February 23, 2024

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FEBRUARY 23, 2024 | 1 4 A DA R I 578 4 | VO L. 1 04 | NO. 1 8 | CANDLELIGHTING | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 5 : 49 P.M.

IT’S OFFICIAL

Veg.Edible is now kosher MARY SUE GROSSMAN he observance of President’s Day was a bit different for Veg.Edible, a local vegan restaurant in Omaha. Typically on a day the take-out restaurant is closed, the kitchen was full of activity as the process of kashering the kitchen took place. Led by Rabbi Mordechai Geiger, large vats of water were boiled, and propane torches were fired up; and the work began.

Located in the heart of Benson at 2740 North 61st Street in Omaha, Veg.Edible is a take-out eatery serving favorite comfort food classics made vegan, gluten-free and nut-free (except coconut) with soy-free options. Owner Staci Van Cleave believes that everyone should be able to enjoy fresh, flavorful food regardless of allergies or dietary preferences.

“Although I love my city, I found that Omaha does not have many options when it comes to vegan AND gluten-free,” said Staci who has worked in the food service industry for over 15 years. “Cross-contamination is almost always an issue. General knowledge of ingredients and preparation protocol is usually not thoroughly taught to wait staff. I know how it feels to ask a million questions when ordering take out to ensure you don’t make yourself sick or violate your personal choices and beliefs.”

The Veg.Edible menu has an impressive line-up including burgers, tacos, nachos, sal-

Ron’s Kitchen Page 6

‘Powerful’ or ‘Yikes’? How the internet reacted...

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Stacie Van Cleave with Chef Matt Credit: Kasie Marie Creative

ads, soups, shakes and desserts. One visit to the food photos on their website – eatvegedible.com – will have one’s mouth watering with anticipation. There is even a title that states, “Don’t drool on your screen!”

Despite being in one of her busiest times as they worked on a number of special offerings for Valentine’s Day, Stacie was kind enough to answer a few questions last week.

What was your inspiration for opening a restaurant?

“I personally have food allergies/allergy induced chronic asthma and it has made eating See Veg.Edible is now kosher page 2

Storyworth

REGULARS Spotlight Voices Synagogues Life cycles

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New in the Kripke-Veret Collection SHIRLY BANNER JFO Library Specialist ADULT: Adam Unrehearsed

by Dan Futterman From the moment he’s mugged on the subway, home from Bat Day at Yankee Stadium, things go wrong for 12-year-old Adam Miller. He is in the Special Program for brainy kids, but his new junior high is on triple shift.

When he gets on the wrong side of

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Art Hour Page 6

SPONSORED BY THE BENJAMIN AND ANNA E. WIESMAN FAMILY ENDOWMENT FUND

MAGGIE CONTI RBJH Director of Activities and Volunteer Services Everyone has a story worth sharing, and we want to capture RBJH Residents’ stories with an intergenerational program with UNO Gerontology students for the 2024 spring semester. Storyworth is a service that collects favorite stories and memories and preserves them in a beautifully bound book. Five UNO students will interview their Resident partner and write up chapters by asking key questions to inspire them to share their stories. The students will include family members to encourage involvement and share photos to be included in the book. We hope fami-

Mary Kaiman with Liz Calderon

lies discover fun tidbits and insightful experiences they haven’t heard. Storyworth has several hundred questions the students can choose from, or the students are welcome to create a question that the Resident requests

and is enthusiastic about sharing. At the end of the semester, the Resident’s stories will be bound into a beautiful keepsake book. The goal is to capture the Resident’s stories, bond See Storyworth page 2

several gangs his friends disappear when he needs them most. As if that’s not enough, Adam discovers that his older brother has become a Zionist militant, his synagogue is repeatedly vandalized, and despite Adam’s “skinny voice,” his crazy new Cantor has grandiose plans for his Bar Mitzvah. Meanwhile, Adam dreams of his summer camp girlfriend in far off New Rochelle, but he’s too shy to pick up the phone. He even fails at shoplifting.

Bewildered and alone, Adam finds his only solace onstage, where he discovers the power of theater to bridge social divides. As he learns to stand out and stand up for himself, friends appear in the most unexpected places and Adam Miller discovers his own voice.

Adam Unrehearsed is a story of friendship, betrayal, life, death and acting.

The Emerald Necklace

by Linda Rosen Three months after her husband’s death in 1969, Rosalee Linoff is determined to jump back into life.

For her, that means returning to her art. She desperately wants to be accepted as a talented sculptor, but that requires she dig up the courage to submit her work again and be judged. Her paralyzing insecurity mounts when she meets her new neighbor, best-selling author Fran Barish.

Fran has the recognition Rosalee craves. But Rosalee’s joy with her children, especially her grand See Kripke-Veret page 3

2 | The Jewish Press | February 23, 2024

News

Storyworth

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Veg.Edible is now kosher

Continued from page 1 out hard to enjoy. I love feeding people and created Veg.Edible to spread awareness about allergen-friendly options and that safe food handling should be taken seriously.”

How long has Veg.Edible been open?

Veg.Edible opened in Benson in November 2023. We started as a catering company in March of 2021.

What is your personal favorite dish?

My favorite dish on the menu currently is our Buffalo Chick’n Salad. Our house-made ranch is so tasty!

What is the top selling item on your menu?

The top selling item on our menu is the Matty Melt -- named after my partner, Chef Matt. It’s our take on a classic Patty Melt featuring Beyond burger smashed with onions, cheddar + American cheeses, ‘Matt Sauce’ (Matt’s version of McDonald’s Big Mac sauce), sauerkraut, grilled GF bread with our house-cut fries.

In addition to having your kitchen kashered, what other changes have you made to meet the kosher requirements?

We have replaced a handful of ingredients that were not kosher certified. Since we only use ingredients that are vegan, gluten-free, nut-free (except coconut) and many times also soy-free, there were a few items that were difficult to find.

Rabbi Geiger helped me find replacements for coconut cream and sprinkles.

When asked about the use of locally sourced ingredients, Stacie enthusiastically shared that they love sourcing local ingredients and are looking forward to spring when they can source produce from their farm friends.

Helene Shrago has been instrumental

Above: George McHendry with Jessica Ramirez-Zamora and below: Doris Alloy with Anastasia Nicholson.

S’mores Cake Credit: Stacie Van Cleave

in adding another kosher establishment in Omaha. “Adding to the kosher options for our community is such a benefit,” shared Helene. “When I initially reached out to Stacie about the potential of ‘going kosher,’ she was immediately interested and very quickly was on board.

We were thrilled with the willingness of Nothing Bundt Cakes to join the list and is now kosher and to have Veg.Edible join the line up is just great.”

The next step was for Stacie and Rabbi Geiger to go through the ingredients in the kitchen, checking for hechschers, researching alternatives for non-kosher items, and reviewing the process of physically kashering the kitchen. “Work-

ing with Stacie has been a pleasure,” Rabbi Geiger reported. “Her willingness to make the changes needed made the process very smooth.” The kitchen kashering turned into a family affair with Rabbi Geiger’s father, Rabbi Ben Geiger of Los Angeles, flying to Omaha to help.

He is very experienced in kashering institutional kitchens and was happy to be involved with the venture.

Veg.Edible is open Wednesday and Thursday, 4-9 p.m., Friday, 4-10 p.m., Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Visit the eatvegedible.com website for the full menu and additional information at eatvegedible.com or call 402.578.9538.

Continued from page 1 with a different generation, and hopefully create friendships.

Student Jessica Ramirez-Zamora recently commented, “Thank you for pairing me up with George! I learned so much from the first day we met, and I hope I keep learning throughout this journey of Storyworth!” Anastasia Nicholson stated, “I really enjoyed getting to know Doris and am looking forward to learning more about her!” A reception will take place at the end of the semester, and students and Residents will share the experience with an audience of other Residents and family members.

Special thanks to the Shirley and Leonard Goldstein Supporting Foundation for their generous support for this heartfelt project.

For more information on Storyworth, go to the website: https://welcome.storyworth.com/.

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The Jewish Press | February 23, 2024 | 3

Transform your retirement with a Charitable Gift Annuity using your IRA AMY BERNSTEIN SHIVVERS JFO Foundation Executive Director In early February, you may recall I wrote about Charitable Gift Annuities (CGAs), a new tool at The Foundation for those 55 plus. A CGA is a perfect way for a charitably inclined Donor to get favorable tax treatment, to get a steady source of income for life and to also leave an after-lifetime gift to charity.

Recently, fresh retirement legislation was passed. Among these changes lies a provision that has the potential to revolutionize the way individuals approach philanthropy while enhancing their own retirement income. If you are 70 1/2 or older, you have the opportunity to utilize your IRA to bolster your retirement finances and simultaneously make a meaningful impact on your chosen charitable causes. The key lies in harnessing your IRA assets to establish a CGA, an innovative giving strategy that not only benefits your favorite charities but also provides financial security for yourself.

