which his older brother Marion had been a founding member. He worked at State Furniture Company before joining the army in 1942 and served during World War II. Upon his return home he joined Brodkey Jewelry Company, eventually becoming Secretary-Treasurer and Comptroller of the corporation. A certified gemologist, he retired from Brodkeyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in 1988. Graetz served on the board of Beth El Synagogue and was a Hadassah Associate. He was an avid supporter of the Red Cross blood drive, giving gallons of blood--he donated more than 50 times--over his lifetime. He spent his retirement years volunteering for AARP by helping senior citizens prepare tax returns and abatement applications, and volunteering for the Audubon Society, the Hadassah Thrift Shop, and the Omaha Public Library Book Sale. At the time of his death he was a member of the Indian Hills Condo Association board. In 2002. He was named honorary chairman of the Kripke Jewish Federation Library book sale. In November of 1923, an essay by the then 13-yearold Saul appeared on the front page of the World Herald. In it he wrote: â&#x20AC;&#x153;You should do all in your power to help these [sic] less fortunate people. If you help someone else, you, yourself, will be much happier.â&#x20AC;? He is survived by Esther Spar Graetz, his wife of 71

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years, and his three children: son, Martin Graetz of Acton, MA; daughter, Anabel Gretz of Lexington, MA; daughter and son-in-law, Linda Graetz and Jim Eng of Waltham, MA. Memorials to Beth El Synagogue or environmental charity of choice. MEYER â&#x20AC;&#x153;MICKEYâ&#x20AC;? KAPLAN Mickey Kaplan died July 8 at the age of 89. Services were held July 10 at Pleasant Hill cemetery with Rabbi Craig Marantz officiating. He was preceded in deatht by his wife, Libby Kaplan and brothers, William and Dave. He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Barbara and Alan Levin of highland Park, IL; son Lynn Kaplan of San Francisco, CA; grandchildren Nancy and Steve Kirsch and Eric Levin; and three great-grandchildren. ALICE â&#x20AC;&#x153;ALLYâ&#x20AC;? MILDER One time candidate for the United States House of Representatives, Ally Milder died suddenly on July 8 at the age of 50. Services were held July 11. She is survived by her mother, Frances Milder; sisters and brother-in-law, Julie and Nick Modrcin and Kelly Milder; niece, Murphe Milder; nephews, Mike and Dan Modrcin. Memorials to Nebraska Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Family Foundation and Special Olympics of Nebraska.

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LUCILLE WEISS BRODKEY Former Omahan Lucille Brodkey died in Weston, MA, on July 9 at the age of 94. Services were held July 11. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Jane Richwine. She is survived by her husband of 70 years, Harold Brodkey; daughter and son-in-law Karen and Allen Kaplan of Sudbury, MA; grandchildren, Lisa Stucky of Overland Park, KS, Alison and Jim Svetlecic of Liberty, MO; David and Karyn Kaplan of Natick, MA; Jonathan and Maureen Kaplan, also of Natick, Sara Kaplan of Brighton, MA; and seven great-grandchildren. Memorials to Camp Miracles and Magic, 250 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02116.

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

July 15, 2005

Fearful But Still Resolute, Jews in Britain Carry on After Blasts by DANIELLA PELED LONDON (JTA)--Rabbi Barry Marcus spent many years living in Israel, but he never came as close to a terrorist atrocity as he did in London. Marcus, the rabbi of the Central Synagogue on Great Portland Street, was cycling across Tavistock Square on the morning of July 7 when he heard and felt “an incredible blast.” Just yards away, a bomb on the No. 30 bus had exploded. “I saw the roof of the bus go up in a plume of white smoke and all the windows of the building nearby go through,” said the South African-born Marcus, who holds the Israel portfolio in Orthodox Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’ Cabinet. “I knew in my gut it was a bomb.” The tranquil central London square-- a place devoted to peace, with a Holocaust memorial standing near a statue of Mahatma Gandhi and a cherry tree from Hiroshima--had turned into a vision of hell strewn with broken glass and severed body parts. Blood was splashed high up against the wall of the nearby headquarters of the British Medical Association.

