1500 R ST LINCOLN ME 68508
Celebrating More Than 75 Years of Service VoLLXJOV
No. 26
Omaha, ME
28Adar, 5757
March 7,1997
National Conference announces 1997 honorees
Tommy Lasorda to speak at B'nai B'rith Sports Banquet
Jane Batt, Executive Director of the National " I Conference (of Christians I and Jews), announced 1 that the Otto Swanson Spirit of Service Award will be presented to Truman Clare a t the organization's annual meeting on May 20. The two Humanitarian Awards will be given to Alan, Fred and Steve Simon of Omaha Steaks Truman Clare and to former United States Senator Dave Karnes and his wife, Dr. Liz Karnes.
Tommy Lasorda, legendary former head coach of the Los Angeles Dodgers, will speak at the B'nai B'rith Charity Sports Banquet May 14 at Ak-SarBen. Master of Ceremonies will again be former Omaha sports personality Dave Blackwell, according to Gary Epstein, Chairman of the Banquet. This year's Banquet features one of the most col-
Clare is a longtime volunteer of the Jewish Community Center and a supporter of the Jewish Federation. He is a recipient of the Federation's Humanitarian of the Year Award in 1986. Clare is a local attorney and partner in the firm of Marks and Clare. The Simon brothers have been active in the Jewish and general communities; their company, Omaha Steaks, has supported the Anti-Defamation League Prejudice Elimination Workshop. Fred Simon, a past co-chairman of the UJA/Federation Campaign, currently chairs the Financial Resource Development sub-committee of' the Federation's Strategic Planning Committee and is a member of its Executive Board. (Continued on page 8)
Scholar-ln-Resf dence addresses 4 Why be Jewish?' by Judith Marburg Temple Israel has invited Rabbi David Wolpe to visit Omaha as Temple's Scholar-in-Residence the weekend of March 14,15 and 16. Rabbi Wolpe will speak at Shabbat services Friday evening and Saturday morning and also on Sunday morning. His topic for the 7:30 p.m. Friday evening service, entitled "Why be Jewish," will discuss specific, powerful reasons that Judaism offers to keep Jews within the fold. An Oneg Shabbat will follow the service. • . At the 11:15 a.m. Saturday morning service, Tommy Lasorda orful personalities in professional sports," says Mysticism" as he investigates the lives arid ideas Epstein. "We are looking forward to a great night of the great Jewish mystics and their potential for contribution to modern Judaism. This service.,will atAK-SAR-BEN." This marks the 43rd Annual Sports Banquet be followed by a wine and cheese kiddush. Sunday morning's 10 a.m. discussion will be sponsored by Henry Monsky Lodge B'nai B'rith. The Lodge will, also honor the ; Metro-area high geared to families as Rabbi Wolpe talks about school male and female student athletes of the year "Teaching Your Children About God." He will with the Bert Render and Earl Siegel Memorial address ways in which families can approach the questions of Judaism at home, and how to speak to Awards. 'Charities benefiting from the Banquet include children about God, spirituality and Jewish ritual. The Sunday morning program will be followed by various B'nai B'rith programs. Tickets are $86, and brunch. are available by calling 334-6443. All programs for the Scholar-in-Residence are Lasorda was named.the Dodger manager in 1976. He led four teams to the World Series (1977,1978, open to the community without charge. David Wolpe has been described as "a young 1981, 1988) and won two World Championships (1981, 1988). He guided the Dodgers into seven rabbi who is as gifted with .words as he is with wispost-season appearances and holds the major dom." Author of four books, the most recent of which is league record with 16 wins in League Championship Series play. He was a three-time Why Be Jewish?, Rabbi Wolpe is a frequent conwinner of the National League Manager of the tributor to magazine and newspapers on subjects of Jewish and general religious interest. He writes Year award (1977,1981,1988). Lasorda ranks 15th on the all-time managerial two columns which run in Jewish newspapers victories list with 1,558 wins, and 13th on the all- nationwide and his writings, as well as profiles tun games managed list in major league history. He has'managed 61 post-season games, second only to Casey Stengel's 63..Only three other man' ; ".'•;. " ! • . [ ' ; • ' ' • ' • ' :'•''•'•' •'•' b y L y n d a agers. in major league baseball history have managed the sameie'amfor more than 20 years.. Lasorda spent a total of 11 years as a left-handed pitcher in the Big Leagues. He managed eight seasons in the minor leagues and-won five pennants, before serving as a Dodger coach (1973^76) and scout. He now spends much of his time spreading baseball goodwill and encouragement to thousands while making speeches and appearances to various charities, armed forces and private groups. Mr. Blackwell, Sports Director at KISN Radio in Salt Lake City, is a former Omaha sportscaster. He also was a former Nebraska Cornhusker football analyst on KPAB Radio. ' Previous guest speakers at the banquet include Howard Cosell, Lou Holtz, John Madden, Tom Osborne, Joe Paterno, Barry Switzer, David Stern, Mike Ditka, Bob Devaney, Keith Jackson, Bobby ivnriam urossman uexc;, a Holocaust sur"'Knight, Bill Walsh, Dick Vitale, Bobby Bowden, vivor, spoke to the cast of Anne Frank arid Joe Theismann, and last year, Leo Corso.
and reviews of his work, have appeared in major publications such as The Washington Post and Newsweek. Rabbi Wolpe's television exposure has included guest appearances on CNN and CBS "This Morning", as a commentator on spiritual questions, and in a.series on ~-A&E called' "Mysteries-of the Bible." • V.,. R«bb. David' In addition to Why Be Jewish?, Rabbi Wolpe has authored The Healer of Shattered Hearts: A Jewish View of God, In Speech and In Silence: The Jewish Quest for God and Teaching Your Children About God. Currently, Rabbi Wolpe teaches at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, where he also serves as assistant to the Chancellor. He lectures widely at universities, synagogues and institutes nationwide and has taught at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles and Hunter College in New York. He serves as the King David Scholar for the United Jewish Appeal and on the editorial board for the Conservative movement's Torah commentary. Rabbi Wolpe received his master's degree and ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America after earning his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania ,and B.H.L. from the University of Judaism. In addition, he has studied at Hebrew University in Jerusalem and Edinburgh University, Scotland.
Cast of Anne Frank and Me meets a survivor
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In the new play Anne Frank and Me, opening at the JCC Theater Sunday, March 16, Nicole, the Christian American teenager who.is transported back in time to Nazi-occupied Paris meets the real Anne Frank before they both enter a death camp. Recently, the cast of the play met with a real Holocaust survivor, Mrs. Miriam Grossman. Here, on the stage where the play is being rehearsed,; Mrs. Grossman took these young people back to the blitzkrieg that forever destroyed life as she knew it. , ' "I won't talk about the terrible horrors I experienced or saw," she began, "I will just try to give you some idea of what I went through." i Mrs. Grossman was born in a small town in Poland and was living in Lodz when the Germans invaded that country. She told the enthralled group of teens how, when she was in her early 20's, (Continued on page 11)
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
BOYCHIKS IN THE HOOD
March 7,1997
by Robert Eisenberg HarperCollins Publishers
NOW IN 3rd PAPERPBACK PRINTING!
"Excellent"... -New York Times
"Delightful"... -San Francisco Chronicle
"Original".
-Washington Post
"Others have written on the same subject, but not with the same verve. He has, to draw on a Jewish dish which features frequently in his account, produced a cholent of a book: rich, steamy, spicy and delectable. This is his first work.. .a stunning debut!!" —Daily Telegraph (London) "Perceptive, humorous and respectful... What a travel story!!" -Australian Jewish News "It behooves all of us to understand the Hasidim ,and Eisenberg's fine book goes a long way toward achieving that important objective." --Dr. Morton Teicher, Founding Dean Wurzweiler School of Social Work Yeshiva University
CLIP & SAVE
CALENDAR OF EVENTS FRIDAY, MARCH 7 Visions Board Meeting, 9:30 a.m. Temple Israel NFTY Social Action Weekend, March 7-9, Springfield, Mo. Temple Israel Ministers Institute, 10 a.m., at Temple Beth El USY Conclave, March 7-9, at Beth El SATURDAY, MARCH 8 Temple Israel Grade 5 Mock Wedding, 6 p.m., at Temple SUNDAY, MARCH 9 Camp Day, 1 p.m. NCJW Kite Assembly, 8:30 a.m. Resettlement Citizenship Class, 3:30 p.m. International Women's Day Celebration, 4 p.m. Temple Israel Men's Club Brunch, 10 a.m., at Temple Visions Spring Tea Dance & Dinner, 2 p.m., DC Center MONDAY, MARCH 10 YES Meeting, 9:30 a.m. Drivers Ed Class, 6 p.m.. BESTT Parent/Teacher Conferences, 7:30 p.m., at Beth El TUESDAY, MARCH 11 JCAC Intermediate Hebrew Class, noon BBYO Advancement Board Meeting, 7 p.m. CDCC Parent Education Speaker, 7 p.m. Drivers Ed Class, 6p.m. ' . Beth Israel Sisterhood Board Meeting & Luncheon, 11 a.m., nt Beth Israel Temple Israel Torah on Wheels,* noon, out of building Temple Israel Family School, 6:30 p.m., at Temple Beth El Executive Committee Meeting, 7:30 p.m., Beth El"• WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12 Brcadbrcakera, noon. Highland Country Club Beth Israel Board of Commissioners, 7:30 p.m., nt Beth Israel THURSDAY, MARCH 13 Walk-in Drop-in, 9:30 a.m. Resettlement Committee Meeting, .7 p.m. Temple Israel Sisterhood Adult Education, 9:30 a.m., at Temple Israel Jewish Women International Donor Luncheon, noon, homo of Rosalie Greenspan All events hold at the JCC unless otherwise Indicated. The Jewish press is not responsible tor the accuracy ol the above events: To keep calendar accurate or for questions, call Marlane Hert at 334-6437.
