February 23, 2018

thejewishpress AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA

this week

Shabbat Across America at Beth Israel page 8

It’s time for Super Sunday

m

Anna Wiesman

Training Company page 12

inside

9 10 11

Discovering Jewish women in the midwest

F EBRU ARY 2 3 , 2 0 1 8 | 8 AD AR 5 7 7 8 | V O L. 9 8 | NO . 1 9 | C A nd LeLi G h ti nG | FRID AY , F EBRU ARY 2 3 , 5 : 5 0 P. M.

Annette vAn de kAmp-WriGht Chuck’s wife Lisa recently went to Israel when she participated in the Jewish Editor Jewish Press arch 4, from 1 p.m. to 3 Women’s Renaissance Project’s MOMentum p.m., marks the long trip. While there, she “was fortunate to see awaited return of the Jewish how our own Jewish Federation’s dollars are Federation of Omaha An- used in Israel,” she said.

“When we visited the Galilee Medical nual Campaign’s Super SunCenter, where Muslims, day. Lay leaders Lisa and Jews, Christians and Chuck Lucoff, Mindi Druze are treated and Armstrong and Dan Maremployed, it was very burg will chair the event. clear how much impact Volunteers will help them the Omaha community make the final push for has had on the hospital. the 2018 Campaign by We heard the hospital making phone calls. staff speak about Zoe Volunteering in this Riekes’s influence on role is something Chuck making the children’s Lucoff embraces as a way play area happen, as well to give back: as Stacey Rockman’s con“This community has tribution to the “Friendly given our family so Room,” which provides much; I am passionate Chuck and Lisa Lucoff necessary services to vicabout both my family and this community, so co-chairing Super tims of sexual assault. It really hit home that Sunday makes sense,” he said. “Besides, it is we have a community to take pride in. It never too late to support the Jewish Com- had an impact on all trip participants and munity. A successful Campaign paves the made us even more proud to be from way for greater community engagement Omaha.”

See Super Sunday page 2 and support for and from all members.”

Mega Teen Trip page 6

Viewpoint Synagogues Life cycles

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SponSored by the benJAmin And AnnA e. WieSmAn FAmiLy endoWment Fund

Annette vAn de kAmp Editor, Jewish Press Anna Wiesman’s early volunteer work began with the Women’s League for Conservative Judaism at Beth El Synagogue. She held various offices, including president; she continued to become president of the Central Regional States Women’s League for Conservative Judaism. But that was not all she did.

Years ago, as a voracious reader, Anna Wiesman found it difficult to imagine not being able to read.

Add that trait to her volunteer work with “projects that helped people,” and you have discovered the drive behind the woman who led Omaha Volunteer Braille Services, Inc. She was president of the group and its driving force; she spent many years transcribing books into Braille, the language that permits blind people to read by passing their fingers over raised dots.

Much of OVBS, Inc.’s time was devoted to transcribing textbooks for blind children who were mainstreamed into classrooms with sighted children — as well as college students. In addition, a number of restaurants asked the group to create menus in Braille.

“Braille is kind of a shorthand,” Anna said. “There are many contractions and you have to learn the rules, because sometimes a contraction looks like a punctuation mark. You also need to learn the formats for poetry, tables, recipes, plays and general literature.”

Anna said years ago that the organization’s roots went back to 1955, when a call for help went out through the Women’s League for Conservative

Judaism in New York.

The Omaha Volunteer Braille group never charged for its work, but did accept donations. Contributors included the Omaha Community Foundation, the Robert D. Wilson and U.S. West Foundations in Omaha, the Theodore Baldwin Foundation in Kearney, NE, and the Nebraska Lions Foundation.

Requests for Braille transcription sometimes came from beyond the Midwest and included appeals for help from the National Braille Association in Rochester, NY, and the Jewish Braille Institute of America in New York City. For that last one, Anna Wiesman transcribed Kiddish Hashem:Jewish Religious and Cultural Life in Poland During the Holocaust by the late Rabbi Shimon Huberband. Anna Wiesman said it took approximately nine months to complete the 650-page book, which at the time was on 11 computer discs and had over 1,000 pages once transcribed into Braille.

She used to transcribe and proofread pages for three to four hours every day, six days a week. Volunteer Braille Services gave priority to requests from within Nebraska. Members assembled a calculus book for a student at Creighton University as well as textbooks for a school district in Virginia. Once completed, they See Anna Wiesman page 3

kASey de Goey Schwalb Center Staff Assistant How did Jewish women in the past, and in the present, experience life in the Midwest? Answering this question is difficult due to the limited amount of published material on the subject. To find and review unpublished historical sources, the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Schwalb Center for Israel & Jewish Studies is pleased to sponsor a course entitled Jewish Women in the Midwest taught by Jeannette Gabriel in the Summer of 2018.

Jeannette Gabriel

Students in the course will examine alternative primary sources to broaden the understanding of the Jewish immigrant experiences and highlight challenges Jewish women have faced. To quote Jeannette: “I am looking forward to bringing the momentum begun in the Jewish Women in Iowa Project to Omaha.

Women’s stories greatly enrich the historical record and help us tell a more complex history of our communities.”

The course is open to UNO Students and members of the community through UNO’s auditor and senior passport program. The Senior Passport Program is available to those 65 and older. For a fee of $25, Senior Passport Members may take up to two UNO undergraduate courses per semester with the instructor’s approval. To audit a course or to sign up for the Senior Passport Program, contact Patsy Stradling in the UNO Registrar’s Office at 402.554.3042 or by email at pstradling@unomaha.edu.

Registration forms may be picked up from Mark Kirchhoff at the Jewish Federation of Omaha Kripke Library.

The class will meet at the Jewish Community Center Library on Tuesday evenings beginning may 15 to Aug. 7 from 6–8:40 p.m. Registration begins march 5. We hope you will join us. As explained by Curtis Hutt, UNO’s Judaic Studies professor, “This course offers an opportunity for UNO students to form new relationships with the community and learn how similarities in immigrant experiences connect us all. Jeannette and her students will be collecting oral histories, from people who still remember. It doesn’t get any better than this.”

For more information about the Schwalb Center, please contact Kasey De Goey at unoschwalbcenter@unom aha.edu or 402.554.2788.

2 | The Jewish Press | February 23, 2018

community

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american perceptions of israel

MaRk kiRchhoff ceptions of Israel. dle East at the University of Nebraska Omaha Community Engagement and Education From Dec. 24, 2017-Jan. 6, 2017, 35 Jew- (UNO) will be the moderator for the evening. Dr. he In Moderation series continues ish teens from the area synagogues embarked McNamara teaches in the areas of internawith its second evening of dison a life-changing journey to Israel on the tional studies, conflict resolution, negotiation cussion and reflection on Tues“Mega Teen Trip to Israel.” Rabbi Steven and facilitation, sustainable development, soday, feb. 27 at 7 p.m. in the Abraham of Beth El Synagogue, Rabbi Ari cial entrepreneurship and civic leadership. He Social Hall of the Jewish ComDembitzer of Beth Israel Synagogue, Cantor received his Ph.D. from the School of Public Admunity Center. Recently, two separate groups Wendy Shermet of Temple Israel, and Nate ministration at UNO. On a more personal note – embarked on trips to Israel to experience the Shapiro of the Jewish Federation of Omaha his wife, Aviva, was part of the JWRP trip, and country, meet people, and avail themselves of (JFO) planned the trip and led the teens. The his daughter Ilana participated in the Teen trip. the opportunity to connect, or reconnect, with teens took full advantage of the opportunity The In Moderation series is sponsored their Judaism. The groups differed in age, life experiences, and most likely perceptions of the homeland of nearly 5 million Jews. This evening is for community members to get a glimpse into the personal experiences of these trip participants and perhaps gain a new perspective on the land of Israel.

From Nov. 26 through Dec. 6, 2017, twelve Omaha women and mothers participated in the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project (JWRP) trip to Israel. JWRP was formed in 2008 when eight Jewish women seeking to further empower and inspire Jewish women with the beauty of their Jewish heritage began a dialogue. From this dialogue, the central program compoTop: JWRP Trip, below: Mega Teen Trip Patrick McNamara, Ph.D. nent, MOMentum, an eight-day journey in Israel was established. MOMento share Israeli culture through home hospital- through the Phillip & Ethel Klutznik Chair at tumprovides an experience that connects par- ity and through the efforts of the PartnerCreighton University in partnership with the ticipants to the land, to Jewish values, and to ship2Gether Program and their experienced Jewish Federation of Omaha. The series is each other. This was the second year the adult leaders from Omaha in presenting Israel open to the public free of charge. ReservaJewish Federation of Omaha participated by in a way far more intimate than would be the tions are not required, but to assist with our recruiting a group; this year an entire day was case for the average tourist. Sharing their planning we request that you let us know added for the women to experience various perceptions of Israel from this trip and speak- that you are coming by phoning Mark at programs supported through the Partnering for themselves and as representative 402.334.6463 or emailing mkirchhoff@jew ship2Gether Program in the Western Galilee. members of the travelers will be Julia Raffel, ishomaha.org. Participants are encouraged For the JWRP portion, they joined with Josh Stein and Isabella Wright. to come ready to enjoy hearing about other women from around the country (and world – Patrick McNamara, Ph.D., Director of Interpeople’s perceptions of Israel and to reflect there was a group of Russian women on the national Studies, Interim Director of Internaon their own. Time will be allocated for questrip) to participate in both touring and learning tional Programs and Director of Schwalb tions. The final session in the series will be on sessions. Melissa Shapiro will share her perCenter for Israel, Jewish Studies and the MidMonday, March 26.

Super Sunday

continued from page 1 Super Sunday, a well-known event from years past, is an exciting opportunity to bring participation in the JFO Annual Campaign to the next level. With help from the Annual Campaign (that means all of us!), the Jewish Federation can impact not only the success of our community at home, but the wider Jewish world, both in the United States and abroad. Just imagine all the good we can do together.

