October 15, 2004 by Jewish Press

Vol. LXXXIV No. 6 Omaha, NE

Celebrating 83 Years of Service to Nebraska and Western Iowa

Jews Kvell as Israelis Win First Nobel Prize for Science

Remembering Yitzhak Rabin

by RACHEL POMERANCE “We discovered the NEW YORK (JTA)--As process by which the body Israel captured its first exercises quality control,” Nobel prize in science last Ciechanover said. week, Jews worldwide Asked in a phone interkvelled over the recognition view with JTA if the attenof excellence in a discipline tion on Israel overshadthat has long been a hallowed his honor, Rose--who mark of the Jewish state. said that the Israelis worked The Nobel prize in chemin his lab at the Fox Chase istry was awarded Cancer Center in Wednesday to two Israelis, Philadelphia at different Avram Hershko and Aaron times between 1977 to 1996 Ciechanover of the --said, “absolutely not.” Technion in Haifa, and an “They deserve this prize American, Irwin Rose of the for the important observaUniversity of California at tion" they made, he told Irvine, for a discovery that JTA, stressing the “important Nobel prize winners Avram Hershko, left, and Aaron advances the fight against contribution from the Credit: Israel Cancer Research Fund Ciechanover. cancer. Technion.” The three share the $1.3 million prize along with its In fact, Rose said, he never thought he would win the international acclaim. Nobel, but “was confident” that Hershko would. At an Oct. 6 news conference in Israel, Ciechanover, “There’s no question about it that he did the major 57, accepted the prize in a uniquely Israeli tone: “The work in this field. I was a contributor and I never felt human brain is the only natural resource that Israel that I was really the key person,” he said. possesses...this is proof of the kinds of things Israeli sciSeveral Jews were among the Nobel laureates entists can achieve,” Ciechanover said. announced last week, but there was special pride in the His mentor, Hungarian-born Hershko, 67, also framed accomplishment of the Israelis. the win as a national triumph: “We’re very excited, and Upon hearing the news, Melvyn Bloom, Executive very happy to bring good news to the people of Israel.” Vice-president of the American Technion Society, In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the scientists found instantly recalled the image of Gal Fridman--the windand named the protein ubiquitin, which marks other surfer who won Israel’s first Olympic gold in Athens proteins for destruction once they have carried out their two months ago--“wrapping himself in the Israeli flag, task, a process that regulates the body. Alternatively, and they were playing ‘Hatikvah’.” unwanted proteins that linger in the body can cause “This one I feel the same way about in a larger disease like cancer. sense,” said Bloom, whose society raises funds for the The trio’s discovery led to the creation of the cancer Technion. After all these years and the tremendous drug Velcade, approved last year in the United States, achievement of the scientific community in the Jewish that targets sick cells. Previously, cancer treatments had state, “this is the first time that Israeli scientists have a tendency to kill cells indiscriminately, a debilitating won the Nobel prize,” he said. and potentially lethal complication for the patient. Continued on page 4

YJO Event is Something to Laugh About by PAM MONSKY Federation Communications Director Young Jewish Omaha (YJO) is back with a laugh! The stand-up comedy of Joel Chasnoff will be featured at a light-hearted event on Thursday, Oct. 28, 6-8 p.m., at Ironwood Golf and Country Club, 12627 Pacific St. The event is free and open to all members of the Jewish community, ages 25-45. In addition, the Jewish Federation of Omaha’s Young Leadership Awards will be presented to Katherine Finnegan and David Kohll. Chairing the event are Stacey Atlas, Traci Kugler, Michael Silverman and Adam Yale, who also form the YJO Steering Committee. “A lot of thought went into the selection of Joel Chasnoff as the headliner for this event,” said Yale. “We chose him because he’s part of our generation and the feedback we’ve had from the other communities Chasnoff has performed in has been outstanding.” Silverman endorsed the social aspect of the event, saying, “this is a great way to meet people in the Jewish community you might not otherwise have the opportunity to get to know in a relaxed atmosphere.” “This is the kind of event people have been asking for,” explained Kugler. “As a YJO Steering Committee member, I’m proud to be associated with this program.” “YJO programming has been on hiatus for while, but the recent influx of young people to our Jewish community has created a need for more programs,” said

Inside

30 Tishrei, 5765 October 15, 2004

Atlas, who with her husband Brett are newcomers to Omaha. A generous donation from the Frances and Norman Batt Family Fund was instrumental in reviving YJO. Mrs. Batt said she was inspired to fund YJO programming because “we need to pay Joel Chasnoff attention to the future of our Jewish community and focus on creating Jewish continuity. I think back to the wonderful volunteers that led the community in the past...they are the stars in the sky that we follow.” She added that “we need to plan ahead. If our goal is to engage young people and use their enormous talent, that doesn’t just happen. We have to have a firm plan in place now. The programming sponsored by the Federation and YJO is part of that plan.” Chasnoff brings creativity and imagination to comedy with an innovative look at the funnier side of Jewish life. His stand-up act focuses on what being Jewish in America means--such experiences as the Bar Mitzvah, tours of the Holy Land and Yom Kippur services. At the heart of his act is a deep love of Judaism that is communicated in his performance. Continued on page 3

by URI LEVIN and RACHEL BLUM JCC Community Shaliach and JCC Program Director As the anniversary of Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination approaches, it is imperative that we educate ourselves about the events that unfolded so that we ensure that history does not repeat itself. On Wednesday, Nov, 3, 7 p.m., the Jewish Community Center and Jewish Educational and Library Services will sponsor a memorial service with an educational content to honor Rabin and educate the public on the reoccurring issues of violence in Israeli society. The program will be hosted by Temple Israel and the community is encouraged to attend.

Yitzhak Rabin, 1922-1995 Rabin’s legacy leaves much to think about in the ways we interpret our freedoms in a democratic society, and the program will center around this and other relevant topics. Born in Jerusalem in 1922, Rabin served in the Palmach and the Israeli army for 27 years. He became IDF Chief of Staff and led Israel to a victory in the SixDay War in 1967. Following his service in the IDF, Rabin was appointed Israeli Ambassador to the United States, and from 1974-77, served as Prime Minister of Israel, placing a special emphasis on improving the economy, solving social problems, and strengthening the IDF. He later served as a member of the Knesset until 1992 when he was elected Chairman of the Labor Party. When the Labor Party won the 1992 election, Rabin, as its Chairman, stepped into the Prime Minister position once again. As Prime Minister, Rabin focused on negotiations with the Palestinian Liberation Organization, and in 1994 received the Nobel Peace Prize for his achievements. Later that year, Rabin and King Hussein signed the Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty, which led to a mutual understanding and good neighborly relations between the two countries. In the summer of 1995, the right-wing parties in Israel felt that giving up Israeli land was dangerous to the future of the State of Israel. At the same time, Palestinian terrorist acts were occurring throughout major cities in Israel, killing dozens of Israeli civilians. This provoked violent demonstrations against Rabin, Arafat, and the peace process itself, which penetrated throughout the populations of the major cities in Israel. Protesters burned photographs of Rabin and depicted him as a Nazi officer; a murderer and a traitor. They even went as far as to carry caskets around with his name on them. On Nov. 4, 1995, at a peace rally in Tel Aviv, Rabin was assassinated by a Jewish right-wing law student, who believed his actions were justified by Jewish law. The assassination forces us to think about what happens when personal freedoms become extreme and our beliefs interfere with our perceptions of the value of human life. For more information about the memorial, call 334.6403 or 334.6404.

This Week: Ron Wolfson Returns to Omaha for Beth El’s 75th: Page 12 Klutznick-Harris Symposium Features Experts: Page 2

The Historian’s Fooprint-A Washington Diary: Page 4

Coming: Education/Camping: Oct. 22

Israeli Docs Fix Hearts in Third World: Page 5

Lincoln Synagogues Combine Youth Groups: Page 7

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

October 15, 2004

Music, Television, Movies and More: Klutznick-Harris Symposium Addresses How They Relate to American Judaism

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15 OTYG NFTY Leaders Training Institiute Oct. 15-17 at Temple Israel Beth El Women’s Retreat, Oct. 15-16 Rabbi Yaacov Marcus Shabbaton, 7 p.m. at the Torah Learning Center C SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16 L Rabbi Marcus Shabbaton, 9 a.m. at TLC House I P

C L I P

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 17 Pancake Breakfast, 9 a.m. at Temple Israel Sisterhood Fall Bazaar, 10 a.m. at Beth El Temple Israel Family Mini-Golf Outing, 10:30 a.m.

S A MONDAY, OCTOBER 18 V JSS Senior Luncheon, 10 a.m. E

Hadassah Board Meeting, 1 p.m. “Kosher Kitchen” Class, 7:30 p.m. at the home of Rabbi & Ariella Hoffman

S A V E

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19 BBYO Night, 6 p.m. Board of Trustees Meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Temple Israel WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20 Jewish Book Month Luncheon, noon Bible Quiz Study (Gr. 7-12), 4:30 p.m. at Temple Israel Board Meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Beth El C THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21 L I Men’s Spirituality Group, 7:30 a.m. at Temple Israel P Walk-in Drop-in, 10 a.m.

Book Discussion Group, 1 p.m. & Yiddish Group, 1 p.m.

Board of Directors Meeting, 7 p.m. at Friedel Jewish Academy S A TLC “Crash Course in Hebrew Reading” Class, 7:30 p.m.

