December 30, 2022 by Jewish Press

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In Memoriam: Tuffy Epstein

There will be no paper next week, January 6. The paper will return on January 13.

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor e’ve all been there. We think something that’s not very nice, and we open our mouths and say the wrong thing. And over the last few years, it seems the country as a whole has become worse; the news is full of stories of people using words to hurt, rather than heal. If we want to get better at how we talk to each other, we need to do the work. Clean Speech Nebraska is a communitywide, month-long campaign to clean up our conversations, one word at a time. By encouraging mindfulness and personal awareness, we can create a more peaceful and respectful world, where our communities are united and connected. Presented by Jewish Community Relation Council (JCRC) Clean Speech Nebraska will kick off in February 2023 with a month of videos and a workbook focused on being mindful of how we speak to each other when we disagree inspired by Jewish values. Community members are being recruited to record short daily video lessons. You can find out more at Cleanspeech.com/Nebraska. Just as Jewish tradition offers guidelines for respectful, community-oriented speech, Clean Speech Nebraska encourages people of all faiths to cleanse their speech and be

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Julian Witkowski wins B’nai B’rith Bible Quiz Page 4

more mindful of the language they use. In fact, Clean Speech Nebraska will be the first local initiative to focus specifically on respectful, community-building speech. “We are thrilled to bring the Clean Speech project to Nebraska,” JCRC Assistant Director Pam Monsky said. “The theme of lashon hara is relevant and timely because words of kindness can impact someone’s day, just like unkind remarks can affect someone for a long time. We hope everyone in the community will dedicate a few minutes each day in February to the Clean Speech project, and tell your friends and family!” Clean Speech originated in Colorado. “In the years, months and weeks leading up to November 2019, incivility and political animus in the US were rampant. Friends or families were being torn apart by negative rhetoric, labeling and name calling,” Larry Hankin wrote for The Intermountain Jewish News. Rabbi Raphael Leban, managing director of The Jewish Experience, noticed how the Jewish community was affected as much as the rest of the country. And so, he created Clean Speech Colorado, a month-long campaign that educated some 10,000 people from all corners of the Colorado Jewish community about the basic Jewish proscription of lashon hara, negative speech — saying hurtful things about a person when that person is not present. There are short videos, See Clean Speach Nebraska page 2

Rachel Shukert wins Emmy Awards

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SPONSORED BY THE BENJAMIN AND ANNA E. WIESMAN FAMILY ENDOWMENT FUND

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMPWRIGHT Jewish Press Editor After long being included in the Daytime Emmys, the first-ever Children’s & Family Emmys ceremony was held at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles on Saturday, Dec. 10. The first night was dedicated to the creative arts, including achievements in writing, directing, voice direction, cinematography, editing and more. The second night focused on major categories, including children’s or family viewing series, preschool children’s series and young teen series. Omaha native Rachel Shukert acRachel Shukert

cepted the Emmy Award for her work on The Baby-Sitters Club in the category ‘Writing for a Live Action Preschool or Children’s Program; and took home a second one for ‘Outstanding Children’s or Family Viewing Series.’ Shukert was creator, showrunner, and executive producer of this critically-acclaimed adaptation for

Netflix of the original Baby Sitters Club books by Ann M. Martin. In addition to The Baby-Sitter’s Club, Shukert has written five books and numerous on-line articles and interviews, has previously served as a writer and producer for the hit Netflix show GLOW and an executive producer and writer for The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu, and has written for Supergirl. She is currently working on the Hulu series Nine Perfect Strangers She is the daughter of Aveva and Marty Shukert. “I received my first Baby-Sitter’s Club book as a birthday present when I was around 10,” Shukert said in 2020. “I don’t remember being particularly excited about it and honestly, it sat on my shelf for a while before I was bored enough to read it one day. Then I couldn’t put it down. I devoured the series after that - along with my friends at Friedel Jewish Academy. It is one of those quintessential series that kids growing up in the 1980s and 90s know and love. It was something See Rachel Shukert page 2

HOWARD K. MARCUS Arnold “Tuffy” Epstein’s Jewish musical presence in Omaha lasted decades, and it would be easy to assume it had gone on for the more than 80 years he played an instrument. But Epstein, who died Dec. 10 at age 87 of renal failure, grew up in a home where Judaism was respected but affiliating with a synagogue wasn’t something his Russian-immigrant parents did.

Tuffy Epstein appeared Nov. 19 as the Omaha Musicians’ Association celebrated its 125th anniversary at The Jewell, a live music venue in downtown Omaha. Epstein was a 70-year member of the association. The event was his final public performance. Credit: Howard K. Marcus/ marcusofomaha.com

In a 2018 oral history, he said his parents wanted their kids to be Jewish, but they themselves weren’t interested in participating. Epstein grew up near 20th and Martha Streets, where his parents ran a grocery. “There were no Jewish families anywhere around us,” he said. “But we always had a tutor coming to the house, teaching us how to read Hebrew.” His musical and performance education was more thorough. After a stint from ages 5 to 7 learning Hawaiian guitar – an instrument his mother loved but he hated – he moved to saxophone while at Castelar Elementary School, later adding clarinet and flute. In his early teens, he also took lessons in tap dancing and gymnastics. Musically, he wasn’t alone. His brother Ira learned piano, his brother Allen took trumpet and his sister, Gloria, played trombone and cello. What followed was a rapid musical and educational ascent for the young musician, first at Omaha Central High School where he was in the band, orchestra and jazz band. After graduating in 1953 and spending a summer on the road with a New York-based band, he attended Omaha University on a music scholarship. In 1955, he transferred to the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, where he joined the marching band. See Arnold “Tuffy’ Epstein page 11