February 24, 2023

The Jewish Press

Nebraska Legislative Bill 343

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Good morning. My name is Sharon Brodkey. I am the Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. I am here to urge you to vote in support of Legislative Bill 343 that prohibits state contracts with companies that boycott Israel. This bill accomplishes four things:

1. It protects the financial interests of Nebraska’s citizens by ensuring that state investment funds and contracts are

Bob’s 3-minute read

“Bring back l’fanecha.” It isn’t the thing you hear every day, but it was helpful for me.

ishly literate is important to me.

shielded from the economic damage and instability caused by parties that engage in discriminatory boycotts against businesses operating in Israel;

2. It protects the social interests of Nebraska’s citizens ensuring that yours and my taxpayer dollars, are not party to discriminatory contracts and investments;

3. It aligns Nebraska with 35 states that have already passed similar legislation or executive orders; See Nebraska Legislative Bill 343 page 2

A little bit of Mystery

I am accustomed to saying that I pray conservative and live reform. What I mean by that is that I grew up at Beth El Synagogue and the Saturday morning Shabbat service is the one that I am most familiar and comfortable with, and at home, we weren’t Shomer Shabbat. That being said, I have always loved learning about Jewish practices, texts, and history, and becoming more Jew-

BOB GOLDBERG Chief Executive Officer, JFO

Andres Spokoiny, writer and CEO of the Jewish Funders Network, in a recent essay about Universal Jewish Literacy in the Sapir Journal asks, “What do we want Jews to know and be able to do?” It is not an unfair question. We are the people of the book. We have access today to an unlimited supply of Jewish learning through texts and source materials from throughout Jewish history by simply asking “Rabbi” Google.

I know that I am blessed to live in America where I am free to be Jewish and practice and learn how I want. I am blessed, and we are blessed, to have great teachers. Chabad Rabbi Mendel Katzman taught me years ago that putting on tefillin in the morning and saying the Shema provides me something like a shield for the day, a superpower, a protective coat... and I love that. It led me to purchasing my own tefillin.

The other day, I had the privilege of sharing time and a cup of coffee with Rabbi Aryeh Azriel, Temple Israel’s Rabbi Emeritus. Rabbi is full of joy, and it is a blessing to be with him. During our conversation, I mentioned See Bob’s 3-minute read page 3

STEFANIE

BAGUIAN Temple Israel Director of Communications

Temple Israel is hosting its annual Purim celebration. Festivities will take place on March 3 and March 5 and there is something for all ages.

WHODUNNIT SHABBAT

We begin on Friday, March 3 with our Whodunnit Shabbat – a Purim-themed Murder Mystery Dinner. Enjoy a meal and Shabbat music throughout the evening as we delve deep into the ending for Haman.

Yes, he was hanged on the gallows he built for Mordechai; the King

gave the order and the people of Shushan witnessed it. But we can’t help but wonder, who was the masked Hangman that dispatched that “wicked, wicked man”? Now the speculation begins. Was it Queen Esther herself, seeking revenge? Was it the King’s butler, who owed Haman for gambling debts? Was it Haman’s eleventh son, estranged from the family for years? There’s only one way to find out whodunnit.

Those wishing to attend should RSVP by Feb. 27. Children are See A bit of Mystery page 3

Author Jean Meltzer to speak at Spring Author Event

Page 4

Nikki Haley, a favorite of the pro-Israeli establishment, is the first Republican to challenge Trump Page 5

Jewish teens balance pride and safety when navigating public spaces

Page 7

Editor’s note: on Feb. 10, 2023, JCRC Director Sharon Brodkey testified at the Capitol regarding Nebraska Legislative Bill 343, which prohibits public contracts with companies that boycott Israel. Below is the full text of her testimony.

Langer’s Lunch 2.09.23 Legend

Nebraska Legislative Bill 343

Continued from page 1

4. And finally, it aligns Nebraska with the federal government which rejects boycotts based on national origin and interferences with foreign trade policy in general. (The Export Administration Act of 1977 and the Ribicoff Amendment to the Tax Reform Act of 1976 were both designed to combat the Arab League’s boycott of Israel.)

It is important to note that courts have determined that these policies do not violate the First Amendment. Economic boycotts are not protected speech but are instead a form of commercial activity. LB343 is limited and does not prohibit individual boycotts of Israel or penalize anti-Israel speech. Individuals remain free to call for, participate in, and encourage others to join boycotts against Israel.

Let’s be clear, the commercial boycotts addressed in this bill are a form of national-origin discrimination driven by bigotry and hate. The international BDS Movement at its core, is antisemitic and does nothing to promote peace. Instead, it seeks to cancel Israel. Its campaigns represent a hostile delegitimization tactic that rests on a fundamental rejection of Israel’s right to exist. The international BDS movement seeks to isolate Israel from the international community, and wage economic warfare against the country. BDS co-founder Omar Barghouti even said, “Most definitely, we oppose a Jewish state (in any part of Israel’s internationally recognized borders).”

The Palestinian and Israeli economies are intrinsically linked, and a boycott of Israel damages economic opportunities for both. BDS initiatives sever the economic ties between Israel and its Palestinian neighbors — not a good path toward a long-term, lasting peace.

Andrew Bernstein, left, former Omahan, lives in Los Angeles, CA and is Tom Bernstein’s son; Paul Epstein, Omahan, with home in Ranch Mirage, CA; Keith Liberman, fomer Omahan,

LB343 does not attempt to legislate how people feel or how they think. Unfortunately, antisemitism and Israel haters will always be around. LB343 simply says that the State of Nebraska will not use our tax dollars to support hatred — Nebraska says “NO” to a movement that is harmful to the long-term security and economic viability of both Israelis and Palestinians.

See Legislative Bill 343 page 4

Phil and Ruth Sokolof MERIT SCHOLARSHIP

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

HEALTH CARE

Phil and Ruth Sokolof MERIT SCHOLARSHIP

For two Jewish students …who are currently enrolled in or have been admitted to a course of study at the graduate school level, such as medicine, nursing, dentistry, occupational/ physical therapy, or pharmacy.

Karen Sokolof Javitch MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP

Merit scholarship for Jewish students currently in college or graduate school majoring in or pursing a degree in music performance, composition or music education. Cantorial students are eligible.

77 Omaha Jewish Students have received $850,000 since 2006

Diane Walker,

lives in Los Angeles, CA; Dick Gilinsky, former Omahan, lives in Santa Monica, CA; Jim Krantz, former Omahan, lives in Hollywood, CA; Tom Bernstein, Omahan, vacationing in Rancho Mirage, CA; Mike Erman, Omaha, with home in Los Angeles, CA; Al Rosen, former Omahan, lives in Sherman Oaks, CA; Mike Meyer, former Omahan, lives in Laguna Beach, CA; Steve Bloch, Omahan, with home in Ranch Mirage, CA; Hugo Biggemann, spouse of Andrew Bernstein, and son-in-law of Tom Bernstein. Credit: Jim Krantz

Between Friends: Rekindling Black-Jewish Allyship

PAM MONSKY

Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC)

Assistant Director

Join us Monday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. for a reception followed by a panel in the Alan J. Levine Performing Arts Theater. Our event will feature an intimate conversation with Terri Sanders, publisher of the Black-owned Omaha Star newspaper and Annette van de Kamp-Wright, editor of the Omaha Jewish Press, which will be moderated by Marty Shukert. In celebration of Black History Month, this event will kick off upcoming programming focused on strengthening the allyship between the Black and Jewish communities. Terri and Annette will talk about being minority women in leadership roles in their respective communities and answer your questions about the current challenges facing the Jewish and Black communities in Omaha. You can register here: https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/ register/eventReg?oeidk=a07ejndeds752e13316&oseq=&c= &ch=

Bob’s 3-minute read

Continued from page 1

that when COVID began, I started reciting the Morning Blessing, the Modeh Ani, traditionally recited after first waking up in the morning. We are never guaranteed to wake up in the morning, so when we do wake, it makes sense to be grateful for the blessing of a new day.