SARA. PERSELL by Rabbi Y. Dovid Kaye, Guest Columnist Sara Persell of San Bernadino, CA, formerly of The Mishnah (Avosl:2) says, "There are three pillars that support the world: Torah, worship and Omaha, died Feb. 19. She was preceded in death • ' acts of loving kindness." Although each of these is by her husband, Kenneth. Survivors include two sons, Michael, San separate and necessary, I would like to emphasize Gimeelas Chesed (acts of kindness), brought on by Bernadino, and Roger, New York City, and their Torah and Avodah. One might think that acts of wives; two grandchildren, Michael and Steve kindness are self-evident and are not contingent Persell; a brother, Edward Forman, Omaha; and a ' upon Torah. Cannot a person be charitable without sister, Annette Schloff, Omaha. :•• • > JULIUSKAPLAN a knowledge of Torah? Can we not be considerate Julius Kaplan has died at the age of 82, He was and kind, independent of Torah and Avodah? The answer is a firm and unequivocal, no! It is , preceded in death by his wife,. Violet; brothers, possible for a person to sometimes be charitable Harold, Nate and Sam; and sister, Ida Cooper. Survivors include son, Jeffrey, Omaha; daughand perhaps be kind, but unaided by Torah, man's intellect and logic can lead him to absurd concepts ters and sons-in-law, Joanne and Jon .Wrage, of morality and propriety. Human logic is so vul- Omaha, Ellen and John Goergen, Omaha, Bonnie : nerable to distortion that the grossest injustices Mound, Lincoln, Candace and Kevin Dochtermann, have been committed under misguided concepts of St. Louis, MO; companion, Geraldine Matyia; 13 grandchildren; 5 great-grandchildren; sisters, Rose kindness and consideration. As an example, let's take Kantian philosophy. Rifkin, Los Angeles, Reva Bolotnikov, Omaha; and Kant, whose moral philosophy is the culmination of sister-in-law, Rose Kaplan, Omaha. 19th-century individualism, insisted on moral Writer Leo Rosten dies; autonomy to such an extent that any law coming popularized Yiddish in U.S. from outside (heteronomy), even if that outsider iB by Debra Nussbaum Cohen G-d Himself, must be subject to the scrutiny of man's own conscience and moral self-legislation. NEW YORK (JTA) - Leo Rosten, who translatWe today understand that Kant's philosophy, ed his mamqloshen into English and helped make indeed, 19th-century enlightenment, all went up in words like shlep and nosh part of the American ashes through the emancipated smokestacks of vernacular, has died. He was 88. Germany's Auschwitz. Hitler taught us that man's He was best known for The Joys of Yiddish, moral conscience is grossly insufficient in itself to which was published in 1968. preserve justice and social order. Without G-d's His first book, The Education of H*Y*M*A*N moral imperatives, man remains a jungle animal. K?A*P*L*A*N, published in 1937, which grew out Foremost among the credentials of Judaism is of short stories he printed in The New Yorker magthe exclusive witnessing of the most momentous azine, revealed his deep affection for the struggles event in the history of mankind; G-d's revelation at of people steeped in Yiddish culture and language Sinai. It was there established for all time that who were trying to acclimate to life in America. there is a G-d, that he is the only "real" Reality and He used the pseudonym Leonard Q. Ross, apparthat His Torah is the only source for the moral uni- ently trying—like many Jews transplanted to the verse. new country--to go by a name that sounded to his My friends, there is no area of human concern immigrant ears more glamorous and American. which Judaism fails to address. Absolutely nothing Rosten was born April 11, 1908, in Lodz, Poland, is beyond the pale of halacha (Jewish law). Indeed, and immigrated with his .family to the United the word Halacha is derived from the verb haloch, States when he was 3. He was raised in Chicago in meaning to walk. Halacha is the means of regulat- a working-class environment filled with other ing man's journey through life. Judaism is all all- Jewish new Americans, which formed the setting pervasive discipline of life. Its standards are for his later writing. unique; its values are not the product of human His best-known character, Hyman Kaplan, was inquiry but rather of Divine revelation. It's moral based on one of his students from night school. The norms are thus theocentric rather than homocen- warmth and humor with which Rosten wrote about tric. Little wonder then, that Jewish Law is so his indomitable Hyman Kaplan struck a familiar often in striking discord with contemporary mores. chord with many people who were striving at the It may be "inconvenient" to measure every thought time to blend into the melting pot. and act against the yardstick of Torah right and Kaplan reappeared in two sequels, The Return of wrong. Indeed, to live the life of a human being H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N in 1959, and O • clearly differentiated by his every act from those K*A*P*L*A*N! My K*A*P*L*A*Jtlin 1976. ' who are his co-tenants on this planet, is a major Decades later, he wrote The Joys of Yiddish and inconvenience. helped bring to America's farthest reaches a familRamban (Nachmanidies), commenting on the iarity with Yiddish patois. He "helped popularize verse, "You shall be holy unto G-d," says that going the usefulness and interest and humor of Yiddish through the motions of complying with the Mitzvos as it influenced American English,.so people were of the Torah is inadequate; for observance of Torah not embarrassed, after his contributions, to use to be that which G-d desired, it must result in a such words," said Saul Steinmetz, an authority on refinement of personality. Torah and Torah learn- the Yiddish language. . 0 ing must bring a person to perfection. Just as the Today, even Dunkin Donuts urges customers to tiniest puncture in a container will allow its con- try its.new.bagels through the use of billboards tents to escape, so even a minimal defect in a char- that say, "It's Worth the Schlep." acter trait will result in total degeneracy;: This does Words such as mejisch and chutzpah, which with not mean that a person must achieve perfection all their multiple nuances have no precise English a t o n c e , ••'. '.-. . '•• " • • • : • . . ' • : ' . J ' \ • •:• •• ' : • . . •. equivalent; and uniquely Yiddish sentence conThis is obviously beyond human capability.; structs-Buch as "Shakespeare if s not" and "Enjoy, Rather, it is essential that we strive for overall per- enjoy!"—are now used by Americans totally fection and we can be assured that as long as we removed from any connection to the culture from , are sincerely engaged in such striving, G-d will which this language sprang. . . • >••-.•-. '•'." .-,-• protect us from errors in those personality traits The impact of Rosten and others has reached so which we have not as yet adequately cultivated. far that today "you .can' live in Minnesota and pick up a yiddishism a n d n o t even b e a w a r e of w h a t i t is," Steinmetz said. • •• .'.• t, •'.-• ' ' : ;
JJ
SINGERS WANTED
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* Must read music. v For more information, call Cantor Berkovits 492-8550
Consider beautiful, historical . Mount Sinai Cemetery! •'•
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556-3016 or 496-1521 PERSONALS
Delivery Service' 50th & Dodge- 553-3900. —
CUP & SAVE
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Best wishes for a joyous Purim to all. In lieu of Shlach Manot, a donation has Been sent to the Frledel Jewish Academy and Beth Jacob High School in Denver. Cantor Leo and Annette Fettman
P i i l VAr«*nfr«a 60 Years Experience"? sr U 1 V C 1 C I R C , , ; . : with Jewish- •-• MONCIMENT CO. .Lettering and Memorials Frank L. Ciciulla, Jr.
341-2452
March 7, 1997
BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE
Member of the Union of American {._ ] ?<&$ Case Street* Omaha, MB 68132 /
Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America ; 1802 No. 52nd Si, Omaha, NE 68104 > \
FRIDAY: Tot Shabbat service, 7 p.m.-A short service of song and prayer, followed by cookies and juice, will be held for toddlers through children in the primary grades and their families. ' ! Shabbat service, 8:15 pan. A Klezmer service by Jose Bowen will feature the Kol.Rina and M'shor'rim choirs and the Temple Tones, along'with the talents of Tuffy Epstein, Debbie Greenblatt, Jon Bleicher, Alan Josephson and Julie Sandene.
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The Oneg Shabbat will be sponsored by Cynthia and Charles Schneider in honor of the Bar Mitzvah of their grandson, David Schneider. • Sitter Service' •: Sitter service is available each Shabbat evening service and the Saturday morning Shabbat service when there'is?a" Bar/Bat-Mitzvah.-'Please make a reservation. There are no facilities for infants. .SATURDAY: Shabbat service, .11:15 a.m. David Schneider, son of Cindy and Jerry Schneidery will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah. Simcha B'Shabbat—An informal Shabbat service that includes study and .discussion of. a variety pf Jewish texts. Regular Shabbat service will,be held in-theSanctuary. , ,.,,,-. iSUNPAYsCfbapei pr»yw service, 9:15 a.m. Men's Club Branch, 10 a.m., in the Milder Center-.-MayqrajL , Candidate .< and t City Countijwqman Brpnda Council will speak, followed by Mayoral Candidate ,Lou Lamberty at 10:45.a.m. Traditionallox and bagels will be served. Cost is $3 for, non-members.,, , • '"rqyyv.-'.Torah on 'Wneels (TOW) will be held ' Tuesday.from noon to 1:1.5 p.m. at 12020 Shamrock Plaza,. Suite .308. Lisa Lewis is the, host. Reseryatio.ns are required. Call 556-6536. n i o ^ d v ~,ADULTEDUCATION ,. , . MarpliiPTSisterhoo.d A.d^ult Education: 9:3011:30 a.m..jHazzan Erik Contzjus will continue to lead a study of the old Union Prayer Book and the new,jGates of;Prayer;as well as, other liturgical publications. 10:30-11:30 aan.-Rabbi Debbie Stiel will continue .thje.study of selected/Torah portions. , 7:3.0,-8:30 ,p.m>, "Beyond Midrash," led by Don Schwartz..; - ,-. -.•., , ,," ., . -. ,, PURJM BOX DINNER • Saturday, March 22, 6 p.m.~Bring the entire family., create your own masks and enjoy a box dinner together-befpre the 7 p^m. reading of the MegiHah; Make, reservations now with the Temple office at 556-6536. ., . .« BEYT SHALOM ,.* . vs~ . ( Art Affiliate of the '•• Jewish ReconstruCtionist federation P.O. Bos 241tS0jOraaha, NE SS124-S130 758-0233 :'i" " •' FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat services every Fridayhight at 3012 S: 119th St., Omaha: - ' 'SUNBAYi • Religious' School a t -Westside Community Education'Center, 108th 'and Grover uvQm'ttha?: Contact Dr. •Marty Rosenberg forplaceme'n'tat390-9062'.1" •'• " ' " • - • > •••• " '' ':(.'f
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Services are conducted by Rabbi Howard Kutner. • Office hours: Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat service, 6:05 p.m.; SATURDAY: Services, 8:46 a.m.; Jr. Congregation, 10:30 a.m. Kiddush sponsored by Sisterhood. "Parsha of the Week," a course led by Yakova Herzig, 4 p.m., at the home of the Herzigs; Chumash class with Rabbi Kutner, 5:25 p.m. at the synagogue; Mincha, 5:55 p.m., followed by Shalosh Seudot, Ma'ariv and Havdalah. SUNDAY: Morning service, 9 a.m.; Class with Rabbi Kutner, 10 aan.; Mincha, 6:05 p.m. WEEKDAYS: Services at 7 a.m. and 6:05 p.m. SISTERHOOD GIFT SHOP By appointment; call Leah Siegel at 556-5455. TIFERETH ISRAEL Member of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219. Sheridan Blvd., Lincoln, NE 68502 : "•' - ; '." 423-8569" ' Services are conducted by Rabbi Stanley M. Rosenbaum. ... v Minyaris on Mondays and Thursdays, 7:15 a.m. FRTOAY: Kabbalat Shabbat services, 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Services, 9!30 a.m.; Naming ceremony for- the daughter of Judith and Doug Benson; Jr. Congregation, 10:15 a.m. Lunch and: Learn— Professor Alan Steinweis will speak-on "The Judaic Program at the University of Nebraska-rWhat's Happening?"