“Many people in this community could say they relied on the Jewish Federation at some point in their lives,” Lisa added. “Maybe it was because they attended an event, participated in a Mission or sent their children to the CDC. Campaign contributions go towards all those things, as well as Jewish camp, leadership classes, BBYO conventions or scholarships., to name but a few. I am a big believer in giving back to an organization that has supported you in a variety of ways, not just based on need, but across the board.”

As a community, we are very fortunate we have a Childhood Development Center, a Musical Theater, dance class or Jewish Family Service. Imagine watching the news and seeing Jews elsewhere who need help, and knowing we all did our part to give a helping hand.

“I am passionate about this community,” Lisa said. “I am passionate about its well-being and I am passionate about how we will inspire the next generation to follow in our footsteps as we are following in the footsteps of those leaders who came before us.”

We should all feel that way. If and when your phone rings March 4, please answer the call and join Lisa, Chuck, Mindi and Dan in growing this community.

If you have not yet pledged your support to our Annual Campaign and you wish to do so now, please contact Steve Levinger, Chief Development Officer, at 402.334.6433 or slevinger@jewishomaha.org or Director of Development Nate Shapiro at 402.334.6440 or nshapiro@jewishomaha.org.

See full digital issues of the Jewish Press https://issuu.com/jewishpress7

The Jewish Press | February 23, 2018 | 3

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Anna Wiesman

Continued from page 1 were reproduced and sent to out-of-state locations as well.

Learning to transcribe in Braille takes about eight months, Anna said. Students learned to transcribe on a slate and stylus as well as on the Perkins Braille Writer, a machine that punches dots in the six positions that form Braille language. Nowadays, books are transcribed digitally, but the electric Brailler like the Perkins is still used for teaching.

Braille transcribers are certified by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. The National Library Service (NLS) is a free braille and talking book library service for people with temporary or permanent low vision, blindness, or a physical disability that prevents them from reading or holding the printed page. Through a national network of cooperating libraries, NLS circulates books and magazines in braille or audio formats, delivered by postage-free mail or instantly downloadable.

To become certified, each student must prepare a 35-page braille manuscript and proofread it. The manuscript is then sent to the Library of Congress to be proofread again and graded.

Those who score above a certain point level are certified.

After receiving basic literary certification, some of the volunteers went on to become certified in the more specialized Nemeth Code for Science and Math or the Braille Music Code. Once certified, the students were provided everything they needed to transcribe into Braille: a computer system, discs and paper. Cost of the program were considerable but were not shared by the volunteers. They of course donated their time as well.

Volunteer Braille Service used a Braille electronic embosser that could be hooked up to a computer to print the actual braille books and a Thermoform machine that copied books already in Braille.

A directory produced by the NLS lists volunteers who produce books in Braille, in audio or in large type throughout the United States. Any book that is produced in Braille is registered in a central catalogue at the American Printing House

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for the Blind in Louisville, KY. To avoid duplication, that group is also notified whenever transcription of a new book is underway.

“Not being able to read;” it covers so much more than having difficulty doing homework or taking tests. It is impossible to guess how many people have been impacted by the countless hours Anna Wiesman dedicated to their cause. Whether they are able to access textbooks at their school or university, reading a menu in a restaurant or accessing a favorite novel: they have Anna Wiesman and her volunteers to thank.

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4 | The Jewish Press | February 23, 2018

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calendar Friday, February 23 Beth El Cooks/Serves Lunch at NE AIDS Coalition, 11:30 a.m.

Star Deli, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH Scholar in Residence Shabbat Dinner, 6:45 p.m. at Beth Israel

Saturday, February 24 Doron Sheffer - Scholar in Residence, 9 a.m. at Beth Israel Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel Jr. Congregation, 10 a.m. at Beth El OTYG Meeting, noon at Temple Israel Adult Purim Bash: Not your Kids' Carnival!, 7 p.m. at Temple Israel Beth El Adult Purim Party, 7 p.m.

Sunday, February 25 BESTT Sunday School, 9:30 a.m. at Beth El Torah Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El Doron Sheffer - Basketball Clinic, 10 a.m. at Burke H.S. Religious School, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel Torah Tots, 10:30 a.m. at Beth El Temple Tots Sunday, 10:30 a.m. at Temple Israel TED Talk, 11 a.m. at Temple Israel Tri-Faith Committee Meeting, noon Performing Arts Academy, 2 p.m.

Musical Theater Rehearsals, 3 p.m.

Monday, February 26 Parsha Study with Shani, 9:30 a.m. at Chabad JFO Board Meeting, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH OTYG Prep Night, 5 p.m. at Temple Israel YJO Strategic Planning, 6 p.m.

Enchanted Circles, 6:30 p.m. at Beth El Exploring Judaism Class, 7 p.m. at RBJH tueSday, February 27 Ethical Life Class with Rabbi Abraham, noon at Whole Foods OTYG Prep Night, 5 p.m. at Temple Israel Adult Education Flashpoint Series, 7 p.m.

WedneSday, February 28 Mystical Thinking with Rabbi Katzman, 9:30 a.m. at Chabad Breadbreakers Luncheon and Speaker, noon at RBJH Risk Management Meeting, 2 p.m. at RBJH Religious School, 4 p.m. at Temple Israel Purim Carnival, 4 p.m. at Temple Israel Megillah Reading and Purim Carnival, 4:15 p.m. at Beth El Minyan and Megillah Reading, 5:30 p.m. at Beth El Megillah Reading, 6 p.m. at Beth Israel Purim Spiel and Service, 6 p.m. at Temple Israel Adult Education Class, 6:30 p.m. at Temple Israel Ice Cream Social, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel Wine and Spiritualism with Rabbi Ari, 7:45 p.m. at Beth Israel thurSday, March 1 Hebrew Class, 10 a.m. at RBJH Adult Study with the Clergy, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel Talmud Class, noon at Chabad Beth El Chesed Committee Visits Blumkin Home, 2 p.m.

Purim Dinner Celebration, 5 p.m. at Chabad ADL/NCJW Wine & Conversation Talk, 7 p.m.

Friday, March 2 CDC Purim Spiel, 8 a.m.

Family Shabbat or Havdallah, 8:30 a.m.

CDC Purim gathering, 10 a.m.

Shulchan Ivrit-Hebrew Table with Yoni, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH Star Deli, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH First Friday Shabbat and Oneg, 6 p.m. at Temple Israel Saturday, March 3 Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel Jr. Congregation, 10 a.m. at Beth El

Sunday, March 4 BESTT Sunday School, 9:30 a.m. at Beth El Torah Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El Religious School, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel Torah Tots, 10:30 a.m. at Beth El Super Sunday, noon OTYG Meeting, noon at Temple Israel Mainstreeters is going to see Parade, 2 p.m. at Omaha Community Playhouse Musical Theater Rehearsals, 3 p.m.

OTYG Spaghetti Dinner and Auction, 5 p.m. at Temple Israel

Monday, March 5 Parsha Study with Shani, 9:30 a.m. at Chabad Eye on Israel, noon Exploring Judaism Class, 7 p.m. at RBJH tueSday, March 6 IHE Essay Contest Judging, 5 p.m.

WedneSday, March 7 Mystical Thinking with Rabbi Katzman, 9:30 a.m. at Chabad Breadbreakers Luncheon and Speaker, noon at RBJH Rabbi's and Presidents Meeting, noon Religious School, 4 p.m. at Temple Israel BESTT Hebrew School, 4:15 p.m. at Beth El BESTT Hebrew High, 6:30 p.m. at Beth El Adult Education Class, 6:30 p.m. at Temple Israel Ethical Life with Rabbi Abraham, 7 p.m. at Beth El thurSday, March 8 Hebrew Class, 10 a.m. at RBJH Adult Study with the Clergy, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel Talmud Class, noon at Chabad Come Play Shanghai, 1 p.m. at Beth El SNOW DATE - IHE Essay Contest Judging, 5 p.m.

Friday, March 9 Star Deli, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH Temple Israel Shabbat Comes to You at Remington, 4 p.m.

Tot Shabbat with Nancy Rips, 6 p.m. at Beth El Saturday, March 10 Temple Tots Shabbat, 9 a.m. at Temple Israel Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel Jr. Congregation, 10 a.m. at Beth El

Sunday, March 11 BESTT Sunday School, 9:30 a.m. at Beth El Torah Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El Haggadah Class w/ Rabbi Ari, 10 a.m. at Beth Israel Temple Israel Book Club, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel Religious School, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel OTYG Board Meeting, noon at Temple Israel Refugee Program Honoring Gloria Kaslow, 1 p.m.

Musical Theater Rehearsals, 3 p.m.

Pump It Up Party for Friedel Kindergarten, 3:30 p.m. at 960 S 72nd St Monday, March 12 Parsha Study with Shani, 9:30 a.m. at Chabad IHE Governance Council Meeting, 11:30 a.m.

Jewish Press Board Meeting, 5:30 p.m.

Exploring Judaism Class, 7 p.m. at RBJH Friedel Jewish Academy Board Meeting, 7 p.m. at FJA

tueSday, March 13 Ethical Life Class with Rabbi Abraham, noon at Whole Foods Beth El Chesed Committee Visits Remington Heights, 2 p.m.

Adult Education Flashpoint Series, 7 p.m.

WedneSday, March 14 Mystical Thinking with Rabbi Katzman, 9:30 a.m. at Chabad Breadbreakers Luncheon and Speaker, noon at RBJH Jewish Omaha History Tour, 3 p.m.

Religious School, 4 p.m. at Temple Israel BESTT Hebrew School, 4:15 p.m. at Beth El BESTT Hebrew High, 6:30 p.m. at Beth El Training Company Concert Tech/Dress Rehearsal, 6 p.m.

