Vol. LXXXVI No. 50 Omaha, NE
Celebrating 86 Years of Service to Nebraska and Western Iowa
Buddy ... can you spare a dime?
17 Elul, 5767 August 31, 2007
Beth El congregant’s Bar Mitzvah commemoration a real cause for celebration by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator Whether you’re 13 or 83, standing on the bimah and chanting Torah or Haftorah can be daunting. But Barton “Bucky” Greenberg proved he was up to the challenge, determined to celebrate the 70th anniversary of his Bar Mitzvah. And celebrate he did, earlier this month at Beth El, the same congregation where he became a Bar Mitzvah in June 1937.
The ‘United Buddy Bear’ exhibition featuring 133 identical fiber glass figures of bears, each decorated by a different artist in the style of their own country, is a big hit here in Jerusalem. The exhibit opened outside the Jerusalem Municipality at the beginning of the month, after being shown in Berlin, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney, Vienna and Cairo. To date, nearly $2 million have been raised through donation and auctions for local and international children’s relief organizations. The motto for the exhibition ‘The Art of Tolerance’ was penned by the exhibitions creators, Eva and Klaus Herlitz from Germany. At the end of the world tour, which still has to include Beijing and Buenos Aires, the bears will be sold by charitable auction for UNICEF and other organizations helping needy children throughout the world. Copyright: ISRANET
Bucky, at age 13, appeared in a photo published by LOOK Magazine in its July 6, 1937 issue. And some things never change no matter how old you are -- Greenberg admitted to pre-chanting jitters and chuckled that he was relieved after finishing his Haftorah. He also noted that this special anniversary was the third time he had the opportunity to recite his Haftorah; the second came on the Shabbat before his wedding to Caryl Bercovici in 1951. Continued on page 14
From recovery to renaissance, New Orleans Jews look ahead by GAIL NARON CHALEW NEW ORLEANS (JTA) -- The Jewish community of New Orleans has used the two years since Hurricane Katrina not only to recover from the devastation but also to plot the course for what it hopes will be a future renaissance. Key to this revitalization is a program of grants and incentives to lure 1,000 Jewish individuals and families to the area from around the country. This program is the first fruit of an intensive planning process that has involved several hundred members of the Jewish community. When Katrina struck in late August, 2005, the nearly 10,000 Jews in the community were hit hard, as was the rest of New Orleans. The massive hurricane damaged 80 percent of their homes, 70 percent of their businesses and several key community institutions. Since then, the Jewish communal infrastructure has largely been sustained by more than $20 million in donations from the United Jewish Communities, the umbrella of the North American federation system, and the national religious movements, along with donations from hundreds of individual synagogues, federations and donors. But as of December 2007, the New Orleans Jewish community, which has lost about 30 percent of its members, must stand on its own two feet. Michael Weil, a strategic planner drawn
Inside Opinion Page see page 16
from Israel to head the Jewish and knew that “here Federation of Greater New Orleans, says was a place where I the challenge is immense but the comcould take on a leadermunity is determined to look ahead. ship role and have an “There is no sense in going back to immediate impact.” where we were before the storm. We To guide the federahave the opportunity now to make past tion in its planning dreams and new dreams of a vibrant efforts, Louisiana State Jewish New Orleans come true.” University sociologist Early evidence suggests that the Jewish Rick Weil last fall surcommunity is rising to the challenge. veyed both current resiThe federation’s current annual camdents and those who paign, the first since Katrina, is on track had relocated elseto raise more than $2.6 million, comwhere. After the sumpared to the $2.8 million raised among mer, he will be consignificantly more members in the last ducting a full-scale pre-Katrina campaign. demographic study. Plans are under way to centralize servHis results of last fall’s ices, share space and eliminate overlaps survey were surprisingly among community institutions. favorable, indicating “Everyone is sitting around the table that those who are back now; there is wall-to-wall collaboration,” are likely to stay and Weil says. One example is that a discusthat only 15 percent of sion is under way to merge the commu- Jessie Garz, right, works with community members on developing a those who have left are Credit: Gail Naron Chalew very unlikely to return. nity day school and the Chabad- neighborhood improvement plan. or reduced membership at synagogues Lubavitch day school. “The Jewish community is showing a The federation has hired a grant writer and local Jewish organizations, and a job huge amount of toughness,” the professor and has engaged an Israeli public rela- searching network. Funded mostly by says. “According to every measure of tions firm to do marketing on a pro bono outside philanthropists, the incentive stress -- trouble sleeping or concentrating, basis, branding New Orleans as a “pio- program is headed by Nathan Rothstein, worrying and eating too much -- they are neering, exciting, and fun community,” himself a newcomer to the community. experiencing way more than under norin Weil’s words. The incentive package to During his senior year at the University of mal circumstances. And the more damage attract newcomers will include housing Massachusetts-Amherst, he came to New they sustained to their homes or businessand business loans, moving grants, schol- Orleans on a Hillel-sponsored volunteer es, the more stress.” arships to the community day school, free mission, experienced the needs firsthand, Continued on page 2
This Week: Monthly Calendar for September: Pages 10-11 See Front Page Stories & More at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on ‘Jewish Press’
Peruvian Jews collect for earthquake relief: Page 2
Coming Next Week New Year’s Issue Partnership with Israel reaches 10-year milestone: Page 4
Musician Rick Recht performs in omaha and Lincoln: Page 8
Page 2
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
August 31, 2007
Peruvian Jews rally to collect aid for earthquake relief efforts
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by BARBARA FRASER provide food and housing assistance as well, and was LIMA, Peru (JTA) -- A small storage area off the evaluating the possibility of sending water purification courtyard of Leon Pinelo School is piled high with equipment. Peru is a popular destination for young boxes and bags, as staff and volunteers sort through tourists from Israel, but a spokeswoman for the Israeli stacks of canned milk and bottled water, huge sacks of Embassy in Lima said no Israeli citizens were known to rice and beans, diapers and other essentials. have been killed or injured in the disaster. On the second day after a magnitude 8.0 earthquake shook the southern coast of this Andean country, killing at least 500 people, injuring more than 1,500 and leaving tens of thousands homeless, students began arriving at the school carrying food, water, clothing, sleeping bags and other relief items for the victims. The collection is part of a two-pronged response to the disaster, according to John Gleiser, president of the Jewish Association of Peru. The first step is delivery of emergency aid, while the second will focus on helping with long-term reconstruction. “We are united with a single purpose,” said Elizabeth Vexelman, a spokeswoman for the committee organizing the effort. Although the disaster “did not affect us perGerman Chura Florez, Angel Rupire Morales and Luis Sulca sonally, it did affect us as Peruvians.” The quake, which struck at 6:40 p.m. on Aug. 15, Aguilar pack donated goods into boxes to be shipped to vicshook buildings in Lima, where most of Peru’s Jewish tims of the magnitude 8.0 earthquake that struck the southCredit: Barbara Fraser community lives, but did little damage in the capital of ern coast of Peru on Aug. 15. The disaster sparked an immediate outpouring of sol8 million people. About 125 miles south, however, near the epicenter, it virtually destroyed the town of Pisco idarity in Lima as businesses, churches and district govand leveled many buildings in the towns of Ica and ernments set up drop-off points for donations. Members of the student volunteer program at Leon Chincha. Most of the houses that collapsed were older dwellings Pinelo School immediately began asking members of made of plaster-covered adobe bricks. The prolonged Lima’s three Jewish synagogues to donate relief supplies. tremor caused walls to buckle and roofs to collapse. In By Aug. 19, between three and four tons of supplies had the fishing village of San Andrés, high waves caused by arrived, and organizers were expecting four or five more the earthquake flooded houses and battered fishing tons, when they will load trucks to ship the items south, boats, leaving them scattered on the streets. The disaster Gleiser said. Nearly all of Peru’s 3,000 Jews live in Lima. brought an immediate response from Jewish leaders and About half belong to the Union Israelita del Peru, while entrepreneurs not just in Peru, but also in Uruguay, the rest are divided between the Sociedad de Beneficiencia Israelita Sefaradi and the Sociedad Israelita Argentina and other countries. Because getting donated goods through Peruvian cus- de 1870. Organizers of the relief effort have used cash toms often results in delays, a bank account was set up donations to purchase several thousand blankets, more than 200 picks and shovfor donations from els, and huge cooking abroad. The funds will pots for the communal go to a longer-range The following Jewish organizations are taking contributions to soup kitchens being set post-quake project, such help relief efforts in Peru: as helping to rebuild a American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee; make checks up in parks and shelters in Pisco, Ica and Chincha. school or health center, payable to: They decided to chanVexelman said. Several Peru Earthquake Relief P.O. Box 530, 132 East 43 St., New York, American Jewish organi- NY, 10017; or call 212.687.6200. Donate online: nel the assistance through Caritas, the Catholic zations are also raising www.jdc.org/donation/jdc_form.cfm. money for the relief American Jewish World Service, make checks payable to: Church’s humanitarian effort. And the Israeli American Jewish World Service, 45 West 36 St., New York, NY aid organization, which government donated 10018-7904; or call 212.792.2900. Donate online: has local representatives in the affected cities. half-a-ton of medicines ajws@ajws.org. “We are going to be and medical supplies as B’nai B’rith International, make checks payable to: B’nai B’rith part of the relief effort. International Disaster Relief Fund, 2020 K St., NW, 7th Floor, very careful,” Gleiser said, Embassy officials Washington, D.C., 20006; or call 202.857.6600. Donate online: to get the aid “to the people who really need announced that the www.bnaibrith.org/peru. it.” Israeli government would
Peru earthquake: Where to give?
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New Orleans Jews look ahead Continued from page 1 “Yet, at the same time, they are showing great resilience. One interesting finding is that the one form of support that was consistently effective in helping people cope with stress was regular synagogue attendance.” Weil found in his survey that most people are optimistic that New Orleans will recover. Although 40 percent of respondents reported receiving job offers in other communities, many of those decided to stay in New Orleans. At the same time, the reported brain drain of many professionals from the city has not occurred in the Jewish community. Doctors, lawyers and other professionals have returned in the same proportion as the rest of the Jewish community. But whether Jewish New Orleans will indeed experience a renaissance will depend on the ability of the community to retain its current residents and attract new ones. Understanding that the Jewish community cannot flourish if the levees are not strengthened and the soaring crime rate does not decline, many New Orleanian Jews have become community activists. As Shellye Farber, an accountant and the past president of the New Orleans Section of the National Council of Jewish Women, put it: “Ultimately, we cannot control those larger issues. What we can control is making Jewish New Orleans a more attractive and excit-
ing place to be.” Rabbi Uri Topolsky, the former associate rabbi of the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale in New York, will be another key player in that effort. He recently moved to New Orleans with his wife Dahlia and two children to become the rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel, the Orthodox congregation that was flooded by 10 feet of water just two years ago. He is launching his own recruitment campaign geared to Orthodox Jewish families. Its tagline quotes Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, the 18th century Chasidic leader: “If you believe in the ability to destroy, you can believe in the ability to rebuild.” EARLY DEADLINE NOTICE The Jewish Press office will be closed on Monday, Sept. 3 for Labor Day, and for Rosh Hashanah, Thursday & Friday, Sept. 13-14; Sukkot, Sept. 27-28; and Shemini Azeret/Simchat Torah, Oct. 4-5. Deadlines for the following issues are at 9 a.m.: Issue Deadline Sept. 21 Tuesday, Sept. 11 Oct. 5 Tuesday, Sept. 25 Oct. 12 Tuesday, Oct. 2 Questions? Call 402.334.6448 for information on submitting articles, photos, ads, and announcements, as well as synagogue schedules.
August 31, 2007
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
August 31, 2007
Partnership with Israel reaches 10-year milestone by LISA LIEB Federation Communications Director Zoë Riekes and Jan Goldstein have both made the journey to Israel many times, each trip a unique learning experience and connection to the Jewish homeland. But their most recent trip holds a special place in both their hearts, culminating with a celebration of the 10-year anniversary of Partnership with Israel. Riekes has been involved in Partnership for nine of the last ten Bobbie Epstein, left, and Zoë Riekes visit NIR’s Lookout, a memoyears, and currently rial for an Israeli air force pilot. serves as Chair of Partnership’s Central Region Consor-tium. gramming to include five additional com“When Partnership began, nobody knew mittees: education, higher education, arts, what path it would take,” Riekes said. “Ten medical and marketing. The nine-city Midwest Consortium has grown to 15, years later, just look where we are!” The Midwest Consortium Partnership with Austin, TX, joining just a few has built an outstanding reputation, so months ago. Federation Executive Director Jan much so that Leah Golan, a key executive Goldstein recalls the program’s early from JAFI, met with Riekes and days. “Ten years ago we had a concept for Goldstein in Israel, hoping to learn from a new, dynamic relationship with Israelis. the Midwest Consortium’s example. But we had no prototype or road map as “Our Partnership has a reputation for to what that would look like. We couldn’t being one of the finest,” Riekes said. articulate it; but all of us -the original “How flattering it is that professionals Israelis and Americans involved -- felt in and communities from all over have our hearts what it could become,” called to find out our secret for success!” In the beginning, Partnership with Goldstein said. “Today, thanks to the hard work of the Israel included a regional development lay community, we know what committee and a community committee. Partnership is, and how to engage future Today, Partnership has expanded its pro-
generations in a contemporary relationship with Israeli Jews.” More than 500 Israelis and Americans gathered one evening to celebrate Partnership’s anniversary, all of whom have been involved at some point over the last 10 years. The past regional chairs were all recognized for their efforts, including Omaha’s own Bobbie Epstein, who served as Partnership’s first Regional Chairman in 1997. For Epstein, the celebration was something she will never forget. “This was one of the most emotional experiences that I’ve ever had,” she said. “Partnership has taken us down such a rewarding road. It’s led to a powerful connection with Israel, the likes of which I’d never seen before.” “It’s because of people like Bobbie, who have shown so much loyalty and commitment, that Partnership is able to thrive,” Riekes said. “She was a catalyst and someone who I personally have always admired. I am honored to follow in the footsteps of Bobbie Epstein.” Stacey Rockman, Omaha’s Partnership Chairman, was also able to attend the anniversary party. “It was wonderful to be there,” Rockman said. “The caring and love was amazing to me, it’s like we’re all one big family. Bobbie spoke beautifully that night. There’s no question that Jan, Zoë and Bobbie have made a huge difference in Partnership’s success.” “It’s truly amazing to see where Partnership is today,” Epstein added. “Stacey grew up in my back yard and now serves as Omaha’s chairman. She’s so involved and committed to making Partnership grow. Today it is bigger and better than we ever could have imagined.”
