February 5, 2016 by Jewish Press

Endowed by the Benjamin and Anna E. Wiesman Family Fund AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA February 5, 2016 26 Shevat 5776 Vol. 96 | No. 21

JCC improves membership experience

This Week

2016 Annual Campaign totals

Jewish Family Service needs Page 2

by JASON EPSTEIN The JCC is currently undergoing both facility and programming upgrades designed to enhance the membership experience. According to JCC Executive Director Mark Martin, “To further our mission of providing Jewish Omaha with a positive environment to gather for a wide

range of activities, the leadership of the JCC has made a commitment to upgrade the programming being offered along with improvements to the building and amenities. Our goal is to continue to offer our members the best experience in Omaha by focusing on a new way of doing business and outside the box thinking.”

Beginning in December, the entire fitness center received new paint and carpet to refresh and brighten the facility. Work is currently underway to paint the gym and lighting for the entire facility is scheduled for replacement with brighter, more energy efficient fixtures being installed. Continued on page 2

Klutznick Learning Series Kindergarten by MARK KIRCHHOFF Center for Jewish Life The 2016 Klutznick Learning Series kicks off this Monday, Feb. 8 from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Social Hall at

Meet the Israeli composer of Indian Muslim music Page 12

Wisdom in the Modern World. Additional sessions will be held Feb. 15 and 22 also beginning at 7 p.m. Each evening will feature two topics from Pirkei Avot. Each topic will

Round-Up at Friedel

Inside Point of view Synagogues

8 10

This Month Judah Kohen and Aliza Shyken in the Kindergarten Hebrew class.

The Men’s Issue See Front Page stories and more at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on Jewish Press

the JCC. This year’s series, sponsored by the fund of the Klutznick Chair of Jewish Civilization at Creighton University, is titled Pirkei Avot: Ancient

include two 15-minute discussions: a clergy member will lead the first section, followed by a discussion on the same topic by a lay member of the community. A Q & A time will follow. The sessions will be unique, hopefully a bit entertaining, and will definitely make you consider new ideas. Unable to attend each week? Not a problem as each session is stand alone. Rabbi Steven Abraham of Beth El Synagogue will lead the first session on Feb. 8 by discussing Pirkei Avot 1.2 -- “Simeon the Righteous was one of the last survivors of the great Continued on page 3

by CLAUDIA SHERMAN for Friedel Jewish Academy We moved to Omaha last summer from Birmingham, Alabama, explained Avram Hoffman. He and his wife, Arika, sent their daughter, Alivia, to a Jewish day school in Birmingham and wanted to make the transition as easy as possible for her upon moving here. They were delighted to see that Alivia, a first grader, would benefit from small class sizes and receive the same individual attention at Friedel Jewish Academy that she had had in Birmingham. Alivia is happy at Friedel

and will be welcoming her younger sister, Alana, to the next kindergarten class. For David and Becca Finkelstein, a lot of research into schools preceded their decision about where to send their children. David attended public schools when he was a student. But after visiting a public school and Friedel, “It wasn’t that difficult a decision,” he acknowledged. Their sons Ari and Ethan are currently sixth graders at Friedel, and Asher is in kindergarten. The family is pleased with Continued on page 3

2 | The Jewish Press | February 5, 2016

JCC improves membership experience Continued from page 1 Environmental-friendly construction and sustainability are a primary focus for all work and material selection. New flat screen televisions are also being added throughout the facility. “All of these improvements were done with the membership experience in mind,” states Martin. “You can already sense a new level of energy in the building.” In addition to the physical improvements, plans and funding are in place to significantly upgrade the workout equipment. A full census of the existing equipment is being analyzed by the JCC fitness staff and outside vendors to ensure new equipment is meeting the needs of members. “In the coming months, we will see new treadmills, and aerobic and weight equipment,” says Fitness Director Ed Heller. “One of the most exciting changes will be new spinning bikes for one of our most popular classes.” Group fitness offerings are also being updated to include recent fitness trends. One highlight is the new Barre class being offered twice a week in the dance studio. “We have two classes filling up a week in advance,” states Heller. The fitness center upgrades are being generously funded by Omaha native Michael Staenberg, currently of St. Louis. Michael fondly remembers his childhood in Omaha, especially time spent at the “old” JCC on 20th Street. According to Staenberg, “I believe a strong JCC is a critical component to the viability of Jewish life in any community. I spent my childhood surrounded by friends at the JCC in Omaha and it was the first place I looked for a social connection when I moved to St. Louis as a young adult. I believe it is my responsibility to ensure current and future generations have the same opportunities to build their Jewish identity at a first class facility.” The full summer camp schedule will be available shortly. According to Youth Director Megan Berlin, “We have worked hard to listen to our members and plan to offer new and different experiences for the kids this year in conjunc-

tion with the familiar offerings that have made camp such a success in the past.” New programs being offered this year include specialty camps such as Science Surprises, Creative in the Kitchen, and International Cuisine. In addition, we will offer a Leaders in Training program for 8th-10th grade. A full list of offerings can be found in the newly released camp brochure on the JCC website at www.jewishomaha.org/jcc/camp. Youth sports is offering expanded programs including tumble-tastic, Super Hero training and girls’ basketball. “The staff and programming have been outstanding,” says member Kelly Nogg. “My daughter absolutely loves her weekly sports and tumbling classes. The added convenience of having her go directly from the CDC to these classes makes the experience even better.” The JCC Lions youth basketball program continues to excel with competitive teams and instruction at all grade levels. In addition, the department is actively researching new equipment for basketball hoops that will allow all hoops to be easily raised and lowered to accommodate all ages and abilities. An expansion of the girls’ athletic programming to include multiple sports is also on the horizon. The aquatics department is also benefitting from renewed energy and ideas. The range of classes and times for youth swimming lessons has been expanded to better accommodate members which has led to a steady increase in both demand and participation. The always popular JCC Sharks swim team continues to grow. The department is also examining ways to increase offerings for adult classes and exercise programs. “I believe our new approach demonstrates the commitment campus leadership has made to ensure the long term viability and success of Jewish Omaha,” states Martin. “The JCC will continue to strive to offer our members the best possible experience. We invite you to join us and experience the changes for yourself.”

6 MERIT SCHOLARSHIPS - $10,000 each for 2016

Jewish Family Service needs by SANDY NOGG Jewish Family Service wants to say thank you to Felicia Schrier and her daughter, Julie Ginsberg, for answering the JFS request for two twin mattresses and box springs. We also deeply appreciate them, and all the otherdonors who sent fruits, jams, toothbrushes and toothpaste. If you would like to donate to JFS, and don’t know where to start, we can help. The Jewish Press will print the current list every month, so our community can help where and how it’s most needed. Jewish Family service is currently looking for two twin bed frames, and jars of honey. There is limited space, so if you have questions about donations that are not on this list, please contact Sandy Nogg at snogg@ jfsomaha.com or call 402.334.6493.

Bringing a taste of Omaha to Lincoln’s Tifereth Israel by NANCY COREN Sunday, Feb. 21, Tifereth Israel members, their friends, and family members will enjoy a special deli lunch prepared by the Star Deli in Omaha. The purely social get-together will give those who attend an opportunity to savor the best corned beef sandwiches this side of New York City! This reasonably priced lunch (only $10 per person) also includes potato salad, coleslaw, pickle, a soft drink, and cookie. Reservations and payment are due to the Tifereth Israel office by Feb. 1.

Thomas Finn Lawn Care Mowing | Aerating | Clean-Up | Trimming

Spread the Word!

cell: 402.213.3327 land line: 402.558.8635

Your computer: is it a blessing or a curse? Need help with your Computer, iPad, or iPhone? ----We offer private lessons at your home.

For two Jewish students …who are college-bound high school seniors

Phil and Ruth Sokolof MERIT SCHOLARSHIP For two Jewish students …working toward a degree in health care, such as

MUSIC

Phil and Ruth Sokolof MERIT SCHOLARSHIP

HEALTH CARE

COLLEGE-BOUND

• Learn all about email and sending • attachments.

students currently in college or graduate school majoring in or pursing a degree in

dentistry, occupational/

music performance,

physical therapy,

composition or music

or pharmacy.

education. Cantorial

APPLICATION DEADLINE: MARCH 1, 2016

students are eligible.

59 Omaha Jewish Students have received $570,000 since 2006

Applications online at

www.jfofoundation.org Select Scholarships Tab

• Learn how to use the INTERNET • safely

Merit scholarship for Jewish

medicine, nursing,

Applicants must be from the Omaha metropolitan area.

• Learn how to run APPs on your • computer, iPad or iPhone

Karen Sokolof Javitch MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP

Or contact Janet Henthorn, Jewish Federation Foundation 402-334-6551; jhenthorn@jewishomaha.org

David M. Cohen, Ph.D.

Call DR. DAVE at 402-637-3935 to schedule a lesson with the Home Technology Tutor

FIRST CLASS ENTERTAIN

HONEYMAN RENT-ALL The Party Place WITH

FOR THE FINEST IN ENTERTAINING ACCESSORIES, HOW CAN YOU THROW A PARTY AND NOT INVITE US? • Tables • Chairs • Linens • Skirting • China • Glassware • Champaign Fountains • Chafing Dishes • Party Canopies • Wedding & Church Displays • Dance Floors • BBQ Grills • Coat Racks • Candelabras • Margarita Machines • Chocolate Fountains

Our Visit room w o Sh

11226 Wright Circle

402-333-2882 (1 Block South of 114th & Center)

