January 17, 2020

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Getting back to Body Basics Omaha Israel Art Trip Pages A4+A5

Read it and eat: Pomegroni Page A8

David and Adam Kutler

GABBY BLAIR Staff Writer, Jewish Press ith the New Year come resolutions, many of which focus on taking steps to improve health. Gyms are usually packed until resolve wanes or the busyness of life gets in the way. Making time to work out requires a commitment that often falls by the wayside; just one more thing penciled into an already overflowing schedule. Alternatively, perhaps the gym just is not a comfortable or feasible environment for some. Either way, one option is to invest in fitness equipment for home, where it will always be readily available and convenient to use.

Body Basics, family owned and operated since 1986 by David Kutler, has been at the

W More doctors changing approach to end-of-life care Page B1

How to make a difference for women battling breast cancer Page B8

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forefront of bringing the gym home for over 30 years. Today, Kutler’s son Adam and longtime employees help him to manage the business, which is conveniently located in Rockbrook Village. “When my brothers and I were younger we would help out in the store warehouse,” Adam reminisces. “My mother, aunt and other various relatives have also helped at the store and administratively over the years.”

Well into their third decade, the Kutlers share that much of their business comes from word of mouth and referrals. “We are seeing some third-generation family customers and that really means a lot -and says a lot about us- as a business. We have also had a lot of support from within the Jewish community where not only residential but See Body Basics page A3

B3 B4 B6

SARA KOHEN Director of Advancement, Friedel Jewish Academy Two opportunities to visit Friedel Jewish Academy—one for adults and the other for kids—are coming up in the next few weeks. First, all adults in the community—not just parents— are invited to Friedel’s Community Open House on Thursday, Jan. 30.

See Friedel Open House page A3

The Man in the High Castle I. THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE I’ve recently been binge-watching The Man in the High Castle on Amazon Prime.

It’s an alternate-history story about a world where the Axis Powers won RABBI BRIAN World War II. STOLLER The United Temple Israel States is partitioned into three sectors: the western part of the country is now the Japanese Pacific States. The central corridor of the country is called the Neutral Zone. And the eastern part of the country, the largest segment, is under German control – part of what is now called the “Greater Nazi Reich.”

Throughout the series, they give you bits of information, in subtle dialogue and graphic flashbacks, about what happened to the Jews and African Americans, and other minorities in the Nazis’ conquest of America.

Some of the most chilling scenes, for me, are when they show flashbacks of former American soldiers who, at some point, switched sides and became Nazis – and they’re rounding up Jews and forcibly separating parents and children and shooting them in the streets.

We know these stories from our Holocaust history, of course – but they always happened in far-away places in Europe with foreign sounding names like Vilna and Bialystok and Babi-yar.

But what’s so chilling about this show is that, when they show the name of the place on the screen where the round-ups and killings are happening, it’s cities like New York and Cincinnati.

And there’s something really sobering and terrifying about that.

Martha Nussbaum, who’s a literary critic and professor at the University of Chicago, says that there’s something about fiction that makes it powerful in ways that non-fiction isn’t. One thing fiction does is that it opens a window into aspects of life that we would otherwise never see.

When we read history books or watch documentaries about the Holocaust, it’s terrifying and heartsickening – but in our minds we know that it’s history: it happened then; it’s not now.

But when we read or watch fiction, like The Man in the High Castle, we process it differently. Even though we know it’s just a story, good fiction draws us into a world, See Rabbi Stoller page A2

A2 | The Jewish Press | January 17, 2020

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Rabbi Stoller: A reflection on the rise in antisemitism in America Continued from page A1 and invites us to empathize with the characters, and to imagine what it’s like to be in their shoes, and to live in their world.

And I’m finding that seeing images on the screen of American Nazis rounding up and shooting Jews in Cincinnati and New York City – even though we know it’s a fictional story – is terrifying in an unexpected way.

I don’t know exactly what it is: it’s something about the way the show is done, I guess. But for the first time, as a result of watching this show, I feel like something like that actually could happen in America.

To me, it’s not feeling like something from a far off time and place anymore. I know it’s just a show, but it feels to me like it could be real.

II. RECENT ANTISEMITIC INCIDENTS Maybe it’s because of what’s been going on these last couple of weeks in New York and New Jersey. There was that stabbing of Jews gathered to celebrate Hanukkah in a rabbi’s home last week and a shooting at a kosher market recently.

But those are just the most prominent incidents. Jews of all ages have been attacked and beaten and threatened and shouted at across the area.

There have been something like nine or 10 attacks against Jews right here in America in just these last couple of weeks!

And of course, we know that there has been an unmistak- Credit: Amazon able increase in antisemitic attacks in America over the last couple of years. This is well-documented by the ADL. It was barely more than a year ago that 11 Jews were murdered in their synagogue in Pittsburgh, and it was only April when one woman was killed and several were injured in a Chabad House in Poway, CA. This is real in America right now. It’s not to the level of what is depicted in The Man in the High Castle, thank God, but it’s bad. And tragic.

III. ANTISEMITISM DEFIES EASY NARRATIVES The question is always: why is this happening? Who’s to blame?

It’s human nature to want a simple explanation. To try to bring clarity out of chaos.

That’s why we construct narratives – stories that seem to explain everything. We gravitate toward them and hold on to them, because they’re easy to understand, and they make sense.

Why is antisemtism on the rise in America?

Well, it’s because of white nationalism, we say. We know there’s an increase in white nationalist activity, and they hate Jews, and they commit acts of violence and hatred against us.

And that is undoubtedly true. It’s documented. White nationalism is scary, and it’s a problem today, seemingly more so than it was before.: A reflection One of my colleagues in the Chicago area posted on Facebook that after Shabbat services last week, a man in a pickup truck yelled “Seig Heil” at a group of his congregants as they were leaving the temple.

But then – the guy who stabbed the people at the Hanukkah party last week wasn’t a white nationalist. He wasn't even white. Neither were the shooters in the kosher market.

As one of my rabbinic colleagues said in a Facebook post the other day, “Many of the perpetrators in the New York area, including the one in Monsey, have been black, which makes the white supremacist narrative difficult to apply right now.”

My aim here is not to excuse or focus blame on any one

group or figure. Precisely the opposite. My point is that the narratives we rely on, clear and easy as they may be, are flawed.

There is no one explanation for why this is happening.

White nationalism is surely a big factor, but clearly not the only factor. There are others – a whole constellation of them, I’m sure. Some we can identify, others we can’t.

The point is that antisemitism defies simple narratives. It always has.

IV. HISTORY OF ANTISEMITISM One common narrative is that antisemitism has to do with economic resentment against the Jews because we’re wealthy and powerful.

That was surely a factor in the Nazi era, but it wasn’t always.

Antisemitism has been around since ancient times – literally. There are ancient Egyptian texts that accuse Jews of cannibalism, and human sacrifice, and refusing to work on Shabbat because we have swollen glands in our groins.

In the Book of Esther, Haman is depicted telling the king that the Jews follow their own laws and do not respect the laws of the king.

The historian Michael Meyer says that antisemitism in the ancient world had nothing to do with economics. The critique in that period, it seems, was that Jews are weird and clannish, and separated themselves from the rest of the world.

As if to make the point that antisemitism defies easy narratives. Because separating the Jews from the rest of the world was exactly what the Catholic Church aimed to do in the Middle Ages – forcing them to live in ghettoes as punishment for the false accusation that the Jews killed Jesus.

See, medieval Christian antisemitism wasn’t based on economics or supposed Jewish clannishness. It was based on religion.

Nazi antisemitism incorporated some of all these things, but it was primarily racial in nature.

They cast Jews as biologically inferior and dangerous to the Aryan people, claiming we would infect them with diseases and poison the purity of German blood.

Scholars who have invested incredible resources and intellect in trying to understand the problem of antisemitism have demonstrated that there is no one explanation for it.

Sometimes it manifests as cultural antisemitism, sometimes as economic antisemitism, sometimes as religious antisemitism, sometimes as racial antisemtism, and sometimes as political antisemitism – as in accusations of dual loyalty in the French Dreyfus Affair, and today’s vicious rhetoric and boycott movements against Israel.

And surely more forms of it will come to be known in the future.

As Theodor Herzl, the founder of the modern Zionist movement, said: Antisemitism “exists wherever Jews live in perceptible numbers. Where it does not yet exist, it will be brought in the course of Jewish migrations. We naturally move to places where we are not persecuted, and there our presence soon produces persecution. This is true in every country...”

V. SO WHAT DO WE DO? Even as there are no simple explanations for antisemtism, no one narrative that encapsulates it, there is one thing we know for certain: and that is, antisemitism is on the rise in America, and we in the Jewish community are feeling it.

See The Man in the High Castle page A6

The Jewish Press | January 17, 2020 | A3

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Friedel Open House

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Body Basics

Continued from page A1 Attendees will learn about all the amazing things going on at Friedel and witness the happy energy of the school day.

Tours will begin at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Private tours also will be available by appointment.

