April 26, 2024

Yom HaShoah Memory and resilience

SCOTT LITTKY

IHE Executive Director

Each year it is an honor for the Institute for Holocaust Education, along with our local congregations, to plan our annual Yom HaShoah commemoration.

This year we will be holding our annual Omaha Holocaust Commemoration on Wednesday, May 8 at 7 p.m. at Temple Israel, 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive.

Along with participation from our Omaha clergy we are honored to have Survivors, 2nd Generation Survivors and community members participating in the candle lighting ceremony commemorating the victims and survivors of the Holocaust.

Our speaker this year will be Avi Wisnia. Avi is the grandson of Holocaust survivor, Cantor David Wisnia, of blessed memory. Since his grandfather’s recent passing, Avi Wisnia continues to share his grandfather’s stories and songs of survival, tracing David’s harrowing life journey from young Polish singing star to Auschwitz prisoner to American liberator with the 101st Airborne. Through it all, Cantor Wisnia’s remarkable singing voice helped save his life, especially in the notorious Nazi concentration camp. The Wisnias most recently traveled together to Poland to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, as chronicled in the PBS feature documentary How Saba Kept Singing Through sharing his grandfather’s story, Avi highlights the urgency of keeping the memory of the Holocaust alive and passing on this legacy from generation to generation.

See Yom HaShoah page 2

Willesden READS Project Relinquished: A search for self

REGULARS

On March 28, 1,900 Omaha middle

school students had the incredible opportunity to experience The Children of Willesden Lane, performed by acclaimed pianist and author Mona Golabek at the Holland Performing Arts Center. An evening performance for the community took place at night.

Prior to the performance, participating teachers were able to take part in professional development to learn more about how to present the curriculum. In addition, each student received a copy of the book, The Children of Willesden Lane, to keep. See Willesden READS page 3

ANNETTE

VAN DE KAMPWRIGHT

Jewish Press Editor

It was 1950 when Robert J. (Bob) Yaffe was adopted by Dorothy and Sol Yaffe. Decades later, in 1985, Bob embarked on a search for his birth parents. In his book, Relinquished, he details that journey, and its results.

“There can be many reasons why an adoptee might search for his biological roots,” Bob wrote. “These can include a search for medical and genetic information, religious issues or perhaps some deep-seated problems with the adoptive family or a myriad of psychological issues. Maybe it’s just a desire to see if there is someone in the universe who looks and acts like you.”

His wife Rita joined in his search, supported him every step of the way and was as committed as he was.

“I would never have achieved the results I did without her support,” Bob said.

Bob’s writing style means he takes

the

ing both successes and disappointments, and within a few chapters, it’s impossible to not be invested. We are there when doors close, when others open; when he meets family members he previously knew

See Relinquished page 3

reader by the hand from page one; we’re in the room with him dur-

Bob Yaffe

Avi Wisnia with his grandfather, Cantor David Wisnia, a Holocaust survivor.

Mona with Omaha students at the Holland Performing Arts Center. Credit: Mark Kirchhoff

Yom Ha’atzmaut

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor

The Jewish Federation of Omaha is excited to announce this year’s Yom Ha’atzmaut carnival. The community is invited to join us May 15 from 5:30-7 p.m. in the Staenberg Omaha JCC Gymnasium. Admission is free, and the celebration will include activities for all ages. Yom Ha’atzmaut, or Independence Day, is when we commemorate Israel’s Declaration of Independence in 1948.

The day is marked by official and unofficial ceremonies and observances, both in Israel and in the Diaspora. Yom Hazikaron, the Israeli Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism Remembrance Day, is always scheduled for the day preceding Independence Day.

An official ceremony is held every year on Mount Herzl on the evening of Independence Day. The ceremony includes a speech by the speaker of the Knesset, artistic performances and the ceremonial lighting of 12 torches, one for each of the tribes. Every year a dozen Israeli citizens, who made a significant social contribution in a selected area, are invited to light the torches. Many cities hold outdoor performances in cities’ squares featuring leading Israeli singers and fireworks displays. Many streets are closed off, so the party can move freely without having to worry about traffic.

In Omaha, we may not be able to close off entire streets, but we can dedicate the JCC gymnasium! Let’s celebrate Israel’s 76th birthday together, with crafts and games, face painting, inflatables and so much more!

We will have kosher food available from Star Catering for purchase, including $2 pizza slices, $4 Falafel sandwiches, $1 popcorn and $1 cookies. The B’nai B’rith Trivia Contest will begin at 6:15 p.m. in the Benjamin and Anna E. Wiesman Family Reception Room.

The Yom Ha’atzmaut Carnival is sponsored by Anything Grants Funded by the Staenberg Family Foundation, The Chesed Fund (formerly Murray H. and Sharee C. Newman Supporting Foundation), Special Donor Advised Fund, Ruth Frisch & Oscar S. Belzer Endowment Fund of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation, and the Alan J. Levine Program Endowment Fund of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation.

The annual Graduation Issue will publish this year on May 24, 2024. Senior photos will run in that issue and we know you’ll want to highlight the achievements of your high school graduate! Congratulatory ads are available in two sizes. Limit of 25 words.

Continued from page 1

Our commemoration will continue Thursday, May 9 at 6:30 p.m. when we will show the film, How Saba Kept Singing in the Alan J. Levine Theater, followed by a discussion with Avi Wisnia. The award-winning documentary film tells the story of Cantor, Holocaust Survivor, and Military Veteran David S. Wisnia (93) - affectionately known as “Saba,” who spends his later years traveling with his grandson and musical accompanist, Avi Wisnia, sharing the story of how he survived the Holocaust through music which the duo perform together. For years, Cantor Wisnia’s story centered around the belief that he survived Auschwitz mainly by using his beautiful singing voice to entertain his Nazi captors. These performances in the death camp gave him status as a “privileged prisoner.” However, when David takes his family back to Poland for one last performance, Avi starts asking questions; and they discover that someone else had a hand in Saba’s survival. An uplifting story about music, faith, family and resilience, proves love can grow and take hold in even the darkest of places. This film is directed by Sara Taksler (Tickling Giants), and Executive Produced by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chelsea Clinton.

The program is open to the community, and there is no charge to attend. A trailer for the film can be found athttps://youtu.be/Bci5ofmK2FM

On Sunday, May 5 at 2 p.m. in Lincoln, Nebraska, at the State Capitol in the Rotunda our annual state commemoration will be held. Included in the program will be artwork and poetry from the Lincoln Public Schools. The keynote speaker will be Sharon Brodkey, executive director of the JCRC. For this commemoration, Senator John Fredrickson will be serving as our legislative sponsor.

This year’s Yom HaShoah commemoration is supported by Beth El Synagogue, Beth Israel Synagogue, Temple Israel, Staenberg Family Foundation Anything Grant and The Chesed Fund

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

We are so proud of your achievements –membership in NHS, varsity letter in tennis and a Merit Award from the Band. Photohere

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

Trivia Prizes are $350 for first place, $200 for second and $100 for third.

Willesden READS

Continued from page 1

Set in Vienna in 1938 and in London during the Blitzkrieg, The Children of Willesden Lane tells the true story of Lisa Jura, a young Jewish musician who is dreaming about her concert debut at the storied Musikverein concert hall. When new ordinances are issued under the Nazi regime, everything changes for Lisa, except her love of music and the pursuit of her dream. Lisa’s daughter, Mona Golabek presented a multi-media production that tells her mother’s story through music, dialogue and photographs.

Students had many moving responses to the performance and the book:

“It was really cool learning about Lisa Jura and how she never gave up. She promised to never let go of her music. It was really cool to see her own daughter talking about her mother’s story in person.”

MEGUMI

“What I learned about the book and the concert is that World War ll was hard and that it was hard to get a ticket to the kinder transport to escape the war. This shows me how I should be thankful for the food I have and the shelter since the Jews didn’t have that. And that the Jews should not go through this persecu-

Continued from page 1 nothing about, and takes tentative steps on the path to building relationships with blood relatives. Bob has close ties throughout his life to the Omaha Jewish Community, and even finds one of his newly discovered siblings living in Omaha. There are many surprises in store, yet the book never becomes sensationalist.

tion again and that history shouldn’t repeat itself.”

ALLISON

“Thank you for allowing us to read this book and go see Mona Golabek. I really enjoyed this trip because you get to learn so much more than what you would from just a biography.”

LINCOLN

The Willesden READS project was generously funded by the Henry Davis Family Foundation, Rich and Fran Juro and the Lozier Foundation.

The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) is dedicated to working in common cause to enhance cooperation with other religious, racial, ethnic, and civic groups to foster a just, democratic and pluralistic society as well as promoting the security of Israel and Jews everywhere. Guided by Jewish values, the JCRC is a nonpartisan agency that advocates, educates, collaborates, and mobilizes action on issues important to the Jewish Community and the greater community.

The mission of the Institute for Holocaust Education is to provide educational resources, workshops, survivor testimony, and integrated arts programming to students, educators, and the public. The IHE provides support to Holocaust survivors in our community

Relinquished

“Putting all of these episodes together,” he said, “beginning nearly 40 years ago in 1985, provided both a cathartic and an enriching experience. Publicly sharing my success and looking back at some mistakes along the way was also humbling. It was in the writing of the book that I realized how my Jewish background informed so much of the decisions Rita and I have made over the years. My birth mother wanted me placed in a Jewish home. I was and I was brought up with a deep appreciation of the importance of Jewish education and Jewish values. This journey was the most personal and for many years a very secret mission I had undertaken. I am now proud to share the story with not only Jewish readers, with whom I hope portions of the story will resonate, but with anyone interested in the subject of adoption or adoption searches, and the general public.”

Now that both the search and the writing are in the rearview mirror, he certainly feels a sense of accomplishment: “Not so much for writing the book,” he said, “but for having finally completed a long and arduous search, which ended with truly amazing results and developing relationships with extraordinary new siblings. I felt I had a story worth sharing with the public, a story that just might help an adoptee who is out there searching for their origins, but also a story that I hope is entertaining as well.”