So what’s next for Partnership? In Israel, the Western Galilee College has been expanding their programming. It has grown from a regional college offering technical degrees into a school that now offers full bachelor degrees in academic studies. The college partners with several American universities, including UNO. At the Western Galilee Hospital a new “friendly room” will open, providing medical treatment and emotional support to victims of sexual assault. The seventh Emergency Response Group (ERG) will take place in October, and Omaha’s Dr. Gordon Moshman will be there. ERG participants spend a week at the hospital in clinical departments, visiting IDF bases, and learning emergency drills. Here in Omaha, Yossi Shaine, President of the Western Galilee College, will visit to develop relationships with local universities -- particularly the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Teacher Efrat Sebero will come to the Jewish Community Center’s Pennie Z. Davis Child Development Center, demonstrating her technique of teaching academics through music. And a performing arts series coming to Omaha will feature violins, flutes, theatre and dance. The first performance is scheduled for Nov. 10. Riekes predicts a very bright future for Partnership with Israel. “All of the time and effort devoted to Partnership is well worth it when we see what we’ve been able to do. When I think about what has been accomplished in the past deacde, I can’t even imagine where we’ll be 10 years from now. But I know we’ll be in a very good place.”
IN THE NEWS
Honoring: Evelyn Zysman & David Karnes
Monday, September 17, 2007 Noon-1:30 p.m. The Great Friends to Kids Luncheon will bring together business, community and civic leaders to celebrate honorees who have worked passionately to enhance the lives of metro area children. For reservations, call the development department at (402) 930-2353 or e-mail kcavanaugh@ocm.org.
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Decor Magazine has named Lewis Art Gallery a general winner in the publication’s “Top 100 Art and Framing Retailers” awards program. The national trade publication will highlight the winners in its October issue. Gallery owner Julie Wynn also noted that all the winnershave been invited to the Decor Fall expo next weekend in Atlanta. Lewis Art Gallery remains open at its current location, 80th and Dodge.
headed into a career as a commercial photographer and, eventually, opened a studio where he was able to explore, experiment, travel and, essentially, cultivate the possibilities of photography, painting and experimental process techniques. In 1998, Krantz moved to Chicago to pursue his photography and art, but kept his studio in Omaha for many years. The “Essential Memories” show, dedicated to his grandfather David Bialac, demonstrates this artist/photographer’s foray into creating pioneering images and organic abstractions using four separate mediums: photos printed on glass, platinum foils and film, resins encased and traditional C-prints -- all techniques that started with painting and ended with photography -- to result in a series of Optigrams. Time, change, and reinterpretation characterize much of Krantz’s artwork. The abstract works in his Optigrams and Explorations series, for example, express a state of consciousness that merges nature
A photography exhibit with works by Jim Krantz will open in Chicago at the Zolla-Lieberman Gallery, 325 West Huron, on Sept. 7. Born and raised in Omaha, Krantz is an award-winning artist and photographer who is taking his work to innovative heights. He has spent much of his career investigating the possibilities of photography, painting and experimental processes. After graduating from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Krantz returned to Omaha. From there, he
and the self, referencing the abstract expressionists but doing something new and groundbreaking.
Westside’s Biennial Gala, VI-VI will be held on Saturday, Oct. 6, at the Holiday Inn Convention Center. This community wide event will be celebrating the 60th Anniversary of Westside Community Schools. Martha and David Slosburg are Honorary Chairmen. Alumni, students, friends and families are all invited. Tickets are $125 each or $75 for those who are 35 years of age and younger. Raffle tickets are also available for $10 each or 3 for $25. For more information, please contact Phyllis Choat 390.2109.
August 31, 2007
Omahan among largest Young Judaea contingent for Year Course in Israel by ROBERTA ELLIOTT NEW YORK, NY -- When the 382 U.S. and Canadian participants in the 2007-08 Young Judaea Year Course program leave for Israel on Sunday, they will constitute the largest class ever and one that is an impressive 25 percent bigger than last year’s. Coming from 30 states, Puerto Rico and three Canadian provinces -- including Saskatchewan -- they will be joined by 99 participants from Britain’s Federation of Zionist Youth and 17 members of the Israel Scouts. With the total class size nearly 500, this is the fourth year in a row that the Year Course attendance has grown to record numbers. Among them is Brandon Thomas, son of Andi Gordman, a 2007 graduate of Millard North. “Over the years, we have seen that the backgrounds of Jewish teens who are attracted to Year Course have become more and more varied. In light of this fact, we are offering more tracks than ever to address the special interests of Jewish North American teens,” explained Shelley Sherman, coordinator of Young Judaea, the Zionist youth movement of Hadassah. “We believe we have something for everyone interested in spending a structured year in Israel -- and that shows in our numbers.” This year for the first time, 75 members of the class will participate in one of two new Olami tracks, which will not only take students to Israel but to countries around the world. Year Course Olami: the Zionist Revolution, will introduce students to five areas: France, England Budapest/Prague/Krakow, Morocco, and Ethiopia, from where Jews risked everything to leave their homes and start anew in Israel. Discovering remote Jewish communities of the world is the goal of Year Course Olami: the Lost Jewish Communities, in which participants will visit communities in Portugal, South Africa, India and Uganda. During the course of their academic year in Israel, students will alternate their travels with Year Course’s core components of classroom study, touring Israel and volunteering. Another addition this year is the Year Course Athletic Program, a sports track, which focuses on three themes: exercise, competition and leadership. Aimed at teens who are athletic, enjoy sports and are fitness enthusiasts, it also incorporates the educational and volunteer elements of the classic Year Course program. Twenty-one
students are enrolled in this new program. The first Year Course class left in 1956; in 1968 Hadassah took over the sole sponsorship of Young Judaea and Year Course, a nine-month multi-track program for recent high school graduates, who defer college acceptance to study, volunteer and engage in Israeli Brandon Thomas society. Former Cultural Arts Director Gloriann Levy was among those who participated in 1966-67, encountering the Six-Day War just as the program year was ending. Sharon Brodkey was part of the class of ’77. Participants earn up to one year’s worth of college credit through the American Jewish University-in-Israel, while building leadership skills and developing and strengthening their relationship with the country and its Above: participants people. While in Israel, particiin Young Judaea’s pants spend a third of their “Dakar” program, time in Bat Yam/Holon, celebrate graduawhere they engage in an tion from the naval array of educational activities unit; left: Liat Tretin with local school children, folds uniforms at the from teaching English to fire station in Petach coaching basketball. Tikva where she volAnother third is spent in unteered last spring. the new Beit Ar-El, Young Credit: Avi Katzman Judaea’s educational center in Jerusalem, where participants take courses in Jewish history, religion, language and current events. The third segment is spent doing handson volunteer work with organizations like Magen David Adom, the Israeli rescue service, an ecological farm, and the Israel Defense Forces, to name but a few. Within the Year Course framework there are two other specialized tracks, including Shevet, which allows and encourages participants to expand their religious horizons by exploring the rituals, traditions and laws of Judaism. The second, Shalem, is under Orthodox supervision and is aimed at U.S. graduates of Orthodox high schools and yeshivot. Shalem Hebrew for “whole,” and an acronym for Shnat Limud U’Ma’aseh, a Year of Study and Service, offers a religiously meaningful alternative to full-time yeshiva programs. Sisters Rachel and Avi Katzman chose the Shalem track in 2003-04 and 200607, after graduating from Westside High School. For information about the expanding array of next year’s Year Course offerings, please contact: 800.725.0612, or yearcourse@youngjudaea.org. Visit the Young Judaea website at: www.youngjudaea.org.
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
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By JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator Beth El Synagogue has been honored by the United Synagogue for Conservative Judaism, as the recipient of three Solomon Schechter awards for outstanding community programming during the past year. The Schechter awards are named after the USCJ founder and were established to recognize excellence in various aspects of synagogue life. The USCJ web site reads, “The Schechter Awards reward extraordinary characteristics and certain unusual and outstanding aspects or achievements that go beyond the expected norms. Award winners deserve recognition for the originality and quality of their programs, for their presentations and achievements.” Beth El received a Gold Award, in the category of Celebrations, for last fall’s Great Plains Hanukkah Concert for Children; a Silver Award, also in the Celebrations category, for the community-wide Tu B’Shevat celebration at Lauritzen Botanical Gardens; and a Silver Award in the category of Outreach, for social programming which connects young Jewish adults and singles into synagogue life. Beth El’s programs which were noted for this award included last
year’s “Sushi and Schmoozing” event, the “Mexican and Margaritas Shabbat Dinner,” and the “Vodka and Latkes” Hanukkah party. “The Schechter Awards recognize excellence in synagogue programming and spotlight models that other congregations might emulate,” said Beth El’s Rabbi Mordechai Levin. “At the last USCJ convention, our Hazak group for seniors received one. For the upcoming convention, we are delighted to have been chosen to receive these three awards. We are proud of our members and professional staff who contribute so much to make Beth El a vibrant and meaningful congregation.” Beth El President Sally Zipursky concurred, saying, “I am so proud of these awards. They are reflective of the hard work and creativity of our amazing professional staff at Beth El. Our congregation benefits daily from their efforts. The awards for these activities are also meaningful as they recognize the emphasis Beth El places on being a warm, welcoming place for everyone in our community. Mazel tov to us!” The Schechter Awards will be officially presented at the Biennial Convention of the United Synagogue to be held Nov. 29 through Dec. 3, in Orlando, FL.
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We are currently seeking professional candidates for our operation in Blair, NE for Process Technicians This position will work closely with team members from our customer, NatureWorks, LLC and be responsible for personal and plant safety, environmental compliance, quality of the product produced and efficient operation of the plant.They work 12 hour shifts, including evenings, weekends and holidays. This is a temporary position that will continue through December, 2008, with potential for permanent employment with NatureWorks LLC as a plant technician. Job tasks include but are not limited to: • Monitor and operate plant using the computer process control system (MOD) • Monitor and accurately record system parameters using various computer based systems • Recommend changes resulting in improved productivity, safety and environmental performance • Perform process sample, analytical testing • Prepare equipment for maintenance using the RTMS computer and field work • Participate in the plant safety programs, including teaching monthly safety topics and training • Understand and apply all environmental, health and safety regulations and policies What we offer: • Safety First Excellence - annual employee training requirements include “Behavioral Based Safety Approach” • Precision Skills - annual employee training in precision maintenance to support “preventative, predictive & reliability centered maintenance” approach to maintaining assets • Craft certifications - sponsored by the company belonging to the employee upon completion. We also offer competitive wages, medical/dental insurance, 401(k), paid holidays/sick leave/vacation. Background check & drug screen required. E-mail resume with position title to blairjobs@unicco.com or by mail to P.O. Box 227, Blair, NE 68008 or FAX to (402) 533-4305. No Phone Calls, Please. EOE M/F/D/V
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
August 31, 2007
Bar Mitzvah commemoration cause for celebration
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Continued from page 1 Street after school to study with Cantor Aaron Edgar, Greenberg bypassed at his duplex near the Blackstone Hotel. Greenberg’s the traditional D’var dedication to Beth El and the rich history behind that Torah on this recent commitment was evident throughout his presentation. Shabbat morning, In a unique twist during his Bar Mitzvah year, choosing instead to Greenberg was featured in the July 6, 1937 issue of share his memories of LOOK magazine, as part of an article which recognized the 13-year anniversary of AZA (founded in Omaha). Beth El -- and having Greenberg appeared in a photo spread which depicted belonged to the synaand explained Jewish rituals such as wrapping tefillin, gogue at all three of its donning a tallis and reading from the Torah. locations (including the Family and friends joined Greenberg to celebrate this JCC on 20th and 70th anniversary milestone, and the Bar Mitzvah weekDodge Streets, where end was filled with festivities which included a special he became a Bar family Shabbat dinner at the Greenbergs’ home and a Mitzvah), he had a party at the Marriott Hotel on Saturday night. wealth of recollections. Bucky Greenberg, prior to his 70A memorable weekend was had by all, Greenberg He spoke of his famiyear Bar Mitzvah anniversary celesaid, joking that he’d encourage others to mark their ly’s involvement in the bration earlier this month. own B’nai Mitzvah anniversaries because, “You get to establishment of the synagogue, and recalled riding his bike down Dodge kiss all the girls.”
ADL prepares for neo-Nazi demonstration by ALAN POTASH Executive Director Great Plains Region Anti-Defamation League The Anti-Defamation League/Community Relations Committee has been following an upcoming protest by a neo-Nazi group in the Heartland -- the National Socialist Movement -- scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 1. The NSM is currently the largest neo-Nazi group in the country due to the demise between 2002 and 2005 of other major neo-Nazi groups in the United States. This Minneapolis-based hate group is a throwback to the 1960s-era American Nazi Party, from which it descended. Their goal for this protest is to spread their hate messages, address immigration and promote their presidential candidate. The ADL/CRC is working with other community organizations and law enforcement to ensure this protest is a failure for the NSM. What will make this
protest a failure is for no one to come out and acknowledge or counter them. If people show up this will give them an audience, recognition and media time-this should be avoided. Just ignore them, do something else. If people are out and about on Saturday, there are many other things to do. The organizers of SeptemberFest have allowed community organizations to come together from 2-4 p.m. and promote many of the great programs that address, educate and promote diversity in Omaha. We are often asked, “Why are they allowed to protest?” The first amendment protects the rights of individuals to assemble. As long as they follow the standard rules and regulations for groups to gather, the city has to allow them to protest. If you have questions about this group or what to do, please contact me at the ADL/CRC office at 402.333.1303 or e-mail me at apotash1@adl.org.
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JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA Join the Jewish Federation of Omaha to recognize the 2006 Volunteers of the Year on Tuesday, Sept. 25, 7:30 p.m., at the Jewish Community Center. Among those being honored are: Mel Clancy, AntiDefamation League; Ann Goldstein, Center for Jewish Education; Gady Tene, Jewish Community Center; Stan Mitchell and George Quittner, Jewish Press; Miles Remer, Jewish Senior Services; Charles Slutzky, Rose Blumkin Jewish Home; and Kim Goldberg, Jewish Federation.
REAL ESTATE AUCTION 126 N. Allen, Bennington, NE • Saturday, 9/8/07 • 11:00 AM PROXIBID - Live Internet Simulcast at this auction • Bid Live Online or Onsite
REAL ESTATE AUCTION 3831 Hascall St., Omaha, NE • Saturday, 9/8/07 • 1:00 PM
NEBRASKA JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY The exhibit featuring the photos of Gary Gerelick has been extended through Sunday, Sept. 2, at the JCC.
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REAL ESTATE AUCTION 2529 S. 10th St., Omaha, NE • Saturday, 9/22/07 • 11:00 AM PROXIBID - Live Internet Simulcast at this auction • Bid Live Online or Onsite
REAL ESTATE AUCTION 4414 S. 19th St., Omaha, NE • Saturday, 9/22/07 • 1:00 PM PROXIBID - Live Internet Simulcast at this auction • Bid Live Online or Onsite
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YOUNG ENERGETIC SENIORS: Enjoy the musical concert by the Mission Bells on Monday, Sept 10. Lunch is served at noon for $6 per person. Join us for bingo with Eileen or Miles Remer at 10 a.m. Call Dee Dee at 330.4272 for transportation. For information, call Maggie Conti at 334.6521. LOMIR REDN YIDDISH Come to the Yiddish meeting at the JCC on Thursdays, 1-3 p.m. If you have any Yiddish books o donate, please call Anne Skolkin at 343.1638.
