thejewishpress AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA
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Selichot weekend at Beth El: Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz page 5
Kaplan Book Group discusses The Devil in Jerusalem page 6
Honey cake with apples and pecans page 12
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Our backyard: Burke Stadium
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AnneTTe vAn de KAMp-wRiGHT don’t even have to be an athlete! The stadium has allowed the school to have such impact through the years, from the Editor, Jewish Press irst constructed in 1967, the Burke High School dance team to all the games people come to see. The track meet is the third largest in the (Home of the Bullcountry!” dogs!) Stadium has Area sports clubs along hosted hundreds of with elementary and middle classes, football schools utilize the stadium games, band competitions, facilities as well. There have soccer practices and even been, of course, those famous Lacrosse games. State Track meets, held at Toba Cohen-Dunning, ExBurke for 47 continuous ecutive Director of the years. Besides being the Omaha Public Schools Founhome of the Bulldogs, it curdation, said: rently serves as home field of “Burke High School has Creighton Prep High School meant a lot to the Omaha football. Burke Stadium has Jewish Community. As I was annually hosted “The Fellowgrowing up, I was aware that ship Games” for Special Edumost Jewish kids went either cation students. Sheri Wehr, to Central High or to Burke— principal at Morton Middle especially since it was so close School has organized the to the Jewish Community event over the years. It has Center after it moved in the also hosted special graduaearly 1970s. You don’t actually Sam Kohll readies to run in a relay in 2012 at the Omaha have to be an alumnus of Burke Stadium Track, home of the State Track Meet. Sam and tion ceremonies, community events and concerts—and Burke to understand how his sister, Anna, started the running tradition for the Kohll that’s just the tip of the much impact the school has family at Burke High. Brothers Jack and Leo Kohll currently See Burke Stadium page 3 had in our community. You are Bulldog runners.
Introducing the Omaha Community Beit Midrash
AnneTTe vAn de KAMp-wRiGHT Editor, Jewish Press When Beth Israel’s rabbi Ari Dembitzer first moved to Omaha, he watched a congregant park—far away from the front door, even though there were closer spots. When he asked why, the congregant told
him: “Other people might need those closer spots.” It illustrates how caring this community is, he said: “Jewish people are a united people. When we are able, we should speak as one and Omaha is very good at that. This is one of the most close-knit communities I have ever seen. We have different viewpoints, but we have so much love.” Case in point: the planned Community Beit Midrash, which will kick off Oct. 23 and involves Beth El’s Rabbi Abraham, Temple Israel’s Rabbi Stoller, Beth Israel’s Rabbi Dembitzer and Chabad’s Rabbi Katzman as teachers. “The idea for community-wide adult learning, involving all four rabbis and partnering with the Jewish Federation of See Community Beit Midrash page 2
Goldstein Lecture on Human Rights
CuRTiS HuTT became a member of the ConstituDirector, Goldstein Center for Human tional Court of South Africa. Rights and Director of Programming, Justice Goldstone’s visit to Schwalb Center Omaha coincides with that of On Thursday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m., Samuel Bak, whose paintings there will be a Special Goldstein thanks to the work of the UNO Lecture on Human Fried Academy Rights held at and Schwalb CenUNO’s Strauss Perter, are now on disforming Arts Cenplay at the UNO ter. 25 years after Weber Fine Arts the end of Museum. A day apartheid in South after Bak speaks at Africa, the HonorUNO, the Goldable Richard Goldstein Center for stone – a Supreme Human Rights is Court Justice who holding its first headed the influ“Goldstein Sympoential Goldstone sium on Art and Commission inHuman Rights” – vestigating politione that is dedical violence in cated to his work Honorable Richard Goldstone South Africa – will on human rights. give a talk titled: The Current State The Goldstein Lecture on Human of International Criminal Justice. Rights, a longstanding event sponGoldstone also served as the first sored by the UNO Department of chief prosecutor of the United Na- Religious Studies, will cap off an intions International Criminal Tribu- credibly rich two days for faculty, nal for the former Yugoslavia and students and Omaha community for Rwanda between August 1994 members. and September 1996. After returnJustice Goldstone has written at ing to South Africa, he was nomi- length about the role played by Jews nated by Nelson Mandela and See Goldstein Lecture page 2