We Disp dding Sup lays & plies

February 5, 2016 | The Jewish Press | 3

Kindergarten Round-up at Friedel Continued from page 1 from 7 to 8 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 21 at the school. Free babysitthe decision, and the boys always seem to have much to talk ting service will be available by reservation. Information on about when they come home from school. curriculum, admissions, financial aid, and enrollment proLauren and Tommy Tam said their decision to choose cedures will be provided. Friedel’s kindergarten teachers will Friedel was also “a little of a also be on hand to answer challenge, because we’re a questions. home school family,” noted Beth Cohen, Friedel’s head Lauren. They ultimately chose of school, explained that the Friedel for their daughter, children will be observed Ilana, a kindergartner. “I realengaging in learning activities ly love the relationship the with their peers. “Kinderschool has with the Blumkin garten Round-Up is a great Home and the fact that they opportunity for young stulearn a second language. I’ve dents to see what it’s like to be been happy with Friedel and in a kindergarten classroom. plan to send my youngest It also gives our teachers the daughter when she’s old opportunity to observe the enough,” Lauren added. social and emotional interacParents also commented tion among the children; Current Kindergartners Asher Finkelstein, left, Ruben that their children are learngross and small motor skill Pitman-Kogan and Aliza Shyken having fun at Friedel Jewish ing what it means to be Jewish development; students’ Academy’s Kindergarten Round-up last year. as well as receiving “an excelknowledge of basic colors, lent secular education.” Benefits of attending Friedel, which numbers, letters, and shapes; and the length of attention is approved by the Nebraska State Department of Education, spans,” said Cohen. in addition to those described by the parents, include After a family decides to enroll at Friedel, each prospective immersion-language learning beginning in kindergarten, kindergartner will meet one-on-one with kindergarten participation in experiential learning and hands-on project- teacher Diana Zeman to take Scholastic Testing Service’s based activities, integrating technology into learning kindergarten readiness test, a developmental screening through the use of iPads, weekly swimming lessons, art, measure to assess skills that are the foundation for academmusic, physical education, and enrichment activities with ic and social success. The test also provides additional time residents of the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home and the chil- to observe each child’s developmental, social, and emotional dren enrolled in the CDC. growth as well as academic background. The admissions For those parents with a child ready to start kindergarten team at the school will use the results of the test to determine in the 2016-2017 school year, Friedel Jewish Academy is if starting kindergarten at Friedel in 2016 is the appropriate hosting Kindergarten Round-Up for prospective students learning environment for each student. from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning, Feb. 10. Tuition assistance through the Jewish Federation of Children can be dropped off at the school. Prospective Omaha is available for qualifying families. Applications are kindergartners currently attending the Child Development due by Tuesday, March 1 and can be found at www.jewish Center (CDC) at the Jewish Community Center, will be omaha.org. escorted by a Friedel staff member upstairs for the program. Cohen encouraged parents to contact her at the school at Nebraska guidelines state that a child must be five years old 402.334.0517 or bcohen@fjaomaha.com with any questions by July 31 to be eligible for kindergarten. At their discretion, related to the admissions process. Those planning to attend schools can enroll a child who misses the “cut-off date” if his Kindergarten Round-Up or the parent session are asked to or her birthday is between Aug. 1 and Oct. 15. make a reservation with the school office at 402.334.0517 or There is also a prospective kindergarten parent session friedelacademy@fjaomaha.com.

Tritz Plumbing Inc. 402-894-0300 www.tritz.com repair • remodel

commercial • residential

family owned and operated since 1945

State Farm® Providing Insurance and Financial Services Home Office, Bloomington, Illinois 61710

Kaspar Insurance Agency, Inc. Tom Kaspar, CLU, Agent

1722 N. 120 Street, Omaha, NE 68154 402.493.0101 | Fax 402.493.0363 Toll Free 877.493.0101

Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.®

Buying orSelling? Give us a call! 10009 Rockbrook Road $487,500 620 N. 159th Street $499,000 5207 Cuming Street $625,000 302 S. 56th Street $1,100,000

District 66, 2 Story on Park-like setting, 3 car garage Barrington Park newly remodeled 1.5 Story, 5 bedroom Majestic Brick 2.5 Story over 3700 sq. ft., Gorgeous! Updated Historic Midtown 2.5 Story

CONDO $162,500 $215,000 $295,000

/ TOWNHOME / VILLA Adorable True Ranch. New paint & carpet. Mn flr laundry Exciting floor plan with cathedral ceilings. Treetop view Brook Hollow 1.5 Story Almost 2400 sq ft, Beautiful deck overlooking trees & pond $317,500 Walkout Ranch, 4 bedroom, 3 car garage, Private treed lot

9221 Laurel Plaza 8707 Capitol Avenue 1625 S. 113th Plaza 925 N. 184th Street

Marty Cohen

Alan Cohen

Anne Cohen

402-690-1591

402-677-2524

402-850-4161

Kids Campaign

Freelance Writer wanted

Patty Nogg, left, Kelly and Lizzy Nogg and Jaime and Taylor Nogg have their Pushka (Tzedakah can) for the Jewish Federation of Omaha Kids Campaign. Do you have yours? Pushkas are available through the Pennie Z. Davis Childhood Development Center, Friedel Jewish Academy, the JCC front door, all three synagogues and the Chabad House. Giving coins to help others is easy, and it’s fun! The younger members of our community will be able to donate their Tzedakah during a communitywide Purim Carnival at the JCC March 20. More details about the event will be announced in a future article in the Jewish Press. For more information or to volunteer, please contact Louri Sullivan at 402.334.6485 or lsullivan@ jewishomaha.org.

The Jewish Press staff seeks a local freelance writer for original story assignments, $0.10 per word. If you are interested, email cover letter and writing sample to the editor at avandekamp@jewishomaha.org. No phone calls please.

Klutznick Learning Series Continued from page 1 assembly. He would say: On three things does the world stand: On the Torah, And on the Temple Service, And on deeds of loving kindness.” Rabbi Abraham’s co-presenter will be Dan Gilbert, Chief Operating Officer for Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance. Their session begins at 7 p.m. The second half of the session will begin at approximately 7:45 p.m. with Rabbi Mendel Katzman, Executive Director of Chabad-Lubavitch opening a discussion on Pirkei Avot 4.13 -- “Rabbi Simeon says: There are three crowns -- The crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood, and the crown of sovereignty -- But the crown of a good name transcends them all.” Rabbi Katzman will be followed by Jacob Kahn, Health Educator with Planned Parenthood of the Heartland focusing on social media and how it can affect the good names of teens, adults, and businesses. On Feb. 15 Rabbi Aryeh Azriel, Senior Rabbi at Temple Israel, and Joan Latchaw, Associate Professor of English at UNO, will discuss the Pirkei Avot that advises “not [to] be like servants who serve the master on condition of receiving a reward...” Cantor Hazzan Michael Krausman of Beth El Synagogue and Dr. Aryeh Epstein who is currently enrolled in the M.D. Ph.D. Scholars Program at the University of

Nebraska Medical Center in the field of neuroscience will discuss the Pirkei Avot that advocates learning in Torah along with a craft. Dr. Epstein will focus on the critical melding of education and hands-on in the world of medicine, specifically in the UNMC MD/PhD program. The last evening of the Klutznick Learning Series, Feb. 22, will feature Rabbi Yaakov Weiss, Assistant Rabbi at Beth Israel Synagogue and Jeremy Wright, licensed mental health practitioner, discussing the perplexing questions from Pirkei Avot 1:14 -- “If I am not for myself, who is for me? And when I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?” The final discussion of the series features Dr. Leonard Greenspoon and attorney Richard Fellman, who will each take the microphone for a discussion regarding the directive to love work and to be wary of government. The series is available free of charge due to the generous financial support from the fund of the Klutznick Chair of Jewish Civilization at Creighton University. Please call 402.334.6463 or email mkirchhoff@jewishomaha.org with any questions. The Klutznick Learning Series is a program of the Center for Jewish Life whose mission is to maximize involvement of Omaha’s Jewish community in imaginative, compelling and meaningful Jewish experiences.

WELDERS WANTED MIG/TIG experience preferred

BUILD A CAREER THAT MATTERS. Call: 402-568-2224 or Email: hr@smeal.com

Smeal Fire Apparatus Job Fair Horizon Inn & Suites EVERY third Tuesday of the month 4:00pm to 7:00pm For more details call 402-218-2690. A full line of benefits available including medical, dental, life and disability insurance, 401 (K), profit sharing and more.

SMEAL FIRE APPARATUS CO. 610 W 4th ST. Snyder, NE 68664 www.smeal.com

EOE/Substance Screening

4 | The Jewish Press | February 5, 2016

Sharing history

Serving Generations…

Bill Cutler III

402-391-3900 7805 W. Center Rd. BELLEVUE CHAPEL 402-291-5000 Bellevue

by OZZIE NOGG In the summer of 2006, when the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home New Beginnings construction project broke ground, blueprints showed an area on Main Street set aside for the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society to use as an Exhibit Hall. At the Home’s Open House in June of 2010, NJHS mounted its first exhibit in the new space. “We called it Remembering Rose Blumkin,” said Renee Ratner Corcoran, Executive

has also installed permanent exhibits throughout the Omaha Jewish Community Center building. “Visitors are always impressed with these displays,” Corcoran said. “One chronicles the history of Rabbis in Nebraska and Council Bluffs. Another permanent photographic exhibit honors couples who have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. We’re also very proud of the Kirshenbaum Business Wall - a sculptural mural that highlights the founders of

DWORAK CHAPEL 402-346-1144 16th & Vinton

Bill Cutler IV

www.heafeyheafey.com

JCC Exhibit

Men’s

Guide

Coming in February

Publishing Date | 02.26.16 Space Reservation | 01.17.16 Camera Ready Deadline | 01.19.16

Promote your business in this special issue with an ad and a short article. Contact our Advertising Executive to advertise in this very special edition.

Susan Bernard 402.334.6559 | sbernard@jewishomaha.org

Director of the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society. “Several years earlier, Rose Blumkin’s daughter, Frances Batt, donated many of her mother’s awards, pictures, letters and even a life-sized doll that looked like Mrs. B. to the Historical Society. The doll was on a motorized cart, similar to the transportation she used at the Mart, and we featured that doll into the exhibit. It was such a big hit, we brought the display back a couple times. Unfortunately, the doll is starting to show her age so we probably won’t be able use her again.” In recent years, the exhibit space on Main Street has featured Home Town Heroes; Families Remembered; Sweethearts & Beaus; Famous and Accomplished Jewish Women; NJHS Celebrates 40 Years of LOVE; Shop ‘Til You Drop; Synagogue Exhibit; Remembering Jewish Sororities and Fraternities; JCC Sports through the Years; The History of JCC Camps; A Salute to Downtown Omaha; Remembering Highland Country Club; and Oliver Pollak’s Jewish Cookbooks. “We put up the Grocery Store exhibit in November of 2011,” Corcoran said, “around the time the NJHS Grocery Store book was published. That display was very special because it held many memories for me of my dear friend Ben Nachman who came up with the idea of the Grocery Store book. Ben is remembered fondly because he gave so much of his time, energy and love to creating our Oral History Program.” Corcoran also recalled the 2011 Wedding Days Memories exhibit. “It was really cool and everyone enjoyed it, but when the Fire Marshal came to the Blumkin Home for an inspection, he made us take down the old wedding dresses on display because they dated back so many years and were now a fire hazard. Of course we complied.” In addition to the exhibit space on Main Street, the Historical Society mounts larger displays in the Jewish Community Auditorium. These have included Monsky/Flanagan-Men; Memories of Jewish North 24th Street; 100 Years of Jewish Organizational Life; Jewish Omaha’s Service to the U.S. Armed Forces; Front Page: 85 Years of Jewish History in the Jewish Press; and There Was Film In the Camera, a photographic display by the late Gary Gerelick. “The temporary exhibits, in both the Main Street Exhibit Hall and in the JCC Auditorium, usually stay up for a couple months,” Corcoran explained. The Nebraska Jewish Historical Society was founded in 1982 by Oliver Pollack and the late Mary Arbitman Fellman. Its mission is to preserve the histories of the Jewish families who settled in Nebraska and Council Bluffs, Iowa. To that end, the NJHS

the local Jewish merchant community - and L’Dor V’Dor: From Generation to Generation, which shows fun pictures of our Jewish youth activities. The history of the Jewish community in Omaha and Council Bluffs is very rich, and the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society is here to make sure we remember and value our past.” Currently on display in the Main Street Exhibition Hall is a group of Dolls For Democracy. “The dolls were recently donated to the NJHS and we decided they should be shared with every adult and child who walks through the Blumkin Home,” Corcoran said. “The Dolls For Democracy program was created in 1950 by B’nai B’rith Women, the organization that became Jewish Women International in 1995. The dolls were used by volunteers in the Omaha Public Schools as a way to teach students tolerance of others and to inspire them to overcome obstacles and disadvantages through telling stories about the lives of historical figures who changed the world for good. The dolls represent a diverse range of American and foreign leaders and humanitarians from John F. Kennedy, Albert Einstein and Martin Luther King Jr., to Anne Frank, Helen Keller and Eleanor Roosevelt. Even in our computerized age, the dolls are great teaching tools.” Corcoran generally mounts the exhibits with long-time NJHS volunteer Nan Katz. “Once she helps me decide what to put up and how to design the display, Nan and I have great fun. Invariably, when we’re putting up an exhibit, people stop and ask us what we’re working on and then proceed to tell us their memories about the project. If the exhibit includes photos of people, we try to include pictures of Blumkin Home residents and/or their families. It’s wonderful to be able to share our collection with our community.” Supporting the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society helps preserve our rich history for our children and grandchildren for generations to come. If you’d like to become a member of NJHS or contribute items to their archives, please call Renee Corcoran at 402.334.6442.

