February 3, 2017 by Jewish Press

thejewishpress AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA

this week

Welcome home

The legacy they will leave teaches Annette vAn de kAMp-Wright Editor, Jewish Press us that Omaha is a very special place to call home. I believe the fitalk through our ness center is the start of a larger Jewish Commuproject that will fulfill a vision for nity with Michael our community and the donors Staenberg and it that future generations will enjoy quickly becomes and benefit by for decades.” obvious: this man notices everyStaenberg lives in Missouri with thing. A builder by profession – he his wife Carol but was born and is the president of The Staenberg raised in Omaha. Group (TSG) -- and a philanthroHe believes in giving back, by pist by choice, Staenberg has an infunding projects, donating his time spiring history of giving. His and energy and getting involved. generosity stretches from his When he visited his birth place for hometown St. Louis, where he the Jewish Omaha Reunion in transformed the Jewish Commu2014, he toured the JCC and felt nity Center, to Denver, Colorado, there was a job for him: where his family foundation recently launched the “Michael H. “I looked around and saw the Staenberg Anything Grants,” proJCC needed updates, to the gym, viding a broad range of support for to the pool, to a number of other Michael Staenberg a variety of Jewish organizations as things. It makes me feel proud to well as synagogues. come back to Omaha and be in a position to help out.” “Michael Staenberg did not ask for this Jewish Press article This is not the JCC Staenberg grew up in; that was the preto be written,” JFO President Bruce Friedlander said, “or for vious building on 20th St. Staenberg went to Westside High his picture to be taken. I asked. Michael’s love for this project School and regularly took the bus downtown. is genuine. Having Tom Fellman and Howard Kooper, two of “When I wasn’t with my friends at Beth El, I would meet our most respected philanthropists, on board as well makes them at the JCC. It’s where I connected with other Jewish kids, this team historic for Omaha’s Jewish community. These three where I played basketball, where AZA was. It was such a See Welcome home page A2 men have never questioned the importance of our campus.

Our special food issue See Section B

Dr. Gerald Steinacher to speak at Beth El page A5

Robert B. Sturm establishes the Mickey (Sturm) Stern Memorial Endowment Fund

Super Bowl finger food page B5

inside Viewpoint Synagogues Life cycles

WWW.JEWISHOMAHA.ORG

SponSored By the BenJAMin And AnnA e. WieSMAn FAMiLy endoWMent Fund

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LindA poLLArd Endowment Assistant, Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation Parents are our first teachers. The lessons we learn as children stay with us through life, and we hear them in a continuous loop-a mental guide to carry us through life. Those lessons are the benchmark for our journey through life. Parents don’t always know if their message is getting through, but one day the grown child’s actions prove that the message was indeed heard. Mickey (Sturm) Stern would have no reason to wonder about her message, or whether or not her son was paying attention. Bob Sturm definitely heard the words of his mother. “She taught me how to give,” Bob explained. And give he did.

Mickey Stern Bob chose to honor his mother by establishing the Mickey (Sturm) Stern Memorial Endowment Fund at the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation. This new endowment will cover the costs for therapists and counselors to provide mental health counseling for Jewish clients of Jewish Family Service. Understanding that some people do not seek or receive help for mental illness, Bob hopes to make help available to all – no matter a person’s financial ability to pay. When asked why he chose this specific purpose for the fund, Bob replied, “Because I wanted people in the Omaha See Mickey Stern page A3

A solid Jewish Deli experience

Andrew Miller, left, and Shervin Ansari Annette vAn de kAMp-Wright gave him the experience to start his own Editor of the Jewish Press development and construction firm, PDG, In October 2016, the long anticipated which specialized in the construction of opening of Swartz’s Delicatessen became high security facilities throughout the Mida fact and the restaurant on 8718 Pacific Atlantic region. It’s where he met his wife Street in Countryside Village hasn’t been Michele and where, in the meantime, the quiet since. creation of good food continued to fasciOwner Shervin Ansari opened his first nate him. He opened Panache, an upscale deli 24 years ago, in Rehoboth, Maryland. Tapas restaurant. “It was called Noah’s Delicatessen, and Michele took a position at the Univerit was my college endeavor -- a somewhat sity of Nebraska Medical Center and they amateur attempt at creating an eatery moved to Omaha. The family grew: while experimenting with pastrami and Shervin and Michele welcomed twins, corned beef. It was really more a pastime who are now 28 months old. than anything.” “I spent ten years working at Kiewit, After he graduated college, Shervin but the entire time I kept thinking: where worked for a civil engineering firm, which See Jewish deli experience page B3

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community Welcome home

continued from page A1 welcoming place, and I want that for future generations.” And so he rolled up his sleeves, literally, because for Staenberg it is not only about the money he gives. It’s a communal effort he’s after -- regardless of who writes the check. Our current JCC, which was opened in the early 1970s, certainly needs some TLC. “Michael Staenberg’s leadership and experience has helped us define what our campus needs are,” JFO CEO Alan Potash said. “He is instrumental in recognizing how to financially sustain our JCC and the Federation in the future. We are benefiting enormously from his experience redesigning the Jewish Community Centers in St. Louis and Denver.” Since Staenberg decided to get involved, it has received a new running track and new carpet in the fitness center as well as on the upper running track. The walls have been painted, new lights have been installed (including LED in the gym) and there is new furniture in the front lobby. There is new art on the walls, there are new television screens, and with every improvement Staenberg funds, he invests equal amounts of time and energy. “I give to give,” he says, “not to get.” What he means is that the act of giving itself is a labor of love. Michael Staenberg does not write a check and walk away; he is going to help spend that check and have tremendous fun doing it. He cares about how the place looks and how it will be used: programing, he says, should not focus on profit for profit’s sake; it should be invested in other Jewish programs. It’s a visionary philanthropy; when he looks around him he sees what is there and what could be there, and his passion is infectious. “Michael has an Omaha heart and soul,” says Tom Fellman, who has known Michael all his life. Tom and his business partner Howard Kooper have both agreed to join Staenberg’s investment in our future. “He gets me excited. He is so passionate, and he made me a believer that a

Michael Staenberg at the Jcc: the act of giving is a labor of love. vibrant Jewish Community Center is absolutely essential for our Jewish Community. Having a communal home like this, in addition to our synagogues, helps us collectively and I’m absolutely thrilled that he got us on board.” Howard Kooper echoes the sentiment: “Talking to Michael, you have no choice but to get excited. He has tremendous energy and it rubs off on everyone around him.” It’s the hands-on approach that allows Staenberg to engage others in a big way. In the St. Louis metropolitan area, Staenberg asked 10-15 community members under 30 to select a recipient for a micro grant. They have to do the research and make their case for

which organization should receive the money, and they have to stay involved. “You don’t just get a percentage return; you get a lot more than that,” Staenberg says. “I didn’t get here by myself. My father died when I was 13 years old, and I received a lot of sage advice from people along the way. Now it’s my job to forward it to others.” This building of ours is so much more than a pile of bricks. It’s a home for our community, it’s the collective depository of memories. Staenberg, with help from Tom Fellman and Howard Kooper, is taking it to the next level. “We may get there through different doors,” he says, “but we all live in the same tent.”

Temple Israel Junior Youth Group

Scott Littky Program Director, Temple Israel Members of our Junior youth Group and youth volunteer Justin Norton enjoy

pizza after bowling. For more information on our Junior youth Group contact Aliyah Lasky, 402.556.6536

Community Open House Thursday, February 9 | Tours at 10:00 a.m., 7:00 p.m. and by appointment 402.334.0517 | www.FriedelJewishAcademy.com

Mickey Stern

Open House at Friedel Jewish Academy

Sara Kohen t last year’s Community Open House at Friedel Jewish Academy, Bruce Friedlander was most impressed with the technology offered to the students. Pam Friedlander loved the many new strategies that the teachers were using to make learning fun and engaging. On Feb. 9, Friedel will be hosting an Open House for the entire community. In addition to being Omaha’s only Jewish day school, Friedel boasts a 12:1 student–teacher ratio, an individualized approach to teaching each student, second-language immersion, a warm communal atmosphere and access to all of the JCC’s facilities. Families from all of Omaha’s synagogues, as well as unaffiliated families, have found a home at Friedel. This is a great opportunity to come and see what everyone has been talking about. Scheduled tours will begin at 10 a.m. and

7 p.m., followed by light refreshments. Attendees at the 10 a.m. tour will get to see our students and teachers in action, but the 7 p.m. tour is a great alternative for those who can’t get away in the middle of the day. Private tours can also be scheduled by calling the office. This event is open to all adults in the community, not just parents. If you have questions or wish to reserve a spot, please call 402.334.0517 or email friedelacademy@fjaomaha.com.

B’nai Israel Speaker Series Our speaker for Shabbot service on Feb. 10 will be Daniel Rahav. This energetic young man will relate his experiences from arriving in Omaha in 2006 from a suburb of Tel Aviv to graduating from Creighton University in 2015 to now working at Creighton. Daniel was one of 20 students picked to attend high school in an American city for seven months and was placed

at Northwest High School. This Young Ambassadors program is a partnership of the Israeli Ministry of Education and the Jewish Agency. We will find out what made him return to Omaha for college. He graduated Creighton, Magna Cum Laude, in 2015 with a joint degree in Business Intelligence and Analytics and Marketing.

Continued from page a1 community to seek out help for their mental illness.” Karen Gustafson, Director of Jewish Family Service, said, “After meeting with Bob to discuss his interests and how he could help people in the Omaha Jewish community, he was committed to make sure that those with mental illness could seek the help they need, without the limitations of personal finances, either through Jewish Family Service directly or helping to cover the cost of needed psychiatric care or other mental health services. Bob’s insight is critical to quality care. JFS can provide counseling services, but for those who cannot pay, quality psychiatric care remains a challenge.” Mickey (Sturm) Stern passed away July 1, 2016, after a full life of community service. Mickey was a dedicated and tireless volunteer in the Omaha Jewish community from the time she moved to Omaha. She was raised in Storm Lake, Iowa and graduated from the University of Nebraska with a degree in education. In 1963, after having lived in Denver, New York and Kansas City, Mickey moved to Omaha with her husband, Don, and daughter, Melanie. She quickly immersed herself in the Jewish community with volunteering and leading by example. Mickey devoted much time to the Jewish Federation of Omaha, Hadassah and other special campaigns and events, and she was the one to ask when something needed to be accomplished in the community. Mickey’s hard work did not go unnoticed. She was named to Who’s Who of American Women, an honor not given out lightly. In 1990, Mickey moved to La Jolla, California, where she continued her legacy of championing causes and helping others.

Passover A $52 Greetings B $65 This year you can send your greetings through these very special ads that will run in our annual Passover issue. Each ad can be personalized with your name, the names of your children or your grandchildren. Just fill out the form below and send or bring it to the Jewish Press office. But hurry; these ads will only be accepted through March 3, 2017.

Passover Greetings Ads

Name ___________________________________________________________________________________

Address _________________________________________________________________________________

City __________________________________________________ State ___________ Zip ________________ Check the size of ad you would like: O A O B O C

Use the lines below to list your family members names you would like on your Passover ad.

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_______________________________________________________________________________________ Please send a check for the amount listed along side the different sized ads with this form to the Jewish Press office in the JCC or mail to: The Jewish Press, 333 South 132 Street, Omaha, NE 68154

The Jewish Press | February 3, 2017 | a3

In her 27 years in Omaha, Mickey made a great impact on Omaha and the Jewish community. And while doing so, she modeled a life of purpose and altruism for her son. Bob recalled how his mother did not like the word ‘no’ when asking for assistance in any volunteer effort. Bob is helping to ensure that no one in the Omaha Jewish community will ever hear the word ‘no’ when seeking help. In a fitting tribute to a lady who made a difference in the Omaha community, the Mickey (Sturm) Stern Memorial Endowment Fund will make a difference to many in the Omaha Jewish community. Bob believes that his mother would be pleased with the endowment and its purpose. Bob grew up in Omaha, attended District 66 schools, and received two degrees from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Even though Bob left Omaha in 1989, he has fond memories of his childhood here, and he certainly has not forgotten his roots. Mickey always told Bob to “do the right thing”, and to “respect other people,” ideals that Mickey practiced. These lessons, modeled by his mother, have become the tenets of Bob’s life. Mickey is still making a difference in the Omaha community -- first with her commitment and dedication, and now with a memorial fund to honor her life. “Her impact on my early years was to be kind and nice. Her impact on my adult years was ‘do the right thing’.” Bob believes that he is doing the right thing, something of which his mother would be proud. The Mickey (Sturm) Stern Memorial Endowment Fund will continue, for current and future generations, to “do the right thing.”

