April 7, 2023

The Jewish Press

The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of the Jewish Federation of Omaha (JFO) is very excited to announce our participation in a new, national campaign reaching all Americans to raise awareness about antisemitism, and you are invited to join us.

On March 27, the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism (FCAS, founded in 2019 by Robert Kraft), launched the Stand Up To Jewish Hate campaign, featuring captivating storytelling that showcases what antisemitism looks like on social media and in our communities today.

The campaign will roll out across broadcast, social and digital media, billboards and digital ads through the month of May. It will also be seen on social media feeds and shared by a wide range of like-minded partners throughout the country.

Share your voice!

The campaign includes a simple way for you to add your voice and activate your network in the fight against antisemitism. We

want our entire community to speak out and Stand Up to Jewish Hate when the campaign launches. Stay tuned for more details about how you can join this national movement against antisemitism.

We are asking everyone to post and share the blue box emoji hashtag on social media, using the blue square emoji on your phone, as a simple but powerful unifying symbol of solidarity.

We all know that antisemitism is rising at alarming rates in the United States. Yet, new polling finds that more than half of Americans do not believe “antisemitism is a big problem” and nearly half believe that “Jews are more than capable of handling issues of antisemitism on their own”.

That’s why we are proud to join the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism and a wide coalition of Jewish and non-Jewish groups, to raise awareness and empower all Americans to join us to prevent hatred and intolerance towards Jews. We need to drive home the message that while Jews make up just 2.4% of the U.S. population, we are the victims of 55% of all religious hate crimes.

Here are a few actions you can take to See Stand Up To Jewish Hate page 2

Yom HaShoah:

Volunteers of the Year

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMPWRIGHT Jewish Press Editor

We often rely on the dedication and generosity of our wonderful volunteers to further our mission to build and sustain a strong and vibrant Omaha Jewish community and to support Jews in Israel and around the world. Every year, it is a privilege to honor those in our community who give tirelessly and selflessly to make our Jewish community the best it can be.

We invite you to mark your calendars for the evening of Monday, June 5 when the Jewish Federation of Omaha honors the 2022-23 Agency Volunteers of the Year during the Annual Meeting and Awards Night. We’ll roll out the red carpet and celebrate these great people together!

Jeff Zacharia is a member of the JFO board and is the is Jewish Federation of Omaha’s Volunteer of the Year. He serves as the Chair of the JFO Planning and Community Engagement Committee. Jeff was the inspiration and guiding force of the recent community focus groups that provided useful information to the JFO Board and leadership team, JFO President Mike Siegel said. Jeff personally called almost 100 people and invited them to participate in three different focus groups.

SCOTT LITTKY Institute for Holocaust Education Executive Director

Each year it is an honor for the Institute for Holocaust Education, along with our local congregations, to

plan our annual Yom HaShoah commemoration.

This year we will be holding our annual Omaha Holocaust Commemoration on Wednesday, April 19 at 7 p.m. in the Alan J. Levine Theater at the Jewish Community Center, 333 South 132nd Street.

Along with the clergy participation from Cantor Joanna Alexander and Hazzan Michael Krausman, we are honored to have Survivors, second Generation Survivors and community members participating in the candle lighting ceremony commemorating the victims and survivors of the Holocaust.

Our featured program this year will

be an encore performance of the play, When We Go Away by J.R. Dawson.

The stories of Holocaust survivors Dr. Fred Kader, Rachel Rosenberg, Helena Tichauer, and Katherine Williams are interwoven into this play written by playwright, J.R. Dawson and commissioned by IHE. Using minimal set and costuming, the play asks us to focus on the stories: how they connect to each other, to us, and ultimately what will happen when the storytellers go away. Both a call to remember and to act, When We Go Away not only informs the audience but asks it to become part of the story.

See Yom HaShoah page 3

Jeff is full of ideas for Jewish Omaha. He is an engaged board member who works behind the scenes to continuously improve services and experiences for the community, and has brought many people together to brainstorm how we can grow and sustain the Omaha Jewish population.

Jewish Social Services/Rose Blumkin Jewish Home nominates Gretchen Hutson as their Volunteer of the Year. Gretchen has volunteered with the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home since the beginning of 2022. She enjoys visiting and baking with the Residents on a regular basis, and truly involves them in whatever she does. Gretchen’s patient nature shows empathy and kindness towards others,

See Volunteers of the Year page 3

Friedel to welcome Arielle Levine Page 3

TFI Unity Garden and Hope Orchard update Page 4

My experience with Chaim Topol Page 5

SHARON BRODKEY Executive Director JCRC

A unique experience for our community

Newcomers Nosh

JAY KATELMAN

JFO Director of Community

Development

On Sunday, March 26, the Jewish Federation of Omaha hosted a Newcomers Nosh. It was an event for those who are new to the Omaha Jewish community and those who may not be new but are newly returning after time away. It was a wonderful event that hosted about 30 people. We went around the room, and everyone shared where they were from,

what they liked about Omaha, and then we talked about what they would like to see from the Federation that would entice individuals and families to get more involved.

Everyone learned a lot, myself included. One of the biggest things that transplants love about Omaha when they first arrive is the traffic; something that I was unaware I take for granted.

Everyone also loves how welcoming our Jewish community is. Many people

Stand Up To Jewish Hate

Continued from page 1

#StandUptoJewishHate and join this national movement:

• Post and share the hashtag- an emoji already available on most mobile devices - on your social media channels, email signatures, and text messages, alongside a message of support against hate and intolerance.

• Speak up and share your personal story with antisemitism

• Follow the #StandUpToJewishHate campaign at @StandUpToJewishHate on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok to keep up-to-date with this initiative and learn more about antisemitism.

• Visit www.StandUpToJewishHate.org to subscribe to the Foundation’s “From the Command Center” e-newsletter to learn more about how antisemitism is spreading online, learn ways to identify and report it, and find helpful tools and resources around antisemitism.

• Support the fight against antisemitism by making a contribution.

Together, we can educate and empower more Americans to join us in the fight to Stand Up to Jewish Hate.

IN THE NEWS

The Old Avoca Schoolhouse in Avoca, Nebraska, will be streaming three on line Wedding Music Workshops for soprano recorder players, fiddlers, violists, cellists, bassists, and mandolinists.

talked about just how warm their reception has been. I look forward to future small groups, coffees, lunches, and other events to help our newcomers feel more at home and involved. A huge thank you to everyone who made it to our program. I will be reaching out to people that attended; however, if you are new and would like to talk about how to get involved, please contact me at 402.334.6461 or jkatelman@jewish omaha.org

The Workshops will be on Tuesday, April 11, 7 p.m., CT, Wednesday, April 12, 10 a.m., CT, and Friday, April 14, 7 p.m., CT. Different tunes will be played at each session.

During these workshops, we will play and discuss tunes from the Wedding Fiddling Tunes for Two series. We will read, play, and discuss various survival skills for these kinds of pieces. A treble clef version of the sheet music for the tunes being played will be displayed on the screen during the workshop.

There is limited enrollment, and pre-registration is required. The cost for each workshop is $10. The cost of each optional book is $15 (includes shipping if ordered with workshop registration).

