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J UN E 24 , 2 02 2 | 2 5 S IVA N 578 2 | VO L. 1 02 | NO. 36 | CANDLELIGHTING | FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 8:43 P.M.
Humanitarians of the Year
New at the Kripke Library’s collection Page 4
ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor he Jewish Federation of Omaha invites the community to our Awards Night and Annual Meeting, Tuesday, June 28 at 7 p.m. Every year, the Jewish Federation of Omaha, the Foundation, JFO agencies, Jewish organizations, and synagogues are invited to nominate Omahans, who need not be Jewish, and who have performed an outstanding service to humanity. Based on the contributions they have made throughout their lives to promote human welfare and advance social reform, and the commitment given in time and energy “beyond expectations” to the Jewish Federation of Omaha or the Jewish community, the Federation Executive Committee selects the honoree(s). This year, our Humanitarian of the Year award goes to Gloria and Howard Kaslow. Gloria and Howard have championed our community in more ways than we can write about. In the broader community, Howard has generously given of his time and talents to many organizations, See Humanitarians of the Year page 3
T
NJHS “Archives Uncovered” Page 6
Howard and Gloria Kaslow
It’s official: Biden to visit Israel, West Bank and Saudi Arabia in mid-July Page 12
The Bucky & Caryl Greenberg Scholarship
Sophia Mason
REGULARS7
Spotlight Voices Synagogues
8 10
Arjun Ramesh
PAM MONSKY Community Relations Council Assistant Director The Jewish Community Relations Council (CRC) of the Jewish Federation of Omaha has established the Bucky & Caryl Greenberg Inclusivity, Respect & Equity Scholarship in memory of Barton (Bucky) & Caryl
Ty Sewcheon
Greenberg, whose desire for ensuring civil rights and equality extended not only to the Jewish community, but to all people. Three $500 college scholarships have been awarded to eligible students in the Omaha metro area who have demonstrated a passion for building inclusivity, respect and equity in their school and community. The students are Sophia Mason, Arjun Ramesh and Ty Sewcheon. Sophia graduated from Central High School and will attend Grinnell College in the fall. With a friend, Sophia created the Creative Change Initiative. In her application, Sophia wrote, “We met weekly, bringing artists and activists from the community See Greenberg Scholarship page 4
JFO welcomes Sharon Brodkey our CRC as a new agency of the ANNETTE VAN DE KAMPcampus, after several decades of WRIGHT being combined with the ADL. She Jewish Press Editor The Jewish Federation of Omaha will be leading the charge to build is pleased to announce Sharon this new agency, and we couldn’t be more excited to Brodkey as the have her on board. new Executive Di“Omaha has rector of the Combeen home to 4 munity Relations generations of Council (CRC). Brodkeys,” Sharon “The CRC is our said. “When I organization’s prigraduated from mary vehicle for high school, I reforging partnerally was a wanderships with other ing Jew for many organizations, and years – from communities with Chicago to Washwhom the Jewish ington, DC, Israel community has to Hong Kong – shared interest,” and while I loved JFO Interim CEO living in all of Phil Malcom said. Sharon Brodkey those places, the “They also do vital work to educate those inside and cliché is so true – there’s no place outside our community on impor- like home!” She calls her new position excittant issues facing us today. In a world that is increasingly fractured, ing and daunting: “My first task is to help educate their efforts to build coalitions and communities of understanding are our community about the role CRCs play in Jewish communities more important than ever.” Currently, the JFO is rebuilding See Sharon Brodkey page 2
2 | The Jewish Press | June 24, 2022
Sharon Brodkey
News LOC AL | N AT I O N A L | WO R L D
Dr. Patricia Newman honored ILANA WEISS RESPECT Associate Executive Director On June 1, 2022, RESPECT’s Founder and Executive Director, Dr. Patricia Newman was awarded the 2022 School Mental Health Champion Award at the Nebraska School Mental Health Conference. For over 20 years, Dr. Newman has helped stage conversations about the importance of healthy relationships and mental health through her work as the Executive Director of RESPECT. When she started this important work many did not believe bullying and violence and their relationship to mental health and child abuse were serious problems, but Dr. Newman knew otherwise. She was determined to prevent many of these problems and to provide help for those experiencing them. Dr. Newman’s Psychology and Education background has provided her with the passion and skills to help provide over 600,000 individuals with the tools needed to help others. She is a mental health advocate, and a true leader in the Omaha community. Through her work with RESPECT, she has made speaking about mental health more accessible and possible for school counselors by offering educational theatre programs, small group workshops, and multi-week resi-
dences, that complement and bridge the resources that school counselors provide. Students, teachers, and parents, become more aware of how school counselors can partner with them to get the help that they need thanks to her work. The award was presented at the NSMHC, organized by the Kim Foundation and Educational Service Unit #3, where 500 participants attended to promote strong mental health services in our schools; to provide resources and training to increase access; and to promote early intervention and wrap around services for youth and families. At this conference, RESPECT presented a breakout session entitled A Theatrical Approach to Mental Health Prevention. RESPECT Associate Executive Director, Ilana Weiss commented, “RESPECT’s interactive educational theatre programs have been an important and effective method for promoting positive mental health in schools and organizations for more than two decades. Thanks to the leadership of Dr. Newman, the organization has adapted more than ever to meet the needs of schools to provide services throughout the pandemic. She is truly a champion of mental health and deserving of this award!”