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community Pride Players at The Rose Theater

Alex Myhre Marketing Associate, The Rose Theater Pride Players will present on Thursday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. (FREE teen night), Saturday, Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 12 at 4:30 p.m. on The Rose Theater’s Hitchcock Stage. Now in their 18th year, the cast of Pride Players uses improvisation to create songs, poetry, monologues and skits that explore what it means to be a gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, or straight-allied teen in Omaha. The group has been honored by many organizations including The National Education Association, Heartland Pride and American Alliance for Theater and Education. Pride Players has a company of 20 teenagers from 7th grade to 12th Grade. They attend 10 different Omaha schools, including Omaha North High School, Millard North High School, Bellevue East High School, Bellevue West High School, Westside High School, Brownell Talbot, Omaha Central High School, Westside Middle School, Kiewit Middle School, Northwest High School and Home School. Pride Players explores topics such as gender reveal parties, using they/them pronouns, teachers who create safe spaces, microaggressions, Joan of Arc, and more. The troupe performs four times each season at The Rose Theater. In their history, Pride Players has performed for over 12,000 teens, parents, teachers, counselors, and family members helped raise over $35,000 for their community partners: GLSEN-Omaha and PFLAG-Omaha. Pride Players has been honored by The Rockefeller Foundation with a Performing and Community Transformation National Grant, The National Education Association with a 2006 Human and Civil Rights Lead 2012 conference and Heartland Pride as Grand Marshalls of the 2011 Heartland Pride Parade. Pride Players has also given out $14,000 in college scholarships to alumni through the Tracy Iwersen Pride Player Scholarship Fund. Tickets are $6 each and available at The Rose Box Office, 402.345.4849, or at the door the day of the show. Pride Players is sponsored by The Mukti Fund, Mammel Family Foundation, Burlington Capital Foundation, the Nebraska Arts Council and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment.

oTyG’s Annual Spaghetti Dinner

ScoTT liTTky build relationships within Program Director, Temple Israel our greater Omaha comSunday, Feb. 12, our munity.” Omaha Temple Youth The evening begins Group will hold their with a silent auction, the Annual Spaghetti Dinner spaghetti dinner and then a live auction. Items fundraiser. The event for both auctions include will be in the social hall various gift baskets, gift at Temple Israel at 13111 certificates to local venSterling Ridge Drive, and ues and restaurants, will begin at 5 p.m. The Husker football tickets theme for this year’s Prep by our oTyG members for the big event and Creighton Blue Jay event is, “Get in the baseball tickets to name just a few. Groove with OTYG.” The cost of the evening is $10 for When asked about the evening and all of the planning adults, $4 for children ages 6-12 and no charge for chilthat goes into making this event a success, Maddee dren 5 and younger. To RSVP please contact the Temple Rauhauser, one of our 11th Grade OTYG members, said, Israel Office, 402.556.6536. “I’m looking forward to having a fun night and helping Proceeds from the event will go to support Camp Rainout other kids in the process.” Aleia Budwig, Special Projbow, a camp for children with cancer and other blood-reects Coordinator for OTYG, stated, “I’m excited to raise lated diseases and also support youth activities at Temple money for Camp Rainbow while having fun with my Israel. Director of Youth and Young Adult Engagement Aliyah Lasky has been hard at work with our high school friends in youth group!” Finally, Ben Leathers-Arnold, an 11th Grade member of OTYG, said, “I’m excited for students to make sure that the evening is a success. Spaghetti Dinner because it is fun and helps our friends at “This is the event that our youth group is very passionate about.” Lasky said, “and they love to share this passion with Camp Rainbow.” For more information on the evening or any youth the rest of our community. The support we receive from the community helps us in creating dynamic programming group event contact Director of Youth and Young Adult Engagement Aliyah Lasky, 402.556.6536 for our teens along with the opportunity to continue to

Book Group to discuss Murder 101

MArk kirchhoFF Program and Communications Assistant On Thursday, Feb. 16, at 1 p.m. in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library, the Dorothy Kaplan Book Discussion Group will meet to discuss Faye Kellerman’s September 2014 mystery novel, Murder 101. Kellerman is a New York Times bestselling author of 23 books in the Peter Decker/ Rina Lazarus series. This story unfolds when Decker and Lazarus embark on a new life in upstate New York and find themselves entangled in deception, intrigue, and murder in an elite, picturesque college town. Formerly a detective lieutenant with the LAPD, Peter Decker witnessed enough ugliness and chaos for a lifetime. Now he and his spirited wife, Rina Lazarus, are ready to enjoy the quiet beauty of the State where they can be closer to their four adult children, grandchildren, and their foster son, Gabe. But working for the Greenbury Police Department isn’t as fulfilling as Decker hoped. While Rina has adapted beautifully to their new surroundings, Peter is underwhelmed and frustrated by his new partner, Tyler McAdams, a former Harvard student and young buck with a bad attitude. Just when he thinks he’s made a mistake, Decker is called to an actual crime -- a possible break-in at the local cemetery.

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The call seems like a false alarm until... well, that’s what makes the book a detective mystery. Author Faye Kellerman was born in St. Louis, Missouri. She attended UCLA where she earned a B.A. in mathematics in 1974. Four years later she received her Doctorate of Dental Surgery degree. She relates that she “fully intended to pursue a career as a dentist.” Despite her intention, she has never practiced dentistry and was a housewife before publishing her first novel. In a 1997 essay she says she can’t pinpoint the metamorphosis from oral hygienist to writer of detective fiction, but several factors that steered her toward mystery writing were: “a desire for justice, a suspicious nature, an overactive imagination, and, of course, a penchant for the bizarre.” The Dorothy Kaplan Book Discussion Group meets every third Wednesday of the month at 1 p.m. in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library. This vibrant group formed in 1974 and has been in continuous existence ever since. New members are always welcome. The Community Engagement and Education arm of the Jewish Federation of Omaha provides administrative assistance for the group. To have your questions answered, contact Shirly Banner at 402.334.6462 or sbanner@jewish omaha.org.

The Jewish Press | February 3, 2017 | A5

Humanitarians at War ozziE NoGG

reaffirm its leadership in world humanitarian r. Gerald Steinacher, an Associaffairs against the challenge of the Swedes, ate Professor of History and and playing a formative role in rewriting the Hymen Rosenberg Professor of rules of war in the Geneva Conventions of Judaic Studies at the University 1949. All those interested in the history of of Nebraska-Lincoln, will disthe Second World War, the Cold War, and cuss his new book, Humanitarians at War: the history of the Red Cross in the twentieth The Red Cross in the Shadow of the Holocaust, at Beth El Synagogue on Sunday, Feb. 19. The presentation begins at 11:15 a.m. and is offered to the entire community at no charge. Humanitarians at War, scheduled for publication by Oxford University Press in February 2017, explores a particular period in the history of the Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) -- one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oldest, most prominent and revered UNL Associate Professor Dr. Gerald Steinacher discusses his aid organizations. But at the end new book, Humanitarians at War: The Red Cross in the Shadow of World War II things could not of the Holocaust, at Beth El Synagogue on Sunday, Feb. 19. have looked more different. Under fire for century will welcome Humanitarians at War its failure to speak out against the Holocaust -- an uncompromising look at the remarkor to extend substantial assistance to Jews able and intriguing story of how the ICRC trapped in Nazi camps across Europe, the successfully escaped the shadow of its amICRC desperately needed to salvage its repu- biguous wartime record to forge a new role tation in order to remain relevant in the and a new identity in the post-1945 world. post-war world. Indeed, the whole future of Dr. Steinacher received a Ph.D. in History Switzerlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s humanitarian flagship looked and an M.A. in History and Political Scito hang in the balance at this time. ence from the University of Innsbruck Torn between defending Swiss neutrality (Austria). He came to the University of Neand battling Communist critics in the early braska-Lincoln from Harvard University, Cold War, the Red Cross leadership in where he was the Joseph A. Schumpeter Geneva emerged from the world war with a Fellow at the Center for European Studies. new commitment to protecting civilians In 2006, Dr. Steinacher was a Visiting Felcaught in the crossfire of conflict. Yet they low at the Center for Advanced Holocaust did so while interfering with Allied de-Naz- Studies at the United States Holocaust Meification efforts in Germany and elsewhere, morial Museum (Washington, DC) and and coming to the defense of former Nazis since then has worked closely with the Muat the Nuremberg Trials. Not least, they pro- seumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s staff on research and teaching initiavided the tools for many of Hitlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s former tives. He is the author of numerous henchmen, notorious figures such as Joseph publications on German and Italian twentiMengele and Adolf Eichmann, to slip out of eth-century history, most recently Nazis on Europe and escape prosecution - behavior the Run: How Hitlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Henchmen Fled Justice which did little to silence those critics in the (2010), also published by Oxford University Allied powers who unfavorably compared Press, which was awarded a National Jewish the â&#x20AC;&#x153;shabbyâ&#x20AC;? neutrality of the Swiss with the Book Award in the Holocaust category by â&#x20AC;&#x153;good neutralityâ&#x20AC;? of the Swedes, their eager the Jewish Book Council in 2011. In the fall rivals for leadership in international huof 2015, Dr. Steincaher was a Research Felmanitarian initiatives. low at the International Institute for HoloHowever, in spite of all this, by the end of caust Research at Yad Vashem (Israel). the decade, the ICRC had emerged triDr. Gerald Steinacherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presentation is umphant from its moment of existential cripart of Beth El Synagogueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sunday Mornsis, navigating the new global order to ing Scholars Series.

Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;nai Tzedek update DANiELLE GorDmAN Program Director of Young Jewish Giving Young Jewish Giving is excited to announce three events for this semester. The first will be for students in grades 7 and 8 on Sunday, Feb. 5 at 11 a.m. at Beth El Synagogue. All 7th and 8th grade students, regardless of synagogue affiliation, are welcome to attend. Bagels will be provided. Kids will learn about philanthropy from a Jewish perspective in an interactive hour-long session. The next event is for all middle and high school students. On Tuesday, march 21 from 6-7:30 p.m. at the JCC, St. Louis based philanthropist Michael Staenberg will be our guest speaker. He will inspire the students with stories of his charitable motivations and inspire them to participate more fully in tzedakah and volunteering.

The final event of the school year is the Giving Shuk (market) on Tuesday, April 25 from 6-8 p.m. at the JCC. Students will have the opportunity to visit with a variety of non-profit organizations to learn about their needs. Young Jewish Giving account holders will be able to make their annual donations at the Shuk. The goal of Young Jewish Giving is to empower teens and college-aged students to make the world a better place by donating money to worthy causes engaged in meaningful work. Participants of YJG will establish a $500.00 donor advised fund comprised of $125.00 contributed by the student and $375.00 provided by the Jewish Federation of Omaha and its partners. All events are open to Jewish teens regardless of whether they have a Young Jewish Giving account. To open an account, please contact Danielle Gordman at 402.334.6446.

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â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Autism Study Enrollment â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

Researchers connected with Johns Hopkins and Harvardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s teaching hospital published research showing remarkable improvements in autistic individuals using a single simple and extremely safe over-the-counter supplement. With a recent Study in Omaha, the non-profit Therapeutics Research Institute (TRI) repeated the results of this break-through treatment. These results have also been published in a medical journal. TRIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plan is to now expand this Study to up to 300 families. To learn more about this Study and TRI and how to enroll, go to the Studyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s site ControlAutismNow.org. Nothing is being sold and there are no costs at all to participate. For a copy of TRIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recently published Study, email sevans@gsm-usa.com and put Autism Paper in the subject heading.

Connecting with Carolyn esther katz JCC Dance and Cultural Arts Director What an amazing week of dance and inspiration! The JCC Dance Department was fortunate to partner with the Institute of Holocaust Education under the direction of Liz Feldstern, IHE Director and Patty Nogg,

to develop into more depth-filled dancers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just about you, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about how you connect with others,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Make that commitment, bring yourself to the work, get out of yourselves.â&#x20AC;? She reminded us that in this technological age where we stare at screens so much of the

Chairperson, to celebrate, learn, dance and be inspired! Tuesday, Jan. 17 we gathered with others to get an up close and personal look at Carolyn Dorfman Dance and hear from Carolyn herself, daughter of Holocaust survivors. She is not only a choreographer, but also an amazing educator and speaker with the ability to share her experience as a daughter of Holocaust survivors with her audience. Learning the backstory to her pieces helped make connections for the audience and bring us closer to her works. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Every time you see the work of a choreographer, you learn something about them: their lives, influences, passions, questions,â&#x20AC;? Carolyn said. We also celebrated the 38 years of dance here at the JCC and remembered our beloved Esther Wax, may her memory be for a blessing, Jewish community member and pianist for the JCC Dance Department for 36 years! Wednesday, the JCC Dance Training Company members and JCC dancers headed down to the Holland Performing Arts Center for a Master Class with Carolyn and some of her company members. The knowledge that Carolyn shared with us will help us

time, dancing is one place that you can look others in the eye and make connections. After such an inspiring two days, our expectations for the third day were very high. We boarded the bus at the JCC to travel downtown to the Orpheum Theater for the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s final performance for the entire Omaha community. Seeing the excerpts on Tuesday brought to life on the big stage with all of their props and the full piece at hand painted a full picture for all of us. We felt very fortunate to have learned Carolynâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s back story so that we could more intimately connect with each of her pieces. Tears and laughter were brought about by her ability to share what life was like before, during and after the Holocaust. She did not disappoint when she again got us fully engaged and involved in a dance of waves with the entire audience dancing in their seats. Educator extraordinaire! We all feel like more complete dancers after spending the last few days with Carolyn and her dancers. We are inspired to look deeper into ourselves to help get out of our bodies and express our inner beauty with the world. Thank you, Carolyn; and thank you, Liz and Patty, for bringing this week to us.

