April 13, 2018

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Young Leadership Awards

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Danny Cohn and Sonia Tipp

AnnETTE vAn DE kAmP Editor, Jewish Press t’s getting to be that time of year: Monday, June 4, the Jewish Federation of Omaha will host its Annual Meeting. During this event, several lay leaders and professionals in our

community will be honored for their involvement. This year, Sonia Tipp and Danny Cohn will be the recipients of the Lois Jeanne Schrager and Bruce Fellman Memorial Young Leadership Awards.

Sonia previously received the NCJW See young leadership Awards page 2

Women’s Philanthropy Event

AnnETTE vAn DE kAmP Editor, Jewish Press Wednesday May 9, at 7 p.m., the 2018 Jewish Federation of Omaha Women’s Philanthropy Event will be held at The Landing at Pella. During this event, Stacey Rockman will be honored for receiving the Kipnis/ Wilson-Friedland Award.

Guest speaker Ali Katz, author of Hot Mess to Mindful Mom: 40 Ways to Find Balance and Joy in Your Every Day, will show those in attendance that by caring for themselves first, they can better care for everyone they love.

Ali Katz is a best-selling author, motivational speaker, self-care and mindful parenting coach, and a meditation expert. Her mission is to inspire mothers across the globe to leave stress and guilt behind, and to embrace a life full of balance, presence, and joy. Ali’s uncanny ability to make the concepts of self-care, mediation and mindfulness feel

relatable, sets her apart from the traditional self-help crowd. In addition to Hot Mess, she is the author of Get the Most out of Motherhood: A Hot Mess to Mindful Mom Parenting Guide and One Minute to Zen: Go From Hot Mess to Mindful Mom in One Minute or Less.

“I didn’t realize how much of a hot mess I was until I wasn’t one anymore,” Ali explained. “After I began bringing mindfulness, meditation and other forms of self-care into my life, I began to look back and realized how stressed, overwhelmed and reactive I was before. My journey is not

over! Even as a teacher and coach, I am still always growing and learning and expanding myself. My body, mind, and spirit were craving these techniques and I quickly fell into new routines that nourished me in amazing ways.”

As women, we often live as if we can do it all: motherhood, marriage, job, a clean, perfect-looking house and so forth. Then, when things don’t always go as planned, we have a tendency to blame ourselves. We need more balance, and we need to maybe go a little easier on ourselves.

In Hot Mess to Mindful Mom, Ali describes 40 ways to find that balance as well as actual joy in our every day. If a stressed-out mom had to pick the top five that could help her catch her breath, Ali recommends the following: “Everyone’s journey is different, and I love offering so many options because there is truly something for everyone. However, it’s not easy to incorporate 40 new tools into your life at one time. I encourage people to pick one or two that really resonate with them and be consistent. Small changes lead to big results. When those feel good, maybe add one more. If you are going to force me to pick five, here are my top choices: Gratitude, One Minute Meditations, Different Doesn’t Mean Bad, Get See Women’s Philanthropy page 2

GAbby blAir Staff Writer, Jewish Press Since 1979, The Community Service Award has annually recognized a creative program that has made significant impacts on our community. This year’s Community Service Award goes to The Jewish Federation of Omaha for its 2017 community population study: A Portrait of Jewish Omaha.

Alan Potash, JFO CEO has always been fascinated by the history of our community. Coming across Ella Fleishman Auerbach’s 1927 Jewish Settlement in Nebraska and Murray Frost’s 1974 Demographic Survey of the Omaha Jewish Community in the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society helped spur our current demographic survey. “Carefully watching population growth and studying changes within a community can provide such a wealth of information, but it is quite an undertaking; we could not have done this study without the support of donors whose generosity today will positively impact our community for years to come.”

Potash further points out that statistics gathered in the 1974 survey, particularly data relating to the age and geography of Omaha’s Jewish community members, were catalysts in the creation and evolution of The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. “Frost’s survey made it clear that our aging population would have needs the community was not, at that time, prepared to handle. There are many benefits to conducting a population survey and it is my hope that the 2017 study will yield information that will allow us to better meet the needs of Jewish Omaha.”

As stated in the project’s executive summary, co-written by Potash and Bruce Friedlander, JFO President, “The answers given about the demographics of our community, composition of our families, and the way we engage Jewishly, will form the basis of many critical policy discussions in the coming months and years. We will be able to make better informed decisions about the strategies we choose to keep our Jewish community vibrant. The study will assist not only the agencies and departments of The Jewish Federation of Omaha, but also synagogues and other Jewish organizations with prioritizing services, outreach efforts and strategizing for the future.”

After much care and consideration, Dr. Ira Sheskin, Professor and Chair of Geography at The University of Miami, was unanimously approved by the JFO Board of Directors on April 16, 2016 for the study. Alan Potash explains, “After spending countless hours reading See Community Service Award page 3

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Young Leadership Awards

Continued from page 1 Emerging Leader Award and was honored at the time for her potential in assuming future section leadership. She moved to Omaha from Maryland in 2007 and is married to Alan Tipp. They have a daughter Adria and a son Asher.

Sonia was instrumental in bringing the Handwriting Without Tears Program to the Pennie Z. Davis Childhood Development Center, during which she assisted each classroom in the process and coordination of classroom help. She also worked with parents to initiate the “Germ and Hand Washing Message” and participated in the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project MOMentum trip. She co-chaired the JFO Kids Campaign in 2016. Currently, she works as a Pediatric Occupational Therapist at Millard Public Schools.

“Living here,” Sonia said, “ being involved comes naturally.

This is such a great community, both for its social aspects as well as its spiritual values and it is a true pleasure to be a part of it.”

Sonia has been a dedicated volunteer for the Institute of Holocaust Education. Executive Director Liz Feldstern said: “She helped orchestrate a beautiful, multi-generational component for the candle-lighting ceremony during our Yom HaShoah Commemoration. With Holocaust survivors lighting the candles, Sonia organized children and grandchildren of survivors to bring up the candles, which added depth and meaning. She cares deeply about Jewish Omaha and about making a better world for all of us.”

To Sonia, being a leader means: “stepping up and being willing to pitch in and help out where it is needed. It means having the confidence to suggest ideas, strategies or solutions.

It also involves the responsibility of encouraging others to get involved and take part with you.”

Danny Cohn is married to Andrew Miller; they have a daughter Nora. He chaired the 2016 and 2017 JFO FED event, —the 2017 one with Kari Tauber— a concept he came up with based on a similiar event in Kansas City. From decorations to the menu, host committee recruitment and attendance, he envisioned the entire event. Through FED, Danny’s enthusiasm brought together a new group of volunteers and attendees. He is involved with the Ben Gurion Society which recruits young donors and serves on the Beth El Board of Directors. In addition, he sits on the Board of the ADL, Friedel Jewish Academy and the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society.

In Fall of 2017, he coordinated the Heirloomist event for the NJHS. He is currently employed as a Director at the Arbor Day Foundation and is pursuing his master’s in public administration at Ohio University.

“I don’t have a favorite agency or organization,” Danny said, “because I like having an impact on the community as a whole. It’s not about one specific cause; it’s about helping wherever it’s needed. It gives me a better sense of the community as a whole and a wider view.”

“Danny exemplifies the type of young leader for whom this award was created,” Mary Beth Muskin, Executive Director of the ADL-CRC, said. “His positive attitude and active participation energizes us all and we are lucky to have him in the Omaha community.”

“I’m not sure I like the word ‘leader,’ because it somewhat insinuates you’re one of a few people who can accomplish certain things,” Danny said. “I’d prefer the word ‘advocate,’ or maybe ‘participant;’ there is a benefit in advocating for agencies, for programming and opportunities in our community. When you have passionate people, there is a clear benefit to all.”

For many years, receiving an award like the Bruce Fellman Memorial Young Leadership wasn’t in the cards, Danny thought.

“I left Omaha in 1995 and my husband Andrew and I have only been back three years. When I left Nebraska, I had no civil rights here. It wasn’t until marriage equality became the law in 2015 that we even considered moving to Nebraska. I spent 20 years fighting for basic civil rights with the Human Rights Campaign; but even today, there are many places where I can get legally fired, just for being gay. Being active in the Omaha Jewish community and receiving this award, the fact that that is possible, it’s my reward for all those years of activism.”

There is an interesting commonality between the type of activism Danny speaks of, and the words Sonia uses when

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talking about volunteerism: “In order to affect change, you have to be willing to put in the work,” she said. “If there’s something you’re not happy with or think needs to be changed, be willing to suggest a solution and work on it.

Chances are there are other like-minded individuals in our community whose views are aligned with yours.”

“For a long time, I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to give my parents the happily ever after that they deserved from me,” Danny said. “To be able to bring home a ‘nice Jewish boy,’ get married in a synagogue, give my parents grandchildren, it’s about making my parents proud and that’s all I’ve ever wanted. They never made those demands, but it’s how I’m wired. You watch other families, how they interact as a unit in the community, being part of that with my family is wonderful. How could I not be involved?”

Sonia’s favorite thing about being a lay leader is how it makes her feel when she’s helping others.

“I also love that there are endless ways to get involved. If you’re passionate about something, there is sure to be an avenue to get involved and make an impact locally or on a larger scale — both nationally and internationally.”

Being a lay leader is often about setting an example for others and also for the next generation: “I think just showing Adria and Asher how important the Jewish community is to our immediate and extended family makes an impact on my kids. I grew up seeing my Mom involved in planning Yom Ha’atzmaut and Yom HaShoah events, and Seders at the community college where she worked. She laughs because I was the least involved in the Jewish community amongst my two brothers (who were active in BBYO).

“I found a reason to get involved once I had kids and realized that we are raising the next generation of Jews. L’Dor v’Dor means passing on both religious and cultural traditions, but also our work ethic and connection to our Jewish community. My grandparents were Holocaust survivors, and being involved with Holocaust remembrance is also important to me,” Sonia said.

“For a long time,” Danny said, “children weren’t on my horizon. After Nora was born in 2015, it didn’t so much increase my volunteer work, but it did shift my focus in the sense that any organization I am involved with has a definite impact on Nora’s future. I managed to help secure our civil rights; it’s now time to build a life for the family I fought for in a community we love. I am active at the Jewish Federation because maintaining a Jewish identity is incredibly important, as is maintaining a global identity. We have to continue to look at the larger picture while serving the community. I’m thankful to be recognized, but I’d like the community to know that I’m just getting started. I look forward to doing much, much more in the coming years!”

Women’s Philanthropy

Continued from page 1 Grounded and Cut Yourself Some Slack.”

Learning how to truly forgive, she said, is the Universal Lesson.

“I would encourage people to focus more on the lessons and the growth that comes from experiences whether they are wonderful or terrible over anything else. Nothing happens to us, only for us. It can take a lot of soul searching to see that, though.”

In her practice as a mindful parenting coach and as an author, Ali likes to introduce the concept of an “attention bank.”

“I learned this from my teacher, Sarah McLean. We all have a bank of attention, and we make deposits in different places... work, kids, cooking, self-care, friendships. If it’s on one thing in any given moment it’s not on another. We only have so much in the bank, and when we’ve spent it it’s gone. It makes so much sense, and I love this concept so much that I share it with everyone. Occasionally I catch myself scrolling on social media, and I’ll ask myself, “Is this where I want to be depositing my attention right now?”

Then I usually go hang with my kids, husband or dogs!”

Those who RSVP by April 30 will receive a copy of Ali Katz’s book. Cost of the event is $36; wine and dessert will be served. Join us for Ali’s talk How to deal with stress in one minute or less. You do not need to be a mom of young kids for this event to be meaningful. For more information and to RSVP, contact Louri Sullivan at lsullivan@jewishomaha.org or call 402.334.6485.

Sofer Rabbi Zelig Mandel to visit Omaha

T

MaRy Sue GRoSSMan Beth Israel Synagogue he weekend of April 20, Beth Israel will welcome sofer Rabbi Zelig Mandel. A sofer is a Jewish scribe who transcribes Sifrei Torah, tefillin, and mezuzot. A sofer also writes the Five Megillot which include the scrolls of the Song of Songs, the Book of Ruth, the Book of Esther, Ecclesiastes, and the Book of Lamentations, plus the writing of the Nevi’im, the books of the prophets. Divorce documents or gittin are also done by a sofer.