VISIONS Reminders: Visions board meeting is Friday, Sept. 7, 11 a.m., at the Venice Inn (please note change of time and place), followed by luncheon meeting at 12:30 p.m. Special guest is Ernest Richardson, resident conductor of the Omaha Symphony. Send reservations to Tootie Simon, 8725 Izard St., Omaha, NE 68114 by Aug. 31. For information, call Harry Alloy at 697.8709 and for transportation call Betty Kolnick at 553.4748. The cost is $10 per person. Make check payable to Visions.
B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Breadbreakers will have a joint meeting with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) on Wednesday, Sept. 5, 11:45 a.m. At Ironwood Country Club. Naomi Lauter, AIPAC’s expert on IsraelAmerican Affairs, and Creighton Professor Terry Clark, an expert on Russian politics and terrorism, will be the guest speakers. Please RSVP to Lois Epstein at 334.6443. John Loftus, former U.S. Department of Justice prosecutor who went after Nazis in America, will speak on Wednesday, Sept. 12, noon, at Regency Lodge. All men and women in the community are invited. Cost is $12 for a complete lunch and $3 for beverage service only.
August 31, 2007
A Taste of Challah
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 7
by Tamara Ansh (Feldheim, $34.99)
READ IT AND E AT Reviewed by LOIS FRIEDMAN “And there was a continual blessing in her dough,” Genesis 24:67 “Taking challah is one of the three special mitzvot given exclusively to women.” This Israeli author is a self-taught challah maker and shares details for you to make your own special Shabbos challah (challah is a Hebrew word referring to the portion of dough set aside for the Koheyn during the time of the Temple). Prayers, rituals and blessings precede detailed instructions with how-to photographs: Seven Step Guide, chapters on shapes (three, four, six braids and even a Hamantaschen challah), Healthy Challah and Breads, Speciality Breads, Middle Eastern Breads and Accompaniments, Fun & Different Ideas (bagels, bobkas, pretzels, cinnamon rolls) and a summary of basic laws, Halachos (laws) of Separating Challah. Forty recipes for challas and other breads are here with well written, clear instructions. “A Rabbi’s Blessing” and “The Missing Dough” are part of the nine stories. Sidebars tell of “yud-beis” (a challah comprised of 12 separate rolls), a Simcha Challah often seen at wedding and circum-
cision feasts, “blech” (a flat hotplate that keeps Shabbos food hot, but doesn’t actually cook the food) and more. A delightful read, a comprehensive guide to bread making, a wonderful addition to Shabbos. PIZZA Dough: For 2 larger sized-pizzas or 4 personal pizza pies 31/2 cups flour 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. sugar 1 oz. or 25-30 gm. fresh yeast 11/2 cups warm water Mix all ingredients together until it forms a smooth dough. Grease a bowl and turn the dough into it. Cover it with plastic and then a damp towel to rise for 30 minutes. Punch down and divide into two portions for two larger pizzas, or four portions for four small ones. Roll each piece out in a large circle and place into the pan of choice. Sauce: 21/2 cups tomato sauce (if using paste, add some water to it to make it less thick) 1 tbsp. oil 1/2 tsp. pepper 2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. oregano Mix together and spread over the rolledout pizza pies. Sprinkle grated cheese all over the sauce. Now you can have lots of fun with
all sorts of toppings: shredded cheese, sliced green olives, sliced black olives, sliced red and green peppers, sliced mushrooms, chopped onions. Add toppings of your choice to top of the grated cheese, according to your taste. Bake at 350° for approximately 20-25 minutes until the pizza is crispy on the bottom and bubbly on top. Enjoy! OATMEAL RAISIN BREAD 2 ounces fresh yeast 1/2 cup warm water 1 tbsp. light brown sugar 1 cup oatmeal (preferably not instant) 1/2 cup untoasted wheat germ 1/4 cup ground flax seed 1 tablespoon salt 5-7 cups sifted white flour (or substitute finely ground pastry whole wheat flour) 3 eggs 1/2 cup canola oil 1/2 cup honey 1/2 cup light brown sugar 11/2 cups warm water 1/2 cup dark raisins 1/2 cup white raisins 1-2 eggs for glazing Sesame seeds for sprinkling Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup warm water and 1 tablespoon sugar. Let this bubble up. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients: the oatmeal, wheat germ, ground flax, salt, and 5 cups of the flour. Set aside. In the mixer bowl, combine the eggs, oil, honey and sugar and beat well. Then add the
yeast mixture. Add the rest of the warm w a t e r. S t a r t adding in the dry ingredients, about 2 cups at a time and start to knead in the mixer. While you are adding in the dry ingredients, add in the raisins also. Knead well until not sticky. Now is where the extra 21/2 cups of flour comes in. Keep adding flour in, small bits at a time, until the dough is more uniform and comes away from the sides of the bowl. It will remain somewhat sticky. Grease another bowl and turn the dough out into this bowl. Turn it over once so all sides of the dough are covered with a light coating of oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and then a towel and leave it to rise in a warm area for at least 2 hours, until double in size. Punch down the dough and shape into rolls. Cover the rolls with plastic again and let them rise for about 1 hour. Twenty minutes before the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°. Brush the oatmeal bread rolls with the egg glaze and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake until the top of the rolls are light golden brown and the bottom of the rolls are firm and golden as well. Lois Friedman can be reached at ReadItAndEat@yahoo.com.
tions, they voiced their displeasure that Charedi schools receive government funding yet do not serve in the Israeli military. israelisms.com/ Sharing a Zionist belief but elsewhere on the political spectrum, Arutz Sheva (also known as Israel National Radio) has created a series of podcasts similar in content in tone and political outlook of its news service. Other podcasts have provided commentary on the Torah portion of the work, suggested that the appointment of Quartet special envoy Tony Blair is a waste of time and visited a group of immigrants from France as they touched down at Ben-Gurion airport. tinyurl.com/ 3dlggy OyPod describes itself as “the first and currently only podcast for Jewish teens.” Perhaps. What I do know is that this is the lovely work of Danny Zeff, 15, of Sacramento, Califiornia. “I’m a Conservative Jew who’s proud of his heritage. I think ever since I went to Israel, I’ve definitely gotten a lot more into Jewish culture.” Danny looks at his life from a Jewish perspective such as when he was asked to sign up for organ donations at his school, he wondered
what Halacha had to say about it, did some research and reported on it. He’ll then throw in a Hebrew slang lesson and answer readers’ questions, like “Why are Jews always late?” By the way, Danny thinks his voice in his latest oyPod sounds a bit squeaky. tinyurl.com/2cndlr Oh, one more thing about Ziva and Harry whom I mentioned earlier. Although their podcast is no longer being produced, I still follow their lives through their blog and can give you an update. Since I last wrote about them, Harry’s arthritis is still acting up and can be quite painful. On the other hand, earlier this year, Ziva gave birth a their first child, a daughter, Tzofia whose picture you can see here. theviewfromhere.net/ Even if you don’t speak Hebrew, that name may ring a bell if you’re familiar with the lyrics to Hatikavah, “Ayin L’tzion Tzofia” (An eye still watches toward Zion... Do a bit of discovering on your own of the (mostly) Jewish list at tinyurl.com/2eqngh. Mark Mietkiewicz is a Toronto-based Internet producer who writes, lectures and teaches about the Jewish Internet. He can be reached at highway@rogers.com.
Jewish and Israeli podcasts
PEOPLE OF THE
BYTE
by MARK MIETKIEWICZ Some of my best friends are no longer around. But hey, that’s OK. I’ve found new ones to replace them. A while back, I got hooked on some podcasts. Like the one called “The View from Here” by a couple of Olim named Harry and Ziva. From their home in Modiin in central Israel, they would create regular audio reports about life in that country. Harry would fulminate about the latest scandal and then rave about a great Israeli chocolate bar. And I got quite hooked into listening into their discussions and rants. Well podcasts come and podcasts go. And it seems that this one is gone. If you’re still among the uninitiated and have never listened to a podcast, think of it as a free radio show that you can download and listen to on your computer or an a portable MP3 player such as an iPod. And if you really enjoy a podcast, subscribe to it
so that the new editions automatically appear on your computer and on your MP3 player so that you can listen to them whenever and wherever you want. There are thousands of podcasts out there and, not surprisingly, quite a few deal with Israel or Judaism. As for the quality of podcasts, they can rival the best documentaries you’ll hear anywhere. Or they can sound like they were recorded on a kitchen table (because many are.) In this column, I’m going to suggest WHICH podcasts are worth a listen. As to HOW to listen to them, there are many very good sites that will walk you through the process such as at Wikipedia.en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Podcast or Apple’s iTunes. tinyurl.com /ypt4xp Now back to Carol and Charley. Luckily, they are still around. They’re another American couple who made Aliyah and have a lot to say about the state of the State of Israel. To mark their 11th anniversary in the country, they recently devoted a special edition of Israelisms to immigration. In other edi-
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
August 31, 2007
Musician Rick Recht to star on opening day of Religious School at Temple Israel and then in Lincoln at community concert by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator Rick Recht, a top-touring musician in Jewish music, will perform on the first day of Religious School, Sunday, Sept. 16, 10:45 a.m., at the prayer assembly at Temple Israel. An icon for American Jewish youth, performing more than 150 concerts a year including at NFTY, BBYO, USY, Union for Reform Judaism, and Hillel conventions, Recht has elevated Jewish music to being a powerful and effective tool for developing Jewish pride and identity. His teen rock concerts are described on Recht’s website as “sweaty, loud, and exciting. Little kids’ concerts give us a chance to be goofy but really educational at the same time. The family concerts are a little bit of everything.” “We’re lucky, because our fan base ranges in age from little kids to adults which allows us to do all kinds of different concerts,” said Recht. “We have the opportunity to constantly change things up and do what it takes to inspire Jewish youth and adults and make them feel connected to each other and their Jewish heritage. Recht is recognized not only for his
the whole family and is open to the entire community. Following the prayer assembly, Temple’s Golf Committee will sponsor a barbeque in the Friedman Social Hall. Recht will then travel to Lincoln to perform in a community concert at 4:30 p.m. at Congregation Israel, Tifereth 3219 Sheridan Rick Recht will perform in Omaha and Lincoln on Sunday, Sept. 16. Boulevard. appeal to youth and family audiences as Recht’s high-energy, interactive family an exceptional musician, singer/song- concert will appeal to all ages and feature writer, and entertainer but also as a role a lot of singing, clapping and jumping of model for involvement in Jewish life. the audience. He will feature hit songs Kindergartners through sixth graders from his newly released live album “Rick are to meet in their classrooms at 10 a.m. Recht Band Alive: The Hope.” to begin the morning. Kindergarten parLocal musicians and youth will also ents should meet at 10 a.m. in the participate in the concert. The concert is Livingston Chapel for orientation. The sponsored by the Jewish Federation of prayer assembly, in the sanctuary, is for Lincoln for the Jewish community in
Limmud Omaha begins a year of learning
Lincoln, surrounding areas, and Central Nebraska. Admission is free. Donations will be accepted at the concert. “One of the things I love about Jewish music is that you can bring together little kids, teens, their parents and their grandparents in the same setting and create a type of musical magic that excites everyone all at once,” said Recht. “I look at these community gatherings as an incredible opportunity to get inside each and every person and help them to get loose, open up and connect with each other in a really positive, Jewish way.” The Rick Recht Band is the top-touring group in Jewish music today, performing more than 125 concerts each year from coast to coast. Recht’s musical contributions mark the birth of a unique blend of pop, radio-friendly music in Hebrew and English based on Jewish text and themes of social responsibility. “Rick’s music is just like what our Jewish youth listen to everyday on the radio with amazing educational and Jewish flare,” say Jennifer Stofman, Program Director of Congregation Beth Shalom Cherry Hill, NJ. “Rick is the Jewish Dave Matthews!”
Friedel opens to a full house
by MARY SUE GROSSMAN Administrator, Center for Jewish Education
Surpassing all records since the early 1990s, Friedel Jewish Academy opened last week with 45 students -- and a new first grade teacher. Photos from left: Lena and Gaston Bogomolni bring their new kindergartner Samuel, to Friedel, along with their daughter Emmanuelle; Friedel board member and volunteer Yaffa Podbilewicz-Schuller brings third-grader Eliana back to school along with new kindergartner, Yael.
BBYO Cornbelt Council opens program year with campout, color wars and team building
The Center for Jewish Education started its programming year with “Limmud Omaha: A Day of Learning” earlier this month, with an afternoon of presentations keyed on the theme, “Judaism (Re) Examined: A Vibrant Spirit”. Photos from top: The day began with a keynote address by Dr. Rela Mintz Geffen, President Emeritus, Baltimore Hebrew University. Geffen spoke of American Judaism and illustrated some interesting attempts by the marketing industry to target Jewish Americans. Her talk, liberally interspersed with humor, was an excellent way to start the day. Attended by nearly 100 people, the afternoon was broken into three sessions, with participants choosing between four presenters during each session. A common lament was “I wish I could be in two -- or even three -places at once!” A wide range of topics were discussed including Jewish literature, Israel, Jewish grandparenting, music, Jewish space, cartoons, prayer, and politics. Session presenters included second row Dr. Jean Cahan and Rabbi Ilan Emanuel, third row: Rikvah Sass and Dr. Moshe Gershovich, as well as Dr. Leonard Greenspoon, Rabbi Jonathan Gross, Rabbi Mendel Katzman, Rabbi Mordechai Levin, Cantor Wendy Shermet, Beth Seldin Dotan, and Marty Shukert. The day concluded with a wrap-up session with remarks by Geffen. “An event like this is very unusual for a community this size. It is marvelous that people are participating”, she said. “There is such strength in your local presenters and you need to exploit them as much as possible!”
by RACHEL BLUM JCC Jewish Program Director The local BBYO Council will kick off the fall programming session with an overnight camping trip at Carol Joy Holling Camp in Ashland, SaturdaySunday, Sept. 8, 5 p.m. to Sept. 9, 2 p.m. The campout will include an ongoing color wars competition, Judaic programming, Havdallah services around a campfire, and a team building program, which are designed to help a group grow together through activities aimed at getting acquainted and improving communication, trust and cooperation. The Carol Joy Holling Center’s Co-Op program requires the joint efforts of all members of the group if the task is to be completed. As with BBYO, the emphasis with the team building program is on the process, not simply the end results. The activities are designed to challenge the physical and mental abilities of the participants within a group.