For more information, and to register: https://www.green blattandseay.com/workshops_wedding.shtml

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Friedel to welcome Arielle Levine

SARA KOHEN

Friedel Jewish Academy Director of Advancement

Friedel Jewish Academy is opening its new middle school in August, and Friedel’s new seventh and eighth grade Humanities Teacher will be Arielle Levine.

Friedel’s middle school will balance academic goals and human development needs, teaching core subjects and building critical thinking skills. The middle school will have daily core classes (Math, Science, Language Arts, and Social Studies), weekly special core classes (P.E., Art, and Music), and exploratory classes. The middle school teachers will have the flexibility to use the blocks of time as needed for active and engaging lessons and interdisciplinary units. Levine, who is herself a Friedel graduate, will be teaching Language Arts and Social Studies.

Volunteers of the Year

Continued from page 1

and she has built great friendships with many Residents. Gretchen is always willing to help out, and has been covering the majority of the requests to accompany Residents to medical appointments. She is very dependable and is always up for a new task or to lend a hand. Her usual response: “I can help with that!”

Gretchen has volunteered through various church groups, with the Mt. Crescent Ski Patrol, and most recently with the Food Bank of the Heartland. Newly retired, she taught children and youth with special needs, and worked in behavior services for children with autism for six years. Gretchen has been married for over 30 years and has three adult children.

The Institute for Holocaust Education nominates Toba Cohen-Dunning as their Volunteer of the Year. “Toba is a dream volunteer,” Executive Director Scott Littky said. “From our first meeting, she has served as a sounding board, an advocate and cheerleader for IHE. She tells it like it is and is amazingly helpful in seeing all sides of what needs to be accomplished. She has been and will continue to be an asset in moving the mission and vision of IHE forward. Toba is also a relationship builder; she knows everyone and has been very helpful in opening new doors for IHE.”

The JCRC proudly nominates Carol Bloch as it’s very first Volunteer of the Year!

“She is the consummate volunteer and advocate,” Executive Director Sharon Brodkey said. She has served on the Jewish Federation of Omaha board, the Planned Parenthood Board of Directors, including one year as President, and is a founding member of Planned Parenthood Voters. She was on the ADLCRC Regional board and co-chaired the Civil Rights Committee. She is currently on the JCRC board and leads the Civil Rights Committee. In addition, she has been on the board of Nebraska Appleseed and served on several committees, and is a founding member and co-chair of the Courts Matter Coalition of Nebraska. Carol volunteers and advocates because she says she “can’t NOT do it.” Many of her passions, like reproductive rights and voting access have become political hot buttons and that keeps her engaged in order to preserve the civil liberties of everyone.

One of Carol’s guiding principles is that working with an organization or group amplifies your individual voice. She says it can be hard, though not impossible, for one person to make a difference, but by joining with an organization, you can work in common cause with other groups.

“Unfortunately, our work is never done,” Carol said. “With

Trade scholarships available for the 2023-24 academic year

An anonymous donor in our community has created two trade school and/or cosmetology school scholarship opportunities, up to $5,000 each, to go towards the 2023-24 academic year.

Not every student who advances into higher education signs up for a four-year curriculum. Some high school graduates seek job training that lasts a year or two and then places them in the workforce. Such opportunities include, but are not restricted to: Information Technology, Construction, Industrial, Transportation and Horticulture. It is not too late to apply for this upcoming school year!

Qualified students who have unmet needs regarding tuition for either a two-year trade school program or a trade certificate program can contact the Jewish Press at avandekamp @jewishomaha.org or jpress@jewishomaha.org for more information.

Levine’s time as a student at Friedel fostered a deep love of learning and commitment to the Jewish community. After leaving Friedel, she was inspired to spend multiple summers traveling and working in Israel, and then continue her learning in a Jewish setting at Brandeis University. She graduated with a degree in Business and Economics.

After spending a handful of years working in the business world, she realized that something was missing. She chose to return to school to become a teacher, and received her Master of Arts in Teaching, with endorsements in Middle-Level Language Arts, as well as in Business, Marketing, and Information Technology.

Levine’s teaching experience includes both the middle and high school levels. While it was always a dream of hers to return and teach at Friedel, she found that her passion lay at the middle school level. She explained, “Middle school is a difficult time for students. Lots of changes going on. I found that I could be part of the support system students need in order to flourish.”

She continued, “When I heard that Friedel was looking to expand to the middle school level, I almost couldn’t believe it. I knew I had to apply right away!” As a second-generation Jewish educator, she knew that Friedel was where she needed to be.

We are excited to have her!

so many volatile and important issues currently before us, I see no ‘mission accomplished’ sign on the horizon. My priority is educating the younger generation,” she added. “I want people to learn about the issues, and then I want them to take the next step by contacting their representatives, writing letters to the editor, and getting involved. Even if our elected officials do not agree with us, they need to hear from us.”

The Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation nominates Murray Newman as its first-ever Volunteer of the Year.

“Whenever you think of the cornerstone families,” Executive Director Amy Bernstein Shivvers said, “those who have played a major role in building the Omaha Jewish community, you’ll find the name ‘Newman.’ Inspired by father Jule, Murray Newman has been a vital and influential community leader for decades. A founding member of the JFO Foundation Board and having served as its Chair, his extensive knowledge, intelligence, investment expertise and sound advice have been invaluable.”

In 2009, Murray and his wife Sharee were named Humanitarians of the Year by the Jewish Federation of Omaha, noting his genuine passion to make this community strong, maintain what has already been built and always with an eye on the future. Murray shows up every day with his time, talent and financial support. He continues to be engaged and active on the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation Board and its Investment Committee (he was the Committee Chair from 2003 to 2022). We are all truly grateful for his loyalty, commitment and service in every facet of our Jewish community.

The Jewish Press nominates Debra Kaplan as its Volunteer of the Year. Debra regularly provides photography service for many agencies and synagogues, and she does so free of charge, every single time. Not only are her photos of the highest quality, she seamlessly moves through the crowd to take requested shots, pre-planned shots and random casual pictures-and her work is truly beautiful.

She’s covered everything from the Annual Campaign Community Event to Chabad’s Mega Challah Bake, volunteered for different agencies in Jewish Omaha, but you can also find her in the broader Omaha community, donating her time and talents to benefit a wide variety of causes. She does it all with unlimited enthusiasm and warmth. If you have seen any coverage of what goes on in our community, it’s likely you have seen her work. The time she dedicates is impressive too, because taking pictures (usually in the hundreds) means editing them afterwards.

Yom HaShoah

Continued from page 1

On Sunday, April 23 at 2 p.m. in Lincoln, Nebraska, at the State Capitol in the Rotunda our annual state commemoration will be held. Included in the program will be artwork and poetry from the Lincoln Public Schools. The keynote speaker will be Arthur Zygielbaum. His presentation is titled, A Sacred Obligation. For this commemoration, Senator Jen Day will be serving as our legislative sponsor.

