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Beth El to honor Eadie Tsabari
New exhibit in The Milton Mendel and Marsha Kleinberg Jewish Omaha Heritage Center Page 3
Community update First Arab ceremony in Auschwitz Page 5
ROBBY ERLICH Beth El Engagement Coordinator fter more than 30 years of unparalleled support to the Beth El community, Eadie Tsabari is retiring from her role as Director of Congregational Learning at Beth El Synagogue. I had the privilege of sitting down with Eadie to hear about her experiences and the moments she will treasure. Warmth, guidance, and inspiration are just some of the words used to describe
A A movie about how Fiddler on the Roof became a movie Page 12
Eadie, who grew up in Omaha. She attended college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and lived in Israel for nine years, where she met her husband, Eitan. The couple’s desire for their two children to have informal Jewish education experiences led Eadie to Beth El. Her career there began in 1992 at the request of Stanley Mitchell, who was the synagogue’s education director. He persuaded her to teach the kindergarten class that year, telling her that she couldn’t say no. See Eadie Tsabari page 2
Life Saver Award
REGULARS Spotlight Voices Synagogues Life cycles
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AMANDA MCGILL JOHNSON On Monday, April 25, the Nebraska Coalition for Lifesaving Cures hosted its 19th annual Spring Luncheon at Happy Hollow Country Club. The event honored Dr. Bonnie Bloch and Dr. Howard Gendelman with the Life Saver Award, as well as Holland Future Scientist Awardee Sarah Alsuleiman. Dr. Bonnie Bloch holds her undergraduate degree from Brandeis University, where she studied philosophy and natural sciences. She then earned her law degree at Boston University prior to completing her medical school studies. During her rotation in internal medicine at the Albert Ein-
Dr. Bonnie Bloch, Dr. Howard Gendelman and David Crouse
stein College of Medicine-Bronx Municipal Hospital, she met her future husband in the hospital’s intensive care unit. Dr. Howard Gendelman arrived in
Omaha 29 years ago from Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. His role at the University of Nebraska was to launch a neuroscience laboratory See Life Saver Award page 3
As you have likely heard, we are in the process of both structural and staffing changes within the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and Community Relations Council (CRC), and we wanted to take some time today to give you an update on this process. As many of you know, the ADL and CRC have successfully partnered as a joint agency in Omaha for many years. The ADL is a national organization, and the structure of this office is unique within the wider ADL national footprint. The success of this partnership over the years is self-evident, but we have also recently noticed important areas where these operating agreements need to be clearly codified. To that end, the JFO and our counterparts at the ADL have been working diligently over the past few months to develop a new partnership that will allow the Omaha community to benefit from all of the resources and expertise of the ADL while also building up the CRC as an independent agency. This will allow for greater flexibility in programming and provide greater clarity regarding risk management, staff reporting, donor transparency, and organizational responsibilities. There will still be plenty of opportunities for co-branding between the CRC and the ADL, but the new structure will allow each organization to also complete independent programming as needed. You may also be aware that Gary Nachman recently retired from his position as Regional Director at the ADL. We want to assure you that the ADL will continue to have a presence in Omaha, and they will soon be hiring his successor. In the interim, you can report antisemitism and hate crimes through https://www.adl.org/reportincident#form or you can contact Marissa Shachmurove at mshachmurove@adl.org. Of course, this new operating structure will also necessitate the hiring of a director for our CRC team. This position is currently open, and we encourage you to and see patients with infectious See Community update page 3
2 | The Jewish Press | May 6, 2022
Eadie Tsabari ontinued from page 1 Eadie says her own formal Jewish education was one of “You can’t do this” and “You can’t do that.” Eadie worked to reverse such practices, first in the classroom and later as an administrator. She credits Hannah Schwalb, her first Hebrew school teacher, as a positive influence for her. Jewish education is in Eadie’s soul. Her parents, Joe and Helen Fishel, were proud Zionists who provided her with a solid Jewish upbringing, both culturally and religiously. For 13 years, during her time as a Hebrew School kindergarten teacher, Eadie ran her business, Omaha E Gifts, even as she worked with co-teacher Sheri Abramson four afternoons a week. Sheri has fond memories of working alongside Eadie: “Our classroom was filled with conversations, music, dancing and even the occasional air band. Teaching and learning were always an adventure when Eadie was around. Beth El has been so lucky to have Eadie be a part of our children’s religious education!” Following her career at Omaha E Gifts, Eadie began working
Rabbi Abraham and Eadie in Israel 2018
at Friedel Jewish Academy, teaching Judaic Studies full time for Grades 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th. In 2011, after seven years at Friedel, Eadie was asked to apply for the Education Director position at Beth El. The search
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committee quickly realized Eadie was the ideal candidate. Throughout her career, Eadie worked tirelessly at serving the Jewish community, always with a big heart and a warm smile. Many programs created under her leadership have been centered on community-building. Besides overseeing a formal educational program, Eadie organized countless shabbatons, shul-ins and Jewish day camp experiences. Eadie wanted her students to experience being Jewish on many levels, and her vision and hope for her students was that being Jewish should be special, fun and integrated into who they are. A highlight of Eadie’s career has been hosting get-togethers with former students. She loves hearing about the impact she has made in their lives. That’s what has driven Eadie to continue her work for so many years. Many of her former students have chosen to become madrichim (counselors) at Beth El’s Kamp KEF. Being able to work at Kamp KEF lets them relive the fun they had at Beth El while also giving back to Eadie and to the campers. “Over the past 30-plus years, Eadie has made a substantial impact on the lives of countless Jewish youth,” said Beth El’s Rabbi Steven Abraham. “From her time as a Hebrew teacher at Friedel Jewish Academy to working as a teacher at the Beth El religious school and then finally as the Director of Congregational Learning at Beth El, Eadie has created an environment where Jewish learning has come alive,” Rabbi said. “She cares about her students and is fiercely loyal to her teachers. Eadie has done something that most school directors can only dream of, which is to create a space where students want to come to school. She has put in countless hours over the years to better our community.” “Speaking only for myself, when I arrived in Omaha, Eadie was an amazing resource, as she knew the ins and outs of our community,” he said. “She had been involved in formal Jewish education as well as informally. She knew our history as a synagogue, but also was always willing to adapt for a new flock of students. Eadie always made time for her teachers or others in the community who needed some guidance or direction.” David Finkelstein, current Beth El Synagogue Talmud Torah (BESTT) chair, said Eadie has a passion for teaching children. “She is able to engage them, get them to be active, and develop them into leaders. In her words, she made Jewish learning ‘sticky,’ ” he said. “After she retires from BESTT, her influence will still be felt and followed by several classes of her students.” Past BESTT chair Linda Saltzman said Eadie’s energy and enthusiasm for Jewish education is unparalleled. “She has a passion for her students and their educational development,” Linda said. “She knows each student and understands the best way to help them succeed.” Eadie’s creativity and resourcefulness came out in full force during the pandemic. “Undeterred by the challenging conditions, she found innovative ways to keep students engaged when classes couldn’t meet in person,” Linda said. Beyond leading formal education, Eadie excelled at running informal educational opportunities. “Eadie doesn’t just talk the talk,” Linda said. “She walks the walk. She has personally chaperoned every 8th grade trip to Chicago, attended all Shabbatons away from Beth El and spent the night at the synagogue when BESTT hosted overnights. She is totally hands-on in every way.” The community is invited to celebrate Eadie’s retirement and her accomplishments at Beth El Synagogue on May 15, starting with Minyan at 9:30 a.m. A talent show, celebration program and brunch will follow Minyan. Hollie Fineman, a lifelong friend of Eadie, and Eadie’s retirement event coordinator, is very excited to plan this event. “Over 50 years ago, my father became friends with Eadie’s Uncle Dave, who owned a kosher butcher shop in Des Moines, Iowa. No one would have guessed when I moved to Omaha in 1975 that I would continue a friendship with the Fishel family through Eadie Fishel Tsabari. I am so honored to coordinate a very special event honoring Eadie as she retires from her position at Beth El. Her love for learning and for children will continue to be such a big part of her life. I wish her so much nachas!” For Eadie, she explained to me that being able to work in the Jewish community was so much more than just a job. “As I look back on the years that I have worked in the Jewish community, I feel blessed that I have been able to do something that means so much to me. My parents always told me that I had an obligation to the Jewish people after what happened to our family and so many others during the Shoah. Working with children, building a community who love their Judaism, and rejoicing in the beauty of our religion has been an honor and a joy to me.” There’s no doubt that the impact Eadie has made on our youth will live on for years to come. Donations in Eadie’s honor can be made to the Garden of Eadie Fund at Beth El. The garden coincides beautifully with Eadie’s passions of gardening, being outdoors and educating our children and youth. This garden will not only sustain our future youth in their stomachs, but in their hearts and minds as well. Please visit www.bethelomaha.org to learn more about Eadie’s retirement celebration. For questions, contact me at rerlich@bethel-omaha.org.