SOUTH STREET TEMPLE i ,-'•> '< Member of the Union' of American Hebrew Congregations •„,, 2061S. 20th St., Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 Services are officiated by Cantor Michael Weisser. TUESDAY: Adult Education, 7:30 p.m. THURSDAY: Choir practice, 7:30 p.m. FRIDAY: Shabbat services at 7:45 p.m. SATURDAY: Torah study and service, 10 a.m. SUNDAY: Hebrew school, 9 a.m. Religious school, 10 a.m.
B'NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE > 6l8MynsterSt., ' Council Bluffs, Iowa 51503 ' ~ 322-4705 . E-MAlLi docjcbfi5uno.com FRDDAY: Services'are conducted every Friday Shabbat Eve at 7:30 p.m. An Oneg Shabbat follows services.
u ;<~<AnSAffitibU>t>tthe Worldwide
Chabad-Lubavitch Movement ' 1322 So. 110th Sfc» Omaha, NE 68154 , 687-1124 -''^MAti>-SMiach@flol.com SATURDAY: Davening starts at 9:30 a.m., followed by Kiddish. WEDNESDAYS: Talmud classes, 9:30 a.m. THURSDAYS: Advanced Talmud, noon Yiddish "Hooked on Yiddish lessons, Wednesdays, 7 p.m.
ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME FRIDAY: Nancy and Sheldon Rips will lead services. SATURDAY: Services, led by Harry Noodell and assisted by Albert Friedman, start at 9 a.m. Members of the community are invited to join residents for the service and the Kiddish.
FRTOAY: Services start at 8 p.m.
, Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
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BETH EL SYNAGOGUE Meroberof United Synagogues ,, of Conservative Judaism 14506 Califomia, Omaha, NE! 08154 492-8580 W£B"http!//omahafrcenet,org/bethel Office Hours: Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Services are conducted by Rabbi Paul Drazen and Cantor Emil Berkovits. FRIDAY: Services start at 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Services start at 9:30 a.m. Kiddish following services; Sitter service starts at 10 a.m.; TSS (Torah Siddur Skills), 10 a.m.; Shabbat story time, first and third Sat., 11 a.m.; ICtantan, second and fourth Saturday, 11 a.m.; Minha-Ma'ariv and Havdalah services, 6:10 p.m. SUNDAY: Services, 9 a.m.; Jonathan Nix, creator of the Torah Arches in the Parsow West Court, will speak about his art at a slide presentation, 10 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Services, 6:55 am. and 5:30 p.m. PURIM LUNCH AND LEARN, Friday, March 14,12:15 p.m.— for children 6 and under with their families. Reservations to Janet Klein, 493-1327; MEN'S CLUB will sponsor a breakfast March 16, 9:45 am. Congressman Jon Christensen will speak. Bagels and coffeecake will be served.
Bar Mitzvah Anniversary The Nebraska Jewish Historical Society recognizes and records significant milestones in the lives of those in our Jewish Community. We encourage all of you to share events with us as in this recentlyreceived letter from Hugo Kalin of New Orleans. His 99»year-old.father recently celebrated the 86th anniversary of his Bar Mitzvah. On Jan. 4, we gathered in the Blumkin Home Chapel for Shabbat services. The Torah reading was Shemot—Exodus. The reading begins.. ."and these are the Nafnes of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob" and goes on to list names of the 12 sons. We called to tlie Bimah for the first honor Yehuda ben Mechayal—on the 86th anniversary of his Bar Mitzvah. Edward Kqhn, ourfatlier, chanted tlie blessings and, without hesitation, chanted perfectly, with proper irop, the first uerses of Shemot. How truly blessed we are-his children, Joseph, Hugo and Therese, to be present for tliis occasion. Also in the chapel were Edwar,d[s sister, Sophie Kahn, his wife, Elsa, three nephews, Marcel Kahn,'\Egon-tKahn and Joseph Levy, and their spouses, Use, Melinda and Bobbie. A granddaughter, Sara Stiss, and her uncle, Jack Stiss, and cousin,'Hilda Gottlieb, and her children-, Steven, Ellen and Craig, as well as many friends, were there. How could we relate Sliemot to Dad's life-could we draw a time line from that journey into Egypt to Dad's exodus from Nazi Germany in 1939? Our grandfather, Michael, Edward's father, was able to exit Germany along with Edward and Johanna, our mother (of Blessed memory), and Joe, Hugo and Therese. In total, 18 offspring and spouses of Michael were fortunate to leave for America. Today, 23 greatgrandchildren of Michael Kahn and 21 great-greatgrandchildren reside in the United States. Yes, we could dwell on tlie large numbers of relatives who were not as fortunate as we, and for sure our thoughts on that Shabbat were also of them. But this was a day that God had made; we were happy and our hearts were filled with joy and gratitude. •• The book of Shemot ends liith a description of God' s'.presence in the Tent of Meeting- "For over the tabernacle, a cloud of the tlie Lord rested by day." Surely on that Shabbat'Jan. 4;i997-'-ihe25th:ofTevet S7S7we felt Godspre'seitce.- -•"'•'• ^:" :v;:^'"j ;?;•;. :!f:. We also acknowledge, f.hat-Gpdja,t\uprli ist accomplished by human beings; to Lois. Wine for arranging the services; to our New Orleans friend,' Scott Bresler, for reading Torah; to Rabbi Kripke for reminding us that our people have meaning only to the extent that families are integral to peoplehood-we offer a profound Todahliabah. To our friends and family in Omaha and the caring staff of the Blumkin Home, how can we Thank you en6iigh. We know when we return to Philadelphia, Boca Raton and New .Orleans, you all will be watching over Yehuda ben Mechayal and Elsa. You are family-We Love Ypu-you make our hearts full. • These are our thoughts as we take our leave, bend our heads, have Dad lay his hands and bless us as "God blessed Leah, Rebeccah, Rachel and Ephraim andManassa.'
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
March 7,1997
Jewish men's responseS to International Women's Day
Editorial The more things change... - • -In preparation-for a future story on the men and women whose stories appear in this paper, I contacted Carl Alpert, the former editor of the Boston Jewish Advocate, who made aliyah in 1961 and has been a commentator on Israeli life ever since. He responded with details of his biography and enclosed his original copy of a piece he wrote in 1957 on Omaha's Jewish Community Library. Other than a change in location, leadership and subvention from the Federation, that article (on Rage 5 of this week's paper) still holds true. For the last 25 years, the library has been located on the campus of the Jewish Community Center on 132nd Street and led by librarian Edythe Wolf. Today, the annual UJA/Federation Campaign supplies about $98,000 towards the library's budget, with the balance coming from the Friends of the Library campaign and from various endowments and funds, held by the Foundation of the Jewish Federation This fact has not changed: the Jewish Federation Library still maintains one of the largest and most impressive collections of Judaica between Chicago and the West Coast.
...the more they stay the same? On page 7 of this week's Jewish Press, readers will note two stories about the first International Conference on Orthodoxy and Feminism. For those who note t h a t the Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist movements already include women in the service and pioneered ceremonies for women like baby-naming and Bat Mitzvah, we all must remind ourselves that these innovations are not even 100 years old! It was not so long ago that Temple Israel was the site of the first Bat Mitzvah here in Omaha. That story, about Barbara Taxman and that auspicious event, will appear in these pages in the Passover edition on Apr. 18. We've been overwhelmed by the response to our requests for individuals and families who've made an impact on synagogue life in Omaha, Lincoln and Council Bluffs. In 'fact, we've received far more '. names than we could possibly interview fb'r'this .. one issue! The good news is that we now have a list .of people for future stories on voluriteerism at our comr munity's religious institutiflng.Jf.you.don'tsee your : ,,storyrfeatured in v the Passover,issue, please don't be insulted; we'll definitely be in touch!
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b y M i c h a e l Taller
Letter f r o m Israel hyBt**y/wm Benjamin Netanyahu's prime ministership is increasingly bedeviled these days. The signing of the Hebron agreement, which he had hoped would give him a breather, has faded from the headlines. It is quiet in Hebron-the quietist in many years, so political scandals and the controversy over building a new neighborhood in Southeast Jerusalem are the newest threats to the longevity of the Netanyahu premiership. First the political scandals: the position of Attorney General in Israel is an extremely powerful one. Its authority is wide ranging-more so than in the United States. While the appointment is normally a political one, the quality of appointees has been very high over the years. This year, Netanyanu chose a completely unknown party hack for the office-an appointment which raised an outcry even within the Likud. The appointee resigned after one day in office. A week later, Israel television broke a story that the selection had been engineered by Aryeh Deri, leader of the Shas party, who is on trial for fraud.
