Vol. 90 No. 4 Omaha, NE
Celebrating 89 Years of Service to Nebraska and Western Iowa
“The biggest Mitzvah in the world” by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Brandon had been to Israel. He participated in an Temple Israel Communications Coordinator ARTZA trip while he was still in high school. Just after Brandon Thomas was an organ donor. There was a lit- graduating, he spent a year in Israel with the Young tle red heart under his picture on his driver’s license Judea Year Course. “He loved it. He was definitely conalerting medical personnel of his wish to give others this nected to his Judaism,” she said bringing a little smile to ultimate gift if circumstances should take his life. her face. At least four people But cooking was will have a chance now Brandon’s passion. He to live a healthy life. started working at More students will have Frank’s Pizza at age 16. an opportunity to pursue Thanksgiving was his a career in culinary arts favorite holiday, accordat Metropolitan Coming to Gordman. “In our munity College. They family,” she said, “the can all thank Brandon men cook Thanksgivwho died July 12 at the ing.” For the last couple age of 21 as the result of years, she commented, a motorcycle-car crash Brandon and Gordman’s on July 8 near 36th and brother, Jay, were “the Leavenworth Streets. head chefs.” They “I had no idea” he was planned Thanksgiving a potential organ donor, dinner, tried new recipes, admitted Andie and organized it. Gordman, Brandon’s In 2008, Brandon Brandon Thomas mother. “It’s not someenrolled in the Institute thing you talk to your 21-year-old kid about.” I would for the Culinary Arts at Metro Community College. have probably made the same decision (after he died), “He was really working hard to get his degree as well as but it became a matter of honoring his decision,” she working full time at Lo Sole Mio,” an Italian restaurant, explained. as a line cook, Gordman added. Born in Boston in 1989, Brandon came with his famDino Losole, Brandon’s employer, posted on the carily to Omaha before he was a year old. He was a 2007 ingbridge.org website that “although Brandon was one Millard North High School graduate as well as a gradu- of my newest employees at Lo Sole Mio, I knew he was ate of Temple Israel’s high school. He’d been going to a great person. Filled with a love for food and a passion Temple since he was about four years old, his mother for becoming a great chef, he was following his dream at Continued on page 2 recalled.
Partnership with Israel brings unique multi-media dance performance to JCC by JANIE MUROW rently teaches dance and is living in Jerusalem studying Community Development Director literature. Noa Druker was also born in Nazareth Illit Once again the JCC theater will come alive on and has participated in a folklore dance group which has Monday evening, Oct. 4 at 6:45 p.m. with the artistic toured throughout the world. She has taught Israeli folk talent of Omaha’s own Kim dance at summer camps in the Goldberg and dancers from the United States and is currently a Western Galilee. Just Another student of media. Liron Ben Day is a multi-media performYaakov was born in the south of ance which grew out of a Israel and currently lives in Partnership with Israel friendship Beersheba. Liron has a combetween Naama Grinstein and bined degree in art and philosoKim. They originally performed phy. A professional oriental at the 2009 Israeli Festival for dancer, she teaches and performs Alternative Theater in Acco as part of the group Dasha Lotus which draws its audience from with Sigal Ziv who is considered throughout Israel. This year, Just one of the best dancers in Israel. Another Day is traveling to sev“This is truly what Partnership eral of the Partnership is all about – building bridges Consortium cities. The 35 throughout our community with minute performance combines our Israeli family. This is an modern and ethnic belly dancopportunity to share in a unique ing, music and video art which collaboration between our local merges to communicate the celartist, Kim Goldberg, and our ebration of life from a new point artists from the Western Galilee,” of view. The performance is said Lisa Epstein, Omaha inspired by biblical text and is Partnership With Israel Chair. designed to encourage the audi“Because the performance is 35 Dancers from the Western Galilee. ence to live, create and move. minutes in length, it’s a perfect Three dancers will be coming to Omaha. Naama opportunity for women to bring their daughters and Grinstein, born in Nazareth Illit Israel, began dancing at granddaughters for an evening of dance and community.” the age of 13. She has studied many styles of dance and While in Omaha the dancers will be celebrating graduated from the Gaaton Dance Village. Naama cur- Continued on page 3
Inside Op-Ed Page: see page 12
This Week: Arts & Entertainment, page 8 See Front Page Stories & More at: www.jewishomaha.org; click on ‘Jewish Press’
Immingration myths debunked at ADL forum Page 4
16 Tishrei 5770
September 24, 2010
Twenty-third annual Klutznick-Harris Symposium on Jews in the Gym by LEONARD GREENSPOON Klutznick Chair in Jewish Civilization, Creighton University What—or rather, who—do you get when you mix a Columbia University PhD graduate, with a Yeshiva University professor, an expert on sports history, an experienced marathon runner, and a basketball coach? If you’re lucky, and we are, the answer is Jeffrey Gurock. Dr. Gurock, Libby M. Klaperman Chair of Jewish History at Yeshiva University, is the keynote speaker for this year’s TwentyDr. Jeffrey Gurock Third Annual Klutznick -Harris Symposium, Jews in the Gym: Judaism, Sports, and Athletics. Gurock’s presentation, titled “American Jewry’s Contemporary Scoreboard: Home and Away,” will take place at the Omaha Jewish Community Center on Sunday, Oct. 24, at 7:30 pm. Gurock, a popular and accomplished speaker, is widely known for his work on American Jews and Sports and for his innovative writing on Orthodox Judaism. Among his many books on these topics are A Modern Heretic and a Traditional Community: Mordecai M. Kaplan, Orthodoxy and American Judaism; Orthodoxy in Charleston: Brith Sholom Beth Israel and American Jewish History; Orthodox Jews in America; and Judaism’s Encounter with American Sports. Sometimes he is able to combine both of his interests, as he did in a fascinating presentation at an earlier Klutznick-Harris Symposium on Jews and Popular Culture, with his paper The Crowing of a ‘Jewish Jordan’: Tamir Goodman, the American Sports Media and Modern Orthodox Jewry’s Fantasy World. Gurock is enthusiastic when he speaks about his keynote presentation for this year’s Symposium: “My talk uses the metaphor of sports to understand where Jews and Judaism stand today in terms of acceptance in a tolerant American host society; at the same time I discuss the problems of Jewish continuity through the lens of sports. Sports, as a ‘community-defining situation,’ is a serious subject that can be used to understand larger trends in modern Jewish history.” A self-described “gym rat, who is a sports legend in my own mind,” Gurock spends a great deal of his time away from the office and on the road or court. He has run the New York marathon twelve times and the Boston marathon twice. In his over thirty years at Yeshiva University, he has frequently been called upon to serve as an assistant coach for the men’s basketball team. He adds that the men’s team is called the Maccabees; the women are styled Lady Macs. It is clear that Gurock not only studies sports, but also enjoys participating in them. This is also the case with most of the other presenters at this year’s Symposium. More than a dozen individuals from throughout the United States and Europe will make presentations on topics ranging from Jews and sports in antiquity to Jewish athletics today. There will also be consideration of differing attitudes toward sports by Jews and the various ways in which non-Jews have perceived Jews in athletics. Continued on page 2
Coming Next Month: Jewish Camping October Community Calendar Pages 10 & 11
In awe of schach: Searching for the perfect sukkah covering Page 16
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
September 24, 2010
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by EDGAR ASHER from proximity talks to direct talks, but here we are,” he US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with said. “I believe we and the Palestinians know there is no President Shimon Peres recently at the Presidential other alternative.” Residence. This followed the latest round of peace talks There are still the unresolved demands by the that concluded last week in Sharm el-Sheik in Egypt. Palestinians for Israel to continue with the West Bank Clinton said, “The Israeli and Palestinian leaders were settlements building freeze. These demands are accomgetting down to business. panied by threats to pull They have begun to grapple out of the talks if Israel does with the core issues that can not comply. As in previous only be resolved through attempts to settle the face to face negotiations.” Middle East conflict, the Clinton received a warm Palestinians are making all welcome from the Israeli the demands on Israel, but president and said that she the Israeli government does was looking forward to not seem to demand that hearing his views on the the Palestinians also show present round of peace more flexibility. talks. She said that she In the meantime, terrorist believed achieving peace factions in Gaza have been was Israel’s top priority. firing rockets and mortars “Thankfully, we now have into Israel today in an with Prime Minister attempt to sabotage further President Shimon Peres greeting US Secretary of State Netanyahu a leader who Middle East peace efforts. Hillary Clinton at the Presidential Residence in Jerusalem. understands how important Two rockets and nine morCredit: ISRANET it is to move forward, and as tar shells hit southern Israel he has said, we also have a Palestinian president who during the past twenty-four hours following Hamas shares that determination,” Clinton said. threats to unleash a wave of terror following the continPeres said he believed both sides would benefit from uing peace talks. Today, Israel Air Force retaliated for spurring the process as much as possible. “A few months the Hamas attacks and bombed targets in the Gaza Strip ago there were many who didn’t believe we would move including a supply tunnel.
“The biggest Mitzvah in the world”
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Continued from page 1 such a young age. It’s cool that he was living it out.” But on July 8, it all came to a heartbreaking halt. After the crash, Brandon was taken to Creighton University Medical Center. “It was touch and go when we got to the hospital,” Gordman said. There was swelling in Brandon’s brain. On Monday morning, July 12, Brandon’s doctor informed the family that there was no hope. Gordman said the organ donations “give me some comfort” knowing that “maybe some family is not going to have to go through what we’re going through. If anything good is going to come out of this horribly traumatic situation, that’s a good thing.” According to Donate Life America, “the demand for organ, eye and tissue donation still vastly exceeds the number of donors. More than 100,000 men, women, and children currently need life-saving organ transplants. Every ten minutes, another name is added to the national organ transplant waiting list. An average of 18 people die each day from the lack of available organs for transplant.” As Temple Israel emphasizes by inserting pamphlets in grocery sacks distributed on Rosh Hashanah to be returned on Yom Kippur with food to donate to the Omaha Food Bank, anyone can be a potential donor regardless of age, race, or medical history. All major religions in the United States support organ donation, and there is no cost to the donor or his/her family. “Lucky are those unknown receivers of the organs not only for continuing to maintain their lives but for having in them the beautiful spirit of Brandon,” remarked Rabbi Aryeh Azriel of Temple Israel. “Brandon’s sweet disposition, his kindness, caring, and humor will continue, despite the tragedy, to vibrate in God’s world.” “Brandon’s death was such a terrible tragedy for our entire community,” stated Rabbi Jonathan Gross of Beth Israel Synagogue. “I hope that the lives that he saved brings some comfort to his family.” Beth Israel,
supportive of organ donation, once hosted the founding director of the Halachic Organ Donor Society for a Shabbat program. Rabbi Mordechai Levin of Beth El Synagogue explained that “the enormous value of human life is a fundamental principle of Judaism. This principle includes an obligation for maintenance of our own health and for self-preservation...and includes the duty to save the life of one’s fellow human should he or she be in mortal danger. Organ and tissue donation is a lifegiving act. The Conservative movement encourages all Jews to become organ and tissues donors.” Ron Brodkey, who has been an avid proponent of organ donation and has spoken to people from students to retirement home residents, describes organ donations as “the biggest mitzvah in the world.” Gordman agrees that it is a mitzvah. “It seemed like the right thing to do. We were definitely aware of the impact an organ donation could make. We were searching for something positive.” She said the “outpouring from the Metro and Jewish communities has been overwhelming,” and urged the many people who have asked how they can help to check their car insurance policies and make sure there is enough coverage. Secondly, for those who must use a cell phone while driving, “get a hands-free device. Next, if you aren’t already, become an organ donor. Lastly, we are very excited by the donations to the scholarship fund we have set up.” They can be sent to the Brandon Thomas Culinary Arts Memorial Scholarship Fund, MCC Foundation, Fort Omaha Campus, Box 3777, Omaha, NE 68103. “The fund will have a huge impact on many students for years to come and will create a legacy for Brandon.” Brandon’s passions were to travel the world and own his own restaurant. He was on his way to fulfilling his dreams when an accident abruptly took his life in a different direction for which he will be remembered for countless years. Certainly, in the lyrics of Elton John, his “candle burned out long before his legend ever did.”