Organizations B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Retired Brig. Gen. Paul Cohen literally runs Omaha’s City Hall! He will provide us with observations about major geopolitical political/military problems from around the world on Wednesday, Feb 10, Noon. For more information or to be placed on the email list, call 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@ jewishomaha.org.

February 5, 2016 | The Jewish Press | 5

Jeremy Wright leads discussion of Uncle Tungsten by MARK KIRCHHOFF with chemical tinkering was tolerated and even fully supCenter for Jewish Life ported by his physician parents, who granted him a spare Thursday, Feb. 18 from 1-2 p.m. in the Kripke Jewish room for a makeshift laboratory for the exploration of the Federation Library, the Dorothy Kaplan Book Discussion elements on the periodic table. “The feeling of the elements’ Group will welcome Jeremy Wright as lead discussant for its stability and invariance was crucial to me psychologically, February selection, Uncle Tungsten: Memoires of a Chemical Boyhood, by Oliver Wolf Sacks. Author Oliver Wolf Sacks was a British neurologist residing in the United States who has written popular books about his patients, the most famous of which is Awakenings, which was adapted into a film starring Robin Williams and Robert De Niro. Sacks was born in 1933, the youngest of four children, to a prosperous North London Jewish couple: Sam, a physician and Elsie, a surgeon. When he was six years old, he and his brother were evacuated to what was later described as a grim, sadistic boarding school outside of London in order to escape the German “Blitz” bombings of the city. They resided there until 1943. Jeremy Wright He recounts in Uncle Tungsten that upon his return home he became somewhat of an amateur chemist and for I felt them as learned to share his parents’ enthusiasm for medicine. He fixed points, as went on to earn degrees in physiology, biology and chem- anchors, in an unstaistry and qualified to practice medicine in Great Britian. ble world,” Sacks After earning American medical recognition in the 60’s, he wrote. The Uncle consulted at a chronic care facility in New York. Tungsten of the book’s title is Sacks’s Uncle Dave, who manSacks’s 2001 work, Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a ufactured light bulbs with filaments of fine tungsten wire Chemical Boyhood, is an interweaving of childhood memoir, and who first initiated Sacks to the mysteries of metals. family saga and chemical history. Sacks’s youthful obsession Through this memoir he chronicles his love affair with sci-

ence and the magnificently odd and sometimes harrowing childhood in which that love affair unfolded. Jeremy Wright is a licensed mental health practitioner in private practice in Omaha and also teaches part time at Bellevue University and Metropolitan Community College. He and his wife worked with Boys Town youth for seven years. Jeremy has worked at Community Alliance in programs that support clients with severe and persistent mental illnesses. In 2013, Jeremy returned to school for a second bachelor’s degree, majoring in pre-med. It is his attraction to science that encouraged the group to seek him out as discussion leader for Sacks’s work. “I’ve been studying inorganic and organic chemistry, anatomy and genetics, with each class more fascinating than the last,” said Jeremy. “In the ‘hard’ sciences, there are facts to memorize, but it’s much more about thinking through problems in a different way. When Oliver Sacks describes his discovery of sciences as a boy, he talks about feeling connected to other scientists even when he is alone. It is like being part of a fraternity with some of the members far away and others long gone.” The Dorothy Kaplan Book Discussion Group meets on the third Thursday of each month from 1-2 p.m. in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library. New members are always welcome to join in the discussion. Contact Library Specialist, Shirly Banner, at sbanner@jewishomaha.org or 402.334.6462 with questions. The discussion group is supported by the Center for Jewish Life whose mission is to maximize involvement of Omaha’s Jewish community in imaginative, compelling and meaningful Jewish experiences.

An Eye on the BDS movement by ELIAD ELIYAHU BEN SHUSHAN Community Shaliach Every year the Jewish Agency for Israel organizes a fourday conference for all the shlichim in North America. Imagine a group of hundreds of Israeli shlichim in one hotel sharing their knowledge, experience and challenges. It is an amazing experience. This was again the case at the conference I attended in New York in November. It was enlightening to see how each type of schlichut deals with different target audiences and the different challenges during their assignment. At the next Eye on Israel on Feb. 9 from Noon-1 p.m. in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library, we will take a close look at one particular type of schlichut. Recently, the Hillel campus schlichut has become popular. This program places outstanding young Israelis on key college campuses for a two-year period of educational service. The goal is to create an ongoing Israel presence for Jewish students and the broader community. These “Campus Israel Fellows” partner with student organizations, campus “study abroad” offices, Jewish and Israel studies departments, local Jewish Federations, Israeli consulates, and Jewish Community Centers. As with all schlichim, those assigned to this program try to do their best to bring Israel to their audience -- in this case young adults and the college professors and the campus staff. During the November conference, I came to better under-

stand the complexity and challenges these shlichim have, especially today when the BDS movement has become so well known on many of the campuses in North American. BDS stands for the “Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions” movement against Israel. It is almost impossible to find a neutral definition to this movement due to the strong agenda of the groups that try to dominate with their worldwide agenda. The “Stand with Us” organization defines the BDS as a dangerous new front that has opened in the war against Israel. When Israel’s enemies realized they could not conquer Israel through conventional war and terrorism, they fortified their efforts to eliminate it through economic, diplomatic, legal and cultural warfare. BDS is a growing global propaganda campaign designed to erode support for Israel, isolate it as the “pariah of nations,” and marshal international forces to delegitimize and eventually eliminate the Jewish state by persuading the international community that Israel has no right to exist or defend itself. BDS is an expression of the new anti-Semitism that targets the Jewish state instead of Jewish people. It denies the Jewish people their right to self-determination and deploys traditional anti-Semitic propaganda against Israel and its supporters. Hearing stories from my shlichim colleagues about their struggles on campuses was sobering. Learning about “Israel Apartheid Week” and verbal and even physical violence

against them helped solidify my belief that the situation is far from being calmed or resolved. I believe that Israel as a nation and a state needs to improve the advocacy planning in order to share the real story, the real history, and wage a diplomatic fight against the narrative shared by the antiIsrael groups. In the upcoming session of Eye on Israel, we will learn about the BDS movement. We will meet via Skype with Hillel shlichim in North America who have had face-toface struggles with the BDS movement opposing Israel. They will bring their stories and the ways they have handled this situation. Emily Newman, former president of the Students Supporting Israel group at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, will provide her assessment of the situation on the UNO campus. Her discussion is sure to provide interesting insights. Eye on Israel will begin with a short Israel update in which we will compare different media sources from Israel and the world as they report on the latest news in Israel. The session will take place on Tuesday, Feb 9 at Noon in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library. Eye on Israel is sponsored by the Henry and Dorothy Riekes Donor-Advised Fund of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation and is administered by the Center for Jewish Life whose mission is to maximize involvement of Omaha’s Jewish community in imaginative, compelling and meaningful Jewish experiences.

Receive the Highest Level of Cancer Care

NEBRASKA CANCER SPECIALISTS IS NOW QOPI® CERTIFIED! Nebraska Cancer Specialists was recently awarded QOPI® Certification for our outpatient oncology-hematology practice by ASCO, the largest oncology society in the U.S. Based on careful analysis and on-site inspections, we met core standards in all areas of treatment, including:

• Treatment planning • Patient consent and education • Staff training and education • Safe chemotherapy administration • Chemotherapy orders and drug preparation • Monitoring and assessment of patient well-being

This certification is an honor, a testament to our high standard of care — and a reminder that we must always strive to exceed our own expectations in order to better care for our patients.

Margaret Block, M.D. M. Salman Haroon, M.D. Ralph J. Hauke, M.D. Timothy K. Huyck, M.D. Robert M. Langdon, Jr., M.D. Kirsten M. Leu, M.D. John M. Longo, M.D. Patrick J. McKenna, M.D. Geetha Palaniappan, M.D. David A. Silverberg, M.D. Gamini S. Soori, M.D. Yungpo Bernard Su, M.D.

As the largest independent QOPI-certified cancer practice in Nebraska, we are dedicated to providing superior treatment and services to cancer patients and support to their families.

Alegent Creighton Health Cancer Center - Bergan (402) 393-3110 Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center (402) 354-8124

Call Nebraska Cancer Specialists today.

Midwest Cancer Center Papillion (402) 593-3141 Midwest Cancer Center Legacy (402) 334-4773

Fremont (FAMC) (402) 941-7030

Stefano R. Tarantolo, M.D.

