May 27, 2022 by Jewish Press

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M AY 27, 2 02 2 | 26 IYAR 5782 | VO L. 1 02 | NO. 32 | CANDLELIGHTING | FRIDAY, MAY 27, 8: 29 P.M.

Robert & Ellen Gordman

Jewish Teen Leadership Award winners

New at the Kripke Library Page 2

Ethan Finkelstein

Salute to the 2022 Graduates Pages 6 & 7

Abby Friedland

Zev Gordman

SAM KRICSFELD Jewish Press Staff Writer ive of Omaha’s Jewish teenagers completely debunk the stereotype of teenage apathy and disrespect. They have demonstrated strong leadership abilities in the Omaha Jewish community; they develop future leadership among peers, inspire participation in group activities, accept and uphold major responsibilities, and act as positive role models. The Jewish Federation of Omaha is proud to announce the winners of the Robert & Ellen Gordman Jewish Teen Leadership Award: Ethan Finkelstein, Abby Friedland, Zev Gordman, Abby Kaufman and Eli Lopez. ETHAN FINKELSTEIN Ethan Finkelstein, a senior at Millard North High School

Remembering a Jewish Civil War Soldier and Sailor on Memorial Day Page 12

Abby Kaufman

Eli Lopez

and son of Rebecca and David Finkelstein, has served in many positions throughout the community, including current USY president, Emtza Regional State Ambassador, Beth El Synagogue Hebrew tutor on Shabbat, and counselor at Kamp Kef for eight years. “Ethan is an individual of the highest moral character, someone who cares about his community, and last but certainly not least, with a stellar academic record,” Beth El Synagogue’s Rabbi Steven Abraham said. “Ethan is a special individual who is passionate about so many things in his life… There is no greater role model for our children than to see a teenager they look up to teaching their class; they admire Ethan, my children included, and strive to one day be able to teach their own class as well.” See Jewish Teen Leadership Award page 3

50 years of L.O.V.E.

L’chaim!

REGULARS Spotlight Voices Synagogues Life cycles

8 9 10 11

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMPWRIGHT Jewish Press Editor The holiday of Shavuot is almost here, and that means there’s reason to celebrate. What better way to do so than by attending one of our Shlichah’s programs? Sivan Cohen will host another installment of the

‘Israeli Spirit Series’ (the Shavuot edition) at Spirit World on Thursday, June 9 from 6-8 p.m. Enjoy three cocktails, rich in texture, based with milk and honey—elements that are symbolic of the holiday. Shavuot starts the evening of June 4 and ends the evening of June 6. Also known as ‘the Feast of Weeks,’ it is celebrated seven weeks after Passover. Shavuot combines two major religious observances. First is the grain harvest of the early summer. Second is the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai, seven weeks after the exodus (a period known as the Omer). The first determines the ritual for the holiday, which was one of the three pilgrimage festivals of ancient See L’chaim! page 5

PATTY NOGG An article in the Sept. 17, 1971 issue of the Jewish Press announced the launch of Project L.O.V.E. (League Offering Volunteers for the Elderly) at the Dr. Sher Home: “Food, clothing, and shelter are basic necessities of life. But man’s needs go well beyond his physical well-being.” Recognizing these “other needs” of our community’s senior citizens, this committee was devoted to starting programs and activities for the Sher Home residents. Membership in L.O.V.E. was open to all men, women and teens.

No dues were charged and the only requirement for membership was volunteer service. The first chairman of L.O.V.E. was Miriam Simon, who said: “Much can be done to end the loneliness of our senior citizens simply by volunteers who visit regularly. All it takes are people who care enough to give their time.” Through the years and with a move to the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, this dedicated group of volunteers continued to grow and support activities for the Residents. By See 50 years of L.O.V.E. page 4

2 | The Jewish Press | May 27, 2022

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ORGANIZATIONS B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS

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New at the Kripke Library SHIRLY BANNER Library Specialist Kripke-Veret Collection of the Jewish Federation YOUNG ADULT: Skating With the Statue of Liberty by Susan Lynn Meyer In this gripping and poignant companion to Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner Black Radishes, Gustave faces racism and antisemitism in New York City during World War II, but ultimately finds friendship and hope. After escaping the Germans in Nazi-occupied France, Gustave and his family have made it to America at last. But life is not easy in New York. Gustave’s clothes are all wrong, he can barely speak English, and he is worried about his best friend, Marcel, who is in danger back in France. Then there is September Rose, the most interesting girl in school, who doesn’t seem to want to be friends with him. Gustave is starting to notice that not everyone in America is treated equally, and his new country isn’t everything he’d expected. But he isn’t giving up! ADULT: You and Me and Us by Alison Hammer Alexis Gold knows how to put the “work” in working mom. It’s the “mom” part that she’s been struggling with lately. Since opening her own advertising agency three years ago, Alexis has all but given up on finding a good work/life balance. Instead, she’s handed over the household reins to her supportive, loving partner, Tommy. While he’s quick to say they

divide and conquer, Alexis knows that Tommy does most of the heavy lifting—especially when it comes to their teenage daughter, CeCe. Their world changes in an instant when Tommy receives a terminal cancer diagnosis, and Alexis realizes everything she’s worked relentlessly for doesn’t matter without him. So Alexis does what Tommy has done for her almost every day since they were twelveyear-old kids in Destin, Florida—she puts him first. And when the only thing Tommy wants is to spend one last summer together at “their” beach, she puts her career on hold to make it happen... even if it means putting her family within striking distance of Tommy’s ex, an actress CeCe idolizes. But Alexis and Tommy aren’t the only ones whose lives have been turned inside out. In addition to dealing with the normal ups and downs that come with being a teenager, CeCe is also forced to confront her feelings about Tommy’s illness—and what will happen when the one person who’s always been there for her is gone. When the magic of first love brings a bright spot to her summer, CeCe is determined not to let her mother ruin that for her, too. As CeCe’s behavior becomes more rebel-

lious, Alexis realizes the only thing harder for her than losing Tommy will be convincing CeCe to give her one more chance. You and Me and Us is a beautifully written novel that examines the unexpected ways loss teaches us how to love. A Death in Jerusalem by Jonathan Dunsky He knows who did the killing. Now he needs to figure out why. Israel, 1952 – Private detective Adam Lapid tries to do the right thing. He may end up in prison because of it. To stay free, Adam must work for a man he hates. The case is unusual. The identity of the killer is known, but the motive is a mystery. As Adam scours the historical streets of West Jerusalem in search of the truth, he uncovers a connection between his case and a recent unsolved murder. He also meets an enigmatic woman with plenty of secrets and is hunted by a ruthless cop who blames Adam for a crime he didn’t commit. In a case full of action and twists, Adam must use all his skills to solve the mystery. And if he doesn’t watch his back, he may end up paying the ultimate price in his quest for justice.