The Jewish Press | May 6, 2022 | 3
Life Saver Award Continued from page 1 diseases. A laboratory of neurovirology was formed, followed by a research center and a Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience. When Dr. Gendelman was named chair, the department was ranked 89th in the nation, but within five years it was listed in the top ten NIH-drivers in pharmacology. Meanwhile, Dr. Bloch led the Omaha Burke High School Medical Academy program. She guided the development of Friedel Jewish Academy as president of its board of directors and served as president of Beth Israel. While serving as the director of the Jewish Federation of Omaha’s community educational program, she worked with doctors at the Western Galilee Hospital to field an emergency preparedness program. “The significance of Dr. Gendelman’s work cannot be overstated,” said Nebraska Cures’ Board President David Crouse, Ph.D. “He is best known for his co-discovery of a cure pathway for HIV/AIDS and a new approach for treating Parkinson’s disease. Along the way, he has founded two biomedical research journals and trained over 50 scientists. In addition, he is an entrepreneur, founding or co-founding two biotechnology companies.” In 2017, Dr. Gendelman was named JFO Humanitarian of the Year. At that time, he said: “Environment is a key ingredient to having a successful life. I have a great family, live in a great community, and I work at a great university. Those three things are essential; if I lived somewhere else, things wouldn’t be this way.” Nebraska Cures’ mission is to promote, support and advocate for research to advance our quality of life and our economy. Its vision is to lead society to understand and embrace the importance of scientific research. The organization was founded 20 years ago, when attempts were underway to change both state law and University of Nebraska policy to restrict biomedical research. Nebraska Cures’ success has protected critical research that will save lives. The health disparities of the pandemic and the spread of health science misinformation have spotlighted the need for our organization to take on an expanded role in health science communication and advocacy. Expanding our work will allow us to take action on the most urgent health science needs of our community, such as educating Nebraskans about vaccines, clinical trials, and the need for more diversity in research. At the same time, we will continue to educate about biomedical research and the false promises of unregulated stem cell therapies. See Spotlight on page seven for more photos from the luncheon.
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New exhibit in The Milton Mendel and Marsha Kleinberg Jewish Omaha Heritage Center
A newly-created museum gallery at the JCC is currently offering a public exhibit that features an overview of historical Jewish organizations in the state of Nebraska. The gallery, named the Milton Mendel and Marsha Kleinberg Jewish Omaha Heritage Center, is being run under the auspices of the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society and the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Using its vast number of collections, NJHS will curate rotating exhibits that highlight various aspects of Jewish life in our state. Pictured: NJHS vice president Beth Staenberg, right, takes in the exhibit, along with NJHS board member Hollie Fineman.
Community update Continued from page 1 consider applying if you are interested in the position. We will keep this position open until Friday, May 6. Over the next several months, we will be re-envisioning the mission and programming of the CRC. To aid in this, we’d love to hear from all of you; in the coming days, you’ll receive a survey from the CRC asking about the issues most important to you. We would appreciate if you could spend a few minutes filling it out. Our new director will be working directly with the board, staff, and community members to identify new programming areas and strengthen existing CRC programming such as the Ruby Platt Allyship Initiative. The ADL will continue to offer its important programming work in Omaha, including “No Place for Hate®, Echoes and Reflections, and Words to Action, among others. These programs will be delivered both directly through the ADL and
also in collaboration with JFO agencies. The partnership between JFO and the ADL remains strong, and we look forward to continuing to work together into the future. We know these structural changes can be confusing. If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We are excited for what the future holds! Sincerely, PHIL MALCOM JFO Interim CEO MIKE SIEGEL JFO Board President ELLIE BATT CRC Board Co-President, ADL Board Co-President RON GILLER CRC Board Co-President, ADL Board Co-President
Father’s Day
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Hornstein Memorial Scholarship deadline extended
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Trapped in Rome JEANNETTE GABRIEL, Ph.D. Director, Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies The Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies will host Dr. Alla Shapiro, who was a first responder at Chernobyl, on Wednesday, May 12, at noon at the Staenberg Jewish Community Center. Dr. Shapiro will discuss her experiences as a stateless refugee in Rome, having fled the Soviet Union after Chernobyl. The luncheon and discussion will be followed by a book signing.
RSVP by Monday, May 10, to Jade Rogers at jaderogers@unoma ha.edu. Established in 2009, the Natan and Hannah Schwalb Center for Israel & Jewish Studies’ mission is to create, coordinate, and promote interdisciplinary programming focused on teaching and scholarship in Israel Studies, Jewish Studies, and the history, politics, cultures and societies of the Middle East. For more information, please contact unoschwalbcenter@ unomaha.edu.
Dr. Alla Shapiro, M.D., Ph.D.
Tri-Faith Initiative Garden celebration
BONNI LEISEROWITZ Look who is three years old! This is where Tri-Faith Initiative’s Unity Garden and Hope Orchard started, and we invite you to come and see where we are now. On Sunday, May 15, at 1 p.m., we will celebrate with a Corn Blessing led by Taylor Keen in the garden south of the Temple Israel building. In addition,
we will be giving garden and orchard tours to all who are interested. On Mother’s Day of 2019, we planted 20 fruit trees and watched the first eight raised beds be delivered to the new garden space. There was no soil in the beds. Onward from there, we planted and donated and kept growing. More than 2,500 pounds of food were donated dur-
ing the last season. This current season, the first donations of fresh spinach and onions have been made already. The Unity Garden and Hope Orchard are alldonation gardens, managed by all volunteers. We look forward to seeing you there! For more information, please visit www.TriFaith.org.