Klutznick-Harris Symposium on Jews in the Gym
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Continued from page 1 The Symposium lasts two days. Beginning at 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 24, more than a half dozen speakers will enlighten and entertain audiences at the J. Another group of presenters will appear on Monday, Oct. 25, at the Skutt Student Center on the Creighton University campus. Presentations at Creighton will begin at 8:30 a.m. and conclude with a lunch and keynote address that starts at 11:30 a.m. This event is made possible by the generosity of the Harris Center for Judaic Studies at the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln, the Kripke Center for Religion and Society at Creighton University, the Ike and Roz Friedman Foundation, the Riekes Family, and the Henry Monsky Lodge of B’nai B’rith. It is also supported by the Center for Jewish Education. All of the presentations are free and open to the public. For further information, please call Fran Minear at 280.2303 or email her at fminear@creighton.edu. Details about all of the presentations, as well as pictures of presenters, can be accessed at the Klutznick Chair website: www.creighton.edu/ccas/klutznick.
EARLY DEADLINE NOTICE The Jewish Press office is closed on Friday, Sept. 24, for Sukkot and Thursday and Friday, Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, for Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah; the deadline for the Oct. 8 issue is Tuesday, Sept. 28, 9 a.m. Questions? Call 334.6448.
September 24, 2010
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
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Hagel’s Pentagon bid draws frosty reception by ADAM KREDO would be very dangerous for Israel,” said WASHINGTON (Washington Jewish Morris Amitay, a former executive direcWeek) -- Former Republican senator tor of the American Israel Public Affairs Chuck Hagel raised many Jewish eye- Committee and treasurer of the brows in 2007 when he informed an Washington PAC, a pro-Israel political Arab-American crowd that his action committee. support for Israel is not “autoShoshana Bryen, matic.” senior director for Many of those same eyebrows security policy at the were lifted again in recent weeks Jewish Institute for after several reports indicated that National Security Hagel, who has taken heat over Affairs, said Hagel is the years from Jewish groups for attractive to the his statements about Israel and administration for the Middle East, is on the short several reasons: He list to replace Secretary of “shares the presiDefense Robert Gates when he dent’s belief that steps down from the post next Iraq was a bad war,” year. aims to cut the Chuck Hagel Hagel, widely seen as jockeying defense budget and for an administration job, reportedly is seeks closer relations with the Arab being touted by U.S. National Security world. Advisor Jim Jones, who is said to believe What do these views mean for Israel? that the former Nebraska senator and “A slowdown in things Israel needs or Vietnam veteran could serve as a promi- wants,” such as military equipment, nent Republican defender for the admin- Bryen said. istration, according to a report by Last month, Hagel publicly threw his Politico. support behind embattled Pennsylvania Hagel, who endorsed then-presidential Democrat Rep. Joe Sestack, whose race candidate Barack Obama in 2008, has for a Senate seat has transformed into a been a critic of the Iraq war. He also proxy war between liberal and conservacalled for a winding-down of the U.S. tive pro-Israel outfits. presence in Afghanistan and for direct Yet even liberal Jewish groups such as J talks with Hamas and Iran. During his Street and the National Jewish time in the Senate, he refused to sign sev- Democratic Council have balked at comeral congressional statements backing ing to Hagel’s defense. Israel. The administration, Jewish Democrats The possibility of his selection has some say, is firmly pro-Israel, and while Hagel pro-Israel organizations and activists wor- likely desires the top defense position, ried. Obama won’t soon hand it to him. “Hagel would be in a position to rein“Clearly, Hagel has a mixed record on force the worst aspects of the administra- Israel, but that record frankly puts him at tion’s current Middle East policies, which variance with the president’s own policies
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vis-a-vis Israel,” said David Harris, president and CEO of the National Jewish Democratic Council, adding that for now, “speculation is just that.” J Street declined comment. Asked about the reports that Hagel is on the short list to succeed Gates, one Democratic operative who campaigned for Obama in the Jewish community responded that “If he was in fact appointed, I would find his appointment difficult to reconcile with my views of the administration.” Others questioned if powerful, centrist pro-Israel groups such as AIPAC would be willing to flex their political muscle to challenge the president on a potential Hagel nomination. One Jewish organizational leader in contact with the White House said, “I have to think that the mainstream Jewish communal organizations would have meaningful problems with it, but it’s for that reason I see it as highly unlikely Hagel would be a [realistic] defense pick.” Others, however, are quietly voicing concern that the administration has yet to shoot down talk of a Hagel nomination.
A White House spokesman declined comment, and Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said via e-mail, “I don’t play these silly Washington parlor games. Such speculation is an absolute waste of time.” Hagel does have his supporters. Most, though, operate outside the Jewish communal realm. Steven Clemons, senior fellow and director of the New America Foundation’s American Strategy Program, said Hagel would do well at the Pentagon because he would aim to “twist the Rubik’s cube in the Middle East in a direction where you can solve” problems surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Plus, Hagel opposed the Iraq war and has said it’s time to leave Afghanistan. “I think he’s a serious candidate,” Clemons said. “He’s been vetted in so many different ways” by the administration, and his approach to the Middle East could benefit the peace process, as well as America’s relations with Arab countries. This article first appeared on washingtonjewishweek.com.
Partnership with Israel brings multi-media dance performance to JCC Continued from page 1 Simchat Torah at several synagogues and providing informal programming at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home and Friedel Jewish Academy. Under the direction of Esther Katz, JCC Dance Director, modern dance master classes with our partnership guests will be offered to teens and adults
in the community on Sunday, Oct. 3. For more information on the modern adult master class, contact Esther at ekatz@jccomaha.org To reserve seats for the FREE Monday evening dance performance and reception, contact Janie Murow at 334.6566 or at jmurow@jewishoma ha.org.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
September 24, 2010
Immigration myths debunked at ADL forum by THERESE VAUGHN-WEINER Anti-Defamation League Plains States More than 130 people showed up for an afternoon of discussion, information and education at the Plains States AntiDefamation League’s recent Community Forum on Immigration at the Jewish Community Center. Featuring a panel of four immigration experts, the event was intended to clear some of the myth-laden fog that has obfuscated the current debate in Nebraska and across the country. “We were pleased to have an opportunity to demystify the oft-confused issues around immigration,” ADL Regional Director Alan Potash said. One of those issues: immigrants and the economy. Amy Peck, an immigration attorney, debunked the so-called burden of illegal immigrants on the health care and social services system. On average, immigrants consume less health care than the general population, she explained. The only benefits undocumented residents qualify for are emergency health care and public education; they are not eligible for any other form of public welfare. “It’s a complete falsehood perpetuated by politicians to whip people up into a frenzy,” Peck said.
Contrary to common belief, immigrants pay billions each year in payroll, real estate and sales taxes, Charles Harper, a Creighton University sociology professor, said. Additionally, they contribute Social Security funds they will be unable to claim.
“Every peer-reviewed study concludes that there is no job competition between immigrants and citizens,” she said, adding that states with large immigrant populations report lower unemployment. The bottom line is that undocumented immigrants contribute more in taxes, purchasing power and jobs than they take with a net gain to our economy and society, the panelists agreed. Another concern addressed at the forum was why don’t people immigrate legally. To demonstrate how broken the current system is, Darcy Tromanhauser, program director of the Nebraska Carol Bloch, left, Aaron Weiner, Amy Peck, Charles Harper, Appleseed Center for Law Lourdes Gouveia, Alan Potash and back, Darcy in the Public Interest, Tromanhauser, engaged the audience in an Lourdes Gouveia—the director of the “immigration game,” simulating the realOffice of Latino/Latin American Studies life situations immigrants encounter on a of the Great Plains at the University of routine basis which make it nearly imposNebraska at Omaha and a sociology pro- sible to apply for and secure legal status. fessor—attempted to dispel the fallacy “For most people, it’s a continuous loop that undocumented workers displace with no end,” Tromanhauser said. native workers in a tough economy. The panelists also took on the question
of birthright citizenship—a right enshrined in the 14th Amendment— making it clear that so-called “anchor babies” do not infer legal status to their undocumented parents. Peck noted that children born on U.S. soil must turn 21 before their parents could begin seeking legal status. Further, the National Center for Health Statistics reports that the 7,775 births to non-U.S. residents in 2007 comprised less than 0.2 percent of total births. Forum co-sponsors included B’nai B’rith Henry Monsky Lodge, Jewish Federation of Omaha, Latino American Commission, National Council of Jewish Women-Omaha Section, Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law and the Public Policy, Office of Latino/Latin American Studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (OLLAS), One World Community Health Center, Temple Israel,Social Justice Committee, and Voices for Children. “We were grateful for all the support the community extended to host this forum,” Potash said. “It was an opportunity to provide a clear and reasoned voice on one of the most important issues of our times.”
Adults to begin B’nai Mitzvah journey at Temple Israel by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator As part of the adult education curriculum this year, Temple Israel is offering an Adult B’nai Mitzvah Class on Tuesdays, beginning Oct. 5, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Instructors are Na’ama Artzi, Rabbi Aryeh Azriel, Rabbi Eric Linder, and Cantor Wendy Shermet. Perhaps you became a Jew as an adult. Or maybe as a young woman, you weren’t offered the opportunity to become a Bat Mitzvah. Whatever the reason, it’s never too late. If you want to express your spiritual identification and
discover for yourself what it is that uniquely defines you as the Jew you are and are becoming, this is a your chance to share the experience with other adults. Class participants will learn to read Hebrew and master common vocabulary, recite and understand the worship service, chant several lines of Torah, and become familiar with and be able to utilize trope. In addition, each class member will be able to discuss the Torah, the prophets, and Nevi’im and gain a deeper understanding of the liturgy including the history and meaning of the prayers. The class will experience Shabbat morn-
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ing worship in the Reform as well as in the Conservative and Orthodox traditions at Beth El and Beth Israel Synagogues. The tenets of Reform Judaism will be emphasized. Each participant will write a d’var Torah about the parasha and his or her personal Jewish journey for the Friday, May 13 B’nai Mitzvah ceremony. At this time, participants include David Swenson, Todd Hutton, Dominique O’Connor, Susan Long, Mike Halsted, Debra Chasen, and Natasha Kraft. Additionally, during the year of study, students will participate in at least one
social action project sponsored by Temple Israel and contribute to the class tzedakah project. Enrollment fee for an individual is $250 and $450 for a couple. Confidential scholarships are available by contacting Executive Director Dennis DePorte at 556.6536. To register, please contact Program Director Wendy Goldberg at wgoldberg@templeisrael omaha.com or at 556.6536. Temple’s adult B’nai Mitvah class is among the offerings of the Hermene Zweiback Center for Lifelong Jewish Learning.
