March 1, 2019

thejewishpress AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA

WWW.JEWISHOMAHA.ORG

SPonSoRed By tHe BenJAMin And AnnA e. WieSMAn FAMiLy endoWMent FUnd

Week of Understanding

MARCH 1 , 2 0 1 9 | 2 4 AD AR I 5 7 7 9 | V O L. 9 9 | NO . 2 0 | C A nd LeLi G H ti nG | FRID AY , MARCH 1 , 5 : 5 7 P. M.

this week

New indoor children’s playground dedicated in Galilee Medical Center Page 2

B

SCott Littky Executive Director, IHE etween March 25 and 29, the Institute for Holocast E has arranged more than 20 speaking engagements that will reach some 5,000 Nebraska students. Some of these engagements will take place with local Holocaust survivors such as Dr. Fred Kader, Bea Karp, Kitty Williams along

2019 JWRP informational meeting Page 3

Magda Brown Credit: Scott Edwards/efgimage with second generation speakers, Hazzan Michael Krausman and Dr. Steve Wees. To learn more about these and other local survivors, you can check out the “Survivor Stories” section on the IHE website, or tour the Pennie Z. Davis Gallery on the JCC Campus.

We are also honored to welcome Holocaust survivors who have agreed to travel to Omaha especially for the Week of Understanding program. The

Annual Goldstein Lecture on Human Rights

Emerging Voices: A name with a story Page 8

inside Viewpoint Synagogues Life cycles

Peter Metzelaar

5 6 7

GABBy BLAiR Staff Writer, Jewish Press The University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Department of Religious Studies, with support from UNO’s Goldstein Center for Human Rights, the Women’s and Gender Studies program, SPHRS, and the Goldstein Family Community Chair in Human Rights is pleased to present the 20th Annual Goldstein Lecture on Human Rights in the Barbara Weitz CEC, Rm. 201-209 on Monday, March 11 at 7 p.m.

This year’s lecturer is Masha Gessen, renowned author of The Man without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin, The Brothers: The Road to an American Tragedy and several other books. Gessen, a staff writer at the New Yorker and the recipient of numerous awards, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Carnegie Fellowship, teaches at Amherst College, and lives in New York City.

Masha Gessen Credit: Tanya Sazansky Dr. Curtis Hutt, Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Director of the Leonard and Shirley Goldstein Center for Human Rights at UNO says, “Masha will be presenting on her National Book Awardwinning title, The Future is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia. She is the perfect person to give the 20th Annual Goldstein Lecture on Human Rights at UNO. After all, the USSR was the focus of Shirley Goldstein’s human rights activism.

No one knows more about human rights in Russia today than Masha Gessen. Her work on Vladimir Putin and the return of See Goldstein Lecture page 2

Agnes Schwartz guests who will be joining us in 2019 are profiled below.

Peter Metzelaar Peter was born in Amsterdam in 1935. In 1942, when Peter was seven, the Nazis seized Peter’s entire family except for Peter and his mother. Peter’s mother contacted the Dutch Underground for help. The Underground found Klaas and Roefina Post who See Week of Understanding page 2

Mainstreeters March into March MAGGie Conti Director of Activities and Volunteer Services, RBJH The Intergeneration Orchestra of Omaha on Sunday, March 10 at 2 p.m. JCC auditorium. The orchestra combines the talents of two diverse generations of musicians for the purpose of creating beautiful music and then sharing that music. There is no admission fee and all are welcome.

With a special guest performance from the Heartland Conservatory of Dance. This event is generously sponsored by Linda and Jerry Gordman.

Purim Party on Thursday, March 21 at 1:30 p.m. featuring the Island Sound on Steel Drums with Joey Gulizia in the Silverman Auditorium at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. Costume dress-up day! No worries if you don’t have a costume, we have plenty. Special Tea Time serving Hamantaschen following the show. Don’t miss the crowning of the 2019 RBJH King and Queen

of Purim. All are welcome!

Join Us at the Movies: Green Book, Friday, March 22, 1 p.m. in the JCC Theater. No charge for the film and warm, delicious popcorn.

When Tony Lip (Mortensen), a bouncer from an Italian-American

Joey Gulizia

neighborhood in the Bronx, is hired to drive Dr. Don Shirley (Ali), a world-class pianist, on a concert See Mainstreeters page 3

2 | The Jewish Press | March 1, 2019

community

New indoor children’s playground dedicated in Galilee Medical Center

a

t the heart of Galilee Medical Center’s Pediatric Department, a new indoor playground opened for young patients to relax, play, and just be kids.

Since they are often unable to use the medical center’s outdoor playground for fear of possible infections, GMC has carefully designed and constructed an indoor play space to enhance the children’s healing process. Research shows that play is a critical component of brain development and growth. When a child’s daily routine is disrupted by a lengthy hospitalization, this process is threatened. In addition to the physical needs for which pediatric patients are being treated, there is often unintentional emotional and psychological distress. The new indoor playground helps normalize the young patients’ experience and provide a healthy

outlet and opportunity to process the pressure and stress that the child may experience dur-

Continued from page 1 totalitarianism in Russia is highly relevant for not only understanding present day human rights abuses but international geo-politics and what is

going on in the USA as well.”

Questions should be directed to The UNO Department of Religious Studies 402.554.2628 or via email at unoreligion@unomaha.edu.

Goldstein Lecture

ing hospitalization.

This playground is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Jewish Federation of Omaha, the Iranian American Jewish Federation of New York and the Rosenblatt Foundation.

The original Princess Diana the Musical is written by Karen Sokolof Javitch and Elaine Jabenis.

It has been reworked and is now called My Princess Diana.

Week of Understanding

Continued from page 1 eral prisoners decided that they were going to agreed to shelter Peter and his mother on attempt to escape. They hid in a nearby barn their small farm in northern Holland, putting for almost two days until American soldiers their own lives at risk. For two years they discovered Magda and the other women and lived with the Posts, until liberated them. Extended The public is invited to share in family members welcomed it became too dangerous and they found another these moving testimonies, through Magda into their home in hiding place with two two evening engagements. The whole Chicago in September 1946. community is invited to attend. women in The Hague.