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If you are currently attending college, are between the ages of 18 and 24, and want to become more involved in our community, this is your chance. If you are interested, please send your resume and cover letter to avandekamp@jewishomaha.org. We can’t wait to meet you!
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DIANE WALKER JFO Foundation Fund & Scholarship Administrator The Bennett G. Hornstein Memorial Scholarship deadline has been extended to May 31, 2022. The family of the late Bennett G. Hornstein established the Bennett G. Hornstein Endowment Fund in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation. The endowment funds an annual scholarship awarded to an aspiring law student in an effort to carry on Hornstein’s commitment
to working for the poor and powerless and striving to make a difference in the Nebraska community. Hornstein lost an eight-year battle with cancer in March 1986 at the young age of 46. During his life, he was an inspiration to his family, friends, and colleagues, demonstrating unwavering selflessness and commitment to helping those who needed it most. After receiving his law degree at the University of California, Berkley, Hornstein decided to spend a significant portion of his life helping people who were hated, who were detested, and whom nobody else would help. He carried out that promise case by case in his over 20 years as an attorney, from Nebraska courtrooms all the way to the United States Supreme Court. Candidates should display a high standard of academic achievement, an adventurous spirit and a desire to take on an active role in service to the community. Applicants must be attending law school at the University of Nebraska or Creighton University. Applications are available on the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation webpage – www.jfofoundation.org/ bghendowment. Please contact Diane Walker with questions at 402.334-6551 or dwalker@jewishomaha.org.
ORGANIZATIONS B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS The award-winning B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS speaker program currently meets Wednesdays via Zoom from noon to 1 p.m. Please watch the Press 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.
The Jewish Press | May 6, 2022 | 5
First Arab ceremony in Auschwitz
I would appreciate your VOTE!
As your next Sheriff, Deputy Chief Greg Gonzalez (ret.) is ready to deliver on these 3 goals: Improve Deputy Recruitment, Training, and Retention of experienced officers to save tax dollars and ensure you are receiving quality services Reduce Crimes against person and business, including the scourge of human trafficking Step up community engagement with neighborhood and business communities
28 Years of Law Enforcement Experience Greg has hired over 450 police officers, managed a $57 million budget Greg has a master's degree in Public Administration and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy
HAIM NACHSHONI A delegation of Israeli Arabs held a historic Arabic ceremony in Auschwitz on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day. On April 25, a delegation from the Arab-Israeli organization Together Vouch for Each Other traveled to Poland for a historic visit. On the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, the delegation held an Arabic ceremony for the first time at the Auschwitz extermination camp. The delegation, on behalf of Together Arabs to Each Other, is made up of Muslims, Christians and Druze. They went on a preparatory tour at Yad Vashem, where they also met Holocaust survivor Arie Shilansky, who lit a beacon at the Holocaust Day ceremony, and heard his testimony. The encounter with him was, for many of them, the first encounter in their lives with a Holocaust survivor. The members of the delegation learned about the Holocaust in Poland, met with the Jewish community in Krakow and, as mentioned, visited the Auschwitz extermination camp and held a ceremony in Arabic on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day. The members of the delegation were also provided with food parcels that would be distributed in Poland to refugees from Ukraine.
All photos credit: Together Vouch for Each Other
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The Together Arabs for Each Other Association, established in 2018, works to mediate gaps between Arabs and Jews in Israeli society. Yoseph Haddad, CEO of the organization, said, “We are excited to fly to Poland and hold a powerful ceremony on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day on Auschwitz soil in Arabic. It is important for us to make the memory of the Holocaust accessible to Israeli Arab society and the Arab world, because every human being must know about this shocking event in human history and learn about it and from it, thus fighting hatred today from Holocaust denial to any manifestation of racism.”
2022 HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS
HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS AND GUARDIANS
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GREG GONZALEZ Douglas Conty Sheriff If elected our new Douglas County Sheriff, Greg Gonzalez will celebrate several firsts for the top elected law enforcement official in our community. Some of those distinctions are readily apparent. He would be the first Latino to hold the job, and he would uphold a multi-generational family commitment to the profession. More than a dozen relatives have served or continue to serve in law enforcement positions. For examples, his cousin was U.S. Marshal for Nebraska and his wife Kathy has served as the police captain in command of the Southeast Precinct. Gonzalez points to other firsts more substantive for the challenges and opportunities facing the Sheriff’s office. Gonzalez has uniquely worn both uniforms in a 28-year-long career starting as a Sheriff’s Deputy and recently highlighted by his retirement after 9 years as Deputy Chief of the Omaha Police Department. “I have the most executive experience of any
Executive leadership as Omaha Deputy Police Chief for 9 years Worked and supervised violent crime units, undercover narcotics, gang, and homicide units Commitment to community policing as a co-founder and board member of the PACE program, providing free athletics and mentoring to more than 6,000 youths
candidate in the race,” he said. Gonzalez holds a master’s degree in Public Administration, has hired over 450 police officers, managed a $57 million budget, and was responsible for implementing body-worn cameras at the Omaha Police Department. His leadership skills were honed in the field, where he advanced through the ranks while working violent crimes including undercover narcotics, the gang unit, and homicide. Gonzalez also brings to this race a long-held commitment to community policing. For example, he is a co-founder, volunteer coach, and leader of Police Athletics for Community Engagement (PACE), which provides free mentoring and athletic programs for over 6,000 youths from 38 local zip codes. “I’ll bring new energy to the leadership of the Sheriff’s office, and that will include a fresh commitment to community policing, implementation of body-worn cameras, and a focus on recruiting and retaining deputies,” said Gonzalez. “Ultimately, our goal is a safer Douglas County.”
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We will be publishing our annual High School Graduation Class pages on May 27, 2022. To be included, fill out the form below or send us an email with the student’s name, guardians, high school they are attending, the college they will be attending and photo to: jpress@jewishomaha.org by May 10, 2022. High School Senior Information ______________________________________________________________ Name ______________________________________________________________ Guardian(s)’ Name(s) ______________________________________________________________ Current High School ______________________________________________________________ College you plan to attend Send by May 10, 2022 to: The Jewish Press 333 So. 132 St. | Omaha, NE 68154
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6 | The Jewish Press | May 6, 2022
Ukraine interview at the JCC ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor These past weeks, you have been reading about the recent JFNA humanitarian trip to the Polish Ukraine border. Are you eager to hear a first-hand account from Rabbi Steven Abraham and Jeff Kirshenbaum? The Jewish Federation of Omaha invites members of the community to hear all about it on May 11 at 7 p.m. in the Alan J. Levine Performing Arts Theater. The event will be moderated by Joey Safchik, a reporter at KETV Newswatch 7 and a new member of Omaha’s Jewish community. Joey grew up in Los Angeles and graduated in 2021 from Northwestern University, where she studied journalism, political science and international relations. While at Northwestern, Joey was the recipient of five Chicago/Midwest
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‘Compelling’ Israel data shows Americans over 60 should get 2nd COVID booster, top US COVID official says RON KAMPEAS WASHINGTON | JTA The White House’s top COVID-19 response coordinator said that Americans over 60 should be getting a second vaccine booster shot, citing Israeli data. “The data out of Israel is pretty compelling for people over 60,” Dr. Ashish Jha said on Fox News Sunday. “People who have had that second booster shot four months after their first booster, what we saw was a substantial reduction not in just in infections, but in deaths.” The Food and Drug Administration
authorized second Pfizer and Moderna boosters for people over 50 last month. But Israel, which launched the world’s first major second booster program in January as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus swept through the world, authorized it only for people over 60. Jha also said Sunday on This Week with
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White House COVID-19 Coronavirus Response Coordinator Ashish Jha in his office at the White House, April 8, 2022. Credit: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images
George Stephanopoulos that getting a second booster between the ages of 50-59 “is a much closer call.” While an Israeli study found that the second booster’s “protection against confirmed infection appeared shortlived,” the shot’s “protection against severe illness did not wane during the study period.”