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September 24, 2010
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Hitler’s Courts by ILANA WEISS Institute for Holocaust Education When Institute for Holocaust Education Executive Director Beth Seldin Dotan returned to Omaha from Israel ten years ago, she had no idea that the purchase of her house would hold amazing discoveries about the past. “The man from whom we bought our house loaned me a most stunning photo album from his father, Clarence Williams, who had passed away,” shared Ms. Dotan. “Clarence was a soldier with the Rainbow Division of the 7th Army in World War II and had been with one of the units that entered Dachau at the end of the war. He took a box camera into the camp and snapped numerous photos that revealed the horror of brutality against Jews and other targeted groups.” At a later date, the Institute for Holocaust Education was given a set of photos from William Rosenbaum, formerly of Omaha. The photos were all too familiar to Ms. Dotan. “I pulled out the album from Mr. Williams and saw that the photos we had just received were almost identical to those in the album!” While the men were not from the same unit, Ms. Dotan was able to research various units that entered Dachau and found numerous photos that were very similar. The IHE later utilized those photos in an exhibit called “Liberating Perspectives.” The exhibit exposed the impact on those who saw the sites of the concentration camps first hand. Ms. Dotan explained: “This exhibit focused on one image that had been photographed over and over by soldiers. Clearly, each had been standing in almost the exact same spot, at different times, to take the photo. It was eerie.” As this was unfolding, Dean Larry Raful of Touro College’s Law Center, and former Dean of Creighton University Law School, was planning a conference for the Sixtieth Anniversary of the Nuremburg Trials in Nuremburg, Germany. The Nuremberg Trial was the first time in history that individuals, government officials and businesses were put on trial for crimes against humanity. Taking place within the very courtroom of the Nuremberg Trials, the conference included presentations by a variety of scholars, professors and judges who critically examined the Trials. Included in those presenters was Bob Wolfson, former Plains States Regional ADL Director, who offered a piece based on the “Liberating Perspectives” exhibit which was curated
by the IHE. Elements of the conference were filmed along with interviews of the presenters. The purpose: to create a DVD that would share the historical information and timeless lessons that were learned at the conference in Nuremberg. The DVD, entitled Hitler’s Courts: Betrayal of the Rule of Law in Nazi Germany, was produced and directed by Joshua M. Greene and Shiva Kumar. It was broadcast on PBS, and received an Excellence in Cinema Award (New York International Independent Film and Video Festival) and a Remi Award (WorldFest – Houston). Professor Michael J. Bazyler of Whittier Law School states in the film, “When the Nazis first came to power, they ended up promulgating a number of laws that incrementally deprived Jews, and other persecuted minorities, of civil rights. These incremental steps that we are talking about, that result in the final solution, are all legal steps. You can trace this, you can trace the Holocaust as a legal event.” Upon completion of the DVD, Dean Raful requested the assistance of Ms. Dotan to develop an educator-friendly and standards-based study guide. Ms. Dotan, along with Touro Professor of Law Rodger Citron, worked for two years on the content and the context of the guide. The focus for high school and college level educators is to better understand the ‘rule of law’ and to explore how Nazi war crimes were handled internationally. In the introduction to the Guide, Dean Raful states: “Hitler’s Courts and the Study Guide continue to be relevant today in American society as we wrestle with the difficult balance between civil liberties and national security. Democracy is fragile, and the experience of Germany in the 1930s and 1940s demonstrates how even a constitutionally governed nation could succumb to the rhetoric of despots.” Upon its completion in 2010, The DVD and Study Guide have been shared with the members of the Association of Holocaust Organizations, and Fellows of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The response from educational organizations has been tremendous. Curriculum distributers Facing History and Ourselves have requested 50 copies for all of their regional offices and educators. The Institute for Holocaust Education invites community members, teachers and professors to attend the Omaha premiere screening of the Hitler’s Courts documentary on Tuesday, Oct. 12. at 5 p.m. at the JCC Theater. A 6 p.m. dinner will follow the viewing; cost is $15. The evening will continue with a workshop for high school teachers and college professors at 7 p.m. The cost of the workshop is $25 (including dinner). Reservations for this event are required by Oct. 5. Please call 402.334.6576 or email iweiss@adl.org to register. For more information or to register online, visit www.ihene.org.
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Riding your bike from Jerusalem to Eilat by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT public involvement. The Arava Institute draws students Editor of the Jewish Press from across the Middle East, encouraging environmenThis fall, Chelsea Taxman and her sister, Lindsey tal cooperation between peoples, and working towards Savoie, are participating in a 300-mile bike ride from peace and sustainable development on a regional and Jerusalem to Eilat. The Hazon Israel Ride is an initiative global scale. of the Arava Institute, and Chelsea is “thrilled to have The second beneficiary of the Israel Ride is Hazon, the opportunity to spread the joy of sustainability and one of most innovative organizations in the American permaculture in Israel.” Jewish community and now In 2009, she received her the largest Jewish environpermaculture design certifimental organization in the cation from the Camassia United States. The word Institute for Sustainable “Hazon” means vision, and Communities. “Through works to create a healthier the study of permaculture and more sustainable Jewish and Judaism, I understand community, as well as a my purpose here in Omaha. healthier and more sustainThis gives me the chance to able world for all. educate my community Chelsea and her sister about environmentalism Lindsey are daughters of and peace. Lindsey and I are Jeffrey and Sherry Taxman riding to raise money for The Taxman Sisters: Lindsey, left, Chelsea, middle, and of Omaha. The ride begins two important organiza- Whitney; Whitney Taxman lives in Israel Oct. 19. For more informations, the Arava Institute for tion, contact Chelsea Environmental Studies, and Hazon, both promoting Taxman at hulahoopomaha@gmail.com. environmental protection in Israel and the United Editor’s note: Chelsea Taxman also contributed to this States”. article. Chelsea is looking for help: “As a participant in the ride, I am committed to raise at least $3000, so I will To order a gift subscription to the Press... need a lot of support”. The primary beneficiary of the Israel Ride is the Arava Send a check for $40, made out to the Jewish Press and Institute for Environmental Studies. The Institute is prorated for this year and for 2011, to 333 So. 132 St., working to confront the serious environmental chalOmaha, NE 68154. For more information on how to conlenges in Israel, by creating a leadership cadre of envinect your out-of-town relatives and friends, call 334.6448. ronmentalists, through important research, and through
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You Can't Have it Both Ways Nebraskans look out for each other. We are generous when people need help, and Mike Meister gracious when we receive it ourselves. However, Dave Heineman has looked out for himself and has been ungracious when he's received assistance. He has attacked the stimulus package only to turn around and use it to cover his budget problems. $581 million in stimulus dollars went to shore up the budget and we're still $750 million in the hole. He may say he's against it, but the stimulus has been Dave Heineman's best friend. It gives him something to posture against, pandering to voters, while at the same time it rescues him from a $1.3 billion budget shortfall. You can't have it both ways. If Dave Heineman wants to say he's against the stimulus, even though he signed a letter asking for more, that's his right. But is it honest? What is first on his mind, politics or working Nebraskans? I will not put politics ahead of Nebraska families. Vote Mike Meister for Governor, and I will bring integrity back the Governor's office. Paid for by Meister for Governor Kevin Sylvester, Treasurer 614 E. 27th St. St. C, Scottsbluff, NE
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Page 6
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
September 24, 2010
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Lifeline: safety at home by DAVID STORM Home: there is no place like it. It is where we feel secure, and where we are safe. As we get older, that safe feeling can be threatened by serious health risks, and our home can turn into a danger zone. It is important to find the right solution amidst all the different options available. Lifeline is a Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) that is easy to incorporate into anybody’s daily routine. A small device with a button is worn around the neck; when the button is pressed, a signal goes out through the telephone. Calls are made on your behalf to Lifeline personnel, up to three emergency contacts, and local first responders, including police, the fire department, and EMT response teams. If no one answers, 911 is automatically notified. Subscribing to a PERS can cost anywhere from $25 to $55 per month; a one-time installation charge may be applicable, as well as additional costs for features such as medication dispensers or voice extenders. Whether you need a PERS for short- or long-term, be sure to ask the vendor whether it is possible to opt out of a long-term
EARLY DEADLINE NOTICE The Jewish Press office is closed on Friday, Sept. 24, for Sukkot and Thursday and Friday, Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, for Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah; the deadline for the Oct. 8 issue is Tuesday, Sept. 28, 9 a.m. Questions? Call 334.6448.
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IN THE NEWS Ak-Sar-Ben Pages announced: The annual Ak-Sar-Ben Coronation and Scholarship Ball will take place on Oct. 9. Among the 2010 Pages: Eliana Rachel Sasson, daughter of Lise and Dr. Aaron Sasson; Daniel Oscar Denenberg, son of Drs. Tippi and Steve Denenberg; Joseph Aaron Kirshenbaum, son of Nikki and Adam Kirshenbaum, and David James Simon, son of Kim and James Simon. A tradition of the Heartland since 1895, the mission of the Coronation and Scholarship Ball is to promote, recognize, and celebrate volunteerism, philanthropy, education, and civic pride.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 7
Omaha Chapter of Beth El Simchat Torah celebration to include congregational honors, Israeli dance troupe Hadassah presents: by JILL BELMONT tion of office manager since 1970. Beth El Publicity Coordinator Beth El holds a special place in the Simchat Torah (“rejoicing in the hearts of both women. Tully is a lifelong Torah”) is always a spirited celebration at member whose parents were founders of Beth El, and this year will be no different, the congregation; her four children celeoffering an evening of merriment on brated their B’nai Mitzvah there, and Thursday, Sept. 30. This festive holiday graduated from the high school. Before celebrates the love of Torah, and is tradi- working in the office, she was involved in tionally observed at the synagogue with a variety of capacities, including school singing and dancing with the Torah scrolls throughout the community court. Minha/Ma’ariv and Hakafot will take place at 5:30 p.m. During the service, Beth El’s kindergartners will be recognized by receiving their own miniature Torahs. Following Hakafot, revelers are invited to stay for a spaghetti and salad dinner. Reservations are required for the dinner: there is no charge for Beth El members who RSVP by Sept. 27 (non-members, $5); after that date, cost will be $5 for members and $10 for non-members. To make a reservation, send a check -- made payable to Beth El Synagogue – to “Family Simchat Torah Dinner,” Beth El Synagogue, 14506 California St. Omaha NE 68154. Be sure to specLongtime Beth El congregants and staff members ify the number of adults and Blanche Wise, left, and Judy Tully will be honored or/children attending. For more during the synagogue’s Simchat Torah services on information, contact Margie Gutnik Friday, Oct. 1. in the synagogue office, 492.8550. After dinner, attendees will be treated board member, an officer on the synato a special presentation, as three mem- gogue board, and as a choir participant. bers of “Just Another Day,” a visiting Tully’s employment at Beth El came Israeli dance troupe, will offer a work- about almost as a fluke. In the midst of a shop for all ages, featuring contemporary, job search, she recalls asking the synabelly and Israeli folk dancing. The troupe gogue’s executive director Larry DeBruin is in town as part of the Jewish for a reference letter. His response, she Federation’s Partnership with Israel said, was, “‘Judy, would you consider Artist-in-Residence program. working for Beth El?’” And the rest, as On Friday, Oct. 1, Simchat Torah they say, is history. services will be held at 9:30 a.m., during When asked what has kept her there for which longtime staff members Blanche 15 years, she replied, “It’s the people. Wise and Judy Tully will be honored as These are friends, some of whom I’ve Kallat Torah and Kallat Bereshit, respec- known all my life or most of my life, and tively, for their dedicated service over the there’s an atmosphere here of kindness years to the synagogue. Tully has worked and caring that you don’t always find in as the synagogue’s administrative assis- the commercial world. Working at Beth tant for 15 years; Wise has held the posi- El is like being with family – it’s the Beth
El family, and that’s really important to me. I couldn’t ask for better people to work with.” Wise holds the distinction as the longest-employed synagogue staff member. Her tenure began in 1951, when she was hired to teach third-grade Hebrew. Aside from taking a break from teaching to stay home with her young sons, she was a fixture in the religious school for almost 40 years, before retiring eight years ago. Much beloved for her kindness, humor and patience, Wise says teaching was what she loved the most. “I’ve always liked kids, and they knew it,” she said. “Kids always know who likes them – you can’t fool them.” She also appreciated the difficulty of sitting in Hebrew School after eight hours of public school. “It’s not easy for kids to sit in school all day long and then have to start all over again in the afternoon. That takes a lot.” Both women expressed appreciation for being recognized during the upcoming Simchat Torah service. “It’s always nice to have an honor,” Wise said, joking that, “If you’ve been around as long as I have, it’s always a nice thing to be remembered.” Tully shared that, “It’s nice to be recognized for the work we do. The synagogue is just a part of my life; it was very much a part of my parents’ lives and I can’t imagine not being involved one way or another. Working here has been the best possible job.” Beth El Board of Trustees President Beverly Fellman congratulated the honorees, saying, “Sometimes the best people are right under our noses! Blanche is a beloved teacher and friend to everyone. Her kindness comes through in all her words. In the office, Blanche handles much of the cemetery work, including typing the Hebrew inscriptions for headstones. Judy is an administrative assistant par excellence. Responsible and intelligent, she is the first person to meet and greet everyone who walks through the door. Through years of service, both have the institutional memory of Beth El and work hard to keep that identity alive.”