In addition to the results of his own search, Bob also addresses the circumstances of his adoption, the real and perceived rights people have to keep certain information private, and how adoptees can struggle navigating the red tape.

“The argument that birth parents entered into a contract with the state ensuring their identities and the circumstances of the adoption would remain secret, is an argument I reject,” he said. “My response is: I was never a party to that agreement. My birth parents’ contract with the state does not obviate my right to know the origins of my birth. I be-

lieve that access to your original birth certificate and to learn the origins of your birth is a basic human right.”

Bob wants to emphasize that Relinquished should not be interpreted as a handbook for adoptees:

“Every search, every situation is different. If some of my choices are helpful examples to another adoptee, that would be great. If there is disagreement with my methods, that is OK too. My history was of utmost importance to me. I am only one person and some might agree with how I did things and others may disagree - but the book just might make an adoption search a little easier for someone else.”

There is one thing he would like them to take away: the goal should be finding the answers to their origins. One cannot necessarily count on building relationships: “Developing a positive relationship can be great,” he said, “as it has been for me, but you must be prepared for the other party to not reciprocate. You must be willing to walk away. Patience is a necessity. Hopefully it won’t take someone else three decades to find the answers, as it did me, but nevertheless, it can be a long, time-consuming and frustrating struggle.”

Bob also hopes an adoptee can learn from his mistakes: “I told my parents I had been searching for my birth family out of fear of their learning about it from an outside source. I should have left it alone.”

He’s grateful that his birth mother insisted he was adopted into a Jewish family.

“[Dorothy and Sol] instilled in me a love of Judaism,” he wrote, “its teachings, rituals, liturgy, ethical teachings and music. I have tried, not always successfully, to live out the very values I strove to pass on to my children. I wanted to believe in something larger than myself and to live a life that improves the lives of others while working in a Jewish environment.

“As I look back on this journey, I realize my life would not be what it is but for a specific set of circumstances. After 30 plus years, in spite of so many ups and downs, wrong information, and many family secrets, I now know what those circumstances are. This search, and its results are a major part of my legacy, a written account that will be there long after I’m gone.”

Relinquished is available at online booksellers including Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Goodreads.

Margaret Kirkeby and Ellie Batt before the performance begins. Credit: Debra Kaplan

Fran and Rich Juro watch the evening performance. Credit: Debra Kaplan

HAZZAN MICHAEL KRAUSMAN

Nefesh Mountain

Beth El Jewish musicians are constantly preoccupied with two questions: What is Jewish music? What is American Jewish music? In the 19th century, singer, composer and researcher Alfred Sendry attempted to answer the first question by compiling an extensive bibliography of all known Jewish music. The answer to the latter question may be embodied by the New York-based Progressive Americana group, Nefesh Mountain. You can experience their music for yourself as Nefesh Mountain will be the featured artist at our upcoming Cantor’s Concert, live and in person, at Beth El’s beautifully renovated sanctuary on Sunday, May 19 at 4 p.m.

The Nefesh Mountain website states: “The band’s creators and dynamic husband and wife duo, Eric Lindberg and Doni Zasloff, have crafted a unique world and sound, blurring the lines between Americana, Bluegrass, Folk, Jazz and Blues with their masterful skills as songwriters, instrumentalists, and composers. The band, hailed as “A Powerhouse Unit” by Rolling Stone and praised for their “Introspective lyrics and world-class musicianship” by American Songwriter, takes listeners on a deeply personal journey that embodies their wild nature and free spirits, blending compositional prowess and prolific songwriting with skillful instrumentals and jams.

ing hard to produce this outstanding concert. Pam and Bruce stated, “We believe that Jewish summer camp is a blessing for our youth, especially in today’s world. Camp allows for lasting friendships to form, and many families are asking for assistance. Our kids need the foundation we started, and we cannot remain silent.”

It is fitting that this effort is presented in memory of Seth Rich, who was a part of our Beth El family. Seth attended Camp Ramah in Wisconsin for six years, participated in the Ramah Seminar in Israel, and served as a staff member in Wisconsin for two years. He also attended Camp Sabra for one year. He was an outstanding example of how attending Jewish summer camps can benefit individuals, our communities and the entire country.

As the cantor of Beth El, I have three goals in producing these annual concerts: to provide an exceptional and unique Jewish musical experience for the Omaha community, to establish Beth El as a premier venue for Jewish music concerts, and to ensure that any student who wants to can attend a summer program. I am a huge fan of Nefesh Mountain, and I am confident that you will become one as well. Their passionate, soulful and uplifting music fulfills all my wishes and more!

Since their formation almost a decade ago, Nefesh Mountain has proudly embraced and shared their background and heritage as Jewish Americans. They are among the first preeminent Americana/Bluegrass bands to infuse Jewish tradition and soul into the diverse tapestry of American roots music. For them, music is a reflection of their American identity, while also addressing the hate, discrimination, antisemitism and racism that still exist in America and the world today. [The couple], along with their band, continue to forge new paths in uncharted territory, armed with Zasloff and Lindberg’s strong, smokey and folksy vocals, and Lindberg’s soulful and masterful skills on guitar and banjo.”

As in the past, proceeds from the concert will benefit the Seth Rich Memorial Camp Scholarship Fund, which enables students to attend Jewish summer programs of all denominations. Jewish summer camps provide fertile ground for nurturing and developing Jewish spirit, identity and commitment. By purchasing a ticket or sponsoring this event, you not only get to enjoy an unforgettable afternoon of entertainment, but you also invest in the future of our communal leadership.

The concert chairs, Pam and Bruce Friedlander and Mary and Joel Rich, along with the entire team at Beth El, are work-

Rabbi Steven Abraham, Beth El’s spiritual leader, puts it this way: “I am incredibly thankful to Hazzan Krausman and the concert committee for all the work they do to put on our annual cantor’s concert. Jewish summer camp benefits our students, their families, Beth El and the entire Omaha Jewish community. We are extremely lucky to be able to provide these funds to further our student’s Jewish identity. I look forward to seeing you and hearing from the amazing Nefesh Mountain Band.”

In keeping with their dynamic and inclusive style, Doni and Eric have invited our fabulous BESTT Religious School students to join them on stage at this incredible concert. When talking about our concert, Doni stated, “We are so thrilled to be coming to Omaha with our band and to share our music with the community. In such difficult times music can really heal and bring us all together. We hope this concert can bring some light and love to everyone and we just can’t wait.”

While individual tickets start at $18, there are various sponsorship opportunities available. Please visit our website to purchase tickets or find links to some of Nefesh Mountain’s amazing songs: https://www.bethel-omaha.org. You can also email me at hazzankrausman@bethel-omaha.org or call the Beth El synagogue office at 402.492.8550 for more information.

Rabbi Geiger’s Weekly Torah Expedition

PARSHA ACHARAY MOT

For years, no one could break the four minute mile. Then, on May 6, 1954, at Ifflet Road track in Oxford, Roger Banister did the impossible. The roar of the crowd when it was announced that Bannister’s time was three... drowned out the rest. 3.59.4.

Yet his record lasted only 46 days. Within a year, dozens had run a mile in under four minute. Knowing it was possible was a game changer; now, everyone wanted to do it.

Aaron’s sons entered the temple and performed a service that G-d had not requested. And it was more than their physical bodies could handle. Their

souls may have been ready for this closeness, but their bodies were not. Rabbi Shmuel Zucker points out that we should look at the topic discussed immediately after this event. It is the service on Yom Kippur, the day in which we fast and do not bathe, the day we treat our bodies as if, like the soul, it needs nothing but spirituality. Although we may not have reached that point yet, our physical bodies have the potential to be elevated to the point of angels. Now that the Temple had been built, Aaron’s sons saw that running a sub-four-minute mile was possible. But, they had not done the proper training. If I tried to run a sub-four mile today, you would be scraping me off the track with a spatula. But who knows what I could achieve if I trained my hardest? The sons of Aaron were correct; it is possible for each of us to reach the heights of closeness to G-d. But it does not happen overnight. We have to train our best every day.

RABBI

MORDECHAI GEIGER

Beth Israel

Righteous among the nations

DANIELLE JENSEN AND LAILA ELAGAMY

Washington Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02) announced he was joining Rep. Tim Burchett (TN-02) as a cosponsor of H.R. 2800, the Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds

Congressional Medal Act. This bill would award a Congressional Gold Medal to Master Sergeant Rodrick “Roddie” Edmonds in recognition of his heroic actions during World War II.

In January of 1945, the Nazi Commander of Stalag IXA, made his orders clear, that only Jewish American Prisoners of War were to fall out the next morning and if orders were disobeyed, they would be shot. But the highest-ranking non-commissioned officer in charge, Master Sergeant Edmonds, decided he would not comply and ordered more than 1200 American captives to fall out with him, declaring “We are all Jews here.” A man of faith, Master Sergeant Edmonds did not waiver; even when a pistol was held to his head.

others of Jewish descent. Four men from Nebraska bravely stood strong with Master Sergeant Edmonds: Harold Forney of Surprise, Carl Fox of Ansley, Melvin Harms of Cortland, and Robert Meyer of Grand Island.

“Roddie Edmond’s bravery is legendary and needs to be told,” said Bacon. “In this time of rising antisemitism, stories of those who courageously stood strong during the Holocaust for our Jewish brothers and sisters needs to be retold and recognized. During a horrific time in history, heroes emerged with the audacity to do the right thing. It is now time for Congress to do the right thing and honor Master Sergeant Edmonds with the recognition he deserves.”

Family Fun Fundraiser

The ELC Parent Committee is very excited to announce the date for our first Family Fun Fundraiser on May 7 at the ELC from 5-6:30 p.m. We are always working hard to build community and feel this event is a perfect time to do just that. We will have a very unique opportunity to get all the people together who make the ELC such a special place for our children.

The conviction and brave defiance portrayed by Master Sergeant Edmonds and the other prisoners saved the lives of more than 200 Jewish-American soldiers, and countless

In 2015, Master Sergeant Edmonds was posthumously recognized by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations. The Yad Vashem is the highest honor given by the nation of Israel to non-Jews who risked their lives to protect Jews during the Holocaust. Master Sergeant Edmonds was also awarded the Medal of Valor from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the Yehi-Or Award from the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, and several additional honors too numerous to mention here.