C L I P &

S A V V E All events held at the JCC unless otherwise indicated. The Jewish Press is not E responsible for the accuracy of events. To keep calendar accurate or for questions, call Marlene Hert at 334-6437. FOR A COMPLETE LISTING, VISIT THE FEDERATION’S WEBSITE: www.JewishOmaha.org (click on calendar)

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by LEONARD GREENSPOON Holder of the Klutznick Chair in Jewish Civilization Listening to music. Watching TV. Attending a play. Going to the movies. Reading light fiction. These activities are usually enjoyable and often entertaining. As the presenters in this year’s Klutznick-Harris Symposium demonstrate, they can also be educational, with more lessons to teach Dan Clanton, Jr. than meet the Steven Alan Carr untutored eye. “American Judaism in Popular Culture,” the theme of the Symposium, takes center stage on Sunday and Monday, Oct. 24- Thomas A. Kuhlman Judith Neulander

observes that one of them, Moe Howard, was the first American actor to impersonate Hitler, even preceding Charlie Chaplin’s The Great Dictator. She places the Stooges and their two-reelers within the context of late 1930s, early 1940s Hollywood, where there was a con-

25, with presentations that combine the aural and visual with the written word in a variety of ways. What is more American than rock and roll? Or more Jewish? Two presentations answer these questions. On Sunday, at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus, Steven Horowitz, of the University of Iowa, explores “Absolutely Kosher Music: The Story of American Jews in Rock and Roll.” Starting from early music promoters like Alan Freed and going through performers as varied as Paul Simon, Randy Newman, Joey Ramone, and The Beastie Boys, Horowitz encourages us to consider what it means to be a Jewish-American rock and rolleror one of their fans. Horowitz has been teaching a class in rock and roll at the University of Iowa for nearly twenty years. He is the son of Holocaust survivors, he remembers receiving his first record albums as afikomen presents. Monday morning, on the Creighton University campus, Truman State Professor Dereck Daschke looks at one of music’s most enduring and controversial figures in his “‘Oh, Mama, Could This Be The End?’ The Apocalyptic Bob Dylan.” Daschke will consider how Dylan has uniquely blended modern concerns with traditional Jewish themes, especially prophecy and apocalyptic thought. Daschke became interested in Dylan and the apocalypse at exactly the same time in college and admits, jokingly, that he is waiting for one or the other to come to his part of Missouri. A recent exhibit at New York’s Jewish Museum highlighted the role of Jews in movies, television, and the theater, and it is fitting that a number of Symposium presentations deal with this as well. Most of them strike a light note. For example, Sunday afternoon sessions at UNL feature “From Sholem Aleichem to Harvey Fierstein: Love Makes a Family-and History-in Jewish-American Performance,” presented by Ben Furnish, of the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and “From Mr. Hankey to The Hebrew Hammar: Hanukkah in Pop Culture,” by the University of Denver’s Dan Clanton, Jr. Furnish plans to look at how the theme of modern romantic love, in its myriad manifestations, can cause social dislocation that is portrayed by Jewish playwrights as varied as Sholem Aleichem, Wendy Wasserstein, and Harvey Fierstein. Furnish’s interests are reflected in many of his publications, especially his forthcoming book, Nostalgia in Jewish-American Theatre and Film, 1979-2000. Clanton creatively combines his interest in popular culture with expertise in antiquity by looking first at the historical origins of Hanukkah, as presented in the books of Maccabees, before turning to such recent portrayals of the holiday and Jewish identity as The Hebrew Hammer, South Park, and Friends. Clanton’s interest in the intersection between the Bible and culture is also evident in the almost one thousand classical recordings in his personal music library. Monday morning Creighton audiences will also have the pleasure of attending two light-hearted presentations on Jews and Judaism in popular entertainment: Lynn Rapaport, Pomona College, “Hang Hitler: The Three Stooges Take Potshots at Nazis,” and G. Andrew Tooze, an independent scholar from Winston-Salem, NC, “David of Hollywood: Israelite King or American Superhero?” Although we don’t usually associate the Three Stooges was substantive social commentary, Rapaport

siderable Jewish presence. Rapaport, a popular speaker and prolific writer on topics relating to modern Germany and Holocaust survivors, as well as popular culture, is an ideal presenter on this fascinating topic. Equally fascinating is Andrew Tooze’s examination of differing depictions of King David’s Jewishness in such films as David and Bathsheba, David and Goliath, and David. Because David has significance for Christian audiences as well, these films provide unparalleled windows into how Judaism was understood when they were produced. Tooze traces his interest in how readers and viewers interact with the biblical text to his childhood practice of watching The Ten Commandments when it was aired on television each Palm Sunday. Popular culture is not always intended to be lighthearted, especially when the subject is as serious as the Holocaust and anti-Semitism. This becomes clear in presentations at both UNL and Creighton. Steven Alan Carr, Professor at Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne, draws upon his experience as a fellow at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Center for “Hollywood, the Holocaust, and World War II” on Sunday afternoon in Lincoln. Focusing on films made before 1965, he shows that their few explicit, but far more numerous implicit, references to the Holocaust had far-reaching consequences. This is true not only for public perceptions of the Holocaust and Nazi anti-Semitism, but also for practices within the entertainment industry itself. Lawrence Baron, Professor at San Diego State University, looks at “Projecting Prejudice: Depicting Anti-Semitism in America Movies” Monday morning at Creighton. The well-known Gentlemen’s Agreement exposed anti-Semitism in contemporary America. But most later movies located this phenomenon in the past or abroad. Baron’s considerable experience in teaching and writing, including “X-Man as J-Men” and “Rebels With An Aryan Cause,” provides him with an excellent background for this presentation. On a related topic is Nora L. Rubel, “‘Muggers in Black Coats’: The Alleged Hijacking of American Judaism.” Rubel, a graduate student at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, will speak Sunday morning in Lincoln. She also looks at negative portrayals of Jews, but hers are in literature, not film, and they are written by Jews themselves. In particular, she analyzes the rifts between more liberal Jews and the Orthodox and conflicts among Orthodox Jews themselves. She sets her analysis within the context of larger movements and developments within American Judaism today. Judith Neulander, of Case Western Reserve, offers the leadoff paper on Sunday at UNL. With the title, “Tchotchkes: Reading Popular Objects as Cultural Texts,” she promises a wide-ranging exploration of tchotchkes, as well as shmatas, as found in gadgets, baubles, souvenirs, and a variety of other novelty items. In the process, she will demonstrate how these objects impart Jewish identity from generation to generation. Neulander is an expert in folklore and ethnomusicology. Thomas A. Kuhlman, a popular Creighton Professor, will offer the first paper on Monday morning at Creighton. His lively presentation is titled, “A Passion for Words for the Witty: S. J. Perelman, JewishAmerican Satirist.” Although not widely read today, Continued on page 3

Derek Daschke

Ben Furnish

Steven Horowitz

Lynn Rapaport

Noral L. Rubel

G. Andrew Tooze

October 15, 2004

YJO Event Continued from page 1 Chasnoff was a featured performer at the Montreal Comedy Festival and has opened for such well-known comics as Jon Stewart of “The Daily Show” and Gilbert Gottfried, featured in the film, Aladdin. Audiences across the spectrum of Jewish observance and knowledge have found Joel’s humor uplifting, positive and most importantly, uproariously funny! Chasnoff was born in Chicago and attended Solomon Schechter Day Schools. Following his studies at the University of Pennsylvania, Chasnoff volunteered for the Israel Defense Forces and served in a combat unit stationed on the Syrian border in the Golan Heights. He was named the Outstanding Soldier of his platoon during Basic Training and eight months later completed a tour of duty in the Security Zone in South Lebanon. As one of only two Americans in his entire unit, Chasnoff experienced the Israeli army from the unique perspective of a soldier who is also an outsider. For reservations, please contact Sharon Kirshenbaum, Young Leadership Director, at 334.6485 or skirshenbaum@jewishomaha.org. Baby-sitting will be available, by reservation only, on a first come, first served basis. Young Jewish Omaha (YJO) is a social group for members of the community ages 25-45 and sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Omaha.

Klutznick-Harris Symposium Continued from page 2 Perelman was very popular and influential in his day, sharing pages in the New Yorker and witticisms everywhere with the likes of Dorothy Parker, Lillian Hellman, and Groucho Marx. Kuhlman is especially attracted to the way Perelman balanced his love of Yiddishisms with an Ivy League Anglophilia. All of these presentations, along with the three keynote addresses featured in an earlier article, are free and open to the public. The co-hosts are the Klutznick Chair in Jewish Civilization at Creighton and the Harris Center for Judaic Studies at UNL.

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Klutznick-Harris Keynoter to Discuss “Surviving Freedom” at Temple Israel by CLAUDIA SHERMAN clothing styles, wedding traditions, and food, she Jenna Weissman Joselit, who will be the keynote explained. speaker at the 17th Annual Klutznick-Harris A lifelong New Yorker, Dr. Weissman Joselit was in Symposium, will give the D’var Torah at the Shabbat Omaha two years ago for the Klutznick Symposium on worship service on Friday, Oct. 22, 7:30 p.m. at food and confided that she was impressed by how pasTemple Israel. Promising that her remarks “will be live- sionate and sophisticated Omaha Jews are. She graduly,” Dr. Weissman Joselit said she will discuss “making ated from Barnard College in 1973 and received two sense of our own history” by examining contemporary master’s degrees from Columbia University in 1975 and American Jewish life. 1976, then earned her Ph.D. in histoEntitled “Surviving Freedom: The ry in 1981. She teaches American Challenges and Possibilities of Studies at Princeton and has also American Jewish Life,” her D’var taught at Yale University, Temple Torah will concentrate on the tenUniversity, the Jewish Theological sions between freedom and the Seminary, and New York University American Jewish experience in the among others. 20th century which “come at a Trained as a cultural historian of cost,” she pointed out. Americans and American Jewry, Dr. Keeping attuned to Temple’s celWeissman Joselit has curated and ebration of the 350th year of Jews consulted on more than 30 exhibiin America, Dr. Weissman Joselit’s tions including “Getting Comfortable: remarks will focus “on the tension The American Jewish Home, 1880between enjoying the fullness of 1950” at The Jewish Museum in New American life while holding on to York. The exhibit looked at Jewish Jewish traditions,” she said. domestic life and gave people an Author of many highly praised opportunity to see their own history, works of cultural history including said Dr. Weissman Joselit. She was a the award winning book, The guest curator of “A Worthy Use of Jenna Weissman Joselit Wonders of America: Reinventing Summer: The American Jewish Jewish Culture 1880-1950, Dr. Weissman Joselit’s most Camping Movement, 1900-1955” first exhibited at the recent book is entitled A Perfect Fit: Clothes, Character, National Museum of American Jewish History in and the Promise of America, which describes “how Philadelphia. The latter exhibit, she explained, “picked Americans essentially wear their American identity on up where the other one left off,” noting that “camp has their sleeves.” She is writing a new book which a great deal to do with shaping Jewish identity.” explores the relationship between the Ten Also joining Temple’s Bagels and Sacred Books group Commandments and Americans. on Saturday, Oct. 23, 9:30 a.m., Dr. Weissman Joselit A visiting professor at Princeton University since will be at Temple thanks to the support of the Hermene 1992, she has been a columnist for The Forward for Zweiback Center for Lifelong Jewish Learning and the almost five years. The newspaper column provides Dr. Klutznick Harris Symposium. Temple Israel welcomes Weissman Joselit with a platform to trace the historical all members of the community to attend on Friday and roots of contemporary culture as it is manifested in Saturday.