Eligible individuals can initiate a CGA with a tax-free, onetime election of up to $50,000 from their IRA. The advantages of this approach are manifold: • By utilizing your IRA to fund a CGA, you sidestep the tax implications typically associated with standard withdrawals from your retirement account.

• For those who are obligated to take Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) from their IRA due to age-related regulations, funding a CGA can satisfy some or all of this annual requirement.

• You, and if you choose, your spouse, will enjoy a dependable stream of income for life in the form of fixed payments that remain unaffected by market fluctuations, interest rate changes or inflation.

• Upon your passing, any remaining balance from the CGA will serve as a lasting legacy to support the charitable causes that hold significance to you.

MEET JANE, a 75-year-old, who has been contributing to charitable organizations by making Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) from her IRA since reaching the age of 70 1/2. Seeking to amplify her philanthropic efforts while safeguarding her own retirement income, Jane can now opt to

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transfer up to $50,000 directly from her IRA to establish a CGA, all without incurring any tax penalties. In return, Jane receives annual payments of $3,300 for the remainder of her life, corresponding to a 6.6% payout rate, thus providing her with additional financial support during her retirement years. Upon her eventual passing, the remaining funds held within the CGA will seamlessly transition to her chosen charity as a lasting legacy, without the need for amendments to her will or trust. Truly, a win-win scenario for both Jane and her cherished causes.

To explore how you can leverage The Foundation to facilitate your charitable giving endeavors, please reach out to Amy Bernstein Shivvers at 402.334.6466 or ashivvers@jewishomaha.org. Let us help you navigate the intersection of philanthropy and retirement planning to create a legacy that endures for generations to come.

This information is not intended as tax, legal or financial advice. Please consult your financial advisor for information specific to your situation.

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Kripke-Veret Continued from page 1 daughter, Jill, eats at Fran, a constant reminder of her childlessness. A spiral of mutual envy ensues. It constantly bubbles below the surface of their friendship and is intensified by Fran’s long-held secret - and her inexplicable fascination with Jill’s emerald necklace.

As Jill starts college, Rosalee worries about the choices her granddaughter might make. But Jill’s passion for women’s rights makes Grandma proud. Together with Rosalee’s friends, they travel to New York City for the Women’s Strike for Equality - which further escalates the tension between Rosalee and Fran.

When Jill’s convictions are tested, Rosalee faces a dilemma. Does she dare trust Fran to help? Will their mutual jealousy make that impossible? Or will the story behind Jill’s emerald bind them together?

The Children of Willesden Lane: Beyond the Kindertransport: A Memoir of Music, Love, and Survival

by Mona Golabek and Lee Cohen Jewish musical prodigy Lisa Jura has a

wonderful life in Vienna. But when the Nazis start closing in on the city, life changes irreversibly. Although he has three daughters, Lisa’s father is only able to secure one berth on the Kindertransport. The family decides to send Lisa to London so that she may pursue her dreams of a career as a concert pianist. Separated from her beloved family, Lisa bravely endures the trip and a disastrous posting outside London before finding her way to the Willesden Lane Orphanage.

It is in this orphanage that Lisa’s story truly comes to life. Her music inspires the other orphanage children, and they, in turn, cheer her on in her efforts to make good on her promise to her family to realize her musical potential. Through hard work and sheer pluck, Lisa wins a scholarship to study piano at the Royal Academy. As she supports herself and studies, she makes a new life for herself and dreams of reconnecting with the family she was forced to leave behind. The resulting tale delivers a message of the power of music to uplift the human spirit and to grant the individual soul endurance, patience and peace.

Meta shuts down Iranian leader’s accounts RON KAMPEAS JTA Meta has shut down the Instagram and Facebook accounts of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, “for repeatedly violating our Dangerous Organizations and Individuals policy.”

The company did not elaborate on its policy, reported by multiple media outlets, but since Oct. 18, 11 days after Hamas terrorists raided Israel and murdered more than 1,200 people and brutalized thousands more, Meta has banned “content containing praise for Hamas, which is designated by Meta as a Dangerous Organization, or violent and graphic content.”

Khamenei has since the Oct. 7 raids repeatedly praised the terrorist organization, and anticipated with joy the demise of Israel and of Zionism, on his Meta accounts, as well as on X, the platform owned separately by Elon Musk.

“God willing, the cancer of the usurper Zionist regime will be eradicated at the hands of the Palestinian people and the Resistance forces throughout the region,” he posted on Oct. 7, attaching a video of civilians fleeing terrorist attackers.

“Never doubt that the hostile, usurper Zionist regime will be wiped off the world’s map one day,” he posted on X, the plat-

form formerly known as Twitter, on Dec. 23. His Instagram and Facebook posts are no longer available.

The decision comes as Meta, a social media behemoth, is considering how to treat abuses of the term “Zionist,” a development first reported Friday by The Washington Post.

“While the term ‘Zionist’ often refers to a person’s ideology, which is not a protected characteristic, it can also be used to refer to Jewish or Israeli people,” Meta spokeswoman Erin McPike told the Post. “Given the increase in polarized public discourse due to events in the Middle East, we believe it’s important to assess our guidance for reviewing posts that use the term ‘Zionist.’”

Jewish groups praised Meta for the ban. “We’ve long asked @Meta to take down the Facebook & Instagram accounts of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei & applaud that it’s finally happened,” Jonathan Greenblatt, the Anti-Defamation League CEO, said on X. “He’s used these platforms for years to incite violent antisemitism, to legitimize militant antizionism and to make genocidal threats.

X has not banned Khamenei despite repeated appeals from Jewish groups.

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Wigs, eyebrow restoration and nipple tattoos: Sharsheret helps cancer patients feel like women again

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to tattoo artists and cold-cap providers it has vetted, recomE.J.KESSLER After Shelby, a 30-year-old schoolteacher in New York, fin- mending only those who are expert at the procedures. Sharshished chemotherapy treatment last year for breast cancer, she eret works with a veteran Brooklyn wigmaker who sends hair hardly recognized herself in the mirror. wigs all over the country. Patients say the aid has been critical “I didn’t really have any in helping them feel like women again after treathair and had very, very little ment side effects that can feel like trauma upon eyebrows,” said Shelby, who trauma. asked that her last name be “The wig maker makes wigs for Orthodox withheld for privacy. “My women, along with women who have lost their face was puffy from all the hair due to medical conditions such as cancer or steroids.” alopecia,” Siegel said. “The wigs are high end and Bailey Kramer, 30, a medbeautiful. It is nice that no matter where the ical assistant in North woman lives she is getting a customized wig from Branch, Michigan, who her by providing measurements and picking the went through chemo two color and texture, all from the comfort of their years ago, feared that losing own homes. Sharsheret reimburses for styling her hair would prompt unwhen the women receive their wigs.” wanted questions from her She added, “The program has been very suc3-year-old. cessful both in expanding the use of Sharsheret’s “I didn’t want him to services and network and attracting financial know that anything was support. Very often donors are interested in fundgoing on,” recalled Kramer. ing things that are really tangible, like financial “I wanted his life to be as assistance for low-income cancer patients.” absolutely as normal as Megan, 40, the sole breadwinner for a family of possible.” four in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, was working Fortunately, Kramer and Bailey Kramer was able to keep most of her for a pharmaceutical-distribution company when Shelby both were able to re- hair during chemotherapy treatments using a chemotherapy took her hair last year after her diceive cosmetic aid thanks method called cold-capping in which a spe- agnosis in October 2022. She felt overwhelmed to a project called Best Face cially fitted cap freezes the hair follicles during managing her treatment and trying to maintain Forward 2.0 run by Sharsh- treatment, preserving the strands. Credit: Bai- a semblance of normal life. eret, the Jewish breast can- ley Kramer “When you’re diagnosed with cancer and you’re cer and ovarian cancer organization. The program offers trying to work and manage your family and take care of kids, qualifying women funding for certain non-medical services cancer is like a second career,” said Megan, who asked that considered critical to the healing process but not usually fully her last name be withheld for privacy. “I had video confercovered by health insurance. ences with customers and I just didn’t want to have to answer The services, meant to help with mental health and negative a whole lot of questions about, like, why are you bald? Why body image and self-image, include such things as nutrition are you wearing a turban? I just wanted people to focus on assistance, hair preservation therapies, human-hair wigs, tat- my career.” tooing for nipples and eyebrows, and integrative holistic and Through Best Face Forward 2.0, Megan got a wig, microbyoga therapies. These services can cost thousands of dollars lading for her eyebrows and nipple tattoos. without Sharsheret’s financial assistance program.