During his time in Omaha, Rabbi Mandel will meet with Friedel Jewish Academy students, speak at Beth Israel and lead a special Sunday Rabbi Zelig Mandel morning program for Beth Israel’s JYE BI students. On Sunday, April 20 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., he will be available to check personal mezuzot and tefillin and will also offer a variety of items available for purchase.

Rabbi Mandel, the owner, of Sofer Plus, provides services around the world, taking pride in providing each customer with individual attention. “I consider it an honor to be entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring the kashrus of all Sifrei Torah, tefillin and mezuzot that pass through our doors” he shares. “I take the time with each customer to discuss the different options available, based on different customs and levels of quality.” Rabbi Mandel also led a community of ba’alei teshuva in Morristown, New Jersey for 18 years. He studied at Ohr Somayach, completing Ohr Lagolah, a rabbinic leadership and teacher training program.

“We are excited to have our kids learn about the creation of a Torah and tefillin from Rabbi Mandel,” says Rabbi Ari Dembitzer. “It will be a great experience for young and old alike to hear from him.” Rabbi Ari also encourages everyone in the community to take this opportunity to utilize Rabbi Mandel’s expertise and have mezuzot and tefillin checked. “It is critical to assure the mezuzot found in our homes and one’s tefillin are kosher and do so on a regular basis” he adds.

For additional information on this or other Beth Israel programming, visit orthdoxomaha.org or call 402.556.6288.

The Jewish Press | April 13, 2018 | 3

community

Community Service Award

Continued from page 1 through Dr. Sheskin’s previous studies of communities in Cleveland, Buffalo, St Louis, Miami, Houston and Broward County, Florida, we really appreciated his diligence and felt he had the in depth understanding of Jewish communities needed to delve into a demographic study.

An RFP was completed early in 2016 confirming that Dr. Sheskin was the partner best suited for our community’s needs.”

According to the University of Miami’s Department of Geography and Regional Studies faculty webpage: “Dr. Sheskin is widely recognized for his work on the geography and demography of the American Jewish community. His areas of expertise involve the collection, analysis, and presentation of quantitative data. Much of his work can be found at www.jewishdatabank.org. He is the editor of the American Jewish Year Book and authors the annual article in that volume on the number of Jews in the United States. He also authors Comparisons of Jewish Communities: A Compendium of Tables and Bar Charts, which compares measures of demography and religiosity among 55 American Jewish communities. He has authored over 40 studies of Jewish communities across the United States.”

Assisting Dr. Sheskin was Dr. David Dutwin, Executive Vice President and Chief Methodologist of SSRS, a renowned research study firm that specializes in qualitative data analysis. SSRS is considered an authority in demographic studies. Dr. Sheskin, Dr. Dutwin, and the SSRS field team, concluded in-depth surveys in January 2017 that have provided a comprehensive snapshot and valuable insights of our community today.

When asked if any results were particularly surprising, Potash, without hesitation, points to the numbers and geography.

“We are a larger Jewish community than initially believed! Original estimates put our population around 6,500; however, the study indicates there are closer to 8,800 Jews in 5,150 households. I was also surprised at the breakdown of our numbers. Approximately half of our population is over age 50 (24% between ages 50-64; 27% over age 65) and a quarter are young adults (21% between ages 18-34). Children (0-17 years) make up the next category at 16%, followed by our smallest population, adults between 35-49 years, at only 13%.”

Potash continues, “While it is not too surprising that the majority of Jewish households (65%) live west of 72nd Street, I was surprised to find that almost a quarter of our population (22%) still live east of 72nd Street, with the remaining households around the edges of Omaha (16%).”

“Another surprise of sorts proved to be a bit of a challenge to the initial data collection attempt. Phone surveys kicked off on the Wednesday following the 2016 election. A number of people were uncomfortable receiving a call asking if they were Jewish and were initially reluctant to participate in a survey,” explains Potash. “After some additional publicity, including articles in The Jewish Press, e-

newsletters and mailed postcards, we had an amazing response.” In fact, Drs. Sheskin and Dutwin note that Omaha achieved an above average response rate (56%) and cooperation rate (91%).

Study Highlights Nearly half of those surveyed (46%) self-identified as being ‘just Jewish,’ while 38% were Reform, 13% were Conservative, and 3% reported as Orthodox.

Overwhelmingly, (97%) respondents feel welcome at the area’s Jewish institutions and have a generally favorable view of the JFO and its many agencies. Of those surveyed, 95% reported positive self-identity, stating they were proud of their Jewish heritage.

Much of our community has deep roots, (69% have lived in Omaha 20+ years), is generous (85% report charitable giving) and values education, both secular and Judaic.

Nearly 70% of Jewish adults in Omaha hold at least one college degree and up to half have attended some type of Jewish adult educational, cultural or study event in 2016, (the sample year) with about half of all households reporting at least one member has visited Israel.

Approximately 80% of our children who attend summer camp choose Jewish camps, and a quarter of our youth (ages 6-17) have visited Israel at least once.

A great many more datasets are available in detail ranging from opinions, political affiliations and experiences with anti-Semitism to the ritual and religious practices occurring in the homes of Jewish Omaha today, such as: keeping kosher (15%), regularly lighting Shabbat candles (18%), lighting Hanukkah candles (55%) and putting up a Christmas tree (47%)!; to the quantification of intermarriage and conversion within the community.

The complete 2017 Community Study: A Portrait of Jewish Omaha, along with methodology and other findings, can be found at www.jewishomaha.org.

The Jewish Federation of Omaha has wasted no time reviewing the data yielded by the study and is busy focusing on how to proceed in order to best serve the community. The Planning & Community Engagement committee, led by Janie Murow, has met with each of the Federation’s agency directors and our community’s rabbis to delve further into the study results. The culmination of this work has been a list of opportunities the committee will prioritize. These include young families, raising Jewish children, our aging population, interfaith relationships, unaffiliated Jews, education and 35-49 year olds. The committee is also developing an Innovation Grant program to help fund initiatives focused on the study results. Another goal of the committee is to develop a scorecard to measure the results of implemented action.

“We know what the path is to make changes for the future. It is vital that the whole community participates in ensuring a strong and vibrant future for Jewish Omaha.” Potash concludes.

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4 | The Jewish Press | April 13, 2018

community you have a Friend in JFS: Staenberg Anything Grant helped take JFS ‘Chavarim Caravan’ on the road

J

Gabby blair Staff Writer, Jewish Press ewish Family Service has long been a quiet, yet instrumental resource, delivering crucial aid and support to Omaha’s Jewish community for over a century. While preferring to remain out of the spotlight in order to respect the dignity and privacy of their clients, JFS provides countless services, ranging from various counseling options and financial assistance to helping community members with disabilities and running a food pantry.

When the opportunity arose to apply for a Staenberg Family Foundation Anything Grant, it is no surprise that rather than focusing on using the money to benefit themselves internally, JFS opted instead to give back to the community as a thank you for their support. The Anything Grant allowed JFS to cover their costs in order to provide services to many other groups and agencies within our community, for free, as part of the ‘Chavarim Caravan’. Chavarim is the Hebrew word for ‘friends’.

When asked how she coined the name ‘Chavarim Caravan’ for this grant project, JFS Executive Director and counselor Karen Gustafson gives credit to friend and colleague Lisa Cooper, Assistant Director at the Pennie Z. Davis Child Development Center. “While waiting for a meeting to start, I was explaining my grant proposal idea and mentioned I was having difficulty deciding on a name for this project. Lisa suggested the name ‘Chavarim Caravan’, and it was a perfect fit!

We strive to be a friend to anyone in the community who needs us, and since our intention for this grant was to take JFS out on

the road, so to speak, what better name?” exclaimed Gustafson.

“We often get requests for trainings, workshops and clinics which, of course, there is a charge. For ”explains Gustafson. “When the announcement for the Anything Grant was made, I knew immediately that I wanted to do something that would benefit as many people as possible. My JFS staff was very excited and supportive of the idea and we really en-

joyed getting out of the office and into the larger community.”

Using the funds from their Anything Grant, which were generously matched by the Sokolof Foundation, JFS was able to provide 55 hours of service to agencies and synagogues that had requested assistance. According to Gustafson, “JFS provided administrative support and presented a lecture on social and emotional intelligence at the ADL’s Educator Breakfast before a crowd of 50 attendees. We also provided classroom observations and reports for Friedel Jewish Academy, which in turn has allowed us to develop a relationship with FJA and Head of School, Beth Cohen. I am pleased to announce that we will continue to provide input and support to the school, as a client.”

Additionally, JFS provided Love and Logic staff training and parenting classes at The Pennie Z. Davis Child Development Center and at Temple Israel. Staff at the JCC benefitted from trainings in recognizing the signs of child

abuse and reporting procedures, supportive communication, Q.P.R. suicide prevention and behavioral management. The Jewish Federation of Omaha also received administrative support with their United Way Campaign.

Tucked into a quiet and discreet corner of the JCC Campus, the dedicated staff at JFS is fairly sequestered for the majority of their time at work. By using the Anything Grant in a way that allowed them to get out and give back to the community, the members of this small but important agency found incredible satisfaction promoting the myriad services they provide in a fresh way. “Many in the community are only peripherally aware of our agency and the wide variety of services we offer; those who need us find us. But it is important for all to know that we are here.”

This April, consider helping Jewish Family Service reach its fundraising goals during its annual Friends Campaign. 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 (helping families during the High Holidays, Passover and Hanukkah), Project Dreidel (providing Hanukkah gifts for children) 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. As a human service agency, JFS’s mission is to strengthen and preserve life in the Jewish community. Please consider donating to JFS today, so that they can continue their tradition of service and aid within our community.

Tri-Faith Initiative to host ‘Dinner in Abraham’s Tent’

Kara SchweiSS The Tri-Faith Initiative looked very different when Jane Rips of Temple Israel chaired the first Dinner in Abraham’s Tent fundraiser in 2009, which drew more than 900 guests from many backgrounds to pray, eat, and learn together while supporting the unique interfaith effort.

“At the first Dinner, Tri-Faith was just a dream,” she said.

“The relationships had been formed but the buildings were still a vision.”

Since the land for TriFaith Commons was purchased for the TriFaith Initiative in 2011, mi lestones have included the completion of Temple Israel in 2013; opening of the American Muslim Institute’s mosque and educational center in 2017; and the groundbreaking for Countryside Community Church in 2017, with completion projected for spring 2019. Other construction underway includes a road circling the Commons and a circular bridge that will allow walking paths to cross over a creek that now bisects the grounds. The Tri-Faith Center will be the last building to be constructed on the Commons and it is expected to open in late 2019.

“Now it’s a dream based on bricks and mortar,” said Rips, who’s serving as chair for the second Dinner in Abraham’s Tent, the first major fundraising event since 2009. Supported by presenting sponsor The Holland Foundation, it takes place Sunday, April 22, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the CenturyLink Center. “We want to celebrate how far we’ve come and tell more people what we’re all about,” Rips added.

Along with dinner and entertainment, clergy from each of the organization’s faith partners will speak to the attendees. A choir made up of members of all three faiths will also perform. In addition, an informational video about the Tri-Faith Initiative will make its public premiere at the event, and Tri-Faith’s new executive director Bud Heckman will be introduced.

Heckman said the event will also provide an opportunity to share plans for the future. “(The Tri-Faith Initiative) is a remarkable project, See Dinner in abraham’s Tent page 5

The Jewish Press | April 13, 2018 | 5

Temple Israel Pride Task Force planning to march in Heartland Pride Parade

Sarah Gilbert Temple Israel Pride Task Force Volunteer Temple Israel is taking part in the Heartland Pride Parade on June 30 and all congregants and friends are invited to join this fun, family-friendly event. Organized by the TI Pride Task Force, our presence at the Heartland Pride Parade will show congregational support for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) members and publicly demonstrate Reform Judaism’s values.

“One of our goals at Temple Israel and in Reform Judaism as a movement is that all people feel included and accepted for who they are,” says Rabbi Deana Berezin. “We are all created b’tzelem Elohim, in the image of God, and we each have within us a spark of Divinity. We strive to make sure that every person who walks through the doors at Temple feels that they are treated with dignity, respect, acceptance and love.”

