February 1, 2019

thejewishpress AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA

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The S Word

F EBRU ARY 1 , 2 0 1 9 | 2 6 SH EV AT 5 7 7 9 | V O L . 9 9 | NO . 1 6 | C A Nd LeLi g h ti Ng | FRID AY , F EBRU ARY 1 , 5 : 2 2 P. M.

Stomping grapes page 2

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Fancy Nancy page 5

Andria eddings, left, Mickey Manley ii, Logan Jacik and Logan Miller

ANNette vAN de kAMp-wright unday, Jan. 13, Jewish Family Service hosted a screening of the documentary The S Word at Temple Israel, followed by

Chickpea Bolognese page 12

Ahava Dan Scholarships

inside Viewpoint Synagogues Life cycles

a Q and A session with filmmaker Lisa Klein and a panel discussion featuring representatives from the local community. Included in the panel were Andria Eddings, Boys Town National Hotline; Mickey Manley II, The Kim

8 10 11

diANe wALker Scholarship Administrator I am continually amazed by the generosity and thoughtfulness of Jewish Omaha.

Without question, this community is special! I see community members happily providing assistance for everything from struggling families to swimming pools. Case in point, the recently created Ahava Dan Omaha Jewish Community Engagement Fund.

This fund, provided by a family who chooses to remain

anonymous, was designed to immediately impact the engagement of the Omaha Jewish community by expanding access to meaningful Jewish experiences. These experiences include Jewish summer overnight camps, the Pennie Z. Davis Child Development Center at the JCC, and the Friedel Jewish Academy. The donors hope in this way to inspire unengaged families to become active participants in and advocates of the Omaha Jewish community.

Think about that for a moment. Maybe you are new to Omaha, maybe you have been focused on your career or young family, maybe you are not completely sure what being Jewish means to you – and someone provides you a means of easing into the fold, to dip your toes in the water.

What an amazing gift – thoughtful, generous and possibly just the right fit!

The fund will award scholarships to nine Jewish families in each of two years (June 1, 2019 – May 31, 2020 and June 1, 2020 – May 31, 2021) for a total of 18, or ‘chai’, scholarship awards. Each scholarship will be for $5,400 (‘triple chai’).

Scholarships will be awarded for overnight Jewish summer camp, CDC tuition, and Friedel Jewish Academy tuition. Families of scholarship recipients must participate in the Gateway Program at a cost of $600, which includes JCC membership and membership in the family’s Omaha synagogue of choice. Families will pay for the Gateway Program themselves.

See Ahava dan Scholarships page 2

Foundation’s LOSS Team (Local Outreach for Suicide Survivors), Logan Jacik and Logan Miller, who both participated in the JFS video What I Wish You Knew.

See The S Word page 2

Camille Metoyer Moten brings Streisand to JCC

Ozzie NOgg Raised with jazz, great with pop, classically trained and very versatile, Omaha vocal stylist and cabaret performer Camille Metoyer Moten will perform Color Me Camille: The Music of Barbra Streisand, on Friday, Feb. 22, at 1:30 p.m. in the JCC Auditorium. Camille’s special guest is Dave Wingert, Omaha’s own sparkling morning radio personality. The duo will be backed by music director David P. Murphy on piano, bassist Mark Haar, drummer Mike Deluca, and saxophonist Chad Stoner, performing such Streisand hits as Evergreen, The Way We Were, and You Don’t Bring

Me Flowers. The concert is free and open to the community.

“I’ve been a fan of Barbra since I was eleven years old,” Camille said, “and have always loved not only her voice but her phrasing and ability to pull the audience into her songs.

Each one tells its own story, and she knows how to convey it better than anyone. I don’t sound like Barbra, but I do sort of ‘channel’ her when I sing her songs. Of course, Color Me Camille is a play on Streisand’s album, Color Me Barbra. I’m thrilled to be doing this show at the JCC, and I hope the audience enjoys my efforts to bring her songs to life.”

See Camille Metoyer Moten page 3

Stomping grapes

2 | The Jewish Press | February 1, 2019

community The S Word

Continued from page 1 By focusing on stories of suicide-attempt survivors, the film aims to raise awareness about suicide prevention and resources and expand the conversation surrounding suicide. Participants in the film talk openly about their individual journey and filmmaker Lisa Klein approaches the subject without shame or judgment.

“We have over 300 hours of footage,” Klein said. “These are their stories. We tried to stay as true to that as possible and found precursors to suicide are never singular. Each story contains different building blocks and no two stories are the same.”

Every 13 minutes, someone in America attempts suicide; over 42,000 of those annual attempts are completed. Lisa Klein herself lost both her father and her brother to suicide while she was in college.

“For the longest time, I didn’t know who to talk to about it,” she said. “I would love to say making this film was totally selfless, but it wasn’t—I wanted to do it for myself and the world, because the more survivors I discovered, the more I knew this was the story I wanted to tell.”

The film emphasizes flipping the narrative: speaking from a position of weakness to speaking from a position of strength. It’s something many of the participants talk about in the film: taking control of that narrative. “Secrets made me sick,” one woman said, as she spoke about others’ reactions to what happened to her when she was raped. “People told me to keep it quiet.”

One participant relays being “asked so many times if I wanted to die. But nobody ever asked me if I wanted to live.”

There are awkward silences, interviews with family members and friends of survivors and discourse around wanting to die at a young age. Most of all, it’s the survivors talking directly to the audience. Photographer and survivor Dese’rae Stage, who since being in the film has made appearances on CNN and CBS, photographed many of the participants.

“I tell them to look directly in the lens,” she said. “It is time to stop looking away.”

Footage that ended up on the cutting room floor created an additional opportunity to share. With the hashtag SWordStories, personal essays and short videos speaking up about suicide from attempt survivors and experts can be shared: “13 Reasons Why Not is a collection of personal stories from people who have lived through suicidal thoughts. The name is coined from a controversial Netflix original series, 13 Reasons Why. The show tells the story of a high school girl who died by suicide after creating tapes explaining why she killed herself. Each tape mentions a different name, ascribing the blame of her suicide on 13 different individuals and experiences.

13 Reasons Why Not does the opposite – these are stories of people who have felt suicidal, and they have reached out to the people in their lives who are part of the reason they are alive.” (Find more resources at TheSWordMovie.com) JFS Executive Director Karen Gustafson, who hosted the screening, shared: “The screening was well received. We had 60 people in attendance with 98% finding the extra program somewhat interesting to very interesting. It is a sensitive topic, so I never expected that everyone would feel comfortable.

“Our documentary screening was the first program, our ‘kick-off ’ to our two-year commitment to educate the Jewish community about the stigma and secrets surrounding mental health that may lead someone to take their own life. When I invited my 20-year-old son, who was home from college, to attend the film’s screening, he said: ‘Mom, your programs are depressing. I don’t want to come.’

My answer: in a lot of ways they are, but if I’m sharing See The S Word Page 3

Eko Nova

Friedel students recently had a special visitor from the community. Gary Nachman recently led a hands-on grape-stomping activity.

Ahava Dan Scholarships

Continued from page 1 To be eligible, these Omaha Jewish families: • will have children who have never attended the program to be subsidized (overnight Jewish summer camp, the CDC, or Friedel) • are not currently actively involved in Jewish Omaha • will be willing to have financial ‘skin in the game’ via self-funding the Gateway Program • have at least one Jewish parent • must be living in the Omaha metropolitan area • must have demonstrated financial need. The Financial Aid Committee of the Jewish Federation of Omaha will also consider the primary purpose of the scholarships, which is to engage Jewish children and their families who have not previously been engaged.

Dorothy Spizman, chair of the Financial Aid Committee, is eager to welcome non-affiliated families into the many exciting programs and opportunities in Jewish Omaha.

The application and additional details are available on the Jewish Federation of Omaha website www.jewishomaha.org. The application deadline is March 1. Please feel free to reach out to me, Diane Walker, with any questions at either 402.334.6407 or dwalker@jewishomaha.org.

Please share this information with your Omaha friends and family!

They may know a Jewish family with children who will be inspired to become active and engaged in Omaha’s Jewish community.

Finally, further evidence that this community is terrific: as I was writing this article, I received a phone call from a previous member of Jewish Omaha. This very kind man had been reading the 2019 Scholarship Booklet and decided to use his Special Donor Advised Fund to establish a scholarship fund to help with summer camp expenses!

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The Jewish Press | February 1, 2019 | 3

Fellman and Kooper Scholarships Jan Roos The Bruce M. Fellman Charitable Foundation Trust has announced the availability of scholarships for the 2019-2020 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.

Applications may be obtained by contacting Jan Roos in Howard 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, 2019.