In addition, children who will be entering kindergarten in fall 2020 are invited to attend Kindergarten Roundup on Wednesday, Feb. 26, from 10–11:30 a.m. Although children who attend the CDC already are familiar with Friedel—CDC pre-K classes visit Friedel’s innovation lab each month for a special STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) class, Kindergarten Roundup is a chance to get a preview of the kindergarten experience, engaging in fun activities with Friedel’s kindergarten teachers. Parents may either drop off their child at Friedel or have Friedel staff bring their child to and from the CDC for Kindergarten Roundup. Please let the CDC know if you would like Friedel staff to pick up your child.

To sign up for either event, or if you have questions, please contact Sara Kohen, Friedel’s Director of Advancement, at skohen@fjaomaha.com or 402.301.1662. We’d love to see you there!

Continued from page A1 also commercial clients have turned to us for equipment for a wide range of settings from physical therapy clinics to residential developments. They know they will get quality equipment and unparalleled service in maintaining their investment from us.”

Most recently, Body Basics supplied the municipality of Papillion with fitness equipment for the city’s new Papillion Landing with a full set up of gym equipment and flooring, one of their largest single commercial transaction to date.

While Body Basics is well known for providing quality commercial and home fitness solutions, from simple free weights and dumbbells to the newest machines, what makes them unique is the level of care and service they provide. David Kutler explains, “It’s important that customers understand how to use and maintain their investment and that is what sets us apart. That recognition comes from having the highest skilled and experienced service department. We send our technicians to factory training every year so they stay ahead on every new technology and effective service technique, and our certified technicians can provide prompt inhome service when needed.” As a result, Body Basics has won first place in ‘Best of Omaha’ for fitness equipment for 12 years in a row!

The Kutlers are also dedicated to giving back to the community.

Adam has devoted a great deal of his time in leadership roles in the Jewish community as well. He currently is serv-

ing as Vice President on Beth El Synagogue’s Board of Trustees and is also Chairing parts of the Jewish Federation’s campaign.

A longtime member of Suburban Rotary, David Kutler, has spent countless

hours organizing events that combine his passion for health and wellness and the environment, with contributions to the community. From planting hundreds of trees throughout the Omaha metropolitan area to supporting many local fundraisers, perhaps their greatest partnership was that with Children’s Hospital. Body Basics has held a fun run/walk to combat Childhood Obesity, raising close to two hundred thousand dollars for Children’s Hospital childhood obesity program, providing funds for children who could not otherwise afford treatment and care. “It’s important we set healthy examples for our youth from an early age,” explains David.

While technology should not be a substitute for exercise, technology has done a lot for the exercise industry, with the creation of devices that can do more than just count steps and monitor heart rates. Jay Gordman, marketing manager for Body Basics and current Beth El Synagogue president explains the idea of connected fitness — a new niche that Body Basics is hoping to fill.

Gordman explains, “Connected home

fitness equipment is giving people the opportunity to take exercise classes or workout with a community without having to drive to the gym. They can track progress during their workout and even interact with instructors and other members of the class.

People are looking for a quality workout and know they work harder when part of a class or working with a trainer. We also know the better you track your workouts, the more you strive to reach your goal. Connected fitness equipment allows that to happen with a cardio, weight lifting or an aerobic-type workout.”

Jay continues, “There are tons of options hitting the market every week.

The concern is that people are simply buying the “hot” connected item rather than talking with a fitness professional about their needs and goals. People shouldn’t skip this step and should do their homework and demo the equipment live at a store,” and that is where the care and attention that Body Basics provides comes in.”

“My father started Body Basics when I was 7 years old,” shares Adam Kutler who has worked along side his father, David for the past 15 years. There were not many retailers of quality specialized fitness equipment in Omaha when my father started his business, giving him a market. Exercise equipment and machines mostly came from big box stores like Sears at that time and were of lowto-average quality,” explains Adam. “The risk paid off and today, we are proud to be Omaha’s premier fitness equipment retailer.”

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Community

A4 | The Jewish Press | January 17, 2020

ISRAEL ART TRIP

I

n October a group of 15 traveled to Israel with a focus on Art. The trip was led by Jack Becker, Executive Director of Joslyn Art Museum who collaborated with Artis, a nonproďŹ t that supports contemporary artists from Israel. They planned an incredible behind-the-scenes experience. Participants met with artists, visited museums and were hosted by collectors in their private homes.

Dor Guez, Lilies of the Field, 2019

The Jewish Press | January 17, 2020 | A5

A6 | The Jewish Press | January 17, 2020

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Out for Shabbat at Temple Israel CASSANDRA WEISENBURGER Director of Communications, Temple Israel Temple Israel is excited to host our second Out for Shabbat dinner on Friday, Jan. 24.

Robert Friedman, who is spearheading this event, said: “As a Reform Jew, we are progressive on topics like LGBTQ+ matters. It’s important that we discuss these topics to explain how religion justifies love over hate any day. While there is much debate in the world, we know as Jews that love is Ahava; love is love. Out for Shabbat is an opportunity to share where we have been, where we are today and where we’re going with our understanding of love.”

The first Out for Shabbat dinner, held in 2017 as a kick-off for Pride, was a way to discuss this modern Jewish topic together. “We are all made in tzelem Elohim, made in God’s

image. This is a night to discuss where we are as a country, a community and as Jews in general,” said Robert.

The evening will include a lively discussion over a range of LGBTQ+ topics from Judaism and Israel to political issues and the history of our congregation. “There will be plenty of stories, laughs, and a chance to meet other supportive Jews in our congregation. It’s a night to be out, proud, and feel loved by an amazing community!” added Robert.

Shabbat services begin at 6 p.m. and dinner will immediately follow in the social hall (approx. 7:15 p.m.). If you have any questions, please contact Robert Friedman, fried manrobert0708@gmail.com. The cost is $18, and we ask that you RSVP online by Monday, Jan. 20 at tinyurl.com/ OutForShabbat.

The Man in the High Castle

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Continued from page A2 So what do we do about it?

I think there are three things: First: Do not blame Jews for it.

Resist the tendency that is out there – a tendency many of us Jews even share – to suggest that we’re responsible for antisemitism, even in small part.

You know how some people say: well, if they didn’t dress so differently from everyone else. Or: If we didn’t flaunt our money so much. Or: you know, Jews do have a lot of power in the media. Or: well, if Israel would change its policies, maybe they wouldn’t hate us so much.

No. As the French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre said: antisemitism is not about the Jews at all; it’s about the antisemites.

Sartre’s famous quote is: “If the Jew did not exist, the antiSemite would invent him.”

His point is: it’s about them, not us. So don’t blame us.

Second: Be vigilant.

Listen and look for antisemitism out there in the world, wherever you are. If, God forbid, someone says something antisemitic to you or threatens you in any way, call the ADL, and call the police if necessary.

People don’t always understand the impact of a joke, or a snide comment about Jews, so it’s important that we educate our communities about the power of words.

This is the reason we have the ADL: to track these things, and to be our advocates in combating antisemitism and educating the public about it.

Nothing is too small to report to them. They need to know so they can do their job for the Jewish community.

And third: Be proud to be a Jew. Do not hide.

Deborah Lipstadt, a Holocaust historian who became famous for her dramatic legal battle with a Holocaust denier –

which is portrayed in the movie Denial – wrote an article recently about how Jews in Europe and America are, as she put it, “going underground.” Concealing the fact that they are Jewish in order to protect themselves.

And we can see why that may be wise. Safety and security is paramount.

At the same time, we should not give in to these demented antisemites who are threatening us.

We need to be proud of who we are.

We can draw inspiration from the words of Robert Weltsch, the editor of Berlin’s Jewish newspaper during the rise of Hitler.

In 1933, following the Nazis’ initial boycott of Jewish businesses, Weltsch published an editorial entitled Wear the Yellow Badge with Pride. Here’s what he wrote: “The Jewish answer must be clear. It must be that briefest of sentences that Moses spoke to the Egyptians: “Ivri Anochi, I am a Jew.” We must reaffirm our Jewishness. That is the moral meaning of this hour in history.

He continued: “We remember all those who in the course of five thousand years... have been stigmatized as Jews. The world reminds us that we are of them, that we are Jews. And we answer: Yes, it is our pride and glory that we are!”

Thank God our reality today is nowhere close to what the Jews of Berlin experienced, and I don’t in any way want to suggest that it is.

At the same time, there is reason to be concerned about what’s going on in America right now, with these antisemitic attacks becoming so frequent.

The Man in the High Castle may be a fictional story. But, as good fiction can do, it gives us a window into an alternate unfolding of history that easily could have been our reality.

We pray tonight, God: may it never become so.

From head to toe: A guide to well-being for seniors Everyone needs to take a head-to-toe approach to staying healthy and happy, no matter your age. What do we mean by “head-to-toe?” People tend to think of the mind and the body separately. But mental health is unquestionably tied to physical health. Even the smallest change can influence quality of life. Preparedness and forethought can help you and your family take these changes in stride and adapt to a ‘new normal.’

By definition, “well-being” is the state of being comfortable, happy and healthy. And because aging is an individual journey, no two people’s “normal” is the same—in fact, the staff at Comfort Keepers is constantly forming new definitions of “normal” based on our clients.