The prayer is a simple 12 words that takes all of seven or eight seconds to recite and it helps frame the day ahead in gratitude. In transliterated Hebrew, the prayer is Modeh ani l’fanecha, Melech chai v’kayam, she’heh’chezarta, bi nishmati b’chemla, raba emunatecha. In English, the prayer says, “I give thanks to You, living and enduring King, for you have returned my soul within me, with compassion. Great is Your faithfulness.”

When I told Rabbi Azriel that I recite the Modeh ani in the morning, he quickly responded, “Do not forget the l’fanecha. You have to bring back the l’fanecha.” Like everything Jewish, debate exists about the interpretations of the prayer, and I’ll leave that to the rabbis. Most translations understand the general concept of Modeh ani to mean “I give thanks.”

Modeh ani l’fanecha means, “I give thanks before You.” Keeping in mind that the words modeh and ani are actually in re-

A little bit of Mystery

Continued from page 1 welcome at their parents’ discretion, although Sunday’s festivities are more their speed!

JURASSIC PURIM

Our weekend concludes on Sunday, March 5 with our Jurassic Purim Spiel and Carnival. Beginning at 9:30 a.m., join our team for a Spiel that’s sure to make you roar with laughter. It’s a Jew-rassic adventure 2,500 years in the making! Join brave Queen Esther-atops, wise Mordechantasaurus, foolish King Achash-velociraptor, wicked Haman-asuarus Rex (boo!) - and one very confused Shabbat Dinosaur - for the most magnificently Mesozoic megillah ever! Swim, fly, and roar in to the building for a Prehistoric Purim!

Immediately following the Spiel, stomp over to the Social Hall for a dino-mite time in our Carnival. Purchase your Purim Carnival Game Cards to be used for activities, such as games and a bounce house! Most games and activities cost between 1-4 game card punches. Meal tickets will be sold for $5 and include a hot dog, a bag of chips, hamantaschen, and a drink! If you would like to volunteer at the carnival, please contact Director of Youth Engagement, Jay Ascher.

If you are excited and want to get involved in the Purim magic today, there are multiple ways to get involved now.

MISHLOACH MANOT

Temple Israel is currently running their Mishloach Manot campaign. If you would like to “sign” the card of someone’s Mishloach Manot so they know you are thinking of them, simply donate $10. When they receive their gift, they will see your name on their card and know you made a donation in their honor. You also have the opportunity to send Mishloach Manot to those outside of our Temple Israel congregation, like a family member or even a friend in our Tri-Faith Community.

Terri D. Sanders is the Publisher of The Omaha Star newspaper, a weekly community newspaper. She is a communicator with a passion for moving the needle forward in her community. She also serves a dual role as the Executive Director of the Mildred D. Brown Memorial Study Center, a 501(c) (3) organization.

Annette van de KampWright is the editor and agency director for the Jewish Press, an over-100-year-old weekly Jewish community newspaper. She was born and raised in the Netherlands and moved to the US in 1996. Since 2002, she has lived in Omaha with her husband and two children.

Marty Shukert is an Omaha city planner and has been involved in the planning and revival of the city since 1976. As head of the Omaha Planning Department, the City developed the ConAgra campus and Heartland of America Park, the new Riverfront area, several North Omaha housing initiatives and Omaha’s recreational trails system. In 1989, Mr. Shukert joined RDG as a planning consultant and continued his work in several significant projects throughout the Midwest region.

verse as ani is “I” and modeh is “thanks.” So, technically this says “Thanks I” which some commentators suggest is because the first thing out of our mouths in the morning should be to say thanks and show gratitude for the blessing of the new day before we mention ourselves.

Rabbi Azriel’s teaching of, “don’t forget the l’fanecha,” reminds me of my personal relationship with G-d and that our life’s greatest blessing comes through serving others and realizing that we are a part of something so much bigger than ourselves. And since l’fanecha means “before You” and not “to you,” we are not saying thank you to G-d, but saying thank you in the presence of G-d. By recognizing my gratitude in the presence of G-d, I am connecting with G-d and directing my actions and behaviors accordingly. This understanding of the Modeh ani l’fanecha gives me strength and confidence to start my day on a positive path and to be open to its possibilities. Thank you, Rabbi Azriel, for teaching me not to forget the l’fanecha. I want to be the best I can for my family and our community. For me, becoming more Jewishly literate, more aware of the practices, traditions, and texts of our faith empowers me towards personal growth and development. I am grateful to our rabbis and I am eager to continue learning l’fanecha.

PURIM RAFFLE

You can also participate by purchasing raffle tickets to raise money for Temple Israel’s Youth Programs! With your help, we will be able to subsidize students’ and families’ participation in educational and social programming! We are raffling off some absolutely INCREDIBLE prizes, including an Omaha Symphony Family subscription, premium seating at Hairspray, and $200 at Bergman’s Jewelers. New prizes are being announced each week. All of our PreK through 6th-grade students have paper tickets to sell, and raffle entries can also be purchased online with a credit card. Tickets are $5 each, and for every 5 you buy you get one free ($25 = 6 tickets).

The prize drawings will take place on Sunday, March 5 during the Temple Israel Purim Carnival. You do not need to be present to win.

ROSH CHODESH: A TASTE OF PURIM

Finally, we are inviting all women for a special community edition of Rosh Chodesh hosted by Berta Ackerson and Annette van de Kamp-Wright, where we go in-depth into the meaning of Purim and specifically, Mishloach Manot. From this historical event, we are taught that the Jewish people must send gifts of food to each other on Purim. However, the question arises. What is the ultimate purpose of these gifts? We will also collectively bake Hamantaschen, a traditional goodie, for you to take home.

If you wish to join us, stick around afterward to volunteer for our Temple Israel Hamantaschen bake.

No matter the way you choose to participate in Purim this year, we are excited to have you. For all current information, registration forms, campaign information, etc., please visit templeisraelomaha.com/purim

Terri Sanders

Annette van de Kamp-Wright

STUDENTS WITH BETTER GRADES

It all starts with Newspapers

Author Jean Meltzer to speak at Spring Author Event

MARK KIRCHHOFF

JFO Community Engagement and Education

On the first day of March, Jean Meltzer will depart from her home in Herndon, Virginia where she lives with her husband, begin her flights to Omaha, and arrive on that afternoon. Our selected author for the Spring Author Event will enjoy a dinner with a community member, rest for the evening, and arrive at the Staenberg Omaha JCC on March 2, for her 2 p.m. presentation in the Goldstein Engagement Venue. This event is presented by the Community Engagement and Education Program, an arm of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Registration is required – the $10 fee will include a seat at a table for Jean’s presentation, a copy of her book, Mr. Perfect on Paper, a variety of kosher desserts

and refreshments from the Star Deli, informal conversation with Jean, and the opportunity to have your book signed. To register, go to www.jewishomaha.org, locate and click on the sliding banner for the event.

Jean brings with her an abundance of positive energy and a sense of humor that most certainly will prove to be a welcomed in today’s world. In addition to a career in screenwriting, Jean has turned to writing fiction and is the author of The Matzah Ball, Mr. Perfect on Paper, (which will be the primary focus of her presentation), and her soon-to-be-released book Kissing Kosher. In her writing, Jean draws upon the personal health challenges she has faced and presents stories of struggles, accomplishments, and disappointments, all woven together with a consistent sense of joy and triumph.

Jean is coming to Omaha through her affiliation with the Jewish Book Council (JBC). The program is made possible by the JFO’s membership in the JBC and the support of JFO Foundation funds – the Kenneth Ray Tretiak Memorial Fund and the Foundation IMPACT Grant.

Shirly Banner, Library Specialist, is available at sbanner@jewishomaha.org of 402.334.6464 to assist with registration and to answer questions.

Captain Elie Weinberger, Company Commander, IDF Reserves

[My son Elie officially became a Company Commander in the IDF Reserves at a graduation ceremony on Feb. 9. Below are his reflections.]

A lot of people ask me what made me volunteer for a period of three months for a Company Commander’s course. The difficulty is exacerbated in that I am married, have two children, and I recently started a new job as an 11thgrade educator.