“Losing your hair, your eyebrows, your eyelashes, all the feel“Cancer is expensive,” said Sharsheret CEO Elana Silber. “By ing in your chest — you just don’t feel like your body is your providing financial assistance for non-medical services, we own anymore,” Megan said. “Just putting on a wig to feel more are able to address the growing problem of financial toxicity like yourself again — it’s huge. Having my eyebrows tattooed associated with cancer treatment and improve quality of life and my nipples tattooed was a huge help — as was not having for hundreds of women and their families.” to worry about how I was going to pay for it all. Because it’s Since the program started in August 2019 thanks to seed really expensive!” funding from a private Jewish foundation, Best Face Forward Kramer said she appreciated not only the material assis2.0 has helped nearly 2,000 women and distributed nearly $2 tance she received from Sharsheret, but the personal attention million, with an average of $2,500 in payments per patient or she received from the Sharsheret social worker who handled subsidies for cosmetic and other services during and after her case. cancer treatment.

“I had 16 rounds of chemo, so she checked in on me conThrough the program, Shelby was fitted with a human-hair stantly,” Kramer recalled. “It wasn’t like I got this subsidy and wig that looks just like her long blond locks, tattooing called then she disappeared. It’s like a constant relationship. I can’t microblading to replace her eyebrows, and three-dimensional tell you how much that means.” tattooing (micropigmentation of the nipple and areola) for Sharsheret has expanded its Best Face Forward 2.0 program her nipples. from quality-of-life services to emergency relief funds that can Kramer was able to keep most of her hair using a method be allocated for such needs as rent money or car repairs neccalled cold-capping or scalp-cooling in which a specially fitted essary to get to and from treatments. Sharsheret finds patients cap freezes the hair follicles as the patient receives chemo, through Facebook groups, word of mouth, and referrals from preserving the strands. other organizations.

In order to qualify for Sharsheret’s program, patients either “Sharsheret’s financial assistance is not merely patching a must have or be at high risk for a diagnosis of breast cancer need, but saving us cancer survivors from another kind of illor ovarian cancer due to a genetic mutation such as the BRCA ness: the anxiety of a financial hardship,” said a caller who regene and need to qualify on a strict financial eligibility basis. ceived one month’s rent from the Sharsheret emergency relief “Women of all ages come from all over the country and their grant. family status runs the gamut,” said Stephanie Siegel, the social “After being sick and missing even more work, I didn’t have worker who administers the program. “I’ve spoken to women to stress and worry about how I was going to get the rent payfrom all 50 states — even Alaska and Hawaii.” ment,” another grantee said. “Instead I was able to focus on The program also has helped connect these women to other getting better.” free services Sharsheret offers, including genetic and mental In the past year, Sharsheret doubled the amount of money health counseling, peer support, patient support, financial distributed in response to the significant increase in numbers wellness checks, and quality-of-life kits such as mastectomy of women reaching out. products or “busy boxes” for keeping kids occupied while their To access Sharsheret’s support care and learn more about mothers undergo treatment. the financial assistance program, you may contact the organThrough Best Face Forward 2.0, Sharsheret directs patients ization at 866.474.2774.

ORGANIZATIONS

INFORMATION

B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS

ANTISEMITIC/HATE INCIDENTS

The award-winning B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS speaker program currently meets Wednesdays via Zoom from noon to 1 p.m. Please watch our email for specific information concerning its thought-provoking, informative list of speakers. To be placed on the email list, contact Breadbreakers chair at gary.javitch@gmail.com.

If you encounter an antisemitic or other hate incident, you are not alone. Your first call should be to the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) in Omaha at 402.334.6572, or email JCRCreporting@jewishomaha.org. If you perceive an imminent threat, call 911, and text Safety & Security Manager James Donahue at 402.213.1658.

The Jewish Press | February 23, 2024 | 5

Top European rights court upholds Belgian ban on kosher slaughter JTA STAFF The top rights court in Europe has ruled that bans of ritual slaughter in parts of Belgium can stand, ending the hopes of Jewish advocates who had said the bans were an unfair infringement on Jewish practice. Two of Belgium’s three regions banned slaughter without stunning in 2017 and 2018, saying that the practice was cruel to animals. Stunning prior to slaughter is barred in both shechitah, Jewish ritual slaughter, and zabiha, the Muslim method for slaughtering animals for food.

In recent years, opposition to shechitah and zabiha has widened beyond animal-rights activists as right-wing parties began promoting bans as part of their agenda around reducing the presence in society of Islam, and in some cases also Judaism.

The Court of the European Union dealt Jewish community leaders a major defeat by upholding the bans in 2021. Israel’s ambassador to Belgium called the ruling “catastrophic and a blow to Jewish life in Europe.” But last year, the EU’s antisemitism envoy invited Jews and Muslims to discuss meat production with EU officials, in what some of the Jewish attendees characterized as progress toward ensuring religious freedom.

Now, the European Court of Human Rights, which is not affiliated with the EU, has dashed those hopes, upholding the bans in a ruling that closely comports with the 2021 EU ruling. The ruling does not apply to all of Europe but is seen as an important precedent for other countries that might consider bans on ritual slaughter. The bans added Belgium to a number of EU countries where ritual slaughter is illegal, including Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia and Slovenia.

In 2011, the Netherlands briefly joined the list, but the Dutch Senate reversed the ban in 2012, citing freedom of worship.

Poland also outlawed ritual slaughter in 2013 but has since scaled back the ban to include only meat for export.

Advocates of the customs say that in addition to being required under religious law, they result in no greater suffering to animals than mechanized slaughter methods with higher malfunction rates and less attention to individual animals.

News LO CA L | NAT IO NAL | WO RLD

British university chaplain and family in hiding following death threats JACKIE HAJDENBERG JTA A rabbi at several British universities who drew hundreds of death threats after flying to Israel to serve as a reserve soldier after Oct. 7 is now in hiding with his wife and two children on the recommendation of police.

Both the University of Leeds and British Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis have condemned the threats against Rabbi Zecharia Deutsch, his wife Nava, and their two children, which began shortly after Oct. 7 and escalated recently with antisemitic phone calls and an attack on the school’s Hillel House.

“Tell that Jewish son of a bitch we are coming for him,” a message left for Nava Deutsch said, according to the Daily Mail, which listened to some of the messages.

“The University of Leeds is deeply shocked and saddened by the events of Friday, Feb. 9 during which Rabbi Zecharia Deutsch received threats to his safety and that of his family and Hillel House was attacked,” a spokesperson for the university said in a statement. The statement added, “We totally condemn the antisemitic abuse and threats directed towards the chaplain and his family – such attacks on any individual are unacceptable and will not be tolerated from members of the public or our University community.”

Like many former Israeli soldiers living abroad, Deutsch flew to Israel soon after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack to rejoin the Israel Defense Forces as a reservist. While he was away, a petition began to circulate demanding his removal from the position of university chaplain, saying his participation in a deadly war would create an unsafe environment at Leeds. The petition now has more than 11,000 signatures.

Opposition to Deutsch grew in November when videos he

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shared of himself with his unit were shared in an anti-Israel WhatsApp group.

Deutsch returned to England in January, amid a broad demobilization of Israeli reservists. Last week, students with the Palestine Solidarity Group gathered outside a student services building to protest his presence on campus.

Hours before the protest, the words “Free Palestine” were found spray painted on the Hillel House at the university. The family also continued to receive threats.

The University of Leeds, which has more than 35,000 students, enrolls thousands of Muslim students, many from abroad, according to university data.

Mirvis also denounced the threats against the Deutsch family and called on the university to take action.

“The shameful antisemitic abuse and violent threats directed at the Jewish Chaplaincy couple in Leeds, their young children, and the Jewish students are emblematic of the extremism which stains our society,” Mirvis said. “These attacks are motivated by a hatred which might appear to be targeted at Jews, but which are ultimately a threat to all of our society.

I call on the University of Leeds to be unequivocal in the face of such brazen intimidation and hateful extremism.”

The University Jewish Chaplaincy assigns rabbis and rabbinic couples to work with students at more than 100 schools across England. In addition to the University of Leeds, the Deutsches, who previously lived in Jerusalem and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, work at six other schools in the Leeds area.

“We are deeply shocked by the despicable torrent of anti-Semitic hate and threats of violence being directed at Rabbi Deutsch and his family,” the chaplaincy group said.

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Ron’s Kitchen

In 2020, Shlicha Ron Lugasy collected some of her favorite recipes for the Omaha Jewish community to enjoy, long after she returned to Israel.

LOC AL | N AT I O N A L | WO R L D

Art Hour with Mary Sue Grossman

energy and movement of the world around her. You can find ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT out more about her and her work at Bibbyart.com.

Jewish Press Editor All throughout our building, there are pieces of art, the vast What do you see?

Colored circles of different sizes. They are spaced apart but majority donated by Michael Staenberg. It sets a tone, it livens yet related. up our building, but how often do we stop and stare? A small group of community members What is the first word that and Jewish Press board memcomes to mind when you bers gathered recently to take a look at it? closer look. They each selected Circles of color. one art piece, read up on the What’s the second one? work and answered questions.

Unraveling.

Continuing with Mary Sue What do you imagine the Grossman, we’re sharing their artists was feeling when stories in the Jewish Press. she created this?