Adult Education Class, 6:30 p.m. at Temple Israel Ethical Life with Rabbi Abraham, 7 p.m. at Beth El thurSday, March 15 Hebrew Class, 10 a.m. at RBJH Adult Study with the Clergy, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel Talmud Class, noon at Chabad Resident Council Meeting, 3 p.m. at RBJH Love Board Meeting, 7 p.m. at RBJH

Friday, March 16 School Directors Meeting, 9 a.m.

Star Deli, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH Scholar in Residence: Dr Gary Rendsburg, 6 p.m. at Beth El Matzah Ball Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. at Temple Israel

Saturday, March 17 Scholar in Residence: Dr Gary Rendsburg, 9 a.m. at Beth El Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel

Sunday, March 18 BESTT Sunday School, 9:30 a.m. at Beth El Torah Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El How to Make Pesach Kosher with Rabbi Ari, 10 a.m.

Torah Tots, 10:30 a.m. at Beth El Minor Prophets with Rabbi Abraham, 11 a.m.

Scholar in Residence: Dr Gary Rendsburg, 11 a.m. at Beth El Intergenerational Orchestra Concert, 2 p.m.

Musical Theater Rehearsals, 3 p.m.

Monday, March 19 Parsha Study with Shani, 9:30 a.m. at Chabad Exploring Judaism Class, 7 p.m. at RBJH

tueSday, March 20 Ethical Life Class with Rabbi Abraham, noon at Whole Foods Holocaust Survivor Testimony, 7 p.m. at Countryside Community Church Board of Trustees Meeting, 7 p.m. at Temple Israel

WedneSday, March 21 Mystical Thinking with Rabbi Katzman, 9:30 a.m. at Chabad Breadbreakers Luncheon and Speaker, noon at RBJH Beth El Chesed Committee Visits Sterling Ridge, 2 p.m.

BESTT Hebrew School, 4:15 p.m. at Beth El BESTT Hebrew High, 6:30 p.m. at Beth El Ethical Life with Rabbi Abraham, 7 p.m. at Beth El thurSday, March 22 Hebrew Class, 10 a.m. at RBJH Adult Study with the Clergy, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel Talmud Class, noon at Chabad Planning Committee, 4:30 p.m. at RBJH

Friday, March 23 Beth El Cooks/Serves Lunch at NE AIDS Coalition, 11:30 a.m.

Star Deli, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH Saturday, March 24 Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel Jr. Congregation, 10 a.m. at Beth El JCC Dance Party, 5:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 25 BESTT Sunday School, 9:30 a.m. at Beth El Torah Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El Religious School, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel Temple Tots Sunday, 10:30 a.m. at Temple Israel TED Talk, 11 a.m. at Temple Israel Musical Theater Rehearsals, 3 p.m.

Monday, March 26 Parsha Study with Shani, 9:30 a.m. at Chabad JFO Board Meeting, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH YJO Strategic Planning Meeting, 6 p.m.

Exploring Judaism Class, 7 p.m. at RBJH In Moderation series, 7 p.m. tueSday, March 27 Ethical Life Class with Rabbi Abraham, noon at Whole Foods

WedneSday, March 28 Mystical Thinking with Rabbi Katzman, 9:30 a.m. at Chabad Breadbreakers Luncheon and Speaker, noon at RBJH Religious School, 4 p.m. at Temple Israel BESTT Hebrew School, 4:15 p.m. at Beth El BESTT Hebrew High, 6:30 p.m. at Beth El Beth El Miriam Initiative - Learn to Knit, 6:30 p.m. at Personal Threads Boutique Adult Education Class, 6:30 p.m. at Temple Israel Ethical Life with Rabbi Abraham, 7 p.m. at Beth El thurSday, March 29 Hebrew Class, 10 a.m. at RBJH Adult Study with the Clergy, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel Talmud Class, noon at Chabad OTYG Lounge Night, 5 p.m. at Temple Israel Love & Logic Child Care, 6 p.m.

Round Table Discussion, 6 p.m.

Saturday, March 31 Second Night Seder festivities begin 5 p.m. at Beth El Passover Family Seder, 6 p.m. at Temple Israel Congregational Seder, 8 p.m. at Beth Israel

t

Central High students visit Temple Israel Cat King Director of Engagement and Communications, Temple Israel he sunlight streamed in through the windows of the sanctuary, causing some of the visitors to move seats. Rabbi Azriel moved his stool left of center to face his audience, a group of Central High School students enrolled in a comparative religion class. After a warm introduction from Mr. Gary Groff, their teacher and Rabbi’s good friend of many years, he spoke to the group about Temple Israel’s history, the TriFaith Initiative, Jewish holidays and how he came to be a rabbi. After describing his transition from Senior Rabbi to Rabbi Emeritus, explaining how he worked to realize the dream of this new temple and of Tri-Faith, he laughed and said, “I’m going to die exhausted.” Mentioning TriFaith, he waved his arm toward the window and motioned to the Tri-Faith campus and the church being built just outside. He talked about how significant this is, how it is happening nowhere else, and how hopeful he is that it will bring people together. “In a world that tries to separate people, we need to build a world that brings people together.”

Rabbi Azriel asked the class if they knew what Passover was all about. A student answered that it was the celebration of coming out of Egypt, escaping the plagues, Jews putting lambs’ blood on their door so that their house would be “passed over” for the final plague of the death of the firstborn child. Rabbi Azriel validated the answer and explained that we Jews have many dark events in our history and we feel a special responsibility to remember. It may seem counterintuitive to have a holiday that recounts such a struggle, but it reminds us of who we are. He spoke about the Exodus and asked the class why it took 40 years to reach the promised land of Canaan. “Only two people made it after 40 years of wandering, two! It takes three days on a camel, so why did it take 40 years? Because you can take Jews out of Egypt, but you can’t always take the Egypt out of Jews.” He added, “Sometimes when we make changes, we need to know that the journey is going to be hard.”

A question about the Hebrew lettering on the Bimah led to a discussion of the Shema prayer which led a student to ask if he is fluent in Hebrew. This led to a bit of personal

history and the story of a young Israeli man who dreamed of one day visiting Disneyland. He told the story of himself as that young man traveling to America to work at a Jewish camp in Wisconsin and taking a road trip to that Happiest Place on Earth, and then returning more than ten years later to become a rabbi. He encouraged the students to travel the world and learn other languages because “reading the translation of texts into your own language is like kissing your bride through the veil.” About halfway through, Rabbi Azriel said that he wasn’t disturbing the class enough, and he wanted more questions, tough ones.

He was asked if, growing up in Israel, he was ever exposed to Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He answered by describing the bomb shelter in the basement of his family’s apartment building and how they would cover the windows with black paper to block out the outgoing light in order to hide the building from bombs. He explained that every Jew in the world still has ashes from the Holocaust on their lips. He described his discomfort with the sounds of trains passing by a location that had been rejected as a possible location for the building of a new temple. The students made the connection. He challenged the class to think and ask and answer and explain. He did not shy away from difficult subjects such as a question about Jerusalem being considered the capital of Israel. “Do you know what’s wrong with occupation?” he asked. Without hesitation, he answered his own question, “It distorts and destroys the occupier,” and then asked them to consider how this compares to the occupation of Native Americans in our own land.

Rabbi Azriel honored these young minds by challenging them to think, but he also cheered their thoughtful answers and entertained them with jokes and personal anecdotes.

These 30-or-so teenagers were rapt with attention and fully engaged. Their questions and answers showed that they came to Temple Israel prepared, though they couldn’t have been prepared for the candor and wit of our Rabbi Emeritus.

But, as he said to them, “I have only a limited time to live, so why wouldn’t I speak my mind?” Here’s hoping they left with more knowledge of the Jewish faith and people, yes, and also more inclination to live their own unique lives as fully as Rabbi Azriel does.

Visit us at jewishomaha.org

The Jewish Press | February 23, 2018 | 5

community There is still time to apply

gabby blair Staff Writer, Jewish Press Procrastinators take heed! You have but one week left to submit financial assistance applications for the 2018-19 academic year.

Diane Stamp, JFO executive assistant, would like to remind those still considering applying for assistance that the March 1 deadline is quickly approaching and that no late applications will be accepted. “The Jewish Federation of Omaha does its best to consider requests of qualified applicants who wish to seek assistance for The Pennie Z. Davis Child Development Center, Friedel Jewish Academy, JCC Summer Day Camp, Jewish Residential Summer Camps, Israel programs, college, vocational and technical schools, and adult Jewish education classes. Our financial assistance process is 100% confidential and is designed to help as many people as possible in some way. After the March 1 deadline passes, the financial award committee begins the review process, taking into consideration the number of applicants, the amounts requested, and the amount available for dispersal. Applicants can expect to begin receiving award letters around April 1, 2018.”

Scholarship and grant applications can be found on the Jewish Federation of Omaha website at: http://www.jew ishomaha.org/education/scholarships-and-grants/.

Completed financial assistance packets and supporting documentation should be sealed in a manila envelope, marked “Scholarship information; confidential” and can be mailed or dropped off at the JCC main desk, Member Services, Jewish Federation offices or at Jewish Family Services.

All decisions made on Financial Assistance awards are final and there is no appeal process. Questions? Please contact Diane Stamp, JFO Executive Assistant at 402.334.6407 or dstamp@jewishomaha.org.

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6 | The Jewish Press | February 23, 2018

community mega Teen Trip: Amanda Simon

The Omaha Teen Trip to Israel is a collaborative project led by the Jewish Federation of Omaha, Beth El Synagogue, Temple Israel, and Beth Israel Synagogue. The purpose of the mission is to bring Jewish Omaha Teens to Israel to experience the Jewish Homeland, connect with Israelis and connect with each other. As a way of saying “thank you” to the community, the teens are writing about their experiences and sharing them with the community via The Jewish Press throughout the year.