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Speaker to be announced for Wednesday, Feb. 8, noon. For more information or to be placed on the email list, call 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@jewishomaha.org.

FEB. 10 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; MARCH 12, 2017 By Jethro Compton Based on the short story by Dorothy M. Johnson

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Theâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;Manâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;Whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;Shotâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;Libertyâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;Valance Made popular by the 1962 film version starring John Wayne, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a classic western story of good versus bad and the law versus the gun. Set in 1890 in the Wild West, it tells the story of a scholar from New York City whose journey west in search of a new life is sidetracked when he is beaten and left for dead outside the small town of Two Trees, where he must decide whether or not to face his attacker when he returns. It tells the story of a young woman whose routine attempts to carve out a place for herself in society is interrupted by the appearance of an intriguing stranger. It tells the story of a deadly gunslinger who wants nothing more than to stay away from the violence that he knows is coming. It tells the story of a man who makes a living instilling fear in and inflicting pain on others, never dreaming that anyone would

ever stand up to him or challenge his reign of terror. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance contains all the staples of a cinematic western, including a rustic saloon, a stranger in a small town and familiar characters with wide brimmed hats and guns on their hips. This production is recognized as an official event in the Nebraska 150 Celebration, the statewide, yearlong sesquicentennial celebration of Nebraska becoming a state 150 years ago. For more information, visit https://ne150.org/calendar/man-shotliberty-valance-play/. Tickets are available at the OCP Box Office, by calling 402.553.0800 or online at www.OmahaPlayhouse.com or www.ticketOmaha.com. Single tickets are $36 for adults and $22 for students for Thursday â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Sunday performances. Group rates are available for groups of 12 or more people.

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Karen Sokolof Javitch Last weekend, the Kol Ami synagogue at a Tampa theater, under the direction of former Beth El synagogue’s Cantor Beth Schlossberg, gave two performances of the Karen Sokolof Javitch - Elaine Jabenis musical, From Generation to Generation. Two full houses thoroughly enjoyed the musical, for which Karen composed the 17 original

Cantor Beth Schlossberg, left and Karen Sokolof Javitch songs. The Javitch - Jabenis duo wrote the musical 20 years ago and their first two productions were in the Omaha JCC theater. “The musical is about Rose Lieberman and her Jewish family, but it could be about any family. I put a lot of my family’s experiences into the show. I wrote it in memory of my beautiful Mom, Ruth Sokolof,” Karen says. Elaine joins in,”Rose is about to be a grandmother for the first time, but she may not live to see her granddaughter. So she decides to leave a special legacy for her ‘bubella’ so she will know her.” Many tears were shed during the performances, but it is also an inspiring and hopeful musical. Karen’s original CD recording is sold on CD Baby. Karen’s music is arranged by Mannheim Steamroller’s Chuck Penington and the songs were recorded at Omaha’s Ware House studio. Generation has also been performed all over the country; and if you know of a city who needs to experience a touching, Jewish musical, please contact JMR Productions at 402.393.3893. The Javitch - Jabenis duo also wrote Princess Diana the Musical which is going to play in 12 cities in the U.S. this year.

Family Bingo and Havdalah! SCOTT lITTKy Program Director, Temple Israel

Family Havdalah and Bingo Night at Temple Israel was a huge success with over 75 people in attendance.

The Jewish Press | February 3, 2017 | A7

community

SIGMA ALPHA MU Update

On Jan. 28 at 9 a.m., eight of our current members atDAVID AllOy Alumni President tended a Leadership Day event at the National Headquarters ’m very excited to share some news regarding our in Indianapolis, Indiana. Also in attendance were represenSigma Omicron fraternity chapter and building a tatives from Sigma Delta Tau (SDT) Sorority. The main topstronger Jewish presence at the Uniics covered were “Risk Management” and versity of Nebraska-Lincoln. The “How To Be A Better Chapter Leader.” Bemost important question you should fore the event on the evening of the 27th, ask yourself: do you want a larger, more acSigma Omicron members overnighted at the tive Jewish presence at the University of NeSigma Alpha Mu Chapter House in Chambraska-Lincoln? The answer should be a paign, Illinois (RHO Chapter). resounding Yes. This is what we are trying to Of course, scholastic achievement is very achieve. important. Last year they had an accumulaWe currently have 17 members and should tive GPA of 3.072, which was above the nabe pledging an additional three to five this setional Sigma Alpha Mu chapter average. mester. We were officially recolonized on Another reason it’s possible to establish a Oct. 10, 2015, and recognized as a colony larger Jewish presence at UNL is because by the National Headquarters. This comJewish birth rates have increased. With the ing April 14th or 15th we will have a cost of a higher education escalating, the rechartering ceremony, which obtains full chapter education you can receive in our own backyard at the status. In attendance will be University of Nebraska-Linalumni from across the coln is a great value. It’s sort country and representatives of a hidden gem. The cost of from our National Heada higher education is ever quarters in Indianapolis, Inincreasing and with a great diana, including the university in Nebraska, it National President and makes economic sense to Treasurer, among others. get a wonderful education The current members are here instead of going out of working very hard in Linstate. This huge expense can coln with the assistance of be an extreme burden bethe alumni to recruit mem- Colony Officers Tanner Grable (Vice President), left, Derek Baumfalk cause of student loans and a bers. With the support from (Treasurer) and Advisor David Alloy at National Headquarters, Indi- family’s financial situation, anapolis, Indiana on Aug. 14, 2016. National Headquarters, including their plans for a once we have 32 members or more for two consecutive secomfortable retirement. When athletes and other potential mesters, we are eligible to have a physical house. So you can students come here to check out the campus, they first exsee that every recruit that we can pledge is very important. pect to see nothing but corn fields, cattle and horses. But The current members are getting more and more active once they get here and actually see the City of Lincoln and on campus. We soon should have a member on the Board the campus, and what it’s really like and what’s offered, they of the IFC (Interfraternity Council). They have been active are amazed. in homecoming and philanthropy. They do fundraising in This is a great time to join in the beginning stages to help coordination with the other Sigma Alpha Mu chapters for rebuild this historic fraternity chapter that started in 1926. the Alzheimer Association (specifically the Judy Fund), and If you are looking for lifelong friendships and a brotheron the 19th of January in coordination with Hillel they did hood of men with a Jewish history, this is the fraternity for a Latka feed fundraiser in the Student Union. Last year they you. Our alumni work in all fields of endeavor, which inhad 80 people in attendance and raised $300. This year they cludes architecture, business, education, engineering, medihad 120 in attendance and raised $600. All the funds have cine and research, public office, show business, etc. This been donated to Feed America Fund. Just recently, they also gives a person a good source for networking. volunteered and participated in a Food Bank program. The Sammies in Lincoln are planning a rush event on Starting last year, as part of their community service projMarch 11 in Omaha (location and time yet to be deterects, they have taken on the responsibility of the care and mined). We would appreciate your participation so that you maintenance of the Nebraska State Holocaust Memorial at can meet our current members and witness the comraderie. Wyuka Cemetery in Lincoln. They also participate in social They can answer any questions you may have or you can events with other fraternities and sororities. contact me at 402.334.0609 or alloyent@cox.net.

A8 | The Jewish Press | February 3, 2017

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(Founded in 1920) Eric Dunning President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor richard Busse Creative Director Susan Bernard Advertising Executive Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Editor Thierry Ndjike Accounting Jewish Press Board Eric Dunning, President; Andy Ruback, Past-President; Sandy Friedman, Treasurer; Andrew Boehm; Paul Gerber; Alex Grossman; Jill Idelman; Mike Kaufman; David Kotok; Debbie Kricsfeld; Abby Kutler; Pam Monsky; Paul Rabinovitz and Barry Zoob. 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. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment. Editorial The Jewish Press is an agency of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Deadline for copy, ads and photos is: Thursday, 9 a.m., eight days prior to publication. E-mail editorial material and photos to: avandekamp@jewish omaha.org; send ads (in TIF or PDF format) to: rbusse@jewishomaha. org.

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Leaving the fringe

ANNETTE vAN DE KAmP-WriGhT Editor of the Jewish Press hite nationalist Richard Spencer, popularizer of the term “alt-right,” is kicking off 2017 with a tour of college campuses. On his website Radix Journal, a promotion for the tour bills Spencer as “one of the most politically incorrect men alive.” “He’ll debate your favorite feminist professor... make the SJWs cry... and rustle the jimmies of the campus, if not the world,” the promotion reads. SJW, or “social justice warrior” is a pejorative term used to describe progressive activists. No stops appear to have been set for what Spencer has dubbed his “Danger Zone Tour,” but his Twitter image now boasts an advertisement. (Forward.com) Just a few years ago, my immediate reaction to a story like this would have been to mock it, but that is no longer the case. Although not a single college campus has been booked, Richard Spencer’s naked ambition terrifies me. The brazenness with which white supremacists assert themselves these days also makes me angry. For too long, we have treated anti-Semitism in this country as a topic for fringe discussion. White supremacists, anti-Semites, neoNazis; they no longer exist on the fringes of society, and neither should our response and our awareness. There’s more in that same article: Media provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos, who is also associated with the “alt-right,” is currently visiting college campuses too, on what he is calling the “Dangerous Faggot” tour. Spencer does not consider Yiannopoulos a true member of the white nationalist “alt-right.” In his fundraising message to followers, Spencer promised his tour would be more impactful than the “Dangerous Faggot” tour, which he said was misrepresenting the “alt-right.” And again, there is a temptation to ignore it. This is so heinous, so far out of our scope of what is acceptable that it becomes very hard to imagine the danger. Surely no one

What do we do now?

ScOTT Kurz ADL-CRC The swastika is making a comeback. Yeah. That’s a thing now. Since November, we’ve seen its resurgence painted on the sides of homes and public signage, plastered on flyers in bars and on college campuses, etched into desks and doors in high schools and posted with abandon on the internet. Sometimes it is flaunted as a victory cry by people who have no real understanding of its meaning and other times by individuals who feel every bent corner as vindication of the hate-filled beliefs that twist their hearts. I don’t think it is hyperbole to say the world has changed dramatically over the last year. I have friends who fall on both sides of the political divide and who speak with varying degrees of apathy or engagement about our collective situation as a society. There is growing tension all around us as we witness an unsettling challenge to the status quo that can be viewed as either a hopeful deviation from politics as usual or as the death knell of civility and reason (depending on who you ask.) The 24-hour news cycle stokes its own ratings by fanning the flames of fervor on both sides, and while this is nothing new-- we have been living in a “breaking news” culture for decades-- the transfer of how we receive our knowledge is shifting into the hands of innumerable social media outlets and an environment of virtual lawlessness and bullying is becoming the norm. Our very own Cyber Wild West. A case can be made for either side -- embracing the dissemination of information and deluge of opinion as freedom of speech in a boundaryfree landscape, or condemning the conflagration of the two that allows facts and civility to bow down to tweets and memes -- and cling to whichever argument more closely aligns with your current ideology. That’s a valid debate to have, but not necessarily what we need right now. The recent rash of vandalism and hate speech is indicative of conditions that have been incubating for a while now. No doubt, scores of fu-

in our direct environment, not family members, not friends, colleagues or acquaintances would support such hate? What then, is our response? The police station in Spencer’s hometown of Whitefish, Montana, where Spencer’s movement has promised to march, recently affixed a Mezuzah to the front door. One man punched Spencer during the Women’s March in Wash-

Speaking out: a protester at Omaha's Turner Park, Sunday Jan. 29, 2017.