“Who put the Rush in Rosh Hashanah?” by GLORIA SHUKERT JONES Hadassah Publicity Coordinator On Wednesday, Oct. 6, at noon, the community is invited to the Omaha Chapter of Hadassah's annual fall fundraiser luncheon, to be held at the Jewish Community Center Auditorium. Our featured guest speaker will be Nancy Rips, also known as the “book maven,” who will review her most recent published book, High Holiday Stories: Rosh
Hashanah and Yom Kippur Thoughts on Family, Faith and Food. Rips is a talented author, book reviewer, and speaker, who has captured audiences with her charming wit and demeanor. You won't want to miss her engaging review about the heartwarming and amusing stories and experiences she has compiled in this book, some of which may spark your own memories of the high holidays. Rips has regular review segments on radio and Omaha's CBS-TV affiliate, which you've probably had the pleasure of hearing and viewing. The stories for her latest book have extended from such disparate areas as Iraq army bases to Colorado's Rocky Mountains, Los Angeles, California, to New York, New Zealand to the United Kingdom, and many midwestern states, including Nebraska. Even the titles of the chapters of her book will bring smiles, as they reflect and paraphrase typical Jewish humor, such as: Repentance Means Having to Say You're Sorry, or Why Are These Holidays Different from all Other Holidays?, and Who Put the Rush in Rosh Hashanah? The cost of the luncheon is $8. And donations in any amount to HMO (Hadassah Medical Organization) are welcomed and appreciated, although they are not a prerequisite to attending the luncheon. However, reservations must be made by Thursday, Sept. 30 to Esther Wax, 393.4442 or Sandy Kohll, 391.5603, who will also be available to answer any questions you may have. We sincerely hope you will join us for this entertaining and enlightening afternoon.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
September 24, 2010
Just desserts in the sukkah by LINDA MOREL NEW YORK (JTA) -- While most people equate Sukkot with autumn vegetables, I picture the holiday as a tea party. Among Jews who build sukkahs, the evening meal is the most popular time to gather inside these modern-day harvest huts. Held at the end of the growing season, Sukkot began in ancient Israel as a harvest festival. Just before the crops were gathered, Jews erected huts adjacent to the edges of their fields and lived inside for a week. In Hebrew, one of these dwellings was called a sukkah, and sukkot evolved into the plural form of this word. Today the holiday is observed for seven days. A contemporary sukkah is a quickly assembled shed made from wood or other materials. It has a lattice-work roof that supports greenery. This allows sunshine and moonlight to filter inside. Its walls are lined with dangling fall fruits and vegetables whose counterparts are cooked into recipes consumed during the holiday. While some people no longer live inside their sukkahs, it is customary, weather permitting, to eat as many meals as possible inside the huts. My favorite part of social gatherings revolves around dessert. There’s nothing better than a generous portion of pastry, preferably homemade. Although flaky and delicious, Sukkot desserts usually don’t garner much attention. Perhaps that’s because they often overlap with the pastries that were served two weeks earlier on Rosh Hashanah. Apple cakes, apple pies and apple strudel are popular pastries at both holidays. Sukkot desserts, however, are a distinct genre in Jewish cuisine. Traditional holiday sweets are made with fall fruits such as pears, plums and late-season berries. Holiday pastries are studded as well with dried fruits, nuts and seasonal spices such as cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and cardamom. Fruits that are abundant in seeds -notably pomegranates -- also are popular in Sukkot baking. Their plentiful seeds symbolize fertility and hopes for a bountiful harvest. The following recipes were developed by Linda Morel. APPLE PIE WITH FILLO DOUGH CRUST (DAIRY) For those who are afraid to attempt pie crust dough, this pie’s flaky crust is easy to finesse. Filling Ingredients: 4 baking apples, such as Gala, Pink Lady or Cortland 1 teaspoon lemon juice 2 teaspoons sugar 2 teaspoons flour 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg Dash of salt
Filling Preparation: Cut apples into wedges. Peel and core wedges. Cut wedges into thin slices, about 1/8 inch thick. Place slices into a large bowl and add the remaining Filling Ingredients. With a wooden spoon, gently stir apples until all ingredients are well incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and reserve at room temperature. Crust Equipment: 2 (12-by-16 inch) pieces of parchment paper 1 (10-inch) deep dish pie pan 1 soft-bristled basting brush Crust Ingredients: 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more to grease the pan 12 pieces of fillo dough (Use the packaged variety but, if frozen, defrost it first.) Optional accompaniment: vanilla ice cream Crust Preparation: In a small saucepan on a low flame, melt 8 tablespoons of butter. Using the additional butter, coat the pie pan and reserve. Place the sheets of fillo dough on a piece of parchment paper. Cover them with plastic wrap. Then cover the plastic wrap with a clean, damp kitchen towel. Lift 1 sheet of fillo dough and place it on the second piece of parchment paper. Cover the pile of fillo dough with the plastic wrap and towel each time you remove a sheet of dough. Using the basting brush, spread butter over the surface of the first sheet of fillo dough. Using the instructions above, remove another sheet of fillo dough and place it over the buttered fillo dough. Brush the second sheet with butter. When you’ve piled up and buttered 4 pieces of fillo dough, gently lift the pile off the parchment and place it inside the pie pan. Because the fillo dough will extend beyond the edge of the pie pan, drape it evenly on both sides. This first pile of fillo dough will not cover the entire bottom of the pan. Repeat this brushing with butter procedure until you’ve made a second pile of 4 sheets of fillo dough. Lift this pile off the parchment paper and place it at right angles to the first pile of sheets inside the pie pan.
Repeat this brushing with butter procedure until you’ve made a third pile of 4 sheets of fillo dough. Lift this pile off the parchment paper and place it on a diagonal to the other 2 piles of fillo inside the pie pan. You will have covered the entire surface of the pie pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spoon the apple mixture evenly inside the pie pan. Fold over the fillo dough that’s draped beyond the pie pan onto the apples. The folded dough will not cover the entire surface of the apples. Brush the folded dough surface generously with melted butter. Place pie inside oven and bake for 50 minutes, or until fillo dough browns and apples are cooked through. Cool to warm before slicing pie. Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired. Yield: 8 servings QUARTER POUND LEMON CAKES (DAIRY OR PAREVE) Original recipes for pound cake called for a pound each of butter, flour and sugar, which is how this pastry acquired its name. This recipe is smaller in scale. An etrog can be used in place of lemon, if desired. Ingredients: 2 aluminum loaf pans (8-by-3 1/2-by-2 1/2 inches) No-stick vegetable spray 1/2 pound (2 sticks) sweet butter at room temperature (If using margarine, keep it refrigerated.) 1/2 pound sugar, about 1 cup 3 large eggs at room temperature 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel, or more, if desired 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract 1/2 pound flour, about 1 1/4 cups Preparation: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously coat aluminum pans with no-stick spray. Place butter (or margarine) in a large mixing bowl and beat it until it turns pale yellow and almost fluffy, about 2 minutes on an electric mixer’s high speed. Add sugar a little at a time and beat until mixture appears even fluffier. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the lemon juice, lemon peel and lemon extract, mixing until well incorporated. Mix in the flour a little at a time, scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl a couple of times. Beat until well incorporated. Pour half of the batter into each prepared pan. Place them inside the oven and bake for 40 minutes, or until tops of cake are light brown and a tester inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean. Cool to warm and slice or serve at room temperature. Cake freezes well. Yield: about 10 slices Continued on page 11
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Beautiful things happen at the Rose Blumkin Home by OZZIE NOGG Every other Monday morning at 10:30, local artist Annette Fettman arrives at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, sets up her easel and presents an art demonstration to the residents. “I use oil crayons, pastels or whatever supplies are available,” Fettman said. “I often do a still life. Once, when it was very hot, I drew igloos, ice cream cones and banana splits,
around it.” In 2005-2006, Fettman took part in the Peter Kiewit Foundation/Metro Area Transit Bench Marks Project. “The goal was to beautify 100 of the boring benches scattered along local city bus routes and raise money for the Omaha Public Art Fund,” Fettman said. “My bench was originally way out south on 108th and Madison. Then it wound up by the Zoo on the corner of 13th Street and and Henry Doorly Drive. That bench got around, just like the buses.” A cast aluminum sculpture by Fettman is used every year during Omaha’s Yom haShoah service, and the entrance to the JCC Theater bears a large metal mezuzah Fettman was commissioned to execute in memory of Blumkin Home resident Danny Grossman, left, enjoys his chalk por- Minnie and Sam trait rendered by Annette Fettman. Nemeroff. Her just for fun. And, of course, if a resident Holocaust Memorial piece -- created in is willing to sit for me I’ll do his or her memory of her husband Cantor Leo portrait.” Fettman’s volunteer art visits Fettman’s family -- is part of the Beth have been a popular feature at the Home Israel Synagogue Chapel. for the past two years, though her conThe story of Cantor Fettman’s miracunection to the RBJH grew particularly lous survival against horrific conditions at strong when her late mother, Fannie Auschwitz and other forced labor camps Sherman Chunovic, was a resident. is documented in his book, SHOAH: “My mom lived at the Blumkin Home Journey from the Ashes. He served as from 1993 to 2008,” Fettman explained. Beth Israel’s Cantor, Educational “She went there to recuperate after gall Director, Shabbatonim Director and as a bladder surgery and planned to stay just teacher and hospital chaplain from 1974 two weeks, but once she got a taste of the until his retirement in 1992. “Leo still companionship at the Home she decided endures severe back pain from his injuries to move in. Back then, there was active in the Nazi labor camps,” Annette participation in the art classes I led as a Fettman said. “I take him to Sarah Care volunteer, but hands-on interest in art - the adult daycare center -- before I has waned a bit at the Home, so today come to the Blumkin Home, and in the the emphasis is on demonstrations. past he made some clever craft items like Actually, it’s a win-win situation. The res- a delightful family tree. People in the idents get pleasure from watching me at community always ask me how he’s work and I get to interact with them, be doing. I can tell you that last April we creative and keep my art skills sharp.” were invited to the World Presidents’ Annette Sherman Fettman was an Art Organization meeting at the Arizona Education major at the University of Biltmore where Cantor spoke about his Wisconsin and UCLA. She later studied Holocaust experiences. At present, he can sculpture with Father Lee Lubbers, S.J., get depressed and shows some dementia, at Creighton University and currently but he still has his sense of humor and is describes herself as an ‘informal’ student always joking around.” of nationally recognized metal sculpture Mary Heiman of the Blumkin Home artist Les Bruning at Bellevue University. Activity Department expressed thanks to Fettman was selected to be part of Fettman for her time and talent, and then Omaha’s two J. Doe exhibits. Her described one recent visit. “Resident Chagall-esque Fiddler Off the Roof stood Danny Goodman had such a nice time outside Kohll’s Pharmacy & Homecare at talking with Annette while she drew his 50th & Dodge from May to September portrait. Danny was very pleased with the of 2001. Her second J. Doe -- Light as a end result, and the painting is now hangMetaphor for Peace -- graced the Mall of ing in his room. The other residents the Bluffs from August through enjoyed watching, and know that if December of 2002. “Light as a Metaphor they’re interested, Annette will draw their for Peace was created in the wake of portraits, too.” 9/11,” Fettman said. “The figure comAccording to Fettman, “When Danny’s bines Shabbat candles with the lights of portrait was finished, he asked if he could Manhattan. It now stands in the yard at kiss me. I said, ‘I’m not getting too many the CDC where the kids often dance at home these days, so why not.’”
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 9
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ORGANIZATIONS More information at: firstuuomaha.org B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Speaker yet to be announced for Wednesday, Sept. 29, noon at the Blumkin Home. An optional buffet lunch costs $13; beverage service is $3. For more information or to be placed on the e-mail list call 334.6443 or bnaibrith@jewishomaha.org.
LOMIR REDN YIDDISH Yiddish words have made their way into every phase of modern life, show biz, law, classrooms, etc. Come join us at our new meeting room (across from the beauty salon) at the Blumkin Home, every Thursday, 1-3 pm. For information, call Anne Skolkin at 343.1638.
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Page 10
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
September 24, 2010
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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 Simchat Torah & Spaghetti Dinner, 5:30 p.m. at Beth El Dairy Dinner, 8 p.m. at Beth Israel SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2 BBYO Camp Out, 5:30 p.m. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3 Temple Israel WRJ Race for the Cure, 8 a.m. 7th Grade Family Education program, 10 a.m. at Beth El Adult Education, 10 a.m.-noon at Beth El JCC & Kohll’s Flu Shot, noon BBYO Chapter Board Training, 2:30 p.m. CDC 10th Anniversary Casino Night, 6 p.m.
