March 22, 2019

thejewishpress AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA

this week

Beth El Second Seder features camels and critters and tents, oh my!

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Fran and Rich’s Excellent Adventures Page 5

MARCH 2 2 , 2 0 1 9 | 1 5 AD AR II 5 7 7 9 | V O L. 9 9 | NO . 2 3 | C A ND LeLi G h Ti NG | FRID AY , MARCH 2 2 , 7 : 2 0 P. M.

Greenberg Aquatic endowment

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LiNDA POLLARD Endowment Assistant/Staff Writer, Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation he word ‘quit’ was not in Bucky Greenberg’s vocabulary, but the word ‘challenge’ was. And Bucky never stopped challenging himself throughout his life.

At a time when many people consider slowing down, Bucky was breaking records – swimming records. Having been a competitive swimmer since the age of 11, and continuing through college, Bucky gave up competitive swimming after college graduation. He started competing again in his mid50s, and continued entering competitions until he was 90, always challenging himself.

In loving recognition of their father’s life-long love of swimming and competitive spirit, Beth Greenberg and Joe Greenberg established the Bucky Greenberg Aquatic Endowment Fund at the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation. The new fund will support the aquatic facilities and aquatics programs at the Jewish Community Center, and subvent the cost of purchasing unbudgeted goods, services and programs of the JCC swimming pools and aquatics facilities.

Joe shared a story of an early water experience of Bucky’s: “He was originally terrified of the water. He told a story how, as a very young child, he was on a see Greenberg Aquatic endowment page 3

Book Swap 2019

FED 2019: Schmooze & Brews Page 7

April Highlights

inside Viewpoint Synagogues Life cycles

WWW.JEWISHOMAHA.ORG

sPONsOReD By The BeNJAMiN AND ANNA e. WiesMAN FAMiLy eNDOWMeNT FuND

9 10 11

MAGGie CONTi Director of Activities and Volunteer Services, Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Community Concert Award Winning Branson Entertainer Bill Chrastil on Wednesday, April 3 at 1:45 p.m. in the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Silverman Auditorium. No admission fee. Back once again by popular demand, Bill is a multitalented entertainer who has captivated audiences for over thirty years. His high-energy performance salutes music legends Elvis Presley, Conway Twitty, Johnny Cash, Willie

Bill Chrastil Nelson, Neil Diamond, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, Tom Jones and more. This award-winning vocalist, instrumentalist, entertainer, songwriter and producer creates a musical experience you won’t want to miss. Bring a friend. Everyone is welcome. Ice Cream Social Following the Performance. see Mainstreeters page 4

Nancy Rips shares a giggle with her Boomer Radio colleague, the legendary Dave (Wingy) Wingert. Wingy calls Nancy, “Omaha’s favorite Bookworm.”

Listen to her live, every other Wednesday morning at 8:05 a.m. on 104.1 FM, 94.5 FM and 97.3 FM plus 1490 AM.

JOANie JACOBsON Book Swap made its debut during the 2002 Jewish Federation Campaign and was a huge hit. The Miriam Initiative at Beth El Synagogue is bringing it back (in an updated version) for women who love books.

“Women talking about books they love

is always great fun,” said Nancy Rips, who will host and facilitate Book Swap 2019 on Tuesday, April 9 from 7 to 9 p.m. in her home. A surprise refreshment

by Chef Cedric will be featured.

“Women are invited to bring one of their favorite books and tell the rest of see Book swap page 2

2 | The Jewish Press | March 22, 2019

community

Book Swap

Continued from page 1 us why they love it,” Nancy explained. “Everyone will get a chance to share their story. It’s fun because you can discover a book that never crossed your mind. You can learn and be excited about a whole new subject, you can leave with new thoughts, new acquaintances, new worlds. You can escape to the Land of Books with others who share your passion.” What’s not to like?

Nancy Rips fell in love with books the first day she stepped into her dad’s library. She was four.

“My dad loved books. The library was on the first floor of our house. It wasn’t a den with books, it was a library — stacks of books all the way to the ceiling on all four walls. I loved to just sit there and watch him read. Like my dad, I’m surrounded by books at home -- books in every room and a twostory wall of books complete with ladder.

“Readers have their preferences,” she noted.

“Some like only fiction, some only non-fiction, and some folks like both. Whatever you like -- mysteries, love stories, true stories, novels, adventure stories, self-help -- you can read about it. Personally, I like a real story about a real person. Biographies are my favorites.”

Nancy says modern technology has made books more accessible. “Audible books allow us to listen to a book in the car, at the gym, on an iPad, on a walk, even while cleaning the house -- times and places in which we could never read before.

“Books serve people in different ways,” she continued. “They can be a source of companionship, comfort, pleasure, peacefulness, escapism and pure fun. We’ve all gotten up in the middle of the night.

That’s when I turn to books. The quiet of the night

can be a great time to learn and grow. Whenever there’s a life-cycle or life-changing event in my life, I go to books. A death in the family, pregnancy, parenting, divorce, giving a party, aging -- if it’s happening to me, I read about it.

“I’ve made a life around books,” Nancy explained, “selling in Omaha book stores since 1976, promoting books on TV and radio since 1981, serving on the library board, lending my support to other literary organizations since 1995, and becoming a published author in 2008.” Her fifth book, Noah and The Eight Trucks of Hanukkah, hits the stands this fall.

Nancy Rips brings books to life. Using costumes, props, music, song and storytelling at speaking engagements and performances has become her trademark. Presentations often center around common themes -- holidays, sports, Hollywood, humor and kids, to name a few. Her goal: to always make books “accessible and entertaining.”

“I want reading to be exciting for people,” she concluded. “I mean, c’mon. At the end of the day, it’s got to be fun.”

The April 9 Book Swap at Nancy’s is free and open to the community with a limit of 35 participants. Please register by April 3, either online at Beth El’s website: bethel-omaha.org or by calling the Synagogue at 402.492.8550.

The Miriam Initiative is a series of ongoing projects and programs created, developed and presented by Beth El women. The Initiative welcomes all women who want to participate at any level from leadership to fellowship. Call the synagogue for more information.

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Beth El Second Seder features camels and critters and tents, oh my!

B

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eth El Synagogue has chosen L’dor Va’dor as the theme for its Second Seder scheduled for Saturday evening, April 20. “We’re bringing back the desert experience which was a huge hit in past years with congregants of all ages,” said Becky Kahn, Beth El Senior Executive Assistant. “There will be live camels and other four-legged surprise visitors, plus an educational component for the kids with a focus on how to be environmentally conscious and preserve animal habitats. We anticipate lots of good, handson fun and look forward to seeing all generations of your family at our Second Seder.”

The evening kicks off at 5 p.m. with Animal Habitat Hijinks. The Seder follows at 6:30 p.m. “In keeping with our L’dor Va’dor

theme, the Seder service will be led by the kids and young adults in attendance,” said Rabbi Steven Abraham. “Of course everyone else at the Seder, along with Hazzan Krausman and me, will participate and sing through the Haggadah together.”