Reserve service has never been popular. According to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics (as of 2016), while 25.1% of the population enlisted in the army, only 1.5% of the population are active in the reserves--though it is service that is mandatory by law. There are many reasons, some of them justified, to get out of reserve service, but here I will try to focus on the beauty of the reservists who leave everything behind-- including family, work, and more--to protect the homeland.

So why do I reserve duty? And why did I sign up for the Company Commander’s course? I’ll start with a related question: Why did I become an officer toward the end of my three years of mandatory service (which also required me to extend that service by 18 months)? The simple answer is because I wanted to contribute more. I could have stayed where I was, a comfortable place in one of the IDF’s elite units, but I wanted to lead: to lead soldiers, to lead people, and in general to try to do good in my small and limited framework as a junior officer to about 30 soldiers. Similarly, I say that the main reason why I enlisted in the Company Commander’s course is to continue to do good and to create a model society, now not for thirty soldiers but for close to a hundred.

For the most part, officers in the army move on and advance along the chain of command for reasons of protecting the

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homeland, and they see this as a supreme value. I completely believe in this, but what attracted me to do more service is a desire to protect the soldier and to do good within the Company framework. Unfortunately reservists, who sacrifice themselves for the sake of the country, are not appreciated enough, and so my goal is to give my Company an understanding that they are appreciated and loved as well as to provide the soldiers with a community that goes beyond the ultimate goal (defending the homeland) for which we gathered. There is also an additional goal here: to do good in whatever framework you are in. Of course, this rationale can accompany us everywhere and in every setting--because this is how we create a better society; if every person, whether in the workplace, with family, or with friends, acts positively and does what they can, that is how our world becomes better. What I tell myself regarding the Company Commander’s course is also what I hope to convey to the people I command: We all need to try to do good wherever we are, to cause people around us to feel more comfortable, and to appreciate them. I will look into the eyes of my soldiers and tell them: You are doing a great thing! You are protecting our homeland for which we have waited 2000 years. We don’t have the privilege of staying home, and even if you are only 1.5 % of the population and you don’t get enough credit, I as your Company Commander appreciate and love you! And I will do everything to promote your physical well-being and to see to it that your service will be meaningful and even fun in this activity that we call the military reserves. Thank you for your work and for protecting the people of Israel and the Land of Israel--because we have no other Land!

Teddy Weinberger, Ph.D., made aliyah with his wife, former Omahan Saraj Jane Ross, and their five children, Nathan, Rebecca, Ruthie, Ezra, and Elie, all of whom are veterans of the Israeli Defense Forces; Weinberger can be reached at weinross@gmail.com

Legislative Bill 343

Continued from page 2

Perhaps the best service I can provide here today is to articulate this point in practical terms, so Nebraskans can appreciate the public policy protections our state is considering. BDS traffics in discrimination, which directly contradicts our federal government, our state, and our Nebraska values. This law provides Nebraska’s private sector with a clear business rationale for avoiding discriminatory practices and boycotts. So, I urge you to vote on the right side of this issue. Vote for LB343 and against antisemitism, discrimination and divisiveness.

Thank you for your time.

The Jewish Community Relations Council is dedicated to working in common cause to enhance cooperation with other religious, racial, ethnic, and civic groups to foster a just, democratic and pluralistic society as well as promoting the security of Israel and Jews everywhere. Guided by Jewish values, the JCRC advocates, educates, collaborates, and mobilizes action on issues important to the Jewish Community and greater community.

TEDDY WEINBERGER

Jean Meltzer

Clean Speech Nebraska:

How we listen

As the old adage goes, “It takes two to tango.” Like a dance, a conversation also takes two people: a speaker and a listener.

It makes us feel good when other people pay attention to what we have to say. If people read what we post, forward our emails, or father to listen as we tell a joke at a party, it makes us feel smart and popular.

Beyond that, listening to someone is a loving gift. By listening to someone, we show that we care about them, that they are important, and that we want to know what they have to say.

However, listening to someone can cause problems as well. Sometimes what is being said is not worthy of an audience, and then the act of listening enables the speaker to say what should not be said. Therefore, we have to be careful listeners as much as we have to be careful speakers.

What did I do wrong? I’m just standing there!

When I speak, I’m in control. But what part do I play if I’m just listening?

Think about what it feels like to be on a phone call with a person who is clearly multitasking. You might experience long pauses, irrelevant comments and lack of interest in what you are saying. So you find an excuse to get off the phone and hang up. On the other hand, when someone is really listening, we say more. Even something as small as a nod or a smile of encouragement can make us embellish, repeat ourselves, and say much more than we might otherwise.

All this explains: the listener has a much more powerful impact on what is said than we might realize. If no one was listening, there would be no lashon hara. The Torah forbids us to listen to lashon hara, just as it forbids us to speak it.

The concept of Clean Speech isn’t just isolated to the Jewish community. The message of Clean Speech Nebraska goes far beyond religious affiliations. In fact, many religions emphasize the importance of guarding one’s tongue. This is a broad, inclusive challenge for everyone.

Throughout the entire month of February, Clean Speech Nebraska is working closely with schools, synagogues, and other community organizations to share thought-provoking educational content. The campaign crosses political lines and reach people of all religions to inspire mindfulness in thousands of adults and children.

For more information and to sign up (it’s not too late!), please visit Cleanspeech.com/Nebraska

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The Jewish Press

Nikki Haley, a favorite of the pro-Israel establishment, is the first Republican to challenge Trump

RON KAMPEAS JTA

Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor who became a pro-Israel favorite during her two years as the Trump administration’s ambassador to the United Nations, announced her bid for the presidency, becoming the first Republican to challenge the former president ahead of 2024.

In a video released Feb. 14, Haley did not name Donald Trump, but alluded to him as a polarizing figure, emphasizing her efforts as governor at tamping down racial tensions and also suggesting that the Republican Party was alienating moderate Americans.

“We turned away from fear toward God and the values that still make our country the freest and greatest in the world,” Haley said, describing her 2015 decision to remove Confederate flags from state properties after a racist gunman murdered nine Black worshippers in a Charleston church. “We must turn in that direction again. Republicans have lost the popular vote in seven out of the last eight presidential elections. That has to change.”

Singling out her removal of the flags stands in her contrast with Trump, who has made a point of upholding resistance to the removal of Confederate monuments. Haley also leans into her roots in the 3.5-minute video as the child of Indian immigrants, another distinction from Trump, who has embraced anti-immigrant movements and has garnered the support of white supremacists. Trump announced his third run for the presidency in November.

Haley, as a governor with a national reputation, was already on the pro-Israel radar when Trump in 2017 named her as his first ambassador to the United Nations. Heading into the job, she consulted closely with pro-Israel groups and forged a close alliance with Israel’s delegation to the body.

Soon she was at the forefront of reversing decades of U.S. policy at the United Nations, preventing the hiring of Palestinians for top jobs, scrubbing Israel-critical reports, quitting the U.N. Human Rights Council and influencing Trump’s cutting of funding to UNRWA, the body providing relief to Palestinian refugees and their descendants.

That profile soon made her a star at conferences of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, where she consistently drew crowds and applause. It was at an AIPAC conference, in fact, when she coined her personal motto: “I wear high heels. It’s not for a fashion statement, it’s because if I see something wrong I will kick it every single time.”

Haley quit her ambassadorship at the end of 2018, but increased her pro-Israel profile. She used an appearance at the 2019 AIPAC conference to announce the establishment of her advocacy group, Stand for America, the first substantive sign she was running for president. She is a star speaker at the Republican Jewish Coalition and used the RJC platform in 2021 to chide AIPAC for what she said was an overemphasis on bipartisanship. She has also cultivated Trump’s Jewish daughter, Ivanka, and her husband, Jared Kushner, who led Middle East diplomacy under Trump. Kushner’s father Charles has raised funds for her.