ington, DC, while he was being interviewed. The incident was caught on camera and went viral. At that point, we all paid a little attention -- while it lasted. Then, we moved on. If you keep an eye on Jewish newspapers both in the US and abroad, stories keep popping up about anti-Semitism, hate of the ‘other,’ incidents of vandalism and xenophobia, and yet it has still not become part of our everyday consciousness. We stubbornly continue to treat these incidents as outliers. Are we really not paying enough attention?

ture authors and books will devote themselves to arguing how we got here, but the thing on all our minds is: what do we do right now? We all know that a fire cannot be extinguished by dousing it in gasoline, and while lighting an adjacent fire can help contain or delay the spread of the original blaze... we now have two fires to monitor and contend with. So where does that leave us? Perhaps it leaves us right where we have always been. Whether trolling under the surface or flying in the face of tragedy, this ugliness has been there. The thing that has changed is the mega-

phone that has been handed the cause. An act of ignorance or hate is bad enough, but when that act becomes amplified, it takes on the persona of a rallying cry and this is why something new feels eerily familiar. We are all on shaky new ground and yet we all have the feeling that we have been here before. Maybe it is worse this time. Maybe not. Maybe it just feels that way. Maybe it IS that way. The question remains: what do we do now? It starts, as most solutions do, with knowledge and how we choose to apply it. We must all be judicious about how and where we obtain our information and what we choose to do with it. Will we simply “react” to the news and events? Or be proactive based on what we know? Will we repost and re-tweet things we despise, merely to let everyone know we despise them? Or will we take action based on what we have experienced and change the conversation to something more meaningful. An echo serves no real purpose and will eventually die, bouncing off the same walls it originally shook. Reposting and reacting merely

As Jews and as human beings, we must educate ourselves. Richard Spencer in particular is not just some crazy nut-job, some exception we can ignore. Researching him online very quickly lands one in a strange and alternative universe, where it is acceptable to use slurs, speak lovingly of gas chambers and blame every societal ill on the Jewish people. And that alternative universe is becoming more mainstream by the minute. When I see the phrase “Gas the Kikes” pop up in comment sections, not every now and then but frequently, not only on alt-right websites but in mainstream media comment sections, I can not ignore it. We have to connect the dots, because the dots are everywhere. If you’re tempted to ignore The News because The News is too depressing, don’t. Instead, let your voice be heard. Richard Spencer and those like him want to go to college campuses? Then we need to beat him there. They want to march? Then we need to counter march. They want to spread hate? We must spread love. Love for our fellow Jews, for every ‘other’ we encounter, but most of all for ourselves. We deserve better than this. We know full well what happens when this type of hate goes unchecked. Richard Spencer likes to make fun of those of us who oppose him and his views as “Social Justice Warriors,” or “SJWs.” I will proudly take on that moniker. And I sincerely hope many other Americans do too, before it is too late. if you are looking for resources, the Jewish Federation of Omaha and the Anti Defamation League/community relations committee present a Words to Action parent workshop on Feb. 9, from 7 to 8 p.m. in the JFO Kripke Library. The workshop will, among other things, demonstrate skills and strategies you can share with you teenager or college student and increase awareness of anti-Semitism and anti-israel bias. For more information and to rSvP, please contact Louri Sullivan at 402.334.6485 or lsullivan@jew ishomaha.org.

amplifies the original message, whereas a new voice rings out clear and true and creates an opportunity for something new to happen. Instead of re-posting something that upsets us, what if we were to share how we feel without giving the initial experience more air-time? What does that look like? Redirection as opposed to perpetuation. I would argue this places us at an advantage for several reasons. It not only tamps the flames being actively fanned, but allows us to think differently. It helps us grow and enables us to listen to our own voice and learn. Because, as important as it is to stay vigilant and speak up, it is equally vital to understand that we need someone to actively listen. We can’t affect that kind of change alone. As the Women’s March across the nation proved, we need everyone’s help, and finding a way to cut through the rhetoric that explodes on both sides can help us make perceived enemies into allies. We can’t make friends with a scared, angry little boy sitting in a restroom, carving a swastika onto a wall, but we can find common ground with someone who doesn’t agree with us about every, single thing we believe. We can’t change people ideologically intent on spreading hate, but we can take a look at our actions (and perhaps, more importantly, our reactions) on and off line and place it into a new perspective. Remember what we are fighting for -- not just that we are fighting. A small gesture can make a big change. In the face of such daunting issues, helping a lot of people just a little can help those of us being targeted, a lot. The angry boy has convinced himself that it is his right to “express” his ideas wherever and however he likes, but deep down it’s not about the assertion of personal freedoms. He simply needs to try and make others as scared and angry as he is -- to pull the rest of us into the darkness and into his argument. To react. To him. The thing we must remember is that this desperation for engagement requires our participation. Don’t be fooled and don’t be intimidated. Don’t be See What do we do now page A9

The Jewish Press | February 3, 2017 | a9

For Jewish groups in Women’s march, many causes to fight for and a long road ahead

ben sales not all going to be working on health care, they’re not all JTA going to be working on immigration. But if there’s a big One Jewish group that joined the Women’s March on chunk of people that are going to be working on health care, Washington has seen its online donations double since the on immigration, that’s going to be huge.” election of Donald Trump as president. Another has twice Some organizations, while pursuing several disparate as many guests as usual attending its annual conference. A goals, are concentrating their energies on the local scene third has seen its social media engagement skyrocket. And after bringing thousands of Jews to the streets on Saturday, they’re all asking the same question: What now? A range of liberal Jewish groups took part in the Women’s March, which drew more than 3 million people to streets across the country to protest Trump’s policies and advocate for women’s rights and civil rights. And like the organizers of the march, Jewish groups who shared its agenda face the challenge of making sure the demonstration wasn’t a one-off venting of frustration, but a catalyst for sustained political activism. “There are so many things to fight for and there are so many things to fight against right now,” said Lori Weinstein, CEO of Jewish Women’s International, part of a coalition of nancy Kaufman, ceo of the national council of Jewish Women; left; Rabbi Jewish groups that took part in the protest. “The Women’s March was a place for everyone Tamara cohen, chief of innovation at moving Traditions, and Debbie Hoffmann, to gather. It was a place for everyone to be lifted ncJW’s board president, at the national mall for the Women’s march on Washington, Jan. 21, 2017. Credit: Ron Sachs up and catapulted forward.” Groups like Weinstein’s have spent decades advocating for rather than the national government. Jews United for Juscauses like health care and immigrant rights. They see the tice, a social justice advocacy group in Washington, D.C., march not as a starting point but as a validation of the goals will be centered on ensuring funding in the district’s budget they have long pursued. For them, the question isn’t what to for paid family leave, as well as building a network of synado. It’s how to get people to keep supporting what they are gogues willing to offer sanctuary to undocumented immialready doing. grants. “This isn’t new,” said Rabbi Jonah Pesner, director of the “We know one of the most productive things we can do is Religious Action Center, the Reform movement’s legislative advocacy around the D.C. budget,” said Rabbi Elizabeth advocacy arm, which hosted a day of programming around Richman, deputy director of Jews United for Justice. “It centhe march. “We’re building on growing competency we ters on the people who are going to be most vulnerable have. What we’re trying to do is build these movements of under the Trump administration -- low-income employees justice that will live on after these peak moments.” and people of color.” With the march acting as a clearinghouse for liberal acJewish organizations have seen gains since Trump’s electivists of many stripes, covering everything from reproduction. Jewish Women’s International’s online donations have tive rights to environmentalist activism, its momentum doubled, and an April conference hosted by the Religious could spread thin over a variety of campaigns. Jewish orAction Center, which drew a crowd of 400 last year, is on ganizations, hoping to capitalize on the rally’s energy, mentrack to register at least 700 this year. But in a political envitioned fighting the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, ronment where major policies are announced via Twitter, protecting voter rights, advocating for immigrants, opposit’s unclear whether the Women’s March or its Jewish coning gun violence, pushing for paid family leave and other tingent will be able to claim people’s attention and energy in progressive causes. the weeks and months to come. But Rabbi Jill Jacobs, executive director of T’ruah, a rab“There’s something about the public quality of the social bis’ human rights group, said working on a range of issues media we use to coordinate protests that does a really good isn’t a problem because so many people came to the protest. job getting people out into the street and feeling united on a “All the people mobilized for the Women’s March, they’re mass level,” said Gal Beckerman, author of When They not all going to be focused on one issue,” she said. “They’re Come for Us, We’ll Be Gone, a book on the movement to free

Soviet Jewry. “But [it] does a poor job helping people figure out the kind of organizing, building unified ideologies, sets of demands -- all these things that movements need to move to the the next level in terms of effectiveness.” Beckerman said that staying focused might be especially tough for the Jewish community, which was divided over Trump. While most Jews voted for the Democrat Hillary Clinton, a few Jewish organizations, representing a vocal but now ascendant minority of American Jewry, have thrown their support behind the newly inaugurated president. “There’s a lot of division right now in the American Jewish world over Trump,” he said. “What was different in the Soviet Jewry movement, what made that movement so effective, is that it did bring together all the different sides of the Jewish community -- particularly the side that thinks in terms of universal rights and the side that’s more particularist.” For Nancy Kaufman, CEO of the National Council of Jewish Women, which fought for voting rights in the 1910s and civil rights in the 1960s, the march was one more protest in a long line of activism. To make it effective, she said, the participants must understand that no one demonstration will create change -- no matter how many people it mobilized. “The most important thing is to understand that despair is not a strategy, and we can’t stop,” Kaufman said. “The most important thing is we coordinate, collaborate, not spin our wheels and figure out where we can have some wins because it’s going to be a tough road.”

What do we do now?

continued from page a8 conned into giving up your reason in the face of unreasonable actions and ideas. There is nothing down that path but more of the same. We don’t have to jump because someone says so. We have another choice. Let’s make it. If you or anyone you know encounters hate, bias or bullying on or off line, please call the local AntiDefamation League office (ADL-CRC) at 402.344.6570 or visit omaha.adl.org and fill out an incident report.

To submiT announcemenTs

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a10 | The Jewish Press | February 3, 2017

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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. 10, at 7:30 p.m. with guest speaker Daniel Rahav and he will discuss His experiences from arriving in Omaha in 2006 from a suburb of Tel Aviv to graduating from Creighton University in 2015 to now working at Creighton. Oneg to follow service. Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel! Our services are led by lay leader Larry Blass. For information on our historic synagogue, please contact any of our board members: Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Carole Lainof, Marty Ricks, Sissy Silber, Nancy Wolf and Phil Wolf.

BeTh eL SynaGoGue

Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman. friday: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. SaTurday: Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Junior Congregation, 10 a.m.; Mini-Minyannaires, 10:45 a.m.; Welcoming the Stranger lunch, noon; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:30 p.m. weekday SerViCeS: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. Sunday: World Wide Wrap, 9:45 a.m.; BESTT Classes, 9:45 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:15 a.m.; Torah Tots, 10:30 a.m.; Adult Education, 11:15 a.m. featuring speaker Joan Latchaw; BESTT Habonim (Grades K-2), 12:15 p.m.; Women’s Rosh Hodesh Tu B’Shevat Seder, 4 p.m. TueSday: Rabbi Abraham’s A Wisdom Tradition -- An Inside Look at Ethical, Moral and Spiritual Lessons of Judaism, noon at Whole Foods. wedneSday: BESTT Classes, 4:15 p.m.; Rabbi Abraham’s A Wisdom Tradition -- An Inside Look at Ethical, Moral and Spiritual Lessons of Judaism, 6:15 p.m.; Hebrew High Classes, 6:45 p.m.; Hazzan Krausman’s Echoes & Reflections - A Multimedia Approach to the Holocaust, 7:30 p.m. ThurSday: Shanghai, 1 p.m. Welcoming the Stranger Lunch, Saturday, feb. 11, noon. All classes and programs are open to everyone in the Jewish community.

BeTh iSraeL SynaGoGue

Office hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Friday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Ari Dembitzer. friday: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv & Kabbalat Shabbat, 5:25 p.m.; Candle Lighting, 5:25 p.m. SaTurday: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Torah Parade, 9:45 a.m.; Sisterhood Kiddush, 11:30 a.m.; Insights in the Weekly Torah Reading, 4:25 p.m.; Mincha/Seudah Shlishit, 5:10 p.m.; Havdalah, 6:28 p.m. Sunday: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Bagels and Beit Medrash, 9:45 a.m.; Super Bowl Party, 5 p.m. Monday: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Shlomo, noon. TueSday & wedneSday: Shacharit, 7 a.m. ThurSday: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Shlomo, noon.