According to Becky Kahn, “Our talented Chef Cedric Young will dish up traditional Pesach food under the tents. You can be assured that Beth El’s Second Seder will be delicious, surprising and fun.”

Please register online at www.bethelomaha.org by March 29 for Early Bird prices. Cost per plate is $38 for adults age 13 and up; $15 for children age 6-12. Price after March 29 is $42 per adult and $18 per child. There is no charge for children aged five and under. No reservations will be taken after April 12.

The Jewish Press | March 22, 2019 | 3

Autism Study: Benefactor Needed

Greenberg Aquatic Endowment Continued from page 1 family vacation at a lake. While wading at the edge of the water he stepped into a hole and momentarily became completely submerged.

For some period of time he refused to go back in the water. At some point soon after that, he saw how much fun everyone was having in the water and decided it was better to conquer his fear and join in with the others.”

Bucky swam competively through high school, the military and in college. He was on the freshman swim team at Iowa State in the early 1940’s. He then served in the Air Force during World War II. After his military service, Bucky returned to Nebraska and entered the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, joining their swim team from 1946-1948.

During his adult years of competitive swimming, Bucky worked with various high school and college swim coaches. He continually worked on his stroke and time, always striving to be the best he could be. And his best was impressive – he held three world records in the breaststroke and won numerous awards from the many meets he entered.

Both Beth and Joe estimate that Bucky won more than 100 medals during his Masters swimming competitions, which lasted over 30 years. Beth said that Bucky would seek out coaches during his travels, with many becoming life-long friends. She added that he traveled a great deal for swim meets in the US and abroad. Docker Hartfield, Coach of the Ralston-Gross Swim team and Swim Omaha, worked with Bucky, training him for a national meet in 2009.

In a newspaper article, Docker said: “It’s just a joy to see somebody do something he’s done all his life and still enjoy it as intensely as he does.”

Bucky also enjoyed coaching young swimmers, and volunteered much of his time doing so. Beth said: “Bucky was thrilled to coach young swimmers, especially when they shared his interest in competitive swimming; and he made several ‘fast’ friends that way. He loved the water and wanted others to share that joy.”

Bucky swam for the love of it, for fitness and mental well-being, and for health reasons.

With a history of heart disease in his family, he swam for the exercise and the hope of keeping his good health as long as possible. Even though Bucky won numerous swim meets, winning was not everything to him. Joe stated: “His goal was not so much to win but to improve on his prior times. And just as im-

portant, he wanted to be with people, seeing old friends and making new ones.”

Bucky himself commented in a 1989 newspaper article: “I have never failed to come out (of the pool) feeling better than when I went in. I don’t know if it will prolong my life, but it will enhance the quality of it.”

While Bucky was best known for his swim-

• The Omaha-based non-profit Therapeutics Research Institute (TRI) is in its 3rd successful year of its self-funded reversing-autism Study.

• Results exceed the original Harvard/Hopkins-related trial results.

• TRI hopes to expand to 200 families mid-year. We now need a benefactor from the community to help us fund this expansion.

• Helping us fund the planned expanded study is truly a legacy opportunity to make an unbelievable impact on families today.

• It is the only available Study in Nebraska. There are no fees and no placebos.

Email steven.evans@ControlAutismNow.org to learn more.

What is your home worth?

ming prowess, he also loved fly-fishing.

“But, as with swimming,” Joe said, “I don’t think he ever left the pond, lake, river or ocean without feeling better and more relaxed than when he started.”

Not only did Bucky keep active physically, he kept sharp mentally, working until the end. Joe said that Bucky never retired, keeping a home office and keeping up-to-date with the life insurance industry. Beth added that she didn’t think he ever considered himself retired.

Joe conveyed one poignant story about Bucky: “During another visit not too long ago, there was an Omaha Masters Swim Meet at the College of St. Mary’s. Dad was the oldest swimmer by at least 20 years. By that time, he was not too steady on his feet and rather than using swimming blocks he started his race by jumping directly from the side of the pool. As the race was about to begin, I could see that his balance was somewhat questionable and I was concerned that he was going to fall backwards. But when the starter gun sounded, he dove right in and swam the entire race. He was very determined to accomplish what he set out to do.”

“Dad really enjoyed working with young people,” Joe added. “While we want the endowment to be used in a manner that best fulfills the needs of the aquatics department, we hope that some of the funds help youth swim programming at the JCC.” Beth agreed: “We hope the endowment can be used to help many people – young and old – to learn to enjoy swimming.”

With the establishment of the Bucky Greenberg Aquatic Endowment Fund, Beth and Joe have ensured that Omaha Jewish swimmers have the opportunity to become recordbreaking swimmers themselves someday.

Spring is on the Horizon Do not miss out on this incredible Real Estate season!

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Let Dana Gonzales help you achieve your dreams Growing up in Omaha, Nebraska was one of the many gifts my parents bestowed upon me. After spending 22 years in the Boston area, my family and I happily returned to Omaha in 2008. Wanting to reach out and give back to the community, I focused on several volunteer opportunities such as serving on the School Board of Beth El Synagogue, President of Women of Reform Judaism for Temple Israel, Board member of Omaha Football Club, Guild Board member and Auction Co-Chair for Completely Kids, President of Millard North Soccer Boosters and Guild President, Cruise Away Chair and Board Member of Stephen Center.

When it became time to return to work, I chose to join The Jackson Group at Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Ambassador Real Estate, a Chairman’s Circle Diamond Award Winning Team. The Jackson Group is led by Mamie and TJ Jackson, a couple I met through my charity work whom I greatly respect and admire. Their excellent reputa-

tion, expertise and longevity in the Omaha real estate market coupled with my personal knowledge of Omaha, the real estate market, my financial management experience and award winning customer service; truly make an unstoppable team.

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Helping to enhance the lives of those in our community is my passion and my priority. After all, home is where your story begins; let’s write it together!

Contact Dana Gonzales at 402.850.9007and let me help fulfill your dream.

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4 | The Jewish Press | March 22, 2019

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Class of 2019 HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS

High School Seniors and Parents

We will be publishing our annual High School Graduation Class pages on May 17, 2019. To be included, fill out the form below with a photo and send it to us or you can email the information and photo to: jpress@jewishomaha.org by May 1, 2019.

High School Senior Information _________________________________________________________________________ Name _________________________________________________________________________ Parent(s)’ Name(s) _________________________________________________________________________ Current High School _________________________________________________________________________ College you plan to attend Send by May 1, 2019 to:

thejewishpress 333 So. 132 St. | Omaha, NE 68154

Continued from page 1 How to Make Your Spine Last 110 Years, Monday, April 8, 1:30 p.m. in the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Boardroom. No charge. Presented by Nicholas Muchowicz, PT, MPT | Board Certified Physical Therapist and the owner of Active Spine Physical Therapy. Nick has over sixteen years of outpatient physical therapy experience specializing in spine disorders, post-surgical spine patients, orthopedic injuries and balance issues. Nick has successfully completed five certifications. He is a Certified Kinesio Taping Practitioner, Certified Mulligan Practitioner, Certified Back to Golf Fitness and Performance Specialist, Certified Dry Needling and is a Blankenship System FCE Evaluator. Nick has also attended courses on spinal manipulations, treating headaches, differential diagnosis of the lower quadrant and sports-specific training.