This year’s Yom HaShoah commemoration is supported by Beth El Synagogue, Beth Israel Synagogue, Temple Israel, Etta and Harold Epstein Security Fund, Foundation IMPACT Grant, Murray H. & Sharee C. Newman Supporting Foundation, Morton Richards Youth Fund, Special Donor-Advised Fund of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation.

For more information on this year’s commemoration, please contact, Scott Littky at slittky@ihene.org

Arielle Levine

TFI Unity Garden and Hope Orchard update

KATHY BEAUCHAINE

“The phrase ‘tikkun olam’ was first used to refer to social action work in the 1950s. In subsequent decades, many other organizations and thinkers have used the term to refer to social action programs; tzedakah (charitable giving) and gemilut hasadim (acts of kindness); and progressive Jewish approaches to social issues.” myjewishlearning.org.

HONEYMAN RENT-ALL

Temple Israel has long been involved in tikkun olam. An example of that work is through increasing access to food for those in need, for example, through the annual food drive for the Food Bank of the Heartland. Additionally, for many years a crew of dedicated volunteers has cooked and served breakfast one to two times a month at the Stephen Center in South Omaha. These efforts continue. They are a few examples the work of Temple Israel staff and congregants that exemplify tikkun olam through tzedakah and gemilut hasadim. Add to this list the on-site donation garden and orchard, dubbed The Unity Garden and Hope Orchard.

The idea of an on-site donation garden started in the Temple Israel Social Justice Committee as that group investigated ways to address food insecurity in Omaha. The idea materialized due to cooperation between Temple Israel and the Tri-

Faith Initiative project. Thus, the Unity Garden and Hope Orchard began four years ago. Water for irrigation and space for the garden is graciously supplied by Temple Israel. The project was further enhanced when an anonymous donor provided funds for the TEVA (Nature) classroom at Temple. The garden, orchard and TEVA have flourished under the direction of Bonni Leiserowitz. Her leadership, the financial and moral support of donors large and small, and many helpful hands have made for success in this project.

See TFI Unity Garden and Hope Orchard page 6

Jewish Federation of Omaha launches new form to report threats

JAMES DONAHUE

JFO Security Manager

The Jewish Federation of Omaha announced today that it has partnered with more than 30 other Jewish Federations and the Secure Community Network (SCN), the official safety and security organization for the Jewish community in North America, to launch a new, standardized online form for the public to report threats, incidents, and suspicious activity related to Jewish organizations, facilities, or community members. The form is available on the Federation’s website at https://www.jccomaha.org/incident-reporting-form/

“Our new online reporting form is one of the many ways the Jewish Federation of Omaha is working to protect the Jewish community,” said Federation Safety and Security Manager James Donahue. “Together with the Secure Community Network, we urge everyone to report anything suspicious or concerning so the appropriate action can be taken.”

Information reported through the form is sent immediately to the Federation’s security professionals and the 24-hour Duty Desk in SCN’s National Jewish Security Operations Command Center, where SCN’s team of intelligence analysts are available to support local Federation security initiatives using intelligence and information-sharing best practices to determine what people or facilities may be at risk, as well as what next steps to take.

Credible threats are referred to local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and Jewish facility leaders as needed.

“This is the first nationally standardized incident reporting effort that ties together local Federation security initiatives and SCN as a national partner, ensuring that wherever someone is, there can be timely, consistent, and accurate reporting of threats, incidents, and suspicious activity,” said SCN National Director and CEO Michael Masters. “This is critical to keeping the Jewish community safe. In a world where threats travel at the speed of social media, this effort enhances our ability to

INFORMATION

identify trends and incidents across communities and work with security professionals and law enforcement to address them. Through a coordinated, best practice approach to information sharing, this initiative will help us more effectively and efficiently address threats and issues before they turn to action.”

The new form can be used to report in-person assaults or threats; suspicious persons or activity; property damage or vandalism; threatening or suspicious phone calls, text messages, or social media; suspicious packages or letters; spam and phishing emails; antisemitic or threatening flyers; or other similar incidents of concern to the Jewish community. Reports may be made anonymously.

The effort will also allow SCN to better aggregate and collect information, providing more comprehensive and reliable data to partners in the Jewish community and in law enforcement. This is especially important given this week’s announcement that one in three law enforcement agencies in the United States – representing up to half of the Jewish community – did not report hate crimes data to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for 2021.

The system was developed after careful analysis of the threat environment and a recognized need to ensure consistent, best practice incident reporting across the community, in line with national standards. The form was developed with input from key information-sharing, law enforcement, and public safety partners, as well as those in the nonprofit, academic, and private sectors. The form is designed to be compliant with federal reporting guidelines and constitutional requirements.

In an emergency, always call 9-1-1 first. If online reporting is not practical, follow established protocols to report suspicious activity – to include contacting local law enforcement and/or the relevant suspicious activity reporting authority –and contact the SCN Duty Desk at dutydesk@securecom munitynetwork.org or by calling 844.SCN.DESK.

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

PJ Library Challah

Tots

JENNIFER TOMPKINS, CAP®

JFO Philanthropy & Engagement Executive Director

Parents and grandparents got to know each other while children ages five and under in the Jewish community braided and baked challah. The families experienced a special STEM (science, technology, engineering, and match) activity with Ms. Emily.

The group learned which ob-

jects float and which objects sink and why.

One participant introduced himself and said he was five years old. When asked if he had any siblings, he said he has an older brother and a “dog” brother. The dog brother is 10 and the participant said he was five, yet he was older than his “dog” brother. He explained that his number was smaller, but he was older. Interesting math conversations at Challah tots.

Thank you to Sara Kohen, Director of Advancement, at the Friedel Jewish Academy who hosted and led the PJ Library Challah Tots event.

Thank you also to the support of Ruth Frisch & Oscar S. Belzer Endowment Fund, Lisa & Aryeh Coll, Etta & Harold Epstein Security Fund, Foundation IMPACT Grant, Harold Grinspoon Foundation, Kiewit Companies Foundation, Milton S. & Corinne N. Livingston Foundation Fund, Carolyn Kully Newman Memorial Fund, Esther K. Newman Memorial Fund, Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools & Staenberg Family Foundation.

ORGANIZATIONS

B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS

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

My experience with Chaim Topol

ALEKS SALKIN

Apart from his most famous role as Tevye the Dairyman in Fiddler on the Roof, oddly enough I first knew about Chaim Topol from his role as James Bond’s ally Milos Columbo in For Your Eyes Only, as well as the Israeli movie Ervinka - one of the first Hebrew-language movies I ever watched, and about the only Israeli movie I could find on DVD in Omaha back in the mid 2000s.

But personally, my favorite memory of him was randomly meeting him in person shortly after I moved to Israel in 2013.

I was nudged into volunteering at the international Maccabiah Games in Netanya, Israel, and at the very end of my last day one of the security guards came up to Maya, the gal in charge, and said, “You’ll never guess who’s behind me: Chaim Topol!”

I quickly spun around and sure enough, probably 10 or so yards behind him was Chaim Topol. The guard said he was there to watch his grandson compete in some sport or another. Topol walked by, and though I was slightly in shock I mustered up the courage to ask in Hebrew “Excuse me, Mr. Topol?

JEWISH PRESS READERS

Can we get a picture?”