Haley used a version of her motto in her video Tuesday, in a way that could be read as a warning to Trump, who takes no prisoners in deriding opponents: “I don’t put up with bullies. And when you kick back, it hurts them more. If you’re wearing heels.” Haley notably called Trump a bully when in 2016 she backed a rival, Marco Rubio, for the GOP presidential nomination. Haley scores in the single digits in polling and announcing early is one way of getting her out in front; right now, Trump’s most formidable challenger, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, has yet to announce, although that has not stopped Trump from criticizing DeSantis almost daily.

ORGANIZATIONS

B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS

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

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$10,000

Just write a letter describing this teacher (who has been teaching at least 3 years) and tell us why she/he deserves this special recognition. Encourage others (current or former students, parents, teachers) to do so also.

A teacher who was nominated in the past, but not selected, can be nominated again. Only an update is needed.

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley in Nov. 19, 2022. Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images

SP O TLIGHT

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

GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY

Above and below: Guests flocked to Chabad’s Italian Bistro Night for meatballs, spaghetti and good company. Thank you, Rabbi Eli Tenenbaum. When is the next one?

Right: Mazel tov to Rabbi Mendel and Shani Katzman on the engagement of their son, Levi to Chana Peer!

Above right and below: Friedel students celebrating Tu B’Shevat.

Below: Serious business: staff at the JCC recently participated in a cornhole tournament.

Below and bottom: Israeli Kosher Cooking Class with Rabbi Yoni Dreyer from Beth Israel Synagogue and Sivan Cohen, Omaha Community Shlicha.

Above and below left: Friedel Jewish Academy Kindergarten Roundup was so much FUN! What a great group!

Jewish teens balance pride and safety when navigating public spaces

This article was produced as part of JTA’s Teen Journalism Fellowship, a program that works with teens across the world to report on issues that impact their lives.

JTA

After wearing his yarmulke all day at his Orthodox yeshiva on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Zac Jacobs takes it off before boarding the 6 train home.

“I think it helps mitigate any potential danger that I could be in,” Jacobs, 17, said. “You never know what could happen; the trains are mostly safe, but it takes one person to push you into the tracks.” Besides, he said, he knows that God is above him.

With the 2022 increase in transit crime and with a rise in antisemitic hate crimes, many young Jews in New York City are scared to display their heritage in public settings.

The violence hit close to home for Jacobs last November, when a man threw rocks at his school, Ramaz, damaging a window. It was the anniversary of Kristallnacht, the “night of broken glass” when, in 1938, the Nazis orchestrated attacks on synagogues and Jewish businesses.

For some teens, showing their Jewishness publicly can make them feel self-conscious.

Sima Epstein,16, is always wary of whether people can see the star of David necklace she wears.

“I probably wouldn’t hide it [my Judaism] in a situation or a conversation, but I wouldn’t let it come up” outside of school, said the junior at Yeshivat Frisch,an Orthodox day school in Paramus, New Jersey. “I would avoid discussing religious topics all together.”

Removing their yarmulke in public can be a tough call for a Jewish teen: Halachah, or Jewish law, requires that males wear a headcovering in public. And while the Torah permits Jews to protect themselves when there is a possibility of harm, not all rabbis would agree that riding the subway presents the kind of danger that would allow someone to hide their Jewishness.

“If we are so concerned about appearing Jewish on the subway, what does that say about our ability to live in New York?” says Rabbi Aviad Bodner, a spiritual advisor at Ramaz. As an Orthodox rabbi and mentor, he often deals with students who have concerns about showing their identity in public. “I’m very troubled by the recent uptick [in antisemitism], and it is something we should all be considering when we make decisions.”

Instead of a yarmulke, Bodner wears a fedora-style hat everywhere he goes, so being visibly Jewish is not a concern for him, but he understands and empathizes with students worried for their safety. However, this doesn’t

INFORMATION

stop him from studying Jewish texts on his morning commute.

He distinguishes between Jewish teens who are not wearing their kippot for safety reasons, and those who do not want to be viewed as “different” by the general public.

“All teens desire to fit in, and sometimes showing off their cultural heritage is not the way to be seen as popular, especially on college campuses, with antisemitism rising,” says Bodner. Day school students in particular are more likely to encounter antisemitic attitudes or anti-Israel hostility at college than they are in their parochial schools.

For Oren Leitner, 16, the issue is personal. A junior at the Torah Academy of Bergen County in Teaneck, New Jersey, Leitner was verbally attacked on the subway as an elementary school student. He was with his older brother and both wore kippot. “He started talking/screaming about how Christianity is the right religion and how we should not be Jewish,” Leitner said. “I was really young at the time, and I did not understand what was going on and was very scared.”

This and other antisemitic instances shaped his Jewish identity. Although in all other areas of his life, he wears his kippah proudly, on the subway he covers it up with a hood.

How Jewish he can look and act in public is a concern for Leitner as he considers applying to college. “It is a risk I would be willing to take if I end up going to one [that is not Jewishly affiliated]. But it is a factor my family and I will have to take into account,” he said.

Emy Khodorkovsky takes the opposite approach. He fights antisemitism by never hiding his Jewishness. “The only way we can combat Jew hatred is by being proud of our heritage,” the 16-year-old said. He understands why some of his friends decide not to display their Judaism openly. He also used to remove his yarmulke on the subway but not since the Ramaz junior became active in his school’s Israel advocacy club and recently attended the Anti-Defamation League’s “Never Is Now” summit on antisemitism.

“I was worried, like other people are, about getting attacked, but then I realized that we can not shy away from showing our beliefs just because others do not like it,” he said. He thinks about his parents who escaped antisemitism in the former Soviet Union for a better life for their children.

Khodorkovsky has never experienced aggression on the subway, and is unruffled by the curious looks he gets when he carries his lulav and etrog on Sukkot or his tefillin bag to school. “New York is a big place, and there are stranger things to look at than a kid carrying a palm tree,” says Khodorkovsky.

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.

HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS

HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS AND GUARDIANS

We will be publishing our annual High School Graduation Class pages on May 26, 2023. To be included, fill out the form below or send us an email with the student’s name, guardians, high school they are attending, the college they will be attending and photo to: jpress@jewishomaha.org by May 9, 2023.

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Islands may vary.

SARAH SILVERMAN

Sarah Silverman, Ashley Behm and Emy Khodorkovsky attend the Shine a Light Rally against antisemitism, held in Times Square, Dec. 18, 2022. Credit: Sarah Silverman

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.

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Uncivil war

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT

Jewish Press Editor

Wednesday, Feb. 8, the mayor of Barcelona cut ties with its sister city, Tel Aviv. Mayor Ada Colau cited ‘apartheid’ as the reason. We’ll get to that later.

“When one puerta closes, another puerta opens — or at least that’s how Tel Aviv may be feeling, after Madrid offered to replace Barcelona as its Spanish twin city,” Orge Castellano wrote for the JTA.

I don’t know which collaborations between Barcelona and Tel Aviv were ongoing, whether there is additional fall-out from the breakup, such as relationships that were growing between individuals in either city. Because a twinning like this doesn’t necessarily rely on politics, it’s the smaller bonds that make it worthwhile, such as cultural exchanges between artists, business meetings, educational programs. It’s the ones who are in the room together that make this worthwhile, and I imagine there are some flesh-and-blood people who have something to say about the split.

It’s interesting and ironic that ‘apartheid’ is the reason given. What Mayor Colau accuses Israel of is of course exactly what she is promoting herself. She is setting her city apart from Israel and its people, effectively cutting off any avenue to build bridges. She’s sending a message: we give up on this relationship.

Then, there’s Madrid; while it’s certainly nice that

someone stepped up, we don’t know if that is motivated by real pro-Israel sentiments or economic opportunism (I know, that’s kind of harsh) but Madrid and Barcelona have never gotten along, so

was rowdy. In 1987, for instance, 21 people were killed in a shopping mall in Barcelona. It was violent, and it was ugly.

Officially active since 1959, ETA did not fully cease operations until 2018. Why is this relevant?

