Vol. LXXXVIII No. 49 Omaha, NE
Gates, Crowley and the Jews by AMI EDEN NEW YORK (JTA) -- Following Cambridge police officer Jim Crowley’s arrest last month of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, both men found themselves locked in a public feud and under attack from various ideologues. Some called Crowley a bigoted cop, others tagged Gates as a race-baiter. In the end, however, they both took President Obama up on his offer to make peace earlier this month over beers at the White House -- a development that probably should not have come as a shock for those in the Jewish community who know either man. On the eve of the July 30 beer powwow, The Wall Street Journal’s SpeakEasy blog reported that in 2007 Crowley attended a three-day program for police officers on racial profiling at the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. The Journal quoted museum officials as saying that the staff was so impressed with Crowley that they invited him back a year later for an advanced seminar, museum officials say.
President Obama toasts with Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., left, and Cambridge Police Sgt. James Crowley at the start of their meeting in the White House Rose Garden on July 30, 2009. Credit: White House/Pete Souza “He stands out to me,” said Sunny Lee-Goodman, director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center program that Crowley attended. “He was one of those people who really engaged in sessions, who really showed a high level of understanding of the issue.” As it turns out, according to the Journal, Gates is also “prominently featured” at the center's law enforcement training programs: “At the center’s New York tolerance center, etched on a wall near inspirational words from Gandhi and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., is a quotation from Gates: ‘There is no tolerance without respect. There is no respect without knowledge.’” Of course, a two-sentence quote on a plaque is unlikely to impress Gates’ critics. But Gates has previously drawn praise for a much-talked-about opinion piece that he wrote in 1992 in The New York Times criticizing black anti-Semitism and some of its main purveyors at the time, including Louis Farrakhan and Leonard Jeffries. In particular, Gates took aim at the scholarship and underlying racist world view behind the Nation of Islam’s “The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews,” a discredited but popular tract asserting that Jews played a disproportionate role in the slave trade. “Many Jews are puzzled by the recrudescence of black anti-Semitism in view of the historic alliance,” Gates wrote. “The brutal truth has escaped them: that the new anti-Semitism arises not in spite of the black-Jewish alliance but because of it. For precisely such transracial cooperation -- epitomized by the historic partnership between blacks and Jews -- is what poses the greatest threat to the isolationist movement. In short, for the tacticians of the new anti-Semitism, the original sin of American Jews was their involvement -- truly ‘inordinate,’ truly ‘disproportionate’ -- not in slavery, but in the front ranks of the civil rights struggle.” More recently, Gates wrote a blurb for Alan Dershowitz’s The Case for Israel, describing the 2003 book as “indispensable reading for those of us who are deeply disturbed by the rise of anti-Semitism in American society, even on college campuses.” This article was adapted from JTA’s The Telegraph blog, http:blogs.jta.org/telegraph.
Inside Opinion Page see page 8
Celebrating 88 Years of Service to Nebraska and Western Iowa
24 Av 5769
August 14, 2009
Home’s new auditorium to become “everything space” thanks to Silverman family gift by OZZIE NOGG A large screen for movie projection ... a wireless sound system to amplify visiting entertainers ... high definition TV. All these newfangled features will be part of the Stanley and Norma Silverman Family Auditorium (shown as the multi-purpose room on the plans at right) now under construction on Main Street at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. “We also plan to hardwire the Home’s camcorder to our internal Channel 18,” said Josh Gurock, RBJH Administrative Intern. “The channel always provides recorded programming, but by hardwiring it residents in An architectural rendering shows the location of the new Stanley and Norma Silverman their rooms will be able to Family Auditorium, now under construction at the Blumkin Home’s new Main Street . watch live activity in real time. That means all residents will be able to participate and the community.” According to Blumkin Home Building Chairman, in an event in the auditorium even if they are bedHoward Kooper, “The Silverman family gift was one of bound.” In addition to its use for general activities and pro- the key, original gifts that helped create momentum for gramming, the multipurpose room will also be available the New Beginning campaign. The community is very for meetings, luncheons and dinners. “The auditorium grateful to Stanley and Norma Silverman and their son, will be easy to access from three different directions,” Jeffrey, and to all the other contributors who helped Gurock added. “We consider it our ‘everything’ space, make this dream a reality.” and envision it as a hub of ongoing activity for residents Continued on page 6
Vandals torch Beth Israel playground
The Omaha Fire Department’s arson investigators were on the scene July 30 -- the evening of Tisha B’Av -- when the playground at Beth Israel was destroyed by fire. The synagogue’s leadership is working with its insurance company
This Week: Harlan, Iowa, school ‘rocks’ Holocaust Memorial: Page 3 See Front Page Stories & More at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on ‘Jewish Press’
Foundation’s new B’nai Tzedek program draws in teens: Page 2
to re-build the playground as soon as possible. The arson investigation is ongoing; damage was estimated at $3000. Constructed in 2005, the playground was made possible through the Beth Israel Sisterhood and community donors.
Coming Next Week: The Learning Curve
Newman Supporting Foundation appoints new member: Page 5
Star of ‘Blossom’ reflects on how belief changed her look: Page 12
Page 2
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
August 14, 2009
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by MARY BORT Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation Earlier this summer more than 20 teens and their parents attended the opening session of the Jewish Federation Foundation’s new teen philanthropy program, B’nai Tzedek. Through the program, teens establish their own philanthropic funds, participate in community service projects and learn to make informed decisions about making donations to non-profit organizations.
are less fortunate than they are. “I was thrilled to see that the teens are coming into this program with an understanding of tzedakah,” said Janie Murow, B’nai Tzedek program director. “They are engaged and interested. We are looking forward to showing them the ways they can heighten and expand their involvement in philanthropy by doing projects in the community and learning more about the non-profit world.”
The B’nai Tzedek group bags bagels for a mitzvah project. Julie Durmaskin, B’nai Tzedek committee member, created a wonderful, interactive lesson about tzedakah for the attendees at the kickoff event. All of the teens participated in the lively discussion. Community member Mark Martin built and donated a ladder that was used to demonstrate and represent Maimonides’ ladder of giving. This ladder will become a living scrapbook for the participants of the B’nai Tzedek program. The students brought food to be donated to the Jewish Family Service Food Pantry. They bagged bagels left at the end of the day from the Bagel Bin and Bruegger’s, which were also to be donated. JFS’ assistance coordinator Sandy Nogg explained to the group that hunger is an issue in Omaha’s Jewish community. “We only know about those that come forward,” she said. “There are others we call the ‘invisible community;’ people we don’t know, who are living in poverty and are hungry all of the time.” Learning about hunger and other needs of the community is an important element of the B’nai Tzedek program. Teens become more aware that they can give their time, money, food, clothing and even hair to those who
Top picture: Jack Gilinsky, left, Josh Sullivan, Hannah Miller, Alyssa Kirshenbaum; Bottom picture: Ariel Kohl, left, Leah Miller, Emily Glazer The philanthropy program will meet three times during the year to do community service projects and learn about non-profit organizations. To set up their own philanthropic funds, teens donate $125 of their Bar/Bat Mitzvah gifts that the program matches with $375. If you are entering seventh through ninth grades and would like to get involved, contact Murow at jmurow@jewishomaha.org or check out B’nai Tzedek Omaha on Facebook, for more information.
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by JEREMY ROBINSON-LEON NEW YORK, NY -- UJC/The Jewish Federations of North America, collectively among the top 10 charities on the continent, announced the launch of the First Annual Jewish Community Hero Awards, which celebrates the selflessness and courage of individuals who are bettering their communities through service and outreach. The initiative -- to-date the largest-ever Jewish socialnetworking effort -- will honor one Jewish Community Hero of the Year, who will receive $25,000 to put towards his or her work, and also recognize four additional finalists. About 50 partner organizations are supporting the initiative, in addition to Jewish Federations across North America. Any individual or group can nominate a hero through an open, online submission process. After screening, each nominee is posted on the Jewish Community Heroes website at http://jewishcommunityheroes. org/, where people can vote for their favorite Jewish heroes. UJC/The Jewish Federations of North America will honor the five nominees who receive the most votes at this fall’s General Assembly (GA) in Washington, D.C., which takes place Nov. 8-10. A panel of judges will select the Jewish Community Hero of the Year from among the finalists. “Too often the heroes among us, who do the most for our communities, go unnoticed,” said Adam Smolyar, senior vice-president, strategic marketing and communications, UJC/The Jewish Federations of North America. “The Jewish Community Heroes initiative aims to spotlight devoted individuals who work incredibly hard for others, whether their efforts affect five people or 5,000. We’re absolutely thrilled to launch Jewish Community Heroes in collaboration with so many of
our community's Federations and partner organizations.” UJC/The Jewish Federations of North America has been working with Blue State Digital, a leading technology and online strategy firm, to develop and produce Jewish Community Heroes. The project’s Web-based platform creates an interactive forum that brings community together around a common purpose: recognizing the invaluable contributions of committed problem-solvers and advocates. With an emphasis on social media, UJC/The Jewish Federations of North America and partner organizations are using a variety of online channels to extend the initiative to people from all walks of life. Any individual, who is at least 13 years of age and a resident of the United States or Canada is eligible to be a nominee, provided that their work impacts a community in North America. A nominee could be the neighbor running charity bake sales, a teacher building a school for the underserved, an entrepreneur donating services to neighborhood development, or a community organizer bringing people together around a cause. Nominations and voting will be accepted thru Oct. 8. To nominate a hero, visit the Jewish Community Heroes Web site at www.jewishcommunityheroes.org. UJC/The Jewish Federations of North America represents 157 Jewish Federations -- including Omaha -- and 400 Network communities, including Lincoln, which raise and distribute more than $3 billion annually for social welfare, social services and educational needs. The Federation movement, collectively among the top 10 charities on the continent, protects and enhances the well-being of Jews worldwide through the values of tikkun olam (repairing the world), tzedakah (charity and social justice) and Torah (Jewish learning). For more information, visit www.ujc.org.