On May 7, families are invited to the ELC to socialize with other ELC families, enjoy a light snack and engage in interactive programs that give both parents and students a little taste of what is happening at the ELC all

ORGANIZATIONS

B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS

year long. Department heads from the JCC will also be participating in the ELC Family Fun Day and will have booths set up to answer any and all questions you might have. The hope is that this event will not only be a way to connect our families to one another, and to see what is happening at the JCC, but to also raise money to support our teachers by providing our school with additional resources to enhance student experiences. Here is the link to our fundraising page: https://fundraise.gives mart.com/form/ BgI_vw?vid =14mjbm

Please reach out to Carrie Epstein at carrie.epstein@gmail.com with any questions. We look forward to being all together on May 7. Thank you!

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

Roddie Edmonds

Profiles in Service

LINDA POLLARD JFO Foundation Endowment Assistant/ Staff Writer

The Foundation’s mission is to ensure the ongoing and future sustainability of Jewish Omaha by managing donor assets and distributing funds. These funds are instrumental in providing support for scholarships, grants, special projects, programs that benefit both Jewish Omaha and secular and Jewish charitable organizations near and far chosen by our donor-advised participants. Your support enriches Jewish Tomorrows.

asked to join the board and learn from this group of knowledgeable, thoughtful, and forward-thinking people.

We take great pride in our dedicated board members, each of whom plays a vital role in advancing our mission. Throughout the year, we will be spotlighting members to recognize their valuable time, talents and contributions to making our community stronger.

TED FRIEDLAND has served on The Foundation board since 2009 and has held the positions of vice president and president.

What attracted you to be on The Foundation Board?

From the beginning, my father was involved with the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation. After his passing, I was honored to be

What about being on The Foundation Board inspires you?

Serving and preserving our Omaha Jewish Community.

What do you see as the strengths you bring to the board? Organization and attention to detail.

What accomplishments of the board are you particularly proud of?

Being good stewards of the community’s hard-earned money, and helping donors achieve their philanthropic goals.

Has serving on the board changed your perspective of Jewish Omaha in any way?

Yes, it has reinforced how lucky we are to live in a community that is caring, philanthropic, and forward-thinking.

What do you think people should know about The Foundation?

It is comprised of a board of selfless individuals who care deeply about the Omaha Jewish Community and preserving its future.

Friedel and Blumkin Home

make music

SARA KOHEN Friedel Jewish Academy Director of Advancement

At the end of March, students from Friedel Jewish Academy and residents at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home got together for a percussionist-in-residence program with Michael Fitzsimmons. Participants learned about music, deepened connections with each other and of course, had a lot of fun!

Friedel and the Blumkin Home have a long history of joint programs, including a recent Purim parade stop, but this school year marks the beginning of a new, official partnership between Friedel’s middle school students and Blumkin Home residents as part of the Better Together program. The Better Together Program is a four-year program designed to encourage meaningful interaction across generations.

The partnership kicked off in the fall with a storytelling workshop, and the percussionist-in-residence program was a chance to get residents and students back together. “Build-

ing these intergenerational friendships is great for everyone involved, and we are so grateful to the staff at the Blumkin Home for all of the hard work they did to make this happen,” says Melissa Shrago, Friedel’s Director of Learning Initiatives.

Michael Fitzsimmons is a skilled performer, composer and teacher. The group gathered on Monday for an assembly demonstrating percussion instruments from around the world. Participants created drums and rain sticks during the week and concluded on Friday with an interactive and dynamic concert.

New in the Kripke-Veret Collection

JUVENILE: The Schlemiel Kids Save the Moon by Audrey Barbakoff

A joyous modern-day twist on a Wise Men of Chelm folktale written by a fresh Jewish voice filled with humor, some juicy Yiddish terms, and smart, savvy kids brimming with innovative solutions.

Oy, Chelm is long known as home to the “wisest” people in Yiddish folklore. But what is Chelm like today? What if the kids were more clever than the rest of the townsfolk?

When the misguided adults of modern-day Chelm believe the moon has plunged into the lake, it’s up to the Schlemiel siblings to convince the grown-ups that their fears of a fallen moon are unfounded.

Join Sarah and Sam in this hilarious twist on a classic Yiddish folktale as they use teamwork, innovation and patience to save the day... and night!

Here is a book that will expand young readers’ knowledge of Jewish culture beyond holidays, history and the Holocaust.

ADULT:

My Effin’ Life by Geddy Lee

Geddy Lee is one of rock and roll’s most respected bassists. For nearly five decades, his playing and work as co-writer, vocalist and keyboardist has been an essential part of the success story of Canadian progressive rock trio Rush. Here for the first time is his account of life inside and outside the band.

Long before Rush accumulated more consecutive gold and platinum records than any rock band after the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, before the seven Grammy nominations or the countless electrifying live performances across the globe, Geddy Lee was Gershon Eliezer Weinrib, after his grandfather was murdered in the Holocaust.

As he recounts the transformation, Lee looks back on his family, in particular his loving parents and their horrific experiences as teenagers during World War II.

He talks candidly about his childhood and the pursuit of music that led him to drop out of high school.

He tracks the history of Rush which, after early struggles, exploded into one of the most beloved bands of all time.

He shares intimate stories of his lifelong friendships with bandmates Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart—deeply mourning Peart’s recent passing—and reveals his obsessions in music and beyond.

This rich brew of honesty, humor and loss makes for a uniquely poignant memoir.

The Ones Who Remember: Second-Generation Voices of the Holocaust by Rita Benn, Julie Goldstein Ellis, Joy Wolfe Ensor, Ruth Finkel Wade

How do you talk about and make sense of your life when you grew up with parents who survived the most unimaginable horrors of family separation, systematic murder and unending encounters of inhumanity? Sixteen authors reveal the challenges and gifts of living with the aftermath of their parents’ inconceivable experiences during the Holocaust.

The Ones Who Remember: Second-Generation Voices of the Holocaust provides a window into the lived experience of sixteen different families grappling with the legacy of genocide. Each author reveals the many ways their parents’ Holocaust traumas and survival seeped into their souls and then affected their subsequent family lives – whether they knew the bulk of their parents’ stories or nothing at all.

Several of the contributors’ children share interpretations of the continuing effects of this legacy with their own poems and creative prose. Despite the diversity of each family’s history and journey of discovery, the intimacy of the collective narratives reveals a common arc from suffering to resilience, across the three generations. This book offers a vision of a shared humanity against the background of inherited trauma that is relatable to anyone who grew up in the shadow of their parents’ pain.

Arthur Smith inspires audience

MARK KIRCHHOFF

April 1, 2024 proved to be an evening that met and exceeded the expectations for an engaging, insightful and entertaining presentation by Arthur Smith, author of Reach: Hard Lessons and Learned Truths from a Lifetime in Television. The occasion was the Jewish Author Event arranged by the Community Engagement and Education arm of the JFO. The Goldstein Community Engagement venue was the ideal location for community members to gather with family and friends to be inspired by Smith and to enjoy the elegant and delectable offerings from the charcuterie board, appetizers and desserts prepared by Star Catering. Smith began his career in Canada in sports journalism. He quickly rose in the ranks of production to become the youngest-ever head of CBC Sports. He expanded his career by moving from Canada to the United States where he joined Dick Clark in producing a wide variety of entertainment programming. The lure of sports drew him to the fledgling FOX Sports where he spearheaded an entirely new approach to sports programming. Smith was the dynamic force behind the network’s rise to being an industry powerhouse. In 2000, Smith made the biggest reach of his career with the launch of A. Smith & Co Productions. The company has produced over 200 television shows for 50 networks. Across genres, formats and platforms, Smith and his team have earned a reputation for original, emotional, buzz-worthy and personal storytelling. Smith’s career has included the production of the Olympics television coverage; the development of The Titan Games with Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson; the bizarre-classic genre-buster I Survived a Japanese Game Show; American Ninja Warrior, and now in its 23rd season, Hell’s Kitchen hosted by Gordon Ramsey. He has also worked with Magic Johnson, Little Richard, Wayne Gretzky and Simon Cowell, among many others. Smith relates that through the years he has learned the value, the trepidation and the exhilaration of taking that next step,

reaching for the next challenge, and finding new ways to be successful. He wrote Reach, which was released in June of 2023, in hopes of inspiring others to find the kind of joy and fulfillment he has found in his work.

At the Jewish Author Event, in an interview format with Naomi Fox, he shared several anecdotes- some with successful outcomes and some that fell short. Through both, he has learned a lot; and he shares a lot. Proceeds from all sales of his book are directed to selected charities who are in some way encouraging and facilitating others to “reach.”

The program was made possible by the JFO’s membership in the Jewish Book Council with the support of the following JFO Foundation Funds: Kenneth Ray Tretiak Memorial Fund, Lois Jeanne Schrager Memorial Fund and the Special Donor Advised Fund.

May IHE 3rd Thursday

Lunch and Learn

SCOTT LITTKY

IHE Executive Director

On May 16 at 11:30 a.m. by Zoom, Hazzan Michael Krausman a member of our 2nd Generation Survivor community and a regular speaker for IHE will be our presenter. Hazzan Krausman will share with us his experiences and insight from his recent trip to Budapest and Poland and his experiences from visiting sites from the Holocaust.

Arthur Smith

Hazzan Michael Krausman

The Quality of Life Campaign Deli

The Fundraising Deli events, chaired by Sheri and Mike Abramson and Tina and Joe Meyers, were an enormous success! March 15 and April

2 saw the RBJH auditorium and the entire lobby area filled with happy and supportive community members, ecstatic that for one moment, the Deli was back. Chef Mike Newell and his team did not disappoint!