Magda is a member of the Peter MetzeLaar Peter, his mother, and his Speaker’s Bureau of the IlliHow I survived the Holocaust: aunt were the only surnois Holocaust Museum & The Story of a Hidden Child vivors of his family. Klaas Education Center.

March 26 - 7 p.m. agnes Schwartz and Roefina Post have Countryside Community Church, been recognized as RightAgnes is from Budapest, 8787 Pacific Street eous Among the Nations Hungary. Upon occupation Presented by the Center

by Yad Vashem.

by Nazi forces in 1944, she for Faith Studies After the war, Peter and was forced to move into a MaGda Brown his mother immigrated to ghetto. At 10 years old, the My Story of Survival the United States in 1949, family maid (Julia Balazs) March 27 - 6:30 p.m. arriving in New York. took Agnes in as her “niece” temple Israel, Peter was 13 and didn’t who was “fleeing from the 13111 Sterling ridge drive speak any English, but was Russian army”. During Alplaced in the 8th grade. lied bombings, Agnes was Peter had a long career as a radiology technol- sent underground to hide for months. ogist. He and his wife raised two children in Agnes’ father was saved by Raoul Wallenberg California and moved to Seattle in 1997. Peter and hidden in one of his safe houses. Her continues to be an active member of the Holo- grandmother, grandfather, and aunt were caust Center for Humanity’s Speakers Bureau. drowned in the Danube. Her mother was deMagda Brown ported and perished at Bergen-Belsen.

Magda is from Miskolc, Hungary. She grew Agnes now lives in Skokie, IL, where she is up in a safe, loving home and enjoyed a nor- an active volunteer and speaker at the Illinois mal childhood. After German troops occu- Holocaust Museum & Education Center. pied Budapest, Magda and her family were Week of Understanding is an effort to sent to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentra- maximize the opportunity for Nebraskans to tion camp in Poland. After arriving, Magda hear from Holocaust survivors and liberawas separated from her mother, father, aunts, tors while these eye-witnesses are still uncles, and cousins. It was the last time she among us. The program is made possible by saw them — they were sent directly into the generous support from the Sherwood Foungas chambers. After two months, Magda was dation, Omaha Public Schools, Wahoo Pub“selected” to be sent to a work camp. At the lic Schools, and the Shirley and Leonard end of March 1945, Magda was sent on a Goldstein Supporting Foundation (of the death march to Buchenwald. Magda and sev- JFOF).Foundation (of the JFOF).

2019 TRIPS TO ISRAEL! Women’s and Men’s JWRP Informational Meeting Thursday, March 7, 7pm KRIPKE LIBRARY - 333 S 132ND ST

FREE TRIP*

Nov. 4-12

SUBSIDIZED TRIP*

Nov. 11-18

$1,200 PLUS AIR | $900 PLUS FOR JWRP HUSBANDS

Requirements to participate: Be Jewish or identify yourself as Jewish. This includes converts and special cases where the man or woman is married to a Jew and raising the kids as Jews, be physically and emotionally healthy, be willing to participate in pre and post programming with the Jewish Federation of Omaha and have an interest in becoming more actively involved in the Jewish community.

APPLY NOW: WWW.JWRP.ORG *Momentum Trips are free for participants excluding airfare. Additional cost for participants include $75 for tips, a $99 acceptance fee, and some meals. Participants pay a $500 deposit, which is fully refundable upon returning from the trip. These trips are designed for men and women with children at home under the age of 18. The Momentum Year-Long Journey continues with monthly gathering and Jewish learning.

Questions? Contact Louri Sullivan at lsullivan@jewishomaha.org or 402-334-6485

The Jewish Press | March 1, 2019 | 3

Now is your chance!

2019 JWRP informational meeting

gabby blaIr Staff Writer, Jewish Press The Jewish Federation of Omaha is pleased to invite all interested applicants to an informational meeting for the 2019 JWRP MOMentum & MoMENtum experiences on Thursday, March 7 at 7 p.m. in the Kripke Library at the JCC. These highly subsidized trips provide an affordable opportunity for Jewish parents with children under 18 and living at home, to embark on a unique Israel experience and kick off a revitalizing year of self-exploration, empowerment, learning and connection.

Men and women in our community have the opportunity

Continued from page 1 tour from Manhattan to the Deep South, they must rely on The Green Book to guide them to the few establishments that were then safe for AfricanAmericans. Confronted with racism, danger, as well as unexpected humanity and humor, they are forced to set aside differences to survive and thrive on the journey of a lifetime.

This film is rated PG-13 (for thematic content, language including racial epithets, smoking, some violence, and suggestive material) and the running time is two hours and ten minutes. No reservations are necessary. If you want to have lunch before the movie the STAR Deli opens for business at 11:30 a.m.

37 Years – Soulful and Swinging Musical Show: Wednesday, March 27, 1:45 p.m. Silverman Auditorium of the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. There is no admission fee.

Please note that this is a rescheduled show from the New Year’s Eve Party. Omaha music veterans, Tyler Smith & Sandy Cunningham have reunited after 37 years (hence the name – a true love story), with Kyle Knapp. Playing music that takes you back –how far? Maybe...

Scott Novotny 37 Years! Stay for the ice cream social after the show – all are welcome.

Sunday, March 31: Joy of Laughter presents Scott Novotny at 1:30 p.m. in the Jewish Community Center auditorium.

Get ready for some eye-popping, joke-dropping, laugh-untilyou’re-plotzing comedy from funny man, Scott Novotny. The show is free. The food is free. It’s a free-for-all! Sponsored by The Meyers Family Legacy of Laughter Endowment Fund of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation.

Jewish Social Services and Interim HealthCare Health Maintenance Clinic: 1st and 2nd Mondays of the month from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Clinic Room. For a $10 fee, clients can have their toenails trimmed, get their weight checked, and have their vital signs

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to learn about these exciting, lifechanging trips to Israel and to hear from past participants. Space is limited and available spots tend to fill very quickly.