The Robert H. & Dorothy G. Kooper Charitable Foundation Trust has

Camille Metoyer Moten

Continued from page 1 Camille Metoyer Moten’s performances have been enjoyed by many. Reviews of Bubbly with Barbra, a show Camille presented in March of 2018 as an Omaha Community Playhouse fundraiser, called the show, “A must see, world class performance. A couple of hours of pure magic. Camille and the band performed songs made famous by Barbara Streisand in a concert that would be a hit on Broadway.” Metoyer’s Feb. 22 Dave Wingert Color Me Camille concert at the JCC will be equally classy and sassy.

Dave Wingert (Wingy, to the cognoscenti) returned to Omaha in 2008 after twenty years in Seattle where he performed in theater, hosted local radio, as well as a nationally syndicated radio show — Dave Til Dawn — heard coast-tocoast on over 98 stations. “When I got back to Omaha I reconnected almost immediately with Dave Murphy and Camille,” Wingert said. “When the three of us get together for any kind of performance, we have a great ‘shorthand’ with each other. What I find very special about Camille, is she doesn’t ‘perform’ a song as much as ‘live it’. She’s a passionate theater actor down to her bones, always looking for the truth or the story-line that’s in the song. Camille has the rare ability to take a song that’s been performed a million times — like The Way We Were — and make it a totally new, emotional experience for an audience. It’s great fun to be a part of her tribute show to Barbra Streisand, and our performance of You Don’t Bring Me Flowers fits both of us so well, if only because it’s right in our best, most comfortable vocal range.” Wingy was inducted into the Nebraska Broadcasting Association’s Hall of Fame in 1998 as a Legendary Personality, and currently can be found ‘on stage’ Monday thru Friday mornings on Boomer Radio — 1490 AM, 104.1 FM, 94.5 FM and 97.3 FM. “This fabulous concert is made available, at no charge to the community, through the generous — and anonymous — support of the family of a Blumkin Home Resident,” said

announced the availability of scholarships for the 2019-2020 academic year. It 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.

Mrs. 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 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, 2019.

Maggie Conti, RBJH Director of Activities and Volunteer Services. “Color Me Camille is the first time we’ve presented an event of this magnitude, and it will be a wonderful show.

Also, between Monday, Feb. 18 and the concert on Feb. 22, we’re planning five days of ‘Babs’ activities at the Home — famous Streisand movies, Barbra trivia and DVD concerts.

There will be music and fun everywhere you turn.”

In the January 2019 Omaha Magazine, Camille Metoyer Moten said, “I am happy when I am singing, and hopefully I impart happiness to my audiences. My advice for living life is exactly that — live life. I continue to live, set new goals, and focus on doing good in the world. I have released my third CD; all were recorded from age 54 to 64. If someone told me I was too old to do that, I didn’t hear them.”

For additional details on Color Me Camille: The Music of Barbra Streisand, Friday, Feb. 22, at the JCC, or to arrange transportation to the concert, contact Maggie Conti at 402.334.6521 or email: mconti@rbjh.com.

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The S Word

Continued from page 2 information with people, it’s because I care and I want to share what I know. What if you learned something that could help a friend one day, or yourself? Why wouldn’t I want my family to have this information? Rhetorical, of course. His answer was ‘Good point.’ And he attended!”

Karen calls the Jewish community her extended family: “I want you all to be equipped with good information and protective facts. As much as we may believe otherwise, there is risk at every age. The question we all must ask ourselves is: Why wouldn’t we want to have information that could help someone we know?”

JFS will host a smaller session, age specific for 40-55year-olds, Tuesday March 12 at 6:30 p.m. Toba CohenDunning and Eric Dunning have generously agreed to host this event. We want the vibe to be educational, yet conversational. Please watch for further information in the coming weeks.

For more information, please contact Karen Gustafson, Executive Director of JFS at kgustafson@jfsomaha.com.

omaha Chamber Music society presents Eko nova Tower Duo Returns! The ground-breaking flute and saxophone duo from Columbus, Ohio will perform a program of 21st century music at KANEKO at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 4 as part of the Eko Nova series. Eko Nova, a partnership between the Omaha Chamber Music Society and KANEKO now in its fourth year, is dedicated to presenting breathtaking new music in a modern space. Concertgoers are able to experience live performances surrounded and enhanced by KANEKO’s current exhibitions – in this case, Human Condition and installations by artist Sunkoo Yuh. Tickets are available at http://thekaneko.org/programs/eko-nova-tower-duo and are $15 for General Admission and $10 for students and KANEKO members.

Tower Duo, comprised of married couple Erin Helgeson Torres and Michael Rene Torres, works as a contemporary renaissance ensemble - commissioning, composing, and performing music written specifically for our time. They’re particularly interested in premiering works by emerging composers, and their first album, CROSSWIND, was re-

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leased on Jan. 11.

The Omaha Chamber Music Society is a nonprofit organization that organizes and performs multiple classical music and chamber music series around the Omaha area, with partners such as KANEKO, UNMC, Gallery 1516, the Omaha Conservatory of Music, and the JCC. Their work also goes beyond performance to education and service – more information can be found at omahachambermusic.org.

KANEKO is a non-profit arts & cultural organization dedicated to exploring and encouraging the creative process and how it impacts our lives. Established by internationally renowned sculptor Jun Kaneko and his wife, Ree, KANEKO was conceived of as “open space for your mind,” a place where thoughtful examination of others’ ideas through exhibitions and public programs leads us to new and exciting ideas of our own. For more information about KANEKO, please visit thekaneko.org.

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4 | The Jewish Press | February 1, 2019

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Judit, the Jewish Warrior Queen

including the Bible, which prove that Jews were in Ethiopia 2500RIch JuRo Have you heard of Judit, the Jewess who overthrew the king of 3200 years ago. And they prospered…

Ethiopia 1000 years ago, massacred his family, destroyed churches, Centuries later, according to the Beta Israel tradition, in the 4th ruled for 40 years, and founded a regal dynasty that lasted 400 Century CE, the Emperor of Axum (northern Ethiopia) declared Christiyears? Neither had I, till Fran and I visited Ethiopia several years ago anity as the religion of the land. The Jews understandably didn’t like and learned a few tidbits about her. Here’s the rest of the story: that, so they set up their own kingdom a distance away. 500 years We need to start over 3000 later, the new Axum Emperor set years ago when the Queen of out to expand his realm, which put Sheba traveled to see King Solomon him in conflict with the Jewish in Israel. The Biblical land of Sheba Kingdom under Gideon IV. Guess consisted of parts of Ethiopia and what? The Jewish Beta Israel Yemen, which were across the Red army defeated the Axum Empire, but Gideon IV was killed, and his Sea from each other. Supposedly, daughter, Judit, became the queen the Queen of Sheba visited and was impregnated by King Solomon. and his successor.

Here’s the gory stuff: Judit made And it follows that Sheba then an alliance with some pagan tribes, gave birth to Menelik I, the founder and around 960 CE the combined of the Solomonic dynasty in forces invaded the capital city of Ethiopia. That legend expands to Axum. They then proceeded to sack one much harder to believe: that Menelik I returned to see his father Beta Israel immigrants in 1991 the Treasury, burn the city, and deCredit: Israel Government Press Office stroy its churches and monasteries.

King Solomon. Then Menelik or his aides stole the Ark of the Covenant, brought it back to Ethiopia, where Finally, Judit had all the heirs to the Axumite throne killed so the dyit has resided ever since. But that’s another story for another day... nasty couldn’t be revived. Judit then governed for 40 years, and her The Ethiopian Jews, also called Beta Israel, have a definite but, in Beta Israel descendants ruled the so-called Zagwe Empire for the next 300 years. (For comparison, our own USA has not even been a country many ways, uncertain history. One theory goes that they are defor 300 years.) Several Europeans, including Marco Polo and Benjamin scended from the time of Moses during the Exodus. Instead of going from Egypt east across the Red Sea, these Jews went south to what of Tudela, refer in their writings to the Ethiopian Jewish kingdom. is now Sudan and then Ethiopia. Another possibility is that their lineBut in 1270 a man arose who claimed to be a descendant of the old age is from the tribe of Dan, which journeyed south at the time of the Axum Emperor. For the next couple of centuries the Jewish kingdom breakup of Israel in the 10th Century BCE to Yemen and then to fought with the newly resurgent Christian Solomonic dynasty. Eventually, Ethiopia. There are archaeological structures and written references, See Judit page 6

Foundation update

Omaha’s LIFE & LEGACY™ initiative is designed for after-lifetime gifts from those who want to support causes and programs within Omaha’s Jewish community, to provide financial stability for future generations of Omaha Jews.

Yet, many supporters have told us they want to give their LIFE & LEGACY gift now, rather than waiting until after they are gone. At the same time, they howaRd EpStEIn would like to have a steady source of Executive Director, income during their remaining years, JFO Foundation or perhaps, provide a steady source of income to their spouses, children, and other loved ones.

A life income plan is just the right charitable tool. It allows you to give a gift to the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation, provide income to yourself, or to your loved ones after you are gone, and then provide support to the causes within Omaha’s Jewish community that are most important to you.