1: Jim Farber, Jack Cohen, Joe and Tina Meyers, with JFO Board President, Nancy Schlessinger; 2: Leta Levinger, Molline Cassman; 3: Tim Zweiback; 4: Lynn and Mark Sweet; 5: Cheryl and Gary Lerner; 6: Ozzie and Don Nogg; 7: Susie Silverman; 8: Susan Goldsmith, Margie Gutnik, Pam Friedlander, and Hazzan Michael Krausman; 9: Phil and Jan Wayne; 10: Bob and Ann Stratton; 11: Richard, Dana and Eric Knox; 12: Denise Meyers, Bruce Meyers, Marty Tichauer, Tina Meyers and Joe Meyers, Pam and Dennis DePorte, and Jon Meyers; 13: Paul and Arlene Cohen; 14: Linda Saltzman, Sharon Brodkey, Susie Norton; 15: Phil Malcom and Jan Goldstein, 16: Don and Andi Goldstein; 17: Bob Goldberg and Mike Newell; 18: Star Catering lunch; 19: Blake and Jan Lund, and Ed Schneider; 20: Anne Cohen and Dick Fellman; 21: Nate Schwalb, Rich and Fran Juro, and Bonnie Horwich; 22: Mike Abramson and Bruce Friedlander; 23: Lisa and Gary Epstein; 24: Beth and Bill Ginsburg; 25: Suzanne and Tom Friedman; 26: Tina and Joe Meyers, Mike Abramson and Chris Ulven; 27: Gary Javitch and Marty Ricks; 28: Roger and Marian Liu; 29: Karen Javitch and Iris Ricks; 30: Jay Durmaskin and M’Lee Hasslinger; 31: Pam and Ron Feldman; 32: Alex and Mary Sue Grossman with Susie and Paul Shyken; 33: Jan and Howard Goldstein; 34: Joe Meyers, Pam and Dennis DePorte, Denise and Jon Meyers Bruce Meyers and Marty Tichauer; 35: Gary Lewis, Rocky and Jay Lewis; 36: Norm and Suzy Sheldon; 37: Kristin Faier, Judy Roberts, Cookie Katskee, and Anne Rickover; 38: Debbie and Lloyd Roitstein; 39 Julie and Eric Phillips; 40: Janie and Daniel Ensor with their children; 41: David and Carol Alloy; 42: Eitan and Eadie Tsabari; 43: Renee Kazor, Phil Wolf, Gary Javitch, Marty Ricks, Nancy Wolf, and Helene Shrago; 44: Rabbi Katzman and granddaughters; 45: In honor of and in memory of; 46: Mindi and Dan Marburg; 47: Kathy and Steve Zalkin; 48: RBJH dietary staff with Mike Newell; and 49: Stephanie Cohen and Larry Kelberg.

The Tribute to the Rescuers Awards Night

SCOTT LITTKY, IHE Executive Director and JANE NESBIT, IHE Education Coordinator

Life in Israel

NANCY COREN

Sitting here in Jerusalem just two days after the aerial attack by Iran, life seems somewhat surreal. For weeks prior to Iran launching suicide drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles at us, we had warnings that an attack would be imminent. We were told not to panic, just to be prepared. It was not a matter of if but when such an attack would occur. Children were told to take their books home with them because they might not be able to return to school and would then be learning via Zoom. Grocery stores were selling dry goods and bottled water for safe rooms and shelters. Battery operated radios and emergency lighting fixtures were suddenly found in all kinds of hardware stores. The ministry of aliyah and integration held webinars via Zoom for new olim who were finding the news emotionally difficult to handle. So, preparation was underway weeks ago, although the community bomb shelters did not open until Saturday night, March 13, hours before the attack early Sunday morning on the 14th. Our neighbors had predicted that living in Jerusalem ensured our safety. Iran certainly woould not send missiles our way knowing that the El Aksa Mosque is here. At least that was what our armchair analysts living in our building were saying. The armchair analysts were obviously mistaken. The news we heard after Shabbat ended on Saturday night informed us that Iran had launched drones and missiles toward us and it would be several hours before they arrived. Charlie and I decided to move into our saferoom for the evening, knowing that if we were to get any sleep if sirens blared, it would be best to be in our protected space. Sure enough, we heard ex-

plosions and then the alerts on our phones went off saying we should seek shelter, there were incoming missiles. It was just before 2 a.m. (Sunday) when this happened. We were thankful to have a safe room and to be hearing the explosions while we were nestled in a room with a fortified window and door and strong cement walls; thankful to apps on our phones that could announce an incoming threat in addition to the sirens run by the city; thankful that we could be in touch with family in Israel to check on their well-being and that we could be in touch with our US family to let them know we were okay. I did manage to fall asleep at around 4:30 a.m. that morning for a few hours and of course my first inclination was to see what had happened in the rest of the country. Here’s what I found out. Iran had sent 300 drones, 120 ballistic missiles, and 30 cruise missiles all aimed at Israel. Sirens had gone off in 720 locations across the country. Ninety-nine percent of the incoming threats were destroyed or landed in areas that did not have civilian populations. Israel did not act alone in its defense. The United States, France, England, Jordan, and

even Saudi Arabia helped protect Israel from this aerial assault. I cannot express enough gratitude for the fact that Israel has the technology to protect us and the friends on the world stage acted to do so as well. It is hard to be in Israel and not sense the words found in the siddur in a very personal way: “Help us Adonai, to lie down in peace and awaken us again, our Sovereign, to life.”

When I looked out my window that morning towards one of Jerusalem’s busiest corners, the citizens of this amazing city had indeed awakened to life again. They were back walking to work, shopping, visiting their doctors, sitting in cafes, and reacting in ways that indicated incredible resilience. Humorous memes were flying across the internet about our shared experience. People were checking on one another, but not succumbing to fear that could paralyze them from leaving their homes. Of course, they also had the “all clear” from the Home Front Command to resume their normal activities although all events for children were cancelled across the country that day. Those events did not get the go-ahead to resume until Monday.

Why does this all feel surreal? For weeks we were preparing and worried about an imminent attack. It took place and we all hunkered down putting our faith in the IDF and allied countries to protect us. And we woke up to a bright sunny morning, with birds chirping, people going about their business, and sense of gratitude to HaShem that we had indeed been granted life. Maybe Israelis are used to this kind of thing. I do not take it for granted but certainly feel the magnitude of what it means to be in this Jewish State with an army that is designed to protect us in our homeland.

This year marks the 22nd year of our annual Tribute to the Rescuers Essay Contest. The contest is inspired by Danish recuse of Jews in their country during the Holocaust. Threatened by their Nazi occupiers, in 1943 the Danish people organized a national effort to send 7,200 Jews by fishing boats to neutral Sweden. This effort by the citizens of Denmark resulted in the highest Jewish survival rate of any European country during World War II. The Danish citizens provide a unique example of courage and concern, jeopardizing their own lives to spare those of their fellow countrymen.

Our objective is for students to understand the importance of moral courage in connection to the Holocaust and how they can apply this to their own lives, communities, and even conflicts a world away. Each student can work to make a positive change in the world.

ESSAY CONTEST OVERVIEW

The contest is open to high school students in Nebraska and parts of Iowa. Top essayists can earn cash prizes. Students are asked to write about an individual or group that demonstrates moral courage:

Moral courage is...

Essays must incorporate three concepts:

1. Include a clear definition of moral courage.

2. Choose two examples of moral courage: one from the Holocaust, the other from a different time and place.

3. Explain why this matters. What should we do now with this information?

On Monday, May 13 at 6:30 p.m. in the Goldstein Community Engagement Venue at the Staenberg Omaha Jewish Community Center we will be presenting the winners of this year’s contest with their prizes. The first-place winners in the two categories of the contest will also present their essays to those in attendance. The awards night is open to all, and we welcome community attendance.

The Tribute to the Rescuers Essay Contest is generously funded by the Carl Frohm Memorial Foundation. A highlight of each year’s awards ceremony is a presentation by Harold Mann, nephew of Carl Frohm and a trustee of the foundation speaking about Carl Frohm and the importance of remembrance and moral courage.

Again, the evening is open to all. For questions about the contest or other IHE programs, please contact, Scott Littky at slittky@ihene.org

2024 HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS

PARENTS & SENIORS

We will be publishing our annual High School Graduation Class pages on May 24, 2024. 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 10, 2024.

Nancy Coren with some of her grandchildren at the Jerusalem Marathon.

SP O TLIGHT

PHOTOS FROM RECENT JEWISH COMMUNITY EVENTS

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

GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY

Top, above, below and bottom: Thank you to all the families that gathered for Challah Tots with our wonderful partner, Friedel Jewish Academy! We braided and ate delicious challah, decorated masks, read a story and played with sensory bins.

Above: Visiting author Arthur Smith with Naomi Fox; above right: the fabulous charcuterie created by Mike Newell and his Star Catering staff; and below right: Nancy Rips with Arthur Smith and a Bookworm employee.

Left: Seventh graders at Friedel Jewish Academy had an exploratory class with Thomas Silknitter, an Environmental Specialist at Lyman Richey. They learned how companies mine for sand and gravel in the Midwest. Some sites are active for over 20 years while others are only active for 4 years. At the end of mining, companies need to restore the area. Some places become parks or neighborhoods. Students got to do a model of mining for gravel and how they have to put everything back in order using kinetic sand and paperclip tools.

Clockwise from above: The JFO and its agencies’ staff and volunteers. Paula Lenz, Jill Sideris, Scott Littky and JohnCarl Denkovich; back row: Richard Goedeken, Richard Heyman, Betsy Baker and Ron Feldman; front row: Jennifer Tompkins, Sharon Kirshenbaum and JFO President Nancy Schlessinger; Teresa Drelicharz, Dana Kaufman and Shayna Ray; Margie Gutnik and Suzy Sheldon.