Though he was in a hurry, he turned around and politely agreed, adding, “quickly though.” Even though I could tell he was anxious to watch his grandson compete, he was still all too happy to fulfill the request of this anonymous fan with a funny American accent.

I gave my camera to the guard and he snapped this picture.

Afterward I thanked him, he bade me farewell, and continued on his way.

It’s one of my very few celebrity meeting stories, but one I’ll always cherish. While his death represents the end of a bygone era in cinema, his life represented what it meant to be a Jew: hard-working, enthusiastic, and with an eye toward changing the world.

Aleks Salkin is a native of Omaha who made Aliyah to Israel in 2013. While there he founded his online fitness business, Salkin Strength Solutions, which is now headquartered out of Omaha, which he returned to full time in 2019. He has also served as a teacher off and on at Beth El, where he is a life-long member and congregant. He can be reached online at www.Aleks Salkin.com

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

Aleks Salkin and Chaim Topol

TFI Unity Garden and Hope Orchard

Continued from page 4

As mentioned in a previous article, 5300 pounds of produce was donated to community pantries in 2022 alone, powered by over 2000 volunteer hours. Numerous volunteers from each of the faith groups and from other folks in the community provide the human-power and brain-power to manage and tend the garden and orchard. These volunteers are intercultural, intergenerational and multi-talented. The youngest is about three years old and the oldest is more than 80 years young.

Through this joyful work, countless interconnections and relationships have sprouted between the volunteers and the folks at the donation sites. With few exceptions, the produce is delivered the day it is harvested. In 2022, donations went to the Countryside Community Church Pantry, Claire Memorial United Methodist Church Pantry, the Chabad House Pantry, the Intercultural Senior Center and the Stephen Center. The needs are great and growing.

With the arrival of Spring and Passover, the garden crew started seeds in the TEVA classroom this past week. As soon as the soil and air temperatures allow, planting outside will commence. Throughout the year, the young orchard also requires tending. You are invited to join in on this adventure. Interested? Send an email to info@trifaith.org to get connected, with questions or to get on the TFI Unity Garden and

Hope Orchard email list which keeps you informed and includes the signup genius. We look forward to welcoming you!

Scott Littky to speak at B’nai Israel

Scott Littky is the Executive Director of the Institute for Holocaust Education (IHE) at the Jewish Federation of Omaha. He will be the featured speaker at B’Nai Israel Synagogue on Friday, April 14. Services at B’Nai Israel start at 7:30 p.m. and are followed by an oneg.

Scott has been with the Institute for Holocaust Education since the summer of 2018, and is very proud of the work he and his staff are doing. The IHE provides educational resources, workshops, survivor testimony, and integrated arts programming to students, educators, and the public. The IHE also provides support to Holocaust survivors in our community.

“Our goal is to ensure that the tragedy and history of the Holocaust are remembered, and that appropriate, fact-based instruction and materials are available to students, educators, and the public to enable them to learn the lessons of the Holocaust and to inspire our community to create a more just and equitable society,” said Scott.

Scott holds a BA in History from Wayne State University and did his graduate work in education and Judaic Studies. He served as a Jewish educator and education director for over 34 years in Detroit, Omaha, Ann Arbor and Alexandria, VA. In addition, he is a trained Yad Vashem educator with a background in training educators and writing curriculum for Holocaust studies, mainly for use in supplementary schools.

Scott and his wife Felicia have two grown children. Sarah made Aliyah at 19, served in the IDF and is currently living in Dallas, Texas. Avi is a graduate of Nebraska Wesleyan with a degree in Theater Directing and works in Washington D.C.

Scott is a devoted Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions and Washington Capitals fan.

The entire community is welcome to join for services and stay for the oneg after. For more information about B’nai Israel Synagogue, please visit https://www.cblhs.org

Scott LIttky

SP O TLIGHT

PHOTOS FROM RECENT JEWISH COMMUNITY EVENTS

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

GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY

We’re catching up on our Purim submissions! The holiday was celebrated in style at Beth Israel, Beth El and Temple Israel.

Top, above, below and bottom: Purim at Beth El

Above, left and below: Beth Israel

Above, right and below: Purim at Temple Israel

Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole.

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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 JFO are: Institute for Holocaust Education, Jewish Community Relations Council, Jewish Community Center, 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.jewishomaha.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. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment.

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A shameless plug for LOVE

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor

Exactly one month from the publishing date of this paper is the LOVE Gala. On May 7, 2023 the League of Volunteers for the Elderly finally gets to celebrate turning 50—although by now, it’s 52. May 7 is also my personal 52nd birthday, which could be a coincidence. Still, I know where I will be that day. Seriously, you should join me.

Honorary Chairs of this event are Patty and Steve Nogg (and who would not want to hang out with those two?) and there are two opportunities that day to attend a very special celebratory concert by Billy McGuigan.

The event starts at 1 p.m. with an ice cream social, including a magician, balloon animals and face painting for family enjoyment. The afternoon concert starts at 2:30 p.m. The evening performance has a start time of 5:30 p.m. with a cocktail hour and hord’oeuvres, and the concert starts at 7 p.m.; the location is of course our very own Alan J. Levine Performing Arts Theater. All you need is Love, and your tickets!

Money raised will be used for the support and benefit of Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Residents, enhancing their quality of life.

In the October 1, 1971 edition of the Jewish Press, Miriam Simon, z”l, “explained the purposes and needs of LOVE and described the areas of service that could be filled by the volunteers. These activities range from recreational services and games; occupational therapy subjects; special interest groups; social activities and parties; and other serv-

ices to Residents which include motor transportation, shopping and simply friendly visiting.”

Once LOVE began to become a regular presence at what was then called the Dr. Sher Home, none other than Mary Fellman wrote a weekly column for the Jewish Press, detailing everything the volunteers did. And yes, the very first activity ever was a bingo game. She also promised updates about what Washington was doing to benefit the elderly, because: “the subject of the elderly,” she wrote, “is worthy of the attention of all who are concerned about this special group.”

I’d go one step further: it’s worthy of the attention of all, period. Regardless of your age, occupation, whether you have personal connections among the Residents; what LOVE’s volunteers accomplish benefits all of us. Age does not set us apart, or at least it shouldn’t—and we should never treat any of us differently simply based on age.

LOVE most recently paid for half the auditorium updates for Blumkin including Blue Ray, integration of sound systems, new projector and updated equipment for seamless presentations. The quality of performance pieces just went from sweet to spectacular. The Staenberg Family Foundation matched the grant, the Home now has a $9,500 audio visual system.

Leading up to the big event, LOVE co-chair Gretchen Radler said this: “The past years of this pandemic have strengthened our collective understanding of the impact of isolation. While LOVE was

temporarily unable to fulfill our traditional role of offering in-person engagement to Residents, our volunteers have come up with innovative ways to connect to Residents and to keep Residents connected while continuing our mission to improve the quality of the Residents’ experience. Volunteers have ensured all Residents receive birthday cards, Mother’s and Father’s Day treats, special teas, Thanksgiving cocktails, Veteran’s Day tributes, Hanukkah and holiday parties and many other small touches of LOVE.