In addition to being led and financially supported by each Omaha Synagogue and the Jewish Federation of Omaha, The 20172018 Teen Trip was supported in part by The Herbert Goldsten Trust, the Phillip & Terri Schrager Supporting Foundation, the Lois Jeanne Schrager Memorial Fund, the Carl L. Frohm Educational Custodial Fund, the Milton S. & Corrine N. Livingston Foundation Fund, the Shirley & Leonard Goldstein Supporting Foundation, and the JFO Foundation Special Donor Advised Funds. Thank you to all who supported this effort.

i

AmAndA Simon srael has always been a place that I have wanted to travel to, but I never thought I would get such an amazing opportunity. All my friends were going and talking about their trips, but I never really knew how amazing Israel is. When I found out about this trip I was ecstatic. I would be able to go to my dream destination, with some of my closest friends, and also meet and become closer with new teens from our area. I want to thank The Jewish Federation and the community for the chance to go on the trip. It is something that I will never forget.

There were so many things I loved about this trip, it will be hard to just say a few of my favorite parts. My all-time favorite thing that we did was when we went up North and went to a ropes course. This was the first official day of the trip, so this activity was helpful for us all to get to know each other and bond. We also did team-building activities which was a way for us to learn that we all need to work together to get things done. That same day we also went on a jeep tour up North. We got to see the different landscapes of Israel and just have fun riding around taking in the sights. This was my all-time favorite day of the trip.

Also, an impactful day of this trip was when we went to the

Western Wall. The chaperones told us to put on a blindfold when we arrived, and we all had no clue why. We were led to the wall blindfolded, and when we took them off, the wall before us was breathtaking. It was a beautiful sight and looked exactly like I thought it would. To be able to see and touch the wall in person was life changing. I will never forget the moment that I got to put my note in the wall and just pray to myself and think about how grateful I am that I got to experience this. We also went on a tour under the Western Wall, which was very interesting. We walked through underground tunnels as the guide explained the importance of the area.

One other thing I enjoyed was when we went to the Bedouin Village. It was so cool to see their way of life and the things they do. We went to a tent and learn all about entering a tent and the things they do when visitors come. We also had the chance to try tea and coffee that they give out to the visitors. Later on, we experienced a typical Bedouin dinner. This food was far different than our American meal, but it was very delicious. I could not wait to ride a camel. I have always wanted to do this and it was really fun and a little bit scary.

The trip meant so much to me. It made me realize just how See mega Teen Trip page 8

Purim in the Holy Land in Omaha

ShAni KATzmAn Education Director, Chabad Center Chabad Center is being transformed into the streets of the Holy Land for Chabad’s annual Purim celebration, Purim in Israel on Thursday, march 1, from 5-7 p.m. The event will feature replicas of the Western Wall, a classic Israeli shuk (marketplace) and other Israeli mainstays. You will be in Omaha, technically. But you’ll be feeling Israel.

Every year, we at Chabad use a different creative theme for the festival. In the past, the community enjoyed Purim in the Shtetl, Purim under the Sea and Purim in Persia.The creative themes offer the entire community — men, women, boys and girls — a chance to celebrate the holiday and keep all of its traditions in a fun, jovial atmosphere. As always, the party will include the four Mitzvahs of the day; a megillah reading, exchanging food gifts, donating to the poor, and enjoying a celebratory feast.

“It’s always a blast at the Chabad bash,” says Tippi Denenberg.

“The kids especially enjoy coming along, eager to experience an adventurous Purim in a “special, fun place.

“It’s not just the space that’s transformed — it allows you to relax and immerse yourself into the celebration. It’s also an opportunity to think more deeply about what Purim means to us today.”

Purim revelry and celebration can mask (pun intended) the great significance and sanctity of the day. Purim taps into our consciousness and unleashes the awesome power of the Jewish soul and its unbreakable bond with G-d and fellow Jews.

“It’s serious stuff! It’s happy and compelling.”

Contemporary Israeli cuisine will be served along with traditional Purim treats like hamantashen. The menu includes falafel, hummus, chatzilim, halva, bourekas, pita and other Mediterranean dishes.

Members of Chabad’s Life and Legacy Circle will be honored at this event. Rabbi Katzman says: “The legacy of Esther and Mordechai, their dedication to Jewish continuity and commitment ties in with continuity in our community. We must take the vision and examples of Esther and Mordechai to ensure our Jewish tomorrow.

It’s an appropriate time to pay tribute to the Life and Legacy members.”

If you’d like to be part of the set-up, call 402.330.1800. The event is open to the community and will be held at Chabad, 1866 S 120th St, Thursday, march 1 at 5-7 p.m. RSVP at www.ochabad.com/rsvp.

The Jewish Press | February 23, 2018 | 7

Making Omaha home: Over 150 years of welcoming newcomers

MarK KirchhOff She told of her excitement when she saw GloCommunity Engagement and Education ria at the bottom of the escalator waving an On Sunday, March 11 from 1-3 p.m. in the American flag when this young 16-year-old JCC Auditorium, the Omaha Jewish commu- girl first arrived at Eppley airfield in 1990. Glonity will toast Gloria Kaslow by focusing on a ria continued by teaching her English, taking subject near and dear to her heart: welcoming her shopping, introducing her to other kids, newcomers to the Omaha community. The af- introducing her to movies, plays, and the muternoon will feature presentations on five major seum – and being a loving friend and caregiver waves of immigration/ resettleas this young girl grew into ment in which the Omaha Jewbeing an American. Gloria has ish community has played a continued with that same unvital role. Included will be pretiring effort in being a part of sentations regarding pre-WWI Beth El’s assisting with the re(1860’s), pre-WWII (1930’s), settlement of a Syrian refugee post-WWII (Holocaust surfamily over the past two years. vivors), Russian resettlement It is fitting that the community (1990s), and present-day resetrecognize Gloria for her labors tlement (Syrian refugees). Masof love with the immigrant ter storyteller Rita Paskowitz population as she exemplifies will share her talent in making the commitment of Jews to the day especially educational welcoming strangers.

Gloria Kaslow and entertaining. Master of Making Omaha Home: Over Ceremonies for the event will be Rabbi Steven 150 Years of Welcoming Newcomers is made Abraham of Beth El Synagogue. possible through the support of the Jewish Gloria Kaslow’s positive impact and contri- Federation of Omaha Foundation’s Klutznick/ bution to the Omaha Jewish community stand Creighton Custodial Fund and the Jewish Fedas testimony to tikkun olam - healing the eration of Omaha. The Klutznick Chair in Jewworld. Whether it be through her teaching ish Civilization at Creighton University was Hebrew school at Beth El Synagogue, her un- established by Mr. and Mrs. Philip M. and tiring work with the Institute for Holocaust Ethel Klutznick in 1988. Its purpose is to proEducation, or her dedication to the work of vide an outstanding program in Jewish civilizaJewish Family Service, her energy and talents tion with educational and cultural enrichment have been transformative. When Gloria re- for Omaha’s Jewish community. Mr. Klutznick ceived the Woman of the Century honor from died in 1999; his generous legacy continues in JFS in 2011 she summed up the essence of her the activities of the Chair, its annual sympowork with one word, “family – mishpacha.” sium, and other activities in the community.

When it came to assisting immigrants coming The event is open to the community free of to Omaha, Gloria’s commitment to mishpacha charge. Your RSVP is kindly requested. To do was the principle that drove her acts of love. so and for further information, please contact This commitment is exemplified by a Russian Mark Kirchhoff at mkirchhoff@jewishom immigrant who spoke at the 2011 celebration. aha.org or 402.334.6463.

Passover at Tifereth Israel Tifereth Israel is gearing up for its two communal seders to be held this year. The first, to be held on March 30 at 6 p.m., will be a seder for all ages, utilizing a traditional haggadah to retell the story of the Exodus from Egypt. The second, to be held on March 31 at 6 p.m., will have a more experiential approach utilizing a haggadah written by Nancy Coren which is appropriate for extended families with children ages 0-14.

In accordance with our Tifereth Israel tradition of

providing seders for those who want to spend time with our congregational family, there is no charge for either seder, both of which include a festive kosher l'Pesach meal. Of course, those who desire to make a donation to the Lay Leader Discretionary Fund to help defray costs are welcome to do so.

To RSVP, please call the office at 402.423.8569

by March 16 or email ncoren@tiferethisraellinc oln.org.

James and the Giant Peach, the story of magic and adventure in a family-friendly musical, will run March 2-25 in Omaha Community Playhouse’s Hawks Mainstage Theatre. It is a brand-new musical guaranteed to mesmerize theatregoers of all ages. A compelling story by beloved author Roald Dahl (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda) and music composed by the award-winning team of Pasek & Paul (La La Land, A Christmas Story, television’s Smash), a young orphan named James accidentally drops magic crystals by an old peach tree. Strange things start to happen and James soon discovers a world of magic and adventure full of friendly insects and learns that love and family can be found in unexpected places.

James and the Giant Peach was the first of Roald Dahl’s well-known children’s stories that he completed. It was first published in 1961, and tells the story of James Henry Trotter and his horrible aunts - and how some magic seeds, a peach

tree and a collection of interesting insects conspire to change his life. Featuring a wickedly tuneful score by the Tony Award-nominated team of Pasek and Paul (Dogfight and A Christmas Story the Musical) and a quirky book by Timothy Allen McDonald (Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka, The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley), James and the Giant Peach is a “masterpeach!”

Tickets are available now at the OCP Box Office, by calling 402.553.0800 or online at www.OmahaPlayhouse.com or www.TicketOmaha.com. Single tickets start at $24 (Wednesdays) and start at $32 (Thursdays – Sundays) for adults and student tickets start at $18 (Wednesdays) and start at $20 (Thursdays – Sundays). Tickets for groups of 12 or more start at $22 for adults and start at $14 for students.

Ticket prices are subject to change based on performance date, seat location and ticket demand.