This year, fourteen Omaha women, led by Louri Sullivan, will enjoy eight days in Israel with JWRP. An additional day will be spent in our Western Galilee Partnership region, Nov. 4-12, 2019.

Seven JWRP men will be led by Ari Kohen for a seven-day trip with JWRP and will also enjoy an additional day in the Partnership,

Nov. 11-18, 2019.

Plan to attend the meeting on March 7 to learn more! For more information or questions, please contact Louri Sullivan at 402.334.6485 or lsullivan@jewishomaha.org. monitored. An additional $5 covers the cost of an MD referral or medication set fill. Kathy O’Connell, R.N. -an Interim HealthCare professional -- is on duty at the clinic, ready to give you the attention you deserve. Interim HealthCare has been in the Omaha area since 1975 and provides services to help individuals maintain their overall wellbeing. For more information call Maggie Conti at 402.334.6521.

Mainstreeters welcomes all Jewish residents of the Omaha area age 60 plus. The group offers a mixed-bag of social events and learning opportunities that give participants the chance to meet new people, exercise their brains, take part in new activities and continue enjoying life to the fullest. Come be part of the action. For information and transportation call Maggie Conti, Director of Activities and Volunteer Services at 402.334.6521 or email at mconti@ rbjh.com.

Temple Israel: Save the date

CaSSaNdra HICkS WeISeNburger Director of Communications, Temple Israel Join Temple Israel during the weekend of april 26-28 to show Cantor Wendy Shermet how much she has meant to the Omaha Jewish community over the past 18 years. We will begin Friday evening with a dinner, followed by services and a special oneg.

Sunday morning, the Religious School will host a celebratory gathering. Sunday evening, Cantor Shermet will be honored at TriFaith’s Dinner in Abraham’s Tent. We have been so blessed by Cantor Shermet’s talent, presence, and love for 18 years and we hope you will join in this celebration with us. Formal invitation and more details to follow.

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4 | The Jewish Press | March 1, 2019

OaYO & JCC: Making connections through music and dance

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MeGan deBOer and sOphia pOtter March 3, the Omaha Area Youth Orchestras’ (OAYO) Chamber Music Ensemble, the Fiori Quartet, will partner with the Jewish Community Center for the annual Dance Training Company concert.

The Dance Training Company was created in 2010 to give dancers ages 12 to 18 a designated space to take their dancing to the next level, says JCC Cultural Arts Director Esther Katz. This year, the annual event will also feature a live performance by OAYO’s Fiori Quartet. Both groups believe that this experience will be educational and exciting for the audience and participants.

“I am always looking for new experiences for the girls,” says Esther. “Whether that is working with individuals with disabilities, connecting with choreographers electronically to reach beyond Omaha, working on pieces with students from other schools, or learning to perform with live music, each one of these things helps to grow these dancers into more diverse dancers and human beings.”

Chamber music ensembles are small groups of musicians, which have no conductor – each person is responsible for their own part. Central High senior Ilana McNamara, Fiori Quartet violist, agrees that dedication to the arts can make an individual better.

Ilana says she’s grown accustomed to creating art with others. Her younger sister Leora is a member of the Dance Training Company and created her own original choreography for the piece Ilana will perform.

“We would prepare little skits, musical numbers, or dances to perform for our parents and guests every Friday night,” Ilana says. “We have tried to infuse that spirit into our collaboration now.”

It feels as though Ilana has been preparing for this moment with her sister since they

were small. The pair will debut their talents together to the public to the 4th Movement of Alexander Borodin’s 2nd String Quartet.

“I was inspired to choreograph a piece to the Borodin String Quartet No. 2 Finale because of its classic yet contemporary sound,” says Leora. “My dream collaboration is with my sister. I love her so much and she’s so great at viola. I’m looking forward to even more collaborations in our future!”

With family-friendly live music and original dance choreography, this event is perfect for those of all ages.

“There is going to be something for everyone,” says Esther. “The pieces are very diverse from classical ballet, to contemporary ballet, to jazz and modern.”

The partnership between OAYO and the JCC has been a monumental learning experience for performing artists in each group.

The dancers have worked tirelessly to learn “difficult movement” from established choreographers, plus routines from four company dancers, says Esther.

“This is such an exciting collaboration for high school performing artists to experience,” says OAYO Interim Director Sophia Potter.

“It’s so rare for dancers to perform with live classical musicians anymore and I am really impressed by the creativity and initiative of the students from the Training Company and OAYO’s Fiori Quartet!”

The JCC Dance Training Company annual concert will be held on Sunday, March 3 at 4 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center. Tickets can be purchased by calling the JCC Registrar at 402.334.6419. or online at http:// www.jewishomaha.org/jcc/dance/view/dan ce-training-company/.

OAYO’s chamber music ensemble programs are funded in part by a generous gift from the Karen Sokolof Javitch Charitable Foundation.

Organizations

B’nai B’rith BreadBreakers

B’nai B’rith Breadbreakers meets weekly on Wednesdays at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home auditorium from noon to 1 p.m. For specific speaker information, please email Gary.Javitch@gmail.com, Breadbreakers chairman. For more information or to be placed on the email list call 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@jewish omaha.org.

20th century music the focus at annual Jewish Community Center Concert The Omaha Chamber Music Society is proud to bring a free performance of entirely 20th century music to the Jewish Community Center on sunday, March 17 at 3 p.m. Generously supported by the Sokolof Javitch Music Fund, the concert, titled Serenade in Vain, features works by Poulenc, Stravinsky, Schulhoff, and Nielsen and celebrates a combination of humor, style, and skill.

The program will open with “egg-headed” Poulenc, so-named by his critics. His Sextet for winds and piano brings together his wry wit with a deep understanding of color. The work has survived – and defied – criticism and delights instrumentalists and audience alike. Stravinsky’s Septet for winds, strings, and piano follows. His chameleonlike talent to move between styles often frustrated his fellow composers. In the Septet, you’ll find a Stravinsky who is unafraid to sit in a Baroque court, smoking quietly in the corner and tweaking things to bring them beautifully into the 20th century.