Madrid’s mayor may have reached out a helping hand, but Barcelona’s treatment of Israel is much more typical for European countries. Quick to judge, quick to point the finger, while in their own backyard things are not exactly rosy.

it could also be reactionary. This might have more to do with national Spanish politics than a true desire to connect with Tel Aviv and its people. And then there’s another thought. Growing up in Europe during the 1970s and 1980s, there were two groups who made the news on a regular basis. One was the Irish Republican Army, the other was the Bask group Euskadi Ta Askatasuna, or ETA- the Basque liberation movement. Whenever there was terrorism on the news, it was nine out of ten times one of those two. It didn’t stop anyone from visiting, but everyone knew: Spain, especially Barcelona,

The thing is, Europe pretends to be stable. Many Americans think Europe is under control. People in other parts of the world view the continent as old, rational, grown up and peaceful. They know what they are doing. What isn’t always so obvious is how thin the layer of civility really is. As evident in Ukraine, Russia, the former Yugoslavia, things can blow up in a second. It’s not limited to the former Eastern bloc either. Most European nations, in their current form, are not as old as you think.

And yet, the European Union is one of Israel’s biggest critics. Europe acts like an older sibling; exasperated, condescending and rude, while at the same time refusing to see their sibling grow up.

What the Barcelona mayor did was not shocking; it was perfectly in line with the rest of Europe. What was shocking was that the twinning occurred to begin with. As for Tel Aviv, I think getting out of this abusive relationship is for the best.

Diaspora alarm over Israel: Your guide to what the critics are saying

ANDREW SILOW-CARROLL

JTA

I started reporting on North American Jews and Israel in the last century, and for years covered the debate over whether Jews in the Diaspora had a right to criticize the Israeli government in public. The debate sort of petered out in the early-1990s, when Israel itself began talking about a Palestinian state, and when right-wing groups then decided criticizing Israel was a mitzvah.

Nevertheless, while left-wing groups like J Street and T’ruah have long been comfortable criticizing the Israeli government or defending Palestinian rights, many in the centrist “mainstream” — pulpit clergy, leaders of federations and Hillels, average Jews nervous about spoiling a family get-together — have preferred to keep their concerns to themselves. Partly this is tactical: Few rabbis want to alienate any of their members over so divisive a topic, and in the face of an aggressive left, organizational leaders did not want to give fuel to Israel’s ideological enemies. (The glaring exception has been about Israeli policy toward non-Orthodox Judaism, which is seen as very much the Disapora’s business.)

In recent weeks, there has been an emerging literature of what I have come to think of as “reluctant dissent.” What these essays and sermons have in common, despite the different political persuasions of the authors, is a deep concern over Israel’s “democratic character.” They cite judicial reforms that would weaken checks and balances at the top, expansion of Jewish settlements that would make it impossible to separate from the Palestinians, and the Orthodox parties that want to strengthen their hold on religious affairs. As Abe Foxman, who as former director of the Anti-Defamation League rarely criticized Israel, told an interviewer, “If Israel ceases to be an open democracy, I won’t be able to support it.”

I read through the various ways Jewish leaders and writers here and in Israel are not just justifying Diaspora Jews who are protesting what is happening in Israel, but providing public permission for others to do the same. Here is what a few of them are saying (with a word from a defender of the government):

‘I didn’t sleep much last night’ — Yehuda Kurtzer: Facebook, Feb. 8

Kurtzer is the president of the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, the New York-based branch of the Israeli think tank that promotes a diverse, engaged relationship with Israel. In a recent blog post, he neatly describes the dilemma of Diaspora Zionists who aren’t sure what to do with their deep concerns about the direction of the Israel government, especially the concentration of power in a far-right legislative branch.

Centrist American Jews who care about Israel are caught between “those to our right who would see any expression of even uncertainty about Israel’s democratic character as disloyalty, [and] those on the other side who think that a conversation about

democracy” — now urge Diaspora Jews to speak out against the current Israeli government. They don’t mention the territories or religious pluralism. Instead, their trigger is the proposed effort to reform the Supreme Court, which they say will “eviscerate the independence of our judiciary and remake the country’s democratic identity.” Such a move will “threaten Israeli-American relations, and it will do grave damage to our relations with you, our sisters and brothers in the Diaspora,” concluding, “We need your voice to help us preserve Israel as a state both Jewish and democratic.”

Israeli democracy is already past its prime,” he writes. He is also concerned about the “widespread disengagement that we can expect among American Jews, what I fear will become the absent majority — those who decide that however the current crisis is resolved, all of this is just ‘not for them.’”

Kurtzer likens Israel to a palace, and Diaspora Jews as “passersby” who live beyond its walls. Nonetheless, he feels responsible for what happens there. “The palace is burning and the best we can do is to tell you,” he writes. “It is also how we will show you we love you, and how much we cherish the palace.”

An open letter to Israel’s friends in North America — Matti Friedman, Yossi Klein Halevi and Daniel Gordis: Times of Israel, Feb. 7

Three high-profile writers who moved to Israel from North America and who often defend Israel against its critics in the United States — Gordis, for one, has written a book arguing that American Jewish liberalism is incompatible with Israel’s “ethnic

All Israel Is Responsible for Each Other — Rabbi Angela Buchdahl: Sermon, Jan. 27 Buchdahl, the senior rabbi of New York City’s Reform Central Synagogue, isn’t looking to Israeli writers for permission to weigh in on Israel’s political scene. In a sermon that takes its name from a rabbinic statement of Jewish interdependence, she asserts without question that Jews everywhere have a stake in the future of Israel and have a right to speak up for “civil society and democracy and religious pluralism and human rights” there. She focuses on the religious parties who are convinced that “Reform Jews are ruining Israel,” as you might expect, but ends the sermon with a call to recognize the rights of all Israeli citizens, Jewish and non-Jewish, “and also those living under Israel’s military control.” Of those Palestinians, she says, “We can’t feel comfortable sitting in the light of sovereignty next to a community living in darkness and expect to have peace.”

And like Kurtzer, she worries that concerned American Jews will simply turn away from Israel in despair or embarrassment, and urges congregants to support the Israeli and American organizations that share their pluralistic vision for Israel.

On That Distant Day — Hillel Halkin: Jewish Review of Books, Winter 2023

In his 1977 book Letters to an American Jewish Friend: A Zionist Polemic, the translator and author Hillel Halkin made a distinction similar to Kurtzer’s image of Israel as a palace and the Diaspora as passersby: Jews who don’t emigrate to Israel are dooming themselves to irrelevance, while immigrants like him are living on the stage where the Jewish future would play out. His mournful essay

See Diaspora alarm over Israel page 9

Israelis march during a rally against government plans to give lawmakers more control of the judicial system, Tel Aviv, Feb. 4, 2023. Credit: Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images

Cybele Palace, the Madrid City Hall, on Cibeles Square with the Cibeles Fountain,Spanish and EU flags in foreground. Credit: Getty Images

From Moses to Memphis, the work of liberation remains unfinished

RABBI ISAIAH ROTHSTEIN

JTA

Rereading Exodus this month in synagogue reminds me of when I first learned about Moses’ role in freeing the Children of Israel who had been enslaved to Pharaoh. I grew up in Monsey, New York. My mother was Black and my father was white; my family identified with the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. I discovered the Passover story through ultra-Orthodox coloring books that depicted the liberation of the ancient Israelites from bondage in Egypt.

One illustration depicted Moses as an 18th-century Hasidic Jew clad in a shtreimel (fur hat) and long kapote (robe), with abundant sidelocks flowing down to his shoulders. I brought home my masterpiece, fully crayoned in purple, and showed it proudly to my mother. She gave me a puzzled look and said, “You know, Moses didn’t look like this. He had brown skin like mine.”

It was an enlightening idea that hit me like a thunderbolt. Seeing Moses as a Black person changed my whole idea of Jewish history and religion in one fell swoop — it made me feel my Black and Jewish roots even more profoundly, and that I was a descendant of great Jewish and African men and women who founded our tradition.

As time went on, though, and I went “all in” and studied to become a rabbi, I realized that Moses’ skin color mattered much less than his role as a liberator. Although many Jews do see in color, Judaism does not. The way to follow in his footsteps, I grasped, was to become an educator, a leader and a champion for freedom. I’ve devoted my career to empowering Jewish communities across the continent to become more welcoming and inclusive, to overcome racism and prejudice, and to create a more just, equitable and loving society.