We will work with you and your legal, tax, and financial advisors to create the life income plan that is right for you, such as a charitable remainder trust or a charitable gift annuity.

For after-lifetime gifts, funding a plan which provides income for life to your spouse, children, or other loved ones after you are gone may be right for you. And, retirement plan assets may be the ideal charitable gift for this purpose. Such a plan strikes a balance between leaving all of your retirement

plan assets to loved ones and paying maximum taxes, or leaving retirement assets to the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation and eliminating taxes on them. Here’s how a life income plan works: 1. You sign a beneficiary designation form with your retirement plan administrator, naming the life income plan as beneficiary (Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation should be named as the residual beneficiary of the life income plan).

2. After you are gone, your retirement plan transfers the designated portion of its final balance to the life income plan.

3. The heirs you have chosen receive payments from the plan each year, typically for life.

4. When the life income plan ends, its remaining principal goes to support the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation and the causes and programs which are most meaningful to you.

Using retirement plan assets to fund a life income plan postpones income tax and reduces estate tax on these assets.

A typical result is to reduce total taxes on your retirement assets by more than half compared to distributing them to your heirs through your estate.

Life income plan options: There are several life income plan options to choose from. The one that is right for you will depend on a variety of factors.

Please contact me at hepstein@jewishomaha.org if you would like to learn more about funding a life income plan with assets from your retirement plan or with other assets.

omaha trans Video celebrates 32 years Omaha Trans-Video is celebrating 32 years of business!

During that time, they’ve had the opportunity to work with businesses large and small, non-profit groups such as churches, synagogues, schools and state organizations as well as with many families on personal projects.

They have stood the test of time, building lasting relationships with their client base. They’ve kept up with changing technology.

They are currently using a new frame-by-frame film scanning process for their transfers of 16 mm film, Super 8 mm film and Regular 8 mm film. Each frame of film is scanned, then turned in to an excellent video file.

In addition, they offer uploading services, so people can share their videos online with a simple link. They keep a full working line of obsolete tape formats for both corporate and consumer clients, such as 1 inch video, 3/4 inch video, Betacam SP, DVC Pro, S-VHS, Betamax, Digital 8mm, HI 8mm and VHS.

Omaha Trans Video can convert audio formats such as LP records, 78 records, reel to reel audio, micro cassette and regular cassette audio. They have most formats available.

If you are looking to have video presentations made for special occassions like weddings, graduations, B’nai Mitzvah or anniversaries, bring in your slides and photographs and see them like you’ve never seen them before!

They also produce video productions both in their studio and on locations, using Hi-Definition cameras. Some of their productions are for conferences and awards banquets. In March, they will produce the State Conference for Nebraska DECA for the 22nd year. Samples of all their work can be seen online at www.omahatransvideo.com.

Give them a call soon and schedule an appointment! Let Omaha’s most trusted video imaging facility help you with all your business and personal video needs.

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Temple Israel Rosh Chodesh Event CassaNdRa WEisENbuRgER Director of Communications, Temple Israel osh Chodesh marks the beginning of the Hebrew month and at Temple Israel it serves as an opportunity for women of every generation to gather and connect, learn and pray, and socialize and create. This month’s Rosh Chodesh event is hosted by Karen Flayhart and offers an exciting opportunity to experience Opera Omaha like you never have before!

On Sunday, Feb. 10, 5:30-7 p.m., we will join Opera Omaha’s upcoming backstage tour of The Elixir of Love. You will get an exclusive look at what it takes to bring this charming, comic opera production (which is set in the 1980s) to the Orpheum Theater!

Entry will be via the backstage door of the Orpheum Theater on 15th street.

During Opera 360, you will go on a guided tour of the historic Orpheum Theater’s dressing rooms, costume/wig room(s) and onto the stage. You will get a sneak peek of the set and a view of the theater that is typically only seen by the artists, creative team, and crew. The Elixir of Love’s director, conductor, and designers will share with you their processes – deepening your understanding of all the moving cogs that make opera magic.

We will end the tour with wine and nosh in the Orpheum Theater’s legendary canteen – a volunteer-run concession service typically limited to just the performers, crew, and volunteers who work on productions.

After the tour, you are welcome to stay after for Wandelprobe – the cast’s first rehearsal

with orchestra (but without costumes). The rehearsal will start at 7 p.m.

Please note that this is a walking and standing tour, and we will be going up and down a flight of steep stairs as we move about backstage. This event is not ideal for anyone who cannot navigate stairs.

The Jewish Press | February 1, 2019 | 5

community Fancy Nancy

Helen Epstein and Nancy Rips conspired to surprise our English Language Learners with a visit from their favorite book character, and what a surprise it was!

Space for this event is limited to 30 guests!

RSVP to Temple Israel, RSVP@templeisrae lomaha.com or 402.556.6536, by Thursday, Feb. 7. If you RSVP and find you are no longer able to attend, please contact Temple Israel so we can release your spot for another guest.

Again, please note that entry is via the backstage door of the Orpheum Theater.

Street parking is free on Sundays.

This event is complimentary of Opera Omaha. If you would like to make a donation, please visit operaomaha.org.

women’s guide publishing date | 02.15.19

space reservation | 02.06.19

Contact our advertising executive to advertise in this very special edition.

Susan Bernard 402.334.6559 | sbernard@jewishomaha.org

Omaha Community Playhouse to present Of Mice and Men

Of Mice and Men opens at the Omaha Commuwith a moral predicament in one of the most pownity Playhouse on Feb. 15. Based on the critically- erful and devastating stories of the 20th century. acclaimed classic American novel by John The Omaha Community Playhouse production Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men explores the ultimate will run from Feb. 15 through March 17 in the meaning of friendship. Migrant ranch workers in Howard Drew Theatre. Tickets are on sale now California during the Great Depression, George, an and start at $40 for adults and $24 for students. intelligent but uneducated man, and Lennie, a large Tickets may be purchased at the Omaha Commuman with the mind of a child, dream of making nity Playhouse Box Office, located at 6915 Cass enough money to buy their own land. When a crime Street, by phone at 402.553.0800 or online at is accidentally committed, the two men are faced OmahaPlayhouse.com.

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6 | The Jewish Press | February 1, 2019

community Judit

Continued from page 4 the Christian Emperor Yeshaq won and decreed that only Christians could inherit land; the others were “Falasi,” which is probably the origin of the term Falasha, or landless person. And that’s why Ethiopian Jews refer to themselves as Beta Israel, and not the second-class term of Falasha. Most of the Ethiopian Jews retreated to the mountains around Gondar. They lived there until almost all moved to Israel under the Law of Return several decades ago.

The story of Judit is fascinating, but it’s primarily from oral tradition, so many of its details are subject to debate. The warrior queen may have been called Judit, or Gudit, or Yodit, or Esther. In Amharic, the language of Ethiopia, she is called Isat, which not surprisingly translates as “fire”. Whether she was Jewish is also not certain. Some researchers think she was pagan or even a rival Christian family. Ruling for 40 years, she was probably a good administrator, but according to the (jealous) modern Ethiopians, she wasn’t.

But some facts are undisputed. There was a queen in the 10th Century who excelled as a warrior, military strategist, and ruler. She also seems to deserve her reputation as bloodthirsty, but that was not uncommon for the era.

In the Ethiopian (Coptic) Orthodox Churches, there are many Jewish symbols and traditions: numerous Stars of David, Saturday services, pork is forbidden, words of Hebrew origin, etc. The Jews in the country were there well before Christianity, so maybe that’s why there are so many Jewish symbols and rituals. And maybe 300 years of Jewish rule also contributed to the usage.

Overall, the story of Judit, the Jewish warrior queen, is pretty well established. It’s certainly unique to the history of the Jewish people, and maybe to any tradition. She was definitely a person to be reckoned with, 1000 years ago or even today.

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Right-Wing extremists Todd GuTniCk ight-wing extremists were linked to at least 50 extremist-related murders in the United States in 2018, making them responsible for more deaths than in any year since 1995, according to new data from the ADL. In its annual report on extremist-related killings in the U.S., the ADL’s Center on Extremism reported that at least 50 people were killed by extremists in 2018, including the 11 individuals killed in the fatal anti-Semitic attack at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. The tally represents a 35 percent increase from the 37 extremist-related murders in 2017, making 2018 the fourth-deadliest year on record for domestic extremist-related killings since 1970.

Last year saw the highest percentage of right-wing extremist-related killings since 2012, the last year when all documented killings were by right-wing extremists.

Right-wing extremists killed more people in 2018 than in any year since 1995, the year of Timothy McVeigh’s bomb attack on the Oklahoma City federal building.

“The white supremacist attack in Pittsburgh should serve as a wake-up call to everyone about the deadly consequences of hateful rhetoric,” said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “It’s time for our nation’s leaders to appropriately recognize the severity of the threat and to devote the necessary resources to address the scourge of right-wing extremism.”

