Sponsored by the Benjamin and Anna E. Wiesman Family Endowment Fund AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA
Rabbi Dembitzer to lead Beth Israel
March 13, 2015 22 Adar 5775 Vol. 95 | No. 26
This Week
Purim Gallery Page 6
National Nutrition Month Page 7
Behind those pointy ears, a ‘nice, earnest Jewish boy’ Page 12
Inside Point of view Synagogues In memoriam
Next Month Passover See Front Page stories and more at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on Jewish Press
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by MARY SUE GROSSMAN Publicity Chairman When Rabbi Ari Dembitzer introduced his brother, Shmuli, during an Omaha visit in January, he described Shmuli as the “good son.” With his brother looking on, nodding and smiling, Rabbi Dembitzer said that while Shmuli was focused and “on track”, he was the one often in trouble, the one who gave his parents many, many grey hairs and made them truly wonder where his life’s path would lead. Fortunately for Beth Israel Synagogue, Rabbi Dembitzer’s journey has led him to Omaha on what is actually a well-worn path. Thirteen years ago, he was invited by then senior rabbi, Howard Kutner, to serve as the congregation’s High Holiday chazzan. Rabbi Dembitzer – though at that time without the rabbinic title – immediately became a beloved member of the Beth Israel family. He continued to return nearly every year, sharing his musical talents, love of Torah and incredible ruach with the congregation. Rabbi Dembitzer soon began referring to Omaha as “Home-aha,” considering Omaha his second home. He returned to Omaha again this past September for the High Holidays. With the search still underway to fill the position left open by the departure of Rabbi Jonathan Gross in June, Beth Israel president, Josh Gurock, approached Rabbi Dembitzer about serving as the interim rabbi. With the encouragement of synagogue members and the full support of the Beth Israel board, he agreed to stay through December. The time frame was soon extended through Sukkot of 2015. Then finally, Rabbi Dembitzer approached the Rabbinic Search Committee, stating he wanted to apply for the position. The decision to extend an offer was speedy and unanimous. “Rabbi Dembitzer is a wonderful choice for Beth Israel Synagogue because he makes every single congregant feel special,” commented Joel Alperson, chair of the Rabbinic Search Committee. Other committee members were Beth Cohen, David Kohll, Gary Shyken and Rabbi Yaakov Weiss. “Whether it’s during services, kiddush, or even on the phone, everyone matters when
Dance collaborations
they’re with Rabbi Dembitzer,” continued Joel. “Rabbi Dembitzer shows passion in almost everything he does. While he’s giving a sermon,
Rabbi Ari Dembitzer praying, or simply welcoming someone into our synagogue, he exhibits an energy which is profoundly felt by everyone around him.” When asked how Rabbi Dembitzer has touched him personally, Joel stated, “The best thing I can say about Rabbi Dembitzer is that he has not only become my rabbi but also my friend. He is someone with whom I can both laugh and confide in. He makes coming to Beth Israel a joy.” Rabbi Dembitzer is from New York and has lived in Israel for the past several years in both Jerusalem and at Kfar Adumim in the Judean Desert. He holds a master’s degree in public administration from New York University’s Wagner School of Public Affairs. He received rabbinic ordination from Mesivta Tifret Jerusalem, the yeshiva of Rabbi David Feinstein, son of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein. Rabbi Dembitzer is also well known to a great many people in the U.S. and in Israel. Judge Daniel Butler, a recent Beth Israel Scholarin-Residence commented he was surprised to see Rabbi Dembitzer in Omaha, telling the congregation “He is a big deal in the Jewish world!” This familiarity is primarily through his association with Camp Simcha where he has worked since 1997. Camp Simcha is for children with cancer and different chronic illness, under the umbrella organization called Chai Lifeline. Camp Simcha provides a happy and magical environment for children so they can confront their challenges with increased strength and willpower. Rabbi Dembitzer recently returned from Israel after leading a trip for 14 teens with chronic illnesses. Among the many things the group did was meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara. Rabbi Dembitzer will continue his work with Camp Simcha, spending one month each summer with the campers plus periodic trips throughout the year. Rabbi Dembitzer counts Rav Abraham Isaac HaKohen Kook, the Continued on page 3
by GABBY BLAIR I sat down with JCC Cultural Arts Director, Esther Katz, to talk about the JCC Dance Training Company’s current artistic undertaking. “The Dance Training Company,” explains Katz, “is for dancers, aged 12-18, who are ready to take their dancing to the next level. This is for serious students who are motivated and dedicated to move beyond basic dance classes. These dancers are looking to refine techniques, learn about the processes of choreography, and work with groups that span a range of ages and abilities.” Dancers in The Training Company must have completed Ballet 4 and are required to attend a minimum of three technique classes per week. Auditions for The JCC Dance Training Company were held this past September and the dancers are rehearsing and developing a set of three perform-
ances for their “Collaborations” themed March Concert Series. “I am so excited to be working with Aviva Segal, Director of the Omaha Area Youth Orchestra, for our first collaboration,” says Katz. “It is a rare occasion that dancers in Omaha get to dance to live music, and a string quartet at that!” Even more special is that one of the members of the string quartet was herself a dancer with The Dance Training Company. The collaboration with OAYA is sure to produce a beautiful and original piece, both musically and visually. For the second collaboration, Katz has reached out to dear friend and former dance colleague, Charles Tyson Jr., Director of Underground Dance in Philadelphia. A hip hop choreographer and dancer himself, Tyson will be providing his expertise from afar in a Continued on page 3
All you need is lunch
by OZZIE NOGG The Fab Four often included references to food in their song lyrics (think marmalade skies and marshmallow pies from Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds or Mr. Mustard from Abby Road). And so, to honor John, Paul, George, Ringo and their gastronomic bent, Star Deli is sponsoring an “All You Need Is Lunch” extravaganza on Friday, March 20. “The menu and theme is Beatles inspired,” said Colin Heskin, Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Operations
Intern. “We’ll feature a special Let It Bean Soup plus our delicious Sergeant Peppersteak’s Lonely Hearts Club Sandwich with You Say Good Pie, I Say Jello for dessert. The pie, of course, is strawberry -- from Strawberry Fields.” During the Beatles Rock Band Deli, traditionalists can enjoy popular Friday lunch menu items -- corned beef, pastrami, smoked turkey, egg or tuna salad sandwiches along with ever-popular salads and sides -- including Continued on page 2
2 | The Jewish Press | March 13, 2015
Things are jumping at Friedel by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Friedel Jewish Academy February is heart month, and to keep their own hearts healthy as well as to raise money to prevent heart attacks and strokes in Americans across the land, the Friedel Jewish Academy student body spent two hours jumping rope in the Jewish Community Center gym. “Our goal was to raise $1200,” said Ashley Barrow, Friedel librarian, “and we raised $1641.67!” Divided into six gradelevel mixed teams, the students jumped rope independently, straddled one and even two simultaneously twirling ropes held by teachers at each end, hopped over a rope swung along the floor by a teacher, tried to keep hula hoops aloft on their waists, shot baskets, and attempted to jump rope without spilling a cup of fuzz balls on the floor. “It’s a fun way to make your heart pump up,” commented first grader Shiloh Wertheim. Eva Cohen, also a first grader, thought it was fun, too, “because we get to do all this stuff with jump ropes.” Second grader Mo Blair explained that the money raised for the American Heart Association is “for scientists and doctors to buy equipment and do research to help kids who have heart problems.” Liora Shapiro, another second grader, participated “so the people who have heart trouble can get better.”
Sophia Mavropoulos, a fourth grader, recognized that the money raised will “help the kids who don’t have a strong enough heart.” During the same week, six prospective kindergartners attended Kindergarten Round-Up at Friedel. They listened to the story, The Gingerbread Cowboy, read by kindergarten teacher Diana Zeman, decorated cowboy hats, played a
Left: Shilat Ben Shushan, foreground, and Phoenix Mavropoulos keep things hopping; and above: Judah Kohen, left, Ari Follick, and Naama Weiss were among the children who attended Kindergarten Round-Up at Friedel. game and sang a song in Hebrew, painted western-themed pictures, and had a snack. “They really did get into the story,” according to Zeman who, along with Jewish studies teacher Naama Arzi, had the opportunity to observe the children experiencing various school-related situations. While the preschoolers checked out the kindergarten room, their parents met with interim head of school Ron Giller and Beth Cohen who will be the new principal in the fall. Others interested in information about the school for their own pre-kindergartners can call Friedel at 402.334.0517.
A musical visit by CAROLE GREENBERG Assistant Director, Pennie Z. Davis Child Development Center Aviva Segall brought the Youth Philharmonic outreach orchestra to the JCC on Feb. 25. The Pennie Z. Davis Child Development Center was treated to a composition piece by Israeli composer Carmel Raz. Segments and portions of the concerts were enhanced by Freidel students who played their instruments. Music is such an important part of a child’s life. Research has found that learning music facilitates learning other subjects and enhances skills that children inevitably use in other areas. A music-rich experience for children of singing, listening and moving is really bringing a very serious benefit to children as they progress in their learning abilities. People are naturally attracted to music. In fact, music
brings people together regardless of age and where they are from. Children, too, start early and actually begin to respond to sound when they are in their mother’s womb. As Henry Wadsworth Longfellow aptly said, “Music is the universal language of mankind.” The CDC thanks Aviva Segall for sharing this experience with them.