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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 Parsha Prayer and Prophets, 9 a.m. at Chabad Eye on Israel, noon with Dr. Guy Matalon JFO Executive Committee Meeting, 6 p.m. BBYO Night, 6 p.m. Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m. JFO Board Meeting, 7:30 p.m.
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MONDAY, OCTOBER 4 JCC & Kohll’s Flu Shots, 3 p.m. ADL PEW Facilitator Training, 6 p.m. YJO Meeting, 6:30 p.m. Partnership with Israel Dancers Performance & Reception, 6:45 p.m. Derech Torah: Judaism 101, 7:30 p.m. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5 Parsha Prayer and Prophets, 9 a.m. at Chabad BBYO Night, 6 p.m. Maccabi Thank You Event, 7 p.m. Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6 Hadassah Luncheon & Speaker Nancy Rips, noon Federation Campaign Pacesetter Kickoff, 5:30 p.m. YJO Meeting, 6:30 p.m. BESTT 8th Grade class meets, 6:30 p.m. at JCC Community High School, 6:30 p.m. Hebrew 101, 6:30 p.m. at Temple Israel Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel Advanced Halacha Kollel, 9 p.m. at Beth Israel THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7 Women of the Torah, 9:30 a.m. at Beth Israel Adult Study w/Clergy, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel JFS Love & Logic Class, 6 p.m. Rabbis Around the World, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8 Modern Jewish Poetry, noon with Gary Katz Temple Israel Shabbat Comes to You at Remington Heights, 4 p.m. Tot Shabbat/Say ‘Shalom!’ to Shabbat & Dinner, 6 p.m. at Beth El SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9 Learner’s Service with Cantor Schlossberg, 10:15 a.m. at Beth El
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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10 OTYG Board Meeting, 9 a.m. at Temple Israel Jewish Community Mystery Tour for 1st & 2nd Grades, 10 a.m. WRJ Meeting, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel Adult Education, 10 a.m.-noon at Beth El JCC Maccabi Israel Information Meeting, 10:30 a.m. Chaverim Elections, 12:15 p.m. at Beth El JCC Sports Awards Ceremony, 1 p.m. Co-Sponsored Community Candidate Q & A, 2 p.m. MONDAY, OCTOBER 11 Mainstreeters Luncheon Program, 12:30 p.m. Federation Campaign Kickoff, 7 p.m. Derech Torah: Judaism 101, 7:30 p.m. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12 Parsha Prayer and Prophets, 9 a.m. at Chabad ADL/CRC Board Meeting, noon ADL Hitler’s Courts Film Screening, Dinner & Workshop, 5 p.m. BBYO Night, 6 p.m. Community High School Board Meeting, 7 p.m. Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13 Rabbis & Presidents Meeting, noon Women’s Book Group, 3:30 p.m. at Beth El Community High School, 6:30 p.m. Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel Advanced Halacha Kollel, 9 p.m. at Beth Israel THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14 Women of the Torah, 9:30 a.m. at Beth Israel History of Judaism in England with Cantor Shermet, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel JFS Love & Logic Class, 6 p.m. Rabbis Around the World, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15 ADL PEW Facilitator Training, 11:30 a.m. Modern Jewish Poetry, noon with Gary Katz Tot Shabbat & Dinner, 6 p.m. at Temple Israel SUNDAY, OCTOBER 17 Bring Your Parents to School Day, 10 a.m. at Beth El Adult Education, 10 a.m.-noon at Beth El Javitch Music Fund Karen Kushner Piano Concert and Reception, 7 p.m. MONDAY, OCTOBER 18 Mainstreeters Tour of UNMC & Lunch, 11 a.m. JCC Maccabi Israel Information Meeting, 7 p.m. Monday Lecture Series with Rabbi Gross, 7 p.m. Center for Jewish Education Committee Meeting, 7 p.m. Derech Torah: Judaism 101, 7:30 p.m. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19 Parsha Prayer and Prophets, 9 a.m. at Chabad Main Streeters Committee Meeting, 10 a.m. Executive Board Meeting, 5:30 p.m. at Friedel Federation Young Leadership Awards Meeting, 6 p.m. BBYO Night, 6 p.m. Board of Directors Meeting, 7 p.m. at Friedel BESTT Board Meeting, 7 p.m. at Beth El Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel Board of Trustees, 7 p.m. at Temple Israel
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20 Hebrew 101, 6:30 p.m. at Temple Israel Community High School, 6:30 p.m. Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel Advanced Halacha Kollel, 9 p.m. at Beth Israel THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21 Women of the Torah, 9:30 a.m. at Beth Israel School Directors Committee Meeting, 10 a.m. History of Judaism in England, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel JFS Love & Logic Class, 6 p.m. JOLT Session, 7 p.m. Rabbis Around the World, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22 Modern Jewish Poetry, noon with Gary Katz SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24 30th Annual Klutznick-Harris Symposium, 9 a.m. WRJ Book Sorting Day, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel Adult Education, 10 a.m.-noon at Beth El 2012 B’nai Mitzvah Parents Meeting, 11 a.m. at Beth El 30th Annual Klutznick-Harris Symposium, noon MONDAY, OCTOBER 25 30th Annual Klutznick-Harris Symposium, 8 a.m. Monday Lecture Series with Rabbi Gross, 7 p.m. Medicine and Morals: Your Jewish Guide Through Life’s Tough Decisions, 7 p.m. Derech Torah: Judaism 101, 7:30 p.m. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26 Parsha Prayer and Prophets, 9 a.m. at Chabad JFO Board Dinner, 6 p.m. BBYO Night, 6 p.m. Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel Federation Volunteer Recognition Awards and Reception, 7:30 p.m. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27 Hebrew 101, 6:30 p.m. at Temple Israel Community High School, 6:30 p.m. Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel Advanced Halacha Kollel, 9 p.m. at Beth Israel THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28 Women of the Torah, 9:30 a.m. at Beth Israel History of Judaism in England, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel Federation Campaign Major Donor Event, 6 p.m. JFS Love & Logic Class, 6 p.m. Rabbis Around the World, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29 BBYO New Members Convention thru Oct. 31 Modern Jewish Poetry, noon with Gary Katz Scholar in Residence J. Shulevitz, 6 p.m. at Temple Israel Birthday Blessings, 6 p.m. at Beth El SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30 Beth El Shabbaton for grades 3-5, 10 a.m. thru Oct. 31 SUNDAY, OCTOBER 31 Adult Education, 10 a.m.-noon at Beth El Scholar in Residence J. Shulevitz, 10:30 a.m. at Temple Israel Yachad Art Reception, 11 a.m. Sisterhood’s Annual Luncheon, 11:30 a.m. at Beth Israel
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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 above events.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 11
Survey indicates Jewish singing spurs Jewish engagement by SUE FISHKOFF SAN FRANCISCO (JTA) – In 2006, Lara Torgovnik, 21, started college at New York University as a vocal performance major. She had little Jewish background -- at age 8, she chose music school over Hebrew school with permission from her “very secular” parents – but on a whim one day during her freshman year, something prompted her to Google the phrase “Jew choir.” That’s the way Torgovnik discovered the Zamir Chorale, a prestigious, New York-based Jewish choir that is celebrating its 50th anniversary this fall. She auditioned, won acceptance, and on her first day of rehearsal, felt overwhelmed by what she said was a “mind-boggling realization that music can be a means of expressing spirituality, and spirituality can lend a deeper level to my music.” Now, Torgovnik works in the Zamir office in New York and conducts HaZamir: The International Jewish High School Choir, the organization’s youth choir in Westchester — one of two dozen chapters of HaZamir in North American cities. After starting to sing in the Jewish choir, Torgovnik added Jewish studies to her program. Her experience – intensifying her Jewish engagement while getting involved in Jewish singing -- is not unusual, a new survey [http://%20http//www.zamirfdn.org/Survey PDF.pdf] of Jewish choral singers suggests. The survey, conducted online in May and June on behalf of the Zamir Choral Foundation [http://www.zamirfdn. org/], shows that Jewish choral singers are more Jewishly involved than the average American Jew. The foundation is the umbrella body for an extensive network of Jewish choral singers and music, including the Zamir Chorale. Responses to the survey received from more than 2,000 Jewish singers, cantors and music lovers show that people who take part in Jewish choral singing are more likely to do more Jewish volunteering, give to Jewish causes, and belong to synagogues than the American Jewish community in general. Researchers in charge of the survey stopped short of drawing a causal relationship between Jewish choral singing and Jewish involvement, but they said the study provides strong anecdotal evidence that many people who are not otherwise involved in Jewish life find their way in through their love of Jewish singing. “There is a somewhat faulty assumption that people who sing in Jewish choirs are already engaged in Jewish life,” said Diane Tickton Schuster, a researcher at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles. Schuster conducted the study along with Ezra Kopelowitz, CEO of the Jerusalem-based Research Success Technologies. “Sometimes, being involved in a Jewish choir is their entry point into Jewish life, and we didn’t know that before,” Schuster said. The foundation’s survey was emailed this spring to nearly 15,000 Jewish choral singers, cantors and music lovers, and the results from 2,000 respondents were compared to figures from the United Jewish Communities’ National Jewish Population Survey 2000-01. Seventy-three percent of the choral singers said they volunteer under Jewish auspices, vs. 25 percent of the general Jewish population; 73 percent said they give to Jewish causes, vs. 41 percent of the general group; and 88 percent belong to a synagogue, vs. 46 percent of
most American Jews. While 60 percent of the choral singers aged 45 to 54 sing in synagogue choirs, just 54 percent of singers older than 55 and 43 percent of those younger than 45 do so. Yet they still exhibit higher levels of synagogue membership than their counterparts in the general Jewish population. One middle-aged Atlanta man said in his written response to the survey that singing in his local Jewish choir “lets me develop musically, spiritually and Jewishly all at one time.” Allen Podell of Palo Alto, Calif., said that helping others get involved in the Jewish choir he helped to found more than seven years ago makes him feel more Jewish. “I’m not much on pomp and circumstance, and I have problems reciting things like ‘God created the heavens and the earth,’ which I don’t believe,” said Podell, a retired electrical engineer. “But I certainly feel a connection to Judaism through Jewish music. There is a mystery to life, and Jewish music describes it.” Increasing Jews’ sense of connection to each other and their heritage was his goal when he created the Zamir Choral Foundation 20 years ago, according to director Matthew Lazar. “The music is the hook, but it’s the identity piece we’re interested in -- connecting the text of our people with the music of our people, and doing it in community,” said Lazar, who also conducts the Zamir Chorale and HaZamir [http://%3Chttp//www.youtube. com/watch?v=MEdyw02rs5E&feature=pl ayer_embedded%3E]. Schuster said that the results from the new survey show that Jewish choral singers engage in Jewish learning opportunities more frequently than other American Jews, and that can be correlated with their higher levels of Jewish involvement. “We began to see the patterns,” she said. “More learning led to greater involvement.” Lazar and others describe Jewish choirs as one of the few remaining venues where Jews of various religious and political persuasions create something Jewish together. Seventy-one percent of survey respondents said that singing in Jewish choirs makes them feel connected to klal Yisrael -- the Jewish people. “Choir is the embodiment of klal Yisrael,” Lazar said. “It’s transdenominational and, even more important today, transpolitical -- the only place where pro-Bush and pro-Obama Jews come together.” While many attendees of the Zamir Choral Foundation’s North American Jewish Choral Festival, which brings hundreds of Jewish singers together for five days each summer, sing in Jewish choirs at home. Others live in places where no such choirs exist. For them, the yearly gathering has particular significance. Donald Gerber sings with a non-Jewish community choir in Omaha, Neb. An active member of his Orthodox congregation, Gerber says he has sung “all the great requiems,” but finds a deeper pleasure in singing Jewish liturgical pieces, which are “few and far between” in his choir’s repertoire. The summer festival, which he has attended for the past 12 years, has had a deep impact on his sense of Jewish community, Gerber added. “There’s nothing like it when 500 voices are raised in song and harmony — Reform, Conservative and Orthodox people all together — and it’s all about making music as klal Yisrael, as one people,” he said. “There are no politics involved in singing.”