Fall Into Shopping

At the Beth El Sisterhood Fall Boutique Bake Sale • Pizza Lunch • Raffle Sunday, October 17 • 10 am-3 pm Ozzie Nogg will sign copies of her children’s book Joseph’s Bones from 12p.m.-2 p.m. Over 40 Vendors Offering a Wide Range of Items Children’s Accessories • Women’s Boutique Items Hand-knitted Accessories • Kitchen Items • Skin Care Unique Handcrafted Jewelry • Baskets • Chocolate Home Decor Items • Snowmen • Original Paintings Limited Lithographs • Hand-carved Canes Specialized Stationery • Handbags • Judaic Items Scarves • Candles • Beaded Accessories Antique Jewelry • Gifts • Cookbooks

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

October 15, 2004

Israelis Win First Nobel Prize Continued from page 1 Jewish institutions touched by the scientists felt a special glory. “This is a mark of distinction for Israeli science in general and for the Technion in particular,” said Yitzhak Apeloig, President of what is known officially as the Technion Israel Institute for Technology. For its part, Hebrew University e-mailed JTA to note that the two scientists were among its graduates. The Israel Cancer Research Fund, an American group that funds cancer research in Israel, stated its pride in a news release. “We invested in this research early” and “are now reaping the rewards of that investment,” said its President, Dr. Yashar Hirshaut, a medical oncologist and associate professor at Weill-Cornell Medical College-New York Hospital. The group has funded Ciechanover for 22 years, and both Israeli scientists are receiving a grant of $50,000 a year for seven years. Meanwhile, the scientists’ discovery has major implications. “It is extremely significant because it showed that the destruction of the components of the cell is actually controlled,” Richard Ikeda, health scientist administrator at the National Institutes of Health, told JTA. “Each of the pieces are there for a specific amount of time and they have to go away in a controlled fashion,” or can become cancerous, he said. The Velcade drug has “been useful on patients in which other treatments haven’t succeeded,” he said. “We don’t necessarily know its full potential yet.” More than 8,000 scientific publications have been written about the discovery and thousands of papers and conferences have been devoted to the subject, according to the Technion.

Washington’s Music and Museum Scene

Lincolnites Celebrate Sukkot

THE HISTORIAN’S F OOTPRINT by OLIVER B. POLLAK

Top photo: Building Committee chair Kyle Hoagland and Sukkah Maven John Mosow get the sukkah set up for the B’nai Jeshurun Sukkot potluck held on Oct. 3 at the home of John Mosow, Ellin Siegel, and Clarissa Siegel-Causey. Bottom photo: John Williss shakes the lulav and etrog. Watching are Vicki Singer, standing left, Emily Stanfield, Josh Calidonna, Sarah Hoagland, Clarissa Siegel-Causey, Josh Calidonna, and (seated) Aaron Haogland.

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When you travel, how far ahead do you book your flight and hotel? For entertainment, I used to rely on ticket masters and the concierge. Scalpers give me the willies. Now I just show up and there are usually seats available. If not, there’s standby and the cancellation line. Do you keep tickets and programs for plays, musical and dance performances, museum and art gallery literature, and menus from a memorable meal? Do you keep your calendars? The stacks pile up. Should you keep them alphabetically, chronologically, thematically, by city? Do you ask yourself why am I keeping this stuff? Do you throw it out and soon find a need to refer to them? I asked my law partner if he saved programs. He responded once in a while but they ultimately get thrown away. “You would need a second house if you kept all that stuff.” In Washington, I mined Where magazine for food, music, and galleries. We ate at Georgia Browns, a well known southern cooking haunt. Brian Gaffney played at The Dubliner, an Irish pub around the corner from our hotel. I enjoy Celtic music at pubs. To his credit, Gaffney had a fresh repertoire. The Folger Consort at the Folger Shakespeare Library provided 13th century Spanish music. Six performers played period instruments accompanied by slides on a screen depicting pages from 13th century Spanish illuminated song books. Bela Fleck and the Flecktones played at George Washington University’s Lisner Hall. Several parents took their children, reminding me of taking my then15-year-old son Aaron to the Ranch Bowl to hear Warren Zevon. During intermission, I called my sons and Karen, all Fleck fans. Noah answered in Berkeley, and Aaron, who is usually in San Francisco “picked up” his cell phone in Rochester, NY, where he was at a friend’s wedding. Karen expressed a sweet jealousy. As a couple, we both missed the Fleck concert in Omaha and San Francisco. Fleck featured an eight-year-old prodigy, Isaiah Williams, on the drums. The National Gallery of Art featured AfricanAmerican artist Romaire Beardon. Karen and I have a poster of his work. I gravitated to the display of “Small French paintings,” admittedly a curious “genre.” The Degas’ reminded me of his anti-Semitism during the Dreyfus controversy in 1890s France. The Jewish artist Camille Pissaro was in the collection. Most intriguing was the 1875 portrait of Simon Hayem by Jules BastienLepage. The corpulent Hayem is wringing his hands, almost stereotype of the fat money grubbing Jewish banker. Lunch at the National Gallery’s Terrace Café included a jazz combo. We visited the fortress mentality FDR Memorial. Roosevelt’s 60-year-old words and rhetoric directed at the war and the nation’s economy are still timely today. The Jewish War Veterans maintain the National Museum of American Jewish Military History, near Dupont Circle--it is well worth visiting. The same building also houses the Special Libraries Association. We visited the Postal Museum, too. I once collected stamps. The shadow of hero president Franklin Roosevelt loomed large on the hobby during the 1950s and into the 1960s. Today, philatelists don’t hold a candle to the activity of numismatists. None the less, and despite e-mail, I still have a strong affection for the U.S. mail. Coming home on Midwest Airlines. I sat in 5B and thought I was having a senior moment. I could not make the light work. I asked the flight attendant to assist. The light did not work. So I moved to 5C. It did not work either. The people around me laughed. As I age pet peeves multiply. The person on my right at the Fleck concert yelled, hooted and clapped his hands explosively. Why do they make theater seat arm rests so narrow? Some establishments state “No shoes, no shirts, no service.” Imagine sitting next to an airline passenger in a sleeveless t-shirt. Hairy arm pits at the beach or basketball game are okay, but sitting next to a stranger for two hours--give me a break. Historian and author Oliver B. Pollak can be reached at: OBPOMNI@aol.com.

October 15, 2004

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

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Israeli Docs Fix Hearts in Third World, Cheers and Salutations Curing Kids, Inspiring Future Physician for Beth El’s Diamond Anniversary Gala by SHAANAN MEYERSTEIN STONE TOWN, Zanzibar, (JTA)-Inside the Mnaje Mojo hospital--“one coconut” in Swahili--it was absolute chaos. The place was teeming with people and I had to push my way through what seemed a never-ending crowd to get to the small room at the end of the corridor. When I opened the door to the pitchblack chamber, the only light I saw came from a computer monitor in the back. In the top right hand corner of the screen I read the words, “Save a Child’s Heart.” Two white men sat huddled together, focused intently on the screen, while a black woman wearing a burka sat on a bed holding an infant. These are the moments that make me proud to be a part of the Jewish people. The men, Drs. Katz and Sassoun, were Israeli Jewish physicians from the Save A Child’s Heart organization, through which the pair travels around the world examining children with congenital heart problems and bringing them back to Israel for free surgeries and treatment. I was in Zanzibar volunteering for the group. The organization--now the largest project in the world providing urgently needed, pediatric cardiac surgery and follow-up care for children from third

Dr. Katz examines a young patient on the echo machine in Stone Town, Zanzibar in July. Credit: Shaanan Meyerstein/JTA world and developing countries free of charge--was founded in 1995, by American-born, Israeli pediatric cardiac surgeon Ami Cohen. Here we were in Zanzibar, a tiny little Muslim island in the tropics off the coast of Tanzania, working in a hospital with virtually no suitable equipment and a poorly trained and overworked medical staff. All they had was the portable echo machine--manufactured in Israel--and their hands to treat many potential pediatric cardiac surgical cases. And now they had the Israelis. Lines of hopeful families extended out the door, through the hallway, into the pediatric ward, down the stairs and out into the main hospital courtyard. They were all responding to an announcement on Zanzibari radio earlier in the week inviting parents to bring children suffering from heart problems to be examined by two heart specialists from Israel. Occasionally, Katz and Sassoun peered out of the exam room to check just how many patients remained to be seen. This was going to be a long week --the Israeli heart doctors committed themselves to examining every single child who showed up at the hospital. The long lines were nothing new for these doctors. In fact, the duo--as well as

other Save a Child’s Heart staff--has become accustomed to such crowds after traveling around the world in search of candidates for cost-free heart procedures at the Wolfson Medical Center in Holon, south of Tel Aviv. Since its inception, the group’s staff has operated on nearly 1,000 children ranging in age from infants to teenagers. Patients, who are selected without regard to race or religion, have come from nations around the world, including China, Ethiopia, Moldova, Ghana, Jordan, Nigeria and Tanzania, as well as Zanzibar. Nearly 40 percent of Save a Child’s Heart’s pediatric cases come from the Palestinian Authority. In addition to the actual cardiac care and surgeries in Israel, the group has an outreach training program for medical personnel from participating countries. Doctors and nurses are brought to Israel for in-depth training, and Save’s staff travel overseas to educate and perform surgeries in cooperation with local personnel. The group’s ultimate goal is to make partner countries self-sufficient in performing cardiac surgeries on their children. On this particular mission to Zanzibar, the doctors were also examining children on whom they had operated in the past to see how they had progressed since their surgeries. Still, the primary purpose of this trip to East Africa was to select new cases to bring back with them for operations. I was especially excited to see the post-operative children: I had observed, firsthand, the open heart surgeries of several of these Zanzibari children one year before in Israel. When I said goodbye to those kids in Holon more than 12 months ago, never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would see them again on their native island -and certainly not good as new. It was easy to identify the post-op children: When the doctor finished examining them, these little kids would say, “todah rabah” and “l’hitraot”--thank you very much and goodbye, in Hebrew--the words they had learned during their stays in the Israeli hospital. More apparent, however, were the physical changes. I recognized the faces of children who had arrived in Israel as skin and bones, on the verge of death due to complications from their respective heart problems. But since their surgeries, many of these children had gained 20-30 pounds and generally looked more energetic. As an aspiring physician, it was fascinating for me to observe these doctors at work. They graciously explained to me how to read the echo machine and how properly to listen to the patient’s heart and lungs to pinpoint the exact nature of the heart problem. It was incredible to witness how these experts, after just a few seconds of listening to the heart, before even looking at the echo, were able to diagnose a particular kind of heart murmur, a broken valve, a battered up septum, a missing ventricle or a malfunctioning artery. Yet, perhaps the most amazing aspect of my experience in Zanzibar and the Save a Child’s Heart endeavor in general, was watching how, when Katz and Sassoun examined a child, they were indifferent to what the kid or his mother was wearing, whether the child’s name was Abdullah Muhammed or Abrahim Rantissi Jr. All they saw was a ticking a heart on an echo machine that desperately needed fixing.

by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator Poring over files of Beth El Synagogue’s 75th anniversary commemorative ad book are Andy Greenberg, ad book coordinator, right, and Lori KooperSchwarz, editor. The book, to be distributed at the synagogue’s Diamond Anniversary Gala celebration on Saturday, Nov. 13, will be filled with congratulatory messages from businesses and professionals throughout the greater Omaha area. Greenberg’s team of volunteers for this project includes David Finkle, Bruce Gutnik, Larry and Sherry Shapiro, Eadie Tsabari, Larry DeBruin, Sylvia Wagner, Allan Murow and Bob Wolfson. The entire community is invited to attend the festive Diamond Anniversary Gala; for reservations or more information, please contact event chairmen Ann Goldstein, 391.1050, or Cheryl Cooper, 391.7514.

