Vol. LXXXII
No. 50
Omaha, NE
17 Av, 5763
August 15, 2003
SERVING NEBRASKA AND WESTERN IOWA FOR 82 YEARS
Kirshenbaums: ‘Invested’ in the 2004 Federation Annual Campaign by PAM MONSKY, Federation Communications Director Following a challenging Campaign last year, 2004 General Campaign Co-chairs Maxine and Joe Kirshenbaum have assembled a motivated team to lead the Omaha Jewish community’s most important fundraising effort. In addition to the Kirshenbaums, the 2004 Campaign Leadership Team consists of Howard Epstein and Fred Tichauer, Men’s Campaign Cochairs; Ruth Erman and Bobbi Leibowitz, Women’s Campaign Co-chairs; Bruce Shackman, Pacesetter Chairman; Michael Miller, Young Leadership Chairman and Carol and Steve Bloch and Jenny and Scott Meyerson, Community Event Co-chairs. Last year’s 2003 Federation Annual Campaign marked the 100th anniversary of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. But the uncertain economic climate coupled with the highly successful Israel Terror Relief Campaign last spring lead to a decision to lower the Campaign goal from $3.2 million to $3 million. The 2003 Federation Campaign closed at $3,050,000, down $80,000 from 2002. “The theme for the 2004 Campaign is ‘The Jewish Federation of Omaha...Your Most Significant Investment,’ and it’s true!” explained Joe Kirshenbaum. “Our job is to educate the community that their Campaign pledge is an investment in the future…one that benefits each of us individually as well as the Jewish community at large.” Kirshenbaum went on to say that “we are prepared to make up the ground we lost last year. Economically, the country and the community are in a much better place than last year and we’ve set a realistic, attainable fundraising goal of $3.2 million.” Maxine Kirshenbaum added, “The Federation
Joe and Maxine Kirshenbaum
and its agencies had to cut out more than $180,000 during the Budget and Allocation process this past spring. That’s a lot of new programming that won’t be available to our constituents, but we had no choice except to live within our means. The good news is that we are all ready to work as hard as we have to in order to make our goal this year.” The Kirshenbaums also announced the Community Campaign event with Ambassador Dennis Ross, the special Middle East envoy for the Bush and Clinton administrations. The event will take place Thursday, Oct. 23 at Beth El. The Women’s Campaign is also hosting a special event featuring Grammy-nominated pianist and author Mona Golabek (see article below). (Continued on page 12)
One Woman, 88 Keys, Endless Inspiration Mona Golabek Performs for Women’s Campaign by PAM MONSKY, Federation Communications Director Grammy-nominated pianist Mona Golabek will present a stirring performance for the Jewish Federation of Omaha’s Women’s Campaign based on her acclaimed book, The Children of Willesden Lane, a memoir of her mother’s experiences during World War II through music and
memory on Thursday, Sept. 18, 7 p.m., at Ironwood Country Club. Mother-daughter team Barbara Kushner and Jill Belmont are co-chairmen for the event. The performance is free of charge, however, an increased gift to the 2004 Federation Annual Campaign is required to
(Continued on page 12)
Annual Klutznick “Sell Cheap, Tell the Truth” Harris Symposium Mrs. B’s Furniture Store Opens in Kansas City ANNA JAFFE, Contributing Writer is Bigger than Ever byKansas City Jewish Chronicle by ADRIAN E. KOESTERS Creighton University “The Jews of Eastern Europe” is the theme of this year’s Klutznick-Harris Symposium, to be held S u n d a y - M o n d a y, Sept.14-15. Local community members can expect three times the choices of presentations during day sessions, as well as a delightful keynote address from one of the most eminent scholars on Eastern Dean Bell Europe working today. Always looking for innovative ways to improve on past Symposia successes, Creighton Klutznick Chair holder Leonard J. Greenspoon contacted Dean Bell, dean of the Spertus Institute for Jewish Studies in Chicago, who this year is coordinator of the annual Midwest Jewish Studies Association regional meeting. MJSA, as it is known, is the premier regional society for scholars in all areas of Jewish studies. “For many years, MJSA and the Klutznick-Harris events have been held on the same weekend,” Greenspoon said. “This has forced participants to choose which event they would attend, and for some regional scholars who are members, the choice has often been to attend MJSA. “After my recent travels in Romania and Budapest, this year seemed like a natural choice to address Eastern European Jewry,” Greenspoon (Continued on page 7)
KANSAS CITY, KS -- In Furniture Mart. the midst of the great “This is the first time in our history depression, Rose that we’ve ever built a building from Blumkin, a Russian scratch,” Batt said. “It’s designed with Jewish immigrant, borthe latest and greatest. There’s nothrowed $500 from her ing like this in the country.” brother to open a little Furniture, electronics, appliances furniture store in the and flooring will all be available basement of a building in under one giant roof. downtown Omaha. “It’s destination shopping where you Over the years, that litdon’t have to go to other stores in order tle store--the Nebraska to meet your home-furnishings needs,” Furniture Mart--has Batt said. “The selection is bigger than become a giant in the anything that’s ever been seen...We try world of retail furniture to appeal to anyone who walks in here sales, known for its barat any price point at any time. We have gain-basement prices, a high-end design section. But we also extensive array of merhave the basics for a couple of kids who chandise and top-notch are just starting out.” Rose Blumkin customer service. Warren Buffett, chairman of the This Nebraska institution is now making its way board of Berkshire Hathaway, which now owns a down I-29 to the Kansas City area. Last week, the majority interest in the Nebraska Furniture Mart, Nebraska Furniture Mart opened a 712,000-square- expressed excitement about the prospects for the foot retail and distribution facility next to the Kansas City store in a February 2003 letter to Kansas Speedway at I-435 and State Avenue West Berkshire Hathaway shareholders. in Kansas City, KS. (Continued on page 8) “Our customers from Kansas City kept on saying ‘Come down here, come down here. We want you.’ INSIDE: So, we listened to the customers,” said Robert Batt, JELS 2003-04 College Scholarship Blumkin’s grandson and Executive Vice-president Winners ................................................ pages 6-7 of the Nebraska Furniture Mart. “That’s what made a difference here. There are more people here in Omahan Returns from Birthright Trip . page 9 Kansas City than there are in the whole state of Nebraska. So it was a natural.” NJHS to Debut Oral History Video ....... page 10 The new store is a big step for the Nebraska
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
August 15, 2003
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS SATURDAY, AUGUST 16 Outreach Event, 7 p.m. at Temple Israel
C L I P & S A V E
SUNDAY, AUGUST 17 JFS Yachad Meeting, noon Temple Israel Club 56, noon (location: tba) Visions Picnic, 12:30 p.m. at Chalco Hills MONDAY, AUGUST 18 Friedel Jewish Academy First Day of School, 8:30 a.m. YES Program, 10 a.m. Temple Israel Sponsored Dinner, 7 p.m. at Stephen’s Center Talmud Class with Rabbi Kutner, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel JELS Program: “Clones, Cures, and Cancer” Jewish Medical Ethics, 7:30 p.m.
C L I P & S A V E
Muskin Named Jewish Press Student intern
TUESDAY, AUGUST 19 JELS/ADL Lunch & Learn, noon BBYO Night, 6 p.m. Hadassah Membership Party, 7 p.m. (location: tba) Board of Trustees, 7:30 p.m. at Temple Israel
by CAROL KATZMAN, Editor
C L I P
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20 B’nai B’rith Breadbreakers, noon, at the Park Inn Regency Lodge
C L I P
&
THURSDAY, AUGUST 21 Walk-in Drop-in Activity, 10 a.m. Yiddish Group Meeting, 1 p.m. Kripke Library Monthly Book Discussion Group, 1 p.m.