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

Omaha Community Playhouse presents Kinky Boots Flashy, inspiring and downright run, Kinky Boots is opening May 27 at the Omaha Community Playhouse. With a book by Harvey Fierstein and music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, Kinky Boots is the heartwarming Broadway musical — and winner of six Tony Awards — thrilling audiences around the world. Following the death of his father, Charlie Price reluctantly agrees to return to his hometown to take over the family’s failing shoe factory. Inspiration strikes when he meets Lola, an outspoken and unapologetic drag queen in need of a sturdy pair of exotic boots. The unlikely pair cobble a heartwarming tale of acceptance and friendship told through dazzling choreography and the intoxicating music of Cyndi Lauper. This production runs from May 27 through June 26 in the Hawks Mainstage Theatre at the Omaha Community Playhouse. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at OmahaPlayhouse.com or by calling the OCP Box Office at 402.553.0800. Reserve your seats early for the best pricing and seating options. PAID ADVERTISEMENT

The Jewish Press | May 27, 2022 | 3

Jewish Teen Leadership Award Continued from page 1 Ethan has been actively involved in youth activities at Beth El, including attending Hebrew High School for four years and participating in its Merit Scholarship program (requiring a minimum of 30 volunteer hours annually). “He has brought many programming ideas to USY and done an outstanding job coordinating, delegating, and participating in everything,” said Eadie Tsabari, Director of Congregational Learning at Beth El Synagogue. “He has taken his classroom and made it a fun and exciting place for our little ones to learn. All of our younger kids really look up to him, and he is a fine example to our other teens. He has been a wonderful leader — especially in the last 10 years [that] I have watched him grow up. He is very deserving of this award.” ABBY FRIEDLAND Abby Friedland, a senior at Millard West High School and daughter of Jackie and Jason Friedland, has served as president of OTYG and teen intern/madricha in Temple Israel Religious School. She will also be a counselor this summer at Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute. In her role as president of OTYG, Abby engaged six new teenagers in Temple Israel programming and helped plan seven teen programs, including a High Holiday food drive and a Purim fundraiser. Ben Cohen, Youth Engagement Coordinator at Temple Israel, described Abby as an organized, responsible, capable leader who communicates well with adult leaders and helps involve other teenagers. “Abby is an amazing role model for our teens and younger kids,” Ben said. “Abby brings positive energy to the kindergarteners she works with on Sunday mornings… and serves as an excellent mentor for our younger teens.” ZEV GORDMAN Zev Gordman, a senior at Westside High School and son of Jeff and Danielle Gordman, has been enthusiastically involved with BBYO and served many roles, including Omaha Council Vice President of Programming and Mother Chapter AZA Vice President of Programming (2019-20); member of BBYO’s Global Leadership Academy cohort (2019-20); Omaha Council President and Mother Chapter AZA President (2020-22); and Regional Coordinating Committee Member (2020-22). In his many roles, Zev created new programs, including an ax-throwing night and a video scavenger hunt program, and helped revamp the traditional BBYO paintball program. He also presented a TED Talk at the 2020 BBYO International Convention. During Zev’s time as president, BBYO gained many new members and boosted attendance numbers. “This is because Zev knows how to rally a group of people and can express the importance of what it means for Jewish teens to have a place where they can be themselves and participate in meaningful experiences,” said Jacob Geltzer, BBYO/Teen Program Director at the Staenberg Omaha JCC. Zev worked with three different boards in BBYO, exposing him to a variety of leadership styles. Jacob said that this exposure allowed Zev to develop his own leadership style and pro-

mote opportunities to help other members grow as leaders. “His passion for BBYO has never wavered and has worked the past few years to pass that excitement — and his experiences — off to the future generation of Jewish leaders in Omaha,” Jacob said. ABBY KAUFMAN Abby Kaufman, a senior at Westside High School and daughter of Michael and Dana Kaufman, has also been closely involved in BBYO. Her roles have included MZ Yoshanah BBG Vice President of Programming (2019-20 and 2020-21), MZ Yoshanah BBG President (2019-20 and 2020-21), Council Board President (2021-22), Regional Coordinating Committee Member (2021-22), Council Board Vice President of Programming (2021-22), among many others. Abby has won many awards from BBYO, including both Gold Star- and Silver Star of Deborah Award in 2019 and 2022 and the Leon Fellman Emerging Leader Award in 2019. One major impact that Abby’s had, according to Jacob Geltzer, was turning weekly meetings into engaging and interactive programs, such as spa nights, disability education programs, global Havdalahs, antisemitism-combatting programs with the Anti-Defamation League, and sisterhood programs. Jacob recounted a time when a snowstorm postponed arrivals at the 2020 Winter Regional Convention. “Abby made sure to have a positive attitude and was able to adjust our programs on the fly,” he said. “Most people would have given up or complained about the circumstances, but not Abby. She tackled the situation head-on.” “I have seen her grow into an incredible, passionate, caring and selfless leader,” he said. “Her path in BBYO has been clear: she wants to make sure the next generation of Jewish teens have a place where they can call home, make friends from all over the world, and promote the importance of becoming a leader.” ELI LOPEZ Eli Lopez, a senior at Millard South High School (currently studying at the University of Nebraska Omaha) and son of Mario and Amanda Lopez, has served as a teaching intern and Purim Planning Committee member at Temple Israel. He is currently a staff member at Kohll’s Rx. Ben Cohen said that Eli leads “without a title.” As a teen intern, he works in the Temple Israel kitchen with elementaryaged kids, teaches Hebrew, and enjoys educating younger kids about Jewish foods. “He is a hard worker and wants Temple Israel to be a place where teens can thrive,” Ben said. “Eli is directly responsible for some of our teens coming to Temple [through his engagement].” One of Eli’s enduring and engaging programs is his Dungeons and Dragons Club. Ben said that Eli is knowledgeable about Jewish texts and traditions and loves conversing about them. “Eli has made a huge impact on the Temple Israel community,” Ben said, “and I know he plans to continue to be involved Jewishly in Omaha.” Award recipients will each receive a $1,000 stipend to participate in their choice of a convention, conclave or summer camp under Jewish auspices or a recognized Israel experience.

