February 27, 2026 by Jewish Press

A N AG E N C Y O F T H E J E W I S H F E D E R AT I O N O F O M A H A

The Jewish Press WWW.O M A H A J E W I S H P R E SS .CO M

INSIDE

WWW. J E W I S H O M A H A .O R G

Mind. Body. Soul. A SelfCare Sunday for Women Solomon Greenstone: A History Page 3

Creating a space for Jewish learning Page 8

HAILEY KRUEGER Enjoy a Sunday of self-care at Beth Israel’s annual women’s event, Mind.Body.Soul. The event will take place on Sunday, March 15, 2026 from 10:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Beth Israel Synagogue and a ticket costs $36. The 2026 theme will focus on faith in G-d, with an emphasis on recognizing the many ways He lovingly cares for each of us. Select two fitness classes led by familiar faces from the JCC. Beth Staenberg will lead Tai Chi, Caryn Scheer will teach Jazzercise, and Jamie Eikmeier will host Pilates. Each of the classes are beginner-friendly and offer an opportunity to try something new. After your workout, stay for a delicious

Recent additions to the Kripke-Veret Collection Page 12

REGULARS Spotlight Voices Synagogues Life Cycles

6 9 10 11

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

The Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation is pleased to announce that applications are now open for the second annual Jacobson Leadership Tomorrow (JLT) Summer Internship,

kosher brunch followed by a women-led workshop. “I am so excited to be a facilitator in the table discussions we will have regarding our trust in G-d and all the small ways we experience him in our daily life,” says Sharon Kirschenbaum. “This aspect of the event is what truly makes it a Jewish women’s event.” Encourage new friends to attend. If listed as a referral during registration, both women will receive a free raffle ticket for a grand prize. Be sure to register by March 1 to receive pilates socks! Ayelet Geiger, Mind Body Soul organizer and wife to Rabbi Mordechai Geiger of Beth See Mind. Body. Soul page 2

a six-week, paid summer experience designed for high school seniors and college freshmen and sophomores. Made possible through an endowment established by Joanie and Richard Jacobson, the JLT Internship is a lasting legacy investment in the future of Jewish leadership. The program was created to attract, inspire, and prepare the next generation of Jewish professionals and lay leaders— strengthening Jewish communal life in Omaha and beyond. MORE THAN AN INTERNSHIP Jacobson Leadership Tomorrow is a comprehensive, immersive program

that offers participants a meaningful introduction to careers in Jewish agencies, service and programs. Interns gain hands-on experience, mentorship, and leadership development by working alongside Jewish professionals and lay leaders across the Jewish Federation of Omaha and its Agencies. Through a six-week rotation, interns are exposed to multiple departments and agencies, allowing them to explore a wide range of roles and career paths within the Jewish nonprofit ecosystem. WHY APPLY? JLT is not just a summer job—it’s a See Internship Program page 3

Lo Ta’amod: Zakynthos SETH SCHUCHMAN Lo Ta’amod appears in the Torah as a prohibition against standing idly by in the face of harm. Jewish tradition has long understood it as a warning about silence and delay, not only overt wrongdoing. Antisemitism has taken shape in laws, institutions, and in the everyday decisions that allow harm to endure. Jewish history also records moments when Jews and allies alike recognized what was at stake and chose to act, not because success was assured, but because remaining silent was not acceptable. This article is part of an ongoing series. I first encountered the story of Zakynthos when a family friend, Dr. Steven Schwartzbach, shared it on Facebook. The example of non-Jewish allyship under danger made it feel like the right story to share for this series, a story that is heroic, memorable, and searing. In September 1943, after Italy surrendered to the Allies, German forces quickly seized control of former Italian-occupied territories. Among them were the Ionian Islands, including the Greek Island of Zakynthos.Under Italian control, antisemitic laws existed, but deportations had largely not occurred. German rule changed that immediately. Across occupied Europe, the Final Solution depended on speed and cooperation. Local authorities were ordered to provide lists of Jews so deportations could proceed. Elsewhere in Greece, the outcome was devastating. In Thessaloniki, tens of thousands of Jews were deported and murdered. On islands such as Corfu and Rhodes, Jewish communities were destroyed. Survival was rare. Zakynthos had a small Jewish population, about 275 people, living among roughly 7,000 Christians. Soon after taking control, the German commander summoned Metropolitan Chrysostomos Dimitriou, the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Zakynthos, and Mayor Loukas Karrer, and ordered them to produce a list of all Jews on the island. This was standard procedure. German authorities relied on local officials to make deportation efficient. In most places, those officials complied, sometimes reluctantly, often convincing themselves that refusal would change nothing. Chrysostomos and Karrer were not Jews. They were not subject to deportation. Compliance would likely have protected them personally. That is what made the decision before them so clear, and so dangerous. Nazi policy allowed for See Zakynthos page 2