Another thing that varies by person is forgetfulness. Forgetfulness is a common aspect of aging. It’s easy for young people to brush off memory loss, but for a senior, it can feel like the start of

a much larger problem. As we age, common and non-threatening causes hinder our ability to remember.

Talking about your loved one’s forgetfulness or a change in their “normal” can seem like an intimidating feat. But having these conversations will enable you to establish a baseline in defining what “normal” means for your loved one and can help you identify changes down the road. The Comfort Keepers’ website has valuable resources that will aid you in having these conversations at www.ComfortKeepers.com/Omaha-NE. If you think your loved one needs help adjusting to a new “normal” at home, it is best to talk with trusted resources. Let your loved one know you care about them. Then, discuss the situation with your family and your family’s doctor. You can also reach out to a reputable in-home care provider, like Comfort Keepers®, for a consultation call 402.991.9880.

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Fellman and Kooper scholarships available The Bruce M. Fellman Charitable Foundation Trust has announced the availability of scholarships for the 2020-2021 academic year. The scholarships will be based on financial needs of students pursuing their post-secondary education.

This is limited to undergraduate studies only and does not include any graduate programs.

Bruce, son of Tom and Darlynn Fellman, was a 1982 graduate of Westside High School. He was active in BBYO and served as president, vice president, secretary and treasurer of Chaim Weizmann AZA. He attended George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and was participating in the University of Pittsburgh’s Semester at Sea at the time of his death in 1984.

The Robert H. & Dorothy G. Kooper Charitable Foundation Trust has announced the availability of scholarships for the 2020-2021 academic year. They will be based on financial need for Jewish students with ties to the Omaha community who are pursuing their post-secondary education. This is limited to undergraduate studies only and does not include any graduate programs.

Robert Kooper had a long history of service to the Jewish community. He was elected B’nai B’rith president in 1929; headed Beth El Synagogue in 1941; was president of Highland Country Club in 1951; and was President of the Jewish Federation of Omaha 1958-1960. He died in 1961.

Dorothy Kooper was a strong supporter and worked with the Jewish Federation and Beth El Sisterhood. She passed away in May, 1995.

“Awarding a scholarship to a young Jewish person is a very appropriate way of honoring my parents,” Howard Kooper noted.

Applications for the Bruce M. Fellman Charitable Foundation Trust and the Robert H. & Dorothy G. Kooper Charitable Foundation Trust scholarships may be obtained by contacting Jan Roos in Mr. Kooper’s office 402.384.6471 or jroos@ broadmoor.cc. The application packet must be received back in Mr. Kooper’s office no later than March 1, 2020.

ORGANIZATIONS B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS

In a booming economy, amidst a dire labor shortage, Brian Slone, CEO of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce will answer, “Will Nebraska thrive and survive in the next decade?” on Wednesday, Jan. 22, noon. For more information or to be placed on the email list call 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@jew ishomaha.org.

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My experience as a black woman in Israeli society [Note: When we made aliyah to Givat Ze’ev in 1997, Katriel and Naomi Reichman were crucial to our successful absorption, and their daughter Chava became best friends with our daughter Ruthie. It is with great pleasure that I present (in translation) Chava’s words here, in honor of Martin Luther King Day.] I was born in Israel and was adopted when I was about two months old by TEDDY “light skinned” American-born parents. WEINBERGER I grew up in a small community in a kind of warm and friendly bubble: family, friends, acquaintances from the neighborhood, everyone knowing my family and my story. So sometimes I was called blacky, or sambo blacky, but it’s kids--everyone goes through some sort of teasing in childhood, so everything’s fine. Over the years, there came other voices, looks and behavior regarding my skin color that left me with little room for confusion concerning my belonging to a specific “group.”

I think that when people see a black person they put them in some sort of slot, and to me that’s where the problem starts.

I am indeed a black woman but I didn’t really grow up in any kind of African culture; so I’m not really African and yet people put me into a slot. Why? Because of my skin color.

A few years ago a friend suggested that I go out with a guy.

She told me a little about him, gave me some details, and I decided to go for it and try. She contacted him and told him a little about me; he was interested. Before they ended their call, he asked about my family background and she told him that I was dark skinned, and at the last minute he decided that he was not interested. I don’t know what his reasons were and I didn’t give this much attention, but surely skin color was decisive here.

A friend and I went to the bathroom at a mall a few years ago, and while I’m waiting outside, the cleaning woman (who happened to be light skinned) turned to me and without hesitating suggested that I talk to her manager for a job as a restroom cleaner at the mall. I am inclined to believe that her intentions were good, but her generalizing and associating me as a black woman with some group or social class is a problem.

There is a story my family loves me to tell because the end result was in my favor. One evening as I was driving home, I

went through an intersection that apparently had a stop sign. Suddenly there was a police car behind me, and I got pulled over. The policeman asked for my license and registration and returned to the police car. Meanwhile I’m waiting in my own car, feeling very disappointed. When the policeman returned, he told me he had to give me a significant ticket, but he would waive it on condition that I tell him how I got my Ashkenazi family Chava Reichman name. Of course I told him, and luckily I was saved from a ticket. I was happy that finally my story and my skin color were in my favor.

I was working as one of the cashiers at a store a few years ago, and there was a long line. A customer was impatient and asked that we hurry up, adding “You blacks: Who brought you here? Go back to where you came from.” It’s sad to think that people look upon blacks as a group that doesn’t belong here, as a group set apart. And again, color is decisive.

There have been more than a few such stories in my life, whether at work, in dating, in different interactions or just with people who are very surprised to see me with my family.

There are many types of racism and they are not absent from the State of Israel. But there is something about color and my visual appearance as a black woman that is especially significant. It is a feature that cannot be ignored. Many things can be hidden or blurred when you are “different,” but when you are black you are black and people see the difference. The experience of the difference as a black person is not simple.

There is always the feeling that I am different, that I am different from the rest of society. If I compare my values, my contribution to society, my life to a white person’s life, we are similar.

But when put to the test, in Israeli society we are different.

Teddy Weinberger, Ph.D., made aliyah in 1997 with his wife, former Omahan Sarah Jane Ross, and their five children, Nathan, Rebecca, Ruthie, Ezra, and Elie, all of whom are veterans of the Israel Defense Forces; Weinberger can be reached at weinross@netvision.net.il.

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Lifestyle

A8 | The Jewish Press | January 17, 2020

FOOD | E N TE RTA I N ME N T | C ULT URE

POMEGRONI

Read it and eat Sababa | Adeena Sussman (Avery, $35) Think Location! Location! Location! Sussman joined her expat American guy who became her husband and moved to Tel Aviv just a few years ago. Little did she know where she lived would be the perfect location...a fourth floor walk LOIS FRIEDMAN up. Early to rise and head for the nearby Shuk HaCarmel local market and the incredible array of fresh ingredients, local goodies and street food. Sussman, an American/Israeli cookbook author (11)/food writer became the early morning explorer and discoverer to the variety of Middle East food and flavors. Sababa, in Hebrew borrowed-from Arabic slang, means “everything is awesome.� All this good fortune led to creation of 125 recipes adapted for the home cook with her personal stories for each and discoveries along the way.

Lots and lots of vibrant and colorful illustrations... just like the recipes. Sussman grabs her plaid two-wheeled shopping cart and catches the best at the crack of dawn to head out for the fresh herbs, spices and ingredients to be used in the cooking for the day. From the first day all this led to the creation of her latest cookbook. The recipes are from Breakfast (“Israeli breakfast has become a hearty

yet healthy-ish stick-to-your-ribs ethos harkening back to the early days of Israel, when immigrants on kibbutzim needed fuel to power long days of physical labor.�) through Desserts and are listed on the chapter page.

Each headnote actually contributes to the understanding of the recipe and is part of the fun read. The instructions are well written with helpful details. Her recipe for Creamy Green Shakshuka with Crispy Latkes (Shakahuka recently appeared in an issue of the Press) adds eggs to the interest! In one focaccia recipe you are encouraged not to skimp on the olive oil to develop a pliant dough. In another the dates are charred and torn into pieces and combined with kumquats, grated kashkaval cheese and red hot chili pepper. Sussman rarely goes to the supermarket but frequents a “makolet� (minimarket) and has developed friendships everywhere along the way and discovers insider secrets for ingredients.

A salad includes roasted grapes (Place 2 1/2 cups of seedless red grapes or substitute 1/2 cup fresh pomegranate seeds for the grapes, on a large rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, and roast in the preheated 400 degree oven, shaking every 5 minutes or so, and the grapes shrivel and some are very caramelized and even a little burned on the edges, 20-25 min-

utes.

This is pi ctured on the delicious cover photograph.

She mentions her “ragtag� collection of spice storage jars and thinks “judicious shake, smear or dollop of goodies.� The Shopping Guide section even includes Costco and Whole Foods and suggests online resources as well. Bloody Miriam, a house favorite combines carrot juice, Honey Harissa, freshly grated horseradish, gin and an apology to Bloody Mary. If the names of the recipes don’t grab you, the photographs will. Freekeh and Roasted Grape Salad, Shawarma Pargiyot, Root Vegetable and Medjool Date Stew, Za’atar Roasted Chicken over Sumac Potatoes, eggplants are featured here and there in delicious combinations. Sussman uses a handcranked press to juice pomegranate for a winter treat and suggests this recipe using pomegranate juice. I toast your health and happiness in 2020 and suggest sipping this while you browse these vibrant recipes utilizing the Fresh, Sunny Flavors from My Israeli Kitchen (the subtitle of the cookbook) and pretend you’re wandering through the shuk with Sussman as your guide.

