May 15, 2020

AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA

C E L E B R AT I N G

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The Jewish Press WWW. J E WI S HO M A HA .O R G

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JFO Young Leadership Awards The Kaplan Book Group becomes close “knit”– but not too close Page 5

The Graduates: Saluting the Class of 2020 Page 8

Jess Cohn

Ari Kohen

GABBY BLAIR Staff Writer, Jewish Press he Jewish Federation of Omaha is pleased to announce that Jess Cohn and Ari Kohen have been selected as this year’s recipients of the The Lois Jeanne Schrager Memorial and Bruce Fellman Memorial Young Leadership Awards, respectively.

Annually presented to one woman and one man in our community under age 45, these awards honor young leaders who have gone above and beyond in demonstrating personal commitment, dedicated involvement and exemplary leadership qualities in rendering service to the Jewish and general communities. Each honoree receives a stipend towards a leadership conference or See JFO Young Leadership page 2

T What COVID-19 is doing to conversions Page 16

A refresher and update: Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity at UNL

REGULARS

Spotlight Voices Synagogues Life cycles

11 12 14 15

DEAN LAMBERT Sigma Omicron Class of ‘82 In 2016, Sigma Alpha Mu returned to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus following a 16-year absence.

I am pleased to report that the Chapter is thriving and actively recruiting ambitious young men of good character to join an organization that I am confident will contribute to lifelong success. This confidence is rooted in my personal experience, as well as that of hundreds of alumni I have come to know, respect, and love since my days at UNL. After completing high school at Papillion-LaVista in 1981, my father retired from the U.S. Air Force. He

Sigma Omicron Chapter Execs and Committee Chairs

moved to the Chicago area with my mother and younger brother, where they embarked on family life without me. As a military brat, I was born in Germany and lived throughout the United States and Europe. Of all the places to be deposited, Nebraska was the last place I thought I’d call home.

I recall being told, “If you want help paying for college, go to Nebraska, where you’ll have in-state tuition.” So,

I became a Husker. More importantly, I became a “Sammy,” a lifelong member of Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity, Sigma Omicron chapter.

Belonging to this fraternity has influenced my life journey in ways for which I am very grateful. I enjoy a rewarding professional career that evolved from being an entrepreneur to joining a large company’s executive See Sigma Alpha Mu page 9

Keiser-Stoms Scholarship DIANE WALKER Executive Assistant, JFO The Financial Aid Committee of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is pleased to announce Harper Gordman was selected as the 2020 recipient of the David Keiser and Lillian Keiser Stoms Foundation Education Endowment Fund for Academic Excellence Scholarship. This is the only merit-based scholarship granted by the committee. While based strictly on scholarship, with high school grade point averages and SAT/ACT scores used as the primary measure, a prerequisite for consideration is that the recipient must demonstrate a commitment to the Jewish community.

Harper Gordman

Harper, the daughter of Danielle and Jeff Gordman, will graduate from Westside High School, 15th in her class of 455 students. While at Westside, she took a significant number of AP courses and was an AP Scholar with Honor and with Distinction. Harper earned a spot on the National Honor Society, the Spanish National Honor Society, and Westside’s Distinguished Honor Roll. She was also in the varsity show choir and on varsity tennis team. Harper shared the best part of high school for her was participating in Westside show choir.

“It has been an instrumental part of my life and has given me the best lifelong friendships,” she has said.

This accomplished young lady is motivated by a love of learning. As she learns and progresses, she is motivated to continue to do so.

In her free time, Harper loves to read, play with her dog, spend time with family and friends and go on adventures!

Harper is committed to community service, co-founding the Young Jewish Giving Teen Foundation and serving on the YJG Volunteer Council. She has been an active volunteer with the American Heart Association and Heartland Family Services. When I asked about the accomplishment she was most proud of she shared raising $10,000 for a hospital in El Salvador that treats terminal cancer patients. As See Gordman page 2

2 | The Jewish Press | May 15, 2020

JFO Young Leadership

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Continued from page 1 Israel experience and their names are added to a permanent display in the JCC. In light of the uncertainty regarding COVID-19 and social distancing measures, awards will be presented virtually at this year’s Online Award Night & Annual Meeting, currently scheduled for Monday, June 1, 2020.

As we get closer to that date, we ask that you check for latest details on our website at www.jewishomaha.org or on the JFO Facebook page just in case we have to adjust the time and/or date.

Lois Jeanne Schrager Memorial Young Leadership Award JESS COHN Nominated by leadership at Temple Israel, Jess Cohn is described as “a super volunteer whose strengths have strengths.”

Mindi Marburg, Membership Engagement Coordinator at Temple explains, “Jess is the first person we think of to lead a committee or a project. She is a reliable, kind and highly organized lay leader who has the ability to gather a team and execute any task set in front of her. She is one of the co-chairs for the 2020 Jewish Federation of Omaha Campaign Kick-Off Event, is in her fourth year serving on the Temple Israel Board of Trustees, and is our Membership Team Chair. Jess is also the New Baby/Family Support team leader for Temple’s Caring Committee.”

Rosie Zweiback, congregant and former Temple President says, “watching Jessica Cohn grow from active student of Judaism to an amazing voice of wisdom and passion on our Board of Trustees has been inspiring. Jess has also served on nominating and search committees, completed the Temple Israel Leadership Program and has helped organize large social events like Temple’s first ever Purim Bash and congregational Passover seders. An ardent supporter of The Jewish Federation of Omaha, Jess, and husband Shane, co-chaired the JFO Kehilla Cup for the Federation’s Annual Campaign and she has been an enthusiastic, organized and tireless volunteer in engaging dozens of young Jewish Omahans to support the Federation.”

Zweiback continues. “Jess is a warm and welcoming person who has brought many young families to Temple. In addition to her formal responsibilities, Jess frequently invites newcomers to her home for Shabbat, teaches people how to bake challah, and organizes outings to local attractions for Temple families with young children. From the outset, she has been a vibrant presence at Temple and Jewish Omaha and has increased her involvement year after year.”

Jess was honored to be a past participant of the Omaha delegation on a Momentum journey to Israel ( formerly JWRP).

She loved this experience which helped her forge new friendships with the other participants, as well as a lifelong love of Israel.

Upon finding out she was selected as this year’s Schrager Young Leadership Award winner, her humble reaction was “WOW!” and she immediately gave credit to those she has worked with.

Cohn shares, “I’ve been privileged to work and learn with so many young, talented leaders in the Omaha Jewish Community. To be recognized as a standout in that category is a great honor. I am humbled and honored to be selected as the recipient of the Lois Jeanne Schrager Memorial Young Leadership

award. With many small children at home, Benjamin (7), Ellen (5), Mara (3) and Samuel (1), I try to lead by example. Raising children with a strong Jewish identity and connection to the community drives me to be involved in our synagogue, Temple Israel, and the Jewish Federation. Volunteering and leadership has been a wonderful way for me to give back to the community that has given me so much.”

Bruce Fellman Memorial Young Leadership Award DR. ARI KOHEN Nominated for this year’s Bruce Fellman Young Leadership Award by Robby Erlich, Engagement Coordinator at Beth El Synagogue, Kohen is described as a dedicated leader and active community organizer with a deep passion for Israel. This deep passion has been shared with many of our community’s men who Ari led on multiple Momentum ( formerly JWRP) trips to Israel, in which he twice served as Omaha city leader.

Kohen currently serves as Chair for both Religious Life and Strategic Planning Committees at Beth El Synagogue. Ari is also a tireless volunteer and ardent supporter of Friedel Jewish Academy. Head of School Beth Cohen said: “Ari Kohen has served in leadership positions at Friedel since 2015, and is currently both co-president and chair of the school’s strategic planning committee. In these positions, Ari works tirelessly to ensure the decisions made by the school for advancement align with strategic directions and are done with intention to constantly be elevating the product the school offers to families.

The school has grown by leaps and bounds during his leadership tenure – going from 40 students to 65 enrolled at the beginning of this school year. He was instrumental in securing Friedel’s place in the new cohort of the national PRESIDE leadership program. Friedel is one of fifteen Jewish organizations from across the country to be selected to participate.”

When asked about his reaction to finding out he had been selected for this year’s Fellman Young Leadership Award, Kohen said: “Since finding out about my selection, I’ve been trying to capture how meaningful this award is to me and also how much I appreciate the opportunity to volunteer in this great community. I’m also so fortunate to have a family that is supportive of me and a wife, Sara, who works so hard which allows me to commit to volunteering at this level; they deserve a great deal of credit and thanks.”

As a full time Professor of Political Science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the father of four young children, Judah (8), Talia (6), Micah (5) and Daniel (3), Kohen is a very busy man, but always makes time to give back to his community.

“I was both surprised and incredibly honored to have been selected for the Bruce Fellman Memorial Young Leadership Award. It’s always an honor to be chosen for any sort of award but an award for volunteer work in the Jewish community really means so much to me and the list of distinguished past winners highlights the importance of this particular award.

But, also, it’s just truly an honor for me to be able to volunteer for a number of incredible Jewish organizations in Omaha, from Beth El synagogue to Friedel Jewish Academy to the Institute for Holocaust Education. The opportunity to become invested in the life of this fantastic community is one for which I’m so grateful and all of the people with whom I work—professionals and volunteers—are really a reward in and of themselves.”

Gordman Continued from page 1 President of the Spanish National Honor Society, Harper raised funds to purchase 10 new hospital beds for the resource-strained facility.

Heading off to the University of Southern California, Harper plans to double major in Linguistics and Russian. She will participate in the Honors Thematic Option program as well. She credits the year spent living in Barcelona and traveling around Europe with her family as inspiration for this course of study.