6 | The Jewish Press | February 5, 2016

Meals on Wheels FAQs Alexander Hamilton’s Jewish connection, Part I by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Senior Outreach provides the Meals on Wheels Program to members of our community. These meals not only provide nourishment, but also valuable social contact to the recipients. Friendly staff bring “care and comfort” along with the food, ensuring safety and engaging in conversation to help reduce isolation. Especially during the winter months, when weather conditions can make it challenging for many seniors to leave their homes, Meals on Wheels provides a necessary service. It’s time to find out a little more about this wonderful program from Director of Admissions and Community Outreach Shelly Fox. What is Meals on Wheels? Meals on Wheels is a daily home-delivered meal service. A hot kosher meal is delivered right to your door by our friendly Jewish Senior Outreach driver. Who is it for? Meals on Wheels through Jewish Senior Outreach is for members of the Omaha Jewish community. How do I know if I qualify? You do not have to qualify. Meals are billed on a monthly basis to the customer. If you receive NE Medicaid benefits, the cost of your meals may be covered. Is the food always a surprise, or do I know ahead of time what I am getting? Each day, a hot nutritious meal is delivered including a homemade soup. Menus are not sent out ahead of time. What about allergies? Are the meals tailored to my diet? What if I’m a vegetarian? We are not able to adhere to specific diets, but all meals follow Kosher dietary laws. If you have specific preferences, for instance, no fish, we try to meet your request. How often can I have a delivery? Meals are delivered 5 days/week at the lunch hour with 2 additional meals available on Friday to be used for the weekend, if requested. How many people are involved in this program? (admin, food prep, driving etc) The Meals on wheels program is a function of Jewish Senior Outreach, serving the needs of our Community. All meals come from Star Kosher Catering and are delivered by a staff driver. Are the meals always kosher? Yes, always. They are prepared in our own RBJH kitchen, overseen by the Va’ad Hakashrut. Does this program run year-round? What if I suddenly leave town for a few weeks? Meals on Wheels runs year round. But, we are absolutely open to meeting individual schedules. Some folks request meals for only a few weeks when recovering from an illness or when a caregiver is not available to provide. Others leave town for a vacation and have their meal service suspended until they return. There are quite a few community members who sign up for Meals on Wheels during Passover to be able to observe the holiday. How do I sign up? If you are interested in more information or would like to Continued on page 7

by RICH JURO recognizing the essential role they played in God’s plan for Editor’s note: See the Feb. 12 edition of the Jewish Press humanity. “Progress of the Jews,” he later wrote, “from their for part II of this story. earliest history to the present Was Hamilton, one of the time has been and is entirely founding fathers of our counout of the ordinary course of try, Jewish? human affairs. Is it not then a What was his scandalous fair conclusion that the cause upbringing? is also an extraordinary one Could Hamilton have been in other words, that it is the President of the USA? effect of some great providenWhy was he shot and killed? tial plan?” Why is his picture on the Young Alexander showed $10 bill, and why do they want such intelligence and drive to remove him? that some local citizens sent Why did Hamilton become him to the United States to a Broadway hit? further his education. There Could he solve the European he enrolled in King’s College, economic crisis? which became Columbia Alexander Hamilton, one of University after the American the great leaders of the new Revolution. (Personal notes: American Republic, is now As a graduate of Columbia, I Alexander Hamilton’s Birthplace the subject of a hit Broadway was determined to visit the musical. Hamilton was born on the tiny Caribbean island of fine Hamilton house-museum when we cruised last winter Nevis in 1755. His mother, Rachel Faucette, was an heiress of to the nation of St. Kitts and Nevis. After all, Hamilton was French Huguenot (Protestant) descent. Some have said that the most famous Columbian before Barack Obama. It was in she also had Jewish or African ancestors, but those claims Charlestown, Nevis, that we also found the old but wellhave never been substantiated. In 1745 she wed John Lavien maintained Jewish cemetery that sparked the research for (derived from Levine?) on the island of St. Croix, who was this article. Also, Fran and I met at Hamilton Hall in probably a Danish Jew. The marriage was a disaster. Lavien Columbia University when she requested directions to a even charged her with committing “such errors which summer-school Spanish class. It was many, many years ago, between husband and wife were indecent, and very suspi- but it was the first and last time she actually asked for and cious”. The young wife, having been found guilty of adultery followed my directions.) twice, was imprisoned for several months. Hamilton joined the new American Revolutionary Army. Upon release, Rachel traveled to the island of Nevis, where Again, his insights and brilliance soon resulted in his proshe had property. There she met a Scotsman, James motion to George Washington’s trusted aide. Washington so Hamilton, and they had two sons, James Jr. and Alexander. valued Hamilton that the General would not let his adviser Rachel never having divorced, the two boys were considered lead troops into battle. Finally, both Hamilton and another illegitimate bastards. Therefore, they were not allowed to vital assistant, the Marquis de Lafayette, played key roles in attend the local Church of England school. What was young the decisive and final Battle of Yorktown. After the War of Alexander to do for an education? Independence was won, Hamilton practiced law and marNevis was one of several Caribbean islands that had a ried Elizabeth Schuyler, the daughter of a prominent New number of prosperous Sephardic Jewish families. Most had York State family. fled Spain or Portugal around 1492 for Brazil at the time of the Inquisition, and then went to the Caribbean when the Inquisition reached Brazil. They were sugar planters, merchants, or even slave traders. The Jewish community had a synagogue and school, and also a cemetery that you can still visit today. It is in Charlestown, the capital of Nevis, just a by NANCY COREN few blocks from the Hamilton home. With much conversation going on about the politics of The young Alexander, ineligible for regular school, was immigration legislation, Tifereth Israel is going to present a instead sent to the Jewish day school. At a young age he learned different approach to the conversation about immigrants and to recite the 10 Commandments in Hebrew! But hard luck was refugees coming to our city. The conversation will not be coming: James Hamilton deserted his family, and Alexander’s political; rather it will focus on what it takes to be a welcommother died in 1768, leaving the 13-year-old an orphan. ing community. The topic to be discussed, Building a Sense So, was Alexander Hamilton Jewish? No. His mother’s of Community, is not about discussing policies. Rather, about original husband may have been Jewish, but neither how we live together with dignity and respect. Christa Hamilton’s mother nor father was Jewish. And although his Nebraska Is Home, a project of Yoakum, the coordinator of early education was in a Jewish school, he never practiced Nebraska Appleseed, will be the guest speaker at the Lunch nor felt himself to be Jewish. He mainly was a deist, someand Learn Session on Shabbat morning, Feb. 13. Her talk one who sees God as standing outside of history. As to Jews, will follow a special kiddush lunch starting at noon. Hamilton admired them and asked for tolerance for them,

Lunch and Learn at Tifereth Israel

February 5, 2016 | The Jewish Press | 7

Voices of Beth El: Emily Kutler by SHERRIE SAAG for Beth El Synagogue Who is Wealthy? Those who are happy with their Lot. – (Ethics of Our Fathers) Emily Kutler’s smile jumps off the Jewish Press page and grabs your attention from first glance. It exudes a happiness and zest for life -- a life that includes the Omaha Jewish community and Beth El Synagogue. Today, in the continuing series, she shares her story as a Voice of Beth El. A vivacious and endearing 14 year old, Emily’s earliest memory at Beth El is standing on chairs reciting the Hebrew alphabet with Eadie Tsabari. “Every Wednesday I complained about going to Hebrew school, but once I went through the doors, there was no place I’d rather be,” Emily said. Whenever she is at Beth El, she is reminded of how important the Jewish community is to her. “Beth El is honestly my home away from home, well, besides Herzl camp. I appreciate the family I am surrounded by every time I go to synagogue.” Emily is a Madrichim (assistant teacher) in BESTT and is very active in USY. Emily’s personality shines through every Sunday morning. Margie Gutnik, Beth El Program Director said, “In my eyes, Emily is an awesome kid! She is someone who is full of sunshine. She is always upbeat, always has a smile and is that rare combination of kids... someone who is bright, sweet, adorable, funny, and the kind of kid other kids AND adults want to be around.” A student at Westside High School, when she is at home, she’s with dad Bruce, mom Pam, a teacher at the JCC’s Child Development Center, and her brother Benjamin, 11. Paternal Grandparents were Ben and Harriet Kutler and she is a first cousin with previous Voices of Beth El participant Adam Kutler. Emily describes what being Jewish means to her in this way, “Being Jewish means I get to make new friends every summer at Herzl and then come home to make new friends in BBYO and USY. I love being involved in the Jewish community because it means always being around someone who I can relate to. In this way, being Jewish means more to me than just going to synagogue when my parents tell me to. I’m fortunate enough to value all of my Jewish friendships and be able to connect to and learn about Israel even though I

live in Nebraska.” Jewish Omaha is considered a close-knit community of about 5000 Jews. Although in Nebraska, Emily says, “I love that Omaha is a close community. One of the best things is walking into Bagel Bin and having to drag my parents out since everybody knows everybody!” Still, being a Jewish teen in a town where the Jewish geography is increasingly spread out across the city from north to south and

Emily Kutler east to west has its challenges in 2016. “There aren’t very many Westside kids that go to Beth El, so most of my Jewish friends at school go to different synagogues.” “However,” Emily continued, “my Beth El friendships have had an influence on me. They have taught me to be outgoing and that being yourself is more important than being the type of person you want people to think you are. Beth El friendships make me love being Jewish.” Going to college is the next big “thing” in Emily’s life and she believes Beth El has instilled in her a conviction to continue attending synagogue services and engaging in Jewish life. “It will also mean to me that I should stay active in the Jewish community.” Her favorite memory, she says, will stay with her for a very long time. “One of my best memories was when BILU, (Beth El’s USY region), floated down a river for four hours. It was the greatest thing because ten Jewish teens were stuck together without a care in the world at the time. It didn’t matter that the river we were floating down was probably one of the grossest things ever; I still had a blast!”

PEOPLE WHO READ NEWSPAPERS ARE

STUDENTS WITH BETTER GRADES It all starts with Newspapers.

Russ Kaplan Investments, Inc.

Providing 32 years of investment experience in Nebraska

Call today at 402-614-1321

Visit us on Facebook

Personalized customer service, ensuring your financial plan meets YOUR lifestyle needs. Consultations free. www.russkaplaninvestments.com

Non-Profit Organizations Coming in March

Meals on Wheels FAQs Continued from page 6 sign up for meal delivery, please call Shelly Fox at 402.334.6532 or send an email to sfox@rbjh.com. For those of us who are capable of shopping for groceries whenever we want and preparing our own food, it’s not always easy to imagine how confining it is when that ability is compromised. Meals on Wheels is the perfect answer. Not having to worry about your meals during illness can make all the difference. “For instance, in 2015,” Fox said, “a community member was experiencing serious health issues. This individual had wonderful friends from out of town who wanted to do something that would make things easier, and show they cared. They contacted Jewish Senior Outreach, and made arrangements to have meals delivered on a daily basis until their friend was feeling stronger. It was an amazing way to show love and fullfill a real need at the same time.” This is what a sample menu looks like: Lentil soup to start with, followed by lemon dill salmon with wild rice and mixed vegetabes for the main course, complete with a dinner roll, and of course dessert: chocolate cream pie. It’s just one example of what meals on Wheels will deliver. Another community member, according

to Fox, “had been shopping and preparing homemade meals for herself and her husband for decades. She was no longer able to drive and did not have the energy she once had to cook. Home delivered meals were a blessing for this couple. They ate a full, hot meal at lunch, and were able to manage breakfast and leftovers for dinner on their own. “The meal program not only provides nourishment, there always is a friendly and caring individual bringing the food on a daily basis.” The Torah, in both Deutoronomy and Leviticus, command us to honor the elderly. One of the many ways to do that is by making daily life more manageable, and Meals on Wheels certainly achieves that goal. Jewish Senior Outreach empowers seniors to stay vital and active in their homes for as long as possible, and provides options when independence becomes more challenging. Our staff is a resource to provide information and referrals for many services, such as mental health counseling, transportation, 24-hour medical alert systems and Meals-on- Wheels. For more information on Jewish Senior Outreach, please contact Shelly Fox at 402.334.6532 or sfox@rbjh.com and/or Maggie Conti at 402.334.6521 or mconti @rbjh.com.

Publishing Date | 03.11.16 Space Reservation | 03.02.16 Camera Ready Deadline | 03.04.16

Promote your business in this special issue with an ad and a short article. Contact our Advertising Executive to advertise in this very special edition.