ChaBad houSe

Office hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Friday, 9 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. followed by a festive kiddush luncheon in honor of Yud Shevat, commemorating The Rebbe’s leadership. Sunday: Shacharit, 8:30 a.m. followed by Sunday Secrets: Jewish Fun Facts class at 9:15 a.m.; A Farbrengan Viewing, 5 p.m. Recoreded viewing of a talk by The Rebbe from 1982, focusing on the significance of this day in comptemorary life. weekdayS: Shacharit, 7 a.m. followed by coffee, treats, study and shmoozing. Monday: Personal Parsha class, 9:30 a.m. with Shani. wedneSday: New Tanya Series -- The Anatomy of Your Soul: Who Are You?, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Mendel Katzman. ThurSday: Advanced Talmud Class, noon with Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Women’s Jewish Values Class on wednesday, feb. 22, noon (lunch served) and Thursday, feb. 23 at 8 p.m. All programs are open to the entire community.

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ConGreGaTion B’nai JeShurun

Services conducted by Rabbi Craig Lewis. friday: Candlelighting, 5:29 p.m.; Pre-neg, 6 p.m.; Shabbat Evening Service, 6:30 p.m. SaTurday: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. on Parashat Bo; Havdalah Service, 7 p.m. led by Michael Boekstal. Bring a potluck dessert to share. Sunday: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m. at Tifereth Israel; LJCS Gesher, 10 a.m. at South Street Temple; Book Club, 2 p.m. at Scooter’s on 84th & Van Dorn and will discuss Norwegian by Night by Derek B. Miller. TueSday: Kochavim Rehearsal, 6:45 p.m. wedneSday: LJCS Hebrew School, 4 p.m. at TI. ThurSday: Temple Choir Rehearsal, 7 p.m. aduLT eduCaTion wedneSday: Intro to Prayer Hebrew, 6 p.m. Community Tu b’Shevat Seder and Shabbat Dinner, friday, feb. 10, 6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. Dairy meal provided. There is no charge to attend, although donations to help cover the food costs are welcomed in advance of the evening. RSVPs and/or donations to the Synagogue office by wednesday, feb. 8. For those observing yahrzeits, there will be an opportunity to say Kaddish after the meal. Please let us know if you can help. Volunteers are needed to set up (Friday morning around 10 a.m.) and clean up (after seder). South Street Temple is partnering with "We Can Do This" to provide weekend meals to the children of the F Street Community Center. Join us as we provide lunch on the third Sunday of every month. Food/monetary donations, meal preparation and assistance with setting up, serving, and clean-up are needed! We will serve our next meal on feb. 19 at 2:30 p.m. For more information, email Sarah Beringer at sarah.m.beringer@gmail.com. President’s Office Hours, Sunday Mornings, 10 a.m.– noon at SST. If you have any Temple business you would like to bring before the Board of Trustees, potential programs, or new ideas, please let us know! Call for an appointment at the Temple at 402.513.7697. Or if you prefer, email David Weisser at president@southstreettemple.org.

offuTT air forCe BaSe

friday: Services, 7:30 p.m. every first and third of the month.

Day, noon; Temple Israel’s Annual Super Bowl Party!, 4:30 p.m. Come watch Super Bowl 51 with us on our big projection screens in the Social Hall! We will be providing all you can eat appetizers and non-alcoholic drinks. BYOB. There will be activities for kids and sitter service provided. Reservations required. TueSday: OTYG Spaghetti Dinner Prep Night, 5 p.m.; Holy Smokes, 7 p.m. at Copa Cabana, 17520 Wright Street, #108. Emeritus Rabbi Aryeh Azriel leads this men’s only (21+) evening featuring cigars, spirits, beer and philosophical discussions of men’s issues and perspectives from Jewish texts. Reservations required. wedneSday: Grades 3-6, 4 p.m.; School Dinner, 6 p.m.; Grades 7-12, 6 p.m.; Family School, 6 p.m.; How to Deal with the Stories in Torah that We Did Not Study in Religious School, 6:30-8 p.m. with Emeritus Rabbi Aryeh Azriel. ThurSday: Amsterdam, Prague and Malta: A Jewish Journey, 10 a.m. with Cantor Shermet; Kol Rina Rehearsal, 7 p.m. at St. Paul; OTYG Spaghetti Dinner Prep Night, 5 p.m. Young Families/Couples Shabbat Service, friday, feb. 10, 5:45 p.m. Join us for an Old School Shabbat! Bring the entire family for Shabbat dinner & songs for all ages. We welcome all young families, young couples or anyone wanting to meet new people at Temple Israel. Dinner is included as well as fun activities sponsored by PJ Library to keep the kiddos busy. The evening will cost $5/person or a max of $20/family. Please RSVP to Temple Israel, 402.556.6536, by Tuesday, feb. 7. Shabbat Shira Service, friday, feb. 10, 6 p.m. During the Torah reading for this Shabbat the section known as “The Song of The Seas,” is recited. Shabbat Shira is also known as the Shabbat of Song and to honor this Shabbat, Cantor Shermet and Karen Sandene, bassoonist with the Lincoln Symphony, will present selected pieces of music from a number of unlikely sources. OTYG Spaghetti Dinner & Auction, Sunday, feb. 12, 5 - 8 p.m. Save the date -- there will be food, live and silent auction items and friends and family to share this wonderful event with. The cost is $10 for adults, $4 for children ages 6-12 and no charge for children five and younger. Please RSVP to Temple Israel, 402.556.6536, by friday, feb. 3. Proceeds go to support Camp Rainbow, a camp for kids with cancer and other blood-related diseases, along with funding youth activities.

TifereTh iSraeL

friday: First Friday and Grades 3 & 4 Shabbat Service: Candle lighting and Kiddush in the Simon Community Court, 5:30 p.m., Services featuring the First Friday Band, 6 p.m., Dinner immediately following. Cost is $5 per person, max of $20 per family. Reservations required. SaTurday: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Services, 10:30 a.m. Bar Mitzvah of nathan krasno, son of Roxanne and Todd Krasno. Sunday: Grades PreK-6, 10 a.m.; Madrichim Meeting, 10 a.m.; Temple Tots Sunday, 10:30 a.m.; Sounds of Silence: An Introduction to Jewish Meditation, 10:30 a.m. with Rabbi Crystal; OTYG Meeting, noon; OTYG Spaghetti Dinner Prep

Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: Monday-friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. friday: Services, 6:30 p.m. SaTurday: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush Lunch. Sunday: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m. at Tifereth Israel; LJCS Gesher, 10 a.m. at South Street Temple; Book Club, 2 p.m. at Scooter’s on 84th & Van Dorn and will discuss Norwegian by Night by Derek B. Miller; BBQ & Basketball Event for Tifereth Israel & Beth El Families, Lunch will be served from 12:15-2:30 p.m. at Tifereth before the UNL/Purdue men's basketball game beginning at 3:30 p.m. wedneSday: LJCS Hebrew School, 4 p.m. at TI. Community Tu B'Shevat Seder and Shabbat Dinner, friday, feb 10, 6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. Reservations due by feb. 8 to the synagogue office. There is no charge to attend, although donations to help cover the food costs are welcomed in advance to the synagogue office. Our next Lunch and Learn Speaker as part of our Shabbat Scientists series will be Vitaly Zlotnik. He will speak to us about water crises in our world today on Saturday, feb. 11 after services. Vitaly is a professor of earth and atmosopheric sciences at UNL.

JCC Girls Spring Basketball Tournament Registrations are due Monday, Feb. 6! Girls in 3rd - 8th grade are invited to register their team for the Girls Spring Showcase Basketball Tournament! The tournament will be held Feb. 25 and 26 at the JCC. Both Members and Non Members are welcome. If you have questions please contact the Athletic Department at 402.590.2144. Tumble-Tastic! Boys and girls, ages 3-5, and grades K-1, are invited to join Tumble-Tastic to learn early gymnastics fundamentals. Each week we will follow a themed lesson plan with a specific skill highlighted. Gymnastics skills including cartwheels, handstands,

rolling, strength and body control will be covered. Each class will be led by a skilled and experienced JCC coach. Registration is required. For more information, contact Director of Athletics Lynnette Brannen at 402.590.2144 or lbrannen@jccom aha.org. Register by calling JCC Registrar Laura Wine at 402.334.6426. JCC Little Lions March Mania Tournament This program is for Members and Non Members, boys and girls, 1st - 2nd Grade Registrations are due Monday, Feb. 13! The tournament will be held March 11 and 12 at the JCC. Both Members and Non Members are welcome. If you have questions please contact the Athletic Department at 402.590.2144.

roSe BLuMkin JewiSh hoMe

SaTurday: Services, 9:15 a.m. led by Jim Polack and David Herzog. Services will be held in the Chapel. Members of the community are invited to attend.

TeMPLe iSraeL

Programs at the Jewish Community Center

The Jewish Press | February 3, 2017 | a11

Pulverente MONUMENT CO.

lifecycles Birth

addisyn ann waldBaum

Amanda and Adam Waldbaum of Gilbert, AZ, announce the Jan. 16 birth of their daugther, Addisyn Ann. She has a brother, Ari. Grandparents are John and Natha Waldbaum of Omaha, and Sonya and Steve Davis of Denver.

Bat mitzVah

aBiGail PaiGE KauFman

Abigail Paige Kaufman, daughter of Dana and Michael Kaufman, will become a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, Feb. 11, at Temple Israel. Abby is a seventh-grade honors student at Westside Middle School and is a participant in the Duke University Talent Identification Program. Abby plays lacrosse for the Omaha Lacrosse Club and is a member of Westside Connection, the Westside Middle School Show Choir, and Center Stage, an all-girls’ competitive show choir at SNJ Studios. For her mitzvah project, Abby volunteered at Girls Inc Omaha. She has a brother, Benjamin. Grandparents are Ruth and Joe Erman, and Lois and Steve Kaufman.

in mEmoriam

BarBara (BurKEtt) FishKin

Barbara Ann (Burkett) Fishkin passed away on Jan. 17 from complications due to Parkinsons in Denver. Services were held Jan. 20 at Temple Sinai in Denver. She is survived by husband Ely; son, Michael Fishkin; daughter, Stephanie (Fishkin) Kiley; grandsons: Benjamin and Willian Kiley; sister, Paula Borsody. She fought the good fight. Memorials may be made to Parkinson Association of the Rockies, 1325 S. Colorado Blvd, Suite 204B, Denver, CO 80222.

sarah (BaBE) noGG

Sarah (Babe) Nogg passed away on Jan. 23 at age 98. She was preceded in death by her husband E. Leo Nogg, sister Minette Zacharia, and brothers Henry and Jack Sterling. She is survived by her children, Robert Nogg, Terrie and Jan Kleinman, and Linda and Brian Cote; grandchildren: Dana Kiper, Jennifer and Leo Lopez, Kelsey Nogg, Lisa and Mark Goodman, Heidi and Steve Page, Elise and Gregg Jaffe, Brad and Robin Kleinman, Nick and Jennifer Cote, Adam and Carla Cote, Jordan Cote; 16 Great Grandchildren, and nieces, nephews, many other loving family and friends. She was born in Sioux City Iowa and raised and lived in Omaha for over 90 years. She was a member of Temple Israel where she served on numerous committees and was active with the National Council of Jewish Women and Hadassah. Babe was the last matriarch of her extended family. She was the glue that bound her family together. She was Nana Nogg to a privileged few but Aunt Babe to so many. She was a baker extraordinaire and a true balabustano attention to detail was overlooked from the china and silverware to the centerpieces and decor - they all had her touch. Memorials may be made to the NCJW and the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

harry daVid riChman

Harry David Richman, Haim Dovid ben Simcha v’Sheyndl passed away Jan. 4 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Services were held Jan. 6 at Waldheim Cemetery outside of Chicago, IL. He was preceded in death by his parents, Sam and Jennie Richman, and sisters: Esther Richman Gordman and Pearl Richman Giventer. He is survived by his beloved wife of 60 years, Arlene Joyce Weitzman Richman, son and son-in-law, Michael Richman and Harrison Parker of Chicago and daughter and son-in-law, Elyza Richman Halev and Jeff Spinner Halev; and grandchildren: Avishai, Davida and Shoshana Halev of Chapel Hill, NC. Harry was proud to have been born and raised in Omaha where his parents, Sam and Jennie (Segal) Richman settled after immigrating from Czenostrov, Russia. Harry was a 1946 graduate of Central High School, attended UNL and served in Germany during the Korean War. He was a champion chess and bridge player and loved to tell the story of beating Warren Buffet in a tournament game with his partner, his sister Esther. Harry never wanted to leave his beloved Omaha, but ill health forced his hand in this past year. He was a small businessman in Omaha his entire life, first with the “House of Shoes” and later in the carpet business at California Carpet, but his true avocation was as an inventor and scientist. He was a passionate classical music lover and tremendously enjoyed travel and sailing. He will be greatly missed. Memorials may be made to the Joslyn Museum’s Symphony Series or to the Lerner Jewish Community Day School of Durham, NC.