She is excited to meet new people from interesting backgrounds and to explore LA. She is also looking forward to having a Trader Joe’s and a Target right on campus.

Dorothy Spizman, Financial Aid Committee chair commented on the quality of this year’s candidates. “Once again I am so impressed with our young adults. It is a pleasure to read of their remarkable accomplishments. I am confident in their future success.”

Lillian Keiser Stoms and her brother David were native Omahans and this fund was established in their memory by their niece, Sally Clayman. In addition to the Academic Excellence award, there are two other scholarships that were established in their memory. The Lillian Keiser Stoms Educational Fund was established to benefit and assist in the education of Jewish youth living in a single parent family or Jewish single parents who have custody of their children. The David Keiser and Lillian Keiser Stoms Foundation Education Endowment Fund was created to provide funding for university scholarships to

Jewish youth who have earned a minimum 3.0 GPA. Both awards are based on financial need.

For information on scholarship programs, please contact Diane Walker, Scholarship Administrator at 402.334.6407 or dwalker@jewishomaha.org. Those interested in contributing to or endowing scholarship funds should contact Howard Epstein, Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation at 402.334.6466 or hepstein@jewishomaha.org.

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The Jewish Press | May 15, 2020 | 3

Temple Israel welcomes Noah Aronson bines the beautiful English phrase from our CASSANDRA WEISENBURGER Siddur ‘Let there be love and understanding Director of Communications, among us, let peace and friendship be our Temple Israel Known for his unique, engaging, and deeply shelter from life’s storms’ with the first line of soulful approach, Noah Aronson is considered the Hebrew text in which we pray God will one of the most sought after protect us and shelter us Jewish musicians in North throughout the scary time America, making over 65 of night,” said Cantor community appearances Alexander. “How pertieach year. Temple Israel is nent this prayer is in this very excited that Noah will moment. Noah’s music is be co-leading services via calming and exhilarating, Zoom on May 15 at 6 p.m. inspiring More Love (also “Noah is an extremely talthe name of one of his alented, gracious and creative bums) to be put into the Jewish Musician. His music world while using interis inspired by a lifelong love esting harmonies and of Judaism and takes a deep rhythms to keep a listener dive into the texts pulling at on their toes.” the heartstrings of the core Noah currently lives in meanings behind our New York City and tours Noah Aronson liturgy,” said Cantor Joanna year-round visiting comAlexander. “I’m so excited he’s agreed to join munities nationwide and abroad. In addition us virtually on the date he was to be with us to his tour schedule, Noah pursues his love in person.” of teaching by serving on the faculty of HeNoah earned a degree in Jazz Composition brew Union College - Jewish Institute of Reand Piano from Berklee College of Music. He ligion’s Debbie Friedman School of Sacred has released several albums and songbooks. Music in Manhattan, as well as on the faculty Music from these albums are now sung in of Jewish music, leadership, ritual, and worprogressive communities and summer ship conferences. camps worldwide and have been included as We hope you will join us on May 15 at 6 part of the curricula in all of the major pro- p.m. via Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/ gressive cantorial schools in the US. 951048515.

“Temple Israel has become most familiar Learn more about Noah on his website at with his setting of Hashkiveinu, which com- www.noaharonson.com.

See full digital issues of the Jewish Press https://issuu.com/jewishpress7

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Log in to Omaha Chabad’s Learning Academy GABBY BLAIR Staff writer, Jewish Press Omaha Chabad has gone online with a wide assortment of classes! With something for everyone, these free classes are available through Zoom and/or Facebook Live with links available at Ochabad.com/academy.

“During the course of the last few weeks, so many people have reached out to us with feelings of loneliness and being trapped at home,” Shani Katzman said.

“One day seems to blend into the next and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. This virus is changing our lives in more ways than we could have ever predicted. But, I know one thing for sure: Adding meaning and purpose into your day, can change your entire life.”

She continues. “Victor Frankl, the great psychiatrist founder of logotherapy (literally “healing through meaning”), author of Man’s Search For Meaning, who survived treacherous suffering in Auschwitz, teaches that even during the most excruciating of times, if one can find the “why” of their existence, they will be able to live through the challenge. Jews

have terrific resources in the Torah. Folks, including those who don’t typically participate in classes, would benefit immensely from some timeless wisdom. It will brighten their days. I urge people of all ages to participate.”

Chabad is responding to many who have asked questions and is busy creating content around the queries.

“We welcome any and all new ideas. This is such a crazy time, but this is also a time for opportunity. Right now, we have time to thinkand we have a lot to think about! What is missing?

What can we do... individually and as a community?

How are we dealing with the stress or challenges of doing things differently and what can we learn from them? What are we learning about ourselves? How is the framework of Torah relevant to what we are experiencing right now, because it always is?”

Katzman shares the move to exclusively running online was not without its own challenges, but the important things are to adapt, make an effort, and stay connected.

“It’s much easier to create an energy in the classroom when people are actually in close See Chabad Learning Academy page 4

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4 | The Jewish Press | May 15, 2020

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Chabad’s Learning Academy

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Join the wave of generosity and citizen engagement JAMIE SKOG-BURKE Director of Development, JFO Generosity has the power to unite and heal communities in good times and bad. A global threat like COVID-19 touches every person on the planet, and it presents an opportunity to come together as a community. Next Wednesday, May 20 is Omaha Gives! It is Omaha’s chance to rally around the non-profits that are working hard to support our community. As you consider giving this year, we invite you to support the Jewish Federation of Omaha and its agencies.

Donations given to the Jewish Federation, not designated to an agency, will go directly to the JFO COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund. This fund provides assistance to the Jewish Community where it’s needed most.

It allows Jewish Senior Outreach (JSO) and Jewish Family Service (JFS) to fight food insecurity and addresses financial shortfalls for individuals impacted by job loss. It supplements medical support including an increased need in Telemental Health Therapy provided by JFS and will help sustain the campus so necessary services can continue to be provided to the community.

If you would like to designate a gift to one of our agencies, please give through one of the cheer pages found on the Jewish Federation of Omaha’s profile. Additionally, you can designate by writing the agency’s name in the section entitled “In Honor or In Memory” when you donate. All designated gifts will go directly to the named agency.

As an added bonus this year and in response to COVID-19, a new tax law has gone into effect which allows individuals

who do not itemize their taxes to potentially deduct up to $300 in charitable contributions on their 2020 taxes.

JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE JFS decided to suspend this year’s annual FRIENDS campaign to support the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund. However, for Omaha Gives only, any gifts designated to JFS will go towards funding their yearround programming and everyday operations.

Last year, $63,117 in financial assistance was given to 57 Jewish families and 411 baskets were delivered on Jewish holidays. In 2019, due to an increase in visits, the cost of the Kosher Food Pantry rose from $6,500 to $15,395. Your support will help ensure that JFS is able to continue assisting our community year round.

JEWISH SENIOR OUTREACH HELP US, HELP OUR ELDERS. Pirkei Avot teaches us “He who learns from the old, to what can he be compared? To one who eats ripe grapes and drinks aged wine.” As a Jewish community, we are commanded to support our seniors. They laid the foundation for today’s Jewish Omaha. We are strong because our community elders understood and acted upon the importance of Jewish community.

Your contribution is a blessing to them as it ensures they have proper nutrition, medical care, social opportunity and reside in a safe environment. The JSO staff serves as eyes and ears for out-of-town family members and are a trusted and familiar connection to the Jewish Community.

You can create a cheer page, or make a donation on omaha gives.org/jewishomaha. Make a difference on May 20!

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Continued from page 3 proximity. The warmth of the participants is palpable, and the class ‘pulsates and breathes’!

Fortunately, in this day and age, we have access to a second best option- technology that seems to have been created for just this very time.”

Chabad has moved to make online access to classes easy, with everything from class schedules and downloadable reference materials for study sessions to recipes and ingredient lists for cooking classes, accessible on their website Ochabad.com/academy.

Fifteen different classes are offered Sunday-Friday including Women’s Parsha, Basic, Advanced and Biblical Hebrew, Pirke Avot, Talmudic study, Mystical Thinking (Tanya), Fun with Yiddish, Influential Biblical Women, and more.

In addition to classes run by Omaha Chabad staff and members, the Katzmans have recruited their sons-in-law into the Academy as well, with each bringing his own personality, style, and passion for the subject matter.

Shani is looking forward to Thursday afternoons when she and granddaughter Mushka will be hosting “Kids in the Kitchen,” a Zoom cooking class for kids and their parents.

“Kid-Friendly recipes will be posted weekly on Ochabad. com/academy so that ingredients and supplies can be collected well ahead of our scheduled 4 p.m. time. Our last class was wonderful and I am hoping for good future turnouts!”

The Kids in the Kitchen class offers many fun perks as well. There is a prize raffle for all participants at the conclusion of the class.

Looking for other fun, interactive and enriching classes for your kids? Join Miri Katzman at 1 p.m. on Fridays for a fun Pre-Shabbat Party where Shabbat will be greeted with dancing and singing. Be sure to keep an eye on the schedule for Bedtime Stories for kids, coming soon!

“Chabad always works to bring community together and educate. Now, folks have the opportunity to try our classes from the comfort of their own homes, fully in control of their level of interaction. As always, Chabad invites all in the community to join us- we are just a click away!”

For a full list of classes and more details, please visit us at Ochabad.com/academy.

ORGANIZATIONS B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Due to the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home temporarily being closed to the public, B’nai B’rith Breadbreakers will not meet until further notice. For specific speaker information, please email Gary.Javitch@Gmail.com, Breadbreakers chairman.

For more information or to be placed on the email list call 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@jewishomaha.org.

The Jewish Press | May 15, 2020 | 5

The Kaplan Book Group becomes close “knit” – but not too close in Murder Wears Mittens

SHIRLY BANNER Library Specialist, JFO In keeping with social distancing, the Dorothy Kaplan Book Discussion Group will be using Zoom to meet until further notice.