The second half will open with a set of dances

by Erwin Schulhoff – his Five Pieces for String Quartet and Alla Napoletana. Schulhoff was a 20th century marvel, a composer who easily brought together the classical and popular styles of the time. His life was cut short by World War II, but not before writing this tremendous showcase for strings, which blends parody, tradition, and virtuosic technique. Finally, the concert will close with Nielsen’s humorous but melancholy Serenato in vano, Serenade in Vain. A mixed quintet follows the sad adventures of a lover whose beloved refuses to appear when he sings. Dejected, the lover departs with his friends, with a hopeful march taking him on to the next attempt.

This performance provides OCMS a unique opportunity to introduce audiences to lovely, unfamiliar works absolutely free, thanks to the generosity of the Sokolof Javitch Music Fund. For more information, please visit omahachambermusic.org.

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The Jewish Press | March 1, 2019 | 5

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(Founded in 1920) Abby Kutler President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Susan Bernard Advertising Executive Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Editor Gabby Blair Staff Writer Thierry Ndjike Accounting Jewish Press Board Abby Kutler, President; Eric Dunning, Ex Officio; Laura Dembitzer; Candice Friedman; Jill Idelman; Andy Isaacson; Michael Kaufman; David Kotok; Natasha Kraft; Debbie Kricsfeld; Eric Shapiro and Amy Tipp.

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

Information shall be verified before printing. All letters must be signed by the writer. The Jewish Press will not publish letters that appear to be part of an organized campaign, nor letters copied from the Internet. No letters should be published from candidates running for office, but others may write on their behalf.

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Who is Christopher Hasson?

ANNETTE vAN DE KAmP-WRiGHT Editor, Jewish Press ere’s the story: “Christopher Paul Hasson of Silver Spring, Maryland, was scheduled to appear Thursday in Maryland District Court. The self-described white nationalist called for ‘focused violence’ to ‘establish a white homeland’ and said, ‘I am dreaming of a way to kill almost every last person on the earth,’ The Washington Post reported, citing court documents.” (JTA.com) From 1988 to 1993, Hasson served in the U.S. Marine Corps, after which he served two more years in the Army National Guard. He joined the Coast Guard in 2016 and worked there until 2018. Nobody knows what caused the FBI to begin investigating him, but there was plenty to find, from extremist Internet searches to weapons, from drug addiction to letters Hasson wrote. In those letters, he stated his intentions to follow in the footsteps of Norwegian domestic terrorist Anders Breivik, who killed 77 people in 2011. In order to fulfill his dream of a white homeland, Hasson states, mass murder is the way to go: “I am dreaming of a way to kill almost every last person on the earth. I think a plague would be most successful but how do I acquire the needed/Spanish flu, botulism, anthrax not sure yet but will find something,” he wrote in 2017 to an unidentified neo-Nazi leader. He also contemplated a bombing or sniper campaign, and investigators found a detailed hit list on his computer focusing on elected democrats and journalists. In his ramblings, he seems obsessed with survival skills, paranoia, the ineffectiveness of neo-Nazi posturing (“I never saw a reason for mass protest or wearing uniforms marching around provoking people with swastikas”) and contemplates connecting with a foreign government to effect change to the fabric of American society.

I can’t help but think this is a man who’s watched too much Netflix. The movie that seems to be playing in his

head is both fantastical and terrifying. ernment in Oslo, killing eight people. He then went to the During the Feb. 21 hearing in federal court, Hasson was Workers’ Youth League summer camp and killed 69 more. represented by a public defender, Julie Stelzig, who stated: Breivik also published a manifesto, clearly outlining why “We are not yet a country that detains people for their he did what he did: Internet searches or deleted documents.” She also called “He wanted to save Norway. Just a few hours before the filing by prosecutors a “histrionic characterization of detonating the bomb, Breivik emailed a 1,500-page maniMr. Hasson” and an “extraordinary document” that relied festo to 1,000 recipients, in which he said that we were at mainly on circumstantial evidence and speculation about his plans,” according to the New York Times.

There is a problem with Stelzig’s language here. In choosing the word “histrionic,” she implies an overreaction on the part of the prosecution. She implies Hasson talks a good game but won’t follow up; it’s okay to release him until his court date; he won’t actually make good on his threats. It’s all just fantasy.

I have no legal background whatsoever, and there are undoubtedly many people who can pick my argument apart in five A woman lighting a memorial candle outside the Domkirke Cathedral seconds or less, but I believe words have in Oslo for the July 22 attack victims in their country, July 25, 2011.

Credit: Alex Weisler great meaning. Is it histrionic to arrest a man who so plainly states, in writing, that he wishes he war with Muslims and multiculturalism and that the slaughcould kill as many people as possible? If that man, at the ter of the campers was meant to be a wake-up call. He also same time, worships a mass murderer, stockpiles uploaded to YouTube a 12-minute video that revealed, with weapons, identifies as a lifelong white supremacist, expropagandistic simplicity, what was about to happen in Eupresses the desire for a white homeland? Sure, Hasson’s rope: the Muslim invasion.” (Karl Ove Knausgaard, 2015) ideas for foreign government support and the creation of And yet, nobody saw it coming. Knausgaard also wrote: an international network of likeminded individuals who “Everything in Anders Behring Breivik’s history up until will help him destroy America reek of delusions of the horrific deed can be more or less found in every life grandeur. But that’s to be expected with this pathology; it story; he was and is one of us.” doesn’t mean he wouldn’t ever have tried to murder innoSometimes, when a boy cries wolf, there really is one cent people. Calling the characterization of men like Hasliving right under our nose. son ‘histrionic’ is both dangerous and naive.

Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necChristopher Hasson did not choose his role model at essarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press random. Anders Breivik, on July 22, 2011, left his Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board mother’s home and set off a bomb outside Norway’s govof Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole.

Jeremy Corbyn’s Brexit problem is a disaster for Jews

DAN fRiEDmAN vestigations of serious illegal political actions.