Notice to Artists, Ages 12 and Under: The annual Jewish Press Hanukkah Gift Guide will publish on Nov. 26. Enter your color drawing for a chance to have the winning entry printed in four-color on the cover of the GIft Guide! Use colored pencils, markers or crayons to create a drawing with a Hanukkah theme--dreidels, a menorah, candles, latkes--on 8.5x11” white paper--do not fold your drawing--and mail by Nov. 12 to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154. Questions? Call 334.6450.

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

October 15, 2004

Tova Mirvis to Speak Wednesday at Library Luncheon

ORGANIZATIONS B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Stacy Pratt will be the guest speaker at Breadbreakers on Wednesday, Oct. 20, noon, at the Park Inn Regency, according to Gary Javitch, Chairman. Pratt is the widow of slain policeman Sgt. Jason “Tye” Pratt. She will discuss her project: monitoring “lenient” courtroom judges. Cost is $10 for lunch and $2 for beverage service. Breadbreakers is open to the community. TORAH LEARNING CENTER (TLC) Classes will resume next week following the Jewish holidays and are taught by Rabbi Tuvia Hoffman. Mondays, 7:30 p.m.: “Kosher Kitchen”--Learn the laws of keeping kosher. No prior knowledge necessary. Beginner and Advanced students will gain from this class at the home of Rabbi and Ariella Hoffman. Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m.: “Growth Through Torah”-Personal Growth through studying Jewish philosophy from the Torah. located at a private residence. Wednesdays, noon: “Maximize Your Relationships”-explore your relationships through Torah wisdom in the Omaha Room of the JCC. Thursdays, 1 p.m.: “Meaning of Life and Other Business”--based on the Kabbalistic text Way of G-d by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto at the JCC; at 7:30 p.m. at the JCC, learn to read Hebrew in just a few weeks in our Crash Course in Hebrew Reading, sponsored by NJOP.” For information, call 981.0569. AMIT WOMEN A tape of the November, 2003, Holocaust Memorial Reunion in Washington, D.C., will be shown for AMIT members on Sunday, Nov. 7, noon, at the home of Jeanette Nadoff. Cost for lunch is $6. Please make reservations with Charlotte Kaplan, 551.5658. JELS’ MAIMONIDES CLASS CONTINUES The popular JELS Maimonides Class series is continuing its run, now offering Part III. The sessions are taught by Guy Matalon, Executive Director of Jewish Educational & Library Services, and focus on the study of Mishne Torah. Attendance at earlier sessions is not required to participate. Classes meet in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library on Wednesdays, 11 a.m.12:15 p.m. Remaining class dates are Oct. 27, Nov. 2, 9, 23, and 30. The class fee for all sessions is $36. For more information and to register, call 334-6445 or email mgrossman@jewishomaha.org. LOMIR REDN YIDDISH Come to the Yiddish meeting at the JCC in the Social Hall on Thursdays, 1-3 p.m. Even if your Yiddish isn’t so “Aye-Aye-Aye”, you’ll enjoy it anyway! Call Anne Skolkin at 343.1638 for more information. VISIONS Air Force Weather Agency tour at Offutt A.F.B. is Nov. 8. Cost of $14 per person includes transportation, tour, lunch , tax and tip. Depart from the JCC at 9:30 a.m and return by approximately 2 p.m. A complete security check is mandatory, so please print full legal name on reservation form and bring a picture ID the day of the trip. Make check payable to Visions. Send to Sandy and Fred Bromley, 13419 Marinda St., Omaha, NE 68144 by Oct. 27--no exceptions.

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YOUNG ENERGETIC SENIORS Join us on Monday with special entertainment by Jim Johnson--One Man Band at the JCC auditorium. Lunch begins at noon. Cost is $6 per person. Bingo with Eileen Remer will begin at 10 a.m.; exercise at 10:30 a.m. in the social hall and the Discussion Group at 11 a.m. For transportation call Dee Dee at 330.4272. Call Maggie Conti at 334.6521 for reservations to WinnaVegas Casino on Oct. 28. Cost is only $1. WALK-IN, DROP-IN For those members going on the day trip to Carey’s Cottage in Fremont, please meet at the JCC main entrance at Thursday, 10:15 a.m. NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN The Omaha Section Board of Directors will meet Wednesday, Oct. 27, 7 p.m. Special guest speaker Wanda Gottschalk will update the board on the mission of the Child Saving Institute and share information about the new NCJW-CSI project, Totes for Tots. For more information, call President Kate Kirshenbaum 334.8541.

IN THE NEWS Marvin Parilman was presented the Editor’s Choice Award for Outstanding Achievement in Poetry by poetry.com and the International Library of Poetry. His poem, “The Ultimate Love of My Life” was featured in a hardbound edition. According to Howard Ely, managing editor, Parilman’s poem “displays a unique perspective and original creativity.” Former Omahan Sally Simon Stich will be giving a free seminar on how to get published in magazines at the Milton Abrahams branch of the Omaha Public Library on Oct. 23 as part of the Omaha Reads series. Stich, a Denver-based freelancer writer whose work has appeared in Time, Parade, Marie Claire, This Old House and many others, is also a contributing editor at Woman’s Day. A graduate of Central High School, she speaks regularly about writing for publication at seminars and conferences around the country. The late Dr. Marvin Bordy was honored posthumously last month with the Honored Medical Staff award of the Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, MO. It is the highest tribute conferred on former active members. Dr. Bordy was on staff there for 48 years and founded the Children’s Diabetic Clinic. His widow, Alice Bordy, and two of his four children, Valerie Bordy of Kansas City and Stephanie Dagoberg of Portland, OR, attended the dedication. Marc Shkolnick has been named the Executive Director of the Colorado State University Alumni Association in Ft. Collins, CO. The Nebraska Alumni Association is hosting a farewell open house on Sunday, Oct. 17, 2-5 p.m. at the Wick Alumni Center at 14th and R in Lincoln for him and his family: Tami, Karsyn and Brady.

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by GARY KATZ Library Administrator On Wednesday, Oct. 20, 11:45 a.m., the Kripke Jewish Federation Library will host bestselling author Tova Mirvis, an engaging story teller, and author of The Ladies Auxiliary. A delightful speaker, her newest bestseller, The Outside World, is a humorous (yet stirring and insightful) story of two Orthodox Jewish families Tova Mirvis brought together by their children’s’ marriage. According to Publisher’s Weekly, the universal themes will resonate with readers of all faiths. The luncheon will cost $10 and reservations must be made by Monday morning, Oct. 18. Copies of The Outside World will be available for signing afterwards. We look forward to seeing you there! For more information or to make a reservation call me at the Kripke Library, 334.6462, or e-mail gkatz@jewishomaha.org.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Nominations are due for their 2004 Classical Kids program, sponsored by KVNO 90.7 FM radio. Winners are selected by a panel of judges, including KVNO representatives and area educators. Applicants must be ages seven-13, studying instrumental or vocal music, and/or participating in band, orchestra or choir. Nominations are available at the KVNO website: www.kvno.org or by calling 559.5866. The deadline is Nov. 12. The Heartland Philharmonic Orchestra will perform on Saturday evening, Oct. 26, 7:30 p.m., in the Strauss Performing Arts Center REcital Hall on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Tickets are $5 for adults and $4 for children and may be obtained by calling 554.3427. Teens can meet Terry Truman, author of Stuck in Neutral and Inside Out at the Lewis and Clark Middle School on Wednesday, Oct. 20, 7 p.m. , Truman’s appearance is sponsored by the Omaha Reads program of Benson Branch of the Omaha Public Library. For more information, call 444.4800 or visit the OPL website: www.omahapubliclibrary.org. Omaha Symphony Chamber series first concert of 2004/5 Season, “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” led by Maestro Victor Yampolsky and featuring Solo Pianist Christi Zuniga at UNO Strauss Performing Arts Center – 6001 Dodge St. Saturday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. Doors open one on hour prior. Single tickets (those not of a season subscription) are $21.50 and $24. For more information on the concerts and tickets, please call the Omaha Symphony Box Office at 402.342.3560 or visit www.omahasymphony.org.

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Dining

Book Lovers Celebrate Life of I.B. Singer

Page 7

Out

When you patronize these fine establishments, tell them you saw their ad in the Jewish Press.

JIM & JENNIE’S GREEK VILLAGE Traditional Greek Dishes

Buddy and Shirley Goldstein joined Bev Fellman and dozens of other “Friends of the Kripke Library” at a reception recently. The event, held in the Kripke Library, offered financial supporters a light repast prior to the showing of a discussion, “Live from the 92nd St. Y” in New York City about the life and writings of Nobel prize winning author, Isaac

Bashevis Singer. Singer, who would have celebrated his 100th birthday this year, was a prolific writer of the life in the European shtetlach (villages) of the 19th and early 20th centuries. All his books are available in the Kripke Library. For more information about upcoming Library events, call Gary Katz, Administrator, at 334. 6462.

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by STEFANI SINGER for Congregation B’nai Jeshurun The Reform Congregation B’nai Jeshurun, also known as South Street Temple, and the Conservative Congregation of Tifereth Israel have been re-energized. The two synagogues joined their high school programs for a shul-in last winter with great results. The teens meet every Sunday morning for Hebrew High. As a youth group, we opened with called Tostadas ’n Tunes. The 23 who attended had a meatless tostada bar with all the fixings, then, we played an energetic game of Name that Tune. Naomi Solomon, adviser at Tifereth Israel, and I expect to attend the Lincoln Interfaith Conference in November and participate in social action endeavors in the Lincoln community. Calling ourselves the JYL, Jewish Youth of Lincoln, we are planning to get sweatshirts with that logo. Though we are a small handful of kids, many are strongly identified with their Jewish faith and heritage and we can really feel the energy and sense of unity between the two groups.