Call the OCP box office for current prices.

The Omaha community Playhouse to feature James and the Giant Peach

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Susan Bernard

402.334.6559 | sbernard@jewishomaha.org

Mega Teen Trip 8 | The Jewish Press | February 23, 2018

Continued from page 6 much I love being Jewish and helped me learn more about myself as a Jew and as a person. The second I walked into Israel, it already felt like home. I always felt so connected to everything around me and really just enjoyed every minute of the trip. This was one of the best experiences of my life, and I cannot wait to go back someday. This trip helped me learn about who I was as a Jewish person and how much Judaism means to me.

All the things we did made me think about my identity and made me want to learn more and really just be proud that I am Jewish.

This trip will affect my future in many ways.

First of all, it has made me want to go back to Israel; it is like a second home to me, and I was

always so happy when I was there. Also, I will take the things I learned here about the country and about myself and carry them along with me forever. These things can help me whether I’m at school or just in my daily life.

Everyone should take the chance if they have it to go to Israel. It is an experience of a lifetime. I believe I will use everything I learned about on this trip in my future, and I cannot even express how thankful I am that I got to go to Israel. Once again I want to thank everyone who made it possible for me to go on this trip. Special thanks to Nate Shapiro of the Jewish Federation, Rabbi Steven Abraham, Cantor Wendy Shermet and Rabbi Ari Dembitzer who were our fearless chaperones. This trip was truly one that I will never forget.

Word/Play is the first major exhibition to feature internationally-renowned artist Ed Ruscha in his home state of Nebraska. Born in Omaha in 1937, Ruscha lived in the city for several years before his family moved to Oklahoma City. In 1956, he relocated to Los Angeles to study commercial art at the Chouinard Art Institute (now called CalArts), and quickly became a fixture in the highly energized West Coast art scene. Word/Play traces some of the most important developments in Ruscha’s career over the last sixty years, bringing together prints, photographs, and artist books dating from the 1960s through 2015, accompanied by a selection of major paintings.

Mining Ruscha’s incisive reading of the physical and social landscapes of Southern California and the American West, the exhibition highlights his capacity to ennoble the mundane and cleverly transform it into the extraordinary. Central to this theme is the artist’s rigorous engagement with language. An important early figure in Conceptual

Art, Ruscha demonstrated a talent for deftly combining imagery and text during his student years.

At turns poignant, provocative, humorous, and confounding, Ruscha’s use of the written word has remained a signature element of his work throughout his career.

An exhibition mobile tour is offered in English and Spanish on visitors’ own web-enabled mobile devices. The 4th Annual Graham and Sally Lusk Lecture on Thursday, april 5 at 6:30 p.m. celebrates the exhibition. Guest speaker Christopher Knight, art critic for the Los Angeles Times, will speak about Ruscha’s use of language in his art.

Visit www.joslyn.org for more exhibition related events and programs.

Word/Play is a ticketed exhibition, on view at Joslyn through Sunday, May 6. Tickets: Joslyn members and youth ages 17 and younger free; general public adults $10, college students $5 (UNMC students free; all college students free Feb. 24 and 25).

Word/Play at Joslyn

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WORD/PLAY Prints, Photographs, and Paintings

by Ed Ruscha NOW THROUGH MAY 6, 2018 Presenting Sponsor:

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Annette and Paul Smith

Contributing Sponsors:

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Supporting Sponsors:

Carol and Steven Bloch Rae and Bill Dyer Kathy and Marc LeBaron The Moglia Family Foundation Lisa and Tom Smith

Word/Play is the first major exhibition to feature internationally-renowned artist Ed Ruscha in his home state of Nebraska. Prints, photographs, and artist books from the 1960s through 2015 are complemented by a selection of major paintings. Explore Ruscha’s deft talent for combining imagery and text, his incisive reading of the landscapes of the American West, and his ongoing commitment to transforming the mundane into the extraordinary.

joslynartmuseum

Additional support provided by Karen and James Linder

IMAGE: Ed Ruscha (American, b. 1937), Periods, 2013, lithograph, 31 5/8 x 30 1/2 in. (framed), Edition of 60, Courtesy of the artist and Gagosian, © Ed Ruscha

2200 Dodge St. | Omaha, NE 68102 | (402) 342-3300 | www.joslyn.org

It’s Shabbat Across America at Beth Israel Mary Sue GroSSMan Executive Director Friday evening, March 9, Beth Israel Synagogue will host SHABBAT ACROSS AMERICA, a program of the NJOP, the National Jewish Outreach Program. First conceived and implemented at Lincoln Square Synagogue in 1980, the goal of this annual program is to encourage Jews from all walks of life, affiliated and unaffiliated, young and old, to enjoy a Shabbat experience.

What better way to give such an experience than through a warm and welcoming Shabbat dinner?

NJOP organizers hope that SHABBAT ACROSS AMERICA, the most ambitious project of the organization, will “usher in a joyous era of Jewish return that will capture the hearts and imaginations of the Jewish people, so that all Jews will embrace the beauty of Shabbat.” They describe SHABBAT ACROSS AMERICA as their “love bouquet to every Jew.” “I am excited that we are hosting SHABBAT ACROSS AMERICA,” shares Rabbi Ari Dembitzer. “A real focus of the evening will be reaching out to those who seldom, if ever, enjoy a Shabbat experience. Shabbat is a won-

derful gift given to Jews by G-d and one which so many people don’t know about. Our goal for the evening is to have many new faces in attendance, along with our many regulars. Hopefully the experience of the evening will give the newcomers a start toward a journey to reconnect with his/her Judaism.”

The evening will begin with Mincha beginning at 6 p.m. and dinner immediately afterwards at approximately 6:45 p.m. Each table will have a host, and Rabbi Ari will provide descriptions throughout the evening and questions will be encouraged. Before dessert is served, Rabbi Ari will give a class talking about the beauty of Shabbat.

The menu will include challah, salad, chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, vegetables, desserts, and beverages. The cost is $12 per person, $6 for ages 3-12, and free for those under 3. A vegetarian option is also available. Reservations, which are needed by Monday, March 5, can be made online at orthodoxomaha.org or by calling the synagogue office at 402.556.6288. For additional information on NJOP or to find locations for SHABBAT ACROSS AMERICA in other cities, visit njop.org.

The Jewish Press | February 23, 2018 | 9

viewpoint thejewishpress

(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 Gabby Blair Staff Writer Thierry ndjike Accounting Jewish Press Board Eric Dunning, President; Andy Ruback, Past-President; Sandy Friedman, Treasurer; Alex Grossman; Jill Idelman; Andy Isaacson, Mike Kaufman; David Kotok; Debbie Kricsfeld; Abby Kutler; Pam Monsky; Eric Shapiro and Barry Zoob.

The mission of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to build and sustain a strong and vibrant Omaha Jewish Community and to support Jews in Israel and around the world. Agencies of the Federation are: Community Relations Committee, Jewish Community Center, Center for Jewish LIfe, Jewish Social Services, and the Jewish Press.

Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page stories and announcements, can be found online at: wwwjewishomaha.org; click on ‘Jewish Press.’

Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole. The Jewish Press reserves the right to edit signed letters and articles for space and content.

The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment. editorial The Jewish Press is an agency of the Jewish Federation of Omaha.

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

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

Letters should be no longer than 250 words and must be single-spaced typed, not hand-written. Published letters should be confined to opinions and comments on articles or events. News items should not be submitted and printed as a “Letter to the Editor.” The Editor may edit letters for content and space restrictions. Letters may be published without giving an opposing view.

Information shall be verified before printing. All letters must be signed by the writer, 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.

american Jewish Press association award Winner

nebraska Press as- national newspaper sociation association award winner 2008

i

an honor just to be nominated?

anneTTe van De KaMP Editor, Jewish Press t’s instantaneous: talk about the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement and you have me on the defensive. I lose my ability to reason calmly and rationally; all I want to do is roll my eyes and bring out a hefty dose of snark. The righteous indignation peppered with illogical and ignorant anti-Israel arguments makes my blood boil.

Norwegian Parliament member Bjornar Moxnes recently nominated the BDS movement for the Nobel Peace Prize: “The BDS movement is a legitimate, peaceful, nonviolent movement trying to push the Israeli government to abide by international law, and trying to struggle for a peaceful resolution in Palestine and the Middle East,” he said. He added his position is “completely free of antiSemitism.”

Sure it is.

I have two sets of questions.

If, for starters, there is no anti-Semitism, will BDS finally acknowledge that the Israel boycott is singleminded? If Israel is indeed such an atrocious regime, are they also addressing the Palestinian refugee situation in Jordan, are they addressing Myanmar, Russia, North Korea, Sudan or Turkey? What about Hamas, Hezbollah or the Taliban? Or China’s crackdown against Human Rights lawyers? Have you taken a close look at Egypt recently?

If you want more examples of human rights violations, I can fill this page- just let me know.

Second, how peaceful is this movement anyway? Nonviolence is more than refusing to throw rocks. It also involves peaceful language, and in that department, BDS certainly doesn’t fit the bill. Calling the government of Israel “Right-wing extremist,” for instance, does nothing to

create peaceful dialogue. Stating that the boycott isn’t against the people, but only against the government of Israel, is naive.

A true boycott doesn’t mean you stop buying Sabra hummus or refuse to shop at Trader Joe’s. It means you

Bjornan Moxnes Credit: JTA / Wikimedia Commons

throw away your USB sticks, don’t ever drive a BMW, or a Volkswagen, or a Ford (and you can’t take an Uber either) and pray you never need an endoscopy or spinal surgery.