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The story contended that Deri wanted Bar On- which completely severs-Jerusalem from-ffie West the resigned attorney general-because they had a Bank. The government put this .construction: on secret agreement that as Attorney General he hold some years ago after was originally, approved would drop the charges against Deri. In return for by the Labor, Bank. Construction was originally the appointment, the story contended that Shas' • approved by the iiabor Party after'Oalb was signed. IfbuildinginHarHoma proceeds) it will create a would then vote for the Hebron agreement, votes fire-storm of criticism from-the-.'Palestiniansi-'the which Netanyahu needed. ~ The broadcast loosed a fire storm that led to a : Arab world, the.Eurdpeari'.comnmnity'".and'the massive police-investigation which this past week Americans. (Clinton criticized the Israel), governincluded a four-hour interrogation of the Prime ment when he met with Arafat last week.) If the prime minister delays the construction, 15 Minister. Avigdor Kahalani, Minister of Police, said that Netanyahu must resign if he was, indeed, members of his coalition have threatened to resign, privy to t h e d e a l . The Labor Party Secretary thus bringingjiown the government,,~~,,..;--« .-...;V.•« General then announced that the Labor Party " The only pdtpntiai bibdtto^^tKisxu^aKe^wer^m'uld must' start preparing for early elections. be the prime minister's try io form':% n^wlin^l-ufuty Bernstein and Woodward would have loved this. government. Yitcliak Shamir; the last Likud ipirime The second serious problem facing Netanyahu is minister, has blasted Netanyahu sayingj',*he is the building of 6,000 housing units in Jerusalem at unprincipled and good for the Arabsl", ,. '. '•;!;"; a site known as Har Homa. The latter comment is a play on Bibi's campaign This is a beautiful hilly area between kibbutz slogan that "Netanyahu is good for the Jews." All this is very high drama with serious conseRamat Rachel and Bethlehem. A new neighborV . ; hood there would complete the ring of settlements quences.
THE JEWISH PRESS ' ••
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International Women's Day is Saturday, March fact, several of his .closest women friends and rela8, and it is time for Jewish men to do something. tives ^where-struggling-w^th eating-djspr^ejs^What We should visibly support Jewish women. And we was really upsetting him was that no one ever should get together as Jewish men. - stood up in: services and talked about the lives and Over the past decade, there has been a signifi- specific issues of Jewish men.-He ,felt ignored, and cant increase in programming specifically for and l e f t o u t . , , ; . ' . . - ; ... • .-.,.- .••;.':-..:. ; . . „ . . ; • •;,-,. ..'..•, by Jewish women. Many Jewish men have strongly Jewish men mayi;look or act like we. have our supported this trend. " ' lives completelyitogether.-WeiCan be an intelligent, Nevertheless, the existence of women-only pro- ; sensitive, thoughtful, articulate, successful bunch. gramming can challenge even the most supportive Nonetheless, many of us,are working too hard and men. We may feel confused, angry, resentful, dying too young. We may feel a deep internal sense ; ignored, and rejected when women gather together of dissatisfaction and struggle or feel constant pressure to succeed. ... , • < : : ; . , . > ; ; : . . ; as a group: We may feel isolated from our, families and I have watched Jewish men react numerous times. While studying at Pardes Institute in friends and have difficulty being emotionally vulJerusalem in 1991, I often attended the morning nerable. We.maynot feel like?real mejBf" These ,are Orthodox minyan. It was made up of between 12 to precisely the issues that Jewish' men deserve a 15 men and, at most, two women, and it was hand with, even though they.are not generally identified as being connected to our being Jewish always led by men. - ; :..-.•-; •.;'-.;. . . .::•--. ::•• ..',; One day, there was a women's morning service. m e n . , . . . : • . From down the hall, we heard the sound of enthuWe need opportunities to examine our lives as siastic, inspired singing and dancing. We all looked Jewish men. We already organize, lead or attend nervously around and noticed that there were only numerous services and programs, play primary men in the room. Several guys awkwardly joked roles in many Jewish organizations, and .do other about "male bonding," some complained about the things as men together, However,.>the way that we women-only minyan, and others of us tried hard to do these things has not been meeting our deepest pretend that nothing was happening. . needs as men. As at my/Pardes minyan, we may be I could feel jealousy, confusion, fear, loneliness together, but we yearn.for something more, ,.,;.: and yearning in the air. We all wished we were For Jewish .men, like Jewish women, gathering having the same kind of spiritual, bonding experi- together amongst ourselves rto. talkjhonestly;and ence that we sensed the women were. We had been openly about how. gender .roles and-socialization praying together for months, yet we had never affect us as men will have an positive impact on acknowledged that the minyan was ostensibly a our. lives and our communities. ;We. will.ithen be men's event, nor had paid attention to what it able to create more, opportunities for Jewish meant to have men praying together. ' women and men to come together :and'build better Now that the women were together, we stood;. r e l a t i o n s h i p s w i t h e a c h o t h e r * •: .: ['•••• ;•-': '"-.•••••• there feeling uncomfortable, able only to joke, criti.This year Dn International: Women's^ Day-,, Jet's: cize-or pretend. ' • ' • . • • ' • , ; encourage our female friends and:family members While I was working at1 Berkeley Hillel, our- • to. goito a women'sjevent;:AND;-let's get-together Rabbi, Rbna Shapiro gave-a1 powerful'Ybm'Kippur with a group of Jewish men,and'go for a.hike^dissermon about Jewish wrimen, body image and eat-i, i cuss/what.itis,Uke;beingi a Jewish; malt; pjajiilyith ittg'&sbrders.-ImmediatglyfoHowing,' a'young male • your, children, ,rea,d .the we,e,14y .tqrah; pprtipn ; for student approached me, very upset. He felt that what, jt says about men, and.masculinity,; and. share the Rabbi's, talk was exclusionary and> therefore :r.(our life stories, inappropriate: :S"%' '"' ' ' ' ; '" , ••-.• Michael Taller is the founding direator of - As we talked more, it became clear that he really the Jewish Men's Project in Berkeley, CA, and wasn't upset at what Rabbi Shapiro had said. In can be readied at <jewishmen@aoUcom'>
(Foundedin 1920)
The role of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to involve Jews in meeting Jewish communal needs locally, nationally and in Israel. Agencies of the Federation are: Community Relations, Jewish Community Center, Jewish Education, Jewish Press, Jewish Family Service, Library and Bureau for the Aging. The Jewish Press (USPS 275620) is published weekly on Friday for $26 per calendar year U.S.; $30 foreign, by the Jewish Federation of Omaha, 333 So. 132nd St., Omaha, NE 68154. . Periodical, postage paid at Omaha, NE. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132nd St., Omaha, NE 68154; Telephone 402-334-6448; FAX 402-334-5422; E-mail <3shpress@a0l.com> • / '.
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Steve Levinger, Vice President; Lloyd Roitstein, Treasurer; Jane Rips, Secretary; Bob Birt; Cynthia Epstein; Steve Danon; Marcd Gallner; Joanie Jacobson; Sheryl Lee; Fred Mogul; George Schapiro; Howard Silber; Fred Tichauer; Sylvia Wagner. Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board, the Jewish Federation of Omaha or the Omaha Jewish Community as a whole..The Jewish Press reserves the right to edit letters and articles for space and content. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Koshruth of any product or establishment.
