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SERVING NEBRASKA AND IOWA SINCE 1920 Vol. LXIX No. 23 Omaha, Nabr.
3 Adar, 5752 Friday, Fab. 7, 1992
Understudy prepares for four roles By Diane Axler-Baum, Theater committee publicity diaiiman The first understudy in the history of the Omaha Jewish Community Center has committed herself to learning not one, but four roles, as Theater At The "J" approaches the opehing of Ivan Menchell's comedy "The Cemetery t Glub." "The Cemetery Club" will open on Feb. 20 for a three-weekend engagement. Actress Barb Ross, who recently dosed in "On Borrowed Time" at the Omaha Community Playjiouse, agreed to prepare for the eventuality of taking any of the four female leads in "The Cemetery Club". According to Marcia Lipsman, who chairs the JCC Theater committee, "The Cemetery Club" is an uproarious comedy revolving around Lucille, Ida and Doris, who maintain a strong friendship even though their widowhood ia the only thing they have in common. The fourth female is Mildred, an outsider and the first to attract Sam the butcher, a widower. Starring in the production are: Ekine Jabenis, Qail Ginaburg, Sherry Jo-
I
Barb Ross (left), the understudy, and Marcia Lipsman, theater committee chairman. sand Fletcher, Stan Widman and Darcy Beck. "This will be an unbelievable challenge for me," said Ms. Ross, "Comedic timing is a real art and the four women starring in the roles are each top-notch comedy performers. I sit' in on all rehearsals in order to capture the essence of the characters. Sometimes concentration is difficult because the dialogue is so hilarious," she continued. Ms.Ross concluded by saying "1 hope
Bob Kerrey speaks to Jewish leaders
By Larry Yudelaon NEW YORK (JTA)Bringingitis quest for the Democratic presidential nomination to Jewish organiiational leaders here. Sen. Bob Kerr«y described a flight bvei; Israel as the gueat of Binyamin Netanyahu. He recalled traversing the' diataiice betweeh Tel Aviv and larael'a 1967 border in barely three minutee. "The old political buzxwords of national aacurity
took on new meaning for K me." the fbrmar Nebraaka
bMmor tokl the Confer IKofPietklMUofMa^SrAmahcan Jewiah Orgenlaatkxia.
He dM not teU the Conference of Presidents whsthar oc wA ha wu pareuaded to ackmt the vlawa of his guide wlA. as a deputy aintotar to Yitshak Shamir, believae Israel not raHwiwish c<Mft* the admlnMereri But in hie t«lk, Kerrey critidaed the
Bush administration for not sufficiently supporting Israel, and offered proIirael poaitions on a broad range of questions, including au|H>(>rt for S10 billion in U.S.-guaranteed loans for the Jewish state. Opening with his domestic agenda, Kerrey likened unemployment to a natural disaster calling for an eraergeocy reeponse. He also called for a cut in Social Security taxee; an industrial polky; inveetmant in roads, communication aystama and dtiee; and natipnal health insurance. But iTSrning that the ^'aafe little iaoiaUonlst cocoon" spun in tlie 19S0B lad to world war, Ktmy ratuniad tq his August visit tQ Israel, devoting tkeliBalUpMMef.hiel4page prtperta speech to his poaltkMS and rsoord on the Middle Eaat and Jewish iasuae. He reoallod confronting the aati^aaBitee who were taking nd^^atafs of the wPi«el«
that the need doesn't arise for me to step in, they would be big shoes to fill," In her. youth, Ms. Ross performed at the Omaha Junior Theater, Kingmark, Omaha PlayluMise ud her Omaha university credits include "Bus Stop," "Antigone," "Imaginary Invalid," among others. At the Playhouse she was seen in "Picnic" and "Cactus Flower," the role for which she won the award for outstanding performance in a supporting role.
Israel Bonds The 1991 State of Israel Bonds campaign closed the most sucoeasful year in its history, realizing t993 million in worldwide sales, according to Meir Roeqnne, Israel Bonda president, and Michael Siegel, National Campaign chairman. The 1991 Nebraaka State of laraal Bonda campaign realised more than tl,27 million in inveetment capital, a 36-peroant increaae over 1990. "We ware able to create (or many psople and buaineeaea an opporttuity to inveet in larail far tiMfirBt time. "The commitment in Nebraska ia atrong and continusa to grow strongw. The dedicated Isadsrthip in Omaha and Lincoln were invaluable and indispsnaabia assets in raaliling our goals," Judge Norman KHvoeha, Nabraeka state chair, stated.