(Founded in 1920) Margie Gutnik President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Howard Kutler Advertising Executive Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Editor Gabby Blair Staff Writer Sam Kricsfeld Digital support Mary Bachteler Accounting Jewish Press Board Margie Gutnik, President; Abigail Kutler, Ex-Officio; Helen Epstein; Andrea Erlich; Seth Feldman; David Finkelstein; Ally Freeman; Mary Sue Grossman; Chuck Lucoff; Suzy Sheldon; Joseph Pinson and Larry Ring. The mission of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to build and sustain a strong and vibrant Omaha Jewish Community and to support Jews in Israel and around the world. Agencies of the JFO are: Institute for Holocaust Education, Jewish Community Relations Council, Jewish Community Center, Jewish Social Services, Nebraska Jewish Historical Society and the Jewish Press Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page stories and announcements, can be found online at: www.jewishomaha.org; click on ‘Jewish Press.’ Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole. The Jewish Press reserves the right to edit signed letters and articles for space and content. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment. Editorial

Out of Egypt

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor

My daughter and I like sending each other funny social media links. You know, kittens, opossums (that’s mostly me, actually), inspirational Jewish quotes and the occasional recipe. It’s amazing, the number of things you can do with matzah.

But every once in a while, she sends me something that gives me pause. Here’s one headline: “Activist faces 18 felony counts for allegedly threatening Bakersfield City Council.”

“Riddhi Patel, 28,” Jessica Garrisson wrote for the Los Angeles Times, “who grew up in Bakersfield and was until Monday working as the economic development coordinator for a local nonprofit, was arrested after public statements she made last week on the topic of a ceasefire and on metal detectors at City Hall.”

Patel, who worked for a non-profit, said “council members were such “horrible human beings” that “Jesus probably would have killed you himself.”

Later, she expressed hope that oppressed people might “bring the guillotine.” She concluded her public statements by saying: “We’ll see you at your house. We’ll murder you.”

She was arrested and fired from her job, and apparently was quite tearful during her court appearance.

A few points need to be made.

1. This language is not an outlier for protesters demanding a ceasefire. The fact that she was arrested is. When one woman being held accountable warrants a full write-up in the LA Times, that’s

a red flag. Accountability should be happening everywhere, and it shouldn’t be news.

2. I will never understand why people think a city council in LA (or Chicago, or London or Berlin or anywhere else) needs to pass a resolution for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Do they think it makes a difference?

3. Just to be sure, this ceasefire is not meant to make life in Israel better. It’s meant for Israel to back off and not defend itself. In case you were wondering.

4. The tears at her arraignment, what is that about? Was she sorry for what she said, or for being called out on her words? Probably the latter—and really, that’s not entirely on her. See point 1. The things these so-called activists have gotten away with, it’s no wonder people think they can say whatever they want.

the only response that keeps me sane. I know for a fact I am not the only one who feels this way.

Every word I’ve written so far has been reactionary. In a perfect world, I’d delete them all and write something positive and representative of how

And that’s where it becomes extra problematic. When the anti-Israeli protesters say whatever they want, whenever they want, I’m very tempted to do the same. I want to mock them, ridicule them, point out their flaws (and there are sooo many to pick from) and generally sink to their level. With relish. And you know what, there are days when it’s

beautiful the Jewish world is.

Allowing people like Patel to dictate how I feel is, of course, not the way to live. How to be better at that, I haven’t quite figured it out.

Remember that line about how G-d took the Jews out of Egypt, but it took 40 years to get Egypt out of the Jews? I think this is exactly like that.

To mark our brokenness this Passover, let’s scale back the matzah on our seder tables

RABBI ELIE KAUNFER JTA

How might we celebrate Passover differently this year? With so many Israelis brutally murdered on Oct. 7, so many soldiers killed or wounded in battle, so many people — Palestinians and aid workers — dead or suffering in Gaza, we cannot simply celebrate as we did last year. As a community, we need to encourage ritual innovations or special readings to address all these tragic realities.

I want to focus on one aspect of a post-Oct. 7 seder: a ritual change meant to call our attention to the more than 130 hostages — men, women and children — still captive in Gaza after more than six months. I make this proposal with some trepidation; after all, one of the parts I love about our family’s seder is the predictability of the rituals, even down to the same melodies for the songs, year after year. And as a rabbi who studies liturgy, I appreciate the constancy of the words and symbols of the seder.

And yet, making no change this year in the rhythm of the seder seems tone deaf to me. I wondered: Is there a change we could make that itself is traditional, and yet reflects our current moment?

With this in mind, I propose a very simple but powerful shift in the food at the seder: Instead of the three matzot that are included on the seder table (usually wrapped or covered in cloth), use only two. When it comes time to break one of the matzot to hide half for later (the afikomen), we will have only one and a half matzot left.

At the meal which begins with eating matzah, instead of abundance we will feel absence.

Using one and a half matzot at the seder meal, instead of two and a half, is actually an ancient tradition, reported in the Talmud (Berakhot 39b). Indeed, it is meant to symbolize the scarcity that we experienced when we were in captivity in ancient Egypt (note: their matzah was softer than ours): Rav Papa said: All agree that on Passover one places the broken piece inside the full one and [says the blessing]. What is the reason? Because it is written (about matzah in Deuteronomy 16:3) lehem oni — “bread of suffering/poverty.”

Throughout Jewish history, leading authorities such as Rabbi Yitzhak Alfasi and Maimonides (Laws of Hametz and Matzah 8:6) reported using only one and a half pieces of matzah at the meal. Rabbi Isaac of Vienna says explicitly (Or Zarua 2:252) that according to the Talmud, one needs only two matzot, not three.

Matzah is a complex symbol. Elsewhere in the haggadah, Rabban Gamliel says it represents our redemption. But Rav Papa insists that matzah is also — and perhaps chiefly — a symbol of our suffering. We begin the telling portion of the seder by lifting the matzah and calling it “bread of suffering/poverty” –Ha Lahma Anya (lehem oni in Aramaic).

We often assume matzah represents suffering because of its texture (challah is so rich in comparison). But the original design of the seder didn’t focus on matzah’s taste or shape for its symbolic power; after all, matzah was used year-round in the Temple for certain sacrifices. Rather it focused on its state of wholeness — or brokenness.

There was meant to be a shock element to the half piece of matzah. Normally, people celebrate Shabbat and holidays with two full loaves of bread — remembering the plenty that God bestowed in the desert through the manna (a double portion fell on Friday). Indeed, on the same page of the Talmud quoted above, we learn of this practice. But on Passover, Rav Papa reports, everyone agrees that there cannot be two full loaves. Rather, we come to our meal only with one and a half matzot. This — the brokenness and the diminished amount of food

— is the bread of affliction, the symbol of suffering.

So why do we use two and a half matzot today?

Many medieval authorities wanted to emphasize that Passover was no different from other festivals, which — like Shabbat — required two full loaves, so they added another matzah to the original one and a half. Now one could break a matzah in half, but still make the blessing with two remaining full pieces. Across Jewish communities, three matzot (with one broken) became the norm. Even Yemenite communities, which followed Maimonides with one and a half matzot for hundreds of years, eventually adopted the current custom of two and a half.

Of course, this solution softened the surprise meant to accompany the matzah; now we had more bread than regular festivals, not less. Strikingly, the Vilna Gaon, a leading authority of the 19th century, recommended bringing back the practice of one and a half matzot at the meal. If you have two and a half matzot, he said, then “this is not the manner of suffering!” (Beur Ha-Gra OH 473:4)

I am not recommending a permanent change to the seder. But this is not a normal year. With more than 130 of our people literally in captivity, the shock of seeing fewer matzot at the table, when we are used to seeing plenty, is appropriate. In fact, it is a version of the shock the seder was originally meant to induce: Unlike every other Shabbat and holiday, our bread, like our hearts, will be in pieces. This is the nature of matzah at the seder, as Rav Papa indicated: a reminder of our people’s long suffering in slavery before being redeemed.

My prayer is that next year we can celebrate with a full set of three matzot again. But for this year, let’s mark the suffering of those still in captivity by reducing our plenty and reclaiming the power of the “bread of suffering” at our seder.

Rabbi Elie Kaunfer holds a doctorate in liturgy, and is the CEO of the Hadar Institute (www.hadar.org).

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.

Credit: JTA illustration by Mollie Suss

Credit: Piccolonamek, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

An Indiana court ruled that Jews have a religious liberty right to abortion. Here’s why that matters.

MICHAEL A. HELFAND JTA

Since the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the right to abortion is no longer protected by the Fourteenth Amendment. But that seismic constitutional change has triggered a new legal debate: In the absence of federal constitutional protection, does state law provide Jews with a religious liberty right to abortion? Last week an Indiana state appellate court answered yes to the question invoking variations on the word “Jew” more than 70 times in the process.

As the first state appellate court answer to the question, the ruling presents a persuasive case for other state courts to follow, potentially opening the door for Jews — and others with similar religious commitments — to secure abortions that are motivated by religious values even where such abortions are otherwise prohibited by state law.

Now, with Arizona’s decision this week barring abortion after six weeks and with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump saying that he would leave abortion decisions up to states rather than sign the federal ban that some on the right want, the significance of the ruling appears to have grown even since it was issued.

The idea of a Jewish right to abortion being enshrined in U.S. law could, at first, sound strange. But in the wake of Dobbs, as states have adopted new abortion restrictions, Jews and Jewish organizations have filed suit arguing that these restrictions put them in a bind. Jewish laws approach to abortion is generally understood — as much as anything within Jewish law is “generally understood” — to place the well-being of the mother, including physical and emotional well-being, at the center of its analysis. As a result, where an abortion is necessary to protect the well-being of a mother, broadly construed, Jewish law sanctions — and often requires — the termination of the pregnancy. If a mother, motivated by these underlying Jewish values, were to seek an abortion in a state that imposed significant restrictions on such procedures, her religious commitments could run afoul of state law.

Advocacy addressing this tension between Jewish commitments and abortion restrictions is not new. Back in the late ’80s and early ’90s, Agudath Israel of America filed friend-of-the-court briefs encouraging the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade. But prefiguring much of the contemporary debate, it also argued that those religiously motivated to seek abortions — such as American Jews — ought to have religious liberty protections for such decisions even in the absence of a more general right to

abortion. Until recently, though, such arguments received less attention precisely because Roe — and the right to abortion — was the law of the land. Now, in the absence of those protections, Jewish plaintiffs have taken up those arguments and filed suits in a variety of jurisdictions, such as Florida, Kentucky and — most relevant for last week’s developments — Indiana.