Plans for Temple Israel’s parade entry include a rainbow-hued chuppah, t-shirts and a banner. We will walk alongside other congregations of faith, community organizations and businesses that share our values, reinforcing a message of love and acceptance of our LGBTQ+ friends and neighbors.

The TI Pride Task Force started under the lay leadership of Robert Friedman, a Temple Israel member who wanted to help organize our involvement in issues and events for LGBTQ+ congregants and allies. With the support of Temple Israel’s clergy and the Board of Directors, TI Pride hosted a Shabbat dinner in February and started planning for the Heartland Pride Parade after hearing

Credit: Thomas Irvin great enthusiasm for the idea.

“This is an exciting effort to show that Temple Israel is welcoming and loving to all people regardless of age, gender identity, or sexual orientation,” Friedman says. “Part of our mission as Jews is to repair the world.

Marching in this parade is a big step forward for love and equality not only in our congregation, but also in our community. It is only through solidarity that we thrive and this effort to march in the parade shows the solidarity of our congregation.”

There are many ways to join in the festivities and support TI Pride. Everyone is invited to walk the parade route with the Temple Israel group in the morning of June 30 in Council Bluffs, IA; mark your calendar now and a schedule for the day will be available soon. Please send an email to RSVP@temp leisraelomaha.com to let us know if you’re planning to walk at the parade and to reserve a t-shirt. We also need volunteers to help at the parade, to carry water and sunscreen.

Look for a table in the Simon Community Court on upcoming Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings to sign up and preorder your t-shirt.

After the Heartland Pride Parade, the TI Pride Task Force will continue hosting and promoting events for LGBTQ+ members and allies in our congregation and in the wider community. Contact Robert Friedman at friedmanrobert0708@gmail.com if you are interested in future opportunities or to learn more about our TI Pride Task Force. Or join us at our next task force meeting on April 22, at 10:30 a.m. at Temple Israel.

Dinner in Abraham’s Tent Continued from page 4 arguably the largest project in interfaith cooperation globally... It’s very bold and ambitious for the people of Omaha to think big like this and to build something on this scale,” he said. “Proceeds from Dinner in Abraham’s Tent will support ongoing operations and programming for the Tri-Faith Initiative. There has been very generous giving from the Omaha community toward this project.”

Dinner in Abraham’s Tent will feature the first Omaha performance by Standup for Peace, an internationally-known duo composed of Jewish-American comedian Scott Blakeman and Muslim-American comedian Dean Obeidallah. Their message of

finding common ground in humor (“Because if we can laugh together, we can live together.”) complements the mission of TriFaith to promote dialogue, transcend differences, foster acceptance and build bridges of respect and trust.

“It’s a fun event, and we want it to be filled with good spirit,” Rips said.

Reservations are due by April 17; tickets are available online at http://dat18. eventbrite.com or by calling 402.934.2955. Individual tickets are $75 with tickets for students or those under age 40 priced at $50. Tables, patron tables and sponsorships are also available; for more information, contact Lisa Winton at lwinton @trifaith.org or 402.934.2955.

This Yom HaAtzma’ut, celebrate red, white, and blue.

Magen David Adom, Israel’s largest and premier emergency medical response agency, has been saving lives since before 1948. And supporters like you provide MDA’s 27,000 paramedics, EMTs, and civilian Life Guardians — more than 90% of them volunteers — with the training, equipment, and rescue vehicles they need. So as we celebrate Israel’s independence, make a difference in the health, welfare, and security of the Israeli people with your gift to MDA. Please give today.

AFMDA Midwest Region 3175 Commercial Avenue, Suite 101 Northbrook, IL 60062 Toll-Free 888.674.4871 • midwest@afmda.org www.afmda.org

Class of 2018 HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS

High School Seniors and Parents

We will be publishing our annual High School Graduation Class pages on May 18, 2018. 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, 2018.

High School Senior Information ______________________________________________ Name ______________________________________________ Parent(s)’ Name(s) ______________________________________________ Current High School ______________________________________________ College you plan to attend Send by May 1, 2018 to:

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

6 | The Jewish Press | April 13, 2018

Interfaith marriage historian Keren McGinity Scholar-in-Residence at Beth El

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Ozzie NOGG In her two provocative books, Still Jewish: A History of Women and Intermarriage in America (2009) and Marrying Out: Jewish Men, Intermarriage and Fatherhood (2014), Dr. Keren R. McGinity asks, “What does Jewish intermarriage mean for the intermarried couples themselves and for the entire Jewish community in 2018?” Dr. McGinity will address this question and many more during three learning sessions when she visits Beth El Synagogue as Scholar-in-Residence, Friday, April 27 to Sunday, April 29. A historian and educator who specializes in Dr. Keren R. McGinity Jewish intermarriage and gender, Keren McGinity describes herself as “neither for nor against intermarriage, rather a knowledgeable witness to it.”

The weekend schedule includes these topics: Friday, April 27 during 6:30 p.m. Kabbalat Shabbat services. Gender Matters: A Fresh Perspective on Intermarriage and Jewish Identity. This talk explains how the evolving history of gender roles influences the meaning of interfaith marriage and identity, a power dynamic that goes beyond descent in shaping the Jewish present and future.

Saturday, April 28. Still Jewish and Newly Jewish: Two Histories of Women and Intermarriage in America. Dr. McGinity will deliver Part One of this topic as a d’var Torah during Shabbat morning services, and Part Two after kiddush lunch. These presentations highlight the narratives of intermarried women who were born Jewish and those who mar-

ried Jewish men, demonstrating how change over time provides new insights.

Sunday, April 29 at 11 a.m. Adult Education Session. Curb Your Enthusiasm: Interfaith Love, Lust, and Popular Culture.

Using a wide range of visuals, this entertaining presentation looks at the ways stage and screen have represented Jewish intermarriage, suggesting that ‘sex in the city’ is about more than meets the eye.

Keren R. McGinity is the inaugural director of the Interfaith Families Jewish Engagement Program at Hebrew College’s Shoolman Graduate School of Jewish Education, the founding director of the Love & Tradition Institute, and teaches American Studies at Brandeis University. Her advice and opinions have appeared in the Forward, Lilith, Moment, RitualWell, Sh’ma and eJewishPhilanthropy, among other publications. Dr. McGinity earned her PhD from Brown University, where she subsequently held an appointment as Visiting Assistant Professor of History. Though her last name might suggest otherwise, Keren McGinity was born to New York Jews, attended Hebrew school for many years, observed her Bat Mitzvah, has traveled to Israel multiple times, and is named in memory of a woman who perished in the Holocaust. She lives in Boston with her daughter, Shira, a graduate of Solomon Schechter Day School.

Dr. McGinity is considered a sensititve and astute historian and interviewer who is able to uncover the deeper and more nuanced complexities of interfaith marriage. Reviewers of Still Jewish: A History of Women and Intermarriage in America (which was selected as a National Jewish Book Award Finalist) suggest the work should be required reading for pulpit rabbis, teachers, parents and Jewish community leaders who want to be fully informed on the latest research and analytical ways to think about interfaith marriage.

The Keren McGinity Scholar-In-Residence weekend is open to the community at no charge. For more information, please visit the Beth El website: http://bethel-omaha.org.

New York, NY The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), along with a number of Jewish civil rights organizations, last Friday filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court urging the Court to uphold lower court rulings that have blocked President Trump’s third attempt to prohibit travel to the United States from six majority-Muslim nations. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals largely affirmed the injunction put in place, which now protects foreign nationals with a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States.

“As the Jewish community celebrates Passover this week, we are reminded of the experience of being exiled and becoming strangers in a strange land,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said. “And, more recently, we recall how the United States turned away Jews aboard the St. Louis who were fleeing the Nazi Holocaust during World War II, or when the United States passed laws that excluded and discriminated against the Chinese, or when our nation rounded up more than 100,000 Japanese Americans and interned them in prison camps in the 1940s. In each of these instances, America let prejudice and fear predominate in closing its doors and allowing its core values to be compromised, only to realize too late why those actions were wrong.”

John B. Harris, ADL Legal Affairs Committee Chair and primary author of the brief added, “Virtually every court that has reviewed iterations of the President’s travel ban has found

it to be discriminatory and ill-advised. The Supreme Court has the opportunity to ensure that our nation stands as a beacon of hope for those seeking a better life, free from persecution and extreme violence, consistent with our Constitution and our core values.”

ADL’s brief traces America’s history as a nation dedicated to ideals of equality, liberty and justice, and warns against repeating the shameful times in our past when America has turned against those ideals. The brief also argues that even worse, the Government now tries to justify its travel ban on immigration laws that were enacted for the purpose of reinforcing our nation’s commitment to immigrants and of correcting the historic harm discriminatory quotas caused our nation.

The Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the Union for Reform Judaism, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, Women of Reform Judaism and T’ruah all joined the brief.

The law firm Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz, PC prepared the brief on behalf of ADL. The Anti-Defamation League was founded in 1913 to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all. Today it is the world’s leading organization combating anti-Semitism, exposing hate groups, training law enforcement on hate crimes, developing anti-bias education programs for students, countering cyber-hate and relentlessly pursuing equal rights for all. Follow us on Twitter: @ADL_National.

ADL urges Supreme Court to uphold rulings blocking Muslim ban

B’nai B’rith Trivia Contest

TaMMy JohnSon B’nai B’rith Eighteenth Annual Jewish Trivia Contest is on Wednesday, april 18, 6-6:45 p.m. in the JCC Auditorium.

You can win money for yourself and your favorite charity by participating in the 18th Annual Jewish Trivia Contest.

The trivia quiz includes 25 trivia questions covering many subjects such as: Jewish personalities, current events, sports, tradition, culture, Israel and the Bible. Each team/individual will write down their answers on an answer sheet provided. Tie-breaker questions may be asked. All rules/interpretations will be at the Lodge’s sole discretion.

This contest is a part of the community’s Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel Independence Day) Celebration. The Lodge strongly encourages all Jewish organizations to form and enter teams.

Enter as an individual or form a team (Limit 6) from your family, your friends or from an organization. Minimum age is 13. Pick a name for your team.

In fairness, members of the clergy or full-time professional religious educators cannot be a team member. They are welcome to attend, but will not be eligible for a prize.

PRIZES: First Place prize $250: $125 to the team and $125 to a Jewish charity or institution Second Place prize $100: $50 to the team and $50 to a Jewish charity or institution Third Place prize $50: $25 to the team and $25 to a Jewish charity or institution Special High School Bonus prize: To best all-high school team (Minimum prize is $50) $25 to the team and $25 to a Jewish charity or institution For more information or to register, call the B’nai B’rith office at 402.334.6443 or email Tammy Johnson at bnaibrith@jewishom aha.org.

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The Jewish Press | April 13, 2018 | 7

community Students participate in community-building programs

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Mark kirchhoff Community Engagement and Education, Jewish Federation of Omaha hanks to a grant through the Herbert Goldsten Trust, first and second grade students and fifth and sixth grade students in Omaha’s synagogue schools participated in community-building educational programs this March. The programs allowed the students to step out of their own congregation to experience the benefit of being part of the Omaha Jewish Community as a whole. A few kids discovered that a classmate from public school was Jewish too! They have been friends at school but attend different synagogues and didn’t know they both are Jewish.

On March 14th, approximately 40 fifth and sixth graders participated in the Jewish Omaha History Tour on the JCC campus. The program began with an overview of the Omaha Jewish Community where the kids learned facts about our Omaha Synagogues, the Jewish Federation and its agencies, Friedel Jewish Academy and the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

They played a card game created to reinforce the facts they were learning.

They then split into groups to tour various sites within the JCC. In the Riekes Museum they were able to see many Judaica items from former Omaha synagogues and learned about the buildings that pre-date the current congregations. Most were surprised to learn of small synagogues in both Lincoln and Council Bluffs. A visit to the Rabbis’ Hall in the JCC highlighted photographs of Jewish Omaha dating back nearly 100 years. The students also visited the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society. Those with a long family history in the city were able to browse their family files.