Last year’s murders at the hands of right-wing extremists reflect an ongoing trend. ADL’s Center on Extremism, which has aggregated data going back to 1970, shows that over the last decade, a total of 73.3 percent of all extremistrelated fatalities can be linked to domestic right-wing extremists, while 23.4 percent can be attributed to Islamic extremists. The remaining 3.2 percent were carried out by extremists who did not fall into either category.

Murder and Extremism in 2018: Summary of Major Findings • Every perpetrator had ties to at least one right-wing extremist movement, although one had recently begun supporting Islamist extremism.

• Firearms remain the weapon of choice for extremists who kill. Guns were responsible for 42 of the 50 deaths in 2018, followed by blades or edged weapons.

• Five shooting sprees resulted in 38 deaths and left 33 people injured.

• Among the five extremist-related shooting sprees in 2018: Tree of Life Synagogue, Pittsburgh, PA: 11 dead; Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, FL: 17 dead; Waffle House, Nashville, TN: four dead.

• The perpetrator of the deadly shooting spree at a yoga studio in Tallahassee was connected to the misogynistic incel/manosphere movement. In the wake of this attack and a similarly-motivated spate of murders in Toronto, ADL’s Center on Extremism now tracks such incidents as extremist-related killings.

Policy Recommendations 1. Speak out Against Hate and Extremism – Particularly from the Far Right Public officials and law enforcement authorities must speak out against all manifestations of hate and extremism.

For too long, policymakers have focused disproportionate attention on the threat of Islamist extremism – to the detriment of readiness to address many other security issues.

2. Enact Laws to Fight domestic Terrorism Recognizing that far-right extremism is a major threat of this new era, the United States Congress should enact laws to focus specifically on domestic terrorism, including close examination of the utility of enacting a statute that explicitly recognizes and punishes domestic terrorism as a crime.

3. Expand dialogue Between Civil Society and Tech Sector In the last several years, civil society and the technology sector have partnered on a range of projects to adapt for the digital era. For example, ADL has been proud to be part of Twitter’s Trust and Safety Council and to work with Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and Twitter as members of our Problem-Solving Lab. ADL has worked with tech companies in myriad ways to help them improve their approach to dealing with hate and extremism on their platforms.

However, those efforts are still nascent.

4. improve federal, state, and local responses to hate crimes Every state should enact comprehensive, inclusive hate crime laws. Effective responses to hate violence by public officials and law enforcement authorities can play an essential role in deterring and preventing these crimes.

5. Reframe Prevention Strategies to Promote Community Resilience to Counter Far-Right Extremism Congress and state legislatures should authorize and appropriate grants for research and services to better understand the drivers of extremist hate and fund evidence-based programming to counter it.

6. Promote Anti-Bias and Civics Education Programs in elementary and secondary schools Recognizing the limits of legal responses to hate violence, Congress and the Department of Education should increase federal funding for inclusive school climate, anti-bias education and hate crime prevention.

ADL is a leading anti-hate organization. Founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of anti-Semitism and bigotry, its timeless mission is to protect the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all.

Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of hate with the same vigor and passion. ADL is the first call when acts of anti-Semitism occur. A global leader in exposing extremism, delivering anti-bias education and fighting hate online, ADL’s ultimate goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination or hate. More at www.adl.org.

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The Jewish Press | February 1, 2019 | 7

Jeannette Gabriel at B’nai israel

nancy WOlf Center for Israel and Jewish Studies and cuPlease join us for Shabbat Services at B’nai rator for the Goldstein Center for Human Israel at 7:30pm on Feb. 8.

Rights. She has a background in curating JewJeannette Gabriel, member of B’nai Israel, ish history and is working on various projects will be discussing her role in curating the up- documenting Omaha’s rich Jewish histories. coming exhibit, Shirley Goldstein’s Immigrant Shirley Goldstein, of blessed memory, grew Rights Legacy: Operation Exodus in Omaha. up in Council Bluffs, and was a life-long The exhibit will open at member of B’nai Israel SynaUNO’s Criss Library on Aug. gogue. Her activism for indi9. After the showing in vidual human rights spanned Omaha, the exhibit will travel the world, yet she never forgot nationally. The Goldstein Cenher roots, continuing strong ter for Human Rights is sponsupport for the synagogue of soring the exhibit to highlight her youth her entire life.

Omaha’s Jewish activism in Larry Blass will be our support of Soviet Jews emigraservice leader, and the oneg tion from the 1970s through following the service will be the early 1990s. Jeannette will sure to delight! Come meet discuss different aspects of the new friends, or visit with old exhibit including Shirley friends. You’re always welcome Goldstein’s individual human at B’nai Israel!

Jeanette Gabriel rights activism, the human Save the date for our next rights movement that emerged in Omaha in service, March 1! One week earlier than support of Goldstein’s work, and the work usual. We will welcome Rabbi Elliott Tepperwithin the Soviet Jewish community that set- man, grandson of Vera and Eddie Teppertled in Omaha to retain their culture and her- man, and nephew of Marcia Kushner of itage for future generations. In addition, Lincoln.

Jeannette will discuss pop up events that will Rabbi Tepperman has been the spiritual take place during the exhibit. Jeannette leader of B’nai Keshet, a Reconstructionist Gabriel is a resident scholar at the Schwalb synagogue in Montclair, NJ, since 2002.

Driver curses church members JTA news sTAff A driver yelled obscenities and anti-Semitic remarks as members of a church in California walked to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day. About 100 members of the Church of Jesus Christ Temple Philadelphia in Salinas, California had gathered after services to get ready for an annual walk in memory of the Holocaust and its victims. A man in a black BMW SUV drove by and yelled obscenities and insults against Israel and the Jewish

people, local television station KSBW reported.

The driver circled back to yell at the marchers again, according to the report.

The walkers held a sign reading “Never Again.

Remembering the Holocaust” and carried Israeli flags. The walkers included children, young parents pushing strollers and seniors.

The church has worked with the Jewish community in Salinas for a number of years, according to the report.

Organizations

B’nai B’rith BreadBreakers

B’nai B’rith Breadbreakers meets weekly on Wednesdays at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home auditorium from noon to 1 p.m. For specific speaker information, please email Gary.Javitch@Gmail.com, Breadbreakers chairman. For more information or to be placed on the email list call 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@jewishomaha.org.

spring is coming to the chi health center at the home & Garden event of the year!

Excitement is building for the 53rd Annual Omaha Home & Garden Expo to be held thursday, feb. 7 through sunday, feb 10 at the CHI Health Center, 10th Street & Capitol Ave. See over 200,000 sq. ft. of the latest products and services for your home - inside and out, design gardens with waterfalls, fire features and the smells of Spring! The show’s four-day multi-event extravaganza will have attractions for adults and children alike. A new home completely decoratedwith a backyard garden display, a fountain café & food court with continuous entertainment, exotic animals and fun for the kids with special activities. The show creates consumer excitement with nationally-known experts and personalities presenting throughout the Expo. The show will also be your opportunity to meet experts including Kevin O’Connor, star of the popular This Old House and award winning garden designer and author P. Allen Smith. Smith is host of PBS TV’s Garden Home and Garden to Table — and syndicated Garden Style. as well as his own radio program, The P. Allen Smith Show. His design and lifestyle advice is featured in several national magazines.

The show offers lawn & garden ideas and solutions with an opportunity to find answers at the Ask the Master Gardener.

More Americans than ever are discovering the joys of gardening. The 2019 show will again feature informative programs in the Garden Theater.

Each session, those attending will have a chance to win possible gift items.

The 53rd Annual Omaha Home & Garden Expo and Annual Omaha Lawn, Flower & Patio Show exhibits will be open to the public thursday, feb.

7, from 5 to 9 p.m.; friday, feb. 8, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; saturday, feb. 9, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and sunday, feb. 10, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For additional information, contact Mike Mancuso, Show Director, Mid-America Expositions, Inc., 7015 Spring Street, Omaha, NE 68106-3518 or call 402.346.8003, 800.475.SHOW or fax: 402.346.5412. Check us out on the internet at www.omahahomeandgarden.com and www.showofficeonline.com or email to info@showofficeonline.com.

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Two Great Shows, One Admission Adults: $9 | Children 12 & under: $4.50 | Children under 5: FREE 402-346-8003 | omahahomeandgarden.com

8 | The Jewish Press | February 1, 2019

viewpoint thejewishpress

(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 Thierry ndjike Accounting Jewish Press board Abby Kutler, President; Eric Dunning, Ex Officio; Laura Dembitzer; Candice Friedman; Jill Idelman; Andy Isaacson; Michael Kaufman; David Kotok; Natasha Kraft; Debbie Kricsfeld; Eric Shapiro and Amy Tipp.

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 Federation are: Community Relations Committee, Jewish Community Center, Center for Jewish LIfe, Jewish Social Services, and the Jewish Press.

Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page stories and announcements, can be found online at: wwwjewishomaha.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.

