SS^^KT^C:^
ilewish Prei Serving Nebraska and Iowa Since 1920
VoLLXXI No. 41 Omaha
22 'hnunui, STM, July 1,1M4
Mission will cover Israel from Eilat to Golan By Barbara Chandler, Federation public relations director
Applications for Omaha's Shalom Community , Mission are beginning to come in to the Federation and excitement is building. The itinerary for this mission was custom designed by Jerry and Harriet Slusky, Shalom Mission Chairmen, Anne Broder, Federation Missions Chairman, and Jan Perelman, Missions Staff Director, and they promise a unique view of Israel that will make the mission a memorable experience for both first-time and returning participants. Other communities joining Omaha's mission are Flint, Michigan; Youngstown, phio; Toledo, Ohio, and Des Moines, Iowa. ' Cost for the mission is $1350 for first time participants with a $750 minimun gift to the 1995 UJA/Federation Campaign. Applications and more information are available by calling the Federation office, 334-8200, ext. 210. Application deadline is July 31. , The Shalom Mission Itinerary Monday, Oct. 3: After departing Omaha on Sunday, Oct. 2, and catching El Al Flight LY 018 out of New York's LaGuardia Airport, the participants of the Shalom Mission will begin their 10-day Israel experience at the southern tip of the country, on the shore of the Red Sea in the beautiful resort city of Eilat, After getting settled in their hotel rooms, participants will enjoy a welcome dinner during which they will meet and visit with olim from the former Soviet Union. The evening program will feature musical entertainment by the olim. Tuesday, Oct. 4: Jeeps will depart for Timna Park where participants will see copper mines, the Hidden Lake and Solomon's Pillars. Lunch will be hosted by Kibbutz
Grofit where Menachem Perlmutter will showcase some of Israel's high-tech agriculture. Following a visit to Eilat's Underwater Observatory, participants will have a chance to freshen up before departing on a special dinner cruise on the Red Sea. Wednesday, Oct. 5: Buses will drive along the Egyptian and Jordanian borders so that participants can study the security measures being taking by Israel, and then the group will travel north to ascend Mnsada, the first-century stronghold of the Jewish zealots. The aflernoon plans include a float in the Dead Sea and a hike to Ein Gedi, a beautiful nature preserve. In the late afternoon, the mission wilt proceed to Jerusalem, stopping atop Mt. Scopus to recite Shehecheyanu. Participants will enjoy an evening at their leisure in Jerusalem. Thursday, Oct. 6: At breakfast, Benyamin Netaniahu is scheduled to brief participants on the Likud Party's view of the peace process. The morning will then be spent at excavation sites in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, including the Herodian Mansion and the Rabbinic Tunnel, an area of excavation along the Western Wall that includes archological relics of the Second Temple from the times of King David, King Solomon, Herod and many other Biblical figures. That aflernuon, partic'pants will literally "dig in" to a hands-on archological dig experience at Beit Guvrin. The evening plans include an authentic Roman dinner at the Cardo Culinaria. Note: Watch next week's issue for highlights of the rest of the mission including Yad Vashem, very special Shabbat plans, Beit Shean, the Golan Heights, Safed and morel
fA MISSION* *
i
T
Paiticipants will ride m jt-ups ilirough Timme Park in the south and the Golan Heights in the north.
This Rabbi runs for his life
f
By Sheryl K. Gutes Rabbi Hirshel Jaffe was a swift runner who counted his blessings — married to a wonderful and beautiful woman, the father of two adorable little girls, the admired spiritual leader of a vibrant congregation. In 1978, Rabbi Jaffe ran the New Rabbi Hirshel Jaffe York City marathon wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with his moniker, The Running Rabbi." As he crossed the Verrazano Narrows Bridge into Brooklyn, Hassidim were staring at him and exclaiming, 'that's a rabbi?" As he crossed the 59th Street Bridge into Manhattan, his wife, Judi, daughters, Rachel and Nina, and friends, Jim and Marcin Rudin, cheered him on. He made the V-sign for victory. In 1980, Hirshel Jaffe visited our American hostages in Iran, bringing them a sense of hope and spiritual comfort, In 1981, he went to the White House io help greet those freed Americans. Hirshel JafTe was in the prime of his life. The "Running Rabbi" felt indestructible. Little did he realize that he would soon have to run a different kind of race — a race for his life. By the spring of 1982, Rabbi JnfTo was alarmed by his rapidly diminishing stamina during his daily runs. Within a few weeks, he could not walk even a quarter of a block.
Sy££
i
By early June, he was in the hospital for tests. A But the disease, the treatment, the accompanyhematologist gave him the grim news: "Rabbi Jaffe, ing pain and his already weakened body and spirit we are virtually certain that you have a rare form had plunged into a severe depression. He felt that of cancer — hairy cell leukemia." Summoning his his life, his emotions — indeed, his very being, were fighting spirit, his running spirit, he asked, "How totally and irreversibly out of control. long do people live with this disease?" The doctor His doctors worried about his will to live, that \\6 replied, "Six months, a year, five years." The Rabbi had given up hope. They stood at his bedside and countered, "I'll take the upper limit, doctor." said, "Rabbi Jaffe, we know you're having great difOne inescapable thought kept going through his ficulty, but there are other people here who need mind — "Why Me?" your help and your guidance. Maybe if you could His treatment began with a splenectomy, but the reach out to other patients, it will help you regain operation did not go as well as had been hoped. that fighting spirit. Hirshel, why don't you be a Complications and further surgeries caused him to rabbi?" become emaciated. That one simple challenge had a profound He could not conduct High Holy Day services impact on Hirshel Jaffe. ^H that fall. Sitting with his congregation at Yizkor on In the physical therapy room Rabbi Jaffe saw ^| Yom Kippur afternoon, as he listened to the names young man in a wheelchair. He had spinal cancer. of the deceased being read, he thought to himself, Grunting and grimacing, he was trying to lift him^_ "maybe next year they'll be reading my name." self from his wheelchair onto the parallel bars Th^| While the splenectomy had put Rabbi Jaffe into staff was cheering him on: "Come on, Jerry, you cnr^^ H brief period of remission, his condition continued do it." Finally, and with great effort, he lifted him to deteriorate. Chemotherapy was unsuccessful; self up, maybe an eighth of an inch Mr. Jaffe^ 95% of his bone morrow was malignant; he had thought, "Boy, that young man really has guts."• fevers of 105; he had contracted a rare form of And remembering what the doctors said, that he tuberculosis. Hirshel JafTe was dying. needed to get out of himself and minister to othe; Fighting for his life in the hospital, he was heart- people — that he needed to be a rabbi — he decide ened by the news that in Chicago seven patients to go see Jerry that night. with hairy-cell leukemia had responded well to the He wheeled himself into Jerry's room and saw then experimental drug interferon. Mr. Jaffe him lying in bed, shivering with fever. Jerry started prayed that he might be eligible for inclusion in the the conversation. "How you doing, fella? Did you study. His diagnosis did not fit the parameters of see your doctors today?" Rabbi Jaffe replied, in the experiment, but his doctors appealed to the despair, "I think they're ovoidin; me. They don't. Federal Drug Administration for an exception. want to tell me the bad news." "Just wait •} Following an angel of mercy flight to the University minute," Jerry said. "Aren't you a rabbi?" Hirthelj of Chicago Hospital, he learned permission had nodded. "Well," Jerry continued, "I don't know be«n granted. (Continued on page 2)
M
'4