Voices

The Jewish Press

(Founded in 1920)

Margie Gutnik

President

Annette van de Kamp-Wright

Editor

Richard Busse

Creative Director

Susan Bernard

Advertising Executive

Lori Kooper-Schwarz

Assistant Editor

Gabby Blair

Staff Writer

Mary Bachteler

Accounting

Jewish Press Board

Margie Gutnik, President; Abigail Kutler, Ex-Officio; Danni Christensen; David Finkelstein; Bracha Goldsweig; Mary Sue Grossman; Les Kay; Natasha Kraft; Chuck Lucoff; Joseph Pinson; Andy Shefsky and Amy Tipp. The mission of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to build and sustain a strong and vibrant Omaha Jewish Community and to support Jews in Israel and around the world. Agencies of the Federation are: Community Relations Committee, Jewish Community Center, Center for Jewish Life, Jewish Social Services, and the Jewish Press. Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page stories and announcements, can be found online at: www.jewishomaha.org; click on ‘Jewish Press.’ Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole. The Jewish Press reserves the right to edit signed letters and articles for space and content. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment.

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@jewishomaha.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@jewishomaha. org. Letters should be no longer than 250 words and must be single-spaced typed, not hand-written. Published letters should be confined to opinions and comments on articles or events. News items should not be submitted and printed as a “Letter to the Editor.” The Editor may edit letters for content and space restrictions. Letters may be published without giving an opposing view. Information shall be verified before printing. All letters must be signed by the writer. The Jewish Press will not publish letters that appear to be part of an organized campaign, nor letters copied from the Internet. No letters should be published from candidates running for office, but others may write on their behalf. Letters of thanks should be confined to commending an institution for a program, project or event, rather than personally thanking paid staff, unless the writer chooses to turn the “Letter to the Editor” into a paid personal ad or a news article about the event, project or program which the professional staff supervised. For information, contact Annette van de KampWright, 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.

Bring on the sequins-we’re having a party

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT

Jewish Press Editor

On Sunday, May 1, from 4-7 p.m., we’re having a party. I know we’re still in a pandemic and most days it seems counterintuitive to plan for anything. However, when we postponed our Centennial Gala in March of 2020, we intended for that to take place maybe a few months later, definitely not delay it an entire year, let alone two. Yet here we are, and we’ve been moving our plans around endlessly—it is time to just do it. We’ll do it safely, we will be masked and there will be absolutely NO hugging, but we’re partying nonetheless. We know there is risk in all this and that we might, once again, have to pivot at the last minute. So be it—if that happens, we’ll deal with it. If anything, these past years have proven we are nothing if not resilient. And who can predict the future anyway? We invite you to join us outside, as JCC Executive Director Mark Martin has generously agreed to let us occupy the outdoor pool deck at the JCC Goldstein Aquatic Center (the actual pool won’t be open yet, so don’t bring your swimsuit). The food will be kosher and packaged in individual portions, Covidsafe; we will have drinks and music and masks and it will be nothing like we imagined it two years ago. And that is going to be okay. Although personally, I am still a little sad about the food we had planned (it would have been epic), this is by no means the end of the world. What is important is that, with all the adjustments and different approaches and rules and masks and vaccines, we continue to create opportunities to come together. And that is what we are doing: we’re offering a chance to come and celebrate—so what if we stand 6 feet apart and wear masks? We can talk a little louder. We can wave a little bigger. Here’s what we can still do: we can dress up. While this party is going to be toned down compared to our original plans, I am finally going to wear that fancy dress that’s been hanging in my closet. I hope you, too, will dress up— no dressing down just because it is pool-side, we encourage you to forego the shorts and t-shirts. Dress fancy. We’re talking glitter, sequins, feathers,velvet and silk. Possibly a tuxedo or two (Sam? How about it?). Dress like you have something to celebrate! Trust me, it will automatically lift your mood. When we initially set out to mark our 100th anniversary, we focused on the fact that it is a bit of a miracle our paper is still here. Two years later, that is more true than ever. Of course, the main reason we continue to exist is you, our community. And that is what we are really celebrating: the fact that, when weird and painful and bizarre things happen in the world, this community is one of the best places to be in. And for this community, there is no amount of sequins too big. This community steps up and mobilizes. How many meals have been delivered to how many ad-

dresses by how many different volunteers? How many phone calls have been made, how many ZOOM meetings have we had? I think the question “what do we do now,” is front and center in this community. And as soon as the question is asked, people answer by doing all kinds of things. So, that’s what we’re celebrating. A few practical notes: if you bought a ticket for the 2020 Centennial, we have your name on the list (but you can email me at avandekamp@jewish omaha.org to double check). If you didn’t, we will soon have a registration portal up and running on the website—stay tuned. For now, please mark your calendars and set aside your fanciest outfit. We cannot wait to see you there!