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Deadline for copy, ads and photos is: Thursday, 9 a.m., eight days prior to publication. E-mail editorial material and photos to: avandekamp@jew ishomaha.org; send ads (in TIF or PDF format) to: rbusse@jewishom aha.org.

Letters to the editor Guidelines The Jewish Press welcomes Letters to the Editor. They may be sent via regular mail to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154; via fax: 1.402.334.5422 or via e-mail to the Editor at: avandekamp@jew ishomaha.org.

Letters should be no longer than 250 words and must be single-spaced typed, not hand-written. Published letters should be confined to opinions and comments on articles or events. News items should not be submitted and printed as a “Letter to the Editor.” 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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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.

american Jewish Press association award Winner

nebraska Press as- national newspaper sociation association award winner 2008

i

it was pass interference anneTTe Van de KamP-WriGHT Editor, Jewish Press t’s not often I get to write about sports on this page. While the stereotype of Jews being bad at sports has long since been thrown in the trash (where it belongs), there’s just not always that much to say. But: it’s Super Bowl time and it just so happens that one of the final team’s owners is Jewish and recently won the Genesis Prize.

The last time I wrote about American Football, there were certain people who made fun of me because I called the referee an ‘umpire.’ Turns out, those words are not interchangeable. Who knew? Apparently, everybody except me.

Anyway, the fact that Robert Kraft is Jewish should not by itself be a reason to root for his team (the actual reason to root for his team is because the other team stole their qualifying win from the Saints—Tommylee Lewis, if you need a shoulder to cry on, my whole family is here for you).

Why do we care that Robert Kraft is Jewish?

First of all, we all love a good success story. His father, Harry, was in the dress-business and really wanted his son to become a rabbi, but Robert had other plans: “Kraft began his business career with the Rand-Whitney Group, Inc., of Worcester, Mass., a company that converts paper into packaging for various industries. He later acquired the company. In 1972, he founded International Forest Products, a trader of paper commodities that now does business annually in more than 90 countries. Together, Rand-Whitney and International Forest Products (IFP) comprise one of the largest privately owned and fully integrated paper and packaging companies in the United States. In 2016, IFP was the top U.S. containerized exporter in New England and ranked sixth in the nation.” (Patriots.com) Robert couldn’t play sports as a kid because most games were on Saturday. Purchasing the Patriots in 1994 must have been quite an experience. However, buying his favorite football team (he’s been a season ticket-holder

since 1971) isn’t all he and his family have done with their fortune.

Kraft dollars have gone to education, child- and womenrelated issues, healthcare, youth sports and American and Israeli causes. Together with his wife and father-in-law, he funded a joint professorship between Brandeis University and Holy Cross College, forming the Kraft-Hiatt endowed

The newly elected Nebraska Secretary of State, who is charged with overseeing elections in Nebraska, announced he is exploring the introduction of “voter ID” legislation.

My great grandparents migrated from Eastern Europe and settled in Lincoln Herb Friedman in about 1885. Lincoln, Guest Editorial which was selected as the capitol of the new state of Nebraska in 1867, with a population at the time of less than 100, was still a small village when my great grandparents arrived. Many came from Europe - Irish, Italians, Czechs, Scandinavians, Germans from Ukraine, and Jews from Eastern Europe, to name but a few.

Lincoln was a true melting pot. In fact the whole county was and still is a melting pot.

Czarist Poland was not much different than some of the Central American and Middle East countries are today, whose citizens want to come to our country. My great grandfather left Poland at age 33 because living there was just plain hell.

Jews were constantly attacked by Cossacks: their villages burned, women raped and men killed in every vicious way known to man. They were denied education, the right to own property, even the right to sell liquor, access to professions, and were not even citizens of their country of birth, despite some having lived there for centuries. And the vote? There were no elections, so no need to worry about voting.

This country was a beacon attracting the poor from all over the world. And once you became a citizen, you could vote, even if you couldn’t speak English, even if you were poor. They didn’t come for the vote, they didn’t even know what a vote was.

But they knew life here couldn’t be any worse than

from where they came. They had a chance. The vote was an added benefit. It came with the new territory. Call it a bonus.

The current rage of “Voter ID Laws” is aimed at new immigrants, most of whom came here for the same better life, for which most of our ancestors came, and other minorities. These new IDs are not free. According to a 2014 report from Harvard Law

chairs in comparative religion – the first inter-religious endowed chairs in the United States.

There is a Kraft Family Stadium in Jerusalem, part of the family’s support for American Football Israel. After the Pittsburgh shooting, Kraft visited the synagogue to pay his respect and attended services. After the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, he matched $100,000 in donations to the victims and their families. He donated a van to Massachusetts General Hospital that meets those struggling with opioid addiction so they can get treatment in their own neighborhoods. In 2011, he pledged $20 million to launch the Kraft Family National Center for Leader-

Voter id: Good for Nazi Germany, bad for Nebraska

Credit: MarkBuckawicki via Wikimedia commons School, the average cost to obtain a voter ID, even if offered for ‘free,’ is between $75 and $175, when you add all the incidentals like travel, time off work and other expenses. And who can’t afford these new detriments to the voting box? People who live hand to mouth, and for whom the cost of an ID may mean the difference between a meal, paying rent, or a tank of gas. The new hindrances hit the poor, not the people behind this appalling idea, which takes the nation back to the “papers” required in Nazi Germany, and other authoritarian countries.

The idea is not conservative, but reactionary: a step back in time to a darker age.

Is this a system that is broke and needs to be fixed? How many people in Nebraska were charged with voter fraud in 2016 that triggered this sudden need? According to the Secretary of State’s

ship and Training in Community Health, an initiative designed to improve access to quality healthcare at community health centers throughout New England.

“Kraft recently made a public pledge that he would further his efforts to help combat anti-Semitism and all hate crimes,” according to www.genesisprize.org. “As part of this effort, Kraft’s Major League Soccer team, the New England Revolution, will host Chelsea Football Club (UK) in a benefit match at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts in May. All the proceeds from the match – as well as an additional $1 million personal contribution from Kraft – will be granted to initiatives to combat prejudices, including anti-Semitism.”

For his philanthropy and for speaking out and donating to organizations combating prejudice and anti-Semitism, Kraft will be awarded the Genesis Prize, also known as the “Jewish Nobel,” in June of this year. Like all prizewinners, he’s refused to accept the $1 million and instead has chosen how it will be spent: to combat anti-Semitism and efforts at de-legitimization of Israel.

Kraft’s own words: “I am honored to receive the Genesis Prize and thank the Genesis Prize Foundation for its recognition and willingness to direct my prize monies to such worthy causes.

This award amplifies my ability to raise both awareness and additional funds to fight anti-Semitism, attempts to de-legitimize Israel and other forms of prejudices. It is important that we continue to support organizations that focus on combatting prejudices by building bridges and uniting people of different backgrounds.”

After reading all that, how could you not root for his team? Also, you know, that other team didn’t really beat the Saints. Just because your name is “Rams” doesn’t mean you should…well. I’m just saying. The Saints were robbed. Go Patriots.

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.

own office, out of 860,000 votes cast that year, there were two violations reported, each resulting in a $10 fine (these were most likely the result of a mistake); statistically this amounted to 0.00023 % of the vote. Not a problem any way you look at it. Is this a solution in search of a problem? Or more likely, a political party in search of a way to deter voters they think may vote against them, from voting at all.

The core values of this nation were expressed by Emma Lazarus in the words she wrote that appear on the Statue of Liberty: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore, send these, the homeless...” But the current Secretary of State would add the words: “But those poor masses can’t vote, because they can’t afford the cost of a voter ID,” which amounts to a new version of the old “poll tax.” This idea should be scrapped.

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.

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Yiddish Power

The Jewish Press | February 1, 2019 | 9

My day job is translating from Jewish to English. Gevalt!

ANDREW SIloW-CARRoll JTA Do you go to shul, temple, synagogue, minyan or just services?

Let me ask it another way: That synagogue you won’t set foot in -- Do you call it a shul, temple, synagogue, minyan or services?

I’m not being judgy. It’s a question about language.

Working at a Jewish news service, we often discuss the vocabulary of our Englishspeaking readers. And as a specialty news service, we also ask how specialized we should be. When you write a lot about religion and Israel there is a lot of distinct vocabulary, usually loanwords from the Hebrew and Yiddish.

And even English words have distinct Jewish uses. A sentence like this, “The mission will explore modalities of engagement to promote continuity,” can be translated as “We’re going to Israel to look at ways to keep people interested enough in Judaism so they don’t marry gentiles.”

The question we ask frequently is how “insidery” we should be. Is it confusing or alienating to refer to a synagogue as a shul on first reference? If we mention a shiva, do we need to explain that it is the seven-day period of mourning observed

by Jews after a burial?