Volunteers have also been generous in providing new Residents with welcome bags filled with all sorts of goodies and materials to help them transition to their new home while in isolation for a period of time. Most recently, LOVE purchased large iPads and stands to ensure Residents and their loved ones — near and far — could communicate during periods of quarantine and linen warmers for all neighborhoods, with the help of a Staenberg Family Foundation Anything Grant.”

One of the most pleasant aspects of our community is that it provides space for everyone. But to keep that so, we need to all roll up our sleeves. We show up, we commit, we call and email and register for events like these.

Funding for this concert is made possible thanks to a generous donation from the Karen Sokolof/Javitch Family Endowment. For more information, scan the QR code on this page, or visit www.jew ishomaha.org and click on the LOVE slider. See you May 7!

Which side are you on: Jewish American or American Jew?

OFER KENIG JTA

Earlier this month the New York Times convened what it called a “focus group of Jewish Americans.”

I was struck briefly by that phrase — Jewish Americans — in part because the Times, like the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, tends to prefer “American Jews.”

It’s seemingly a distinction without a difference, although I know others might disagree. There is an argument that “American Jew” smacks of disloyalty, describing a Jew who happens to be American. “Jewish American,” according to this thinking, flips the script: an American who happens to be Jewish.

If pressed, I’d say I prefer “American Jew.” The noun “Jew” sounds, to my ear anyway, more direct and more assertive than the tentative adjective “Jewish.” It’s also consistent with the way JTA essentializes “Jew” in its coverage, as in British Jew, French Jew, LGBT Jew or Jew of color.

I wouldn’t have given further thought to the subject if not for a webinar last week given by Arnold Eisen, the chancellor emeritus at the Jewish Theological Seminary. In “Jewish-American, AmericanJew: The Complexities and Joys of Living a Hyphenated Identity,” Eisen discussed how a debate over language is really about how Jews navigate between competing identities.

“What does the ‘American’ signify to us?” he asked. “What does the ‘Jewish’ signify and what is the nature of the relationship between the two? Is it a synthesis? Is it a tension, or a contradiction, or is it a blurring of the boundaries such that you can’t tell where one ends and the other begins?”

Questions like these, it turns out, have been asked since Jews and other immigrants first began flooding Ellis Island. Teddy Roosevelt complained in 1915 that “there is no room in this country for hyphenated Americans.” Woodrow Wilson liked to say that “any man who carries a hyphen about with him carries a dagger that he is ready to plunge into the vitals of the Republic.” The two presidents were frankly freaked out about what we now call multiculturalism, convinced that America couldn’t survive a wave of immigrants with dual loyalties.

The two presidents lost the argument, and for much of the 20th century “hyphenated American” was shorthand for successful acculturation. While

immigration hardliners continue to question the loyalty of minorities who claim more than one identity, and Donald Trump played with the politics of loyalty in remarks about Mexicans, Muslims and Jews, ethnic pride is as American as, well, St. Patrick’s Day. “I am the proud daughter of Indian immigrants,” former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said in announcing her run for the Republican presidential nomination this month.

Jewishness could only survive as a “subordinate civilization” in the United States, and that the “Jew in America will be first and foremost an American, and only secondarily a Jew.”

Kaplan’s prescription was a maximum effort on the part of Jews to “save the otherness of Jewish life” – not just through synagogue, but through a Jewish “civilization” expressed in social relationships, leisure activities and a traditional moral and ethical code. Of course, Kaplan also understood that there was another way to protect Jewish distinctiveness: move to Israel.

The political scientist Charles Liebman, in The Ambivalent American Jew (1973), argued that Jews in the United States were torn between surviving as a distinct ethnic group and integrating into the larger society.

For Jews, however, the hyphen became what philosophy professor Berel Lang called “a weighty symbol of the divided life of Diaspora Jewry.” Jewishness isn’t a distant country with quaint customs, but a religion and a portable identity that lives uneasily alongside your nationality. In a 2005 essay, Lang argued that on either side of the hyphen were “vying traditions or allegiances,” with the Jew constantly confronted with a choice between the American side, or assimilation, and the Jewish side, or remaining distinct.

Eisen calls this the “question of Jewish difference.” Eisen grew up in an observant Jewish family in Philadelphia, and understood from an early age that his family was different from their Vietnamese-, Italian-, Ukrainian- and African-American neighbors. On the other hand, they were all the same — that is, American because they were all hyphenated. “Being parallel to all these other differences, gave me my place in the city and in the country,” he said.

In college he studied the Jewish heavy hitters who were less sanguine about the integration of American and Jewish identities. Eisen calls Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, the renegade theologian at JTS, “the thinker who really made this question uppermost for American Jews.” Kaplan wrote in 1934 that

According to Eisen, Liebman believed that “Jews who make ‘Jewish’ the adjective and ‘American’ the noun tend to fall on the integration side of the hyphen. And Jews who make ‘Jew’ the noun and ‘American’ the adjective tend to fall on the survival side of the hyphen.”

Eisen, a professor of Jewish thought at JTS, noted that the challenge of the hyphen was felt by rabbis on opposite ends of the theological spectrum. He cited Eugene Borowitz, the influential Reform rabbi, who suggested in 1973 that Jews in the United States “are actually more Jewish on the inside than they pretend to be on the outside. In other words, we’re so worried about what Liebman called integration into America that we hide our distinctiveness.” Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik, the leading Modern Orthodox thinker of his generation, despaired that the United States presented its Jews with an unresolvable conflict between the person of faith and the person of secular culture.

When I read the texts Eisen shared, I see 20thcentury Jewish men who doubted Jews could be fully at home in America and at home with themselves as Jews (let alone as Jews who weren’t straight or white, which would demand a few more hyphens). They couldn’t imagine a rich Jewishness that didn’t exist as a counterculture, the way Cynthia Ozick wondered what it would be like to “think as a Jew” in a non-Jewish language like English. See Which side are you on page 9

Credit: JTA illustration by Mollie Suss

The most radical coalition in Israel’s history

Twenty-seven years have passed since Benjamin Netanyahu was first elected as Israel’s prime minister. Since 1996, he has headed six governments over a period of more than 15 years, more than any other prime minister. Unfortunately, his current coalition is one of the most radical-populist governments in Israel’s history. This government seeks to rapidly undermine Israel’s democracy by granting unlimited political power to the executive branch of government at the expense of the judiciary.

How can Netanyahu — a U.S.-educated and respected world leader who was cautious in his approach to building previous coalitions, and was once respectful of Israeli democratic institutions — support such a dangerous plan? Was the “writing on the wall” earlier on in his lengthy tenure?

A glimpse into Netanyahu’s years in office reveals that, indeed, signs of his being a populist leader — specializing in attacks against the so-called elite — could be detected long ago. As Likud leader in 1993, Netanyahu was blamed for ignoring the incitement by extremists that preceded the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin (a charge he vociferously denies). As early as 1997, during his first term as prime minister, he said that “the left has forgotten what it means to be Jewish.” Two years later, during an election campaign, he mocked the “leftist” press by saying “they are scared” (by the possibility of a right-wing victory). On Election Day in 2015, he posted a video urging Likud supporters to go out and vote by warning, “the Arabs are heading in droves to the polls.” That message led to accusations that the candidate was using racial dog whistles to motivate his followers.