To Join the Zoom Meeting, Contact sbanner @jewishomaha.org for the link and meeting ID. On May 21, the Dorothy Kaplan Book Discussion Group returns to the mystery genre with a discussion of Sally Goldenbaum’s Murder Wears Mittens.

The group has always found that an occasional whimsical mystery is a nice contrast to the more serious novels they also discuss. Given what is going on with COVID19, this selection could not be more appropriate, even though the group chose it three months ago.

Murder Wears Mittens is the twelfth of fourteen books in the Seaside Knitters Mystery Series. It is not necessary to have read any of the previous mysteries as Goldenbaum provides a list of who’s who at the start of the book. This “cheat sheet” helps flesh out the characters and makes the book easier to follow as a stand-alone read.

The Seaside Knitters’ most notable members Cass Holloran, Birdie Favazza, Nell Endicott, and Izzy Perry are doing their best to find the answer to the tragic death of Dolores Cardozo. Dolores, it seems, was harboring a secret that few in the quaint town of Sea Har-

bor, Massachusetts, knew about... is that the motive for her death? The Knitters and their significant others must rely on their investigative skills and knowledge about the town’s residents to prove the innocence of newcomer Kayla Stewart, who is harboring her own dark secret.

As one mystery is solved, another one evolves to take its place. Ultimately, all is revealed which leads to the resolution of Dolores’ murder and so much more. As is the case in most mystery novels, nothing and no one are quite what they seem.

The Dorothy Kaplan Book Discussion group meets normally on the third Thursday of every month at 1 p.m. in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library but we will be “meeting” online using Zoom until further notice. New members are always welcome. The group receives administrative support from the Community Engagement & Education arm of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. For information about the group, contact Shirly Banner at 402.334.6462 or sbanner@jewishomaha. org. To view books discussed by the group over the past several years, go to www.jewish omaha.org, click on the “Community & Education” pulldown tab and navigate to “Kripke Jewish Federation Library,” then to “Dorothy Kaplan Book Discussion Group.”

How I spend my pandemic days

MARILYN WARREN The editorial in the April 17 issue posed the question of “what day is it?” When the selfquarantine began, I had no problem knowing what day it was. But, by the second or third week, I realized I was losing track of time — no mahj game, no lunch date, no mani-pedi or haircut appointment. I can’t depend upon the arrival of the Press to know it’s Friday as it arrives anywhere from a day or a week later.

Nor can I any longer judge by the arrival of the St. Louis Jewish Light as it has gone to publishing every other week. My calendar has nothing on it except cancelled appointments.

Each square looks the same, so what day is it? Thankfully, my iPad tells me the day and date, but a friend told me “today is ‘thisday!’”

I filled my car’s gas tank over two months ago; I still have three quarters of a tank. I find myself going to bed much later — staying up to watch reruns of Murder She Wrote, Magnum, Golden Girls and other old shows that I’ve already seen dozens of times.

But it’s okay to stay up late — I stay in bed at least an hour later than usual! My friends know not to call before 11 a.m. — although noon would be better! I just finished reading a book — I read it slowly as I have just one more unread novel and I don’t know if our mandatory stay will be lifted so I can get to the bookstore. I put on my makeup and get dressed every day; I wear a lot of pull-on pants, but at least once a week I wear jeans.

I make a list of things to do tomorrow but when tomorrow comes I figure there’s always another tomorrow. I finally swept my kitchen floor today as I embarrassed myself by seeing

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SUSAN BERNARD | 402.334.6559 | sbernard@jewishomaha.org

It’s not just what they know.

It’s who they become.

a few matza crumbs and Passover was several weeks ago! I had enough food in the house so didn’t worry about grocery shopping — until I got down to nine M&Ms and two Diet Cokes.

Thus I have become a member of Instacart and am spending time online ordering more

groceries than I need just so I can get my chocolate and Cokes delivered! On the other hand, my credit card statements are lower than ever as my favorite haunts are closed!

I spend a lot of time on the phone, a lot of time playing games on the iPad, and a lot of time sending jokes to family and friends as I think we all need a good laugh these days. I plan to walk on my treadmill — and I will just as soon as I clear it of the things I have stored on it. I would love to bake — but if I do, I will just eat it all. I do water my plants — I know when I should because the leaves all start pointing to to floor.

And so goes my life in St. Louis. I don’t know when things will get back to normal or near normal, but I do look forward to that day. In the meantime, maybe l’ll do something constructive tomorrow!

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6 | The Jewish Press | May 15, 2020

Inviting Soledad to Our Passover

Bloomberg Challenge 16 Lyar 5780 Mother’s Day May 10, 2020

Our “Gimme5” Campaign Takes Off #033 in this Sponsored Series Soledad O’Brien — Matter of Fact Dear Soledad, Happy Mother’s Day. And here’s wishing you and your family nothing but the best in these strange COVID-19 times. There’s so much to bring you up to date on what has happened since last I wrote on Easter Sunday during Passover.

The Big News, of course, is that even though we have not heard back yet from Mike about how much he’s willing to match in our Passover Bloomberg Challenge, we have received a financial lifeline from our bank. Thus we’ve been able to exercise our option to buy the property we’ve spent almost 10 years developing into an urban agriculture center for people of every age, race, gender, creed. education, or what not.

Thanks to All Those Who’ve Helped We’d like to give a big public shout out of THANKS! to our local Bank of the West Manager, Brandon Schrader, and also Patsy Dietz of their Small Business Commercial Real Estate Division out in Colorado. We appreciate their helpful spirit in making our dream of a permanent national headquarters a reality.

Similar THANKS goes out to Janet Roberts and her husband Marc of Centering Corporation for the way they have assisted us over the years. And we wish them nothing but the best in their important work of providing Grief resources. As we all struggle to cope with the “new reality” of a pandemic, there is certainly need for resources to assist the bereaved.

Announcing Our Gimme5 Campaign So it is that today, Mother’s Day, we announce a new phase in our Passover Bloomberg Challenge: the Gimme5 campaign. For the next 55 days we are asking our members and friends to donate $5.55 or some larger donation ending in a 5.55 ($25.55, $55.55, $75.55, $105.55, etc.) to our capital campaign. Our initial goal is to raise $222,222.22 (2/5 of our need of $555,555.55) by the 4th of July, at which time we can have a “burn the mortgage” celebration “before the ink is even dry on the paper,” as the saying goes.

We’re also planning on having a large drive through plant sale on Saturday, July 4, assuming there are still any plants available that late in the season. As you’ve no doubt heard, Garden Centers nationwide are blooming with unprecedented demand. We are having our best season in 22 years and are finding it difficult to get product. Everyone’s sold out!

In closing, thanks for that segment on Jimmy Chen tonight. It got me thinking that we’re going to need an app for our Corona Victory Gardens as well. That way people can navigate through both print and video resources assisting them with becoming better gardeners. I better be giving Jimmy a call.

Meanwhile, if you can give us 5 minutes or so of your time, we’d love to share with your viewers some of what we’ve learned about organic rescue.

READ MORE at BensonPlantRescue.Org

COVID-19 update from Nebraska DHHS LINCOLN Governor Pete Ricketts has announced changes to some of the state’s Directed Health Measures, including re-openings of selected businesses in specific regions of Nebraska.

Governor Ricketts recently announced TestNebraska, a public-private partnership designed to increase testing capacity and #CrushTheCurve in Nebraska. TestNebraska launched this week in Grand Island and Omaha and additional mobile testing sites are expected to become available shortly.

The Governor is urging all Nebraskans to take the assessment provided on the TestNebraska website to help identify cases of COVID-19 in the state. After taking the assessment, participants who fit the criteria will be notified via phone or email that they qualify to be tested for COVID-19. Nebraskans can take the assessment at https://www.testnebraska. com/. Because people can develop symptoms quickly, Nebraskans are asked to update their assessments from time to time as needed.

DHHS supports Governor Ricketts in urging Nebraskans to follow the Six Rules to Keep Nebraska Healthy.

STAY HOME. No non-essential errands and no social gatherings. Respect the ten-person limits.

SOCIALLY DISTANCE YOUR WORK. Work from home or use the six-foot rule as much as possible in the workplace.

SHOP ALONE. Do this only once a week and do not take your family with you.

HELP KIDS SOCIAL DISTANCE. Play at home, no group sports and no playgrounds.

HELP SENIORS STAY AT HOME. This can be done by shopping for them. Do not visit long-term facilities.

EXERCISE DAILY. Do your best to stay as healthy and safe as you can.

Recent studies show that a significant portion of people with COVID-19 lack symptoms and those who eventually develop symptoms can pass the virus to others before showing symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC now recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (grocery stores, pharmacies, etc.) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission - https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-faq.html.

Cloth face coverings are not a substitute for social distancing. Public health officials continue to emphasize that maintaining 6-feet social distancing is crucial to slowing the spread of the virus.

Here’s where to find tools and resources for individuals and families, schools, communities, businesses, healthcare facilities, and first responders on the DHHS website http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus and CDC’s website – https://www.cdc.gov/covid19.

DHHS opened a statewide COVID-19 information line to help answer general questions and share the latest information and resources with Nebraskans to help keep them informed. The number is 402.552.6645 or toll-free at 833.998.2275; hours of operation are 8 a.m.-8 p.m. CDT, 7 days a week.

DHHS will continue to update Nebraskans through the DHHS website and on Facebook and Twitter as we have new information. The CDC’s website is also a good resource for COVID-19 information - https://www.cdc.gov/covid19.