August 14, 2009
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 3
Harlan, Iowa, high school ‘rocks’ Holocaust memorial in the works member who lives in Harlan, spearheadby OZZIE NOGG Sixty-four years after the liberation of ed the students’ visit to the Home. “I the Nazi death camps, students from heard about the teens in Harlan collectHarlan (Iowa) Community High Sch- ing stones -- one for each of the six milool are collecting rocks in an effort to lion victims of the Holocaust,” Heiman build a memorial to victims of the said. “Harlan is a predominantly Holocaust. Students and teachers from Christian community and I thought it the school recently visited the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home and spoke with residents about the Shoah. According to Maggie Conti, RBJH Activities Director, “The meeting between residents and the young students was very poignant.” Much has already been written about the “The Harlan Rock Project.” An article in the Des Moines Register described what appears to be a pile of ordinary rocks in a plastic container in a classroom at the school. The article went on to say, “Take a closer look and you see it’s a bit more. Words are written on a few of the stones. One carries the carefully Inscriptions on rocks donated to the Rock Project include: engraved words NEVER Jakob and Feiga Esther representing the Fettman family; memAGAIN and the name bers of the William Siref family; ‘NEVER AGAIN.’ The tagged Bea Karp -- Survivor.” In rock on the right comes from the top of Masada in Israel. the Register’s opinion, “The stone sent would be a wonderful learning experifrom Karp in Omaha is probably the ence for the students to personally meet most special, at least so far, because the some Jewish people, talk with the resiconcentration camp survivor -- and the dents and survivors and collect rocks estimated 6 million European Jews who from them.” Heiman invited Randi Daniels -- a were murdered in the Holocaust -- are teacher at Harlan High -- to bring her what this is all about.” Mary Heiman, an RBJH activities staff students to the Home. She also enlisted
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the aid of Beth Seldin Dotan, Director of the Institution for Holocaust Education, and Annette Fettman, a Blumkin Home volunteer whose husband, Cantor Leo Fettman, is a Holocaust survivor. On the day of the visit, students first went to the Jewish Community Center where, according to Heiman, “Beth Seldin gave a wonderful presentation on the history of WW ll and the lead-up to the Holocaust. She pointed out that what was going on in the camps was a known fact to which world leaders did not respond.”
Kristallnacht.” Meanwhile, at the Blumkin Home, the arrival of the students and teachers was eagerly awaited. “Annette Fettman comes to the Home every other Monday to instruct residents in art,” Heiman explained, “and she had already prepared stones in memory of her husband Leo’s family. When our Harlan visitors were assembled, Cantor Fettman and Annette played the DVD of Leo’s interview about how the Nazis took his family from their home. Joe Boin, another resident who is a Holocaust survivor, encouraged the students to keep working on the rock project and praised them for making their community and the public aware of the Holocaust, that it must be remembered, not forgotten.” With the number of Holocaust survivors declinHarlan High School students listen to Joe Boin tell his story. ing, opportuniDaniels and her Harlan High co- ties to ‘remember’ by hearing their stoteacher, Tanya Bruck, then accompanied ries become all the more important. the students on a tour of the JCC. “We “The students were captivated by the saw an exhibit -- Portraits of Survival -- presentation of Cantor Fettman and Joe the photos David Radler took of Boin,” said Daniels. “Many of the kids Holocaust survivors,” Daniels said, “as said that there is nothing like hearing well as a room of synagogue history in these stories first hand. We can read the Riekes Museum. Many of the stu- about this, watch this on film, but being dents did not know about the Torah and right next to someone as they tell their its importance to the Jewish faith or the story is amazing.” Nazis’ attempt to destroy them during Continued on page 4
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
August 14, 2009
Harlan, Iowa, High School ‘rocks’
Continued from page 3 her rock represents those who died and have no one left Daniels has taught about the Holocaust for 11 years, to visit their graves. “We’ve received rocks from people and though her ninth-graders have studied the genocide of all ages, from all over the world,” Tanya Bruck added. of European Jews through literature, film, journaling “People who have written books about the Holocaust, and speakers, Daniels wasn’t sure they fully grasped the or visited concentration camps have sent us rocks, and so have ordinary people just proud to see students doing significance or extent of the horror. “I asked them to come up with a project that would something great.” According to Daniels, when a rock is donated to the display tolerance, their understanding of the Holocaust, and give back to the community. After days of brain- project, a letter typically accompanies it. Both are then storming, they settled on The Rock Project. They were photographed and archived. “Each rock has a story and inspired by the film, Paperclips. The idea of rocks came it’s our job to read and cherish those words,” Daniels from the Jewish tradition of placing rocks on the graves said. “It is moving to read the stories and to know that people are trusting us with some of the most precious of someone who has died to say, ‘I remember you.’” This past January, students began writing letters to memories of their lifetime.” Every participant in the Rock Project visit to the family, friends, celebrities and politicians encouraging them to send a rock as a representation of those who Blumkin Home -- young and old -- benefitted from the died during or survived the Holocaust. Ashley Kloewer, experience. “You could see that a student who participated in the students were excited the project, wrote about it in to meet Joe Boin and her Tolerance Week winning Cantor Fettman,” essay. Heiman said. “They In part Kloewer said, “We gathered around them asked them to simply send us during refreshment time a rock and tell us how this and stayed and visited and is a sign of remembrance or talked about the project their pledge to end intolerwhile Annette finished ance, hate and bullying. We naming her stones with created this project based Leo’s family. Annette also on the idea that our class can donated a copy of Leo’s make a difference. We wantbook, Shoah, to the ed to create a project that school library. We wish connected what we learned the students the best and about the Holocaust with the world we live in, that we Students view a photo by David Radler of child-survivor Bea hope the project grows. We also hope that after reflect on the dangers of Karp at the Portraits of Survival exhibit view at the IHE. remaining silent, apathetic, and indifferent in the face of reading about the project, others will help make the others’ oppression, and that we develop tolerance for memorial a reality.” The 85 teens who started the Rock Project realize it people who are not like us. We have a grand plan to create a rock memorial honoring Holocaust survivors. will take more than one year to reach their goal, and they We would like this memorial to be on our school plan to pass the challenge down to the incoming ninth grounds. It will be a place of peace, a place of reflection, grade class. The letter they send to prospective donors is a mark of tolerance and a constant reminder of how a aimed straight at the recipient’s heart. “This memorial won’t just be something to look back at simple idea can change the world.” When word of the project was picked up by The and remember what our class did, but it will also be our Council Bluffs Daily Non-Pareil, The Des Moines pledge to end prejudice,” the letter says. “This fight against Register, Omaha World Herald and KPTM Fox 42 prejudice was started in a small town, but could become News, rocks started rolling in. something much bigger and so much more. Wouldn’t you “To date, we have approximately 1,300 rocks,” want to be able to say you were a part of it?” Daniels said. “We’ve received rocks from young children The Blumkin Home residents signed on and so can who would like to see hate gone from our world, and you. To participate in the Rock Project, send a rock with from people who have a connection to someone impact- a letter to Harlan Community High School, c/o Daniels/Brucks Rock Project, 2102 Durant St., ed by the atrocities of the Holocaust.” Included in the collection is a heart-shaped rock sent Harlan, IA 51537. For updates on the project visit: by two little boys who said their contribution symbol- http://teacherweb.com/IA/HarlanCommunityHigh ized love. Another rock was sent by a woman who said School/RandiMillerDaniels/NewsFlash2.stm.