Just desserts in the sukkah Continued from page 8 PEAR AND PLUM CRISP (DAIRY OR PAREVE) This seasonal dessert is a variation on the wildly popular apple crisp. Fruit Ingredients: No-stick vegetable spray 4 firm but ripe pears, such as Bosc 2 plums 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger Dash of salt Fruit Preparation: Coat a 10-inch, deep dish pie pan with no stick spray. Cut pears into wedges. Skin and core the wedges. Cut plums into wedges. Remove the skin and discard the pits. Cut pear and plum wedges into thin slices, about 1/8 inch thick. Place wedges in a large mixing bowl. Add remaining Fruit Ingredients to the pears and plums. Mix
gently with a wooden spoon until well incorporated. Spoon fruit into prepared pie pan. Topping Ingredients: 1/2 cup unsalted butter or margarine at room temperature 1 cup walnuts, chopped 1 cup dark brown sugar 3/4 cup flour 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon Optional accompaniment: vanilla ice cream, or coconut or raspberry sorbet Topping Preparation: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place topping ingredients into a medium-sized bowl. With your hands, mix ingredients together until crumbly. Sprinkle on top of pears and plums. Place pie pan inside oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until topping browns and fruit is heated through. Cool to warm. Using a serving spoon, place spoonfuls of Pear and Plum Crisp on dessert plates, keeping topping in place. It’s impossible to cut into even pieces. Serve with ice cream or sorbet. Yield: 8 servings
Page 12
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
September 24, 2010
Bully by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Sometimes a supportive voice comes from the most unexpected place. Take Fidel Castro, for instance, who addressed Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the other day. As we all know, Ahmadinejad has, for years, kept himself entertained by publicly denying the Holocaust. Castro doesn’t like that about him and said in a recent interview: “The Jews have lived an existence that is much harder than ours. There is nothing that compares to the Holocaust.” It won’t help, I’m afraid. If it did, I’d gladly eat my words; after all, Ahmadinejad isn’t exactly known for being reasonable. On February 25, 2010, at a news conference in Damascus, he said: “If the Zionist regime wants to repeat its past mistakes, this will constitute its demise and annihilation…With Allah’s help the new Middle East will be a Middle East without Zionists and Imperialists.” On March 11, 2010, he followed with: “Today, it is clear that Israel is the most hated regime in the world… It is not useful for its masters [the West] anymore. They are in doubt now. They wonder whether to continue spending money on this regime or not…But whether they want it or not, with God’s grace, this regime will be annihilated and Palestinians and other regional nations will be rid of its bad omen.” He’s been at it for a while. On January 28, in 2009 he gave a speech titled, “Holocaust, the Holy Lie of the West”, at Sharif University in Tehran. As he addressed the crowd, he included a two-for-one that was directed, once again, at both Israel and the “imperialist” West: “A brief review of the events after World War II shows that the Holocaust issue - with the dimensions they define for it - is an excuse to continue dominance and expansion of influence of the victors, especially America and Britain in the international arena.” I could go on, but really, there’s no point.
(Founded in 1920)
What are we to make of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? Unlike the rest of us, he doesn’t live in the real world. In a position of power, surrounded by yes-men, he doesn’t find his opinions challenged much, I’m sure. That, of course, is no excuse. We can ignore him, like we have done with a multitude of crazy dictators over the years, but it doesn’t seem like the right answer. Does it ever? We can make fun of him, of the way he dresses, the delusional things he says (“There are no gays in Iran!”) but we’d run the risk of underestimating him. Looking at him on television, he reminds me of a bully on the playground. Bullies at their worst are dangerously insecure, violent, irrational and abrasive; they select others with a perceived weakness and go on the offensive. A bully has to put down others in order to feel better about himself. He has to continuously prove that he is worthy, that he is good enough, smart enough, all the while believing,deep down, that he isn’t. His insecurity leads him to believe that other kids will never like him for who he is, and thus he may as well give them a reason to fear and avoid him. That way, the dislike happens on his terms. We’ve all run into them on that playground; we’ve on most occasions responded with avoidance. Now that we are all grown up, do we have a decent response to the bigger bullies in the
world? In order to answer that, we must know and understand why Ahmadinejad does what he does. The truth is, he is not very well liked, not even by his own people, the Iranian economy is in shambles, people are dissatisfied with the lack of freedom and unrest keeps building. Finding a common enemy could just be what he has in mind to fix those particular problems. If Ahmadinejad can convince enough people that the Jews, that Israel, is a much bigger wrong than his own disastrous in-house policies, he could potentially distract the country from its economic woes long enough to support his crazy dreams of destroying Israel. Words are never just words; they always lead somewhere worse. Just as with the playground bully, ignoring the bad language and namecalling won’t work. Eventually, if you don’t pay attention, he’ll hide in an alley, waiting to beat you up. That is why we have to pay attention to the words that come out of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s mouth, every single time. With thanks to www.adl.com
FOCUS ON ISSUES by JULIUS BERMAN NEW YORK (JTA) -- At Rosh Hashanah 5706, 65 years ago, World War II had just ended. For those few European Jews who had survived the Holocaust, the end of the war meant a slow and painful process of beginning anew and trying to rebuild shredded lives. While at Rosh Hashanah we all contemplate renewal and beginnings, those survivors had no choice but to begin again. For 59 of those 65 years, the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) has been there to help those survivors rebuild, establish lives and obtain a small measure of justice. Through decades of negotiations with governments and industry, of issuing payments and recovering assets, of continually pushing for historic recognition of victims’ rights, the Claims Conference has been a singular, historic endeavor. There is no making whole again or setting right what was destroyed, but we must achieve recognition of suffering and some relief to those who suffer today. As we begin a new year this Rosh Hashanah, we renew our dedication to this task. We all have an obligation not just to help Holocaust survivors but to ensure that our words and actions do not work to their detriment. Critics of the Claims Conference who claim to have the best interests of Holocaust victims at heart have publicly voiced untruths recently about the organization that ultimately can harm survivors. The myth has been perpetuated that the Claims Conference has $1 billion at its disposal that could be used to aid elderly survivors in need but is not.
Jewish Press Board Andy Ruback, Vice President; Eric Dunning, Treasurer; Howard K. Marcus, Past President; Daphne Pollak Alperson, Marc Brodkey; Phyllis Brown; Jason Epstein; Mel Epstein; Scott Farkas; Michael Kaufman; Jamie Meyerson; Michael Sigmond; Jim Simon; Dorothy Spizman; Nancy Wolf. The role of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to involve Jews in meeting Jewish communal needs locally, nationally and in Israel. Agencies of the Federation are: Community Relations, Jewish Community Center, Center for Jewish Education, Jewish Family Service/Jewish Senior Services, and the Jewish Press . Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page stories and announcements, can be found online at: www jewishomaha.org; click on ‘Jewish Press.’ Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole. The Jewish Press reserves the right to edit signed letters and articles for space and content. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment. Editorial The Jewish Press is an agency 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: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org; send ads (in .TIF or .PDF format) to: rbusse@jewishomaha.org.
Untruths about Claims Conference will hurt survivors The billion-dollar myth arose from willful misinterpretation of the publicly available year-end statement of Claims Conference Liabilities and Net Assets. Even a cursory review of these financials [http://www.claimscon.org/index.asp? url=about_us/financials] debunks the myth. The statement details how Claims Conference funds, as of Dec. 31, are earmarked for programs and payments to benefit Holocaust victims and their heirs. Funds are designated for payments to certain heirs of properties lost in the Holocaust; allocations already made to organizations providing vital services to Holocaust victims like food packages, home care and emergency cash aid; and for grants over the next four years in order to continue these services as restitution-related funds dwindle. Perpetuating the billion-dollar myth as fact misleads needy Holocaust survivors into believing that there is a pot of gold on the other side of a locked door that, if opened, would greatly alleviate the physical and mental conditions in which they are suffering. This is the height of irresponsibility and is shameful. The damage to survivors from the myth runs even deeper. The Claims Conference has an urgent mission to obtain additional resources to help them. Negotiations with governments, 65 years after the end of the war and in the midst of the world financial crisis, become more difficult every year. But if governments are led to believe that the Claims Conference has $1 billion at its disposal, why would they provide restitution at this stage? Despite all the obstacles, the Claims Conference has been uniquely successful in increasing the funds available for survivors. Over recent years, Claims Conference negotiations with Germany have resulted in pensions and one-time payments for Holocaust victims who previously were ineligible for pay-
Bobbi Leibowitz President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Allan Handleman Advertising Manager Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Managing Editor Barbara Kirkpatrick Bookkeeper
ments under German government guidelines. We continue to press the principle that every Jewish victim of Nazi persecution is entitled to symbolic acknowledgement of their suffering with payments from Germany. We are working intensively to press the issue of property restitution in Eastern Europe. Jewish assets in many countries still have not been returned or compensated for, and governments have been unwilling to enact laws to ensure that Holocaust victims or their heirs are able to file claims to recover family properties that were stolen or lost so many decades ago. Restitution of communal and heirless assets in these countries could translate into hot meals, wheelchairs and housing aid for elderly survivors. We will not be deterred by intransigence on the other side. In just a few more years, most of the Claims Conference funds that provide vital services for Holocaust victims will be gone, but many elderly survivors will still be with us. Holocaust victims who have been receiving food packages, medicine, home care and emergency cash grants cannot suddenly be cut off from these vital services. The Claims Conference has been working to identify and obtain additional sources of funding to continue paying for these and other services to Holocaust victims, but we cannot do it alone. Rather than criticizing the Claims Conference - the one organization that distributed more than $700 million last year for survivors and heirs -- others in the Jewish community would better serve Holocaust victims by engaging in dedicated fundraising in order to continue providing them with dignified and substantive care. With such pressing tasks confronting us, nothing will deter us from our vital mission. Julius Berman is chairman of the Claims Conference. He also is a JTA board member.