Herbert Max Fraenkel died alone JTA After several weeks at a London mortuary, the unclaimed body of 95-year-old Herbert Max Fraenkel was slated to be buried in a shared grave at a pauper’s funeral.

Fraenkel, who was born in 1924 in Berlin, died alone at his home in January. City workers were unable to locate or identify any of his relatives, and health officials were pressing to move his body as storage room for bodies was running out because of COVID-19 fatalities.

But thanks to the insistence and alertness of one municipal worker, he and volunteers managed to ascertain that Fraenkel was Jewish and bury him last week in accordance with his faith, the Jewish News of London reported.

The rabbi who officiated at the funeral, which was paid for by the local Jewish community, conducted it alone according to social distancing protocol and livestreamed it on Facebook to hundreds of viewers from his congregation and beyond.

The saga began when the city worker, Paul Anastasi, noticed a menorah at Fraenkel’s home after police entered in January

to collect his body. Fraenkel’s neighbors called the authorities after realizing they had not seen Fraenkel in several days.

“We found old letters and cards, as well as a menorah, which is when I thought he may be Jewish,” Anastasi, who is not Jewish, told the Jewish News, which published an article April 30 about the April 27 funeral.

Anastasi began the effort that ended with the funeral by contacting Jewish community members in the area. They referred him to Rabbi Daniel Epstein of Cockfosters & North Southgate United Synagogue.

Despite inquiring with other community members, Epstein was left with no leads.

“He passed away almost anonymously,” Epstein told the Jewish News. So he recruited a genealogist as Anastasi insisted the mortuary give them more time to locate the burial place of Fraenkel’s parents or other relatives. The genealogist, Andrew Gilbert, traced back Fraenkel’s life story and found the burial place of his parents in London, where they came with their only son in the 1930s as refugees from Nazi Germany.

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The Jewish Press | May 15, 2020 | 7

Ease into communal prayer RON KAMPEAS WASHINGTON | JTA Dr. Anthony Fauci, who directs infectious disease research for the federal government, advised Orthodox Jews to phase in communal prayer as local governments lift coronavirus pandemic restrictions.

“The kind of social interactions which is the core of the beauty of your culture has unfortunately led to a higher risk,” Fauci said Thursday in a webcast organized by the Orthodox Union.

He encouraged the people on the call to take baby steps toward reestablishing in-person prayer.

“If you said, for the time being, ‘How about once a day and five days a week as opposed to three times a day, seven days a week,’ if you could phase that part in,” that would be a good idea, Fauci said. He added, “I don’t want to be presumptuous to know what that would mean to you from a spiritual stand point Synagogues across the country have been closed since mid-March, when states shuttered houses of worship and other gathering places in an effort to curb the spread of the disease.

While some synagogues have begun holding services online, that practice is not compatible with Orthodox practices, so Orthodox Jews have not prayed together in months.

Now, as some state and local governments begin relaxing restrictions, it may become legally permissible to hold communal services again — though synagogue leaders have yet to take advantage of the right to open.

Rabbi Moshe Hauer, the Orthodox Union’s executive vice president, told Fauci that his organization was advising congregations to wait two weeks past government opening dates to start returning to congregational prayer, to des-

ignate seats to make sure congregants sit apart and to stagger services to keep entry into the synagogues compatible with social distancing.

Fauci also advised congregations to consider the intensity of the pandemic in their region, noting that deaths have yet to plateau in New York City and Chicago, where there are high Jewish concentrations. He advised not allowing older adults and those with underlying conditions such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension to return to services until the healthy have been in place for two weeks.

“As tough as it sounds, I have family members in the same boat, you’ve got to make sure that they are really protected,” Fauci said.

He also said the risk was likely to carry over into the High Holidays this fall, and that pandemic risk mitigation should continue to apply to worship at that time.

“As we get to the fall, there will almost certainly be virus,” he said.

Fauci has been seen by many as the voice of reason during the pandemic, issuing straightforward advice that has persuaded Americans to take precautions and limit the virus’ spread.

He has said the long hours of the pandemic response have been exhausting. “As you’re doing your praying, make sure you include me in that,” Fauci said on the call.

Hauer assured him he was. Hauer also told Fauci that the Orthodox Union was advising congregants to keep 8 feet apart because it will end up being 6 feet, the recommended distance for safe interaction, because Jews cannot resist socializing.

Fauci laughed.

“The emotional core of the Jewish people of being warm and close to each other, you can’t resist!” he said.

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News LOCA L | NAT IO NAL | WO RLD

Next relief package could support larger nonprofits

Jewish groups and Jewish Community CenRON KAMPEAS ters in large cities, among others, were ineliWASHINGTON | JTA Sen. Chuck Schumer, the minority leader gible for the payroll protection, which took in the Senate, told Orthodox Jewish groups the form of a loan covering salaries plus exthat the next round of pandemic relief will tras for two months and could easily turn extend support to nonprofits employing into a grant. more than 500 people.

“We are going to try to get this above 500 employees, for nonprofits, and that looks good, we will get this in the bill,” the New York Democrat said Wednesday in the web call with the Orthodox Union and Agudath Israel of America.

Congress is currently negotiating what will be the fifth relief and stimulus package spurred by the damage to the economy caused by the coron- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) Credit: Drew avirus pandemic and ensuing Angerer/Getty Images quarantine measures.

Schumer also said it was likely that the new The $2.2 trillion relief act passed in March, bill would remove a $300 cap on charitable the third and largest so far, included $350 bil- donation declarations on tax returns. The bill lion in payroll protections for small busi- passed in March revived the charitable denesses, including nonprofits. The funds dried duction, which had been removed in tax reup within two weeks. forms that passed early in the Trump Jewish nonprofits had failed to secure an administration, but nonprofits have argued exemption in the March bill from the defini- that the $300 cap in the March bill was too tion of a small business as one employing less limiting to spur the giving that will be needed than 500 people. Some of the larger national to make up the shortfalls.

Mazel Tov, Zoe! Congratulations, Joey! ‫גם זו לטובה‬ Gam zu l’tova Everything is for the best.

We love you!

Ima, Harry, Brad, Nama, & Grammy

We are so proud of you and all of your accomplishments.

We can not wait to see what your future holds!

Love, Mom, Dad & Jordyn

Mazel Tov, Orion! Mazel Tov, Eleanor!

You have such a bright future and we are so proud of your accomplishments!

We hope your dreams take you to the corners of your smile, to the highest of your hopes, to the windows of your opportunities and to the most special places your heart knows.

Love, Mom, Dad, Aidan, Kayla, Natalie, Maya, Sofya and Igor

Love, Mom, Dad, Teddy, Grandma Jane, Uncle Mike, Aunt Karen, Lilly, Jack and Eva

The Jewish Press | May 15, 2020 | 9

Sigma Alpha Mu revitalizing the traditions of our once-strong Chapter. I believe Continued from page 1 team. I have been married to my college sweetheart, a Kappa we succeeded for a time, but in the late 1990s, critically low Delta sorority alumna, for 33 years. We modeled the way of suc- numbers made it impossible to sustain the organization, and cess orientation and social conscience learned through our fra- Chapter operations were suspended by the Nebraska SAM ternal experience, which I am proud our children now emulate. Foundation’s Board of Control in 1999.

I regret becoming less inLike the Ner Tamid, the light volved with Sigma Omicron of Sigma Omicron glows for a period of time after movthrough its people. The Neing to Des Moines 20-plus braska SAM Foundation reyears ago. However, I never tained Chapter assets, and lost direct contact with many several alumni remained conof my Sammy brothers who nected to the dream of re-eshave been there for me during tablishing the Chapter until the best and worst of times. just the right combination of These connections were crupeople and timing began turncial to my becoming engaged ing up that light. This dream with re-chartering efforts in was realized in no small part to the early 2010s. the commitment of David Sigma Alpha Mu was Alloy (Sigma Omicron ‘70) and founded by eight Jewish sophhis wife, Carol. Because of my omores at City College of New inexorable link to Brothers of York on Nov. 26, 1909. From the my era at Sigma Omicron, I very beginning these young learned of the efforts to re-colTanner Daniel Convention men felt they had something onize, and I became interested to prove. First, that criticism against fraternities was not ap- in doing whatever I could to aid in this important effort. plicable to Sigma Alpha Mu. Second, that it was important to Thanks to Fra Alloy’s vision and leadership, 30 alumni from attract members who shared their deep appreciation for the all over the country, representing eight decades of Sigma Omiheritage and ethical values of Judaism. These values were cen- cron Chapter history, attended the October 2015 colonization tral as our fraternity led the way in taking a stance against lim- ceremony. I was among those proud alumni and newly initiiting membership to any particular religious group — an ated collegians — our “New Founders” — as we embarked on exclusion that was not in keeping with the ideals of democ- establishing Sigma Omicron as an important component to racy that had always been part of our creed. the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s community.

During its 1953 Convention, the fraternity’s constitution Today, our proud Chapter is operated by a mighty group of was amended to make eligible for membership any male stu- collegiate members and supported by a corps of committed dent of good moral character who respects the ideals and tra- alumni representing nearly every decade of Sigma Omicron’s ditions of the fraternity. Today we are a broadly diverse existence. We want incoming college freshmen and their parinternational organization with 47 active chapters at univer- ents to know that the Sigma Alpha Mu experience is unique, sities across the U.S. and Canada. valuable, and lifelong. We are committed to fostering the deSigma Omicron chapter was founded at the University of velopment of collegiate men of good character by instilling Nebraska-Lincoln on December 11, 1926. Six hundred sixty- strong fraternal values, offering social and service opportunifour men enjoy a shared experience that is unique to this cam- ties, focusing on academic excellence, and providing a leaderpus, and which connects us no matter where we live. Sammys ship experience that will carry through for a lifetime of success. at Nebraska share many enduring memories of our college Just as we are hitting our stride in establishing a strong years, but perhaps the most significant thing we have in com- Chapter, we are facing headwinds not uncommon to other framon is our commitment to supporting each other’s academic ternities. The number of high school graduates nationally is efforts and ambitions for the future. Many of our alumni have projected to begin a decline within a couple of years. This achieved the pinnacles of success in business, leadership, law, means fewer college enrollments overall. Add to this the curmedicine, entrepreneurship, and athletics — and they would rent health emergency that will impact the fall semester for all agree their affiliation with Sigma Alpha Mu played an im- many universities across America, and it is easy to see how reportant role in these endeavors. cruiting and retaining fraternity members could be a challenge.