Congrats, Rachel! We are so proud of your achievements – membership in NHS, varsity letter in tennis and a Merit Award from the Band.
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Size A | $36 The annual Graduation Issue will publish this year on May 27, 2022. 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.
Mazel Tov, Aaron!
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The Jewish Press | May 6, 2022 | 7
Above and below: Dr. Bonnie Bloch and Dr. Howard Gendelman were honored at the Nebraska Coalition for Lifesaving Cures’ Tribute Spring Luncheon.
Top, above,and below: Earth Day was April 22, which coincided with Friedel’s spring break, so teachers celebrated with these fun t-shirts!
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.
Above and right: Senior programs at the Staenberg JCC. Below and left: Friedel’s Sixth Grade Connection Trip included a visit to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.
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Margie Gutnik President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Susan Bernard Advertising Executive Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Editor Gabby Blair Sam Kricsfeld Staff Writers Mary Bachteler Accounting Jewish Press Board Margie Gutnik, President; Abigail Kutler, Ex-Officio; Danni Christensen; David Finkelstein; Bracha Goldsweig; Mary Sue Grossman; Les Kay; Natasha Kraft; Chuck Lucoff; Joseph Pinson; Andy Shefsky and Amy Tipp. The mission of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to build and sustain a strong and vibrant Omaha Jewish Community and to support Jews in Israel and around the world. Agencies of the Federation are: Community Relations Committee, Jewish Community Center, Center for Jewish Life, Jewish Social Services, and the Jewish Press. Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page stories and announcements, can be found online at: 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 The Jewish Press is an agency of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Deadline for copy, ads and photos is: Thursday, 9 a.m., eight days prior to publication. E-mail editorial material and photos to: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org; send ads (in TIF or PDF format) to: rbusse@jewishomaha.org. Letters to the Editor Guidelines The Jewish Press welcomes Letters to the Editor. They may be sent via regular mail to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154; via fax: 1.402.334.5422 or via e-mail to the Editor at: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org. Letters should be no longer than 250 words and must be single-spaced typed, not hand-written. Published letters should be confined to opinions and comments on articles or events. News items should not be submitted and printed as a “Letter to the Editor.” The Editor may edit letters for content and space restrictions. Letters may be published without giving an opposing view. Information shall be verified before printing. All letters must be signed by the writer. The Jewish Press will not publish letters that appear to be part of an organized campaign, nor letters copied from the Internet. No letters should be published from candidates running for office, but others may write on their behalf. Letters of thanks should be confined to commending an institution for a program, project or event, rather than personally thanking paid staff, unless the writer chooses to turn the “Letter to the Editor” into a paid personal ad or a news article about the event, project or program which the professional staff supervised. For information, contact Annette van de KampWright, Jewish Press Editor, 402.334.6450. Postal The Jewish Press (USPS 275620) is published weekly (except for the first week of January and July) on Friday for $40 per calendar year U.S.; $80 foreign, by the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Phone: 402.334.6448; FAX: 402.334.5422. Periodical postage paid at Omaha, NE. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198 or email to: jpress@jewishomaha.org.
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European history lessons
ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor “The number of antisemitic incidents recorded in the Netherlands,” Cnaan Liphshiz wrote for the JTA, “reached a 10-year high of 183 cases in 2021, a Dutch Jewish watchdog group said. The 2021 tally was a 35-percent increase over the previous year, said the Hague-based Center for Information and Documentation on Israel, or CIDI. At least 72 of the incidents happened in what the CIDI, called “reallife” conditions, meaning in physical spaces and not online. Of those, 21 were acts of vandalism and three incidents were violent assaults.” While that may sound serious, the number 183 is nothing. This is a country of over 17 million people—so my first thought when I read the headline was: they probably only included reported acts of physical violence. But no, it includes graffiti, which pops up in shopping centers, on train cars and abandoned buildings and mailboxes and trashcans and electrical boxes and anywhere else where the spraypaint will stick. There is a Star of David combined with a swastika on a trashcan at the dog park right by my mother’s house. There is another one a street over by the nursing home. There is a third one on the street by my childhood home, on an electrical box. Granted, I haven’t been home in almost two-anda-half years, but I would bet good money they are all still there. Nobody bothers cleaning that stuff up. From growing up there, I know there are thousands of antisemitic slogans, scribbles and drawings. We’ve just learned to accept them as a fact of
life. Also, there is a whole second language of soc- Dutch first, and Jewish is not even a close second. cer-related symbolism, which is hard to explain in There was so little Jewish life while I was growing one op-ed. In short, fans of the Amsterdam club use up, it only began shaping my identity in marginal the Mogen David as a symbol, so sometimes that ways when I was in high school, and only through star shows up on the stories from family bus stop as a way to members. There was claim territory for little left, so it felt like your club. Weird, I there was little to proknow, but that’s what tect, perhaps. it is. Other times, it’s a Simultaneously, redeclaration of hate. minders of the HoloThe question is, caust are everywhere. when is an ‘antiseCamps, tombstones, mitic incident’ somememorials, and endthing you just put up less plaques. Two with, and when is it minutes of silence on cause for concern? May 4th, Liberation Here in Omaha, I Day on May 5th. The would answer that Credit: Daniel Lobo, licensed under the Creative Commons Holocaust education question very differ- Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. my generation reently than when I’m in the Netherlands. And I’ve ceived, starting in first grade, was robust. Eurotried to think of a way to explain that to non-Euro- peans should know better than to plaster these peans. Why is it, that when I see a swastika at a images everywhere, but we don’t. Perhaps it serves Dutch bus stop, I feel irritated but I don’t report it? as a reminder that the way we deal with our history, Why does it make me fearful here, but not there? right or wrong, is our decision, and not anyone Is it just because I grew up there, my family is there, else’s. There is not one answer. It is messy, because and I feel safe because the place is familiar? But I’ve the war was messy—as is its aftermath. been in America for 25 years, half my life, certainly At the end of the day, we really do not know how this is just as familiar as the place I stubbornly keep to process our own recent history. As Europeans, calling ‘home,’ even though it is no longer that. we continue to stumble and make mistakes. PerMaybe familliarity breeds passivity. Maybe, it is haps, as long as we don’t let it stop us from growing, because when I’m here, I’m Jewish first, and Oma- accepting our imperfections in this regard is the han second. But when I’m in the Netherlands, I am best thing we can do.