IN THE NEWS
Pages for the 2009 Ak-Sar-Ben Coronation Ball have been announced. They include: Alexander Henry Goldstein, son of Joseph and Jill Goldstein; Harper Gordman, daughter of Jeff and Danielle Gordman; Spencer Schneiderman, son of Scott and Heidi Schneiderman; Sarah Wynne Schop, daughter of Michael and Melissa Schop; Julia Evalyn Steiner, daughter of Gary and Melissa Steiner; and Tommy Sullivan, son of Charlie and Louri Sullivan. The ball will be held on Oct. 10 at the Qwest Center; proceeds from the annual event benefit the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben Horatio Alger Scholarship Fund.
ORGANIZATIONS
YOUNG ENERGETIC SENIORS Join us on Monday, for a special musical program with Wayne Miller, who will be playing all the golden standards. Lunch will be served at noon and the program will begin at 12:30 p.m. Come play bingo at 10 a.m. Call Theresa for transportation at 330.4272. For information, call Maggie Conti at 334.6521.
LOMIR REDN YIDDISH Yiddish brings us closer to our roots! Come join us every Thursday, 1-3 p.m., at the JCC. For information, call Anne Skolkin at 343.1638.
VISIONS & 39 FOREVER Join the festivities and summer fun at a summer picnic at Chalco Hill’s Recreation Area on Sunday, Aug. 30, 1-3:30 p.m. Cost is $6 per person. Main course drinks and entertainment provided. Send reservations to Judy Katskee, 10356 Browne St., Omaha, NE 68154. If you need a ride, contact Florence Hauss at 571.4583. Make check payable to Visions.
JEWISH SOCIAL SERVICES You are invited to a special showing of The Brandeis Story at the JCC auditorium on Thursday, Aug. 20, 11:30 a.m. There is no admission fee and all are welcome. For information, call Elaine Jabenis at 397.4397.
HADASSAH The Omaha Chapter of Hadassah is holding an open board meeting on Monday, Aug. 24, 1 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center. All Hadassah members are invited to attend, and help brainstorm ideas for the coming year’s activities and social events.
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August 14, 2009
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 5
Newman Foundation appoints member of “next generation” by MARY BORT Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation Jeffrey Kirshenbaum has been appointed to the Murray H. and Sharee C. Newman Supporting Foundation Board of Trustees. Kirshenbaum is filling the position that had been held by Dr. Patricia Newman. Board President Susan Noddle recently announced that Dr. Newman will be retiring from her position as “Donor Trustee” after 22 years of dedicated service to the Newman Supporting Foundation Board. There are seven members of the Newman Supporting Foundation; four members are appointed by the Jewish Federation of Omaha and three are “donor designated.” Kirshenbaum fills one of the three positions appointed by the Newman family. The Newman Supporting Jeffrey Kirshenbaum Foundation was established in 1987 with an initial gift of $100,000 from Sharee and Murray Newman. The founding “Donor Trustees” were Sharee Newman, Murray Newman, and Dr. Patricia Newman. The founding “Federation Trustees” were the late Harlan Noddle, who served as President, the late David Friedland, Jay R. Lerner and Lisa C. Lewis. Susan Noddle took her late father’s position as a Trustee in 2006 and currently serves as the President of the Newman Supporting Foundation. Jamie Friedland replaced her late father-in-law’s position as Trustee in 2008. Since 1987 the Newman Supporting Foundation has made grants totaling $254,730. These grants have been given to a wide variety of Jewish causes, both inside and outside of the Jewish Federation of Omaha’s family, as well as to a number of secular charities within the Omaha community. Murray Newman, on behalf of his wife and himself, recently expressed his deep gratitude to Patricia Newman. “Patricia contributed immensely over the years to our deliberations and allocations of our funding
resources,” stated Newman. “In particular, her expertise in dealing with issues relating to Jewish families with young children and their educational needs significantly added to our discussions and decisions. We wish Patricia well in her future endeavors.” In welcoming Kirshenbaum as a Trustee, Murray Newman added, “Jeff will make a great addition to our group of Trustees. He is immensely qualified, having served within a variety of elements of our Jewish community. Jeff is Past-President of the Jewish Community Center and a dedicated, tireless volunteer within our community. He will also bring to our group of Trustees a new perspective, as a Board Member of Beth El Synagogue. Sharee and I are extremely grateful to Jeff for his willingness to serve as the newest Trustee of the Newman Supporting Foundation.” Born and raised in Omaha, Kirshenbaum is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. He currently is the Vice President of Construction and Development with Noddle Development Company. He and his wife, Sharon, have two daughters, Alyssa and Lauren. In addition to formerly serving as President of the Jewish Community Center and current role as a member of Beth El’s Board, Kirshenbaum serves on the Jewish Social Services Board and the Board of Mt. Sinai Cemetery. He also will be joining the Anti-Defamation League’s Board. “When Murray asked me to join the Newman Supporting Foundation Board of Trustees, I was certainly honored,” said Kirshenbaum. “I’ve known him my entire life and have admired his and Sharee’s philanthropic activities in the community. This is a nice opportunity and it is an honor to be a part of the Board. They are a great group of people.” The Murray H. and Sharee C. Newman Supporting Foundation Board of Trustees annual meeting will be held on October 23, 2009, when they will review grant applications for the coming year. The changes in trusteeship will take place at this meeting. For information about applying for a Newman Supporting Foundation grant, please contact Janet Henthorn in the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation office at 334.6551.
Temple families attend Tri-Faith picnic, health fair
by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator The first Sunday in August was a beautiful day for a picnic. “It was hot, but there was a nice breeze,” said Ann Noodell who attended the Tri-Faith Initiative picnic at All Saints Episcopal Church with most of her family. “We’re really interested in tri-faith,” she remarked.
All Saints Church,” added Ann. The Noodells along with their daughter Molly, members of Temple Israel, attended the picnic with Ann’s parents and other family members. “It was fun, the food was really good, and there were a lot of people there,” Ann commented. “I think it would be fun to continue doing things like the picnic.”
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Adam Cooper and his dad, Paul Rabinovitz, second and third from left, try out the desserts at the Tri-Faith Picnic.
At the picnic Deb Marburg, right, visited the health fair for a blood pressure test.
The Tri-Faith Initiative is a partnership of Temple Israel, The Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska, and The American Institute of Islamic Studies and Culture. Ann and her husband Dave also attended the Tri-Faith Initiative’s “Dinner in Abraham’s Tent: Conversations on Peace” in March at the Qwest Center. “My parents (Don and Peggy Girard) are Episcopalians and belong to
In addition to the potluck style picnic, staff members from Creighton University Medical Center were on hand to test blood pressure, talk about bone, heart health, and cholesterol. There were even a couple of friendly therapy dogs, a Pug named Mercedez Benz, and Zulu, a black Lab-Doberman mix.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
August 14, 2009
Couple reaches marriage milestone by CAROL KATZMAN Editor of the Jewish Press It’s not everyday that a married couple has the luck to celebrate six-and-a-half decades together. Even 50 years is consider a simcha. But Omahans Stanley and Norma Silverman will celebrate their 65th anniversary this month. Norma Seldin married Stan Silverman on Aug. 25, 1944 at the Omaha Women’s Club. The ceremony was conducted by Rabbi Israel Moshowitz, assisted by Meyer Feldman. Following the wedding, the couple left for a wedding trip in Chicago, where Stan was to do his military service at the Great Lakes Naval Station. The couple has two children, three grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. A family celebration was held in Chicago last month at the Four Seasons Hotel.