My arrival at the University for the fall semester of 1981 coAs of this writing, NU Chancellor Green has announced that incided with a crucial time in the history of Sigma Omicron, classes will be held on campus this fall, and Sigma Alpha Mu’s as membership was quite low. The young men of my candi- international leadership is committed to ensuring the safety date class were charged with energizing alumni relations and See Sigma Alpha Mu page 10

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10 | The Jewish Press | May 15, 2020

How Tel Aviv creatives made art out of the coronavirus crisis

notes during upcoming purchases to get them circulating.

KAREN CHERNICK It was initially hard for Dede to find businesses where he TEL AVIV | JTA Designer Yoav Gati was walking around his south Tel Aviv could spend his embellished shekels, though. Nonessential block in March when he saw a discarded latex glove on the shops were shuttered for weeks (although some have begun street. A few meters later he spotted another one, and then to reopen), leading designer and photographer Teddy Cohen another.

By the time he looped back home he had collected over a dozen photos of them, clearly a product of the coronavirus crisis. Unexpectedly, artistic inspiration hit.

“I had a photo gallery full of gloves,” Gati recalls. “When I looked over them something about the shapes and colors made me see all sorts of things — a nest full of baby birds, a monkey, a rabbit.”

He scanned the photos and added doodled details to turn them into characters: Roger the fish, for example, hates being asked if he’s got plans today. Avikam the purple walrus doesn’t know what day it is, and does- Above: Designer Yoav Gati makes doodles out of discarded gloves. Credit: Yoav Gati and below: The street artist Dede Bandaid began illustrating face masks on real Israeli bills. n’t care.

Credit: Dede Bandaid On Instagram, Gati received an enthusiastic response to his oddball cast of coronavirus characters and started a new account called @glove.stories — encouraging followers to share their own photos of throwaway gloves, both for fun and to call attention to the littering that has sprouted from the pandemic. To date, over 100 people from Tel Aviv and beyond have played to collect over a thousand notices posted in the windows of his game.

Tel Aviv businesses.

(Don’t worry about him, he’s being sanitary: After photo“Each sign is interesting and unique,” Cohen says. “Some of graphing the gloves, Gati carefully disposes of them using a them are heartwarming, funny, optimistic, correct, angry.” stick.)

Cohen, like Gati, began by photographing things near his “It’s become a thing, sort of a new coronavirus routine,” Gati apartment. But when he started noticing that these signs says. “This is great fun for me — I’ve been able to raise aware- were everywhere, he photographed them more intentionally ness about an issue that was bothering me personally, and it — and has now documented signs in all of the city’s commeralso helps others and myself express creativity.” cial areas.

Gati isn’t alone among Tel Aviv creatives looking for a way The messages range from notes about owners missing their to counter the negative aspects of the current lockdown. For happy customers, being out of eggs or even practical things, the past couple of months, Israeli designers, photographers, such as the fact that not more than one customer is allowed artists and storytellers have started new projects that offer a in at a time. Called Dear Customers, the project (now with a boost to their surrounding — yet socially distanced — public. designated website) documents the current historic moment.

Hagai Farago, an architectural photographer and screen- His website filters the images by keywords, such as: love, unprinter, created a cut-and-fold booklet of iconic Tel Aviv trans- derstanding, gloves, take away, instructions, masks, routine. portation vehicles. Shared for free both on his personal For the past few years, screenwriter Noa Berman-Herzberg portfolio and on the Tel Aviv municipality website, the booklet (also known as @serialpickler on Instagram) has collected has been downloaded hundreds of times. At a time when the people’s stories of opportunities gone sour, usually over city’s residents are urged to shelter in place, Farago’s toy-sized evenings spent eating her homemade pickles. These days, she versions of buses, shared taxis and electric scooters tap into compiles a list of stories of prospects lost to the effects of the a collective longing for mobility. coronavirus pandemic, and she’s developing an English-lanIllustrator Yali Ziv also had homeschooling kids in mind guage podcast to showcase the sour stories. when she released a complimentary set of downloadable col“Everyone, everyone is missing something during this time,” oring pages for “confusing days” in late March, with a note to she says. “feel free to color outside the lines and send me the results.”

This extends to her personally, as well, since her weekly Known for her love of greenery in her usual work for Israeli radio show is currently on hiatus, and she’s home from teachand international commercial clients, these black and white ing at the Screen-Based Arts Department at Jerusalem’s Bezapages show local flowers, and women happily indoors with lel Academy of Arts and Design. their houseplants and cats.

Instead, Berman-Herzberg hosted a public Zoom session on Meanwhile, in south Tel Aviv, well-known street artist Dede sour stories last week.

Bandaid recently started drawing on real shekel bills — pro“Sharing sour stories is especially meaningful to people durtecting the faces of the poets who grace Israeli currency with ing this time,” she notes. “The feeling that we’re all in this same masks. He tailors the size, shape and color of the masks to each hard situation together and the opportunity to hear what of the country’s four bill types. Dede will spend some of these other people have missed is very comforting.”

Sigma Alpha Mu Continued from page 9 and wellbeing of all candidates and members who participate in Chapter activities. In addition, we are gearing up to leverage technology for fostering a positive fraternal experience, including recruitment. Late in April, several alumni participated in a virtual meeting with the Chapter’s executive committee to discuss strategies that will engage incoming Nebraska freshmen in recruitment activities that result in commitments to joining Sigma Alpha Mu. In fact, this article is part of that strategy, and how it came to be is a shining example of the lifelong dedication to our fraternity. The individual who put me in contact with Jewish Press Editor Annette van de Kamp-Wright is none other than Mr. Howard Epstein, Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation, and member of Sigma Omicron class of 1970 (and classmate of David Alloy). Fra Epstein

and I are brothers. Although his Sammy collegiate experience preceded mine by a decade, we share deep and common bonds. We are linked by our Jewish heritage, our commitment to the high ideals of Sigma Alpha Mu, and our resolve to see that our beloved Sigma Omicron Chapter endures for future college men to enjoy.

I congratulate and offer my best wishes to the Jewish high school graduates featured in this issue of the Jewish Press, and also to the parents of these young men who are full of potential. Because we are in a building stage, personal growth and leadership experience opportunities come early.

If the experiences and history related in this article resonate with you — if you seek an enhanced university experience that provides preparation for a fulfilling, connected life after graduation — please consider becoming a candidate for membership in Sigma Alpha Mu, Sigma Omicron Chapter.

The Jewish Press | May 15, 2020 | 11

Above: Students from UNMC spent volunteer hours pitching in at Chabad.

SP O TLIGHT

GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY

Above: Happy Birthday, Israel! And what's a birthday without cake? White and blue frosting, blue sprinkles, and of course, chocolate chips. Mary Sue and Alex Grossman’s grandson, Ben, did a great job of decorating.

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, right, bottom right and below: Ms. Esther and Ms. Jessica spent several days doing a drive-by costume pickup. Masks and gloves on, they handed out over 300 costumes to all of our JCC Dancers to be used for our very first, JCC Dance Virtual Recital!

Many “air hugs” were given!

Above and below: Wacky Wednesdays continue to be celebrated at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. The theme on April 29 was Mismatch Day. Lunch was served to all shifts from Mama’s Pizza. Thank you to the anonymous donors for a great lunch!

12 | The Jewish Press | May 15, 2020

Voices The Jewish Press (Founded in 1920) Abby Kutler President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Susan Bernard Advertising Executive Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Editor Gabby Blair Staff Writer Michael Ivey Accounting Jewish Press Board Abby Kutler, President; Eric Dunning, Ex-Officio; Danni Christensen, Candice Friedman, Bracha Goldsweig, Jill Idelman, Andy Isaacson, Natasha Kraft, Andrew Miller, Eric Shapiro, Shoshy Susman and Amy Tipp.

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

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

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

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Letters should be no longer than 250 words and must be single-spaced typed, not hand-written. Published letters should be confined to opinions and comments on articles or events.

News items should not be submitted and printed as a “Letter to the Editor.”

The Editor may edit letters for content and space restrictions. Letters may be published without giving an opposing view. 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.

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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.

Hope

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Editor, Jewish Press In Michigan, a Dollar Tree employee reminded a customer he needed to wear a mask inside the store (it’s a state ordinance). He responded by wiping his nose on the worker’s shirt.

In Santee, Southern California, a man went shopping, wearing a KKK-hood instead of a mask.

A Colorado man who planned to attend an antishutdown protest in Denver was arrested for possession of pipe bombs.

A security guard in Flint, Michigan, was shot in the head when he told customers to wear a mask.

He left behind a wife and eight children.

When a Texas park ranger told a group of people to social distance, one of them pushed him into the lake.

The mayor of Stillwater, Oklahoma, had to reverse a requirement that people wear masks in public; workers in re-opened stores and restaurants were receiving threats from customers for trying to enforce the rules.

And then of course there are the Nazi signs that have been displayed at several protests, because trying to limit the pandemic is a very, extremely, fascist thing. How dare they.

It’s amazing how human beings act when they can’t get what they want. For me, I want to stay healthy—and I’d like everyone else to do the same.