March 7,1997
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 5
Status of women in Israel
Jewish culture oasis in heart of America modern collection is staggering. The Prime Minister's Advisor on the Status of Editor's Note: Article is reprinted from the The organization of the library is alBO a pleasure Women, Emunah Elon, has released the annual National Report on the Status of Women in Israel, National Jewish Post, Nov. 29, 1957, and as to behold. The thousands of books are grouped by which will be submitted to the Economic and Social users know, the library has only gotten better! category in a classification system which makes Omaha, NE-Here in the heart of America's these treasurer instantly available. Just by the Council of the United Nations at a conference next breadbasket, a center for railroad lines, perched on way of illustration: Are you lookingfor material on month. • edge of the great Western Plains, is to be found great Jewish women or on the place of the woman The 46-page report outlines actions taken by the a Jewish cultural oasis with, influence and ramifi- in Jewish life? You'll find everything on the subject Israeli governmental agencies to promote progress cations throughout the United States. • placed on a single shelf. towards equality of women in Israeli life. . Invited to visit the Jewish Community Library in Full credit must be given to the leaders of the Excerpts from the report include: Omaha, a visitor would expect to find a modest col* In the general elections in May, 1996, the num- lection of book discards from attics, rummage sales local community who annually authorize a budget ber of women parliamentarians in the 120-seat and the houses of old-time local scholars, now of $5,000 (now close to $100,000 annually) from Knesset was reduced from 13 to 9. However, for the deceased. He will be surprised to discover a verita- community funds for the maintenance and expan: first time, three women have been appointed as ble treasury of Jewish knowledge and culture-a1 sion of the library. The people of :Omaha make good : use of the library. •:• : •: •• . • • Director-Generals of government offices. collection which must be ranked among the very For non-Jews especially, it has become the * Over 60% of Israeli women are concentrated in best working Jewish libraries in America. ; acknowledged, authoritative center of information a small number of large, female-dominated/' laborOmaha's Jewish Community Library is not and material on every aspect of Jewish life in intensive, and low-paying occupations, which :" encompass less than 25% of the range of occupa- restricted to books alone. It's collection of films-on America and abroad. Israel, Judaism, holidays and general documenOmaha's catalogues have become well known, tions in Israel: ' * Approximately 13% of the new immigrant-fami- taries, is probably the .most complete file available but if you have not seen them, you can ask for lies from Russia and the CIS are single-parented, in the country. And I mean available because this copies. List of Jewish films? List of LP recordings, the overwhelming majority of whom are headed by is not a preservation vault. The films are circulat- cross-indexed by each song? last of every book and ed, and an indication of the services rendered may album on Jewish art, with description of the con-, women. * The numbers of women attending university be found in the hundreds of orders received from tents? Write to the Jewish Library at 110 N. (including medical schools) has continued to Jewish communities in every part of the land. Twentieth St., Omaha, for a copy and you'll see increase; at this time, nearly 50% of the students There is probably no film of Jewish interest and what I mean. (Now at 333 S. 132nd St.). As the reader probably surmises, there is a perentering institutions of higher learning are women. value which can not be found here. Send for their sonality behind all this. He is Paul Veret, director ; * Israeli women's life expectancy has increased catalogue and see. In like fashion, there has been built up a library of the Federation for Jewish Services in Omaha. In over the.last twenty years from 73.4 to 77.4 years. However, Israel is ranked 17th among industrial- of recordings-liturgical, dances, folk-songs, that this capacity, he is responsible for the Community ized nations for women's life expectancy, while it is • has few.equals. While these do not circulate out of Center, the fund-raising, and no doubt, many second overall for men's. •.••-.•• . the immediate Omaha area, the catalogue issued duties in the field of general social work. (Veret * While the official rabbinical attitude toward • by the library authorities is an invaluable key to died in 1970). That he has also had the time, the will to devote domestic violence is one of absolute condemnation, contemporary Jewish music. Nothing else like it women's advocates contend that domestic violence . has been published by any of the great national to the creation of this cultural super-market is an Jewish organizations or the giant institutions of indication of the kind of man he is. I call it a superis still somewhat tolerated. Since 1992, women's groups have been actively Jewish learning. It was up to Omaha to do the job.. market rather than a cultural storehouse because For 20 years, this library has diligently and con- of the obvious, difference in functions". working with the rabbinical authorities to change There are many Jewish communities in America this, and they attest that progress has been made scientiously gone ahead acquiring everything published in English that would be of value in a which are bigger and wealthier than Omaha. New towards a reduction of this bias. Among Muslims, the practice of "family honor Jewish community collection. Every book and pam- York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, down killings" [for conducting premarital relations] con- phlet, every; album of every film and: film-strip, through several more scores of cities have their 2'tinues. The law views these killings as murder and • every recording, no matter where produced, added educational institutions and agencies of note. But prosecutes accordingly. However, members of the to the collection. One;will find.no; incunabula or. : of them all, I nominate Omaha for the title of the > community, men and women alike, frequently col- rare first editions here, but the completeness of the Yavneh of America. . lude to protect the murderer,.and "family honor LB 181 could forc^ non-profits to pay for services killings'' may be reported as suicides, accidents, or disappearances. . • by Pam Monsky, Federation Communications Director * taw grants women the right to 12 weeks of The Nebraska Legislature is considering a bill ever, the number of people that came to protest the maternity leave, with full ;pay from the National that would make non-profit organizations pay for bill indicates that the senators will consider the Insurance Institute. Maternity, leave can be municipal services in lieu of taxes. Federation impact that will have on non-profit Organizations." extended up to one year; unpaid, and taken by Executive Director Howard Bloom said, "Forcing Gottlieb added, "There was tremendous represeneither parent. Employees:may not be dismissed 'notrfor-profit1 agencies to pay for services such as tation from a variety of non-profit agencies that during extended maternity leave. police and fire protection instead of paying taxes ' provide services. All of us are very concerned we * Three women currently sit on the [14-member] will irreparably damage the capacity of the Jewish would have to cut services or pass on the cost of Supreme Court. However, half of the nation's mag- Federation of Omaha and its agencies to deliver services to those customers who could ill afford it." istrate judges are women. - services to those who need them the most." Members of the community are asked to call the Bloom and Barbara Gottlieb, Executive Director members of the Legislature's Revenue Committee r (ARVTZ 7 2119) Copyright (c) The MidEast for Jewish Senior Services, joined about 40 other and urge them to vote against LB 181. They are: Dispatch, 1997. The MidEast Dispatch is an opponents to the bill in Lincoln Friday to voice Senator Jerome Warner, Chairman, 471-2731; Sen, independent news service, and is not affiliat- their concern about the passage of this bill. George Coordsen, 471-2711; Sen. Paul Hartnett, ed with any political party or government Eric Bird, a lobbyist for the Nebraska Association 471-2615; Sen. Doug Kristensen, 471-2726; Sen. • agency. of Homes and Services for the Aging, said that "LB David Landis, 471^2720; Sen. Stan Schellpeper, 181 was designed to make up lost property tax 471-2801; Sen. Bob Wickersham* 471-2725; and income due to the lids previously imposed. How- Sen. Eric Will, 471-2722.
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Page 6
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
March 7,1997
Gary Fink wants to tickle your Jewish funny bone by Marshall Hoffman, Managing Editor, American Jewish MINNEAPOLIS - A scene in an old Woody Allen Lindstrom is the Strom), in Eden Prairie, film has a prisoner experience cruel and unusual Minnesota, the book finds the lighter side of being punishment by spending a few days in solitary con- Jewish. finement with an insurance salesman. But if that "I would buy 50 copies and send it to everyone I insurance maven were Gary Fink, the experience knew who liked to laugh," said Fink of his latest would be more entertaining than grueling. book. "It could be a very 'in-thing* to have on a "So, what's on your alleged mind?" asked Fink, Jewish coffee table." . • * the insurance mastermind behind MCG Health One of the cartoons in the book, about how Abu Care Compensation, a Minneapolis-based company Nidal was finally caught, has already appeared in with over 200 employees. While his company is a Penthouse magazine. Some of the gags may best be national leader in designing compensation pack- described as politically incorrect. But none of this ages for executives in the health care industry, the bothers Fink. New York native has been busy promoting his lat"Jews love the book." Fink said. "The book is est cartoon humor book, Some of My Best Friends written by a Jew for Jews, and if Gentiles don't Are Jewish. understand it, that's OR" Put out by Finkstrom Productions (Gary is the While it is a collaborative effort, Fink thinks up Fink in Finkstrom; syndicated cartoon artist Jack most of the lines and jokes, and Lindstrom's job is to bring them visually to life ("I can't draw," Fink explained. "I can't do a tic-tac-toe layout without screwing it up."). He's already working on a couple of other cartoon book ideas, one tentatively titled Some of My Best Friends are Gentile, subtitled "I Can Get it For You Karen Grove Retail," and another about the KICK titled Sheet (Owner & Creative Designer) for Brains. "Humor is a way to bring people together, not 1127 South 119th drive them apart," Fink argued. "Unfortunately, Omaha, NE 68114 Lynne M. Popp, politically correct reigns today." (402)330-0765 Res. (402) 895-5669 M.S. in L.D. Fink anticipated, as the book gets more and more widely distributed, there might be some negLearning Disability ative feedback. "Someone will burn a bagel on my Specialist Coffee ft Chocolate lawn, or throw a frozen one through my window!" Company Some of My Best Friends Are Jewish is the third Coffee Ho*ltor« Hand Dipped Chocolate* EDUCATIONAL book put out by Finkstrom Productions, begun by Ecprofiso & Cappuccino Fink and his executive assistant Randy Evert. The THERAPY GMBukote first book was a collection of put-downs of airline Wholesala * Retail 498-8708 13421W. CENTER BD. flying (Fink is terrified of flying) called Frequent 334-7445 Flyer Foibles and the company also produced a series of cartoons based on the stand-up comedy of Rabbi Bob Alper, called A Rabbi Confesses. Fink's antics in the professional world brought him much publicity — and business. The University Alan H. Friedman of Wisconsin-Madison graduate wore long hair, President aviator goggles, carried a purse and once spoke to Graduate Gemologist 10,000 insurance agents in Atlanta in a pink jump 9107 Wilshire Boulevard. Suite 320 suit and clogs. His stationery letterhead listed Beverly Hills, California 90210 movie characters Groucho Marx played as mem310«278»4944 • Fax 310»278»5449 bers of his company's board of directors. He landed Member of West Coast Diamond Club on the front page of the Wall Street Journal in Estate Jewelers Association of America 1978 "for all that kind of zaniness." American Gem Trade Association Fink has also been on Twin Cities icon Dave Moore's TV show a couple of times, one segment highlighting his laundry room, which features a Regal huge chandelier, double thick carpet, red flocked wallpaper - what Fink calls "the gauche-est kind Awards A of Jewish laundry room you could imagine." As the Advertising top'of the dryer came up, a cassette tape was triggered playing the theme to 2001: A Space Odyssey. . Specialties "The only thing my wife wouldn't le.t me do is THREE OMAHA LOCATIONS paint a picture of Hitler on the bottom of the toiA 45th & Military let." As he was building his business, Fink oper-
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A recent article in. the Houston Chronicle told about a social studies teacher named Kevin Daugherty at a middle school of 647 students in Mahomet, IL, who, last December, was teaching his students.a unit on the Holocaust. Realizing that, to these students, the Holocaust happened a long time ago and the numbers are too incredible to be plausible, he decided to make the Holocaust less abstract by enlisting every,student' in the school to collect 6 million of "something." The students decided on saving pop-top tabs. The goal is to reach 6 million tabs by May 15. As of last week, they had 149,300. To stay on target, they needed to have 260,870. If the students collect the 6 million tabs by May 15, Eva Moses Kor, an Auschwitz survivor of Dr. Josef Mengele's hideous "me.dical experiments" on Jewish twins, will speak at a school assembly. The collected pop tabs are to be sold to an aluminum dealer with proceeds going to Kor's group CANDLES, Inc. (Children of Auschwitz-Nazis' Deadly Lab Experiment Survivors). i The students need help collecting tabs. Please Bend to: Mahomet-Seymour Jr. High School, 1 P.O. Box 560, 201 W. State St., Mahomet, IL, , 61853.