&
S A V E
All events held at the JCC unless otherwise indicated.The Jewish Press is not responsible for the accuracy of events.To keep calendar accurate or for questions, call Marlene Hert at 334-6437. FOR A COMPLETE LISTING,VISIT THE FEDERATION’S WEBSITE: www.JewishOmaha.org (click on calendar)
Kohll’s
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Parashat Ekev Our parasha tell us things that we should know, namely that obedience brings good results and disobedience brings punishment. That having been said, the Lord promises the Israelites that they need have no fear of the local peoples when they cross the Jordan into the Land. Indeed, He promises to send a plague against the local peoples who might be hostile. We are forced to address the moral question involved here of conquest of indigenous peoples and replacing them. Of course this is the same question that might be involved in almost every nation of the modern world, which got its territory from some other people, even though some of these conquests may have been long, long ago. The Text offers this defense in advance of any question: The Israelites were to destroy because of the paganism and the immoralities of the local peoples. The Israelites are reminded that this is a good land to which they are coming, a land of grains and fruits, of oil and honey. Furthermore it was a land where iron could be extracted and copper as well. And then the Israelites are reminded that it is not because of their righteousness, or their actual strength that they were to be given this land, but that they were to replace peoples who defaulted national duties and lived lives of immorality. Moses reminds the people of their sinfulness with the Golden Calf and how he destroyed the first tablets of the Ten Commandments. He reminds them that he had to plead with the Lord not to destroy Israel because of the Golden Calf and that, successful, he was given new tablets which he put into a small cabinet which he had prepared for them. Note that our Sidra offers a succinct description of religious life, which is stated brilliantly centuries later by the prophet Micah. What does the Lord require? Only reverence for Him, following His ways, and loving Him and worshipping Him. Furthermore, the reader is struck at once when he reads this Sidra and finds that it is the source of the long middle biblical passage of the three that make up our Shema: And if you will indeed observe (V’haya Im Shamoä). All these riches are part of our Sidra and one reads the chapters of Deuteronomy with a special admiration for the literary power and felicitous expression of the Text. One of these memorable passages, for example, is: “for man does not live by bread alone.” Note that this week we also read the second of the haftarot of consolation following Tisha B’Av. The passage from Isaiah promises that God will console His people in Zion: “Gladness and joy shall abide there.”
S A V E
Emily Muskin, the 17-year-old daughter of MaryBeth and Bruce Muskin, has been named as the 2003-04 Jewish Press Student Intern. She replaces Ben Delman, who graduated from Westside High School and will be attending George Washington University next month. Muskin, a senior at Central High School, is an award-winning competitive athlete. She’s a member of the varsity girls’ softball, basketball and tennis teams at Central. She also played on the gold-medal winning girls’ basketball team in the 2001 JCC Maccabi Games and on the silver-medal team in the 2002 Games in Omaha. Sports are not her only interest, however; Muskin has also played violin for 10 years and is second chair in Central’s Orchestra. She wants to pursue a career in international business, but is hoping to obtain a college scholarship to play softball.
DEATHS ROSE GIMPLE GASPAR Rose Gimple Gaspar died in Oklahoma City. Services were held in Oklahoma City on Aug. 5. She is survived by sons and daughters-in-laws, Dr. Harold and Gloria Gaspar of Dallas, TX, and Dr. Harvey and Phyllis Gaspar of Tulsa, OK; sister Gerry LaPierre of Omaha; six grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. BESS (BABE) ARONOFF Former Omahan Bess Aronoff died Aug. 1 in Glendale, WI.. Bess celebrated her 87th birthday July 28. Funeral services were held in Milwaukee on Aug. 4. Cantor David Barash officiated. She is survived by daughter, Michelle Dloogoff (Frank Berg) of Glendale, WI; granddaughters Mindi (Todd) Armstrong of Sunrise, FL, and Faye Dloogoff (Michael Kotler) of Plantation, FL; and great-grandchildren, Logan Armstrong and Brooklyn Armstrong of Sunrise, FL. Memorials to the American Cancer Society or the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. LESTER BLOOM Lester Bloom died at the age of 85. Graveside services were held on Aug. 8, at the Golden Hill Cemetery. Bloom retired from the Union Pacific Railroad. He is survived by wife, Lucille Bloom of Omaha; daughter and son-in-law, Sandy and Jerome Paskevic of Gretna, NE; son and daughter-in-law, Toby and Nancy Bloom of West Des Moines, IA; sister, Ethel Stein of Las Vegas; granddaughters and husbands, Shawn and Bob Pakevic of Ashland, NE, and Stacey and Don Burton, of Omaha; and four great- grandchildren. Memorials to Beth Israel Synagogue.
HAZAK Leadership Passes Torch by DIANE AXLER BAUM for Beth El Beth El Synagogue’s L’Chaim Chapter of Hazak installed new officers at a luncheon following Shabbat services Aug. 9. The slate includes Jim Wax, President; Alan (Buddy) Goodman, Vice-president; Harriet Marcus, Secretary; Ilse and Marcel Kahn, Treasurers; Gloria Goodman and Natalie Rubin, Program Chairmen; Dee Goodman, Membership Chairman; Frances Gottlieb, Publicity Chairman; and Reva Oruch, Selma Sadovsky and Tootie Simon, Members-at-large. Howard Ruback, a former Beth El President and current Regional Hazak Chairman, conducted the installation. Cantor Gastón Bogomolni presented a musical program. Hazak, the Conservative movement’s organization for members 55 and older, has grown to 123 members at Beth El, thanks in large part to the efforts of Rosaline and Sam Epstein, outgoing Membership Chairmen. Dee Goodman, the new chairman, urged others in the target age group to take advantage of “the enjoyment, conviviality and sense of service” offered by Hazak. Future events include: sponsorship of the Breakthe-Fast meal after Ne’ilah, Oct. 6; a talk on Long Term Care Insurance by Shane Kotok of Jewish Senior Services, on Nov. 2; and a program of Jewish Humor on Dec. 14. For more information about Hazak, please call Gloria Goodman, 3333351, or Natalie Rubin, 334-5893.
Jim Wax, Chairman of Beth El’s HAZAK group, congratulates Dee Goodman for accepting the membership chairmanship as he passes on membership cards and other materials. Longtime Membership Co-chairmen Rosaline and Sam Epstein, whose extraordinary efforts have greatly increased numbers, officially stepped down at the August meeting.
August 15, 2003
SYNAGOGUES
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 3
Candlelighting Friday, August 15 .............................................. 8:05 p.m.
TEMPLE ISRAEL
BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE
BETH EL SYNAGOGUE
Member of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations
Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism
7023 Cass Street, Omaha, NE 68132-2651 556-6536 templeisrael-ne.org
Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America
1502 No. 52 St., Omaha, NE. 68104 -5013 556-6288 BethIsrael@novia.net
14506 California Omaha, NE 68154-1980 492-8550 WEB--www.bethel-omaha.org
FRIDAY: Men’s Club, 11:45 a.m. All male members of Temple Israel are invited to a weekly informal get together at Spirit World, 7517 Pacific St. Join us for some relaxation and great conversation; Shabbat Evening Service, 5:30 p.m. Rabbi Aryeh Azriel and Cantor Wendy Shermet will officiate and discuss the politics of Amos Oz, who will speak at Temple on Wednesday, Nov. 19. SATURDAY: Bagels and Sacred Books, 9:30 a.m., in the Milder Center; Morning service, 10:30 a.m. SITTER SERVICE During the months of July and August, available for the 5:30 p.m. Shabbat Services. There will be no sitter service Saturday mornings. Please make a reservation through the Temple office. Cost is $2 per family. Sorry, there are no facilities for infants.
Office hours: Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Fridays, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Howard Kutner. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 7 p.m. West Minyan, 7:30 p.m. at the home of Fishel and Jean Paley. SATURDAY: Morning service, 8:45 a.m. Free babysitting begins at 10 a.m.; kiddush sponsored by Sisterhood. Mincha, 7:55 p.m., followed by Shalosh Suedot, Ma’ariv and Havdalah. SUNDAY: Morning Services, 9 a.m. Evening Services, 7 p.m. WEEKDAYS: Services, 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. MONDAY: Talmud Class with Rabbi Kutner, 7:30p.m.
Office Hours: Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. FRIDAY: Join us in welcoming Shabbat with prayer and song at Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning Services start at 9:30 a.m. Amy Durmaskin, daughter of Julie and Jay Durmaskin, will become a Bat Mitzvah. Gloria and Norman Durmaskin will host the Kiddush in Amy’s honor. Evening Services at 8:15 p.m. SUNDAY: Services at 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Sunday Morning Adult Learners, 11 a.m., in the Library. WEEKDAYS: Services at 6:55 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN SOUTH STREET TEMPLE
Member of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations
2061 S. 20th St., Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 435-8004 jewishnebraska.org Rabbi Debbie Stiel will be in the office Tuesdays and Thursdays, all day. You may reach her 9 a.m.5 p.m., weekdays at 416-2321 (local for Lincoln), or at rabstiel@aol.com. FRIDAY: Shabbat Services, 7:45 p.m., Lay led with an oneg following. SATURDAY: Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. Game Night, 6 p.m. TUESDAY: Board Meeting, 7 p.m. WEDNESDAY: AA Meeting, 7 p.m. in the Library or Social Hall. THURSDAY: Choir Practice, 7:30 p.m.
B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE 618 Mynster St., Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 Phone: 322-4705 E-mail: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com FRIDAY: Evening Service, 7:30 p.m. Oneg will follow.
BEYT SHALOM
An Affiliate of the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation
3012 S. 119th St., Omaha, NE 68139
P.O. Box 390352 402-660-2395
FRIDAY and SATURDAY: Shabbat in the Home.