Beth Israel 2022 Annual Meeting MARY SUE GROSSMAN The 2022 Beth Israel Synagogue Annual Meeting was held Sunday, May 15. After welcoming the attendees, President Jeff Kirshenbaum discussed the past year and reported on new projects. He thanked the staff, board members, and other volunteers for making Beth Israel a strong and vibrant congregation. Toba Cohen Dunning, chair of the Nominating Committee, presented the slate for the 2022-2023 year. The following individuals will serve as board members in the com-

ing year: Jeff Kirshenbaum, President; Helene Shrago, Administrative Vice President; Matt Taub, Financial Vice President; Bruce Potash, Membership Vice President; Yosef Seigel, Treasurer; Fred Weiss, Secretary; Joel Alperson, Shirly Banner, Matt Cohen, Ron Giller, Lynne Saltzman, Aviva Segall, Michael Shrago, Susie Shyken and Harry Weiner. The Beth Israel Board of Commissioners traditionally meets at 6:30 p.m., the third Wednesday of each month.

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What is the Great Plains Theatre Commons? The Great Plains Theatre Commons works to strengthen community by supporting the creation and sharing of diverse new stories. The GPTC began in 2006 as a program of Metropolitan Community College and became its own independent arts nonprofit in summer 2020. The newly established GPTC provides year-round theatre programming opportunities for emerging artists and audiences across Omaha and beyond, and our community-based theatre work engages underserved communities across the city. All of our public programming is offered for free and everyone is welcome to attend. This June, the GPTC is pleased to offer the local premiere of this work by Omaha playwright Beaufield Berry. In The Upper Room premiered to rave reviews at the Denver Center for Performing Arts earlier this year. This production will be in conjunction with our 17th national New Play Festival that will be premiering staged readings of fourteen new plays that

were chosen from a pool of over 600 submissions. We have been so honored to support Beau’s voice as a storyteller, from her first Great Plains Theatre Conference script more than a decade ago to this production. Her current success as a national theatre artist brings intelligence, humor, and a much-needed perspective to the stage. In The Upper Room was part of our conference play labs in 2017 and it is thrilling to be able to share its fully realized form with our community. In The Upper Room: Meet the Berrys, a multi-generational African American family in the 1970s. Their lives orbit around a strong-willed matriarch whose secrets drive her relatives nuts. Fed up, they each make plans to break away. But by standing their ground, they may lose what has held them together all along. I hope to see you at the play!

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SUMMER INTERN The Jewish Press is looking for a summer intern. If you are currently attending college, are between the ages of 18 and 24, and want to become more involved in our community, this is your chance. If you are interested, please send your resume and cover letter to avandekamp@jewishomaha.org. We can’t wait to meet you!

The Jewish Press

50 years of L.O.V.E.

“Before COVID forced the Home to lock down, I had a thriving Continued from page 1 1992, the volunteer needs had grown and a Director of Volun- group of volunteers. You can only imagine how difficult and teers was hired for the Home. Among many other things, Lois isolating it was for the Residents, with no human contact or Wine was responsible for the recruitment and training of vol- group activities going on. For a variety of reasons, many of my unteers, who came not only from L.O.V.E., but from the Jewish past volunteers have not returned. I am working hard to reand general community as well. build a group of steady, committed volBy 1996, many of those original volununteers.” teers were ready to “turn over the Ed Malashock, a Resident of the RBJH, L.O.V.E. 50TH ANNIVERSARY reigns.” Life had changed in 25 years. passed away recently at 99 years of age. Young women, who had previously been CELEBRATION At his funeral, his grandson, Matt “stay at home moms” looking for volun- Afternoon Event: Egermayer said, “People have been grateer activities to fill their days, were 1 p.m. - Ice Cream Reception ciously asking me all week about what 2:30 p.m. - Billy McGuigan Concert joining the work force. It became much they can do for our family. I’ve decided Evening Event: more difficult to find volunteers. 6 p.m. - Hors D’oeuvres/Cocktail Reception there is something you can do. In my In cooperation with Jewish Senior 7 p.m. - Billy McGuigan Concert grandpa’s honor, please go visit someone Services and Volunteer Coordinator at the Blumkin Home or at a Senior LivLois Wine and Blumkin Home board member Joanie Bern- ing Home. Show these amazing people that we, as a commustein, L.O.V.E. was “re-created” under the volunteer leadership nity, still love them and still care about them. Nothing would of Patty and Steve Nogg. The mission hadn’t changed. In the be a more fitting tribute to my grandparents.” Jewish Press, Steve said, “We’re here to enhance the quality of Consider it. Do it for a loved one, or do it for someone you life for our Residents.” don’t know. Do it for yourself. Do it for LOVE. The focus of the group was still to provide volunteers, but Please mark June 12 on your calendar and join us for the also included fundraising. Yearly dues were established to help afternoon or evening 50th anniversary event! This Interactive support activities for the Residents. Beatles Experience is a unique show utilizing the works of the Now retired, Lois said: Beatles. The song choices are left completely in the hands of “People who want to give back to this generation should just the audience, so be sure to request your favorites! spend some time with the Residents. Once they do, it will be Purchase tickets for the L.O.V.E. 50th Anniversary Celebrain their blood.” tion by visiting our website at www.jewishomaha.org. Long-time volunteer Joanie Bernstein added: “It is so important the Residents feel they are coming to the Blumkin Home to live, not to die.” Gretchen Radler and Larry DeBruin are the current cochairs of L.O.V.E. Who are all these new people? That’s what one long-time “Through these past 50 years, L.O.V.E. has helped with countemployee of the Jewish Federation asked another long-time less activities for and with the Residents, both financially and employee, and that’s when we knew it was time for an allwith volunteers,” Gretchen said. L.O.V.E. volunteers have raised campus/all community Meet and Greet! Come meet the money for special events and items, both large and small, that new staff and visit with old friends, Wednesday, June 1 would enhance the quality of the Residents’ lives. They have from 9 to 10 a.m. in the Wiesman Room. Be our guest as spent time talking with and listening to the Residents. L.O.V.E. we schmooze, eat bagels and lox, meet the new Philanworks with the staff to determine what the needs are and how thropy and Engagement Team, and visit with friends. We they can help make the Residents’ lives better. look forward to seeing you there! Sabine Strong is the current volunteer coordinator. She said,

Let’s get acquainted!

