January 10, 2025

JFO Federation Scholarships & Grants

DIANE WALKER

JFO Foundation Fund & Scholarship Administrator

It’s a brand new year – 2025! Are your kids ready to get back to summer camp? Do you have little ones at the ELC or Friedel? College students?

Thanks to the generosity of our community, a variety of funding sources are available to Omaha’s Jewish families to help

New for summer 2025 is the Kaiman Family Camp Grant! Announced a few weeks ago as a community Hanukkah gift from the family of Howard Kaiman, of blessed memory, these grants provide funds to summer campers - $1,000 for Jewish sleepaway camp or $250 for JCC day camp. Awards are capped at 72 Jewish sleepaway and 100 JCC day campers. This program will supersede the JFO’s Jewish Experience Grant program

with the financial burden of Jewish sleepaway camp, JCC summer camp, the Pennie Z. Davis Early Learning Center, Friedel Jewish Academy, Israel, and youth group activities. Assistance is also available for undergraduate, graduate, vocational, technical, professional or yeshiva studies.

The updated 2025 Scholarship and Grants booklet is included as an insert in this issue of the Jewish Press. The booklet and applications are available on the Jewish Federation of Omaha website. The deadline for applications is Monday, March 3, 2025

for this year. You can find additional detail and the application on the JFO website under Grant Programs.

Israel Experience Grants, funded by the Jewish Federation of Omaha, are available to any Omaha Jewish family meeting the program requirements, regardless of the family’s financial situation. IEG provide up to $1,500 to students in grades 9 – 12 or young adults aged 18 – 26 for an Israel peer program. An additional stipend of $1,000 is provided for the bi-annual community teen trip to Israel. See Scholarships & Grants page 2

Daisy Friedman goes to Sundance

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMPWRIGHT

Jewish Press Editor

Writer and director Daisy Friedman’s new short film, Unholy, will have its world premiere Jan. 23 at the Sundance Film Festival.

The film’s main character, Noa, attends her family’s Passover Seder for the first time since being put on a feeding tube for a gastrointestinal disorder. There, she is confronted with pushy family members, malfunctioning medical devices, and a room of food she can’t eat.

Daisy Friedman

“I just finished my undergraduate degree at Barnard College,” Daisy said, “majoring in Film Studies. It’s been really surreal to finish school and then immediately go to something as big as Sundance. I feel so honored that my work has been recognized in this way and I truly hope to continue making films that touch people for the rest of my life. After Sundance, I’ll be staying in New York and continuing to work in the film world here. I’m finishing up writing my first feature

The Kaplan Book Group wonders if “Mr. Perfect” exists

SHIRLY BANNER

JFO Library Specialist

On Jan. 16 at 1 p.m. the Dorothy Kaplan Book Discussion Group will gather for their monthly meeting. Group members have the choice of meeting either in person in the

film, which I will try to market at Sundance as well!”

It’s not her first film; in 2023, Daisy directed the short film As You Are, depicting two interabled queer women who navigate their first night together. It was shortlisted for the Oscars:

“With As You Are, writer/director Daisy Friedman crafts a beautiful and raw film centered around honesty and vulnerability, with character who are not often seen on screen, not depicted in such mundane situations,” wrote Celine Roustan for shortofthe week.com

Unholy is produced by Ser Nocturna (Arielle Friedman and Camila Grimaldi) and Isaak Popkin and stars Danny Burstein, Olivia Nikkanen, Laura Patinkin, Jill Abramovitz, Arielle Friedman and Roberta Pikser. Additional festival screenings are Friday, Jan. 24 at 11 a.m. MT (Redstone Cinemas 4); Friday, Jan. 24 at 9:15 p.m. MT (Broadway Centre Cinemas 6, Salt Lake City); Friday, Jan. 31 at 9:40 a.m. MT (Redstone Cinemas 2) and See Daisy Friedman page 2

Conference Room in the Staenberg Jewish Community Center (note: this is a location change) or via Zoom. This month they will be discussing Mr. Perfect on Paper by Jean Meltzer. Jean was the speaker for the Community Author Event in 2023 when she discussed her first novel, The Matzah Ball. New participants are always welcome to join the book group.

Meltzer is becoming a leader in the Jewish rom-com genre and Mr. Perfect on Paper does not disappoint. Dating is hard enough but add in the additional pressures of finding your Jewish bashert when you are the creator of the successful Jewish dating app, J-Mate, and haven’t been on a date in years, it seems to become impossible. Even more challenging, she suffers from a serious case of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

Dara Rabinowitz is a third-generation Jewish matchmaker who is devoted to taking care of her beloved Bubbe Miriam who, because of her brain tumor, is known to do the unexpected. During a segment of the morning talk show Good News leading up to the Jewish High Holiday, Bubbe Miriam appears with Dara to promote J-Mate app. Instead, Bubbe reveals Dara’s drunkenly-composed list of what qualifications her Mr. Perfect should have. The list includes such items as being Jewish, a doctor or lawyer, never married or having kids. Good News host Chris Steadfast is worried about his show’s See Kaplan Book Group page 3

Scholarships & Grants

Continued from page 1

These are of course, dependent on the situation in Israel.

Scholarships, awarded by the Financial Aid Committee of the JFO, are funded by many

Daisy Friedman

Continued from page 1

online: Thursday, Jan. 30 at 10 a.m. ESTFeb. 3 1:55 a.m. EST.

Daisy’s history as a multi-organ transplant recipient has drawn her to create work that centers on the intersection of tradition, intimacy, embodiment, and disability. Her debut short film, As You Are, screened at NewFest, Outfest, Inside Out, Frameline Film Festival, and more. She was awarded the NewFest Emerging Filmmaker Award, Colin Higgins Grant, and Outfest Grand Jury Special Men-

tion Award. She is a graduate of Columbia University’s Film Studies program.

“My career so far would not have been possible without the incredibly fertile ground that Omaha laid for me,” Daisy said. “People like Kristen Job at Westside took me to Film Streams in seventh grade, and showed me that it was really cool to think and talk about movies in a critical way. I also am really grateful to my parents for always supporting me in my crazy dreams no matter how big they are.”

endowments established through the JFO Foundation, outside entities, and through the JFO’s Annual Campaign. Scholarships are available for JCC summer camp, residential Jewish summer camp, Israel peer programs, Friedel Jewish Academy, the Pennie Z. Davis Early Learning Center, and youth group programs. Jewish students, who are residents of the Omaha metropolitan area, can apply for scholarships for undergraduate, graduate, vocational, technical, professional or yeshiva studies programs. While most scholarships are based on financial need, some college scholarships are merit-based.

SPECIAL

FUNDS OF NOTE:

Truman and Rosemary Clare Scholarship Fund was created to honor the Clare’s dedication and service to the Omaha Jewish community and provides scholarships to attend Jewish summer camp, Israel trips, to attend Friedel Jewish Academy, and to attend conventions and leadership development programs.

The Carl L. Frohm Educational Custodial Fund has provided funds to assist with attendance any Jewish child, teen, and young adult in need of financial assistance for education and Jewish experiences.

Gary & Barbara Goldstein Jewish Youth Camp Fund was established to enable metro Omaha Jewish youth under the age of 18 who need financial assistance to attend summer

residential camps and day camps sponsored by the Omaha JCC, Omaha-area synagogues, or other summer camping programs sponsored by a Jewish organization and approved by the JFO.

Lazier L. & Harriet B. Singer Memorial Fund for Youth provides scholarships to Jewish overnight summer camp to children with demonstrated financial need for the 2025 summer camping season.

Jewish Federation of Lincoln Judge Ben Novicoff Scholarship Fund was created for post-secondary education, Jewish preschool, Jewish day school, Jewish summer camp, or other Jewish experiences. This fund is one of the few available for Lincoln residents and awards are made by the Jewish Federation of Lincoln.

ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES:

There are also several scholarship programs outlined in the 2025 Scholarship and Grants booklet which are outside the realm of the Financial Aid Committee. These include the Sokolof Honor Roll scholarships, the Fellman/Kooper scholarships, the Leon Fellman, DDS and A.A. & Ethel Yossem scholarships for Creighton University and the Bennet G. Hornstein Endowment Fund. Sources for additional information on these scholarships is included in the booklet. Omaha’s Jewish families are encouraged to take advantage of these funding opportunities. All financial information is kept completely confidential. For any questions, please reach out to Diane Walker at either dwalker @jewishomaha.org or 402.334.6551.

A scene from Unholy

Robert Rickover to speak at B’nai Israel

JANIE KULAKOFSKY

B’nai Israel Speaker Series

welcomes Robert Rickover who will speak about his father, Hyman Rickover who was “Father of the Nuclear Navy”.