You will learn: the three common causes of back pain, the top three exercises for back pain, how to successfully get rid of back pain and sciatica.

Refreshments will be served.

To RSVP, please call Maggie Conti at 402.334.6521 or email mconti@rbjh.com by Wednesday, April 3.

Join Us at the Movies: Stan & Ollie, Friday, April 12 at 1 p.m. in the JCC Theater. A free film with warm, delicious popcorn. No reservations are necessary. Invite a friend. Lau- Clockwise from middle left: Nicholas Muchowicz, PT, MPT, rel and Hardy, one of the Pippa White, Robert Glaser and Gina Brazell. world’s great comedy teams, set out on a va- songs and styles, Brazell’s sparkling personriety hall tour of Britain in 1953. Diminished ality and crystalline voice deliver heart and by age and with their golden era as the kings soul, with a splash of fun! A reception will of Hollywood comedy now behind them, follow after the performance.

Jewish Social Services is proud to present they face an uncertain future. As the charm and beauty of their performances shine The Story of the Orphan Train with Pippa through, they re-connect with their adoring White on Thursday, April 25 in the Silverfans. The tour becomes a hit, but Stan and man Auditorium at 1:30 p.m. How many Ollie can’t quite shake the specter of Laurel were there? At least 200,000, but maybe as and Hardy’s past; the long-buried ghosts, many as 500,000. Fending for themselves on coupled with Oliver’s failing health, start to the streets of New York, homeless children threaten their precious partnership. A por- were given a chance for a new life in Amertrait of the most tender and poignant of cre- ica’s heartland by riding the Orphan Train. ative marriages, they are aware that they may Orphans who remember the experience come be approaching their swan song, trying to re- to life and share a heartrending and forgotten discover just how much they mean to each part of history. She calls her One’s Company other. The running time is one hour and 38 Productions “part theatre, part storytelling, minutes, and it is rated PG. The Star deli part history.” Audiences call them unique, starts serving at 11:30 a.m. if you’d like to captivating and touching. An audience member recently captured the gist of Pippa’s have lunch before the show.

Community Concert: Nat King Cole to Na- unique presentations when he said, “Her pertalie Cole and the Singers in Between on formances are entertainment wrapped in hisWednesday, April 24 at 1:45 p.m. in the Sil- tory intertwined with inspiration.” Pippa verman Auditorium. There is no admission White turned to solo performing in 1994. fee. Robert Glaser and Gina Brazell combine Previously, she had an extensive career in thestories and anecdotes with jazz arrangements atre and television on the West Coast, includof music from Judy Garland, Neil Diamond, ing five years hosting a daily morning Lionel Ritchie, Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra, television show on ABC in San Francisco. RePeggy Lee, and of course Nat and Natalie freshments following the performance.

April is wall-to-wall Mainstreeters fun! We Cole. About Robert Glaser: from leading his group The Sing, Sing, Swing Orchestra to welcome all Jewish residents of the Omaha producing six original CDs, Robert stays area age 60+ and invite you to take part in plenty busy. An Omaha native, Robert has these April activities and in the many other been entertaining in the Midwest since 1981. enriching programs planned throughout the About Gina Brazell: from Hollywood to Off- year. For more details, phone Maggie Conti, Broadway, this versatile singer-actress has en- Director of Activities & Volunteer Services at tertained audiences across the U.S. and 402.334.6521 or email her at mconti@ around the globe. Singing a wide variety of rbjh.com.

i

Fran and rich’s excellent adventures: Part III

rich jurO Freetown, Sierra Leone t was just a short flight north from Liberia to the neighboring country, Sierra Leone. But it was with a little trepidation that we walked out of the airport.

There’s a large estuary, in fact, the largest harbor in Africa, that one has to get across to get from the airport to the capital city of Freetown. If one drives, there’s no bridge, so it would take 5-6 hours.

Years ago helicoptors apparently made the transit, but no more. Luckily, we happened to read about this travel glitch and made arrangements with our hotel to have someone meet us. We were glad it was daylight and that we had shipped our big luggage directly to Capetown.

We spotted a young woman; and she directed us to a minivan, which took us for a two-minute ride, where we saw a long pier heading into the water.

People grabbed our two rollerboards, gave us handwritten receipts, directed us onto the wooden dock, and then helped us onto the ship. Aboard there were about 40 padded seats and life vests to wear (I was ambivalent between being happy they had life vests and worried that we’d need to use them).

After a 40-minute ride we arrived at the opposite shore.

We walked on the lengthy wharf, then up the steps to the waiting/arriving room. We watched as they brought the luggage from the ship down the wooden planks and up the steps, carrying the larger suitcases on their head (it actually took less time than waiting for checked baggage in the Omaha airport). Another young woman put us into a taxi that took us to the Mammy Yoko Hotel.

Who was Mammy Yoko? She was an African lady of good lineage. She lived from 1849-1906, married three times even though she was childless, and each husband was more important than the previous one. Upon the death of her third husband, who was a chief of the Senehun tribe, she became a leader of the Mende people and was recognized by the British colonizers as a Queen. Mammy Yoko’s name lives on in the hotel (although she was probably a better innkeeper than her namesake)!

Centuries before Mammy Yoko, in 1462, Portuguese ex-

plorer Pedro de Sintra admired the hills around this big harbor, and called it Serra Leoa, “Lion Mountain.” The area became known as Sierra Leone, or as most refer to it, as SL. Unfortunately, it also became a major slave trading port.

Local chiefs sold their enemies and captives to the ship captains in exchange for European goods.

300 years later, the British realized that slavery was wrong.

Beginning in 1787, a couple of thousand settlers were sent to Sierra Leone. Most were former American slaves or black freemen who had helped or fought with the British in the American Revolution and then were taken to Canada or London.

There were a few white settlers too. Most of them, black and white, died from disease or from warfare with the local tribes. In 1799, the Brits brought 500 Jamaican Maroons to put down a revolt.

Starting in 1810, when the slave trade was condemned by England, there were thousands of Africans brought to Freetown who were “liberated” from slave ships. But they were apprenticed to whites and the Jamaican Maroons for $20 each, which was almost a form of slavery. Some progress did occur: in 1827 the first English-speaking college in Africa was established in Sierra Leone. It wasn’t until 1896 that the British annexed the inland areas as colonies. Soon after, the “Hut Tax War” between Great Britain and the local tribes broke out, but the Brits won.

After World War II, negotiations started for independence.

In 1961, Sierra Leone became a new nation complete with a place in the British Commonwealth. Sir Milton Margai was elected head of state, but he died three years later. His brother succeeded him, but instituted one-party rule; and there were several military coups. A new head of state ruled for almost 20 years, followed by a General, and then a brutal civil war raged from 1991-2002. During the war over 1,200 primary schools were destroyed; there were thousands of child soldiers using guns and machetes; 50,000 people died and hundreds of thousands more became refugees. Even Charles Taylor of Liberia got bloodily involved, probably for the diamonds that are locally mined. As noted above, Taylor recently went to prison for his nasty part in the SL civil war.