Clones, Cures and Cancer: the Last Chapter by KATHY HIRSHMAN Assistant Executive Director, JELS Even if you missed the first two parts of the lecture series, don’t miss the final lecture, “Judaism and End-of-Life Decision Making.” This series is presented by Toby L. Schonfeld, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Section on Humanities and Law, Department of Preventative & Societal Medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and is sponsored by Jewish Educational & Library Services. The audience was enthusiastic in its response to Dr. Schonfeld presentation of Jewish views on stem cells and cloning in the first lecture of the series. The second session focused on Jewish Genetic Disease (presented after this article was written). The third and concluding lecture in the series will be on Monday, Aug. 18, 7:30, in the theater of the Jewish Community Center and is free and open to the public. Dr. Schonfeld is in the process of completing a book on Jewish medical ethics entitled, Technology and Tradition: Jewish Bioethics in the Age of Genetics. For more information about the “Clones, Cures and Cancer” series, please contact me at 3346445, or khirshman@jewishomaha.org.
TIFERETH ISRAEL Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE SAC Memorial Chapel 301 Lincoln Highway, Offutt AFB, NE 68113 294-6244 FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m.
New Programs at RBJH by Lois Wine, RBJH Volunteer Coordinator The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home has initiated two new religious programs. Residents’ birthdays are special events at the Blumkin Home. On the Shabbat prior to each resident’s birthday, family members will be notified, and asked to attend our Shabbat Services along with the resident. The celebrant’s name will be read and a special prayer will be recited. Our Family Shabbat is the other new program recently begun. On the Shabbat before Rosh Hodesh, residents and family members will join together in prayer for Shabbat Services in the Chapel to welcome the new month.
B’NAI MITZVAH Samantha Kourtney Payne, daugther of Jodie Stein and Jeffery Payne will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, Aug. 16, at Tifereth Israel Synagogue. Samanatha, an honors student, will be an eighth grader at Pound Middle School this fall. She has been selected to be a participant in the Duke University Talent Identification Program. Samantha enjoys tap dancing, playing flute and piano, participating in golf and tennis, and reading and writing. Samantha has two younger brothers, Jeremy and Jonah. Grandparents are Miriam and the late Herbert Stein of Rochester, NY, and Adele and the late Sidney Payne of Merrick, NY. Nikolai Maxim Salkin, son of Trudy and Mike Salkin will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, August 23, at Beth El Synagogue. Nikolai is an eighth grade student at Peter Kiewit Middle School. His interests include computers,cars, music, and spending time with friends. For his mitzvah project, Nikolai has made a donation the Nebraska Humane Society. Nikolai has an older brother, Aleksander. Grandparents are Janette Salkin of Omaha and the late Arthur Salkin, and the late George and Lois Tobias. A kiddush luncheon is sponsored by Mike and Trudy Salkin in honor of their son’s Bar Mitzvah.
3219 Sheridan Blvd., Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 423-8569 tiferethisraellincoln.org Services conducted by Rabbi Stanley M. Rosenbaum. Minyan, Monday & Thursday, 7:15 a.m. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 7 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9:30 a.m.
CHABAD HOUSE An Affiliate of the Worldwide Chabad-Lubavitch Movement
1866 So. 120th St., Omaha, NE 68144-1646 Phone: 330-1800 E-MAIL--chabad@aol.com WEBSITE: www.nebraskajudaism.com Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Monday-Friday: Services at 7 a.m. SATURDAY: Services at 9:30 a.m. SUNDAY: Services at 8:30 a.m.
ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m. All services are held in the Herbert Goldsten Chapel and are open to the community.
Beth El’s Picnic to Offer Fun for All Age Groups by DIANE AXLER BAUM Summer will close with outdoor fun and food at Beth El Synagogue’s annual congregational picnic, Sunday, Aug. 24, 12:30-3:30, p.m., in shelters 3 and 4 of the Ed Zorinsky Lake and Recreation Area. Men’s Club chefs will fire up grilles in advance, so that kosher hot dogs and burgers will be ready by 12:30 p.m. Activities ranging from soccer, to pinata swatting, to a sing-along led by Cantor Gaston Bogomolni, promise enjoyment for members of all age groups. Also on the agenda are relay races and other lighthearted competitions. Those members who prefer physical pursuits are invited to bring sports equipment, such as badminton sets. Others may choose quieter time with their own board games. In addition, playground equipment on site will be available for Beth El’s youngest members, under parental supervision. The annual picnic, a popular tradition at Beth El, takes place on the first day of school to kick off the year and provide an opportunity for the entire Beth El family to come back together after summer break. This year’s event represents joint effort on the part of Hazak, Sisterhood, USY, Men’s Club and the new Early Childhood and Family Programming Advisory Councils. Cost is $6 per person (free for children three and under). To make a reservation, or to offer your help as a game leader, please call Kathy Schmitt, at 4928550. Please note: This year Beth El will not provide transportation from Sunday School, as in the past, to the Zorinsky Recreation Area, which is located just off 156th and ‘F’. Also note, in the case of inclement weather the picnic will take place in the Beth El social hall.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
August 15, 2003
Are Our Rabbis Superhuman?
EDITORIAL Jews expect their rabbis to be perfect. Since we’re not going to follow all the commandments, we want our rabbis to do it for us. They’re our “professional Jews.” Rabbis are not allowed to make mistakes; they’re supposed to remember the names of every congregant (and the names of their children and grandchildren--plus the cities in which they reside and what honors they recently received!). In the opinion of their congregants, rabbis are supposed to show up for every service, every minyan (even when they’re sick), perform every funeral, B’nai Mitzvah, wedding, baby naming or bris. They should be writing articles for their monthly bulletins (and for the Press), giving sermons every week and lecturing on a multitude of topics from the Jewish view of stem cell research to the Jewish view on the latest political campaign. Whew! Is it any wonder the old joke goes, “You’re going to be a rabbi? What kind of job is that for a nice Jewish boy (or girl)?” Since when did a rabbi’s job include: psychologist, professional fundraiser, expert administrator, building manager, publicist, contract negotiator, webmaster, and event organizer? Do we really want the years spent in rabbinical school or yeshiva to be spent now trying to accomplish tasks for which our rabbis were not trained and have no expertise? And who says that the rabbi is the sole person responsible to visit the ill, the infirm or the lonely. Aren’t we supposed to perform the mitzvah of bikor cholim, too? Isn’t that a commandment for all of us? The word “rabbi” means “teacher.” That’s the major component of any rabbi’s job description.
Some, but not all, of their teaching should be formal: sermons, lectures, classes. The rest of a rabbi’s teaching is by example: they are our leaders and they should lead us to better behavior, more knowledge of Jewish texts and teachings, and an understanding of how we’re supposed to treat out fellow men. But they’re not superhuman, and they--like us--make mistakes. We forget that sometimes. We expect rabbis to “be there” for us but how often are we “there” for them? So, here are a few suggestions of how we--congregants and just members of the Jewish community-can support our rabbis so they can, in turn, support us: • Call the rabbi and ask, “What can I do for you today? I know you’re busy. Is there anything I can help you with?” • When someone complains about your rabbi (or another), respond by asking, “Have you discussed this with Rabbi So-and-So? Maybe he (or she) isn’t aware of this problem?” • When you hear something nice about a rabbi, drop that rabbi a note and pass along the compliment. Everyone loves to hear nice things about themselves--even rabbis! • Call the rabbi’s spouse and offer to surprise the rabbi with something he or she has wanted, but hasn’t had the funds or the time to buy. • And finally, just say “thank you” the next time you see a rabbi--any rabbi! Those two little words go a long way in making someone feel good. Your expression of gratitude doesn’t have to be for anything in particular, but don’t you think, after all this time, that our rabbis deserve it?