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Continued from page 1 Chopped Liverpool. “Obviously,” said Heskin, “this kosher lineup will not include I Wanna Hold Your Ham.” According to Jenn Addison, Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Food Services Supervisor, “The Deli will offer entertainment, too. The Beatles Rock Band Wii Game will be set up in the Blumkin Home Auditorium, which means participants can play drums, lead guitar, bass guitar and sing three-part harmony to more than 40 Beatles hits. Customers can actually be part of this legendary band and serenade one another during this combination Star Deli food fest and RBJH Rock Concert. Don’t miss it.” Launched in July of 2010, The Star Deli on Main Street -- with its garlicky aromas and the raucous atmosphere of a Lower East Side eatery -- is a favorite Friday lunch destination for local chow hounds. Open for business Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Star Deli is happy to host special occasions and will reserve private dining spaces in the RBJH for large groups. And Star Catering can add spice to your meetings, parties, and life cycle events. For more information about Star Catering, please contact Mike Aparo, 402.334.6522 or visit the web page -http://www.rbjh.com/ index.php/star-catering/home. And you can LIKE the Star Deli on their Facebook page -- https://www.facebook.com/star.deli.rbjh.
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March 13, 2015 | The Jewish Press | 3
MEF at UNO with Israeli Consul General by KASEY DAVIS Staff Assistant, Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies, UNO On Tuesday, March 17, Israelis will elect their new Knesset which will determine the course of the Jewish State for the next few years. Two days later, March 19, the Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies will hold a special session of its monthly Middle East Forum (MEF), which will focus on analyzing the results of the election as well as their likely impact on Israel and on US-Israeli relations. We are delighted to welcome to a unique session of the MEF a very special guest Roey Gilad panelist: Israel’s Consul General to the Midwest, Roey Gilad. Joining him on the panel will be Dr. Moshe Gershovich, Professor of History and Director of the Schwalb Center, Dr. Curtis Hutt, Judaic Studies Professor in UNO’s Department of Religious Studies, and Assaf Gavron, Israeli author and the Schwalb Center’s Visiting Israeli Professor. Dr. Patrick McNamara, who teaches Political Science and International Studies
courses at UNO, will serve as moderator. The Middle East Forum is a monthly event that occurs three times each semester and is jointly organized by UNO’s Middle East Project Fund and the Schwalb Center. Since its debut in the fall of 2011, the MEF has provided students and members of the greater Omaha community the opportunity to dialogue with local experts on current events in the Middle East. The Honorable Roey Gilad arrived in Chicago during the summer of 2012 to assume his post as Consul General of Israel to the Midwest. From his base in Chicago, Consul General Gilad is responsible for 11 states and he is the highest ranking Israeli official in the Midwest. During his 26 year tenure with Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Gilad has served in various positions outside of Israel including: Second Secretary in Kenya, Media Counsellor in The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and head of the Political Affairs Department in the UK. The forum will take place at the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center (CEC) rooms 230 & 231 on March 19 from noon-1 p.m. Free parking is available directly in front of the CEC. A detailed parking map can be found on the UNO website under “Campus Maps”. For more information about this and other events, please contact Kasey Davis at kaseydavis@unomaha.edu or 402.554.3175.
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Rabbi Dembitzer Continued from page 1 first chief rabbi of Israel, as providing the path he follows. Rav Kook is recognized as one of the most important Jewish thinkers of all time. “Rav Kook looked at things in a positive way and was an innovative thinker. He taught that the world is advancing toward a beautiful place and I strive to be a part of that journey” said Rabbi Dembitzer. “His teachings also helped me understand there is no contradiction in learning. It is rather a matter of learning more.” He chuckles and admits that he never wanted to be a rabbi. “It seemed that it was not a good fit for me” adding that in a way he had to “get over himself.” “I have a strong passion for Torah Judaism,” said Rabbi Dembitzer. “Torah Judaism is who we are internally, for eternity, and I look forward to infusing the community with my passion. As a rabbi, I hope to be someone who can have influence and also be influenced.” Another passion for Rabbi Dembitzer is music, which he describes as “connecting the heart and the mouth” adding that “music provides an emotional piece for everyone.” His favorite musician is Shlomo Carlebach which is in evidence during the Carlebach Kabbalat Shabbat held each Rosh Chodesh at Beth Israel.
Josh Gurock, Beth Israel President, said “Having Rabbi Dembitzer join the Beth Israel team is such a natural. He is a perfect fit, well-liked and respected by the congregation with a great feel for the community.” In talking about his programming and interactions with kids, Josh described him as a Pied Piper. “Our kids just love ‘Reb Ari’. He infuses the kids with his energy and enthusiasm and love of learning.” Josh concluded saying “The welcome shown to Rabbi Ari by the Beth Israel congregation and the Omaha Jewish community over the years has already provided Rabbi Dembitzer with a true feeling of home. We are looking forward to a great future together.” The mission of Beth Israel Synagogue is to perpetuate the legacy of Torah Judaism in the modern world and provide a home for those who wish to learn about and observe halacha, Jewish law. Beth Israel Synagogue welcomes all persons of the Jewish faith to join, and accepts the diversity of practice and thought among its members. Beth Israel offers a variety of religious, cultural and social programs throughout the year. For more information, please contact Beth Israel Synagogue’s office at 402.556.6288, or e-mail BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org.
Dance collaborations
Continued from page 1 technologically linked and directed choreography sessions. “Mostly, we will be relying on video. We will review recordings of his team’s choreography and, in turn provide footage of our own, which will be sent back to Tyson for feedback and critique. We will be virtually training and learning together... we may even attempt a live feed during one or two rehearsals,” explains Katz. “It is sure to be a fun and interesting experience for all involved!” For The JCC Dance Training Company’s third and final Collaboration, Katz is turning to a favorite local group with whom they have worked successfully in the past, Yachad. Hebrew for “togetherness”, Yachad is a group of individuals with developmental disabilities that is served by Jewish Family Services. “I have loved working with Yachad in the past,” expounds Katz, who herself has spent time as a special needs teacher. “The sense of pride and accomplishment of Yachad members is simply amazing and very fulfilling for all involved in producing a program with them.” This year, the concept of “what it means to be free”, is the theme for the Yachad-Training Company collaboration. Yachad members will develop words and short phrases with this theme in mind. The Dance Training Company will develop those thoughts into poetry to inspire appropriate ability choreography for the entire group to perform on the JCC Theater stage. “Working with Yachad is a great experience and it helps develop our young students into kinder and more conscientious people, reminding them that dance can always be modified for students of a range of abilities.” As always, Katz is grateful to endowments and grants that make dance partnerships possible. She would like to thank the Samuel & Delma Goodman Youth Fund and the Harris Family Endowment for their support of the Training Company/Yachad partnership and the Karen Sokolof Javitch Music Fund for a grant allowing them to join with the OAYA production. Come watch the beauty of The JCC Dance Training
Company’s Collaborations unfold on stage at the JCC Theater Sunday, March 22 at 5 p.m. Tickets go on sale March 2. Questions about JCC Dance? Contact Esther Katz, Cultural Art Director at ekatz@jccomaha.org.
A Schwalb Passover by KASEY DAVIS Staff Assistant, Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies, UNO Are you interested in experiencing and learning more about Jewish culture? If so, please join the Schwalb Center and Temple Israel as we celebrate the Passover Seder on April 4 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Temple Israel (13111 Sterling Ridge Drive). The cost of the dinner is $17.50 for non-students and $7.50 for students ($10 subsidized by the S c h w a l b Center). In addition to the traditional Passover meal, you will also have the opportunity to dialogue with members of the Jewish community to learn more about this tradition along with other aspects of Judaism. There are a limited number of spaces available, so if you would like to join us, please bring your payment of cash or check (made out the University of Nebraska at Omaha) to the Schwalb Center (ASH 200) by March 20. For more information about this and other Schwalb Center events, please contact Kasey Davis at kaseydavis@unomaha.edu or 402.554.3175. Hope you can join us!
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4 | The Jewish Press | March 13, 2015
Birthright Israel Foundation hires Director of Talent Development
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by SARAH RAUTH NEW YORK – The Birthright Israel Foundation (BRIF), the organization that provides and builds the base of financial support for Taglit-Birthright Israel in North America, has tapped 14-year non-profit executive, Sarah Raful Whinston, as its first director of talent development. Sarah is the daughter of former Omahans Dinah and Larry Raful. In her new role, Whinston will focus on recruitment and career development for the organization, whose staff has grown to nearly 50. Whinston’s appointment Sarah Raful Whinston comes as the Foundation looks to attract not only the best and brightest stars in the Jewish world, but to also retain them and give them the tools to thrive. Creating this new director of talent development position enables the organization to dedicate the time and attention to each employee’s role within the organization, subsequently improving work and allowing opportunity for growth for the individual and the Foundation as a whole. Whinston’s appointment is part of Birthright Israel Foundation President David Fisher’s objective of finding the
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Ted Mogil and Etta Marcus Mogil were born and raised in Omaha. On March 18, they will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary. Ted’s parents were Sam and Anna Mogil; Etta is the daughter of Harry and Rachael Marcus. Harry Marcus owned Beehive cleaners on Vinton St. In 1943, after Pearl Harbor, Ted joined the US Marines; when he returned from the South Pacific, Ted and Etta were wed at the synagogue on 18th and Chicago St. They have four sons, Richard (married to Maggie), Barry (Marylee), and Scott (Denise). Brother Ed, who was married to Elda, is deceased. They have seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. One of their granddaughters, Kayla, is currently serving in the IDF as a lone soldier. Today, they reside in Seattle, WA. They will be celebrating at the Caroline Kline-Galland Jewish Home.