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According to his son, Jeffrey, Stan Silverman was sitting in his office reviewing old family photos and came to a picture of his parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. “He called me in mid-June just to mention that fact and indicate that his 65th anniversary was this coming August,” he said in an e-mail interview. “With just the slightest hint, I took the ball and ran with it!” An event was planned to celebrate the milestone in just 10 days. “On my last visit with my folks over Passover, my dad pulled out boxes of photos and old articles from the Press,” Jeffrey recalled. They found clippings about about Stan and Norma in the 1940s, when they were bit players in the Omaha Community Playhouse. “When I was little I do remember my mother playing opposite Henry Fonda in a production in the little park where Dodge Street swings over to Farnam, just east of Mutual of Omaha,” he added. A graduate of Central High School, Stanley Silverman earned a degree in chemical engineering from Iowa State in 1943. He served in the navy during World War II and then worked for Phillips Petroleum in Oklahoma before returning to Omaha to work for Quaker Oats. While doing some accounting work for his two brothers-in-law, Ted and Millard Seldin, for their fledgling company, he said, “I found myself spending more time at my part-time job (with Seldin) than my full time job!” So he left Quaker Oats and joined the family business. At the time they were building homes and apartments in Council Bluffs. By 1957, the Western Electric plant had opened in Omaha and the company began developing property south of Center and east and west of 120th St
in Omaha. According to the Seldin company website: “The Westwood Community was a master-planned development which began in 1957 when the company acquired the area which eventually included Westwood Heights, Montclair, Montclair South and Royalwood, and spanned nearly 1000 acres.” The company was recognized by the Omaha Chamber of Commerce with a Golden Spike Award in 1991 and was cited for its extensive developments in West Omaha totaling more than $100 million at the time the award was made. Silverman also obtained licenses in real estate and insurance. A “regular” at Beth El Synagogue’s daily minyan, he was recognized as one of the synagogue’s “minyanairres” for attending more than 50 services in the past year. Stan also served six years on the board of Jewish Social Services from 2003-09 (see related article below); his r elationship with the community’s aging dates back to when his parents lived at the Dr. Philip Sher Home. In addition to their son Jeffrey, a long time member of both the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade, the Norma Seldin married Stan Silverman on S i l v e r m a n s Aug. 25, 1944. have a daughter living in Omaha: Denise Silverman, now retired from the Seldin Company. Jeffrey and his wife, Mary Kay, divide their time between Chicago and Miami Beach. The Silverman family has made generous contributions locally and nationally, including: a major gift to the “New Beginnings” remodeling and expansion of the RBJH, two career development fellowships at MIT, The Silverman Chair of Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (currently held by Victor Ambros a potential Nobel Prize winner), the Northwestern Hospital Research project, Silverman Family Evergreen Energy Fund at MIT, and the Silverman Family Skyline Terrace Room at MIT’s Media Lab. The Silvermans’ three grandchildren include: Dr. Lance Michael Silverman, an orthopaedic surgeon practicing in Minneapolis; Howard Scott Silverman of Miami Beach and Chicago, who works with his father, Jeffrey in their investment business, Agman Partners, and Monica Stoney, a junior at the University of Michigan. Dr. Silverman is married to Anne; they have three children: Jacob 6, Andrew 3, Abigail, 11-weeks-old; Scott and his wife, Yael, have a two-year-old daughter, Gabrielle -- giving Stan and Norma four great-grandchildren.
Silverman family gift Continued from page 1 Stan Silverman has a long history with the Home. “My parents lived at the Dr. Sher Home before the Blumkin Home opened in 1982,” he said. “Two of my aunts, Sophie Kaplan and Eva Lebowitz -- my mother’s sister -- also were residents of the Blumkin Home. And the contemporary connections are a bit ironic.” Silverman gave this example. “First of all, when the family landed on Ellis Island, the customs officials assigned some of the group the name Lebowitz and the rest of the group got the name Lebowich.” He continued to explain that, “Years and years later, my mother’s roommate was Bertha Lashinsky. As it turns out, Bertha’s daughter, Grace, is married to Ben Lebowich who is now a resident at the Blumkin Home. Ben’s uncle, Sam Lebowitz, was married to my Aunt Eva, so even though Ben and I aren’t blood relatives -we’re still mishpacha.” He added, “It seems our family’s connection to the Home is continuing over the generations.” Many of Silverman’s friends have either been or are now residents of the Home, and he visits the facility often. Bert Benson, RBJH Director of Social Services said, “I love it when Stan comes here. He’s been a friend to the Home for a very long time, even when he had no family living here. As a Board member he took part in
decisions that made for the Home’s well-being. Stan is a terrific, terrific guy.” Joanie Bernstein, a past president of the RBJH Board, added, “Stan is a quiet, gentle soul with a big heart who really cares about people. He recently stepped down from the Board after serving for six years. It always impressed me that after our meetings Stan would go visit residents and even hang around at sing-alongs to make sure everyone was having a good time.” She added, “Stan also observed the residents participating in activities in the old auditorium and saw how much pleasure they got from what was going on there, so it strikes me that the Silverman family gift is particularly appropriate.” Silverman was praised by current Blumkin Home Board President Jim Farber as a diligent, attentive Board member. “Through his generosity, Stan has shown his confidence in the staff and his appreciation for the way the Home is being managed. He and his family have chosen to be an important part of its future. We’re very grateful that the Silvermans stepped up and entrusted us with this gift.” The Blumkin Home New Beginning construction schedule calls for the Silverman Family Auditorium to be completed and in use by the end of the calendar year.
August 14, 2009
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 7
Ruthless Cosmopolitan: Summer reading and the Holocaust
by RUTH ELLEN GRUBER BUDAPEST (JTA) -- Summer’s here and my recreational reading has included three books by people I actually know. Each book is quite different from the others -- The Shanghai Moon by S.J. Rozan is a detective story; The Budapest Protocol by Adam Le Bor is a political thriller; and The Pages In Between by Erin Einhorn is a nonfiction personal memoir. But they all have something in common: They use the Holocaust and the lingering impact of its memory as springboards for narratives that take place in the present. And fiction or nonfiction, all three books are gripping yarns that make readers think, as well as become lost in the story. The Shanghai Moon is the latest in Rozan’s award-winning series of mysteries featuring New York-based detectives Lydia Chin and Bill Smith. It hinges on the experiences of the more than 20,000 European Jews who found refuge in Shanghai, China, during the Shoah and on the fate of their looted belongings. The book is the first in her series in which Rozan explores Jewish themes. Like the other two authors, Rozan is Jewish. “The Shanghai ghetto is a compelling aspect of Jewish and Holocaust history that gets almost no attention,” Rozan told me when I asked her what prompted her to write about it. “Once I started the
research, I was completely enthralled with these people’s stories and thought that whole rich world needed to be brought to light. “The past never stops reaching into the present,” she said. “In a sense, crime and mystery novels are all about making that clear, about bringing above the surface, as it were, how and when that happens.” Rozan said she occasionally hears from people who were in the Shanghai ghetto or had family members there. “They almost never encounter that time and place in fiction, and they’re thrilled to see it,” she said. “And I’m thrilled when they tell me my picture of it feels right to them.” The Budapest Protocol tells quite a different story. Le Bor, a veteran British journalist and author, sets his story in the Hungarian capital, where he lives. But he creates an alternative Budapest, using today’s city -- including its former Jewish quarter -- as a backdrop for an imaginary political scene in which Naziinspired political forces gain power in a bid to take over Europe. Le Bor told me he extrapolated from a 1944 U.S. intelligence document an account of a meeting of leading Nazi industrialists in the Maison Rouge Hotel in Strasbourg, France. They admit the war is lost but lay out their plans for the next Reich, the fourth, which will be an
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economic empire. “I simply moved that meeting to the fictional Hotel Savoy in Budapest and took the story from there,” the author said. Le Bor described the book -- his first novel after several nonfiction books -- as weaving “past and present together, just like everyday life everywhere in Eastern Europe. “We walk on pavements once trodden by the Gestapo and the [Hungarian fascist] Arrow Cross, we marvel at the beauty of the Danube, which within living memory was also a watery grave for thousands of Jews,” he said. “But Hungary, certainly more than its neighbors, is making real efforts to remember what was lost at numerous memorials and Holocaust commemoration ceremonies. It also celebrates what remains at events like the Jewish summer festival,” an annual event at the beginning of September. “Jewish culture,” Le Bor said, “is an ever-richer part of Budapest life.” Erin Einhorn’s nonfiction memoir, The Pages In Between, gripped me as much as -- or more than -- any fictional thriller. The Detroit News called it “a detective story framed as a memoir.” The story’s subplots, it said, “reveal how memory often distorts the truth, and how family legend is often colored in its
retelling.” The book recounts Einhorn’s attempts to find out the truth about how her mother, who was born in the Polish city of Bedzin in 1942, survived the Holocaust. Einhorn, then in her 20s, moved to Poland for a year in 2001. She found the house in Bedzin that once belonged to her family, met the descendants of the Christian woman who took in her mother as a baby and became immersed in an ever-widening web of truths, half-truths, myth and deception. A reporter with the New York Daily News, Einhorn uses her journalistic skills to record not only her search for her mother’s past but also her search to understand the present -- and, in a way, her search for her own identity. Along the way she presents an honest and intensely vivid appraisal of contemporary Poland, especially the nuances and contradictions that compose the complexities of Poland’s centuries-old relationship with the Jewish world. Sadly, Einhorn’s mother died at age 59, just as Einhorn was embarking on her project. That loss becomes a milestone that turns Einhorn’s book into not just a search for family history, but a coming-ofage chronicle that links the past with an open-ended future. I stayed up well past midnight to finish it. Ruth Ellen Gruber’s books include “National Geographic Jewish Heritage Travel: A Guide to Eastern Europe,” “Letters from Europe (and Elsewhere),” and “Virtually Jewish: Reinventing Jewish Culture in Europe.” She blogs on Jewish heritage issues at jewish-heritagetravel.blogspot.com.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
August 14, 2009
Robinson is wrong choice for the Medal of Freedom When the Obama administration announced last week that former Irish President Mary Robinson would be given the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Aug. 12, the response in (some of) the Jewish community was outrage. This medal, awarded by the President of the United States, is granted to recipients for “especially meritorious contribution to (1) the security or national interests of the United States, or (2) world peace, or (3) cultural or other significant public or private endeavors,” according to the medal guidelines. Previous winners have included Holocaust survivor/author/Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, heart surgeon Michael DeBakey and polio vaccine creator Jonas Salk, as well as religious figures Billy Graham, Pope John Paul II, and Reinhold Niebuhr. (Readers may recall his name as the creator of the “Serenity” prayer.) Also among the recipients are musicians like Vladimir Horowitz and Van Cliburn, foreign political activists and heads of state like Lech Walesa and Nelson Mandela; even the great French chef Julia Child is a past winner! But Mary Robinson? For those who do not recognize her name, she was the United Nations high commissioner for human rights; her tenure, from 19972002, ran across the terms of two presidents: a Democrat: Clinton and a Republican: Bush. But she is best remembered for presiding over the infamous 2001 Durban Conference on Racism in which -- once again -- Israel was bashed repeatedly and its policies deemed “racist.” Not only did she not prevent the anti-Israel (and anti-Semitic) forces from taking over the conference (which was supposed to be about human rights!), she later commented thusly: “remarkably good, including on the issues of the Middle East,” according to a press release from AIPAC. In fact, the final text actually equated Zionism = Racism, which apparently Robinson thought was a “remarkably good” outcome!