Many thanks to Renee Corcoran, Helen Epstein and Kathy Weiner, our docents who led the tour.

On March 25, a group of over 30 first and second graders toured the local synagogues through the Synagogue Discovery Tour. Each child had a bingo-type card depicting various Jewish objects and symbols that are found in most synagogues. Their assignment was to look for these symbols at

each synagogue and mark off the symbols at each stop. The tour began at Temple Israel where Cantor Shermet met with the kids to discuss the various symbols on their cards. The kids then toured the school facility at Temple. They boarded a bus and headed to Beth Israel where they were met by Rabbi Abramovich who showed them a Torah Scroll and let each child come up to the reading table on the Bimah to see the Torah up close. Rabbi Abramovich then showed the students the decorative panels in the foyer depicting the seven days of creation. The tour then headed to Beth El where Rabbi Abraham greeted the group. He also pointed out many of the objects on their bingo cards, showing where many of them were in the sanctuary. He invited the students to the Bimah for Havdalah, showing them a Havdalah set and doing the service with them.

Everyone had the opportunity to smell the aromatic spices and say the blessings. The students then toured the building and concluded the day with a snack.

Experienced educator Felicia Littky organized and led the tours on behalf of the JFO. Felicia has taught kindergarten through 2nd grade at a number of synagogues and communities. She is an Omaha native and active at Beth El Synagogue prior to venturing out to Alexandria, VA in 2001 and after that, Ann Arbor, MI. She and her family returned to their much-loved Omaha in 2014. She currently teaches Torah Tots at Beth El and works remotely as a program manager for an international membership association based in Washington, DC. Felicia’s expert planning and instruction provided over 70 students from Beth El, Beth Israel, Friedel Jewish Academy and Temple Israel with learning experiences about the Omaha Jewish community that took them beyond the doors of their individual synagogues or schools. With a skillful blend of classroom-like instruction and active experiential activities, she assisted the students in acquiring additional knowledge of Judaica and deepening their appreciation of what it is to be a Jew in Omaha.

When His Ears Hurt Too Often

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8 | The Jewish Press | April 13, 2018

community News from the Omaha Jewish Alumni Association

AnneTTe VAn De kAMP Editor, Jewish Press The 2018 Berkshire Hathaway weekend, when Omaha becomes the temporary home for visitors from all over the world, will take place during the first weekend of May. The Omaha Jewish Alumni Association invites its members to connect during this time.

Friday May 4, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., there is a complimentary lunch at Star Deli, located in the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. In addition, members of the Alumni Association visiting Omaha will receive free passes to the JCC Fitness Center. There will be tours of our new, remodeled facilities and a free tote bag.

RSVPs are due by April 24. For more information and to sign up, please contact Margo Parsow at mparsow@jewishomaha.org or call 402.334.6432. The Omaha Jewish Alumni Association can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/2284963977 15522/ or accessed through our website at http://www.jewishoma ha.org/about/our-community/omaha-jewish-alumni-association/.

Visit us on facebook:

JFO receives grant from Million Dollar Round Table Foundation

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he MDRT Foundation has awarded a $2,500 Worldwide grant to the Jewish Federation of Omaha/Jewish Family Service’s Yachad Program to provide collaborative programming for the Developmentally Disabled in the Omaha community.

Through its global grants, the MDRT Foundation is committed to building stronger families and communities around the globe. This year, the MDRT Foundation will award nearly $1 million in MDRT member-endorsed grants to more than 100 charitable organizations worldwide. “MDRT members are privileged to have a Foundation that supports our individual charitable interests by recognizing worthy causes in the communities in which we make our living,” explains Jim Farber, MDRT member and grant sponsor.

Representing the MDRT Foundation for the check presentation was Jim Farber of Swartzbaugh-Farber & Associates, Inc.. Jim presented the grant award to Alan Potash, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Omaha; Toba Cohen-Dunning, Jewish Social Services (JSS) Co-President; Karen Gustafson, Executive Director of Jewish Family Service; Joyce Ryan, Yachad Program Coordinator for Jewish Family Service; and, Amanda Clark, ARC Program Coordinator for the Ollie Webb Center. This check presentation occurred at the Jewish Social Services Board Meeting on March 27, 2018.

This Worldwide grant will provide Jewish Family Service’s Yachad Pro-

gram and the Ollie Webb Center with the opportunity to continue our collaborative programming. Amanda Clark, ARC Program Coordinator shared, “Ollie Webb Center, Inc. is so fortunate to partner with the Omaha Jewish

MDRT Foundation was created in 1959 to provide MDRT members with a means to give back to their communities.

Since its inception, the Foundation has donated more than $29 million in more than 70 countries throughout the world

Family Service’s Yachad Program on social events for adults with Developmental Disabilities. These programs help promote healthy lifestyles and community inclusion. We wouldn’t have such exceptional programming without the grant awarded by The MDRT Foundation.”

This was the second Grant awarded to the Jewish Federation of Omaha from the MDRT Foundation. In 2015, JFO was awarded a $5,000 Quality of Life Grant to facilitate programming deliberately designed to promote more fitness with the same population. The MDRT Foundation was very pleased with our fiscal responsibility and, therefore, was able to entertain a second request two years later.

About the MDRT Foundation: The

and in all 50 U.S. states. These funds were raised by MDRT members and industry partners. For more information, visit mdrtfoundation.org.

About MDRT: The MDRT Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Million Dollar Round Table, The Premier Association of Financial Professionals®.

MDRT is an international, independent association of nearly 42,000 of the world’s best life insurance and financial services professionals from more than 80 countries and territories. MDRT members demonstrate exceptional product knowledge, strict ethical conduct and outstanding client service. MDRT membership is recognized internationally as the standard of sales excellence in the life insurance and financial services business. For more information, visit mdrt.org.

A Congratulate $36 ps://www.facebook.com/ShalomahaPress

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We are so proud of your achievements – membership in NHS, varsity letter in tennis and a Merit Award from B.E.S.T.T.

Love, Mom, Dad, brothers, sisters and grandparents

The Jewish Press | April 13, 2018 | 9

Justice we shall pursue

Cat KinG McCollister to brief the committee on Temple Israel Director of Engagement and planned legislation aimed to alleviate hunger.

Communications and In February, Rabbi Berezin and Geoff SilverGeoff SiLveRStein stein visited Lincoln where Silverstein testiChair of Social Justice Committee fied in support of McCollister’s bill to Food insecurity—not knowing where your increase the income limit of Nebraskans parnext meal is coming from—touches one in ticipating in the Supplemental Nutrition Asseven people in Douglas County. In many of sistance Program, known as SNAP. their households, someone is employed yet Rabbi Berezin shared that “Legislation like still do not make enough to support their this bill reflects our values, and it’s important family, and may still have to choose between that—when we can—we add our voices to afpaying for food, or paying for other necessities fect long-term and sustainable change.” like medicine or utilities.

“Advocacy is really just Last fall, the Temple Isa piece, though a critical rael Social Justice Comone, of what our committee chose to focus its mittee is seeking to efforts on positively imbuild,” Silverstein adds. pacting the challenge of “We want to create opfood insecurity in the portunities for Temple Omaha area and helping Members of all ages, abilto feed the hungry ities and interests to volamong us. After hosting unteer, to contribute and MAZON’s “This is to make a difference.”

Hunger” exhibit over The committee is also Yom Kippur and listening working with Big Garto a panel of area experts, den, a nonprofit that has a number of committee helped establish more members were inspired than 150 community to take on the cause in a gardens in communities more serious way. throughout the region, to Sarah Gilbert helped Rabbi Deana Berezin and Geoff Silverstein explore opportunities for give shape to the com- lobbying in Lincoln volunteers and envision mittee’s focus. “For several reasons–it’s a crit- what a community garden at Temple Israel ical issue in all parts of our community, it’s might look like. relatable for all ages, and there are many comFurther, Committee Member Sarah Odem munity partners doing excellent work on this is leading the planning effort for an incrediissue that we can support.” She continued ble multi-generational mitzvah opportunity.

“The focus on hunger allows the committee Temple Israel is hosting the “Social Justice to explore different avenues of tikkun olam Soup Kit Project” on Sunday, April 22 from such as advocacy, volunteering, service, and noon to 3 p.m. A soup kit is a package of dry activities such as food drives.” food items, such as beans and spices that— Over the past months, the committee has once water is added— will make a pot of soup pursued this vision, building relationships to feed a whole family. Temple needs many with area partners, learning more about the volunteers for the assembly line and even root causes of hunger and the organizations young children will be given a job to do. working with the hungry in Omaha. CommitOdem offered that, “It’s a special opportutee Chairperson Geoff Silverstein noted, nity for families to join together after reli“Nothing we do is on our own or in a vacuum. gious school and help make a significant Our goal is to support and augment the in- impact with this one-time project. It can also credible efforts already under way in the be a teachable moment for parents to have broader community. That’s why we’re looking with their kids. Everyone is welcome--and to expand current volunteer opportunities like we’re serving lunch so there’s no excuse not serving breakfast at the Stephen Center and to be there and help make a difference for the why we want to better understand the innova- hungry in our community.” tive work at organizations like No More Empty For additional information on the event or Pots. We have such a generous and caring con- to RSVP, you can search for Social Justice gregation, and we’re going to have a broader Soup Kit Project on Facebook, contact Temimpact if we can funnel our efforts and build ple Israel at 402.556.6536, or send an email to on the great work already happening through- RSVP@templeisraelomaha.com. out Omaha in response to this issue.”

Temple Israel’s Social Justice Committee alIt’s this spirit of collaboration that led the ways welcomes new members and voluncommittee to work with organizations like teers! If you have any questions or interest, Nebraska Appleseed, whose Legislative Di- please reach out to Rabbi Berezin at dberezin rector, Katie Pitts, joined State Senator John @templeisraelomaha.com.

Parshat Shemini: The holidays in the Hebrew month of “Iyar” The rabbis tell us that the 12 Hebrew months correspond to the 12 tribes of Israel. “Nissan”, the month of Passover, corresponds to “Reuven”, which also means to see. This is represented in the RaBBi aRi open miracles of DemBitzeR Passover and the Ex- Beth Israel Synagogue odus. God’s ways and

presence were obvious.

The month of “Iyar,” however, corresponds to “Shimon”, which also means to hear. Hearing is a little deeper and not as obvious. All the holidays in this month and the sad days as well - Yom Hashoah, Yom Hazikaron, Yom Hautzmaut, Lag Ba’omer, and Pesach Sheni, seem less Godly and more natural. With a deeper analysis however, one can see G-d’s ways in all of these as well. One has to lean in a little so one can pay closer attention.

Shabbat Shalom.

Snowbirds Please let the Jewish Press know in advance when you are leaving and when you are returning. Sometimes several papers are sent to your “old” address before we are notified by the Post Office. Every time they return a paper to us, you miss the Jewish Press and we are charged! Please call us at 402.334.6448 or email us at jpress@jew ishomaha.org.

Annual Plant Sale

May 3 and 4 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

JCC Main entrance Large variety of annuals and perennials plus vegetables and herbs Plants provided by

10 | The Jewish Press | April 13, 2018

Mother’s Day Coming in May

publishing date | 05.04.18 space reservation | 04.25.18 camera ready deadline | 04.13.18

Promote your business in this special issue.

Contact our advertising executive to advertise in this very special edition.

Yom ha’atzmaut 2018

Israel’s 70th Independence Day seems an appropriate time for an update on Lieutenant Elie and Hadar Weinberger. Elie is serving on a base in the Jordan Valley, where he is in charge of the basic training for 24 soldiers teddY in an elite combat unit, WeinBerGer as well as the four sergeants who are the soldiers’ immediate commanders. Elie (23) and Hadar (24) celebrated their one-year anniversary at the end of March.

Around the time that Elie first received his soldiers, at the beginning of December, was when Elie would have mustered out of his three years of compulsory military service and reenter civilian life. Hadar fully supported Elie’s decision to become an officer even though this committed him to an additional 16 months of military service. Hadar told me: “Elie wants to be an officer; he is good at it, it’s appropriate for him, and it will be good for him.

Everyone needs to contribute to society in the way that they can.”