The plaintiffs in the Indiana lawsuit, which include both individuals as well as the organization Hoosier Jews for Choice, are not themselves pregnant. But a number of the individual plaintiffs allege that they would like to become pregnant, through as-

sisted reproductive technologies or otherwise. But they fear, given past histories or the realities of using assisted reproductive technologies, that their Jewish commitments may require them to undergo an abortion. And given that Indiana’s restrictions might prohibit such abortions, they have held off becoming pregnant.

An Indiana Court of Appeals found that under such circumstances, the state’s religious liberty protections are likely to require providing women in such circumstances with a religious exemption from the state’s abortion restriction. The logic of the court’s decision is pretty straightforward.

Indiana, like over half of the states, has broad religious liberty protections captured in the state’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act, or RFRA. RFRA, as an initial matter, prohibits the state from substantially burdening religion. Applying this rule, the Indiana court found that the state’s abortion restriction, by prohibiting abortions motivated by Jewish law and thereby discouraging the plaintiffs from becoming pregnant — imposed a prohibited burden on the religious exercise of the plaintiffs.

The state, however, argued that this burden on religion was justified. Indeed, RFRA allows the state to justify imposing a burden if doing so is the only way to achieve some sort of es-

sential government objective (or, in legal terms, if the burden is narrowly tailored to achieve a “compelling government interest”). To make this argument, the state contended that protecting fetal life is a vital government objective, vital enough to overcome the religious liberty rights of the plaintiff.

But the court ultimately rejected this argument. Indiana’s abortion restriction, it turns out, has lots of other exceptions. For example, it has exceptions — like many other abortions restrictions across the country — for rape, incest, in vitro fertilization and even a narrow exception to protect the physical health of the mother. Where a state grants all these exceptions that weaken the objective of a law — in this case promoting fetal life — then it cannot turn around and claim that its interest is so important that it can’t grant exceptions for religion.

After all, how important can the government’s interest be if it already provided all these other exceptions?

So where does this leave us? The decision will presumably be appealed to the Indiana Supreme Court. And it is no doubt possible, either for procedural reasons or otherwise, that the Indiana Supreme Court will reverse the decision. But for now, the fact remains that the first state appellate court to analyze the issue interpreted state religious liberty law to protect the right of Jewish plaintiffs to religiously motivated abortions.

The decision may well have broad impact. Because these cases focus on state law — as opposed to federal law — they won’t be heard by the United States Supreme Court. That means litigation over a Jewish right to abortion will be fought in state courts around the country. Other state courts are likely to take notice of this judicial foray into the issue, especially given that over half the states around the country have identical or nearly identical religious liberty laws.

With an easy-to-follow blueprint now available, last week’s decision may signal that a Jewish right to abortion is no longer merely a theoretical argument. It may, in a world without Roe, be the way of the future.

Michael A. Helfand is the Brenden Mann Foundation Chair in Law and Religion and Co-Director of the Nootbaar Institute for Law and Religion at Pepperdine Caruso School of Law; Visiting Professor and Oscar M. Ruebhausen Distinguished Fellow at Yale Law School; Senior Legal Advisor to the Orthodox Union’s Teach Coalition; and Senior Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute.

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.

Literature celebrates nuance. So why does the book world feel so one-sided on Israel?

ERIKA DREIFUS

JTA

For many people in literary spaces, the waves of anti-Israelism since Oct. 7 and the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war — whether fueled by ignorance, misinformation or malicious antisemitism — have come as a surprise, and the dilemmas of ongoing participation are similarly new.

Not so for me. I’ve been watching this poison spread through my professional communities for nearly two decades. Which is how I now find myself back where I was some 18 years ago, wondering what to do about my membership in the National Book Critics Circle.

According to its mission statement, the NBCC “honors outstanding writing and fosters a national conversation about reading, criticism, and literature.” Such goals appealed to me in 2006, when, as a 30-something “emerging writer” who was building a book-reviewing practice, I submitted my credentials to join and paid the membership fee.

Then came the Second Lebanon War in 2006. As I read and worried about Israelis from afar, the organization’s then-president was using his bullhorn on the board-controlled blog to inveigh against Israel. When I commented publicly on a number of the posts and reached out privately to the few people I knew in the organization, I received virtually no support. Later that same year, the president ratcheted up his rhetoric by repeatedly spotlighting Jimmy Carter’s notorious “Palestine: Peace, Not Apartheid” and then embarked on a harassment campaign via phone and email (asking me, in one memorable missive, how I felt about the IDF targeting women and children for murder).

I decided that I’d had enough. I resigned my membership. Years passed. The organization had new leadership. At some point, that original blog disappeared. I was still writing about books. I decided to give the NBCC another try. I never sought any especially significant role there, but I did contribute to the (revamped) blog. I voted in elections, albeit irregularly. Occasionally, I attended events, including the annual awards ceremony, which routinely earns national press coverage. I did not attend the most recent such ceremony, which was held March 21 in New York. But the following day a colleague

told me that the “genocide” in Gaza had been a focus of introductory remarks and subsequent acceptance speeches. As I watched a recording of the event, the years fell away. I wondered how I might have reacted in the moment had I been a member of the audience. And I wondered how to respond this time.

What did the recording reveal? The NBCC’s vice president for awards, Keetje Kuipers — who is also listed on the organization’s website as vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion — was the first speaker to invoke what she termed “the continued genocide unfolding in Palestine.” No sooner had she uttered those words than applause broke out from the audience.

Citing the work of two poets of Jewish heritage, Jane Hirshfield and the late Adrienne Rich, Kuipers called for an expansive understanding of the collective “we” as she continued to her conclusion, exhorting those gathered “to do the work of expanding compassion on the page, and in the world, and that ‘we’ includes the Palestinian people. Let it be what we say and do tonight as we celebrate the power of words.”

Absent from these powerful words: any mention of Oct. 7, Hamas, or the more than 100 hostages still captive in Gaza. Absent was any audible disagreement from the crowd to the reference to the “genocide unfolding in Palestine.”

Two award winners used their acceptance speeches to express similar sentiments, notable also for their erasures. Safiya Sinclair, who took the autobiography prize for her memoir “How to Say Babylon,” suggested that her Rastafarian background informed her views:

“As a daughter of Rasta rebellion, I know that none of us are free until all of us are free … which means we wish to see all downpressed people free from the shackles of colonial violence.

I pray for an end to the genocide in Gaza and I wish to see a free Palestine in my lifetime, a free Sudan, a free Haiti, a free Congo.”

Roxanna Asgarian, winner in nonfiction for We Were Once a Family: A Story of Love, Death, and Child Removal in America, concluded her acceptance speech as follows:

“This book is about what can and does happen when our systems and our government place less value on certain children’s lives than on others. Because of that, I want to add to the chorus of people demanding a permanent ceasefire and an end to the inhumane conditions in Gaza. Every child deserves to survive and thrive, their inherent dignity intact.”

Asgarian did not include among those children the Bibas boys, kidnapped with their parents from Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7. If she was aware of the varieties of trauma inflicted on Israeli children on Oct. 7 and beyond, or the Israeli children who witnessed their parents being slaughtered in their own homes, or the tens of thousands of displaced families from the communities attacked on Oct. 7 and those to the north under threat from Hezbollah, she didn’t mention them.

I have been tracking resolutions and statements by literary organizations that are compromised by both distortions of the historical record and ongoing demonization of the state of Israel, Israelis, and/or the vast majority of Diaspora Jews who are not anti-Zionists. Many of us are grappling with how this growing toxicity over Israel should shape our own participation in the larger community. Sometimes, the question boils down to this: Assuming that our own commitment to Jewish peoplehood or Israeli citizenship doesn’t automatically exclude us, do we even want to remain part of literary spaces that clearly don’t welcome us as our full selves? How much effort are we able and willing to expend trying to explain and educate those who simply aren’t aware of the harm that’s being caused? And what do we do in those cases where no amount of explanation or education can overcome sheer antiIsrael antisemitism?

This article was edited for length. Read more at www.Omahajewishpress.com.

Erika Dreifus is a writer, teacher and literary advocate. She is also the editor and publisher of The Practicing Writer, a free e-newsletter.

A protester holds a sign saying "Abortion bans are against my religion" at the May 2022 Jewish Rally For Abortion Justice in Washington, D.C. Credit: Anna Moneymaker via Getty

B’NAI ISRAEL

SYNAGOGUE

Synagogues

B’NAI ISRAEL

618 Mynster Street Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766

712.322.4705 www.cblhs.org

BETH EL

SYNAGOGUE

Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism

14506 California Street Omaha, NE 68154-1980

402.492.8550 bethel-omaha.org

BETH ISRAEL

SYNAGOGUE

Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America

12604 Pacific Street Omaha, NE. 68154

402.556.6288

BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org

CHABAD HOUSE

An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street Omaha, NE 68144-1646

402.330.1800 OChabad.com

email: chabad@aol.com

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY:

B’NAI JESHURUN

South Street Temple

Union for Reform Judaism

2061 South 20th Street Lincoln, NE 68502-2797

402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE

Capehart Chapel 2500 Capehart Road Offutt AFB, NE 68123

402.294.6244 email: oafbjsll@icloud.com

ROSE BLUMKIN

JEWISH HOME

323 South 132 Street Omaha, NE 68154

TEMPLE ISRAEL

Union for Reform Judaism (URJ)

13111 Sterling Ridge Drive Omaha, NE 68144-1206

402.556.6536

templeisraelomaha.com

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY:

TIFERETH ISRAEL

Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism

3219 Sheridan Boulevard Lincoln, NE 68502-5236

402.423.8569

tiferethisraellincoln.org

Monthly Speaker Series Service, Friday, May 10, 7:30 p.m. with our guest speaker. Our service leader is Larry Blass. Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel!

For information about our historic synagogue, please visit our website at www.cblhs.org or contact any of our other board members: Renee Corcoran, Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Janie Kulakofsky, Howard Kutler, Carole and Wayne Lainof, Ann Moshman, MaryBeth Muskin, Debbie Salomon and Sissy Silber.

Handicap Accessible.

BETH EL

Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman.