Three exciting events for our community

1. P2G artists Gallery talk: Free and open to the public! Feb. 22, 7 pm., in the JCC social hall Each artist will give a presentation of their work and then have an open discussion with the audience about being an Israeli artist, living in the periphery, and creating in the space between the two worlds of art and design.” Workshop attendance is $5 per session per participant. Sign up now because space is limited! 2. P2G artists workshop 1: Bird’s Eye View- with Koby sibony, Feb. 23, 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., JCC Kripke library Using 1mm wire, participants will learn how to make 2D birds using metal wire. Each bird, like its creator, will look different and will have its own special character. 3. P2G artist’s workshop 2: Glass Fusing a medium of self-Expression with Batya Gil Feb. 23, 1 p.m.-3 p.m., JCC social hall Our time will be spent using glass as a medium to encourage the fun and playfulness of creativity. You’ll use window glass, colors and powders, copper wire and pieces of glass, to create your own glass piece to be fused in a glass kiln. Sign up at: http://tinyurl.com/hwg2zc6 or use the QR code.

Jews with roots in former Soviet Union protest planned refugee ban

JTA Hundreds of American Jews with roots in the former Soviet Union signed a petition protesting President Donald Trump’s plan to block the arrival of refugees from some Muslim countries to the United States. e online petition was published following reports that Trump was planning to issue executive orders temporarily barring U.S. admission of asylum seekers from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. “We, the undersigned Soviet Jewish refugees, write to express our support for the United States’ refugee resettlement program and our opposition to President Trump’s dra Executive Orders that would close America’s doors to vulnerable refugees desperately seeking our protection,” states the petition, which has received more than 400 signatures. In the petition, the co-signatories wrote: “e United States must not turn our backs on the human beings fleeing violence and persecution like our families did when we le the former Soviet Union, nor abandon our highest national values and the demands of basic decency.” Jewish tradition, they added, “teaches us that our own experience as foreigners, immigrants and refugees must compel us to create a compassionate society where the rights of migrants are protected.” Among the co-signatories is Masha Gessen, a well-known Russian-American journalist and author who has spoken critically of Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Last year, the United States gave asylum to nearly 85,000 refugees, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of data from the State Department’s Refugee Processing Center. Of those, 38,901 self-identified as Muslims. It was the highest number of Muslim refugees in any year since data on self-reported religious aﬃliations first became publicly available in 2002. During an interview ursday with Fox News, Trump defended his intention to issue executive orders suspending in part the refugee program. “Right now, the FBI has over 1,000 [terrorism] investigations going on... and these are people that we let in. We don’t need this,” the president said. “Some people have come in with evil intentions. Most haven’t, I guess, but we can’t take chances. “We’ve taken in tens of thousands of people. We know nothing about them. ey can say they vetted them. ey didn’t vet them, they have no papers. How can you vet somebody when you don’t know anything about them and they have no papers?”

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aPPliCations arE being accepted for a full-time Emergency Manager/IT Director for Keith County. Salary range is negotiable based upon skill level and experience. Excellent benefit package including sick leave, vacation leave and health insurance. Applications, position description and qualifications are available at Keith County Clerk’s Office, 308-284-4726. Applications must be received by the K.C. Clerk by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, February 10, 2017. Keith County gives preference to Veterans in employment decisions for this job, is an EOE, and reserves the right to refuse any or all applications.

sEEKinG a full-time person to join our kitchen management team to assist managing of kitchen and launching of/managing of our educational catering program. Learn more at TLCAurora.org. Contact us or send resume to: 2211 Q Street, Aurora, NE 68818.

thE City of Blair, Nebraska, is hiring a full-time position for their Cemetery/Park Department until 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 7, 2017. Please visit www.blairnebraska.org/jobs for more information and/or how to apply.

laBoratory suPErVisor opening. Interpersonal skills/teamwork necessary. Benefit package includes health, disability, dental/vision insurance, and pension. Send resumes/application to Cherry County Hospital, Box 410, Valentine, NE 69201. EEO employer.

salEs & marKEtinG Director - Nebraska Press Advertising Service is seeking a self-motivated, on task person for the position of Sales & Marketing Director. Must be personable with the ability to establish & maintain great relationships with current & potential advertisers & association members statewide. Position requires excellent customer service skills & strong understanding of the newspaper business & advertising. This is a management position and the right person will lead a team oriented staff, & have the ability to report to & guide the NPAS Board of Directors. Ideal candidate will have 5-10 years of professional experience, demonstrated skills & experience in design & execution of print & digital sales, as well as marketing with strong management, writing & editing skills. Submit resume, references & additional credential to NPAS, 845 “S” Street, Lincoln, NE 68508, Attn: NPAS Board of Directors.

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A12 | The Jewish Press | February 3, 2017

Be a voyager on a pathway that assures Jewish Tomorrows.

It’s more than a donation.

t’s your legacy.

Join these generous donors and write your Jewish legacy TODAY. Rabbi Steven & Shira Abraham Michael & Sheri Abramson Michael Albert Anonymous (35) Joyce Ashley John Atherton & Marti Rosen-Atherton Elyce & Aryeh Azriel Bob Belgrade Sandra Belgrade Mark & Jill Belmont Harry Berman Marilyn F. Berman Jake & Susan Besser Bonnie Rae Bloch Steven R. Bloch Becki Brenner Beth Brodkey Ron Brodkey Carrie & Josh Brown Elliot Brown Michelle Byrnes Beth Cohen David & Karla Cohen Marla & Bob Cohen Drs. Michael & Karen Cohen & Family Pam Cohn Justin Cooper Ronald & Cheryl Cooper Jerry* & Janey Dann Hal & Mary Daub Arthur L. Davidson Betsy G. Davidson Larry & Hanna DeBruin

Rabbi Ari Dembitzer Deborah Denenberg Norman & Eunice Denenberg Steven Denenberg Tippi Denenberg Pam & Dennis DePorte Beth Seldin Dotan Eric Dunning Toba Cohen-Dunning Penny Krasne Endelman Harold Epstein Howard & Sharon Epstein Irving Epstein Mel Epstein Richard Evnen James & Judy Farber Yonatan & Liz Feldstern Richard M. Fellman Toby Fellman Cantor Leo & Annette Fettman Glen H. & Hollie Fineman Alan J. Fredricks Jerry Freeman Joanne Freeman Robyn & Bob Freeman Bruce & Pam Friedlander Amy & Sanford Friedman Lloyd D. & Lois N. Friedman Trust Lois N. Friedman* Lynne Friedel Gellman Howard E. Gendelman H. Lee & Carol Gendler Charitable Fund Donald Gerber Dan & Sarah Gilbert

David Gilinsky & Katherine Finnegan Ronald Giller Darlene & Sherman* Golbitz Gary & Barbara Goldstein Jan Goldstein Dora Goldstrom Alan Goodman* David & Shirley Goodman Andie Gordman & Dan Fitzgerald Jay & Allison Gordman Linda & Jerry Gordman Steven Gottlieb Andy & Carole Greenberg Barton H. & Caryl B.* Greenberg Joshua & Amanda Gurock Mendy & Michael Halsted M'Lee Hasslinger Kathy Goldstein Helm Bonnie Kuklin Horwich Jon Jabenis Randi Friedel Jablin Joan Sandler Jacobson Richard Jacobson Gary & Karen Javitch Patrick Jensen Sylvia Jess Edward & Anne Joseph & Family Debbi Josephson Frances Juro Richard Juro Marcel & Ilse Kahn Gary & Sally Kaplan Myron Kaplan Russ Kaplan

Beatrice Karp Gloria C. Kaslow Howard J. Kaslow Cookie Katskee Julee Katzman Jeff & Sharon Kirshenbaum Joe Kirshenbaum Kevee Kirshenbaum Donald S. & Delores Klein Marsha A. Kleinberg Milton M. Kleinberg Sara & Ari Kohen David & Janet Kohll Howard M. & Sharon Kooper Shane & David Kotok Jack Kozlen Alan & Deborah Kricsfeld Janie Fox Kulakofsky David & Debi Kutler Howard & Nancy Kutler K. Wayne & Carole A. Lainof Randal Langdon Sharon Comisar-Langdon Joanie Lehr Sandy & John Lehr Steve & Bonnie Levinger Rochelle Lewis David Lieberman Felicia & Scott Littky Mario Lopez Steve* & Thelma* Lustgarten Dr. Edward & Sally Malashock Jody & Neal Malashock Chaya Sarah Malkah

Dan Marburg Joan Krasne Marcus Lisa Marcus Jon & Denise Meyers Sue Meyers Tina & Joe Meyers Troy & Jamie Meyerson Dr. Sidney Mirvish* Stanley & Evelyn Mitchell Eli & Ann Modenstein Ann Moskovits Janie & Allan Murow Bruce Muskin Mary-Beth Muskin Amy Nachman Gary Nachman E. R. "Bob" Newman Murray & Sharee Newman Dr. Patricia Newman Allan S. Noddle Patty Nogg Steve Nogg Susan R. Norton Andrea Olson Alan S. Parsow Carol S. Parsow Margo Frohman Parsow Vicki Perlmeter Bonnie Pfrenger Eric & Julie Phillips Gilda Pieck Marcia & Steve Pitlor James & Susan Polack Alan E. Potash

Bruce Potash Linda Neumann-Potash Paul Rabinovitz Mary & Joel Rich Philip & Diane Rich Marty & Iris Ricks Ari Riekes Carl Riekes Margo Riekes Steven J. Riekes Zoë Riekes Jane & Harlan Rips Jonathan Rockman Stacey Rockman Silvia G. Roffman Debbie & Lloyd Roitstein Susan Rothholz Lynne-Carol Saltzman Rosalie & Milton* Saylan Carol* & Ed Schneider Jeff Schweid Aviva Segall & Patrick McNamara Mr. and Mrs. Ben Shapiro Sherry & Larry Shapiro Len Burrell & Cantor Wendy Shermet Aveva & Martin Shukert Gary Shyken Liat Shyken Paul Shyken Susann Shyken Michael & Andrea Siegel Esther Silver Stanley* & Norma Silverman Tootie Simon

Gerald & Judy Simons Nancy B. Skid Janet & Jerry Slusky Michael Staenberg Carolyn "Rocky" Stern David Keiser & Lillian Keiser Stoms Foundation Louri Sullivan Barry H. Summer Fred Tichauer Marilyn & Steven Tipp Basya Tsed R. Thomas Vann Irving & Gail Veitzer Norman & Joodi* Veitzer John & Donna Walter Jim & Esther* Wax Aaron Weiner & Therese Vaughn Harry M. Weiner Kathy Weiner Rabbi Yaakov & Ilana Weiss Benjamin & Anna Wiesman Family Susan Fellman Witkowski Nancy L. Wolf Renee & Jeff Zacharia Steve & Kathy Zalkin Charlotte & Morley Zipursky Sally & Jim Zipursky Deborah & Speedy (Dr. Eugene) Zweiback Rosie Zweiback & Mace Hack *Of Blessed Memory As of February 3, 2017

556 commitments with an estimated value of $15,804,175.

And its Agencies:

Jewish Community Center Jewish Press Jewish Social Services (Jewish Family Service, Jewish Senior Outreach, Rose Blumkin Jewish Home) Help secure the financial future of Omaha’s Jewish community through the LIFE & LEGACY™ initiative. LIFE & LEGACY is a collaboration between the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation, the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, and our local Jewish partner organizations: The Jewish Federation of Omaha and its Agencies, Beth El Synagogue, Beth Israel Synagogue, Temple Israel, Chabad House, Anti-Defamation League/CRC, Friedel Jewish Academy, Institute for Holocaust Education, and Nebraska Jewish Historical Society.

Howard N. Epstein, Executive Director 402-334-6466 | hepstein@jewishomaha.org

Contact the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation today.