Mariupol, one of Putin’s main targets in Ukraine, once sheltered a great yeshiva HENRY ABRAMSON JTA Barring a miracle, Mariupol, the beleaguered industrial center in eastern Ukraine, may henceforth be known only as the city that bore the brunt of Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked assault on Ukraine’s independence and its people. But the city also has a rich and often tragic Jewish history, shaped by conflict and the efforts of previous generations to preserve their lives, faith and culture in the face of brutality. One such story starts at the beginning of the 20th century, not in Ukraine but in Lithuania. Perched on the western edge of the Russian Empire, the Lithuanian town of Panevezys (pronounced Ponevezh or Ponevich) was home to some 7,000 Jews, roughly half the total population. The town boasted few amenities, but chief among them was the yeshiva established in 1909 by Liba Miriam Gavronskii, widowed daughter of the wealthy tea magnate Kalonymus Wissotsky. Rabbi Yitshak Yaakov Rabinovich (known as Reb Itsele Ponevezher, 1854-1919) was its first head, or rosh yeshiva. The yeshiva flourished, but it faced an early threat to its existence with the outbreak of World War I. Seeking to undermine the Russian war effort, the Germans directed a Yiddish-language proclamation to the Jews of the Russian Empire, promising them full emancipation and equal rights once the Romanov dynasty was toppled. Already distrustful of his large Jewish population, the notoriously antisemitic Tsar Nicholas II ordered a brutal expulsion of Jews from the borderlands region to the interior of the Russian Empire. The Yeshiva of Ponevezh was forced to relocate, first to Ludza in nearby Latvia, and then once again to Mariupol. Before returning to reestablish itself in independent Lithuania in 1919, the yeshiva would spend the remainder of the war years in Mariupol. Why Mariupol? The great distance from the front lines certainly factored in the thinking of the rosh yeshiva, but Mariupol had developed a reputation as a haven for Jewish settlement. In 1791, the port city was added to the Pale of Settlement, the region
of the Russian Empire designated for Jews. By 1847 After the Holocaust, Jews slowly trickled back just over a hundred Jews had established homes in into Mariupol, which in 1948 was renamed ZhMariupol, participating in the Black Sea trade. It danov by the Soviets after the sudden death of Anbecame a destination for Jews looking for eco- drei Zhdanov (1896-1948), long rumored to be nomic opportunity and those fleeing the over- Joseph Stalin’s presumed successor (his son also crowded regions of Lithuania and Belarus. By the married the Soviet dictator’s daughter). By 1959 end of the 19th century, the city was home to over over 2,000 Jews lived in the city, but only consti5,000 Jews, constituting 16% of the population; the tuted about 1% of the total population. 1926 census records 7,332 Jews in Mariupol, or 18% of the city. The expanding, dynamic Jewish community of Mariupol — disturbed only by riots associated with the 1905 revolution — came to an abrupt end with the Nazi invasion. Mariupol’s Jews were rounded up and shot by Einsatzgruppen on a single dark day — Oct. 18, 1941 — as part of the horrific “Holocaust by Bullets.” As for the Lithuanian yeshiva that was sheltered by Mariupol in World Since the 1990s, when its roof collapsed under heavy snow, all that War I, it went on to establish itself remains of the The Choral Synagogue in Mariupol, Ukraine, is the as one of the greatest institutions of brick facade and foundations. Credit: Wikimedia Commons Talmudic study during the interwar years. In 1939, With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the city rehowever, war came to Panevezys again, with both claimed its original name of Mariupol in 1989, and the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany invading became part of newly independent Ukraine shortly Lithuania. Under the leadership of Rabbi Yosef thereafter. The heroic presence of the ChabadShlomo Kahaneman (1888-1969), the yeshiva con- Lubavitch movement in Mariupol, as in many fortinued to function under Communist rule despite merly Soviet communities, supported the tiny the fact that he was trapped outside the country, Jewish population that remained after most of with students moving from one synagogue to an- them emigrated to Israel in Operation Exodus — other until the Nazis took over in June 1941 and when Jews escaped the crumbling Soviet Union murdered them all, together with most of Rabbi more than three decades ago — and continued to Kahaneman’s family. serve even through the Russian invasions of 2014 In 1944, Rabbi Kahaneman reestablished the Pon- and 2018. Now, in the midst of the invasion of 2022, evezh Yeshiva once again — this time in B’nai Brak, Chabad and others are working to evacuate as in what would become Israel — with seven students. many of them as possible. Amazingly, it has grown to reclaim its reputation Henry Abramson is a specialist in Jewish hisamong the most prominent institutions of higher tory and thought who currently serves as a dean Talmudic education in the world; at 98, its current of Touro College in Brooklyn, New York. rosh yeshiva, Rabbi Gershon Edelstein, is regarded The views and opinions expressed in this article are by many as the spiritual leader of the “Lithuanian” those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the non-Hasidic stream of haredi Orthodoxy. views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.
The Jewish Press | May 6, 2022 | 9
Why the ‘Libs of TikTok’ founder’s Jewish identity was fair game ANDREW SILOW-CARROLL JTA In the autumn of 1965, a New York Times reporter met in a Queens luncheonette with Daniel Burros, a chief organizer of the Ku Klux Klan in New York State. The reporter, McCandlish Phillips, had a difficult subject to bring up with his racist and deeply antisemitic interviewee: He found out that Burros’ parents were married by a rabbi, and that Burros himself appeared to have been raised and bar mitzvahed in an Orthodox Jewish home in the Richmond Hill neighborhood of Queens. “Are you going to print that?” Burros asked. When Phillips said he would, Burros threatened to kill him. Burros did not carry out that threat, but the story ends in violence: After reading the article that ran on Oct. 31, State Klan Leader Hides Secret of Jewish Origin, Burros shot and killed himself. The story of the Orthodox Jew turned self-hating Klansman is often brought up in journalism classes as a case study in disclosing what a subject would prefer to keep hidden. Burros had put himself out there as a public figure, and his biography – and his secret – were considered fair game. Neither of the top Times editors at the time – A.M. Rosenthal and Arthur Gelb, who co-wrote a book about Burros – expressed any qualms. “He was who he was, he did what he did, and I no more would feel guilty of saying that a certain person robbed a bank,” Rosenthal once told an interviewer. “Was I happy that he killed himself? Of course not. I did not feel that we had done anything but the appropriate thing. It was he who was misappropriating his life, both in what he was doing and how he chose to end it. There were other ways he could have ended it – he could have quit!” I thought about the Burros case last week, after the Washington Post ran an article about the far-right Twitter account Libs of TikTok, in which reporter Taylor Lorenz named the woman who had been running the account anonymously. Among other things, she noted that the woman, Chaya Raichik, is an Orthodox Jew. Critics of the article, mostly on the right, accused Lorenz of harassing and “doxxing” Raichik – that is, revealing personal information about someone who appeared to prefer anonymity online. Lorenz’s defenders – mostly on the left – said the reporter was just doing journalism, and noted that Raichik herself was in the business of posting videos by obscure
LGBTQ activists and gay-friendly teachers, who were then held up for ridicule and harassment in the right-wing ecosphere. Lorenz’s editor defended her reporting methods, saying they “comport entirely with the Washington Post’s professional standards.” Raichik, the statement added, “in her management of the Libs of TikTok Twitter account and in media interviews, has had significant impact on public discourse and her identity had become public knowledge on social media.” The Post’s statement itself comports with how most mainstream journalists would have handled the story: With her 700,000+ followers and demonstrable impact on the right-wing media and even pending GOP legislation, Raichik’s identity and background The logo of Libs of TikTok, a were ripe for disclosure. right-wing twitter account that Jewish Twitter had a sep- posts and ridicules TikTok arate beef with Lorenz, videos and social media posts however, with many asking from LGBTQ people and other how Raichik’s Orthodox progressives. Credit: Twitter background was relevant to the story. The Coalition for Jewish Values, an organization of rightwing Orthodox rabbis, said that “identifying the Twitter user as an Orthodox Jewish woman placed her at heightened risk of physical harm.” But if identifying someone as Jewish subjects them to antisemitism, that seems to be a bigger and more insurmountable problem than any one journalist can address or avoid. It assumes, without evidence, that antisemitism has become so pervasive that living and identifying publicly as a Jew has become an existential risk. And it clashes with an ethos of Jewish pride and self-confidence that educators are trying to instill in Jewish schools and camps, and no doubt in the synagogues to which many of the Washington Post’s critics belong. Jews are visible and assertive in public life, and in almost every occupation you can think of. Jews are overrepresented in activist spaces where the arguments are impassioned and sometimes