Organizations B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Hometown gal gains dream job as channel 7 TV news anchor as reported by Melissa Fry on Wednesday, March 18, noon. For more information or to be placed on the email list call 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@jewishomaha.org.
best talent to serve the organization, and then investing in training and career development to nurture employees. “When I became president I made it very clear that one of my goals for the organization was for us to become the best place to work within the non-profit sector – not just the Jewish non-profit sector. The core driver to success is having the right people in the right jobs, fueling their passions, giving them the room and resources to do their job,” said Fisher. “Sarah has a strong track record of staff development in the non-profit space and we are excited to welcome her to our team. She has created programs over her career that yielded tremendous results for the organizations she has worked with.” Whinston joins BRIF from Camp Poyntelle Lewis Village (CPLV), where she worked as the executive director, supervising operations and programs for two camps and establishing the inaugural CPLV Camp Committee. In addition, she created CPLV’s first ever core values and subsequently directed an innovative recruitment strategy that resulted in seven new committees. “I am thrilled to be joining an organization that is so dedicated to their mission and their staff,” said Whinston. “The Foundation raises the critical funds for a program that resonates with all Jewish people and not just elite donors. I look forward to using my skill set in helping develop a culture and environment that will bring success to our staff and our fundraising goals.”
Suspicious activity outside two Brooklyn synagogues by JTA NEWS STAFF (JTA) -- The New York Police Department is investigating suspicious activity outside of two Brooklyn synagogues. Unknown men took videos in front of two synagogues on Ocean Parkway, in the Borough Park neighborhood, on Saturday afternoon. At the Safra Synagogue, they were driven off by a security guard, according to the New York Daily News. But the men later turned up at Beth Torah, a large Sephardic synagogue on the same block. One man attempted to enter either one or both synagogues, according to media reports, but was turned away. The men drove away in a car with an expired Delaware license plate, the New York Daily News reported. The NYPD has stepped up patrols at synagogues and Jewish institutions, according to the newspaper. “I urge everyone to stay calm but remain cautious,” state Assemblyman Dov Hikind, a Borough Park Democrat, said at Beth Torah on Saturday night. “The NYPD's anti-terrorism unit is taking this matter very seriously and doing everything that they should in light of a potential threat.”
Birth Stephanie and Steve Roitstein of Beaverton, OR, announce the Jan. 26 birth of their son, Mycah Elliot. He was named for his maternal great-grandmother, Mary DeLorous Smith and grandfather, Lloyd Elliot Roitstein He has a brother, Ayden Morris. Grandparents are Lloyd and Debbie Roitstein of Omaha. Great-grandparents are the late Dr. Morris and Ann Roitstein. Gallit Greenspoon and Elan Sherbill of Chicago announce the birth of their twins, Gefen Yaniv Sherbill and Shoshana Migdalyah Sherbill. Grandparents are Ellie and Leonard Greenspoon and Rabbi Daniel Sherbill and Lauren Sherbill.
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March 13, 2015 | The Jewish Press | 5
A Chometz Party with Eliad and visitors from Israel by MARY SUE GROSSMAN Center for Jewish Life It is three days before Passover. You are tired of cleaning. You are still finalizing your menu. You are wondering how on earth you are going to get everything done. OY VEY! It is definitely time for a break. The Center for Jewish Life has just the event for you – A Chometz Party! On Tuesday evening, March 31, 6-7:30 p.m. in the Rose Blumkin Home Auditorium, join Community Shaliach, Eliad Eliyahu for this fun event. Eliad will be joined by two visitors through Omaha’s Partnership2GETHER program. Ada Flor, an Israeli artist, will lead a Passover themed art workshop, suitable for elementary age children through adult. Also joining in the fun will be Miri Johnson, Eliad’s co-chair of the Partnership Education Task Force. “Chometz parties are very common in Akko” reports Eliad. “People invite friends to their home to eat up all the chometz. There can be some very interesting flavor combinations - just imagine a soup that includes barley and spaghetti - and it’s always fun.” While the menu for this event won’t be quite as inventive, dinner will include a delicious pasta, salad, fresh veggies, fruit and dessert. The cost is just $10 per family, for immediate family only. Space is limited, so please make your reservation by March 24 by contacting Mark at mkirch hoff@jewishomaha.org or 402.334.6463. Eliad reports that the workshop will add an extra dimension of fun to the evening. “It
is always so great to have people from Israel have the chance to experience Omaha. That is one of the many wonderful aspects of Partnership. Not only do our visitors share Israeli culture with Omaha, but they also see how fabulous Jewish Omaha is!” The workshop leader, Ada Flor, is the manager of the Dona Flor Art Gallery at
The Community Shaliach program and Partnership 2GETHER are programs of the Jewish Agency and the Jewish Federations of North America. The Community Shaliach program sends idealistic and dedicated Israelis to serve in Jewish communities and with Jewish organizations throughout the world. The shlichim plant the seeds of a secure Jewish future by implementing programs that are designed to increase Jewish awareness, knowledge, and pride; and to promote an understanding of Israel and its
ideals. Partnership2GETHER is an extraordinary global platform connecting some 550 communities around the world in 47 partnerships. Omaha is one of 12 U.S. Jewish communities partnering with the city of Akko and the Matte Asher area in the Western Galilee through cultural, educational, social, medical and economic programs. The programs are coordinated by the Center for Jewish Life. For more information, call 402.334.6445.
Israeli elections
Kibbutz Ein HaMifratz and also runs art courses for children and adults. She has a background as a painter and sculpturer and her work has been shown at a number of exhibitions over the years. “My father was a graduate of the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design and was the kibbutz school’s longtime and legendary art teacher. I was his pupil, and he instilled his love of art in me,” Ada commented. “The home in which I was raised had an artistic ambience; the walls were covered with my father’s paintings and other creations.” Ada also worked in art summer camps in the U.S. for three years. While in Omaha, Ada and Miri will also do art workshops at the Child Development Center, Friedel Jewish Academy and the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.
by SCOTT LITTKY Program Director, Temple Israel In the next few days, Israelis will once again be called upon to vote. Different from the United States is that the people of Israel vote for a political party that will then be asked to form a coalition government since no party has ever won enough seats to control the Knesset. As in the past, this year’s election is heavily contested and involves many issues. The election is scheduled for Tuesday, March 17. The Omaha Jewish community has been following the election campaign closely and even gathered at the Jewish Community Center to listen to and analyze the Prime Minister’s address to the United States Congress last week. With this in
mind, Temple Israel would like to announce their next Lunch & Learn event for Thursday, March 19 at 11:30 a.m. We will gather at that time in the social hall (lunch will be provided), and analyze the results of the Israeli election. A panel composed of Rabbi Steven Abraham of Beth El Synagogue, Rabbi Aryeh Azriel of Temple Israel, Rabbi Ari Dembitzer of Beth Israel Synagogue and Omaha Community Shaliach Eliad Eliyahu Ben-Shushan will lead the discussion. Scott Littky, Temple Israel’s Program Director, will be the moderator. The program is open to the public but we ask that you RSVP to slittky@templeisraelomaha.com.
50th Anniversary of The Legacy of Vatican II Year Three
Summer Intern The Jewish Press is looking for a summer intern.
If you are currently attending college, are between the ages of 18 and 24, and want to become more involved in our community, this is your chance. If you are interested, please send your resume and cover letter to avandekamp@jewishomaha.org. We can’t wait to meet you!
Spring 2015: Catholicism in Dialogue Relating to Other Believers Creighton University Campus
SUNDAY, MARCH 22 Mike and Josie Harper Center | Hixson-Lied Auditorium | 602 N. 20th St.
Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions: Nostra Aetate 2 p.m. Introduction 2:15 p.m. Keynote speaker: Dennis Hamm, S.J. 2:55 p.m. Response by Leonard Greenspoon, Ph.D., Klutznick Chair holder 3:30 p.m. Viewing of mini-documentary Dialogue: Catholicism Beyond Tolerance produced by Mike Rios and Nico Sandi 4 p.m. Conversation with Syed Mohiuddin, M.D., and Rabbi Aryeh Azriel from the Tri-Faith Initiative 5 p.m. Closing prayer and conclusion
All lectures are free and open to the public. Free parking available in the lot south of Harper Center. For more information or for a complete schedule of events, please visit:
creighton.edu/vaticanii Questions? Please contact Carol Krajicek or Eileen Burke-Sullivan, STD, at vaticanii@creighton.edu or 402.280.3056.