The United States rightly boycotted the 2001 Durban conference in South Africa. And when it appeared that this year’s conference on “Racism” would be similar, President Obama (who hoped the outcome would be different when he sent representatives to the meetings in Geneva prior to the actual conference) also opted out of the final meeting. In addition to AIPAC’s statement of opposition, the Republican Jewish Coalition, the Anti-Defamation League, World Jewish Congress and the Zionist Organization of America also voiced their dismay. Notably missing from making any statements (either of support or opposition) are the the Orthodox Union, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, the Union for Reform Judaism, National Council of Jewish Women, Hadassah and JStreet, the newest player among Jewish advocacy groups. We’d be very interested to hear what they have to say about a woman whose “high commission” voted against condemning suicide bombings and instead took the position that they were a “legitimate means” towards the goal of Palestinian statehood. (We wonder how she would feel about the IRA doing just that to her country!) In his report about the conference to the Tufts Fletcher School Forum in 2002, Holocaust survivor Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA), said, “To
many of us present at the events at Durban, it is clear that much of the responsibility for the debacle rests on the shoulders of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, who, in her role as secretary-general of the conference, failed to provide the leadership needed to keep the conference on track. It must be added that the Bush administration also shares some responsibility for the meltdown.” President Obama is now compounding that error by elevating Robinson to the same category with such humanitarians as Mother Theresa, Rosa Parks, Simon Wiesenthal, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Natan Sharansky. Speaking of which -- Bishop Desmond Tutu is also in the Medal of Freedom winners circle this year. Last year, he called for a “war crimes” investigation into Israel’s military response to Hamas after the terrorist group had fired more than 8,000 missiles into Israel. Is this really the message President Obama wants to send?
FOCUS ON ISSUES by DAN KOSKY
JERUSALEM (JTA) -- This year marks the 30th anniversary of the founding of the New Israel Fund. During this time, NIF’s far-reaching work has had a profound impact on Israeli civil society. Donors rightly can take pride in some of NIF’s better-known programs to promote religious pluralism, eradicate racism from Israeli soccer and empower disadvantaged women. However, they are probably entirely unaware that NIF directs a significant portion of its money toward organizations with agendas that undermine the very foundations of the Jewish state. A prime example is Mada al-Carmel, the Arab Center for Applied Social Research, to which NIF’s latest public accounts record a grant of $125,000, making it one of NIF’s larger recipients. At first glance, Mada alCarmel’s mission to “promote theoretical and applied research on the Palestinian community in Israel” might sound innocuous enough. Yet closer inspection reveals that they spearheaded the 2007 document known as the Haifa Declaration, which delegitimizes the concept of the Jewish state and asserts a dangerous historical narrative in which Israel is branded guilty of torture, collective punishment and racism. The Haifa Declaration suggests that Israel’s “policies of oppression” are “in excess of those of the apartheid regime in South Africa,"
NIF has a duty to explain to its donors whether supporting an end to the Jewish state has a place in their vision for Israel. If not, surely they must undertake a serious re-evaluation of their allocations process. The problem here is not one of legitimacy. Unquestionably, in any healthy democracy, the right to hold unpalatable views and opinions must be upheld. Consequently, organizations such as Mada al-Carmel, Adalah and Sikkuy are legal Israeli nonprofits. Yet legality itself does not justify support. There are myriad worthy causes that NIF can and does fund. But by choosing to support the authors of the Haifa Declaration, NIF is funding the back-door destruction of the State of Israel as we know it. No doubt NIF will argue that its grants are designated for specific projects far removed from the Haifa Declaration. Yet any funding for these groups enables them to spend other resources wherever they wish.
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New Israel Fund should not fund groups that oppose Jewish state blames Israel for “exploiting” the tragedy of the Holocaust to “legitimize the right of the Jews to establish a state at the expense of the Palestinian people,” and advocates changing the definition of Israel from a Jewish state to an amorphous “multicultural” state where Jewish identity and symbols are of no significance. Signatories to the declaration include other recipients of NIF funding, including Adalah (which received $285,000 in 2007) and Sikkuy (which received $155,000 in 2007).
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Moreover, backing from NIF provides a patina of legitimacy worth much more than money. After all, why would the average donor be concerned by Mada al-Carmel’s vision for Israel when it is supported by a mainstream Jewish charity? The NIF must be clear on its funding red lines. If signing onto documents like the Haifa Declaration does not cross them, NIF must make clear why. NIF has a duty to explain to its donors whether supporting an end to the Jewish state has a place in their vision for Israel. If not, surely they must undertake a serious re-evaluation of their allocations process. Highlighting these important questions is not part of a malicious campaign to limit Arab rights and equality in Israel; quite the opposite. There is much to do in order to achieve parity for all sectors in Israel, including the Arab community. But when initiatives such as the Haifa Declaration manipulate the cause of Arab equality to advance an end to the Jewish state, it wholly undermines this worthy cause. NIF also funds organizations unconnected to the Arab sector that raise additional questions about the charity’s outlook on Israel’s future. The Coalition of Women for Peace, which is funded by NIF, claims to “work relentlessly for peace.” But a group called New Profile, which is one of 10 member organizations of the coalition, is under investigation by the Israeli attorney general for advising new Israel Defense Forces’ recruits on how to appear unfit to serve so they can dodge military duty. NIF also supports the Israeli NGO Breaking Continued on page 9
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August 14, 2009
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
To the Editor: Having served on the Jewish Social Services board for many years, I want to add my thanks to Bob Belgrade for his many years of service to the JSS, and especially his leadership during his years as president. He served at a time of great change and helped us move in a new direction. I know he is not done serving. I know that Jim Farber, with the help of the board and Mike Silverman, will continue the upward path. Norman Smeerin Glenview, Il To The Editor: I was extremely disheartened (to the point that although I haven’t lived in Omaha for over 15 years, I was compelled to write!) to see the letter from Sandra Kohll in your July 17th issue, wherein she condemned the decision that was made to open the Jewish Community Center (fitness facilities) on Saturday mornings. Within her first sentence, she writes: “... on Shabbos morning when Jews should be in the synagogue praying.” Says who? As we all know, many families in the Omaha area have chosen not to continue to follow all of the traditional Orthodox practices: they may choose NOT to attend Shul on Shabbat -- but guess what? These are some of the most benevolent leaders in the Omaha Jewish community. She asks: “How will people have respect for us when they see us open when most Jews should (that word again!) be in the synagogue...?” This isn’t an issue of respect or lack thereof. There is nothing wrong with acknowledging that all Jews do not attend services on Shabbat morning. Furthermore, there are non-Jews that use the JCC facilities as well. Perhaps opening the facility on Saturdays is actually fostering a mutual respect within the diverse community. One of our rabbis here in Los Angeles (who coincidentally has ties to the Omaha area as well) explains that he frequently meets people who, upon discovering that he is a rabbi, will confide in him that they are not “good Jews.” His customary response is to ask them if they treat others poorly or are disrespectful to their family. Or whether they steal, lie, cheat or even murder? I am sure you get the point. Is having the JCC accessible to those who choose to use the facilities really such a shanda? Dana Nogg Kiper Pacific Palisades, CA To the Editor: Statements by Abu Allah praising suicide bombers who have killed dozens of people is wholly unacceptable and represents the true challenge to the chances for peace in the region. Statements by other Fatah officials urged the continuation of armed resistance and asserted that Fatah would not recognize the State of Israel. These declarations, made by the so-called ‘moderate’ Palestinian faction puts into sharp focus the question of the real beliefs of the party with whom Israel is to negotiate. Such rhetoric cannot be dismissed as it glorifies murderers and incites others to emulate their example. The U.S. has urged the Palestinians to address the issue of incitement, which is both an immediate and longterm obstacle to the prospect of meaningful negotiations. Too often such statements have been dismissed. But as history has shown, it is a serious impediment, not only undermining the confidence of Israelis, but exhorting this and future generations to violence and hate. The leadership of the Palestinian Authority must speak out against these actions to declare and take steps that all such incitement will be stopped. Chairman Alan Solow Executive Vice Chairman Malcolm Hoenlein Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations New York City, NY