“There was an incredible amount of glass and massive lumps of human flesh all over the place,” Marcus recalled. “People were almost glued to the back part of the bus, the seats in front blown into their chest cavities. There was absolute mayhem. In my mind I saw all the images of Israeli buses blown up and thought, ‘It is now here. The barbarians are now at our gates.’” With most of the United Kingdom’s 290,000 Jews living in London, it was with a sense of inevitability that the community awaited details of possible Jewish casualties, as missing commuters were listed and fatality totals were announced. At least 52 people are known to have died. With more than 20 still missing and more than 60 still being treated at hospitals, the number of deaths is expected to rise. The first Jewish death officially confirmed was Susan Levy, 53, a mother of two from Hertfordshire, who was killed on her way to work in the subway-train explosion near King’s Cross. “We are all distraught at her needless loss, and our thoughts and prayers are

also with the many other families affected by this horrendous tragedy,” said her husband, Harry, a taxi driver, who described Levy as a “much-loved wife and mother.” Other Jewish families face an agonizing wait. Miriam Hyman, 32, a freelance picture editor, called her father, John, from King’s Cross Station at 9:45 a.m. Thursday to say she was all right. That was the last anyone has heard from her. After a fruitless search of London’s hospitals, “we are just waiting,” Hyman’s mother, Mavis, told JTA. Hyman, from Hampstead Garden Suburb in north London, was traveling to work at Canary Wharf. “She phoned work to say she was going to be late,” Hyman's mother said. “She was still obviously determined to get in. I think she didn’t understand the seriousness of what was going on.” The family of Anat Rosenberg, a 39year-old Israeli, arrived in the U.K. on Monday morning as hope faded of finding her alive. The children’s charity worker had been a passenger on the doomed No. 30 bus. Rosenberg’s British partner,

John Falding, said he had been on the phone with her, talking about the travel chaos, when he heard “horrendous screams.” Ironically, Rosenberg had moved to England nearly two decades ago, partly due to her fear of terrorist attacks in Israel. As the full horror of the London bombings began to sink in and with the perpetrators still at large, the U.K. Jewish community remains all too aware that the danger is far from over. The experience of the recent terror attacks in Madrid--where a second wave of planned attacks was to include a Jewish social club--and Istanbul and Casablanca, where Jewish sites were targeted in the first wave of strikes, makes that clear. But synagogues were filled to capacity across London on Shabbat, just one day after the bombings, as Jews of all levels of observance flocked to shul to gain comfort. Like the “stiff upper lip” approach so characteristic of British society, Rabbi Michael Harris of the Hampstead Synagogue said, “my sense is that the community is determined to carry on.”

Beth El’s 75th Anniversary Quilts Bring Heart, Soul and Color to Synagogue’s Social Hall

by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator Generations of congregants and visitors to Beth El will be treated to the synagogue’s 75th anniversary quilt project “Living an Ageless Story,” now hanging in perpetuity in the social

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hall. The four magnificently unique and colorful quilts, bordered by names of current and past Beth El families, were created by congregants and generously endowed by several Beth El members. The quilts include, left: “Jacob’s Ladder,” created by Barbara Rennard, endowed

by Velma Sacks, Karen Sacks and Susan, Steve, Jeffrey and Abby Gelb, in memory of Kenneth Sacks; “Joseph’s Coat of Many Colors,” created by Karin Levine, endowed by Harold and Etta Epstein, in honor of their children and grandchildren; “Miriam and the Women,” created by

Ozzie Nogg and Susi Frydman-Levin, endowed by Bruce and Anne Shackman, in honor of their children; and “Jerusalem of Gold,” created by Julie Phillips and a cadre of Beth El youths, endowed by Harriet and Ben Kutler, in honor of their children.

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