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Brownville Village Theatre 55th Season The Brownville Village Theatre celebrates 55 seasons this summer! The Brownville Village Theatre is proud to produce four plays and one musical, running June 10 through August 14. One of Nebraska’s oldest repertory theatres, the Brownville Village Theatre is a true repertory theatre; rehearsing and performing shows simultaneously, and never performing the same show back to back. The theatre is located in the charming arts and culture village of Brownville, Nebraska, a beautiful escape in rural southeast Nebraska. Make a quick weekend getaway to Brownville! The Brownville Village Theatre takes pride in producing a variety of show in repertory. This summer, the season includes The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, book by Joe Tracz, music and lyrics by Rob Rokicki, a rock musical adaptation of the book by Rick Riordan; The Odd Couple by Neil

Simon, the classic comedy about two mismatched roommates; Suite Surrender by Michael McKeever, a hilarious farce that chronicles two feuding divas when they are accidently booked to the same hotel room; Mama Won’t Fly by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope, and Jamie Wooten, a family comedy that follows three soon-to-be in laws on their impromptu cross-country roadtrip; and Angel Street (Gaslight) by Patrick Hamilton, a suspenseful Victorian thriller, the show that originated the term gaslighting. Tickets are $15 for adults and $9 for students 18 years old and under. BVT also offers a $12 ticket rate for groups of ten or more. BVT brings in a very small talented cast from all over the USA to perform, build, and create its productions. It is a uniquely fun experience to see a show at the Brownville Village Theatre surrounded by deep history and tradition.

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News

L’chaim!

Continued from page 1 Israel, when Israelite males were commanded to appear before God in Jerusalem, bringing offerings of the first fruits of their harvest. The second determines the significance of the holiday for Judaism, tying it in with the seminal event of Jewish religious memory, namely the entering into a covenant between God and Israel, exemplified by Israel’s assumption of Divine Law. This holiday is the only one we celebrate by staying up all night: The main ritual associated with Shavuot is known as “Tikkun Leil Shavuot.” The custom originated among the mystics of Safed as compensation for the fact that, according to the Midrash, the ancient Israelites slept in on the day of the giving of the Torah. To make up for that ancient mistake and to show our eagerness to receive the Torah, the custom emerged of staying up all night to study. In many synagogues the study session is capped by a sunrise worship service at daybreak. In Israel (in a typical year) Shavuot is the holiday of water. In the center of many cities, massive crowds engage in water fights on the holiday, tossing water balloons at each other or spraying passersby with powerful water guns. Others embrace the water idea by taking hikes along rivers and streams. The origins of this tradition aren’t entirely clear, but some link it North African Jewish communities that celebrated water on Shavuot because the Torah is sometimes compared to the life-giving properties of water. Also, it’s the start of the hot season, so frolicking outside with water only makes sense. Shavuot rituals focus on the community. However, there are also a number of customs associated with personal practice. The most important one is eating dairy products. Although the reasons for this custom are not completely clear, it has become traditional to eat milk and cheese products as part of the celebration of Shavuot. (Source: MyJewish Learning.com) Registration for the Israeli Spirit series is required (please, no drops-ins) and limited spots are available. Tickets are $18 per person. Contact Sivan at scohen@jewishomaha.org or visit her Facebook page for more information. Note: If special accommodations are required, please let us know by Thursday, June 2, 2022. After that date, we are unable to guarantee accommodations can be made.

LOCA L | N ATION AL | WORLD

JCC Trainers in the kitchen

Good nutrition doesn’t have to be boring! Our personal trainers have taken to the kitchen to share some of their favorite healthy recipes and tips.

Credit: licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE Ingredients: 4 cups cooked brown rice (chilled) 2 cups pineapple chunks 1 red pepper, diced 3/4 cups green peas 1 cup red cabbage, shredded 1/2 cups red onion, diced 3 gloves garlic, minced Sauce: 4 Tbsp. tamari 1 1/2 Tbsp. maple syrup 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 3/4 tsp. hot sauce 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Directions: Whisk together sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. Quick fry pineapple chunks for about 5 minutes. Set aside in a large bowl. In the same pan cook the bell pepper and onion. Transfer cooked peppers and onion to the same bowl as the pineapple. Place the red cabbage into the pan and cook until it starts to wilt. Add the garlic and continue to cook until fragrant. Next add the cooked rice and peas. Mix together. Pour in the sauce and warm. Remove from heat and add the peppers, onions, and pineapples back in. Mix together gently. Top with fresh cilantro, scallions and sesame seeds or a splash of lime juice.

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Above: The RBJH day staff had their picture taken for National Nursing Home week.

SP O TLIGHT

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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 and below: The JCC saw a great turnout for the Autism Acceptance Walk/Run. The goal: to raise awareness and promote acceptance for all people with autism, celebrate each individual’s unique strengths and abilities, and learn how we can support those with autism by creating an even more welcoming and inclusive community. Autism affects the lives of millions of people around the world, and it was awesome to see people of all ages and backgrounds come together for one cause.

Right: Jewish Press Board member Chuck Lucoff assists in transporting leftover party supplies.

The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home celebrated National Nursing Home Week with daily goodies and gifts for staff from May 9 to May 13. On Tuesday, May 10, we celebrated staff anniversaries for those who worked 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 years of employment at RBJH. A special thank you goes out to Becky Mains and Jennifer Addison for chairing this event. Top: Chris Ulven (10 years) with Jerry Nevins (5 years), above: Jennifer Addison (10 years) with Lorna Kinney (5 years), below: Angela Jones (25 years) with Rose Kaplan and Helen Sweet, next: Shelly Cash (30 years), and bottom: Mike Aparo (15 years).

The Jewish Press | May 21, 2021 | 9

Voices The Jewish Press (Founded in 1920) Margie Gutnik President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Susan Bernard Advertising Executive Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Editor Gabby Blair Sam Kricsfeld Staff Writers Mary Bachteler Accounting Jewish Press Board Margie Gutnik, President; Abigail Kutler, Ex-Officio; Danni Christensen; David Finkelstein; Bracha Goldsweig; Mary Sue Grossman; Les Kay; Natasha Kraft; Chuck Lucoff; Joseph Pinson; Andy Shefsky and Amy Tipp. The mission of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to build and sustain a strong and vibrant Omaha Jewish Community and to support Jews in Israel and around the world. Agencies of the Federation are: Community Relations Committee, Jewish Community Center, Center for Jewish Life, Jewish Social Services, and the Jewish Press. Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page stories and announcements, can be found online at: www.jewishomaha.org; click on ‘Jewish Press.’ Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole. The Jewish Press reserves the right to edit signed letters and articles for space and content. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment. Editorial The Jewish Press is an agency of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Deadline for copy, ads and photos is: Thursday, 9 a.m., eight days prior to publication. E-mail editorial material and photos to: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org; send ads (in TIF or PDF format) to: rbusse@jewishomaha.org. Letters to the Editor Guidelines The Jewish Press welcomes Letters to the Editor. They may be sent via regular mail to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154; via fax: 1.402.334.5422 or via e-mail to the Editor at: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org. Letters should be no longer than 250 words and must be single-spaced typed, not hand-written. Published letters should be confined to opinions and comments on articles or events. News items should not be submitted and printed as a “Letter to the Editor.” The Editor may edit letters for content and space restrictions. Letters may be published without giving an opposing view. Information shall be verified before printing. All letters must be signed by the writer. The Jewish Press will not publish letters that appear to be part of an organized campaign, nor letters copied from the Internet. No letters should be published from candidates running for office, but others may write on their behalf. Letters of thanks should be confined to commending an institution for a program, project or event, rather than personally thanking paid staff, unless the writer chooses to turn the “Letter to the Editor” into a paid personal ad or a news article about the event, project or program which the professional staff supervised. For information, contact Annette van de KampWright, Jewish Press Editor, 402.334.6450. Postal The Jewish Press (USPS 275620) is published weekly (except for the first week of January and July) on Friday for $40 per calendar year U.S.; $80 foreign, by the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Phone: 402.334.6448; FAX: 402.334.5422. Periodical postage paid at Omaha, NE. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198 or email to: jpress@jewishomaha.org.