Mary Sue selected Sibling RiShe perhaps had mixed feelvalry, a mixed media panel creings, was thinking about chalated by Bibby Gignilat, located lenges in her personal sibling in the Main front exit. A second relationships. work by Gigniliat, titled As Big What would you ask the as the World hangs nearby inartist if you could? side the entry.

What caused you to create Bibby Gigniliat is a San Franthis work? cisco Bay Area mixed media How does this artwork collage artist whose large abrelate to you personally? stract art on panels, canvas and While I had three siblings, due paper brings life and joy to Sibling Rivalry by Bibby Gigniliat to a large age difference, I never homes, corporate offices, hotels, restaurants and health care experienced what I imagine to be ‘typical’ sibling rivalry. For facilities. Bibby’s work encompasses a range of styles and tech- this, I am grateful. niques, including painting, drawing and printmaking. Her How would you connect this artwork to our Jewish work is characterized by vibrant colors, bold brushstrokes, community? and a playful, spontaneous approach to composition. Bibby’s There frequently is a ‘rivalry’ in our lives. Finding ways to work has been described as expressionistic, with elements of connect the many layers of Judaism and our understanding/ abstract expressionism, pop art and surrealism. Her use of practice/acceptance within our day-to-day lives can make us color and form creates a dynamic visual impact, capturing the feel a bit unraveled.

CONGRATULATE YOUR GRADUATE

SCHNITZEL Ingredients: Thin chicken breast 2 eggs Oil Bread crumbs Salt, pepper, paprika to taste Directions: Mix the egg and the spices, coat the chicken breast with egg, making sure it is covered well.

Cover it with bread crumbs.

In a wide pan heat less than half an inch of oil.

Fry the schnitzel until golden.

KABAB Ingredients: 1/2 lbs ground beef .2 lbs lamb fat Finely chopped onion Finely chopped parsley (a small bunch) 2 garlic cloves- chopped finely 2-3 tbsp. olive oil Salt and pepper Directions: Grind the meat and fat together. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Let it rest in the fridge until grilling.

When grilling form round small patties; make sure that they are very tight. Grill until ready.

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Above: We love the RBJH Volunteers!

Left: Rabbi Benjamin Sharff entertained RBJH Residents with his musical talents as he sang and played his rhythm guitar.

Below: The Omaha Dancing Grannies performed at the JCC for RBJH Residents. A very inspiring performance seniors stealing the show, one dance step at a time.

Above, right and below: What a great day at Beth El Talmud Torah. Thank you to everyone who was part of BESTT, World Wide Wrap and Torah Tots!

Top, above, below and bottom: RBJH celebrated President’s Day with a presentation of Abe Lincoln with Lee Williams, who portrayed our 16th President. Residents got a glimpse of Lincoln’s childhood, young manhood and career as a lawyer, statesman and president. Lee brought Lincoln to life, emphasizing his character, humility, determination, humor, and compassion.

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PHOTOS FROM RECENT JEWISH COMMUNITY EVENTS SUBMIT A PHOTO: Have a photo of a recent Jewish Community event you would like to submit? Email the image and a suggested caption to: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org.

Above: Friedel students practice their basketball skills during gym class with Coach Aaron.

Left top, middle and below: We had some amazing visitors at school this week! Rabbi Geiger from Beth Israel Synagogue, Omaha taught about how everyone has inherent value and capacity for greatness; and Rabbi Eli from Chabad of Nebraska led a workshop for our middle schoolers in which they got to try out being a scribe.

8 | The Jewish Press | February 23, 2024

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Meet Kobi Halperin ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor In my search for positive and uplifting Jewish stories, I came upon fashion designer Kobi Halperin.

Born and raised in Israel, he graduated from the Shenkar College of Engineering and Design and moved to New York in 1999. There, he worked for fellow Israeli Elie Tahar and for Kenneth Cole. He came out with his own ready-to-wear line in 2015 and currently also works as Creative Director for Emmanuel Ungaro.

If you’re not into fashion, these names mean nothing, but for those of us who like to keep tabs, his is an impressive resume.

In January of this year, Halperin held the first runway show under his own label. He did so during New York Fashion Week; the title was ‘Illumination of Hope.’ It opened with white outfits, symbolizing Shabbat. In addition to playing Lecha Dodi and Eshet Chayil, the show ended with Hatikva. The musical arrangements were composed by Israeli music producer Joseph E-Shine Mizrachi.

“The whole collection was basically inspired from my heritage,” said Halperin, who grew up in Netanya. “I was raised in a religious family and if there’s something that I miss, it’s the idea of Shabbat. It’s not necessarily the religious part, I love the idea that there’s an ending, but then a beginning of something else. For me, I remember this amazing moment in Israel on Fridays: Everything is shutting down, the stores are closed, the music changes, the sky is changing.”

Two thoughts: (1) it’s not cool that we consider

this an outlier. Playing Hatikva at a fashion show things like this: “We’re seeing so many vulgar things during New York Fashion Week should not be an act all around us that suddenly looking at a woman of courage—yet it is, and (2), it’s amazing that there with so much respect — an eshet chayil — and will always be Jews who spread light in the darkness. making her look beautiful and, more importantly, When I was in Europe in December, holiday feel beautiful, is what I’m trying to do. It’s hard for shoppers at Amsterdam’s oldest and most re- me to justify fashion with everything that’s happenspectable department store were treated to anti-Israel fliers. All the upscale brands are owned by pro-Israel supporters, or those who have financial ties with Israel. It drives the antisemites crazy to see everyone shopping for Dior, Chanel, Givenchy, Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, Celine and Louis Vuitton, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. If Halperin isn’t already on the boycott list, it’s only a matter of time. What better way Kobi Halperin during the Kobi Halperin show, New York Fashion Week at Splashto stand up and be light Studios on Feb. 11, 2024. Credit: Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty Images proud than to make your runway debut all about ing around us right now. That’s why I love the idea Shabbat? To talk about being inspired by religious of taking this opportunity to gather and be together upbringing, by Israel, by the sounds and smells and — to find what we have in common and respect feeling of Friday night? that we think differently about specific things, but Being unapologetically Jewish and unapologeti- still recognize that as people we actually can have cally Israeli, right now, is inspiring and it is neces- hope and pray for something positive.” sary. We need people like Kobi Halperin to say (Source: NY Jewish Week)

I learned to curb my certainty and listen to our complicated people RABBI JOSHUA M. DAVIDSON JTA I recently returned from a synagogue mission to Israel. Before our departure, I asked our 20 travelers why they were going. “I want to be able to bear witness,” one of them responded, “so first I have to be a witness.”

Good answer. It is difficult — and presumptuous — for those who live an ocean away to feel like we have a complete understanding of what has transpired in Israel and what Israel should do next. And yet, few of us can resist the temptation to cast judgment, offer advice, render a verdict on Israel’s now four-month war on Hamas. By visiting Israel, even for a visit of just three days, we put away our certainty in order to listen and learn — to be witnesses.

We witnessed Israel’s extraordinary civic spirit — heroic volunteers tending to the material and psychological needs of Israelis who lost family, homes and livelihoods in the wake of the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, offering what the government remains unequipped to provide. And we witnessed the enduring trauma of families of hostages and survivors of the attacks.

The story of one family, who thankfully did not suffer the way others did — none of them were taken captive, none of them killed — was especially vital in helping us understand the larger picture of Israel after Oct. 7.

Our conversation was with a young husband and father I’ll call Ariel to respect his privacy. We met him in the town of Ashalim, south of Beersheba.

Last August, Ariel, his wife and two children joined Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, a thriving community on the Gaza border where they moved to build a life. Of the risks living so close to Gaza, Ariel explained, “We knew there was a chance we would face occasional rocket fire. But we also knew how to handle it.” What occurred the morning of Oct. 7, though, was beyond their imagination.

At 6:30, they were awakened by the familiar sound of the Iron Dome detonating one Hamas rocket and then a second. So they went to their bomb shelter, as they had done before, assuming this was just another volley of fire that would last a few days and then stop. But then they began to receive WhatsApp videos of terrorists in Sderot, then at another kibbutz, and then at one even closer. At

9 a.m., they learned that Hamas fighters were in- tense anger at the government for its lack of preside Nir Yitzhak, and Ariel, an experienced military paredness before the attack (resulting, some veteran, was afraid like he had never been before. claimed, from divisions sown by the proposed juNext came what in Israel has come to be called dicial overhaul), and at Prime Minister Benjamin “the battle for the doorknob,” the tug of war be- Netanyahu for his failure to articulate a vision of tween terrorists attempting to enter a shelter and what comes next in Gaza and for prioritizing “comthose inside struggling to keep them out. Bomb plete victory” over negotiating the hostages’ safe shelters are not built to be locked from within.

So Ariel blocked the door with furniture. And there his family remained until 10:00 that night when the army finally regained control of the kibbutz. Six members of the kibbutz were killed on the day of the attack. Eight people were taken hostage, two of whom were released before crossing into Gaza and three let go during the ceasefire in November.