JOURNAL ENTRY FROM ISRAEL
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
The Art of Downplaying; or: You Can Be Too Careful by TEDDY WEINBERGER We all grow up with certain sayings inculcated into us by our parents. For many, a popular saying is “you can never be too careful.” Since I, however, grew up with a person who happens to be the King of Downplayers, namely, my father, I was taught the opposite rule. Luckily for me, I was a good student. Every day this past school year, Nathan, Rebecca, and Ruthie (grades 9, 8, and 7, respectively--yes, the whole Junior High) rode on at least four busses: two busses each way to school, plus an additional bus if they had an after-school activity. Thanks to my father, there was never a day when I was very worried about them. My father’s immediate reaction to danger is to downplay it. Nothing is as serious as “they” make it out to be (“they” being the people in charge of your well-being). This approach serves as a healthy antidote to the anxieties of everyday Israeli life. Because the fact is that there are many tempting ways to be overly careful in Israel. One can decide never to ride a bus; one can decide never to pull up behind or alongside a bus; one can avoid malls, movie theaters, open-air markets and restaurants; one can avoid traveling upon certain roads in the territories, and one can avoid traveling to the territories at all (although this is a bit problematic if one finds oneself living inside said territories). Clearly, life in Israel challenges the position that “one can never be too careful.” If one tries to live by this motto, one may very rapidly discover that one has ceased to function normally in Israeli society. It’s all about risk assessment, and about giving up on the hope that one can do things to be 100% certain that nothing bad will happen to you. In America, my father saw that the authorities in
charge of one’s security and health were so clearly aiming for this mythical 100% security that they had to be counteracted with an “it’s not so serious.” Israel, on the other hand, seems to do a good job in weighing the risks and avoiding unnecessarily inconveniencing the civilian population. To be sure, America does seek help in this area of risk assessment from Israelis, and if the recommendations of the recently released Congressional Report on Sept. 11 are put into practice, this cooperation will only increase in the future. But America is neglecting a true national resource right in its own back yard. This is why I urge you, President Bush, to nominate Lenny Weinberger to be head of U.S. National Security. I can assure you that were my father to issue a Code-Orange alert it would really mean something. Under my father’s leadership, the U.S. will be able to stay more focused on business productivity and on solving social problems that face America today. The key would be for every American to exercise their democratic right to assess security and medical alerts, and then to balance them with the Weinberger National Security Administration’s motto: “It’s nothing.” Weinberger made aliyah five years ago with his wife, former Omahan Sarah Ross, and their five children. He can be reached at: weinross@netvision.net.il. (Founded in 1920)
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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, Jewish Senior Services. 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.
Joanie Jacobson Chairman Carol Katzman Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Allan Handleman Advertising Manager
Ray Pred The Jewish Press (USPS 275620) is published weekly on Friday for $28 per calendar Account Executive year U.S.; $32 foreign, by the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Phone: 402-334-6448; FAX: 402- Timothy J. Ketelsen 334-5422; e-mail editorial material, photos and address changes to: ckatzman@jew- Bookkeeper ishomaha.org; send ads (in .TIF or .PDF format) to: rbusse@jewishomaha.org. Periodical postage paid at Omaha, NE. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Jon Gates Production Assistant Jewish Press, 333 So. 132nd St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198.
To the Editor: As members of the Cemetery Committee of Beth Israel Synagogue, we oversee the maintenance of the three cemeteries under our jurisdiction, Golden Hill, Beth Israel, and Beth Hamedrosh Hagadol/Fisher Farms/B’nai Abraham. We have struggled over the past number of years in having our vision of proper maintenance become a reality. Two years ago, the Cemetery Committee approved a $60,000 expenditure to plant sedum as needed on graves at Golden Hill and BHH/Fisher Farms/B’nai Abraham. Last May, we hired a new caretaker who has a team of five people working for him. We recognize there are issues remaining that need to be dealt with. We have made a commitment to the synagogue and to the community to address these issues. We have laid out a maintenance plan for our caretaker, and our synagogue executive director visits each of the cemeteries on a weekly basis. Our long term goal is that our caretaker will be in a position to be proactive, addressing issues at individual grave sites before they even come to our attention through our executive director’s weekly visits or conversations with community members. It will take time and much effort to reach this point at our cemeteries. We are committed to reaching that point. “Chesed Shel Emeth--Acts of True Kindness” are the acts of kindness we do for the deceased without expectation of reciprocity. We take the obligation of performing these acts of kindness very seriously. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we hope you appreciate our commitment. The Cemetery Committee Beth Israel Synagogue
JEWISH PRESS COMMITTEE Howard K. Marcus, Vice-Chairman; Bobbi Leibowitz, Secretary; Scott Meyerson, Finance Chairman; Steve Simon, Treasurer; Fred Tichauer, Immediate Past-chairman; Jean Duitch; Penny Endelman; Kip Gordman; Stanley Mitchell; George Quittner; Linda Saltzman; Joey Shyken; Nancy Skid; and Melanie Weinstein. Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Committee, the Jewish Federation of Omaha or the Omaha Jewish Community as a whole. The Jewish Press reserves the right to edit signed letters and articles for space and content. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment.
August 15, 2003
Page 5
Israel’s Black Hebrews Gain Permanent Resident Status
BEHIND THE HEADLINES by LOOLWA KHAZZOOM TEL AVIV (JTA)--There are 2,500 new permanent residents of the State of Israel, but not one of them is new to the Jewish state. Israel’s Black Hebrews, a group that traces its origins through Chicago and, they claim, all the way back to the biblical Jewish kingdoms, have been given a home in the Jewish state. Though the Black Hebrews began immigrating to Israel from the United States in 1969, it was only last week that the community in southern Israel was granted permanent residency status. It has been 34 years of bitter struggle, community members say. “It seems that we are now at the doorstep of citizenship,” says Atarah Yafah Kitanah, spokeswoman for the Black Hebrew community of Dimona. “We are happy,” she says of the development. “We now move forward.” As permanent residents, Black Hebrews can serve in the Israeli army and establish government-recognized villages, the Interior Ministry says. Permanent resident status generally leads to full citizenship after an unspecified period of time, Interior Ministry spokeswoman Tova Ellinson said. Many Black Hebrews say a Jewish past would help explain otherwise inscrutable aspects of their identity. “My great-great-grandmother had a Hebrew name, and there were certain practices that were passed down from generation to generation that nobody understood,” Kitanah recalls. “There were a lot of different things passed on, like my grandmother telling me our people--our ancestors--came from the Holy Land, and we have a history there, and one day we will return,” she said. Black Hebrews say they are descendants of the Jews expelled by the Romans in 70 C.E. According to Black Hebrew legend, some of those Jews reached West Africa, and many generations later their descendants were among the slaves brought to the United States. Few in the Jewish establishment accept the Black Hebrews’ claims, however, and Israel's Rabbinate ruled that they are not halachically Jewish. In 1966, the community’s spiritual leader, BenAmmi Ben-Israel, said he had a vision that it was time for the Black Hebrews to return to their “homeland” of Israel. In 1967, he left Chicago along with 430 followers and led them deep into the Liberian bush to reenact the Jewish exodus from Egypt. “As our fathers needed to sojourn before passing into the Promised Land, to shed their slave mental-
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
ity, so we had to sojourn in Liberia,” Ben-Israel once explained to the Jerusalem Post. Community members stayed in the African bush for the next two years, braving heavy rains in leaky tents. Ravaged by poverty, hunger and illness, they tried to learn to live off the land. Two years later-after nearly three-fourths of the group had returned to the United States--120 of the Black Hebrews moved to Israel. They were joined over the years by others who entered Israel as tourists and stayed on after their visas expired. The Black Hebrews’ path toward Israeli citizenship has been long and arduous. Originally offered citizenship under the Law of Return in 1969, the community’s status later was challenged and revoked. From 1973 through the early 1990s, the community had no legal status, and many members of the group--who had renounced their U.S. citizenship -were left stateless. As a result, Black Hebrews could not hold legal jobs, send their children to Israeli schools or utilize national health care services.
Few in the Jewish establishment accept the Black Hebrews’ claims, however, and Israel's Rabbinate ruled that they are not halachically Jewish. The Black Hebrews’ cause was not helped by their insistence that they were the true Jews and that the Israelis were usurpers. As their case made its way through Israeli courts, they mounted a campaign against the state that many saw as vitriolic and anti-Semitic. The community’s newspapers compared Israelis to Nazis and included images of money-grubbing Jews. An Israeli government report issued in 1980 recommended that the Black Hebrews be taken through a gradual process of naturalization that would lead to citizenship. The government worried that deportation back to the United States might raise charges of racism. The report’s recommendations were never implemented, however. In 1989, then-Interior Minister Aryeh Deri visited Ben-Israel. “There was an understanding, principles of agreement, between the community and the Ministry of the Interior,” Kitanah says. “The Ministry of the Interior was to grant us legal status.” A year later, the ministry offered community members work permits, and in 1993 it granted them
three-year temporary resident status. “After temporary residency, we were to receive permanent residency and receive citizenship, but it didn’t go as planned,” Kitanah says. Interior Ministry officials deny any such commitment. They periodically extended the community’s temporary resident status, and in 1999 they offered community members Israeli identity cards. However, many Black Hebrews said they weren’t able to get the cards. The struggle for citizenship has been mired in controversy focused around the Black Hebrews’ purported lineage. Early on, the Israeli Rabbinate determined that the Black Hebrews are not halachic Jews. Israel’s Supreme Court offered the community citizenship on the condition that they undergo formal Orthodox conversion. But BenIsrael refused, explaining that conversion would imply a rejection of the Black Hebrews’ lineage. The Black Hebrews also resented being treated differently from the non-Jews among the more than one million immigrants who arrived in Israel from the former Soviet Union during the 1990s. Though up to a quarter of the immigrants were not halachically Jewish, they were granted Israeli citizenship because of their family ties to Jews. “Russian and other immigrants come in and introduce prostitution and other vices,” says Andrew Butler, a Black Hebrew performance artist living in Tel Aviv. “They don’t even want to abide by Jewish laws, and still Israel gives citizenship to them.” Despite their struggles for acceptance, the Black Hebrews established a fast growing community. Members say it is deeply rooted in Biblical teachings, though they reject latter-day interpretations of the Bible, including such injunctions as the rabbinic prohibition against polygamy. Adherents follow a strictly vegan diet; eschew caffeine, alcohol, drugs and cigarettes; and experiment with no-salt days, sugar-free weeks and raw-food weeks. According to a study by researchers from Vanderbilt University and Meharry Medical College, the Black Hebrews have an extremely low level of cardiovascular disease, cancer and obesity. In 1980, the community moved from overcrowded housing in Dimona to an abandoned absorption center nearby, which they cleaned and beautified. The call their current environs the Village of Peace or the Island of Sanity, and it includes a vegan restaurant that is open to the public. Community members say they welcome Israeli visitors and are involved in Dimona civic life.