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ated through a solely owned corporation called Phynque, Inc., a name that plays off his last name. "My father used that (spelling of his) name when the major companies were not hiring Jews," Fink explained. His father had fun with a French twist to his name. "But he still wasn't hired, so he had to face the fact that he was totally incompetent!" While he acknowledged that humor has always been a part of my life," Fink noted that this "hasn't stopped me from building a career, raising a family, paying my taxes and trying to drive under 55 miles per hour." \ He even got to meet Pope John Paul H about half a year ago. "I don't know if I've come a long way or retreated," he cracked. People ask him if the pope has a sense of humor. "God has a sense of humor," Fink responds. "Why else would He send a Jewish carpenter to save the world?" Contributing 10 percent of his gross income to a dozen charities, Fink had six children over'the course of two marriages (one died in an auto accident, which led to Fink's involvement in strengthening Minnesota's seatbelt legislation) and has been married to JoAnn for 20 years, living by a popular Minneapolis lake. As for his next project? "I have been asked to design a new logo for the state of Minnesota," Fink explained. "My preliminary idea has two women in a car arguing over the weather, driving through a red light, on their way v • . '•''; ; '•' to a recovery meeting." • • '' • j Someof My Best Friends Are'Jewishis available a t many fine bookstores; a fewpretty crummy ones (and the Jewish Federation Library-in Omaha). '
l o s t City of Bethsaida' documentary to preview The Alumni Association of the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), in cooperation with the Bethsaida Excavations Project and-UNO Television, is presenting several previews of a new television documentary "The L o s t City of Bethsaida." •; , ' The 30-minute preview video will be shown Thursday, March 13, when t h e Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha a n d . the Bethsaida Excavation Project will co-sponsor a screening for UNO faculty, staff and students as well as community members. Reservations are required. The complete 56-minute documentary will be the first full-length program on Israel produced in Omaha on an archaeological site. "Without doubt, this documentary, together with the research volumes and the Bethsaida tourist site created by the State of Israel, .will place UNO in world history," said Dr. Richard Freund, Bethsaida project director and chairman of UNO's Department of Philosophy and Religion. The screening will be at 6:30 p.m. at UNO's Peter Kiewit Conference Center, 1313 Farnam-onrtheMall. For reservations, call 554-2902.
March 7,1997 FOCUS ON ISSUES
Orthodox feminists no longer see their quest as an 'oxymoron' by Debra Nussbnum Cohen NEW YORK (JTA) -- Being an women's roles within the: parameters Orthodox Jewish feminist has long of Jewish law. meant trying to straddle two worlds Orthodox women have been expandbased on diametrically opposed val- ing their religious roles over the last ues. The first International two decades or so, at first reclaiming Conference on Orthodoxy & traditional women's observances such Feminism made it clear that as Rosh Chodesh, at the start of a Orthodox .women and the rabbis who new month, by gathering in meetings back them feel that they are slowly that have evolved into women's but surely bridging the chasm prayer groups. Innovations have between those worlds. evolved from there. "Ten years ago, we felt on the A generation ago, a girl's 12th birthfringe," said Freda Rosenfeld, a con-, day passed without ceremony and sultant on breastfeeding and child- meant only that she was required to birth educator who lives in the fast on Yom Kippur. Flatbush section of Brooklyn. : Today, a Bat Mitzvah is often cele"Now we are definitely main- brated in one of the approximately 40 stream," she said, looking around women's prayer groups that exist the hotel hallway at some of the around the world with the girl learnestimated 700 women and-sprin- ing the appropriate blessings, recitkling of men who had come. ing her Torah portion and delivering The unexpectedly large turnout a sermon on its meaning, much as a included women with uncovered boy would. heads wearing pants and those with Baby-namings also are becoming long skirts and wigs. All of them increasingly accepted as a way to described themselves as modern or publicly welcome, in synagogue, the centrist Orthodox. The gathering • birth of a baby girl. also drew a few Chasidic women, a There are also other, quieter few Conservative women and at changes, such as the fact that a growleast one female Reconstructionist ing number of baby boys, while being woman. named at their circumcision, are Author Cynthia Ozick "once called described in the blessing as the son of Orthodox feminism an oxymoron their mother, as well as their father. and it long was," Blu Greenberg, And in some Orthodox synagogues, who conceived of the conference and a Torah scroll is passed behind the chaired the event, said in an inter- mechitzah dividing the sexes so that view. "But it isn't anymore." women can touch the Torah after it is A feeling of religious ferment and read as men have always done. change, excitement and apprehenOrthodox rabbis are always consultsion were almost palpable as was, ed before changes are instituted, but , foE.many women, a sense of relief t the requests are often coming from that they were finally among like- women who know which rabbis they minded people. can turn to for approval. Letty Cottin Pogrebin, an author Deference to rabbinic authorities is and founder of the secular women's a deeply inculcated value in the movement, said the conference Orthodox community, and modesty reminded her of the feminist move- has been regarded as one of the most ment's earliest years. valued traits a woman can possess. "Something really new is happen- But conference participants openly ing" for Orthodox women, she said. challenged the limits of religious At the conference, "there were leaders' sway over their lives when moments of high consciousness that they find the rule is oppressive. things were happening here that For instance, on the issue of hadn't happened before." agunot, women whose husbands While participants had no illu- refuse them the divorce that only sions that their gains would spread men can issue, female activists and a ,to the.fervently Orthodox communi- " handful of Orthodox rabbis have .ty, they came away,: almost- to a ; acted to counter the passivity of the woman/feeling they had accom- rabbinate on the issue. A handful of plished something revolutionary. rabbis led by Emmanuel Rackman, a The most important outcome of the leading modern Orthodox authority, conference;" said • many participants, recently created a new religious was that the nine Orthodox rabbis court, or beit din, which thus far has who spoke at various sessions freed six women by finding ways throughput the program said pub- within Jewish law to annul their licly that there is room for change in marriages.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 7
Rabbinic training for women? Two Orthodox rabbis launch new training program for women by Oebra Nussbaum Cohen
NEW YORK-Orthodox women read from Torah during a prayer session at the first International Conference on Feminism and Orthodoxy. NEW YORK (JTA) - Two modern women working as decisors of Jewish Orthodox rabbis are starting a train- law, witnesses and judges^ Berman ing program for highly educated said in an interview. The program Orthodox Jewish women that could will be open to female graduates of bring them one step closer to rab- institutions such, as Drisha, a school binic ordination. on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Saul Berman and Avi Weiss, New Founded in 1979, Drisha four years York rabbis who are well-known as ago established a three-year program halachic authorities on the progres- to train women in Talmud and sive end of the Orthodox spectrum, halachah at an advanced level. are establishing a program that will The new term that has been develtrain women to deal with the ideo- oped for these women is poskot,- the logical and pragmatic aspects of female parallel to the term poskim, working in positions of Orthodox which means an authoritative interreligious and educational leadership. preter of Jewish law. The new pro• The program, which Berman said gram will definitely not be women's he expects to begin in September, ordination, Berman said. will meet once a week and have a 'While it would theoretically be posdozen to 15 students. The program sible to define ordination without does not yet have a name, he said, those specific requirements, I don't and is being partly funded in part by think that it's productive or useful for Edah, a recently established organi- the Orthodox community to think in zation devoted to teaching rabbis that direction," Berman said. and other Orthodox Jews about modIt is more productive "to think about ern Orthodox ideology. utilizing the strengths that a generaThe new program will teach tion of extremely well-educated women about the halachic issues women are bringing rather than involved with the propriety of muddy the waters by trying to define women functioning as leaders and of titles," he said.
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Page 8
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
March 7,1997 Y
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National Conference honorees (Continued from page 1) Steve Simon currently co-chairs the UJA/Federation Campaign and is a member of the Federation Board of Directors. Alan Simon is a past chair of the King Solomon Circle. Dave and Liz Karnes are also recipients of the National Conference Humanitarian Award. The Arthritis Association awarded Mrs. Karnes with their Woman of the Year Award. For information or tickets, call the National Conference, 391-4460.
FELDMAN/FLEISHMAN Jodie Lynn Feldman, daughter of Albert and Eleanor Feldman of San Diego, and Robert William Fleishman, son of Carlene and Seymour Fleishman of Teaneck, N.J., were married Feb. 16 at the Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, Ohio. Rabbi Arthur Nemitoff of Temple Israel in Columbus officiated. . The bride was a buyer with the Lane Bryant Division of the Limited Corporation. The groom is a Senior Retirement Planner with Security First Group. The newlyweds live in Columbus.