unhinged. They don’t live as marranos. It’s not clear why Raishik deserves special handling, especially when she has willingly placed herself at the white-hot center of our national argument. Of course, I work for a Jewish media company whose job it is to report on Jewish accomplishments, scandals and curiosities. It is no surprise that I always find the fact of someone’s Jewish background interesting and relevant. And I can undersand why Lorenz thought so too: Religious beliefs are a major element driving politics these days, no more so than on the right, where faith and policy align when it comes to activism around abortion, LGBTQ issues and pandemic restrictions. Observers have noted how Orthodox Jews, unlike the largely liberal, non-Orthodox Jewish majority, have increasingly embraced the Republican Party and Donald Trump in recent years. This is great news for groups like the Republican Jewish Coalition, and community leaders in Brooklyn and other Orthodox enclaves have hardly been shy about their turn to the right. The same trend also alarms some within and outside Orthodoxy. “The fact that Chaya Raichik is a orthodox Jewish woman is 100% relevant to the Libs Of Tiktok story,” said a writer who tweets as @EvelKneidel. The Orthodox connection between faith and right-wing politics is a subject worth exploring. And that is exactly how my colleagues at the Jewish Telegraphic Agency treated the information that “Libs of TikTok” was run by an activist who identified herself as Orthodox. In a thoughtful article, Ron Kampeas reported on politics in the Orthodox community, and discussed whether Raichik is representative or an outlier. Putting Raichik’s religious background in that context gave us a window into how to understand the present political moment and the roles all sorts of Jews are playing. The fact that a right-wing Twitter activist is Jewish is hardly as juicy as the oxymoronic tale of the Jewish Klansman. Still, I see why Lorenz included the fact. And I only wish, instead of the brief mention, she had offered a fuller exploration of its relevance to the story at hand. Andrew Silow-Carroll is editor in chief of The New York Jewish Week and senior editor of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.
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Synagogues
10 | The Jewish Press | May 6, 2022
B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE
618 Mynster Street Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 712.322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com
BETH EL SYNAGOGUE
Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California Street Omaha, NE 68154-1980 402.492.8550 bethel-omaha.org
BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE
Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street Omaha, NE. 68154 402.556.6288 BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org
CHABAD HOUSE
An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street Omaha, NE 68144-1646 402.330.1800 OChabad.com email: chabad@aol.com
LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN
South Street Temple Union for Reform Judaism 2061 South 20th Street Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE
Capehart Chapel 2500 Capehart Road Offutt AFB, NE 68123 402.294.6244 email: oafbjsll@icloud.com
ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME
323 South 132 Street Omaha, NE 68154 rbjh.com
TEMPLE ISRAEL
Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive Omaha, NE 68144-1206 402.556.6536 templeisraelomaha.com
LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: TIFERETH ISRAEL
Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Boulevard Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 402.423.8569 tiferethisraellincoln.org
B’NAI ISRAEL Join us on Friday, May 13, 7 p.m. for evening services. Speaker is Jeff Kirshenbaum, who will speak about his recent humanitarian mission to Ukraine. For information on COVID-related closures and about our historic synagogue, please contact Howard Kutler at hkutler@hotmail.com or any of our other board members: Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Janie Kulakofsky, Carole and Wayne Lainof, Mary-Beth Muskin, Debbie Salomon and Sissy Silber. Handicap Accessible.
BETH EL Virtual services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman. VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON MINYAN SCHEDULE: Mornings on Sundays, 9:30 a.m.; Mondays and Thursdays, 7 a.m.; Evenings on Sunday-Thursday, 5:30 p.m. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat: Graduation/Teacher Appreciation Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream. SATURDAY: Bat Mitzvah of Liat Frey and Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m. at Beth El & Live Stream; Jr. Congregation (Grades 3-7), 10 a.m.; Havdalah, 9:05 p.m. Zoom only. SUNDAY: BESTT (Grades K-7), 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10 a.m.; Book of Daniel, 6 p.m. with Rabbi Abraham and Pastor Johnson. TUESDAY: Mussar, 11:30 a.m. with Rabbi Abraham at Beth El & Zoom; Board of Trustees Meeting, 7 p.m. WEDNESDAY: BESTT (Grades 3-7), 4:15 p.m.; Hebrew High (Grades 8-12), 6 p.m.; Community Beit Midrash, 7 p.m. via In-person at the JCC or Zoom. FRIDAY-May 13: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream. SATURDAY-May 14: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m. at Beth El & Live Stream; Jr. Congregation (Grades 3-7), 10 a.m.; Doggie & Davening following Shabbat Morning Services; Havdalah, 9:15 p.m. Zoom only. Please visit bethel-omaha.org for additional information and service links.
BETH ISRAEL FRIDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Deeping Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat/Candlelighting, 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:45 a.m.; Daf Yomi, 7:30 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha, 8 p.m.; Shalosh Seudos/ Laws of Shabbos/Kids Activity, 8:30 p.m.; Ma’ariv/ Havdalah, 9:14 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Daf Yomi, 7:40 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:10 p.m. MONDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Deeping Prayer, 7:45 a.m. (Zoom); Daf Yomi, 7:40 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:10 p.m. TUESDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Deeping Prayer, 7:45 a.m. (Zoom); Kids Parsha Class, 3:45 p.m.; Daf Yomi, 7:40 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 8:10 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Deeping Prayer, 7:45 a.m. (Zoom); Wednesday School,
4:15 p.m.; Daf Yomi, 7:40 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:10 p.m. THURSDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Deeping Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Character Development, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Medical Ethics, noon with Rabbi Yoni at UNMC; Daf Yomi, 7:40 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 8:10 p.m. FRIDAY-May 13: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Deeping Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat/Candlelighting, 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY-May 14: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:45 a.m.; Daf Yomi, 7:30 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha, 8:10 p.m.; Shalosh Seudos/Laws of Shabbos/Kids Activity, 8:30 p.m.; Ma’ariv/Havdalah, 9:23 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/Zoom hybrid (Ochabad.com/classroom). 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/Le chayim; Candlelighting, 8:09 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent. SUNDAY: Sunday Morning Wraps, 9 a.m. MONDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Personal Parsha Class, 9:30 a.m. with Shani Katzman; Advanced Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen. TUESDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Virtual Pirkei Avot Women’s Class, 7 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Mystical Thinking (Tanya), 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Katzman; Introductory Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Introduction to Hebrew Reading, 11:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Women’s Power Lunch, noon with Shani Katzman at the Katzman Residence. Lunch will be served. RSVP at ochabad.com/lunch. THURSDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Advanced Hebrew Class, 11 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Talmud Study (Sanhedrin 18 — No advance experience necessary), noon with Rabbi Katzman; Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law) Class, 7 p.m. FRIDAY-May 13: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Inspirational Lechayim, 5:45 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: ochab ad.com/Lechayim; Candlelighting, 8:16 p.m. SATURDAY-May 14: Shacharit, 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent.
LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN & TIFERETH ISRAEL Services facilitated by Rabbi Alex Felch. Note: Some of our services, but not all, are now being offered in person. FRIDAY: Yom HaAtzma’ut/Shabbat Service, service leaders/music: Rabbi Alex and Star CIty Kochavim, 6:30 p.m. at SST; Shabbat Candlelighting, 8:10 p.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Alex at TI; Torah Study on Parashat Ke-
doshim, noon; Havdalah, 9:15 p.m. SUNDAY: No LJCS Classes; Men's Jewish Bike Group of Lincoln meets Sundays at 10 a.m., rain or shine, to ride to one of The Mill locations from Hanson Ct. (except we drive if it’s too wet, cold, cloudy, windy, hot or humid) followed by coffee and spirited discussions. If interested, please email Al Weiss at albertw 801@gmail.com to find out where to meet each week; Pickleball at Tifereth Israel is on hiatus until after Yom Kippur 5783. In the meantime, everyone is welcome to play at Peterson Park through the spring and summer; just wear comfortable clothes and tennis or gym shoes. For motre information, contact Miriam Wallick by email at Miriam57@aol.com. TUESDAY: Tea & Coffee with Pals, 1:30 p.m. via Zoom. WEDNESDAY: Last Day of LJCS Wednesday Classes, 4 p.m.; Federation Annual Meeting, 7 p.m. THUSDAY: Joint Boards Meeting, 7:30 p.m. at SST. FRIDAY-May 13: Kabbalat Shabbat Service, service leaders/music: Rabbi Alex, Leslie Delserone and Peter Mullin, 6:30 p.m. at SST; Shabbat Candlelighting, 8:17 p.m. SATURDAY-May 14: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Alex at TI; Torah Study on Parashat Emor, noon; Havdalah, 9:23 p.m.
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FRIDAY: 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 Brian Stoller, Rabbi Deana Sussman Berezin and Cantor Joanna Alexander. DAILY VIRTUAL MINYAN: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. via Zoom. FRIDAY: Drop-In Mah Jongg, 9-11 a.m.; Shabbat Shirah, 6 p.m. via Zoom or In-Person. SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. via Zoom or InPerson; Shabbat Morning Services and Bar Mitzvah of Henry Cohen, 10:30 a.m. SUNDAY: Second Sunday Breakfast Service, 9 a.m. at the Stephen Center. MONDAY: Jewish Law & the Quest for Meaning, 11 a.m. via Zoom. . WEDNESDAY: Yarn It, 9 a.m.; Youth Learning Programs: Grades 3-6, 4-6 p.m.; Community Dinner, 6 p.m.; Grades 7-12, 6:30-8 p.m.; Grade 12 Confirmation Class, 6:30 p.m. at the JCC; Community Beit Midrash, 7 p.m. via In-person at the JCC or Zoom. THURSDAY: Thursday Morning Class, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Azriel via Zoom or In-Person FRIDAY-May 13: Drop-In Mah Jongg, 9-11 a.m.; Shabbat B’yachad: Voices of Tri-Faith, 6 p.m. via Zoom or In-Person. SATURDAY-May 14: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. via Zoom or In-Person. Please visit templeisraelomaha.com for additional information and Zoom service links.
Shoah Foundation shares ‘lost’ testimony of Holocaust survivor who died in Mariupol ANDREW LAPIN JTA The 91-year-old Holocaust survivor Vanda Semyonovna Obiedkova died near her home in Mariupol, Ukraine, April 4, while the city was under a devastating Russian attack. Her family believed that her survivor testimony died with her. Obiedkova died, reportedly cold and emaciated, while sheltering in the basement of a store near her home; her daughter and son-in-law fled the city after burying her. The house they shared burned during the attacks, and the VHS tape containing the video testimony Obiedkova had recorded of her Holocaust experience for the USC Shoah Foundation in 1998 was destroyed along with the family’s other possessions, her family told Chabad.org. But on Tuesday, the Shoah Foundation posted Obiedkova’s 94-minute testimony in full to its YouTube page, honoring her by preserving her
story in the digital realm. The testimony is entirely in Russian, and there are currently no subtitles. But Chabad offers more de-
Vanda Semyonovna Obiedkova recorded her Holocaust survivor testimony for the USC Shoah Foundation in 1998. She died in her home in Mariupol, Ukraine, April 4, 2022, while the city was under a devastating Russian attack. Credit: Screenshot
tails on her life as shared by her family: A lifelong Mariupol resident, Obiedkova was 10 years old when the Nazis entered the port city in 1941. She hid in a basement while her mother was taken away, and was moved into a hospital by her non-Jewish father to evade further detection, posing as a Greek girl until the city was liberated by Soviet forces in 1943. She spent the rest of her life in Mariupol and was an active member of the city’s Jewish community, according to Mendel Cohen, the Chabad rabbi who serves the area. In the final days of her life, Obiedkova compared the Russian assault on her hometown to the Nazi occupation in 1941. After her death, her family buried her with the help of Rabbi Cohen before fleeing the city. The family had evacuated once before, during the 2014 conflict with Russia, but this time, Obiedkova’s daughter Larissa told Chabad, they would not be returning to Mariupol.
Life cycles IN MEMORIAM
ELLEN FREEMAN Ellen Freeman passed away unexpectedly on April 18, 2022, at age 63. A memorial service is being planned for Monday, May 9, 2022, at 11 a.m. at Temple Israel, with a luncheon to follow. She is preceded in death by her parents, Joanne and Jerry Freeman. She is survived by her brothers and sisters-in-law, Bob and Robyn and John and Karen Freeman of Omaha; nieces and nephews, Adam and Allie Freeman; Ally Freeman and Geoff Silverstein; Lauren Freeman and Matt Sculnick; Alex Freeman and Brian Zuerlein; and Susan Freeman. Ellen had worked at the Daily Record in Omaha for many years. Memorials may be made to Temple Israel, 13111 Sterling Ridge Dr, Omaha, NE 68144, or the organization of your choice.