Lois Friedman can be reached at ReadIt AndEat@yahoo.com. Check out: http:// omahapubliclibrary select Read It And Eat.

Credit: Dan Perez Active Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 5 minutes Ingredients: 6 ounces (3/4 cup) pomegranate juice 2 ounces (1/4 cup) sweet vermouth or Lilet 2 ounces (1/4 cup) dry gin Generous splash Angostura bitters Directions: In an ice-filled cocktail shaker, vigorously shake the pomegranate juice, vermouth, gin and bitters. Pour into two ice-filled glasses, add more bitters to taste, and garnish with orange wheels. The recipe can be multiplied (minus the ice) and stored in a pitcher for up to 1 week and can be freshened with more bitters as needed.

Blood orange or other orange wheels.

Makes 2 cocktails.

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B1 | The Jewish Press | January 17, 2020

Health S EC T I ON 2 | LO C A L | N AT I O N A L | WOR LD

More doctors changing approach to end-of-life care, Hadassah study finds LARRY LUXNER JTA ot long ago, an Orthodox rabbi in his early 70s with lung cancer was rushed to Jerusalem’s Hadassah Hospital with heart failure. The dying patient previously had asked his family not to be hooked up to life support, but when the time came and relatives had to make decisions, his wishes were ignored.

“They decided to do a tracheostomy, even though he had explicitly told them not to,” recalled Sigal Sviri, director of Hadassah’s Medical Intensive Care Unit. “The family had consulted another rabbi, who said you must prolong life no matter what. So we ended up doing something our patient didn’t want us to do.”

The patient survived another few weeks in the ICU and then died.

While doctors at Hadassah say they see cases like this from time to time, a new study by the director emeritus of Hadassah’s General ICU, Charles Sprung, found that physicians’ approaches toward end-of-life care has shifted considerably in the past decade and a half, including in Israel and traditionalist European countries.

More than before, doctors now favor palliative care for terminal patients at the end of their lives rather than aggressive medical interventions to forestall the inevitable.

“Practices have changed, and I think that’s good,” said Sprung, who authored the study with Dr. Alexander Avidan, Hadassah’s director of the Medical Informatics Unit. “Most of the time, we’re talk-

Dr. Charles Sprung of Hadassah Hospital found that doctors now favor palliative care for terminal patients at the end of their lives rather than aggressive medical interventions. Credit: Hadassah Medical Organization

ing about patients at the end of their lives, when it’s pointless to do CPR.” Sprung and colleagues surveyed 22 hospitals in 13 European countries and Israel and compared the results with a similar study conducted 16 years earlier. Today, more often than in the past, doctors will not resort to life-prolonging interventions: 89.7 percent in the 2015-16 study vs. 68.3 percent in 19992000, Sprung and his team found.

They also found that opting not to use all means

possible to extend life didn’t necessarily condemn a patient to death. In fact, despite having fewer interventions in 2015-16, patients were more likely to survive than those in the same situation 16 years ago.

Sprung’s team surveyed 13,625 intensive care unit patients admitted over a six-month period in 201516 to study 1,785 patients who died or had limitations of life-sustaining treatments and constituted the study population.

See End-of-life care page B2

B2 | The Jewish Press | January 17, 2020

Health LOC AL | N ATI O N A L | WO R L D

End-of-life care

another country, they wouldn’t have been put on a ventilator Continued from page B1 “It used to be that physicians saw death as failure, and they in the first place. But in Israel, the community expects it and tended to use methods with limited success rates to try and the rabbis demand it — sometimes for very spurious reasons.” prolong life,” said Sprung, who is also a medical ethicist and a Withdrawing continuous life-prolonging therapies such as lawyer. “Now there is more openness in discussing end-of-life a ventilator from a patient once it has begun is against the law issues, new laws and a change in consensus. in Israel. Withdrawing intermittent life-prolonging therapies “You do whatever you can to save patients, but when a time is permissible. comes where you cannot save them, giving them palliative An added complication in Israel, Sviri said, is that very few care so they don’t suffer is people have made living extremely important — wills in the event that not only for the patients they are incapacitated but also the families.” and cannot communiSprung presented his cate. She said it’s also not study Oct. 2 at the Eurocustomary in Israel for pean Society of Intensive hospital staff to ask newly Care Medicine’s Annual admitted patients of their Congress in Berlin. It was wishes. also published in the “Unless you have a prestigious Journal of the legally signed document American Medical Assothat you bring to the hosciation, or JAMA. pital, the risk of you endIn Israel and southern ing up on a ventilator is European countries, doc- In Israel, it’s almost impossible to refuse the wishes of relatives who want very high,” Sviri said. “In tors are more likely to use all efforts made to prolong life, even when such efforts won’t change the America, you can extutools to extend life than in outcome, according to Dr. Peter Vernon Van Heerden, Hadassah’s general bate if there’s no response northern Europe, North ICU director. Credit: Hadassah Medical Organization in three days, but not in America and Australia, the study found. But even so, there is Israel. So we end up ventilating some patients who may not more emphasis today on avoiding prolonged suffering than want to be ventilated. However, some of these patients may there was 16 years ago. still do pretty well.”

In the United States, Sprung said, surveys show that the Yet Sviri warned that in some European countries, the pengeneral population tends to favor physician-assisted suicide dulum has swung too far the other way. In Belgium and the and euthanasia more than the physicians themselves.

Netherlands, for example, physician-assisted suicide and eu“Physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia are morally thanasia are legal and rates are rising. wrong,” Sprung said. “Our job is to preserve life when it’s ap“For every patient who didn’t want to be ventilated, there propriate, but not to prolong it when the outcome is in- are patients who want to live and are not given that chance evitable and when suffering might be enormous during that — especially in Europe — because somebody decided that it’s time.” futile or that their quality of life will not be good,” she said. “In It’s almost impossible in Israel to refuse the wishes of rela- Israel, we do the opposite: continue life support for most patives who want all efforts made to prolong life, even when put- tients, including those who end up who are vegetative. ting a patient on dialysis or treating crucial organ failures that “The truth is somewhere in the middle. You need to be very clearly will not change the outcome, said Peter Vernon Van careful in your decision-making and not go to either extreme.”

Heerden, who has been the director of Hadassah’s general ICU This article was sponsored by and produced in partnership since 2015. with Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, “I’ve been working in intensive care for 30 years, and we deal Inc., which is celebrating the 100th year of Hadassah Medical with this almost on a daily basis,” Van Heerden said. “Some- Organization, the Henrietta Szold Hadassah-Hebrew University times we’re presented with patients on ventilators with ab- School of Nursing and the Hadassah Ophthalmology Departsolutely no chance of survival, such as advanced cancer. In ment. This article was produced by JTA’s native content team.

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ADL-CRC is here for you

GARY NACHMAN Regional Director, ADL-Plains States Region The Anti-Defamation League’s Plains States Region (ADL/CRC) continues to experience shock waves of outrage and heartbreak in the wake of the recent tragedies across the nation. Our hearts remain with the families, loved ones and the Jewish communities of Jersey City and larger New York/New Jersey Region. Information suggests the attacks were motivated by anti-Semitism, bigotry and anti-law enforcement sentiment.

We mourn the near 1,000 souls lost since 1999 in the name of religion (in our country alone.) It remains unthinkable that those who perished were targeted as a result of their religious beliefs. But it happened and it continues to happen.

Add to this the number of lives affected through physical and emotional injury and you are left with a vivid snapshot of the pervasive spread of anti-Semitism over the last two decades.

After the incident in New Jersey, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said: “Our community has been terrorized once again by violent anti-Semitism. But we will not be defeated.

We will continue to speak up and out every time anti-Semitism and bigotry rear their ugly heads. We expect the same from our nation’s leaders.”

In memory of the lives lost, ADL remains ever-committed to fighting hatred and bigotry. We say to those who harm us: You cannot break our spirits.

If you are looking for resources in the aftermath of this recent tragedy or are looking for ways to help, please contact the ADL by emailing gnachman@adl.org. Never is now.

Together, we can make a difference.

A Raisin in the Sun at Omaha Community Playhouse The Omaha Community Playhouse (OCP) production of A Raisin in the Sun opens Friday, Jan. 17. Winner of five Tony Awards®, A Raisin in the Sun confronts life in South Side Chicago through the eyes of the Younger family. After years of battling poverty and racism, the Youngers hope an unexpected insurance check will be their ticket to a better life. With the looming fear that this may be their only chance, the family is torn apart as they struggle to agree on the most effective way to use the money.

Tickets are on sale now starting at $24 for adults and $16 for students, with ticket prices varying by performance. Tickets may be purchased at the OCP Box Office, located at 6915 Cass Street, by phone at 402.553.0800 or online at OmahaPlayhouse.com.