disappear, despite the current campaign of intimidation and threats. We will continue supporting those organizations that raise the difficult issues and that seek to create a better Israel. We suggest that our friends and other interested parby LARRY GARBER ties examine closely those who are attacking NIF. Some groups masquerade under high-sounding names but report back to a few right-wing activists. Others purport WASHINGTON (JTA) -- “They hate him who reproves them in the gate, and they to “monitor” our activities, but the monitoring consists of demonizing every group, local or international, that despise him who speaks uprightly.” So said the prophet Amos 2,800 years ago, and so it is brings Israeli misconduct or mistakes to public attention. Very few are forthright about their own funding, while today. Amos’ message did not make him popular with the the funding we receive and the funding we provide is powers that be. But he would have been proud of a peo- always a matter of public record. We understand why the criticism voiced by human ple that considers its own mistakes, allows for free and fair debate about the toughest issues, and corrects course rights and social justice groups makes Israelis and supporters of Israel uneasy. There are many in the world in the direction of equality and justice. For 30 years, the New Israel Fund has acted in the who truly are anti-Israel and who welcome reports of spirit of Amos and other prophets of ancient Israel, as Israeli wrongdoing. Communist Russia once used the Rev. Martin Luther well as more contemporary prophets who have guided the evolution of modern democracy. We have founded King Jr.’s rhetoric as “proof” that the United States was a permanently racist nation, and funded Israel’s progresbut the United States dissive civil society while func... we do not agree with the opinions of proved that through the evotioning as a lightning rod for some of our grantees, nor with their lution of its own political those who believe that Israel and social processes. That can do no wrong -- and if it interpretation of Israeli history. But we do remains the challenge for does, Israel’s interests are not back down from debating the toughest Israel and all democratic served if no one pays atten- issues inside our own “big tent.” societies. tion to the wrongdoing. In the past few months, legislation has been introNow, as Israel’s extremist, ultranationalist voices feel both emboldened and threatened, again we are a prime duced in Israel that would require loyalty oaths -- based on some politicians’ notion of loyalty -- of every Israeli. target for their crude attacks. The New Israel Fund’s vision is transparent and rea- Leading media figures incite violence against civil sociesonable. We support Israel as a Jewish and democratic ty groups, extremist groups carry out provocative state that guarantees all citizens equality under the law. marches through Arab towns, and a Transparency Through our grant-making and other programs, we International poll found that 86 percent of Israelis think address the inequities that exist in Israeli society between their government’s efforts to fight corruption are inefrich and poor, religious and secular, Jew and Arab, gay fective -- the highest percentage in the world. These are some of the real threats faced by Israeli and straight, men and women. We know the effects of the occupation on the democratic ethos of Israeli socie- democracy. This is what the New Israel Fund combats. We seek support from those who understand that the ty, so we also support organizations that monitor human price of democracy is listening to unpopular voices and rights conditions in the Palestinian territories. Our grant-making process is rigorous in ensuring that controversial ideas. We represent a vehicle for progresour values and goals are entwined with the work of every sive Jews, who support the American Civil Liberties group that we fund. A key value is freedom of conscience Union and its counterparts around the world, and the many Israelis who still believe in democracy, to hold and belief. No, we do not agree with the opinions of some of our Israel to the standards of Amos and his counterparts. That is our work, and we are proud of it. grantees, nor with their interpretation of Israeli history. But we do not back down from debating the toughest Larry Garber is the CEO of the New Israel Fund. issues inside our own “big tent.” We empower organizations that represent Israel’s many different communities, including immigrants from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia, women suffering from domestic violence and trafficking, and Conservative and Reform Jews facing the Orthodox monopoly on matters of personal status. We are also proud of the support we provide to Israeli Arab groups that advance civil rights in the courts and in the Knesset, and through grass-roots action. These Continued from page 8 groups, working with partner civil rights organizations the Silence, which recently released a booklet of anonythat have emerged within Israel’s Jewish majority, con- mous soldier testimonies about alleged IDF misconduct tinually advance the cause of equality on behalf of a in the Gaza conflict in January. The booklet attempts to minority that the Israeli government itself admits faces condemn the IDF as a whole, undermining one of serious discrimination. Israel’s bedrock institutions. This agenda should Insisting that Israeli Arab civil rights groups adopt a prompt NIF to ask whether its funds are being utilized Zionist agenda is nonsensical, and our critics know that. to the benefit of Israeli society. NIF claims to “want to create the Israel we all know They would require us to impose a loyalty test on our grantees so that only those organizations that accept a to be possible,” yet surely this cannot include encourprescribed narrative and commit to avoiding criticism of agement to break Israeli law. While we share NIF’s mission to “fight inequality, Israel would receive support. Such a test essentially would eliminate funding for most Arab civil rights injustice and extremism,” NIF must not be comprogroups, which is what our critics are really after. This test mised by support for organizations that work against the would also preclude our support for groups like very concept of the Jewish state and the rule of law. To Breaking the Silence, which bring sensitive issues per- continue do so would be to affiliate with the very martaining to the conduct of the Israel Defense Forces to gins of the Jewish world. the public’s attention. Dan Kosky is the communications director of NGO Rest assured, this is not going to happen. We are not going to shut up and we are not going to Monitor.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
August 14, 2009
Candlelighting Friday, August 14, 8:07 p.m.
Synagogue Listings B’nai Israel Synagogue 618 Mynster St. Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com
Beth El Synagogue Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California Omaha, NE 68154-1980 492.8550 www.bethel-omaha.org
Beth Israel Synagogue Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific St. Omaha, NE. 68154 556.6288 BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org
Chabad House An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 S. 120th St. Omaha, NE 68144-1646 330.1800 www.OChabad.com email: chabad@aol.com
Congregation B’nai Jeshurun South Street Temple Union for Reform Judaism 2061 S. 20th St. Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 435.8004 southstreettemple.org
Offutt Air Force Base SAC Memorial Chapel 301 Lincoln Highway Offutt AFB, NE 68113 294.6244
Rose Blumkin Jewish Home 323 S. 132 St. Omaha, NE 68154
Temple Israel Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 7023 Cass Street Omaha, NE 68132-2651 556.6536 templeisrael-ne.org
The Neighborhood Minyan 1317 No. 57 St. Omaha, NE 68132 551.6609
Tifereth Israel Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Blvd., Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 423.8569 www.tiferethisraellincoln.org
B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE FRIDAY: Services followed by Oneg, 7:30 p.m.
BETH EL SYNAGOGUE Services conducted by Rabbi Mordechai Levin and Cantor Beth Schlossberg. FRIDAY: BBQ and Barchu at Zorinsky Lake, Shelter #1 (off 156th Street, just south of West Center Rd.). Welcome Shabbat with us in the great outdoors, 5:30 p.m. to enjoy the park; 6:15 p.m. dinner, followed by services. Bring lawn chairs, blankets, balls, gloves and Frisbees. Open to the entire Jewish community. For more information, call the office. SATURDAY: Morning services, 9:30 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:15 p.m. Sitter Service is available during Friday night and Saturday morning services, on a drop-in basis, at no charge. WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. HIGH HOLIIDAYS MINICOURSE: Rabbi Levin will lead How to Make the High Holidays More Meaningful on Sundays, Aug. 16, 23, and 30, 11 a.m. to noon. No charge to attend; open to everyone in the Jewish community. To RSVP, contact the office. SISTERHOOD HONEY SALE: Send bottles of honey for $7.50 each; $7.25 for 15 or more by Monday, Aug. 17. To order, contact the office at programor ming@bethel-omaha.org, Wendy Berenson at Munch765@ aol.com or call 253.2028. WOMEN’S ROSH HODESH GROUP: Thursday, Aug. 20 at Swanson Towers, 8405 Indian Hills Dr., to explore “Breaking News: The Media Revolution.” Guest speaker will be Jewish Press Editor Carol Katzman; the evening’s hosts are Joanie Jacobson and Jean Duitch. Social time, 7 p.m.; formal meeting, 7:30 p.m. RSVP to Jacobson at 554.0500, or via e-mail at ohjoan413@aol.com; or Duitch, at 393.1141, or jduitch@ aol.com. All women in the Jewish community are welcome.
BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE
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8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Fri., 8:30 a.m-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Jonathan Gross and Rabbi Yitzchak Mizrahi. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; free babysitting, 9:30 a.m.; Children’s Classes, 9:45 a.m. with Torah Parade; Kiddush is sponsored by Lindsey, Whitney, Ben and Chelsea in honor of Jeffrey Taxman's birthday; “Guard Your Tongue”, “The Great Midrash” and “Advanced Parshah Study for Kids” (ages 10 and up) one hour prior to Mincha, 8 p.m.; Havdalah, 9:08 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Ma’ariv, 8:30 p.m. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha, 5:45 p.m. TUESDAY: Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7:45 p.m. THURSDAY: Women of the Torah class, 9:30 a.m..
CHABAD HOUSE Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. FRIDAY: Service, 7 a.m.; The Parsha Club for Level I beginners, ages 5-6; and Level II intermediates and experts, ages 7-9, noon. Please contact Shevi@ochabad. com to receive a guest pass. SATURDAY: Maamar class, 9 a.m.; Service, 9:30 a.m.; Youth Minyan, 10:30 a.m. MiniMensch title will be awarded; Kiddush lunch follows; join Rabbi Katzman from 12-1 p.m. SUNDAY: Service, 8:30 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Services, 7 a.m. TUESDAY: W.O.W. Parsha, Prophets, and Prayer, 9:15 a.m. THURSDAY: Shofar Service and reception, 7:45 a.m. FRIDAY, Aug. 21: The Parsha Club for Level I beginners, ages 56; and Level II intermediates and experts, ages 7-9, noon. Please contact Shevi@ochabad. com to receive a guest pass. All events and programs are open to the entire community.
CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN Services conducted by Rabbi Ilan Emanuel. FRIDAY: Reception honoring Kurt Knecht, 5:30 p.m., who will
BAT MITZVAH Michelle Davidson, daughter of Juanita and Doug Davidson, will become a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, Aug. 22, at Temple Israel. Michelle is an eighth-grade honor roll “12-3” student at Beveridge Middle School. She is a member of National Junior Honor Society and received the following awards, Presidents Outstanding Academic
graduate from the UN-L HixonLied School of Music with a Doctor of Musical Arts, Summa Cum Laude. The congregation is invited to a reception at St. Mark’s on the Campus Episcopal Church, 13th and R Sts; Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m. led by Rabbi Emanuel, with an oneg following hosted by Sue Schreiber. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. all led by Rabbi Emanuel; Game Night/Potluck, 6 p.m. TUESDAY: Women’s Lunch Group, noon at Lone Star, 200 N. 70th St. Contact Stephanie Dohner if you have any questions. THURSDAY: Choir Rehearsal, 7:30 p.m. Outdoor service and potluck dinner, Friday, Aug. 21, 6 p.m. at Holmes Lake Park. Sunday, Aug. 23, 7-8:30 p.m.: Major Donor event for the Jewish Federation of Lincoln at the home of Dr. Larry and Julie Widman, 8801 Augusta Dr. RSVP to Donna Hersch at 483.7331 or dhersch@neb.rr. com. Annual August Back-toSchool Supplies Drive: During the month of August, the Social Action Committee is collecting school supplies to donate to Saratoga Elementary School. Bring your items to the stage area of the Social Hall.
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m.
ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME FRIDAY: Shabbat Comes to the Blumkin Home, 2:30 p.m. led by NCJW Members. SATURDAY: Services, 9:15 a.m. led by Marty Shukert. FRIDAY, Aug. 21: Chef’s Demo by Miriam Gross, 1 p.m. at Beth Israel.
TEMPLE ISRAEL FRIDAY: Religious School Steering Committee Meeting, noon; Shabbat Comes to you at Remington Heights, 4 p.m. led by Cantor Wendy Shermet; Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. led by Rabbi Aryeh Azriel, and Cantor Wendy Shermet; Summer Speaker Series:
“Jewish Life in the Military” with Jonathan Beha. SATURDAY: Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Service, 10:30 a.m. Isaac Rogers, son of Mimi RogerFarkas and Scott Farkas, will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah. SITTER SERVICE: Available Wednesday evenings during Family School hours, Friday evenings service except when there is a Tot Shabbat, Saturday mornings when there is a B’nai mitzvah, and Sunday mornings during Religious School. Advance reservations and a $5 donation appreciated. Young children, including infants, are welcome. TUESDAY: Executive Committee Meeting, 6 p.m.; Board of Trustees Meeting, 7 p.m. THURSDAY: CSA delivery for shareholders, 4:30-5:30 p.m. at South entrance. OTYG Fall Rush, Sunday, Aug. 23, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. at Mahoney State Park. Annual Temple Golf Outing, Monday, Aug. 24, noon at Ironwood Golf Country Club.
NEIGHBORHOOD MINYAN FRIDAY: Minyan, 7 p.m. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m.
TIFERETH ISRAEL Services conducted by Nancy Coren, Lay Leader. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. MONDAY and THURSDAY: Minyan, 9 a.m. FRIDAY: Services, 8 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning service, 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush lunch and Talmud study. SUNDAY: Congregational Pool Party Picnic noon-4 p.m. at the Brockman’s home. WEDNESDAY: Men’s Lunch Group will meet at the Knolls, 12:30 p.m. Contact Yale Gotsdiner at 423.7066. Sunday, Aug. 23, 7-8:30 p.m.: Major Donor event for the Jewish Federation of Lincoln at the home of Dr. Larry and Julie Widman, 8801 Augusta Dr. RSVP to Donna Hersch at 483.7331 or dhersch@neb.rr.com.
GOP visits Israel Excellence, the M&M, and G.R.E.A.T. Her interests include dance, piano, skiing and snowboarding, tennis, swimming, shooting hoops, throwing the football and hanging out with friends. For her mitzvah project, Michelle volunteered at Town and Country Humane Society. She has three older brothers, Bryan, Brandon, and Austin. Grandparents are Betsy and Art Davidson, and Donna and Gene Nelson of Sargent, NE.
A 25-member delegation of the U.S. Republican party, led by Congressman Eric Cantor (R-VA), visited Israel earlier this month. The group was the largest delegation of congressional leaders ever to visit Israel. The delegation, which was hosted by President Shimon Peres at the Presidential Residence, was sponsored by the America Israel Education Foundation, which is affiliated to AIPAC. Cantor said they had come with the message that the U.S. Congress supports Israel. Last week, a similar group of Democrats was expected in Israel for a parallel visit. Credit: ISRANET
August 14, 2009
DEATH PEARL SEGALL HERZOG Pearl Segall Herzog died at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home on Aug. 6. She was 96. Services were held Aug. 9 at Beth El Cemetery. According to her son, David, his mother “lived a long and interesting life, filled with good friends, glamorous fun, and a good family in whom she inspired great devotion. She was in hospice care the last three weeks of her life and waited to say goodbye to her children and their spouses and her sole surviving sibling, Ruth. It was a good life and a peaceful death. We should all be so lucky.” She was preceded in death by her husband, Irving Herzog, and a son, Michael Lee. She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, David Herzog and Julianne Dunn Herzog, Ian Herzog and Amy Ardell of Venice, CA; daughter, Barbara Mueting and her companion, Dr. Herman Greenwald; grandchildren, Michael Herzog, Claudia Herzog, Erika Herzog, Erin Greenman, Alexander Herzog, Rachel Meuting Bellinghousen, and Joel Mueting; 10 greatgrandchildren; and sister, Ruth Cain of Tucson, AZ. Memorials to Rose Blumkin Jewish Home or charity of choice.
JTA NEWS BRIEFS • (JTA) -- The deaths of three members of a close-knit family in a mid-air collision over the Hudson River is a “real heartbreak,” a family member told local media. Steven Altman, 60, was piloting a small plane carrying his brother Daniel Altman, 49, and Daniel’s son Doug, 15, when it collided Saturday with a helicopter carrying five Italian tourists and its pilot. There were no survivors. The Altmans are from the Philadelphia area. “They’re a very fine family, a very good group of people -- very hard working, very generous,” Irving Altman, the men’s uncle, told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “It’s just a heartbreaking, terrible tragedy that my nephews died in such a tragic event.” The Altman family owns a construction and real-estate investment firm founded by Steven’s father, David Altman, a World War II hero who was awarded a Purple Heart and is an aviation aficionado. Steven Altman, following in his father’s footsteps, flew missions for Angel Flight East, which provides free flights for those seeking medical treatment and their families. • JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Israel bombed a smuggling tunnel between Gaza and Egypt in retaliation for attacks from Gaza. No injuries were reported in the Israeli airstrike early Monday, according to Reuters. A spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces said the attack came in response to rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza at southern Israeli communities. A Kassam rocket fired from Gaza Sunday struck an open area in the western Negev. No damage or injuries were reported. It was the first Kassam rocket attack on Israel in nearly a month. Monday afternoon a mortar was fired at workers near the border fence at the Kissufim Crossing. Later Sunday, two mortar shells fired by Gazan Palestinians landed near the Erez Crossing with Israel near ambulances that were transferring a Palestinian patient to Israel for treatment for a heart condition, according to reports. Other reports put the number of mortar shells at six. • JERUSALEM (JTA) -- The Palestinian Authority suffered its first swine flu fatality. A Palestinian man, 34, died Friday night in Ramallah after contracting the H1N1 virus during a pilgrimage to Mecca, according to reports. Some 80 Palestinians reportedly have contracted swine flu. The Palestinian Authority Health Ministry has warned Palestinians to avoid travel to the hajj in Mecca to stop the spread of the virus. Nearly 2,000 Israelis reportedly have come down with the virus; five have died. Some 15 were hospitalized in serious condition with the virus as of Sunday. Israel over the weekend signed a $1.8 million contract with a French company to supply every Israeli with a vaccine for the virus by January, Ha’aretz reported.