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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.

Join our team: Jewish Press Internship

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor For the sake of transparency, I’ll admit: we have a new problem at the Jewish Press. As I’m writing this, it’s May 17. Normally, by late April or early May, we have filled our summer intern position and are looking forward to working with someone who, we know, will bring exciting ideas and enthusiasm to our office. The Murray and Sharee Newman Jewish Press Summer Internship is a beautiful thing. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we can provide Jewish college students a paid opportunity to try their hand at Jewish communal work. On more than one occasion, we’ve watched a college student rediscover why being involved Jewishly matters. There is tremendous value in that for them, for us, and for our community as a whole. This year, however, the total number of applications is a shocking zero. We’re not sure why; just as in previous years, we’ve advertised, called around, tried our best to spread the word. Maybe a lingering effect of the pandemic? Who knows? Whatever the cause, we need your help. We would like you to activate your phone tree. Nephews, nieces, grandkids, neighbors; the people you sit with at shul, the friends you meet at Bagel Bin or at the Council—think about all of them. Do they have kids who are college age who might be interested? Pass on this opportunity to anyone you can think of. In fact, grab your phone please (unless it’s Shabbat, then it can wait until after) and start looking through your contacts.

A Jewish Press intern enjoys the writing process gram and collaborate with many different departand understands that everyone has a story. They ments. What better way to really get to know all the are not afraid to try new things, and are comfort- different sides of this building? able working in an office that is sometimes calm, Somewhere out there is our 2022 Intern. We’d like and other times hectic—with little warning as to to find them as soon as possible. If you, or someone when things get a little crazy. you know, think this sounds great, please email us Our intern rolls with different personalities and at avandekamp@jewishomaha.org and rbusse doesn’t expect us to all think or speak or look the @jewishomaha.org. The editor is out of the counsame. They have good written and verbal communication skills and (this is very important) a sense of humor. Our intern can also maintain confidentiality when needed and generally gets along with people—especially if some of those people are small-sized, because summer camp is just around the corner and we always ask the intern to document what the kids are up to. Interns write, edit, do research, take photos, interview, have opinions and jump in wherever they are needed. They are asked to think of new Credit: nenadstojkovic, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution and interesting things to write 2.0 Generic license. about, and sometimes they do book reviews. And try from May 23 until June 6, but when applicajust so we’re clear: nobody here has ever asked an tions come in, someone will text me. intern to get them coffee. This community is generous. The Murray and While doing all these different tasks, our intern Sharee Newman Jewish Press Summer Internship also is exposed to most other departments at the is one stellar example. Please help us take advanJ. The Jewish Press is not an island; we interact, pro- tage of this opportunity, and apply today!

How Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Joshua Cohen mines the Israeli-American relationship for comedy and tragedy ADAM KIRSCH JTA For many younger Jews, being critical of Israel is itself a form of attachment. They may not consider themselves answerable to the Jewish state, but they definitely feel answerable for it in the eyes of the world. The same is true of some Jewish writers, including Michael Chabon and his wife, Israel-born novelist Ayelet Waldman, who together edited the 2017 anthology Kingdom of Olives and Ash: Writers Confront the Occupation. But the American writer who has found Israel most fruitful as a subject is Joshua Cohen, whose critique of Zionism is more complicated and ironic. Born in 1980 and raised in an Orthodox family in New Jersey, Cohen emerged in the 2010s as the author of Witz and Book of Numbers, huge, world swallowing novels in the tradition of Thomas Pynchon and David Foster Wallace. Jewishness is central to those books — Witz is a postmodern epic about the sole survivor of a mysterious plague that kills all the world’s Jews on a single night, like Passover in reverse. But it wasn’t until later that Cohen turned his focus to Israel in two books that are more approachable and realistic — at least up to a point: Moving Kings (2017) and The Netanyahus (2021), named as the winner of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Most American writers mirror their own experience by sending American characters to be tested or redeemed in Israel, but in these novels, Cohen brings Israeli characters to the United States. It’s a canny decision that effectively reverses the burden of proof: Now it is Israeli Jews who have to show whether they can live up to American conditions and ideals. That reversal is signaled in the name of the protagonist of Moving Kings. Instead of King David, Cohen suggests, America produces men like David King, who rules over nothing but a shady moving and storage business. He is a harsh reflection of the social position of American Jewry: King rules highhandedly over his employees, who are poor immigrants of color, but is cowed by the WASPs he encounters at a Republican fundraiser. “It was distressing — to others, but not to him-

self, who didn’t notice — how he’d change,” Cohen writes. “How he’d let himself be lectured, talked down to. How he’d become, in certain situations, not servile exactly, but docile, tamed. A Jew.” Indeed, David is deliberately conceived as an unpleasant Jewish stereotype: “This was how David