Elie’s soldiers will complete their training in June, after which Elie hopes (though his parents do not) that his next position will be in actual military operations rather than in training. For Elie, military education includes ethical education, the latter often boiling down to three words: Do Not Lie. An officer must be able to absolutely and completely trust the men in his fighting unit. Issues of trust and honesty between soldiers are just as important as between soldiers and officers. In fact, the Hebrew acronym “malam” refers to the type of soldier who kisses up to their officer but is inconsiderate to their fellow soldiers--a phenomenon that Elie, when he sees it, will try to root out by speaking with the offending soldier.

A particular challenging job for Elie is to monitor guard duty. Soldiers are responsible for staying awake and alert even in the middle of the night. Elie makes surprise inspections of his men’s guard positions in the wee hours of the night (Elie himself barely sleeps, typically ending his days at 1 a.m. after a twohour meeting with his own commanding officer). Elie recently snuck up on a soldier who was sitting down, feet up, eating, listening to music, using his phone, with his protective vest and gun not on his person—in other words, just about every possible guard-duty infraction. The soldier looked up to see Elie staring at him. There and then, all Elie said was: “I expected more from you.”

It’s up to Elie to decide on his soldiers’ punishments; this often takes the form of docking the soldier a weekend leave. On the other hand, if Elie feels that the soldier is capable of self-discipline, Elie might say something like: “You know what, do whatever you want; I’ve washed my hands of you.”

402.334.6559 | sbernard@jewishomaha.org

elie and hadar on a recent hike

Shabbat. Sometimes Hadar takes a bus down to be with him, where she is joined by just one other officer’s wife (a secular native-born Russian woman who does not speak much), and where Hadar is the only woman in the base’s synagogue on Shabbat. On most “base” Sabbaths Elie and Hadar are apart (meaning that it can be several weeks between when they see each other). The language that Elie and Hadar use to explain their shared commitment to Elie’s service is suffused with their own strong religious commitments. They speak in one voice about service: “Both of us need to be strong and focused on the goal of helping the Jewish people. It’s about being on a life-long mission; it’s not just about an extra year in the army. We want to live our whole lives this way, contributing and doing. Our connection with God mandates no less.

“Love your neighbor as yourself ” is predicated upon our closeness with God. Happy Yom Ha’Atzmaut!

Teddy Weinberger, Ph.D., made aliyah in 1997 with his wife, former Omahan Sarah Jane Ross, and their five children, Nathan, Rebecca, Ruthie, Ezra, and Elie, all of whom are veterans of the Israel Defense Forces; Weinberger can be reached at weinross@net vision.net.il.

Organizations

B’nai B’rith BreadBreakers

Susan Bernard

In general, Elie says that his job is like a juggler with 24 balls in the air. If a soldier needs a physical therapist, or a psychologist or a dentist, it’s up to Elie to make sure that that solder gets to his appointment on time, all the while not taking his eyes off the other 23 balls. If Elie forgets to get one of his soldiers to where he needs to be, he is liable to incur a fine of several hundred shekels. If there are problems at home (and some of Elie’s soldiers come from extremely difficult homes, including one where the father is in jail), Elie tries to learn what those problems are and if possible see if the army can help. By now, Elie has visited the homes of all of his soldiers who come from troubled backgrounds (the other soldiers received a home visit by a sergeant).

Elie has to be on base about every other

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

Please join us on thursday, april 19 for Best-selling author Seth Siegel, on Israel’s Solution to a Water-Starved World, 7 p.m. at UNO’s Thompson Center. A program of the Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies and the Sokolof Lecture Series.

JTA More than 50 entertainment industry executives have signed a letter in support of Netflix, after the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel threatened a lawsuit over its distribution of the Israeli drama series Fauda.

The show focuses on a commando unit of the Israeli Defense Forces whose members embed themselves in the Palestinian community, gathering intelligence and preventing terror attacks. Fauda is an Arabic word meaning “chaos.” The show incorporates both Arabic and Hebrew dialogue. It airs on Netflix with English subtitles. Netflix is set to release the second season of the series next month.

The letter sent to Netflix’s Ted Sarandos, chief content creator, and Peter Friedlander, vice president of original series, praised Fauda for presenting a “nuanced portrayal of issues related to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict,” Variety reported. The letter also said that the show, “mirrors the power of the arts in general; they bring up difficult but important conversations, expanding our horizons and allowing us to experience different points of view.”

Among the executives signing the letter, according to Variety, were Rick Rosen, head of television at WME; Marty Adelstein, CEO of Tomorrow Studios; Gary Ginsberg, executive vice president of corporate marketing and communications of Time Warner Inc.; Jody Gerson, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group; Neil Jacobson, president of Geffen Records; and Ben Silverman, chairman and co-CEO of Propagate Content.

The BDS movement posted a statement on its website last week from the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel. It called on Israel to “nix” the series, calling it “an anti-Arab racist, Israeli propaganda tool that glorifies the Israeli military’s war crimes against the Palestinian people. Failing to do so will open Netflix to nonviolent grassroots pressure and possible legal accountability.”

Specifically, the statements demand that Netflix suspend production of season three of the series, refrain from releasing season two and remove season one from its streaming service.

The statement also said that the series “promotes and legitimizes violent acts committed against Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory by Israeli army death squads — the so-called ‘Mistaravim.’ The show’s writers, who were members in these units, have based the series on the war crimes committed by these squads against Palestinians.”

The series was created by Avi Issacharoff, the Arab affairs reporter for the English-language Times of Israel news website, and actor Lior Raz, who stars in the show. Both men served in the IDF unit depicted in the series.

community Downtown Shabbat: Omaha’s Berkshire Weekend tradition

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Gabby blair Staff Writer, Jewish Press hroughout Omaha, preparations are underway for the annual Berkshire Hathaway meeting. The event, scheduled to take place in downtown Omaha’s CenturyLink Center over the first weekend in May, draws in thousands of shareholders.

For many, the journey to Omaha has become a much anticipated tradition.

As in years past, the Omaha Jewish Community is preparing to welcome Jewish visitors from around the world with its annual Downtown Shabbat and Kosher Concierge service. Driven by Chabad, this “Welcome to Omaha” initiative was coordinated over a decade ago by Rabbi Mendel Katzman and a cross section of enthusiastic volunteers and is perfect for those in search of a Shabbat full of inspiration and delicious food.

While Shabbat services, dinners, and minyanim are hosted at the Chabad House weekly, the downtown option has become an Omaha tradition during Berkshire weekend and other national conferences.

Specifically designed for those seeking an island of calm in an otherwise frenetic weekend, Omaha’s Downtown Shabbat is always conveniently located in close proximity to the CenturyLink Center and the Hilton Hotel, where many will gather over the weekend.

According to Rochi Katzman, plans are being finalized.

“We are excited to officially announce this year’s fabulous venue soon, so stay tuned!”

Omaha’s Downtown Shabbat will kick off Friday, May 4 at 6:30 p.m. with Mincha followed by a delicious home cooked traditional Shabbat dinner prepared by Shani Katzman and her team of dedicated volunteers.

This event is open to locals and out of town visitors alike.

It began when Rabbi Katzman and the late Forrest Krutter decided it was important to make sure the needs of Jewish visitors were being met. Forrest was very involved in this program and took much pride in this welcoming, Nebraskastyled hospitality with heavy Jewish flavors.

“We typically host an average of 50-60 people for our annual Berkshire Shabbat Dinner,” explains Katzman. “So many folks who return year after year credit the warm reception they receive when they visit Omaha amongst their trip highlights. Omaha’s Downtown Shabbat is a really wonderful and unique experience; plan to meet new people from around the world and catch up with old friends, all while celebrating an

inspirational Sabbath together. I am so pleased we are able to provide this service to so many.”

On Saturday, May 5 at 7 a.m., Chabad will host an early minyan, with Kiddush, cholent and all the trimmings available throughout the day.

If you’d like to be a host or volunteer to be part of the event, please email rochi@ochabad.com. Visit ochabad.com/brk to reserve. Contact 402.330.1800 with any questions or concerns.

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(Founded in 1920) Eric Dunning 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 Eric Dunning, President; Andy Ruback, Past-President; Sandy Friedman, Treasurer; Alex Grossman; Jill Idelman; Andy Isaacson, Mike Kaufman; David Kotok; Debbie Kricsfeld; Abby Kutler; Pam Monsky; Eric Shapiro and Barry Zoob.

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Jewish Rebellions

ANNETTE vAN DE KAMP Editor, Jewish Press hen Carey Purcell wrote her now infamous op-ed for the Washington Post, “I am tired of being a Jewish Man’s Rebellion,” she displayed a blind spot the size of your grandmother’s brisket.

Here’s the plot: she, a self-professed “stereotype of a white, Anglo-Saxon protestant,” has dated two Jewish men since moving from the South to New York City. Both relationships ended, after which the men “settled down with a nice Jewish girl.”

She continues: “I guess dating me had been their last act of defiance against cultural or familial expectations before finding someone who warranted their parents’ approval—perhaps the equivalent of a woman dating a motorcycle-driving, leather jacket earing ‘bad boy’ before settling down with a banker with a 9-to-5 job. I now half jokingly consider myself a Jewish man’s rebellion and guard myself against landing in that role. (…) In the meantime, I’ll continue dating and meeting my friends—Jewish and not—to swap Tinder horror stories over drinks, hopefully while sipping the cocktail I’m determined to create, named “A Jewish Man’s Rebellion.” I’d like it to feature a Bourbon base and be garnished with a slice of bacon.”

Next came, of course, the online firestorm. Some called Purcell ‘vaguely anti-Semitic,’ with her references to ‘lackadaisical Jews’ and ‘overbearing mothers.’ Not to mention her complaint that these two exes had the gall to consider themselves ‘cultural Jews’ and yet chose to marry Jewish women. Why couldn’t they have married Purcell? She was “open-minded!” She only described herself as Christian “loosely and in the most liberal sense possible!” And: “On

more than one occasion, we laughed about the fact that I knew more about the Jewish faith than they did.”

Well. Where to begin?

First, there is nothing vague about Purcell’s anti-Semitism. It’s right there, out in the open for everyone who has a mind to see it. Second, maybe we don’t really need to

6. Dating Chris Evans 7. Jew for Jesus 8. Working with Mel Gibson 9. Preferring Frasier to Seinfeld 10. Marrying a Trump Twitter got into the mix and there was plenty of mocking to go around: “A Jewish Man’s Rebellion is my misunderstood LP of Jazz standards played on shofar,” one user wrote. “The Jewish media didn’t want this published, but the Jewish media’s overbearing Jewish mom made them do it to prove that shiksas can’t be trusted,” wrote another. And my personal favorite: “So sad this anti-Semitic lady’s relationships with Jews didn’t work out! Must be the Jews’ fault—back to the shtetl everyone, we tried!”

True, not every instance of anti-Semitism can, or should, be countered with humor. That is especially true when it has a large national platform. Yet, sometimes I think we need that sense of humor to keep us going. Because, honestly, how are we to respond to writings such as Purcell’s? Do we really need to take this seriously? credit: pd4u via Wikimedia Commons What did she expect? For Jewish men everywhere to deworry about one scorned girl who decided that the best fend themselves, and say: “Oh, but I would totally marry way to deal with a bruised ego is to denounce all Jewish you?” Not after that Bourbon-with-a-garnish-of-bacon men—in a major national newspaper, no less. comment, they won’t.

But then, something interesting happened. The reInterfaith relationships are here to stay, with or without sponse from many Jewish readers online turned from deri- Purcell on the market. Sometimes they work out, somesion to humor. times they don’t. That’s life; it’s hardly a reason to measHere are ten actual Jewish rebellions, according to The- ure the whole world against your own experiences. For Cut.com: someone who loudly exclaims she had no problem with 1. Bacon cheeseburger her partners’ Judaism, cultural or otherwise, she certainly 2. Calling Leonard Cohen overrated reaches for anti-Semitic stereotypes quickly and without 3. Sleeping with a soldier on your Birthright trip a second thought.

4. Instagramming on Shabbat Purcell claims she’s learned her lesson: no more dating 5. Secret tattoo Jewish men. It’s a pity that that was the wrong lesson.