Rickover was born in Poland to Jewish parents who fled the antisematic pograms with their children to the United States. They settled in Mahattan and later moved to Chicago. He attended the U.S. Naval Academy and graduated from Columbia University with an electrical engineering degree.

cluding the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, three times; Legion of Merit, twice; Congressional Gold Medal, twice; Presidential Medal of Freedom; and the Enrico Fermi Award.

“Most important,” the thenChief of Naval Operations Admiral Watkins said, “he was a teacher. He set the standards. They were tough. That is the legacy and the challenge he left to all who study his contributions.”

During his career in the Navy he received many awards in-

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Please join us at B’nai Israel Synagogue at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10 to hear his son Robert discuss his father’s military career.

Catching up with Linda (Eisenstatt) Luttbeg

BRAD ABRAMSON

JFO Foundation Development Manager

Welcome to Where Are They

Now? a snapshot of what our Omaha Alumni are doing these days!

What is your favorite Jewish memory growing up in Omaha?

My friends, the Bagel neighborhood, being involved in BBG—I was a member of Ediar. We did many community projects, fundraising, musicals, and bonding with other Jewish girls.

Where are you living now?

I left Omaha to go to College at the University of Arizona. I was in a Jewish sorority and met other Jewish women from around the country. After college I married another Omaha native, Steve Luttbeg and we moved to San Diego, California where we raised our children Lisa and David. What are you doing today?

I have always worked one or two jobs since graduating college, but I am now retired. Every day is filled with numerous activities: grandchildren, volunteering, involvement in women’s groups, water aerobics, but my favorite is networking with family and friends. We had 60 for Thanksgiving and 70 the next night to watch the Nebraska vs Iowa football game and celebrate Shabbat. Now I am busy planning Hanukkah celebrations with my cousin Margo Rosen, for all the family that will be coming to San Diego this winter When was the last time you were in Omaha, and what

Kaplan Book Group

Continued from page 1

tanking ratings and this reveal which goes viral is just the solution to all his problems - if he can just convince Dara to participate in a series of televised dates planned around the Jewish High Holidays to find her Mr. Perfect on Paper Disaster is in the making.

Date #1 takes place on Rosh Hashanah in an apple orchard and abruptly ends with Dara being “attacked” by a bumblebee which gets caught up in her hair. Quick thinking Dara reasons that the only way to get rid of it is to dive headfirst into a barrel of water.

Date #2 takes place after the end of Yom Kippur and does not fare much better. Let us just say her date starts to choke on a cookie, Chris applies the Heimlich Maneuver and Dara ends up with the masticated cookie all over her face.

Going from bad to worse, Date #3 takes place in a Sukkah with a date who has a foot fetish. Dara has a severe allergic reaction to mango that was in her food and goes into anaphylactic shock – ending up in the hospital emergency room. On the bright side, she discovers she is being treated

was the biggest change?

Jennifer Hockenberg Seigner and I planned a 75th birthday celebration in Omaha in the fall of 2023 for our friends from high school. 39 women came to Omaha. People were shocked by all the culture and new developments.

We started with lunch at Lauritzen Gardens. we toured and were amazed with the changes at Central High School, toured the Tri-Faith and got to learn about the objectives of the TriFaith and see the beautiful facilities, went to the Buffett Cancer Center, and we got to see the work they were accomplishing in medicine and saw the beautiful Chihuly glass throughout the building.

We had dinner and toured the Kiewit Luminarium and its gift shop—it was fun to bump into locals that just liked hanging out at the Luminarium. We had a party at La Casa, shopped at Borsheims and many went to the Durham. We stayed in the Aksarben area and saw all the changes—no horseracing anymore! We left Omaha being very proud of its changes.

The Omaha Jewish Alumni Association (OJAA) is looking forward to highlighting former Omahans, and we’d love to feature YOU and share your memories. Reach out and let us know if you are interested. In the meantime, stay tuned for next month’s Where Are They Now!

We look forward to hearing from you! Contact me at babra mson@jewishomaha.org with any suggestions or ideas.

by Dr. Daniel who just so happens to be someone that her older sister had tried to set her up with.

Date #4 during Simchat Torah is finally a success. Dr. Daniel and Dara are hitting it off, and she may have found her Mr. Perfect. There is just one small problem. Chris realizes he has feelings for Dara. Chris has none of the criteria that Dara is seeking in a match; he’s not Jewish, has a young daughter, and certainly not a doctor or lawyer.

Will love triumph over a “perfect” match? Come join us on Jan. 16 to find out how it all ends up.

Please feel free to join us on Jan. 16 in person or via Zoom. The Dorothy Kaplan Book Discussion Group meets on the third Thursday of every month at 1 p.m. New members are always welcome.

The Group receives administrative support from the Community Engagement & Education arm of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. For information about the group and to join in the discussion, contact Shirly Banner at 402.334.6462 or sbanner@jewishomaha.org

Admiral Hyman Rickover Robert Rickover

Steve and Linda (Eisenstatt) Luttbeg

JCRC presents Advocacy Bootcamp

PAM MONSKY JCRC Assistant Director

On Tuesday, Jan. 21, the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) will present Advocacy Bootcamp at 6:30 p.m. in Goldstein Community Engagement Venue at the Jewish Community Center.

Designed to prepare community members for Jewish Day of Action on Feb. 4, 2025, Advocacy Bootcamp aims to help community members understand the key issues facing the Jewish community, build their advocacy skills, and become more confident and effective when engaging in the democratic process.

Founder, Civic Strategies, LLC.

Reservations are requested by contacting Pam Monsky, JCRC Assistant Director at 402.334.6572 or pmonsky@jew ishomaha.org

Advocacy Bootcamp features a panel of experts: Becky Gould, Executive Director of Nebraska Appleseed; Dr. Erin Feichtinger, Policy Director, Women’s Fund of Omaha; Tim Gay, President, Catalyst Public Affairs and Adam Morfeld, JD,

Advocacy Bootcamp, part of our Community Conversations series, is generously funded by The Shirley & Leonard Goldstein Supporting Foundation.

Guided by Jewish values, the nonpartisan Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) works in common cause with other religious, racial, ethnic, and civic groups to foster a just, democratic, and pluralistic society. The JCRC advocates, educates, collaborates, and mobilizes action on issues important to the Jewish Community and greater community to fight antisemitism and hate in all its forms and promote the security of Israel and Jews everywhere.

The Ten Plagues of Egypt: Exodus 7–12

To the uninitiated, it seems highly improbable that the ten plagues (from Exodus 7–12) would show up often and in varied popular culture contexts. However, for the diligent reader of this column it is no surprise at all that even so fearsome an event is infinitely malleable in the hands of writers worldwide.

Naturally, some of the stories are about nature, in this case nature at its most extreme. Thus, a rather chatty story from The Independent: “The British, it is said, love to talk about the weather, but it’s in America that people really talk about the weather. One reason is the national addiction to numbers: rainfall, snow amounts, temperatures, windspeeds and so on are paradise for statisticians.... floods, tornados, hurricanes and drought—it’s like the ten Plagues of Egypt relocated to the south central United States.”

Attentive readers know that we can generally find some solace in the world of entertainment. Nonetheless, it must have been especially galling to all of those involved in a film reverently (or irreverently) titled Evan Almighty, when they read reviews filled with comments like: “Avoid like the Ten Plagues,” “There are more jokes in the Book of Job than in the whole of this film,” and “A God-awful mess.”

Out of the theater onto the court. Surely, we can count on sports writers to be at least a bit more uplifting. Or can we? In the following report (from the Toronto Star), we have the unlikely teaming up of Passover and basketball, as can be

seen from its elongated title: Why is this night different? The Playoffs: The Passover Story of Woebegone Jews Is Strikingly Similar to the Story of Our City’s NBA Franchise. In this account, “Pharaoh is the NBA commissioner.” After overcoming a litany of contemporary plagues, the team, known as the Toronto Raptors, could provide a new response at the Seder “when their youngest child asks them the traditional Passover question—’Why is this night different from all other nights?’—they can answer, ‘Because right now, the Toronto Raptors are winning a playoff series.’”

For a chuckle, let’s try the world of games and toys. There is, for example, the Ten Plagues Bowling Set, as described by humorist Dave Barry: “Here’s a fun item for the Jewish person on your holiday list. This is a bowling set with wooden pins representing the 10 plagues of Egypt. Some of the plagues are a little hard to figure out because, as any artist will tell you, it’s not easy to represent plagues, especially lice and boils, in the bowling-pin medium. Nevertheless, in our opinion, this may be the best plague-themed bowling game on the market. Certainly, it’s in the top three.”

A guest on The Daily Show revealed to then host Jon Stewart that “she had the 10 plagues on her fingernails.... ‘I have the slaying of the first born on my pinkie,’ she said. At which point Stewart placed his hand on his hip. ‘Well, I have a tattoo of Pharaoh on my thigh,’ he retorted.” (All of this comes from The New York Times.) Admittedly, I speak only for myself, but I’m sure that at least a few of this column’s readers will agree when I opine that especially when it comes to plagues, some things are best left to the imagination!