The Biblical narrative of the Exodus is a call to stand for freedom and against tyranny in every generation. It says, in effect, “You are able to speak, and to be carried away on the wings of words from millennia ago, bound to no Pharaoh’s story, but liberated by your own.” Neither my Black nor Jewish forebears could have imagined how far their descendants would come in terms of participation and even leadership in our society.

As the Black visual artist Brandon Odums has reflected, “We are our ancestors’ wildest dreams.”

But there is, alas, still so far to go, as last month’s brutal killing of Tyre Nichols at the hands of the police in Memphis reminds us. Both Black History Month and the Book of Exodus teach that we can only fulfill our destiny if we fight for the liberation of all peoples.

Earlier this month, we celebrated Shabbat Shira, in which we read about the Children of Israel’s miraculous escape from Egypt by crossing the Red Sea. I was reminded of what the late 20th-century Slonimer Rebbe, Sholom Noach Berezovsky, said about the ancient Hebrews wading into the water because they had faith not just in their hearts and minds, but in their bodies — in their very bones, he said. What does it mean to believe with your bones? The Prophet Jeremiah declared that the word of God was like “fire shut up in his bones” (20:9). Dr. Martin Luther King quoted Jeremiah in his last speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop,” saying, “Somehow the preacher must have a kind of fire shut up in his bones. And whenever injustice is around, he tell it.” King gave that speech on April 3, 1968 — in Memphis — on the night before he was assassinated.

Early in the speech, King imagined “God’s children in their magnificent trek from the dark dungeons of Egypt through, or rather across, the Red Sea, through the wilderness on toward the Promised Land.” He concluded with these uncannily prescient words: “I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the Promised Land. So, I’m happy tonight, I’m not worried about anything, I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”

Our commitment to creating a better world — making it to the Promised Land — must always be so much more than merely skin deep. Only when we believe in our bones that change is possible, and that we can be agents of that change, will fear melt away and we will be able to defeat the Pharaohs who seek to deprive us of our dignity, whether in Memphis or anywhere in our land.

We shall reach the Promised Land — someday. We shall recognize that we are all God’s children—someday. We shall over-

This year you can send your greetings through these very special ads that will run in our annual Passover issue. Each ad can be personalized with your name, the names of your children or your grandchildren. Just fill out the form below and send or bring it to the Jewish Press office. But hurry; these ads will only be accepted through March 3, 2023.

come — someday.

May that day be very soon and may we all unite in joy, peace and celebration to usher it in.

Rabbi Isaih Rothstein is the Rabbinic Scholar and Public Affairs Advisor for the Jewish Federations of North America. 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.

Diaspora alarm over Israel

Continued from page 8 doesn’t address the Diaspora, per se, although it creates a permission structure for Zionists abroad to criticize the government. Halkin sees the new government as a coalition of two types of religious zealots: the haredi Orthodox who want to consolidate their control of religious life (and funding) in Israel, and a “knit-skullcap electorate [that] is hypernationalist and Jewish supremacist in its attitude toward Arabs.” (A knit skullcap is a symbol for what an American might call the “Modern Orthodox.”) Together, these growing and powerful constituents represent “the end of an Israeli consensus about what is and is not permissible in a democracy — and once the rules are no longer agreed on, political chaos is not far away. Israel has never been in such a place before.”

Halkin does talk about Israeli expansion in the West Bank, saying he long favored Jewish settlement in the territories, while believing that the “only feasible solution” would be a two-state solution with Arabs living in the Jewish state and Jews living in the Arab one. Instead, Israel has reached a point where there is “too much recrimination, too much distrust, too much hatred, too much blind conviction, too much disdain for the notion of a shared humanity, for such a solution to be possible… We’re over the cliff and falling, and no one knows how far down the ground is.”

Andrew Silow-Carroll is editor in chief of the New York Jewish Week and senior editor of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. He previously served as JTA’s editor in chief and as editor in chief and CEO of the New Jersey Jewish News. @SilowCarroll

This story was edited slightly for length. Read more at www.omahajewishpress.com

Credit: JTA illustration by Grace Yagel; Image: Jean-Léon Gérôme, "Moses on Mount Sinai," 1895-1900

Synagogues

B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

618 Mynster Street

Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766

712.322.4705 www.cblhs.orb

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

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 rbjh.com

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 10, 7:30 p.m. with our guest speaker, Alexandra M. Cardon. Our service leader is Larry Blass. Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel!

For information on COVID-related closures and about our historic synagogue, please contact Howard Kutler at hkutler@hotmail.com or any of our other board members: Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Janie Kulakofsky, Howard Kutler, Carole and Wayne Lainof, Mary-Beth Muskin, Debbie Salomon and Sissy Silber. Handicap Accessible.

BETH EL

Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman.

VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON 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.; Six String Shabbat 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m. at Beth El & Live Stream; BESTT Movie Time Shabbat’s Cool, 10 a.m.; Havdalah, 6:45 p.m. Zoom Only.

SUNDAY: Hamantashen Bake, 9 a.m.; BESTT (Grades K-7), 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10 a.m.; Hebrew Reading, 11 a.m. with Hazzan Krausman.

TUESDAY: Pirkei Avot, 11:30 a.m. with Rabbi Abraham at Beth El & Live Stream; Open Dialogue, 3 p.m. with Rabbi Abraham.

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

FRIDAY-Mar. 3: Hamantashen Pick Up, 10 a.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream.

SATURDAY-Mar. 4: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m. at Beth El & Live Stream; Jr. Congregation (Grades 3-7) 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.; Shabbat Dinner, 5 p.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat, 5:50 p.m.; Candlelighting, 5:51 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:45 a.m.; Mincha, 5:40 p.m.; Laws of Shabbos/Kids Activity, 6:10 p.m.; Havdalah, 6:52 p.m.

SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Daf Yomi, 5:10 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv 5:50 p.m.

MONDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Daf Yomi, 5:10 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:50 p.m.

TUESDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 6:45

a.m.; Parsha Class for 4th-8th graders, 3:45 p.m. at FJA; Daf Yomi, 5:10 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:50 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 6:45 a.m.; Daf Yomi, 5:10 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:50 p.m.

THURSDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Character Development, 9:30 a.m.; Daf Yomi, 5:10 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv 5:50 p.m.; Parsha Class

2023 Anything Grants

JFO Foundation Fund & Scholarship Administrator

The Jewish Federation of Omaha is pleased to offer the Staenberg Family Foundation “Anything Grants™” for 2023! Based on a generous commitment from Michael Staenberg and the Staenberg Family Foundation, this program will continue to offer a wide range of support for Jewish organizations and synagogues in the Omaha, Lincoln, and Council Bluffs communities.

Looking for extra funds to hire a nonprofit consultant, purchase technology, staff or board professional development, or just about anything? We’re looking for you!

Since 2017, nearly $300,000 has been awarded in Anything Grants supporting the Omaha, Lincoln, and Council Bluffs Jewish communities.

Grants will range from $1,000 to $5,000. NEW THIS YEAR!! Component parts of larger projects will now be eligible for Anything Grants. For example, an Israel mission trip wouldn’t be eligible because of the size of the budget, but a day in the Partnership or a special dinner might be. You will

6:20 p.m.

FRIDAY-Mar. 3: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat, 5:58 p.m.; Candlelighting, 5:59 p.m.

SATURDAY-Mar. 4: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat 10:45 a.m.; Mincha 5:50 p.m.; Laws of Shabbos/Kids Activity 6:20 p.m.; Havdalah, 7 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, 5:15 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: ochabad.com/Lech ayim; Candlelighting, 5:51 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shacharit 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 6:51 p.m.

SUNDAY: Sunday Morning Wraps: Video Presentation 9-9:30 a.m. and Breakfast, 9:45 a.m.; Youth Challah Bake, 3-4:30 p.m. at Chabad Lower Level for Ages 4-12. ochabad.com/youthbake

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

TUESDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Hebrew Grammar, 6 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen.

WEDNESDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Tanya Class, 9:30 a.m.; Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Hebrew Reading, 11:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen.