AIPAC won’t win back progressives until it faces hard truths about Israel JEREMy BEN-AMI AND JILL JACoBS JTA At its annual policy conference last week, AIPAC made a high-profile, widely discussed bid to bring progressives back into the fold. Those efforts revealed that the organization’s leaders understand that their particular brand of Israel politics is losing support -- but that they still may not understand why.

“The progressive narrative for Israel is just as compelling as the conservative one,” AIPAC’s president, Mort Fridman, declared in his opening remarks. He assured progressives that “we are partners in this project.”

Over the four-day event, Democratic elected officials and Israeli opposition leaders addressed plenary sessions with titles such as “Foundations of Pro-Israel Progressive Activism.” Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm declared that Israel is a “progressive’s paradise,” citing important achievements like the country’s universal health care and strong record of support for women’s rights.

As progressives who have dedicated our lives and careers to the future of the State of Israel, we agree that there is a compelling progressive narrative for Israel. The argument that “Israel’s security cannot be fully ensured and a promise cannot be fully realized until she is at peace with all her neighbors,” which AIPAC’s CEO Howard Kohr shared with the crowd during his welcoming remarks, is one that we have each made time and again.

Sadly, the current reality of Israeli government policy does not reflect or advance this vision of a secure, democratic homeland for the Jewish people. Instead, it imperils it. The Netanyahu government has dedicated itself to entrenching and justifying a military occupation that results in daily violations of the human rights of Palestinians while undercutting the prospects for the two-state peace agreement that AIPAC claims to support.

The current government of Israel has endeavored to erase all distinction between the democratic State of Israel and the territory it occupies in the West Bank without any objections from AIPAC. This government is carrying out a steady

assault on democracy -- attacking human rights defenders as traitors, passing laws that restrict free speech and stepping up discrimination against non-Jewish minorities. Like previous Israeli governments and despite promises to the contrary, this one condones policies that restrict the religious freedom of non-Orthodox Jews, including limiting the right of Conservative and Reform rabbis to perform marriages, conversions and divorces, and

A view of the AIPAC conference at the Washington Convention Center, March 6, 2018.

Credit: Michael Brochstein/ SOPA Images/ LightRocket via Getty Images arresting those who attempt to take part in egalitarian or women-led prayer at the Western Wall.

This is the reality that instills fear and frustration in so many American Jews over Israel’s present and future. It’s the reality that drives a growing number of progressives away from the pro-Israel cause.

AIPAC steadfastly refuses to acknowledge or address this reality.

Instead of acknowledging the real threat that occupation, settlement expansion and anti-democratic legislation pose to Israel’s security and fundamental character, AIPAC has made it its mission to defend or provide cover for virtually every policy and action of the Netanyahu government.

AIPAC ignores the fact that Israel’s current policies toward the Palestinians do not advance peace, but rather exacerbate conflict.

Yes, AIPAC does say that it supports a two-state solution, as Kohr reiterated during the conference.

But real support for two states means telling hard truths about what it will take to achieve this vision and criticizing actions by all sides that undermine it. It means no longer defining pro-Israel advocacy as unquestioning support for the policies of the Israeli government. It means admitting that neither the U.S. nor Israeli governments today actively supports or endorses the two-state solution -- and challenging them to change course. It means recognizing that while Palestinian leaders also shoulder responsibility for the ongoing conflict, blaming them exclusively for every impasse is misleading and wrong.

AIPAC should also be willing to confront Israel’s critics with powerful arguments, not work to penalize legitimate forms of dissent. The organization’s current approach to the BDS movement involves intense advocacy for federal legislation that, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, would violate the First Amendment by suppressing legitimate freedom of speech. How is battling the ACLU supposed to win back progressives? This legislation, for which AIPAC delegates lobbied in Washington, D.C., on March 6, also problematically collapses the distinction between Israel and the occupied territories.

AIPAC selected #ChooseToLead as its tagline for this year’s conference. But real leadership requires telling one’s members hard truths that they would prefer not to hear and confronting problems that are not easy to solve. Like AIPAC, we also celebrate and promote Israel’s many incredible accomplishments and achievements. But this moment requires more than this. It requires working to ensure that the existential threats of occupation and conflict do not imperil or undermine these successes.

Only that kind of work will ever convince progressives that AIPAC truly shares their values and goals.

Jeremy Ben-Ami is the president of J Street.

Rabbi Jill Jacobs is the executive director of T’ruah.

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.

The Jewish Press | April 13, 2018 | 13

Why I led my Orthodox Jewish classmates on the national gun control walkout

JACob MILLer CHICAGO | JTA I’m a sophomore at Ida Crown Jewish Academy, the largest Modern Orthodox high school in the Chicagoland area.

When I heard about the #ENOUGH national school walkout, I immediately wondered how my school could participate.

Our school motto is “Inspiring Bnei and Bnot Torah to thrive in the modern world”; here was a chance to put that dictum -- emphasizing that we students are meant to bring Jewish values into the wider world -- to the test.

My friends and I followed the news reports about the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in horror, read the biographies of victims with distress and discussed the event at length. We felt a burning rage about lax gun laws in the country. I approached my classmate Bayli Alter and together we decided to speak with our school dean, Rabbi Leonard Matanky, about how our school could get involved in the walkout.

Word about the walkout spread quickly, and many students approached me and volunteered to help plan the event.

The nationwide walkout on March 14 was organized by high school students and the Women’s March Youth Empower in response to the shooting at Stoneman Douglas in Parkland, Florida, in February. The 17-minute (to commemorate the 17 victims) walkout was designed to demonstrate against gun violence and show support for stricter gun legislation.

As an Orthodox Jewish school, our needs were a little different. We needed to ensure the program was Jewish in character, and we didn’t want to align ourselves with the wider Women’s March movement, which has been criticized for, among other things, its feeble response to one of its co-chair’s embrace of the Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, an avowed anti-Semite. Our student body also runs the gamut of political opinion, from right to left, and we needed to ensure our walkout did not offend or alienate anyone.

We tried hard to design programming that emphasized bipartisan political activism and memorialized the victims of the shooting. At 9:50 a.m., the entire school assembled in the gym, where Bayli and I spoke for a few minutes about the Parkland tragedy and gun control proposals. We hoped to

provide context for the walkout by educating students about the national conversation about gun legislation without forcing any political beliefs. We also stressed the memorial component of the demonstration. We then invited students to join us in our walkout.

Outside, we handed out sheets with Tehillim, or Psalms, on one side and the names and contact information for our local and national representatives on the other. We read out names of the Parkland victims, recited Tehillim and read short bi-

Students at the Ida Crown Jewish Academy in Skokie, Ill., holding a sign at their walkout to protest gun violence, March 14, 2018. Credit: Ida Crown Jewish Academy ographies of four of the people killed. Afterward, we encouraged students to phone Congress and urge their political representatives to support reasonable gun legislation.

“It was emotionally uplifting that students could gather for a common cause in the hope of achieving something positive out of this horrific tragedy,” said English teacher Sheri Goldstein. “The handouts with prayers on one side and phone numbers on the other side represented what Ida Crown is about.”

Rabbi Matanky told me, “I think one of the most important things we can teach our students is how to respond to injustice and how to channel their energies to make the world a better place. We are very proud of our students who took the

initiative and used the opportunity to remember those who were murdered via traditional Jewish responses and prayer.”

Olivia Friedman, a Bible teacher at Ida Crown, added, “I think it’s essential that students recognize that their religious identity and modern identity should be one and the same. ...The fact that students in our school feel strongly about the preservation of life, and are able to participate in a national walkout while integrating their Jewish beliefs, is a testament to this principle.”

Some students chose to sit in during the walkout. Junior Ben Krohn explained, “I think the left is using this tragedy as a platform to push for gun control, which I am not in favor of. Criminals will get guns no matter what; gun control only affects law-abiding citizens. I respect memorializing victims, but I didn’t want to push for gun control.”

The walkout inspired many students to continue their activism. Bayli Alter said, “I’m not the kind of person who will sit down and let other people do things for me: I like to stand up for what I believe in. After having organized the walkout, I feel more empowered to do more.”

Tova Oliff, a student who volunteered to help lead the program, said that she and many of her friends had heard about the walkout, but had thought the school would be opposed to such programming.

“The walkout was a wake-up call for the school to get involved,” she said. “I think many people in the future at ICJA will become more active.”

Tova is intent on starting a political activism group in the school next year to continue student involvement in activism.

In the aftermath of the Parkland shooting, student voices are being heard and taken seriously by politicians. It’s important for us as Jewish high school students to stand with our peers and to advocate against hate and violence to ensure atrocities like Parkland never happen again.

Jacob Miller is a sophomore at Ida Crown Jewish Academy in Skokie, Illinois.

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.

The US, and the world, need our anti-Semitism monitor more than ever

nItA Lowey And ChrIS SMIth JTA This is a hypothetical memo from two members of the U.S. House of Representatives to the nominee for secretary of state, Mike Pompeo.

To: Mike Pompeo From: Nita Lowey, Chris Smith Mr. Pompeo: Last week, many of our constituents, as well as Jewish families here and abroad, sat down for a seder to commemorate the Exodus story of Passover. Anti-Semitic attacks, threats and incidents were likely a topic of discussion at many tables.

Conversations about Jewish communities around the world focused on a key question: Is there a future for these communities in their home countries, or will they be forced into a modern Exodus?

As two members of Congress dedicated to fighting antiSemitism, we are deeply concerned by the increase in antiSemitism around the globe in the last year. Here are just a few of the stories that have been brought to our attention: The recent slaying of an 85-year-old Holocaust survivor in Paris, France, who the police believe was targeted because of her religion; Comments from Russian President Vladimir Putin that the Jews could be responsible for interfering in the U.S. elections; A study from the UK’s Community Security Trust, which found that the Jewish community was targeted at a rate of nearly four times a day in 2017, an all-time high; The suspected arson of a kosher grocery store in Créteil, France, which had just been defaced with Nazi swastikas; A letter on the website for the Jewish community of Poland outlining their concerns about a “growing wave of intolerance, xenophobia and anti-Semitism” in the country, leaving many in the community feeling unsafe; A 40 percent increase in the number of anti-Semitic incidents of vandalism in 2017 in the Netherlands; and Attempts in many countries to outlaw circumcision and various kosher and halal butchering practices.

Every one of these incidents is one too many, and they are just a small sample of what is happening around the globe.

The United States has consistently been a leader in the fight to combat international anti-Semitism. Since 2004, this work

has been led by the U.S. State Department’s Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism. The Global Anti-Semitism Review Act of 2004, signed into law that year, created and required the position and its supporting office. Rep. Chris Smith authored those provisions of the law. The position is tasked with tracking and leading U.S. efforts against antiSemitism around the globe. Just as important, the Special Envoy has served as a critical high-level liaison in the U.S. administration for international Jewish communities.

The Special Envoy position is now more important than ever. Anti-Semitic extremists in the United States and elsewhere are sharing and refining their methods and materials with each other. Terrorist groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda have hard-wired hatred of Jewish people into their ideological DNA, using it as a basis for their attack priorities and propaganda. Anti-Semitic attitudes, rhetoric and incidents have risen on the far left, far right and even the mainstream of the ideological spectrum in many countries.

As you may be aware, the position of Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism has remained vacant since the beginning of the administration. Additionally, there has been no staff in the Office to Monitor and Combat AntiSemitism since May 2017. Throughout 2017, we consistently urged the administration to fill the Special Envoy position as soon as possible, including through directives in the Fiscal Year 2017 and 2018 Omnibus bills. Ranking Member Nita Lowey authored those provisions in those appropriations bills. But even in the light of rising violence and discrimination against the world’s Jewish communities, the position and office are still vacant.

You will have many challenges to tackle should you be confirmed as the U.S. Secretary of State. Nonetheless, we urge you to make it a top priority to quickly appoint a person of recognized distinction in combating anti-Semitism, or in a directly relevant field, to the Special Envoy position. The longer this position remains empty, the more likely the U.S. commitment to combating the modern-day scourge of an ancient evil is called into question. U.S. leadership in the fight against anti-Semitism is essential, even more so now, and we cannot shirk the responsibilities that rest on our shoulders as

a world leader.