Cosponsored by the Barbara Reardon Heaney Endowed Chair in Pastoral Liturgical Theology, the Anna and Donald Waite Endowed Chair in Jesuit Education, the Amelia B. and Emil G. Graff Faculty Chair in Catholic Theological Studies and others.
6 | The Jewish Press | March 13, 2015
Purim G A L L E R Y
Top: Friedel Jewish Academy students paraded through the Rose Blumkin Home; Ethel Grossman enjoys the Home’s Purim party; Cantor Leo and Annette Fettman were crowned the 2015 Purim King and Queen; Middle: Rabbi Azriel and a student from Temple Israel’s religious school; the CDC’s red cart had it’s own parade on Purim morning; a ladybug at Temple; Two of the Stooges, Karen and Michael Cohen at Beth El’s party; Nikki Flatowicz and Debbie Massarano offering their best Diva-pose at Temple Israel; Unidentified, Nancy Wolf at Chabad; Moe Blair and Zach Krausman at Beth El. Bottom: Beth Israel’s Purim partiers were joined by community Shaliach Eliad Eliyahu Ben Shushan, and finally, Steve and Sasha Denenberg with Gary Nachman read the Megillah at Friedel.
March 13, 2015 | The Jewish Press | 7
National Nutrition Month: “Bite into a Healthy Lifestyle”
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by SILVIA HERSZKOPF, MS, RD, LMNT, LD JCC Registered Dietitian The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has selected the month of March as the National Nutrition Month, a nutrition education and information campaign to promote healthy eating and physical activity to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Healthy eating is more than following a special or unique diet; instead, it is more about becoming a “normal” eater. In order to become a normal eater, you need to pay attention to your feelings, emotions, thoughts, and your overall behaviors and nutrition knowledge. The road towards normal eating may take some time; it requires perseverance, patience, and some learning process about eating when you are hungry, choosing satisfying foods, and controlling stress and internal distress. Here are some tips to help you regulate your eating: • Change your perception of foods. Instead of thinking of food as “good” or “bad”, refer to food as “nutritional” or “nonnutritional”. • Pay attention to how you talk to yourself. Change takes time and we all make mistakes or have relapses. Think positive and motivate yourself with nice and encouraging words of your positive actions.
• Avoid extreme thinking. Think incrementally instead of all or nothing. • Learn how to recognize hunger. Hunger means you need fuel, not that you need to eat for meeting emotional needs. • Choose foods that you find satisfying and enjoyable. • Balance your meals with small portions of different food groups: lean meats, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and low fat dairy products. Eat slowly, be aware of the quantity and quality of your meal, and be sensitive to the signals of fullness and satisfaction. • Try to identify if you are an emotional eater and work on finding other ways to deal with your emotions. Stress, anxiety, boredom, loneliness, and guilt may cause overeating. Learn from your behavior and take responsibility for yourself. Once you have discovered the art of normal eating, you will stop the food fight. Strict or fad diets may work temporarily but in the long run they may cause intense feelings of deprivation resulting in uncontrollable cravings, overeating, and overwhelming guilt. Becoming a regular eater requires more than learning about nutrition and healthy food choices; it involves introspection of your thoughts, behaviors, and overall actions that are imperative to achieve a healthy lifestyle.
Klutznick Learning Series by MARY SUE GROSSMAN Program Coordinator, The Center for Jewish Life Tuesday evening, March 17, will be the fourth session of the 2015 Klutznick Learning Series with the theme Beyond the Big Ten – And We’re Not Talking Football. The sessions, which meet from 7-8:30 p.m. in the JCC Social Hall, are looking at 10 of the 613 commandments not found on the tablets. Each evening features four, 15minute presentations, Q&A time, plus a short break with refreshments provided. The sessions are unique, and, while everyone is encouraged to attend each week, people are welcome to attend fewer sessions as well. The evening will begin with Rabbi Mendel Katzman and Ari Riekes discussing showing deference to the elderly as written in Lev. 19:32 - “You shall rise before the aged and show deference to the old; you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.” Rabbi Katzman, with Chabad of Nebraska, will discuss the religious side of the commandment. Ari, an attorney with Marks, Clare and Richards, will focus on issues of age discrimination in the workplace. The second half of the session will look at Deut. 25:19 - “...You shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!” The spiritual aspect will be covered by Rabbi Ari Dembitzer, senior rabbi of Beth Israel Synagogue. Jewish Federation of Omaha CEO and ADL
Executive Director, Alan Potash, will talk about the real challenges faced in dealing with the many groups with the goal of eliminating not only the memory but also the physical presence of Jewish communities – and other groups – around the world. The final session will take place on March 24, with Hazzan Michael Krausman talking about the commandment not to consult “ghosts,” followed by Patty Nogg and Zoe Riekes sharing their experiences in having a reading with deceased loved ones. The final presentation of the series will feature Rabbi Steven Abraham talking about not charging interest when lending to the poor plus Margo Riekes sharing the many financial dangers faced by the disadvantaged. The series is available free of charge thanks to the generous financial support of the fund of the Klutznick Chair of Jewish Civilization at Creighton University. The Klutznick Governance Council includes Bonnie Bloch, Steve Riekes, Marty Shukert and Dr. Leonard Greenspoon, the Klutznick Chair. While there is no cost, registrations are appreciated for planning purposes. Make reservations by calling 402.334.6463 or mkirchhoff@jewishomaha.org. The series is presented by the Center for Jewish Life whose mission it is to maximize involvement of Omaha’s Jewish community in imaginative, compelling and meaningful Jewish experiences.
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Goldstein Lecture on Human Rights “Rights and Resources: Understanding Contemporary Challenges to Human Rights in Central America”
Angelina Snodgrass Godoy Helen H. Jackson, Chair in Human Rights Director, Center for Human Rights University of Washington
Monday, March 16, 2015 at 7 p.m. Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center University of Nebraska at Omaha 60th & Dodge Street Omaha, Nebraska
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8 | The Jewish Press | March 13, 2015
Point of view
American Jewish Press Association Award Winner
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About that speech... by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT bazaar was racist. And maybe the saddest criticism of all: He continued: “The real Iranian threat is not just in the Jewish Press Editor Netanyahu played the Holocaust card by parading Elie regime’s nuclear ambitions, but its expansionist approach As is so often the case, when Prime Minister Netanyahu Wiesel around. What?! and state-sponsored terrorism activities, which are still spoke to Congress last week, what he said was almost as It’s strange. When I read Faisal J. Abbas’ commentary in Al ongoing.” interesting as the commentary afterwards. Don’t get me Arabiya News, some of what he said actually made sense, in Why is it that where so many American media outlets are wrong, Bibi gave a good and solid speech, but the stuck in the defensive position, and so busy disthing is: the minute that speech was over, the world crediting Bibi because he is, well, Bibi, while a ran away with it like it was a lump of play-do, to be columnist at Al Arabiya goes directly to the heart of shaped into many different things. It’s not about the matter? Namely, what do we do about Iran? what Bibi said; it’s about what everyone else heard. I am not saying I agree with everything After the fifth opinion piece, it gets a little tireNetanyahu says or does. Neither do I agree with some, all these people who know better what he U.S. foreign policy on the matter; the situation is meant than Bibi himself. Unless, of course, we don’t too complex to simply pick one side. But with all want to talk about the actual speech, but kvetch the bickering back and forth, it seems we are losing about Bibi’s shortcomings instead. It’s always a sight of the real issue, and that’s a bad development. popular topic. It’s easy, and sometime comfortable, maybe even Take, for instance, House minority leader Nancy a little bit lazy, to reduce this situation to a simple Pelosi: Bibi vs. Obama issue. Really discussing the Iranian “As one who values the U.S.-Israel relationship,” regime, and the impact its actions have on the she said, “and loves Israel, I was near tears throughregion as well as on the rest of the world takes a lot out the Prime Minister’s speech. Saddened by the of work. And it is terribly unfortunate that so little insult to the intelligence of the United States as part of that happens in the public square. of the P5+1 nations, and saddened by the condeI have no doubt that the current Obama adminscension toward our knowledge of the threat posed istration has Iran high on its to-do list. However, by Iran and our broader commitment to preventwe wouldn’t know it from the way the media has ing nuclear proliferation.” covered this. Speechgate, indeed. Okay, I get it; offense is the best defense, blah, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaking about Iran during a joint New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman’s Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images article “What Bibi didn’t say” is one of the few blah, blah. Rather than addressing Netanyahu’s meeting of Congress, March 3, 2015. points regarding negotiations with Iran, she’s pretending to spite of the massive disclaimer he opened with: pieces worth reading, if one is interested in actually disbe insulted. Close to tears? Were we listening to the same “It is extremely rare for any reasonable person to ever cussing the situation. And that’s what we need to do. Enough speech? agree with anything Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says or of the Obama bashing, enough of the Bibi bashing. Politics Then there was the need of some journalists to point out does,” Faisal wrote. “However, one must admit, Bibi did get do not revolve around two heads of state. The problems Iran that Florida Representative Debbie Wasserman Schulz “stu- it right, at least when it came to dealing with Iran. (...) In is causing are too big and too dangerous for that. Let’s get diously hung back.” When Netanyahu praised President just a few words, Mr. Netanyahu managed to accurately back to having a real, informed debate. Barack Obama for his support of Israel, and members of summarize a clear and present danger, not just to Israel Sources: JTA, Haaretz, Huffington Post, Jerusalem Post, both parties gave him a standing ovation, Sheldon Adelson (which is obviously his concern) but to other U.S. allies in The New York Times, The Daily Forward, Al Arabya America, did not clap. Bibi’s comment about the haggling in the the region.” Al Jazeera America.