JTA Anti-Semitism, or anti-Jewish racism, is obviJews are rarely central to peacetime domestic ously a Jewish issue. But Brexit, if it actually occurs, British politics. But on Feb. 18, Jewishness ap- would be disastrous for Britain’s Jews and other peared front and center at Westminster when minority groups. The European Union, for all its seven members of Parliament left the Labour bureaucracy and pomposity, has been a unifying Party, citing its inability to effectively oppose an power and a guarantor of rights for individuals and unworkable Brexit and its apparent unwillingness groups. Both Brexit and anti-Semitism are Jewish to confront anti-Semitism. issues — and Corbyn is on the Some of them represent signifiwrong side of both. cant, but small, Jewish communities.

As always, it is the vulnerable Luciana Berger, the Jewish memwho suffer when the powerful – ber of Parliament for Liverpool and like Corbyn, Prime Minister one of the seven, said she felt “emTheresa May and Britain as a barrassed and ashamed” of the whole – are weak. As Jews, we party’s record on anti-Jewish racism. know that when nationalism Berger is right to be ashamed of bolsters insecurity, Jews become the turn toward anti-Jewish hatred reviled outsiders. that this once proudly anti-racist Yet Corbyn is uncharacteristiparty has taken under Jeremy Corcally coy on both the post-Nazi byn, its leader since September 2015. project of European reconciliaFor an avowed anti-racist of the posttion and on anti-Jewish hatred.

Nazi era, Corbyn has expended an This is a man who, somewhat extraordinary amount of time and Jeremy Corbyn leads the British like Bernie Sanders in America, Credit: Thierry portrays himself as a garrulous political capital to avoid admitting Labour Party.

Monasse/Getty Images that he and his party have been antithrowback, a straight talker who Semitic, despite the overwhelming public proof. has had a front row seat for 30 years of history. But Yet anti-Semitism is far from the only way Cor- on the question of anti-Semitism, he vacillates. byn is endangering his country’s Jews.

And he seems unable to speak clearly about his viIn the announcement of the split, the Parliament sion of a British relationship with the European members said it was a pivotal moment in British Union, tacking tacitly toward a soft Brexit that will politics: If no political action is taken, Britain will harm the Conservatives most. crash out of the European Union on March 29 with Corbyn seems to be playing a devious political seismic financial and political ramifications. This game devised by his unscrupulous henchmen Andespite the leaders of both major political parties drew Murray and Seumas Milne. Although he was campaigning to “Remain” in the union in the 2016 nominally for remaining, he is putting personal referendum. Many people speculate that the “Leave” politics ahead of embracing a union that has transvote, which was widely expected to lose, was signif- formed the war fields of past centuries into peaceicantly a protest vote against the political elite. Al- ful economic powerhouse. Instead of belonging to though the country did narrowly vote for Brexit, the a Europe capable of securing the rights of its miLeave campaign repeatedly lied, appealed to irrec- norities and workers and withstanding Russia, oncilable views of Brexit and is under numerous in- China, Amazon and Google, he is gambling Jewish

safety and workers’ security for his political gain.

The country and the major parties, Labour and Conservative, have been divided by Brexit for four years now. Within those parties, there have been such serious differences of opinion that it’s as if each has contained at least two effective parties.

Labour has pro-Europe and anti-Europe factions, the Tories have pro-Europe, soft Brexit and hard anti-Europe factions.

The three Tory Parliament members who joined the Independent Group on Wednesday were from the pro-Europe side of the party. After a lukewarm role in the Remain campaign in 2016, and much to the dismay of many Labour supporters, Corbyn has seemingly decided to accept the fact of Brexit rather than support the “People’s Vote” — a second referendum on Brexit that would propose actual exit strategies rather than the lies proposed the first time.

Of course, the Conservative malcontents who either oppose Brexit or aim to force the hardest Brexit possible have a vested interest in staying within the party in power. Despite the Conservatives’ abysmal popularity rating and the unpopular looming Brexit, Labour was only able to rally enough votes in the last general election to reduce the Conservative majority. So the Independent Group had less power to lose by leaving and more anti-racist credibility to gain. The vast majority of Jewish Labour supporters – increased to eight by the addition of Joan Ryan, the leader of Labour Friends of Israel – have now left the party.

As long as the leaders of the Labour Party will not commit to fight anti-Jewish racism in their own party and, at the same time, continue to abet Brexit’s undermining of the rights of minorities, they will be abandoned by people who support anti-racism and the rights of minorities. Whether the Independent Group succeeds or fails, history will show that it did not stand by idly as its major political parties blindly lead Britain to bigoted doom.

6 | The Jewish Press | March 1, 2019

synagogues B’naI Israel synagogue

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

Beth el synagogue

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

Beth Israel synagogue

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

ChaBaD house

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

CongregatIon B’naI Jeshurun

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

offutt aIr forCe Base

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

rose BlumkIn JewIsh home

323 South 132 Street Omaha, NE 68154

temPle Israel

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

tIfereth Israel

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

B’naI Israel synagogue

Join us for our monthly Shabbat Speakers Series on march 1, at 7:30 p.m. with guest speaker Rabbi Elliott Tepperman.

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

For information on our historic synagogue, contact any of our board members: Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Howard Kutler, Carole Lainof, Wayne Lainof, Sissy Silber, Nancy Wolf, or email nancywolf16620@gmail.com.

Beth el synagogue

Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman. frIDay: BESTT Shabbaton at Camp Rivercrest; Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. saturDay: BESTT Shabbaton at Camp Rivercrest; Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; No Junior Congregation; Mincha following Shabbat morning services. weekDay serVICes: Sundays, 9:30 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. sunDay: Hamantashen Baking, 9 a.m.; BESTT Shabbaton at Camp Rivercrest; No BESTT Classes. tuesDay: Baking Day, 9 a.m. weDnesDay: Hamantashen Baking, 3 p.m.; BESTT Classes, 4:15 p.m.; USY/Kadima Purim Prep, 5:15 p.m.; Wisdom Literature, 6 p.m. with Professor Leonard Greenspoon; Hebrew High, 6:30 p.m.; Journey Through the Talmud and Rabbinic Literature, 7:15 p.m. with Rabbi Abraham thursDay: Breakfast and Brachot: Service, 7 a.m. and Breakfast, 7:30 a.m.; Baking Day, 9 a.m.; Chesed Committe visits the Blumkin Home, 2 p.m.