Sure, we’d like an economy that’s on track, but a great economy doesn’t help much when the death toll keeps climbing. So stay home, and if you have to leave the house, please wear your mask.

I apologize if I’m a little cranky today—seeing a woman protesting the shutdown wearing an American flag on her face and a sign that reads ‘Arbeit

Macht Frei’ has that effect on me. And when the shared the letter, calling it “humanity at its best.” woman in question defends herself by saying “she He might just be right. has Jewish friends,” I get even more irritated. The Humanity at its best, not necessarily because of ‘Jewish friend ‘argument’? Really, is that still a thing? that one mask. It is after all still just one mask and I know: these people are the outliers. The thing is, we all have to work a little extra hard to remember the millions of people who say, do and feel the right thing. It is so tempting to only pay attention to those who aggravate us.

Dennis Ruhnke and his wife Sharon live near Troy, Kansas. Dennis is a retired farmer and happened to still have a few Credit: Nurse Together, Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share N-95 facemasks lying Alike 4.0 International license around. He realized he only needed a few for his wife we all know New York needs a lot more than that. and himself (she has diabetes and is missing a lung) No, what makes this story so important (much and so, accompanied by a handwritten letter, he more important than what that woman wrote on sent the extra mask to New York. There, it landed on her ill-informed sign) is the hope it represents.

Governor Cuomo’s desk.

Whatever it is that motivated Dennis Ruhnke to “Enclosed, find a solitary N-95 mask left over write that letter and to mail that mask all the way from my farming days. It has never been used. If to the New York Governor’s office (which, let’s face you could, would you please give this mask to a it, is a long way from Kansas), knowing that it nurse or doctor in your state?” Ruhnke wrote. might help, we can all use a dose of that.

One mask.

Too often, when things get tough, we skip over We’re tempted to think in the grand scheme of the small ways we can make things better. Too things, it hardly makes a difference. And yet, we all often we are so aware that most of us can’t make know the value of one single good deed: it can be the grand gestures; we forget that a mountain of the tipping point. One Mitzvah, one act of kindness, small good acts is still a mountain. We can’t all be one person who does the right thing, one life po- like Bill Gates or Warren Buffett. But we can all be tentially saved can change everything. Gov. Cuomo like Dennis Ruhnke from Kansas.

Higher education will have to leave the ivory tower

effort to address. Chief among them is the fact that COVID-19 has made it even clearer that we need GARY SAUL MORSON too much research and teaching takes place in silos. to do so.

AND MORTON SCHAPIRO While we benefit from work in individual disciAnd we can do much the same in the classroom.

EVANSTON, Ill. | JTA plines, the pandemic has shone light on the imporThe great issues of our time — climate change, As longtime faculty members, we have been contance of the intersections among them. global inequality, challenges to democratic and libsidering how academic life might change for the Economists estimate how much unemployment eral ideals — are multidimensional. Why not teach better after the pandemic. One of us also happens will rise for each additional week of a largely shutthem that way? to be a university president who is called upon to down economy; scientists forecast how many adFor the past decade, we have co-taught a course offer a compelling vision for his school under the that includes readings not just “new normal.” from our specialties of literaWhen we celebrated ture and economics, but also Passover together with our from history, political science, families and friends (virtually, biology, religion, sociology, city of course), we were struck more planning, geography and phithan ever by how those ancient losophy. By exposing our stuplagues changed Jewish life. dents to different ways of The ensuing freedom dreamt of thinking, getting them to see for so long wasn’t easy to emthe strengths and weaknesses brace, and the former slaves of each, and encouraging them struggled to lead lives worthy of to find meaningful combinaGod’s beneficence. But despite tions, we invite them to disthe many challenges faced over cover and articulate more the subsequent 3,300 years, clearly what they believe and there is no doubt that the Jewbecome more open to opposish people have served as an ing views. enduring beacon worthy of emOne example that seems to ulation and respect.

Northwestern University School of Law. Top right: Morty Schapiro. Bottom right: Gary Saul especially resonate with our Colleges and universities Morson Credit: Getty Images; Jim Prisching students is a discussion of the have a proud history as well. ditional deaths will accompany a reversal of Akedah.

What does Genesis 22, the unsettling story Their teaching transforms their students, and their shelter-in-place directives; sociologists explain why of the binding of Isaac, teach us about faith and fascholarship results in longer, healthier, more proinfection and mortality statistics vary so much by milial obligations, and how do the Abrahamic reliductive and more fulfilled lives. We anticipate sevrace and income.

But to develop meaningful public gions interpret the same story differently? eral fruitful innovations in, as Tom Friedman put policies, we should consider the complete picture Breaking down disciplinary divisions and creatit, the year 1 A.C. — After Corona. from a truly interdisciplinary perspective. ing a more multidisciplinary educational experiFor example, switching to remote teaching has And don’t forget that philosophers might help us ence for students won’t be easy, given the way our prompted us to try out some changes that faculty reach not just expedient answers, but morally acuniversity and so many others are structured, have been debating for years. Perhaps “flipped” classrooms — with lectures on the web, and class ceptable ones. After all, limited resources are forcing funded and managed. But returning to the old ways time devoted to student-faculty interaction — will us to decide who shall live and who shall die. It is would be more like worshipping a familiar golden become the norm in the future, now that students one thing to recognize, as we do during the Kol calf than embracing a new golden opportunity. Our and faculty have experienced what is possible Nidre service, that our lives are in God’s hands. It is task is to figure out how to seize it. quite another to hold other people’s lives in our own.

Gary Saul Morson is a professor of Slavic lanwhen time is used differently.

In our book Cents and Sensibility, we argue that guages and literature at Northwestern University.

The emergent circumstances have thrust us into breaking down disciplinary boundaries can lead to Morton Schapiro is a professor of economics those experiments. But we are also learning about policies that are more effective and more just. and the president of Northwestern University. other needs that would require a more concerted

The Jewish Press | May 15, 2020 | 13

It’s time to adopt a startup mentality. kkai, remembered as the one who gathered sages in Yavneh RABBI SHIRA KOCH EPSTEIN to create a vibrant Judaism that flourished after the destrucNEW YORK | JTA I recently officiated a graveside funeral as the sole person tion of the Temple. Like those sages, we can take stock of the physically present. Kindle as prayerbook in one hand, phone essence of Torah, and promote new ways of preserving and as camera in the other, I also was advised to bring my own living out our tradition. And like the great rabbis who later shovel. The mourners on Zoom did not see my plastic “shovel” created the Talmud, we can allow a myriad of voices to share carried off by the wind as I began chanting Psalm 23. Using a small, heavy slab of discarded concrete found near the grave, I moved many pounds of earth as proxy for each mourner in their loving duty. That funeral, like the many thousands facilitated recently by my colleagues, was lonely and distant; it was meaningful and responsive; and it was utterly exhausting.

Jewish spiritual leaders serve on the front lines of a crisis of loss and unimaginable loneliness while stripped of the tools we have relied on for thousands of years. As spiritual first responders, we are comforting the sick and dying; facilitating Jewish rituals of mourning and also of celebration across physical distance; distilling Jewish wisdom to help people facing spiritual and existential crises; creating innovative opportunities for ritual and study; facilitating acts of tzedakah and lov- A pre-pandemic event at Base Brooklyn; Rabbi Shira Koch Epstein Courtesy ing-kindness that sustain our people through severe financial and debate important perspectives from the wider world in distress. which we live.

There is no time to prepare. We must be nimble and innoThat is why our Center for Applied Rabbinic Innovation is vative.This moment of profound disruption has also acceler- called Yavneh Bet. For five years, we have been successfully ated a growing need for innovation of the organizing training entrepreneurial rabbis to build lean, nimble startup principles of Jewish life. “Innovation” can sometimes be a buzz- communities through our Fellowship for Rabbinic Entrepreword, and the pressure to innovate — often required for phil- neurs, housed at the Hillel Office of Innovation. At this moanthropic support — can lead organizations and people to ment of crisis, we are expanding our work to support any take on more and more, sometimes causing them to give short Jewish spiritual leader in their need to be flexible and creative, shrift to their core values and responsibilities in the process. entrepreneurial and innovative. Right now, all Jewish commuThat’s not the form of innovation we need now, at least nities are like startups, because even the most established synwhen it comes to training and supporting rabbis. Though ex- agogue or JCC is traversing uncharted territory. hausted, we need our rabbis (whether we call them rebbe or We are offering “Spiritual First Response” support groups, rabbah, rabbi or maharat, cantor or rosh kehilah) to inspire clergy mentoring and training for conducting essential rabvisionary transformations of precious, but outmoded commu- binic functions during a time when in-person gathering is limnity structures that are suddenly proving to be unsustainable. ited. We cannot simply return to our habitual ways of doing Today’s innovations must echo the wisdom of our ancestors. business as soon as possible. In addition to supporting clergy We trace our way of Jewish life back to Yochanan Ben Za- as they temporarily move physical gatherings online today, we

must also help them imagine and build sustainable, relational, invested communities that will continue to transcend space, making use of every possible corner that fosters community tomorrow. For example, Rabbi Jon Leener of Base Brooklyn has built his vibrant community by valuing personal interactions over the numbers attending any large gatherings, and investing in people over permanent space. Keeping track of his one-on-one meetings, he is aware not only of when members have attended the Shabbat or learning sessions usually run out of his home or local businesses, but also how long it has been since he has had a personal interaction with each of the 3,000 “Basers” in his database. Now, when large gatherings are impossible, those deep relationships are sustaining his community.

Over the past few weeks, it has been natural for his members to move these deep relationships online. Base Brooklyn’s new community Facebook page has quickly become a mutual-aid society where members are asking for and offering their own resources to support each other.