Ben-Zion Netanyahu, left, shown with his sons Benjamin and Jonathan and his wife, Tzila, inspired the 2022 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Joshua Cohen, The Netanyahus. Credit: Government of Israel

made money, the same way he drove: by chiselling,” Cohen writes. This is the kind of galut, or Diaspora, Jewishness that Zionism is supposed to have abolished, and David finds psychic compensation in knowing that he has relatives in Israel, where Jews are tough and proud. “What’d bolstered him was Israel: the ideal of it, the abstraction,” Cohen writes. When David agrees to give a job to his Israeli nephew Yoav, just out of the army, he tells him: “Unlike me, Yo, you’re a real Jew. This is who you are naturally, grown up from the land.” The stage seems to be set for a confrontation of Jewish archetypes, such as the one between Jacob and Tamir in Jonathan Safran Foer’s novel Here I Am. But Cohen is a more subtle writer than that, and it soon becomes clear that Yoav hasn’t been toughened by his experience in the army — he’s been shattered by it. Depressed and fearful, he barely leaves his apartment except to work, and when his moving truck gets into an accident he flashes back to the West Bank: “Yoav kept checking the mirrors. He didn’t know where the shooting was coming from. They were pinned.” The parallel becomes more than imaginary when

Yoav’s crew is tasked with evicting Lincoln Avery, a black Vietnam veteran, from his home, just as he once helped dispossess Palestinians from their land. Some critics saw this parallel as tendentious and overly literal, but it’s key to the pessimistic vision of Moving Kings. Neither American Jews nor Israeli Jews can be the other’s moral example, Cohen suggests, since both are ensnared in similar systems of exploitation. By the end of the novel, when Yoav is caught up in a scene of violence deadlier than anything he encountered back home, it’s clear that he is nearly as much a victim of that system as Avery. At the same time, Cohen is impatient with the leftist moralism that only notices violence when Israelis commit it. “We’ve always just been forced to become who we are and still everyone has an opinion about it, treating us like we chose this,” Yoav complains. When David tells Yoav he’s “a real Jew,” he means it admiringly, as a tribute to Israeli authenticity. But Yoav puts a different spin on the idea when he says, “Everywhere we’re the Jews of Jews” — that is, the outcasts of the outcasts, the ones whom rightthinking people find it virtuous to hate. Cohen writes about Israel in a very different spirit, as what the philosopher Michael Walzer calls a “connected critic” — one who excoriates his community not in order to distance himself from it, but because he is deeply involved in it, like the Hebrew prophets. When Moving Kings was published, Cohen talked to one interviewer about making aliyah, the Hebrew word for immigrating to Israel: “I think about it all the time. All the days of my life, and all the nights too, except the two weeks per year I spend in Israel.” Moving Kings offers a tragic view of the IsraeliAmerican relationship. When Cohen returned to the subject four years later, the result was the wild comedy of The Netanyahus: An Account of a Minor and Even Negligible Episode in the History of a Very Famous Family. Adam Kirsch is an editor at The Wall Street Journal’s weekend Review section. His new book of poems, The Discarded Life, will be published this month by Red Hen Press. Read more at www.omahajewishpress.com.

Synagogues

10 | The Jewish Press | May 27, 2022

B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

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

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE

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

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

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

CHABAD HOUSE

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

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN

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

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ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME

323 South 132 Street Omaha, NE 68154 rbjh.com

TEMPLE ISRAEL

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

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: TIFERETH ISRAEL

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

B’NAI ISRAEL Join us on Friday, June 10, 7 p.m. for evening services. Our service leader is Larry Blass. Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel! For information on COVID-related closures and about our historic synagogue, please contact Howard Kutler at hkutler@hotmail.com or any of our other board members: Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Janie Kulakofsky, Carole and Wayne Lainof, Mary-Beth Muskin, Debbie Salomon and Sissy Silber. Handicap Accessible.

BETH EL Virtual services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman. VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON MINYAN SCHEDULE: Mornings on Sundays, 9 a.m.; Mondays and Thursdays, 7 a.m.; Evenings on Sunday-Thursday, 5:30 p.m. FRIDAY: AIDS Coalition Lunch, 11:30 a.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Services and Bat Mitzvah of Eva Cohen, 10 a.m. at Beth El & Live Stream; Havdalah, 9:30 p.m. Zoom only. SUNDAY: Torah Study, 10 a.m. MONDAY: Memorial Day Morning MInyan, 9 a.m. at Beth El & Live Stream; Beth El Office Closed. TUESDAY: Kamp Kef, 9 a.m.; Mussar, 11:30 a.m. with Rabbi Abraham at Beth El & Zoom. WEDNESDAY: Kamp Kef, 9 a.m. THURSDAY: Kamp Kef, 9 a.m. FRIDAY-June 3: Kamp Kef, 9 a.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream. SATURDAY-June 4: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m. at Beth El & Live Stream; Tikkun Leil Shavuout — Community Beit Midrash, 7 p.m. at Beth El. Please visit bethel-omaha.org for additional information and service links.

BETH ISRAEL FRIDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Deeping Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Mincha/ Kabbalat Shabbat, 7:30 p.m.; Candlelighting, 8:29 p.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:45 a.m.; Daf Yomi, 7:50 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha, 8:30 p.m.; Shalosh Seudos/ Laws of Shabbos/Kids Activity, 8:50 p.m.; Ma’ariv, 9:38 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Yom Yerushalaym Lunch and Scavenger Hunt, noon; Daf Yomi, 8 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:40 p.m. MONDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Daf Yomi, 8 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:40 p.m. TUESDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:30 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 6:45 a.m.; Deeping Prayer, 7:45 a.m. (Zoom); Kids Parsha Class, 3:45 p.m.; Daf Yomi, 8 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 8:30 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Deeping Prayer, 7:45 a.m. (Zoom); Wednesday School, 4:15 p.m.; Daf Yomi, 8 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:30 p.m. THURSDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 a.m.;

Deeping Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Character Development, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Medical Ethics, noon with Rabbi Yoni at UNMC; Daf Yomi, 8 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 8:30 p.m. FRIDAY-June 3: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Deeping Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat, 7:30 p.m.; Candlelighting, 8:34 p.m. SATURDAY-June 4: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:45 a.m.; Shavuot, 7 p.m.; Daf Yomi, 7:50 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha, 8:30 p.m.; Shalosh Seudos/Laws of Shabbos/Kids Activity, 8:50 p.m.; Candlelighting, 9:35 p.m. Please visit orthodoxomaha.org for additional information and Zoom service links.

CHABAD HOUSE All services are in-person. All classes are being offered in-person/Zoom hybrid (Ochabad.com/classroom). For more information or to request help, please visit www.ochabad.com or call the office at 402.330.1800. FRIDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Inspirational Lechayim, 5:45 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: ochabad.com/Le chayim; Candlelighting, 8:29 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 9:37 p.m. SUNDAY: Sunday Morning Wraps, 9 a.m. MONDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Personal Parsha Class, 9:30 a.m. with Shani Katzman; Advanced Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen. TUESDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Women’s Power Lunch, noon-1 p.m. at the Katzmans’; Virtual Pirkei Avot Women’s Class, 7 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Mystical Thinking (Tanya), 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Katzman; Introductory Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Introduction to Hebrew Reading, 11:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen. THURSDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Advanced Hebrew Class, 11 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Talmud Study (Sanhedrin 18 — No advance experience necessary), noon with Rabbi Katzman; Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law) Class, 7 p.m. FRIDAY-June 3: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Inspirational Lechayim, 5:45 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: ochabad. com/Lechayim; Candlelighting, 8:34 p.m. SATURDAY-June 4: Shacharit, 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Light Candles, 9:43 p.m.; All Night Study — Tikkun Leil Shavuot begins at 11 p.m.