Become a Soulful Parent, sunday, march 31 at 10 a.m.

Join us for an exploration of parenting challenges against the backdrop of Jewish ideas and texts.

Six String Shabbat, friday, march 8, 61 p.m.

Hamantashen Baking, sunday, march 10, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.

Beth Israel synagogue

Services conducted by Rabbi Ari Dembitzer frIDay: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha, 5:57 p.m.; Candle Lighting, 5:57 p.m. saturDay: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Kiddush sponsored by John Berlowitz, 11:30 a.m.; Insights into the Weekly Torah Portion, 4:55 p.m.; Mincha/Seudah Shlishit, 5:40 p.m.; Havdalah, 6:58 p.m. sunDay: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6:05 p.m. at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. monDay: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Jewish History — Your History, noon with Rabbi Shlomo; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6:05 p.m. at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. tuesDay: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Torah Tuesday, 3 p.m. with Rabbi Ari; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6:05 p.m. at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. weDnesDay: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6:05 p.m. at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. thursDay: Project Dreamland 3.0; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Connecting with Our Faith, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6:05 p.m. at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

ChaBaD house

Office hours: Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and Friday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. frIDay: Shacharit, 7 a.m. followed by coffee, treats, study and shmoozing. saturDay: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. weekDays: Shacharit, 7 a.m. followed by coffee, treats, study and shmoozing. monDay: Personal Parsha class, 9:30 a.m. with Shani. weDnesDay: Mystical Thinking, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Katzman. thursDay: Talmud Class, noon with Rabbi Katzman.

All programs are open to the entire community. For more information call 402.330.1800 or visit www.ochabad.com.

CongregatIon B’naI Jeshurun

Services conducted by Rabbi Teri Appleby. frIDay: Candlelighting, 6 p.m.; First Friday Family Shabbat Service, 6:30 p.m.; Oneg, 7:30 p.m. hosted by UNL Hillel. saturDay: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study on Parashat Vayekhel, 10:45 a.m.; Lunch and ScholarIn-Residence with Rabbi Elliott Tepperman, noon at Tifereth

Israel; Havdalah (72 minutes), 7:31 p.m. sunDay: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.; LJCS Gesher, 10 a.m.; Adult Hebrew Prayer Class, 11:30 a.m.; Board of Trustees Meeting, 1:30 p.m.; Purim Spiel Rehearsal, 3 p.m.; Come learn and play Pickleball, 7-9 p.m. All equipment furnished. Wear comfortable clothing. For questions, call or text Miriam Wallick at miriam57@aol.com. tuesDay: Mussar Va’ad, 7 p.m. weDnesDay: LJCS Hebrew School, 4 p.m. at TI. It’s not too soon to be thinking about summer camp! All Federation families are eligible for Camp Incentive Grants of $300 per camper to pay the initial camp registration deposit.

Application packets are available in the Temple office and on the Temple website.

offutt aIr forCe Base

frIDay: Services, 7:30 p.m. every first and third of the month.

rose BlumkIn JewIsh home

saturDay: Services, 9:15 a.m. led by Jim Polack.

Services will be held in the Chapel. Members of the community are invited to attend.

temPle Israel

frIDay: First Friday Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. Enjoy services with our First Friday band! Everyone celebrating a birthday or anniversary during the month of March is invited to come and receive a special blessing. During the oneg we will celebrate with a simcha cake. saturDay: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Service, 10:30 a.m. Torah Reader: Mike Siegel. sunDay: Beginning Prayer-Book Hebrew for Adults, 9 a.m.; Religious School for K-6, 10 a.m.; Social Justice Committee Meeting, 10:30 a.m.; OTYG Spaghetti Dinner, 5:30 p.m. Join OTYG as we celebrate the legacy of Spaghetti Dinner and close a wonderful chapter in our congregation. This is not an end, but a beginning of a new chapter that opens the space for our youth group to create new traditions for years to come. RSVP online at templeisraelomaha.com; cost is $10 per adult, $4 per young person ages 6-12, and no charge for children five and younger. For any inquiries or if you would like to donate to our final Spaghetti Dinner, please contact Jacob Kahn, jkahn@templeisraelomaha.com. tuesDay: Rosh Chodesh Event – Habits of Thought: Refresh Your Perspectives Hosted by Ellen Platt, 6:30 p.m. Visit templeisraelomaha.com/rosh-chodesh for all the details; Holy Smokes with Rabbi Azriel, 7 p.m. at Copacabana. Rabbi Azriel will be leading this men-only evening featuring philosophical discussions of men’s issues and perspectives from Jewish texts. This month’s topic: “Let the settlement debate begin.” Cost is $25 cash at the door (no billing). RSVP to Temple Israel, 402.556.6536, by Monday, March 4.

weDnesDay: Religious School Grades 3-6, 4 p.m.; School Dinner, 6 p.m.; Grades 7-12, 6 p.m.; Family School, 6:30 p.m.; Woody Allen on the Bible, 6:30 p.m. thursDay: The History of the Jewish People: The Birth of Hasidism, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Mendel Katzman.

Temple Tots Sundays, sunday, march 10, 10:30 a.m.

Book Club: The Gift of Imperfection by Brene Brown, sunday, march 10, 10:30 a.m.

Chocolate Shabbat, friday, march 15, Dinner, 5:15 p.m., Service, 6 p.m. followed by chocolate oneg Adult Purim Bash: Come Cast Your Lots, saturday, march 16, 6:30 p.m. Casino. Cocktails. Costumes. For only $36, you will enjoy an adults-only (21+) evening filled with heavy hors d’oeuvres, an open bar sponsored by the Jon Meyers Leadership Fund, a professional DJ sponsored by the Koom family, and $200 in casino money to gamble to your heart’s delight. There will be blackjack, craps, roulette, and more! And if you run out of casino money, additional booklets will be available for purchase for $20. There will also be a costume contest with prizes so make sure to plan your costume! Visit templeisraelomaha.com to RSVP online by March 8. Proceeds from the Adult Purim Bash will go towards progra-mming at Temple Israel.