Want to fly somewhere? Better hope your airport doesn’t use WeCU to keep you safe—but it probably does. You can’t use Google or any Microsoft systems, forget about Apple, you can’t print anything directly from your computer, you can’t have a mobile phone or a Kindle and there will be no more anti-virus software or firewalls. No voicemail, no electronic cars. Let’s hope you never need treat-

ment for Parkinson’s disease or heart surgery. Need to inject Insulin? Forget about it. Also, you’ll have to un-hear all those Kiss songs you’ve listened to. Guitarist Gene Simmons was born in Haifa. And by the way, if you find any cherry tomatoes in your salad, spit them out right now. They, too, are an Israeli invention.

The BDS movement isn’t really about avoiding all these Israeli products and inventions, is it? If it were, its proponents would end up living isolated in the woods like Ted Kaczynski. What it is about: changing the narrative, affecting the tone of the debate by painting Israel as the bad guy—and making it harder and harder for people to defend it. Black and white, repeat words like “apartheid” and “occupation” often enough and they will stick. This is a P.R. war, a war of words; it is not peaceful, nor is it effective. Because at the end of the day, it doesn’t actually bring peace and it doesn’t actually help anybody in Gaza or in the West Bank. Also, it’s super nice to sit there high and dry in Norway (or anywhere else, for that matter) and run your mouth, but what do you actually accomplish?

You know what does make a difference? Cultural exchanges between different segments of the population.

Artists working together, musicians playing together, Arabs and Jews and Druze and Christians going to school together. Meeting face-to-face, growing in tandem, maintaining a dialogue. All those things that are affected by cultural and educational boycotts. Do things need to change for the better in Israel? Absolutely. But when they do, it will be in spite of do-gooders like Mr. Moxnes, not because of them.

How Israel’s BDS blacklist falls short of its own goals YehuDa KuRTzeR NEW YORK | JTA The recent decision by the Israeli government both to produce a “blacklist” of organizations that support BDS in order to prevent their leaders’ entry to Israel, as well as to share this blacklist with the media, is difficult to understand – both as a strategy meant to combat these groups and their methods, as well as in the context of the broad ideological and political agenda of Zionism.

On one level, the instinct to see at least some of these organizations as absolute enemies of Israel – and accordingly to bar entry by their leaders – is real and justifiable. The European organizations that support the the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel, for instance, display no sympathy for Israel nor the challenges it confronts, and operate combatively in cultural climates already inhospitable to the State of Israel and in many cases to Jews.

In America, Jewish Voice for Peace badly jeopardized its standing even among individuals broadly sympathetic to their anti-occupation agenda when it honored Rasmea Odeh, who was convicted by Israel of murdering civilians in a terror act even as she – and JVP – contests the legitimacy of the conviction.

Countries are not obligated to permit entry to outsiders; countries engaged in hostilities are certainly not obligated to permit entry to outsiders who deny their fundamental legitimacy and implicitly or explicitly support violent resistance against it. I believe in a big tent for Zionism, but that doesn’t mean the tent should have no boundaries; and for me, the JVP’s gaslighting of terror against civilians is a clear indicator of having left the consensus.

But the question of the legitimacy of the blacklist is different from the question of its prudency, and here I believe the State of Israel has gone off course.

There is likely no better boon to a marginal movement than the kind of publicity that Israel is now offering the BDS movement. There is ample data on the movement’s failures and weakness, especially in America: Their campaigns on college campuses make a lot of noise but have yet to score

any meaningful victories; no major corporations have shown signs or interest in divestment; and Israel still enjoys a broad bipartisan consensus among elected officials and the electorate.

Nonetheless, the Jewish community and the Jewish state amplify the movement’s significance with the disproportionate allocation of resources to combat it, and especially with public action that turns BDS activists into martyrs for free speech and democracy even though they themselves en-

israel could ban the leaders of certain organizations from entering the country.

Credit: Paul Hudson/Flickr Commons dorse policies that run afoul of those values.

The decision to make the blacklist public is especially problematic: Israel could, more easily, publicly ignore the BDS movement and quietly turn away activists at the border. The blacklist approach, in contrast, galvanizes support for a polarizing movement from people who don’t even support its goals. It turns BDS into a symbol for a set of ideas — free speech and democracy — that its leaders don’t endorse themselves.

Beyond the simple issue of strategy is a question of the larger impact of this policy on the Zionist and pro-Israel camp in America. This policy – meant to protect Israel and ensure its future – closes even more figurative doors to Israel than the literal ones it is policing, and runs the risk of alienating many ambivalent sympathizers.

The condition that precipitates this policy – Israel’s growing isolation – requires an approach that doesn’t reinforce the impression that a politically

recalcitrant Israel is perpetuating the conflict. Such an approach would counter the image that Israel fears dissent, and instead promotes an image of Israel’s democratic vibrancy. Most American Jews are predisposed to support Israel and give its democracy the benefit of the doubt. But when they see a strong state seeking to suppress a weak protest movement — rather than trying to defeat it in the marketplace of ideas — loyalty to Israel becomes a more tenuous proposition.

In this climate, narrowing the kinds of ideas permissible in a democracy make enemies out of those who would be friends. Israel is better served by giving off an impression that it can tolerate a wide spectrum of ways in which people can be in relationship to it rather than by insisting in dividing neatly between absolute friends and absolute enemies.

The worst thing that Israel can do to combat its growing isolation is to entrench itself further – whether in policies that invite opprobrium or reinforce its critics. Issues of dissent, protest and loyalty are weighty for any democracy, but it seems they are being handled precipitously – with less damage being done to the BDS movement than to the image of Israel and the stories it seeks to tell about itself.

The government of Israel can win the battle for the legitimacy of its democracy and for its identity in the marketplace of nations, ideas and identities.

But it cannot do so when it undermines the fabric of its own claims in the short-term pursuit of domestic political gain.

Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer is president of the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America.

To suBMiT announceMenTs

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

Readers can also submit announcements -- births, b’nai mitzvahs, engagements, marriages, commitment ceremonies or obituaries -- online at the Jewish Federation of Omaha website: www.jewishomaha.org. Click on “Jewish Press” and go to Submit Announcements.

10 | The Jewish Press | February 23, 2018

synagogues B’naI Israel synagogue

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

BeTh el synagogue

Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California Street Omaha, NE 68154-1980 402.492.8550 bethel-omaha.org

BeTh Israel synagogue

Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street Omaha, NE. 68154 402.556.6288 BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org

ChaBad house

An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street Omaha, NE 68144-1646 402.330.1800 OChabad.com email: chabad@aol.com

CongregaTIon B’naI Jeshurun

South Street Temple Union for Reform Judaism 2061 South 20th Street Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org

offuTT aIr forCe Base

Capehart Chapel 2500 Capehart Road Offutt AFB, NE 68123 402.294.6244 email: oafbjsll@icloud.com

rose BlumkIn JewIsh home

323 South 132 Street Omaha, NE 68154

Temple Israel

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

TIfereTh Israel

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

B’naI Israel synagogue

Please join us for our upcoming event: Join us for our monthly Shabbat Speakers Series on march 9, at 7:30 p.m. with guest speaker Ruth Meints, Executive Director of the The Omaha Conservatory of Music.

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

For information on our historic synagogue, please contact any of our board members: Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Carole Lainof, Marty Ricks, Sissy Silber, Nancy Wolf and Phil Wolf.

BeTh el synagogue

Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman. frIday: Nebraska AIDS Luncheon, 11:30 a.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. saTurday: Minyan in the Round, 9:30 a.m.; Junior Congregation, Grades 3-7, 10 a.m.; Mini-Minyannaires, 10:45 a.m.; Mincha-Ma’ariv, 6 p.m.; Adult Purim with Big City Hunt, 7 p.m. weekday serVICes: Sundays, 9:30 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. sunday: BESTT Classes, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10 a.m.; Torah Tots, 10:30 a.m.; USY/Kadima Purim Prep, noon. monday: Enchanted Circles with Dr. Liora (Lou) Lukas, 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday: The Ethical Life with Rabbi Abraham, noon at Whole Foods; USY Kadima Purim Carnival set-up, 5:15 p.m. wednesday: USY Kadima Purim Carnival, 4:15 p.m.; No BESTT Classes; Megillah Reading, 6 p.m.; No Hebrew High.

Thursday: Chesed Committee visits Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, 2 p.m.; Hebrew Reading in your Pajamas, 8 p.m.

For access to this online class, email Hazzan Krausman at haz zankrausman@bethel-omaha.org.

USY Kadima Shabbat, saturday, march 3, 10 a.m.

All classes and programs are open to everyone in the Jewish community.

BeTh Israel synagogue

Services conducted by Rabbi Ari Dembitzer. frIday: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Candle Lighting and Mincha, 5:50 p.m.; Scholar-in-Residence Shabbat Dinner, 6:45 p.m. saTurday: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Doron Sheffer-Scholar-inResidence, 9 a.m.; Scholar-in-Residence Kiddush Lunch, 11:30 a.m.; Insights into the Weekly Torah, 4:50 p.m.; Mincha/Seudah Shlishit, 5:35 p.m.; Havdalah, 6:51 p.m. sunday: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Purim - The Highest High Holiday, The Holiest day of the Year, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Doron Sheffer Basketball Clinic, 10:30 a.m. at Burke High School. monday: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; The Secrets of the Fast of Esther, noon with Rabbi Shlomo.

Tuesday: Shacharit, 7 a.m. wednesday: Fast of Esther begins, 5:48 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha, 6 p.m.; Megillah Reading, 6:55 p.m. followed by Ice Cream Social.

Thursday: Shacharit, 6:45 a.m.; Megillah Reading, 7:30 a.m.; Connecting to Our Faith — The Works of Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Megillah Reading, 10:30 a.m. at RBJH; Megillah Reading, 2 p.m. at Sterling Ridge; Mincha, 5 p.m.; Final Megillah Reading, 5:15 p.m.; Purim Seudah, entertainment and Purim costume contest, 5:45 p.m.