Through the Jewish Community Center, Jewish Omaha teens have participated in the Co-op program in the past and have grown both individually and as a group. It provides an excellent opportunity for new members of BBYO to get to know the upperclassmen and vice versa. As a team, participants are able to explore how different personality types work together, how to better communicate with one another, how to support and encourage each other, and how to rely on all of your team members to complete the task at hand. With a grant from the Jewish Federation Foundation’s Special Donor Advised Funds, the cost per participant is only $10 and includes transportation to and from the JCC, and three meals. To register, BBYO members can register online at www.b-linked.org. Please contact me at 334.6404 or rblum@jccomaha.org with any questions you may have about the campout or BBYO in general.
August 31, 2007
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
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All events held at the Jewish Community Center unless otherwise noted. This calendar does not include all community events. For a complete listing, visit the Federation’s website: www.jewishomaha.org (click on calendar). To keep calendar accurate, call Marlene Hert at 334-6437. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the accuracy of the below events.
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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel Preparing our minds and souls for the High Holidays, noon, at Beth El SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 The Living Torah at Chabad, 9:30 a.m. Bible Study Group, 10 a.m., at Beth El MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 Friedel Jewish Academy: No School-Labor Day TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 WOW Prayer Circle Tehillim and More, 9 a.m. at Chabad Eye on Israel, noon Mah Jongg Players, 12:30 p.m. Translations of the Hebrew Bible, 7 p.m., at Beth El JCC Board Meeting, 7 p.m. Parshah Roundup, 7 p.m., at Chabad WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 ADL Echoes & Reflections Workshop, 7 a.m. AIPAC Nebraska Council Luncheon, 11:45 a.m. Friedel Jewish Academy Executive Board, 5:30 p.m. Federation Executive Committee Meeting, 6 p.m. Friedel Jewish Academy Board Meeting, 7 p.m. Kabbalah Circle, 7 p.m., at Chabad NCJW Board Meeting, 7 p.m. BESTT High School begins, 7 p.m., at Beth El THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 ADL Echoes & Reflections Workshop, 7 a.m. Yiddish Group, 1 p.m. Women’s Book Group, 2 p.m., at Beth El USY Lisraeli “Water Wars”, 6 p.m., at Beth El Beth El visits Remington Heights, 2:15 p.m. Friedel Open House/Ice Cream Social, 6:30 p.m.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 ADL Echoes & Reflections Workshop, 7 a.m. Visions Board Meeting, 9:30 a.m. WRJ-O luncheon, noon, Temple Israel Visions Luncheon Meeting, 12:30 p.m. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 Sparks Beneath the Surface at Temple Israel, 9:15 a.m. Out of Sight Saturday Night, 6:30 p.m. Selichot program and services, 9 p.m., at Beth El SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 The Living Torah, 9:30 a.m., at Chabad Bible Study Group, 10 a.m., at Beth El Joint Men’s Club and Sisterhood Breakfast, 10 a.m., at Beth El BESTT Sunday classes begin, 10:15 a.m. RBJH Grandparents Day Celebration, 11:30 a.m. Beyt Shalom Religious School, 1:30 p.m. Applefest, 2:30 p.m., at Chabad BESTT Chaverim Broomball on Ice, 6:45 p.m., Beth El
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 Friedel Jewish Academy No School: Rosh Hashanah JCC Closed
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 Kripke Library Book Discussion Group, 1 p.m. Yiddish Group, 1 p.m. Women’s Book Group, 2 p.m., at Beth El USY Ultimate Frisbee Lounge Night, 6 p.m., at Beth El ADL Youth Leadership Mission Meeting, 7 p.m. NCJW Board Meeting, 7 p.m.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 Friedel Jewish Academy No School: Rosh Hashanah JCC Closed
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 Friedel early dismissal for Yom Kippur, 2:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m., at Temple Israel
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 JCC Closed
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 The Living Torah, 9:30 a.m., at Chabad Beth El Bible Study Group, 10 a.m., at Beth El Rick Recht Concert, 10:45 a.m., at Temple Israel School BBQ, noon, at Temple Israel JCC Select Basketball Parents Meeting, 12:30 p.m. Beyt Shalom Religious School, 1:30 p.m. USY sKadima kickoff, 1:30 p.m., at Papio Fun Park
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 The Living Torah, 9:30 a.m., at Chabad Bible Study Group, 10 a.m., at Beth El Sukkah building with Henry Monsky Lodge, 11:30 a.m. Beyt Shalom Religious School, 1:30 p.m. USY “Pizza Bagels in the Hut” Sukkah decorating party, 6 p.m., at Beth El
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 JSS Senior Luncheon, 10 a.m. Hebrew Crash Course, 7 p.m., at Beth El. Chabad House Annual Challah-thon, 7 p.m.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 Jewish Book Club, 11 a.m. Hadassah Board Meeting, 1 p.m. Hebrew Crash Course, 7 p.m., at Beth El
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 JSS Senior Luncheon, 10 a.m. Jewish Women International Potluck Supper, 6 p.m., at Park Wood Terrace Apartments Clubhouse Hebrew Crash Course, 7 p.m., at Beth El
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 WOW Prayer Circle Tehillim and More, 9 a.m. at Chabad ADL/CRC Executive Committee Meeting, noon Eye on Israel, noon Parshah Roundup at Chabad, 7 p.m. The Wow of Judaism, 7:30 p.m., at Beth El
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 WOW Prayer Circle Tehillim and More, 9 a.m. at Chabad Eye on Israel, noon BESTT Board Meeting, 7 p.m., at Beth El MIT Presentation, 7 p.m. Parshah Roundup, 7 p.m., at Chabad Board Meeting, 7 p.m., at Temple Israel The Wow of Judaism, 7:30 p.m. at Beth El
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 Friedel early dismissal for Rosh Hashanah, 2:30 p.m. JCC Closes at 6 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 Friedel early dismissal, Erev Sukkot, 2:30 p.m. JCC Closes at 6 p.m. RBJH In-Service UNMC, 1:30 p.m. Kabbalah Circle at Chabad, 7 p.m. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 No School at Friedel Jewish Academy, Sukkot JCC closed FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 No School at Friedel Jewish Academy, Sukkot JCC Open/Federation Offices Closed Parent/Toddler Class at Temple Israel, 9:30 a.m. Temple Israel Shabbat Comes to Blumkin Home, 2:30 p.m. Tot Shabbat, 6 p.m., at Beth El SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m., at Temple Israel Shabbat Tunes and Tales, 11:15 a.m., at Beth El SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 The Living Torah, 9:30 a.m., at Chabad, Bible Study Group, 10 a.m., at Beth El Book Club Fair, 10 a.m., at Temple Israel Minyan 101, 11:15 a.m., at Beth El Sukkot Social Action Day, 1:30 p.m., at Beth El Beyt Shalom Religious School, 1:30 p.m. Sukkot Family Festival, 4 p.m., at Chabad
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 WOW Prayer Circle Tehillim and More, 9 a.m. at Chabad Eye on Israel, noon Federation Board Meeting, 6: p.m. Jewish Federation Volunteer Recognition and Reception, 7:30 p.m. Parshah Roundup, 7 p.m., at Chabad The Wow of Judaism, 7:30 p.m., at Beth El
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Page 12
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
August 31, 2007
High Holy days begin with spiritual introspection via films at Temple Israel by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator Crimes and Misdemeanors, a 1989 Woody Allen film, aimed at both the heart and the mind, explores the soul and the implications of living in a moral or immoral universe. Clips from this film as well as excerpts from Avalon, The Ten Commandments, Dirty Dancing, Crossing Delancey, and Europa, Europa, will be presented on Selichot, Saturday evening, Sept. 8, 7 p.m., at Temple Israel by Dr. Stephen Skulsky. A film buff and the director of the International Institute of Object Relations Therapy in Omaha, he said, “I frequently use films to highlight spiritual and psychological issues.” Using the film clips, Dr. Skulsky will explain how the experience of the High Holy Day services can be “more emotionally alive and spiritually meaningful,” he said. Whether that is accomplished by seeing how a single woman in Crossing Delancey, who works in a Manhattan bookstore, meets a man through her Jewish grandmother’s matchmaker or how, in Europa, Europa, a young boy in Nazi Germany tries to conceal that he is Jewish and joins the Hitler Youth movement, “the return to holiness is facilitated by consciously reviewing and rethinking one’s interactions in life,” noted Dr. Skulsky. Selichot, which means forgiveness, will begin with havdalah and changing the Torah scrolls into their holiday white mantels and conclude with the film clips and a chocolate oneg putting a sweet touch on an evening aimed at healing relationships. On Erev Rosh Hashanah, Wednesday, Sept. 12, there will be one service at
7:30 p.m. On Rosh Hashanah, Thursday, Sept. 13, 10:15 a.m., therealso is one High Holy Day worship service in the sanctuary. The Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, known as the “Sabbath of Return,” emphasizes the return to values that enhance life and its meaning. On this sacred Shabbat on Friday, Sept. 14, 6 p.m., Temple Israel offers families an opportunity to examine and evaluate priorities and directions. The traditions and creative liturgy of this worship service accentuate the renewal of family life. Following the Shabbat morning service on Sept. 15, 10:30 a.m., Tashlich, a meaningful experience for all members of the family, will be observed at the Elmwood Park stream. During the brief service, bread, symbolizing sins, will be tossed into the water. The act symbolizes the hope that we can cast off our misdeeds, change our ways, and begin the year afresh. All members of the community are welcome to attend the Memorial Service at the Temple Israel Cemetery, 6412 No. 42 St., led by Rabbi Aryeh Azriel, Rabbi Eric Linder, and Cantor Wendy Shermet on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2 p.m. Two worship services are offered on Kol Nidre, Friday, Sept. 21. The first one begins at 6 p.m. The second service starts at 8:15 p.m. The morning service on Yom Kippur is scheduled for Sept. 22, 10:15 a.m., in the sanctuary. It is a tradition at Temple Israel for young people to perform the mitzvah of blowing the shofar on Yom Kippur. Scattered around the sanctuary and the open social hall on Yom Kippur, about a dozen teens and younger children as well as some adults respond to the shofar calls
of the cantor and blast the soulful sounds of their shofarot as hundreds of faces turn in their direction. Following the morning service, David Jacobson will moderate a thought-provoking discussion on the topic, “The Politicizing of Science and Stem Cell Research.” The clergy and members of the congregation will be on the panel. At 1:30 p.m. in the peaceful surroundings of the Livingston Chapel, Amphion Ensemble, a woodwind quartet, will provide time to reflect on the meaning of this most sacred day by presenting music written by Jewish composers or highlighting Jewish themes. All who have lost someone dear, recently or in the past, are welcome to participate in Moments of Remembrance at 2:30 p.m. in the Livingston Chapel. This comforting experience is a prelude to yizkor prior to the beginning of the afternoon service. In a supportive and caring setting, you are invited to share with others your memories and feelings for those for whom you will say Kaddish this year. Consider bringing a photo or memento to help convey the essence of your loved ones. Members of Omaha Temple Youth Group (OTYG) and Rabbi Linder will lead the Family Youth Service at 2:30 p.m. in the sanctuary. Parents are encouraged to accompany their youngsters to share in this moving worship service which includes spirited music. The service is recommended for fifth graders and older students as well as adults of all ages. At the conclusion of neilah and yizkor, which begins about 5 p.m. on Yom Kippur, the entire congregation, including young children, are welcome to hear the final blast of the shofar and enjoy a brief havdalah service led by middle and
high school students. Simultaneous signing of the 7:30 p.m. Erev Rosh Hashanah service, the 6 p.m. Kol Nidre service, and the morning services on both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur will be provided. Please call the office at 556.6536 or send an email to mweidner@templeisraelomaha.com to reserve a seat at the front of the sanctuary to see the signing. Sitter service will be available for children, one through ten years of age, on Erev Rosh Hashanah and for the 6 p.m. service on Kol Nidre. There also will be sitter service for one- through four-yearolds during the morning service on both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and during the afternoon on Yom Kippur. At 9 a.m., there will be a Tot Service in the Livingston Chapel and a Children’s Service in the sanctuary on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. At 10 a.m., youngsters in kindergarten through fourth grade are invited by the Women of Reform Judaism to participate in Awesome Days of Discovery. Storytelling, art projects, and short lessons will help each child appreciate the meaning of the High Holy Days Pre-registration for “Awe-some Days of Discovery” and sitter service is required by Wednesday, Sept. 5, at the Temple office. Parents are asked to volunteer to supervise for a half hour or make a $5 donation per child to help support the program. Overflow parking can use the lots at First United Methodist Church and the Omaha Community Playhouse during the High Holy Day worship services except on Friday, Sept. 21, Kol Nidre, when the lot at the Playhouse will not be available.