Susan Bernard | 402.334.6559 | sbernard@jewishomaha.org

8 | The Jewish Press | February 5, 2016

Point of view

American Jewish Press Association Award Winner

Nebraska Press National Newspaper Association Association Award winner 2008

Soap Opera by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor My grandmother loved soap operas and The Bold and the Beautiful was her favorite. I can still see her sitting on my parents’ couch, remote in hand, yelling for her sister: “Adrie! De Bolt!!” Me; not so much. Soap operas remind me of the high school dating scene, with the who-loves-whom this week, and can-you-believe-what-she-said, and the intrigue and the backstabbing and the unexplainable twists and turns. It’s exhausting, and if you don’t pay attention for three days you lose the plot completely. Who has the energy? Unless, of course, the main characters in that plot are politicians, as evidenced by the recent kerfuffle between our ambassador to Israel and certain members of the Knesset. That’s when you suddenly realize paying attention really matters. Nowhere more so than with the media-driven onagain, off-again relationship between The U.S. and Israeli governments. Last week, President Obama spoke to the Israeli embassy in Washington D.C. on the occasion of Holocaust Remembrance Day. “This is further testimony that the relationship between the U.S. and Israel is -- despite disagreements that arise from time to time -- very strong and steadfast,” Netanyahu said when the speech was announced. He added: “Everyone understands that in the end, in the whirlpool in the Middle East, with the rise of radical Islamic forces, Israel is the U.S.’s strongest, and most loyal and stable, ally in the region. This also finds expression in the shared values and common interests that we are advancing.” But that is not all.

Haaretz confirmed the planned trip to Israel by members of the Obama administration’s national security team to renegotiate the U.S. defense assistance package. Up for grabs: a memorandum of understanding that would extend the current aid package through 2028, an aid package that averages $3 billion per year in assistance. Word on the web is: total aid will be increased to $4 billion per year.

President Obama, left, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Then, Media tycoon Mortimer Zuckerman announced the launch of a $100 million scholarship program to advance scientific collaboration between Israel and the U.S. Touting the importance of scientific research and cooperation across the sciences, Zuckerman made the announcement at an event that featured New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

“New York and Israel share a deep and unparalleled connection,” Cuomo said. “The Zuckerman Scholars Program is a prime example of how we can keep that relationship strong today and in the future.” During the same week, former Israeli President Shimon Peres had this to say about President Obama: “I want to thank you for seven years of excellent leadership, where you built varied channels and new horizons for citizens of the United States but also for citizens of the world. Thank you for placing science at the center and leading extraordinary alliances such as the climate agreement signed in Paris.” He added: “Diplomacy is always the preferred route over war and violence, and you proved that through diplomacy you can reach one-of-a-kind agreements. You handled regional and world crises courageously. Your immeasurable contribution to citizens of the world will live on for many years.” So much love, and a far cry from the headlines of the previous week. So, are we on again? Are we getting married, or are we merely passing the time until the next lover’s quarrel? That depends on whom you ask. Maybe we just need to have more realistic expectations. To be allied means to interact, and when you interact, sparks may fly. When the foundation of the relationship is sound, and I believe it is, we’ll handle whatever comes our way with dignity and then we’ll move on. It’s better to have a loud and passionate argument from time to time than to bite our tongues. Isn’t it? Or are we merely avoiding (by focusing on these verbal fits) the underlying issues? I have to ask: are we ever, ever actually going to have a real discussion about the settlements? Or is that just too difficult?

Gay community must build a tent large enough to include pro-Israel voices by ARTHUR SLEPIAN which includes the axiom that all oppression is rooted in the occasions. Some people believe that if you repeat a lie often CHICAGO (JTA) -- The central prayer of our people, the same causes, that struggles that might seem distinct from one enough it becomes the truth. Shema, is often interpreted as a message of unity and the another are really the same and must be fought together. (I will add that those who say it is “obvious” that LGBTQ interconnectedness of all things. This can be a powerful At its core, we find a truth here that is helpful – we are not people should support Israel reflexively simply because force for bringing people together, for helping us to see the elevated if we can only see our own pain, our own struggle, Israel has a relatively positive record on LGBTQ rights are common humanity and the spark of the divine that unites and if we lack empathy for the oppression of others. But in also being simplistic.) us, whatever our seeming differences may be. The bottom line is that movements advance by buildBut last week we saw something else, how a claim of ing broad coalitions, often with people with whom they interconnectedness can be used as a wedge to drive us disagree about certain things. The successes in the apart, to turn people who might be allies on many issues struggle for LGBTQ rights that we have had here in the into bitter enemies because of disagreement on others. United States are a prime example of this kind of broad Last week, A Wider Bridge was set to sponsor a procoalition building. A movement that devolves into an gram at Creating Change, the nation’s largest conference ideological echo chamber with demands for rigid adherof LGBTQ leaders, presented by the National LGBTQ ence to one agenda is not likely to grow and flourish. Task Force. The mission of A Wider Bridge is to build Clearly we have work to do inside the LGBTQ comconnections between the LGBTQ communities of Israel munity. and North America, and our guests were two leaders of What lessons can this episode bring to the Jewish comThe Jerusalem Open House, an essential organization Protesters at an LGBTQ conference in Chicago accused Israel of munity? As Jews, we are often great at arguing and that works to build LGBTQ community in Jerusalem in obscuring its treatment of Palestinians by touting its record on gay debating with one another while remaining in solidarirights. Credit: A Wider Bridge ty. The Talmud itself gives us a tradition of civilized disa challenging and diverse environment. Jerusalem Open House has spent the past six months practice, intersectionality often leads to rigidity and dogma, course. And we are a people whose wisdom teaches us that helping its community recover and heal from the horrific the abandonment of critical thinking and the demonization “both these and these are the words of the living God” – that violence at last summer’s Jerusalem Pride Parade, which of people who might otherwise be allies. is, opposing viewpoints can both be reflections of the divine resulted in the murder of 16-year-old Shira Banki and the Israel is a complicated topic, about which there is no con- imperative. serious wounding of several others. Leaders of Jerusalem sensus in the LGBTQ community. But intersectionality is But of late, we too are prone to say that those who hold to Open House came here expecting to be embraced and sup- used to suggest that there must be consensus, that “good certain views have no place in the Jewish community – or, ported by the LGBTQ community at the conference. queers” should know they obviously need to hate Israel, and worse, are anti-Semitic. I can think of many examples, Instead, our program was disrupted by protesters, a that there is no room for conversation or hearing other including last summer’s overheated debate on the Iran threatening atmosphere of hate and intimidation was creat- viewpoints. Case closed. nuclear deal. ed, and the Jerusalem Open House leaders were not permitThroughout the week we heard over and over, including So as we offer our critique of the LGBTQ community for ted to speak. Many of the Jewish participants at the confer- from speakers at plenary sessions, that “there is no place at not having a tent large enough to safely include the voices of ence were truly shaken by the ferocity of the protest, espe- this conference” for any discussion of Israel that is anything those who care about Israel, let us also look with some introcially the anti-Semitism that was on display in some parts – but a complete condemnation. When African-American spection at how we are managing the tent of the Jewish comincluding the chant of “from the river to the sea, all of queer feminists spoke of the connection of their movement munity. Once again, Jews and queers have a lot to learn from Palestine must be free.” to the anti-Israel cause, the canard of the “forced steriliza- each other’s experience and wisdom. What we came up against was “intersectionality,” a theory tion” of Ethiopian women in Israel was repeated on several Arthur Slepian is the executive director of A Wider Bridge.

(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; Andrew Boehm, Scott Farkas, Sandy Friedman, Paul Gerber, Alex Grossman, David Kotok, Debbie Kricsfeld, Abby Kutler, Pam Monsky, Paul Rabinovitz, Nancy Wolf 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 sto-

ries and announcements, can be found online at: www jewishoma ha.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 @jewishomaha.org; send ads (in .TIF or .PDF format) to: rbusse@jew ishomaha.org. Letters to the Editor Guidelines The Jewish Press welcomes Letters to the Editor. They may be sent via regular mail to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154; via fax: 1.402.334.5422 or via e-mail to the Editor at: avandekamp@jew ishomaha.org. Letters should be no longer than 250 words and must be single-spaced typed, not hand-written. Published letters should be confined to opinions and comments on articles or events.

News items should not be submitted and printed as a “Letter to the Editor.” The Editor may edit letters for content and space restrictions. Letters may be published without giving an opposing view. Information shall be verified before printing. All letters must be signed by the writer, but the name can be withheld at the writer’s request. The Jewish Press will not publish letters that appear to be part of an organized campaign, nor letters copied from the Internet. No letters should be published from candidates running for office, but others may write on their behalf. Letters of thanks should be confined to commending an institution for a program, project or event, rather than personally thanking paid staff, unless the writer chooses to turn the “Letter to the

Editor” into a paid personal ad or a news article about the event, project or program which the professional staff supervised. For information, contact Annette van de Kamp-Wright, Jewish Press Editor, 402.334.6450. Postal The Jewish Press (USPS 275620) is published weekly (except for the first week of January and July) on Friday for $40 per calendar year U.S.; $80 foreign, by the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Phone: 402.334.6448; FAX: 402.334.5422. Periodical postage paid at Omaha, NE. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198 or email to: jpress@jewishomaha.org.

February 5, 2016 | The Jewish Press | 9

NGO law protects Israel from existential threats by AYELET SHAKED JERUSALEM (JTA) -- In 1914, Robert Frost published his poem Mending Wall, where he coined the maxim, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Good fences make good neighbors.â&#x20AC;? Those were the days of World War I, and it was perceived at that time that the best way to safeguard international relations and world peace was to clearly demarcate the physical borders between countries. Two decades later, around the time of World War II, the concept of sovereignty had changed to include more than merely defending a countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s territory. The understanding that foreign governments were able to have a serious effect on a countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s internal decision-making led the United States to enact the Foreign Agents Registration Act in 1938, which requires non-diplomats representing foreign interests to register with the U.S. Department of Justice. The act underwent a series of amendments during the 1960s, but the foundations upon which it was based and the justifications that formed its basis have not changed. A strong democracy cannot suffice itself with defending its physical borders alone, since threats to sovereignty are not always confined solely to tanks invading fields and cities. Sometimes the real threat lies in the interference in another countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s internal affairs. This is precisely the sort of interference that the 1945 U.N. Charter sought to confront. A hundred years after Frost published his poem, there are about 2,000 lobbyists registered in the United States who represent the interests of â&#x20AC;&#x153;foreign political entitiesâ&#x20AC;? and receive funding from them. The United States understood in time the importance of this identification of the foreign interests on behalf of whom the various organizations operate. The Government Transparency Law that I am currently promoting is as its name says. It seeks to create transparency and clarity in relation to the parties financing Israeli NGOs who receive more than half of their annual budget directly from a foreign government. In no way does it prevent the activity of those NGOs, nor does it impose any restriction on their activities or forms of expression. In fact, the requirements it stipulates are much less stringent than those imposed by the United States upon similar types of activity under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Israel, which has been subject to an unending struggle for survival for almost 70 years, and where the state of emergency has not ceased for a single day since its establishment, deals with threats from near and far via the Israel Defense Forces. The security forces in Israel protect citizens night