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN & TIFERETH ISRAEL Services facilitated by Rabbi Alex Felch. Note: Some of our services, but not all, are now being offered in person. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat Service, service leaders/music: Rabbi Alex, Nathaniel and Steve Kaup, 6:30 p.m. at SST; Candlelighting, 8:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Alex at TI; Torah Study on Parashat Bechukotai, noon; Havdalah, 9:38 p.m. SUNDAY: Men's Jewish Bike Group of Lincoln meets Sundays at 10 a.m., rain or shine, to ride to one

of The Mill locations from Hanson Ct. (except we drive if it’s too wet, cold, cloudy, windy, hot or humid) followed by coffee and spirited discussions. If interested, please email Al Weiss at albertw801@gmail.com to find out where to meet each week; Pickleball at Tifereth Israel is on hiatus until after Yom Kippur 5783. In the meantime, everyone is welcome to play at Peterson Park through the spring and summer; just wear comfortable clothes and tennis or gym shoes. For motre information, contact Miriam Wallick by email at Miriam57@aol.com. MONDAY: Synagogue Offices Closed. TUESDAY: Synagogue Offices operating remotely; Tea & Coffee with Pals, 1:30 p.m. via Zoom. WEDNESDAY: Synagogue Offices operating remotely. THURSDAY: Synagogue Offices operating remotely. FRIDAY-June 3: Synagogue Offices operating remotely.; Kabbalat Shabbat Service, service leaders/ music: Rabbi Alex, Nathaniel and Steve Kaup, 6:30 p.m. at SST; Candlelighting, 8:35 p.m. SATURDAY-June 4: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Alex at TI; Pre-Shavuot, noon at TI; Candlelighting for Yom Tov, 9:44 p.m.

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ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home’s service is currently closed to visitors.

TEMPLE ISRAEL

In-person and virtual services conducted by Rabbi Brian Stoller, Rabbi Deana Sussman Berezin and Cantor Joanna Alexander. DAILY VIRTUAL MINYAN: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. via Zoom. FRIDAY: Drop-In Mah Jongg, 9-11 a.m.; Shabbat B’yachad: Voices of the Congregation with Jeremy Fricke, 6 p.m. via Zoom or In-Person. Oneg sponsored by Wendy Manvitz and Shelly Fox in honor of Doris and Harry Alloy’s 70th Anniversary. SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. via Zoom or InPerson. SUNDAY: Fifth Sunday Breakfast Service, 9 a.m. at the Stephen Center. MONDAY: Temple Office Closed for Memorial Day. .. TUESDAY: Rosh Chodesh: More than a Bath hosted by Susie Silverman, 7:15 p.m. at RBJH. WEDNESDAY: Yarn It, 9 a.m. THURSDAY: Thursday Morning Class, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Azriel via Zoom or In-Person. FRIDAY-June 3: Drop-In Mah Jongg, 9-11 a.m.; Farewell Shabbat for Rabbi Stoller, 6 p.m. via Zoom or In-Person. Dessert Oneg to follow services. SATURDAY-June 4: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. via Zoom or In-Person; Tikkun Leil Shavuot, 7-10 p.m. at Beth El. Please visit templeisraelomaha.com for additional information and Zoom service links.

Sacha Baron Cohen and ‘Chelm,’ an HBO cartoon about the shtetl of fools ANDREW LAPIN JTA Imagine a village full of Borats, and you’re close to realizing the absurdity of Chelm. The real-life Polish shtetl, a popular subject of Jewish folklore and Yiddish authors including Isaac Bachevis Singer, took on a mythic identity as a village of fools: a land populated and governed entirely by idiots, who solve problems in hilarious counterintuitive fashion. Now Chelm is getting the screen treatment, headlined by an appropriate figure: the British Jewish comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, whose Borat character may be the closest thing modern popular culture has to a Chelm-like figure. Cohen will develop the animated special Chelm: The Smartest Place on Earth for HBO Max alongside Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, known for King of the Hill, and Michael Koman, a former writer on Nathan For You and Late Night with Conan O’Brien. Cohen will also narrate the special.

The HBO Max press release indicates that the show will be geared towards younger audiences, marking a departure from most of Cohen’s adult-oriented humor. “This unique project will breathe new, hysterical life into the nonsensical Chelmic wisdom that originated from this imaginary city of folks who aren’t quite the sharpest tools in the shed,” Amy Friedman, head of kids and family programming at HBO parent company Warner Bros., said in the release. The shtetl special does Sacha Baron Cohen attends a screening of the Oscars in Sydney, April 26, not have a release date yet. 2021. Credit: Rick Rycroft-Pool/Getty Images)

Life cycles

RAISA PISETSKY Raisa Pisetsky passed away on May 17, 2022, in Omaha. Services were held on May 20, 2022, at Beth El Cemetery and were officiated by Rabbi Abraham. She was preceded in death by her husband, Roman Pisetsky. She is survived by sons, William Pisetsky and Eric Pisetsky; grandchildren: Yuliy Pisetsky, Ellina Seckel and Karina Jung. Raisa was born May 31, 1934, in the city of Minsk, Belarus, USSR, in Jewish family. She was seven when WWII started in Belarus. At the time of German attack she was at summer camp. She was lucky. Her camp was evacuated, and she ended in a foster care. Her family was left in Minsk and were put into a Jewish ghetto.