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August 31, 2007
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 13
A new year begins at Beth Israel by MARY BORT Beth Israel Synagogue Shana Tova! With the High Holidays just around the corner, Beth Israel has scheduled a variety of upcoming programs and services, and the community is invited to attend. Rabbi Gross will lead Kever Avot services at three cemeteries on Sunday, Sept. 9. The schedule includes services at 11 a.m. at Golden Hill Cemetery, noon at Beth Israel/Mt. Sinai Cemetery and 1 p.m. at Beth Hamedrosh Hagadol/Fisher Farms Cemetery. “It’s the custom before Rosh Hashanah to hold Kever Avot at the cemeteries, explained Rabbi Jonathan Gross. “We don’t pray to the dead. Rather, we ask God in the merit of the good people buried here and their acts of kindness, that he should look kindly upon us.” Gross continued, “Having been here for three years and, unfortunately, having done a number of funerals, Kever Avot becomes increasingly meaningful to me. I’m reminded of all the good people I’ve known who have since passed.” That sunday is also the date for a Children’s Rosh Hashanah Craft Project, to be held at 10 a.m. at Beth Israel. Led by Andreea Shnayder, children will paint honey jars and do other fun activities. Please call the synagogue office to RSVP. Beth Israel’s High Holiday Chazzan, Rabbi Ari Dembitzer, will return to Omaha for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Dembitzer is featured on a new CD, “In Your Mouth and In Your Heart.” A number of Beth Israel congregants sing with Dembitzer, adding to the
beauty of the music. “It’s not too late to prepare to sing along during the High Holidays,” noted Executive Director Beth Cohen, “We still have CDs available for purchase for $18 per copy.” The words to the songs on the High Holiday CD are also available in the synagogue office in a larger print size than is on the CD cover. Text is available in Hebrew, English and Transliteration. Contact the synagogue office for further details. Gross encouraged everyone to take the opportunity to hear Dembitzer sing during the High Holidays. “Ari is an amazing chazzan,” he emphasized. “He’s absolutely terrific and I sincerely hope everyone in the community gets a chance to come to services and hear him.” Rosh Hashanah observances begin on Wednesday, Sept. 12, Erev Rosh Hashanah. “During Rosh Hashanah, I look forward to being together with the entire Omaha Jewish community, praying together and beseeching God to grant us an auspicious year for everyone,” said Gross. Rosh Hashanah is on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 13-14. On both days, services start at 8 a.m., free babysitting is
Judaism 101 introduces students to Derech Torah: “The way of the Torah” by MARY SUE GROSSMAN cational, spiritual and eye-opening Administrator, Center for Jewish Education experience. Everyone there was there to “Derech Torah: Judaism 101” will learn, but we also were allowed to share continue its cycle of classes beginning our impressions, ideas and personal Monday, Oct. 8. Taught by Dr. Guy journey into Judaism” reports Bennett. Matalon, executive director of the “Dr. Matalon’s presentation of the Center for Jewish Education, “Derech material was thorough, dynamic and Torah: Judaism 101” was developed to opened the door for each of us to find meet the need of a single basic Judaism our own areas of interest. Derech Torah class in the Omaha comshouldn’t only be munity. thought of as a class for Working with Rabbis potential converts, but Aryeh Azriel, Jonathan also as a class for Jews Gross, and Mordechai who are interested in Levin, Matalon develreviving their knowledge oped the class to offer a about basic Judaism,” gateway into Judaism for she added. those who are exploring Class evaluation comtheir spiritual options ments were complimenand a starting point for tary on the balanced perJewish adults who are spective provided and looking for a comprealso commenting on the hensive course to give depth of knowledge of them the background to the instructor. One stucontinue Jewish learndent wrote “Guy has an ing. amazing Rolodex mind Dr. Guy Matalon The course is designed of information.” to introduce the adult learner to the Classes will meet Mondays, 8-9:30 wealth and richness of Judaism as a reli- p.m., in the Kripke Library, from Oct. gious culture. Jewish theology, life 8 through April 14. Pre-registration is cycle, yearly cycle, and world view are required by Sept. 21. Tuition is $150 per person or $250 per couple. discussed in some detail. The class is ideal for those considering Required texts are the JPS Tanakh and conversion or for those who want to Jewish Literacy by Joseph Telushkin and “brush up” on their Jewish knowledge. can be ordered through the agency. To register or for information, please Last year’s class had 25 participants, with a wide range of backgrounds. Lori call 334.6445 or e-mail requests to Bennett, a Temple Israel member, was m g r o s s m a n @ j e w i s h o m a h a . o r g . Brochures outlining the course are also one of the students. “Learning the ‘basics’ with such a available at Beth El, Beth Israel, and diverse group of people was a very edu- Temple Israel.
available at 9:30 a.m., the Torah reading is at 10 a.m., the Junior Congregation begins at 10:30 a.m. and the sermon is at 10:30 a.m. The blowing of the shofar will occur after the sermon. Minchah is at 7:30 p.m. on the first day of Rosh Hashanah. On the second day, Minchah/Ma’ariv is at 7 p.m. The Fast of Gedaliah is on Sunday, Sept. 16, beginning at 5:43 a.m. and ending at 8:13 p.m.
A Tashlich service will be held on Thursday, Sept. 20, 7 p.m. According to Beth Cohen, Beth Israel Executive Director, “Usually, Beth Israel holds a Tashlich picnic on the Sunday before tashlich. However, this year the Fast of Gedaliah falls on that Sunday, so we have decided to hold tashlich as part of Rabbi Gross’ weekly Thursday night class. We’ll
meet at 7 p.m. at Trendwood Park, near Beth Israel, at 132nd and Pacific. After the Tashlich service, people can head back to Beth Israel for Rabbi Gross’ weekly class at 7:30 p.m.” Erev Yom Kippur is on Friday, Sept. 21, 7:15 p.m. and begins with Kol Nidre. Babysitting will be available during the Kol Nidre service. Yom Kippur continues Saturday, Sept. 22. According to Gross, “Yom Kippur is not entirely a sad and somber day. Yes, that is one aspect. But it is much more. We really try to bring out the festivity of the day. Last year, I was so inspired. When we said the final words after a 25 hour fast, people were very enthusiastic and immersed in the prayers. Everyone remained in the sanctuary, singing and dancing. It was a moving experience.” Shacharit is at 8 a.m., babysitting begins at 9:30 a.m., Junior Congregation meets at 10:30 a.m. and the Torah Reading is at 10:30 a.m. The sermon is scheduled for 11 a.m., followed by Yizkor. Since this is a fast day, there will be no Kiddush after morning services. Rabbi Gross will hold a class on “The Book of Yonah” at 4:45 p.m. Minchah is at 5:45 p.m. and Neilah is at 6:45 p.m. The fast ends at 8:02 p.m. There will be a Break-the-Fast dinner at Beth Israel, at 8 p.m. following Neilah and concluding services. The meal includes “Betty’s Famous Mac ‘n Cheese.” Cost for the dinner is $8 for adults and is free for children ages 12 and under. Please make reservations for the meal by contacting the synagogue office at 556.6288.
Page 14
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
August 31, 2007
Children and adults alike will enjoy High Holidays celebration at Beth El by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator The High Holy Days serve as a welcome reprieve from everyday life for Jews around the world, offering a quiet time of spiritual inventory, forgiveness and renewal. And every year, Beth El Synagogue will offer meaningful avenues for Jewish community members of all ages to observe this holy time and welcome the new year. The congregation will welcome this holy season during a special Selihot program and service on Saturday, Sept. 8, 9 p.m. (See story at right.) The synagogue’s celebration of Rosh Hashanah will begin on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 6 p.m.; the next day, services will be held at 9 a.m. (alternative service, 9:45 a.m. in the social hall) and 6 p.m., and Friday, Sept. 14, 9 a.m. Traditional services will be held in the sanctuary, led by Rabbi Levin and Cantor Bogomolni. Once again, the Beth El family is honored to welcome Rabbi Jules Harlow, renowned liturgist and Founding Editor of The Rabbinical Assembly, who will lead the alternative service for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur in the social hall. Rabbi Harlow will also present a D’var Torah in the sanctuary during the second morning of Rosh Hashanah. A member of the Rabbinical Assembly's executive staff for over three decades, Rabbi Harlow served as editor of the first edition of Siddur Sim Shalom, the Conservative movement's prayer book for Shabbat, festivals and weekdays; he also edited the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Mahzor. On Shabbat Shuvah, the Shabbat which falls between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (Sept. 15), Rabbi Harlow and his wife Navah, will offer a special presentation during Saturday morning services about “Survivors of the Inquisition: Faith and Perseverance.” The Harlows will recount their experiences teaching and learning with the B’nei Anousim (Crypto-Jews) of Lisbon, Portugal, as they worked toward halachic conversion, formalizing their Jewish identity. The story of this committed, passionate group of people who describe
themselves as “survivors of the Inquisition,” promises to be fascinating and memorable. Kol Nidre services will begin on Friday, Sept. 21, 7:30 p.m.; the following morning, traditional services will be held in the sanctuary at 9 a.m.; the alternative service at 9:45 a.m. Rabbi Harlow will lead a thought-provoking study session -open to the entire community on Saturday, Sept. 22, 5 p.m. That evening, Minha-Ne’ilah, which marks the end of Yom Kippur, will begin at 6:05 p.m. The congregation’s children (ages 12 and younger) are invited to participate in a joyous processional and Havdalah service at the end of the service; all participants will meet in the chapel at 7:35 p.m. In addition, Beth El members experienced in blowing the shofar are invited to take part in a group-sounding of rams’ horns at the conclusion of Ne’ilah (around 7:50 p.m.) Beth El’s children and teens will welcome the new year with some special youth programming during the synagogue’s High Holidays services. Through games, activities and discussions, young people from preschool (three- and four-year-olds) through seventh grade, will learn about the significance of the High Holidays and their importance in our lives. All students will attend age-appropriate services for the first hour; following a snack break, they’ll have the opportunity to participate in special classroom sessions offering fun activities. In addition, free babysitting will be available for children three months old to pre-K during services on Erev Rosh Hashanah and Kol Nidre. All activities -- including lunch -- will be open to children from preschool through seventh grade and will be held from 10 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. both days of Rosh Hashanah, and 10 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. on Yom Kippur. Cost is $18 per child (this one-time fee covers all High Holidays youth programming), or one hour of volunteer service for each child registered. All children attending must be pre-registered. Reservations are due by Sept. 7 and may be made by contacting Margie Gutnik at programming@bethel-omaha.org.
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service, contact Robert Mosenkis in the synagogue office or at youthdir@bethelomaha.org. Every fall, the Jewish High Holidays -reflective and joyous alike -- offer families throughout the community a great opportunity to celebrate together. Beth El’s doors are always open to newcomers and every member of the Jewish community -- join us in welcoming a sweet new year with the entire Beth El family.
Beth El’s Selihot evening to offer memories of High Holidays around the world by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator Beth El’s membership includes a diverse group of people who have come to Omaha from other countries around the world; several of those congregants will share High Holidays memories from their countries of origin during a special Selihot program at the synagogue on Saturday, Sept. 8, 9 p.m. “The High Holidays Around the World” will feature reminiscences by Shirley Cemaj (Mexico), Amnon Dotan (Israel), Anna Mosenkis (Russia), Maximo Shechet (Cuba), Yaffa Schuller (Mexico), Eitan Tsabari (Israel), plus Rabbi Mordechai Levin (Argentina) and Cantor Gastón Bogomolni (Spain). A dessert reception after the program will be followed by a moving Selihot service, led by Rabbi Levin and Cantor Bogomolni. Schuller recalled High Holidays services in Mexico City. “In Mexico, we belonged to Nidjei Israel, better known as Acapulco 70 -- the street address. It was the largest of many Orthodox Ashkenazi synagogues. The main sanctuary was two stories high with women upstairs, and a bimah in the middle of the first floor. The rabbi’s speech was always in Yiddish. What we [at Beth El] would call the Junior Congregation was led completely by youth in a wall-to-wall packed space that was twice as big as the synagogue’s main sanctuary,” she continued, describing the social hall as one large enough to accommodate 1,000 seated guests. “For the High Holidays, thousands of pre-teens to college students would gather there (no one attended school on both days of Rosh Hashanah) and the whole service was in Hebrew,” she said. Schuller also spoke of her extended family’s tradition of gathering at her grandmother’s home for a meal following services on the second day of Rosh Hashanah. “Even though she lived in a two-bedroom apartment, there was always space and food for everyone,” she
said, adding that all the food, “including the gefilte fish” was made from scratch. “Even in a community of more than 40,000 Jews, everything had to be made from scratch, because no supermarket carried pre-cooked kosher items.” Tsabari painted a vivid picture of High Holidays celebrations in Israel. “In Jerusalem, one could cut the High Holidays from its surrounding regular weekdays just as he could separate a divine fruit from its skin. The transfer from the ‘Yom Hol’ to the ‘Hag’ was very distinct at all life levels,” he said. “The preparations for the holidays could be felt by the endless stream of people through the open market in ‘Mahane Yehuda,’ by the crowded buses carrying people and their holiday goods in many canvas grocery bags including live chickens and fish, and by the rushing people all over the city,” he added. When preparations were completed, the city became quiet as the holiday observance began. “Flocks of dressy men, women and children streamed to the synagogues. Very few cars could be seen and only on the main streets,” Tsabari reminisced. “The festive atmosphere in the city could be ‘touched.’ All the synagogues were jam-packed and prayers were heard from every street corner. There is no doubt that the High Holidays in Jerusalem in the late 50s and early 60s were quite different from any place in the world.” Beth El’s Rabbi Levin, a native of Buenos Aires, will offer his personal recollections during the Selihot program, and will share childhood memories of the High Holidays with his family; he will also discuss how the holidays were celebrated in the Buenos Aires Jewish community, “including a Yom Kippur public lunch organized decades ago by Socialist Jews,” he said. The entire community is invited to hear these and other congregants’ stories during what is sure to be a fascinating and eye-opening program.
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Beth El’s high school students (eighth to 12th grades) are invited to join together and lead creative services for younger students during the High Holidays. These innovative, one-hour services will be held at 10 a.m. on both days of Rosh Hashanah and on Yom Kippur, and teens will receive volunteer service hours for the time they spend in preparation. Several mandatory practice sessions will be held; for more information about the
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BIRTHS Esther and Philip Katz announce the Aug. 12 birth of their son, Jonah Samuel (Yitzak Shmuel), named for his greatgrandfather, Samuel Resnick. Grandparents are Gail and Holman Massey of Philadelphia, PA, and Robin Katz of Longmont, CO. Dr. Michael and Elena Andreea Shnayder announce the July 31 birth of their daughter, Natalie Marie (Elisheva Miryam), named after her great-grandfather, Efroim Shnayder She has two brothers, Orion and Aidan, and a sister, Kayla. Grandparents are: Sofya and Igor Shnayder, Los Angeles, CA, and Violetta and Gigi Jordache of Dallas, TX. Jeff Zabin and Jacqueline Shohet Zabin of Evanston, IL, announce the Aug. 15 birth of a son, Gavriel Leon,
named for his great-grandmother, Rose Leoni Binstein, and great-aunt, Haboucha. Gavriel has two brothers, Ethan and Elan. Grandparents are Phyllis and Harold Zabin, and Harriet Shohet and Ruben Shohet of New York, NY. Joan Percival and Christopher Aizenberg announce the Aug. 12 birth of their son, Isaac William. Grandparents are Susan and Jeffrey Aizenberg, and Jeanne and William Percival. Great-grandparents are Morris Aizenberg of Sioux City, IA, the late Hannah Aizenberg, the late Richard and Marita Percival, Edith Singer of Coconut Creek, FL, the late Edward Singer, Mildred Timmerman, and the late Robert Timmerman.