The show will run in the Hawks Mainstage Theatre at OCP from Jan. 17 through Feb. 9. Performances will be held Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.

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The Jewish Press | January 17, 2020 | B3

Above and below: There is nothing quite like spending the holidays with family... the Addams Family that is! The cast of the JCC Theater’s Addams Family put on a great show!

Above: Rose Rosenberg celebrates her 97th birthday with friends at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

Below: Rabbi Katzman and Father Boes hosted a full house at Boys Town’s Great Hall to celebrate Hanukkah on Dec. 23. Boys Town residents and over 40 members of the Jewish community played dreidel, enjoyed festive music, lit the Menorah and enjoyed a delicious assortment of hot cocoa, latkes and sufganiyot made by Boys Town residents and Chabad.

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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.

Above: Lisa Magalnik, Nellie Menkova, Olga Sytniakovskaya and other members from the Russian Cultural Club enjoyed a nice lunch at the STAR Deli at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home with festive music by Anna Mosenkis. Sponsored by the Shirley and Leonard Goldstein Endowment Fund of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation.

Above: Nancy Wolf, left, Debbie Roitstein and Julie James with a platter of delicious sufganiyot made by Boys Town residents and Chabad.

Below: Jerry Gordman helped light the Menorah at Chabad’s Boys Town Hanukkah Celebration.

Left: Livingston Hanukkah Party was held recently with entertainment by Anna Mosenkis as she played Hanukkah and eastern European music. Residents enjoyed plenty of warm latkes with other holiday treats. The party was sponsored by the Livingston Plaza Fund of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation and Jewish Senior Servies. Pictured lighting the Menorah are Anna Mosenkis, left, and Shelly Fox, Director of Admissions & Community Outreach.

Above: Residents of the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home and community seniors enjoyed a New Year’s Eve party with music by folk-rock band 37 Years! Pictured are Ricki Eirenberg, left, Sabine Strong, RBJH Volunteer Coordinator, and Deborah Platt.

B4 | The Jewish Press | January 17, 2020

Voices

The Jewish Press (Founded in 1920) Abby Kutler President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Susan Bernard Advertising Executive Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Editor Gabby Blair Staff Writer Michael Ivey Accounting Jewish Press Board Abby Kutler, President; Eric Dunning, Ex-Officio; Danni Christensen, Candice Friedman, Bracha Goldsweig, Jill Idelman, Andy Isaacson, Natasha Kraft, Andrew Miller, Eric Shapiro, Shoshy Susman and Amy Tipp.

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Nowhere and everywhere ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Editor, Jewish Press These past few days, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about walking. It’s what I do when I go back to Holland to be with my family. We walk to the village, in the woods, along the beach and in random cities. As much as my birthplace is known for bicycles (and yes, they’re everywhere), we take walking just as seriously as a mode of transportation. In most cases, if you’d ask me where I want to go, the answer would be: nowhere. And everywhere. Especially in cities like Amsterdam, I find it’s best to not have a specific destination. We just wander aimlessly and see where the road takes us. It’s a pretty good metaphor for life.

When the calendar presents us with a new year, something strange happens: we try to force new goals. This year, we’ll quit gossiping, we’ll be kinder to others, we’ll exercise every day and finally lose the weight. We aim for a certain destination, but oftentimes within weeks we lose sight of it. We rarely arrive where we think we’re going.

So here it is, the year 2020: have you made any resolutions? Are you still sticking to them or have you already allowed distractions to seep in? If you’ve fallen off the wagon, don’t fret: it happens to most of us. Good intentions and the acts that follow are not tied to the calendar; they can happen any day if we allow them to.

The great thing about Judaism is the encouragement to do Mitzvot. Acts of kindness that make the world better often can’t be planned — we have to recognize them when they come on our path. Memorial donations, words of encouragement for someone who needs them or an offer to help when tragedy strikes: who can plan ahead for that? If our

focus is on one thing only, we may miss where we’re really needed. If we aim nowhere in particular but simply see where the road leads us, we’ll find it can lead us everywhere.

Having said all that, there is nothing wrong with looking forward to the coming year and all we have on the calendar. We can still plan ahead. For the Jewish Press Board and staff, that means getting ready for our Centennial. Any day now, you will receive a gold-colored envelope in the mail (if you receive the Press, you should receive our mailing; if you don’t, call me immediately at 402.334.6450). Inside is an invitation for our 100th Birthday party on March 15, which we sincerely hope you decide to attend. Tickets are $36 per person. The event will be held in our new Shirley and Leonard Goldstein Community Engagement Venue, which, in case you haven’t had an opportunity to visit yet, is a wonderful space. We couldn’t wish for a better location to celebrate with you.

You’ll have to forgive me for being a little introspective. It’s been approximately ten years since I wrote my first op-ed for this page. That is a total of almost 500 columns, some pretty okay, judging from the responses, some not so much and causing a few angry emails. But then, no one can get it right all the time. It’s a drop in the bucket compared to all that’s been printed on these pages during an entire century and it’s nearly impossible not to feel

overwhelmed at the vast body of work that this paper has produced in 100 years. What I do know is that it is representative of a community that has fantastic stories to tell, a community that should be proud of its history. I am so grateful the paper is still here to document as we continue to create more experiences and more stories.

C E L E B R AT I N G

1OO

YEARS

Some day, I have no doubt, there will no longer be a printed edition. When that day comes, our story will be told in a different format. But today is not that day. Today, we celebrate that we are all still here, part of a tradition older than most of us.

Please open that gold envelope when it comes and RSVP as soon as possible so we can celebrate together. And: since I missed the first edition of 2020 because I was out of the country, please accept my wishes for a very Happy New Year!

I was skeptical about the march against anti-Semitism. I was wrong.

LISA KEYS This article originally appeared on Kveller.

The decision to take our kids to Sunday’s No Hate, No Fear Solidarity March did not come easily.

At least, not at first.

It’s hard to say what, precisely, gave me pause. My kids are no strangers to social activism — their elementary school is named for a civil rights leader, after all. One of my main goals as a mom has been to teach them to speak out when something is not right. Since they were very young, I’ve schlepped them to Occupy Wall Street demonstrations, various climate change protests, rallies decrying standardized testing in schools, the Women’s March, and so on.

So why did I hesitate when the most recent action was about standing up for our fellow Jews? At first, I blamed it on not wanting them to miss Hebrew school, and the feeling that my kids need to get back into the regular rhythm of things after the winter break. (That’s especially true as my older son’s bar mitzvah will be later this year, and let’s just say a lot of learning needs to happen between now and then).

But if I’m being really honest, what made me hesitate was worry. Worry that was not about the potential for violence — although that fear is certainly very real, and very present — but about who our fellow demonstrators may be, and whether or not they’d reflect the diversity of New York City. The rally was impressively organized in a haste by a number of Jewish organizations, including UJA Federation of New York and the Anti-Defamation League, and I had seen a considerable amount of chatter about it in Jewish circles on social media.

And yet, the discussions outside these circles — at least from my experience last week — were almost nil. When I asked other social justice-minded friends whether or not they planned to attend Sunday’s solidarity rally, I was usually met with the response: “What rally?”

The very fact of the march’s existence seemed to have gained little traction outside the Jewish community, and I worried that the only people we’d find there would be Jews. And then, my thinking went,

what kind of message would I be sending my children? That we, as Jews, have a responsibility to repair the world and to speak out for those who are voiceless, but when it comes to fighting anti-Semitism, well, that’s an issue that’s only for Jews?

And so, I dithered about whether or not we should go, and then I dithered some more. And

Kids at the march against anti-Semitism in New York, Jan. 5, 2020. Credit: Lisa Keys

then, after reflecting on all that had happened in recent weeks, I realized how misguided my initial response was. I didn’t even have to look far for an attitude adjustment: As the editor of Kveller, I’ve worked with writers on powerful responses to the recent rise of anti-Semitism, from Talia Liben Yarmush’s moving call for unity to Jordana Horn’s Jewish take on resistance.

Unbidden, the famous quote from Hillel the Elder popped in my mind: “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?” I realized, that by attending the rally, we’d not only be teaching our kids how crucial it is to stand up for others — we’d also show them that when it’s our people who are being bullied, it’s our duty to stand up for ourselves. Now. And if Sunday’s march turned out to “only” be a demonstration of Jewish pride by Jewish people, well, that’s a pretty powerful statement in and of itself.

Once we made the decision on Friday evening to attend, I knew it was the right choice. (Even my kids reluctantly agreed, though I think the chance to

miss Hebrew school was what sealed the deal.) And then — wouldn’t you know it — by Saturday night, I saw that a wider array of organizations had signed on, including the NAACP. I even saw it mentioned a few times by non-Jews in my social media feed.

So we went to the rally, and at the last minute we made plans to go with friends, a development that markedly increased my kids’ enthusiasm. We met up on the subway platform and arrived near Foley Square in Manhattan around 11:15 a.m., late enough to be representing the rear. At first, we fell in among a smattering of Guardian Angels, the volunteer crime-prevention group that’s been patrolling Brooklyn’s Jewish neighborhoods since the violence began. As we slowly wound our way through the barricaded streets, we ran into acquaintances and paused for many photos. We stood next to a group of young families singing Hebrew songs together, and later, among a group of teens affiliated with Zionist youth movement, Habonim Dror.