The next day, the survivors of Nir Yitzhak were sent to Eilat, where they lived in a hotel for two months. Neither Ariel nor his wife could work; Scenes from a trip to Israel with New York City’s Temple there was no space for the children to play; and Emanu-El, including a Shabbat table installed in Tel Aviv with some 200 empty chairs for the Israelis kidnapped there was no school.

A month ago, the family decided to find a by Hamas, Jan. 13-18, 2024. Credit: Joshua Davidson place to live where they could reclaim some meas- return. Israelis have a right to be critical. So do we. ure of normalcy. So they moved to Ashalim. There But our criticism should be tempered by approthe community embraced them, providing a house priate humility given our distance from Hamas and the necessities to start over. rockets, and it should not obscure these truths: Ariel related the journey of the last three months Hamas struck Israel on Oct. 7, breaking a ceasefire thoughtfully. He spoke of friends Hamas murdered; already in place; Hamas, not Israel, is the party with of how he wanted to be fighting in Gaza, but knew genocide in its charter; and if Hamas cared anyhis place was with his family. He recalled how he had thing for the Palestinian people, its operatives been raised on Israel’s political left to believe that would come out of their tunnels and surrender inpeace with the Palestinians was not only possible stead of using civilians as human shields. but necessary, but that now he was less convinced.

Israel will persevere. It is said its people are like the If he sounded disillusioned, he was, he explained, sabra fruit — tough on the outside, and tenacious more realistic. He acknowledged the tragedy of in- survivors. And that determination is carrying them nocents dying in Gaza, but “there are also a lot of through now. But to visit Israel today — or to hear people there glad for our deaths here,” he said.

Israelis speak when they come to America — is to Will he return home to Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak? “We witness the tenderness within, where the wounds of think about it,” he answered. “But we’re not sure.” The Oct. 7 still cause great pain. And if we are to bear witmodern Zionist enterprise was undertaken so that ness, we need to be attentive to these wounds.

Jews would be safe in their homes and never again Rabbi Joshua M. Davidson is the Senior Rabbi be uprooted. So the fact that more than 200,000 Is- of Congregation Emanu-El of New York City. raelis have been internally displaced since the war The views and opinions expressed in this article are began is especially jarring to the Israeli psyche. those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the Americans, including American Jews, need not views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media. approve of every action of Israel’s government. Polls This story was edited for length; read more at show most Israelis don’t. Indeed we witnessed in- www.omahajewishpress.com.

The Jewish Press | February 23, 2024 | 9

How ‘ceasefire’ became a dirty word, even to some progressive groups ANDREW SILOW-CARROLL JTA Late last month, Jacob Frey, the Jewish mayor of Minneapolis, vetoed his city council’s resolution endorsing a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, calling it “a one-sided resolution that adds more division to an already fraught situation.”

On Feb. 8, the council voted to override his veto, adopting a resolution that calls for a “permanent ceasefire” and places the war squarely “in the context of the 75-year displacement of Palestinians.” Overridden but unbowed, Frey issued his own ceasefire proclamation. Like the council’s, it calls for an immediate ceasefire, the return of Israeli hostages and humanitarian aid for Gazans.

Unlike the council resolution, it specifically endorses a twostate solution, eliminates a call to end U.S. military aid to Israel and makes no reference to accusations in the International Criminal Court and elsewhere suggesting that Israel is carrying out genocide.

“It differs from the resolution passed by council in that it attempts to honor, uplift, and include Minneapolis residents across faiths,” Frey explained on Instagram. “We need more unity right now, and furthering [division] and hate at home does not help achieve peace abroad.”

The differences between the two proclamations are both subtle and pointed, and typify a fierce debate over “ceasefire,” a word that has come to carry a host of meanings and more emotional and political baggage than its plain definition implies.

For many defenders of Israel, calls for a ceasefire suggest Israel surrender its right to defend itself and eliminate an enemy that slaughtered 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped 250 others on Oct. 7 and would surely try to do it again. That many of the early calls for ceasefire came from groups that disdain Israel is reason enough to reject the term, many argue.

Even those who might now support a pause in the fighting that would allow the return of some or all of the hostages and humanitarian aid for displaced Palestinians ask why Israel should agree to end a war they consider just and necessary.

“A premature ceasefire, without ensuring the elimination of Hamas’ military and governing capabilities, will only prolong that organization’s reign of terror over the people of Gaza, perpetuate its threat to the Israeli citizenry, and doom any prospect of a political end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” said Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee, in a statement.

As for proponents of a ceasefire — a growing number of city councils across the United States, NGOs, left and far-left Jewish groups and the pro-Palestinian supporters they sometimes march with — the term can signify a range of positions. For the far left, which includes many anti-Zionist Jews, Israel is solely to blame for the conditions that led to the Oct. 7 attacks, and stopping the war means nothing less than preventing the genocide of the Palestinians in Gaza.

Some Jews calling for a ceasefire express sympathy for Israel and its security dilemma but are moved by the enormous civilian death toll in Gaza and want the war to cease on humanitarian grounds. And some progressive and even centrist Zionists wonder whether the huge scale of bloodshed will weaken Israel politically and diplomatically without eliminating the threat of the Hamas ideology.

On Feb. 7, more than 30 Israel-based civil society and human rights organizations called for “an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and demand the immediate release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip.”

“An immediate ceasefire will prevent further loss of civilian lives and facilitate access to vital aid for Gaza to address the unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe there,” read their petition. “These steps are vital for ensuring human rights and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike.”

Among the North American Jewish mainstream, however, the word is seldom used. Only one member of the 50-member Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations — Americans for Peace Now — has issued a call for a ceasefire. On Jan. 22, the left-wing Israel advocacy group J Street said it is time for a “negotiated stop” to the fighting, but pointedly did not use the word “ceasefire.”

And when the Biden administration suggested the euphemistic “humanitarian pause” in the fighting last November, the right-wing Zionist Organization of America called it “pro-Hamas and anti-Israel.”

What terms are used to describe a stop in the fighting — “ceasefire,” “humanitarian pause,” “cessation of hostilities” — are less meaningful to scholars and lawyers than they are to politicians and activists, explained Virginia Fortna, professor of U.S. Foreign and Security Policy at Columbia University. “A lot of the words just end up getting used interchangeably, and the distinctions are not super meaningful,” she said. “‘Ceasefire’ is a catchall term for lots of different kinds of things, from a very local and temporary pause to a unilateral ceasefire and all the way to a formalized, negotiated” agreement.

More significant is the distinction between ceasefire and “armistice,” which means a permanent end to the fighting.

Fortna, who has written a book on the durability of ceasefire agreements, has been following the Israel-Hamas war and

looking past the ceasefire debate to what happens next.

“What could a peacekeeping mission look like?” she said.

“Who could be involved, and be trusted enough and be seen as impartial enough to both sides and allay serious mistrust?”

The Jewish debate over “ceasefire ” is felt keenly in the Reconstructionist movement, whose 95 affiliated congregations and 370 rabbis tend to lean to the left. The movement hasn’t called for a ceasefire; rather, in an essay on Dec. 21, Rabbi Maurice Harris, the movement’s Israel Affairs Specialist, described two camps among rabbis and congregants. Those calling for an immediate ceasefire, he wrote, hold mainstream views about Israel but argue that “the most important of our Jewish values now is the prohibition against the killing of innocents,” and they distrust Israel’s leadership.

Opponents of an immediate ceasefire defend Israel’s right to self-defense and feel “that allowing Hamas to remain in power would be a grave mistake that would harm Israelis and Palestinians in the long run.”

A version of the Non-Violence sculpture by Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd, seen here in Malmö, Sweden. Credit: Francois Polito/Wikipedia

In an interview, Harris noted that a “disproportionate” number of rabbis in the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association are part of Rabbis4Ceasefire, a group that issued its first call for a ceasefire on Oct. 20 — a full week before Israel launched its ground invasion of Gaza. At the same time, there is a cohort of Reconstructionist rabbis more closely aligned with their local Jewish federations, “who want to see the movement aligned more vigorously and publicly with the calls for solidarity that come from” the Jewish Federations of North America.

“Speaking personally, one of the things I find a little confusing about the most visible calls for ceasefire is they don’t seem to respond when there’s an offer on the table for a temporary pause in the fighting and Hamas says no,” he said. “If the most important thing is for the killing to stop, I would think some of the ceasefire folks would be protesting Hamas’ refusal to go ahead and accept a deal even for a temporary ceasefire .”

The Reform movement also hasn’t issued a call for ceasefire, even though its statements condemning Hamas and supporting Israel’s right to self-defense clearly align the movement with the pro-Israel left. They include calls for “an end to the West Bank occupation,” condemnation of settler violence against Palestinians and support for a Palestinian state.

Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, said he is sympathetic to the calls for ceasefire including one issued by more than 1,000 current and former members of the URJ in December. “‘Ceasefire’ as a standalone call I think for some people is just a cry from the heart for the humanitarian disaster which war always is, and this war is no exception,” he said.