August 31, 2007
Five programs targeting Jewish youth receive Singer Memorial Fund grants by PJ WIESNER Foundation Communications Coordinator The Lazier L. Singer Memorial Fund for Youth approved grant applications from Temple Israel, Beth El Synagogue, the Jewish Community Center (JCC), and Jewish Family Service (JFS) at its 11th annual grants committee meeting held in the spring. The Singer Memorial Fund provides funding for programs that deal with the problems and issues facing Jewish youth under the age of 20, such as alcohol and drug use, sexuality, eating disorders, intrafamily relations, violence and gangs, suicide and depression, and Jewish identity. To help teens learn how to manage stressful situations at school, during extracurricular activities, and with their family and peers, Temple Israel received funding to host a six-week course in spring 2008 called “Teens: Talking About Issues that Matter,” which will be facilitated by a licensed professional. By sharing their thoughts, experiences, values, and feelings with each other in this safe environment, teens will discover their commonalities and how the Jewish community can be a support system. The JCC received a grant to host a community-wide drug awareness program for teens and parents featuring Erin Goldstein and her mother, Ellen Goldstein, who are BBYO directors in Charlotte, North Carolina. The pair will talk about Erin’s past drug and alcohol abuse, her parents’ response to her problems, and their struggles together for recovery. Teens will have the opportunity to engage in an anonymous question-and-answer session with Erin while parents will be able to meet with Ellen to discuss her specific experience as a parent of a daughter with a drug problem, as well as learn what to watch for and how to get help. Conversations between parents and their children
about sex and sexuality are often the most difficult ones to have. Temple Israel was awarded a grant to bring in Dr. Sol Gordon, a clinical psychologist, sex educator, and author, who will lead a workshop in spring 2008 for all congregations called “Raising a Child Responsibly in a Sexually Permissive World.” Parents and teens will learn how to have frank discussions about sexuality and how to assert strong values and morals when bombarded by an overload of sexuality in the media in today’s permissive society. Beth El received funding to host a retreat in January 2008 for its middle school students at the 4H camp site in Gretna. The theme of the retreat, “Judaism: It’s the Good Life,” will emphasize that good living and the Jewish way of life go hand-in-hand. Students will be empowered to counter the negative influences they are confronted with on a daily basis, either in school or by exposure to the media, by following Jewish values and observing Jewish practices. The grant JFS received will help cover the cost of weekly therapy appointments for clients who cannot afford the full fee. In these cases, clients are asked to pay a small portion of their fee so they feel invested in their therapy and view their progress as a priority in their lives. Additional money from the grant will be used to provide rent assistance, utility assistance, increasingly expensive gasoline expenses, and, in some cases, extra necessities for living for things as small as a fan or as large as a car repair in order for the person to get to their job. Members of the Singer Memorial Fund in attendance at the meeting were Harriet Singer, Mark Singer, Gloria Kaslow, Elyce Azriel, Sandy Kutler, Frances Blumkin, and Irving Veitzer. Marty Ricks also attended on behalf of the Foundation.
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
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UNMC physician addresses women’s health at Temple lunch by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator An endocrinologist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Dr. Lynn Mack-Shipman will be the guest speaker when the Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ) presents “Know thyself, Know thy sister, Know thy body,” on Friday, Sept. 7, noon, at Temple Israel. Dr. Mack-Shipman has practiced medicine at UNMC since completing her fellowship in 1996. As a clinician, she treats adult patients, including special populations such as those who have cystic fibrosis and others who are pregnant or on diabetes management. She also sees patients at osteoporosis clinics and a women’s health clinic which focuses on thyroid disease, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and metabolic syndrome. A graduate of the University of Nebraska College of Medicine, Dr. Mack-Shipman completed her internal medicine training and endocrinology fellowship there. Dr. Mack-Shipman will highlight special health concerns pertaining to women including osteoporosis, weight management, and diabetes prevention. “Women have health problems that are unique to their sex,” commented Dr. Mack-Shipman. For example, “women have higher rates of thyroid disease, especially hypothyroidism, a rate of bone loss (during menopause) that is more than double that of a man’s, enhanced likelihood of menstrual irregularity, infertility, uterine cancer, facial hair and male pattern hair loss associated with being overweight or obese,” she said. “Awareness of these unique health problems should empower women to ask for screening and/or a discussion of prevention with their care provider.” A “spa basket” offering a free massage and other relaxing treats will be raffled off at the luncheon for $2 a ticket or six for $10. Lunch is $9. Please RSVP to the office, 556.6536 or to mkube@templeisraelomaha.com.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Opera Omaha and The Rose Theater are seeking individuals between the ages of nine and 14 for singing and speaking roles for performances of All The King’s Men, on the main stage of the Rose Theater, Jan. 24-27, 2008. Singers must bring to the audition sheet music for a prepared one-minute audition piece. An accompanist will be provided. Individuals interested in speaking roles will be asked to read from the script. Auditions will be held on Saturday, Sept. 8, 1 p.m., and Monday, Sept. 10, 6 p.m., at The Rose Theater, 2001 Farnam St. Reservations or appointments are not required. Questions can be directed to Suzanne Withem at 402.502.4647. Opera Omaha is holding chorus auditions for the 50th Anniversary Season production of Aida on Thursday, Sept. 6, 6-8:30 p.m., and Saturday, Sept. 15, 3:30-6 p.m., at the Opera Omaha offices at 1625 Farnam St. Aida will be performed in April of 2008 at the Orpheum Theater. Auditions are open to high school graduates or older. Prospective members will be assigned a time slot and
asked to present two selections, not to exceed four minutes in total. At least one selection must be in a foreign language. An accompanist is provided; individuals are responsible for bringing printed sheet music to the audition. Arias, art songs, or church solos are acceptable as audition pieces. Please contact Brad Watkins at bwatkins@operaomaha.org, or 402.346.4398, ext. 204 for additional information and to schedule an appointment. For additional information, please go to www.operaomaha.org and click on the “Get Involved” button. Opening Sept. 8 at the Durham Western Heritage Museum in the Velde Hall of American History, “The Enemy Within: Terror in America: 1776 to Today” is a creation of the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C., that provides historic perspective on acts of terror that have taken place on American soil. On Tuesday, Sept. 11, 6:30 p.m., the Durham presents “Beyond al-Qaeda: Ideology, the Terrorist Universe and Fighting Back,” featuring Farhana Ali, former CIA analyst, and Burton Gerber, former CIA Chief of
Station. Come early for light hors d’oeuvres and cash bar reception, 5-6:30 p.m. For more information, visit the Museum Web site at www.dwhm.org. The Omaha Symphony has announced the addition of superstar Natalie Cole to the 2007-08 season, and a date change for Aretha Franklin’s concert to the spring of 2008. Cole’s 1975 debut album, “Inseparable,” won her the Grammy Award for Best Female R & B Vocal Performance. Her 1991 album, “Unforgettable…With Love,” featured Cole’s own arrangements of her famous father’s hits. Cole’s performance with the Omaha Symphony will be Saturday, Oct. 27, for the organization’s annual Gala event. All previously purchased tickets for the Aretha Franklin concert will be honored for the new date, and refunds will be issued upon request. Tickets for Natalie Cole go on sale to the general public on Friday, Sept. 7. For ticketing questions regarding Aretha Franklin or Natalie Cole, please contact the ticket office at 402.342.3560 or via e-mail at boxoffice@omahasymphony.org.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
August 31, 2007
One year later ... It’s a year since the Israel Defense Force battled Hezbollah to its north and Hamas in Gaza in the summer war of 2006. The conflict began when the two terrorist groups kidnapped Israeli soldiers: Gilad Shalit on Israel’s border with Gaza, and Ehud Goldwasser and Elad Regev on the border with Lebanon. Though most of the debris has been carted away, the damage repaired, the shelters cleaned and restocked (for the next time no doubt), the three Israeli soldiers are still prisoners of sworn enemies of the State of Israel and the Jewish people. At least, we hope they’re still prisoners; that would mean that they’re still alive. For these three young men, it’s been a year without any contact from their families and friends, from their government, and even from the Red Cross. Not that these groups haven’t tried, but Hamas and Hezbollah, both backed by the deranged regime of Iran, don’t play by international rules. Even the egomaniacal Nazis allowed the Red Cross to visit camps where Allied soldiers were being held (but not, of course, the death camps of Treblinka, Sobibor and Birkenau, to name a few). But the Iranian-backed terror groups have no interest in allowing their highly-prized prisoners any freedom of communication or movement. No doubt Hamas and Hezbollah are holding out in expectation that Israel will release more Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the three Israeli soldiers. What a sad state of affairs this is: no pressure from Western governments has been able to unshackle the Israeli soldiers, and now that
Russia is once again cozy with Syria and Iran, Putin is not about to use his street cred with Israel’s enemies for a paltry sum of three lives. Another new year begins on Sept. 12 when Jewish communities around the globe will usher in the year 5768 on the Jewish calendar. Perhaps this year will bring the peace that most of the world wants. Unfortunately, there are some people who savor the chaos created by suicide bombs and rocket fire, and the potential for nuclear weapons being developed in Iran. For them, another year just means business as usual: kill the Jews, take their land, go after the Christians and other “infidels” next (including gay men and women, political dissidents, Hindus, Baha’i and Buddhists, to name a few). If Israel is first on their agenda, can Spain and Southern France be far behind, not to mention the Balkans, parts of Greece and as far north as Vienna (those places were once under Islamic rule and, according to some clerics, must be recaptured). Who knows what 5768 will bring? Hurricane season is not over until Oct. 31. Will another Katrina permanently destroy New Orleans as the second anniversary of that hurricane came this week? Or will one aim its fury at another American city? What will happen in Israel? In Iraq? And in other parts of the
world that effect our daily lives? What about the 2008 campaign -- how will that play out? And of course, what occurs in family life -illnesses, accidents, tragedies, financial woes, divorces, deaths -- as well as simchas like weddings, B’nai Mitzvah, anniversaries and births, new jobs and homes -- will add to the challenges and joys faced in the coming year. Whatever happens, may we all have the strength to face the future. Shana Tova!
Jewish Press Committee Bobbi Leibowitz, Vice-Chairman; Stan Mitchell, Secretary; Scott Meyerson, Treasurer; Michael Siegel, Finance Chairman; Joanie Jacobson, Immediate Past-chairman; David Herzog; Susan Lehr; Jamie Meyerson; George Quittner; Eve Randone, Melissa Schop; Michael Sigmond; Jim Simon; Nancy Skid; and Dorothy Spizman. The role of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to involve Jews in meeting Jewish communal needs locally, nationally and in Israel. Centers of Excellence of the Federation are: Community Relations, Jewish Community Center, Center for Jewish Education, Jewish Family Service, and Jewish Senior Services. The Jewish Press is a constitutional committee of the Jewish Federation. Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Committee, the Jewish Federation of Omaha or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole. The Jewish Press reserves the right to edit signed letters and articles for space and content. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment.
Hard choice: explaining the return to ‘The Big Easy’
BEHIND THE H EADLINES by GAIL NARON CHALEW NEW ORLEANS (JTA) -- Anniversaries are times to remember the past, and I am luckier than most people because my memories are preserved in print. They can’t be deluged by toxic floodwaters or spread to the winds. I just have to read what I wrote one week after Katrina, or during that first year when I was living in exile in Baltimore, to churn up the emotion and passion that is life in New Orleans these days. It is precisely this intensity that keeps me here. For several months, my husband and I had been weighing whether to accept a generous job offer for him in another city. When we made the decision to stay, I knew it was the right one. A theologian once said that spirituality is living in the more. By that definition, New Orleans is a very spiritual place. But it is no longer “The Big Easy.” We cannot take for granted basic services like water, electricity, streetlights and smooth roads. Insurance, utilities and rent have skyrocketed, as has crime. Mental health and day care services are a fraction of what they were preKatrina. Although much progress has been made in fixing damaged homes and businesses, there are still abandoned homes with weeds taking over the lawns and debris marring the streets of neighborhoods that flooded. My governor has bungled billions in federal funds designed to help homeowners rebuild. My senator is in a call girl’s phone book; my congressman was caught with $90,000 in his freezer and was indicted for bribery, and my at-large councilman just pleaded guilty to corruption charges. I used to criticize the mayor for not taking a leadership role in the recovery effort. Given his recent remarks lauding the city’s high murder rate as keeping New Orleans’ brand alive,
I only want him to keep his mouth shut until his successor is elected. So why did we decide to stay? Put simply, life here seems richer, more vibrant, and more purposeful, and you cannot put a dollar value on that. We who have chosen to stay and rebuild are like the chalutzim, the pioneers who built the modern state of Israel. We feel a part of both making history and making a difference. Fixing up your home, helping others salvage their belongings, eating out in a restaurant, even buying tchotchkes in the French Market -- all that makes a difference.
... what makes life more meaningful is the opportunity that disaster has provided to reinvent an entire city and its institutions, from health care to education to neighborhood redevelopment. But what makes life even more meaningful is the opportunity that disaster has provided to reinvent an entire city and its institutions, from health care to education to neighborhood redevelopment. Dozens of idealistic young Jews -- including my 24-year-old daughter, who is working for a micro-enterprise project in the African American community -- are flocking to New Orleans to make that difference, enlivening the Jewish community in the process. New Orleans has become an incubator for these young people and their non-Jewish peers, providing them an environment characterized by a combination of significant challenges and significant responsibility. Just as a marker of Baby Boomer status was being at Woodstock in ’69, this generation’s credentials might be measured by whether or not they were in New Orleans after Katrina. As an aging Boomer, I cannot think of anything more rejuvenating than to be around these energetic, high-minded young people who believe they indeed have the power to change
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the world. They will be the political, education and community leaders of the coming decades. My husband and I are staying in New Orleans because of a sense of obligation. He is a pediatric specialist in a city with few health care resources; here he knows he will make an impact. As a volunteer, I have been serving as an informal liaison between the New Orleans Jewish Federation and Jewish groups from across the country come here and do the very unglamorous work of gutting and de-weeding and putting up sheetrock. Taking these volunteers on disaster tours and helping them have these meaningful experiences is my way of rebuilding the city. We are staying also because the education that my 17-year-old son is getting by living in post-Katrina New Orleans is invaluable, despite the fact that his flooded high school is still not completely repaired. He has learned the importance of self-reliance: if you see something that should be changed, then get involved and don’t wait for government to help you. He has learned the importance of local community: the first businesses to reopen were ones owned by locals, and many of the chain stores have decided not to rebuild. He has seen villains and heroes in action, and now is better able to distinguish between the two. From his parents, who have rejected an easier life for a more meaningful one, he has learned the importance of fulfilling one’s obligations and valuing the intangibles of commitment and passion. We are also staying for a less noble but no less important reason: New Orleans is fun! We build into our schedule time to eat its great food, hear its great music, and savor its beautiful architecture. Just walking around the French Quarter makes us feel as if we are on vacation. New Orleans stirs and then satisfies the passions; in the midst of tragedy, it celebrates life. And what could be better than that.