Perhaps the march wasn’t as visibly diverse as others we have attended, but it was truly an allages affair, from babies in strollers to people easily in their 80s and up, some stoically overcoming physical challenges to complete the 1.5-mile trek.

At one point, during our slow approach to the bridge, our kids took to jumping and chanting, just as you see at a soccer match, in order to warm up.

An elderly man enthusiastically joined in — in fact, he even kept on jumping after the kids gave up.

“I can’t take him anywhere,” a woman who appeared to be his partner quipped.

I don’t know what it was like for those at the front of the march, where VIPs such as senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand led the crowd, while my congresswoman, Alexandria OcasioCortez, reportedly mixed it up among the throngs of people. For those of us near the back, we spent far more time waiting than walking. It was cold and windy, and the crowd was eerily quiet, generally absent of chants and mayhem. There were several times when I tried to bring the energy — someSee March against anti-Semitism page B5

The Jewish Press | January 17, 2020 | B5

As a black Jew, I’m being forced to walk a tightrope after the Monsey attack SHEKHIYNAH LARKS Today I have adorned myself in a chai necklace and a kippah. I don’t usually wear a kippah, but today I needed my Jewishness to be just as apparent as my blackness.

I needed to break the tightrope I feel I’m being forced to walk in response to the stabbing at a rabbi’s home in Monsey, New York, and a string of attacks that have recently occurred in Brooklyn and Jersey City.

As a black Jewish professional, violent acts of racism and anti-Semitism cause me to feel many emotions: anger, fear, urgency. And amidst all this pain, I’ve been asked questions that I don’t have the answers to. Questions that rub salt into wounds that won’t heal. These questions come from my friends, family, and complete strangers.

“Why are all the black people killing the Jews?”

“What are the Jews doing to the black people in New York?

“What do they do to make everyone hate them?”

With these questions come many assumptions and accusations. Accusations of the entire black community being inherently anti-Semitic. Assumptions that black people don’t exist in the Jewish community. Accusations of the entire Jewish community being inherently racist. Assumptions that being a Jew is synonymous with being white and wealthy.

More personally, assumptions have been made about my identity, from my own people. From Jewish people, I have heard that because I am a convert, I cannot fully understand anti-Semitism. This troubles me because converts to Judaism are Jews.

According to our shared tradition, my neshama, my soul, was with yours at Mount Sinai and achim sheli, my brothers, it is with you now.

I feel the same fear you feel when I hear of attacks on Jews.

I assure you the hair on the back of my neck also rises when I hear people talking about Jews in negative ways in public spaces. I get angry, too, when people accuse Ashkenazim of being fake Jews, which is something somebody has actually

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said to me. I too feel your fear and share your pain.

From black people, I have heard that as a black woman, embracing Judaism is a reflection of my self-hatred and an attempt at whiteness.

“Don’t you know that the other Jews will never see you as an equal?”

My brothers and sisters, I hear that you are concerned about my wellbeing and safety. I thank you for your concern, but I am not Jewish because I hate being black. And I didn’t stop being black when I became Jewish.

My Judaism is a reflection of self-love and an affirmation of my whole self, blackness and all. I’m walking in a black body with you every day. Bullets have torn through my loved ones, too. But I know that ‘if God got us then we gon’ be Alright’.

Beautiful melanated people, I bleed with you.

I know these questions come from a place of anguish, fear,

and distress. I know these words are a call from both my peoples to hear and acknowledge their pain, but I can’t help but feel blindsided and perturbed.

I don’t feel that I should have to be the single voice for either of these communities. I don’t hold the answers to any of these questions, but I do know that we cannot continue to levy these single narrative assumptions and accusations at each other.

For me, being unapologetically black and Jewish is a revolutionary act. My two peoples are resilient. And the fact that my two peoples continue to exist in spite of it all is outright defiance. Today, that is why I am wearing my kippah.

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.

March against anti-Semitism Contined from page B4 thing I’m normally really good at, just ask my kids — but the vibe just wasn’t there. As our trudge across the Brooklyn Bridge passed the three-hour mark, I became increasingly focused on when and how I’d find a bathroom.

Absent singing or yelling, we quietly plodded along, our feet speaking the words that didn’t pass our lips. Perhaps the silence was because the crowd wasn’t the typical protest crowd, and didn’t have a mental library of chants at the ready. Maybe it was because the reason for our march — anti-Semitism — was an impossibly polysyllabic word. (At one point, our kids tried to do a lettered call-and-response — ”Give me an A! Give me an N!” — but, after several spelling failures, gave up.) A friend pointed out that perhaps the silence stemmed from the unprecedented circumstances: For many of us, it was an unusual thing to proclaim our Jewish identity so publicly.

While the diversity of New York was no doubt represented, the solidarity march was first and foremost a Jewish gathering. And it dawned on me that I had never been in a crowd of Jews that large, ever. That simple fact was actually pretty — no, make that very — cool.

(We are not religious, so the events commemorating the

end of the Talmud cycle was not something for us, and I was a bit too young and out-of-touch to have attended the 1987 Free Soviet Jewry March, which drew some 250,000 Jews to the National Mall. As a kid growing up in the Midwest, Washington was a million miles away, anyway.)

By the end of the day, the organizers estimated the crowd at 25,000 people. For an event that was organized in days, it was an impressive turnout, and one in which I was proud to take part.

Would my kids have preferred to stay home and play Fortnite? Absolutely. Would they have preferred Hebrew school?

Not a chance. And I’m OK with that — I believe that hating Hebrew school is a Jewish kid’s rite of passage, so whatever.

But more than anything, by participating in this historic event, I think we imparted a very important Jewish lesson to our children: Being a Jew doesn’t just mean learning Hebrew, reciting prayers, celebrating holidays, or even tikkun olam. It’s also about showing up, speaking out, and standing proud about who you are.

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.

Real Estate

Publishing date | 03.13.20

Space reservation | 03.06.20

Contact our advertising executive to promote your business in this very special edition.

SUSAN BERNARD | 402.334.6559 | sbernard@jewishomaha.org

Synagogues

B6 | The Jewish Press | January 17, 2020

B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

618 Mynster Street Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 712.322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com

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

CONGREGATION 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

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME

323 South 132 Street Omaha, NE 68154

TEMPLE ISRAEL

Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive Omaha, NE 68144-1206 402.556.6536 templeisraelomaha.com

TIFERETH ISRAEL

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

B’NAI ISRAEL Join us for our monthly Shabbat Speakers Series on Friday, Feb. 14, 7:30 p.m. with guest speaker Ken Freed.

Our service leader is Larry Blass, and as always, an Oneg wil follow service. Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel!

For information on our historic synagogue, contact any of our board members: Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Howard Kutler, Carole Lainof, Wayne Lainof, Sissy Silber.

Handicap Accessible.

BETH EL Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman.

FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m.; Our Shabbat Tables in Homes.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; No Junior Congregation — MLK Weekend.

WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9:30 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.

SUNDAY: No BESTT — MLK Weekend; Torah Study, 10 a.m.

MONDAY: Office Closed (Staff Service Day); MLK Day of Service, 5 p.m. at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

TUESDAY: Jewish Values Class, 11:30 a.m. with Rabbi Abraham; Mahjong, 1 p.m.; Chesed Committee visits Sterling Ridge, 2:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: BESTT (Grades 3-7), 4:15 p.m.; USY Purim Prep, 5:15 p.m.; Hebrew High (Grades 8-12), 6:30 p.m.

THURSDAY: Brachot and Breakfast, 7 a.m.; Jewish Memoir Writing Class, 6 p.m. with Dr. Gabriel.

Scholar-in-Residence Weekend with Yoel Sykes, Friday-Saturday, Jan. 24-25.

From My Mother’s Kitchen, Sunday, Jan. 26, 10:30 a.m.-noon.

Playing at the Cine-gogue Movie Day: The Catcher was a Spy, Thursday, Jan. 30, noon. Admission is $5 and includes lunch. Register by Jan. 24 at www.bethelomaha.org.

BETH ISRAEL Services conducted by Rabbi Ari Dembitzer FRIDAY: Laws of Shabbos, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 7:40 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Lights of Teshuva, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Moshe; Mincha/Candle Lighting, 5:05 p.m.

SATURDAY: Open Beit Midrash — All welcome to learn the Torah and Dance, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Torah Tot Shabbat, 10:50 a.m.; Cholent Competition, 11:15 a.m.; Insights into the Weekly Torah Portion, 4:05 p.m.; Mincha/Seudah Shlishit, 4:50 p.m.; Havdalah, 6:09 p.m..

SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 am.; Works of Maimondies, 9:45 am.; JYE BI, 10 am.; JYE BI Jr., 10:15 am.; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 5:15 p.m. at RBJH. MONDAY: Laws of Shabbos, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 7:40 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Lights of Teshuva, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Moshe; Tasty Torah: Learning Torah through the Palate, noon with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:15 p.m. at RBJH. TUESDAY: Laws of Shabbos, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 7:40 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Lights of Teshuva, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Moshe; Torah Tuesday, 1 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:15 p.m. at RBJH; Tasty Torah: Learning Torah through the Palate, 7 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni.