Office hours: Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and Friday,

ChaBad house

8 a.m.-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. frIday: Shacharit, 7 a.m. followed by coffee, treats, study and shmoozing. saTurday: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. weekdays: Shacharit, 7 a.m. followed by coffee, treats, study and shmoozing. monday: Personal Parsha class, 9:30 a.m. with Shani.

All programs are open to the entire community.

Services conducted by Rabbi Teri Appleby.

CongregaTIon B’naI Jeshurun

frIday: Candlelighting, 5:53 p.m.; Shabbat Evening Service, 6:30 p.m.; Oneg, 7:30 p.m.

saTurday: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study on Parashat Tetzaveh, 10:30 a.m.; Havdalah (72 minutes), 7:24 p.m. sunday: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.; LJCS Gesher, 10 a.m.; Beginning Adult Hebrew, 11:30 a.m.; Purim Spiel Rehearsal, 1 p.m.; Board of Trustees Meeting, 1:30 p.m.; Come learn and play Pickleball, 7-9 p.m. All equipment furnished. Wear comfortable clothing. For questions, call or text Miriam Wallick at miriam57@aol.com. wednesday: No LJCS Hebrew School Classes.

Hamantaschen, face-painting, song and dance! Celebrate Purim, sunday, march 4 beginning at 1:30 p.m.

LJCS CAMP ISRAEL is gearing up for another great twosession July 9–July 20, 2018. Make plans for your child to attend this summer.

It's not too soon to be thinking about summer camp! All Federation families are eligible for Camp Incentive Grants of $300 per camper to pay the initial camp registration deposit. frIday: Services, 7:30 p.m. every first and third of the

offuTT aIr forCe Base

month. saTurday: Services, 9:15 a.m. led by Alan Shulewitz.

rose BlumkIn JewIsh home

Services will be held in the Chapel. Members of the community are invited to attend. frIday: Shabbat Service, 6 p.m.

Temple Israel

saTurday: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Service, 10:30 a.m.; OTYG Meeting, noon; Adult Purim Bash: Not Your Kids’ Carnival!, 7 p.m. RSVP required. sunday: Kids’ Choir, 9:30 a.m. All children in grades 25 are welcome to join Temple Israel’s Kids’ Choir. Contact Cantor Shermet for more information; Grades PreK-6, 10 a.m.; Temple TED Talk, 10:30 a.m.; Tri-Faith Committee Meeting, noon. wednesday: Temple Israel’s Purim Carnival, 4 p.m.; Purim Spiel, 6 p.m.

Thursday: Jewish Heroes, Heroines, and Personalities: Joseph, Moses, and David, 10 a.m. taught by Dr. Ari Kohen, Professor of Social Justice, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

First Friday Shabbat Service, friday, march 2, 6 p.m.

We celebrate the birthdays and anniversaries of the month, and our First Friday Band makes the upbeat Shabbat service extra special. Then, after services, we gather for a big Shabbat dinner together. Cost is $5/person, max of $20 per family. Please RSVP to Temple Israel, 402.556.6536, by wednesday, feb. 28.

Out of This World with OTYG: OTYG Spaghetti Dinner and Auction, wednesday, feb. 28, 4 p.m. Join us in celebration of our Temple Israel youth at the Spaghetti Dinner and Auction! There will be great food, amazing live and silent auction items, and friends and family to share this wonderful event with. Some of the auction items include: theater tickets, party services, jewelry, gift certificates, sports tickets,

and much more! Proceeds will support Camp Rainbow, a camp for kids with cancer and other blood-related diseases, along with funding youth activities. Cost: $10 for adults, $4 for children ages 6-12, no charge for children five and younger. Please RSVP to Temple Israel, 402.556.6536, by friday, feb. 23.

Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office

TIfereTh Israel

hours: monday-friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. frIday: Services with UNL Hillel, 6:30 p.m. followed by a special Oneg. saTurday: Shabbat Morning service, 10 a.m.; Junior Congregation, 11 a.m.; Please join us after services for a light Kiddush Lunch. sunday: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.; LJCS Gesher, 10 a.m.; Come learn and play Pickleball, 7-9 p.m. All equipment furnished. Wear comfortable clothing. For questions, call or text Miriam Wallick at miriam57@aol.com. monday: Second Half of the DVD Course Beginnings of Judaism, 7:30-9 p.m. wednesday: No LJCS Hebrew Classes; Purim Extravaganza at the Coren Home. Join us for a light dinner beginning at 6 p.m. followed by a reading of the Megillah for adults and teens and entertainment for the younger children and pre-teens (starting at approx. 6:45 p.m.) The evening will end with comedian T. Marni Voss (7:45-8:15 p.m.). Let us know you'll join us by calling the office 402.423.8569 or e-mail ing Nancy at corenancy@gmail.com by friday feb. 23 so we can plan on the amount of food needed. Wear a costume... bring a noisemaker (if you want) ... Be ready for a fun evening!

Thursday: Hebrew classes for adults, 6:30-7:30 p.m., with Esti Sheinberg. Each meeting will include listening, speaking and a little reading.

Tifereth Israel Board Meeting, sunday, march 4, 3 p.m.

You're part of the puzzle...Don't be a missing piece! Join us for a Communal Seder at Tifereth Israel. You can choose from 2 options: friday evening, march 30, 6 p.m. — A Passover Seder for all ages. saturday evening, march 31, 6 p.m. — A Seder geared for extended families with children ages 0-13. Reserve a Place Now for yourself and your family! Cost: Free to all but donations to help defray expenses may be contributed to the Lay-leader Discretionary Fund.

RSVP to the office at 402.423.8569 to say you're coming or e-mail ncoren@tiferethisraellincoln.org.

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

Application packets are availible in the Tifereth Israel foyer.

As you start to make summer plans, consider sending your child to LJCS CAMP ISRAEL, July 9–July 20, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. Light Kosher dairy snack and lunch included. Tuition for each week is $75. This program is open to children entering kindergarten through sixth grade. We require ALL campers to be registered through the LJCS, therefore we cannot accept drop-in guests.

Teacher did not want to be remembered as a hero JTA NEWS STAFF Hundreds of family, friends, students and colleagues attended the funeral on Sunday of teacher Scott Beigel at Temple Beth El in Boca Raton, Florida, that was live-streamed on the synagogue’s website.

Beigel, 35, a geography teacher and cross country coach at the school, saved students’ lives by opening his classroom door and ushering the students in. He was shot while closing the door behind them.He reportedly told his fiance, Gwen Gossler, who he met at Pennsylvania’s Camp Starlight when they both worked as counselors seven years ago, that if he ever was the victim of a school shooting that she would not talk about the “hero stuff.” ey had been watching news coverage of a similar school shooting on television at the time, she said during the funeral. e funerals for first-year students Jamie Guttenberg and Alex Schachter were moved to a Fort Lauderdale hotel to accommodate more than a thousand mourners, according to reports.

e funeral for Alex Schachter, 14, who was a member of his school’s marching band, was closed to media. e Miami Herald reported that remembrances at the funeral “focused on his love for movies, his humor and his passion for the high school’s marching band, in which he played trombone,” as well as the secret ingredients in his special smoothie.

Mourners who attended Jamie Guttenberg’s funeral on Feb. 18 wore orange ribbons in her memory, which stood out against their black mourning clothes, according to the Miami Herald. Orange was her favorite color.

Rabbi Jonathan Kaplan in his eulogy tried to answer the question of where was God during the attack. He said: “God is in the teachers who protected them. God is in the first responders who went in that day. God is in the police who raced to the school, and God is in the families who waited. … God is in the people, all over the world, who sent condolences.” Funerals were held on Feb. 16 for Alyssa Alhedeff and Meadow Pollack.

The Jewish Press | February 23, 2018 | 11

Be a role model;

lifecycles BAt MitzVAh

Ainsley MeyeRson

Ainsley Meyerson, daughter of Jamie and Troy Meyerson, will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, March 3, at Temple Israel.

Ainsley is a seventh-grade honors student at Westside Middle School.

Ainsley is interested in show choir, singing and drama. She is a member of Westside Connection, the Westside Middle School Show Choir, and Center Stage Show Choir.

For her mitzvah project, Ainsley volunteered for Top Soccer. Top soccer is a community-based training and team placement program for young athletes with special needs, organized by youth soccer association volunteers.

She has two sisters, Aiden and Audrey.

Grandparents are Penny Endelman and the late Randy Endelman, and Deenie and Larry Meyerson.

Great-grandparents are the late Peggy Krasne and Chris Krasne, Lois Endelman and the late Bob Endelman, Sonia Forbes and the late Irving Forbes, and the late Helen and Leo Meyerson.

in MeMoRiAM

lilliAn B. (FRiedlAndeR) schRAGeR

Lillian B Schrager (Friedlander) passed away on Feb. 14. Services were held Feb. 16 at the Temple Israel Cemetery, 42nd and Redick Street.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Ida and Herman Friedlander, her beloved son Richard I. Stern, her husbands, Harold L. Stern, Louis Hurwitz, and Jack Schrager, and her brother, Morton Friedlander.

She is survived by son and daughter-in-law, Jeffrey and Lolly Stern of Fort Myers, FL, daughter and son-in-law, Cheryl and Raymond Norton of Plano, TX, and daughter-in-law Dr. Judith Stern of Omaha; six grandchildren, David and Sunny Stern, Jeanne and John Katelman, Jay and Meg Stern, Mimi and Lester Gammon, Rebecca and Tony Sideris, and Robert and Tonya Norton; eight great-grandchildren, Danny and Sarah Raznick, Mitchell Raznick, Sare Stern, Zak and Dorothy Sideris, and Hayden, Caleb and McKenna Norton; and the families of Louis Hurwitz and Jack Schrager, who held a special place in her heart.

Lillian was born in Omaha, NE, on September 26, 1919, to Ida and Herman Friedlander. She married Dr. Harold Stern on October 9, 1938. They had three children.