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YES/OLDTJMERS VISIONS *March membership luncheon meeting is Friday, Both groups will meet Monday at the JCC. English class for new Americans starts at 10 a.m.; March 21, 12:30 p.m., at Caniglia's Venice Inn. exercise and bingo both start at 10:30. Earlybird Cost is $6.50 per person. Bob Wolfson, Director of the Anti-Defamation League, will speak. We are and "YES Talk" discussion groups start at 11 a.m. Everyone is welcome to join the YES choral asking Visions members Visions members are asked for a monetary donagroup for rehearsal at 11 a.m. Following lunch at noon, Sandra Gaube, Executive Director of tion in order for Jewish Family Services to buy Volunteer Intervening for Equity, will speak. For Passover food for families in need. Donations can be left at the Blumkin Home front desk for transportation, call 330-4272. The Purim party will be held March 24, with Margaret's attention or can be brought to the mem"• . entertainment by Tuffy Epstein duo. Cost is $5. bership luncheon meeting. Make reservations by March 17 with Reva. Orach . If you wish to make a donation by check, it should be made out to Jewish Family Services at 391-8344. Pay for lunch the day of the party. Passover fund. Any amount will be greatly appreciated. ••':••. ' . .:•••, :•.-,•••: .;...:.;. YES/OLDTIMERSAVISIONS/BUSSIAN CLUB Send reservation form by March 14. toVera Theatre at the '«T will present Anne Frank and Me Sunday, March 16, at 2 p.m. Special group rate ' Lewis, 5424 Lafayette Ave., Omaha, NE 68132. •- ^J is $5 per person. Full payment must be received by *Come explore the newly-refurbished Western March 10. Call Margaret at 334-6521°. Heritage Museum Sunday,1 April 6, at 3 p.m. Then off to dinner at the original Caniglias. Cost is $12.50 per person and includes admission to the WALK-IN DROP-IN Members will meet Thursday at the JCC. museum, dinner, tax and tip. Send reservation Exercise and English class both start at 10 a.m.; form by March 28 to Harry Alloy, 5811 Nicholas bingo starts at 10:30. Bring a dairy sack lunch to St., Omaha.NE 68132. eat at 11:30 a.m. At noon, come enjoy the movie •Visions presents "Branson in the Spring" with "Fly Away Home" in the Blumkin Home auditori- six great shows May 5-8, Cost is $399 per person um. Popcorn will be served. double occupancy, and $479 single occupancy (includes discount coupon). RUSSIAN CLUB Send reservation application with $50 deposit per Members will meet Friday, March 14, at the person by April 5 to Sam and Rosalie Epstein, c/o JCC.Exercise with Larisa starts at 10 a.m. Lunch Visions, 9205 Western Ave., #325, Omaha, NE will be served at 11 a.m. At 11:45 a.m., join us for .68114. Make checks payable to Visions.an educational trip to the W. Dale Clark Library. We will be given a tour of the main Omaha library. DREAMS AND REALITIES Make sure to bring a photo ID to get a library card. , Dreams and Realities, a support group for new Cost is $1. Call Lydia Linde at 697-9169. Americans, will meet Sunday, March 16, 2-3 p.m., at the JCC. Rabbi Mendel Katzman, Chabad TEMPLE ISRAEL OUTREACH Lubavitch, will speak. For reservations, call 330: The Temple Israel Outreach Committee will 2024 the Friday before the program. sponsor a six-week discussion group for interfaith couples. The group will meet Wednesdays in METTH H PEAJIbHOCTb, m i m A HH40PMAID1H March and April from 7 to 8:30 p.m. beginning H nOHHEPaCKH, C03flAHHAfl HJW H0BHX March 12. Cost for the session is $20 for individu- AMEPHKAHUEB BCTPEHAETCflBBOOCPEGEHbE; v 16 MAPTA B JCQ B nOMEuTEBHH OTHUXA flM als, $30 for couples. It is open to both members B3POOIbIX (ADOLT LOUNGE). BbKHVIlHT and non-members of Temple Israel. PABBttMEpEJI KAH. JIIQBABHqECKAfl To register or for more information, call Temple OfflATOrA mABAT XAYC BPEMS BCTPE^H C Israel at 556-6536 2:00 JfD 3O0 HACO3 flHfl. TPAHOIOET M 0 » H 0
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BETH ISRAEL SISTERHOOD ' The Rose Blumkin Home will be the site of an afternoon tea on Sunday, Mar. 16 at 2 p.m., hosted by members of Beth Israel Sisterhood. Talmud Torah students, led by Mrs. Yakova Herzig, will provide Purim entertainment for the residents. ^ Chairperson Sheila Tomps is requesting Sisterhood members aid residents in getting to and from the tea.
YES celebrates 45 years
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MEETING CANCELLED The National Council of Jewish Women, Omaha Section, has cancelled its Mar. 18 meeting on aging and urges its members to attend "Aging, It's a Family Affair," sponsored by Jewish Senior Services and Jewish Family Service.The program has been rescheduled for Apr. 9. For -more information, call JSS, 334-6510, or JFS, 334-6490.
Doug and Lisa Yost of Overland Park, KS, announce the Dec. 11 birth of their son, tan Jacob. Grandparents are Ruth and Lewis Berlowitz of Lincoln.
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Young Energetic Seniors recently celebrated its 45th anniversary with a party. Guest speaker Mary Fellman (right), shared the history and nostalgia of the organization with over 90 members. Rosalie Epstein honored MoIIie Delman (left), longtime adult director of YES, with a special tribute to thanlc her for her sincere dedication and contribution.
Members of the Russian Club recently visited Red Square, a Slavic import and gift store in the Old Market. Owner Helen Davidson (middle), entertained the group with a Russian tea party, including musical entertainment by Anna Mosenkis (right), and Lev Shekhtman (left).
March 7,1097
Art exhibit by Camp J-Q-C participants ,. by Beth: (Cohen, JCC Youth. Services Director -:•.<: i formation Canvases*" an art exhibit by 1996 i. GatopiiTay-Gr'C campers,'will.be on display in the :JCCGallery,through:]VIarchl8,,.. >.. •"••..• Every year at Camp Jay-C-C, there "is a Judaic > art project•,that involves the entire camp. Last summer^ campers .spent time discussing, the days of ; creation; Each cabin then had.the opportunity to : creatively interpret-the passage from the Torah , describing different days of. creation. The paintings done by campers make up the "Creation Canvases" I e x h i b i t .
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OTYG holds Food)Fair and Auction
Michael Fineman, son of Hollie and Glen Fineman, recently earned a silver medal for his clarinet solo in the annual Elkhorn Band Olympics, where many Omaha-area high schools competed on various individual and group levels Millard North High School, where Michael is a ninth grader, received a first-place trophy in Division II, under the direction of Jim Johnson.
Temple Israel Youth Group recently held its annual Food Fair and Auction to raise funds to benefit Camp Rainbow, a summer camp for kids with cancer. It was planned by Mark Gelbman, OTYG Treasurer. Approximately120 people attended, and $3,200 was raised. The menu was prepared by Dennis DePorte and Spencer Brookstein. Items which went for the two highest bids were a personal parking space and a pair of Husker football tickets. Marc Delman acted as auctioneer.
Paintings by Joan Fetter in the JCC gallery by Glorinnn Levy, Director, Jewish Cultural Arts Council • : 'Joan'Fetter,-a local artist, will exhibit paintings tion. Each new piece is an adventure. In using and drawings in" the JCG gallery through April 8. line, color, design and the artist's heart, I hope to '/'> Fetter; a 1991 graduate of UNO with a Bachelorenter the heart of the viewer.". of Fine Arts degree in Studio Art, is'currently an Gallery hours, are: Monday through Thursday, active member of the Artists' Cooperative in 8 a.m.-lO p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, Omaha's Old Market area. 1-7 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Fetter explains her art as "A never-ending narraFor more information, call 334-6403.
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. i: i .-The 1395; all-camp Judaic art project, The i' Shabbat Quilt; which gave campers the opportunity to create one square of a quilt with the theme of iShabbat; won the "Award of Excellence" from the Jewish Community Center Association in the area of Jewish Educational Programming. : v Camp Jay-C-G is; a two-week overnight camp run by the Jewish Community. Center of Omaha for campers entering third through eighth grade. It offers a camping experience in a warm, nurturing Jewish environment ; v; ; Camp Jay-C-C will run from July 21-Aug. 3. - For more information, call 3.34-6409.
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Jenny Patton, daughter of Linda and Joel Patton, placed first in the 200-yard freestyle in the Metro swim meet. She was also part oLthe relay team that placed first in the 400-yard freestyle, and she placed, second in the 500-yard freestyle. She is a junior at Westside High School. :. ; Two Burke High School students have won Gold Medals at. the Academic Decathalon. ' Cory Itkin, son of Phil and Marcia Itkin, placed first in Essay and in Speech. Ryan Lercher, son of Minnie Abramovitch and Steven Lercher, placed first in Math. David Martin, son of Mark and Julie Martin, has earned his Arrow of Light award and recently became a Boy Scout. Dr. Benton Kutler, the first dentist in Omaha to perform a dental implant, will receive Creighton's 1997 Dental Alumni Merit Award at the Spring Dental Assembly in April. A private practitioner and a part-time member of the School of Dentistry faculty, he has been a longDr. Cutler • ' time leader in local, state and national dental associations.
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March 7,1997
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 10
"A Woman of Valor--who can find?" We found Toby Willig five years ago while we were visiting Jerusalem, but this year, I had the privilege of interviewing her. « Toby and her husband made aliyah from New York. She was reluctant to leave the "Good Life" of the big city where she worked for the Department of Labor and was engaged in many volunteer activities including National President of Emunah. Her husband desperately wanted to come to Israel while he could still take part in everything and so they came. BERGMAN'S PAINTING & DECORATING Interior/exterior palming, woodwork rellnlsNng, enameling, wallpaper removal, tirywal repair. Free Estimates, Insurance, 20 yoars experience, references.