The Jewish Press | March 22, 2019 | 5

community JFO presents Innovation Grants

diane Walker Scholarship Administrator, Jewish Federation of Omaha We continue to rely on our recently completed community study, Portrait of Jewish Omaha, as we explore programming options for growth and engagement. Specific opportunities were identified that have been addressed – financial planning and handyman services for seniors and vocational counseling.

We are looking for new and innovative ways to make an impact in our community. For example: areas of engaging young families, inspiring Jewish learning and connecting with people in the community who are not currently involved in the Jewish community.

The Jewish Federation of Omaha is pleased to announce the launch of the Portrait of Jewish Omaha Innovation Grants program. The goal of this grant is to support creative programs addressing these opportunities. With funding from the JFO, the Portrait of Jewish Omaha Innovation Grants will provide support for a broad range of Jewish organizations, synagogues and individuals in the metro Omaha area.

Perhaps you have an idea on how to bring teens back to Hebrew school, bring the unaffiliated to a Seder, or to help our seniors with errands and appointments. We would love to help see your ideas in action.

This grant is open to any Jewish individual or organization interested in creating a new program or event based on opportunities identified in the community study, Portrait of Jewish Omaha. Both individuals and organizations are encouraged to apply, and preference will be given to collaborative ideas. This is your chance to help transform Jewish Omaha! To receive instructions on how to apply please email communitystudy@jewishomaha.org. If you have not reviewed the community study you can download a copy of it on the Jewish Omaha website - http://www.jewishomaha.org/about/our-commun ity/jewish-community-study/.

Organizations

B’nai B’rith BreadBreakers

UNL Professor ari kohen will sort out and explain the upcoming Israeli election (April 9) that will determine if Bibi Netanyahu remains in office on Wednesday, March 27, noon. For more information or to be placed on the email list call 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@jewishomaha.org.

Omahans in New York

6 | The Jewish Press | March 22, 2019

community Indecent on stage at BLUEBARN Theatre

LUEBARN Theatre presents Tony Award-Winning Indecent by Paula Vogel, March 21-April 14, Thursday-Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Sunday, March 31 and April 14 at 2 p.m. and April 7 at 6 p.m.

Inspired by the true events surrounding the controversial 1923 Broadway debut of Sholem Asch’s God of Vengeance— seen by some as a seminal work of Jewish culture, by others as an act of traitorous libel, Indecent charts the history of an incendiary drama and the path of the artists who risked their careers and lives to perform it. Paula Vogel’s Tony awardwinning masterpiece is a glorious celebration of the power of theatre to harness the very best of the human spirit.

Tickets are $35 and Senior (65+) are $30. Tickets are available at bluebarn.org. Educator, Military, and BLUCrew tickets are available through the box office or by calling 402.345.1576.

Indecent by Paula Vogel is sponsored by Vernie and Carter Jones, Fran and Rich Juro, Kim Jubenville and Devin Fox. Engagement events are free and open to the public. In partnership with the JCC, BLUEBARN will present a staged reading of Sholem Asch’s legendary play, The God of Vengeance. Experience the Yiddish theatre classic at the heart of Paula Vogel’s Indecent, March 25 at 7 p.m. at the BLUEBARN and April 1 at 7 p.m. at the JCC, 333 S. 132nd St. directed by Roxanne Wach.

Join us at the BLUEBARN Saturday, March 30 at 5 p.m. as we host Scott Littky, Executive Director of the Institute for Holocaust Education for Why We Remember. The Institute for Holocaust Education is committed to learning the lessons

It was a reunion of sorts at the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater March 9 and 10. Many Omahans attended this off-off Broadway production of My Princess Diana including songwriter and co-writer Karen Sokolof Javitch, left, Andrea Friedman, Gary Javitch, Chani Katzman and Mushka Katzman.

How to help Flood Victims

of the Holocaust and inspiring the community to create a more just and equitable society. Scott will speak to the IHE's mission and the importance of ensuring the holocaust is never forgotten.

Following our April 7, 6 p.m. performance, join Rabbi Steven Abraham (Beth El Synagogue) and Dr. Leonard Greenspoon (Klutznick Chair in Jewish Civilization at Creighton University) in conversation about BLUEBARN’s production of Indecent for A Shanda fur die Goyim (“a shame before the nations”).

Visit us on facebook: ps://www.facebook.com/ShalomahaPress

We know many of our Omaha community have been impacted by this week’s flooding, including some Jewish community members and Jewish Federation of Omaha staff. e Jewish Federation of Omaha is currently putting together an assistance plan for employees and to help Jewish Family Service with any expenses for the Jewish community. is will be an ongoing situation and support may be needed for some time. Please contact Linda Cogen at Jewish Family Service at either 402.334.6493 or lcogen@jf somaha.com with any questions. ere are additional resources available in the form of monetary support, household supplies, water, personal care items, etc. currently being collected by the Salvation Army.

If you wish to donate, please take your items to the old Canfield’s on 84th & W. Center Road. e Sunday issue of the Omaha World Herald (March 17) also provided a comprehensive view of available options at https://www. omaha.com/weather/wish-to-help-those-affected-bythe-flooding-in-nebraska/article_b5aea497-9bfa-5e1e8e99-e4c684a97ee8.html.

March 2, The Jewish Federation of Omaha hosted the 3rd annual FED event at Bärchen Beer Garden. In spite of a snowy evening, 70 people attended Schmooze & Brews. The evening was generously sponsored by the Special Donor Advised Fund

The Jewish Press | March 22, 2019 | 7

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8 | The Jewish Press | March 22, 2019

New Zealand Jews ‘sickened’ by mosque shootings Polish newspaper’s front page teaches ‘how to recognize a Jew’ CNaaN liPshiZ Two other men and one woman are also in custody.

JTA Police also found multiple explosive devices in a car belongJewish groups from New Zealand and beyond expressed ing to one of the suspects, the BBC reported. their horror at the slaying of at least 49 people at two mosques e attack, which came around the time people were atin Christchurch on March 15. tending the mosques for Frie New Zealand Jewish day prayers, was the deadliest Council is ”sickened and devin the nation’s history. astated” by the attacks, in U.S. politicians on Twitter which at least one armed indidrew comparisons between vidual killed dozens of people the mosque massacre and last by shooting them at close disOctober’s deadly shooting at a tance with a semi-automatic synagogue in Pittsburgh, rifle. Footage of the carnage, where 11 people were killed by which the killer filmed and a gunman who had ranted streamed live, shows victims against Jews and immigration. huddling and moaning as the “Charleston, Pittsburgh, and killer fires into the crowd. now Christchurch,” tweeted “We offer our full assistance Sen. Elizbath Warren (Dand support to the Muslim Mass.), a candidate for the community and stand united People attend a funeral ceremony in absentia for the victims of Democratic presidential nomwith it against the scourge of twin terror attacks on New Zealand mosques in Christchurch, ination. “Everyone should terrorism and racism, which New Zealand, March 15, 2019. have the right to worship withCredit: Omer Urer/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images out fear, and an attack on a we must do all we can to banish from New Zealand,” Stephen Goodman, the president of place of worship is terrorism perpetrated against all of us. My e New Zealand Jewish Council told the Jewish Telegraphic heart goes out to the people of New Zealand today.”