R EAD IT AND EAT Reviewed by LOIS FRIEDMAN Life can be full to the brim with everyday activities. If your life is busy with hustle, bustle, this southwestern cookbook emphasizes time management on a plate: seven ingredients, 30 minute preparation, one meal. The recipes combine prepared and fresh ingredients and are marked with an icon for Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter for seasonal cravings. Seasonal Selections are listed in the back of the cookbook. Following the page listing “10 Time Saving Tips” are the chapters from Southwest Starters through Sweets of the Southwest and Lively Libations. More than 100 recipes are listed in the chapter pages and in the alphabetical index, too. Lots of color photographs of plated dishes and clear instructions are included. And for a spicy touch for dinner, try this recipe. PICANTE POT ROAST Boneless beef roast, 2 to 3 pounds 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 can (12 ounces) beer 3 tablespoons light brown sugar 2 cups prepared picante sauce or prepared salsa Brown the roast in the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the beer, brown sugar, and picante sauce. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for two hours. Serve warm with your favorite side dish. (Makes 4-6 servings)

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

October 15, 2004

Opinion Omaha’s “Big, Diverse Jewish Family” Okay, so it’s an obvious take-off on the hit film, My Big Fat Greek Wedding. And, well, the Jewish community isn’t that big...yet. But, we are diverse. And to show you just how diverse we are, we’re looking for Jews who weren’t born in Omaha, in fact, weren’t born in the United States, to feature in our April 15, 2005, Passover issue. Forty years ago, if a member of the Jewish community spoke English with a foreign accent, it probably meant that he or she was born in a displaced persons camp or survived the Holocaust. But today, there are also a number of Israelis living here, alongside former South Africans, more than a dozen from Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela, Cuba and Mexico, and even a few from Sweden and other European countries. And of course, there are more than 300 Jews living in Omaha that once were locked behind the Iron Curtain in the former Soviet Union. Altogether, we do make a diverse Jewish community, one that 40 years ago seemed, well, foreign. In 1965, if your parents didn’t know the family of your date for the BBYO dance at Peony Park, there was something wrong. Everyone knew everyone, and if they didn’t, they knew someone who did. And, of course, most of the Jewish community lived in “Bagel”--that area near Memorial Park that

stretched from Dundee and Metcalfe Park to Fairacres. And their kids went to Central. Sure, they were a few families whose teens went to Westside, and even some courageous souls who moved really far west and sent theirs to, gasp, Burke! But today, you’ll find Jews living as far south as Plattsmouth, north to Ponca and west to Elkhorn. There are no “Jewish neighborhoods” anymore and not only do we not know everyone, sometimes we find Jews who have been living here undetected for years! So here’s your opportunity to tell your story. Did your parents flee to South America because they couldn’t get visas to enter the United States after World War II? Did a job offer or graduate school entice you to emigrate from Israel or South Africa or some other country? Is your spouse from another country? Where did you meet--and why did you move to Omaha? How did your foreign-born family wind up in Omaha, when in all probability they originally couldn’t even find it on a map? Please call the Jewish Press at 402.334.6448 with names and phone numbers of anyone you know who might fit this profile. Or e-mail us at: jpress@jewishomaha.org. We’ll be setting up interviews over the next several months and can use your help in tracking down those

(Founded in 1920)

born outside the U.S. who have since become part of the Omaha Jewish community. We know their stories, like so many others we’ve published in our New Year’s and Passover special issues, will be fascinating. Call us by Thanksgiving.

Bush on Issues of Jewish Concern, from Israel to Faith-based Initiatives

AMERICA DECIDES 2004 by JUSTIN BOSCH WASHINGTON (JTA)--Here are some of President Bush’s stated positions on issues of concern to U.S. Jews, compiled from speeches, his letters and statements as President, and a glossy pamphlet published last month presenting Bush’s record as “a friend of the American Jewish community.” West Bank security barrier: President Bush sharply criticized the security barrier in its initial conception last year, but dropped objections once Israel agreed to modify the route of the barrier to lessen the impact on Palestinians. Israel dropped plans to defend the barrier at the International Court of Justice in February after the Bush administration made clear it would oppose the ICJ’s jurisdiction in the matter and would not join Israel in defending the fence at the court. The ICJ ultimately decided the parts of the barrier that go into the West Bank are illegal. “The barrier being erected by Israel should be a security rather than political barrier, should be temporary rather than permanent, and therefore not prejudice any final status issues including final borders, and its route should take into account, consistent with security needs, its impact on Palestinians not engaged in terrorist activities” (letter to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, April 14, 2004.) Gaza Strip withdrawal: Bush has enthusiastically endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip as the best hope for reviving the U.S.-led “road map” peace plan. “We welcome the disengagement plan you have prepared, under which Israel would withdraw certain military installations and all settlements from Gaza, and withdraw certain military installations and settlements in the West Bank. These steps described in the plan will mark real progress toward realizing my June 24, 2002 vision, and make a real contribution towards peace...” (April 14 letter).

Israel’s borders: Bush’s April 14 letter made history when it recognized some Israeli claims to the West Bank by rejecting a return to the 1949 armistice line, commonly known as the Green Line. The letters also rejected any “right of return" to Israel for Palestinian refugees and their descendants. “The United States is strongly committed to Israel’s security and well-being as a Jewish state. It seems clear that an agreed, just, fair, and realistic framework for a solution to the Palestinian refugee issue as part of any final

“... The refusal to expose and confront intolerance can lead to crimes beyond imagining. So we have a duty to expose and confront antiSemitism, wherever it is found...” status agreement will need to be found through the establishment of a Palestinian state, and the settling of Palestinian refugees there, rather than in Israel. In light of new realities on the ground, including already existing major Israeli population centers, it is unrealistic to expect that the outcome of final status negotiations will be a full and complete return to the armistice lines of 1949, and all previous efforts to negotiate a two-state solution have reached the same conclusion. It is realistic to expect that any final status agreement will only be achieved on the basis of mutually agreed changes that reflect these realities...” (April 14 letter). Yasser Arafat: Bush has criticized the Palestinian Authority president for supporting terrorism and has made his ouster a condition for the formation of a Palestinian state. Bush has never invited Arafat to the White House. “Peace requires a new and different Palestinian leadership, so that a Palestinian state can be born. I call on the Palestinian people to elect new leaders, leaders not compromised by terror...” (Bush speech, June 24, 2002). Jerusalem: Like many presidents before him, Bush pledged during his 2000 campaign to move the U.S. embassy to Israel’s capital - and, like each of those presidents, he failed

to do so. Republican officials say the commitment to moving the embassy will make another appearance in this year’s party platform. Democracy: Bush has made democratizing the Arab world a centerpiece of his Middle East policy. He has outlined incentives to prod Arab states to introduce reforms. Iran: Bush called Iran part of an “axis of evil,” along with Iraq and North Korea (State of the Union Address 2002). Bush wants to continue investigating to learn if Iran aids terrorist groups such as Hezbollah and Al-Qaida, and whether Iran had a role in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks (CNN, 7/19/2004). Bush believes in maintaining pressure on Iran to disclose its nuclear plans. (Rose Garden news conference, 8/2/2004). “We are paying very close attention to Iran. We have ever since I’ve been in office here. We are working with our friends to keep the pressure on the mullahs to listen to the demands of the free world,” Bush said in a Rose Garden news conference on Aug. 2, 2004. The United States is working with the International Atomic Energy Agency “to keep the pressure on Iran, and” Secretary of State Colin Powell “is working very closely with the foreign ministers of France, Great Britain and Germany, who are taking it upon themselves to make it clear that the demands of Europe are...the same as the demands of the United States, that we expect there to be full disclosure, full transparency of their nuclear weapons programs.” Syria: Bush at first resisted Congress’ Syria Accountability Act, which imposes sanctions on Syria as long as it supports terrorists, fails to dismantle programs to develop weapons of mass destruction, continues to occupy Lebanon and fails to secure its border with Iraq. Bush relented in December, after Syria failed to meet even the minimal requirements of the proposed bill, and signed it into law. The bill had a six-month grace period written into it, but after Syria failed once again to make progress--with the exception of securing the Iraqi border--Bush imposed some sanctions in May affecting trade and travel. In recent weeks, administration officials have hinted that more sanctions could be in store. Continued on page 9

Joanie Jacobson Chairman Carol Katzman Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Allan Handleman Advertising Manager Timothy J. Ketelsen Bookkeeper Lori Kooper-Schwarz Production Assistant Jewish Press Committee Howard K. Marcus, Vice-Chairman; Bobbi Leibowitz, Secretary; Scott Meyerson, Finance Chairman; Steve Simon, Treasurer; Fred Tichauer, Immediate Past-chairman; Jean Duitch; Penny Endelman; Kip Gordman; Stanley Mitchell; George Quittner; Linda Saltzman; Joey Shyken; Michael Siegal; Nancy Skid; and Melany Weinstein. The role of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to involve Jews in meeting Jewish communal needs locally, nationally and in Israel. Centers of Excellence of the Federation are: Community Relations, Jewish Community Center, Jewish Educational and Library Services, Jewish Family Service, and Jewish Senior Services. The Jewish Press and the Foundation are constutional committees of the Jewish Federation. Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Committee, the Jewish Federation of Omaha or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole. The Jewish Press reserves the right to edit signed letters and articles for space and content. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment. Editorial The Jewish Press is a Constitutional Committee of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Deadline for copy, ads and photos is: Thursday, noon, eight days prior to publication. E-mail editorial material and photos to: ckatzman@jewishomaha.org; send ads (in .TIF or .PDF format) to: rbusse@jewishomaha.org. Letters to the Editor Guidelines The Jewish Press welcomes Letters to the Editor. They may be sent via regular mail to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154; via fax: 1-402-334-5422 or via e-mail to the Editor at: ckatzman@jewishomaha.org.. Letters should be no longer than 250 words and must be singlespaced typed, not hand-written. Published letters should be confined to opinions and comments on articles or events. News items should not be submitted and printed as a “Letter to the Editor.” The Editor may edit letters for content and space restrictions, but should be printed as soon as possible to ensure timeliness. Letters may be published without giving an opposing view. Information shall be verified before printing. All letters must be signed by the writer, but the name can be withheld at the writer’s request. No letters should be published from candidates running for office, but others may write on their behalf. Letters of thanks should be confined to commending an institution for a program, project or event, rather than personally thanking paid staff, unless the writer chooses to turn the “Letter to the Editor” into a paid personal ad or a news article about the event, project or program which the professional staff supervised. For more information, contact Carol Katzman, Jewish Press Editor, 402.334.6450. Postal The Jewish Press (USPS 275620) is published weekly on Friday for $31 per calendar year U.S.; $35 foreign, by the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Phone: 402.334.6448; FAX: 402.334.5422. Periodical postage paid at Omaha, NE. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132nd St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198 or e-mail to: jpress@jewishomaha. org.

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Bush on Issues of Jewish Concern Continued from page 8 Ani-Semitism: Bush has won accolades from a broad spectrum of Jewish organizations for his role-considered critical--in getting European nations to examine burgeoning anti-Semitism in two conferences. Democrats have chided him, however, for not speaking out strongly against anti-Semitism among U.S. allies in the Muslim world, including Egypt and Saudi Arabia; Bush administration officials say such criticism is implicit in Bushâ€™s prodding for democratic reforms in those countries. â€œPerhaps the deepest obstacle to peace is found in the hearts of men and women. The Jewish people have seen, over the years and over the centuries, that hate prepares the way for violence. The refusal to expose and confront intolerance can lead to crimes beyond imagining. So we have a duty to expose and confront anti-Semitism, wherever it is found...â€? (AIPAC speech, May 18, 2004). Abortion: In 1999, Bush said he would support a constitutional amendment to ban abortion except in cases of rape, incest or to preserve the health of the mother, but he provided the caveat that America was not ready for such a change (Washington Post, 3/11/1999). Bush repeated part of that declaration in the prelude to signing the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003, saying, â€œI donâ€™t think the culture has changed to the extent that the American people or the Congress would totally ban abortions...â€? (Detroit News, 10/29/2003). Judicial nominees: Bush says he chooses judges based on their qualifications, not by their position on specific issues. He criticizes what he calls ``activist judges" and says that judges should not seek to legislate from the bench. He has repeatedly decried the pace of confirmation of his nominees in the U.S. Senate, saying judges deserve a simple floor vote and should not be held up through procedural tactics (speaking to reporters in Raleigh Durham International Airport, July 7, 2004). Some Jewish groups have strongly opposed some of Bushâ€™s nominees, saying they would roll back abortion rights and church-state separation. Faith-based initiatives: Bush favors transferring some of the role of rendering social services from the federal government to religious institutions. Some Jewish groups worry that his proposals would relax protections against discriminatory hiring and use of federal money to proselytize. â€œI will continue our efforts to defend the liberty of religious organizations. Faith-based charities have a right to provide publiclyfunded social services, just like any other group...â€™â€™ (speech to Southern Baptist Convention, June 15, 2004). Washington bureau chief Ron Kampeas contributed to this report.