Margo Parsow, LIFE & LEGACY Coordinator 402-334-6432 | mparsow@jewishomaha.org

food books | recipes | stories

A SUPPLEMENT TO THE JEWISH PRESS | FEBRUARY 3, 2017

Food fights? Palestinian, Gaza, and Jerusalem Cookbooks

B2 | The Jewish Press | February 3, 2017

food

Oliver B. POllak

KC Kosher Co-op for Passover

JOrdana kurtzman We are still several weeks away from Passover, but it’s time to place your orders for kosher food from KC Kosher Co-op! As many of Omaha’s Jewish community members know, it has become increasingly difficult to find many kosher products in town; however, KC Kosher Co-Op, a company based in Kansas City specializing in providing kosher food at low cost, is once again offering a full line of kosher products delivered to Omaha at significantly discounted prices. KC Kosher Co-Op will have their website converted over to Passover foods only by the beginning of February. How does the Co-Op work? Any community member can go onto the Co-Op website at www.kckoshercoop.com to sign up for an account and easily browse, order, and pay for products online. All items are sold in bulk which keeps prices low, but if you don’t think you need an entire case of blintzes (or anything else for that matter) registrants can also choose cases to split with other members. The Co-op carries hundreds of fresh meat/poultry, dairy, dry goods, fish, candy, etc. Once the orders are made, the staff at KC Kosher Co-op processes the order and arranges a delivery to the city. When the order arrives, an unloading crew takes all of the boxes off the truck and makes sure everyone gets what they ordered. Co-Op members have a one-hour window to pick up their order specially packaged and marked for them. People who split cases of products can then exchange items and/or money as needed. The upcoming Passover order deadline is thursday, Feb. 16 with a delivery at approximately 5 p.m. on Wednesday, march 29 at the Jewish Community Center. Visit www.kckoshercoop.com to sign-up and even receive reminders for order deadlines and pickup times. Please contact KC Kosher Co-Op at admin@kckoshercoop.com with any questions about products and availability, or contact Jordana Kurtzman at j.kurtzman@cox.net if you need assistance navigating the website or using the split products page.

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aren and i accumulate cookbooks for joy, recipes and study, not mutually exclusive activities. We have volumes about Jewish cuisine in America, Israel, England, France, Italy, India, Germany, Poland, Russia, Sephardic, Ashkenazi and Cajun. Lurking behind these varieties of Jewish cuisine is the connection between Palestinian, Arab and Israeli foodways. We pretty much change our diet to conform to local resources. We acquired our first Palestinian cook book, Palestinian and Jewish Recipes for Peace (2004) published by the Jewish-Palestinian Living Room Dialogue Group of San Mateo County, founded in 1992, at a Middle East business park cafe next to where our son Aaron worked in the Bay Area. It is in the charitable cookbook genre complete with spiral binding. I harbored the novelty for a decade until the current explosion of Palestinian cookbooks. Two extraordinarily popular and lush cookbooks by Yotam Ottolenghi are co-authored with his Palestinian business partner, Sami Tamimi. Both were born in Jerusalem, both are gay, both migrated to London where they met for the first time. Together they wrote Jerusalem, A Cookbook. Ottolenghi’s five vibrant cookbooks, published between 2008 and 2015, are popular gifts. Nations, regions and ethnic groups are identified by cuisines and iconic dishes, like paella, bouillabaisse, Cioppino, chowder, poutine, burgers, tacos, spaghetti and fried rice, all of which jumped out of their original national boundaries. But hummus and falafel are the national foods of several peoples. Since I purchased Recipes for Peace, at least ten English language cookbooks have been published with the words Palestine, Gaza, Israel, Jerusalem or Arab in the title, probably more than in the previous 50 years. The movies Atomic Falafel and Hummus the Movie screened in 2015. Publishers and filmmakers are taking Middle Eastern food seriously. Perhaps talking and viewing comfort food provides comfort. Not much has worked out for Israeli-Palestinian cooperation since hopes of détente and rapprochement were kindled by the Oslo accords in 1993. “It’s complicated” is an

understatement. An incomplete list of issues includes land, settlements, water, refugees and migrants on the move, the Intifada, disparate economic and demographic development, regional instability, democracy in the crucible, BDS, and the Palestinian diaspora. Yet at the beginning, middle and end of the day, we eat. Amidst this turmoil and uncertainty, there are signs of cooperation and mutual interest in a familiar cuisine. Adversaries may not sit down to eat at the same table, but they do eat pretty much the same food. And there appears enough of it to go around; they are not fighting about scarce food resources. I confined myself to a few titles, but readers may be interested in the more fulsome reading list: Palestine on a Plate: Memories from My Mother’s Kitchen by Joudie Kalla (2017); Jerusalem Recipes: A Cookbook of Israeli and Arab Traditions by J. R. Stevens (2016); Divine Food, Israeli and Palestinian Food Culture and Recipes by David Haliva (2016); Falafel Nation: Cuisine and the Making of National Identity in Israel by Yael Raviv (2015), University of Nebraska Press, (technically not a cookbook); Jerusalem, by Ottolenghi and Tamimi (2012); The Gaza Kitchen: A Palestinian Culinary Journey by Lila elHaddad (2012); Palestine Cuisine by Laila Dahabreh (2011); Ottolenghi: The Cookbook by Ottolenghi and Tamimi (2008); The Arab Israeli Cookbook by Robin Soans and Claudia Roden (2004); and Ziryab: Authentic Arab Cuisine by Farouk Mardam-Bey (2002). The cookbooks are designed for food adventurers, to give as gifts, and perhaps for expatriates and exiles. Palestinians and Arabs in the Middle East are immersed in their food, and Palestinians in the diaspora long for rooted food. Cookbooks are more than recipes; their narrative binds author, content and readership into a story of family and neighborhood, faith and identity, with possible undercurrents of struggle. Ottolenghi and Tamimi observe that for all the disagreements and misunderstandings, unfortunately, mutual taste in food is not enough to transcend the harsh political realities of difference. Ottolenghi in a 2012 New Yorker interview said the “elusive dream” of peace in the Middle East was fading. “It takes a giant leap of faith, but we are happy to take it -- what have we got to lose? -- to imagine that hummus will eventually bring Jerusalemites together, if nothing else will.” I recommend an exciting one hour and three-minute Strand Bookstore interview on YouTube accessible by googling “Ottolenghi Tamimi Foer”.

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The Jewish Press | February 3, 2017 | B3

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Read it and eat

israel eats | Steven Rothfeld (Gibbs Smith, $35)

Isn’t it amazing what all we can do with today’s technology? The app WAZE helped this author navigate Israeli foodways, food stuffs and remarkable people/foodies, who Lois Friedman shared their hearts, recipes and frequent variations on everything. A helpful force with an amazing ability to tweak flavors was Nancy Silverton, author of her latest cookbook Mozza At Home, who had worked with Rothfeld on three other books. Join forces with this author/photographer who lets the food, people and places find him to evolve in an array of delicious food, beautifully illustrated. Follow as Rothfeld travels Israel and gives a description of A New Cuisine: “Contemporary Israeli cuisine reflects a global consciousness rooted in a vast, mindboggling array of cultural influences and traditions.” Then, Rothfeld travels to Tel Aviv-Jaffa, The North, The Center, The South, Jerusalem and the Judean Hills. Read about the original idea of a standard menu for the annual Independence Day Celebrations (this idea failed) to the melting pot kitchens and the rediscovery of the rich, authentic kitchens that had been abandoned in the ancestral countries.

Each chapter begins with a detailed essay, descriptions and accompanying photographs of the people, the area and the food with a dozen or two recipes and comments from local chefs and gurus. The format has clear instructions and is varied, from a suggested 24 hour head start to many simply combining unique and simple flavors that takes only a minute or two. From “amba”, pickled mango to Zahara (cauliflower) discover a mouthwatering array of fish, chicken, beef, lamb, vegetables, dumplings, kugels, breads and desserts. Add some new recipe names to your table: Halloumi Cheese Flower, Tamar Salad, Magic Kesem Crackers, Knafeh Akko Style (a comfort food dessert) and more. Some familiar dishes that you possibly tried on a visit to Israel: Tabouleh, Spinach and Bulgur Salad, Fresh Za’atar Spread or stuffed grape leaves. Enjoy this book and all the stories and photographs as a vicarious trip to Israel guided by these food lovers. Try the recipe Rothfeld described as one of the best things he’s ever eaten... the foie gras of Mother Earth! Lois Friedman can be reached at ReadIt AndEat@ yahoo.com see read it and eat recipe page B4

Jewish Deli experience Continued from page a1 can I get my hands on a decent homegrown pastrami sandwich? My commute took me past Pacific and I made frequent stops at Broadmoor Market. When the Market closed, I made my decision: it was time to answer the need for fresh deli meat sandwiches while providing a great farm-to-table experience. Something better than what you find on the supermarket shelves was, I felt, sorely needed in Omaha.” Shervin sought advice from Beth El Rabbi Steven Abraham and Temple Israel Executive Director Dennis dePorte. “I received great mentoring from both; we spoke about the feasibility of a Delicatessen that would not only provide great food, but a great overall Jewish culinary experience. You know, Rabbi Abraham has very deep knowledge of Jewish delis. Not only that, he then introduced me to Andrew Miller.” Andrew, who is married to Danny Cohn and father to Nora, came with a solid food background: “My family had a Jewish Italian deli in Denver and on top of that, I spent 14 years in the food industry in Chicago. My first job out of college was selling frozen food. In September of ‘15, Danny and I moved to Omaha, and when Rabbi Abraham introduced me to Shervin, we felt it was the perfect fit.” “I didn’t want to open just any restaurant,” Shervin said. “I wanted to specifically create a beacon for the Jewish community of Omaha, a place to eat and meet your friends, a place where you can’t walk in without seeing a familiar face. Getting together over a good meal is so important in our culture, during our holidays and for Shabbat.” However, Shervin and Andrew also acknowledge that many of those typically Jewish meals happen in the home. One advantage of having a restaurant like Swartz’s, Shervin said, “You bring a very distinct segment of our culture out in the open. A Delicatessen is accessible to everyone, Jews and non-Jews alike, and Omahans who have never experienced a typically Jewish meal can expand their horizons. That is a good thing.” Both Andrew and Shervin have their grandmoth-

ers’ recipe books, which hold a treasure trove of family recipes that they are eager to share. It’s the perfect marriage between family tradition and community building. In addition to a solid Jewish deli experience, Swartz’s offers low carb options on its menu, like salads and meat plates as well as a healthy stuffed tomato dish. And if bread is not your thing, any sandwich can be converted to a lettuce wrap. What else is special about Swartz’s? “We make really good Maxwell House coffee,” Shervin said. “You’ll be surprised.” Swartz’s does catering for various life events, including Shivas, as well as special dinners for various holidays. While the Deli will not be kosher for Passover, they do provide Passover Seder meals, and the restaurant does offer a kosher area where customers can order in or take out. And if you want to buy deli meat by the pound, they can do that too. “We would love to enhance our daily menu by tapping into Jewish Diaspora food trends,” Shervin said. “Just the difference between Ashkenazi and Sephardi cooking is inspiring, let alone all the different areas in the world where Jews have lived, and where the Jewish kitchen has been influenced by local ingredients. There is a Georgian Jewish restaurant that opened up in Queens, NY, and the entire menu consists of kebabs. There are so many regional differences, little changes that happen over time when people spread all over the world; it would be fantastic to offer those different influences right here in Omaha.” Ansari addded, “We plan to feature a different dish every month from the Jewish diverse culinary Diaspora,” so stay tuned for Persian Kofteh, meat balls and other tasty surprises. Swartz’s Delicatessen is open for Brunch saturdays and sundays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and monday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with the breakfast menu available through 10:30 a.m. and all dining from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Take out is available all day. For more information, please visit swartzsdeli.com or call 402.905.2792.

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Hummus in Hanoi: Israeli chef brings Middle Eastern cuisine to Vietnam

B4 | The Jewish Press | February 3, 2017

Read it and eat

Israel Eats | Steven Rothfeld (Gibbs Smith, $35)

Continued from page B3

Credit: Food Network

RoaStED BEEt CaRpaCCIo

10 small beets, rinsed well Extra virgin olive oil Sea salt 4 tbsp. sour cream or creme fraiche Preheat the oven to its highest setting, usually 450 to 500 degrees F. Place the beets on a baking sheet and bake for 2 1/2 hours; beets will look like charcoal pieces and can be easily pierced with a knife. Cool beets completely. Discard the charred skin from the beets and thinly slice them. Divide the beet slices among four plates. Drizzle with olive oil, and then sprinkle with sea salt. Garnish each plate with 1 tbsp. sour cream and serve. Makes 4 servings.