Religious School Purim Party, wednesday, march 20, 5 p.m.

Dinner, Service, and Purim Spiel, wednesday, march 20, 6 p.m.

tIfereth Israel

Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: monday-friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. frIDay: No Services; Candlelighting, 6 p.m. saturDay: Shabbat Morning service, 10 a.m. and will include a special tribute to Marcia on behalf of the congregation. In addition, there will be a celebratory kiddush lunch followed by scholar-in-residence, Rabbi Elliott Tepperman, Marcia's nephew; Havdalah (72 minutes), 7 p.m. sunDay: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.; LJCS Gesher, 10 a.m.; Come learn and play Pickleball, 7-9 p.m.

All equipment furnished. Wear comfortable clothing. For questions, call or text Miriam Wallick at miriam57@aol.com. weDnesDay: LJCS Hebrew School, 4 p.m. thursDay: Hebrew Reading class, 7 p.m. taught by Nancy Coren. Please let her know if you plan to attend and bring a pack of index cards with you.

Purim Extravaganza, wednesday, march 20 at the Coren home. Light Dinner, 6 p.m. (Fleishig or Veggie), Megillah Reading, 6:45 p.m., Children’s Activities, 6:45 p.m., and Storyteller, 7:45-8:15 p.m. The evening will end with all age groups joining together to enjoy our guest storyteller, Pippa White.

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

Application packets are availible in the Tifereth Israel foyer.

Project Dreamland returns to Beth Israel

mary sue grossman In 2016, Beth Israel hosted its first Project Dreamland weekend, which started a wonderful adventure for visitors from near and far. The adventure continued in 2017, and the third installment takes place March 14-17. Beth Israel again invites the entire Omaha community to be a part of weekend, meeting an extraordinary group of young individuals who will provide inspiration and leave a true lasting impression.

As he has shared in the past, Rabbi Ari Dembitzer describes Project Dreamland as a celebration of “inner strength” as this group of physically challenged teens share their drive, determination, and zest for life with everyone who meets them. No matter the challenges, each of these visitors sets his or her focus on embracing each day and setting sights on the future.

The paths of these individuals and Rabbi Dembitzer merged through the rabbi’s work with Camp Simcha, a program of Chai Lifeline. A camp for children with cancer and different chronic illness, Camp Simcha provides a happy and magical environment for children so they can confront their challenges with increased strength and willpower. Rabbi Dembitzer has

worked with Camp Simcha since 1997.

As the years went by, he has been continually inspired by the strength shown by these campers and the joy they find in life. “The campers touch the lives of those around them, making one look past the physical and focus on the personality and the soul,” he shares. “I can’t wait for Omaha to meet our campers. Please plan now to be a part of this great experience.”

The eight visitors, accompanied by counselors and parents, arrive on Thursday. Thursday evening, NCSY will host a barbecue to welcome the group. The Project Dreamland committee members are finalizing the Friday activities which will include visits to local sites and lunch at the RBJH Star Deli.

Shabbat events will begin Friday evening, March 15 with services at 7:13 p.m. immediately followed by Shabbat dinner at 7:45 p.m. Beth Israel is delighted to welcome participants with the JWRP program as co-sponsors for the dinner which has the theme of “Super Heroes.” Dinner, which includes brisket, challah, side dishes, and desserts, is $18 for adults with special family pricing available. Shabbat morning services begin see Project Dreamland page 7

The Jewish Press | March 1, 2019 | 7

lifecycles bar MitZvah

PreStoN Michael gorDMaN

Preston Michael Gordman, son of Jay and Allison Gordman will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, March 9 at Beth El Synagogue.

Preston is a seventh-grade honor roll student at Grandview Middle School.

His interests include soccer, snow skiing, show choir and attending Camp Ramah.

For his mitzvah project he is tutoring and mentoring children at the Boys and Girls Club.

He has a brother Spencer.

Grandparents are Nancy Skid and the late Stephen Skid, and Robert and Ellen Gordman.

Families should flock to The Doll Maker’s Gift

Judy Siref passed away on Dec. 22, 2018. Services were held Feb. 3 at Emanu El Memorial Park in Houston, TX. Services were held Jan. 13 in Waverly, MA. She is preceded in death by parents, Sylivia Siref Davis and Harry Siref and stepfather, Irving Davis; and grandparents, Rose and Isadore Goldstein.

She is survived by husband, Steve Fradkoff; stepson and daughter-inlaw, Heath and Lindsay Fradkoff; sister and brother-in-law, Linda Siref Redler and Steve Redler; brother and sister-in-law, Rick Siref and Gwen Gomez; niece and nephews Cindy and Brian Stoneking, Rob and Tonya Simons, Marcos and Robin Siref; great nieces and nephews Rachel and Harrison Stoneking and Ava and Jack Simons.

Project Dreamland

continued from page 6 at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 16, with members of the group helping to lead services and give the sermon. The March Simcha Kiddush immediately follows services at 11:30 a.m. A group member will give a presentation following kiddush. Rabbi Ari’s weekly class, Insights into the Weekly Torah Reading will be held at 6:10 p.m., followed

by Mincha and Seudah Shlishit at 6:55 p.m. A rocking musical Havdalah will conclude the Shabbat celebration and begin at 8:13p.m.

Reservations for Shabbat dinner are needed by March 11 and can be made on the synagogue website at www.or thodoxomaha.org, by calling the office at 402.556.6288 or emailing executiveasst@orthodoxomaha.org.

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iN MeMoriaM

Ronald Kent Ipock pased away suddenly on Jan. 26 at age 68. Services were held Feb. 3 at Emanu El Memorial Park in Houston, TX. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ralph and Jean Ipock, brothers David and Kevin Ipock, brother-in-law Ronald Herzoff and mother-inlaw, Ida Herzoff.