Agency.

“Pittsburgh, Charleston, Quebec, New Zealand — no one Statements of support also came from the Holocaust Centre should have to fear going to their place of worship,” said Calof New Zealand, the Rabbinical Council of Australia and New ifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom. “e hate that has fueled these Zealand and other leading organizations in New Zealand. horrific and cowardly acts MUST be called out. CA stands World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder ex- with New Zealand and Muslims everywhere. pressed “horror and revulsion” at the attacks in a statement.

Within hours of news of the killings, the Jewish Federation Brenton Tarrant, a 28-year-old fitness trainer from Aus- of Greater Pittsburgh set up a New Zealand Attack Emertralia, was charged with murder in connection with the shoot- gency Relief fund to support the Muslim community there. ings. He had in the past described himself as a “regular white e Federation said it is in the process of identifying an inman, from a regular family.” ternational partner for distributing the donations.

CNaaN liPshiZ JTA A right-wing newspaper with national distribution in Poland ran on its front page an article that instructs readers on “how to recognize a Jew.” e Polish-language weekly, Tylko Polska, or “Only Poland,” lists on its front page “Names, anthropological features, expressions, appearances, character traits, methods of operation” and “disinformation activities.” e text also reads: “How to defeat them? is cannot go on!” e page also features a headline reading, “Attack on Poland at a conference in Paris.” e reference is to a Holocaust studies conference last month during which Polish nationalists complained that speakers were anti-Polish. at article features a picture of Jan Gross, a Polish-Jewish Princeton University scholar of Polish complicity in the Holocaust and a frequent target of nationalist attacks.

Only Poland is published by Leszek Bubl, a fringe nationalist political candidate and sometime musician who has sung about “rabid” rabbis. e paper was spotted Wednesday at the Sejm, the lower house of the Polish parliament, as part of this week’s packet of periodicals.

Michał Kamiński, a conservative lawmaker, protested the article and its presence at the Sejm, Polsat news reported. e Sejm Information Center responded by saying that “the Chancellery of the Sejm will request the publication’s removal from the press kit.”

The Jewish Press | March 22, 2019 | 9

viewpoint thejewishpress

(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.

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

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

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

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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.

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Periodical postage paid at Omaha, NE. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198 or email to: jpress@jewishomaha.org.

American Jewish Press Association Award Winner

Nebraska Press As- National Newspaper sociation Association Award winner 2008

Not a joke

ANNETTE vAN dE KAmP-WRIGHT Editor, Jewish Press ere’s the story: “The parents of a 15-year-old boy in Bologna, Italy, gave him two cakes featuring portraits of Adolf Hitler and jokes about ovens for a party they held on January 27, International Holocaust Remembrance Day. “A bakery that specializes in printing on pastry provided the cakes, including one that read “Hello darling? Turn up the oven, I am coming home!” The other said: “Let’s go...

Today, we’ll have a gas of an evening!” according to a report Tuesday in Corriere di Bologna. [According to the report] the boy’s entire class was present.

“Contacted by the Italian daily, the parents, who were not named, told the reporter that the teen wanted the cakes and “it was a childish joke.” The article did not name the bakery that supplied the cakes.” (JTA) Where to start? We can say all the usual things: how could they, why are there still people who consider this funny, what were his parents thinking? But sometimes, you read stories like these and anything you think, say or write about it is just an exercise in futility.

My son will turn 15 later this year and I cannot imagine any scenario in which his birthday cake would be used as a vehicle to insult others. But maybe that’s part of the problem: it’s so difficult to imagine what makes people act this way. How does it happen that a teenager in Italy comes to believe this is okay, how do his parents go along with it, to the point where they are not ashamed to go to the bakery, place the order, invite others into their home to share the “joke?”

In 2017, Ferne Pearlstein debuted her documentary The Last Laugh, about humor and the Holocaust. In it, she looks at comedians from Jerry Seinfeld to Mel Brooks, as well as Holocaust survivors, posing the question: can we laugh at any of this?

“Opinions are all over the place,” Jordan Zakarin writes.

“Sarah Silverman is unwilling to censor her jokes; while Mel Brooks, who spent years lampooning Hitler and the Nazis, draws the line at making cracks about the actual genocide. Some Jews, such as Anti-Defamation League President Abraham Foxman, who was a child survivor, re-

parents, who are definitely old enough to know better, nonetheless passed up the chance to teach their son a valuable lesson. Instead, they call the whole thing a “childish joke.”

And yet, there is one optimistic way of looking at this story: some of his classmates, presumably the same age, objected. They took photos and posted them online, and while neither the article cited above nor the original Italian source included the names of the parents or the bakery, locally it will be no secret who the culprits are.

I think that kind of social pressure could potentially make a difference. Because while we can all think of big sweeping changes to make to public discourse, education, laws, at the end of the day it A portrait of Adolf Hitler on a birthday cake in Italy, Jan. 27, 2019. is that personal touch that Credit: Simon Wiesenthal Center will make a difference. The jects all jokes having to do with the Holocaust. Other surfriend you’ve always respected who tells you you’ve gone vivors, such as activist Renee Firestone, can laugh about too far, the colleagues at work who call you out, the cusit, but only up to a point.” tomers who may no longer patronize your store and aren’t Jokes at the Nazis’ expense can be funny, while jokes shy about telling you why.Had this boy’s friends not taken about the victims are never okay, Pearlstein concludes. offense and sent photos of those cakes to the local newsThe consensus is that when non-Jews joke about the paper, we would have never heard about any of this.

Holocaust, it is never funny. But it is subjective, and there We can hope that any time someone thinks the Holois a difference between things that are ‘just not very caust is a joking matter, someone will be brave enough to funny’ and ‘offensive,’ one survivor remarks. stand up and call them out.

A birthday cake with a portrait of Hitler is both unfunny Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necand offensive. But what I find the most difficult to essarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press process is the age of the child. Too young to truly underBoard of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board stand the depth of the damage, old enough to know betof Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole. ter; at 15, most of us fall somewhere in-between. The

The Romans tried to ban wild Purim parties in 408 CE – for a good reason

HENRy ABRAHAmSON JTA Every year before Purim, my inbox and social media fill up with dire exhortations from rabbis and yeshivas warning against the dangers of celebratory excess – as if drunkenness on the holiday were something new.

In reality, the after-Purim regrets have been part of the discourse ever since Rabbah drunkenly attacked and inadvertently killed his dear friend Rabbi Zeira in the Talmud (don’t worry – he was revived in the end). Rabbis and communal leaders across the religious spectrum have condemned drunken revelry on a holiday dedicated to excess and carousing, noting it often leads to harming life and limb. Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, leader of the Hasidic Chabad movement, outlawed more than four drinks at a time for anyone younger than 40.