But Jacobs said his movement can’t get behind a ceasefire “that preserves Hamas’s current role as governor and military force in Gaza.”

“This war will end with a negotiated ceasefire — that’s how the world works,” he continued. “What matters greatly is what comes after. The hostages have to be released. And I think who governs Gaza after the cessation of hostilities is really important.”

As often happens in polarizing political debates, a term becomes toxic when it gets too closely associated with one side or the other. Pro-Palestinian protesters were early in calling for a ceasefire, in some cases within days and even hours of the Oct. 7 attacks. Some of these demands were also coupled with positions and rhetoric that many Jews, including those on the left, couldn’t countenance. A controversial letter signed

by Harvard Palestine solidarity groups calling for “action to stop the ongoing annihilation of Palestinians,” issued Oct. 9, held “apartheid Israel... entirely responsible for all unfolding violence.” A “Ceasefire Now” resolution introduced Oct. 16 by 13 Democratic progressives in the House of Representatives did not call out Hamas’ unprovoked attack on Israel or mention the hostages. A “Ceasefire Now” petition by the anti-Zionist group Jewish Voice for Peace declares that Israel “is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.”

“The rape denialism among progressive groups, the slanderous overreach in characterizing Israel’s behavior as genocide, the quick leap to calls for ceasefire instantly after Oct. 7 — denying Israel the legitimacy of self-defense — and the regular omission of calls to release the hostages as part of the ceasefire conversation are all colossal moral failures,” wrote Yehuda Kurtzer, president of the Shalom Hartman Institute, in an essay in the Forward last week defending “the moral and po-

litical necessity of Israel’s military response.”

Kurtzer elaborated in an interview. “We’re not really talking about the legitimacy of ceasefire,” he said. “Everybody wants that.” Both sides have been negotiating over terms for a ceasefire, and both sides have rejected offers. “When I wrote my piece in the Forward, I got accused by people on the left as being pro-genocide. They’re basically saying those are your two options — either you are pro-ceasefire, or you are progenocide, which is morally obtuse.”

Rabbi Alissa Wise, a founder of the JVP rabbinical council, is also the lead organizer for Rabbis4Ceasefire, whose Oct. 20 statement called for “a complete ceasefire now” and the release of all Israeli hostages. She said she and other organizers agreed that the new coalition wouldn’t “officially be a JVP project.”

“We knew that JVP and other organizations have their baggage, and we didn’t want to create any reason why a rabbi whose Jewish values led them to call for a ceasefire” wouldn’t be able to express that publicly, she said in an interview. “We didn’t want to create any barrier to their participating in this call.”

As of Feb. 7, 275 rabbis had signed their petition. Members have protested at the United Nations, held a Hanukkah vigil in New York’s Columbus Circle and prayed in front of the U.S. Capitol.

“Fundamentally, there is no military solution and there needs to be a diplomatic one, and that also includes prisoner exchange and a return of the hostages,” said Wise, who noted that the return of the hostages was always a condition in her group’s call for a ceasefire. “The only time the hostages have come home safely is during a ceasefire.”

She also rejects the idea that a ceasefire undermines Israel’s right to self-defense. “From the beginning, this idea that Israel’s goal is to eliminate Hamas is a vengeful fantasy. You can kill people, but you can’t eliminate an ideology,” she said.

“Hamas recruits their fighters from people who have had family members killed by Israel. There are hundreds of thousands of people that are now in that category.”

Wise also says she also hears from rabbis who won’t sign on to Rabbis4Ceasefire because they risk losing their jobs.

“There’s such a chilling effect for speaking out for a ceasefire,” she said, adding that the fact that five times as many rabbis joined Rabbis4Ceasefire than those who had been part of the anti-Zionist JVP’s cabinet suggests that there are “longtime progressive Zionist activists” looking for a place to express their concern for Israeli Jews and Palestinians.

One of those rabbis is Rachel Kahn-Troster, the executive vice president at the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility. “For me, just calling for a ceasefire was so morally important,” said Kahn-Troster, who previously worked at T’ruah, the rabbinic human rights group. “I was less concerned about the perceived toxicity of the groups [calling for a ceasefire] in this real moment of urgency.”

Kahn-Troster said she grounds her values in the Jewish teaching that all people are created in the image of God, and in the imperatives of human rights. She has been heartened by the Israeli human rights groups calling for a ceasefire. “The call for release of detainees on both sides is really important, but for me the most important piece is that what is happening in Gaza is so horrifying and continues to be horrifying,” she said. “I recognize that to some people that may sound naïve, and that there are a lot of really important questions that need to be answered to ensure safety and security for both Palestinians and Israelis.

“But at this moment, the most urgent thing is to have a ceasefire so that Palestinians re-enter and rebuild, and to just end the scale of death and destruction that is happening.”

Rabbi Jill Jacobs, the CEO of T’ruah, acknowledges that the early adopters of “ceasefire” had essentially co-opted the word and the concept. “That word just became associated with not caring about Israeli lives or caring about the hostages,” she said. “So, unfortunately, that word ended up becoming toxic, even though it shouldn’t be.”

In December, Jacobs put out a statement urging the U.S. government to negotiate “another ceasefire,” following the sixday break in November, that would release the remaining hostages, provide humanitarian aid to Gazans and end the war “as quickly as possible.”

As the death toll among Palestinians in Gaza and Israeli soldiers continues to rise, said Jacobs, she is seeing more discomfort among Jews about how the war is being carried out and its rising death toll among Palestinians and Israeli soldiers.

“I think that’s why it is important to take that word back,” she said, referring to “ceasefire.” “Yes, we understand that there were some people calling for a ceasefire too early. There are some people who were saying ceasefire without any concern for Israelis or, worse, support killing Israelis.

“But that word does not have to be associated with those ideas. And we very much can take it back and say, this is actually what’s good for Israel right now, and certainly for Palestinians.”

Andrew Silow-Carroll is editor at large of the New York Jewish Week and managing editor for Ideas for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.

Synagogues

10 | The Jewish Press | February 23, 2024

B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

618 Mynster Street Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 712.322.4705 www.cblhs.org

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

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: 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

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: TIFERETH ISRAEL Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Boulevard Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 402.423.8569 tiferethisraellincoln.org

B’NAI ISRAEL Monthly Speaker Series Service, Friday, March 8, 7:30 p.m. with our guest speaker, Gary Nachman.

Our service leader is Larry Blass. Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel!

For information about our historic synagogue, please visit our website at www.cblhs.org or contact any of our other board members: Renee Corcoran, Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Janie Kulakofsky, Howard Kutler, Carole and Wayne Lainof, Ann Moshman, Mary-Beth Muskin, Debbie Salomon and Sissy Silber.

Handicap Accessible.

BETH EL Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman.

IN-PERSON AND ZOOM MINYAN SCHEDULE: Mornings on Sundays, 9:30 a.m.; Mondays and Thursdays, 7 a.m.; Evenings on Sunday-Thursday, 5:30 p.m.

FRIDAY: Nebraska AIDS Project Lunch, 11:30 a.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m.; Our Shabbat Tables in Homes.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 10 a.m. at Beth El & Live Stream; Jr. Congregation (Grades K-12), 10 a.m.; Havdalah, 6:45 p.m. Zoom Only.

SUNDAY: BESTT (Grades K-7), 9:30 a.m.; Hamantashen Bake, 9:30 a.m.; Hebrew Reading for Adults, 10:30 a.m. with Hazzan Krausman; Adult B’nai Mitzvah, 11:15 a.m. with Hazzan Krausman.

WEDNESDAY: BESTT (Grades 3-7), 4:15 p.m.; Hebrew High (Grades 8-12), 6 p.m.

THURSDAY: PJP What Jews Think Series, Rabbi Dr. Haim Rechnitzer, 7:30 p.m.

FRIDAY-Mar. 1: Tot Shabbat, 5:30 p.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY-Mar. 2: Shabbat Morning Service, 10 a.m. at Beth El & Live Stream followed by Kiddush Lunch sponsored by Miles Remer; Jr. Congregation (Grades K-12), 10 a.m.; Havdalah, 6:50 p.m. Zoom Only.

Please visit bethel-omaha.org for additional information and service links.

BETH ISRAEL FRIDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Candlelighting/Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat, 5:50 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:30 a.m.; Youth Class, 10:45 a.m.; Beth Israel’s 20th Anniversary Kiddush, 11:15 a.m.; Soulful Torah: Unpacking the Or HaChayim’s Teachings, 4:55 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:40 p.m.; Laws of Shabbos/Kids Activity, 6:10 p.m.; Havdalah, 6:51 p.m.

SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Kinyan HaMasechta, 9:40 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6 p.m.

MONDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Monday Mind Builders, 4 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6 p.m.

TUESDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6 p.m.; Kinyan HaMasechta following Mincha/Ma’ariv.

WEDNESDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6 p.m.

THURSDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Character Development Class, 9:30 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6 p.m.; Parsha Class, 6:20 p.m.; Kinyan HaMasechta following Mincha/Ma’ariv.