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

FRIDAY: Nebraska AIDS Project Lunch, 11:30 a.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat 6 p.m.

SATURDAY: Passover/Shabbat Morning Service with Yizkor, 10 a.m. at Beth El & Live Stream; Havdalah, 8:55 p.m. Zoom Only.

MONDAY: Beth El Office Closed; Passover Day

Seven Morning Service, 10 a.m.

TUESDAY: Beth El Office Closed; Passover Day

Eight Morning Service, 10 a.m.

WEDNESDAY: BESTT (Grades 3-7), 4:15 p.m.; Hebrew High (Grades 8-12), 6 p.m.

THURSDAY: PJP Yom HaShoah Program, 7:30 p.m. via Zoom.

FRIDAY-May 3: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY-May 4: Shabbat Morning Service 10 a.m. with guest speaker Scott Littky at Beth El & Live Stream; Havdalah 9:05 p.m. Zoom only.

Please visit bethel-omaha.org for additional information and service links.

BETH ISRAEL

FRIDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 6:45 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat, 7 p.m.; Candlelighting, 7:59 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shacharit 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat 10:30 a.m.; Youth Class, 10:45 a.m.; Mincha, 7:50 p.m.; Laws of Shabbos/Kids Activity 8:20 p.m.; Havdalah, 9:03 p.m.

SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7 p.m.; Candlelighting, 8:01 p.m.

MONDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Kids Davening, 10:30 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7 p.m.; Candlelighting, 9:02 p.m.

TUESDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Yizkor, 10:30 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8 p.m.; Havdalah, 9:07 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8 p.m.

THURSDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Character Development Class, 9:30 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8 p.m.; Parsha Class, 8:30 p.m.

FRIDAY-May 3: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/ Kabbalat Shabbat, 7 p.m.; Candlelighting, 8:07 p.m.

SATURDAY-May 4: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:30 a.m.; Youth

Class 10:45 a.m. with Donald Gerber; Shteigers, 6:06 p.m. at the Geigers; Tehillim, 6:25 p.m. at the Uzi’s; Soulful Torah, 7:06 p.m. with Rabbi Geiger; Mincha, 8 p.m.; Laws of Shabbos/Kids Activity 8:30 p.m.; Havdalah, 9:12 p.m. Please visit orthodoxomaha.org for additional information and Zoom service links.

CHABAD HOUSE

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

FRIDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Inspirational Lechayim, 5:45 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: Ochabad.com/ Lechayim; Candlelighting, 7:59 p.m.

SATURDAY: Morning Services, 10 a.m.; Shabbat Ends, 9:02 p.m.

SUNDAY: Sunday Morning Wraps: Shacharit, 99:30 a.m., Video Presentation, 9:30 a.m. and Breakfast, 9:45 a.m.; Torah and Tea, 10:30-11:15 a.m.; Candlelighting, 8:01 p.m.

MONDAY: Morning Services, 10 a.m.; Candlelighting (light only from a pre-existing flame), after, 9:05 p.m.

TUESDAY: Morning Services, 10 a.m.; Yizkor Memorial Service, 11 a.m.; Moshiach Meal, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Shacharit 8 a.m.; Mystical Thinking (Tanya), 9:30 a.m.; Introductory Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Parsha Reading, 11:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen.

THURSDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Introduction to Alphabet, Vowels & Reading Hebrew, 10 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Advanced Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 11 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Talmud Study (Sanhedrin 34), noon; Introduction to Alphabet, Vowels & Reading Hebrew, 6 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law) Class, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY-May 3: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Inspirational Lechayim, 5:45 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: Ochaba d.com/Lechayim; Candlelighting, 8:06 p.m.

SATURDAY-May 4: Shacharit, 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 9:11 p.m.

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN & TIFERETH ISRAEL

Services facilitated by Rabbi Alex Felch. All services offered in-person with live-stream or teleconferencing options.

FRIDAY: Erev Shabbat Service with Rabbi Alex, 6:30 p.m. at SST; Shabbat Candlelighting, 8 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. at TI; No Torah Study this week; Havdalah, 9:04 p.m.

SUNDAY: LJCS Classes, 9:30 a.m.; Men’s Bike/Coffee Group, 10:30 a.m. in the Conference Room at Rock 'n Joe (5025 Lindbergh St.). For more information or questions please email Al Weiss at albertw 801@gmail.com; Board of Trustees Meeting, 1:30 p.m.; Pickleball, 3-5 p.m. Anyone interested in playing or learning how to play can text Miriam at 402.470.2393. If there are enough interested people; we will play in the Social Hall at TI; Candlelighting,

Aviation dreams come true

HOWARD KUTLER AND RABBI MAXIMO SHECHET

As a young boy David Cohen had dreams of taking flight to the skies as an airplane pilot. His parents were Jeanne Shechet of blessed memory, and his father retired Brigadier General Paul Cohen. David’s father Paul led a good example for his son, having served 35 years first in the United States Air Force followed by the Nebraska Air National Guard.

David Cohen served over 26 years as a commissioned officer in the United States Air Force, rising to the rank of colonel. He holds a commercial drone pilot certificate and is a certified flight instructor with commercial, multi-engine and instrument ratings, as well as an advanced and instrument ground instructor certificate.

During his Air Force career, Cohen held numerous command positions around the globe, leading air refueling and flight test units, and was a Joint Staff planning officer at the Pentagon. He is a command pilot with more than 2,500 hours in various military aircraft, including the KC-135R/T, T-37B, C-37A, and T-38A aircraft and numerous civilian

aircraft. Cohen has flown combat and combat support missions in Africa, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Turkey,

8:02 p.m.

MONDAY: Synagogue Offices Closed; Candlelighting, 9:06 p.m.

TUESDAY: Synagogue Offices Closed; Passover Service, 9:30 a.m.; Ladies' Lunch, 1 p.m. at Tiru Ethiopia, 2630 Orchard St. For more information email Barbara Barron at oohhmmm.barb@gmail. com; Havdalah, 9:07 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: LJCS Hebrew School, 4:30-6 p.m.; Jewish Themes Through Jewish Films, 6:30 p.m. at SST.

FRIDAY-May 3: Erev Shabbat Service with Rabbi Alex, 6:30 p.m. at SST; Shabbat Candlelighting, 8:05 p.m.

SATURDAY-May 4: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. at TI; Torah Study, noon on Parashat Acharei; Havdalah, 9:05 p.m.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE

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

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME

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

TEMPLE ISRAEL

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

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

SATURDAY: Torah Study 9:15 a.m. In-Person & Zoom; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. In-Person & Zoom.

SUNDAY: Grades PreK-7, 9:30 a.m. In-Person; Mitzvah Day: Chai Five for Good Deeds, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. InPerson

MONDAY: Conclusion of Passover Service and Yizkor, 10:30 a.m.

TUESDAY: Adult Prayer Hebrew: Level Aleph, 6 p.m. In-Person.

WEDNESDAY: Yarn It, 9-11 a.m. In-Person; Grades 3-6, 4:30 p.m. In-Person; Grades 8-12 Teen Beit Midrash, 6 p.m. In-Person.

THURSDAY: The Zohar: Thursday Morning Class, 11 a.m. with Rabbi Sharff and Rabbi Azriel — In-Person & Zoom.

FRIDAY-May 3: Drop in Mah Jongg, 9-11 a.m. InPerson; Shabbat Service — Rabbi Sharff Installation, 6 p.m. In-Person & Zoom.

SATURDAY-May 4: Torah Study 9:15 a.m. In-Person & Zoom; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. InPerson & Zoom; Family Installation Havdalah, 5 p.m. In-Person.

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

Central and South America, and Libya, as well as air defense missions over the United States.

Cohen also taught Air Force Junior ROTC in Orange County Public Schools (Florida) and was an aviation instructor in Lake County Schools (Florida), where he was also the school district’s aviation program specialist. In addition, he spent six years as an adjunct professor at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.

Today David is the Dean for the College of Aeronautics at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida.

Through the aeronautics program at Lynn young men and women will also achieve their dreams of taking to the skies in flight.

This story will go to print during the Passover holiday. One timely anecdote: David was on a mission over Saudi Arabia, flying an air refueling plane. In the cockpit he had some matzah that was sent in a care package from his mother Jeanne. As a Jewish pilot, David can always share the fact that with the help of his mom, he took the celebration of Passover to new heights.

David Cohen

Life cycles

BETH SELNER

Beth Selner, beloved wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend, passed away peacefully on April 6, 2024 in Halifax, surrounded by her loving family. Celebrations of life to honor Beth were held in Toronto. Details to follow for a service in Omaha.

She was preceded in death by her father Hal; and cats, Katara and Momo.

She is survived by her husband, James (Jim) Black; daughter, Lily (Bean) Fowler; mother, Lois (Noni) Selner; sister, Trudi (Tru) Ellen Selner, and cat, Jojo.

Beth was born on Feb. 14, 1970, in Omaha, Nebraska, to Harold (Hal) Selner and Lois (Noni) Selner.

She spent her early years growing up in Omaha, where she made lifelong friends. From there Beth went to school in Madison, Wisconsin, then moved on to Montreal, Quebec, where she graduated with a degree in fine arts from Concordia University. In Montreal Beth blossomed and met Lily’s father, and first husband, Jason Fowler. After graduating she moved to Toronto where she spent most of her life. It was there that she began her career at the AGO in 1996. While working there she met her husband Jim, and many of her chosen family.

Beth was a voracious reader (especially science fiction) and loved to learn. Her passions included yoga, meditation, gardening and the natural world, music, dancing, making chocolates, baking, and spending time with loved ones.

As a devoted wife, mother, sister, and daughter, Beth embodied the true meaning of family. From her early years in a loving adoptive family to creating her own, her family continued to grow beyond the bounds of blood or marriage. She cherished every moment spent with her loved ones and was known for her warmth, bottomless love (free refills!), and generosity. Beth's compassionate nature knew no limits, and she would go above and beyond to help anyone in need, regardless of their circumstances. She brought comfort and joy to everyone she encountered, whether it was lending a listening ear, offering a helping hand, or simply sharing a comforting embrace (she created, and loved, the pod). Her legacy of love will continue to live on in the hearts of those who knew her.