However, Netanyahu’s populist discourse and his natural divide-and-conquer leadership style were balanced out, at least until 2015, by several factors. First, Netanyahu always sought to include centrist and even left-of-center parties in his coalition governments. Even when he could build a “pure” rightwing coalition (following the 2009 elections, for example), he preferred to invite partners from the opposing political side. His intention, he once said, was to provide a “wide and stable government that unites the people.”

Second, despite his hawkish image and his hardline discourse on security issues, Netanyahu was considered to be an exceedingly cautious leader in that arena. Risk-averse, he tended to avoid involving Israel in major wars and was wary of acting in ways that would spark violence between Israelis and Palestinians.

Third, over his many years in office, he had demonstrated respect for the rules of the game — and towards Israel’s Supreme Court. He even blocked earlier initiatives that sought to undermine the power of the judicial branch. “I believe that in a democracy, a strong and independent Court is what enables the existence of all other democratic institutions,” he said in 2012. “Every time a law comes across my desk that threatens to impair the independence of the courts, we will take it down.”

The 2015 elections should probably be regarded as the turning point, after which these balancing factors quickly gave way to unabashed populism. The unexpected resounding victory in that year’s elections brought out the hubris in Netanyahu. He formed a right-wing coalition government (only slightly moderated by Moshe Kahlon’s centrist Kulanu party), personally held four ministerial positions in addition to the prime ministership, and gave his blessing to the hugely controversial Nation-State Bill. This legislation, which anchored in law Israel’s status as the “national home of the Jewish people,” strengthened the Jewish component of Israel’s dual “Jewish and democratic” identity without in turn strengthening its democratic component — explicitly and implicitly downgrading minority rights.

Furthermore, Netanyahu’s longtime obsession with controlling press coverage reached a new level. His insistence on personally heading the Ministry of Communications and his excessive involvement in media —for example, installing a close ally as director-general of the ministry, and targeting and strong-arming ostensibly “unfriendly” newspapers and broadcasters — served as the background for two of the three indictments for which he is currently on trial.

Which side are you on

Continued from page 8

They couldn’t picture the hyphen as a plus sign, which pulled the words “Jewish” and “American” together.

Recent trends support the skeptics. Look at Judaism’s Conservative movement, whose rabbis are trained at JTS, and which has long tried to reconcile Jewish literacy and observance with the American mainstream. It’s shrinking, losing market share and followers both to Reform — where followers tend to fall on the “integration side” of the hyphen — and to Orthodoxy, where Jewish otherness is booming in places like Brooklyn and Lakewood, New Jersey. And the Jewish “nones” — those opting out of religion, synagogue and active engagement in Jewish institutions and affairs — are among the fastest-growing segments of American Jewish life.

The investigations on corruption charges, and his subsequent trial, further pushed Netanyahu toward populist extremes. Following three rounds of elections between 2019 and 2020, which threw Israel into an unprecedented political crisis, Netanyahu was forced to form a unity government with former Gen. Benny Gantz’s centrist Blue & White party. Coincidentally, just a few hours after the government’s first meeting, Netanyahu’s trial began in the Jerusalem District Court. The prime minister arrived at the court on May 24, 2020, accompanied by

several Likud Knesset members, and launched a fierce attack: What is on trial today is an effort to frustrate the will of the people — the attempt to bring down me and the right-wing camp. For more than a decade, the left has failed to do this at the ballot box. So over the last few years, they have discovered a new method: some segments in the police and the prosecution have joined forces with the leftist media… to manufacture baseless and absurd charges against me.

These statements made it clear that Netanyahu had crossed the Rubicon, setting the tone for his behavior ever since. He dispensed with the partnership with Gantz, sacrificing Israel’s economic and political interests along with it. In the build-up to the next elections, he legitimized extremist, racist politicians such as Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, who are today members of his governing coalition. After failing to form a government in 2021 (having been ousted from power after more than 12 consecutive years), he violated fundamental parliamentary conventions and norms. For instance, he instructed his right-wing allies to boycott Knesset committees and refused to attend the customary “update meeting” the parliamentary opposition leader holds with the prime minister. His previous respect for the rules of the game and democratic institutions was a thing of the past.

In that sense, it is no wonder that the current government he has formed, following his victory in the 2022 elections, is relentlessly pushing the overhaul of the judicial system, with little regard to the dangers the legislation poses to Israel’s democracy. This is due to a combination of Netanyahu’s own self-interest regarding his trial and the interests and worldviews of his political partners — politicians who hold extreme views (Ben-Gvir, Smotrich) as well as those who have previous corruption charges hanging over their heads (Aryeh Deri, leader of the haredi Orthodox Shas party).

The “old Bibi” would have never coalesced with such radical forces and would have never so bluntly disregarded democratic norms. But hubris, an instinct for self-preservation and his high self-regard as the “indispensable man” of Israeli politics created a new Bibi – and a crisis unlike anything Israel has ever seen.

Ironically, Netanyahu finds himself in an unexpected position as the moderating force in the most radical coalition in Israel’s history. He could tap the instincts that he once had and be the voice of reason, the one who plugs the dike with his finger. He has the chance to lead Israel to a major constitutional moment. Will he rise to this historical challenge?

Ofer Kenig is a research fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute and an associate professor in the Ashkelon Academic College.

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

Eisen appears more optimistic about a hyphenated Jewish identity, although he insists that it takes work to cultivate the Jewish side. “I don’t think there’s anything at stake necessarily on which side of the hyphen you put the Jewish on,” he said. “But if you don’t go out of your way to put added weight on the Jewish in the natural course of events, as Kaplan said correctly 100 years ago, the American will win.”

Andrew Silow-Carroll is is Editor at Large of the New York Jewish Week and Managing Editor for Ideas for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

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

Twenty-seven years after he first came to power, Benjamin Netanyahu has embraced a radical populism, writes Ofer Kenig. Credit: Both images via Getty

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

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN

South Street Temple

Union for Reform Judaism

2061 South 20th Street Lincoln, NE 68502-2797

402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE

Capehart Chapel

2500 Capehart Road

Offutt AFB, NE 68123

402.294.6244

email: oafbjsll@icloud.com

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME

323 South 132 Street Omaha, NE 68154

TEMPLE ISRAEL

Union for Reform Judaism (URJ)

13111 Sterling Ridge Drive Omaha, NE 68144-1206 402.556.6536 templeisraelomaha.com

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: TIFERETH ISRAEL

Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism

3219 Sheridan Boulevard Lincoln, NE 68502-5236

402.423.8569 tiferethisraellincoln.org

B’NAI ISRAEL

Monthly Speaker Series Service, Friday, April 14, 7:30 p.m. with our guest speaker, Scott Littky. Our service leader is Larry Blass. Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel!

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

BETH EL

Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman.

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

FRIDAY: Office Closed; Passover Day Two Morning Service, 10 a.m. at Beth El & Live Stream; Kabbalat Shabbat 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream.