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Kerry Offers Hope for an Israel Made More Dangerous by Bush

AMERICA DECIDES 2004 by DAHLIA SCHEINDLIN TEL AVIV (JTA)--Many American Jews and Israeli Americans seem impressed by George W. Bushâ€™s putative support for Israel. As an Israeli, I implore responsible Jewish voters who care about Israel: Look at his record over his rhetoric, and youâ€™ll see the dangers of his leadership for this country. Luckily, John Kerryâ€™s record offers hope for Israel. I made aliyah from New York and have lived in Israel for nine years, through two intifadas and at least two Iraq scares, masks and all. But I have never been more frightened for Israelâ€™s safety, than under George W. Bush. It is difficult to recall a president who was less engaged in solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Whether we liked or disliked Bush Sr. and his Secretary of State, James Bakerâ€™s disciplinarian approach, they were involved. Whether one agrees or disagrees with him, President Clinton was passionately committed. During the worst four years in Israelâ€™s history, Bush has done a resounding nothing. In his first National Security Council meeting, he decided to disengage from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and his disinterest shows: The road map was presented and then forgotten. Bush opposed Israelâ€™s security fence throughout 2003, threatening Israelâ€™s loan guarantees, and then suddenly supported it--coincidentally at the start of the election year. The same goes for unilateral separation. Prior to 2004, Bush refused to call Arafat a terrorist and insisted he remain the negotiating partner; a former political officer at the Israeli Embassy in Washington noted ruefully that Bush is the reason Arafat is still around. Some hailed the presidentâ€™s â€œpromisesâ€™â€™ to Ariel Sharon in April as a victory--yet Bush all but reneged, including regarding the Palestinian right of return, two weeks later. Just last month at the U.N. General Assembly, Bush called for a settlement freeze. Which is the real Bush policy regarding the IsraeliPalestinian conflict? With the second intifada, many here felt only strong American involvement would help reach a negotiated end to the misery. As President, Bush hasnâ€™t even visited Israel. His policy is an mess of contradictions that leaves Israel in despair. But Bushâ€™s actions in Iraq leave the country in danger. Suicide bombings and now beheadings are tearing Iraq and other countries apart--a horror we hoped no one else would ever know. Iraq is out of control, Bin Laden is free and al-Qaeda is growing. His lack of action in Iran is beyond dangerous--it is

outrageous. America has known about secret nuclear facilities for more than two years, and now everyone knows about Iranâ€™s capacity to produce nuclear weapons. But Iraq has cost vital American credibility in Europe and the Arab world, and America is far weaker in facing the escalating threat. Iran is a hornetâ€™s nest of hatred, by some accounts it is the new Afghanistan, putting Israel directly in the line of fire. Isolation and resentment of America spills over onto Israel. Conspiracy theories affect business, social and cultural relations. When Mikos Theodorakis, the legendary Greek composer, railed on the Israeli-American control over the world, he sounded only partly anti-Semitic. In part, he was just expressing beliefs that are tragically prevalent in once-benign neighboring countries. A generation of moderate Muslims is turning radical, learning to hate America -and with it, Israel--because of the mangled Iraq war effort. Who is the closer target for their rage, America or Israel? In Israel, the worldâ€™s resentment, the PalestinianIsraeli conflict, and Islamic extremism are bad enough. Under Bush, these problems have gotten worse and he shows little commitment to addressing them. Iâ€™m not even sure he understands them. John Kerry understands. He has supported Israel in every vote for 20 years; thatâ€™s way before the electoral campaign started. Kerry understood how to fight terrorism long before Bush was ignoring intelligence reports on imminent attacks in the United States. While Bush Sr. was selling missiles to Saudi Arabia (how is that good for Israel?), Kerry was one of the first to write a Senate report investigating Saudi businesses for funding terrorist organizations. Bush Sr. met members of the Bin Laden family, and the figures incriminated in Kerryâ€™s 1992 report helped fund George W.â€™s electoral campaign. Kerry has a 12-year, highly analytic approach targeted at the sources of terrorism. Bush has a four-year record of being passive on intelligence, coddling Saudis, making the wrong connection between Iraq, weapons of mass destruction and 9/11, and talking tough while Iran and North Korea fester. Despite his rhetoric, the administration has cut State Department counter-terrorism programs by an average of 20% every year since 9/11. Kerry is unburdened by the Republicansâ€™ chronic dual loyalty to Arab oil barons, which led them to defeat a bill banning oil companies from doing business with terrorist states this past June. When the election dust settles, Bush will no longer need to buy Jewish votes. And after four years of Bushâ€™s leadership, Israel is a more dangerous place, a more hated place and a more hopeless place. How can we reject a candidate who understands, with unwavering support, what Israel needs? Dahlia Scheindlin is an international political consultant and public opinion analyst based in Tel Aviv.

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Synagogue Listings B’nai Israel Synagogue 618 Mynster St. Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com

Beth El Synagogue Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California Omaha, NE 68154-1980 492.8550 www.bethel-omaha.org

Beth Israel Synagogue Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific St. Omaha, NE. 68154 556.6288 BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org

Beyt Shalom An Affiliate of the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation 3012 S. 119 St. P.O. Box 390352 Omaha, NE 68139 660.2395 www.beytshalomomaha.org

Chabad House An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 S. 120th St. Omaha, NE 68144-1646 330.1800 nebraskajudaism.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 jewishnebraska.org

Offutt Air Force Base SAC Memorial Chapel 301 Lincoln Highway Offutt AFB, NE 68113 294.6244

Rose Blumkin Jewish Home 333 S. 132 St. Omaha, NE 68154

Temple Israel Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 7023 Cass Street Omaha, NE 68132-2651 556.6536 templeisrael-ne.org

The Neighborhood Minyan Torah Learning Center 1313 No. 58 St. Omaha, NE 68132 553.5397

Tifereth Israel Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Blvd., Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 423.8569 tiferethisraellincoln.org

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Synagogues B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE FRIDAY: Services followed by Oneg, 7:30 p.m.

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE Office Hours: Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat service, 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning service, 9:30 a.m.; Junior Congregation (3-7), 10 a.m.; K’tantan (K-2), 10:45 a.m.; kiddush sponsored by Beth El; Evening Service, 6:40 p.m. WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sunday, 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.; Weekdays, 6:55 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Sitter Service is available during Friday night and Saturday morning services, on a drop-in basis, at no charge. SUNDAY, 10 a.m.: Jewish Pot Pourri Class in the synagogue library, join teacher Susi Frydman-Levin for a new class that will offer a little bit of everything Jewish: from music and literature to history and traditions. For reservations, contact Harriet Einziger; SISTERHOOD FALL BOUTIQUE, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Ozzie Nogg will sign copies of her new book, Joseph’s Bones, noon-2 p.m. WEDNESDAYS: PATTER (Parents & Toddlers, Torah, Exercise, Recreation) session class for 11/2 to three-year-olds with Helen Epstein, 10:45 a.m. For more information, call Harriet Einziger, 492.855; Adult B'nai Mitzvah class with Cantor Bogomolni, 7 p.m. THURSDAY, noon: Join Rabbi Levin’s class; “The Most Important People and Ideas of the Hebrew Bible.” Lunch is available following class; for reservations or for information, contact Harriet Einziger in the synagogue office. Ron Wolfson Scholar-inResidence Weekend, OCT. 2931: Join us for a joyful Shabbat weekend with our own Ron Wolfson. The community is invited to Dr. Wolfson’s One-of-aKind Take-Home Shabbat Dinner, on Friday, Oct. 29, following 6 p.m. services. Reservations are required and may be made by contacting the synagogue office.

(See interview on page 12.) Beth El Diamond Anniversary Gala, Saturday, Nov. 13: Make your reservations now to attend the synagogue’s sparkling and festive 75th anniversary celebration. Cocktails at 7 p.m.; dinner at 8 p.m., followed by dancing. Reservations are required; for information, please call chairmen Ann Goldstein, 391.1050, or Cheryl Cooper, 391.7514.

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE Office Hours: Monday-Thursday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Fridays, 8:30 a.m-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Jonathan Gross. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Free Babysitting, 9:30 a.m.; Junior Congregation, 10:30 a.m.; Kiddush and Kids’ Kiddush sponsored by Sisterhood. Mincha, 6:15 p.m.; Havdalah, 7:23 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6:45 p.m. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6:45 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 31, 5 p.m.: Building Dedication Ceremony followed by a reception. Dinner and Investiture of Rabbi Jonathan Gross at 6:30 p.m. Reservations are not required for attendance at the building dedication and reception. Reservations for the dinner are requested by Oct. 15. Sponsors ($72, includes one dinner reservation) and Patrons ($180, includes two dinner reservations) will be recognized in the program. Individual dinner reservations are also available at $36 per person.

BEYT SHALOM FRIDAY: Family Shabbat, 7 p.m.

CHABAD HOUSE Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. FRIDAY: Service, 7 a.m. SATURDAY: Mamarim class, 9 a.m.; Services, 9:30 a.m. SUNDAY: Services, 8:30 a.m. Mishneh class, 9:30 a.m. MONDAY: Services, 7 a.m.; Halacha, “Walking the Walk” of Jewish Law, 7 p.m. This course offers textual study and practical how-to’s on the laws of the Festivals. TUESDAY: Services, 7 a.m.;

“W.O.W: Strength and Majesty-The Womanly Art in Relationships”, ongoing course focusing on the dynamic of interpersonal relationships using the attributes of Chachma, Simcha, Chessed and Bittul, 9 a.m. Women only; babysitting available upon request. WEDNESDAY: Services, 7 a.m.; Kabbalistic Journeys, 7 p.m. THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Services, 7 a.m. Events and programs are open to the community. For information or to register, call 330.1800.

CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN Rabbi Debbie Stiel will be in Lincoln two weekends a month. Please call her at 402.416.2321 or e-mail her at rabstiel@aol.com to set up an appointment. FRIDAY: Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m led by Amy Zlotsky with oneg to follow. Come Meet our first Rabbinical Candidate. SATURDAY: Events with the Rabbinical Candidate - Torah Study, 10:30 a.m.; Potluck Supper for Religious School Families, 5:30 p.m.; Dessert Reception, 7:30 p.m. SUNDAY: Religious School, 9 a.m-noon

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m.

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m. led by Andy Greenberg.