At the end of a Passover seder, participants often say “Next year in Jerusalem.” But with increasing threats against Jewish communities in Europe, Latin America and elsewhere, let us hope for seders next year in the UK, France, Poland, the Netherlands and the rest of the world. We look forward to working with you to ensure this is a reality.

Nita Lowey, a Democrat, represents New York’s 17th District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Chris Smith, a Republican, represents New Jersey's 4th District in the House.

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.

Letter to the edItor

Dear Editor, I want to thank you, first of all, for a professional and informative Passover issue. Having grown up in Omaha with so many of these people, it was a wonderful trip down memory lane, especially Mary Fellman who we grew up across the street from. I particularly want to acknowledge your article on the Beth Israel Citation Dinners. My Dad, Maury Katzman, was instrumental in all of them, along with wonderful men like Dan Gordman, Sam Hahn and Henry Appel. Even though I was young, I remember the excitement of those dinners, people sitting around the kitchen table planning (Mrs. Neveleff, may she rest in peace, perhaps the most vocal one) and listening as to how challenges were addressed. What is so vivid in my mind was helping my father with his speeches—not to help write or critique them—but to time them. My Dad was meticulous and the dinners were timed to the minute. And my special treat was Eddie Cantor singing “If You Knew Susie” to me from the bimah. He and my father exchanged several letters and he took us all to lunch at the Brown Derby when we visited Los Angeles. The beauty of those dinners was the diversity of the people in the room and the diversity of those being honored. It truly brought together the best of Omaha, regardless of religion or the congregation to which one belonged.

SuSAn KAtzMAn St. Louis, Missouri

14 | The Jewish Press | April 13, 2018

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 13, at 7:30 p.m. with guest speaker Jannette Gabriel on Locking up Al Levy: Omaha’s Struggle Against Jim Crow during WWII. 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, please contact any of our board members: Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Carole Lainof, Marty Ricks, Sissy Silber, Nancy Wolf and Phil Wolf.

BeTh el synagogue

Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman. frIday: Six String Shabbat, 6 p.m. saTurday: Shabbat Morning Services, 9:30 a.m. Bat Mitzvah of Brittney Clignett; 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 (Grades K-7), 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10 a.m..; Torah Tots, age 4-5, 10:30 a.m..; Fourth & Fifth Grade Wedding, 11 a.m.

Tuesday: The Ethical Life with Rabbi Abraham, noon at Whole Foods; Women's Book Group and Potluck Dinner, 5 p.m. at Saint Michael Lutheran Church, 13232 Blondo St. We will discuss The Saturday Evening Girls Club by Jane Healey.

RSVP to Judith Barnes. wednesday: Chesed Committee visits Sterling Ridge, 2 p.m.; BESTT Classes (Grades 3-7), 4:15 p.m.; USY Program, 5:15 p.m.; The Ethical Life with Rabbi Abraham, 6 p.m.; BESTT Hebrew High Classes (Grades 8-12), 6:30 p.m.

Habonim Program – Grades K-2, sunday, april 22, noon.

Miriam Initiative: Women’s Forum, Thursday, april 26, 7:30 p.m.

All classes and programs are open to everyone in the Jewish community.

BeTh Israel synagogue

Services conducted by Rabbi Ari Dembitzer. frIday: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha and Candle Lighting, 7:44 p.m. saTurday: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Insights into the Weekly Torah Portion, 6:45 p.m. with Rabbi Ari; Mincha/Seudah Shlishit, 7:30 p.m.; Havdalah, 8:47 p.m. sunday: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; True Independence at 70, 10a.m. with Rabbi Ari. weekdays: Creating Spiritual Life, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari. monday: Shacharit, 6:45 a.m.

Tuesday: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Beth Israel Yom Hazikaron Commemoration, 7:30 p.m. wednesday: Shacharit, 7 a.m.

Thursday: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Connecting to Our Faith, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; L’Dor V’Dor — Intergenerational Learning, 6:30 p.m. with Rabbi Shlomo; Character Building for Teens, 6 p.m. with Rabbi Ari; Talmud, 7:30 p.m. with Rabbi Shlomo.

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.

CongregaTIon B’naI Jeshurun

Services conducted by Rabbi Teri Appleby. frIday: Yom HaShoah v’HaG’vurah Shabbat Service, 6:30 p.m.; Oneg, 7:30 p.m. hosted by Steve McLaughlin; Candlelighting, 7:46 p.m. saTurday: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. on Parashat Shemini; Havdalah (72 Minutes), 9:17 p.m.

sunday: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m. Grades 4-7 will be cleaning the Holocaust Memorial at Wuyka Cemetery. Please dress your student appropriately and pick up your student at the cemetery at noon; LJCS Gesher, 10 a.m.; Leonard Pitts speaks, 1:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church; Feeding the kids at the F Street Rec Center, 2:30 p.m. For more information, contact Aimee Hyten at aimee.hyten@gmail.com or Lupe Malcom at lupemalcom 65@gmail.com; NE State Holocaust Commemoration, 3 p.m. at the NE State Capitol Building. Our legislative sponsor is Senator Rick Kolowski, and our guest speaker is Jim Fried; 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: Ladies Lunch, noon at 9 South CharGrill in Hickman. Please contact Deborah Swearingen with any questions at 402.475.7528; Intro to Judaism: Israel/Yom Ha’atzmaut, 7 p.m. wednesday: LJCS Hebrew School, 4 p.m.

Thursday: Choir Rehearsal, 7 p.m.

Israeli Independence Day Shabbat Service with Star City Kochavim, friday, april 20, 6:30 p.m.

LJCS CAMP ISRAEL is gearing up for another great twosession July 9–July 20, 2018. Make plans for your child to attend this summer.

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.

Thursday: Jewish Heroes, Heroines, and Personalities: Roy Cohn, 10 a.m. taught by Cantor Wendy Shermet. All classes meet at Temple Israel; Kol Rina Rehearsal, 6 p.m.

Chocolate Shabbat featuring Kol Chokolad, friday, april 20. TThis is a multi-generational family service featuring our new kids’ choir, Kol Shokolad, and everyone is invited! Chocolate Shabbat community dinner at 5:15 p.m., then Shabbat service at 6 p.m., followed by a chocolate oneg. There is no cost for the dinner! Reserverations are needed, so please RSVP to Temple Israel by calling 402.556.6536 or sending an email to rsVp@templeisraelomaha.com by april 18.

Temple Tots Sunday, sunday, april 22, 10:30 a.m.

Enjoy stories, songs, crafts (and bagels, of course!) with your child, while connecting with our Temple Israel community. All are welcome—bring friends!

Pride Task Force Meeting, sunday, april 22, 10:30 a.m.

All are welcome, including anyone from other congregations who wish to march with us in the pride parade. The task force has been formed to help organize Temple Israel’s involvement in issues and events for LGBTQ+ congregants and allies.

Everyone is welcome to participate or just come to learn more!

Social Justice Soup Kit Project, sunday, april 22, noon Join the Social Justice Committee to pack soup kits for Jewish Family Services. A soup kit is a package of dry food items, such as beans and spices, that will make a pot of soup to feed a whole family — just add water. We need lots of volunteers for our assembly line and even young children will be given a job to do. Lunch is included and everyone is welcome!

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

Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: monday-friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. frIday: Shabbat Dinner, 6:30 p.m. All food will be provided at this gathering. saTurday: Shabbat Morning service, 10 a.m. We wil be joined by 12 Doane students for services; Junior Congregation, 11 a.m.; Please join us after services for a light Kiddush Lunch. sunday: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m. Grades 4-7 will be cleaning the Holocaust Memorial at Wuyka Cemetery. Please dress your student appropriately and pick up your student at the cemetery at noon; LJCS Gesher, 10 a.m.; NE State Holocaust Commemoration, 3 p.m. at the NE State Capitol Building. Our legislative sponsor is Senator Rick Kolowski, and our guest speaker is Jim Fried; 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: Ladies Lunch, noon at 9 South CharGrill, 1204 Park Drive in Hickman. The ladies will be carpooling.

Please contact Deborah Swearingen with any questions. wednesday: LJCS Hebrew School, 4 p.m.

Thursday: Yom HaAtzmaut Celebration, 6:30 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. We will have Israeli music, dancing, hotdogs, hamburgers and side dishes. Attendees should bring their own drinks. Please RSVP so we can plan the amount of food.

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.

As you start to make summer plans, consider sending your child to LJCS CAMP ISRAEL, July 9–July 20, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. Light Kosher dairy snack and lunch included. Tuition for each week is $75. This program is open to children ages 5-14. We require ALL campers to be registered through the LJCS, therefore we cannot accept drop-in guests.

offuTT aIr forCe Base

rose BlumkIn JewIsh home

saTurday: Services, 9:15 a.m. led by Stan Edelstein.

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

Temple Israel

frIday: Shabbat Comes to You at The Heritage Sterling Ridge, 4 p.m.; Shabbat Service with special guest Rev. Bud Heckman, 6 p.m. Temple Israel welcomes Rev. Bud Heckman, the new executive director of the Tri-Faith Initiative to speak at our Shabbat evening service; OTYG Shabbat, 6 p.m.

Join OTYG for services at Temple Israel, followed by roller skating at Skate Daze. $15 includes admission, food, and beverages. RSVP to Ben Leathers-Arnold, benleathersarnold@ yahoo.com. saTurday: Temple Tots Shabbat, 9 a.m. Enjoy stories, songs, crafts (and bagels, of course!) with your child, while connecting with our Temple Israel community. All are welcome—bring friends; Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Service, 10:30 a.m. Torah Reader: Larry Gittelman and Haftarah Reader: Miles Remer. sunday: Blood Drive, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; Kol Chokolad Kids’ Choir, 9:30 a.m.; Madrichim Meeting, 9:30 a.m.; Grades K-6, 10 a.m.; Temple Israel Book Club, 10:30 a.m.

Tuesday: Board of Trustees Meeting, 7 p.m. wednesday: Grades 3-6, 4 p.m.; T’filah for School, 4:30 p.m.; School Dinner, 6 p.m.; Grades 7-12, 6 p.m.; Family School, 6 p.m.; Holocaust Survivor Kitty Williams speaks, 6:30 p.m. at Temple Israel. Hearing first-hand testimony of a Holocaust Survivor is an invaluable experience for people of all ages, and the opportunity to hear from those who were there is quickly vanishing. This event is free and open to all.

TIfereTh Israel

Leader of Reform movement’s rabbinical arm to retire JTA news sTAff Rabbi Steven A. Fox, the head of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, will retire next year after 13 years as CEO. CCAR is the rabbinic arm of the Reform movement, the largest in America.

Fox, 64, strengthened the organization’s governance, renewed its financial stability and built up its senior leadership team, the CCAR said in a statement. He also oversaw the creation of the CCAR Lifelong Learning/Continuing Professional Education program, which provides Torah and professional development classes to Reform rabbis. He developed major new streams of funding to expand CCAR programs.

“It is with mixed emotions that I announce my plans

to retire from the CCAR in 2019,” Fox said. “We have accomplished much in these years together. Now is the moment for the CCAR leadership to consider the future direction of the Conference, to affirm our mission in bold new ways, to assert our leadership role in the Reform Movement and broader community, and to consider new avenues to add value to our members’ lives, focusing on all rabbis no matter where or how they serve, with a new Chief Executive to lead at the helm.”

A search committee has been appointed to find Fox’s successor. Fox’s announcement comes less than a month after the announcements that the CEOs of the Conservative movement’s rabbinic and congregational umbrella groups are stepping down.

The Jewish Press | April 13, 2018 | 15

lifecycles in mEmOriam

JOsEphinE “JOsiE” shraGO

Josephine “Josie” Shrago passed away April 4 at age 91. Services were held April 8 at Mt. Sinai Cemetery.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Abe Shrago and son Ed Shrago.

She is survived by daughter-in-law, Steffie Shrago and daughter and son-in-law, Bobbi and Larry Newman, grandchildren: Jerad Newman, Randy Newman, Laynie Christenson, and Jamie Shrago; and great-grandchildren: Josie and Zeke Newman, and Preston Christenson.

Memorials may be made to American Parkinson Disease Association Nebraska or the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

Can YOU help Jewish Family Service?

KarEn GustafsOn JFS Executive Director It’s not very often that WE ask YOU for help.