PARENTS & SENIORS

LEONARD GREENSPOON

Welcome to our Campus

Our 315,000 sq. ft. Staenberg Kooper Fellman Campus is truly a “one-stop-shop.” From pre-school to pickleball, from a stateof-the-art theater to author events, we have it all. All this programming happens against a backdrop that is filled with art. In addition to our Eisenburg Gallery, where work by contemporary artists changes out monthly, we have an impressive permanent collection. This series is meant to tell you more about some of the artworks in our building, as well as the different ways in which we use the space.

Two 48” X 48” photographs by Lena S. Keslin can be seen in the upper level main hallway near the dance restrooms, and just outside the Jewish Press offices. One is titled Jerusalem Pottery, and the other is Chai & Star

Lena S. Keslin studied painting, figure drawing and printmaking at the Art Student’s League, NYC and photography at the Parson’s School of Design, NYC. She also studied and taught in Florence, Italy. She uses her camera as a tool to record what her eyes see, but also to try and capture what she feels about it. She knows she sees the world through a Jewish lens. After living in NYC and Santa Fe, she continued to travel to Florence. Other travels have taken her to Israel, Jordan, Argentina, Spain, and various parts of the U.S.A. Some of her recent images of contemporary life in Israel have found a home in Denver and Omaha.

Jim Green

“Hi, I’m Jim Green, and I’m running for Mayor.”

That’s how every conversation Jim Green had with a voter began. He repeated the same words, time after time, and he never seemed to tire of it. He smiled, and usually held out his arm and offered to shake hands. More often than not, he was acknowledged with a friendly greeting of some sort. But in the few times when he was given a cold shoulder or a negative response, Jim Green just turned the other cheek, literally turned the other side of his face, and quietly walked away. He just moved to the next person and began all over again.

It worked. The reaction was usually positive. Once in a while someone would say: “I’m for your opponent, but it’s nice to meet you. Good luck.” Jim would smile and invariably respond: “Thank you, thank you very much.”

That’s what it was like standing next to Jim Green as he campaigned all over Omaha in 1961 in his campaign for Mayor. I was there during the last three months of the campaign and until the election day in mid-May. Jim Green was a master at “retail politics,” the politics which the candidate actually practices with every encounter everywhere the candidate goes. In Green’s case, especially in this election, he was well organized. He had experience, and it showed.

In the late 1940s, just a few years after the war and his discharge from the Army, he ran to become the national commander of the American Legion, the dominant organization of WWII veterans. Omaha proved an ideal send-off for Green, since there was just one Legion post in Omaha, known as Post # One. Most cities had many small posts, but Omaha’s was considered the largest in the country.

However, Green lost. Many said it was because he was Catholic, and that was still a detriment. A few years later, in 1954, he ran for U.S. Senator in Nebraska, and again, he lost. In 1960, he found the Kennedy campaign for president: Catholic, Irish, Democratic. Everything matched. Green was assigned to a senior position in the West Virginia contest, a state that historically defeated Catholics. But JFK won the primary, and Jim learned a great deal. The Kennedys were well organized. Jim did the same and applied it to his campaign for Mayor.

One lesson was to carefully arrange everything in advance. John Y was in charge, full time, and with authority. Bernie Boyle, Jim’s friend, a successful lawyer and the Democratic Na-

tional Committeeman for Nebraska (in charge of fund-raising for the Democrats) did the same for Green, and an experienced business woman became the “scheduler,” the person charged with the calendar in every aspect. Jim followed the schedule she created in every detail.

Among the favorite were the church gatherings. Others were small invitation-only parties in private homes. And some were meetings called specifically to raise funds for the campaign. His schedule was filled with every type of get-together imaginable. He went to them all, and I was at his side.

The Catholic churches in South Omaha each had Parishwide Sunday festivals, starting with a big sit-down dinner, prepared by church members. Nearly all members came after leaving mass on Sunday morning.

Each parish had its own featured food, election workers were welcomed to pass out literature for each candidate, and the parish priest would go from table to table greeting every single person.

“Just stand right next to me,” one priest told Jim. “I’ll introduce you like this: ‘This is Jim Green. He’s running for Mayor, and he’s my friend.’” The priest then explained: “I can’t openly endorse you, but my parishioners will get my hint.” And it worked.

The Italian parishes featured pasta with home-made sauce and hearty meatballs. Greek churches had luscious pastries. Jim tried samples at every stop.

We covered nearly every church in South Omaha. Farther west, the Catholic churches didn’t warm up as they did in South Omaha. And the Protestant churches and synagogues all failed to give the same welcome.

There were other meetings to attend: Union meetings, luncheon club meetings, neighborhood clubs, and Jim went to them all. There were invitations from individuals who hosted gatherings in their homes. They were all over the city, from central Omaha, Benson, Dundee, to Florence; even the then-new additions in west and southwest Omaha. Events hosted by Irish Catholic families often featured extensive food with liquor and beer, while those in Protestant homes tended to have a lovely cake, a small dish of nuts and tea or coffee. Jewish homes, especially if the event was on a Sunday morning, tended to have a table full of bagels and cream cheese and lox. Jim loved it all. His somewhat portly body hid nothing as the campaign progressed, and eventually his WWII Army officer’s uniform became much too tight around the waist.

Editor’s note: This is part one of three parts to be printed over the next few weeks.

LOCAL PRIMARY ELECTION

RICHARD FELLMAN

Detail, Chai & Star

SP O TLIGHT

PHOTOS FROM RECENT JEWISH COMMUNITY EVENTS

SUBMIT A PHOTO: Have a photo of a recent Jewish Community event you would like to submit? Email the image and a suggested caption to: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org

Top, above and below: Snapshots from Beth El’s Musical Shabbat with the Zohars.

Above and below: The JFO Board and Staff retreat.

Above: It’s the Sinai Scholars! Over the past months, a number of young Omaha Jews have studied (and enjoyed a shabbat dinner or two) with Rabbi Eli and Mushka Tenenbaum. Assistant teachers: Chana and Devorah.

Below: Creating art and left: studying for the B’nai B’rith Bible Quiz at Beth El.

Above and below: Beth El’s Coffee House Havdalah.

Below: Jennie Gates Beckman and Jessi Taylor enjoy in-house dining at Star Deli.

A Winter Break to remember: Camp Gan Israel lights up Hanukkah

MUSHKA TENENBAUM

Chabad of Nebraska

This past winter break, a magical transformation took place as children filled the halls of Chabad at our day camp with laughter, creativity, and meaningful moments during a special two-day winter camp. Timed perfectly with the celebration of Hanukkah, the camp was more than just a getaway—it was an opportunity to connect deeply with the festival’s most profound messages: resilience, the triumph of light over darkness, the victory of good over evil, and the purity of the soul.

The camp offered an exciting array of activities, blending traditional winter break fun with the rich themes of Hanukkah. The children’s eyes sparkled with delight as they decorated donuts, crafted intricate dreidel pop-out cards, and created sand-art menorahs to take home. Laughter filled the air during car-top menorah parade practice, where kids prepared to spread the joy of Hanukkah around our community. A highlight was a special challah-baking session, where young hands braided dough with love and care. Friday morning a touching menorah-lighting ceremony at Heritage Residence, where the children shared the light and joy of the holiday with residents. “Seeing the kids singing and lighting the menorah with the elderly was so moving,” said P. B. “It reminded us all of the power of connection and the beauty of passing on traditions.”

A guest chef added sizzle to the camp with a live latke-making demonstration, filling the room with delicious aromas and leaving everyone’s taste buds delighted. One camper, eight-year-old E.K, couldn’t contain his excitement: “I learned how to make latkes!

I’m going to teach my mom so we can make them together.”

The magic of the camp wasn’t just in the activities but in the way it brought Hanukkah’s deeper messages to life. “We wanted the children to feel the light of Hanukkah in their hearts, not just see it in the candles,” said Camp Director Mushka. “Through every activity, we wove in themes of resilience, overcoming challenges, and spreading goodness.”

Parents noticed the impact immediately. “My daughter came home talking about how the Maccabees didn’t give up and how we can be like them when things are hard,” shared mother of seven-year-old Em. “It was so much more than just fun—it was inspiring.”

The camp also created a sense of belonging and pride in Jewish identity. A counselor shared, “One boy told me this was the best Hanukkah he’s ever had because he felt like a hero practicing for the menorah parade.”

As we close this chapter of winter camp, our hearts are full, and our sights are set on the future. Summer camp registration is now open, promising even more adventure, growth, and inspiration. Save the dates for July 7-18, and don’t miss the early bird discount available until Jan. 15!