SATURDAY: Passover/Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m. and Yizkor will be said; Havdalah, 8:30 p.m. Zoom Only.

SUNDAY: Morning Minyan, 9 a.m. Zoom Only; Torah Study, 10 a.m.

WEDNESDAY: Office Closed; Passover Day Seven Morning Service, 10 a.m. at Beth El & Live Stream.

THURSDAY: Office Closed; Passover Day Eight Morning Service, 10 a.m. at Beth El & Live Stream.

FRIDAY-Apr 14: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream.

SATURDAY-Apr. 15: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m. at Beth El & Live Stream; Jr. Congregation (Grades 3-7) 10 a.m.; Havdalah, 8:40 p.m. Zoom Only. Please visit bethel-omaha.org for additional information and service links.

BETH ISRAEL

FRIDAY: Passover Second Day; First Day of Omer — Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Kids Davening 10:30 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat/Candlelighting, 7:35 p.m.

SATURDAY: Passover — Second Day of Omer — Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:45 a.m.; Youth Class, 6:30 p.m.; Mincha, 7:35 p.m.; Havdalah, 8:36 p.m.

SUNDAY: Chol Hamoed Pesach; Third Day Omer — Shacharit 9 a.m.; Ma’ariv 7:40 p.m.

MONDAY: Chol Hamoed Pesach; Fourth Day Omer — Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:40 p.m.

TUESDAY: Chol Hamoed Pesach; Fifth Day Omer — Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 7:40 p.m.; Candlelighting, 7:42 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Pesach; Sixth Day Omer —

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT

Jewish Press Editor

At the end of March, Karen Gustafson stepped down from her position at Jewish Family Service. Going forward, Teresa Drelicharz, MS, NCC, LIMHP, RPT will act as Interim Executive Director. Teresa has worked at JFS for 22 years. While her parents are originally from Omaha, Teresa was born in Puerto Rico:

“My dad served in the US Air Force,” she said, “and so for the first years of my life, we moved all over. Eventually, when I was nine years old, we came home to Omaha and have been here ever since.”

She says she has big shoes to fill:

“Karen’s passion throughout the years has impacted me greatly, and I really look forward to carrying on the mission of Jewish Family Service. It’s not only Karen who lives that mission, it’s everyone on the JFS staff. We all love being part of a helping profession, and it shows every day.”

As a registered play therapist, Teresa’s extensive experience with children through adults includes

Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:35 p.m.; Candlelighting, 8:43 p.m.

THURSDAY: Pesach; Seventh Day Omer — Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Yizkor 10:30 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv 7:35 p.m.; Havdalah, 8:45 p.m.

FRIDAY-Apr 14: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat, 7:30 p.m.; Candlelighting, 7:45 p.m.

SATURDAY-Apr. 15: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:45 a.m.; Mincha, 7:30 p.m.; Laws of Shabbos/Kids Activity, 8 p.m.; Havdalah, 8:48 p.m.

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

CHABAD HOUSE

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

FRIDAY: Shacharit 8 a.m.; Inspirational Lechayim, 5:45 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: ochabad.com/ Lechayim; Candlelighting, 7:37 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9:30 a.m.; One-Hour Service, 11 a.m. at Chabad. Go to ochabad.com/one hour for more info; Shabbat Ends, 8:38 p.m.

SUNDAY: Sunday Morning Wraps: Video Presentation 9-9:30 a.m. and Breakfast, 9:45 a.m.

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

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

WEDNESDAY: Shacharit, 10 a.m.

THURSDAY: Shacharit 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush Lunch; Yizkor, 11 a.m.; Moshiach Meal, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY-Apr 14: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Inspirational Lechayim, 5:45 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: ocha bad.com/Lechayim; Candlelighting, 7:45 p.m.

SATURDAY-Apr. 15: Shacharit, 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 8:47 p.m.

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN & TIFERETH ISRAEL

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

FRIDAY: Passover Two — First Day of Omer; Kabbalat Shabbat Service with Rabbi Alex and music by Nathaniel and Steve Kaup, 6:30 p.m. at SST; Oneg host: TBD; Shabbat Candlelighting, 7:39 p.m.

SATURDAY: Passover Three — Omer Day Two; Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Alex at TI; Havdalah, 8:41 p.m.

SUNDAY: Passover Four— Omer Day Three; No LJCS Classes; Men’s Bike/Coffee Group continues to

meet during the winter months, 10:30 a.m. at RockN-Joe, just off of 84th and Glynoaks. For more information or questions please email Al Weiss at albertw 801@gmail.com; Community Social Action Committee Meeting, 1:30 p.m. at SST; There will be no pickleball this week, due to celebration of Passover.

MONDAY: Passover Five— Omer Day Four; Federation Board Meeting, 7 p.m. via Zoom.

TUESDAY: Passover Six— Omer Day Five; Candlelighting for Pesach, 7:43 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Passover Seven— Omer Day Six; No LJCS Classes; Candlelighting for Pesach, 8:45 p.m.

THURSDAY: Passover Eight— Omer Day Seven; Passover Service with Yizkor 9:30 a.m. at TI; Havdalah, 8:46 p.m.

FRIDAY-Apr 14: Omer Day Eight; Kabbalat Shabbat Service with Rabbi Alex and music by Leslie Delserone and Peter Mullin, 6:30 p.m. at SST; Oneg host: TBD; Shabbat Candlelighting, 7:47 p.m.

SATURDAY-Apr. 15: Omer Day Nine; Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Alex at TI; Torah Study, noon on Parashat Shmini; Havdalah 8:49 p.m.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE

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

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME

The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home’s service is currently closed to visitors.

TEMPLE ISRAEL

In-person and virtual services conducted by Rabbi Batsheva Appel, Rabbi Deana Sussman Berezin, and Cantor Joanna Alexander

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

SATURDAY: Torah Study 9:15 a.m. In-Person & Zoom; Shabbat Chol Ha’Mo’eid Passover Service, 10:30 a.m. In-Person & Zoom.

SUNDAY: No Youth Learning.

WEDNESDAY: Temple Israel Office Closed; Conclusion of Passover Service and Yizkor, 10:30 a.m. InPerson & Zoom; No Youth Learning.

THURSDAY: Thursday Morning Class, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Azriel.

FRIDAY-Apr 14: Drop in Mah Jongg, 9-11 a.m. InPerson; Shabbat B’yachad Service, 6 p.m. In-Person & Zoom; Confirmation Class and Dinner, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY-Apr. 15: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. In-Person & Zoom.

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

Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and CPP (Child Parent Psychotherapy); a consultant for the Sarpy County Head Start Program and the JFS Adoption Coordinator. Teresa is married, has two adult children and five grandchildren.