One camp worries that too much untranslated and unexplained specialty language is just one more barrier to readers accessing not just JTA but Jewish life as a whole. A headline like “Conservatives offer grants for new minyans,” from 2008, may be perfectly decipherable for insiders, but may not mean much even to those who know that a minyan is a prayer quorum of 10 Jews. In the context of the headline, “minyan” actually means a congregation that meets independently of a synagogue. (And while we’re at it, “conservative” means the Conservative movement, which is, confusingly, one of the “liberal” Jewish denominations.)

There is another camp, of which I may be the sole member, that believes a little insidery-ness is good for the JTA brand - and the reader. Our camp worries that if you go too far out of the way to avoid the language as it is used by engaged Jews, you signal to readers a naivete about your subject matter.

Readers of sports blogs and tech sites, for example, expect a little specialized vocabulary as part of their reading diet. A sentence like “deGrom’s major league-leading 1.70 ERA was two-thirds of a run lower than the next closest NL hurler” isn’t exactly Sanskrit, but it does assume -- and reward -- a little prior knowledge. The old Spy magazine used to have a regular feature making fun of The New York Times for overexplaining things to its readers, as in “The Beatles, the popular rock and roll band of the late 1960s ...”

Last week we had an office debate over a headline for an article about the scholar Robert Alter, who had just finished his three-volume translation of the Hebrew Bible. His name appeared in the original headline, leading some on staff to complain that no one would know who he is. In the age of search engines and social media, they correctly argue, you need headlines that are immediately accessible to the greatest number of potential readers. That argues for something like “After three decades, a scholar completes a monumental translation of the Bible.”

But I argued to keep his name in the headline, since leaving it out might suggest that we didn’t understand Alter’s place in the Jewish literary firmament. It was the difference, I argued, between using “Jacob deGrom” and “Mets pitcher” in a head-

line at ESPN: The reader who would most value the information would recognize the name, and everyone else would, I don’t know, figure it out.

I won the Alter argument (mostly, I suspect, because I managed to exhaust the opposition), and had some vindication Monday night when I attended a discussion at the New York Public Library with the legendary New Yorker writer John McPhee. Now 87, McPhee has made a career writing popular magazine articles and books about highly specialized subjects: geology, ecology, nuclear energy, sports. At Monday’s event McPhee’s interviewer, Paul Holdengraber, read a letter from McPhee to his late editor at the New York Review of Books, Robert Silvers, arguing for the specialized vocabulary in one of his geology essays.

Silvers apparently worried that the particular jargon of geology -- anticlines, synclines, migmatite, terrane -- would be Credit: JTA illustration a turnoff for general readers.

McPhee argued, at length, that readers would figure them out in context, or could reach for a dictionary. Explaining each word would hobble the prose, and omitting them would mean losing credibility in the science community.

But McPhee is also aware of the limits of insidery-ness. On Monday and in his recent how-to book Draft No. 4, McPhee said that writers can’t assume that they share “frames of reference” with their readers. He points out how young people haven’t heard of once-household names like Elizabeth Taylor and Cassius Clay. “[C]ollective vocabulary and common points of reference are not only dwindling now but have been for centuries,” he wrote.

Sarah Bunin Benor, a scholar of Jewish language at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, once used our archive to note the changing use of Jewish vocabulary at JTA and the Jewish community in general. Her study found, paradoxically, that the use of certain Hebrew and Yiddish words -- such as shul, daven and chutzpah -- actually increased even as the American Jewish community itself became more assimilated. (A JTA dispatch from 1924, by contrast, described a synagogue’s contents as the “Ark of the Law, the Scrolls of the Law, the Reader’s desk, and the seats” -- not a Hebrew or Yiddish term among them.)

Benor also demonstrated how the Reform movement became increasingly comfortable with a Hebrew vocabulary, with words like mitzvot (commandments, good deeds), aliyah (immigration to Israel) and tikkun olam (social action) appearing more frequently in its documents. The changes suggest that “three generations after the mass wave of immigration, Jews felt comfortable enough in America to express more distinctiveness in their in-group language,” she wrote.

How much of that distinctiveness should be expressed by a Jewish news service -- or, for that matter, by a synagogue rabbi, a Hillel director or a Jewish novelist?

The trick is hitting on a vocabulary that flatters the intelligence of readers without leaving them behind or on the outside -- that should probably be the guiding principle of any Jewish organization or service looking to “engage” young or disaffected people. And it is up to the “engagers” to keep up on the fluidity of frames of reference and note how the collective vocabulary keeps changing.

Otherwise it’s, you know, a bizbuz zman mukhlat.

Andrew Silow-Carroll is editor in chief of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

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 few weeks ago I was a guest at the Friday night table of a Hassidic friend of mine, whom I will call Yishai Pam. The primary spoken language of Yishai and his family is Yiddish. I had known that Yishai's community speaks Yiddish, but it was a remarkable experience to bear witness to the intimate use of the language at the Shabbat table. Incredibly, Yiddish is TEDDY just as alive for Yishai, his family, and WEINBERGER his community as it was for my grandparents, of blessed memory. I asked Yishai why Yiddish is so important to him, and he wrote the following: An old joke comes to mind when I am asked why we continue speaking Yiddish in our home, as do many (mostly Hassidic) Jews and not Hebrew like everyone else: “Why do ducks go barefoot? Because so went their ancestors!”

Modern Hebrew isn’t Lashon Hakodesh (the Holy Tongue); Lashon Hakodesh should only be used for religious purposes and not for mundane matters. Yiddish is an unparalleled treasure trove of the stored wisdom and wit of generations, which it would be a crime and a tragedy to forsake.

First and foremost though, Yiddish is Mame Loshen, our mother tongue, as it was until relatively recently for all Ashkenazi Jews. One need not a reason to continue speaking their native language, but rather a reason to abandon it.

And the one and only reason to abandon Yiddish is to assimilate into a different culture. Though the pressure to adopt popular culture grows increasingly stronger, this must not be countenanced. In the long run, the only hope of preserving our value system is cultural isolation and insulation.

We learn this lesson from our exodus out of Egypt (currently the focus of the weekly Torah readings), where the Children of Israel became the Nation of Israel. The Passover Haggadah, after citing the verse “and he [Jacob] went down to Egypt and sojourned there with a small number of people; and there he became a great, mighty, and numerous nation” (Deuteronomy 26.5), explains: “they were distinctively outstanding there.” Our Sages say that this means that our ancestors did not alter their names, their language, or their dress, and that it is for this that we merited the redemption from Egypt.

A Jew fully rooted in his own identity and proud of his culture will simply feel no need to acculturate and change, just as ducks have no need for shoes. As Yiddish, Ladino, Judeo-Arabic, and other Jewish dialects attest, until emancipation Jews never merged into their host culture. Their natural cultural segregation produced, within a generation or two, their own distinct dialect of the local language. It is in fact unprecedented for Torah Jews to embrace a foreign language as their own. Acculturation is an expression of ideational and emotional identification with the host culture, which invariably heralds religious deterioration.

Hebrew University recently decided that some of its Masters programs will be taught in English. This sparked a public backlash and controversy that has been compared to the “language war” that raged over a century ago in pre-state Israel. Some lament the decision as a disgrace and cultural danger, while others defend it as an inevitable necessity of a limited scope that will not detract from the University’s mission of preserving and advancing Hebrew culture. All agree that language is the very infrastructure and fulcrum of culture.

The language and culture of Ashkenazi Jews was, and is, Yiddish. The preservation of our heritage in the fullest manner is what links us to the past, defines our purpose and protects us from the host culture in the present, and guarantees our eternal future.

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.

Visit us at jewishomaha.org

10 | The Jewish Press | February 1, 2019

synagogues 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 SynagOgue

Join us for our monthly Shabbat Speakers Series on feb.

8, at 7:30 p.m. with guest speaker Jeannette Gabriel. Our service leader is Larry Blass, and as always, an Oneg to 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, Nancy Wolf, or email nancywolf16620@gmail.com.

Beth eL SynagOgue

Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman. frIday: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m.; Shabbat Dinner following services with Dr. Josh Kulp on The Search for Authority: How Do We Know What God Wants Us To Do? Saturday: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Junior Congregation, 10 a.m.; The Source of the Christian/Jewish Debate on Abortion with lunch, Dr. Josh Kulp, noon.

Childcare provided; Mincha following Shabbat morning services; Kiddush over Beer: Spirit Tasting with Dr. Josh Kulp, 7 p.m. Reservations required.

WeeKday SerVICeS: Sundays, 9:30 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.

Sunday: Blood Drive, 8 a.m.; BESTT Classes, 9:30 a.m.; World Wide Wrap, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10 a.m.; USY Board Meeting, 10 a.m.; Moon Watchers vs Sunbathers: Ancient Jewish Calendar Wars, 11 a.m. tueSday: Mahjong, 1 p.m.; Women’s Book Group, 6:30 p.m. at Eden Ostravich’s home.