So, what’s new? What we were printing in 1930 by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT The following short article, titled “Pray or swim,” appeared in the Jewish Press of March 7, 1930: A Lady, very prominently connected with one of the major Jewish women’s organizations, tells about it herself. Recently, she was in Palestine. “Are you a member of the synagogue?” this lady, whose parents were natives of America, was asked by a Palestinian. “Certainly,” she replied. “Do you pray or do you swim?” came back the Palestinian. Which question does seem to have some relativity in these days, when the synagogue was but one unit of the synagogue or temple center. I’m not entirely sure what to make of it. I’m guessing, considering this was the year 1930, the author has a different understanding of the word “Palestinian” than we do today, and in fact this Palestinian is a Jewish person living in Israel, pre-statehood. The story, then, is about what Israeli Jews think American Jews do in their synagogues, and this one in particular is questioning a supposed secular understanding of what a synagogue is for. But maybe I’m misinterpreting the whole thing. The Jewish Press in 1930 was dense, filled with text, all closely packed together. Most of the stories were short, and the effect is a bit disorienting. The topics ranged from local tidbits to jokes to opinions, all without bylines, so we have no real idea who wrote what. One example: If you want to know who will be the real Jews of tomorrow, don’t visit your so-called ghettoes -- don’t seek out those who
(Founded in 1920) Andrew Ruback President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Jessie Wees Advertising Executive Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Editor Thierry Ndjike Bookkeeper
Jewish Press Board Eric Dunning, President-Elect; Scott Farkas, Sandy Friedman, Paul Gerber, Debbie Kricsfeld, David Kotok, Paul Rabinovitz, and Nancy Wolf. The mission of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to build and sustain a strong and vibrant Omaha Jewish Community and to support Jews in Israel and around the world. Agencies of the Federation are: Community Relations Committee, Jewish Community Center, Center for Jewish LIfe, Jewish Social Services, and the Jewish Press. Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page stories and announcements, can be found online at: www jewishoma ha.org; click on ‘Jewish Press.’
have been steeped and saturated in a Jewish atmosphere. At least, that’s my theory. Instead, visit the homes of those perhaps, whom you felt were a bit alienated from the Jewish idea. Recently, a young girl, daughter of a Jewish multimillionaire was married. Her husband is a member of one of the biggest banking firms in America. On their honeymoon, of course, they went abroad. And it may interest you to know that it was not Paris, not the Riviera, not Munich or any other European city that interested them. Instead, it was Jerusalem that made the deepest impression. First of all, I’m extremely curious whom the writer is talking about. Which multimillionaire’s daughter is this? And why was he surprised that honeymooning Jews in 1930 would rather go to Jerusalem than Munich? Can you imagine, vacationing in Munich, the birthplace of the Nazi party, the setting for the failed 1923 Beer Hall Putsch, and the capital of Bavaria? Where Hitler had his first office and where in 1930, Nazis marched the streets before taking over the rest of Germany? Yikes. And just as my blood is running a bit cold from contemplating this, here’s the next story: This is as good a place to tell it as any. They say that Rutherford B. Hayes, one time president of these United States, used to tell it: Hayes was at one time, as a young man, promenading down the boulevard with three other young men, when they ran into a patriarchal looking Jew. “Hello Abraham,” said one of the young men. “Hello, Isaac,” called the second. “Hello, Jacob,” hallooed the third.
The Jew stopped. “You are all wrong,” he said. I am neither Abraham, Isaac or Jacob. I am Saul, the son of Kisch and I am looking for my asses and now I have found them.” Reading old newspapers serves as a reminder that the way we write has changed enormously over the past 85 years. In this same edition, we found this gem of a sentence: “From the expression of sentiment at the meeting of the House immigration committee there appears the possibility that the committee will report favorably on two of Congressman Dickstein’s immigration bills, one to exempt from the quota parents of American citizens and the second to give the secretary of Labor discretion to readmit aliens that have been deported.” Yes, that’s all one sentence. I will be honest, I had to read it several times. But now that I have, I want to know more, and I find it unfortunate the entire story is only one sentence long. The story of the US immigration quota during the time leading up to World War II is an interesting though morbid one, and it serves to remind us how grave the consequences are when we stop seeing immigrants as people, and start to think of them only as numbers. But for that, the Jewish Press in 1930 had no space available. There were so many stories to tell back in those days; readers didn’t have an unlimited number of Jewish news sources at their fingertips the way we do today. If they didn’t see it in the Jewish Press, there was a good chance they didn’t hear about it at all. When we, in 2015, write a story, we can dig a little deeper and use up more column inches. It’s one of the many ways in which print has changed. Thank you to Nancy Wolf and Debbie Kricsfeld for doing the research needed for this article.
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March 13, 2015 | The Jewish Press | 9
For Ukrainian Jews, Purim holiday merely a respite by ALAN H. GILL through our network of Hesed social welfare centers. In Claims Conference and my organization, the JDC -- has NEW YORK (JTA) -- Jewish perseverance, and more than January alone, 800 new people applied for aid. Our annual paid for a wide range of emergency services. Among them, a bit of chutzpah, lies at the heart of the Purim holiday we winter relief budget for Ukraine this year increased nearly the provision of extra food, medicine and medical care; cricelebrate this week. It is one of the reasons we are instructsis-related home repairs; extra winter items such as warm ed to mark this raucous holiday with boundless joy and bedding, clothing, utility stipends and space heaters; and a why thousands of Ukrainian Jews, despite the odds they full aid package, including trauma services and emergency face, will join together across their country for Purim housing, for displaced Jews. spiels and hamantaschen and to enjoy a much-needed The beneficiaries of this assistance are members of Jewish respite from a conflict now simmering under a tenuous communities revived after the fall of Communism. This cease-fire. week Jewish community institutions in Donetsk have been These celebrations are but a momentary break from conholding Purim activities for the beleaguered Jews who ditions facing thousands of Jews who remain in separatist remain. In places like Kharkiv, displaced Jews are receiving controlled regions of Ukraine or who are internally disgift baskets delivered by local Jewish volunteers. placed. But these Jewish communities, and our ability to provide For the displaced -- now living in cities around the counongoing aid to them, are strained after more than a year of try like Kiev, Dnepropetrovsk, Kharkiv, and Odessa – concrisis management and aid distribution. And if Bloomberg cern for food, housing, medical care and jobs are overNews' recent ranking of Ukraine as the fourth most miserwhelming. Making matters worse, many face discriminaable economy in the world is any indication, we must tion from potential employers or landlords who suspect redouble our efforts now to care for our people in Ukraine. them of loyalty to the separatists or worry these refugees A heavily damaged hotel near the airport in Donetsk, Ukraine, Feb. We must first educate and remind our Jewish communiwill return home when peace sets in. Many of the dis- 26, 2015. Jews still living in the embattled city have become enor- ties about the challenges facing the Jews of Ukraine. And placed, especially the children, suffer from post-traumatic mously dependent on foreign assistance, according to the then we must put support in place to address current needs American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. Credit: Andrew and ensure the future vitality of this community that has stress. For those who remain in the Luhansk and Donetsk Burton/Getty Images emerged from the ashes of history. areas, conflict-related unemployment and general economic sevenfold from the original planned budget, to $1.7 million. We have a track record of doing this together -- in distress compound the bite of spiking prices for increasingThese critical needs, worsened by a plummeting local cur- Argentina, when Jews faced economic ruin; in Europe, when ly scarce goods and widespread devastation to property and rency and an economy near collapse, will not disappear any the continent suffered through an enormous financial crisis; industry. The elderly, many of them homebound, are not time soon. And all the work done by Jewish groups on the and today, in Ukraine, where war has given way to a humanreceiving their meager pensions and are experiencing acute ground to date, while laudable, remains unfinished, whether itarian crisis of untold proportions. fear and worry. Working- or middle-class families, who were or not the cease-fire agreed on last month continues to hold. So as we continue the legacy of Esther and Mordechai, of just getting by before the conflict, now find themselves des- We predict that millions of dollars in aid will be needed in Jewish action in the face of insurmountable challenges, let us perately in need, suffering a total reversal of the proud eco- the next six months to continue to provide the relief needed wish our Jewish brothers and sisters in Ukraine a hearty nomic advancement they enjoyed in previous years. by thousands of Jews in distress. chag Purim sameach. May their brave resolve inspire our Since the crisis began last year, 2,700 people have been Jewish aid to Ukraine -- provided by local Jewish commu- work on their behalf. added to the 69,000 Jews in Ukraine whom the American nities, Chabad, the International Fellowship of Christians Alan H. Gill is the CEO of the American Jewish Joint Jewish Joint Distribution Committee already cared for and Jews, the Jewish federations, World Jewish Relief, the Distribution Committee.