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Would you like to brush up on your Hebrew reading for the holidays? Then join us for the Hebrew Reading Crash Course ONE DAY REVIEW. In a few hours you’ll learn to read Hebrew like you never thought possible. You’ll receive prayer review sheets and an Aleph-Bet chart designed by the National Jewish Outreach Program to enhance your reading skills right when you feel you need them most. We are very fortunate to have Elinor Matalon as the course instructor. Elinor has taught Hebrew to children and adults in Omaha for the past four years. (Please note knowledge of the aleph bet is recommended). The class is being offered only once and will be on Sunday, September 21 from 10 AM to 4 PM at the JCC. The cost of the one day course is $30 which includes a kosher sack lunch (or $25 if you don’t want lunch.) The number of participants is limited to 20. To register fill out the section below and mail with your check payable to JELS to Kathy Hirshman, Assistant Executive Director, Jewish Educational & Library Services, 333 South 132 St, Omaha, NE 68154. If you have any questions call Kathy at 334-6445.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
August 15, 2003
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JELS Announces 2003-04 College Scholarship Awards by KATHY HIRSHMAN, Assistant Executive Director Jewish Educational & Library Services Winners of the scholarships awarded for undergraduate and graduate studies for the 2003-2004 academic year was announced by JELS. This year the committee received a greater number of applications than ever before. All of the scholarship funds are managed by the Foundation of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. In addition to college scholarships, assistance is also available for Jewish summer camp, CDC preschool, Friedel Jewish Academy and Israel trips. For information about these scholarships, call me at: 334-6445.
Those interested in contributing to existing scholarship and loan funds or endowing new funds should contact Marty Ricks, Endowment Director, Foundation of the Jewish Federation of Omaha, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154, or call 334-6440. After considering many factors including academic achievement, financial need and committed participation in Jewish activities while in high school and college, awards were made this year from 35 funds to 45 undergraduate students and eight graduate students, as follows.
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The Jewish Press 333 South 132nd Street Omaha, NE 68154 or see bottom of page 4 for email address and Fax number
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NOT PICTURED: Aleksandr Batalkin, University of Nebraska-Omaha, Livingston; Jennifer Friedman, Bradley University, Livingston; Claire Fredricks, Creighton University, Phillip & Terri Schrager Supporting Foundation, Albert M. & Jeanette T. Nepomnick Education Fund; Jeff Fredricks, University of Nebraska-Omaha, Alan & Annie Fleishman Scholarship Fund; Melanie Hellwig, University of Nebraska -Lincoln, Phillip & Terri Schrager
Sarah Linn University of Nebraska -Lincoln Nate H. & Beatrice Sherman Scholarship Fund Harris Family Scholarship Supporting Foundation, David W. & Minnie Frank Memorial Fund; Justin Lerner, Washington University, Lois Jeanne Schrager Memorial Fund; Jonathan Linn, Ohio State, Nate H. & Beatrice Sherman Scholarship Fund; Adam Nichols, George Washington University, Livingston; Jacob Pilley, University of Nebraska-Omaha, Jerold I. & Sheila E. Rosen Endowment Fund. (Continued on next page)
August 15, 2003
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 7
JELS Scholarships (Continued from page 6)
Lydia Novikov University of Nebraska-Lincoln Joe & Ruth Rice Scholarship Fund
Rebekah Phillips Kansas State University Livingston
Michelle Simon Dana College Lois Jeanne Schrager Memorial Fund Livingston
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Klutznick-Harris Symposium (Continued from page 1) added. “There is a wide variety of scholarly and popular interest in this subject. When I thought about it further, it seemed adding our presentations to those of MJSA would provide a virtual gold mine of topics for our audience this year.” Bell concurred. “We normally select papers from diverse topics about Judaism,” he said. “Having the additional emphasis on Eastern Europe adds to our base of interest, and has even provided more submissions for papers than in the past. “We feel we have an outstanding slate of topics and experts this year, from questions of modern Jewish identity, to music in Judaism, to faith and politics,” Bell added. “We are also excited to be holding our annual meeting in Omaha for the first time. The reputation of the Klutznick-Harris symposium is growing nationally. We are very happy to be part of that.” Greenspoon was also pleased to note that there is another link between MJSA and Omaha-Lincoln endeavors. “Shofar, the scholarly journal of MJSA, is a journal of international repute,” he said. “It is now published
and produced by the University of Nebraska Press, which also produces and distributes the Creighton University Press volumes of our symposium proceedings.” Sunday morning sessions will be held at the Omaha Sheraton Hotel, 16th and Howard. Sessions begin at 9: a.m. and end at noon. They resume at the Jewish Community Center at 1:30 p.m., concluding at 5 p.m. The Sunday keynote address will be given at 7:30 p.m. at the JCC by Professor Seth Wolitz of the University of Texas-Austin. His topic will be, “Moving to the Center of the Canvas: The Creation of Modern Jewish Art”. Monday events will be held at the Creighton Skutt Student Center. Sessions start at 8:30 a.m., concluding with a luncheon address at noon by Professor Steven Weiland of Michigan State University. His address is, “Jewish-American Autobiographers Encounter Eastern Europe.” All events, including MJSA sessions, are free and open to the public. For more information, call the Klutznick office at 280-2303, or visit online at: http://puffin.creighton.edu/klutz nick/kh%2016%20program.htm.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
August 15, 2003
Legal Notices WRITTEN NOTICE OF MEETING OF MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY OF THE BIKHOR CHOLIM OF COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA TO:
THE MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY OF THE BIKHOR CHOLIM OF COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA: Notice is given that at a meeting of Board of Trustees of the Society of the Bikhor Cholim of Council Bluffs, Iowa held on the 28th day of July, 2003, it was determined by the Board or Trustees that a merger of this Corporation with Council Bluffs Hebrew Cemetery Association, a Corporation organized under the law of the State of Iowa, is desirable, and the Board of Trustees determined to submit to a vote of the Members of the corporation the question of such merger, in accordance with the terms approved and recommended by the Board of Trustees, and by resolution ordered and directed that a special meeting of Members of this Corporation be called to be held on the 3rd day of September, 2003, at 6:00 p.m. at the Law Offices of Reilly, Petersen, Hannan & Dreismeier, P.L.C., 215 South Main Street, Council Bluffs, Iowa, for the purpose of considering and voting on the question as to whether Council Bluffs Hebrew Cemetery Association shall merge with The Society of the Bikhor Cholim of Council Bluffs, Iowa, in accordance with the terms of such merger, approved and recommended by the Board, and further to consider and act on any and all matters that may properly be brought before the meeting. Pursuant to such action and order, notice is hereby given that a special meeting of the Members of The Society of the Bikhor Cholim of Council Bluffs, Iowa will be held at the time and place aforesaid to consider and vote on the questions of merger of corporations and terms thereof, and for the purpose of considering and acting on any and all matters which may properly be brought before the meeting. Further pursuant to such action and order, notice is hereby given that if the Members of the Society of the Bikhor Cholim of Council Bluffs, Iowa adopt the proposed Agreement and Plan of Merger, then at said special meeting the Members of the Society of the Bikhor Cholim of Council Bluffs, Iowa shall consider and vote on the Restated Articles of Incorporation as proposed by the Board of Trustees. A copy of the Agreement and Plan of Merger and a copy of the Restated Articles of Incorporation are available for inspection at the law offices of Reilly, Petersen, Hannan & Dreismeier, P.L.C. located at 215 South Main Street, Council Bluffs, Iowa. Dated: July 28, 2003. THE SOCIETY OF THE BIKHOR CHOLIM OF COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA By SISSY SILBER, its Secretary
WRITTEN NOTICE OF MEETING OF MEMBERS OF COUNCIL BLUFFS HEBREW CEMETERY ASSOCIATION COUNCIL BLUFFS HEBREW CEMETERY ASSOCIATION:
TO:
Notice is given that at a meeting of Board of Trustees of the Council Bluffs Hebrew Cemetery Association held on the 28th day of July, 2003, it was determined by the Board or Trustees that a merger of this Corporation with The Society of the Bikhor Cholim of Council Bluffs, Iowa, a Corporation organized under the law of the State of Iowa, is desirable, and the Board of Trustees determined to submit to a vote of the Members of the corporation the question of such merger, in accordance with the terms approved and recommended by the Board of Trustees, and by resolution ordered and directed that a special meeting of Members of this Corporation be called to be held on the 3rd day of September, 2003, at 6:00 p.m. at the Law Offices of Reilly, Petersen, Hannan & Dreismeier, P.L.C., 215 South Main Street, Council Bluffs, Iowa, for the purpose of considering and voting on the question as to whether Council Bluffs Hebrew Cemetery Association shall merge with The Society of the Bikhor Cholim of Council Bluffs, Iowa, in accordance with the terms of such merger, approved and recommended by the Board, and further to consider and act on any and all matters that may properly be brought before the meeting. Pursuant to such action and order, notice is hereby given that a special meeting of the Members of Council Bluffs Hebrew Cemetery will be held at the time and place aforesaid to consider and vote on the questions of merger of corporations and terms thereof, and for the purpose of considering and acting on any and all matters which may properly be brought before the meeting. Further pursuant to such action and order, notice is hereby given that if the Members of the Council Bluffs Hebrew Cemetery Association adopt the proposed Agreement and Plan of Merger, then at said special meeting the Members of the Council Bluffs Hebrew Cemetery Association shall consider and vote on the Restated Articles of Incorporation as proposed by the Board of Trustees. A copy of the Agreement and Plan of Merger and a copy of the Restated Articles of Incorporation are available for inspection at the law offices of Reilly, Petersen, Hannan & Dreismeier, P.L.C. located at 215 South Main Street, Council Bluffs, Iowa. Dated: July 28, 2003. COUNCIL BLUFFS HEBREW CEMETERY ASSOCIATION By ROBERT I. KULLY, Its Secretary
NFM Opens in KC (Continued from page 1) In the letter, Buffett said: “With 450,000 square feet of retail space, it could well produce the second largest volume of any furniture store in the country --the Omaha operation being the national champion.” Even though Berkshire Hathaway owns a majority interest in the Nebraska Furniture Mart, the business is still run by the family. More importantly, said Batt, it still bears the mark of his grandmother, who he lovingly refers to as ‘Mrs. B’. Mrs. B, whose maiden name was Rose Gorelick, was born in 1893 in a shtetl outside of Minsk, Russia. In 1917, she followed her husband, Isadore Blumkin, to the United States. The couple first settled in Fort Dodge, Iowa. But they soon moved to Omaha, NE, where there was a larger Jewish community. Initially, Mrs. B focused on raising the couple's four children and helping with her husband's business ventures, which included a second-hand clothing store and a jewelry and pawnshop. “Pawn shops are an old family tradition,” Batt said. In fact, Mrs. B’s brother, Sam Gorelick, started a jewelry and loan in Kansas City, KS, called Sam’s Loan Office, which is still in operation today. “The 1920s weren’t too bad for my grandparents. But then the Depression came, and it got real bad for everybody,” Batt said. To help support the family, Mrs. B opened a small furniture store in the basement of her husband’s business. “My grandfather liked his jewelry and pawn
partner. He’s a very smart guy. He knows that the expertise in running a furniture store lies with those who have always done it.” Thus the Nebraska Furniture Mart has truly stayed in the hands of the Blumkin family. Batt’s father and uncles joined Mrs. B early on. Batt and two of his cousins are part of the third generation to be involved in the business. And now a fourth generation is coming of age. Mrs. B continued to work at the Nebraska Furniture Mart until she was 103. She passed away in 1998 at the age of 104. Until she was too feeble, she would drive around the mammoth Omaha store in a motorized cart, overseeing the business. “Until the day my grandmother died, she was the boss, and the family respected her,” Batt said. These days, Mrs. B’s presence can still be seen and felt--from the pictures of her that hang on the walls of the Nebraska Furniture Mart locations to the way the company does business. “We never, ever forget our roots. If you do that, then you’ve lost your soul,” Batt said. “That’s not the way our family operates.” Giving back to the community is part of Mrs. B’s legacy. “She always had a lot of empathy for those who were less fortunate because she came to America with nothing,” Batt said. When Mrs. B became a success, she immediately began to use her wealth to help others. “We learned charity from her,” Batt said. “Every time there was a flood or a tornado or somebody had
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Photo of the new Nebraska Furniture Mart in Kansas City, courtesy of NFM. shop,” Batt said. “They never mixed the business. He did his thing and she did her thing. And they provided for their children.” Naysayers said Mrs. B’s furniture store would never make it. But she proved them wrong. “The business just got bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger,” Batt said. “Over the years, she got rid of all of her competitors.” Mrs. B’s motto was sell cheap and tell the truth. “She believed that if you treat your customers fairly, they’ll come back year after year after year,” Batt said. Mrs. B was a pint-sized powerhouse with a thick Yiddish accent who shaped every aspect of the business. “She was not only the chairman of the board, she figured out a lot of ways to sell that had never been done before,” Batt said. “People had always sold for list price on furniture. She cut the prices. Suppliers sued her, and she won. She fought them. She said: ‘We’re going to be a lowcost operator. We're not going to borrow money. We’re going to be a solvent company all of our life. That way--good times or bad times--we’ll do OK,’” Batt recalled. “So the reputation spread because people love deals.” The Nebraska Furniture Mart did so well that it attracted the attention of billionaire investor Warren Buffett. In October 1983, Buffett bought a $60 million stake in the company, but allowed the Blumkin family to continue handling its day-to-day operations. “When Warren Buffet buys a company, he does not want to run it,” Batt said. “He wants the management that was there to run the company as his
a fire, she would be there giving donations, whether it be to the Salvation Army or the Red Cross. When the Jews would come from Russia, she would donate things to them.” When the Omaha Jewish community needed a new nursing home, she helped pay for it. It’s now called the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. She helped pay for the renovation of Omaha's Astro theater. It’s now known as ‘The Rose’--short for the Rose Blumkin Performing Arts Center--and is home to the Performing Arts Company for Young People. Mrs. B’s descendents are now carrying on her tradition of giving back to the community. “When we come into a new city or celebrate a new opening, one of the things we like to do is give to charity,” Batt said. “That’s the way we were raised by our grandmother, Mrs. B.” As part of the Nebraska Furniture Mart’s grand opening festivities, the company sponsored a “Best of Kansas City” charity gala to raise money for breast cancer services at the University of Kansas Medical Center. The event was expected to raise enough money to purchase a $200,000 digital mammography unit for KU Med’s breast center. Batt said the Mart wanted to support a cause with broad appeal throughout the community. It’s also a disease that took the life his cousin, Janis Friedman Yale in 1995. “The thing about cancer is that it hits the rich and the poor and the young and the old alike. So everybody has a vested interest in supporting and raising money to defeat this evil disease,” Batt said. “We’d like to raise a lot of money and try to make a charitable difference in our new city.”
August 15, 2003
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 9
Omahan Returns from Birthright Trip to Israel by SARAH SCHONDELMEYER I just experienced a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity: a free 10-day trip to Israel. I really wanted to go to Israel. So, when (JELS Assistant Director) Kathy Hirshman told me about Birthright Israel, I jumped at the chance. I can’t thank her enough and I am so grateful to the sponsors of Birthright, (who, along with the State of Israel and Jewish Federations around the country--like Omaha’s--funded this free trip to Israel for young Jewish adults, ages 18-26 who’ve never been on a peer trip to Israel before). I decided to use Oranim as my Birthright Israel trip. Oranim’s web page was informative, the staff was extremely helpful, and the application process was very easy. I had started my journey to the Promised Land. Safety was a number one priority. We didn’t go to the Gaza Strip and we stayed out of the West Bank. We traveled in a private bus and always stayed together as a group. Despite all I have seen and heard about the violence in Israel right now, I felt safe at all times. I researched Israel before going, so I figured I knew what to expect. Boy was I wrong! For one, I found no truth to the rumors that Israelis were rude. Young Israeli soldiers joined us for the whole trip. We got to know them; they got to know us and I made new friends. Everywhere we went people greeted
us warmly. As I walked around the beautiful grounds of the hotel one evening, I stopped to watch a wedding party on the courtyard below. A woman came up to me and said, “What? You’re not having fun?” I explained to her I did not know the people at the party; I was just watching. She asked if I was Jewish. When I said yes, she said, “I’m the mother of the bride. Welcome to the family!” I fell in love with Israel. I felt connected to Jews everywhere as I prayed at the Kotel (Western Wall). I stood on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea in Akko and Tel Aviv. I watched the
sun rise from the top of Masada. I helped out at an archeological dig one day, and floated in the Dead Sea.