Editorial The Jewish Press is a Constitutional Committee of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Deadline for copy, ads and photos is: Thursday, 9 a.m., eight days prior to publication. E-mail editorial material and photos to: ckatzman@jewishomaha.org; send ads (in .TIF or .PDF format) to: rbusse@jewishomaha.org. Letters to the Editor Guidelines The Jewish Press welcomes Letters to the Editor. They may be sent via regular mail to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154; via fax: 1-402-334-5422 or via e-mail to the Editor at: ckatzman@jewishomaha.org.. Letters should be no longer than 250 words and must be singlespaced typed, not hand-written. Published letters should be confined to opinions and comments on articles or events. News items should not be submitted and printed as a “Letter to the Editor.” The Editor may edit letters for content and space restrictions, but should be printed as soon as possible to ensure timeliness. Letters may be published without giving an opposing view. Information shall be verified before printing. All letters must be signed by the writer, but the name can be withheld at the writer’s request. No letters should be published from candidates running for office, but others may write on their behalf. Letters of thanks should be confined to commending an institution for a program, project or event, rather than personally thanking paid staff, unless the writer chooses to turn the “Letter to the Editor” into a paid personal ad or a news article about the event, project or program which the professional staff supervised. For more information, contact Carol Katzman, Jewish Press Editor, 402.334.6450. Postal The Jewish Press (USPS 275620) is published weekly on Friday for $33 per calendar year U.S.; $40 foreign, by the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Phone: 402.334.6448; FAX: 402.334.5422. Periodical postage paid at Omaha, NE. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198 or e-mail to: jpress@jewishomaha. org.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
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British boycotters ignore facts Rosh Hashanah offers a chance to take (and people) on the ground stock of humanity’s treatment of the earth
FOCUS ON ISSUES by NANCY FALCHUK NEW YORK (JTA) -- Nearly 300 American university presidents recently took a bold stand in stating their opposition to the vote by the British University and College Union to boycott Israeli academic institutions. In an ad sponsored by the American Jewish Committee, these university leaders not only threw their support behind their sister institutions in Israel, but did so by telling their counterparts in Britain that “if you discriminate against Israeli academics, then you effectively discriminate against us.” Much has already been said on both sides about the tactics of boycotting Israeli academic institutions. But the one element that has been missing from the debate is the sheer irony of marginalizing and ostracizing those on the ground in Israel who are the only people in the world with the ability to change the situation for the better. The Hadassah Medical Organization, founded and funded by Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, is an academic center in Jerusalem that consists of two hospitals and, together with the Hebrew University, runs five academic medical schools. Our university medical institution not only teaches our medical professionals the tools of their trade, they teach them its ethics.
Just as 300 American universities proudly identify with their colleagues in Israel, the medical and educational personnel at Hadassah Medical Organization identify with their Palestinian partners with whom they collaborate. They did not let politics onto our premises when we saved lives of Palestinian suicide bombers who were injured while assassinating hundreds of Israelis during the two intifadas. They do not let politics in the door when they save lives of Palestinian babies with severe heart defects. They ignore politics when they conduct numerous collaborative research and clinical projects with Palestinian physicians and other health professionals in a variety of medical and health areas. Hadassah considers it our mission to serve as a bridge to peace by forging links between people of all nationalities, races and religions who come through our doors for healing. Here are just a few ways our teaching hospitals do that: • The Hadassah Medical Organization has committed itself to train staff and provide expertise to assure appropriate quality oncology services at the Augusta Victoria Hospital, a Palestinian hospital that is developing a cancer center to serve patients from the West Bank and Gaza. • Some 30 physicians from the West Bank have already completed ongoing training at Hadassah to provide improved medical care in their villages. • Hadassah has been working to improve trauma care in the region and to improve communications between trauma care professionals by knowing each other as individuals. Any decision to boycott Israeli academia would include Hadassah – and all its medical and research personnel. These are not just Israeli Jews and Arabs, but Palestinian physicians, nurses, social workers and other health professionals who work at Hadassah and consider it their professional home. A boycott by the British Academic Union would mean blackballing the small, but real, steps the Hadassah Medical Organization makes every day towards peace in the region. And Hadassah is not unique: There is not an Israeli teaching hospital that does not do the same. Just as 300 American universities proudly identify with their colleagues in Israel, the medical and educational personnel at Hadassah Medical Organization identify with their Palestinian partners with whom they collaborate. We strongly urge the members of the British University and College Union to do what academics should do: Closely examine the facts, then make an informed decision. We believe if they do so, they will drop their damaging actions and join the family of those who work with each other and empathize with each other to heal the Middle East and the world. Nancy Falchuk is the national president of Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America.
“shall rule” the creatures of the earth and expresses that mankind is the apex of God’s creation, but in no way does it indicate that everything that precedes mankind is unimportant. In fact, God markedly identified each as “good.” by PAUL STEINBERG Moreover, the medieval collection of midrashim, Pirke de Rebbe Eliezer, suggests that Genesis’s distinction of DALLAS (JTA) -- Rosh Hashanah is a time of rebirth. man as “ruler” means spiritual leader. After man was creHowever, this fall holiday brings a different sort of ated, the other creatures feared him, worshipping him as rebirth than springtime: After months of grueling heat their creator. Yet, he humbled himself and used his power and decay, the earth is refreshed with kernels of over them to make common cause with them, by leading September green. In Israel, palm trees blossom with them to “make God King, the one who created us all.” Rosh Hashanah is a time to remember the moral of honey-sweet dates during the fall, providing the flavor of the creation account, acknowledging our unique status our celebration of the birthday of the universe. Yet while the earth renews itself physically, we renew as masters of the earth, while stressing Judaism’s core theological assertion: ourselves spiritually. The fundamental lesson of Rosh Hashanah and God is the creator of the For this reason, Rosh universe and it belongs to Hashanah, also known as the fall holidays is twofold: that we human beings Him. We remind ourthe Day of Remembrance, is the traditional have incredible power for which we must be grateful selves of this when we ask God for yearly blessings, time of year for heshbon and that we must set limits upon this power. echoed by the poet’s supnefesh, “taking stock of the soul.” As I take stock of this past year, I find myself plication in our High Holiday prayer book: In Your lovingkindness and faithfulness, O Lord, supthinking more than ever before about Judaism’s view of port Your world that is judged at the four seasons of the earth. I recall a G-Eight summit to discuss governmental each year… When You visit the earth on this Rosh responses to global warming and gas emissions. I Hashanah, invest it with righteousness, with fruits and remember the United Nations scientific panel declaring dew, with rains and warmth…. The fundamental lesson of Rosh Hashanah and the fall that it is “very likely” that human activity is the cause of “unequivocal” warming and climate change. I also rec- holidays is twofold: that we human beings have incrediollect the stir over the Oscar-winning documentary An ble power for which we must be grateful and that we Inconvenient Truth. I am reminded again and again that must set limits upon this power. Throughout the fall holidays, we confess our transgressions, our acts of selfthe earth and, in turn, humanity are in potential crisis. Will this Rosh Hashanah bring more awareness of this ishness, self-importance, and entitlement. Indeed, crisis and teshuvah, meaningful change, than the passed Falwell had it exactly backwards: By loving the earth and protecting its supreme value, we are in fact serving and one? Consider this past March, before his death, when Jerry showing reverence to God as the Creator. We are the Falwell, founder of the Moral Majority, one of the chief custodians of the earth, “placed in the garden to largest evangelical political lobby groups, launched into till and tend it” [Genesis 2:15]. By merely picking up trash, we belittle the intention of a fiery tirade in which he derided environmentalists, opposing anyone who accepts the possibility of global God’s creation. Again our rabbis expound: When God created the first human beings, God led them around warming. Rather than scientific proofs, Falwell offered interpre- the Garden of Eden and said: “Look at my works! See tations of biblical verses as his evidence, concluding, “I how beautiful they are -- how excellent! For your sake I agree every Christian ought to be an environmentalist of created them all. See to it that you do not spoil and reasonable sort. We should certainly pick up trash. We destroy My world; for if you do, there will be no one else to repair it.” [Midrash, Ecclesiastes Rabbah] ought to beautify the earth as best we can.” The scientific disciplines teach us that the earth and its But, he also said, “we shouldn’t be hugging trees and worshipping the creation more than we worship the ecosystems live in a delicate balance. Our Torah teaches us that we are supposed to preserve and keep that balCreator, and that is what global warming is all about.” Although Falwell offered one religious perspective on ance sustainable, respecting the trees, plants, and anithe earth and the environment (one, likely, not shared by mals by how we grow, reap, yoke, and even slaughter all evangelicals), it is antithetical to the Jewish perspec- them. If we learn anything during the holiday season, it tive. After all, every Jewish holiday born out of the Torah is that what we do in the world matters. Our actions is associated with honoring the earth and the cycle of the have an impact and it is the intent behind those actions, seasons. Furthermore, Maimonides taught that we come as well as our commitment to tikkun olam, repairing an to love, appreciate and know God when we “contem- imperfect world, that marks our sacred pact with God. Rabbi Paul Steinberg is the author of Celebrating plate God’s wondrous and great deeds and creations.” True, the first chapter of Genesis says that mankind the Jewish Year (Jewish Publication Society, 2007).
BEHIND THE HEADLINES
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR To the Editor: I am writing in reference to the June 8 editorialin the Jewish Press,“Sen. Hagel has it backwards.” It states: “We’re disappointed that Sen. Hagel seems to view Israel as doing no right and its neighbors as doing no wrong.” As someone who has known Senator Hagel for seven years, I can tell you that statement is simply not accurate. In a speech to the Brookings Institution last years, Senator Hagel said the following: “The United States will remain committed to defending Israel. Our relationship with Israel is a special and historic one. But, it need not and cannot be at the expense of our Arab and Muslim relationships. That is an irresponsible and dangerous false choice. Achieving a lasting resolution to the Arab-Israeli conflict is as much in Israel’s interest as any other country in the world.” This statement is emblematic of Sen. Hagel’s balanced and thoughtful approach to U.S.-Israel relations. I can tell you that Sen. Hagel understands the unique and special relationship that exists between the United States and Israel and he is committed to that relationship. Sen. Hagel is a true friend to Israel who will not turn away from the tough issues we face. That is the kind of friendship we need more of, not less. Rabbi Aryeh Azriel Temple Israel
To the Editor: The Israel Project has a policy of refraining from making comments on coverage of the Middle East. However, given that Christiane Amanpour’s Aug. 21 piece on CNN, “God’s Warriors,” likely left the erroneous impression that Israel is not committed to peace, we are issuing the following fact sheets to ensure that the record is clear. Indeed, Israel is committed to a twostate solution in which both sides -- Israelis and Palestinians -- can have a better future. Israel gave up all of the Sinai for peace with Egypt, made peace with Jordan and recently gave up all of Gaza in hopes of peace. The Israeli government now meets regularly with Palestinian leaders who want a peaceful future. The majority of Israelis want a two-state solution. Sadly, rockets are still hitting Israel from inside Gaza almost every day -- more than 1,500 since Israel left Gaza -- and many Israelis still live in fear of attacks. For more information, visit our website at: www.theisraelproject.org. Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi Founder and President, The Israel Project
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
August 31, 2007
Candlelighting Friday, Aug. 31, 7:41 p.m.
Synagogue Listings B’nai Israel Synagogue 618 Mynster St. Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com
Beth El Synagogue Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California Omaha, NE 68154-1980 492.8550 www.bethel-omaha.org
Beth Israel Synagogue Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific St. Omaha, NE. 68154 556.6288 BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org
Beyt Shalom An Affiliate of the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation 3012 S. 119 St. P.O. Box 390352 Omaha, NE 68139 660.2395 www.beytshalomomaha.org
Chabad House An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 S. 120th St. Omaha, NE 68144-1646 330.1800 www.OChabad.com email: chabad@aol.com
Congregation B’nai Jeshurun South Street Temple Union for Reform Judaism 2061 S. 20th St. Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 435.8004 southstreettemple.org
Offutt Air Force Base SAC Memorial Chapel 301 Lincoln Highway Offutt AFB, NE 68113 294.6244
Rose Blumkin Jewish Home 333 S. 132 St. Omaha, NE 68154
Temple Israel Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 7023 Cass Street Omaha, NE 68132-2651 556.6536 templeisrael-ne.org
The Neighborhood Minyan 1317 No. 57 St. Omaha, NE 68132 551.6609
Tifereth Israel Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Blvd., Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 423.8569 www.tiferethisraellincoln.org
Tree of Life Center 2925 Prairie Road Lincoln, NE 68506 613.7443 email: treeoflife.rabbimichael @yahoo.com
B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE FRIDAY: No services. Saturday, Sept. 22, 5:30 p.m., Yom Kippur concluding service and Break-the-fast potluck. Please call 323.8885 to RSVP and let Sandra Kurland know what dish you’d like to bring.
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to reserve space, call
Allan Handleman, 334.6451, or Terri Greenwood, 334.6559.
University’s TGI Wednesdays, 10:15 a.m.; Kabbalah Circle, 7 p.m.; A Peek Through the Lens of Kabbalah, 8 p.m. THURSDAY: Jewish Thought, 12:45 p.m.
BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE
Services conducted by Rabbi Ilan Emanuel. FRIDAY, Shabbat Service, 7:45 p.m., oneg by Michelle Schreiber. SATURDAY: Shabbat Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. led by Rabbi Emanuel; MONDAY: Temple office closed for Labor Day. THURSDAY, 7 p.m.: Choir rehearsal; Board of Directors meeting. Rich Recht in Concert: Sunday, Sept. 16, 4:30 p.m.: sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Lincoln.
BETH EL SYNAGOGUE Services conducted by Rabbi Mordechai Levin and Cantor Gastón Bogomolni. FRIDAY: Musical Kabbalat Shabbat service, 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning services, 9:30 a.m.; Kiddush is sponsored by Margaret and Lewis Heller, in honor of the upcoming marriage of their son, Joshua Heller, to Laynie Ginsburg; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 7:50 p.m. HIGH HOLIDAY LUNCH ‘N’ LEARN Join Rabbi Levin for a special lunch, “Preparing our minds and souls for the high holidays”, Saturday, Sept. 1, following Shabbat services. Cost is $9; to RSVP contact Margie Gutnik in the synagogue office or at programming@bethel-omaha .org. Sitter Service is available during Friday night and Saturday morning services, on a drop-in basis, at no charge. SUNDAY, Bible Study Discussion Group, 10 a.m. TUESDAY, 7 p.m.: Bible translation for Jews, Mini-course taught by Creighton University professor Leonard Greenspoon; Cost is $18. To register, call the office. THURSDAY: Women’s Book Club led by Susan Paley, 2 p.m. The group will be reading Peony by Pearl S. Buck. BESTT BACK-TOSCHOOL BREAKFAST Sunday, Sept. 9, 9:45 a.m.; families and BESTT faculty are invited to breakfast sponsored by Men’s Club and Sisterhood. At 10:15, Karen Gustafson will speak about her “Parenting with Love and Logic” class scheduled to begin Wednesday, Oct. 10. WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.
MEMORIAL SERVICES SUNDAY SEPT. 9
Mount Sinai noon
Beth Israel
If you’re looking at this space, so are others!
SELIHOT PROGRAM AND SERVICES Saturday, Sept. 8, 9 p.m.: Panel discussion featuring memories of High Holy Days around the world from Israel, Argentina, Spain, Russia, Cuba and Mexico followed by dessert reception and selichot services, 10:30 pm.
Rabbi Gross will lead Kever Avot services: Golden Hill, 11 a.m.; Beth Israel/Mt. Sinai, noon; BHH/ Fisher Farms, 1 p.m.
Tifereth Israel Mt. Carmel Cemetery, 11 a.m.
B’nai Jeshurun Wyuka Cemetery, 3:30 p.m. SUNDAY, SEPT. 16
Beth El Beth El Cemetery, 10:30 a.m.
B’nai Israel Council Bluffs Cemetery, 11 a.m.
Temple Israel Temple Israel Cemetery, 2 p.m.
Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs., 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Fri., 8:30 a.m-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Jonathan Gross. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 7 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m. free babysitting, 9:30 a.m.; Children’s Classes, 9:45 a.m. with Torah Parade; Kiddush sponsored by the Sisterhood. Mincha, 7:30 p.m. followed by Suedat Shlishit and Gemara class; Havdalah, 8:40 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 8:30 p.m. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:30 p.m. MONDAY: Synagogue office is closed for Labor Day. TUESDAY: Sisterhood lunch, noon, featuring a Virtual Tour of the new Rose Blumkin Home with Mike Silverman. THURSDAY: Women of the Torah Class, 9:30 a.m.; Rabbi’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m.
BEYT SHALOM FRIDAY: Shabbat in the home.
CHABAD HOUSE Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. FRIDAY: Service, 7 a.m. SATURDAY: Maamar class, 9 a.m.; Service, 9:30 a.m.; Kiddush luncheon follows the service. SUNDAY: Service, 8:30 a.m.; Living Torah, 9:30 a.m., 20minute video broadcast. WEEKDAYS: Services, 7 a.m. MONDAY: Maamar Kabbalistic Insights for Women, 12:15 p.m.; Halacha, 7 p.m. TUESDAY: W.O.W. Tehillim & More, 9 a.m.; Parshah Roundup: Weekly Torah Portion, 7 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Mishpacha
To Submit B’nai Mitzvah Announcements Announcements may be emailed to the Press with attached photos in .jpg or .tif files to jpress@jewishomaha.org; faxed to 402.334.5422, or mailed to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154. Forms are available through Omaha and Lincoln synagogues, by contacting The Jewish Press at 402.334.6448, or by e-mailing the Editor at: ckatzman@jewishomaha.org. You can also submit other announcements -- births engagements, marriages, commitment ceremonies or obituaries -- online at the Jewish Federation of Omaha website: www.jewishomaha.org. Click on “Jewish Press” and go to Submit Announcements.
CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m.
ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m. led by Andy Greenberg.
TEMPLE ISRAEL FRIDAY: Shabbat Service, 6 p.m., Rabbi Eric Linder and Cantor Wendy Shermet will lead services. SATURDAY: Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. Bar Mitzvah of Justin Schrager. SITTER SERVICE: Available each Friday evening 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. No facilities for infants. TUESDAY: High Holiday Kol Rina Rehearsals, 7 p.m. (and Sunday, Sept. 9, 1 p.m.). Sunday, Sept. 16, 10 a.m.: First Day of Religious School includes a prayer assembly at 10:45 a.m., concert with Rick Recht, and bbq, sponsored by the
HELD OVER! The NJHS exhibit of Gary Gerelick’s photos will be on display in the JCC Gallery through Sunday, Sept. 2.
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: Jewishheritage@gmail.com.
Golf committee. Family and friends are invited at 10:45 a.m.
NEIGHBORHOOD MINYAN FRIDAY: Minyan, 7 p.m. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m. No services during the Yom Tovim, from Sept. 12-Oct. 6; services will resume Oct. 12.
TIFERETH ISRAEL Services conducted by Nancy Coren, Lay Leader. Office hours are Monday-Friday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. FRIDAY: Nosh, 6:15 p.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat, 6:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning service, 9:30 a.m., Torah service, 10:15 a.m.. MONDAY: Synagogue office closed for Labor Day. MONDAY and THURSDAY: Minyan, 9 a.m. Contact the office to arrange for a minyan at another time. WEDNESDAY: Men’s lunch group meets at the Knolls, 12:30 p.m.; call Yale Gotsdiner at 423.7066. Sunday, Sept. 9: Lincoln Jewish Community School, 9:30 a.m. Rich Recht in Concert: Sunday, Sept. 16, 4:30 p.m.: sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Lincoln.
TREE OF LIFE CENTER Services and activities led by Rabbi Michael Weisser. Offsite classes at First Plymouth Church, 20th & South Sts; no registration required; onsite classes: 2925 Prairie Rd. SATURDAY, 6:30-7:30 p.m.: Drumming Meditation and Jewish Mystical Chanting,, followed by a meal and Havdalah when the stars are out. MONDAY, 6:30 P.M.: Insight Meditation, followed by refreshments and instruction. TUESDAY: Torah, prophets and writings: “A Journey through the Literature of the Hebrew Scripture,” 9:30-11 a.m. and 7-8:30 p.m.; Comparative Religion, noon. WEDNESDAY, 6:30 p.m.: Adv. Mindfulness Meditation. THURSDAY, 7 p.m.: Int. Mindfulness Meditation.
BAR MITZVAH Aaron Stein, son of Rick and Diane Stein, will become a Bar Mitzvah on Sept. 8 at Beth El. He is a seventh grader at Kiewit Middle School. He has a sister, Rachel. His grandparents are Jay and Peggy Chasen and Art and Lorrie Stein.
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August 31, 2007
Days of Awe: guideline to reverence
SPARKS FROM THE WORD by RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Yamim Noraim Many of us find it hard to offer prayer in the words of the previous generations: “Who shall live and who shall die, who shall become rich and who shall become poor?” But prayers of this kind, if we take them somewhat less than literally, express in marvelous words and impressive insights the mystery of life, the uncertainties within it, and the fragile character of man’s breath. Another such passage is this: “Now, O Lord our God, imbue all Your creatures with fear of You, and with awe all whom You have created.” But Jewish tradition has it that man must make the choice himself and that God cannot impose His fear on us! There is no way out of this intellectual inconsistency, where we ask God to make us revere Him! The point seems to be that we ought to let our lives be guided be with reverence for God, rather than by the brittle and superficial standards of marketplace and street and club. I hazard these guidelines to help us live life with reverence: I think that we must meet life joyously, but not frivolously. The Torah reading on Rosh Hashanah (Thursday-Friday, Sept. 13-14 this year), sees Ishmael sent away from Abraham’s home, and it was because he viewed life scoffingly, frivolously. He was a metzahek, a scoffer. But notice that Isaac, who was to carry on the tradition, was “Yitzchak, the one who will laugh” dur-
ing his life. It is in that narrow choice, between joy and frivolity that we must make our decision. I think, second, that we must meet life bravely, but not rashly. The Israelites who transversed the wilderness with Moses, who entered the Land with Joshua, who stood with David, who stood by the prophets Amos and Jeremiah and many others, lived bravely, manfully, but not rashly -- for they stood for the highest value of their time and all time. They offered their lives only for ideals of the highest import. And third, we might say that we are to meet life compassionately, but not supinely. It has been remarked that the spiritual atmosphere of the East produced religions which desire to reach “lifewithout-desire,” to reach that kind of quiet contemplation in which there will be no human desires. The religions of the East produced Yoga; but the spirit of Israel produced the prophets. Prophetic religion demands that we look at life compassionately, for we look on all human beings as our brothers. And yet we are not to live life supinely, without desire. On the contrary, prophetic religion calls for the greatest love of mankind, exercised in the unremitting battle against the enemies of mankind. And these enemies are poverty, ignorance, disease, deprivation, and most of all, oppression and inhumanity. Compassion includes indignation, to extirpate these enemies of human life. Prophetic religion demands that in our compassion, there be no rest for our conscience. Accept life joyously; live it bravely; experience it compassionately -- these spell out the life of reverence, the life of awe.
NATHAN MELTZER Nathan Meltzer died Aug. 22 in Long Beach, CA. He was 87. He was preceded in death by his wife, Edith. He is survived by daughters and sons-in-law, Zoe and Carl Riekes, and Sharon and Matt Sloan of Long Beach; son and daughter-in-law, David and Lynne Meltzer of
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Las Vegas; seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Memorials to charity of choice. MICHAEL SHUKERT Michael Shukert died at the age of 66. Services were held Aug. 28 at BHH/Fisher Farms Cemetery. He is survived by his sister and brother-in-law, Gloria Shukert-Jones and Dennis Jones; niece and her husband, Yvonne and Pete Nachtigall; niece, Hilarie Manion; great-niece and great-nephews, Caleb, Kendra and Jacob Nachtigall; and uncle, Nate Shukert. Memorials are requested to Beth Israel Synagogue or the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.
CALLAWAY KITE Flight - September 1 & 2, 10 to 4pm. Concessions including Cold Stone, evening entertainment, ranch rodeo, art, craft, & car shows. 308-836-2620. FOR SALE at auction: 1968 Shelby GT500KR - 1957 BelAir Convertible - 1970 Superbird. The Branson Auction, Oct. 19-20. Call now to bid or consign, 800-335-3063, www.bransonauction.com. SELL YOUR classic car, truck or motorcycle online. Call this newspaper or call 800-3692850 to place your ad on the national www.midwestclassiccars.com web site for only $25.00. Your ad runs until your vehicle is sold! HOT TUBS, Pre-State Fair prices in August. Choose from 30 twin pump, chemical free models, $2,995-$5,695, regular priced from $4,495 to $7,495. 1-800-869-0406. For pictures and prices, goodlifespa.com. RESTAURANT EQUIPMENT Outlet: S/S refrigerator, $1,400; new and used equipment. 2121 Floyd Blvd, Sioux City, IA, 1-800-526-7105. Check out our new website www.Chillmasters.biz. ALL CASH candy route. Do you earn $800 in a day? Your own local candy route. Includes 30 machines and candy all for $9,995. 1-888-755-1356. MLT/MT: FULLTIME opening at Chase County Community Hospital, Imperial, NE. Sign on bonus! Benefit package with a competitive wage. Call 308-882-7234, email: jsccch@gpcom.net.
To submit obituaries: E-mail to the Press at jpress@jewishomaha.org; fax to 402.334.5422, or mail to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154, or online at the Jewish Federation of Omaha website: www.jewishomaha.org. Click on “Jewish Press” and go to Submit Announcements.
Registration for birthright israel trips opens this week by JESSICA ROSENBLUM NEW YORK -- Taglit-birthright israel will open registration online to young people in North America for participation in its winter 2007-08 trips beginning Sept. 5. The organization provides the gift of first time, peer group, educational trips to Israel for Jewish young adults. Taglit-birthright israel operates on a belief that it is every Jewish person’s birthright to visit Israel. To date, 145,000 young adults from 52 countries have traveled to Israel on the ten-day trips. The program is open to all Jewish young adults, ages 18 to 26, who have not traveled to Israel before on a peer educational trip or study program, regardless of religious affiliation, community involvement or financial wherewithal. Due to the tremendous popularity of the program, registration has typically been closed before original deadline, once the program’s capacity has been met. Applicants are encouraged to apply early as registration for December and January trips may close as early as Oct.1; registration will be open for February and March trips only until Oct. 15 . Generous contributions from private donors, including a recent gift of $60 million from the Sheldon and
60 Years Experience With Jewish Lettering and Memorials
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Statewide Classified (Editor’s note: this column appeared in Rabbi Kripke’s 1988 book, Insight and Interpretation.)
DEATHS
JAMES C. BURROUGHS Former Omahan James C. Burroughs died Aug. 16 in Vienna, VA. He was 96. Services and burial were held there. An athlete in high school and at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, he was named to the Jewish Community Center’s Athletes Wall of Fame. A retired engineer and attorney, he worked for the Veteran’s Administration’s legal department. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Alice Burroughs, of Vienna, VA; daughters and sons-in-law, Barbara and Larry Wilson of Rosemont, VA, and Beth and Bruce Galbraith of Nokesville, VA; son and daughter-in-law, James N. and Dr. Susan Burroughs of Oakton, VA; six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Memorials to the Youth Basketball and Athletics at the Jewish Community Center of Omaha.
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Miriam Adelson Family Foundation, have enabled the program to expand the number of those able to participate significantly this year. Winter trips will run mid-December 2007 through March 2008. The dates and descriptions of specific trips are available on www.birthrightisrael.com from which applicants can select online. Taglit-birthright israel works with nearly two dozen “Trip Organizers” (diverse educational and tourism organizations) to offer a range of trips, with varying itineraries and group compositions, to suit the diverse range of interests and affinities the program aims to attract from within the Jewish community. The gift of the 10-day trip is being provided by the people of Israel through the Government of Israel, North American Jewish Federations through the United Jewish Communities (UJC), and leading private philanthropists through the birthright israel Foundation. To learn more about signing up for a Taglit-birthright israel trip, Jewish young adults (and their parents) may visit the website; staff are also available to answer questions via e-mail at information@birthrightisrael.com or via telephone at 888.99.ISRAEL.
PHYSICAL THERAPIST Assistant: Chase County Community Hospital in Imperial, NE, is seeking a PTA. Sign on bonus, competitive wages/benefits. 308-882-7234, email: jsccch@gpcom.net. AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYEE, full-time. Benefits package. Must have experience in farming and feedlot. References required. Must speak English. Call 308-728-7920 or 308-728-7011, leave a message. EXPERIENCED, SELF-MOTIVATED scraper-dozer operator needed, with understanding of blueprints. Home nights. Benefits, pickup furnished, room for advancement. $50,000+/year. 402-395-2226. EOE. FOREMEN TO lead utility field crews. Outdoor physical work, many entry-level positions, paid training, $17/hour plus weekly performance bonuses after promotion, living allowance when traveling, company truck and good benefits. Must have strong leadership skills, good driving history, and be able to travel in Nebraska and Great Plains States. Email resume to Recruiter25@osmose.com or fax 1-800-519-3526. www.OsmoseUtilities.com. EOE M/F/D/V. PAINTERS/LABORERS needed immediately. Landmark Structures is hiring painters with experience in industrial coatings. Laborers willing to learn coatings industry are also needed. Must be able to travel extensively on a 10 days on, four days off work schedule - all travel expenses, including airfare, hotels, per diem, paid by Landmark. These are full-time, permanent positions with our company. Call Joseph for more information at 800-888-6816, ext. 450. THE NEBRASKA State Patrol is accepting applications for the position of Trooper until 10/31/2007. Salary up to $39,832.00. Application - www.nsp.state.ne.us or 1-866JOIN-NSP. Equal opportunity employer. DRIVERS: CALL today! Great bonus opportunity! 36-43cpm/$1.20pm, $0 lease new trucks, CDL-A + 3 months OTR, 800-635-8669. DRIVERS: GUARANTEED $750.00 weekly! Will train van, reefer, tanker drivers! Terminals in Grand Island, NE, and Rensselaer, IN. Dedicated flatbed carrier for Chief Industries. Class A-CDL/1 year OTR experience required. GICC, 877-367-4422, www.gicc.chiefind.com. DRIVERS: WE pay more! Reefer average $1,016/week. Excellent network, late model equipment, 401k, Blue Cross Insurance, 800-771-6318, www.primeinc.com. TRUCK DRIVERS: CDL training. Up to $20,000 bonus. Accelerate your career as a soldier. Drive out terrorism by keeping the Army National Guard supplied. 1-800-GOGUARD.com/truck.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
August 31, 2007