THURSDAY: Shacharit 8 a.m.; Hebrew Reading, 11 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Talmud Study (Sanhedrin 34), noon; Hebrew Reading, 6 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Jewish Law Class, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY-Mar. 3: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Inspirational Lechayim (New time), 5:45 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: ochabad.com/Lechayim; Candlelighting, 5:59 p.m.

SATURDAY-Mar. 4: Shacharit 9:30 a.m.; One-Hour Service, 11 a.m. followed by Kiddush Lunch at Chabad. Go to ochabad.com/onehour for more details; Shabbat Ends, 6:59 p.m.

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN & TIFERETH ISRAEL

Services facilitated by Rabbi Alex Felch. Note: Some of our services, but not all, are now being offered in person.

FRIDAY: Shabbat Candlelighting, 5:54 p.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat Service with Rabbi Alex and music by Nathaniel and Steve Kaup, 6:30 p.m. at SST; Oneg host: TBD.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Alex at TI; Torah Study, noon on Parashat Terumah; Havdalah, 6:54 p.m.

SUNDAY: LJCS Classes, 9:30 a.m.; Men's Bike/Cof-

still be required to raise matching funds but also new this year, in-kind donations will be accepted as part of that needed match!

Michael and Carol Staenberg chose to establish the Staenberg Family Foundation in 2005 to mobilize resources needed to preserve and enhance Jewish life in St. Louis, Israel and around the world. They then expanded their support to Omaha where Michael was born and raised. The Staenbergs hope that their actions will inspire others to give back to the community by funding Anything Grants to benefit Jewish organizations.

The Anything Grant application can be found on the Jewish Federation of Omaha website –www.jew ishomaha.org

The applications are due on April 1, 2023. The

fee Group continues to meet during the winter months, 10:30 a.m. at Rock-N-Joe, just off of 84th and Glynoaks. For more information or questions please email Al Weiss at albertw801@gmail.com; SST Board of Trustees Meeting, 10 a.m.; Pickleball, 35 p.m. at TI. For more information please contact Miriam Wallick by text message 402.470.2393 or email at Miriam57@aol.com. Wear comfortable clothes and appropriate footwear.

WEDNESDAY: LJCS Classes, 4:30 p.m.; Adult Ed class: The Modern History of Israel, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at SST.

FRIDAY-Mar. 3: Shabbat Candlelighting, 6:02 p.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat Service with Rabbi Alex and music by Nathaniel and Steve Kaup, 6:30 p.m. at SST; Oneg host: TBD.

SATURDAY-Mar. 4: Shabbat Morning Service 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Alex at TI; Torah Study, noon on Parashat Tetzaveh; Havdalah, 7:02 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 Batsheva Appel, Rabbi Deana Sussman Berezin, and Cantor Joanna Alexander

FRIDAY: Drop in Mah Jongg, 9-11 a.m.; Classic Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. In-Person & Zoom.

SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. In-Person & Zoom; Shabbat Morning Service and Bar Mitzvah of Miles Remer 10:30 a.m. In-Person & Zoom; JYG Escape Room, 6-7 p.m. In-Person.

SUNDAY: Grades PreK-6, 9:30 a.m.-noon; Rosh Chodesh: A Taste of Purim, 1-2 p.m. hosted by Berta Ackerman and Annette van de Kamp. RSVP required; OTYG Durham Trip, 2-4 p.m.; Hamentaschen Baking, 2:30-5:30 p.m. In-Person.

WEDNESDAY: Yarn It, 9 a.m.-noon In-Person; Grades 3-6, 4-6 p.m.; T’filah, 4:45 p.m.; Grades 9-12, 6-8 p.m. at Temple; Grades 7-8, 6:30-8 p.m.; Community Beit Midrash 7 p.m.

THURSDAY: Thursday Morning Class, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Azriel — In-Person & Zoom.

FRIDAY-Mar. 3: Drop in Mah Jongg, 9-11 a.m.; Purim: Whodunnit Shabbat, 5:30 p.m. In-Person & Zoom.; Purim Planning Lock-In for Grades 8-12, 8 p.m.

SATURDAY-Mar. 4: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. In-Person & Zoom; 20-Somethings Axe Throwing, 6-8 p.m.

A Prehistoric Purim Spiel, Sunday, Mar. 5, 9:30 a.m. Purim Carnival, Sunday, Mar. 5, 10:30 a.m.-noon. In-Person.

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

DIANE WALKER

Life cycles

ROBERT “BOB” NEWMAN

EDWIN

Edwin Robert “Bob” Newman passed away peacefully on Feb. 3, 2023 at age 93 surrounded by family. Services were held on Feb. 14, 2023, at Temple Israel, 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive with a family interment was at Temple Israel Cemetery.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Esther K, and his father, Jule M; brother, C.M. “Nick” Newman (Raquel); sisters-inlaw, Judy Newman and Carolyn Kully Newman; William Kully; Thomas Kully; Louis Horan (Verda).

He was a loving husband, father, brother, and grandfather. He is survived by his dear wife of 46 years, Phyllis (née Horan); his three children with ex-wife Barbara Long: Mark Jeffrey Newman, Jody Esther Newman, Betsy Lynn (Jay) Smith; and two children with Phyllis: Maxwell Calvin Newman (Nicole), and Louis Henry Newman; seven grandchildren: Margot, Robert, Emily (Martin), Ava, Oliver, Josephine, and Norah; two younger brothers, James Lloyd (Jane), Murray H (Sharee); step-brother, Robert Kully (Connie); Sandy Kully (Thomas) and Leslie Kully (William); brotherin-law, John Horan (Janice); and sisters-in-law: Anne Runyan (Jerry), Eva Horan, Laura Jacobson (Jack).

He was born Feb. 5, 1929, in Omaha, Nebraska, to Jule M. and Esther K. Newman. He graduated from Omaha Central High School in 1946. He earned a Bachelor of Civil Engineering at Stanford University in 1950.

After working as an engineer for a few years in California, Bob enlisted in the United States Air Force during the Korean War. After his service, he returned to Omaha to work in the family business, Hinky Dinky grocery stores.

Working alongside his father, uncles, and brothers, he helped lead Hinky Dinky to much success. He had numerous different roles, but he was particularly passionate about the many innovations Hinky Dinky helped introduce, such as combining grocery stores and department stores. He was very proud of how Hinky Dinky and his family served the local communities beyond simply selling groceries. He felt strongly that Hinky Dinky was a loyal and fair employer. He loved telling stories of the many former employees who started there and went on to great success. After Hinky Dinky, he earned his law degree from Creighton University

ELIYAHU TZVI PALEY

Eliyahu Tzvi Paley, son of former Omahans Jean and Phillip Paley of Atlanta, GA, will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, March 4, 2023, at Beth Jacob Synangogue in Atlanta, GA.

Eliyahu is a six-grade student at The Howard School in Atlanta, GA.

Eli is an active participant in parent/ child learning at the Atlanta Scholars Kollel after Shabbat, Mishmar (volunteer learning) Thursday evenings at Yeshiva Ohr Yisroel, he enjoys anime and attending Camp Yeshiva HaKayitz.

Eli will be making a siyum (completion ceremony) at his bar mitzvah on the laws of Tefillin.

He has two sisters, Elisheva Meira, age 15 and Ahuva Bella, age 10.

Grandparents are former Omahans, Dennis and Susan Paley of Atlanta, GA, and Marilyn and Yale Shure of Atlanta, GA.

Great-grandparents are the late Norman and Joan Rips of Omaha, the late Art and Evelyn Paley of Milwaukee, WI, the late Sydney Rich, the late Bob and Alice Rich Diskin of Altanta, GA, and the late Dan and Annette Shure of Atlanta, GA.

‘Mind your own business’

PHILISSA CRAMER

JTA

The Israeli minister responsible for relations with Jews in the Diaspora has a message for the government of the country where most of them live: “Mind your own business.”