He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Denise Ipock, daughters, Marissa Ipock and Amanda (Becca) Ipock; three grandchildren: Griffin, Skyliah and Ida; sisters, Sherri and Larry Eggers and Billie and Lloyd Medley; brother, Ernie and Jacque Ipock; and sister-in-law, Nancy Herzoff; nieces: Nicole, Sarah, Michelle, Mallory, Jole, Elizabeth, Alysha (Josh), Kirsten; great nephews: Austin, Trenton, Jonathan, Bobby, Kyler, Dalton, and Braxton; great nieces: Allison, Abby, Maddie, Jayden, Harlee and Maisy, Ava, Mia, Railynn and many other relatives and friends.

Ron grew up in rural Nebraska and graduated high school in 1968 and joined the military. He was deployed to Vietnam where he honorably fought for our country. After the army, Ron completed his Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art from Bellevue University. He had a successful career in Property Management starting in 1979 working for companies in Omaha, Cincinnati, OH and Burnett, TX. Ron was the salt of the earth, a true renaissance man, who loved the outdoors, hiking and fishing, and sketching and painting, and creating beautiful wood furniture. He loved his family unconditionally.

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Patrick Wolfe and Maddie Smith as Zalushka and Nora in The Doll Maker’s Gift.

Deb DeNeNberg e Doll Maker’s Gi, a new Jewish musical opened last weekend at e Rose eater. e Omaha World-Herald review said, “By the time the heartwarming and unexpected ending came, I... was totally charmed and even a little choked up. Families should flock to this one”.

Based on a true story, the show is set in a Russian shtetl when pogroms are striking nearby villages. e protagonists are sisters. Rosa (Chloe Irwin), almost twelve, is interested in real, scientific things and understands pogroms. Nora (Maddie Smith), nine years old, lives fearlessly with her imagination helping her. Both girls love Zalushka the Doll Maker (Patrick Wolfe), who seeks to perform mitzvahs.

Marty Atherton attended an opening performance. “is is a story from the 19th century that still resonates today— the themes of doing mitzvahs and of immigration and family separation. e sisters and the Doll Maker were wonderfully cast with fabulous voices. e set design was compelling, how the show moved from the Doll Maker’s shop to the shtetl.”

Esther Katz noted, “I thought it was a great portrayal of the innocence of childhood. How precious it is to let your children keep their innocence and imagination. Our kids grow up so fast and will hit adulthood soon enough, don’t rush it.

I especially loved the song Grow Down when the younger sister tells the older one, “I don’t want to grow up, you need to grow down”.

Songs include America is Free (but Getting ere is Not), It’s a Little Bit-A Mitzvah, and Precious Cargo. e Doll Maker’s Gi will play to 5000 area school children and has public performances Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through March 10. Tickets are available by calling e Rose eater box office at 402.345.4849 or going to https://www.rosetheater.org/ shows/dollmaker/.

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A name with a story

emergingvoices

8 | The Jewish Press | March 1, 2019

Crossing under the words “Arbeit macht Frei”, meaning “Work Sets You Free”, which notoriously mark the grounds of Auschwitz, I get shivers all over. I begin to realize that I am walking into a concentration camp voluntarily, and I know that at the end of the day, I will also have the privilege to leave.

Off to the side from the rest of Auschwitz, a separate building is transformed into an emotional museum. On the inside, it appears so sterile. The walls are white and modern and a speech Hitler gave is being played on loop. Confused and sickened, I feel empty inside.

Before going in, I stare at an exhibit containing a pile of shoes that were found when Auschwitz was liberated. In the midst of the heap, I spot a bright red shoe and wonder about the story of that shoe owner.

As I continue, the thought of the bright red shoe lingers. I hear the spine shivering recording of Hitler’s voice begin to fade as I walk through the building. I venture farther and come upon a hollow room where the book of four million names stands centered.

In it lies the known names of those who perished in the Holocaust. This isn’t a book that I could just pull from a shelf. The pages are taller than me, filled from top to bottom with small font. I reach my hands outward and run them across the hundreds upon hundreds of rough paper edges. With two hands, I pry the hulking pages open. I begin to search in hysteria for the section of last names beginning with K. My fingers frantically snake across the page, one line at a time.

Flipping through the pages, I try to remember that what I’m doing bears a heavy weight; I’m not just searching aimlessly through a faceless book. Every page I turn is a small fraction of the people whose lives were unjustly ripped away from them.

EmIly KuTlEr Then everything stops.

My stomach feels like it has twisted in a knot and thrown itself into my spine. I find an entire section of a page dedicated to people with the same last name as me. The name that I

of birth and death of each individual. My right hand is frozen over my cheek, wiping away the tears as they roll down my face. It is as if someone is looking at my life under a microscope and suddenly narrows the lens in so that all that matters at this point in time, is my finger pointing to my own last name.

I didn’t even know that these people existed before I stand here in this moment, yet I feel personally impacted by their death. How did they look? Are we related? I wonder about the stories of those people just as I had wondered about the owner of the bright red shoe.

My hands hold onto this memory. They touched those names and, in a way, I feel like I was able to mourn each of their lives. Today I can take my hands and use them to center myself. They help me to remember those who perished and remind myself that I should take every day I am given for its full potential.

I live my life remembering that I have the power to impact others. I am reminded that I should take this as an opportunity to leave a positive mark on the world. One person cannot singlehandedly prevent genocide, but one person can take her hands and heart and create millions of acts that make our world a better place for all to live.

Emily Kutler is a student at Westside.

She shares her story as part of the Emerging Voices series.

Emerging Voices invites Jewish writers between the ages of 13 and 25 to share their thoughts and opinions Flipping through the pages of The Book of Names, I was horrified by about any topic they choose. If you are the significance of how many pages I flipped through before reach- interested in writing for this series, ing the K's. please email the editor at avandekamp write on top of all my school papers. The name that @jewishomaha.org. tells a story of Russian immigrants. A rawness and Emerging Voices is supported by the Joanie Jaa vulnerability wash over me and send me into sobs. cobson Jewish Cultural Arts Fund at the Jewish My left hand pauses at each name as I read the place Federation of Omaha Foundation.

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