My new friends and I experienced life on a kibbutz, in a Bedouin camp and at a Druze village. We didn’t just go from one tourist site to the next; we experienced Israel! I learned some Hebrew and, from the Bedouins and Druze, I learned that Arabs and Jews can live peacefully together. But most importantly, I watched the Torah come to life as we stepped in places I had only read about. As I walked in the Negev desert, I wondered if Sarah and Abraham felt the same way I did. I saw with my own eyes the definition of a land flowing with “milk and honey.” And I know the next time I say, “Next year in Jerusalem,” I will really mean it! For more information on Birthright Israel programs, call Rachel Blum, 334-6404, or Pam Monsky, 334-6451, or visit the organization’s website: www.birthrightisrael.com.
Above: Sarah Schondelmeyer rides a camel in the Negev with one of her new friends. Below: Charles Bronfman, one of the major funders of Birthright Israel, met with Sarah and the other participants.
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Page 10
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Dining
August 15, 2003
NJHS to Debut Oral History Documentary
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by RENEE RATNER CORCORAN, Executive Director Nebraska Jewish Historical Society
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The Nebraska Jewish Historical Society for the past five years, under the direction and devotion of Dr. Ben Nachman, has been dedicated to “Honoring Our Elders” by building an impressive collection of video oral histories of our community. The purpose of this outstanding program is to record and preserve the memories of our older and respected citizens from Nebraska and Council Bluffs. Our collection, numbering approximately 120 videos to-date, includes personal recollections of family histories, neighborhoods, businesses, youth groups, synagogues, and more. “My goal is for the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society to have the largest collection of video oral histories in the country,” said Nachman. A special documentary of the NJHS oral history program has been prepared for the NJHS by 30 year veteran audio video producer, Jean Carmichael. The NJHS plans to use this documentary as a tool to better educate our entire community about the importance of our heritage. Abbreviated interviews in the film include those of: Louise Abrahamson, Ann and Jack Belmont, Rose Blumkin, Wally Elkon, Mary Fellman, Irv
Forbes, Ike Friedman, Lois Friedman, Shirley Goldstein, Joe Guss, Yale Halperin, Ilse Kahn, Joe Kirshenbaum, Rabbi Meyer Kripke, Bert Lewis, Ed Malashock, Yale Richards, Ed Rosen, Stanley Silverman, Norman Smeerin, Sally Venger and Ernie Wintroub. The documentary will premier at the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society Dr. Ben Nachman annual meeting on Sunday, Aug. 24, 3 p.m., in the JCC theater. Events at the annual meeting will also include installation of officers and a very special tribute to outgoing Board President, Louise Abrahamson, who has been a volunteer with the NJHS for over 20 years. The entire community is invited to the event, followed by a dessert reception in the JCC gallery.
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Mordecai by Emily Bingham (Hill and Wang, $26) Reviewed by SETH STERN Lincoln, NE--Think American Jews’ struggle over what role their religion should play in their lives is anything new? Then read Emily Bingham’s new book, Mordecai, that traces three generations of a Jewish American family from the country’s birth through the Civil War. Bingham brings this family to life through the letters and diaries written by the offspring of Jacob Mordecai, the family patriarch who left the established Jewish community in Philadelphia for a new life in Virginia and North Carolina. Their responses to living in the antebellum South varied: Many Mordecais intermarried and some converted outright to Christianity. A handful drifted towards radical social movements of the day and a few moved closer to Judaism. Readers hoping for insights into how Jews celebrated holidays, worshipped or thought about their faith in early America will be disappointed. Bingham suggests their correspondence include only passing reference to “commemorative crackers” or matzoh in the spring and occasional mentions of other holidays. But this book does provide a unique peak at one family’s struggle to adapt to their unique role as Southern Jews--who Bingham suggests are marked as outsiders three ways: as newcomers to the South, as Jews, and as business failures in a family that expected success. Still, the Mordecais maintained an optimistic outlook on opportunity in America--a land where “character and talents are all sufficient to attain advancement,” Mordecai’s daughter, Rachel, wrote. Many of Mordecai’s offspring achieve remarkable fetes--the first Jewish lawyer in North Carolina and a Jewish West Point cadet who graduates first in his class before embarking on a distinguished military career. It is that soldier--Alfred Mordecai--who ultimately faces the most wrenching decision: what side to fight for during the Civil War. Most of the Mordecais side squarely with the Confederacy. More than one dies fighting for the South. One aspect of this book that may be troubling to modern readers is the ease with which family members own slaves. In fact, it is the Mordecais who convert to Christianity who were more likely to free their slaves than Jewish relatives. The family’s relationship with their faith is complex. Initially careful not to practice openly for fear of offending Christian neighbors, Jacob Mordecai becomes more religious--and public about his Judaism with time.
He responds to the Second Great Awakening that swept the South by studying Jewish defenses and Christian tracts. Unfortunately, Bingham doesn’t quote from the letters he wrote to ministers and relatives defending his faith. That increasing faith drove a wedge with some of his children. He helps build Richmond’s first synagogue where he exhorts congregants to turn away from sin in this “land of milk and honey” His daughter, Rachel, the second most prominent character in the book, undergoes the most radical religious transformation--from zealous defender of Judaism in letters to a famous British author to champion of reform Judaism to ardent convert. The deepest fissures are caused by Rachel’s efforts to convert family members. Rachel is just one of many strong women in the family. One of her children embraces early brand of feminism and alternative health when she moves North. It is almost impossible to imagine a woman raised in the early 19th century South writing that women should not be “made mere machines and automatons” and deserve “independent footing” with men. The language is at times inflated--particularly in each chapter’s concluding paragraphs when Bingham overreaches. She also overdoes the notion that the family’s actions were motivated by a covenant she revealed in a letter Jacob Mordecai wrote to his children after their mother died. It’s unclear whether that letter entered the consciousness of later generations. What’s often most striking is the similarities between the challenges the family faces and the concerns of American Jews today: 20-somethings wondering where they’ll find a Jewish mate, status conscious synagogues, and Jewish parents meddling in where their children live. Unfortunately, for those readers hoping to find how the story ends, this book ends with the family’s third generation--a close that feels somewhat incomplete. Where do descendents of these Mordecais stand today in relation to Judaism? Did 200 more years of assimilation further erode the bonds? That remains a mystery. (Mordecai is available at the Kripke Jewish Federation Library.) Seth Stern is a staff writer for the Christian Science Monitor and lives in Boston, MA. His recent story on state budget cuts and its impact on higher education in Nebraska can be read online at www.csm.com. Stern can be reached at: srs10@cornell.edu.
August 15, 2003
VISIONS A Magical Mystery Tour is Tuesday, Sept. 2. The price of $20 per person includes coach transportation, lunch and tour. Depart from the JCC at 9:30 a.m. to return approximately at 2:30 p. m. Send reservations to: Harry Alloy at 11317 Harney Pz. Cir., Omaha, NE 68154. For information call Betty Sanford at 399-2001. Deadline for reservations is Aug. 25. Make check payable to JSS. JEWISH SENIOR SERVICES Jewish Senior Services invites you to Vegas Night on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 7 p.m. in the JCC auditorium. The Bill Chrastil Show combines a variety of music from the fifties, sixties and classic rock. There is no admission fee, and seating is limited, so come early. Refreshments will be served. Sponsored by the David Krantz family as part of a series of events in his honor. Call Maggie Conti for reservations at 334-6521. WALK-IN, DROP-IN For those members going on the Mystery Trip on Thursday, please meet at the JCC at 8:45 a.m. Call Maggie Conti for transportation at 334-6521.
BIRTHS Cindy and Joshua Persky of New York City announce the June 30 birth of their daughter, Isabella Delrogh Persky. Grandparents are Gail and Jerry Kohll, Maram and Larry Schuster of Sarasota, FL, Lila and Bob Persky of Red Hook, NY, and New York City. Great-grandparents are Selma and Is Tretiak of Omaha and the Late Leona Kohll Cohn, Jerry Cohn and Louis Kohll. Marci Luefschuetz and David Maged of Rockville, MD, announce the June 20 birth of their twins, Jordan Marissa and Jacob Karl. Grandparents are Fritzi Luefschuetz of Omaha and the late Karl Luefschuetz and Karen Gouzoulis and Stephen Maged of Maryland.