Amichai Chikli made the comment Sunday in a radio interview in Israel, where he was asked to address recent comments by U.S. ambassador Tom Nides, who said he was urging Israeli leaders to “pump the brakes” on their controversial effort to change the country’s judiciary. Nides was echoing sentiments expressed by U.S. President Joe Biden about the judicial reform proposal, which would give the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, the power to overrule Supreme Court decisions. Biden said last week that both that checks and balances are part of the “genius” of democracy and that “building consensus for fundamental changes is really important.”

Chikli had a retort: “I say to the American ambassador, put on the brakes yourself and mind your own business,” he said. “You aren’t sovereign here, to get involved in the matter of judicial reform. We will be happy to discuss foreign and security matters with you. But respect our democracy.”

in 1979 and practiced patent law until retirement.

Bob was devoted to the idea of Tzedakah, the Jewish moral obligation to justice and philanthropy. The Anti-Defamation League, The Jewish Federation of Omaha, Temple Israel of Omaha, and the Southern Poverty Law Center were close to Bob’s heart. He actively supported, advocated for, and held various leadership roles within these organizations.

He loved his hometown of Omaha, the Omaha Jewish community, Temple Israel of Omaha, the Jewish Community Center of Omaha, Husker football, golfing, skiing, fishing, playing piano, engaging in heated debates, and telling funny jokes. More than that, his love for family and lifelong friends defined him. He was driven by a huge heart to help the people around him and expressed his love through his genuine actions.

Memorials are suggested to the Anti-Defamation League of Omaha and/or The Omaha Conservatory of Music.

EDWARD L. SMITH

Edward L. Smith passed away on Feb. 14, 2023 in Omaha. Services for held on Feb. 17, 2023 at Beth El Cemetery and were officiated by Rabbi Yoni Dreyer.

He is survived by his wife, Gloria of 61 years; two sons and daughters-in-law, Neal and Tracy, and Steven and Kathy; grandchildren: Elizabeth, Emily and Riley, Matthew, and Megan; and great-grandchild, Raelynn; and several nieces and nephews.

BENNETT D. WAGNER

Bennett D. Wagner passed away on Feb. 16, 2023 at age 92. Graveside services were held on Feb. 22, 2023 at Temple Israel Cemetery.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Gloria; parents, Jackson and Shirley Wagner; brother, Robert Wagner.

He is survived by his son, Adam Wagner; grandchildren; Lawrence and Jack Wagner; sister-in-law, Sylvia Wagner; nieces, nephews; his extended family and many good friends.

Memorials may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation or the American Cancer Society.

Antakya’s remaining Jews flown to Istanbul

DAVID

JTA

I. KLEIN

The remaining few Jews of Antakya have been transferred to Istanbul, where they are staying in a Jewish nursing home thanks to a collaboration between the Turkish Jewish community there, a Kazakh-Israeli billionaire and Israel’s fundraising organization Keren Hayesod.

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While there have been a variety of ways for survivors to leave Turkey in the wake of last week’s earthquake that killed over 40,000 — including through the Turkish budget airline Pegasus, which is offering evacuation flights free of charge from several cities — Antakya’s Jews were helped by Alexander Machkevitch, a Jewish businessman from Kazakhstan who is one of the richest men in Israel with a net worth of over $2.4 billion.

“Even in the most difficult days following the disaster, members of Turkey’s Jewish community discovered a unity which has characterized the Jewish people throughout the generations,” Alexander Machkevitch said in a statement issued by Keren Hayesod. “I am honored to take part in this joint effort with Keren Hayesod to help our fellow Jews from Antakya, and hopefully give them an opportunity to rise from the ruins to rebuild their families and restore community life. Our hearts are with the Turkish people during this difficult time, with hope for a full recovery for the wounded and rebuilding of the area.”

Despite their small numbers, Antakya’s Jewish community was known amongst Turkish Jews for being fiercely traditional, only consuming kosher meat. In the nursing home, they are being provided with kosher food.

Antakya was one of the areas hardest hit by the earthquake that ravaged Turkey and Syria last week. Among the dead accounted for so far were the president of the city’s Jewish community, Saul Cenudioglu, and his wife Fortuna.

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Demolishing works and debris removal efforts continue in Antakya, Turkey, Feb. 16, 2023. Credit: Erhan Sevenler/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Novel about Chinese rescuer of Jews raises questions about facts vs.

fiction in Holocaust stories

JORDYN HAIME TAIPEI | JTA

Ho Feng-Shan, the Chinese diplomat stationed in Vienna who helped thousands of Jews escape from Europe during World War II, never met Adolf Eichmann.

But in Night Angels, a novel based on his life, Feng-Shan comes face to face with Eichmann several times and his wife Grace’s Jewish tutor, Lola, tries to kill the architect of the Holocaust.

That detail is one of many that has spurred Ho Manli, FengShan’s daughter, to speak out against Night Angels, the fourth novel by the Chinese-American author Weina Dai Randel. Manli says the book distorts elements of her father’s story, which was unknown before she spent decades documenting his heroic efforts to issue visas allowing Jews to escape to Shanghai.

“What I have found in doing this story is it’s very difficult to try to maintain the historical integrity of the facts,” Manli told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “Countless people … want to use this for their own means, whether it be commercial like this novelist, whether it be political, or whatever. So over the two decades that I have been doggedly trying to uncover more and more, I’ve been constantly fending off these sorts of opportunistic assaults.”

The dispute is casting a shadow over the novel, released this month, and reinvigorating longstanding debates over the importance of truth in historical fiction — particularly in stories about the Holocaust.

Night Angels follows Feng-Shan and his wife, Grace, as they risk their lives by issuing visas that allow thousands of Jews escape Germany and Austria to Shanghai. Grace, one of the novel’s narrators and main characters, is based on Feng-Shan’s real second wife with the same name who was no longer in Vienna after the Anschluss — Nazi Germany’s annexation of Austria in 1938, and the period in which the novel is set. By

that time, Feng-Shan had already sent Grace away to Brooklyn. She never witnessed Nazi rule or Feng-Shan’s efforts to save Jews, Manli writes.

Several other events in the book, including Grace’s friendship with a Jewish woman who attempts to assassinate Eichmann and her development of a morphine addiction, are fully fictional.

a disclaimer disclosing that its contents are a work of fiction and a product of the author’s imagination.

But that’s not satisfactory to some readers, including Tina Kanagaratnam, co-founder of the heritage group Historic Shanghai, whose book group read a previous Randel story set in Shanghai.

“If you’re talking about a historical character, you have to get the history right. Otherwise, just create a fictional character,” Kanagaratnam told JTA. “This is written for people who don’t know the history, but as Manli said, that’s dangerous, because then that’s what they remember. That’s what they take away.”

Manli first took aim at the book in a column last month in China Daily. The novel, she wrote, “exploits real names, real people, real events and places, in what is essentially a Holocaust-themed melodrama.”

“In online reviews, readers say that they are thrilled to learn of my father and this history — except of course, what they have learned is not really history, my father’s, or anyone else’s,” she wrote.

Randel and her publisher, Amazon Publishing, did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Randel dedicated the novel to “Ho Feng-Shan, his family, and all the angels in Vienna and beyond.” The book includes

Manli — a journalist who has worked for the Boston Globe and helped found the China Daily, a state-backed media outlet, in 1981 — has made it her mission to set the record straight on Feng-Shan’s story. She began researching her father after his death in 1997, while writing his obituary. One line in his memoir from 1990 that recalled “saving who knows how many Jews” piqued her interest and led to a 25-year quest to document the extent of what her father did during the war. His story of defying both his own government and the government of Germany to write Shanghai visas for thousands of persecuted Jews had been previously unknown, even to the refugees themselves — most of whom never met Feng-Shan.

Manli’s research led to Feng-Shan’s recognition by Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust museum and memorial authority, in 2000 as “Righteous Among the Nations,” an honor given to those who risked their own lives to help Jews during World War II. Since then, greater attention has been paid to his story, and memorials across the world, from Israel to China to Italy, bear his name today.

This story was edited for length. Read more at www.omahajewishpress.com

Ho Feng-Shan poses for a photo taken while he was a Chinese consul in Egypt. Credit: Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images