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September 24, 2010
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 13
Jewish Federations opposed conversion bill with eye toward peoplehood FOCUS ON ISSUES by JERRY SILVERMAN NEW YORK (JTA) -- The Jewish Federations of North America helped lead a wide-ranging coalition this summer to prevent proposed legislation in Israel that would have proven highly detrimental to Jewish solidarity worldwide. The Jewish Federations partnered with the Jewish Agency for Israel and religious and political leaders in Israel and the United States to advocate against a bill by Knesset member David Rotem of the Yisrael Beiteinu Party that would have radically altered the status quo in Israel relating to the Chief Rabbinate and the Law of Return when it comes to conversions. For the first time in Israel’s history, the bill would have given the haredi Orthodox-controlled Rabbinate authority over all conversions. It also would have required that all converts, including immigrants from North America, accept halachah, or Jewish law. The Jewish Federations and our partners maintain this would have been unacceptable to the large majority of Jews in North America and to most Jewish Federation supporters. Not only would these changes have poten-
tially affected the standing of non-Orthodox Jews in Israel, but such a law would have sent a larger, destructive message: that the Jewish state is home to only certain Jews and not all Jews. We were deeply surprised and disappointed by this development, especially after we applauded and supported Rotem’s earlier proposed legislation on conversions in Israel. Rotem initially sought to give local rabbis in Israel authority over conversions, a process that would have made it easier for many Russian-born Israelis -- constituents of his party -- to convert to Judaism. We welcomed such efforts and thus were taken aback when the bill was changed, seemingly to appease certain political forces in Israel. Once the newer version of the bill was advanced, our coalition would have been remiss not to get involved in order to speak out on behalf of the vast majority of North American Jews. Ultimately, the controversy over the bill produced a number of positive outcomes, including the creation of a wide-ranging partnership of the Jewish Federations, the Jewish Agency, the Reform and Conservative movements, Orthodox voices and many Israeli political leaders. We applaud Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his courageous leadership on this issue, and also thank
If settlement unfreezes, there’s an app for that by RON KAMPEAS There’s been a lot of speculation about whether Israel is gong to extend the (partial) settlement freeze past Sept. 26, per pleadings by President Obama and threats from Mahmoud Abbas. Much attention has been given to the Iran component of Israeli ambassador Michael Oren’s Yom Kippur talk at Adas Israel congregation in DC, via the Washington Jewish Week. I’m not sure asking for backing in case it comes to a military confrontation is so new -- it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to come to that, just that it remains, like Mrs. Havisham’s cake, eternally on the table. More interesting is the plea for backing if Israel gives up land “Let’s return to that Kafkaesque scenario in which you wake up one morning and find yourself transformed into Israel’s prime minister. You know that to create that neighboring state that you’re going to have to give up some land, but not just any land, but land regarded as sacred by the majority of the Jewish people for more than three thousand years. You know that a great many of iPhone Screenshot your countrymen have made their homes in these areas and that numerous Israelis have given their lives in their defense. You know that Israel has in the past withdrawn from territories in an effort to generate peace but that it received no peace but rather war. And, lastly, you know that many Arabs view the two-state solution as a two stage solution in which the ultimate stage is Israel’s dissolution. See the latest & best at the largest industrial show in Nebraska
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Support us as we grapple with these towering challenges. Back us in our efforts to defend ourselves from terrorist rockets. Uphold us if we have to make painful sacrifices for peace or if we decide that the terms of the proposed treaty fail to justify those sacrifices. Stand with us as we resist Iran’s efforts to acquire nuclear weapons. Respect the decisions we take through our democratic system and respect the risks that we, more than any other nation, take.” It’s not exactly new -- Oren said in his pre-Rosh Hashanah interview with Jewish media that the Netanyahu government was already grappling with how it would deal with the American Jewish right. But it’s becoming a theme, and a signal that the Netanyahu government is working out how to frame a substantive announcement. Another signal is this leak, via the Jerusalem Post, that Israel is pressing the U.S. government to give up Jonathan Pollard. Netanyahu tried to garner a similar get from his 1998 negotiations at Wye. I don’t think it’s going to happen -- it’s certainly not going to happen in exchange for a three-month extension on the freeze -- but it shows that he’s grapCredit Apple, Inc. pling with how to sell whatever’s coming to hawks. In case there is no freeze, however, Americans For Peace Now has made it easier to track the defrost -- i.e., settlement growth. It has posted an interactive website (available as an app for i-devices, and soon for droids as well) that tracks settlement growth as soon as APN gets the data.
the many other leaders who spoke out so eloquently, including President Shimon Peres, Defense Minister Ehud Barak of Labor and opposition leader Tzipi Livni of the Kadima Party. They and many other voices banded with us to seek a compromise that all sides could accept while preserving the unity and solidarity of the Jewish people worldwide. We advocated intensely and tirelessly, but always respectfully and never negatively. We remain committed to that approach. As the Jewish new year is upon us, we are hopeful that all parties will seek to avoid negative and hurtful rhetoric and follow the prime minister’s lead of building a table of dialogue around which we can all come together. Our goal remains to support positive efforts on all sides to negotiate an agreement, with legislation that benefits all of the Jewish people around the world. Jerry Silverman is president and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR To the Jewish Press Editor: We were deeply saddened to learn in the Jewish Press of the passing of Dr. Ben Nachman, who’d conducted a video interview of Lenore just three weeks before when we visited Omaha, her childhood home. We were in awe of his dedication to recording Omaha Jewish history and his encylopedic knowledge of the Jewish community. We’d discussed his upcoming project documenting Jewish grocery stores in old Omaha, which we hoped might include that of Lenore’s father and grandfather. Dr. Nachman left this world just three months shy of his 80th birthday, which Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) terms an age of great strength. We’re sure that Dr. Nachman’s strenuous efforts to record Omaha Jewry’s past will strengthen its march into the future. Glenn & Lenore Richter New York City To the Jewish Press Editor: The only reaction that I have to the Riekes letter in support of the Cordoba House project in lower Manahattan is the same one I had to the post-Katrina restoration efforts: PITIFUL. For me, it is not a question of fear, for I fear no Jew, no Christian and certainly no Muslim, not even Bin Laden if I were fac-to-face with him. For me, it is a question of Trust. Can we trust this so called Imam who claims he is a visionary-peacemaker and his wife who must have overdosed on the Great Gatsby! I trust this guy as far as I can throw him, and apologists like Riekes like to invoke constitutional protections to support his leftist agenda, which, by his letter, he wishes for everyone else to adopt, without realizing that the Muslim community really intends to manipulate these rights against us. Let the Mosque be built, perhaps in Crown HeightsBrooklyn, and we will see if Riekes and his ilk will cast their lot with the Muslims against their own people! Simon Noel Omaha, NE
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
September 24, 2010
Candlelighting Friday, September 24, 7:01 p.m. Wednesday, September 29, 6:51 p.m. Thursday, September 30, 7:49 p.m.
Synagogue Listings B’nai Israel Synagogue 618 Mynster St. Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com
Beth El Synagogue Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California Omaha, NE 68154-1980 492.8550 www.bethel-omaha.org
Beth Israel Synagogue Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific St. Omaha, NE. 68154 556.6288 BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org
Chabad House An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 S. 120th St. Omaha, NE 68144-1646 330.1800 www.OChabad.com email: chabad@aol.com
Congregation B’nai Jeshurun South Street Temple Union for Reform Judaism 2061 S. 20th St. Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 435.8004 southstreettemple.org
Offutt Air Force Base SAC Memorial Chapel 301 Lincoln Highway Offutt AFB, NE 68113 294.6244
Rose Blumkin Jewish Home 323 S. 132 St. Omaha, NE 68154
Temple Israel Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 7023 Cass Street Omaha, NE 68132-2651 556.6536 templeisrael-ne.org
The Neighborhood Prayer Group 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
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B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE FRIDAY: Services followed by Oneg, 7:30 p.m.
BETH EL SYNAGOGUE Services conducted by Rabbi Mordechai Levin and Cantor Beth Schlossberg. FRIDAY: Sukkot morning service, 9:30 a.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m.; Monthly birthday blessing: honoring everyone who has celebrated a birthday during the month, with a special blessing and reception. SATURDAY: Morning, 9:30 a.m.; Junior Congregation (3-7), 10 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:10 p.m. WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Bible Study Discussion Group, 10 a.m.; BESTT Classes resume, 10 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:30 p.m. MONDAY/TUESDAY: Shacharit, 6:40 a.m.; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 5:30 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Hoshanna Rabbah, 6:15 a.m.; CSA pick-up for shareholders, 4:30 p.m. at the synagogue; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:30 p.m. THURSDAY: Morning with Yizkor & Dedication of Plaques, 9:30 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv (Hakafot), 5:30 p.m. (see full story on page 7.) TOT SHABBAT & SAY SHALOM TO SHABBAT: On Friday, Oct. 8, 6 p.m. Service is followed by dinner. For reservations made by Wednesday, Sept. 29, dinner cost is $5 for Beth El members, $7.50 for non-members; after that, the cost is $10, and $15, respectively. No charge for children six and younger. To RSVP, contact Margie in the office, or at programming@beth el-omaha.org. THE MYSTIQUE OF JUDAISM: Monthly adult-education class begins Sunday, Oct. 3, 10-11 a.m. Led by Andy Greenberg, class will explore witchcraft, angels, ghosts, potions, golems and many other psychic phenomena in Judaism. Cost: $36 for Beth El members, $45 for non-members. Call the office to register. JEWISH IMAGES ON THE BIG SCREEN: Weekly adulteducation class, led by Susi
Frydman-Levin, begins Sunday, Oct. 3, 10:30 a.m.–noon. Class will view and analyze images and issues in films to explore Jewish values. Call the office to register. All Beth El classes and programs are open to everyone in the Jewish community.
BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN
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 and Rabbi Yitzchak Mizrahi. FRIDAY: Sukkot Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Kiddush is sponsored by Sisterhood; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Free babysitting, 9:30 a.m.; Children’s Classes begin with Torah Parade, 9:45 a.m.; Kiddush is sponsored by Sisterhood; “Guard Your Tongue,” “The Great Midrash” and “Advanced Parshah Study for Kids” (ages 10 and up), one hour prior to Mincha every Shabbat; Mincha, 6:45 p.m. followed by Seuda Shlishit; Havdalah, 7:58 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m. TUESDAY: Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6:51 p.m. THURSDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Yizkor, 10:30 a.m.; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 7 p.m.; Hakafot, 7:50 p.m. followed by a dairy dinner.
Services conducted by Rabbi Ilan Emanuel. FRIDAY: Peaceful Shabbat Service, 7:45 p.m. led by Rabbi Emanuel, with oneg following hosted by Nicholette Brackhan and Randi Emanuel. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. led by Rabbi Emanuel; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. all led by Rabbi Emanuel; Game Night/Potluck, 5 p.m. at the Cadwallader farm. Please RSVP by phone 402.784.0321 or email MariaCadwallader@Direc TV.net. SUNDAY: LJCS Grades 3-7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Gan-Grade 2, 9:45 a.m.12:15 p.m. at South Street Temple; Hallah High, 10 a.m.noon at South Street Temple; Joint Sukkot Diary Potluck, 12:15 p.m.; LJCS Board meeting, 1:30 p.m. at South Street Temple. WEDNESDAY: Hebrew classes (grades 3-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. THURSDAY: Joint Simchat Torah Celebration, 6:30 p.m. at South Street Temple.
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Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. FRIDAY: Service, 10 a.m.; Kiddush luncheon in the Sukkah, noon. SATURDAY: Shabbat Minyan, 10 a.m.; Youth Minyan, 10:30 a.m.; Mini Mensch title will be awarded. Kiddush luncheon follows. Join Rabbi Katzman, noon1 p.m.; W.O.W. Parsha, Prophets and Prayer, 12:45 p.m. SUNDAY: Service, 8:30 a.m.; Sukkot Party/Lulov Shake, 1:30 p.m. at Remington Heights. WEEKDAYS: Services, 7 a.m. WEDNESDAY: Hakafot and Dinner, 7 p.m. THURSDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Hakafot, 11 a.m.; Kiddush,
Vandals attack Seattle-area Jewish high school by JTA NEWSSTAFF (JTA) -- A Jewish high school in Washington State was defaced with anti-Semitic graffiti. The epithets in orange, blue and gray paint on the Northwest Yeshiva High School on Mercer Island included swastikas and references to gas chambers, the Seattle Times reported. The attack occurred late on Sept. 16 and was discovered the following morning, on the eve of Yom Kippur. The graffiti covered most of the building’s outer wall, including
12:30 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6:30 p.m.; Hakafot and dinner, 7:30 p.m. FRIDAY, Oct. 1: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Hakafot, 11 a.m.; Kiddush, 12:30 p.m.; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 6 p.m.; Shabbat dinner, 7 p.m. All programs are open to the entire community.
on the second floor. Neighborhood residents helped the school to clean off the graffiti before Yom Kippur services were held in the school’s sanctuary. Police took the school’s security tapes in an attempt to identify the vandals. “It’s a kick in the gut,” Rabbi Yechezkel Kornfeld told the Seattle Times. “I’ve been here for 35 years, and we’ve never had an incident like this. Whoever it is, I hope they eventually realize what they did and change their ways.”
FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m.
NEIGHBORHOOD PRAYER GROUP There will be no services starting Sept. 10 until after Simchat Torah. Services will resume Oct. 9.
ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME FRIDAY: Sukkot Services, 9 a.m. led by Andy Greenberg. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m.
led by Steve Riekes. THURSDAY: Shimini Atzeret Services with Yizkor, 9 a.m. led by Andy Greenberg. Services will be held in the Chapel. Members of the community are invited to attend Services.
TEMPLE ISRAEL FRIDAY: Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m.; Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. SUNDAY: Hebrew Teachers Meeting, 9 a.m.; Grades Pre-K-6, 10 a.m.; Consecration Rehearsal, 10:15 a.m.; Religious School Steering Committee Meeting, noon. WEDNESDAY: Grades 3-6, 46 p.m.; No Family School; Torah Services/Consecration, 6 p.m. THURSDAY: Simchat Torah Service, 10:30 a.m. Please call Temple, 556.6536, by Friday, Sept. 24, to have a loved one’s name read at this service.