JTA BLOG: Opening the floodgates of Israel bashing by JULIE WIENER BuzzFeed, one of the first non-Israeli and non-Jewish outCommentary magazine called it “flood libel.” lets to report the claim as false, quoted a Palestinian official HonestReporting.com described it as “dam busted.” And speaking on condition of anonymity as saying the rumor “could be traced back more Camera headlined it “Dam than a decade”: Lies.” “It is easy to say it is dams, Agence France Presse’s easier than saying that the report last week falsely allegproblem is infrastructure -ing that Israel intentionally not having infrastructure, opened a large dam in the having bad infrastructure, South in order to unleash having what little infrastrucfloods upon Gaza’s already beleaguered residents has ture Gaza destroyed each released a torrent of puns. But time there is war — that is the it also opened the floodgates truth,” said the official, who for Israel bashing (as if they spoke with Buzzfeed by phone weren’t already opened), with from Gaza. He asked to numerous other publications, remain anonymous as his statements did not coincide blogs and other sites repeatA man tries to pull his car in the floods, Or Yehuda, central with those made by Hamas, ing the claim as fact. One of Israel, after heavy rain, Nov. 16, 2014. Credit: Flash90 which controls the Gaza Strip. those, Al Jazeera, officially retracted its story, noting, “In southern Israel, there are no “If we could rebuild Gaza, we could build a system that dealt with these horrible floods. But Gaza is in ruins, there is dams of the type which can be opened.” Gaza does indeed suffer frequent flooding this time of nowhere for the water to go, and each year it will be the year, and this isn’t the first time the dam rumor has, ahem, same unless someone helps us.” No word on whether the flooding has damaged any surfaced. The Palestinian Maan News Agency made the remaining Hamas tunnels into Israel. claim in 2012, as did Middle East Monitor in 2013.
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by JTA NEWS STAFF (JTA) -- A BBC journalist defended his claim that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu exploited the Holocaust to further his agenda. Jeremy Bowen, the Middle East editor for the British Broadcasting Corporation, made the claim on Twitter on March 3, during Netanyahu’s speech to the U.S. Congress about nuclear talks with Iran. Netanyahu pointed to Holocaust memoirist and Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, who was in the gallery, as a living reminder that the Jewish people can never be passive again. “I wish I could promise you, Elie, that the lessons of history have been learned,” Netanyahu said. Bowen wrote: “He acknowledges Elie Wiesel in the audience. Once again Netanyahu plays the Holocaust card.” Fending off criticism, Bowen wrote on March 4: “Suggestions that I’m an anti-Semite, or a denier of the Holocaust, are untrue and offensive.” In 2009, a BBC complaints panel determined Bowen breached the corporation’s guideline on accuracy and impartiality in saying Israel’s settlements were “in defiance of everyone’s interpretation of international law except its own.” Bowen was not the only journalist to say Netanyahu was exploiting Wiesel. Ravit Hecht, a columnist for Haaretz, wrote in an op-ed that Netanyahu was using “Wiesel as a rag doll from the Holocaust.”
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10 | The Jewish Press | March 13, 2015
Synagogues B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE 618 Mynster Street | Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 |712.322.4705 email: BnaiIsraelCouncilBluffs@gmail.com Join us for our monthly Shabbat Speakers Series on March 13, at 7:30 p.m. with guest speaker, Cheryl Lerner on Volunteering with the Chabad Food Pantry. Please bring any of the following items to be donated to the food pantry: Peanut Butter, Tuna Fish, canned vegetables, toilet paper and toothpaste. Oneg to follow service. Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel! Larry Blass will officiate at all of the Speaker Series Services. For information on our historic synagogue, please contact any of our board members: Mark Eveloff, Rick Katelman, Carole Lainof, Marty Ricks, Sissy Silber, Nancy Wolf and Phil Wolf.
BETH EL SYNAGOGUE Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California | Omaha, NE 68154-1980 | 402.492.8550 www.bethel-omaha.org Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning Service/Have a Cup of Coffee with God, 9:30 a.m.; Mini Minyannaires, 10:45 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:15 p.m. WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. SUNDAY: BESTT Classes, 9:45 a.m.; Babies, Bigger Kids & Bagels, 9:45 a.m.; Torah Study Group, 10 a.m.; Adult B’nai Mitzvah Class, 11 a.m.; Sunday Scholar Series, 11 a.m., featuring Dr. Rami Arav, Associate Professor UNO and Director of the Beth-Saida Project on The Origin of the People of Israel through Ancient Historical Texts, Archaeology and a Model from Social Antropology. WEDNESDAY: BESTT Classes, 4:15 p.m.; USY Meeting/Dinner, 6 p.m.; Hebrew High School, 6:45 p.m. THURSDAY: Shanghai Class, 1 p.m. Shabbat’s Cool (Grades 3-7), Saturday, March 21, 9:30 a.m. followed by lunch. Sunday Scholar Series, Sunday, March 22, 11 a.m., featuring Dr. Burton Visotzky, Professor, Talmud and Rabbinics JTS on How to have a Successful Seder. Scholar-in-Residence with Dr. Burton Visotzky, FridaySunday, March 20-22. All classes and programs are open to everyone in the Jewish community.
BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street | Omaha, NE. 68154 | 402.556.6288 www.orthodoxomaha.org Office hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Friday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. FRIDAY: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat/ Shabbat Across America, 7 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Mincha/Seudah Shlishit, 5:55 p.m.; Havdalah, 8:11 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Bagels and Beit Midrash: Understanding our Prayers, 10 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m. MONDAY: Scholar’s Club for Boys, 3:30 p.m. TUESDAY: Wrestling with Rashi Class, 8 p.m. with Rabbi Weiss. THURSDAY: Shacharit, 6:45 a.m.; Women’s Class: Deepening Our Connection with God, 9:30 a.m.; Med Center Chaburah, 1 p.m.; Scholar’s Club for girls, 3:30 p.m.; Avot UBanim-Parent Child Learning, 7 p.m.
CHABAD HOUSE An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street | Omaha, NE 68144-1646 | 402.330.1800 www.OChabad.com | email: chabad@aol.com Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. FRIDAY: Shacharit, 7 a.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9:30 a.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 8:30 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m. TUESDAY: Dynamic Discovery with Shani Katzman, 10:15 a.m. A class for women based on traditional texts with practical insights and application. RSVP by calling the office. WEDNESDAY: Personal Parsha class, 9:30 a.m. with Rochi Katzman. RSVP by calling the office; The Development of the Oral Tradition, 7 p.m. with Rabbi
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Katzman. RSVP by calling the office. In memory of Forrest Krutter -- Efrayim Menachem Ben Avraham Yitzchak. THURSDAY: Women’s Study at UNMC with Shani Katzman, noon. RSVP by emailing Marlene Cohen at mzcohen@unmc.edu. All programs are open to the entire community.
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 Services conducted by Rabbi Craig Lewis. FRIDAY: Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m. with oneg following hosted by Linda Glaser. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. on Parashat Vayakhel-Pekude. SUNDAY: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Hallah High Lite, 9:45 a.m.-noon at South Street Temple; Hallah High, 9:45 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel. MONDAY-THURSDAY: Temple office is closed TUESDAY: Ladies Lunch Group, noon at 9 South Char Grill, 844 South St. WEDNESDAY: LJCS Grades 3-7, 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. THURSDAY: Anniversary Planning Committee, 5:30 p.m. Anniversary Year Special Event-Torah Yoga, Sunday, March 22, 3-4:30 p.m. led by Barbara Barron. Donations to the Temple are appreciated for this class, which is a $20 value. Join us to share in the yoga experience! President’s Office Hours, Sunday Mornings, 10 a.m.–noon at SST. If you have any Temple business, programs, or new ideas you would like to discuss with Temple president David Weisser, please email him at president@southstreettemple. org or call him at 402.513.7697, or stop by the Temple between 10 a.m. and noon on Sundays when religious school is in session.
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE Capehart Chapel 2500 Capehart Road | Offutt AFB, NE 68123 | 402.294.6244 FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m. every first and third of the month.
ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME 323 South 132 Street | Omaha, NE 68154 SATURDAY: Services, 9:15 a.m. led by Andy Greenberg. Services will be held in the Chapel. Members of the community are invited to attend.
Candlelighting Friday, March 13, 7:10 p.m.
TEMPLE ISRAEL Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive | Omaha, NE 68144-1206 | 402.556.6536 http://templeisraelomaha.com FRIDAY: Shabbat Comes to You at Remington Heights, 4 p.m. led by Rabbi Brown; Shabbat Service with OTYG, 6 p.m. led by Rabbi Azriel. SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. SUNDAY: No Religious School. TUESDAY: Executive Meeting, 6 p.m.; Board of Trustees Meeting, 7 p.m. WEDNESDAY: No Grades 3-6; No Family Night; No Grades 7-12. THURSDAY: The Gifts of German Jewry, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Brown. Amidst the tragic history of Jews in Germany during the modern era, there are many gifts we often overlook. Many of our rituals, theology and culture were formed by German Jews over the past two centuries. In this class, we will explore the history of German Jewry and the great influence it continues to have in our lives today.