Lillian spent her entire life in Omaha. She made lifelong friends from her classmates at elementary school, to her work associates at NP Dodge company where she worked for over 20 years to new friends who came into her life every day. Lillian had a special gift of making everyone feel special, sharing her wit, her smiles and her warmth.

Memorials may be made to the organization of your choice.

Chabad security footage

JTA NEWS STAFF A Chabad center in Coral Springs, Florida, may have evidence that can help police bring the Parkland high school shooter to justice.

When Rabbi Hershy Bronstein of the Chai Center Chabad saw in a report from the local sheriff ’s office that a suspect had been arrested at a McDonald’s across the street from his building, he checked security camera footage to see if it contained any evidence that could help police, Chabad.org reported. e camera footage showed suspect Nikolas Cruz, 19, walking down the street and into McDonalds aer the Feb. 14 shooting. Bronstein shared the footage with the FBI, as well as news media outlets.

Regency Parkway Art Gallery

Our kids should be safe

JTA NEWS STAFF More than 1,000 mourners gathered at a Parkland, Florida synagogue for the funeral of Meadow Pollack, one of the 17 students and staff killed in the Feb. 14 school shooting.

“You killed my kid. ‘My kid is dead’ goes through my head all day and all night. I keep hearing it over and over,” her father Andrew Pollack said at Friday’s funeral at Temple K’ol Tikvah that also was attended

by Florida Gov. Rick Scott and U.S. Reps. Ted Deutch and Meadow Pollack Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Credit: WSVN-TV the Florida Sun-Sentinel reported. “I have always been able to protect my family. Our kids should be safe but my princess wasn’t safe.”

Meadow Pollack was 18, and a senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, where 19-year-old gunman Nikolas Cruz opened fire on Feb. 14 on his former classmates.

Rabbi Bradd Boxman called on those who were present to do an act of kindness in Meadow’s memory. “We must carry Meadow’s love forward and not let it die in a pine wood box,” Boxman said, according to the Associated Press.

Pollack’s funeral came shortly aer the first service for a victim, Alyssa Alhadeff, they were both buried at the Star of David Cemetery.

Nikolas Cruz made antiSemitic, racists comments

JTA NEWS STAFF Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz made anti-Semitic and other racist comments in a private Instagram group chat. He wrote in the group chat that he joined around August 2017 that he hated: “Jews, ni**ers, immigrants,” and showed that he had an obsession with violence and guns, CNN first reported.

Cruz, 19, entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Wednesday afternoon and began shooting with a legally purchased AR-15 rifle. A former student at the school, he was expelled from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School for “disciplinary reasons.” He has been charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder.

CNN, investigating comments the shooter may have left on a now-deleted YouTube channel, was added to the private Instagram group by one of the active members in it, the news channel reported.

In one post about his biological mother, Cruz said: “My real mom was a Jew. I am glad I never met her,” according to CNN. He also said that he hated Jews because he believed they wanted to destroy the world.

There were no signs in the chat group that Cruz or other members belonged to any white nationalist groups, according to CNN. Cruz purchased his rifle a year ago and also owned at least 4 more weapons, purchased legally, according to CNN. He also purchased body armor, which he modeled in a photo posted in the group chat.

Visit us at jewishomaha.org

Throughout the month of February Regency Parkway Art is these artists are world renown for their ability to capture the finest pleased to be showing the work of a selection of fine artists at the detail in a painting from the brilliant chrome of a car’s bumper to the beautiful Jewish Community Center Art Gallery. The gallery and its reflection of the room in a wine glass.

Marc Singer’s beautiful oil paintings, also on display throughout manager, Lynn Batten, are true gems in the Omaha art scene. The Gallery itself is centrally located in the main building and beautifully the month of February, are truly beautiful and representative of his lit to highlight the showcase. Lynn was a great help to us as we put travels abroad as well as his local roots here in Nebraska. together the display and gave us everything we needed to make the Do come by the JCC Gallery in February. You can also see us at opening reception a success.

Regency Court inside the north entrance where you will find our PorWe are very proud of the artists we represent and the variety of traits Show. Our permanent gallery is in the US Bank Building at 440 media we have on display, from the wildlife photography of Kent Regency Parkway Drive. If you have any questions about the art, Williams to the abstract acrylics of Jamie Lewis. Items representing please contact me, Kathy David, at 402.319.4074. our Western Art Collection by Artists Frank McCarthy and Howard Nebraska Artists: Tom Kerr, Jamie Lewis, Mike Hagel, Kent Terpning are included as well as bronze sculptures of the works of Williams, Brittany Deupree, and Scott Papek. National Artists: James Earle Fraser and Frederic Remington.

Thomas Arvid, Cheryl Kelley, Linda Hartough, Howard Terpning, and If you have a passion for cars or wine, you will be amazed at the Frank McCarthy. Sculptors: Frederic Remington, James Earle Fraser, photorealism of Artists Cheryl Kelley and Thomas Arvid. Both of and Steve Davies PAID ADVERTISEMENT

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12 | The Jewish Press | February 23, 2018

community

O

Training Company

RaChel KRiCsfeld n March 18, The JCC Dance Training Company is performing their annual show this year, called rip•ple ef•fect. The Training Company is the Jewish Community Center’s elite audition dance company for ages 12 to 18. It provides dancers with a setting unlike regular classes or an annual recital. It builds teamwork, technique, unity and lifelong friendships.

This is my second year as a member of the Training Company.

When I first auditioned, I was terrified.

I felt extremely intimidated due to the fact that I was performing right next to the older dancers who I had been looking up to for such a long time. It’s insane to think that I’m close friends with the same dancers now. The Company gave me a chance to open up to new friends, even some that are years older than me. Right away, the fabulous director and leader of the Training Company, Esther Katz, had us do some icebreaking activities and bonding exercises. From the very start, I felt like I was important to the Company.

At this year’s Training Company performance, you’ll witness beautiful dances like the traditional Company piece, Poppies, or Le Corsaire. You’ll also see the breathtaking dance choreographed to Florence + The Machine’s Breath of Life. We also have pieces choreographed by members and graduates of our Company. This gives us the chance to help our fellow dancers by giving critiques, pointers, and technical tips. It pro-

vides unity to our group. We can give each other advice without feeling as though we’re the weakest link in rehearsal, or like we are being judged by our peers. It’s a wonderful thing.

The Training Company is more than just another weekly dance class. It’s a chance for me to work on my dancing and my friendships in a nurturing environment with the best people around me. As the rip•ple ef•fect performance is approaching, we’ve had more time to bond like sisters rather than

friends. We even had the opportunity to see the Moscow Festival Ballet perform “Cinderella,” at the Orpheum together as a group. I’m honored to be a part of the JCC Dance Training Company and look forward to performing rip•ple ef•fect for the community on March 18. rip•ple ef•fect, Sunday, March 18, 4 p.m. at the JCC Theater. Tickets go on sale Monday, Feb. 26 at 9 a.m. To purchase, contact JCC Registrar at 402.334.6419. Cost: General Admission $15 & Child/Student $10. Patron Tickets: Choreographer: $100. Two tickets, reserved seating and name in program, Director: $150. Four tickets, reserved seating and name in program, Producer: $200. Six tickets, reserved seating and name in program.

No connection between Florida school shooter and far-right militia

JTA news sTAff Police in Florida said they found no connection between the Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz and a far-right paramilitary group from Tallahassee, they said. e Anti-Defamation League said Feb. 15 that a leader of the group had told them that Cruz had ties to the Republic of Florida secessionist group. e leader, Jordan Jereb, said that Cruz was associated with ROF, having been “brought up” by another member, according to the ADL. Jereb also claimed that Cruz had participated in one or more ROF training exercises in the Tallahassee area, carpooling with other ROF members from south Florida.

Aer news outlets around the nation reported Cruz’s alleged ties, Leon County Sheriff ’s Office spokesman Lt. Grady Jordan told the Tallahassee Democrat that investigative work did not yield any connections.

In a post hours aer speaking to ADL, a social media account bearing Jereb’s name said the whole thing was a “legit misunderstanding,” saying they have more than one member named Nikolas. e ADL said it contacted a hotline for the Republic of Florida aer self-described members of the group claimed Cruz as a member on 4chan, a web platform frequented by members of the far-right. e Republic of Florida “borrows paramilitary concepts from the anti-government extremist militia movement (not itself a white supremacist movement),” according to the ADL, and wants to create a “white ethnostate” in Florida.

Jereb, a self-described “right-wing extremist nut,” faced charges in 2016 aer threatening a high-ranking staff member of Gov. Rick Scott’s office.

Cruz entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, investigators say, with an AR-15 and opened fire, killing 17 people and injuring 14. He faces 17 counts of premeditated murder.

At least five Jewish people were among the 17 victims of the school shooting in Parkland.

The Jewish Federation of Omaha is excited to be a part of this amazing grant opportunity!

A FUNDING OPPORTUNITY TO

FUNDED BY THE

STAENBERG FAMILY FOUNDATION & Friends of the Jewish Federation of Omaha

Fund your Jewish organization’s* operations, project or program with an Anything Grant.

Eligible grant applications could be for anything, including: • Hiring a nonprofit consultant

Apply online at jewishomaha.spectrumportal.net Applications are open from January 29 - February 26, 2018

These one-time matching grants will range from $1,000 to $5,000, equal to 50 percent of the project budget. Organizations are responsible

• Purchasing technology

for raising the remaining 50 percent from other sources. Project budget not to exceed $10,000.

• Staff/Board professional development

Your project must be completed, matching funds raised and paperwork submitted by Jan. 31, 2019

• Building beautification/improvement

in order to receive your funds.

*Available to Jewish organizations in Omaha, Lincoln and Council Bluffs, IA

For more information visit www.jewishomaha.org/education/scholarships-and-grants/view/anything-grants/ Questions? Contact Louri Sullivan at lsullivan@jewishomaha.org.