TIFERETH ISRAEL Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. FRIDAY: Mincha, 7 p.m.; Services, 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush luncheon and Talmud study. SUNDAY: LJCS Grades 3-7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Gan-Grade 2, 9:45 a.m.12:15 p.m. at South Street Temple; Hallah High, 10 a.m.noon at South Street Temple; Joint Sukkot Diary Potluck, 12:15 p.m.; LJCS Board meeting, 1:30 p.m. at South Street Temple. WEDNESDAY: Hebrew classes (grades 3-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. THURSDAY: Shemini Atzeret with Yizkor services, 8:30 a.m.; Joint Simchat Torah Celebration, 6:30 p.m. at South Street Temple. FRIDAY, Oct. 1: Simchat Torah Shacharit, 8:30 a.m.; Erev Shabbat service, 7:15 p.m.
SUKKAH HOP - SUNDAY, SEPT. 26 Sponsored by Omaha’s three synagogues. Temple Israel: snacks at 3 p.m.; Beth Israel: soup and salad at 4:15 p.m.; Beth El: pizza and lasagna at 5:30 p.m.; Blumkin Home: dessert and entertainment provided by Tuffy Epstein at 6:45 p.m. Cost, $5 per person. RSVP to your synagogue.
Heat damages Israel’s etrog crop by JTA NEWSSTAFF (JTA)--Israel’s unusually extreme summer heat has seriously damaged this year's etrog crop, growers say. Strong heat and winds caused much of the fruit to fall off trees prematurely, a grower told Haaretz.
In addition, while in most years 10 percent of the harvest is designated of highest quality, this year only 1 percent received the designation .Israeli growers produce about 1.5 million of the citron fruits each year.
EARLY DEADLINE NOTICE The Jewish Press office is closed on Friday, Sept. 24, for Sukkot and Thursday and Friday, Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, for Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah; the deadline for the Oct. 8 issue is Tuesday, Sept. 28, 9 a.m. Questions? Call 334.6448.
September 24, 2010
History and Morality
SPARKS FROM THE WORD by RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Ha’azinu As we approach the end of the Torah (and the end of the religious year), we read this great biblical poem, Ha’azinu. Biblical poetry is powerful, yet tender; it can be accusatory, yet comforting. The poetry of the prophetic literature is not surprising to us, but this poetry in the Torah itself comes as an awakening. In order to gain the deepest possible attention, Moses calls as witnesses the very heavens and the earth itself. And what is the message? The message is that one must not minimize the effect of past generations and past centuries. For we are made, Moses tells his people, by what history has done to us; history has created who we are. Why has he insisted upon rapt attention? Because he expects both heaven and earth, as witnesses, to impress Israel with the world’s most important fact, that the God of our fathers is just and righteous; and he demands justice and righteousness from all of us. Thus, in this powerful poem, Ha’azinu, he stresses that God is not to be questioned nor belittled, for it is He who summons Israel to a life of decency, brotherly love, and morality. At first glance of the eye, this life of honesty and morality seems simple enough. Life itself, however, reminds Israel that life has not only joys and opportunities, but also heavy obligations and duties. Thus this great poem demands of Israel that they should give careful attention to the past, for history made us what we are. The Israelites should give careful
attention as well to the present, for morality and respect for the life which God has given us must be pointed in the direction of moral living. Where no other peoples have learned to make history and the past important in their life, Moses insists that Israel must do so. Now that God has given us life, which only He can create, we are of course required to use our lives in the direction of brotherly love and morality. It is without any sense of success and completion that I offer this attempt to understand and explain our Sidrah. Therefore, the reader must go himself to the Sacred Text of Torah, and study the words and meaning of this powerful and graceful Biblical poetry. Read it again, and again, and again. One may say: hesitantly, and without expertise, that the poem has taught us the meaning of life: life becomes meaningful only when it is directed to God’s purpose of making humanity sensitive, both to History and Morality.
DEATHS SAMUEL V. COOPER Samuel V. Cooper was born in Chelm, Poland, in 1922, and passed away on Sept. 5 in Omaha. Services were held Sept. 6 at Beth El Cemetery. He is survived by wife, Judith; children, Hollie and Abe Zeiderman, Denver, CO; Ronna and Mark Emanuel, Johannesburg, South Africa, Marsha and Steve Simon, and Justin and Joan Cooper, all of Omaha; 13 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild; brothers and sister-in-laws, David and Sarita Cooper of Omaha, and Jack and Susan Cooper of Dallas; and many nieces and nephews. Memorials may be sent to Beth El Synagogue or the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.
Shouldering the burden of forgotten cemeteries by SUE FISHKOFF may exist. SAN FRANCISCO (JTA) -- The old Jewish cemetery No one knows how many of those cemeteries are at in Eufaula, Ala., hasn’t been used in years. risk; experts estimate there may be several hundred. “The monuments are just crumbling,” said Sara Some of these at-risk cemeteries are completely abanHamm. doned, while others are at various stages of manageShe and her family are the last Jews living in this once- ment. Some are privately owned. Others are owned by booming cotton and railway town on the banks of the synagogues that no longer exist or fraternal societies Chattahoochee River. with just one or two living members. The Jewish cemetery’s first burial dates from 1845, “You don’t hear about cemeteries in distress until when German Jews began arriving as merchants and dry things get really bad, until a [fraternal society] no longer goods salesmen. They exists or a family member bought a synagogue in takes them to court,” said 1873, but sold it in the David Zinner, executive early 1900s when their director of Kavod numbers dwindled to severv’Nichum, which supports al dozen. The cemetery, Jewish bereavement comwith its 84 burial plots, fell mittees and chevra kadisha into disrepair. groups nationwide. “People In the mid-1980s say that’s not where the Hamm’s grandmother Jewish community should Jennie Rudderman began spend its money, we need to restoring it, righting headfocus on young people. But stones and clearing away focusing on young people brush. After she died in should include helping 1999, Hamm took over as them take care of their parTwo years after volunteer Stan Cohen started his clean-up, volunteer caretaker. But the ents and grandparents." the Brith Sholem cemetery near Trenton, N.J., looks remarkjob is wearing her down. Recently, interest in Credit: Stan Cohen ably better. “It’s been left to its own taking care of these old accord now, like everything else in small-town America,” cemeteries has been growing. she said. In 2008, the first Jewish Cemetery Association of Similar stories repeat across the land, from the rust North America was established as an umbrella for efforts belt of western Pennsylvania to the Bible Belt in the to standardize care and maintenance of Jewish cemeterSouth. As factories closed down and populations shifted ies, active and inactive. Its 12 founding members include westward, once-thriving Jewish communities declined individual cemeteries and funeral homes, as well as and synagogues shut their doors. The only thing left regional cemetery associations, which have started formbehind, in many cases, were the cemeteries -- with no ing just in the past 25 years. one, or almost no one, to take care of them. Jonathan Schachter is on the board of the Jewish “The Jewish community knows there is a problem of Cemetery and Burial Association of Greater Pittsburgh, abandoned cemeteries, but they feel it’s someone else’s which turned its attention to neglected and abandoned problem, or the problem of the descendants of those Jewish cemeteries in western Pennsylvania in the midburied there,” said Gary Katz, president of the 4-year- 1980s. old Community Association for Jewish At-Risk The association, which operates under the umbrella of Cemeteries, or CAJAC, which spearheads efforts to the Jewish federation, will soon assume responsibility for clean and maintain distressed cemeteries in New York its 10th such cemetery. City. “But throughout Jewish history, cemeteries have Another nascent effort is the Jewish Cemetery been a communal responsibility.” Renewal Project of North America, created in 2009 by The Jewish Cemetery Project of the International Harley Felstein, a family service counselor at a cemetery Association of Jewish Genealogy Societies lists 1,375 in Washington, D.C., which seeks to advise people tryJewish cemeteries in the United States and 72 in ing to restore or maintain at-risk or abandoned Jewish Canada, but project coordinator Ellen Renck says more cemeteries.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
September 24, 2010
In awe of schach: Searching for the perfect sukkah covering by EDMON J. RODMAN Joshua Foer and Roger Bennett asked entrants for their mats -- especially those who live in desert climates, LOS ANGELES (JTA) -- His 14-foot-long pole saw in sukkah visions. where green schach quickly dries up and shrivels. hand, Paul Nisenbaum is ready to head out into the Recently a panel named the 12 finalists whose sukkahs When Howard Scharfman of Tucson, Ariz., wants to great urban forest in a search for schach. The Los will be constructed in Union Square Park in the days search for schach in a desert region that he describes “as Angeles teacher and small businessman is among the before Sukkot. New Yorkers will vote and pick the win- cactus and more cactus,” he visits his storage shed. many Jews throughout North America who will search ner, which will remain standing for the holiday as the Scharfman likes to use a woven bamboo mat to cover his their neighborhoods, from wilderness to city center, for “People’s Choice Sukkah.” sukkah, where he says temperatures average 100 a suitable sukkah roof covering. degrees. With Sukkot, the holiday when Jews construct “It’s a renewable resource,” he said. “I can use it and live in fragile, temporary booths coming a few year after year.” days after Yom Kippur, the hunt is on. In the Midwest, one community is going to the According to halachah, the schach should be farm for inspiration. East Side Veggies, a project of something that once grew in the earth but is no Congregation Shaarey Tikvah in the Cleveland longer attached to the earth. Once the schach is in area, is selling bundles of green cornstalks harvestplace, most of the roof of the sukkah should be coved from nearby Geauga County for $10 a bunch. ered, with the test being that once inside, you see “It’s not your typical bamboo matt covering,” more shade than sun. said the schach sale coordinator, Matthew Rabbi Isaac Luria, the 16th Century leader of Fieldman. “The stalks are literally right from the kabbalistic teaching, even taught there is a connecfield. This was alive not long ago, and it presents tion between schach and divine inspiration. just a different atmosphere with nothing manufacMats made of bamboo seem to be the norm in tured. America, but for Nisenbaum and others, only “We are supporting Jewish values by reducing our something more directly connected to their envifootprint,” added Fieldman, who used cornstalks ronment will bring inspiration. the previous Sukkot for his own sukkah. “We are “I want the real thing,” said Nisenbaum, who supporting local agriculture and supplying somelong before the holiday scouts out suitable palm thing that every part of the Jewish community can trees in his neighborhood. “While I’m walking to use.” Palm fronds are a favorite form of schach for sukkahs in the Los Angeles shul, I spot the good ones.” Fieldman says the cornstalks, which are some 6 Credit: Edmon Rodman area. Up north, in Fairbanks, Alaska, Randall Miller feet in length, “long, lush and green,” are supplied looks to the natural resources of his area for schach. Foer says for the roofs, “there are lots of possibilities by an Amish farming collective. “We use local stuff from the forest,” he said. “Spruce beyond mats.” He noted that among the 600 entries, “They completely knew what Sukkot is,” Fieldman boughs some years, and on others tall purple flowers there were designs with roofs of “dried flowers, little said. “They respect what we are doing.” called fireweed,” Miller said. “We use the long stalks pieces of wood veneer, fallen leaves” and one whose creThis year he ordered enough cornstalks for about 100 which later in the season turn a purplish red.” ators wanted to use an invasive species of grass. families. Miller, whose sukkah temperatures drop to between One of the 12 finalists, Volkan Alkanoglu, a Los The previous Sukkot, Fieldman observed that the 30 and 0 degrees, added that “Sometimes at night we Angeles architect and teacher who had never before stalks, which start green before gradually turning brown, see the stars through the roof, other times the stars and been in a sukkah, used rattan for schach for his entry reminded him of the transitional nature of Sukkot and of the falling snow.” titled “Star Cocoon.” The cocoon’s curved support life. In New York City, a national sukkah design contest structure will be made of cane. “Once upon a time I used bamboo mats,” Fieldman called Sukkah City is challenging artists, architects, Alkanoglu, who along with his team designed the said, but “then I met the farmers who grew this corn.” designers and sukkah enthusiasts to become halachically sukkah on a computer, saw the unique materials and Edmon J. Rodman is a JTA columnist who writes on creative with sukkah design. Using Jewish law as well as design parameters as a way “to bring people together.” Jewish life from Los Angeles. Contact him at edmocity ordinance as design criteria, contest organizers Beyond contests and foraging, many still love their jace@gmail.com.