A Nazi statue in Uruguay turned me into a hypocrite

SAM KRICSFELD

Jewish Press Staff Writer JTA recently reported that a Jewish businessman offered to buy a 6-foot-tall, 800-pound, bronze eagle/swastika crest from a former Nazi warship sunk by the British in 1939. The man, Daniel Sielecki, lives in Uruguay (where the ship was sunk) and said that once he had it, he’d “blow it into a thousand pieces,” pulverize the remnants, and ensure that nothing would be left of it. The eagle has been troublesome to all involved with it. The JTA article said that the eagle was on display in Montevideo, Uruguay, until Germany criticized the fact that Nazi paraphernalia was being exhibited. Apparently, Yad Vashem, the world’s foremost Holocaust museum and memorial, rejected it, and in 2019, a court ruled that the Uruguayan government had to auction — yes, to the highest bidder — the nearly half-ton eagle/swastika crest. The proceeds would go to the rich investors that funded the team that recovered it from the warship. That’s when Sielecki — a head of a yacht club — offered to buy the eagle and blow it to smithereens. Later, Germany decided it would be okay if the eagle was displayed in an educational context, and the Simon Wiesenthal Center wanted it in a Uruguayan museum. The entirely justified fear was that some neo-Nazi white supremacist would outbid everyone at the auction. That auction hasn’t happened, but the offers to buy the eagle have supposedly been in the millions of dollars. But does the world really need the eagle in a museum? On one hand, from a historical aspect, it could be worth preserving and displaying as an artifact of Holocaust and World War II history. On the other hand, I hope Sielecki gets a hold of it. Blow it up — I hate it, I hate it, I hate it. I am a strong and vocal supporter of preserving and displaying history. Keeping pieces of the past, even painful ones, reminds us of what we as humans have done right, done wrong, and made each other feel. I am very frustrated about this stupid bird statue because if I say it should be destroyed, that would kind of make me a hypocrite. I have kept things as stupid as a rubber Pillsbury Doughboy doll and my parents’ 25-year-old mixtapes of R.E.M. hits with the justification that they are a small reminder of a good, or at least harmless, way humans have made an impact. A big Nazi eagle is undoubtedly more important than a collection of warped tapes of ‘90s alternative music, and the emotions it elicits, no matter how negative, are certainly reflective of a pivotal part of history and the impact of human depravity. So, who am I to say the eagle should explode, but the Doughboy should be preserved? My rationale is that the Doughboy isn’t a massive, irrelevant exaltation of Hitler. I know that Yad Vashem and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum have things like big Nazi flags or other paraphernalia. Those museums, however, do not glorify the Nazis. They make known the unspeakable evils committed against millions of people, and they honor the victims and survivors of the atrocities. I know that some of the Nazis’ biggest evils — namely, concentration camps — are preserved, but they remind people that humans can be extremely evil; understanding the past can help us prevent a very dark future. I know, I know, I know, and I believe those items and places are contextually and undeniably important to the story of the Holocaust, World War II, and history in general. But this eagle is different. The eagle statue is completely and totally irrelevant. It does not teach anyone anything new about the Nazis. It was underwater for almost 80 years before being exhumed from its watery grave and immediately causing issues for all involved with it. It symbolizes evil and malignant power. It is 800 pounds of Nazi pride and excess (I mean, who puts a half-ton statue on a warship?). It served as a 6foot-tall, bronze middle finger to the rest of the world. It acted as a reminder that the Nazis were powerful enough — evil enough — to kill millions,

leave Europe in ruins, and scar generations of people. Do I generally condone the destruction of historical monuments, even ones that extol tyrants? No, but I simply don’t think this one matters. I think there would be significantly more benefit by blowing it up than exhibiting it in a museum. Destroying it would make a statement to the fascists, neoNazis and white supremacists who still believe in

A security guard looks at the bronze eagle recovered from the stern of the German Graf Spee battleship, on display in Montevideo, Uruguay,

Feb. 13, 2006. Credit: Miguel Rojo/AFP via Getty Images the destruction of the Jews. It could provide catharsis to people who suffered Nazi brutality firsthand. Just watch the video of the U.S. Army blowing up the massive swastika on top of the Zeppelinfield Grandstand in 1945 and tell me you don’t feel a bit better after. From a historian's perspective, am I a hypocrite for thinking the giant Nazi eagle should be destroyed but a Pillsbury Doughboy doll preserved? Definitely. But from a human perspective? From the perspective of someone whose family was irreparably scarred by the Holocaust, who will never know the stories of family members murdered at the hands of the Nazis? I think I’m justified. Blow it up. Blow it to hell.