Now look here!
SPARKS FROM THE WORD by RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Parashat Re’eh Our ancient ancestors were forced with the decision that looks too easy. But it has fateful consequences. The Israelites are told that before them is a blessing and a curse. They are even told that the blessing will come upon them in the form of prosperity and good health, while the curse will include every illness known to humanity. The choice is indeed simple -- because nothing restrains their right to choose. It is even suggested to them that they choose the blessing so they do not have to ponder whether to choose blessing or curse. It is interesting to note that our ancient ancestors were not told “listen up”, but instead were told to “look here now, look here.” Give attention to the words used and to the talents of the human body: “Between the ear and the eye”, they are told to “look here now” not to “give a listen.” The eye is thus considered more truthful than the ear. It is true: what we have seen, we remember as it was seen, but what we hear, is sometimes mistaken for what was meant. How often do we charge a friend with, “But that’s what you told me!”, only to have him respond, “I never told you any such thing!” Either you weren’t listening or your mind translated what was heard to something never intended. It is exactly right, therefore, that our ancient forebears were told to look, to see, to study, to understand. Quite properly, they were not told to listen, for the ear often hears something that was not really said. What the Israelites were told to see, thus to understand, was that there was a blessing to be chosen, rather than a curse. The blessing includes everything one might expect in “the good life.” The curse includes all of the calamities and adversities that sometimes destroy life’s great opportunities. Therefore, look here now: what I am about to say must become a picture in your mind’s eye that will not disappear. Indeed you can recall it, again and again. There is then, a blessing and a curse. Be sure, therefore, to make the right choice. Your whole life depends on it.
Prayerbooks Available for Visually Impaired The Jewish Heritage for the Blind announced the availability of the High Holiday Machzor in large print and in Braille free of charge for those who need them. A doctor’s note stating necessity is required. To receive a complimentary Machzor, contact our office at 718.338.4999; or fax 718.338.0653; or e-mail to Jewishheritage@gmail.com.
JEWISH PRESS EARLY DEADLINE NOTICE The Jewish Press will be closed Monday, Sept. 7 for Labor day; the deadline for the Sept. 11 issue is Wednesday, Sept. 2, 9 a.m. for all articles, ads, and photos. The Press will publish the New Year’s issue on Sept. 18, 2009, entitled “What we did THAT summer!” All rabbis’ holiday messages as well as articles and photos are due immediately; all lists of marriages, births and deaths, as well as board lists are due on Aug. 14; synagogue schedules for Rosh Hashanah are due by Aug. 21. Questions? Call 402.334.6448.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
August 14, 2009
The star of ‘Blossom’ reflects on how belief changed her look
by MAYIM BIALIK lifestyle didn’t have a means of representLOS ANGELES (Tablet) – Earlier this ing the change from single to married, year, producers from the TLC makeover and I was cautious about challenging the show “What Not to Wear” chose me to feminist ideals I had previously embraced. But I liked feeling a physical representa“fix.” It was eight months after I had given birth to my second son (my first tion in my new life as a married woman. In was three years old), and I had just com- synagogue, I began covering my head with tichels (decorative scarves) from trips pleted a doctorate in neuroscience. I had been wearing slouchy clothes since to Israel -- just as my Orthodox cousins long before I had who I used to kids. I favored consider submismen’s oversized sive and trapped garments and had in an archaic never much cared lifestyle taught me for fashion or to wrap them -trends. For the and fashionable most part, I spent hats. No flowers . little to no time on Too Blossom-y. my appearance. As my life proFrom the time I gressed, tzniut was 19 until I became a bigger turned 32, I Actress Mayim Bialik with her older son Fred prior part and I started devoted my time to her appearance on the TLC make-over show appreciating what to studying, writ- “What Not To Wear”; Bialik shows off her new look. it means to keep Photos Courtesy: Mayim Bialik your sexual appeal ing a thesis and starting a family. But the acting itch never for yourself and your partner. I came to see completely abated and I had decided to that not everything that makes me beautipursue it again rather than stay in acade- ful, sexy or desirable needs to be on display. In the world of acting, though, mainmia. The actor’s life I want to pursue gives me more time to raise my children rather taining a degree of modesty has been a than hand them over to a nanny. Having a challenge. I stopped wearing pants outmakeover seemed like a great opportunity side of the home in November 2007. (I to put together a new look that I could use still wear them at home or under dresses.) These days, I am more comfortable in on future auditions. The WNTW producers asked if I had skirts rather than the baggy, saggy pants I used to wear. I feel more attractive and any clothing restrictions. Deep breath. “I don’t wear pants,” I told them. “I more put-together in a skirt. Tzniut doesn’t mean making yourself prefer skirts.” You see, I am what I guess you’d call a less attractive; it means highlighting your Conservadox Jew. I started embracing strengths within limits. But my definition of limits and that of certain aspects of Jewish modesty, or tzniut, before my second son was born; the the folks at “What Not to Wear” differed. boundaries and framework of privacy it On and off the set, I discussed my skirt provides appealed to me. preference with the producers. When the I was raised in a traditional Reform hosts showed me pants as a possible household, the granddaughter of poor option in my wardrobe, I pointed out that Orthodox immigrants from Eastern I don’t much wear them. I didn’t claim to Europe. For them, success in America be the spokesperson for tzniut; after all, I came at the seemingly small price of rela- still wear shirts above the elbows and don’t cover my head regularly. tive assimilation. I bought wonderful new clothes, jewelGrowing up, I lived a pretty normal life. I had my own prime-time network TV ry and vegan shoes (one of my other prefshow from the ages of 14 to 19, which erences). When they filmed me revealing meant my physical appearance and cloth- the final outfits they picked, I gently ing choices were dissected on a weekly pointed out that skirts above the knee are basis in gossip magazines and on television. not something I would wear, and that I I was pretty impervious to media critiques wouldn’t wear sleeveless shirts or dresses of my style. I had no real sense of my own without something to cover my arms physicality and took for granted the feminist once I left the set. When the show aired, idea that I should be able to walk around I saw that my qualifications and explananaked without harassment. But I soon tions did not survive the cutting room. I don’t wish to claim that there is an learned that not everyone was a feminist. After graduating from public high school “immodest agenda” on WNTW. It’s a in Los Angeles, I went to college at UCLA, show for the average American, who is where I met the man who is now my hus- most likely not Jewish, and if she is band. Knowing we wanted a traditional Jewish, she’s most likely not observant. In spite of the fact that the hosts kept wedding ceremony, we started studying telling me I needed to be “sexy” and not Judaism together to prepare for it. At first my lessons with an Orthodox “hide” in my clothing, I loved being part instructor were almost anthropological -- of the show. They were right to encourI was curious as to how Judaism viewed age me to wear clothing that was my size marriage and sexuality, but I did not real- and to emphasize my figure. But sexy ly intend to increase my level of obser- doesn’t necessarily mean scantily clad. The week after WNTW was filmed, I vance. The more I learned, however, the more my previous distance from tradi- auditioned to play a Chasidic woman on “Saving Grace.” When the call came in I tional Judaism disappeared. I was also a serious person in general, laughed, pulled a salvaged Israeli ankleand chose a wedding dress that reflected length dark denim skirt from the floor of my serious attitude about marriage. my almost bare closet, threw on a Entering a sacred covenant before God, I WNTW-purchased tank, cardigan and wore an ankle-length, high-necked simple flats, and applied some lovely Victorian dress with sleeves past the elbow understated make-up. I booked the part. Mayim Bialik starred on NBC’s and a heavy veil, reminiscent (I hoped) of “Blossom” from 1990-94. More recently the matriarchs Leah and Rebekah. During the days of the sheva brachot, the she has appeared on “Curb Your seven traditional feasts celebrated in the Enthusiasm” and “Saving Grace” and days after the chuppah, I tentatively cov- this fall will have a recurring role on ered my head with scarves and crocheted “The Secret Life of the American hats, trying on my new status as a married Teenager.” Reprinted from Tablet woman. Beyond wearing a ring, my mag.com, a new read on Jewish life.
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