KEVEE KIRSHENBAUM Kevee Kirshenbaum passed away peacefully on April 20, 2022, at age 98 in Omaha, NE. Graveside services were held on April 24, 2022, in the Schrager Memorial Chapel at the Temple Israel Cemetery, 6412 North 42nd Street. He is survived by his dear friend, Phyllis Aronson; his sister, Phylis Rifkin; son and daughter-in-law, Jim and Sue, and daughter, Kathy and her partner, David; six grandchildren: Andrew, Sarah, Hannah, Ariel, Ellie, and Jonathan; and four great-grand-
children, Owen, Henry, Calvin, and Zoey. Kevee was born in Omaha on July 25, 1923. He married his first love, Myrna Samuelson, with whom he had two children and was married for 62 years until she died in July 2011. Kevee was born and raised in Nebraska and attended Central High School and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he forever cemented his loyalty to the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He rarely missed a game for much of his adult life. Kevee was a proud and humble veteran. He achieved the rank of Lieutenant in the US Navy and served in both World War II and the Korean War in the dangerous role of commanding officer of minesweeper ships. When he returned from the war, he continued his service mindset with customers as General Manager of Dividend Bonded Gas stations before bringing the first One Hour Photo franchise to Omaha. Through these businesses he became a fixture in the community. Everyone in Omaha seemed to know and love Kevee through his cheerful greetings and charming sense of humor. He gave of himself and his time, serving on many boards including Nebraska Petroleum Marketers, the Omaha Jewish Federation, Jewish Community Center, and the Rose Blumkin Home where he lived the final years of his life. Memorials may be made to the Jewish Federation of Omaha or HIAS.org.
The Jewish Press | May 6, 2022 | 11
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ADL speaks on anti-Zionism RON KAMPEAS WASHINGTON | JTA The Anti-Defamation League CEO, Jonathan Greenblatt, equated anti-Zionism with antisemitism and said its rhetoric runs the same risk of violent outcomes during a speech to the organization’s national leadership summit. Greenblatt’s speech Sunday, which was held online, comes as both Democrats and Republicans have increasingly charged the other party with tolerating antisemitism. The ADL has appealed to both parties to address antisemitism within their own ranks, but the speech marked a rare moment of the organization unequivocally stating that anti-Zionism is an expression of antisemitism. Greenblatt in his speech tied the rhetoric from both the right and the left to the spike in antisemitic incidents the ADL reported last week. “That is why we are seeing this jump in antisemitic incidents — because groups from all sides of the ideological spectrum are using their words to make it OK to hate Jews,” Greenblatt said. He acknowledged the violence often identified with the far right, but said that did not diminish the risk posed by antiZionist rhetoric from the left. “Unlike their right-wing analogs, these organizations might not have armed themselves or engaged in an insurrection designed to topple our government, but these radical actors indisputably and unapologetically regularly denigrate and dehumanize Jews,” said Greenblatt. He cited attacks on Jews during the Israel-Gaza conflict a year ago. “Again, I am not diminishing the singular threat of white nationalists; however, as we saw last May, vicious rhetoric is not just an abstract issue,” he said. “No, it is dangerous and destabilizing because it can manifest in the real world and impel
individuals to act violently.” Greenblatt singled out three groups on the left: Jewish Voice for Peace, the Council on American Islamic Relations and Students for Justice in Palestine, for what he said were endorsements of antisemitic conspiracy-mongering and of Palestinian violence in conflict with Israel. He noted the embrace by some of these groups of slogans like “globalize the intifada.” The term, Greenblatt said, referred to “an armed conflict that ranged from rocks being thrown at soldiers to suicide bombers detonating themselves inside crowded restaurants full of women and children in Jerusalem.” The groups said in reaction that the ADL was marginalizing itself. Calling anti-Zionism an ideology “rooted in rage,” Greenblatt continued, “It is predicated on one concept: the negation of another people, a concept as alien to the modern discourse as white supremacy. It requires a willful denial of even a superficial history of Judaism and the vast history of the Jewish people. And, when an idea is born out of such shocking intolerance, it leads to, well, shocking acts.” Read more at www.omahajewishpress.com.
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12 | The Jewish Press | May 6, 2022
Entertainment C U LT U R E | M OV I E S | M US I C
A movie about how Fiddler on the Roof became a movie
more moving passages. Jewison’s crew ANDREW LAPIN was unable to find a real-life synagogue JTA Despite his name, Norman Jewison, that hadn’t been destroyed during the the director of the 1971 film adaptation war. The new documentary’s Ukrainianof Fiddler on the Roof, is not Jewish. born producer and publicist, Sasha The 95-year-old Jewison has often Berman, felt a connection to the film for spoken about how, when asked to helm this reason: Her grandmother grew up the movie version of the popular Broadin an Anatevka-like shtetl, and would way musical about an Old World shtetl, tell her stories about village life in much he felt the need to sheepishly inform the the same way as Sholem Aleichem, producers that he was a goy. keeping the stories of Jewish life alive. Less well known is that, following the Other memorable moments of the worldwide success of the Fiddler movie, documentary include interviews with Jewison actually wound up embracing Rosalind Harris, Michele Marsh and the Jewish faith. Though he has never Neva Small — actresses who played spoken of formally converting, he rethree of Tevye’s daughters and who each veals near the end of the new documenremembered the experience as the role tary Fiddler’s Journey to the Big Screen of a lifetime — and Jewison’s memories that, when he married his second wife of screening the completed film in Israel Lynne St. David Jewison in 2010, the Director Norman Jewison, right, and star Topol as Tevye on the set of the film version of Fiddler on the Roof. for then-Prime Minister Golda Meir couple had a Jewish wedding — com- Credit: Zeitgeist Films in association with Kino Lorber (David Ben-Gurion got to see it, too). whom Fiddler became a signature film. One of the rare direc- Though Jeff Goldblum is billed as the documentary’s narrator, plete with a rabbi and a chuppah. Fiddler’s Journey to the Big Screen tells the story of how the tors to have been nominated for an Oscar in three separate he makes only sporadic voice appearances. stage musical became a beloved screen classic. (It’s not to be decades — his other two were for In the Heat of the Night Miracle of miracles, many of the people who brought us Fidconfused with the 2019 documentary Fiddler: A Miracle of Mir- (1967) and Moonstruck (1987) — Jewison landed the Fiddler dler, including Jewison, Topol, composer John Williams and acles, which focused more on how the adaptation of Sholem job partly on the strength of his Cold War satire The Russians original Broadway lyricist Sheldon Harnick, are still alive Aleichem’s Yiddish short stories made it to the stage.) Directed Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming. His commitment to (composer Jerry Bock died in 2010). We see them all in the by Daniel Raim, an Israeli-born filmmaker who specializes in verisimilitude in depicting Anatevka led him to reject the orig- documentary, although many of the interviews are not origibehind-the-scenes film history documentaries for the bou- inal Broadway Fiddler star, Zero Mostel, in favor of Israeli actor nal to this film. Still, there is a certain thrill to realizing that tique arthouse label The Criterion Collection, Fiddler’s Journey Topol. Mostel’s version of the milkman Tevye, said Jewison, the history of Fiddler, a show which celebrates a long-dead concerns itself with the details of film adaptation and the lo- was “too American.” way of Jewish life, is, in its own way, still living. That commitment also led Jewison and his crew to recongistical challenges of recreating a convincing prewar Jewish Fiddler’s Journey To The Big Screen opens April 29 at struct a wooden synagogue in the style once common in the New York’s Angelika Film Center, and expands to Los Anshtetl in the former Yugoslavia. It also focuses on the long, illustrious career of Jewison, for Pale of Settlement, a story told in one of the documentary’s geles May 6, with other cities to follow.
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CONTACT
Wednesday, May 12 | Noon | Jewish Community Center Luncheon & Discussion | Book signing Respond by Monday, May 10 to Jade Rogers jaderogers@unomaha.edu
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