As we reflect on these unforgettable two days, we’re reminded of the words of one parent: “This camp didn’t just give my child memories—it gave them values and strength that will last a lifetime.”

Let the light of Hanukkah continue to inspire us all as we carry its messages into the year ahead. Summer can’t come soon enough!

January IHE 3rd Thursday Lunch & Learn

SCOTT LITTKY

Executive Director, Institute for Holocaust Education

Sharon Brodkey, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Omaha, will be our speaker on Jan. 16, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. for our monthly, IHE 3rd Thursday Lunch and Learn on ZOOM. Guided by Jewish values, the nonpartisan Jewish Community Relations Council works in common cause with other religious, racial, ethnic, and civic groups to foster a just, democratic, and pluralistic society.

The JCRC advocates, educates, collaborates, and mobilizes action on issues important to the Jewish Community and greater community to fight antisemitism and hate in all its forms and promote the security of Israel and Jews everywhere.

Ms. Brodkey will speak to us on the role of the JCRC in combating antisemitism and the role they play in best representing our Jewish community.

For more information or to register for this program please contact, Scott Littky, at slittky@ihene.org

JEWISH PRESS READERS

If you do business with any of our advertisers, please tell them you saw their ad in the Jewish Press. It really helps us!

Sharon Brodkey

Clockwise from above: Lighting menorah and singing Hanukkah songs with residents at Heritage, gorgeous donuts, thanking the great Latke crew, and Rebbetzin Shani teaches about Hanukkah. Credit: G. Oxford Portraits

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The mission of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to build and sustain a strong and vibrant Omaha Jewish Community and to support Jews in Israel and around the world. Agencies of the JFO are: Institute for Holocaust Education, Jewish Community Relations Council, Jewish Community Center, Jewish Social Services, Nebraska Jewish Historical Society and the Jewish Press Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page stories and announcements, can be found online at: www.jewishomaha.org; click on ‘Jewish Press.’ Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole. The Jewish Press reserves the right to edit signed letters and articles for space and content. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment.

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The Editor may edit letters for content and space restrictions. Letters may be published without giving an opposing view. Information shall be verified before printing. All letters must be signed by the writer. The Jewish Press will not publish letters that appear to be part of an organized campaign, nor letters copied from the Internet. No letters should be published from candidates running for office, but others may write on their behalf.

Letters of thanks should be confined to commending an institution for a program, project or event, rather than personally thanking paid staff, unless the writer chooses to turn the “Letter to the Editor” into a paid personal ad or a news article about the event, project or program which the professional staff supervised. For information, contact Annette van de Kamp-Wright, Jewish Press Editor, 402.334.6450.

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The Jewish Press (USPS 275620) is published weekly (except for the first week of January and July) on Friday for $40 per calendar year U.S.; $80 foreign, by the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Phone: 402.334.6448; FAX: 402.334.5422.

Periodical postage paid at Omaha, NE. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198 or email to: jpress@jewishomaha.org

Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole.

Scholarship Season

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT

Jewish Press Editor

When our kids were little, there were a number of things my husband and I wanted them to participate in. Swim lessons, Jewish education, after-care. We really wanted to send them to summer camp. When I started working at the Jewish Press, and our youngest was still at the Early Learning Center, we had to enroll him all five days, instead of three. All those things come with a price. It’s something we don’t like to talk about: living a Jewish life, especially if you have kids, is expensive. Actually, without kids, it’s expensive too.

We solved it by taking full advantage of the available scholarships, and there are very few things our daughter and son have done without financial aid. Since they are both in college, that continues to this day. A big portion of that financial aid has come from the Jewish community, especially through the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation. I will forever be grateful that today, my children have the Jewish backbone to face the world.

Sometimes scholarships come with stigma. In 2019, Karen Glaser wrote an article about that for the British Jewish Chronicle, and she said: “I guess I am not comfortable being the person you help.”

Sometimes the question of financial aid is accompanied by misconceptions, about who gets it, who doles it out, and who deserves it. Filling out the endless paperwork can be a roadblock as well. Who likes to do paperwork?

This issue includes the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation’s scholarship booklet. There are too many things included to fit it in a simple article,

because for many decades, this community has set money aside for its members. If you’ve ever told yourself those funds are not for you, I implore you to take another look.

Everything the various donors, organizations, volunteers, synagogues and staff do in this community is about people. Our buildings, our programs and our dollars: the only reason they exist is because of the people they serve. The same goes for scholarships, whether they are for your granddaughter’s first year at medical school, or your nephew’s first summer camp experience. It is time to forgive ourselves for needing help, for thinking we need to feel bad or ashamed, and realize: Jewish philanthropy is for all of us, and it goes both ways.

It’s possible I have a different perception, because I work for an agency that wouldn’t exist without philanthropy. Not only does the Jewish Press receive support from the Annual Campaign; we have individual donors who have created and grown endowments, send us end-of-year contributions, and then there are additional grants through The Foundation which we regularly request. We also run our Jewish Press Club for several months each year (coming back in April!) and so “asking for money” is part of my job. That doesn’t mean it’s ever easy, it just means I understand that in order to do something, I have to figure out a way to find the money. That’s not shameful, that’s practical.

vided care for our seniors, opportunities for our youth and every communal need in between. Effective philanthropy, strategic, long-term and ongoing financial support, is what continues to provide a solid and bright Jewish future for generations to come.” I implore you to sit with that word, “opportunities,” for a second. What opportunities are you

denying yourself, your family, by saying “not for me?” Why would you tell yourself you don’t deserve this? Because you absolutely do. You are an integral part of that “bright Jewish future.”

Have I convinced you yet to look at that insert?

“Our donors’ generosity,” Executive Director of The Foundation Amy Bernstein Shivvers wrote, “has pro-

Here’s another thought. When I say the only reason our building exists is the people it serves, I mean it. That goes double for the JFO Foundation staff. They work hard at what they do in order to support all of you. They are not only helpful, they are seriously kind about it. If that booklet (which by now I hope you have taken a look at) seems intimidating at first, consider picking up the phone. I promise someone at the Foundation will be happy to answer your questions.

The blessing and burden of bearing first witness to Jewish history

RON KAMPEAS

WASHINGTON | JTA

I watched Yitzhak Rabin die on a dot matrix printer on a Saturday night in London. It was November 1995, and I was working for The Associated Press. Breaking news arrived in bursts of urgent updates spit out by clunky printers. That night, my colleague in Jerusalem, Gwen Ackerman, filed reports about shots fired at a peace rally in Tel Aviv. By the time Rabin’s death was confirmed, I had already booked a flight to Israel.

The following days were a blur of chaos and grief. In the AP bureau in Jerusalem, phones rang incessantly, and snippets of breaking news filled the air: the assassin was a Bar Ilan University student, King Hussein of Jordan would attend the funeral, Leah Rabin addressed mourners outside her home. I filed numerous stories during that week, but what lingers most is the story another reporter refused to write.

In the midst of the newsroom’s frenzy, gossip circulated about a reporter, not at the AP, who refused to cover Rabin’s assassination. He filed a report that made no mention of it. Someone called to confront him, and he simply stated it was his choice not to report on the event. Then he hung up.

His refusal haunted me. At the time, I couldn’t fathom it. Rabin’s death shattered me — a hero of Israel’s founding, a man who had once shown me kindness, murdered by one of his own. My reflex was to report on the aftermath, as though chronicling Israel’s heartbreak was akin to writing a weather report. But what if the reporter’s retreat was as valid as my instinct to bear witness?

This tension — to witness or to turn away — has defined my career. It blazed anew for me on Oct. 7, 2023, during the Hamas attack on Israel. I was in

Shenandoah National Park when I woke to my phone buzzing with anguished texts from family in Israel and an alert from the prime minister’s office: “Israel is at war.” I was JTA’s only available Hebrewspeaking, non-Shabbat-observant reporter. Packing my laptop, I trudged through the drizzle to the main lodge, where the Wi-Fi was strong.

In the lodge, I listened to Kan Reshet Bet on my headphones. A man tracked his kidnapped wife and children in Gaza via an app. A woman whispered from a safe room, hanging up abruptly when voices encroached. Around me, families in puffy vests and sweaters ordered hot chocolate and worked on jigsaw puzzles. They waited for the rain to subside so they could hike.

I have often thought of the reporter who chose not to cover Rabin’s assassination. As I approach retirement, I wonder: When does the privilege of bearing first witness become a burden too great to bear? And yet, how can I, as a Jewish journalist, turn away from history’s call?

Jewish reporters occupy a unique space. Our history demands that we chronicle unimaginable horrors, yet the act of bearing witness exacts a heavy toll. This tension is as ancient as our people. Shelomoh bar Shimshon, who chronicled the Rhineland massacres of 1096, asked, “Why did the skies not darken and the stars not dim?” He likened the mass suicides of Jews facing Crusaders to the binding of Isaac, sacrifices beyond comprehension.