We prefer to be the ones to provide services to others. In fact, most recently, we were invited to apply for a Grant, called the Anything Grant that allowed each agency of the Jewish Federation of Omaha to dream up “anything” that the agency needed or wanted to do. What did JFS do? We wrote a Grant that would reimburse our staff time (away from seeing clients) in order to provide our expertise to other Federation agencies and synagogues. We were able to “give away” 55 hours of training services for ADL, JCC, Temple Israel, Friedel Jewish Academy and the Child Development Center, covering topics such as parenting, supportive communication, signs and symptoms of Child Abuse, Social and Emotional Intelligence, etc.

Did you also know that JFS: • Provided 376 gifts of financial assistance to those in need • Provided 779 Staff hours for our adults in the Yachad program • Supported 189 visits to our Food Pantry (This number has doubled in 2017-18) • Served 372 families across four different Tzedakah Projects • Saw 213 therapy clients for a total of 1562 therapy sessions • Supplied 16 children with Back-to-School supplies Beginning april 13 and running through June 30, 2018, Jewish Family Service is seeking YOUR help. Please consider becoming our FRIEND during our Friend’s Campaign. Our goal is to raise $21,000. The “actual” amount of Assistance provided to the Jewish community in 2016-17 topped $115,000.

Neighbors resist security upgrades for new US Embassy

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JERUSALEM | JTA Some Israelis who live near the site of what is slated next month to become the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem have asked the country’s Supreme Court to block the security changes deemed necessary by the United States.

A group of residents from the Arnona neighborhood, in the southern part of the city, have complained that a planned 13-foot-high stone security wall will obscure their view and a planned escape road is digging up a picturesque hillside. e residents, who already have to deal with security patrols and bright security lights around the current building, which serves as the U.S. Consulate, are angry that they are not being consulted about the changes, Hadashot News reported.

Israel’s National Council for Planning and Construction last month waived the usual rezoning approval and construction permits for the work in turning the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem into the embassy.

Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon signed off on the official zoning and permit waiver for the building. It is valid for three years. e area’s current zoning would not have allowed the wall or the escape road. U.S. Ambassador David Friedman and some staff will begin working out of the consular section beginning in May.

in the news

Omaha native Dina saltzman will participate in Camp Broadway Kids, Monday April 30. The Camp Broadway Kids, a musical theatre ensemble comprised of 60 theatre-loving kids, ages 12-16, will be featured at The New York Pops 35th Birthday Gala at Carnegie Hall. Camp Broadway’s 60-member cast, selected from a national audition of over 500 amateur performers, will make their Carnegie Hall debut at the culmination of a three-day rehearsal, featuring master classes in vocal performance, dancing and acting under the direction Camp Broadway’s creative team. Participants hail from 32 states and represent 57 cities in the U.S., as well as Brazil and Puerto Rico.

COrrECtiOn

The front page photo of Stacey Rockman in our April 6, 2018 edition is credited to Laurie and Charles Photographs. The Jewish Press regrets the omission.

Game On! Join in the game day fun with L.O.V.E.

GaBBy BLair Staff Writer, Jewish Press Are you a Mah Jong maven? Do you like a good game of cards? Why not try your hand at Poker, Scrabble, Shanghai, Bridge, Pan, and more at the annual L.O.V.E. Sponsored Game Day on Sunday April 29 in the Jewish Community Center Auditorium. is popular and highly anticipated event is always a highlight for residents. All event proceeds directly benefit the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

Expect to have a great time and the chance to win one of this year’s terrific door prizes! Snacks and Beverages provided.

If you are looking for a game to play in, call Renee Kazor at 402.330.4404 and she'll happily connect you with others who are

also looking for a game.

Game Day check in will begin April 29 at 12:30 p.m.; game play begins at 1 p.m. Registration fee is $18 per person; please reserve your spot/space before the April 18 deadline. Make checks payable to L.O.V.E. and send with the registration form to L.O.V.E., attention Les Kay at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, 323 S. 132nd Street, Omaha, NE 68154.

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u.s. mEat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, NE, has permanent and temporary positions available in farm and livestock. Competitive salary. Excellent benefits.

Visit https://employment.unl.edu (search keywords ‘Clay Center’) or call John Rieckman at 402-762-4117. frEOn r12 Wanted: Certified Buyer will Pay Ca$h for R12 cylinders or cases of cans. 312-291-9169; www.refrigerantfinders.com Guitar wantED! Local musician will pay up to $12,500 for pre-1975 Gibson, Fender, Martin and Gretsch guitars. Fender amplifiers also. Call toll free! 1-800995-1217.

16 | The Jewish Press | April 13, 2018

community

F

Humans of Tel Aviv’s erez kaganovitz comes to Omaha

Annette vAn de kAmp Editor, Jewish Press resh o his very successful PostPassover Four Cups of Freedom event, Community Shaliach Yoni Doron has another surprise coming our way. From April 22 through April 30, the Jewish Community Center Gallery will show a project by Israeli photojournalist Erez Kaganovitz, titled Humans of Tel Aviv. In addition, Kaganovitz will give a talk on Wednesday, April 25. A reception will be held from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the Gallery; Kaganovitz will deliver his artist talk, followed by a Q and A in the JCC î ˘eater from 6:30-7:30 p.m. High school students from all three synagogues are invited to attend the Wednesday night reception and Erez Kaganovitz’ talk.

Inspired by the popular blog Humans of New York, Kaganovitz founded Humans of Tel Aviv in 2012. î ˘e project aims to show the authentic cultural and human diversity of Tel Aviv and the country of Israel. Tel Aviv is one of the most multicultural cities in the world and that diversity prominently shows in Kaganovitz’ photographs. “For this project, I have photographed ultra-Orthodox Jews, Muslims and Christians alongside gays, lesbians and transsexuals; refugees from Africa who fled to Israel and are living in terrible conditions alongside the posh people of Rothschild Boulevard. You can see the fancier parts as well as the tougher parts of the city, because Tel Aviv harbors all

lebrating e C

kinds of dierent neighborhoods,â€? he told î ˘e Algemeiner in 2014.

It is that melting pot Kaganovitz wants to

a more complete picture of a country that is more than the sum of her parts. Kaganovitz doesn’t only take photographs; he collects the

show most of all. With that comes dispelling myths about Israeli society that continue to exist all over the world. Much of what people in other countries know about Israel centers around occupation and conflict, something Kaganovitz was confronted with when he traveled abroad aî‚?er his IDF service.

Kaganovitz’ portrayal of the Tel Aviv population and its many dierent faces provides

stories of the people in them. î ˘ose stories are original, surprising and as varied as the faces in the photographs. He hopes, picture by picture, story by story, the project will help dissolve misconceptions that continue to exist.

Kaganovitz has taken his project beyond social media and regularly shows his work in other countries. In addition, he lectures and

2018

oers the “Tikkun Olam Workshop,â€? teaching participants that everyone has the ability to tell a story through images.

To get a taste of Erez Kaganovitz’ work, you can visit his website at www.humansoî‚?el aviv.co.il. î ˘is event is made possible through generous contributions of Dr. Howard Gendelman, the Philip and Ethel Klutznick Chair in Jewish Civilization at Creighton University, the Michael Staenberg Family Foundation Anything Grants and the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation Ann Goldstein Education Programming Endowment Fund. î ˘e Israeli- American CouncilBeyachad and the Consulate General of Israel in the Midwest have provided additional Funding. î ˘e JCC Gallery is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Yoni Doron at 402.490.1468 or ydoron@jew ishomaha.org.

t u a m z t ’A a Yom H 8 1 L I R P A , Y A WEDNESD

All events are FREE and open to the community.

5:30-7:00 p.m. | FREE CHILDREN’S CARNIVAL (JC ĂžÂ“Â˜>ĂƒÂˆĂ•Â“ÂŽ Ä?Â?Â? >}iĂƒÂ° >“iĂƒ] ˆ˜y>ĂŒ>LÂ?iĂƒ] v>Vi ÂŤ>ÂˆÂ˜ĂŒÂˆÂ˜}] ĂŒ>ĂŒĂŒÂœÂœ >Ă€ĂŒÂˆĂƒĂŒ] Â…i˜˜> >Ă€ĂŒÂˆĂƒĂŒ] L>Â?Â?œœ˜ >Ă€ĂŒ >˜` ÂŤĂ€ÂˆĂ˘iĂƒÂ° œœ` vĂ€ÂœÂ“ -ĂŒ>Ă€ >ĂŒiĂ€ÂˆÂ˜} ĂœÂˆÂ?Â? Li >Ă›>ˆÂ?>LÂ?i vÂœĂ€ ÂŤĂ•Ă€VÂ…>Ăƒi°

6:00-6:45 p.m. | B’NAI B’RITH TRIVIA CONTEST (J

Ä?Ă•`ÂˆĂŒÂœĂ€ÂˆĂ•Â“ÂŽ ÂŁnĂŒÂ… Ä?Â˜Â˜Ă•>Â? Â˝Â˜>ˆ Â˝Ă€ÂˆĂŒÂ… iĂœÂˆĂƒÂ… /Ă€ÂˆĂ›Âˆ> ÂœÂ˜ĂŒiĂƒĂŒ. RegisĂŒĂ€>ĂŒÂˆÂœÂ˜ Ă€i¾ÕiĂƒĂŒi`° E‡“>ˆÂ? L˜>ˆLĂ€ÂˆĂŒÂ…JÂ?iĂœÂˆĂƒÂ…ÂœÂ“>Â…>Â°ÂœĂ€} ĂŒÂœ Ă€i}ÂˆĂƒĂŒiÀ° >Â?Â? -ĂŒiĂ›i ,ˆiÂŽiĂƒ >ĂŒ ­{äӎ {™Ó‡™nää vÂœĂ€ `iĂŒ>ˆÂ?ĂƒÂ°

7:00 p.m. | ISRAELI FILM, LECTURE & RECEPTION Featured Film: Ben Gurion, Epilogue

60 minute run time

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Lecture with Elan Ezrachi & Naamah Kelman

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Reception ­

>Â?Â?iĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x17E;ÂŽ Â&#x2DC;` Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;i iĂ&#x203A;iÂ&#x2DC;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;} Ă&#x153;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026; Ă&#x192;Ă&#x20AC;>iÂ?Â&#x2C6; Ă&#x192;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x20AC;iiĂ&#x152; vÂ&#x153;Â&#x153;` Ă&#x20AC;ivĂ&#x20AC;iĂ&#x192;Â&#x2026;Â&#x201C;iÂ&#x2DC;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x192;° QĂ&#x2022;iĂ&#x192;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x192;Âś Â&#x2021;Â&#x201C;>Â&#x2C6;Â? Ă&#x192;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;iĂ&#x20AC; >Ă&#x152;â >Ă&#x152; iÂ&#x17D;>Ă&#x152;âJÂ?VVÂ&#x153;Â&#x201C;>Â&#x2026;>°Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;}° Ä?Â?Â? iĂ&#x203A;iÂ&#x2DC;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x192; Ă&#x153;Â&#x2C6;Â?Â? Li Â&#x2026;iÂ?` >Ă&#x152; Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;i iĂ&#x153;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2026; Â&#x153;Â&#x201C;Â&#x201C;Ă&#x2022;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x17E; iÂ&#x2DC;Ă&#x152;iĂ&#x20AC;] Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x17D; -Â&#x153;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026; ÂŁĂ&#x17D;Ă&#x201C;Â&#x2DC;` -Ă&#x152;Ă&#x20AC;iiĂ&#x152;] "Â&#x201C;>Â&#x2026;>] ] Ă&#x2C6;nÂŁx{° 6Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152; Ă&#x153;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x153;°Â?VVÂ&#x153;Â&#x201C;>Â&#x2026;>°Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;} vÂ&#x153;Ă&#x20AC; Â&#x201C;Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;i `iĂ&#x152;>Â&#x2C6;Â?Ă&#x192;° THANK YOU! This program is made possible with the support of the Herbert Goldsten Trust, the IAC, and the following Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation Funds: Special Donor-Advised Fund, the Shirley and Leonard Goldstein Supporting Foundation and the Murray H. and Sharee C. Newman Supporting Foundation.