For more than a century, Jewish Family Service of Omaha has provided crucial aid and support to the community. Its mission as a human service agency is to strengthen and preserve life in the Jewish community and the community at large through every stage of the life cycle.

treatment for trauma and physical and sexual abuse. She is trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), TF-CBT (Trauma

With the best professional and licensed staff, JFS is wholly focused on providing the services individuals, couples and families require when facing challenges in their lives. Financial assistance, counseling, Project Tzedakah, Project Dreidel and family life education; these are among the ways that JFS restores dignity, hope and meaning when it seems like life’s struggles appear insurmountable. You can reach Teresa at tdrelicharz@jfsomaha. com. For more information about Jewish Family Service, please visit the website at www.jfsoma ha.com

Teresa Drelicharz is Interim JFS Director

Teresa Drelicharz

Life cycles

SYDNEY BERNSTEIN

MARLENE

Marlene Sydney Bernstein passed away on Feb. 7, 2023, in Cambria, California. Services were held on Feb. 17, 2023, at Beth El Cemetery in Omaha and were officiated by Hazzan Michael Krausman.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Clara Chesneau and father, David Chesneau.

She is survived by husband, Jerry, married for 72 years; sons and daughters-in-law, Dr. Robert Bernstein and Jane Binger Bernstein, EdD, Richard and La Lisa Bernstein, and Larry and Lisa Bernstein; daughter and son-in-law, Leigh Bernstein and Mark Lippett; grandchildren: Erin Bernstein and David Jorgensen, Jeff and Kat Bernstein, Zachary Bernstein, Jackie and John Bernhelm, Macklin Emas, Rachel and Matthew Jankes, Jake and Madeleine Bernstein; five great-grandchildren.

Marlene was a Central High School Hall of Fame recipient. She mentored perennial state championship Academic Decathlon, placing 3rd in the country in 1989. She was a memeber of the first class of winners of the Alice Buffett Outstanding Teacher Award, and runner-up state teacher of the year.

Memorials may be made in Marlene's memory to Central High School Foundation.

EDWARD COHEN

Edward Cohen passed away on March 21, 2023, at age 72 of pancreatic cancer in Houston, TX.

He was preceded in death by parents, Donald and Bernice Cohen.

He is survived by brothers and sisters-in-law, Melvin Cohen and Anne Greenfeld and Harvey and Francine Cohen; niece, Rebecca Cohen Hunt; and nephew, Benjamin Cohen.

Memorials may be made to AIDS Foundation in Houston, TX.

ROSE KAPLAN

Rose Kaplan passed away on March 25, 2023, in Omaha. Services were held on March 27, 2023, at Pleasant Hill Cemetery and were officiated by Rabbi Abraham.

She was preceded in death by parents, Abraham and Esther Berkovitz; husband, Harold Kaplan; brothers, Louis, Isadore, Harold and Martin Berkovitz.

She is survived by daughter and son-in-law, Sherry and Phil

BIRTH

LILA CANFIELD

MAYA

Rachel and Dan Canfield of Minneapolis, announce the Sept. 30, 2022, birth of their daughter, Maya Lila.

She has a brother, Noah, five years old and a sister, Ellie, three years old.

Grandparents are Karen and Gary Javitch of Omaha and Sandy and Rick Canfield of Phoenix, Arizona.

Great-grandparents are the late Phil and Ruth Sokolof of Omaha, the late Bob and Millie Javitch of Cleveland, the late Irving and Faye Gendler of Omaha, and the late LeRoy and Anne Canfield of Omaha.

BAT MITZVAH

ZOE ANN GROOTHUIS

Zoe Ann Groothuis, daughter of Becca and Derek Groothuis, will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, April 15 at Beth Emet Synagogue in Evanston, IL.

Zoe is a seventh-grade student at Chiaravalle Montessori School in Evanston, IL, where her favorite classes are math, social studies, and P.E.

Her hobbies include soccer, swimming, volleyball, rock climbing, running, baking, watching sitcoms, and time with her friends.

For her Bat Mitzvah project, Zoe raised money and led a food drive for the Greater Chicago Food Depository because she has always liked helping the hungry in any way she can, including helping with soup kitchens and bagging lunches with her family.

She has a brother, David, age 16.

Grandparents are Donald and Andi Goldstein of Omaha, NE, Ann Goldstein, of blessed memory, Dr. Jessie Groothuis and Steven Lustig of Santa Fe, NM, Dr. Dennis Groothuis and Judy Groothuis of Evanston, IL, and Dr. Jim Lustig and Cheryl Lustig of Kenosha, WI.

Bukstein; son, Myron Kaplan; grandchildren: Jill and Jason Phillips and David Bukstein; great-grandchildren: Michael and Matthew Phillips; and niece, Bonnie Mound.

Memorials may be made to the Rose Blumkin Jewish home or Beth El Synagogue.

JUDITH KOHN

Judith Kohn passed away on March 30, 2023 in Newton, MA. An afternoon of remembrance was held on April 7, 2023, at the Kohn apartment in Auburndale, MA.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Eugene (Gene) Kohn.

She is survived by daugthers and sons-in-law, Stacy and Mickey Schreiber, and Janet and Rick Rebman; son and daughter-in-law, Andrew and Sally Kohn; four grandchildren: Alie Schreiber and Deanna Schreiber of New York City, Trey Rebman of East Boston, and Danielle Rebman of Washington, DC; and sister and brother-in-law, Lois and Joel Finkel.

Judy was born in Omaha, Nebraska, and she was the daughter of Sue and David Greenberg. Judy was a Special Education teacher for thirty years in the Newton school system at Countryside Elementary School, Brown Junior High and Newton South High School.

Uniquely, Judy’s true gift was starting and then maintaining friendships throughout her life.

Memorials may be made to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

ENGAGEMENT

GORDON/DEPUE

Sandy and Bruce Gordon of Omaha announce the engagement of their daughter, Rachel Gordon, to Eric Depue, son of Nancy and Gene of Omaha.

Rachel earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from University of Iowa. She then received her Master’s Degree in Public Health from University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Rachel works at Nebraska Dance and is the dance coach at Millard South High School.

Eric earned his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Sociology from the University of Sioux Falls and his Masters in Social Work from University of Nebraska-Omaha. Eric is a school social worker in Millard Public Schools and a mental health therapist, licensed clinical social worker.

A wedding is planned for the spring of 2024.

Sunday Fundays

The Jewish Federation of Omaha invites you to have some fun! The JFO so far has brought two ‘Sunday Fundays’ to the Kooper Fellman Staenberg Campus. In March, Musical Bingo took place in the Shirley and Leonard Goldstein Venue. In April, the Alan J. Levine Performing Arts Theater welcomed community members to enjoy the film Marcel the Shell with Shoes on

All events are designed to be fun for kids and for the kid in you, and everyone is welcome. Sunday Fundays are chaired by Rachel and Daniel Grossman.

June 18, from 3-5 p.m., we will have a Father’s Day Cornhole tournament at the Staenberg Omaha JCC soccer fields. We’re counting on good weather!

Cornhole is popular in North America, Players or teams take turns throwing fabric bean bags at a raised, angled board with a hole in its far end. The goal of the game is to score points by either landing a bag on the board (one point) or putting a bag through the hole (three points). Fatherhood is not required! Just bring your ability to have fun while tossing a bean bag.

All events are free to attend. To register, please visit https://fundraise.givesmart.com/form/8aDwSw?vid =xb7vm

NEBRASKA

ANNOUNCEMENT

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FOR SALE

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HOME REPAIR

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HOME SERVICES

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Get Ready For More Pickleball!

Coming this September