Today, Jewish reporters must continue to bear witness to the unbearable. In January, I received an Israeli army alert naming a fallen soldier: Amichai Oster, the son of my former colleague Marcy, with whom I had worked for years at JTA. Amichai had stayed with us over the summer. In Ynet, Marcy described why reciting Hallel, the liturgy of praise, had become impossible for her. “Right now the words get stuck in my throat,” she wrote. Her resilience inspires me.

The impulse to step back from Jewish tragedy is not new. Daniel Schorr, one of JTA’s most famous alumni, left in 1941, weary of reporting on the Holocaust’s unfolding horrors. “The distaste of digesting for JTA’s readers the news of the emerging Holocaust, combined with what he saw as the blinkered parochialism of Jewish news, led him to quit,” I wrote when he

died in 2010. Schorr’s frustration resonates. Jewish media walk a fine line between preparing readers for harsh realities and preserving their morale.

At JTA, we face this dilemma daily, navigating pressing questions in our newsroom deliberations. How alarming should our coverage be? Was this an antisemitic attack or just an attack? How do we balance accountability with sensitivity when covering Israel’s actions? The questions are endless, the answers elusive.

Despite the challenges, I have found meaning in reporting Jewish stories. There is sweetness in tracking the acceptance of Jewish thought in American politics or chronicling cultural icons like Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. Yet the deeper resonance comes from grappling with the hard stories: the AIPAC espionage case, the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, the Charlottesville march, and the perpetual reckoning with antisemitism.

In these moments, I have seen the profound impact of Jewish identity on decision-making. Bethany Mandel’s resilience after her conversion rabbi filmed her and more than 150 others in the mikveh; Laura Moser’s decision to move her family to Berlin after encountering pervasive antisemitism in her congressional campaign and Jake Tapper’s public invocation of biblical commandments during Donald Trump’s impeachment hearings — these stories highlight the strength and complexity of Jewish life.

As I step away from daily reporting, I carry these stories with me. The burden of bearing witness is immense, but the privilege is equally profound. To chronicle Jewish history is to be part of an ancient continuum. Despite the pain, despite the doubt, I have always chosen to bear witness. Now, as I step off the beat that has defined my career and into retirement, I am reassured that my colleagues will continue to make that choice, however difficult it may be at times. For how could we not?

Ron Kampeas is JTA's Washington Bureau Chief. He worked previously at The Associated Press. While living in Israel, he also worked for the Jerusalem Post. He has won two Rockowers, Jewish media’s premiere journalism award. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.

A portrait of the writer by sketch artist Emily Goff. Credit: Emily N Goff, 2023, all rights reserved.

What David Brooks and Bob Dylan teach Jews about heresy

ANDREW SILOW-CARROLL

JTA

A Complete Unknown, the new Bob Dylan biopic set in the early 1960s, ends years before the singer’s controversial “gospel” period. Starting with 1979’s Slow Train Coming, Dylan recorded three albums exploring his apparent embrace of Christianity. For his 1980 tour, he played gospel music exclusively. It was a confusing time for Dylan’s Jewish fans. As the movie suggests only obliquely, the guitar-carrying hitchhiker who tried to pass himself off as a former carnival barker was actually Bobby Zimmerman, a Jewish kid from Hibbing, Minnesota. As the New York Jewish Week once explained, “His parents were presidents of the local B’nai B’rith and Hadassah, and he grew up kosher, in a home that knew tefillin and Yiddish. He was sent to the religious Zionist Camp Herzl.” Dylan’s “conversion” felt personal to those fans, who saw him as both a role model and a delegate to the non-Jewish world. “It would be hard to overstate the horror that many Jewish Dylan fans and followers felt during this period,” Eric Alterman has written. For some, the “horror” led to rationalizing Dylan’s Christian phase or even denying it. As Alterman himself wrote, “rebellion against Jewishness turns out to be one of the most productive ways to be a Jew.”

Well, maybe. But such contortions can also be a little patronizing, telling the apostate that their conversion didn’t “count.” Or they falsely promise that other Jews will accept you as Jewish no matter what you believe. Celebrating the “Jewish heretic” doesn’t account for how threatening it was and still can be when prominent Jews embrace Christianity or other faiths. It’s hard to be sanguine when so much antisemitism was postulated on the idea that Judaism was a historical mistake Jews can fix by taking Jesus into their hearts.

“For the Jew, Christianity is a heresy, an elevation of a false messiah,” Mark Oppenheimer, editor of the newly revamped religion site ARC, wrote last week. “Which is not to say that the Gospels are not great literature, or don’t have worthwhile teachings; but for the Jew, they are not divine.”

Oppenheimer was responding to a Dec. 19 essay by David Brooks, The Shock of Faith: It’s Nothing Like I Thought It Would Be, in which the New York Times columnist describes his spiritual journey from “practicing Jew” (as he was once described in The New Yorker) to “one who believes in the Old and New Testaments.” It’s a journey certain kinds of Jewish readers have been following for years, the way Taylor Swift fans track the details of her love life.

“Today, I feel more Jewish than ever, but as I once told some friends, I can’t unread Matthew,” writes Brooks, describing his deep dive into Christian theology. “For me, the Beatitudes are the part of the Bible where the celestial grandeur most dazzlingly shines through. So these days I’m enchanted by both Judaism and Christianity. I assent to the whole shebang.”

I am hesitant to call Brooks a Christian, because he doesn’t describe himself that way. Oppenheimer has no such qualms. “There is a name for people who believe in the ‘whole shebang’ of Judaism and Christianity: they are called ‘Christians,’” he writes.

Oppenheimer acknowledges that Brooks’ faith is ultimately

What’s everybody reading?

ANDREW SILOW-CARROLL

JTA

Last December, in a column about the Jewish books of 2023, I predicted that “next year’s list will include a slew of books dealing with the crisis in Israel or will be read through the lens of the war.”

It was an easy call: If this year’s nonfiction Jewish authors didn’t focus directly on the tragedy or aftermath of Oct. 7 — Israeli journalist Lee Yaron in 10/7: 100 Human Stories, massacre survivor Amir Tibon in “The Gates of Gaza” and Adam Kirsch in On Settler Colonialism: Ideology, Violence, and Justice, to name a few — many added a chapter on the crisis to projects that had long been in the works.

Joshua Leifer told me he had to rewrite “about 20,000 words” of Tablets Shattered: The End of an American Jewish Century and the Future of Jewish Life, his autobiographical critique of the Jewish mainstream. Three books of Jewish theology intended for wide audiences — To Be a Jew Today by Noah Feldman, The Triumph of Life by Rabbi Irving Yitz Greenberg and Judaism Is About Love by Rabbi Shai Held — included additional chapters taking into account the fresh wounds and nascent implications of the attack and the war.

In a typical year, the books by Leifer, Feldman, Greenberg and Held — and perhaps The Amen Effect, an inspirational volume by Rabbi Sharon Brous — would have competed for the book that best captured the Jewish moment and discourse. It’s a category I’ve been thinking about lately, after asking JTA readers to suggest Jewish books that define 21st-century Jewry and that — here’s the key part — are likely to be found on the shelves of the Jewish readers they know. I was inspired by uni-

his own business, and that Judaism is a big tent that includes the nonobservant, doubters and even atheists. (“Judaism is not only a faith but a tribe, a culture, and a life style, and the motivations behind conversion are as varied as Jewishness itself,” writes Jeannie Suk Gersen in a New Yorker essay about her own recent conversion to Judaism.) But he describes how Brooks’ syncretic, “sort of Christian-ish, sort of Jew-ish” beliefs are not just historically incompatible, but lead Brooks to distort Judaism itself. Judaism is not an attitude or a “nostalgia trip” that can neatly accommodate divergent spiritual beliefs, including Christianity; it is a counterculture that, Oppenheimer writes, “comes with obligation, to practices and to people.”

Oppenheimer’s pique with Brooks reminded me of a New Yorker cartoon by Roz Chast, in which a Jews for Jesus recruiter sits behind a sign reading, “Jews for Jesus and also for pissing off one’s parents, even if they weren’t religious, in a way that the Hare Krishnas can’t even begin to imagine.” That kind of Jewish anxiety was compounded by a Pew study in 2013 that found that a third of all Jewish respondents said they had a Christmas tree at home, and 34 percent who said belief in Jesus as the messiah was compatible with being Jewish. (“This does not mean that most Jews think those things are good,” Alan Cooperman, deputy director of Pew Research Center’s Religion and Public Life Project, said at the time. “They are saying that those things do not disqualify a person from being Jewish.”)