and day against the threats posed by enemy countries and the danger of terrorism. However, these dangers are not the only dangers that Israel has to deal with. Currently, Israel is also fighting repeated attempts to undermine its very legitimacy. The BDS movement that is spreading all over the world presents itself as working against Israeli government policy, yet the official anti-Israeli sentiment it presents serves solely as a cover for the classic anti-Semitism that is only too well known. The same forces that in the Europe of the 1930s and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;40s cried â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jews â&#x20AC;&#x201C; go to Palestine,â&#x20AC;? are now calling out to Israeli citizens: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jews â&#x20AC;&#x201C; go back to Europe.â&#x20AC;? To justify the demand to put an end to the Zionist enterprise in the land of Israel, these forces wish to weaken Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hold of the land of Israel. In the opinion of these forces, the way to do this is by tarnishing Israel with charges of war crimes and immoral conduct towards the Arabs. This notwithstanding the fact that the Arab population in Israel enjoys full rights and equality under Israeli law, and that the majority of Palestinians in Judea and Samaria, traditional Hebrew names for the West Bank, are under the responsibility of the Palestinian Authority. Like the United States, we have discovered in recent years the danger posed by the existence of forces financed by foreign money. We have discovered that hundreds of millions of dollars are sent to NGOs in Israel from countries that seek to decide the existing dispute between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Often, those countries are not at all aware of the fact that the money they are sending is used by the bodies it is sent to for the purpose of weakening Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s moral claim and presenting it as a country that is prima facie committing a breach of international law. Israel believes that whoever seeks to influence the policy of its members of parliament in the name of a foreign countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s money is no better and no worse than any other lobbyist working on behalf of the money it receives. Therefore, Israel wishes to create transparency in this area and prescribe a duty of disclosure with regard to the activities of the NGOs operating on behalf of foreign governments. Criticism of the law, which is so exaggerated and absolutely exceeds any relevant claim based upon any pertinent dispute, is part of the same foolish attempt to besmirch Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name. Ayelet Shaked is Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s minister of justice.

No comparison between Israeli NGO bill and US law by LARA FRIEDMAN WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked is trying to sell the argument that her pending â&#x20AC;&#x153;NGO transparencyâ&#x20AC;? bill is no different than a U.S. law called the Foreign Agents Registration Act, or FARA. In reality, the two pieces of legislation are worlds apart in intent and effect, and the differences go to the heart of the problems with Shakedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bill. First, FARA applies to all foreign funding -- governmental and private -- of U.S. persons or organizations, ensuring transparency about any foreign donorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s efforts to sway U.S. policy. The Shaked bill applies only to funding from foreign governments -- funding that is already transparent under existing Israeli law. The measure does not apply to funding from nongovernmental foreign sources. This distinction is neither accidental nor trivial. Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s progressive nongovernmental organizations are the main recipients of funding from foreign governments that support the progressive, democratic values embodied by these NGOs. Shaked, who has made clear her desire to quash dissent, has crafted her bill to target only these NGOs while permitting those that promote agendas more in line with her own views to continue to operate as always. The discrimination implicit in this bill is so clear that even Israeli Knesset member Michael Oren, a former U.S. ambassador, has criticized its â&#x20AC;&#x153;one-sided exposure, which ignores the funding sources of extreme-right nonprofits.â&#x20AC;? Second, FARA makes no presumption that simply by receiving foreign funding, an American NGO ipso facto is a foreign agent and must register and report as such. FARA applies only in cases where the recipient of the foreign funding is actually acting as an agent of the foreign donor. Indeed, the phrase â&#x20AC;&#x153;in the interests of such foreign principalâ&#x20AC;? appears eight times in the statute. In contrast, under the Shaked bill, merely receiving major funding from a foreign government automatically brands any Israeli NGO a foreign agent. This is notwithstanding the fact that the affected NGOs are Israeli-founded and Israelirun. Many of them have existed for decades, with wellestablished agendas and programs defined by their own missions and goals, not by the interests of their foreign donors.

Hypothetically, if today the European Union gave major funding to Planned Parenthood, the family planning group would not suddenly have to register under FARA as an agent of the EU. Why? Because to suggest that Planned Parenthood, whose mission and program date back decades, exists today to serve the interests of the EU would be absurd. Equally absurd is arguing that Peace Now -- established in 1978 by a group of 348 Israeli reserve officers and soldiers, and which has been challenging Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s settlement enterprise ever since -- serves interests that are not genuinely Israeli but rather are implanted by foreign governments. Shakedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s law argues exactly that -- and by extension, it stigmatizes and delegitimizes all those working in Israel for progressive causes. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why the American Jewish Committee said Shakedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s law poses a â&#x20AC;&#x153;risk to Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reputation as a confident and open society that has long been true democracyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sole Middle East outpost.â&#x20AC;? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why several members of the German parliament have warned that the Shaked bill â&#x20AC;&#x153;weakens us in our engagement as friends of Israel -- which we have to defend against verbal attacks almost every day.â&#x20AC;? And itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why the Washington Post said the bill â&#x20AC;&#x153;reflects the kind of tactic that Russia and China have employed to squelch dissent, and it is not in keeping with Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s core values as a democratic state.â&#x20AC;? Shakedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bill is premised on the offensive assumption that absent foreign government interference and manipulation, Israelis would have no interest in working to promote peace, human rights and civil rights. The irony, of course, is that Jews around the world have throughout history been at the forefront of defending these core human values. The even greater irony is that for decades, Israelis from across the political spectrum, including the right wing, have pointed to Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vibrant civil society as proof that Israel is a healthy democracy. Shaked is trying to undermine the very institutions that form the bedrock of Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s democracy -- and misrepresenting U.S. law to help make her case. If she succeeds, it will be a travesty of justice and â&#x20AC;&#x153;transparencyâ&#x20AC;? and a tragedy for Israel. Lara Friedman is director of policy and government relations at Americans for Peace Now.

ALASKA 26 Days â&#x20AC;˘ June 2-27, 2016 ONLY $

5,499

-Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Â?i "VVĂ&#x2022;ÂŤ>Â&#x2DC;VĂ&#x17E;\ fĂ&#x2C6;]Â&#x2122;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2122;

*iĂ&#x20AC; *iĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x192;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC; Â&#x153;Ă&#x2022;LÂ?i "VVĂ&#x2022;ÂŤ>Â&#x2DC;VĂ&#x17E; vĂ&#x20AC;Â&#x153;Â&#x201C; "Â&#x201C;>Â&#x2026;>] Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;VÂ&#x153;Â?Â&#x2DC;] Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;vÂ&#x153;Â?Â&#x17D; E Ă&#x20AC;iÂ&#x201C;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x152;

Tour Includes: New Alaskan Railroad Train Ride to Denali National Park w/Wilderness Tour â&#x20AC;˘ Beautiful Overnight Cruise Through The Inside Passage â&#x20AC;˘ 25 Nights â&#x20AC;˘ 36 Meals â&#x20AC;˘ Deluxe Motor Coach Transportation, Professionally Escorted, Baggage Handling & Much More! - "1 / "1*"

"1*"

Ă&#x201C;Ă¤Ă¤ "

Ă&#x2022;Â&#x2DC;i Ă&#x201C;Â&#x2021;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2021;] Ă&#x201C;Ă¤ÂŁĂ&#x2C6;

Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;i /Â&#x153;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x20AC; *Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x2C6;Vi] 9Â&#x153;Ă&#x2022; *>Ă&#x17E; ,i`iiÂ&#x201C; LĂ&#x17E; >Ă&#x17E; n] Ă&#x201C;Ă¤ÂŁĂ&#x2C6;Â° -Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Â?i "VVÂ° "Â&#x2DC;Â?Ă&#x17E; fĂ&#x2C6;]Ă&#x2021;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2122;

x Ă&#x201C;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2122;

f ]

""-/ - " /"1 ,- P.O. * Box " 969 "8 MOOSTASH JOE TOURS, Fremont, NE 68026

For more info: 1-800-806-7944 or www.mjtours.com

Lighting the Way...

THE

INDEPENDENCE HOUSES ALZHEIMERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S AND DEMENTIA CARE

â&#x20AC;˘ Specialized Assisted Living â&#x20AC;˘ Locally Nurse Owned Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160;ÂĽĂ&#x160;FourĂ&#x160;LincolnĂ&#x160;Loca ons â&#x20AC;˘ Small & Homelike â&#x20AC;˘ Age In Place

1996-2016

Call us! 402-475-7755 www.TheIndependenceHouses.com

SUN Feb. 21st, 2016 12pm-4pm fo king Loo ndors Ve

At the DeVent Center at DIVOTS West HWY 275 in Norfolk Style Shows, Samples, Door Prizes & Much More! To reserve a booth, please contact Cheryl Waddington 402-844-2995 or Cwaddington@divotsconference.com Norfolkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bridal & Prom Extravaganza

www.divotsconference.com

120384

Wayne Youth Basketball Tournament 4th - 8th Grade Boys & Girls Divisions Sponsored by Wayne Basketball Development Association

Saturday, February 20, 2016 Entry Info: Checks payable to WBDA. Mail to: Lee Stegemann, 1010 Grainland Road, Wayne, NE 68787 Contact: Lee Stegemann - 402-518-0839 or Kyle Nelson 402-369-2363 or waynenebasketball@gmail.com

www.JQoffice.com 402.339.5003 CONTACT

Ben Heaston: bheaston @JQoffice.com

Event funded in part by a grant from

Convention & Visitor Bureau

www.waynene.com (402) 375-2240

PRINTERS POSTAGE METERS COPIERS DIGITAL DISPLAYS FOLDING & INSERTING EQUIPMENT INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARDS

SERVING THE GREATER OMAHA BUSINESS COMMUNITY

Does Your Job Fit With YOUR Schedule?

Why not work for a company that does? Flexible schedules and shifts are only available through a staffing agency like Tri-State Nursing, so why not work when you want, where you want and work for a company that cares about you. Top weekly pay Flexible schedule Benefits and more Work when YOU want

Apply Online TODAY at www.tristatenursing.com Start your new career TODAY!

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Professionals with Prideâ&#x20AC;?

800-727-1912

10 | The Jewish Press | February 5, 2016

Synagogues B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE 618 Mynster Street | Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 |712.322.4705 email: BnaiIsraelCouncilBluffs@gmail.com Join us for our Monthly Shabbat Speakers Series on Feb. 12, at 7:30 p.m. with guest speaker, Gary Nachman, who will speak about his winery, Rainwood Vineyards, the first licensed winery in Douglas County. Oneg to follow service. Please join us! Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel! Larry Blass will officiate the Speaker Series Service. For information on our historic synagogue, or to arrange a visit, please contact any of our board members: Mark Eveloff, Rick Katelman, Carole Lainof, Marty Ricks, Sissy Silber, Nancy Wolf and Phil Wolf. Tribute cards for any occasion are available. Contact Sissy at 311 Oak Ridge Ct., Bellevue, NE 68005 or 402.292.8062.