ADL reports record for anti-Semitism By Debra Nussbaum Cohen NEW YORK (JTAI1991 was a record year for anti-Semitic incidents in the United States, according to a nationwide survey conducted by the Anti-Defamation League. The ADL recorded 1,879 acts of violence, threat and harassment against Jews for the year, an 11-percent increase over 1990 and the highest number since the agency began its annual audit of anti-Semitic incidents 13 years ago. For the first time, there were more attacks on Jewish individuals than against their property, with 950 incidents of harassment, threats and physical assault reported—a 25-percent increase over 1990— and 929 incidents of vandalism. The number of physical assaults of Jews, 60, was twice the 1990 figure, and included the August murder of Australian scholar Yankel Rosenbaum by a gang of black youtba In the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn. The past year also saw the greatest number of "serious crimes" ever reported, according to the audit, which is being released this week at ADL's annual Natibnal Executive Committee meeting in Palm Beach, Fla. Twelve incidents of arson, six bombings, -one attempted bombing and 22 cemetery desecrations added up to 29-percent more serious crimes against Jews than the previous' high in 1990. Anti-Jewish activity on college cainpuses remained at the "disturbingly high" level of 1990, according to the audit, but may have leveled off after increasing by 72 percent over the prevloua three years. Last year, 101 incidehts of anti-Semitism were reported at 60 college cam.pusee, with 23 of the campuaea ezneriandng multiple problams. The previous year. 67 campuaae i^ ported 96 inddaoU, with 11 of them reporting more than one anti-Semitic act, PoliticaUy related antiSemitiam. which occiursd largaty during the Parsian Gulf War in the first two months of 1991, also mul-
country in incidents of vandalism. The state experienced 254 acts of vandalism, up 68 from 1990, California followed, with 124 incidents, and New Jersey came in third, with 102. Both were decreases by five from the previous year. Next were Massachusetts, which reported 68 incidents, the same as in 1990; Pennsylvania, with 49, which was up five; Florida, with 43, and down 22; Maryland, with 41, down 16; Illinois, with 27, down six; Texas, with 24, up 19; Connecticut, with 21, up five; Michigan, with 20, up four; Colorado, with 17, down 18; and Ohio, with 17, down six incidents of vandalism. The most notable antiSemitic inddents in 1991 included: * Three days of rioting •in Crown Heights, Aug. 19-21. More than 100 incidents of personal assault, harassment and property damage were reported, including 23 cases in which Jews suffered serious bodily injury. * A firebombing, four ^trsons and four attempted arsons at three synagogues in the Los Angeles area between January and April, * A spate of vandalism, harassment and violence directed against, congregants at two Orthodox synagogues in Boca Raton, Fla., between May 15 and the «nd of July, The inddents,induded smoke
bomb attacks, drive-by. shootings, BE gun shootings, as weU as verbal assault. • The desecration of two synagogues in Dayton, Ohio, in November, on the 53rd anniversary of Kristallnacht. They were spraypainted with swastikas and the word "Jude," * A violent intimidation campaign by Skinheads against a Jewish-owned store in Knoxville, Tenn, In one inddent, Skinheads hurled a rock, decorated with a swastika, through the window of the store. A note attached to the rock said, "Don't let Jew bastards run the country.'' A Molotov cocktail was also thrown into the store, and anti-Semitic graffiti were painted on the front door. At least 20 Jewish organizations received mail and phone threats. They included swastikas and statements such as "Death to Jews," "All Jews will bum and die in baU" and "Keep cheeking for those letter bombs." The ADL attributes the overall upsurge in most types of anti-Semitid acts to "the erosion of longstanding barriers against the expression of antiSemitism. There were 62 Skinheadperpetrated acts of antiSemitism reported in 16 states in 1991, alnwsthalf the number reported in 1989, when 116 were recorded in 24 states.
1992 UJA/Federation Campaign:
Moving toward our goal
2,500,000 Omaha
2,40(MN»
2,000,000 1,900,000 tJOMOO 1.700,000
U00,000
t,30oyooo IJMJM 900,101
i hill ml
lipuSB.
Eighty anti-Sainitic inddants ia 14 states were t^nkf^ by thair perpetrators to the war for setsral months, beginning with the start ol Opsratim Dteert Storm on Jan, 16. On a state-by-state basis. New York lead the
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