WedneSday: BESTT Classes, 4:15 p.m.; USY Purim Prep, 5:15 p.m.; The History of American Anti-Semitism, 6 p.m. with Jeanette Gabriel; BESTT Hebrew High, 6:30 p.m. thurSday: Breakfast and Brachot: Service, 7 a.m. and Breakfast, 7:30 a.m.; Tzedakah Box Art Project afternoon session, noon; Chesed Committe visits Blumkin Home, 2 p.m.; Tzedakah Box Art Project evening session, 6 p.m.

Become a Soulful Parent, Sundays, feb. 24 and March 31 at 10 a.m. Join us for an exploration of parenting challenges against the backdrop of Jewish ideas and texts.

Tot Shabbat Pre-Neg, friday, feb. 8, 5:30 p.m. and Tot Shabbat at 6 p.m.

Shabbat’s Cool (Grades K-7), Saturday, feb. 9, 10 a.m.

Mini-Shul-in, Saturday, feb. 9, noon-10 p.m.

Beth ISraeL SynagOgue

Services conducted by Rabbi Ari Dembitzer frIday: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha, 5:23 p.m.; Candle Lighting, 5:23 p.m.

Saturday: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Insights into the Weekly Torah Portion, 4:20 p.m.; Mincha/Seudah Shlishit, 5:05 p.m.; Havdalah, 6:26 p.m.

Sunday: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Jews and Money — Jewish Attitudes Towards Wealth, 10 a.m. with Yosef Seigel; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:30 p.m. at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

MOnday: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Jewish History — Your History, noon with Rabbi Shlomo; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:30 p.m. at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. tueSday: Shacharit, 6:45 a.m.; Torah Tuesday, 3 p.m. with Rabbi Ari; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:30 p.m. at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

WedneSday: Shacharit, 6:45 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:30 p.m. at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. thurSday: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Connecting with Our Faith, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:30 p.m. at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

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, 7 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.

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

WedneSday: Mystical Thinking, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Katzman; Power Lunch with Shani, noon. Reserve at office @ochabad.com or 402.330.1800. thurSday: Talmud Class, noon with Rabbi Katzman.

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

COngregatIOn B’naI JeShurun

Services conducted by Rabbi Teri Appleby. frIday: Candlelighting, 5:26 p.m.; First Friday Family Shabbat Service with Inclusion Activity, 6:30 p.m.; Oneg, 7:30 p.m. hosted by the Kelen-Bloom Family.

Saturday: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:45 a.m. on Parashat Mishpatim; Havdalah (72 minutes), 6:58 p.m.

Sunday: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.; LJCS Gesher, 10 a.m.; Adult Hebrew Prayer Class, 11:30 a.m.; Come learn and play Pickleball, 7-9 p.m. All equipment furnished. Wear comfortable clothing. For questions, call or text Miriam Wallick at miriam57@aol.com. tueSday: Mussar Va’ad, 7 p.m.

WedneSday: LJCS Hebrew School, 4 p.m. at TI. Scholar-in-Residence: Prof. Margaret Gurewitz-Smith and Dr. Zachary B. Smith, Saturday, feb. 9, 10:30 a.m. on Christianity and Anti-Semitism: Culture Roots, followed by a light lunch.

It's not too soon to be thinking about summer camp! All Federation families are eligible for Camp Incentive Grants of $300 per camper to pay the initial camp registration deposit.

Application packets are available in the Temple office and on the Temple website.

The F Street Rec Center Birthday Closet is in need of an infusion! At this time, they are most in need of items for older girls (middle school and high school age). Suggested items are: hoodies, shorts, and crew socks in adult M, L, XL and 2XL sizes; challenging crafts or colored pens or pencils sets.

Since these are birthday gifts for the kids at the center, only new, unused items are requested.

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 Jim Polack.

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

teMPLe ISraeL

frIday: First Friday Shabbat Service, 6 p.m.

Saturday: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Service,

10:30 a.m. Bar Mitzvah of Charlie yale, son of Sarah and Adam Yale.

Sunday: Beginning Prayer-Book Hebrew for Adults, 9 a.m.; Madrichim Meeting, 9:30 a.m.; Religious School for K6, 10 a.m.; Social Justice Committee Meeting, 10:30 a.m.; Annual Super Bowl Party, 4:30 p.m.

WedneSday: Religious School Grades 3-6, 4 p.m.; School Dinner, 6 p.m.; Grades 7-12, 6:30 p.m.; Family School, 6:30 p.m.; What (We Say) We Believe: Understand the Prayer Book, 6:30 p.m. with Rabbi Deana Sussman Berezin. thurSday: The History of the Jewish People: Jews and the Renaissance, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Brian Stoller.

Rosh Chodesh: Opera Omaha Hosted by Karen Flayhart, Sunday, feb. 10, 5 p.m. Join Opera Omaha’s upcoming backstage tour of The Elixir of Love. You will get an exclusive look at what it takes to bring this charming, comic opera production (which is set in the 1980s) to the Orpheum Theater!

Visit templeisraelomaha.com/rosh-chodesh for all the details!

tIfereth ISraeL

Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: Monday-friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. frIday: No Services; Candlelighting, 5:26 p.m.

Saturday: Shabbat Morning service, 10 a.m. Sevices will be held in the Williamsburg room at the landing. We will be joining Elaine Evnen there for our Shabbat service followed by a kiddush lunch sponsored by Elaine. We look forward to having our members join us for this special gathering. Please let Nancy Coren know if you need a ride (and if you plan to attend); Havdalah (72 minutes), 6:27 p.m.

Sunday: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.; LJCS Gesher, 10 a.m.; Synagogue Board Meeting, 3 p.m.; Come learn and play Pickleball, 7-9 p.m. All equipment furnished.

Wear comfortable clothing. For questions, call or text Miriam Wallick at miriam57@aol.com.

WedneSday: LJCS Hebrew School, 4 p.m.

Join us for Junior Congregation Got Shabbat, Saturday, feb. 9, 11 a.m. Special Giveaways for those attending! Attendance earns UrbanAir Event in late February. RSVP to Lbow2065 @gmail.com.

It's not too soon to be thinking about summer camp! All Federation families are eligible for Camp Incentive Grants of $300 per camper to pay the initial camp registration deposit.

Application packets are availible in the Tifereth Israel foyer.

Malaysia stripped of 2019 World Para Swimming Championships over Israeli participation

MarCy OSter volved in this matter, the IPC would take the JERUSALEM | JTA same decision again if it was to face a similar sitThe International Paralympic Committee uation involving different countries,” the comstripped Malaysia of the right to host the 2019 mittee said in a statement.

World Para Swimming Championships over its The event, which had been scheduled from refusal to allow Israeli athletes to enter the coun- July 29 to Aug. 4 , is a qualifier for the Tokyo try to participate.

2020 Paralympic Games.

The IPC made its announcement on Sunday. Malaysia, it said in a statement, “failed to provide the necessary guarantees that Israeli Para swimmers could participate, free from discrimination, and safely in the Championships. This includes full compliance with the IPC protocols related to anthems and flags, and where required the provision of relevant visas.”

In doubling down earlier this month on his country’s refusal to allow Israeli athletes into the country for any event, Malaysian Foreign Minister Mahathir Mohamad challenged Mahathir Mohamad speaking during a press conference in Kuala the International Paralympic ComLumpur, Malaysia, May 10, 2018. mittee to take away the world event, Credit: Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images expected to draw hundreds of swimmers from 70 countries, from Malaysia.

“All World Championships must be open to all Malaysia does not have diplomatic relations eligible athletes and nations to compete safely with Israel. Entry to Malaysia on an Israeli pass- and free from discrimination. When a host counport is prohibited. try excludes athletes from a particular nation, for “The Paralympic Movement has, and always political reasons, then we have absolutely no alwill be, motivated by a desire to drive inclusion, ternative but to look for a new Championships not exclusion. Regardless of the countries in- host,” Andrew Parsons, IPC president, said.

The Jewish Press | February 1, 2019 | 11

lifecycles birTh

Talia ruTh anna benneTT

Megan Adams and Jeffrey Bennett of South Orange, NJ, announce the Jan. 5 birth of their daughter, Talia Ruth Anna Bennett.

She is named for her paternal great-great grandfather, Simon Rosenberg.

She has a brother, Aaron Gabriel Jacob and a sister, Maya Rose Adeline.

Grandparents are Bettie and John Adams of Florham Park, NJ and Sheree and Fred Bennett of Verona, NJ.

enGaGemenT

schrader/lund

Alexandra (Allie) Schrader and Alexander Lund announce their engagement.

Allie is the daughter of Kelly Schrader and the late William Schrader of Omaha. She is the manager of The Waiting Room and Reverb Lounge in Benson.

Alexander is the the son of Jan and Blake Lund of Omaha. He is the manager of Krug Park Bar. Alex is the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. Ben Schneider and the late Mr. and Mrs. Milton Lund.