In contrast to Oppenheimer, there was the reaction by Rabbi Josh Feigelson, president and CEO of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. In a Facebook post, he addresses Brooks with “compassion,” wondering if the writer turned to Christianity because the ideas that draw him — sanctity, service and intimacy with God — were missing from his own Jewish upbringing.

“So much of what Brooks describes in his piece sounds, to me at any rate, familiar: Someone raised in a Jewish home and in institutional Jewish life who didn’t find what he was looking for on a spiritual level and, eventually, sought it in other traditions,” writes Feigelson. “Over and over as I read his column, I found myself wondering if Brooks was aware that these same rich concepts exist in thick, rich Jewish language — that he could find many of the jewels he sought right in his own backyard.”

versally read, era-defining books like 1958’s Exodus by Leon Uris, which fed and presaged the Zionist fervor of the 1960s, and World of Our Fathers by Irving Howe, which in the 1970s remembered what the children and grandchildren of Eastern European immigrants were already starting to forget.

I’ll get to the readers’ nominees in a moment, but I want to start by suggesting that it is still too early to pick a book, or books, that best reflects where Jews have landed in the wake of Oct. 7. The war still grinds on, and the Jewish community remains uncertain how it will end or what it will ultimately mean. Some themes are emerging, including resurgent antisemitism, the international isolation of Israel, a rupture between Jews and the political left, and perhaps a return to Jewish religious practice and belonging. Any author will need some time and distance to make sense of the upheaval.

It may not be surprising then that the book most frequently suggested by the dozens of readers who responded to my callout, People Love Dead Jews, anticipated these upheavals and the Jews’ sense of abandonment. Novelist Dara Horn’s first nonfiction collection, published in 2021, posited that societies that are happy building memorials and museums to Jewish suffering are reluctant to show respect or understanding to actual living Jewish communities. The book “really helped me wrap my head around present-day antisemitism,” wrote reader Marianne Leloir Grange. For many readers, People Love Dead Jews serves as a skeleton key to understanding the worldwide backlash against Israel in a war that began when Hamas slaughtered 1,200 mostly Jews on Oct. 7. As Horn explained in an interview in April with the online European Jewish magazine K., “You’ll see that people love dead Jews, as long as they’re vulnerable and helpless.

Oppenheimer faults Brooks for creating a false dichotomy between an “earthy, fun, perhaps mischievous” Judaism and a Christianity more attuned to the “sublime.” Feigelson sees what Brooks calls his “overly intellectual nature” standing in the way of the spiritual. Not surprisingly, Oppenheimer asks Brooks to “stop writing about Judaism, now.” Feigelson invites Brooks to come on a retreat with the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.

Brooks’ essay appeared in the week before Christmas and the first day of Hanukkah, which owing to the quirks of the Jewish calendar only rarely overlap. That’s led to inevitable reporting on “Chrismukkah” and how the convergence is being marked, especially by interfaith families. The Times had another essay last week, this one by a Jewish man married to a Catholic woman describing the Hanukkah and Christmas celebrations his family planned.

The essay by Dan Saltzstein makes no theological claims, but I was struck by a comment left by a reader. “The meaning of Christmas is lost on many, but not most,” writes “Bunkhars.”

“After Easter, Christmas time to me is the most sacred and filled with deep spiritual meaning. I don’t take offense easily, but I do this time around. Chrismukkah or whatever they call the birth of Christ — my Savior and Redeemer — is just not so. Call it Shoppukkah or Drinkukkah or Giftukkah, but not in my face and not [in] a national paper.”

It turns out a Christian reader can also feel threatened by “sort of Christian-ish, sort of Jew-ish” mashups. I can only wonder what Bunkhars thought of Brooks’ essay.

Bob Dylan’s Jewish fans take comfort in his trips to Israel since his Gospels phase. He’s done fundraisers for Chabad and showed up in a California shul for Yom Kippur services. In 1983 he recorded “Neighborhood Bully,” which a former colleague of mine called “the most passionate, stinging advocacy of Israel’s situation ever written.”

Still, if not a complete unknown, his religious journey seems to be a complicated one. “I’m a religious person,” Dylan told The Wall Street Journal in 2022. “I read the scriptures a lot, meditate and pray, light candles in church. I believe in damnation and salvation, as well as predestination. The Five Books of Moses, Pauline Epistles, Invocation of the Saints, all of it.”

For all their qualms about syncretism and heresy, Jews have been hesitant to cast other Jews out of the fold. It’s a principle that goes back to the Talmud: “Even when the Jewish people have sinned, they are still called ‘Israel.’” More recently, Jews remember how Nazis persecuted people as Jews without drawing distinctions around belief, belonging or even self-definition. These days, when extreme voices call other Jews heretics, the topic is more likely to be Israel than religion. Dylan is 84 and he should live to 120, pu pu pu. But when he dies, I am confident that Jewish outlets like ours will eulogize him as a Jew. As “A Complete Unknown” tries to make clear, the “real” Bob Dylan is impossible to pin down. Besides, Jews consider winning a Nobel Prize its own kind of mitzvah.

Andrew Silow-Carroll is editor at large of the New York Jewish Week and managing editor for Ideas for the JTA. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.

In fact, I found it remarkable how much people seemed to relish the idea of showing their support for murdered Jews, until Israel responded with force. That’s how people love the Jews: powerless to stop their own slaughter. As soon as the Jews show any capacity for action, it’s all over.”

(When I asked Horn this week what books spoke to her this year, she said she appreciated Kirsch’s book, the anthology Young Zionist Voices edited by David Hazony, and Benjamin Resnick’s dystopian novel Next Stop.)

Another frequently mentioned book seemed almost to act as a balm to Horn’s thesis: The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride. Last year’s best-selling, prize-winning historical novel is set in a small Pennsylvania town at a moment when immigrant Jews and poor Black families found common cause. ‘The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store’ by James McBride is probably one of the most popular recent books likely to be on an American Jew’s bookshelf,” Galina Vromen wrote me. “I would argue that part of the attraction to Jews today is in light of antisemitism and nostalgia when Jews and Blacks saw themselves on the same side of just causes and Jews were not regarded as enemy white people.”

Andrew Silow-Carroll is editor at large of the New York Jewish Week and managing editor for Ideas for the JTA. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.

Editors Note: This story was edited for length. To read the full story please visit: https://www.jta.org/2024/12/22/ ideas/whats-everybody-reading-readers-suggest-thedefining-jewish-books-of-the-21st-century.

Credit: JTA Illustration. Svenska Dagbladet via IMS Vintage Photos/Wikipedia; Jay Godwin/Wikipedia; Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest

Synagogues

B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

618 Mynster Street Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766

712.322.4705 www.cblhs.org

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE

Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California Street Omaha, NE 68154-1980

402.492.8550 bethel-omaha.org

BETH ISRAEL

SYNAGOGUE

Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street Omaha, NE. 68154

402.556.6288 BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org

CHABAD HOUSE

An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street Omaha, NE 68144-1646

402.330.1800 OChabad.com email: chabad@aol.com

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY:

B’NAI JESHURUN

South Street Temple

Union for Reform Judaism 2061 South 20th Street Lincoln, NE 68502-2797

402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org

OFFUTT AIR

FORCE BASE

Capehart Chapel 2500 Capehart Road Offutt AFB, NE 68123

402.294.6244 email: oafbjsll@icloud.com

TEMPLE ISRAEL

Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive Omaha, NE 68144-1206

402.556.6536 templeisraelomaha.com

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY:

TIFERETH ISRAEL

Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Boulevard Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 402.423.8569 tiferethisraellincoln.org

Monthly Speaker Series Service, Friday, Jan. 10, 7:30 p.m. with our guest speaker. Our service leader is Larry Blass. Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel!

For information about our historic synagogue, please visit our website at www.cblhs.org or contact any of our other board members: Renee Corcoran, Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Janie Kulakofsky, Howard Kutler, Carole and Wayne Lainof, Ann Moshman, MaryBeth Muskin, Debbie Salomon and Sissy Silber. Handicap Accessible.

Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman.

IN-PERSON AND ZOOM MINYAN SCHEDULE:

Mornings on Sundays, 9:30 a.m.; Mondays and Thursdays, 7 a.m.; Evenings on Sunday-Thursday, 5:30 p.m.

FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream; Our Shabbat Tables in homes.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m. at Beth El and Live Stream; Jr. Congregation (Grades K12), 10 a.m.; Havdalah, 5:55 p.m. Beth El and Zoom.

SUNDAY: BESTT (Grades K-7), 9:30 a.m.; A Journey Through The Shabbat Siddur, 10:30 a.m. with Hazzan Krausman; Torah Tots (Ages 3-PreK), 10:45 a.m.; Hands-On Judaism, 11:15 a.m. with Hazzan Krausman.