One Baser, a therapist, has created a service connecting other members to mental health services. Members have offered and brought to their neighbors in need; others provided aid to those losing jobs or health coverage.

Rabbi Leener has been in nonstop communication with members, who trust the intimacy of their relationship and know that they can call on him with their needs. To weather this moment and rebuild their communities for the future, more rabbis will need to understand his approach and get the tools to replicate it.

With support and training, we can help our rabbinic leaders avoid exhaustion and overcome the fear of uncertainty. Then they can effectively use this time of crisis as a springboard for necessary change.

With history as our inspiration, the essentials of our tradition at our core and an entrepreneurial spirit, we can provide rabbinic leaders the support they need to turn challenges into opportunities to allow them to lead us forward with strength, energy and transformational creativity.

For now, we also still advise them to bring their own shovel.

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SUSAN BERNARD | 402.334.6559 | sbernard@jewishomaha.org

Synagogues

14 | The Jewish Press | May 15, 2020

B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

618 Mynster Street Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 712.322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE

Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California Street Omaha, NE 68154-1980 402.492.8550 bethel-omaha.org

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street Omaha, NE. 68154 402.556.6288 BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org

CHABAD HOUSE

An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street Omaha, NE 68144-1646 402.330.1800 OChabad.com email: chabad@aol.com

CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN

South Street Temple Union for Reform Judaism 2061 South 20th Street Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE

Capehart Chapel 2500 Capehart Road Offutt AFB, NE 68123 402.294.6244 email: oafbjsll@icloud.com

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME

323 South 132 Street Omaha, NE 68154

TEMPLE ISRAEL

Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive Omaha, NE 68144-1206 402.556.6536 templeisraelomaha.com

TIFERETH ISRAEL

Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Boulevard Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 402.423.8569 tiferethisraellincoln.org

B’NAI ISRAEL For information on 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, MaryBeth Muskin and Sissy Silber.

Handicap Accessible.

BETH EL Virtual services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman.

VIRTUAL MINYAN SCHEDULE: Mornings on Mondays and Thursdays, 8 a.m.; Evenings on Sunday-Thursday, 5:30 p.m.

FRIDAY: Virtual Shabbat Story Time (Grades PreK-2), 11 a.m.; Virtual Let’s Get Cooking with Eadie (Grades 312), 3 p.m.; Virtual Kabbalat Shabbat with BESTT, 4 p.m.; Virtual Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY: Virtual Shabbat Morning Services with guest speaker Rhea Siers, 10 a.m.; Virtual Havdallah, 9:26 p.m.

SUNDAY: Virtual BESTT (Grades K-7), 10 a.m.; Yiddish Class with Hazzan Krausman, 11 a.m.; Virtual Concert with Josh Warshawsky, 4 p.m.

MONDAY: Virtual Jewish Law Class with Rabbi Abraham, 8 p.m.

TUESDAY: Virtual Jewish Values Class with Rabbi Abraham, 11:30 a.m.; Virtual Board of Trustee Meeting, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Coffee & Conversation with Rabbi Abraham, 2 p.m.; Virtual Tai Chi, 3 p.m.; Virtual USY Check-In, 5:15 p.m.; Virtual Community Beit Midrash, 7:30 p.m.

THURSDAY: Virtual Teen Book Club, 4:30 p.m.; Virtual Singing in the Synagogue with Hazzan Krausman, 7 p.m.

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

BETH ISRAEL Virtual services conducted by Rabbi Ari Dembitzer.

FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 7 p.m.; Candlelighting, 8:19 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Insights to the Weeky Torah Portion, 7:15 p.m.; Micha/Seudah Shlishit, 8:10 p.m.; Havdalah, 9:26 p.m.

SUNDAY: Rambam: Rabbi Moshe, 9:45 a.m.; JYE BI Tefillah with Faige, 10 a.m.; JYE BI Jr: Spring Session, 10:15 a.m.; Parsha and halacha with Rabbi Yoni, 1 p.m.; Special Presentation: Oshry Moyal: A Life in Quarantine, 7 p.m.

MONDAY: Deepening Prayer, 7:15 a.m.; Laws of Shabbos, 7:30 a.m.; JYE BI Tefillah with Faige, 10 a.m.; Tasty

Torah with Rabbi Yoni, noon; Parsha and Halacha with Rabbi Yoni, 1 p.m.; JYE BI Parsha and Mishnayot with Rabbi Yoni, 1-2 p.m.

TUESDAY: Deepening Prayer, 7:15 a.m.; Laws of Shabbos, 7:30 a.m.; JYE BI Tefillah with Faige, 10 a.m.; Parsha and Halacha with Rabbi Yoni, 1 p.m.; JYE BI Parsha and Mishnayot with Rabbi Yoni, 1-2 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Deepening Prayer, 7:15 a.m.; Laws of Shabbos, 7:30 a.m.; JYE BI Tefillah with Faige, 10 a.m.; Parsha and Halacha with Rabbi Yoni, 1 p.m.; JYE BI Parsha and Mishnayot with Rabbi Yoni, 1-2 p.m.

TURSDAY: Deepening Prayer, 7:15 a.m.; Laws of Shabbos, 7:30 a.m.; Character Development with Rabbi Ari, 9:30 a.m.; JYE BI Tefillah with Faige, 10 a.m.; Parsha and Halacha with Rabbi Yoni, 1 p.m.; JYE BI Parsha and Mishnayot with Rabbi Yoni, 1-2 p.m.; Parsha Inspiration, 4:30 p.m.

FRIDAY: Deepening Prayer, 7:15 a.m.; Laws of Shabbos, 7:30 a.m.; JYE BI Tefillah with Faige, 10 a.m.; Musical Kabbalat Shabbat with DJ JJ, 7 p.m.

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

Virtual services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman.

Due to Coronavirus, all services and classes have moved online. For schedules and more information or to request

B’NAI JESHURUN help, please visit www.ochabad.org or call the office at 402.330.1800 Virtual services conducted by Rabbi Teri Appleby.

The Temple office is on reduced hours until further notice and all services and activities are being offered via livestream or teleconferencing. Please call 402.435.8004 or email office@southstreettemple.org for further information or to make an appointment for a visit, if necessary. You may also email Rabbi Appleby at rabbi@ southstreettemple.org or Board president Nicholette Seigfreid at president@southstreettemple.org. South Street Temple’s events can be found at https://south streettemple.org/calendar/.

FRIDAY: Virtual Erev Shabbat Service, 6:30 p.m.; Candlelighting, 8:20 p.m.

SATURDAY: Virtual Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Virtual Torah Study, 10:45 a.m.; Havdalah (72 minutes), 9:51 p.m.

SUNDAY: Temple Gardens, 10-11 a.m.; Virtual Tefillah Time with Rabbi Appleby and Nancy Coren for all students, 10 a.m.; Family Challah Bake, 10:30 a.m.; Virtual Adult Hebrew, 11:30 a.m; Virtual Jewish Book Club meeting, 1:30 p.m.; Feeding the Kids at F Street Rec Center, 6:30 p.m.

TUESDAY: Virtual Tea Time with the Rabbi, noon; Jewish Women’s Lunch at Barb Barron’s home, noon; Virtual Intro to Judaism Class, 6:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: 6th and 7th grade with Abby Coren, 56 p.m.; Virtual LJCS Committee meeting, 5:30 p.m.

THURSDAY: 4th and 5th grade with Abby Coren, 5-6 p.m.; Virtual LJCS Committee meeting, 5:30 p.m.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE All services canceled until further notice.

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME

The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home is currently closed to visitors.

TEMPLE ISRAEL

Virtual services conducted by Rabbi Brian Stoller.

DAILY VIRTUAL MINYAN: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.

FRIDAY: Shabbat Evening Service with Artist Noah Aronson, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Tot Havdalah, 9:15 a.m.

MONDAY-FRIDAY: Online Pop-up Sessions for Families, 4:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Mindfulness Meditation with Margot Anderson, 9 a.m.; The Complexity of Modern Israel: An Honest Look at Politics, History & Life in the Jewish State, 6:30-7:30 p.m.; Community Beit Midrash: Hello, Is There Anybody Out There?: God, Prayer & Spirituality in the 21st Century with Rabbi Steven Abraham and Rabbi Brian Stoller, 7:30-8:30 p.m.

THURSDAY: The Israel Forum, 10 a.m.; Virtual Café with Cantor Alexander, 1 p.m.

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

TIFERETH ISRAEL Virtual services conducted by Nancy Coren.

FRIDAY: Evening Kabbalat Shabbat, 6:30-7 p.m.; Candlelighting, 8:13 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shabbat morning Service, 10 a.m.; Havdalah (72 min.); Candlelighting, 9:14 p.m.

SUNDAY: Temple Gardens, 10-11 a.m.; Virtual Tefillah Time with Rabbi Appleby and Nancy Coren for all students, 10 a.m.; Family Challah Bake, 10:30 a.m.; Virtual Tifereth Israel Annual Meeting, 3 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: 6th and 7th grade with Abby Coren, 56 p.m.

SUNDAY: Family Challah Bake, 10:30 a.m.

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

Brooklyn synagogue warned by Health Department MARCY OSTER JTA The New York Health Department has sent a warning to the Brooklyn synagogue whose funeral for their spiritual leader two weeks ago led Mayor Bill de Blasio to lash out at the entire Jewish community.

A cease-and-desist order was served Friday as Congregation Kahal Tolaas Yaakov, located in the Williamsburg neighborhood, continued to violate the state’s executive order prohibiting gatherings and religious services.

The order was first reported by the Jewish Insider news website.

If the synagogue continues to defy the executive order prohibiting non-essential large gatherings, then it will be shut down, a spokesperson for the Mayor’s Office told Jewish Insider.