But even before all of that, it turns out that the ancient Romans — who weren’t exactly known for their sobriety — attempted to control wild Purim parties as early as the year 408.

An unusual bit of the Theodosian Code (16.8.18) is apparently the first non-Jewish source to document the phenomenon of Purim parties that get out of hand. Specifically, the law prohibited Jews from burning Haman in effigy. For Jews, the practice of symbolically destroying the notorious villain of the book of Esther, the paradigm of antiSemitism, was considered an aspect of the Purim commandment to “erase the name of Amalek,” Haman’s Jew-hating ancestor.

The Romans weren’t especially discomfited by the idea of vicariously punishing enemies, or even maintaining fire safety. They were, however, concerned that drunken Jewish celebrants might use the opportunity to mock Christians by portraying Haman as a sacrilegious stand-in for Jesus. This is especially true because the favored method of representing Haman’s death in the ancient world wasn’t hanging by the neck – he was crucified on a wooden cross.

The biblical passage that literally describes Haman’s “hanging on a tree” (Esther 7:10) was rendered as “crucified” in the ancient works of the Jewish historian Josephus, the early translations of the book of Esther into Greek (Septuagint) and Latin (Vulgate), and all through the Middle Ages in literary classics like Dante’s “Purgatory.” Artistic representations also depicted Haman on the cross, such as the 15th-century Azor Masters and even

by Michelangelo, who painted a muscular Haman on a cross on the Sistine Chapel.

bent on committing acts of horrific violence. From Inmestar to Norwich to Nazi Germany and beyond, the noxious lie of the blood libel continues to plague innocent Jewish communities. It’s too awful to think that it might in some way be connected to misunderstood, misapprehended, “harmless” Purim festivities.

The blood libels were just that. But because the Christian majority was so quick to feel threatened

by Jewish revelry, violent or just intemperate, it was better for the Jews’ own sake that they tone it down.

Some might be tempted to argue that drunken revelry is essential to the celebration and that non-Jewish viewers should develop a sense of humor about the holiday. Yet isn’t that the same argument recently made by Bram De Baere, the designer of a carnival float in Aalst, Belgium, that depicted Jews in stereotypically ugly ways? De Baere told a Belgian newspaper that “Carnival is a time when everyone and Haredi Orthodox Jews revel in Purim at a synagogue in Beit everything can be laughed at. If you Shemesh, Israel. Credit: David Silverman/Getty Images were to forbid that, you would be atIt’s not hard to imagine how public Purim exe- tacking the DNA of Aalst at its core.” crations of Haman, conducted by an inebriated Not everything is fair game for mockery, even crowd of Jews, could easily be misperceived by on Purim. True, there’s a big difference between a Christian observers, especially if the effigy of tiny, relatively powerless community poking fun at Haman is bound to a wooden cross. In fact, only a the dominant people on one day of the year on the few years after the law in the Theodosian Code was one hand, and the majority population using their promulgated, a Church historian named Socrates position of power to demean a hapless minority on Scholasticus tendentiously described an event that the other. sounded very much like a drunken Purim celebraBut I have to give this one to the Romans: The tion gone horribly wrong: In Inmestar, Syria, a law of 408 wasn’t anti-Purim – it was anti-poor group allegedly seized a Christian child, bound taste. him to a cross and scourged him until he died.

Henry Abramson is a specialist in Jewish hisSocrates Scholasticus is not especially reliable as tory and thought who currently serves as a Dean a source for Jewish history, but as the historian El- of Touro College in Brooklyn, New York. liot Horowitz has demonstrated in his masterful The views and opinions expressed in this article are studies of Purim violence, it didn’t take much to those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the convince Christian audiences that Jews were in fact views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.

10 | The Jewish Press | March 22, 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 april 12, at 7:30 p.m. with guest speaker Rich Juro on Visiting synagogues all over the world while traveling with his wife Fran. 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: Lunch at Nebraska AIDS Coaltion, 11:30 a.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. saTurDay: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Junior Congregation, 10 a.m.; 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: BESTT Classes, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10 a.m.; Kevah Family Program, Grade 3 and Parents, 11 a.m.; Yiddish Class with Hazzan, 11 a.m.

TuesDay: Baking Open House, 9 a.m.; Mahjong, 1 p.m. weDnesDay: BESTT Classes, Grade 3-7, 4:15 p.m.; USY Program, 5:15 p.m.; Hebrew High, 6:30 p.m.; A Journey through the Talmud and Rabbinic Literature, 7:30 p.m.

ThursDay: Breakfast and Brachot: Service, 7 a.m. and Breakfast, 7:30 a.m.; Baking Open House, 9 a.m.

Our Shabbat Tables on the Town, friday, march 29.

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

Kevah Tallit Tying – Grades 5-6, sunday, march 31, 11 a.m.-noon.

Judaism and the Environment, sunday, march 31 at 11 a.m. with Marty Shukert. Learning followed by lunch $8. For more info and to register visit www.bethel-omaha.org.

BeTh Israel synagogue

Services conducted by Rabbi Ari Dembitzer frIDay: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha, 7:21 p.m.; Candle Lighting, 7:21 p.m. saTurDay: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Insights into the Weekly Torah Portion, 6:20 p.m.; Mincha/Seudah Shlishit, 7:05 p.m.; Havdalah, 8:21 p.m. sunDay: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Reform, Conservative and Orthodox Judaism in the Eyes of the Torah: Is Pluralish the Way of God?, 10 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:25 p.m. at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. monDay: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Jewish History — Your History, noon with Rabbi Shlomo; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:25 p.m. at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

TuesDay: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Torah Tuesday, 3 p.m. with Rabbi Ari; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:25 p.m. at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. weDnesDay: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:25 p.m. at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

ThursDay: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Connecting with Our Faith, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:25 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: Erev Shabbat Service, 6:30 p.m. music by Steve and Nathaniel Kaup; Candlelighting, 7:23 p.m.; Oneg, 7:30 p.m. hosted by Bryan Gordon.

saTurDay: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study on Parashat Tzav, 10:45 a.m.; Havdalah (72 minutes), 8:54 p.m. sunDay: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.; LJCS Gesher, 10 a.m.; After LJCS classes Pancakes with a Purpose.

The 5th graders are cooking and serving a pancake bar and juice. Cost is $5 per plate, and all proceeds go to our classes' Tzedakah project; Adult Hebrew Prayer Class, 11:30 a.m.; Hamantaschen-Making Workshop, 1:30 p.m.; Purim Spiel Rehearsal, 2 p.m.; Purim Spiel: Mary Poppins Comes to Shushan, 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: LJCS Board Meeting, 6 p.m. weDnesDay: LJCS Hebrew School, 4 p.m. at TI. Nebraska Steel Drum Concert, sunday, march 31, 3 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. The group features Jonah Payne and Louis Raymond-Kolker. All ages welcome. RSVP to corenan cy@gmail.com or 402.770.4167.