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IN MEMORIAM

MICHAEL KULAKOFSKY Michael Kulakofsky passed away peacefully on May 16, 2022, at age 91, in Houston, Texas. Services were held on May 19, 2022, at Fisher Farms Cemetery, 8600 S.42nd St in Bellevue, followed by a service at Beth El. He was preceded in death by his sisters, Ethelyn Kaplan, Beth Smith and Ruth Belzer. He is survived by his loving wife of 66 years, Carolyn Kulakofsky; sons and daugthers-in-laws, David and Margie Kulakofsky, Daniel and Judy Kulakofsky and Joseph and Ryuko Kulakofsky; seven grandchildren and their spouses; two great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. Mike was born to J. Harry and Sadie Kulakofsky on Nov. 11, 1930, in Omaha. He was the youngest of four children. In Omaha, Mike worked at the family business Central Market, and graduated from Central High School in 1948. After graduating high school, Mike was off to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, where he earned a degree in Metallurgic Engineering. His years at RPI would remain a source of pride throughout his life. After college, Mike moved to Chicago, where he met Carolyn on a blind date, and they were married soon after in Oct. 1955. What followed was a love affair that lasted a lifetime. Mike was a typical engineer and loved a good slide-rule, could calculate using an abacus, and was an enthusiastic inventor. Mike took responsibility to his community seriously, serving as a board member and then board president of his synagogue. He also had an adventurous side. In 1969, Mike left a successful career in engineering and started a computer service bureau providing software and other computer-based services. Mike was an ardent environmentalist before there was a word for stewarding the environment. He took Carolyn and three young sons camping at national parks across the country. Mike loved to travel and was an avid birder. Upon his retirement, he and Carol sold their home and traveled the country in an RV for three years, watching birds and chasing spring. He was dedicated to his family, his Jewish faith, and to social justice; values he shared with and passed down to his children and grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Hadassah or Mazon.

The Jewish Press | May 27, 2022 | 11

Her parents were killed in the ghetto. Her older sister Sarra, survived by miracle and was able to escape from the ghetto. Raisa's aunt was able to find her niece, and Raisa lived with her throughout the war. After the war, Raisa was brought back to Minsk to see her sister, Sarra, who came back as well. Their house somehow survived, and they lived in a part of it. She then studied at college, married to Roman, raised two sons, worked as a chemist at a leather producing factory, then as a salesperson at a rental store. All her family immigrated to the US in 1989. She worked as a chemist for some years, then retired. She always was a bright and friendly person, always ready to help. She was a hard worker and a great cook. Memorials may be made to the fund of your choice at Beth El Synagogue.

BIRTH AVERY ISABELLA HARTMAN Ali and Brian Hartman of Deerfield, IL, announce the March 21, 2022, birth of their daughter, Avery Isabella. Avery Isabella was named after her great-grandparents, Ajon F. Farber of Omaha, NE, Irving Hartman of Chicago, IL and Inge Loewenstein of Nashville, TN, each of blessed memory. Her grandparents are Rick and Josi (Farber) Rein of Highland Park, IL, and Michael and Susi Hartman of Deerfield, IL.

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12 | The Jewish Press | May 27, 2022

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

Remembering a Jewish Civil War Soldier and Sailor on Memorial Day ELIZA KOLANDER As the Strategic Partnership Manager for the Shapell Manuscript Foundation, I am the liaison between the public and the Shapell Roster of Jewish Service in the American Civil War, a comprehensive database of Jewish soldiers and sailors who fought for both the Union and the Confederacy. I reach out to descendants of Civil War soldiers, gathering as much information as possible, so that we can share their stories with the public. Best of all, I get to do this from a quiet, tree-filled neighborhood in my new hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. Recently, I had the opportunity to interact with several descendants of Leopold Rothschild, one of our youngest service members, as well as his brother Louis. In addition to sharing vital information about their ancestors, the Rothschild descendants shared some wonderful photographs. Lee and Louis eventually made their homes in Omaha, and were laid to rest here, too. LEOPOLD AND LOUIS ROTHSCHILD Born in Prussia on February 8, 1849, Leopold Rothschild immigrated (alone) to the United States in 1863 at the youthful age of 14. His father, Jacob, had left his eight children with extended family to make that same journey years earlier after the death of Rothschild’s mother. Upon his arrival, Rothschild found his father remarried and starting a new family in Pittsburgh. He tried for a few months to meld into this brood, but teenage angst spurred him to run away to Cleveland to live with his older sister. When Rothschild heard his father had arrived in Cleveland to retrieve him, he next fled to Cincinnati, where a stranger offered him a different solution than simply running from town to town to hideout: joining the US Navy. To learn more about Leopold’s short and exciting time in the Navy, read his soldier story. Leopold Rothschild was not the first in his family to join the war effort for the Union. His older brother, Louis, who had come to America years before Leopold, had enlisted in the

Leopold Rothschild in Omaha Stockyards, circa 1910 Credit: Descendants of Leopold Rothschild

Above left: Kenneth, left, Eliza, and Elaine Kolander kneel by Leopold Rothschild’s gravestone in Pleasant Hill Jewish Cemetery, Omaha, Nebraska, and above right: Eliza and Elaine Kolander place a ﬂag at Louis Rothschild’s gravestone. Credit: Eliza Kolander

2nd US Artillery in Cincinnati in 1862. Louis was discharged for disability the following year after he was wounded at the Second Battle of Manassas.

When Leopold Rothschild was discharged from the service, he was emaciated and jaundiced, and he spent months recovering with his sister in Cleveland. After his recovery, Rothschild set up shop as a butcher in Bucyrus, Ohio. He stayed in Bucyrus for almost two decades until he moved to Nebraska in 1884 and settled with Louis in Omaha. Leopold ran a successful livestock auction. He died in 1914 from accidental gas inhalation and was buried in the Pleasant Hill Jewish Cemetery with his brother. MEMORIAL DAY Originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Day has numerous origin stories from multiple cities in the North and South that claimed to be the first to celebrate it. The decoration of a soldier’s grave is a practice that certainly predates 1861, but organized efforts to commemorate the recently-deceased at battlefields and Civil War cemeteries cropped up during and immediately after the Civil War. In 1868, the Commander-inChief of the Grand Army of the Republic (the main Civil War veterans organization for the Union) called for a national Decoration Day, which led to the holiday being celebrated regularly throughout the country. Following the World Wars, the celebration expanded to include all veterans who had passed, and in 1971, Congress officially designated Memorial Day as a legal holiday. The Shapell Roster team proudly paid our respects to just a few of those who served, at their final resting places in Everett, MA; Sharpsburg, MD; Gettysburg and Pittsburgh, PA; Laramie, WY; and, of course, Omaha, NE, by placing flags at their gravesites, ensuring their sacrifices were not forgotten. My husband, our toddler, and I visited Pleasant Hill Jewish Cemetery on a spring day in Omaha. It was sprinkling the entire time, and we had some trouble locating Leopold’s gravestone. We found it and Louis’s, and placed flags, happy to be helping remember a remarkable Civil War sailor and soldier. Please contact me at eliza@shapell.org if you are interested in the Roster Project, and especially if you are a descendant of a Jewish Civil War soldier.