WEDNESDAY: Laws of Shabbos, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 7:40 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Lights of Teshuva, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Moshe; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:15 p.m. at RBJH. THURSDAY: Laws of Shabbos, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 7:40 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Lights of Teshuva, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Moshe; Character Development, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:15 p.m. at RBJH; Keeping “Relate” in Your Parent-Child Relationship, 8:15 p.m.

CHABAD HOUSE Office hours: Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and Friday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman.

FRIDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m. followed by coffee, treats, study and shmoozing.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.

WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m. followed by coffee, treats, study and shmoozing.

SUNDAY: Service, 8:30 a.m.; Sunday Secrets, 9:15 p.m. following Minyan.

MONDAY: Personal Parsha class, 9:30 a.m. with Shani;

Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m.

WEDNESDAY: Mystical Thinking, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Katzman; Introduction to Reading Hebrew, 10:30 a.m.

THURSDAY: Intermediate Hebrew Reading and Prayer, 11 a.m.; Talmud Class, noon with Rabbi Katzman.

All programs are open to the entire community. For more information call 402.330.1800 or visit www.Ocha bad.com.

B’NAI JESHURUN Services conducted by Rabbi Teri Appleby.

FRIDAY: Erev Shabbat Services, 6:30 p.m.; Oneg, 7:30 p.m.; Candlelighting, 5:08 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:45 a.m. on Parashat Shemot; Potluck Dinner and Game Night, 6 p.m.; Havdalah (72 minutes), 6:39 p.m.

SUNDAY: No LJCS Classes; Jewish Book Club Meeting, 1:30 p.m. at Gere Library and will discuss The Girl From Venice by Martin Cruz Smith.; Feeding the Kids at F Street Rec Center, 2:30 p.m. For more information, contact Aimee Hyten at aimee.hyten@gmail.com.

TUESDAY: Ladies’ Lunch, noon at Sebastian’s Table, 8340 Glynoaks Drive (West of 84th between Pioneers Blvd and Old Cheney). Let Deborah Swearingen (402.475.7528) know if you plan to attend and if you need a ride; Intro to Judaism, 6:30 p.m. To register: please contact the Temple office: 402.435.8004 or off ice@southstreettemple.org.

WEDNESDAY: LJCS Hebrew School, 4 p.m. at TI. Movie Night Double Feature: Casablanca and A Night in Casblanca, Saturday, Jan. 25 at 6:30 p.m. This is a colorization-free event.

2020 Federation Camp Grants: All Federation families are eligible for Camp Incentive Grants of $300 per camper to pay the initial camp registration deposit. Additional camp scholarships beyond the incentive grants are available based on need and require submission of a scholarship application.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m. every first and third of the month.

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME SATURDAY: Services, 9:15 a.m. led by Stan Edelstein.

Services will be held in the Chapel. Members of the community are invited to attend.

TEMPLE ISRAEL FRIDAY: Shabbat Evening Service, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m.

TUESDAY: Board of Trustees Meeting, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: More Than a Joke: A Tri-Faith Sympo-

sium, noon at AMI; Grades 3-6, 4-6 p.m.; Community Dinner, 6 p.m. Menu: baked ziti, baked pesto ziti, garlic bread, enhanced salad bar, dessert. RSVP to Temple Israel, 402.556.6536.; Grades 7-12, 6-8 p.m.; Women of the Bible: Celebrating Their Stories, Reclaiming Their Voices, 6:30 p.m. with Rabbi Berezin; Community Beit Midrash: “My House Shall Be a House for All Peoples”: Building Meaningful Interfaith Relationships with Rabbi Steven Abraham and Rabbi Brian Stoller, 7:30 p.m. at Temple Israel.

Out for Shabbat, Friday, Jan. 24, following Shabbat Service. Join Temple Israel for a dinner discussion about LGBTQ+ topics and Judaism. After Shabbat services, we will join in the social hall for a delicious dinner and thoughtful conversation. The cost is $18 and we ask that you RSVP online by Monday, Jan. 20. If you have any questions, please contact Robert Friedman.

TIFERETH ISRAEL Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

FRIDAY: No Shabbat Service; Candlelighting, 5:08 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Service, 10 a.m. followed by a special celebratory kiddush lunch in honor of Jerry Watch’s conversion spnsored by Jamie and Jerry Watch; Junior Congregation, 11 a.m. followed by a snack; Havdalah (72 minutes), 6:09 p.m.

SUNDAY: No LJCS Classes; Please note, the pickle ball group will not meet in the synagogue this week. The group will resume Sunday Jan. 26 at 7 p.m.

MONDAY: Office Closed for MLK Jr. Day. WEDNESDAY: LJCS Hebrew School, 4 p.m. at TI. Naale Elite Academy directors, Chaim Meyers, director of the Western World Division, and Gidon Berman, Manager of the Central United States, will join Tifereth Israel on Shabbat morning, Jan. 25. They will give the d'var Torah and also present a learning session at lunch.

LJCS/Blixt Blanket Drive Winter Mitzvah Project to help provide warm bedding to Lincoln Public School children. We are collecting NEW and HOMEMADE (twin size or larger) blankets for distribution to Lincoln Public Schools. Monetary donations are also accepted. Please have all donations to TI by Sunday, Jan. 26.

The Lincoln Jewish Community welcomes Tal Schneider, Chief Diplomatic and Political Correspondent for Globes to our City, Israel’s oldest financial daily newspaper for a community Shabbat dinner on Friday, Jan. 31, at 6:30 p.m. She will speak following dinner about Israeli Society at a Crossroads: A look at four sectors: the national-religious, the secular, the Arabs, and the ultra-Orthodox. A question and answer session will follow her presentation. Please join us for this special evening sponsored by Congregation of Tifereth Israel, Congregation B’nai Jeshurun, and the Lincoln Jewish Federation.

Please RSVP for this event by Jan. 23 by calling the office 402.423.8569 or texting Nancy Coren at 402.770.4167.

TI members are welcome to bring non-member friends.

A Jeopardy! question about a city in the West Bank causes controversy buzzed in with, “What is Israel?” This answer got MARCY OSTER the nod and $200 for McGuire.

JTA Even before the commercial break was over, soIs Jesus’ birthplace in Israel or Palestine? According to the popular prime time game show cial media went into overdrive, with many insisting Needle was right and others doubling down Jeopardy!, the answer just may be both.

At the end of the first round of Friday night’s show, on Israel as the correct answer.

When the show came back from the commerpart of its popular Greatest Of All Time tournament, cial break, Needle’s one question remained score, not McGuire’s, in the $200 slot under was 200 higher. This the heading “Where’s means the judges dethat Church?” cided that her answer The answer: “Built in was, after all, correct. the 300s A.D., the But Trebek did not proChurch of the Nativity.” vide an explanation for (Remember: In Jeopthe viewing public. ardy! the game board The Church of the Naprovides the answer, and the contestant A view of the city of Bethlehem in the West Bank tivity is located in BethCredit: Maysa Al Shaer/Wikimedia Commons lehem, which sits in the gives the question.)

Returning champion Katie Needle of Brooklyn, West Bank. Bethlehem is in what is designated as N.Y., buzzed in with the question: “What is Pales- Area A of the West Bank, which falls under both Palestinian civil and military control since the tine?”

Host Alex Trebek informed her that her answer signing of the Oslo II accords in 1995.

The United Nations lists the Church of the Nawas incorrect.

Last-place contestant Jack McGuire, from San tivity, which is a World Heritage Site, as being in Antonio, Texas, who was then in last place, then Palestine.

News

The Jewish Press | January 17, 2020 | B7

Pulverente MONUMENT CO. 60 Years Experience With Jewish Lettering and Memorials

1439 So. 13th 402-341-2452 Frank L. Ciciulla, Jr.

LOC AL | N AT I O N A L | WO R L D

The Tell: The Iran Flare-Up, Winners and Losers Edition Is it good for the Democratic presidential candidates?

RON KAMPEAS Democratic candidates have hewed to the Pelosi and WASHINGTON | JTA Welcome 2020. Is it December yet? Can you set my alarm Slotkin template, decrying Soleimani as a terrorist but quesfor December? tioning whether the action was necessary or counterproducNo? Then how about a dive into how Iran tensions are play- tive. “Without more information, we can only hope that the ing out in D.C. and in the Jewish community. president has carefully thought through the national security implications of this attack for our country and the grave risks BADASS ON THE FRONTLINE Democrats are seeking to limit President Donald Trump’s involved,” former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg said. “But ability to engage Iran in a war in a bill coming to the floor on given his track record and his history of making reckless and Thursday (as this is written).

Nancy Pelosi tapped Elissa Slotkin, the moderate Democrat from Michigan, to introduce the war powers resolution.

Slotkin is one of the five self-described “badass” freshmen congresswomen who were critical in advancing impeachment.