Sommerhauser Symposium on Antisemitism in the 1930s and Today, april 1, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at Colonial Rooms A&B in the City Campus Union, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. For more information contact Ari Kohen at akohen2@unl.edu or Gerald J. Steinacher at gsteinacher2@unl.edu.

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 Alan Shulewitz.

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

Temple Israel

frIDay: Shabbat Evening Service, 6 p.m. saTurDay: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Service, 10:30 a.m. sunDay: Caring Committee Baking Day, 9 a.m.; Beginning Prayer-Book Hebrew, 9 a.m.; Madrichim Appreciation Breakfast, 9 a.m.; Religious School for Grades PreK-6, 10 a.m.; The Wonder of Water: Israeli Innovation for a Thirsty Planet at Friedel Jewish Academy, 1:30 p.m. Temple Israel, PJ Library Omaha, and Friedel Jewish Academy invite children in kindergarten through second grade to learn about Israeli water innovations through fun, hands-on activities. This program is free and open to the community, but registration is required.

Register online: www.surveymonkey.com/r/JBfg7DC weDnesDay: Religious School Grades 3-6, 4 p.m.; School Dinner, 6 p.m.; Grades 7-12, 6:30 p.m.; Family School, 6:30 p.m.; “My Story of Survival” with Magda Brown, 6:30 p.m.

ThursDay: The History of the Jewish People: Enlightenment in Western Europe, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Deana Sussman Berezin; OTYG Program: Clash of Cultures, 6 p.m.

Shabbat Evening Service and Ebernburg Scroll Dedication, friday, march 29, 6 p.m. Please join us as we dedicate the Ebernburg scroll in its new interactive ark, recount the history

2019 Teen trip to Israel

and the significance of this congregational treasure, and honor the legacy of the Falkenstein and Gottlieb families who entrusted this scroll to our care. This dedication occurs on Walter Gottlieb’s 44th yartzheit, almost exactly eighty years to the evening on which his family presented the scroll to Rabbi David Wice. Our congregation is grateful to Walter’s children (and our members) Steven Gottlieb and Ellen Saylan for safeguarding the dignity of the scroll and ensuring that its story is preserved for future generations of Temple Israel congregants.

Rosh Chodesh: M&M’s Magical Mystery Tour Hosted by Mendy Halsted and Mindi Armstrong, sunday, april 7, 2 p.m. Join us for a Magical Mystery Tour of Old Jewish Omaha by bus! This is a great tour for newcomers who want to learn about the rich Jewish history of Omaha, those who have lived here all their lives and just want to reminisce, and everyone in between! Watch the eTidings for more details.

Adult Ed: More Precious than Rubies: Parting Wisdom from Cantor Shermet, wednesday, april 10, 6:30 p.m. For 18 years, Cantor Shermet has learned with us, prayed with us, celebrated our simchas with us, mourned with us, and walked the path of life with us. As she prepares for her retirement this summer, join Cantor Shermet for conversations about Jewish life, our congregation, her passions and interests, and her plans for the future.

TIfereTh Israel

Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: monday-friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. frIDay: No Services; Candlelighting, 7:23 p.m. saTurDay: Shabbat Morning service, 10 a.m. followed by a light Kiddush Luncheon; Got Shabbat, 11 a.m.; Havdalah (72 minutes), 8:24 p.m. sunDay: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.; LJCS Gesher, 10 a.m.; After LJCS classes Pancakes with a Purpose.

The 5th graders are cooking and serving a pancake bar and juice. Cost is $5 per plate, and all proceeds go to our classes' Tzedakah project; Hamantaschen-Making Workshop, 1:30 p.m. at STT; Purim Spiel, 3 p.m. at STT; 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: LJCS Board Meeting, 6 p.m. weDnesDay: LJCS Hebrew School, 4 p.m. at TI. Purim Extravaganza 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. RSVP to Nancy Coren.

ThursDay: Hebrew Reading class, 7 p.m. at the synagogue taught by Nancy Coren. Please let her know if you plan to attend and bring a pack of index cards with you.

Nebraska Steel Drum Concert, sunday, march 31, 3 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. The group features Jonah Payne and Louis Raymond-Kolker. All ages welcome. RSVP to corenan cy@gmail.com or 402.770.4167.

Sommerhauser Symposium on Antisemitism in the 1930s and Today, april 1, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at Colonial Rooms A&B in the City Campus Union, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. For more information contact Ari Kohen at akohen2@unl.edu or Gerald J. Steinacher at gsteinacher2@unl.edu.

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.

A teen and parent registration and information meeting for the 2019 Teen Trip to Israel is scheduled for Sunday, March 31, 2019 at 4:30 p.m. in the JCC Auditorium.

Join us for pizza and an opportunity to preview the exciting 2019 Teen Trip to Israel itinerary!

All students who will be a junior or senior in high school in the fall of 2019 and are enrolled in Hebrew School at your synagogue are eligible to apply.

RSVPs may be sent to jkatzman@ Jerusalem tower of David jewishomaha.org.

For additional information, please call Julee Katzman at 402.334.6428.

The Jewish Press | March 22, 2019 | 11

lifecycles BIrth

SOnyA SuSAn weIdInger

Mara and Matt Weidinger of Denver, CO, announce the March 11 birth of their daughter, Sonya Susan (BatSheva Bina Rina).

She is named for her bubbie, the late Susan F. Zalkin, and great-grandfather, Ron Weidinger.

Grandparents are Mark and the late Susan Zalkin, z’l of Denver, and Julie and Don Weidinger of Colorado Springs, CO. Great-grandparents are the late Allen and the late Monie Zalkin of Omaha, and Ron Weidinger.

B’nAI MItzvAh

SAShA Belle denenBerg

Sasha Belle Denenberg, daughter of Tippi and Steve Denenberg, will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, March 30, at Beth El Synagogue.

Sasha is a sixth-grade student at Lewis and Clark Middle School. She recently starred as Alison in the musical Fun Home at the Omaha Community Playhouse and spent two years traveling with the Nebraska Theater Caravan as Tiny Tim. Last year she won first place in the district in the Modern Woodmen Of America speech contest.

She is interested in softball, acting, singing, piano, and camping.

She has three brothers, Danny, Michael, Solomon, and a sister, Sima.

Grandparents are Norman and the late Eunice Denenberg, and Carolyn and the late Bernard Magid.

jOrdAn nOgg

Jordan Nogg, son of Jaime and Brian Nogg, will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, March 30, at Temple Israel.

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

He is interested in playing basketball and baseball, watching and quoting comedies, playing sports video games and hanging out with his friends.

For his mitzvah project, Jordan volunteered at AllPlay (baseball complex for special needs kids), he helped coach a special flag football team and volunteered for flag football officiating at the Special Olympics State games.

He has two brothers, Cory, age 10 and Taylor, age 7, and a dog, Frankie, a yorkie poo.

Grandparents are Patty and Steve Nogg, and Judy and Craig Goldford of St. Louis, MO.