The synagogue held a memorial for Rabbi Chaim Mertz, with the participation of at least 100 people, a week after the April 29 funeral and a week before the order was served, according to Jewish Insider.

Some 2,500 mourners attended the funeral for Mertz and did not observe the proper social distancing rules as the crowd surged after the body in the streets of Brooklyn. Police, who had been contacted about the funeral and set up barricades, later dispersed the crowds.

The synagogue issued a statement after the funeral saying that it had expected mourners to follow social distancing rules and regretted that they had not.

Meanwhile, some of the religious leaders who met

with Vice President Mike Pence at Westkirk Presbyterian Church in Urbandale, Iowa last Friday said they were eager to get back into their houses of worship in the coming weeks.

lable difference to our nation seeing its way through troubled times.”

Jewish communities across the country are proceeding cautiously as states begin to lift restrictions

The failure to social distance at this funeral in Brooklyn for a prominent rabbi has sparked controversy, April 29, 2020. Credit: Reuven Blau/Twitter

Pence told the assembled clergy members, who sat far from each other in Westkirk’s pews, that religion has been a balm for him and many other Americans during the coronavirus crisis so far.

“You kept being there for the people of your church or synagogue,” said Pence, who did not wear a mask during the meeting. “It’s made an incalcu-

imposed to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Rabbis in some of the first-to-reopen states told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that their synagogues would remain closed, and three Orthodox groups issued guidance in recent days calling on communities to wait until long after they are legally allowed to resume services to hold them.

Life cycles IN MEMORIAM

ELYCE AZRIEL Elyce Azriel passed away on May 8 at age 64. Services were held on May 11.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Marvin and Beatrice (Sapoznick) Azriel; and brother, Louis Azriel.

She is survived by her beloved husband, Rabbi Aryeh Azriel; daughter and son-in-law, Leora and Matt Werner, and son, Yaniv Azriel; grandchildren: Gabe and Mia; brother and sister-in-law, Phillip and Karen Azriel; and sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Laurie and Howard Prager; aunt, cousin, and friend to many.

Memorials may be made to the Tri-Faith Initative.

SANDRA KOHLL Sandra Kohll passed away on May 9 at age 84. A private graveside service was held May 11 at Temple Israel Cemetery.

She was preceded in death by her son, Louis H. Kohll.

She is survived by her husband Marvin; sons and daughtersin-law, Justin and Sara and David and Janet, all of Omaha; daughter and son-in-law, Sarah and Rabbi Nosson Meretsky of State College, PA; daughter-in-law, Ivy Kohll of Lafayette, LA; 21 grandchildren; sister, Alice Novak of Tampa, FL; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Jerry and Gail Kohll of Omaha; nieces and nephews and dear friends.

Sandy was a special soul who fittingly left this world on the Sabbath. She was a graduate of Central High School and Omaha University, Sandy freely gave of her time to many Jewish and community organizations. While her husband Marvin worked

long hours running the family business, Kohll’s Pharmacy, Sandy raised three active and ornery boys – all future pharmacists. In 1975, “the year of the disasters,” Marvin’s running joke, the couple finally welcomed a daughter. Mother and daughter were particularly close. Sandy passed on her love of Judaism to her children and grandchildren. Her Sabbath and holiday dinners were not to be missed and she welcomed many to her table.

In her 50s, a brain aneurysm tried to take Sandy down. That aneurysm didn’t know what hit it. She came back persistent as ever, fully living many more years and enjoying her grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Chabad of Penn State, Beth Israel Synagogue or Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

GARY PARILMAN Gary Parilman passed away on April 24 at age 75 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

He was preceded in death by his parents Arthur and Dorothy Parilman.

He is survived by his son, Joshua Parilman; daughter, Lindsay Parilman; sister and brother-in-law Sandy and Bart Epstein; nephews and a niece; great nephews and a great niece; and numerous cousins.

Gary was a past president of Beth Israel Synagogue in Omaha, and an active member at The New Shul in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Memorials may be made in Gary’s name to The New Shul or any organization of your choice.

Coronavirus strikes again: No bonfires

MARCY OSTER JERUSALEM | JTA Israelis were prohibited from the traditional practice of lighting bonfires on Lag b’Omer.

Lag b’Omer, which lasts for 24 hours, marks the 33rd day of the counting of the days between the holidays of Passover and Shavuot. It also marks the end of a minor mourning period recognizing the deaths of thousands of students of the second-century C.E. sage Rabbi Akiva.

Israel’s Cabinet on May 6 approved emergency regulations to prohibit the bonfires in order to prevent the transmission of the COVID-19 virus.

Traditional bonfires and other events that are held yearly at the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai on Mount Meron were all canceled this year.

Instead, the Religious Services minister allowed three separate bonfires, each led by a prominent rabbi, in the area of the tomb to be held by special permit at different times. No more than 50 people were permitted to participate in each

bonfire, and equal participation for women was required.

No one was permitted to enter the tomb; it was ordered closed through Sunday, May 17. The community of Meron was open only to residents beginning on the Thursday before Lag b’Omer.

Lag b’Omer is the yartzheit of Shimon Bar Yochai, who was a disciple of Rabbi Akiva. (One interpretation says the bonfires are a symbol of the light he brought into the world.) Tens of thousands of mostly haredi Orthodox Jews converge on Meron on Lag b’Omer each year and spend the entire night and the following day lighting bonfires, giving first haircuts to boys turning 3 and celebrating.

The tomb at Meron is said to be the second most visited religious site in Israel following the Western Wall.

In 2018, the Fire and Rescue Service banned bonfires in great swaths of northern and central Israel due to a heat wave that also included windy conditions.

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The Jewish Press | May 15, 2020 | 15

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16 | The Jewish Press | May 15, 2020

News LOC AL | N AT I O N A L | WO R L D

What COVID-19 is doing to conversions JOSEFIN DOLSTEN JTA Renee Godinez had completed nearly all the steps to becoming Jewish before the coronavirus pandemic descended earlier this spring. She had studied extensively with Rabbi Rick Winer of Temple Beth Israel in Fresno, California, and adopted Jewish practices in her life. All that was missing was a ceremony to mark the end of the conversion process.

Traditional Jewish law requires a meeting with a beit din, a court usually made up of three rabbis, and immersion in a ritual bath called a mikvah, which are now closed for most purposes because of coronavirus concerns. But because Godinez was converting under the supervision of a Reform rabbi, immersion was optional.

“I figured, OK, living waters are the key to mikvah, so I asked if they had any spring water,” Winer recalled.

She did indeed, and so after having met with a virtual beit din, Godinez, a 42-year-old mother of two, sat on a chair in her backyard as her 11-year-old son poured a bottle of spring water over her head.

Though the experience was unconventional — she was clothed and did not immerse her entire body in water — the experience was a powerful one for Godinez, who will immerse in a traditional mikvah once it is safe.

Many Reform rabbis do require mikvah immersion, and for the thousands of people converting to Judaism by working with Conservative and Orthodox rabbis, getting creative isn’t an option. For them, stay-at-home orders, social distancing rules and mikvah closures have meant hitting pause on the extended, emotionally involved process of becoming Jewish.

The delays are forcing those who have been working toward conversion to weather a global crisis with a core piece of their identities unresolved and to grapple with a number of practical difficulties, including how to continue their involvement in Jewish ritual and communal life at a time of social isolation.

Liz Sczudlo is one of them. Sczudlo, a Los Angeles screenwriter, has known for years that converting to Judaism was in her future. Even before she and her Jewish husband tied the knot in 2017, the two had agreed that they would raise their children in his faith.

Liz Sczudlo had been planning to convert before she and her husband, Kenny Bravman, had their first child. Credit: Emily Reuter/Anna Delores Photography

So when the couple got pregnant in the fall, she signed up for a conversion class that would allow her to finish in the spring before her due date in June.

Those classes have moved to Zoom. But Sczudlo, 34, won’t be able to complete the conversion before the birth. Instead, she and her daughter will have to convert at some point when it is safe.

“I sort of fluctuate between the grief and mourning for not getting to have the future we were envisioning and then also just [remembering] we’re so fortunate in so many other ways,” she said.

Sczudlo is studying through the Miller Introduction to Judaism Program at American Jewish University in Los Angeles, the largest program in North America for people exploring conversion.

“The general approach has been that learning is continuing,

though the ceremonial, official parts of conversion have mostly been put on hold,” said Rabbi Adam Greenwald, who runs the program.

For Sczudlo, not being able to complete her conversion as planned has brought a number of worries. She feels anxious about the thought of immersing her baby in water and finds herself contemplating worst-case scenarios related to giving birth before becoming Jewish.

Things are still up in the air for the approximately 18 people who were supposed to complete their conversions in June through Anshe Emet Synagogue, a Conservative congregation in Chicago.

Cantor Elizabeth Berke, who leads the program, hopes that she will be able to at least do the beit din appointments in June — possibly virtually — and do the mikvah later if need be. And she said that doing immersions in the nearby Lake Michigan — since natural bodies of water can be used as a mikvah — may become a possibility.

Berke said her students are understanding of the fact that their conversions may be delayed.

“I think they realized this is a really unusual time and everybody is kind of hanging back and being patient,” she said.

Those who are converting to Orthodox Judaism face additional challenges. Shabbat observance is central to a traditional Jewish lifestyle but can be difficult to do alone.

“The practices are most optimally accomplished in the context of community, so you don’t have that in-person community,” said Rabbi Elie Weinstock of Congregation Kehilat Jeshurun in New York.

He has tried to reassure his conversion students, some of whom feel frustrated about not being able to move forward according to plan.

“Where you’ve been making progress before, now you’re standing still and treading water, and we need to find ways to communicate and continue to encourage people,” he said.

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