TEMPLE ISRAEL FRIDAY: Shabbat Service, 7:30 p.m. Rabbi Aryeh Azriel, and Cantor Wendy Shermet will officiate. Rabbi Azriel will give the sermon. Oneg is sponsored by WRJ. SATURDAY: Bagels and Sacred Books, 9:30-10:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. Alexander Terry, son of Michelle Marsh and John Terry will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah at Shabbat Morning Services. PANCAKE BREAKFAST SUNDAY, 9-10 a.m.: Women of Reform Judaism, Omaha is again

Candlelighting Friday, October 15, 6:24 p.m.

sponsoring a pancake breakfast featuring Jim the Pancake Man. Bring the whole family for breakfast before going to the Family Prayer Assembly, 10 a.m. Cost is $4.25 for adults and $3.50 for children 12 and under for an allyou-can-eat breakfast. ADULT EDUCATION SUNDAY: The 4 B’s: Behaving, Belonging, Believing and Bagels “Judiasm & the Art of Healing: How Judiasm Offers Therapeutic Comfort as We Make Our Way Through Life? Come for breakfast with the Pancake Man and then join Professor Guy Matalon and discover Judaism’s traditions of healing thought, text community and prayer, 10:30 a.m.-noon. WEDNESDAY, Oct. 20: Conversation with Rabbi Azriel, noon-1 p.m. THURSDAY, Oct. 21: “Adult Study with the Clergy” with Rabbi Azriel, 10-11:30 a.m. FRIDAY, Oct. 22: Readings in the Zohar. Using the new Pritzker edition of the Zohar (the Book of Radiance), Prof. Guy Matalon, Director of JELS, will explore the deeper meanings of the Torah, noon-1 p.m.

THE NEIGHBORHOOD MINYAN AT TLC FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6:15 p.m., followed by a festive Shabbat dinner and class “The Nature of Evil” with Scholar-inResidence, Rabbi Yaakov Marcus. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; followed by a kiddush luncheon and Rabbi Marcus’ class on “Why do Bad Things Happen to Good People.”; Mincha/Maariv, 6:15 p.m. and festive meal followed by a class “Mystical Hebrew Alphabet” with Rabbi Marcus.

TIFERETH ISRAEL Services conducted by Rabbi Stanley M. Rosenbaum. Minyan, MONDAY & THURSDAY, 9 a.m. FRIDAY: Services, 8 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning service, 9:30 a.m. WEDNESDAY: Men’s Lunch Group will meet at the Knolls, 12:30 p.m. Contact Yale Gotsdiner at 423.7066. THURSDAY: Synagogue Board Meeting, 7:30 p.m.

B’NAI MITZVAH Alexander Terry, son of Michelle Marsh and John Terry, will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, Oct. 16, at Temple Israel. Terry is a seventhgrade student at Brownell Talbot. He w a s selected for the D u k e University Talent Identification Program. He enjoys playing basketball, baseball, tennis and all sports. For his mitzvah project, he is a volunteer at Campfire Boys and

Girls after school program. Alexander has sisters, Kirstine, Margaret, and Caroline Terry. Grandmother is Greta Marsh of Northampton, MA. Brianna Eileen Sadofsky, daughter of Kelli and Paul Sadofsky, will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, Oct. 23, at Beth El. Brianna is a seventh-grade student at La Vista Junior High where she is on the Cross County Team. She was selected for the Duke University Talent Identification Program. She is a Teen Volunteer at the Munroe-Meyer Institute summer camp and also donated her hair to Locks of Love.

Brianna has two sisters, Natasha and Marissa. Her grandparents are Selma Sadofsky and Margaret Stout. Aaron Michael Placzek, son of Kimberly and Matthew Placzek, will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, Oct. 23 at Temple Israel. Aaron is a seventh-grade honor student at Westside Middle School. He won second place in the Continental Math contest, second place in a speech competition, and is Student Government Vice-president at the middle school, where he plays

in the Cool Jazz Band. He competed in Missouri Valley Tennis Team for 12-year-olds and enjoys playing piano and reading. He also won a placement trophy at the state-district piano festival. For his mitzvah project, he donated 300 books to the Rainbow House with money he raised through a Read-a-Thon with the Operation Bedtime Books organization. Aaron has a sister, Phoebe, and a brother, Noah. His grandparents are Barbara and Marshall Kushner, Claire Placzek of Columbus, NE, and the late Gene Placzek.

SPARKS FROM THE WORD by RABBI STANLEY ROSENBAUM Parashat Noach One of the great mistakes some people make is taking the stories of Genesis as some sort of “fairy tales for young children.” A more sophisticated and intellectual way of understanding them is as providing central metaphors for understanding life itself and our place in the universe. These organizing principles offer profound insights that resonate with us today, as in every generation. This week’s parasha contains some provocative examples. In the Noach story, God’s divine quality of justice finally brings a great flood to destroy all life on the land because “the earth became corrupt before God; the earth was filled with ‘chamas’ (Gen. 6:11).” The term “chamas” has various shades of meaning. It is often translated as “wanton violence.” This is not the mere use of force, but rather excessive and unjustified violence. It is more than a little ironic that one of the Islamist terrorist groups that rejects Israel’s right to exist and targets innocent civilians uses a name with the same sound! The shootings, the beheadings of kidnapped foreign workers, and the car bombings that the terrorists carry out with increasing frequency are instances of “chamas.” The term is also used as a synonym for “bloodshed,” “falsehood,” and “deceit,” and is used in parallel with “no justice.” The Yerushalmi (the version of the Talmud edited in the Land of Israel) understands the term as indicating “lawlessness,” suggesting that people cheated each other for such small sums that they could not be prosecuted in the courts. The recent Etz Hayim commentary on the Torah notes that, “This caused people to lose faith in the power of government to provide them with a fair and livable world, and society began to slip into anarchy.” Should we think of corporations making megabucks by firing tens of thousands of workers, shipping wellpaying jobs overseas, and using questionable bookkeeping, and then providing their top executives with multi-million dollar bonuses and stock options while maintaining their workers at minimum salaries and benefits? Would a country that allows some 45 million of its citizens to go without health insurance coverage (and perhaps twice that number with inadequate coverage) qualify as allowing “chamas” to flourish? Another lesson is found in that after the flood there is an increase in technology, but a decline in morality. Are we adequately developing our wisdom to keep pace with our advancing technology, using it to benefit rather than destroy the world? Yet another insight relates to the question (developed more extensively in the Book of Job) of why even good people suffer in a calamity. Referring to the flood story, Rashi uses a Greek term to explain that when evil becomes thoroughly widespread, once retribution is unleashed, it sweeps all before it, and the relatively innocent suffer along with the overtly guilty. After Noach and his companions leave the ark, God says: “Never again will I doom the earth because of man, since the inclination of man’s mind (literally, “heart”) are evil from his youth (Gen. 8:21).” Although Judaism believes that babies are born innocent and pure (different from the classical Christian view of Original Sin), our free will gift leaves us a choice between an inclination to be altruistic and an inclination to be self-centered and selfish. As we grow into puberty we learn right from wrong and must accept responsibility for our moral choices. In other words, while man has the capacity always to make correct ethical choices, God recognizes that man’s frailties and strong urges make it very difficult for us to do so. For this reason, God compassionately chooses to judge us more by realistic than idealistic standards. Nevertheless, there are fundamental standards that cannot be breached lest man become subhuman. The rabbis deduced seven such fundamental laws, which apply to all humanity, referred to as the Seven Commandments of the Children of Noach. Human life, given that we are made “in the image of God,” is sacred, casting murder as a most heinous crime, necessitating courts of justice to be established. The stories in our Torah are truly rich in wisdom and insight!

DEATHS NATHAN MANDELL Nathan Mandell died Oct. 2 at the age of 94. He was preceded in death by his wife, Adele. He is survived by daughter, Terri Mandell, Eugene, OR; daughters and sons-in-law, Marci Mandell and John Kitto, San Rafael, CA, and Paula Mandell and Steve Christensen; granddaughters: Lauren, Tess and Abby Mandell; sister-in law and brother-in-law, Thelma and Steve Lustgarten. JOEL LOUIS BREZACK The founder and owner of Omaha’s first kosher bagel bakery, Joel Brezack, died Oct. 6 at the age of 60. Services were held Oct. 10 at Beth El Cemetery. In 1978, Brezack and his wife, Sue Johnson Brezack moved to Omaha to open the first bakery that served primarily bagels. In addition to its wholesale business, which sells bagels to regional grocery stores and supermarkets, Bagel Bin operates a retail establishment on 119th St., south of Pacific, where it remains today--now Omaha’s only kosher bakery. For a short time in the 1880s, Brezack also operated Bagel Joe’s Deli next to Bagel Bin, serving kosher meat sandwiches and take-out. And in 2001, Bagel Bin teamed up with MJ Java to operate a coffee and bagel bar in the front lobby of the JCC. By then, Brezack had turned much of the business over to his sons, David, Scott and Glenn. Brezack is survived by his wife, Susan, sons and daughters-in-law, David and Jolene, Scott and Jill, and Glenn and Jolene, and five grandchildren. DR. FRANK G. ULLMAN Dr. Frank G. Ullman died Oct. 2 at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco at the age of 77. Dr. Ullman was a full professor of electrical engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for 30 years. He received an additional appointment in physics, where he did much of his research. He retired in 1996 and moved to Davis, CA, in 2000. He is survived by his wife, Deborah Ullman; his daughters, Diane Ullman of Winters, CA, Marian Ullman of Seattle, WA, and Eileen Rendahl of Davis, CA; and five grandchildren. Memorials to Supportive Parents Information Network, 2717 University Ave., San Diego, CA 92104.

NOTICE OF MEETING OF MEMBERS OF OAK HILLS/BIKHOR CHOLIM CEMETERY OF COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a meeting of the Board of Trustees and Members of Oak Hills/Bikhor Cholim Cemetery shall be held on October 24, 2004, 2 P.M., at the offices of Sheldon Gallner, 301 West Broadway, Suite 145, Council Bluffs, Iowa.