LOMIR REDN YIDDISH Want a place to brush up on your Yiddish? Join us every Thursday, 1-3 p.m. at the JCC. Call Anne Skolkin for information at 343-1638. OMAHA CENTER FOR TORAH LEARNING SEED Shabbos is Friday, Aug. 15, 8:30 p.m., and Saturday, Aug. 16, 12:30 p.m. at the OCTL House. Cost is $15 for adults and $7 for children or $25 for adults for both dinner and lunch and $12 for children. On Shabbos afternoon, Chaya Sarah Volk will present a special Women’s Seudah Shlishit, Saturday, Aug. 16, 5:30 p.m. Time for Talmud is Monday, Aug. 18, 7:30 p.m. The Beit Midrash meets on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 7:30 p.m., all at the OCTL House, 1313 No. 58 St. Join OCTL for the weekly discussion of Torah Topics at Lunch ’n Learn, Wednesday, Aug. 20, noon, at the Kripke Library. For information about OCTL, call Rabbi Aryeh Blum at 320-8055. OMAHA CHAPTER OF HADASSAH The Omaha Chapter of Hadassah invites prospective members as well as anyone who became an annual member, transferred to the Omaha chapter or upgraded to life membership within the past two years to a mother-and-child style show on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 7 p.m. at the Sunset Valley Country Club, 9300 Arbor. The event is an informational and social evening for recent and potential new members. (Due to limited space, the general membership cannot be accommodated.) The latest in fall fashions will be modeled by Jean Paley, Marcee Rogers, Dora Goldstrom, Edie Wolf, Esther Wax, Maxine Noodell, Lesli Shrago, Ethan Shrago, Kylee Kirshenbaum, Molly Noodell, Rylee Perrin, Ariel Kohll and Sophie Kohll. The modeling will be narrated by Glynace Kloock, owner of Lil’ Prince and Princess in Countryside Village, and Debbie Remmereid, owner of Mainstream Fashions in the Bel Air Plaza, who are providing the clothing and accessories. Dessert and beverages will be served. To RSVP, please call Sandy Kohll, 391-5603 or Doris Shukert, 391-7530. Mark your calendars for the annual Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO) luncheon Wednesday, Oct.15. ADL Director Bob Wolfson and Kent Pavelka, of 1290 KKAR-radio, will speak about their recent trip to Israel, during which they toured Hadassah-Ein Kerem, Hadassah University Medical Center’s main hospital campus.
Tuesdays at noon at the Kripke Library
Volunteers are need to help plan the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) Pace Setter Walk on Sunday, Aug. 23 at Elmwood Park. CCFA’s mission is to cure and prevent Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis through research; both affect up to a million Americans and is very prevalent in the Jewish community. For information, call 1-866-RMT-CCFA (768-2232).
by KATHY HIRSHMAN JELS Assistant Director The ever popular Guy (Matalon) and Bob (Wolfson) show has returned after a summer hiatus. The weekly series is sponsored by the College of Jewish Learning Committee of Jewish Educational & Library Services and meets in the Kripke Federation Library on Tuesdays, at noon. The weekly discussions center on contemporary issues concerning Israel, the Middle East, and the Road Map to name a few. From time to time the duo invites special guests to lend their expertise to these discussions. Among a repeat favorite is Dr. Moshe Gershovich, Ph. D. in History and Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University, currently an Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of Nebraska, Omaha. This series is free and open to the public. Bring your lunch and join us on the following Tuesdays: Aug. 19 and 26; Sept. 2, 9, 16, 23; Dec. 2, 9, 16, 23; Jan. 6, 13, 20, 27 (2004); March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30; April 20, 27; May 4, and May 11 (the final Tuesday before the summer break). If you have any questions about the Guy and Bob Show or other adult learning opportunities offered through JELS, call me at 334-6445 or e-mail: khirshman@jewishomaha.org
Emily Muskin, a starter for Omaha Finesse Softball, returned from the ASA Softball Nationals in Dallas, TX, where the team placed 12th out of 146 qualifying teams. Emily is a three-sport athlete at Central High School, lettering in softball, basketball and tennis. She is the daughter of MaryBeth and Bruce Muskin. Heartland Philharmonic Orchestra is auditioning potential members Aug. 18-22 at the Strauss Performing Arts Center on the Campus of UNO. For information, call Dr. Christopher Stanchar, Director, 554-2251 or 554-2768.
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The Nebraska Medical Center is sponsoring a seminar on Parkinson’s Disease, Thursday, Aug. 28, 11:20 a.m. (lunch) with a speaker at noon in the Lower Storz Pavilion in Clarkson Tower. Call 1800-922-0000 to register.
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Dining
ORGANIZATIONS Y.E.S. Members will meet Monday at the JCC. Come play bingo at 10:00 a.m. with Eileen Remer or exercise with Stacey Paskert at 10:30 a.m. Bring articles to share for “YES Talk” at 11 a.m. Following lunch at noon, as Theresa and Rachael Cardiello will perform a Mother/Daughter Concert on the piano and viola. For transportation call Dee Dee at 330-4272. Call Maggie Conti for reservations at 334-6521. Deadline for Ballroom Dancing Party on Aug. 25 is Aug. 18; deadline for Bluffs Run on Aug. 28 is Aug. 21.
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Page 12
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
August 15, 2003
Women’s Campaign
JCC Maccabi Games Open in St. Louis by JEWISH PRESS News Service
(Continued from page 1)
Omaha lined up in the parking lot to prepare for the march of 40 delegations into the St. Charles Family Arena at the 2003 JCC Maccabi Games in St. Louis Sunday. The ceremony began with introductions of St. Louis and JCCA VIPs and singing of the national anthems for Canada, Israel, and the U.S. Representatives from 11 delegations, including Shiri Tene of Omaha, lit candles to commemorate the 11 athletes who perished at the 1972 Olympics in Munich.
Federation Campaign (Continued from page 1) Both events are free to all of our donors with an increased gift to the 2004 Federation Campaign. “Joe and I are thrilled about both of these exciting events!” said Maxine. “Mona Golabek is one of the most inspiring performers on the circuit. And if you liked the Thomas Friedman community event last year, you’ll love Dennis Ross!” she said. With the 2004 Campaign community leadership in place, Campaign kickoffs can’t be far behind. The Women’s Campaign will hold their kickoff for volunteer Division Leaders on Aug. 19. Men’s Campaign will kickoff in early September and the Pacesetter Division will launch their
fundraising in early October. The money raised through the Federation’s Annual Campaign funds Jewish causes locally and overseas. In Omaha, Campaign dollars support the Community Relations Council (CRC), the Jewish Community Center, Jewish Educational and Library Services, Jewish Family Service and Jewish Senior Services as well as Federation programs such as Jewish experience scholarships, missions to Israel, Birthright Israel, Children’s Needs Scholarships and Bar/Bat Mitzvah Camp Grants. For more information about the Jewish Federation Campaign, please contact me at the office at 334-6431.
2004 Women’s Campaign Co-Chairs Ruth Erman and Bobbi Leibowitz couldn’t be more excited about this exceptional event. “We’ve heard from several members of our community who have seen Mona’s performance and raved about it! After learning more about Mona Golabek, we jumped at the chance to bring her to Omaha,” said Leibowitz. Jill Erman is one of the community members who went to see Golabek perform in Los Angeles. “She was incredibly moving. She spoke about her family and her mother who was one of the children on the Kindertransport during the Holocaust, and she interspersed her music with her mother’s story. It was very dramatic,” said Jill Erman. “I would encourage everyone to come to this wonderful event. And once they come, they’ll leave wanting to know more about Mona and to read her book.” The book--The Children of Willesden Lane--is an 18-year project that Golabek began in her 20s. It tells the story of her mother Lisa, who as a 14year old boarded a London-bound train in December 1938 to become one of the 10,000 children to be saved by the Kindertransport. She ended up at a hostel at 243 Willesden Lane where her piano playing and her quest to win a scholarship to London’s prestigious Royal Academy of Music, even as the Blitz rained down, inspired her fellow
refugees. Lisa died in 1998 of ovarian cancer. Golabek began studying piano at age four, with her mother as her teacher. In 1984 she was awarded the prestigious Avery Fisher Prize. Golabek, who has been nominated for a Grammy, has played with numerous orchestras at such venues as the Hollywood Bowl, the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center and London’s Festival Hall, with conductors including Zubin Mehta, Andre Previn and Michael Tilson Thomas. In 1998, she debuted “The Romantic Hours,” a classical music radio program, syndicated on 110 stations nation-wide, on which she speaks frequently of her mother. The money raised through the Federation’s Annual Campaign funds Jewish causes locally and overseas. In Omaha, Campaign dollars support the Community Relations Council (CRC), the Jewish Community Center, Jewish Educational and Library Services, Jewish Family Service and Jewish Senior Services as well as Federation programs such as Jewish experience scholarships, missions to Israel, birthright Israel, Children’s Needs Scholarships and Bar/Bat Mitzvah Camp Grants. Invitations for the Mona Golabek Women’s event will be mailed next week. For more information, please contact Kathy McGauvran, Women’s Campaign Director at 334-6427 or kmcgauvran@jewishomaha.org.
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