FRIDAY-Mar. 1: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Candlelighting/Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat, 5:58 p.m.; Shabbat Across America, 7:15 p.m.

SATURDAY-Mar. 2: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:30 a.m.; Youth Class, 10:45 a.m.; Kids Kiddush Club, 11:15 a.m.; Soulful Torah: Unpacking the Or HaChayim’s Teachings, 5:05 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:50 p.m.; Laws of Shabbos/Kids Activity, 6:20 p.m.; Havdalah, 6:59 p.m.

Please visit orthodoxomaha.org for additional information and Zoom service links.

CHABAD HOUSE All services are in-person. All classes are being offered in-person and via Zoom (ochabad.com/academy). For more information or to request help, please visit www.ochabad.com or call the office at 402.330.1800.

FRIDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Inspirational Lechayim, 5 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: ochabad.com/Lecha yim; Candlelighting, 5:49 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 6:50 p.m.

SUNDAY: Sunday Morning Wraps: Shacharit, 99:30 a.m., Video Presentation, 9:30 a.m. and Breakfast, 9:45 a.m.; Torah and Tea, 10:30-11:15 a.m.

MONDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Personal Parsha, 9:30 a.m.; Intermediate Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Parsha Reading, 6 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen.

TUESDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Introductory Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 7 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen.

WEDNESDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Mystical Thinking (Tanya), 9:30 a.m.; Introductory Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Parsha Reading, 11:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen.

THURSDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Advanced Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 11 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Talmud Study (Sanhedrin 34), noon; Introduction to Alphabet, Vowels & Reading Hebrew, 6 p.m. with Prof.

David Cohen; Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law) Class, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY-Mar. 1: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Inspirational Lechayim, 5 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: ochabad. com/Lechayim; Candlelighting, 5:57 p.m.

SATURDAY-Mar. 2: Shacharit, 9:30 a.m. followed

by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 6:57 p.m.

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN & TIFERETH ISRAEL Services facilitated by Rabbi Alex Felch.

All services offered in-person with live-stream or teleconferencing options.

FRIDAY: Shabbat Candlelighting, 5:52 p.m.; Erev Shabbat Service with Rabbi Alex, 6:30 p.m. at SST.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. at TI; Torah Study, noon on Parashat Tetzaveh; Havdalah, 6:53 p.m.

SUNDAY: LJCS Classes, 9:30 a.m.-noon at SST; Men’s Bike/Coffee Group, 10:30 a.m. in the Conference Room at Rock 'n Joe (5025 Lindbergh St.). For more information or questions please email Al Weiss at albertw801@gmail.com; TI Board Meeting, 11 a.m.

In-Person; Pickleball, 3-5 p.m. Anyone interested in playing or learning how to play can text Miriam at 402.470.2393. If there are enough interested people; we will play in the Social Hall at TI. TUESDAY: Ladies' Lunch, 1 p.m. at Copal, Daffodil, 5500 Old Cheney. For more information email Barbara Barron at oohhmmm.barb@gmail.com; Jewish Themes Through Jewish Films, 6:30 p.m. at SST. WEDNESDAY: LJCS Hebrew School, 4:30-6 p.m.

FRIDAY-Mar. 1: Shabbat Candlelighting, 6 p.m.; Erev Shabbat Service with Rabbi Alex, 6:30 p.m. at SST. SATURDAY-Mar. 2: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. at TI; Torah Study, noon on Parashat Ki Tisa; Havdalah, 7:01 p.m.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE

FRIDAYS: Virtual Shabbat Service, 7:30 p.m. every first and third of the month at Capehart Chapel. Contact TSgt Jason Rife at OAFBJSLL@icloud.com for more information.

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home’s service is currently closed to visitors.

TEMPLE ISRAEL

In-person and virtual services conducted by Rabbi Benjamin Sharff, Rabbi Deana Sussman Berezin, and Cantor Joanna Alexander FRIDAY: Drop in Mah Jongg, 9-11 a.m. In-Person; Musical Shabbat Service and Q&A, 6 p.m. In-Person & Zoom.

SATURDAY: Torah Study with Artist-in-Residence, 9:15 a.m. In-Person & Zoom; Shabbat Morning Service with Artist-in-Residence, 10:30 a.m. In-Person & Zoom; Interfaith Panel on Shared Society in Israel and Musical Performance, 7-8 p.m. at Tri-Fatih Center.

SUNDAY: Grades PreK-7, 9:30 a.m. In-Person.

WEDNESDAY: Yarn It, 9 a.m. In-Person; Grades 36, 4:30 p.m.; Grades 8-12 Mitzvah Corps, 6 p.m.

THURSDAY: Shared Society in a Time of War: Interreligious Voices from Israel, 11:30 a.m. at UNO. In-Person.

FRIDAY-Mar. 1: Drop in Mah Jongg, 9-11 a.m. InPerson; Shabbat B’yachad Service, 6 p.m. In-Person & Zoom.

SATURDAY-Mar. 2: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. In-Person & Zoom; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. InPerson & Zoom.

Please visit templeisraelomaha.com for additional information and Zoom service links.

Israel strikes in Lebanon after deadly rocket attack on Tzfat ELIYAHU FREEDMAN JTA Feb. 14; Tensions are flaring at Israel’s northern border after a rocket fired from Lebanon killed a woman in the northern city of Tzfat.

Israel is reportedly carrying out extensive strikes inside southern Lebanon on Feb. 14 in response to the deadly rocket attack from Hezbollah, the Lebanese terror group, which also left eight Israelis wounded.

Israel’s strike has reportedly killed four people.

The barrage comes as both countries are under pressure to deescalate tensions at the border, which has seen near-daily exchanges of fire since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7.

Hezbollah says it will stop firing rockets only when Israel ceases that war, which began with Hamas’ deadly attack inside Israel on Oct. 7. The conflict in Israel’s north has led to calls from Israelis, including senior defense officials, to mount a major campaign against Hezbollah.

In Hezbollah’s last war with Israel, in 2006, more than 100 Israeli soldiers were killed in a ground invasion that did not end with a clear victor. In the 17 years since, Hezbollah has rebuilt its capacities for another round of conflict, against the terms of

the treaty that ended that war. Now, a full-scale conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon is widely understood to pose significant risk for Israelis across the country, especially in the north.

An ambulance arrives at the Ziv Medical Center in Tzfat carrying a patient who was injured in a missile strike fired from Lebanon at the northern Israeli city, Feb. 14, 2024. Credit: David Cohen/Flash90

Many northern Israeli border communities were evacuated soon after Oct. 7 in the face of Hezbollah rocket fire, including the town of Kiryat Shemona.

Two people were wounded there in a rocket attack this week.

The mayor of Tzfat, Shuki Ohana, also called Safed, said Wednesday that he would not evacuate

his city despite the increased risk. He called on the government to provide more security for his city.

“There’s a shortage of defense in the city,” Ohana said.” The Israeli government needs to help with this issue. We have a dire shortage of defense.”

Tzfat, with a population of roughly 42,000, is home to a major military base and a hospital and is also a historic center of Jewish mysticism. Many of its residents are affiliated with the Chabad-Lubavitch movement of Hasidic Judaism, and they have remained in the past when hostilities have flared.

“Without a doubt the Torah protects us,” Rabbi Chaim Kaplan, who was injured by a rocket that fell in the city in 2006, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency last month. He said his father had been the only one in his yeshiva not to heed a call to head to a bomb shelter when the city faced a barrage of rockets in 1978. “He said, ‘I am in my shelter: the yeshiva, learning Torah. Doing my mission is my bomb shelter. I will not leave for anything.’”

Kaplan filed a successful claim against Hezbollah in a U.S. court, which found that Iran and North Korea were liable for damages because of their support for the terror group.

This is a developing story.

The Jewish Press | February 23, 2024 | 11

Life cycles

Pulverente MONUMENT CO. Over 60 Years Experience With Jewish Lettering and Memorials

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IN MEMORIAM MARVIN POLIKOV Marvin Polikov passed away on Feb. 10, 2024 surrounded by his family. Graveside services were held Feb. 15, 2024 at Greenlawn Cemetery, 950 Mansell Rd. Roswell, GA 30076 and were officiated by Rabbi Jason Holtz.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Bernice and Abe Polikov, brothers, Bernie Polikov and Steve Polikov and his adored daughter-in-law, Jodi Polikov.

He is survived by his wife Sheila (Goldston) of 55 years; brother, Lee Polikov (Terry); his sons, Kenny, Chad (Carla), Lance (Sara); and his seven grandchildren: Rylan, Shayley, Hayden, Sawyer, Jordyn, Lyla and Bradley. All brought Marv endless laughs, smiles and joy. Along with his three sons and daughtersin-law, his grandchildren were his proudest accomplishment.

He was born in Omaha on Aug. 10, 1943, the son of the late Bernice and Abe Polikov.

After school, Marv began his lifelong career in the scrap metal business. Marv married Sheila on Nov. 24, 1968. Soon after, they started their family.