TIFERETH ISRAEL Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Boulevard | Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 | 402.423.8569 www.tiferethisraellincoln.org Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. FRIDAY: Services, 6:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning service, 10 a.m. followed by a Kiddush luncheon. SUNDAY: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Hallah High Lite, 9:45 a.m.-noon at South Street Temple; Hallah High, 9:45 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Haftorah Reading class, 11-11:50 a.m. TUESDAY: Ladies Lunch Group, noon at 9 South Char Grill, 844 South St. Please contact Stephanie Dohner with any questions. WEDNESDAY: LJCS Grades 3-7, 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. Ben Merliss will be our Lunch and Learn speaker on Saturday, March 21. A special lunch will be sponsored by Everett and Elaine Evnen. His topic will be: Jews in Jazz. If you are hosting a Passover seder at your home and can invite some guests from our Tifereth Israel family, please let Nava in the office know. If you would like a home invitation for a seder, please let Nava know as well. Although the calendar says there will be two communal sedarim, these two events will not be taking place at the synagogue this year.
Argentine investigator to review evidence suggesting Nisman was murdered by JTA NEWS STAFF BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (JTA) -- The justice official probing the death of Argentine prosecutor Alberto Nisman said she would review new findings suggesting that he was murdered. Prosecutor Viviana Fein announced the review in speaking to journalists March 6 about the unsolved death of Nisman, whose body was found Jan. 18 at his home hours before he was scheduled to deliver testimony on Iran’s alleged involvement in a deadly 1994 terrorist attack on Argentine Jews. Alberto Nisman Nisman was about to accuse Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner of covering up for former Iranian officials accused of being involved in the AMIA Jewish center bombing that claimed the lives of 85 people, sources close to Nisman said. Nisman was found in his bathroom with a weapon and a fatal wound to his head. His ex-wife, federal judge Sandra Arroyo Salgado, said on March 5 that he was murdered, citing an independent forensic report as proof. Fein, however, said that she could neither confirm nor discount the claims at this stage. Still, Fein said last Friday that she would convene the authors of the independent forensic report to examine their evidence.
“I cannot determine for the moment whether it was a suicide or a homicide. Arroyo Salgado is not an expert and neither am I,” Fein said. Nisman, who was Jewish, was the investigating prosecutor assigned to the AMIA bombing, and he accused Iran of masterminding the attack. He was a staunch critic of Kirchner’s controversial decision last year to re-investigate the attack along with Iranian officials. The review next week, Fein added, would also be to “discuss the differences” between her own team’s findings and those of the independent team assembled by Arroyo Salgado. Waldo Wolff , the vice president of the Jewish political umbrella in Argentina, DAIA, said that if the case is revealed to be a murder, there could be “unpredictable consequences for the country.” Last Friday, The New York Times printed a full-page ad by Argentina’s government in which it seeks to explain the decision to dismiss Nisman’s accusations against Kircher and other top Argentine officials. “The importance of informing about this decision lies in the institutional and political seriousness of the accusation, which charged the highest authorities of the Argentine Republic with hindering the investigation of the 1994 bombings against the building of the Argentine Israeli Mutual Association (AMIA),” the ad says. The ad says there is no document, testimony or phone taps to support Nisman’s accusations that Kirchner and others in the government, including Foreign Minister Hector Timerman, who is Jewish, sought to cancel the international arrest warrants (known as “red notices”) for Iranian officials accused of involvement in the AMIA bombing.
Pulverent e
March 13, 2015 | The Jewish Press | 11
In memoriam
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Steve Abrahamson passed away. Services were held on March 8 at Beth El Cemetery, 84th & L Streets. He was preceded in death by his father, Norman. He is survived by his wife Holly, mother Louise, brother and sister-in-law, Hugh Abrahamson and Ann Ebsen, nieces Jill and Nicole; great-niece, Aliyah; great-nephews, Asa and Ben; aunts, Lucille and Helen; uncle Harold; and many cousins and countless friends. Steve Abrahamson was a beloved husband, son, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin, friend. His kind spirit will forever be in the hearts of whoever was blessed to have him in their lives. Memorials may be sent to the organization of your choice.
How Netanyahuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s speech played in Israel by BEN SALES TEL AVIV (JTA) -- In America, pundits and politicians are wondering what Netanyahuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s speech will mean for the next few months, years, even decades of U.S.-Israel and U.S.-Iranian relations. In Israel, everyone is focused on the next two weeks. Since the speech was announced in January, Netanyahuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s critics have accused him of using the U.S. Capitol stage to boost his polls ahead of Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s March 17 election. Supporters say his only intention is to defend his country from a looming threat. And in Israel, where there isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t much political debate on the need to prevent an Iranian nuclear weapon, reactions to the speech all addressed one question:
Israeli shopkeepers watch Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s speech. Credit: Danielle Shitrit/Flash90 What does this mean for the ballot box? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no doubt that the pictures of Congress giving a standing ovation can have a positive influence on the voters,â&#x20AC;? said Efraim Inbar, director of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Israelis understand that the criticism of him was political. Israelis understand that Israel-U.S. relations are strong.â&#x20AC;? In Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newspapers, responses to the speech, as always, fell along ideological lines. At the pro-Netanyahu daily Israel Hayom, Boaz Bismuth, under the headline â&#x20AC;&#x153;The speech of a historic moment,â&#x20AC;? wrote that Netanyahu succeeded in transcending politics, as â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are moments in which a leader does what he does not for votes, but for the children... There are moments in history that a leader makes happen.â&#x20AC;? Elsewhere, pundits were more skeptical of the prime ministerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goals. Nahum Barnea, a staunch Netanyahu critic at Yediot Aharonot, wrote that Netanyahu created â&#x20AC;&#x153;a golden opportunity to leave an impression on voters in Israel, and used it to the fullest.â&#x20AC;? Netanyahu has been emphasizing the Iranian threat throughout the campaign, despite polls showing that voters care more about economics this time around. Oded Eran, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, said in light of that, Netanyahuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s speech wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t influence the polls, as â&#x20AC;&#x153;there are problems of housing and cost of living and health care, and he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t change anything in this respect.â&#x20AC;? But at the left-wing Haaretz, Yossi Verter wrote that refocusing the campaign was the speechâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s key success. Now, Israelis will all be talking about Netanyahuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s marquee issue: Iran. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s too early to say whether Bibiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appearance on Capitol Hill two weeks before the election will stanch his Likud partyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s steady decline in the polls and leave him in office for another term,â&#x20AC;? Verter wrote. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s certain is that this week will be dominated by the issue Netanyahu and his campaign staff want to highlight: security, security, security.â&#x20AC;?
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Chase County Community Hospital Medical Technologist Residents and their family members were invited recently to The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Souper Bowl dinner held on Main Street. Guests enjoyed 16 variety of soups as well as a salad bar and dessert stations. A poll was taken for best soup and the champion for the 2015 Souper Bowl was Matzoh Ball Soup by a landslide. This event was generously sponsored by the Julius Froom and Phil and Minnie Freeman Foundation. Pictured are Doug Smith, left, Andi Willensky and Colin Heskin.
Tens of thousands gather in Tel Aviv for anti-Netanyahu rally by JTA NEWS STAFF JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Tens of thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Avivâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rabin Square calling for a change in the government. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Israel Wants Change,â&#x20AC;? as the anti-Netanyahu rally held Saturday night was titled, attracted up to 40,000 people. The event was organized by the One Million Hands movement, a grassroots campaign against right-wing political parties in Israel that calls for a focus on socioeconomic issues. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Israel is surrounded by enemies. Enemies do not scare me; I worry about our leadership,â&#x20AC;? former Mossad chief Meir Dagan told the crowd. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am afraid of our leadership. I am afraid of a loss of determination, of a loss of personal example. I am afraid of hesitancy and stalemate, and I am afraid above all of the crisis of leadership, a leadership crisis that is the most severe ever here.â&#x20AC;?
Left-wing placards being displayed at Mondayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rally. Credit: Edgar Asher Dagan accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of â&#x20AC;&#x153;dragging us down to a binational state and to the end of the Zionist dream.â&#x20AC;? Two nights earlier, Dagan in an interview on Israeli television slammed Netanyahu and Jewish Home party head Naftali Bennett for policies stirring problems with the Palestinians and the United States. Other rally speakers included Michal Kastan Keidar, the widow of an officer killed in last summerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gaza military operation, and Amiram Levin, a former commander of the IDFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Northern Command and ex-deputy Mossad chief. Keidar accused Netanyahu of being more concerned with Iran than the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A pro-Netanyahu rally is scheduled for the same venue on Saturday night, three days before Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s national elections.