A wedding is planned for October in Omaha.

chickpea bolognese

emanuelle lee is article originally appeared on e Nosher.

Winter months require a steady stream of comfort food for survival. But the start of the year also brings a time when people are more health-focused, perhaps even cutting their meat intake. is hearty pasta dish doesn’t compromise on flavor while using chickpeas instead of ground beef, turkey or lamb. I suggest treating these versatile little beans as you would treat half a pound of ground meat by browning and seasoning well. You’ll be pleasantly surprised how delicious, hearty and meaty this spaghetti really turns out, and let’s face it — that’s exactly what you are craving, right?

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in memoriam

Frederick s. cassman

Frederick “Fritz” S. Cassman pased away on Jan. 20 in Omaha. Services were held Jan. 27 at Temple Israel and were officiated by Rabbi Brian Stoller.

He was preceded in death by his parents Celia and Irving Cassman and sister Claire Krasnow.

He is survived by his wife of 67 years Molline; daughter and son-in-law, Amy and Sandy Friedman of Omaha, son, Joel Cassman of Arlington, VA, and son and daughter-in-law, Bob and Kym Cassman of Spokane, WA; grandchildren: Andrea Friedman of New York City; Dusty and Candice Friedman, Noriko Cassman of Utrecht, Netherlands, Sarah Cassman of Wichita, KS, Eva Cassman of Vienna, VA and Terra Miller-Cassman of Boise, ID; great-granddaughter, Frankie of Omaha; and step-grandson, Larson Sonderman of Seattle, WA. Fritz graduated from the University of Illinois in 1947 where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1949, and he practiced at the law firm of Abrahams Kaslow and Cassman for over 65 years. His civic service included serving as a 10-year member of the Omaha Airport Authority and on the board of Nebraska Appleseed. He was a past-president of ADL Nebraska and a member of the board of Temple Israel.

Memorials may be made to the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, Temple Israel and Nebraska Appleseed.

karina broWn

Karina Brown (nee Mesishcheva) passed away on Jan. 22 in Omaha at age 48. Services were held on Jan. 24 at Beth El Cemetery, 4700 S. 84th St., Omaha, NE 68127.

She is survived by her husband, Terry Brown; son and daughter-in-law, Arthur and Aleksa Masyuk and daughter, Jessica Brown; father, Aleksandr Mesishchev; mother, Ellina Tomchin (Tronyak); stepfather, Max Tomchin; brother, Yevgeniy Ayol; and her many loving family and friends in Omaha and abroad.

Karina was born on Nov. 14, 1970, in Minsk, Belarus, USSR. She was a devoted mother to her children. Karina loved listening to her son practice, rehearse and perform on the violin, tutoring her daughter and shopping with her. Just last year, Karina celebrated her 20th wedding anniversary, saw her daughter enter college and rejoiced in her son's wedding. In her free time, she loved to woodburn, garden and remodel her home alongside her husband. Upon emigrating to the United States from Belarus, Karina earned her bachelor's degree in accounting. She worked for Union Pacific for more than 20 years, a testament to her ambition and success. She will be remembered by family and friends as a fiercely dedicated mother, daughter, wife, sister, and coworker.

Memorials may be made to Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Foundation Inc., https://cjdfoundation.org/ or to Karina's memorial Go Fund Me page, https://www.gofundme.com/karinabrown.

To submiT announcemenTs

Announcements may be e-mailed to the Press at jpress@jewish omaha.org; faxed to 402.334.5422, or mailed to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154.

Readers can also submit announcements -- births, b’nai mitzvahs, engagements, marriages, commitment ceremonies or obituaries -- online at the Jewish Federation of Omaha website: www.jewish omaha.org. Click on “Jewish Press” and go to Submit Announcements. Deadlines are normally eight days prior to publication, on Thursdays, 9 a.m. Please check the Jewish Press, for notices of early deadlines.

Ingredients: 4 Tbsp. olive oil 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 onion, finely chopped 1 medium carrot, washed and grated finely 1 celery stalk, very finely chopped 7 ounces cooked or canned garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed if canned) 14 ounces can of plum tomatoes 2 Tbsp. tomato paste 1/4 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. chili flakes 1 Tbsp. brown sugar 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar 1/2 cup red wine salt and pepper 1 bay leaf 2 sprigs thyme Grated Parmesan cheese (optional) 1 pound spaghetti Directions: Heat half of the olive oil in a medium pot. Add the garlic and onions, along with the chili flakes and saute for 2-3 minutes until softened slightly. Add the chickpeas and saute for 10 minutes. Allow the chickpeas to soften a little bit and start to mash them and break some of them apart with a spoon or fork, leaving some of them still intact.

Add another tablespoon of the olive oil and allow the chickpeas to brown lightly, stirring occasionally.

Add the carrot and celery and mix well. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Then add the canned tomatoes and break them apart with a spoon. Add the vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and wine, allowing it all to evaporate and absorb into the vegetable mixture.

Add the bay leaves and thyme and leave to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomato paste, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt and pepper and leave to cook for another 5-10 minutes, until the bolognese is thick and has darkened.

Cook the pasta 2 minutes less than directed on the packet, reserving 1/4 cup of the hot pasta water. Drain the pasta and mix with the bolognese sauce along with the pasta water. Mix on low heat until the sauce has once again thickened, about a minute.

Top with the remaining olive oil and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

Serves 4.

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12 | The Jewish Press | February 1, 2019

community

A

Active Army Reserve, 1960-1965 lthough I was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the infantry in May 1958, the Army allowed me to delay my entry to active duty for one year. is gave me time to graduate from Law School at the University of Nebraska, which I did in 1959. I studied for and took the Nebraska Bar Exam and was RichARd fellmAn sworn in to both the Nebraska State Bar and the Federal District Bar for Nebraska in June of that same year.

My army orders were to report to Fort Benning, Georgia, in early July to complete the standard regular Army Officer indoctrination course at the famed Infantry School, which was required of all new officers. is two-month course was the most physical exercise I had ever undertaken and when it was completed I was in better shape than I had ever been, or, for that matter, would ever be aer. ere was also an academic and mental aspect to Infantry School. ere were constant exams and we had courses on every weapon used by infantry, courses on map reading, use of infantry vehicles and constant lessons in leadership. ere was non-stop drilling. We were in the field almost every day and many nights; we were muddy, dirty, wet, bitten by insects and continuously exposed to simulated combat. ere was little that was taught about military history, since that subject had been covered during the two years of advanced ROTC, which everyone in my class had already passed. Military Law was taught with live examples.

Our instructors were, without exception, veterans of at least one War (Korea) or two (Korea and WWII).

Fort Benning was also the home of the first Jump School for

Paratroopers in WWII and three wooden towers, leovers from training exercises in 1942, stood in a prominent location.

My commitment was for eight years, including successful completion of Infantry School and then seven and a half years in active reserve duty, which, at the time, meant participating in an active reserve unit in weekly drills. In addition, there was one long weekend drill each month and two weeks of active duty during the year, usually in the summer.

Officers were required to purchase their own uniforms, although we were given a small advance for the initial one. We were also ordered to pay for our own meals, but we didn’t seem to get charged for meals when we were in the field.

Outstanding medical and dental care was routinely provided. In fact, before being commissioned, each cadet had to pass a complete physical and dental exam.

While I was taking my entry physical before I was commissioned, I found myself near the end of a long parade in front of more than a dozen Army doctors. I was being measured for weight and height. My weight was okay, since the doctor knew I would lose the few extra pounds once I actually started training. en came the height measurement.

“Regulations require that every Infantry Officer be 5’6”. You are 5’5” and three quarters,” the doctor said to me. “Do you wish to be commissioned, Mr. Fellman?”

“Yes,” I assured the doctor. “I want this very much.”

“Okay then,” the doctor said to me. “I am writing down here

that you are 5’6”. Do you understand that? at is your official height. Don’t let anybody ever tell you differently. You are now in, and you are now 5’6”. Good luck.” e Infantry School made me and every other new Second Lieutenant into an Infantry Officer and taught leadership in practical terms. I recall being in charge of a platoon size unit, about 40-50 men, marching out in front and giving orders, when the unit I was leading seemed to be heading straight into a brick wall. e instructor yelled to me: “Lieutenant! Do something! DO SOMETHING. NOW.”

I got the hint and quickly ordered “to the rear, march” and got the platoon turned around. e instructor smiled; I passed the test.

We were constantly marching, running, digging, firing weapons, doing field problems night and day and changing uniforms from muddy and covered in red clay to starched, only to get muddy again within hours. en, when more knowledge had sunken in than any of us expected, we were in formation at a graduation ceremony in the hot sultry sun of Georgia in August, lined up by height.

Luckily for all of us, the United States was not at war at the time. Our training pointed ahead to serving as “observers” in Southeast Asia, although at that graduation ceremony, not one of us knew a single thing about Vietnam.

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Susan Bernard | 402.334.6559 | sbernard@jewishomaha.org