TUESDAY: Mishneh Torah, 6 p.m. with Rabbi Abraham; Rabbi Shlomo Brody, 7:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: BESTT (Grades 3-7), 4 p.m.; Hebrew High (Grades 8-12), 6 p.m.

THURSDAY: Eretz Yisrael Zoom Series — Ilai Saltzman, 7:30 p.m.

FRIDAY-Jan. 17: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream

SATURDAY-Jan. 18: Shabbat Morning Services and Bat Mitzvah of Leah Dubrow 10 a.m. at Beth El and Live Stream; Jr. Congregation (Grades K-12), 10 a.m.; Havdalah, 6 p.m. Beth El and Zoom. Please visit bethel-omaha.org for additional information and service links.

FRIDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat/Candlelighting, 4:57 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat 10:30 a.m.; Youth Class 10:45 a.m.; Soulful Torah, 4:05 p.m. with Rabbi Geiger; Mincha 4:50 p.m.; Kids Activity/Laws of Shabbos 5:20 p.m.; Havdalah, 6:01 p.m.

SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Kinyan, 9:40 a.m.; Men’s Spin & Torah, 11 a.m. at the JCC; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 5 p.m.

MONDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Monday Mind Builders, 4 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv 5 p.m.

TUESDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv 5 p.m.; Kinyan 5:35 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5 p.m.

THURSDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7

a.m.; Character Development, 9:30 a.m.; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 5 p.m.; Kinyan, 5:35 p.m.

FRIDAY-Jan. 17: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat/Candlelighting, 5:05 p.m.; MMB Shabbat Dinner, 5:30 p.m.

SATURDAY-Jan. 18: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat 10:30 a.m.; Youth Class, 10:45 a.m.; Soulful Torah, 4:05 p.m. with Rabbi Geiger; Mincha 4:50 p.m.; Kids Activity/Laws of Shabbos, 5:20 p.m.; Havdalah, 6:09 p.m.; Melave Malka in memory of the yahrzeit of Rabbi Grodzinsky z”l, 6:15 p.m.

Please visit orthodoxomaha.org for additional information and Zoom service links.

All services are in-person. All classes are being offered in-person and via Zoom (ochabad.com/academy). For more information or to request help, please visit www.ochabad.com or call the office at 402.330.1800.

FRIDAY: Shacharit 8 a.m.; Lechayim, 4:30 p.m. go to ochabad.com/Lechayim to join; Candlelighting, 4:56 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shacharit, 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 6:01 p.m.

SUNDAY: Sunday Morning Wraps, 9 a.m.; Youth Challah Bake, 3 p.m. Registration and more info at ochabad.com/youthbake

MONDAY: Shacharit 8 a.m.; Personal Parsha 9:30 a.m.; Intermediate Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Parsha Reading, 6 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Translating Words of Prayer, 7 p.m. with David Cohen.

TUESDAY: Shacharit 8 a.m.; Translating Words of Prayer, 11 a.m. with David Cohen; Intermediate Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 6 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Introductory Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 7 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen.

WEDNESDAY: Shacharit 8 a.m.; Mystical Thinking (Tanya), 9:30 a.m.; Introductory Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Parsha Reading, 11:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen.

THURSDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Introduction to Alphabet, Vowels & Reading Hebrew, 10 a.m.; Advanced Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 11 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Talmud Study, noon-1 p.m. with Rabbi Katzman; Introduction to Alphabet, Vowels & Reading Hebrew, 6 p.m.; Code of Jewish Law Class, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY-Jan. 17: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Lechayim, 4:30 p.m. go to ochabad.com/Lechayim to join; Candlelighting, 5:04 p.m.; Chabad Young Professionals International Shabbaton.

SATURDAY-Jan. 18: Shacharit 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Chabad Young Professionals International Shabbaton; Shabbat Ends, 6:08 p.m.

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN & TIFERETH ISRAEL

Services facilitated by Rabbi Alex Felch. All services offered in-person with live-stream or teleconferencing options.

FRIDAY: Shabbat Candlelighting, 5 p.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6:30-7:30 p.m. led by Rabbi Alex at SST.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Service, 9:30-11 a.m. led by Rabbi Alex at TI; Torah Study, noon on Parshat Vayechi led by TBD via Zoom; Havdalah, 6:05 p.m.

SUNDAY: LJCS Classes, 9:30-11:30 a.m. at TI; Men’s Bike/Coffee Group, 10:30 a.m. at The Mill on the Innovation Campus. For more information or questions please email Al Weiss at albertw801@gmail.com; Adult Ed: Intro to Judaism Class, noon at TI.

TUESDAY: SST Board Meeting 7-9 p.m. via Zoom.

WEDNESDAY: LJCS Hebrew School, 4:30-6 p.m. at TI.

FRIDAY-Jan. 17: Shabbat Candlelighting, 5:08 p.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6:30-7:30 p.m. led by Rabbi Alex at SST.

SATURDAY-Jan. 18: Shabbat Service, 9:30-11 a.m. led by Rabbi Alex at TI; Torah Study, noon on Parshat Shemot led by TBD via Zoom; Potluck Dinner and Family Game Night, 6 p.m. at SST. Please bring a dish to share. All ages are welcome; Havdalah, 6:05 p.m.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE

FRIDAYS: Virtual Shabbat Service, 7:30 p.m. every first and third of the month at Capehart Chapel. Contact TSgt Jason Rife at OAFBJSLL@icloud.com for more information.

TEMPLE ISRAEL

In-person and virtual services conducted by Rabbi Benjamin Sharff, Rabbi Deana Sussman Berezin, and Cantor Joanna Alexander.

FRIDAY: Drop-In Mah Jongg, 9 a.m. In-Person; Say Sh-Aloha Tot Shabbat, 5:45 p.m. In-Person; Classic Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. In-Person & Zoom.

SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. In-Person; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. In-Person & Zoom.

SUNDAY: Second Sunday Breakfast Service, 9 a.m. at Stephen Center; Grades PreK-7, 9:30 a.m. In-Person; Coffee and Conversation with Board Members, 10 a.m. In-Person; Book Club, 10:30 a.m. In-Person & Zoom; Prayer Preparation: Chanting and Reading Prayers, 1 p.m. In-Person.

WEDNESDAY: Yarn It, 9 a.m. In-Person; Grades 36, 4:30 p.m. In-Person; Hebrew High: Grades 8-12 Beit Midrash, 6 p.m. at Beth El — In-Person.

THURSDAY: The Zohar: Thursday Morning Class, 11 a.m. with Rabbi Sharff and Rabbi Azriel — In-Person & Zoom; Israel-Palestine Class Part II, 6:30 p.m. InPerson.

FRIDAY-Jan. 17: Drop-In Mah Jongg, 9 a.m. In-Person; Shabbat B’yachad Service, 6 p.m. In-Person & Zoom.

SATURDAY-Jan. 18: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. In-Person; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. In-Person & Zoom. Please visit templeisraelomaha.com for additional information and Zoom service links.

US ambassador to Israel calls Gaza famine warning ‘inaccurate’

JTA

Jack Lew, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, said that a humanitarian group’s report on famine conditions in northern Gaza was “outdated and inaccurate” because its population figures were incorrect.

The group now says it is reviewing its assessment, and will release an update next month.

Lew was responding to a Monday report by the Famine Early Warning Systems Network that said, based on several factors, that “the food consumption and acute malnutrition thresholds for Famine (IPC Phase 5) have now been surpassed in North Gaza Governorate.” It warned that additional famine conditions could be met as soon as next month.

The group does not have a presence on the ground in Gaza, and Lew released a statement Tuesday saying the population figures cited in the report were out of date, impacting its conclusions. The report cited two population estimates — one of 65,000-75,000 people from November, and another more recent one of 10,000-15,000.

Lew claimed that the larger figure was “the basis

of the report” but that the lower figure was a better estimate, citing a range of 7,000-15,000 based on Israeli and United Nations sources.

“We have worked closely with the Government of Israel and the UN to provide greater access to the North Governorate,” Lew said. “At a time when inaccurate information is causing confusion and accusations, it is irresponsible to issue a report like this. We work day and night with the UN and our Israeli partners to meet humanitarian needs — which are great — and relying on inaccurate data is irresponsible.”

Now, a notice at the top of the humanitarian group’s Gaza webpage says the Monday report “is under further review and is expected to be re-released with updated data and analysis in January.”

The report was the latest in a series of assessments from humanitarian groups this year warning of dire humanitarian conditions and impending famine in Gaza, with the United States calling on Israel to do more to let in aid. Recent reports have said Israel is clearing out portions of northern Gaza, prompting criticism and accusations of misconduct, including from a former Israeli defense

minister.

Israel has said that it is not hindering the delivery of aid and has accused Hamas of stealing it. In response to a warning from the Biden administration earlier this year, Israel said it would take additional measures to let in humanitarian aid.