All five women have national security backgrounds and all five won districts in 2018 that Trump won in 2016. Pelosi tapping Slotkin at two critical moments — in September, announcing that she had changed her mind and supported an impeachment inquiry, and now, taking the lead Left: President Trump (Getty Images). Background: Women chant slogans during a protest in limiting Trump’s war powers against the murder of General Qasem Soleimani. Rasht, Iran. Credit: Babak Jeddi/SOPA — suggests the degree to Images/LightRocket via Getty Images which Pelosi is relying on the party’s center, and not its mar- impulsive decisions that undermine U.S. strategic objectives gins, to keep the House next year. and weaken our allies — most recently in Syria — there is Slotkin, in announcing the resolution on Jan. 8, did not hes- every reason to be deeply concerned.” itate to use her national security experience to make her case Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have come under fire — a preemptive defense against the likes of Rep. Doug Collins, for calling Soleimani’s killing an “assassination.” Bloomberg the high-profile Georgia representative who is accusing De- took a shot at Sanders for using the term, Fox News reported. mocrats of betraying U.S. interests.

“This is a guy who had an awful amount of American blood “As a former Shia militia CIA analyst who has served multi- on his hands,” Bloomberg said. “I think that’s an outrageous ple times in Iraq, I have lived Iran’s destabilizing activity in Iraq thing to say.” up close and personal,” she said. “I have watched friends and (I’ve never understood how the word “assassination,” which colleagues get hurt or killed by Iranian rockets, mortars and is in modern usage a neutral term to describe the killing of explosive devices. And Qassem Soleimani was the architect someone of prominence, became politically loaded. Historians of some of the worst destabilizing activities in the Middle East. who routinely call Operation Valkyrie an assassination plot do But his behavior does not mean that the Administration can not convey the notion that killing Hitler would have been a disregard the Constitution by engaging in a wider war, without bad idea.) consulting first with Congress.”

The development has allowed Bloomberg, whose critics worry about his appeal outside of New York, to publicly flex SOME IRAN CONTEXT The precipitate for Slotkin’s action is the assassination of his foreign policy muscles a bit. top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani last week. Trump’s ar- IS IT GOOD FOR TRUMP? gument is that taking out the leader of the Quds Force, the The president, backed by enforcers like Collins, has so far wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that carries whipped Republicans into unanimity against impeachment. out Iranian adventurism beyond its borders, is the best means He’s not having the same success with Iran. Democrats say of preventing war. that the White House briefing for lawmakers, post facto, on As of Jan. 9, Trump might have been winning the argument. the Soleimani assassination, was arrogant and presumptuous.

Iran has indicated that if there were no retaliation for the mis- Agreeing were at least two Republicans, Sens. Rand Paul of sile strikes, there would be no further escalation, but it also Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah, who are otherwise outspoken was not quite ready to let the matter rest. Trump in a speech Trump boosters. They said after the briefing Wednesday that Wednesday appeared ready to de-escalate, promising unspec- they were ready to support the version of Slotkin’s bill in the ified new sanctions but no further military action in the wake Senate, where it is sponsored by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-VA. of an Iranian strikes on U.S. bases.

“They were in the process of telling us that we need to be “Iran appears to be standing down which is a good thing for good little boys and girls and not debate this in public,” Lee all parties concerned,” Trump said. said. “I find that absolutely insane. It’s un-American, it’s unconstitutional and it’s wrong.”

IS ALL OF THIS GOOD OR BAD FOR ISRAEL? Iran threatened after its latest missile strike that further esIf there are no Democratic defections, Lee and Paul bring calation would bring the conflict to U.S. allies in the region, backers of limiting Trump’s Iran war powers to 49. Two more including Israel.

Republicans and Trump could go into his impeachment trial That’s not an engagement Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Ne- wounded by a failure to keep Congress from encroaching on tanyahu wants. In the on-the-record portion of his Cabinet his most critical power, waging war. meeting on Jan. 5, Netanyahu — almost alone among world leadThe Tell is a weekly roundup of the latest Jewish political news ers — praised the Soleimani killing. Off the record — but leaked from Ron Kampeas, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency’s Washington later on — he told his ministers that “the killing of Soleimani is Bureau Chief. a U.S. event, not an Israeli event, and we should stay out of it.”

This story was edited for length.

That’s not the kind of attitude that Trump would expect from a close ally whom he believes he has defended better than any TO SUBMIT ANNOUNCEMENTS of his predecessors. Which may explain why on Tuesday — a Announcements may be e-mailed to the Press at day after he met with Avi Berkowitz, Trump’s top Middle East jpress@jewishomaha.org or mailed to 333 So. 132 St., counselor — Netanyahu was once again, and more expansively, Omaha, NE 68154. Readers can also submit announcements -- births, b’nai mitzvahs, engagements, marriages, commitextolling the Soleimani hit, this time in a televised address. ment ceremonies or obituaries -- online at the Jewish Fed“It is very important to say that Israel stands completely beeration of Omaha website: www.jewishomaha.org. Click on side the United States,” Netanyahu said, in case anyone missed “Jewish Press” and go to Submit Announcements. the point.

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B8 | The Jewish Press | January 17, 2020

Health LOC AL | N AT I O N A L | WO R L D

How to actually make a difference for women battling breast cancer

ROKHL KAFRISSEN NEW YORK | JTA Breast Cancer Awareness Month was first conceived in 1985. At the time, breast cancer was still the subject of whispers, not commercial ad campaigns.

Today we are not only talking about breast cancer — we’re buying, selling and marketing it. Why be satisfied with sporting a simple pink ribbon when October brings an explosion of premium pink-wrapped products, the purchase of which, in theory, raises both funds and awareness? From pink stun guns to stand mixers, we’re encouraged to shop for a cure. We’ve assimilated breast cancer into our national ethos and transformed “awareness” into just another financial transaction.

While awareness is far better than secrecy, the country looks quite different than it did in 1985, and solutions that may have worked then fall far short of meeting the needs of those with breast cancer today. The cost of medical care has soared for individuals, far outpacing wage increases. Some 66 percent of bankruptcies in the United States are now related to medical costs.

While I’m not arguing that we stop donating to breast cancer research or nonprofits that work with cancer patients, our contemporary culture of consumable breast cancer awareness is deeply problematic.

In 1974, when first lady Betty Ford was diagnosed with breast cancer, there were no screening guidelines, no selfexam campaigns, no national conversation. Ford’s decision to go public with her diagnosis was a landmark event in the history of American women’s health care.

In the early 1980s, upbeat awareness and fundraising events began to appear, and Breast Cancer Awareness Month was part of that wave. These events provided a structure for creating long-term change around women’s health care. They raised enormous amounts of money to be directed toward things like research and mammography access. Their inherently public

Credit: Catherine Lane/Getty Images

nature heralded a shift away from stigma and toward aggressive detection, and that’s a very good thing. However, detection isn’t enough for a patient who cannot afford gas to get to her doctor’s appointments, let alone expensive drug co-pays.

Jews, especially Jewish women, have an obligation to shift breast cancer giving away from a focus on consumable goods and toward a person-oriented, direct-giving model.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, aside from skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and the second most deadly form of cancer. Jewish women in particular are at risk, as they are more likely to carry mutations to the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.

When my mom had breast cancer, she was one of the “lucky” ones. She had excellent health insurance, a strong union and a bank of co-workers donated sick days she could draw on. She always emphasized to me that as a divorced mom re-entering the workforce, getting a job with the federal government was the best thing that could have happened to her. Even as she fought cancer for 12 years, she wasn’t worried about losing her job due to her illness. Watching her die felt like witnessing my own death. I can’t imagine how terrible it would have been if we had also been worrying about her losing her home.

One-third of the campaigns on the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe are to raise money for medical-related costs. A quick search turns up nearly 300,000 campaigns related to breast cancer. A small percentage of those are for research and awareness, but most are ordinary people who have turned to strangers to do what is done by the state in other wealthy industrialized countries. Rob Solomon, CEO of GoFundMe, acknowledges that before he joined the company, he had “no notion of how severe the problem [was].”

According to a Pew Trust study, the most popular use (68 percent) of crowdfunding tools by far is to help someone in need. Most of the people who donated to a person in need did so for someone in their social network, a friend, family member or friend of a friend. Only 28 percent said they gave to someone they didn’t know.

The implications of the Pew findings make the iniquities driving medical crowdfunding even more stark: Those lacking a robust circle of friends and family are less likely to raise the funds they need, making it even harder to patch up those holes in their safety net. If you’re looking to make an impact with your charitable dollars, it’s hard to beat the good that even a small amount can do when giving directly to a stranger with so little.

In the High Holidays liturgy, we read that tzedakah, along with prayer and repentance, can save one from death. The Jewish concept of tzedakah is more than charity — it is justice.

By giving directly to breast cancer patients in need, we can help them heal, help ourselves by fulfilling our spiritual obligations and help bring a little justice to our horribly broken health care system.

Rokhl Kafrissen is a playwright and journalist in New York City. Her bylines include the Forward, Haaretz and Lilith, and her Rokhl's Golden City column appears twice a month in Tablet and covers the world of new Yiddish arts and culture.

Women’s Guide Publishing date | 02.14.20

Space reservation | 02.05.20

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