MArrIAge

levInger/SprInger

Amy Levinger and Paul Springer were married March 9, 2019 at Temple Israel in Omaha. The ceremony was officiated by Brian Stoller and Cantor Wendy Shermet.

Amy is the daughter of Bonnie and Steve Levinger of Omaha and the granddaughter of Leta and Chuck Levinger of Yankton, SD, and the late Sue and Bert Kwasman of Scottsdale, AZ. Amy earned her BS in Nursing from University of Michigan and an APRN, Family Nurse Practitioner from Clarkson College. She works as a Nurse Practitioner in the Pulmonology Department at NYU Langone Hospital.

Paul is the son of Eileen and Fred Springer of Stamford, CT, and he is the grandson of Lenny Springer and the late Myrna Springer of NYC, and Sarah and Manny Bernstein of Myrtle Beach, SC. Paul received his BA from University of Michigan and JD from Georgetown University. He is practicing bankruptcy law at Milbank, LLP. Following the wedding, the couple went to South Africa. They will continue to reside in New York City.

US Jewish communities support Muslim neighbors at services and vigils

MArcy OSter JTA Jewish communities throughout the United States attended vigils and services at mosques in their communities to express support and concern in the wake of the murder by a white supremacist of at least 50 Muslim worshipers at two New Zealand mosques. e Bend the Arc Jewish Action organization created an interactive map to allow users to locate a vigil or solidarity rally near them.

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Omahans from different faiths came together at the American Muslim Institute to show their support, Sunday March 17 e Levine Center to End Hate and the Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester organized members of the Jewish community to stand outside of the Islamic Center of Rochester on Sunday to show support and solidarity, including with messages on handmade signs.

Two Cleveland-area rabbis were scheduled to speak Sunday, March 17 at an interfaith vigil for peace and understanding organized by the suburban Chagrin Valley Islamic Center. e Islamic Center of Boulder, Colorado invited the Jewish community to attend a multi-faith vigil on Sunday “to honor the victims, to pray for them and to call for peace.”

In San Francisco’s Bay Area, Jews attended prayers on Friday aernoon, March 15 at several mosques, with Jewish groups encouraging their members to attend, including Peninsula JCC, Peninsula Temple Beth El, Peninsula Temple Shalom, Congregation Beth Jacob, the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation and the Jewish Community Relations Council, J. e Jewish News of Northern California reported.

In the South Bay area, Jews attended Friday services at the South Bay Islamic Association in San Jose on March 15. e New York Jewish community joined hundreds of fellow New Yorkers who gathered at Washington Square Park for an interfaith prayer session and vigil. e event was moved to an earlier time to allow Sabbath-observant Jews to attend.

Following the New Zealand attack, a lawmaker from Britain’s Labour Party called for action against a neo-Nazi radio station called Radio Aryan, which broadcasts antiJewish and anti-Muslim hate, the London-based Jewish Chronicle reported.

Lawmaker Stephen Doughty has been working for months to put a stop to the pirate radio station that broadcasts on social media. e station, which broadcasts daily readings from Hitler’s Mein Kampf, is transmitted from a secret location in Britain. e station has praised the manifesto of Brenton Tarrant, the man arrested for being the gunman in the New Zealand mosque shootings.

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12 | The Jewish Press | March 22, 2019

food

the secret ingredient for the best schnitzel cHAyA rAPPoPort f you love pickles, you might oen be le with jars and jars of leover pickle juice. Before you throw out that brine, there’s actually so many ways to use it.

And while you can definitely make a good briny cocktail with that leover liquid, my favorite way to use pickle juice is actually to brine chicken in it. e acid in the juice helps tenderize and moisten the chicken (it’s especially great for white meat), plus the pickle juice flavors and infuses

the chicken with its characteristic brininess. It isn’t overpowering in the least — here it lends a light vinegary undertone to the schnitzels that keep you guessing and wanting more.

Make sure you brine the schnitzel the night before you plan to make it, or at least several hours in advance, so the chicken has time to soen and absorb the flavors of the brine. And don’t forget to serve it with hot sauce, honey and, of course, more pickles. is article originally appeared on e Nosher.

PIckLe brIneD ScHnItZeL

Ingredients: For the brine: 1/2 cup pickle juice 1 tbsp. granulated sugar 1 tbsp. pickling spice 1 tbsp. whole black peppercorns 1 tsp. fine sea salt 1 cup fresh dill leaves For the schnitzel: 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to ¼ thickness 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper (or to taste) 2 large eggs 2 cups cornflake crumbs canola oil, for frying Pickles, hot sauce and honey for serving Directions: Make the brine: Combine the brine ingredients in a bowl, and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Pour the brine into a large container, add the chicken breasts, and cover with enough water to ensure the chicken is completely covered. Refrigerate for up to 12 hours, or

overnight.

Remove the chicken from the brine and rinse under cool water to remove any brine particles clinging to it. Pat dry with paper towels.

Next, set up your breading station: Beat eggs in a shallow bowl. Place the flour in another shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. Place the cornflake crumbs in a third bowl.

Line a plate with parchment. Working with 1 chicken breast at a time, dredge Credit: Chaya Rappoportr in flour, shaking off excess, then dip into egg mixture, turning to coat evenly; carefully coat with cornflake crumbs, pressing the crumbs to adhere them to the chicken. Transfer chicken to parchment lined plate.

Add 1/4 inch canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 chicken breasts to skillet and cook until golden brown on both sides, 3-4 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken breasts to a paper towellined plate and season with additional sprinkle of salt while still hot.

Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.

Serve hot with pickles, hot sauce, and spicy honey if desired.

Serves 4-6.

Amaré Stoudemire granted Israeli citizenship

MArcy oSter JERUSALEM | JTA Former NBA star Amaré Stoudemire was granted Israeli citizenship.

Stoudemire received his official Israel identity card in a ceremony at the Interior Ministry on March 13.

Interior Minister Aryeh Deri said he was granted citizenship due to his “unique contributions” to Israeli society. Now, Deri said, “Amare will be Israel’s ambassador to the world.”

“It’s a very exciting moment for me. My body is flooded with emotions now, my love for Israel has been with me for many years, and being part of Israel is something very special,” Stoudemire said at the ceremony, the Hebrew language Ynet reported. “I would like to say thank you also to Hapoel Jerusalem for giving me the opportunity to play on the team and to help me in this Amaré Stoudemire, Israeli Interior Minister Aryeh Deri and Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Leon. process.”

Credit: Hadas Parush/Flash90 Stoudemire has been playing professional basketball for the Hapoel Jerusalem team since 2016, though he left briefly in mid-2017 to try for a return to the NBA. He was granted residency rights in January. Having citizenship will free up one of the team’s few allowed slots for non-citizens in Israeli League competition.

He identifies with the Hebrew Israelites, African-Americans who believe they are connected to the biblical Israelites, and observes Jewish holidays. He told HBO sports reporter Jon Frankel at an event at Harvard University in April 2018 that he is “in the process” of converting to Judaism.

Stoudemire played for the New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns among other teams in a 16-year NBA career. He had to suspend his part ownership in Hapoel in order to play.

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