MIkE IVES HANOI, Vietnam | JTA Shahar Lubin earned his culinary chops in Israel and, later the United States, cooking his way through more than 20 restaurants, starting at the age of 16. Still, it was a leap when he moved to Vietnam and opened a restaurant of his own. “I said, ‘I’ve been doing it for other people for so long, I might as well do it for myself,’” said Lubin, who operates Daluva, the first and only “Middle Eastern gastropub” in Hanoi, a city of seven million with a lively street-food culture. Lubin, 37, grew up in the Israeli village of Hararit, in the Galilee, and spent summers working as a shepherd. He said he began cooking as a social activity with boys in neighboring villages. In 2000, after serving in the Israeli army and living in Jerusalem, Lubin moved to Philadelphia, his father’s hometown, and began working his way up the restaurant food chain, from line cook to senior chef. Working in a wide variety of kitchens, Lubin said he prepared everything from pub food to “contemporary Israeli” cuisine. At one point he worked in the same restaurant under three different incarnations. “I was like a cat -- I came with the building,” he said with a laugh. But the long hours exacerbated a chronic back injury and Lubin grew desperate for a long break. Southeast

Israeli chef Shahar Lubin, owner of Daluva, a “Middle Eastern gastropub” in Hanoi, Vietnam. Credit: Emily S. Adams Asia seemed like a logical place to get “recharged,” he said, partly because he liked what he knew of the region’s food. So Lubin traveled there in 2009 for what he thought would be a oneyear sabbatical. Lubin said he spent most of a year exploring Southeast Asian cities, including Bangkok, Thailand and Yangon, Myanmar. “I’ve seen enough nature in my life, and I’ve seen enough dead ruins of dead civilizations,” he said flatly. “I like life.” In Hanoi, Lubin met the owners of a Vietnamese restaurant group who were planning to open a Mexican restaurant. They offered to bring him

on as a consultant. The job didn’t materialize, but Lubin stayed in Hanoi anyway, working as a restaurant consultant, English teacher and freelance writer. In 2012, when a restaurant was folding in Hanoi’s upscale West Lake district, he took it over. Daluva’s previous owner had created a menu of Asian and Western fare that Lubin describes as “nondescript.” So Lubin renovated the restaurant and relaunched it in 2013. The menu now has Israeli favorites like hummus, falafel and shakshuka alongside American burgers and ribeye steaks. But other items, such as the Tunisian salmon stew or “fancy pants pizza” -- topped with pears, blue cheese and cured duck pancetta -- make it difficult to neatly categorize the restaurant’s offerings. That’s intentional, Lubin said -- he deliberately cooks in a range of styles, and he used to bristle when Philadelphia journalists labeled him an “ethnic” cook. “I try to divorce food from its origin and think, ‘What is the taste?’ not ‘Where is it from?’” he said on a recent weekday morning as he sat in Daluva’s unassuming, exposed-brick dining room. Lubin said the vast majority of Daluva’s ingredients are sourced locally, and he likes to use them in unorthodox ways. His tagines use Vietnamese salted limes instead of See Hummus in Hanoi page B6

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Super Bowl finger food Danielle OrOn The Nosher via JTA

ports! iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not really into them, but I absolutely love the Super Bowl. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a time for snacks, chips, dips, beer and 12-foot subs. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m usually the one hosting because I love creating a huge spread of finger foods. I set up a buffet in the kitchen and everyone grabs a plate, fills it up and goes to sit in the living room to watch the game. I find that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so much easier to have finger foods for events like this so no one struggles to eat while sitting on the couch. No need for forks and knives! These schnitzel strips have been part of my Super Bowl menu for a few years now and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re always the first thing to disappear. They are easy to make and can be kept warm in the oven while your football guests arrive and snack on the guacamole and chips you have waiting for them. Note: there will likely be extra green tahini dip left over. You can store this in an airtight container in the fridge. Danielle Oron is a chef, photographer and writer of the blog I Will Not Eat Oysters, the owner of a milk & cookies bakery in Toronto and now a cookbook author. The Nosher food blog offers a dazzling array of new and classic Jewish recipes and food news, from Europe to Yemen, from challah to shakshuka and beyond. Check it out at www.TheNosher.com.

The Jewish Press | February 3, 2017 | B5

food Schnitzel StripS with Green tahini Dip

Ingredients For the green tahini dip: 1 clove garlic 1/2 bunch parsley (about 1 cup) 1 1/2 - 2 tbsp. lemon juice 1/2 tsp. salt 1 cup tahini 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups water For the schnitzel strips: 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced into 1 inch strips 1/2 cup flour 1 tsp. mustard powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. black pepper 3 eggs 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 3/4 cup breadcrumbs 3/4 cup panko 2 tsp. sesame seeds (black, white or a combination of both) 1/2 tsp. sweet hungarian paprika 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. black pepper canola oil for frying Salt Directions To make the green tahini, place the garlic clove and parsley in a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped. Alternatively, you can chop them finely by hand. In a large bowl, combine the garlic and parsley mixture with the lemon juice, salt, tahini and water. Whisk together well! It will seize at first, but keep whisking! You may need more water depending on how thin or thick you want your tahini sauce. Taste and ad-

Credit: Danielle Oron

just seasoning with salt and lemon juice. Set aside. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees to keep the schnitzel warm until ready to serve. Set up a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet. In 3 separate dishes combine the dredging mixes. In the first container, mix the flour, mustard powder, salt and pepper. In the second, whisk together the eggs and Dijon mustard. In the third, combine the breadcrumbs, panko, sesame seeds, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a large skillet over mediumlow heat when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re ready to fry the schnitzel. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recommended to do this in batches. Dredge the first batch of chicken strips in the flour mixture and shake off as much excess flour as possible before moving the strips to the egg mixture. Allow excess egg to drip off the strips before moving them to the breadcrumb mixture. Press the breadcrumbs into the strips well. Pressing will help the crumbs stick! Fry the strips for 3 minutes per side until they are golden brown and cooked through. Remove the strips onto the cooling rack and sprinkle with salt. Place the strips in the oven to keep warm while you fry the rest up. Add more oil to the pan between batches if needed. Serve the strips with the green tahini on the side. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

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B6 | The Jewish Press | February 3, 2017

Spotlight at Lakeside: An introduction

food Hummus in Hanoi Continued from page B4 lemons, for example; his taramosalata has Vietnamese fish sauce instead of salted fish roe. Israel’s ambassador to Vietnam is among those impressed. “I find him to be a very creative chef,” Meirav Eilon Shahar said in a telephone interview. Another Daluva fan, Peter Nacken, a German travel and food writer who lives near the restaurant, said it was nice to have a “creative food spirit” around the corner. “With these kinds of platters, you don’t realize you’re eating vegetarian,” Nacken said on a recent evening at Daluva, surrounded by empty white plates. He and his family were sharing a meze platter that included a tabbouleh made with diced banana flower. The dishes at Daluva are not elaborately presented. Lubin said his instinct is not to show off his culinary prowess in obvious ways, and to instead focus on creating a casual dining atmosphere. “I guess it’s a Philadelphia attitude,” he said. “In Philadelphia, we don’t like things that are too frou-frou.” But Daluva’s food is full of subtle complexity. A “pulled” eggplant sandwich, for example, is Lubin’s intrepid variation of the pulled-pork classic. In a cooking process that requires 12 to 14 hours of labor, he said, the star ingredient is smoked, roasted, peeled, dry rubbed and dehydrated -- all before it meets a homemade barbecue sauce. The result is a smoky, tangy creation that would please ranchers and vegans alike. And every few months, Lubin creates a specials menu based around whatever strikes his fancy. Previous menus have celebrated -- and, to a degree, reinvented -- cuisines from Greece, New Orleans, Japan and be-

Daluva’s “pulled” eggplant sandwich (Trung Del) yond. Last month, he created what may be the world’s first Vietnamese-Israeli fusion menu for a Culinary Friendship Week sponsored by the Israeli Embassy. A highlight of the menu was Lubin’s quirky reinterpretation of bun cha, a Hanoi street-food medley of grilled pork, vermicelli noodles and fresh herbs. Lubin nixed the pork and replaced it with falafel. “It seems improbable to give bun cha an Israeli flavor,” Shahar said, “but he did it.” The restaurant is tucked among the West Lake villas and serviced apartments of wealthy Vietnamese and expatriates. But a more traditional Vietnamese neighborhood -- complete with swarms of honking motorbikes and street vendors wearing traditional conical hats -- is just a few blocks away. Lubin said he may someday move his restaurant to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s other major city, which is generally seen as more cosmopolitan and may be more receptive to his Mid-

dle Eastern gastropub concept. “I’m happy with our product,” Lubin said. But for anyone serving non-Vietnamese cuisine in Hanoi, he added, “it’s hard, apparently, to be successful here, consistently, unless you’re an Italian or Japanese restaurant.” Nguyen Phuong Mai, 27, a Vietnamese food blogger in Hanoi who goes by the nickname Tho, said some of her friends regarded Daluva’s food as “strange” because it is so unfamiliar to their palates. But Mai has traveled in Israel, she said, and she recognizes a good chef when she sees one. On her blog, Tho Loves Food, she has praised Daluva in glowing terms. Some of Mai’s posts include extended musings on the nuances of Lubin’s ingredients, or similarities and differences between Vietnamese and Middle Eastern cooking. But a recent heading summed up her views in just a few words. “Daluva – True gem in Hanoi – Must try,” she wrote.

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The Jewish Press | February 3, 2017 | B7

An easy weeknight dinner

Whitney FisCh The Nosher via JTA

n my fourth day back at work as a high school counselor following three months of maternity leave, I am keenly aware of just how little time exists in each day. Time and sleep (and coffee) are the hottest commodities in my world right now. By the time I arrive home each afternoon, my husband and I have just a few precious hours left to spend with our two children, cook dinner, clean up from dinner and get these kids ready for bed. Our time is more precious than ever. One of the best parts of maternity leave was having time in the day to cook dinner and enjoy it with our family. But now? Dinner takes on a much more harried tenor, and so I have developed a few tricks for the dinnertime rush. One of our favorite quick

meals is what we call “Mediterranean Night,” which includes some Israeli salad, hummus, tahini, sliced hard-boiled eggs and the main event: vegetable burekas. The best part of burekas, aside from being doughy little pockets of heaven, is that I use them as a way to clean out my fridge of the veggies and/or herbs that are nearing the end of their freshness. I’ve included my favorite veggie-cheese combination for this recipe, but the combinations are endless. Simply chop up your favorite veggies lying around in your fridge, saute with some olive oil and garlic, and then pair them with your favorite cheese. Put the mix into some store-bought puffed pastry and you’ve got an awesome weeknight dinner in just 30 minutes. Whitney Fisch received her master’s degree in social work from the University of Michigan and is working as a middleschool counselor. The Nosher food blog offers a dazzling array of new and classic Jewish recipes and food news, from Europe to Yemen, from challah to shakshuka and beyond. Check it out at www.TheNosher.com.

women’s guide Coming

publishing date | 02.17.17

February space reservation | 02.08.17

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Veggie and Cheese Burekas

Ingredients 2 sheets store-bought puff pastry, defrosted 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. filling of your choice (suggested filling: 2 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 cup feta cheese, handful of finely chopped cilantro, 1 eggplant, fried, chopped and 1 sautéed leek) 1 egg yolk plus 2 teaspoons water 1 tbsp. sesame or poppy seeds (optional) 1/4 tbsp. kosher salt 1/2 tbsp. ground black pepper nonstick cooking oil spray Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare your preferred filling -- for the filling featured: Slice the eggplant into 1/4-inch rounds. Place rounds on a paper towel and dust them with kosher salt and let sit for at least 30 minutes. (The kosher salt is drawing out moisture from the eggplant, so that it will be more crispy when baked or fried.) After 30 minutes, pat dry and cut into cubes. Fill a frying pan with 1-inch sunflower or canola oil and set on stove top burner at medium high heat. Once oil is hot, add the eggplant and fry until each side is golden brown. Let fried eggplant cool on a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. While the eggplant is cooling, wipe the frying pan of excess oil and add another 2 tbsp. of oil to the pan.

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Once hot, add chopped leeks and garlic. Sauté on medium high heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add mixture to plate of cooling eggplant. Place eggplant, leeks, cilantro, feta, garlic, salt and pepper in a medium-sized bowl and stir to combine. Reserve mixture. On a lightly floured surface, unfold one of your puff pastry sheets. Use a rolling pin to roll out the sheet to a 12-by-12-inch square. Cut the sheet of puff pastry dough into 9 equal squares, each about 4 by 4 inches. (DO NOT WORRY if your squares are not exact). Place 1 tbsp. of filling in the center of each dough square. Fold the dough squares by grasping one corner and folding it over to the opposite corner to make triangles. Pinch firmly along the outer open edge of the triangles to seal. Go over each edge with a finger dip of water to help seal the dough. Spray your baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Place your burekas on each sheet, evenly spaced, giving them some room to expand during baking. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and 2 tsp. of cool water. Use a pastry brush to brush a light layer of the egg wash onto the surface of each bureka. Sprinkle each bureka with sesame seeds, if desired. Bake the burekas for about 30 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.

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