Last month, the White House did not follow through on an October threat to cut military assistance if more humanitarian supplies did not flow into Gaza, saying Israel had taken action to increase the flow of aid.

OBITUARY CHANGES

As of January 1, 2025, the Jewish Press will charge $180 for the inclusion of standard obituaries, up to 400 words. Photos may be included if the family so wishes. For many years, we have held off on making this decision. However, it is no longer financially responsible for us to include obituaries at no charge. For questions, please email avandekamp@ jewishomaha.org. Obituaries in the Jewish Press are included in our print edition as well as our website at www.omahajewishpress.com

B’NAI ISRAEL

BETH EL

BETH ISRAEL

CHABAD HOUSE

BEN SALES

Life cycles

NAST COFMAN

PHILIP

Philip Nast Cofman of Fitchburg, Massachusetts passed away peacefully on Dec. 26, 2024 at age 91 in Omaha. Services were held on Dec. 29, 2024 at Temple Israel Cemetery and were officated by Rabbi Deana Sussman Berezin.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Benjamin and Florence Cofman; his siblings: Chuck Cofman, Minna Katz and Babsy Krichmar.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Marsha Cofman; their three children: Kathy and Larry Siref, Mitch and Laura Cofman, and Shira Suggs; his brother, Burton Cofman and his wife Alice; numerous grandchildren; great-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews. Philip dedicated his career to the Jewish Community Centers and was awarded the Purple Heart for his service in the Korean War. His memory will live on in all who knew him.

NANCY FRIEDLAND

Nancy Friedland passed away on Dec. 21, 2024 at age 85. A memorial service was held on Dec. 24, 2024 at Temple Israel and were officated by Rabbi Deana Sussman Berezin.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Paul and Evalyn Blotcky; her brother, Alan Blotcky and husband, David Friedland.

She is survived by her three children, Melissa Steiner (Gary), Paula Boggust (Matt), Ted Friedland (Jamie); and nine grandchildren: Julia and Luke Steiner, Annie, Harry, Jane, and Emma Boggust, and Rose, Alex, and Sam Friedland.

Nancy was born on June 5, 1939. She was a lifelong resident of Omaha and loved her hometown more than any other place. Her greatest joy was to be surrounded by friends and family. Always an early riser, Nancy worked hard to make a beautiful home for her husband and children. They will fondly remember her great style and wonderful family meals and celebrations. Memorials may be made to the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation and Temple Israel.

SARAH KADER

Sarah (nee Brona) Kader of Omaha passed away on Dec. 24, 2024 at age of 87. Services were held on Dec. 25, 2024 at Beth El Synagogue.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Fred Jeruzalski Kader of Omaha; her father, Morris Brona and mother, Annie (nee Kader) Brona; sisters: Freda (nee Brona) Feldstein, Ruth (nee Brona) Isler and Esther (nee Brona) Stein.

She is survived by her children, Howard Kader (Lori) of Ellicott City, MD, Eileen Clignett (Edwin) of Omaha, and Darrin Kader (Karen) of Omaha; and grandchildren: Joseph (Katie) and Emily Kader, Brittney and Jason Clignett, Lindsey and Jeremy Kader, Ashley (Matt) McNealas; many special nieces and nephews.

Sarah (nee Brona) Kader was born on July 12, 1937. She lived a full and loving life. She was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, to Morris Brona and Annie Kader. She moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, with her family where after high school worked several

jobs, including at IBM, until she met the love of her life, Fred. Sarah and Fred shared a special love affair for over 60years. Her devotion to him was endearing and steadfast. For many years she worked side by side with Fred helping to run his medical practice. By all accounts she was a wonderful mother and doting grandmother who would do anything for her family. She will be remembered for her kindness, friendliness, compassion, caring and self-sacrifice. Although quiet and reserved, Sarah lived her life by her principles: integrity, humility and compassion.

Sarah enjoyed the Pacific Coast with its ocean, sandy beaches, majestic scenery and warmer climates, feeling especially at home in Southern California or Hawaii. She loved palm trees, tropical plants, especially the Bird of Paradise, and most of all, ice cream.

Memorials may be made to The American Macular Degeneration Foundation at https://www.macular.org/want-to-help/ donate or to Beth El Synagogue Scholarships & Grants at www.bethel-omaha.org/payment.php and choose Youth Education Fund and enter Scholarships and Grants or Music Fund in the Payment Notes section.

MIA BRYNN KRICSFELD

Mia Brynn Kricsfeld, daughter Michael and Megan Kricsfeld of Overland Park, KS, will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, at Congregation Beth Shalom in Overland Park, KS.

Mia is a student at Lakewood Middle School in Overland Park, KS

Mia enjoys dancing, theatre, reading and spending time with her friends and family. She also loves following Sporting KC and the Chiefs.

For her mitzvah project, Mia is assembling “comfort bags” to distribute to people in need throughout the Kansas City Metro area. These bags contain essentials like socks, bottled water, hand warmers, high-energy food and other items to provide nourishment and comfort to those on the streets.

She has a sister, Lauren Finley Kricsfeld. Grandparents are Cheryl and Richard Diamond of Omaha; Dr. Barry and Barbara Kricsfeld of Omaha; Karen Bram Miller of Overland Park, Kansas; and the late Doug Murphy.

Great-grandmother is Irene Murphy of Lincoln, NE.

ANNOUNCEMENT

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BAT MITZVAH

Deadly Deception at Sobibor: Nazi crimes uncovered with new scientific technologies

DR. JEANNETTE GABRIEL

Director, Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies

The University of Nebraska-Omaha’s Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies and the Samuel Bak Museum and Learning Center are hosting a screening of the award-winning documentary, Deadly Deception at Sobibor, followed by a discussion with film director, Gary Hochman. The event will take place at the Strauss Performing Arts Center on the University of Nebraska Omaha main campus on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2025 at 7 p.m. Registration is required and can be found on the Schwalb Center website.

Unlike other Holocaust documentaries, this 2023 film traces current events as archeologists conduct an unprecedented tenyear long investigation on the historic crime scene. In 2008 Hochman came to Sobibor to document a geophysics survey taking place at the site which showed there was no footprint left by the Nazis. However, the first year of the archeological dig uncovered thousands of artifacts. The second year the dig focused on an area between the forest and the remains of the gas chambers now covered with a piece of asphalt which revealed the winding path between the camp’s barracks and gas chambers nicknamed “The Road to Heaven” in German. “That was when I realized I wanted to be involved long-term in documenting this work, because you don’t know what you’ll find,” said Hochman. Throughout the film the events of the past are brought alive through live-action scenes and 3-D animations as history and science are woven together to uncover discoveries of Nazi crimes.

Year after year the archeological digs brought to the surface artifacts documenting the massacre of 250,000 Jews between 1942 and 1943, including barracks, gas chambers, mass graves and 70,000 artifacts including name tags of Sobibor victims,

bullets, teeth, wedding rings and prayer pendants. Eye-witness testimony by Sobibor survivor Philip Bialowitz highlights the personal impact of the massacres. The film is narrated by fiftyyear Broadway star and film actress Tovah Feldshuh. The international archeological team included Yoram Haimi of Israel, Wojtek Mazurek of Poland, and Ivar Schute of the Netherlands. All these archeologists had personal investments in the outcome of the project and uncovered additional clues at Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Israel, Memorial de la Shoah in Paris, the National Archives in Washington, and Frank-

furt, Germany. Haimi was on a personal journey to find out what happened to his two Moroccan uncles when they disappeared from Paris in 1943. Through the project he identified a trail of Nazi records leading him from the streets of Paris to the forest at Sobibor where they were murdered. Shute sought to give voice to the 34,000 Jews from the Netherlands who were murdered at Sobibor and Mazurek was on a mission to reveal Poland’s own complex history.

Viewers are taken through a journey with archeologists, geologists, historians and amateur genealogists to show how multiple experts, sources, and scientific and historic approaches are needed to uncover the full story of the Sobibor massacres. “The history of Sobibor is a tale of detection with many parts,” said Hochman, who called the investigations he filmed “a new form of first-person testimony of victims from beyond the grave.”

“Each object found represents a voice silenced by the Nazi factory of death that states, ‘I was here’ and ‘this is what happened.’ That is what’s important about video documentation,” said Hochman.

The film shows Polish local school trip at Sobibor where children pray next to the mass graves after learning about what took place from their priest. Local residents also participated in the excavation, sharing knowledge of Sobibor with researchers while sifting through tons of dirt.

Speaking to the current importance of the film Hochman said, “I think talking about Sobibor, now, even after 80 years is absolutely relevant. We live in an era of rising intolerance, antisemitism, growing authoritarian ambitions, denial, distortion, and routine claims of “fake news” — all elements that contributed to the outcome of Sobibor in the first place.”

Filmmaker Gary Hochman at the Sobibor excavations in Poland