Beth had a rare and unique ability to see the best and the beauty in everyone and everything around her. Her infectious laughter and unwavering positivity brightened the lives of all who knew her. She made every moment brighter and every hardship easier to bear with her empathy and compassion.

Despite facing challenges, including her recent battle with cancer, Beth never lost hope and displayed remarkable strength and resilience. She faced adversity with courage and determination, inspiring all who knew her with her unwavering spirit. She was, and always will be with us as a beacon of kindness and grace–our forever confidant, healer, bridge, cheerleader, comedic relief, and trendsetter (ahead of the curve!).

As we bid farewell to Beth, let us carry forward the lessons she taught us – to love fiercely, to live fully, and to appreciate every moment. Though she may no longer be with us, her spirit will continue to shine brightly in our hearts, guiding us with her love and light.

Rest in peace, dear Beth. You will be deeply missed. Memorials may be made in Beth’s memory to: Ovarian Cancer Canada, Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation (Toronto), Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre Foundation (Halifax).

BARRY SNYDER

Barry Snyder passed away on April 7, 2024 in Omaha. Services were held on April 12, 2024 at Beth El Cemetery and were officiated by Hazzan Michael Krausman.

He was preceded in death by his father, Max Snyder; mother, Esther Snyder; brother, Aaron Snyder; sister-in-law, Sunni Snyder; sister, Sarah; and nephew, Larry Snyder.

He is survived by his loving wife of 62 1/2 years, Fran (Silver); son and daughter-in-law, Michael (Jane); two daughters and sons-in-law, Debra Lynn (Brent), and Dawn Julie (Bill); six grandchildren, whom he was very proud of: Elizabeth Snyder Jepsen (Jeremiah), Benjamin Snyder, Lauren Miller, Zachary Miller, Marcus Havens and Robert Havens; niece Bonnie Hyson (Michael); nephew, Michael Snyder; and many great nieces and nephews.

Barry graduated from South Philadelphia High School in 1956. He went on to proudly serve in the US Air Force. He was stationed at Offutt Air Force Base. Upon his discharge, he attended and graduated from University of Nebraska Omaha.

Barry spent his career as a top performer at Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance. He also started his own investment company on the side. Eventually, NML offered all their clients similar services showing just how cutting edge his forethought was in rounding out client portfolios.

Barry was a quiet man with a great sense of humor. He was quick with a joke and had his favorites that even his grandkids can recite today. When his grandkids were young, he loved to show them magic tricks. He enjoyed their laughter and would never break the magician’s oath. He had a passion for travel which included exploring worldwide with his wife, Fran. Their favorite form of travel was cruising, especially with family and friends.

In his younger years, he enjoyed fishing with friends and photography. He wanted to take up golfing in retirement, but his body had other ideas, so he did the next best thing - he bought a house on a golf course overlooking the second tee. Then, he was a snowbird in Carlsbad, CA a block away from the beach for over 20 years.

Barry was an avid reader and truly appreciated constantly learning as a student and passing knowledge to his kids and grandchildren. He enjoyed comedies and police shows like Criminal Minds and NCIS. He loved listening to music and tapping his feet or snapping his fingers along with the beat. Although he didn’t view himself as a good dancer, he would always oblige his loving wife of 62 years to a dance.

Barry was a loving son, brother, uncle, husband, father, grandfather, and friend. He will be deeply missed by family, friends and all those whose lives he touched. May he rest in peace. Memorials may be made to the Nebraska Alzheimers Association, or the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

A Holocaust love story based on real events

SHIRA LI BARTOV

JTA

A Holocaust romance, sparked when a prisoner at Auschwitz-Birkenau is forced to tattoo a number on another prisoner’s arm and they fall in love at first sight, sounds almost implausibly uplifting for a story set in a concentration camp. But The Tattooist of Auschwitz, a new television series, is based on two Slovakian Jewish prisoners — Lali Sokolov and Gita Furman — who really did meet at Auschwitz, survive, marry and move to Australia together after the war. The six-part drama premiering May 2 on Peacock and Sky draws from a 2018 novel of the same name by Heather Morris, who interviewed Sokolov over three years before his death in 2006.

“It’s what drew me in, when I read the book a few years ago — that something like this could happen was so surprising,” Jonah Hauer-King, who plays young Lali at Auschwitz, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “Any kind of love at first sight is surprising, let alone in a context like this.”

Lynskey) from his home in Melbourne shortly after Gita (Anna Próchniak) has died.

Directed by Tali Shalom-Ezer and executive produced by Claire Mundell, the series will also feature an end-title song by the legendary Jewish artist and EGOT holder Barbra Streisand. Love Will Survive is Streisand’s first recording for a TV series, was released on April 25 ahead of the series premiere.

“Because of the rise in antisemitism around the world today, I wanted to sing Love Will Survive in the context of this series, as a way of remembering the six-million souls who were lost less than 80 years ago,” Streisand said in her announcement. “And also to say that even in the darkest of times, the power of love can triumph and endure.”

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Alongside Hauer-King, known for his role as Prince Eric in Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid, Academy Award nominee Harvey Keitel plays Lali’s older counterpart in his late 80s, recounting his experiences to Morris (Melanie

The Tattooist of Auschwitz joins a crop of World War II-period TV series inspired by buzzy bestselling novels. Hulu recently launched We Were the Lucky Ones, based on Georgia Hunter’s 2017 novel about her Jewish family’s dispersion across the world. And in just the past year, Netflix adapted All the Light We Cannot See from Anthony Doerr’s 2014 war novel and aired Transatlantic, about Varian Fry’s mission to rescue Holocaust refugees, based on Julie Orringer’s 2019 book The Flight Portfolio.

Read more at www.omahajewishpress.com.

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Jonah Hauer-King as Lali Sokolov and Anna Próchniak as Gita Furman embrace in Auschwitz in the first episode of Peacock's The Tattooist of Auschwitz. Credit: Martin Mlaka/Sky UK

Yachad Nenatzeach:

NANCY SCHLESSINGER

JFO

President

In early March, I had the privilege to represent our Jewish Federation of Omaha in Israel on a Partnership2Gether Solidarity Mission in the Western Galilee of Israel, alongside our CEO, Bob Goldberg, and his wife Kim. We stayed in Nahariyah, a town in Northern Israel, about six miles from the Lebanese border, on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in 1934 as an agricultural settlement by German-Jewish refugees, Nahariya quickly developed as a vacation destination due to its fine sand beach and temperate climate, and is now considered one of Israel’s finer resort areas.

For those who may be unfamiliar with Partnership2Gether, Omaha is part of a group of 17 U.S. communities in the Central Area Consortium along with Budapest, Hungary and Israel’s Western Galilee. The mission of Partnership is to promote mutually beneficial endeavors, forging relationships through programs that build Jewish identity and strengthen ties and connections among and between our communities.

Like many of you, ever since Oct. 7, 2023, I’ve been keeping up with various daily news posts regarding the war. I had learned about other mission trips offered through JFNA and was honored, yet concerned, when the call came for this mission. The trip was somewhat longer than the average JFNA mission of four days. Was I worried about going as March 3 approached? Absolutely I was. Did I have friends and family members ask me why I would travel to Israel now, during the war? Yes, and that did make me stop to reflect briefly if going was the right thing. However, the call to be present for Israel and our Partnership was so strong that it outweighed any concerns I had. Additionally, I was able to bond nearly immediately with the 28 people that were on this mission via a WhatsApp group.

The constant theme throughout our trip, and a message our Israeli friends asked to bring back to Omaha, was Yachad Ne-

Together we will win, part 1

natzeach (Together We Will Win).

Our days were packed full of meetings, lectures, hospital visits, food preparation for soldiers, and meetings with soldiers.

My first interaction in Israel was with the person who drove me from Ben Gurion Airport to the hotel in Nahariyah. This was his day off from his job in the IDF Reserves, where he works in rescue operations. While at a traffic light along our two-hour drive, he pulled up a video on his phone to show me the helicopter transfer of the little girl his team evacuated at the hostage exchange. You may have read about her. This incredible four-year-old American girl, Abigail Idan, watched her parents as they were shot and killed. She then ran to her neighbor’s home on the kibbutz for help. My driver’s team transported and reunited her with her aunt, which was the video he showed me. This was a story I heard before my mission began. Seeing it on his phone was surreal.

Another highlight was a visit to Moshav Shavei Zion. They have converted part of a school into a makeshift kitchen, where members of the moshav volunteer their time to cook for nearby soldiers. One of the Moshav members who shared their stories about their ‘regular’ lives pre-Oct. 7, was the

woman in charge. She has raised five children and said that gave her experience in running this kitchen. She has other women, young and old, helping her, and all the food and cooking products have been donated. Each day they turn out full meals for a battalion in that area. Two of those soldiers picked up the pita pocket chicken schnitzel that we prepared, and expressed their appreciation. There was some leftover food, which these ladies insisted our small group eat as they shared stories of how this ‘food kitchen’ came into being.

One afternoon we visited Kivunim, which is dedicated to empowering young adults with disabilities. For over 20 years, this program, supported by our Partnership, has provided valuable support and guidance to young adults with disabilities as they navigate the path towards independent living and community integration. Kivunim focuses on strengths and abilities. The programs are designed to build self-confidence, enhance independence and self-management skills and foster social inclusion. This program caters to individuals with physical disabilities, sensory impairments, chronic illness and associated disorders. Two of their participants were excited to welcome us for our afternoon visit, and spoke on behalf of the program. These two young men, who have been through the program, explained how they benefited and now are able to live independently in an apartment. Each has a job as well. Their stories were extremely touching, as well as the stories of family members who had previously been interviewed by video. Without the Kivunim program, these young people would still be living with others caring for them. Now, they can take care of themselves, and it was a beautiful thing to see and hear. Many of us were in tears, listening to their personal stories. They knew ahead of time we were coming, and were very excited to meet our group and to share their stories.

Ed. note: To be continued in the May 3 edition of the Jewish Press