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California | Omaha, NE 68154-1980 | 402.492.8550 www.bethel-omaha.org Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m.; Our Shabbat Tables, in congregants homes. SATURDAY: BESTT Shul-In; Shabbat Services, 9:30 a.m. with Shabbat Speaker, Steve Kerbel, Putting the Joy back in Judaism; Junior Congregation, 10 a.m.; Mini-Minyannaires, 10:45 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:15 p.m.; Israeli Wine Tasting with Steve Kerbel, 7:30 p.m. WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. SUNDAY: Men’s Club World Wide Wrap, Learn to Wrap Tefillin, 8:45 a.m. in the chapel; BESTT Breakfast, 9:30 a.m.; BESTT Classes, 9:45 a.m.; Kevah Program for Grades 4-7, 9:45 a.m. It’s a Wrap!; BESTT World Wide Wrap, 10 a.m.; Torah Study, 10 a.m.; Learn to Read Hebrew with the Hazzan, 10 a.m.; Torah Tots, 10:30 a.m.; Adult B’nai Mitzvah Class, 11 a.m.; Sunday Speaker Series, 11 a.m., featuring Steve Kerbel on Jewish Humor in American Film; BESTT Kevah for Grades 6-7, 11:20 a.m. WEDNESDAY: BESTT Classes, 4:15 p.m.; Hebrew High Dinner, 6 p.m.; Who Wrote the Bible? Minyan and More, 6:15 p.m. with Rabbi Abraham; Hebrew High, 6:45 p.m.; Women’s Rosh Hodesh Program on Women’s Self Defense, 7:30 p.m., with Sandy Gordon. THURSDAY: Shanghai, 1 p.m. Kadima Kinnus, Friday, Feb. 12-Saturday, Feb. 13 at Sunstream Retreat Center in Ogden, IA. No BESTT Classes, Sunday, Feb. 14 All classes and programs are open to everyone in the Jewish community.

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street | Omaha, NE. 68154 | 402.556.6288 www.orthodoxomaha.org Office hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-4:30 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, 5:28 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Torah Parade and Shabbat Classes, 9:45 a.m.; 15 mins after Kiddush -- Mishna L’Neshamah and Teen Class; Mincha/Seudah Shlishit, 5:10 p.m.; Havdalah, 6:30 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Shavua Tov Israel, 1 p.m.; Caffe Ivrit, 2:30 p.m.; Super Bowl Dinner, 5 p.m. RSVP Requested. Snacks at 5 p.m. Dinner at 5:30 p.m. Cost is $8 Adults, $4 Children ages 4-12 and free for children 3 and under. Menu: Meat and vegetarian chili, wings, chips, dips and more. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m. TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY: Rosh Chodesh Adar I Shacharit, 6:45 a.m.

CHABAD HOUSE An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street | Omaha, NE 68144-1646 | 402.330.1800 www.OChabad.com | email: chabad@aol.com Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. FRIDAY: Minyan and Meditation, 7 a.m SATURDAY: Minyan and Meditation, 9:30 a.m. SUNDAY: Minyan, 8:30 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Minyan and Meditation, 7 a.m. TUESDAY: Dynamic Discovery with Shani Katzman, 10:15 a.m. A class for women based on traditional texts with practical insights and application. RSVP by calling the office.

WEDNESDAY: Personal Parsha class, 9:30 a.m. with Rochi Katzman. RSVP by calling the office; The Development of the Oral Tradition, 7 p.m. with Rabbi Katzman. RSVP by calling the office. In memory of Forrest Krutter -- Efrayim Menachem Ben Avraham Yitzchak. THURSDAY: Women’s Study at UNMC with Shani Katzman, noon. RSVP by emailing Marlene Cohen at mzcohen@unmc.edu. All programs are open to the entire community.

CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN South Street Temple | Union for Reform Judaism 2061 South 20th Street | Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 | 402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org Services conducted by Rabbi Craig Lewis. FRIDAY: Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m. with oneg following hosted by Sarah Kelen and Ken Bloom (guests from the Schuyler United Methodist Church.) SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. on Parashat Mishpatim. SUNDAY: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Hallah High, 9:45 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Purim Spiel Rehearsal, 12:15 p.m. WEDNESDAY: LJCS classes (grades 3-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. THURSDAY: Intro to Yoga, 6:30 p.m. RSVP to the Temple office required. Jewish Movie Night, Saturday, Feb. 13, 7 p.m. Havdalah Service, Dessert Potluck, and the Movie Bye Bye Braverman. LTYG FUNDRAISER: Let the Youth Group babysit while you celebrate Valentine’s Day!, Sunday, Feb. 14, from 4–8 p.m. Cost is $15 per child or $25 per family (includes meal) If you have questions, email Shoshannah Schreiber at Shos hanahthejew@gmail.com or LTYG Advisor Nicole Taege at ntaege@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 or just to chat any time at 402.513.7697. Or if you prefer, just email David Weisser at president@southstreettemple.org.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE Capehart Chapel 2500 Capehart Road | Offutt AFB, NE 68123 | 402.294.6244 FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m. every first and third of the month.

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME 323 South 132 Street | Omaha, NE 68154 SATURDAY: Services, 9:15 a.m. led by Steve Riekes. Services will be held in the Chapel. Members of the community are invited to attend.

TEMPLE ISRAEL Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive | Omaha, NE 68144-1206 | 402.556.6536 http://templeisraelomaha.com FRIDAY: First Friday Shabbat Service and Dinner: Candlelighting and kiddush in the Simon Community Court, 5:30 p.m., Service, 6 p.m., dinner following services.

B’nai Israel synagogue welcomes local winery by NANCY WOLF Plan to share Shabbat evening services on Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m. with your friends in Council Bluffs when we welcome Gary Nachman to share information, along with a little tasting, of his Douglas County winery. In Gary’s words: “What do Israel, France, California, Omaha, Ithaca, NY and Minnesota have in common? They’re all sources of great wines and they represent the trail of knowledge Gary Nachman has taken to learn the craft of wine making. After selling his business in 2005, Gary retired to his fig trees and vineyard. However, the figs had to be grown indoors and the grapes had to survive the winters of Nebraska! He had to use special hybrid grape varietals created at the University of Minnesota and Cornell University. Gary will discuss growing grapes, making wine, raising bees, growing other fruits and their relationship to Judaism. He even has his own hechsher, “KE” for kosher enough…” Join us for services, led by Larry Blass, and for a delicious oneg designed to complement the wine. You’re always welcome at B’nai Israel!

Candlelighting Friday, February 5, 5:28 p.m. Cost is $5 per person, max of $20 per family. Please RSVP to Temple Israel, RSVP@templeisraelomaha.com. SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. Torah Reader: Dan Gilbert. SUNDAY: Grades K-6, 10 a.m.; Madrichim Meeting, 10 a.m.; Parent/Toddler Program, 10:30 a.m. for children ages 2-3. Dani Howell will facilitate. This is an opportunity to meet other families with young children and connect with our Temple Israel community. For more information please contact Interim Religious School Director Sharon ComisarLangdon, 402.556.6536 or scomisar-langdon@templeisraelomaha.com. You can drop in or you can let Sharon Comisar-Langdon know you are coming; Introduction to Hebrew Class with Eliad, 11 a.m. If you’re interested in learning a little Hebrew or brushing up on your basic Hebrew, then this class is for you; OTYG Board Meeting, 12:30 p.m.; Teacher Inservice and Lunch, 12:30 p.m.; Temple Israel’s Annual Super Bowl Party, 4:30 p.m. Come watch Super Bowl 50 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. Suggested donation: $5 per person or $10 per family. Money will be collected at the door. Please RSVP to Temple Israel, 402.556.6536 or RSVP@templeisraelomaha.com. Sponsored by the Men of Reform Judaism. WEDNESDAY: No Grades 3-6, No Grades 7-12 or Family Night. THURSDAY: Diversity in Israel: A Real Reality Show with Eliad Eliyahu, 10 a.m. with Eliad Eliyahu.

TIFERETH ISRAEL Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Boulevard | Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 | 402.423.8569 www.tiferethisraellincoln.org Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. FRIDAY: Services, 6:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning service, 10 a.m. followed by a Simcha Shel Shabbat celebration Kiddush lunch sponsored by Lucy and Kirk Bowers in honor of their grandson Jacob’s birthday and Jodie Stein, in honor of her husband Jeff ’s birthday. SUNDAY: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Hallah High, 9:45 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel. WEDNESDAY: LJCS classes (grades 3-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. Lunch and Learn with Christa Yoakum, a Nebraska Appleseed employee and Coordinator of Nebraska is home, Saturday, Feb. 13, noon (following services). She will speak about her organization's direct work with immigrants and refugees by creating Welcoming Communities. The purpose of the program she will talk about is to have U.S. born community members feel comfortable settling refugees in their communities. Deli Style Lunch, Sunday, Feb. 21 at 12:15 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. The Star Deli will be providing the meal for those who sign up in advance, so please RSVP.

Temple Israel’s Annual Super Bowl Party! by SCOTT LITTKY Program Director, Temple Israel The location is set. The teams are in place and as the commercial say, “Are you ready for some football?” This Sunday, Feb. 7, Temple Israel will be holding its annual Super Bowl Party. The last two years have been great fun, even with last year’s snow storm. We cannot wait for kick off! Our doors will open at 4:30 p.m. and the game becredit: www.quirkybyte.com gins at 5:30 p.m. Come watch Super Bowl 50 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. Suggested donation: $5 per person or $10 per family. Money will be collected at the door. Please RSVP to Temple Israel, 402.556.6536 or RSVP@templeisraelomaha.com. Sponsored by the Men Of Reform Judaism.

Pulverente MONUMENT CO.

February 5, 2016 | The Jewish Press | 11

Yachad celebrates by helping IDF by OZZIE NOGG Yachad, Jewish Family Service’s program for adults with developmental disabilities, is celebrating North American Inclusion Month (NAIM) by assembling care packages for Israel’s IDF soldiers. The event is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 28, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Jewish Community Center Social Hall. “NAIM was created by the Yachad/National Jewish Council for Disabilities and is observed every February,” explained Karen Gustafson, Jewish Family Service Executive Director. “This year, the Omaha Yachad chapter will join approximately fifteen other chapters in the United States and Canada to perform a mitzvah for IDF troops, specifically Israel’s Lone Soldiers whose families live abroad and who chose to leave their countries of origin to serve the State of Israel.” Partnering with JFS on the IDF Care Package Project are BBYO Mother Chapter, Bag-N-Save, Beth El Synagogue, Beth Israel Synagogue, the Friedel Jewish Academy, the Pennie Z. Davis Child Development Center and Temple Israel. The groups will collect Sudoku and crossword puzzle books, playing cards, personal hygiene items, socks and snack-size packages of candy,

“After all the donations are in hand,” Gustafson said, “Yachad will fill one hundred individual gallon sized baggies with the items, pack all the baggies into a box and mail them to the National Yachad office who will then ship them off to Israel. Participants will also write personal letters for the soldiers to include in each care package.” The Jewish Federation of Omaha agencies and staff, along with community members, can also contribute to the project. Donation bins are located at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home front desk, as well as the the JCC front desk and Member Services. Deadline for donations is Feb 21. Yachad is dedicated to providing unique social, educational and recreational initiatives for individuals with learning, developmental and physical disabilities with the goal of their Inclusion in the total life of the Jewish community. “The goal of NAIM is to develop sensitivity and knowledge of what it means to live with disabilities, to educate our community about our members’ abilities and strengths, and to make sure they are properly included in all facets of Jewish life,” Gustafson said. “Together we can build inclusive communities for all Jews, regardless of their challenges or special needs. This IDF Care Package program is inclusion at it’s best.”