When the boys were little, Marv always enjoyed taking them on fun outings on the weekends and had a special relationship with each of them. As they got older, they knew they could always call on him for advice and a listening ear.

Marv served as President of the JCC in Omaha as well as President of Henry Monsky Lodge at Bnai Brith. While in Omaha, he loved his early mornings at “the J” (arriving so early that he was given the key to open it for everyone), getting together with his stock group, his Saturday & Sunday morning coffees at Starbucks and afternoons at the pool with friends.

Marv was a season ticket holder to the College World Series and enjoyed his ballpark visits/vacations with the guys. Family vacations were another treasured pastime of Marv’s, spending quality time with both his kids and grandkids. Over the years Sheila and Marv had several dogs and they always brought so much happiness to their home.

Visiting Chicago frequently, Marv was able to watch Rylan’s hockey games, Shayley’s performances and spend quality time with them. His visits seeing them in Chicago were always extra enjoyable with the entire extended Walowitz family. As Rylan and Shayley got older they felt that they could always look to Papa Marv for guidance, advice, support and they always felt his unconditional love through his regular check-ins.

Upon moving to Canton five years ago, Sheila and Marv were

402-894-0300 so fortunate to make many new friends in their community. Marv was in a weekly poker group, attended the gym regularly, participated in a cooking club as well as taking on the role of president of the Shalom Club for a two-year term. Marv always kept himself busy!

His Atlanta kids and grandkids were so lucky to be able to spend holidays with him, have him attend recitals, sports games, movies, dinners out and special sleepovers at Papa Marv and Grammy’s house. The sleepovers always included golf cart rides, popcorn, candy and the best snacks! Most recently, the family celebrated Hanukkah together and shared Marv’s favorite meal of brisket and kasha that Sheila prepared; and he loved. She made it such a special celebration at their home, and Marv was beaming the entire evening. He shared a love for sushi with his family - the grandkids always got excited when Papa Marv would order a whole sushi boat and they would finish every last piece!

Over their 55 years of marriage Marv and Sheila shared countless beautiful memories together. Dinners out with Sheila were always a favorite of Marv’s. He often started the day asking ‘What their plan was for dinner’ and always looked forward to sharing special occasions with friends and family. Marv cherished Sheila and would do anything for her. He appreciated the amazing care she took of him always but especially over the past few months and never wanted to be a burden. He always knew how much she loved and cared about him.

Marv will be remembered by countless friends, extended family and numerous work colleagues.

Memorials may be made in Marv’s memory to the Jodi Polikov Memorial Foundation 1427 Daniel Court Northbrook, IL 60062.

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Grandparents are Randi and Alan Jablin of Scottsdale, AZ, Holly and Ken Dolgin of Scottsdale, AZ and Lisa and Dave Sherman of Phoenix.

Great-grandparents are Leonard and Phyllis Friedel, of blessed memory.

Rabbi Geiger’s Weekly Torah Expedition PARSHA KI TISA Mike and Rachel, a beautiful soon-tobe-married couple. Everyone is so happy for them; it seems like a match made in heaven. All the wedding arrangements are going according to plan (ok, now you know it’s probably not a true story). A few days after the wedding, Mike walks into the Rabbi’s office and he can tell something is RABBI wrong. As it turns out, Mike is very dis- MORDECHAI tressed! He cannot understand why, but GEIGER his new wife won’t talk to him. Every- Beth Israel thing seemed to be going perfectly, but the new bride had ignored her husband since the morning after the wedding. The Rabbi was very concerned, so he called

SUBMIT OBITUARIES TO THE JEWISH PRESS: Email the Press at jpress@jewishomaha.org; mail to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154; or online at online at www.omahajewishpress.com/site/forms/.

JEWISH PRESS READERS If you do business with any of our advertisers, please tell them you saw their ad in the Jewish Press. It really helps us!

Mrs. Friedman. Finally, after beating around the bush, she explained the problem. After the wedding party, the couple went to their new home. Rachel was ecstatic to begin their new life together. But as soon as they got home, Mike got a phone call.

Without apologizing, he picked up and talked to his boss for an hour. Rachel was crushed. Did she mean so little to Mike?

This week’s Torah portion relates to the mitzvah of Shabbat.

We refer to it not just as a day but as a personality. The Shabbat Queen. Because it is the special day G-d comes and spends with us. It is such an amazing opportunity for closeness. It is that intimate moment when the bride and groom are finally together! So, no matter what our current level of observance is, let’s find a way to ensure that the Shabbos Queen has our undivided attention!

Shabbat shalom, Mordechai Geiger

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12 | The Jewish Press | February 23, 2024

News LOC AL | N AT I O N A L | WO R L D

‘Powerful’ or ‘Yikes’? How the internet reacted...

JACOB GURVIS JTA Was the first antisemitism-themed ad to air at the Super Bowl tactful or tasteless? How much did it have to do with Israel? And what is “Jewish hate,” anyway?

Those are some of the questions that have arisen after the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, the group founded in 2019 by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, placed a 30-second ad during the game titled Silence that featured Clarence B. Jones, the longtime advisor and speechwriter for Martin Luther King Jr. (The organization also replayed a different ad it produced last year during the pregame show.)

The ad shows Jones in his study and then, against his voiceover, displays images of a burning cross and swastika and the hashtag “#hitlerwasright.” It then shifts to showing people taking action against recent displays of hate, including Islamophobia and anti-Black racism.

“I’d remind people that all hate thrives on one thing: silence,” Jones says in the ad, imagining what he’d write in a speech meant for King to deliver today. “The people who will change the nation are those who speak out, who refuse to be bystanders, who raise their voices against injustice. When we stand up to silence, we stand up to all hate.”

The ad meant to strike a universal tone, and some reactions were positive. The American Jewish Committee called it “powerful” and one Facebook user said it was “the best ad from the Super Bowl.” The page for a local community of Los Angeles moms thanked Jones and Kraft’s foundation for the ad and wrote, “Now is the time to #standuptojewishhate and use your voice.”

Others were less impressed. Shmuley Boteach, the Republican activist, author and self-styled “America’s Rabbi,” wrote on Facebook that the ad was a “complete failure.”

“Why were they focusing on Islamaphobia, racism, bigotry

– which, of course, as with all forms of hatred, should be fought – when the issue of the hour is antisemitism?” he wrote. His post concluded, “What a wasted opportunity. The ad sucked.”

Eve Barlow, a writer and pro-Israel activist, likewise compared the commercial to the “All Lives Matter” slogan that emerged as a rebuttal —or critics would say, distraction — to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Clarence Jones, wearing a blue pin from the “#StandUpToJewishHate” campaign, during the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism’s Super Bowl ad. Credit: FCAS

“So we spent $7m “all lives matter-ing” antisemitism at the Super Bowl?” she wrote to her 71,000 followers on X, referencing the estimated price tag on the ad. “Oy vey.” There was also a fair amount of misinformation swirling around the ad. Another ad by Kraft’s foundation from 10 months ago, about a man who paints over antisemitic graffiti on a neighbor’s house, went viral as a “Super Bowl ad” and garnered considerable praise — but didn’t air during the game.

A number of people suggested (inaccurately) that the ad that did air was paid for by Israel, and claimed it was a distraction from the Israel Defense Forces’ impending invasion of Rafah, a city in southern Gaza. (The IDF did conduct a rescue

operation there during the Super Bowl that freed two hostages, and the Israeli government bought ads that aired during the game on Paramount streaming and on social media.)

“We give Israel 10 million dollars every day so they can spend 7 million dollars on a Super Bowl commercial to propagandize our population while actively carrying out a genocide,” a user on X wrote.

In an Instagram post, a user displayed several comments that referenced the Israel-Hamas war and wrote, “The ad had nothing to do with Israel. This is just more proof that antiZionism = antisemitism.”

And at least one far-right activist who has spread antisemitism — Andrew Torba, founder of the Gab platform —suggested that he appreciated the ad because a hashtag praising Hitler, meant as an example of hate, flashed across viewers’ screens.

For some, the use of the term, “Jewish hate” — the foundation’s preferred term for antisemitism — was perplexing.

There is evidence that the word “antisemitism,” which does not include a form of the word “Jewish,” is confusing to some people. But the alternative people have generally turned to is “Jew hatred,” rather than “Jewish hate,” which could give an impression of Jews as the haters rather than the hated.

“The phrase ‘Jewish hate’ seems to be generating quite a lot of conversation here, and perhaps not for the reasons intended,” Avi Mayer, the former editor of the Jerusalem Post, wrote on X. “The ad was referring to antisemitism — that is, hatred *of* Jewish people — but some folks seem to think it meant hatred exhibited *by* Jewish people. Yikes.”

On a lighter note, some users juxtaposed the message of the antisemitism ad with that of other commercials, which promoted Christianity and Scientology.

“Religion Super Bowl ads: Christianity: ‘join us!'” comedian Elon Altman wrote. “Scientology: ‘join us!’ Judaism: ‘leave us alone!'”