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October 15, 2004

YACHAD PROGRAM LEADER Part-time (2 days/month)

Jewish Family Service is seeking an experienced adult to lead our Social Program designed for the developmentally disabled members of our community. Two days a month Yachad provides a Jewish social program of fun and activities tailored to meet the needs of this special group of young adults. We require a person with a special education background, recreational therapy, or occupational therapy. Please send resumes to: JFS 333 South 132 Street, Omaha, NE 68154

MOVING? Please give us the following information:

Name ________________________________________________

Newman Grants Due by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Foundation Public Relations Coordinator Suzanne Singer, chairman of the Esther K. Newman/Carolyn Kully Newman Funds Grants Committee, announced that committee members will meet on Thursday, Nov. 11, to consider applications for requests of the remaining funds allocated at the Committee’s meeting in May. The deadline for submitting requests for grants is Monday, Oct. 18. Grants are made to new and innovative programs designed to enhance the Jewish identity of youth in the community. The Esther K. Newman Fund supports programs designed for Jewish youth between preschool and college age and for young adults under the age of 23 who are not attending a college or university. Income from the Carolyn Kully Newman Fund is allocated to fund programs and activities for Jewish children of kindergarten age or younger. Committee members are looking for programs that strengthen the Jewish identity and values of children and young adults through educational, religious, cultural, social, or recreational activities that are sponsored by synagogues and Jewish organizations in Omaha and Lincoln as well as Jewish Federation agencies. Programs that promote the general health, development, and welfare of Jewish children and their families are also eligible for grants. Distributions may be made to purchase equipment, supplies, and materials for these programs. Criteria for selecting grant recipients include the community value of a program, its special or unique features, an agency’s ability to carry out the purposes and goals of the program or service, and the cost-benefit considerations of the program. Particular emphasis is placed on new and innovative programming. Members of the Newman Grants Committee represent the Jewish Federation Budget and Allocations Committee, Jewish Educational and Library Services, the Jewish Community Center, Beth Israel, Beth El, Temple Israel, Friedel, and BBYO. Both Newman Funds are administered by the Jewish Federation Foundation. For assistance, call 334.6439.

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The Jewish Press 333 South 132nd Street Omaha, NE 68154 or see bottom of page 8 for email address and Fax number

Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation 1. Publication Title: Jewish Press. 2. Publication No. 275-620. 3. Filing Date: 10-05-04. 4. Issue Frequency: Weekly, since 1920. 5. No. of Issues Published Annually: 52. 6. Annual Subscription Rate: $31 US, $35 foreign. 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: 333 South 132nd St., Omaha, NE 681542198, 402-334-6448; Contact Person: Lori Kooper-Schwarz, 402-334-6558. 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher: 333 South 132nd St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198. 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor and Managing Editor: Publisher--Jewish Federation of Omaha, 333 South 132nd St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198; Editor--Carol Katzman, 333 South 132nd St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198; Creative Director--Richard Busse, 333 South 132nd St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198. 10. Owner: Jewish Federation of Omaha, Inc., 333 South 132nd St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198. 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgages and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages or Other Securities: None. 12. For completion by nonprofit organizations authorized to mail at special rates. The purpose, function and non-profit status of this organization and the exempt for federal income tax purpose: Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months. 13. Publication Title: Jewish Press. 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: 10-01-04. 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months--a. Total No. Copies (Net Press Run): 3800. b. Paid and/or requested Circulation: (1) Paid/Requested Outside-County Mail Subscriptions (Include Advertiser’s Proof and exchange copies) 1109. (2) Paid In-County Subscriptions (Include advertiser’s proof and exchange copies) 2197. (3) Sales through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales and Other Non-USPS Paid Distribution--150. (4) Other Classes Mailed Through the USPS--11. c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3) and (4)--3467 d. Free Distribution by Mail: (Samples, Complimentary and Other Free). (1) Outside-County as Stated on Form--3541-0. (2) In-County as Stated on Form 3541-0. (3) Other Classes Mailed Through the USPS--40. e. Free Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or Other Means)--147. f. Total Free Distribution (Sum of 15 d and 15e)--187. g. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and 15f)--3654. h. Copies Not Distributed--146. i. Total: (Sum of 15g and h)--3800 j. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (15c divided by 15g times 100)--94.88%. No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date--a. Total No. Copies (Net Press Run): 3800. b. Paid and/or requested Circulation: (1) Paid/Requested Outside-County Mail Subscriptions (Include Advertiser’s Proof and exchange copies)-1107. (2) Paid In-County Subscriptions (Include advertiser’s proof and exchange copies)-2183. (3) Sales through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales and Other Non-USPS Paid Distribution--150. (4) Other Classes Mailed Through the USPS--11. c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3) and (4)--3451. d. Free Distribution by Mail: (Samples, Complimentary and Other Free). (1) Outside-County as Stated on Form 3541-0. (2) In-County as Stated on Form 3541-0. (3) Other Classes Mailed Through the USPS--16. e. Free Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or Other Means)--149. f. Total Free Distribution (Sum of 15 d and 15e)--165. g. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and 15f)--3616. h. Copies Not Distributed--184. i. Total: (Sum of 15g and h)--3800. j. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (15c divided by 15g times 100)--95.43%. 16. Statement of Ownership will be printed in the Oct. 15, 2003, issue of this publication. 17. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager or Owner. Carol Katzman, Editor 10-05-04. I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including multiple damages and civil penalties).

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

October 15, 2004

A Native Son Returns -- with an Optimistic Message by CAROL KATZMAN Editor of the Jewish Press When the Dean of the University of Judaism’s Center for Jewish Education says he’s “optimistic about the future of synagogue life in America,” there’s cause to celebrate. In fact, this dean is planning on celebrating big time when he returns to Omaha in two weeks. Native son Ron Wolfson, son of Bernice and Alan Wolfson, brother of Bob and Doug Wolfson, is the Scholar-in-Residence for Beth El, Oct. 29-31, one of many events that are part of its year-long 75th anniversary celebration. As an internationally respected educator, author and speaker, Wolfson can speak with authority about the state of American Judaism and its institutions; he and Prof. Larry Hoffman of Hebrew Union College staffed the 10-year Synagogue 2000 project (of which Omaha’s Temple Israel was one of 20 studied) to learn how synagogues operate, how they attract (and deter) members, how they educate and how they can do it better. With a “deep and powerful attachment to Beth El and its wonderful congregation,” Wolfson spoke to the Press about his themes for Shabbat. “More Jews belong to synagogues than to any other institution,” he explained. “At one point in their lives, 70% of Jews belong to synagogues. In Omaha, the affiliation rate is more than 80%.” So now the question (for the Jews of Omaha-and the members of Beth El) becomes “how does Beth El, with 75 years of history, envision its future?” Wolfson asked. It’s not a rhetorical question; he plans on raising issues like the synagogue as a “spiritual resource”, the “fee for service relationship” and “dealing with change and innovation” with the congregation and its board. “Working on the Synagogue 2000 project afforded me the opportunity to learn what synagogues do well and what they can do better. There’s not a synagogue in the country that doesn’t think of iteself as ‘hamishe’--warm and welcoming--and they are, for regulars. But when we ask ‘Was it your experience when you first joined?’ most often the answer is, ‘No’.

“Synagogue leadership avoids the ‘c’ word,” he added, “but every congregation has cliques.” That might stand for ‘challenges’, too. “So the challenge is inducting new members into the life of the synagogue and deepening their spirituality.”

As to the “fee for service relationship”, Wolfson noted that Omaha is the exception, rather than the rule. Synagogues here do not charge for High Holiday tickets, for example. But even here, he added, there is the

“I write you a check, you give me a rabbi and education for my kids” mentality. “Why do so few become regulars?” he asked. “Is it the religious services? Are we not learning? Are there issues with the school--or social justice? Are we ministering to people when they’re hurting, or healing?” Wolfson considers himself lucky to be born into a family that has always taken synagogue life so seriously and to have been “blessed with some wonderful people here. I hung out with a group of guys--Marty Shukert, Jon Whitman, Rick Chudacoff, Joel Epstein, David Bloch, among others--whose influence was formative of my experience growing up at Beth El,” he explained. “And as a kid, I would sit with Dorothy Kripke in the fifth row at the old Beth El--right next to her. My favorite book as a child was hers: Let’s Talk About God.” In fact, each one of Wolfson’s books (all available at the Kripke Jewish Federation Library) contains at least one story about Omaha. He’s written several for the Art of Jewish Living Series and his latest is First Fruit: A Whizin Anthology of Jewish Family Education. Today, he adds, Beth El is “a rockin’ shul...led by a great team.” He’s not surprised that Rabbi Mordechai Levin, Beth El’s spiritual leader is from Argentina, noting that South American rabbis “are bringing a renewed spirit to American Jewish life.” This 75th anniversary is a great celebration for him and he hopes to have some serious conversations with the congregation on Friday evening, Oct. 29, when he’ll talk about his “One-of-a-Kind Take-Home Shabbat Dinner” following 6 p.m. services; Saturday morning, Oct. 30, he’ll expand on “Putting Joyful Meaning into Shabbat.” If you’re expecting Wolfson to sing part of his devrei Torah--you won’t be disappointed either; he already has three songs in mind! “Beth El is very well positioned to take ruach (spirit) and spirutality and move it forward,” he insisted. “Omaha’s a great place to raise a family and there are exciting things going on Jewishly.

17th Annual Klutznick-Harris Symposium: “350 Years of American Judaism in Popular Culture” Sunday, October 24: City Student Union, University of Nebraska-Lincoln 10:00 - 12:15 Session One Judith Neulander, Case Western Reserve University “Tchotchkes: Reading Popular Objects as Cultural Texts” Steven Horowitz, University of Iowa “Absolutely Kosher Music: The Story of American Jews in Rock and Roll” Nora L. Rubel, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill “‘Muggers in Black Coats’: The Alleged Hijacking of American Judaism” 12:15 - 1:45 Keynote Luncheon Jeffrey S. Gurock, Yeshiva University “The Crowning of a ‘Jewish Jordan’: Tamir Goodman, the American Sports Media, “and Modern Orthodox Jewry’s Fantasy World” 1:45 - 4:00 Session Three Steven Alan Carr, Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne “Hollywood, the Holocaust, and World War II” Ben Furnish, University of Missouri-Kansas City “From Sholem Aleichem to Harvey Fierstein: Love Makes a Family-and History-in “Jewish-American Performance” Dan W. Clanton, Jr., University of Denver “From Mr. Hankey to The Hebrew Hammer: Hanukkah in Pop Culture” Sunday, October 24: Jewish Community Center, Theatre 7:30 Keynote Address Jenna Weissman Joselit, Princeton University “‘Harness My Zebras’: American Jews and Popular Culture in 20th Century “America” Dessert reception follows

Monday, October 25: Skutt Student Center, Creighton University 8:30 - 11:00 Session Five Thomas A. Kuhlman, Creighton University “A Passion for Words for the Witty: S. J. Perelman, Jewish-American Satirist” Lynn Rapaport, Pomona College “Hang Hitler: The Three Stooges Take Potshots at Nazis” Lawrence Baron, San Diego State University “Projecting Prejudice: Depicting Anti-Semitism in American Movies” 11:00 - 12:30 Session Six G. Andrew Tooze, Winston-Salem, NC “David of Hollywood: Israelite King or American Superhero?” Dereck Daschke, Truman State University “‘Oh, Mama, Could This Really Be The End?’ The Apocalyptic Bob Dylan” 12:30 - 2:00 Keynote Luncheon Richard Hecht, University of California Santa Barbara “Do the Aliens Want Peace? The Middle East Conflict as Presented in American “Tabloids” Parking available on Creighton campus Symposium co-hosts: the Klutznick Chair of Jewish Civilization at Creighton University and the Harris Center for Judaic Studies at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, with the Center for the study of Religion and Society, Creighton University, and the Jewish Federation of Omaha. All events are free and open to the public For further information, please contact the Klutznick Chair office at 280-2303