Praise for Western Wall compromise by JTA NEWS STAFF JERUSALEM (JTA) -- A chorus of non-Orthodox and Diaspora leaders praised the landmark interdenominational compromise on the Western Wall. The compromise will expand the wall’s egalitarian section and place it under the authority of a pluralist committee while solidifying haredi Orthodox control over the site’s traditional, Orthodox section. Women of the Wall, the women’s prayer group that holds monthly services in the Orthodox section, will move to the non-Orthodox section once the deal is implemented. “If and when this transition is complete, the new section will make way for great change,” read a statement from the women’s group endorsing the change. “Women will pray at the Kotel as equals, as active participants and leaders in rituals, ceremonies and of course in reading from the Torah.” The agreement was negotiated among Women of the Wall, the site’s haredi Orthodox leadership, the Jewish Agency for Israel, the Israeli government, and the Reform and Conservative movements. All parties praised the decision as path breaking. Speaking to JTA, Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky said the compromise ensured that “everybody wins in the end,” while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the deal “a fair and creative solution.” A poll by the Ruderman Family Foundation released Sunday found overwhelming Israeli support for accommodating non-Orthodox movements at the site. Four-fifths of Jewish-Israelis said “all Jews, including Reform and Conservative, should feel that the Western Wall belongs to them.” The Israeli and American branches of both the Reform and Conservative movements also backed the deal. Rabbi Gilad Kariv, CEO of Israel’s Reform movement, said in a statement that the compromise is “just the beginning of our efforts to ensure that the Jewish state of Israel is indeed a state where all forms of Judaism are practiced freely and without state prohibition.” Kariv’s counterpart with the Conservative movement, Yizhar Hess, said in a statement that the deal enshrines a legal precedent of ensuring non-Orthodox rights.

“The right to equality has received governmental recognition,” Hess said. “From now on, solutions to arguments on issues of religion and state will require recognition of the legal right to freedom of choice.” The Jewish Federations of North America, which lobbied heavily for the compromise, said in a statement that it “sends a powerful message to Israelis and Jews across the Diaspora about the permanent value of Jewish pluralism and about what we can do when we work together.” Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites, said he heard the decision approving the agreement “with a heavy heart and a sigh of relief.” “Ever since the fringe and vociferous group of ‘Women of the Wall’ started its mass-media activity, the Western Wall went from being a unifying site to one of incessant quarrels,” Rabinowitz said in a statement. “The chilul Hashem (defamation of G-d’s name) that this group and its supporters have caused is terrible, and it will take years to repair it.” He added: “We must do everything to put this terrible chapter behind us.” Not everyone lauded the deal. Moshe Gafni, a haredi Orthodox lawmaker who chairs the Israeli Knesset’s powerful Finance Committee, said he would not recognize the decision. “Reform Jews are a group of clowns who stab the holy Torah,” Gafni said, according to Walla news. “There will never, ever be recognition for this group of clowns, not at the wall and not anywhere else.”

60 Years Experience With Jewish Lettering and Memorials

1439 So. 13th 402-341-2452

Frank L. Ciciulla, Jr.

Snow Is Coming!

Your World Made Perfect

Commercial and Residential Snow Removal Call or Text 402-957-5087 ECOTERRANE.com

Nebraska STATEWIDE CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING in over 165 newspapers. Reach thousands of readers for $225/25 word ad. Contact the Jewish Press at 402334-6448 or call 1-800-369-2850.

up to

HIRING BONUS

Diesel Techs are needed at all Nebraska locations. Omaha, Lincoln, Norfolk, Columbus and York.

More info, call:

Jim 402.951.3380

Apply Online Today! www.truckcentercompanies.com/careers We are a con nuously growing company o!ering: Flexible Scheduling, a Relaxed Family-Friendly Culture, an Excellent Wellness Program, Great BeneÞts & Compe ve Wages!

So ware Developer

So"ware Developer needed to assist with desktop programming using VB.Net, C# and/or JavaScript and HTML. Experience with web services or jQuery is a plus.

Apply to:

PO Box 1187 | 1500 Riverside Blvd Norfolk, NE 68701 Or via email at jobs@daycos.com

BANKRUPTCY: FREE initial consultation. Fast relief from creditors. Low rates. Statewide filing. No office appointment necessary. Call Steffens Law Office, 308-872-8327. steffensbankruptcylaw.com. We are a debt relief agency, which helps people file bankruptcy under the bankruptcy code. AFFORDABLE PRESS Release service. Send your message to 170 newspapers across Nebraska for one low price! Call 1-800-369-2850 or www.nebpress.com for more details. DESIGNER WANTED for Advertising/Graphic Arts position, full-time. Familiar with Adobe Suite, good creative, typing and organization skills. Qualified applicants wanted, but will train right person. Competitive wages/benefits. Jim or Julie Dickerson, Albion News, Albion, NE. Email: albnnuz@frontiernet.net; phone: 402-395-2115. ENRICH YOUR life helping international High School students through placing, supervising their American exchange program experience. P/T, flexible hours, travel incentives, extra income. Julia Bazal, midwest@iseusa.org. QLF TRANSPORTATION — Class A CDL Drivers/Tankers. Great pay, home weekends, and benefits! Potential of $60,000 plus per year! Contact Tony, 608-935-0915 ext. 16, www.qlf.com.

12 | The Jewish Press | February 5, 2016

Meet the Israeli composer of Indian Muslim music by GABE FRIEDMAN (JTA) -- For most musicians working in the underappreciated genre of world music, recording an album with Jonny Greenwood, the guitarist of the famed English rock band Radiohead, would be something of a pipe dream. And what about having that experience filmed by acclaimed director Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood, The Master, Boogie Nights)? That would be the icing on a very delicious artistic cake. Israeli composer and singer Shye Ben-Tzur was Shye Ben-Tzur had been comlucky enough to make this posing Indian devotional music incredible cake -- and now for over a decade before he he’s eating it, too. was a subject in the Paul Last February, GreenThomas Anderson documenwood visited Ben-Tzur -- a tary Junun. Credit: Shin Katan Jewish composer of Sufi Muslim Qawwali, or religious devotional music -- in the Rajasthan region of northwest India, where Ben-Tzur has written and performed his songs for more than a decade. For three weeks, they and a 19-member Indian band, The Rajasthan Express, recorded an album of Ben-Tzur’s songs in a picturesque 15th-century Indian fort. “We wanted to spend time playing together, not just go into a studio and record an album,” Ben-Tzur told JTA. “Recording the album was maybe the excuse in order to experience the music rather than the other way around.” Anderson captured the entire process -- from the tensions of nailing perfect takes to the pigeons that perched on the soundproofing boards. His film, Junun, which translates to “the madness of love,” premiered at the New York Film Festival in October. The director’s first documentary release, it eschews dialogue and wider context for an immersive, behind-the-scenes look at crafting the sprawling album. The record, produced by longtime Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich and also called Junun, was released on the American label Nonesuch Records in November. More than half the songs contain lyrics in Ben-Tzur’s native Hebrew, which supplement the rest sung in Urdu and Hindi.

“When I wanted to express myself in the most authentic way it was in Hebrew, which is my language,” Ben-Tzur said. Despite being an Israeli who plays traditionally Muslim music in a massive country with very few Jews, Ben-Tzur says he has always felt accepted in India, in part because he

Ben-Tzur, 40, bearded and with flowing long brown hair, embodies the mixing of cultures and religions that his album represents: He grew up in Israel but spent most of his adult life living in India. He learned from Indian Muslim musical teachers but still writes lyrics in Hebrew. He is married to an Indian Muslim woman -- the daughter of late Sufi scholar Zahurul Hassan Sharib -- and his family, including an 11year-old daughter, celebrates both Jewish and Muslim holidays. Ben-Tzur realizes his journey from Israel, where he once played in Western-style rock bands, to the world of spiritual Muslim Indian music is a highly unusual tale. However, he emphasizes that his passion for Indian music, which has inspired him since he first heard it played at a concert in Israel when he was 19, led him into the spiritual and religious realm, not the other way around. Shye Ben-Tzur, right, playing with Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood at the Sacred Ben-Tzur told JTA he was Credit: Noam Chojnowski touched by the openness Jerusalem Festival, Sept. 1, 2015. “has no agenda.” He now primarily lives in Tel Aviv, but and accepting attitude of the Indian Muslim community. He spends large amounts of time writing and performing in said it was a welcome relief from the religious and political India. (In a country with a population of some 1.25 billion, tensions he grew up around in Israel. India has approximately 180 million Muslims and approxiOne song on Junun is called Allah Elohim -- named after mately 5,000 Jews.) the Muslim and Jewish words for “God.” One of its lines in “My connection with India and Indian music is a gift for Hebrew translates this way: “To Jews, I am a Jew, to me, a lifetime gift,” he said. Muslims, a Muslim/Whatever language I speak, it means the With the release of the album and the film, Ben-Tzur, who same thing.” has rarely performed his music outside of India, has gained It’s a complex spirituality, but when asked to explain it, a tremendous amount of new exposure. The album was Ben-Tzur demurred. reviewed in mainstream media outlets, and Ben-Tzur and “I’d rather express it [through music] than explain it,” he Greenwood were interviewed together by Rolling Stone. said.

We want YOU to be part of

TEAM OMAHA

JULY 31 - AUGUST 5, 2016

The JCC Maccabi Games is an Olympic-style sporting

INFORMATIONAL MEETING

competition held each summer in North America and is

Tuesday, February 16th

the largest organized sports program for Jewish teenagers

6:30pm | CJL Classroom

in the world. Today, over 6,000 teens, ranging from 13 to 16 years of age participate in the JCC Maccabi Games. The Games are co-sponsored by the Jewish Community Center Association of North America, Maccabi World Union, Maccabi Canada, and Maccabi USA/Sports for Israel.

PARTICIPANT ELIGIBILITY • Must be Jewish • Age 13-16 as of July 31, 2016 • Open to boys and girls

the

omaha

QUESTIONS? CONTACT: Rachel Martin, Director of BBYO/Teen Programs rmartin@jccomaha.org | (402) 334-6404

2016 ST. LOUIS JCC MACCABI GAMES

AVAILABLE SPORTS: (Athletes may only compete in one sport) • • • • • • •

Baseball Basketball Soccer Flag Football Tennis Swimming Golf

• • • • • •

Table Tennis Track & Field Dance Star Reporter Softball Volleyball