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Toby Willig (front row, fifth from right) stands with the '•Women in Green" at a fact-finding mission in Hebron. to me were: "No matter what your life is like in devastating to the' Tzadokfamily was,that the the United States, it is more exciting and satisfy- babyhad to be hospitalized because of severe diar- i. ing here." rhea and was losing weight. After trying many.dif- \ The most beautiful religious experience in the ferent formulas and finding nothing agreed rwith world is being at the Western Wall in the Old City his littler system j the pediatrician: at Hadassah of Jerusalem. And the most beautiful, religious Hospital put the baby on strained "chicken soup" • view in the world is seeing this picture a few. sto- and thank G-d he rallied. He is now gaining weight :• ries above the Wall. , a n d ; d o i n g ' W e l L v ; :'.••• ' • [ U : w t i ^ . i ' w . i i ) ' . < - - > l , \ . - . • ! . n ; We viewed this spiritual scene and heard the The juice stand ,was-rebuilt;innthreedays)with.:. chanting from a magnificent home that we had an the help of friends and : now ;the%Tzadoki family is:; opportunity to visit and partake of a festive back to the daily .tasks of :their busy lives;'Y;,ji>n( ,,: .Shabbatdinner. \ . •. >. :.-. ; ,,, Batsheva is truly a "Woman of. Valor." Born aia '; I had met Marcia Kaufman, the gracious hostess, Sabra into:a family;of 12, she personifiesIthe.wnh'r • at High-Holy Day services. She invited us to come... derful attributes of Israeli women..She taught art••< fto her home,;but 8ince.it;w.as!Yom Kippur,»she:; at theiBezalel.Schoolrandfnow:w'orks;along. withni could not write down her, address land.phoneinum-v her husband, Meir, while raising their family.oi!.; -M* ber. Instead, she gave me her Machzor with this We met the next "Woman of Valor" while attendinformation printed on it; "Now I know you will ing an AA.C.I. (Association of Americans and I come," she said. What a heart-warming invitation, _ ;Canadianst3h Israel.) Her name is Pauline Iiahn and what an exceptionally moving evening.^ ; -~, . \-- Luria. This-vivacious woman' itf Under 5 fe.etitall • There were 17 guests (usually there are 25 or ' and weighs less than 100 pound.s.'Sh'e may be little."more) and the husband of this lovely unassuming in stature, but Bhe is mighty in virtue and energy. . woman, Dr. Michael Kaufman, led the service. She walks 4 or 5 miles most days and climbs 66 ' Everyone was asked to take part and the evening steps to her 4th floor apartment. , ' was filled with singing, Devrei Torah, stories, and .. Pauline doesn't want her age to be known a great exchange of halachic information. ' because she says: "I don't want anyone to faint." Dr. Kaufman has written several books, among She was born in Warsaw, Poland, came to the them:"Love, Marriage, and Family to Jewish Law United, States at an early age, but remembers her and Tradition," "The Art of Judaism," "The Woman mother telling her: "Jews should in Jewish Law and Tradition," and "A Guide to go to Palestine." Jewish Art," So 27 years ago, she made aliyah. She came to Among his many benevolent creative activities is Israel as a Mdow with two children. She raised the forming of a group called VISA which stands them, educated them and all the while for Visiting Israel Students Association helping (Continued on page 11)
March 7,1997
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 11
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B a t s h e v a Tzadok, m o t h e r of t h e "chicken sotip" baby, chats with Ruth Goldenberg. she worked and volunteered. She was Chairman of Aliyah'^n Jerusalem for many yeare, serving newcomers' needs and helping them to adapt to Israeli life. Many times she took the lonesome immigrants to her own home and gave them food and lodging. Pauline was a source of help and moral support to all those in need during the Yom Kippur and Gulf wars. She cared for her neighbors and kept them alert to the siren Bounds and played with the children in the shelters to keep them occupied. While having lunch with her one day, the Prime Minister and his wife came to the same restaurant. They were ushered into a private room and Pauline asked one of the guards if she could Bay "hello" to them for us. They allowed her .to. do so and when they left the cafe, we exchanged words and smiles with. them. Of course that was the one day we forgot to take our camera. With her terrific sense of humor and her vim, vigor and vitality, Pauline exemplifies a "Young a t
P a u l i n e Kahn Luria (front row, left), is a n active senior in Jerusalem. Heart" senior citizen in Jerusalem. There are many Women of Valor in Jerusalem, and I want to tell you also about the "People of Valor" agencies we discovered. In the yellow pages of the phone book there is a classified section called Gemack (Deeds of Loving Kindness). In this section, there are dozens of organizations that provide free services to those who cannot afford them. « Some of the services are: wedding equipment, clothing, baby needs, food, medicine and sick care, dishes, furniture, tapes, lodging, books, and every other category necessary for all phases of life. Jerusalem is the center of the world, the heartland of the Jewish people, so it is that kindness, charity, sharing, helping to alleviate troubles, pain, and difficulties of human beings—Chesed reaches unparalleled proportions. . Not only is it a Land of Milk and Honey, but it is also a Land of Human Valor.
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Cast of Anne Frank and Me meets a survivor (Continued her family and the other Jews of the city were rounded up by the Nazis and herded into a ghetto. The Nazis created this ghetto in a poor part of the city and sealed it off with barbed wire. Here the Jews were forced to live in terrible, crowded conditions with rations that barely sustained life. To keep from freezing they had to burn their meager furniture. They were totally cut off from the outside world. ' As a nurse, the young Miriam helped take care of the young and the sick for almost four years. At that time, the Nazis decided to clear the ghetto and those Jews who had not died of starvation or disease, or who had not already been deported, were taken to Auschwitz on the pretext that they would work there. Miriam was among them. "The women's heads were shaved, we had to shower arid then were given only one garment to wear," Mrs. Grossman related, "We were then housed in what appeared to be cattle stalls." As the allies attacked German on four fronts, the Germans found that they needed people from the camps to replace factory workers now in the front lines. Mrs. Grossman recalled, "We were taken and made to stand naked before a group of soldiers. The infamous Dr. Mengele chose those who looked the strongest to replace the German factory workers.? ' Miriam Grossman was picked to work in a factory that made aircraft parts. Her sister and a sisterin-law were loaded onto a truck and Miriam never saw them again.
from page 1) She told the group how she was liberated by the Russians, landed up in a camp for displaced persons in Austria and how she gradually rebuilt her l i f e .
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It was here she met and married her husband. He was from Czechoslovakia and had lost his family in the Holocaust. They and their son, Alex, came to the United States in 1949. Moved beyond words, the teens were barely able to question Mrs. Grossman as she came to the end of her story. But eventually one asked if she thought the Holocaust could happen again. Mrs. Grossman responded, "TTes, it could. If we don't learn from the past and close our eyes and ears to the truth. The message of the Holocaust, to me, is that God made us all different to learn from each other, not to kill or envy one another. "I am here today because I want to give you the feeling and understanding of what those years were like," Mrs. Grossman concluded, "So that you will be able to perform the play." Anne Frank arid. Me opens at the JCC Theatre March 16 and runs through March 20. Tickets for the play are available from the JCC Members Services office (334-6426). Tickets for the general public are $10; $8 for JCC members; and $6 for students or seniors. Call about special group rates. Anne Frank and Me is made possible through support from the Nebraska Arts Council, Nebraska Humanities Council, United Arts Omaha, the Esther K. Newman Fund and the Murray H. and Sharee C. Newman Foundation.
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Page 12
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
March 7,1997 by Chuck Kutau Lincoln Correspondent
Rabbi has bypass surgery I rang Ensemble scores in top five percent Rabbi Stanley Rosenbaum of Tifereth Israel Synagogue underwent heart bypass surgery at Bryan Memorial Hospital recently. According to the Rabbi, there is a history of heart problems in his family and his condition was diagnosed early, before there was any damage to his heart. He said, "Getting this done now, before I had a heart attack, has virtually given me a new lease on life. I am blessed." The Rabbi's family flew to Lincoln from across the country and his sister has traveled from Israel to help during this difficult time. •*- Rabbi Rosenbaum was released from the hospital on Tuesday and is home recuperating. He is doing well and claims to have little discomfort.
Joint Shabbat reminder The annual Joint Shabbat, sponsored by Congregation B'nai Jeshurun, Tifereth Israel Synagogue and the Jewish Federation of Lincoln, will be held March 21, 7:45 p.m., at the South Street Temple. Rabbi Stanley Rosenbaum and Cantor Michael Weisser will lead the service. Speaking at the event will be Abbie Ben Aid, a former diplomat and special envoy to the United Nations and Israel's Commissioner for Tourism in North America. Ben Ari was a pioneer settler and planner in the Negev after emigrating from Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1952. His topic will be "Israel's New Dimensions: Socially, Economically, Politically." An Oneg Shabbat will follow the service. The entire community is invited to attend this "nonsolicitation" evening.
Two young members of the Lincoln Jewish com- a middle school and not a high school, the group munity participated in the Nebraska Choral could not actually compete, however, they were Directors Association competition held at UNL adjudicated. Students in groups not competing are recently. Becca Coren (front row, second from not allowed to see the scores of other non-competright), daughter of Nancy and Charles Coren of ing groups which explains the percentile placeTifereth Israel Synagogue, and Lindsey Tavlin ment. Spirits did extraordinarily well and I'm very (third row, third from left), daughter of Laurie and proud of them." ; John Tavlin of Congregation B'nai Jeshurun, are Mrs. Baach is also director, of UNL's acclaimed members of Irving Middle School's "Spirits" ensem- Scarlet & Cream singers and conducts the youth ble. According to director Paula Baach, the group choirs at First Plymouth Congregational Church, placed within the top five percent of the 65 partici- one of the most prestigious music programs in-the pating choral ensembles. She said, "Because we're Midwest. " . . .
Lunch Bunch nears 15 years of just getting together On just about any given Wednesday afternoon, around 12:30 p.m. at the Knolls Country Club, you will see as many as 20, mostly retired, Jewish gentlemen in a spirited discussion of anything from politics to religion to sports to health insurance.. . in other words, topics better left undiscussed in polite society. Amazingly, for nearly 15 years, they've all remained friends and enjoy the repartee. The weekly get-togethers started when Leo Hill and Yale Gotsdiner began taking local Jewish philanthropist and retired businessman Nate Grossman z"l to lunch to get him out of the house. Over the years, the group has grown. Gotsdiner attributes the success to the fact that there are no real members, no officers, and anyone can discuss anything. He said, "We actually have very little real purpose. It's just a. bunch of friends getting together to 'solve the world's problems.1" In fact, the group does serve a real purpose. Some of the retirees no longer are able to drive and their activities are limited. Others within the group pick up and return those members so they can continue to enjoy the fraternal spirit which has developed over the years. Anyone interested in participating should call Yale Gotsdiner at 489-7066.
In an effort to.strengthen communications with customer-owners and make it more convenient for customers to meet with the Board, OPPD Directors periodically schedule evening meetings at varying locations. Time is made available for comments and questions from the public at all OPPD monthly Board meetings.
WHEN: Thursday, March 13, at 7 p.m. WHERE: Fort Calhoun Station Highway 75 between Fort Galhoun and Blair, Nebraska , •?.
John K. Green Chairman of the Board Metropolitan Subdivision
fredJ.lMch Vice Chairman of the Board South Subdivision
N.P. Dodge Jr. . Treasurer Metropolitan Subdivision
Michael J. Cavanaugh Secretary Metropolitan Subdivision
Keith B.Edquist Board Member Suburban Subdivision
Geoffrey Cllall Board Member North Subdivision
Anne L McGulre Board Member Metropolitan Subdivision
Del D.Weber Board Member Metropolitan Subdivision
Rabbi speaks on 'Jews and Sports'
Rabbi Richard Israel spoke to a crowd of about 100 Sunday evening at the Jewish Cultural Arts Council opening lecture. The event was chaired by Steve Riekes (seated, eft), and also featured Sara J u s t e r and Rabbi Richard Freund. Omaha Public Power District