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12 | The Jewish Press | March 13, 2015
Behind those pointy ears, a ‘nice, earnest Jewish boy’ by TOM TUGEND Editor’s note: Leonard Nimoy died February 27, 2015 at the age of 83. (JTA) -- As a struggling young actor in the early 1950s, Leonard Nimoy, inspired by the rebirth of the Jewish state and childhood memories of Zionist rallies in Boston Garden, considered making aliyah to join Habimah, Israel’s national theater. Upon cooler reflection on the huge language barrier he would face, Nimoy dropped the idea and instead headed west to Hollywood. Whatever the loss to the Hebrew theater, the decision vouchsafed to millions of Star Trek devotees that Nimoy would be at the right place at the right time to create the role of the semi-immortal Mr. Spock of the Starship Enterprise. Although he can never escape his pointy-eared alter ego completely, there is a great deal more to Nimoy as an actor and a man. An old friend, Diane Johnson, has described him as “a nice, earnest Jewish boy, hard working, family oriented, undereducated for his intelligence, with the autodidact’s respect for the intellect and for literature.” What does Nimoy think of the thumbnail sketch? Sitting in a T-shirt and shorts on the patio of his rambling house in the posh Bel Air section of Los Angeles, a scuba mask and beach-ball paddles on the table, Nimoy leans back and laughs. “She’s right on the nose, right on the nose,” he says. “I really screwed up on my education.” Nimoy is unusually relaxed. As executive producer of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, he has wound up the post-production chores on the film before its release in midDecember. And of course he is reprising his role as the eminently logical, half-human, half-Vulcan science officer aboard the Enterprise. But otherwise, the relentlessly driven Nimoy is at peace with himself, perhaps for the first time in the 43 years since he made the irrevocable decision at age 17 to become an actor. “I am turning down all new work and I’ve told my agent not to call me for at least a year,” says Nimoy, his lean, grave face validating his words. “I want to spend a great deal of time re-examining my life, my identity, my Jewishness. In the past, my identity was based on my job, but now I’m secure. “I’m a very happy guy, with a new family and no financial cares. At 60, I have accomplished far more as an actor, writer, director and producer than I ever expected. The tables are cleared and I am open to inspiration and choice.” Of course, he adds as a precaution, if a really exciting project pops up, he may take it. It’s been a long road to the self-assured squire of BelAir from a difficult childhood and adolescence in a middle-class section of Boston. Both his parents had arrived separately in the U.S. from the small Ukrainian town of Zaslav in the early 1920s. In Boston, father Max became a partner in a barbershop. The Nimoy household kept kosher and was flexibly Orthodox: With Saturdays the busiest day in the barbershop, the father tended to his job. Nimoy’s studious older brother, Melvin, was clearly the parents’ favorite. When Nimoy gave the first inkling of his future calling by starring in a children’s play at 8, the father declared sternly that he hadn’t come all the way from Russia to America to see a son waste his life as an actor. The family pecking order powerfully influenced Nimoy’s career. “Family life made me a supporting player to my brother and later, as an actor, I continued to be most comfortable in that role,” he says. “I did not aspire to be the leading man but sought out the role of the outsider, the alien, who would be a secondary character.” The sense of alienation was reinforced by growing up in a predominantly Italian-Catholic neighborhood. “Being Jewish, I always sensed some element of difference, a separation,” Nimoy recalls. His early psychological bent became irreversible -- as did his decision to become an actor -- when as a 17- year-old he landed his first real stage role as the teenage son, Ralphie, in Clifford Odets’ Awake and Sing. The play dramatized the struggles of a Jewish family, the Bergers, in the depth of the 1930s Depression.
“That was an amazing event,” Nimoy says. “That characters could talk about Jewish concerns on an American stage made me feel validated as a person and as a Jew. Berger in the play was my mother, desperately trying to control her family life to make it manageable. And my role as a young man, sur-
rounded by a hostile and repressive environment, so touched a responsive chord that I decided to make a career of acting.” Rather than attend college, Nimoy spent the next two years saving money as a vacuum-cleaner salesman. When he had enough, he headed for Los Angeles. The family separation scene still makes him shudder. ‘It was terrible, a terribly emotional ordeal,” he says. “There were tears and fights and arguments up to the last minute. I left with a lot of pain.” Out West, Nimoy enrolled in acting classes at the Pasadena Playhouse and, as one of the few youthful Yiddish speakers in town, picked up a few dollars in minor roles whenever a Yiddish theater troupe came to town. “I was in a play with the great Maurice Schwartz, the most famous Yiddish actor of his time, and hoping to gain some credibility in the eyes of my parents, I asked him to write a letter to them saying that I was doing all right. And he did so,” Nimoy says. Very slowly, Nimoy’s career started to take off. At 21, he snagged his first major film role, playing another kind of outsider, a disfigured boxer, in the long-forgotten Kid Monk Baroni. Other roles followed in Queen for a Day, Rhubarb and, as an Indian heavy, in The Old Overland Trail. One thing Nimoy appreciated about Hollywood was the pervasive Jewish influence in the film industry, which dampened any blatant expressions of anti-Semitism. “At least I didn’t have to hear such terms as ‘dirty kike’ as l did in Boston,” he says. After a two-year stint in the army, Nimoy was discharged in 1956 to face one of the lowest points of his life. He couldn’t find an acting job, and his wife, Sandi, was expecting their second child. For a while, Nimoy would make a precarious living as a taxi driver. He gradually found more roles in the movies and theater, but the watershed event in Nimoy’s life came in 1965 when he was cast as Spock in what would become the enormously successful Star Trek television series and subsequent motion pictures. An early report on Star Trek noted that it “has built up a cult following that rivals an organized religion in the number and fanaticism of its followers, known as ‘trekkies.’” Nimoy, as the rational, pointy-eared Spock, quickly became a pop hero. Hundreds of thousands of admirers were grief stricken when their idol seemed lost forever at the end of the film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. To calm the furor, Paramount Pictures quickly announced a sequel, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. Has the Star Trek phenomenon been a curse or a blessing? “Both,” Nimoy says jocularly before quickly changing his tone and adding, “I shouldn’t be facetious about this.” Spock’s fame “has given me an entree and influence, the chance to translate my abilities into other kinds of work, to play in the theater because they know that I can sell tickets.” Indeed, given the opportunity, Nimoy has demonstrated a versatility even he may not have suspected. He has become a respected film director, listing among his credits Star Trek
III and Star Trek VI, the blockbuster hit Three Men and a Baby and Funny About Love. On stage he has starred on Broadway in Equus and as actor, director and producer of Vincent, a one-man play about another alienated hero, Vincent van Gogh. He derived perhaps his greatest satisfaction from the role of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof during an eight-week run in New England, not least because it allowed his parents to view their son as an actor for the first time since he left home. Nimoy has been a highly regarded acting teacher and, in a little-known side of the man, the author of three volumes of poetry, illustrated with his own photographs. He has recorded 10 narrative albums and, in 1975, wrote his autobiography, which was titled somewhat plaintively I Am Not Spock. At the same time, Nimoy has branched out into television movies. He warmly remembers his part as Golda Meir’s husband, Morris Myerson, in A Woman Called Golda, because it gave him a chance to both revisit Israel, where the film was shot, and to play opposite Ingrid Bergman shortly before her death. The performance as Morris brought him one of his four Emmy nominations. Earlier this year, Nimoy scored a critical success in a role that offered him the opportunity to express both his affinity to the stubborn loner in a hostile environment and his Jewishness. In the television movie Never Forget, based on actual events, he portrayed Mel Mermelstein, a 64-year-old Holocaust survivor who won a dramatic and drawn-out legal battle against a group of neo-Nazi revisionists who claimed that the Holocaust was a “Jewish hoax.” The experience deepened his study of the Holocaust. Lying on his living room table were two books about the era, The War Against the Jews by Lucy Davidowicz, and Beyond Belief by Deborah Lipstadt, next to Ben Shahn’s illustrated Haggada. Amid the professional success, some painful personal problems that had been building for some time came to a head four to five years ago. A New York Times reporter and family friend wrote later that by the mid-1980s, Nimoy “guiltily played the roles of husband in a marriage that had grown stale and son to immigrant parents he could never satisfy. ...In December 1986, he walked out on his wife of 33 years. In 1987, his father died and his mother six months later.” It is understandably a time and memory that Nimoy does not enjoy discussing, but asked to comment on the quote, he says that “it is a way of looking at it, but it’s not the whole story, obviously.” On New Year’s Day 1989, Nimoy married Susan Bay, and the couple attend services at Temple Israel of Hollywood, a Reform congregation, where Susan’s cousin, John Roscove, is the senior rabbi. Though not a particularly religious man, Nimoy feels that “everything I do is informed by my Judaism. A lot of what I’ve put into Spock came to me through my Jewish orientation.” As one example, Nimoy modeled the Vulcan hand greeting, which expresses “Live long and prosper,” on the gesture still seen in Orthodox synagogues during the blessing of the kohanim (priestly class). At 60, Nimoy appears the contented paterfamilias who enjoys talking about the doings of his 10-year-old stepson, Aaron; his son, Adam, a lawyer; his daughter Julie; and his three grandchildren. It is a languid, sunny day in Nimoy’s densely foliaged backyard; Hollywood seems far away. So one can almost accept the man’s protestations that the next year will be devoted to introspection and contemplation. Of course, the former anti-Vietnam war and pro-civil rights activist is still involved in civic and political advocacy, though now with his wife, mainly in environmental, women’s rights and pro-choice causes. Also, he and Susan are planning a joint photographic research project on how people over 60 deal with the aging process. Will the now 25-year-old saga of Spock and Star Trek ever end? The studio has announced that Star Trek VI will be the absolutely final film in the series. But Nimoy points out that “people are skeptical, and for good reason. ...We have seen the supposed end again and again.” In Hollywood, the smart money is betting that despite his sincere affirmations, Leonard Nimoy’s name will pop up in screen and stage credits again in the not-too-distant future, to the delight of his fans.
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