Remembering Jennifer Kay Jennifer Kay’s yahrzeit is June 29 and will be observed at Beth El with a speaker program, featuring Julia Hebenstreit. Observance will start at 5:30 p.m. and will be immediately followed by the speaker at 6pm. While this program is in person, remote attendance is possible through Zoom: https:// zoom.us/j/835844247. Julia Hebenstreit is the Executive Director of The Kim Foundation. She has been with The Kim Foundation since 2011, and prior to that worked for local non-profits doing development, strategic planning, communications and advancement. She serves on the Executive Committee for
Nebraska Association of Behavioral Health Organizations as the 2015 Hill Day State Captain for the state of Nebraska, and as an active member of the Nebraska Suicide Prevention Coalition, the Early Childhood Mental Health Coalition, BHECN Advisory Committee, RESPECT Advisory Board, Connections Advisory Board and the Project Propel Planning Group. Donations can be made to the Jennifer Beth Kay Memorial Fund at the JFO Foundation or at jenniferbethkaymemorialfund.org. This speaker series is sponsored by the Jennifer Beth Kay Memorial Fund and Beth El Synagogue.
Continued from page 1 across the country. Then I see my role as helping to steward the board as we reimagine and redevelop the CRC as the CRC develops its mission, vision, values and charter. We must determine which issues and policies we will engage with to make the greatest impact on our Jewish community and our community at large.” Her strong marketing, public relations and community relations experience spans multiple business and nonprofit sectors from telecommunications and financial services, to economic development, performing arts, and health and human services. She most recently served as marketing and PR director. “It’s very exciting because we don’t often have the opportunity to reinvent a legacy institution,” she said. “The CRC is, for all intents and purposes, a start-up agency with a strong foundational legacy. For decades, our community has relied heavily on the strength and expertise of the Anti-Defamation League to steer our ADL/CRC and that has served us very well. We have been most fortunate to have that presence, brand, and the ADL as a resource. That relationship is not going away, although it will take a different form. “What will change is our ability to determine what our unique organizational structure will look like; which issues we will address and which we will not; how and with whom we will engage on specific issues; whether to follow or adopt the Jewish Council for Public Affairs’ policies on any particular issue. It’s important to note that that there are highly engaged JCRCs in blue states, red states, and purple states and each community has its own blend of perspectives, leaders, stakeholders and issues. We are empowered to call upon our Jewish traditions, teachings, and values to help us make those determinations.” Sharon brings with her years of experience in both advocacy and public relations, and some may even remember that she was the first person to bring the No Place for Hate® program to Omaha with the ADL years ago. She has served on various boards over the years, and she brings a wealth of institutional knowledge with her. She has a son, Ariel, who lives in Israel. Please join us in welcoming Sharon to our campus!
ORGANIZATIONS B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS The award-winning B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS speaker program currently meets Wednesdays via Zoom from noon to 1 p.m. Please watch the Press for specific information concerning its thought-provoking, informative list of speakers. To be placed on the email list, contact Breadbreakers chair at gary.javitch@gmail.com.
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The Jewish Press | June 24, 2022 | 3
Humanitarians of the Year Continued from page 1 including but not limited to Boys Town, Fontenelle Forest, Bellevue University, the Omaha Community Foundation and Inclusive Communities. In 2011, Gloria Kaslow was recognized by JFS as ‘Woman of the Century’ for all the work she has done for the organization. She served several times as its president and is the ‘go-to’ person during times of change. Her projects over the years have included (but are not limited to) resettlement of Soviet Jews, chairing the Education Committee which provided English language tutors and programs, helped design the Women’s Symposium and Men’s Forum, was the BB Bible Quiz (which she co-founded) quizmaster for years, initiated the ‘JFS Friends campaign,’ and helped JFS transition from a separate agency to being a key component of Jewish Social Services. She taught at Beth El’s Talmud Torah for 25 years, and was the chairperson of Beth El’s school board. She has been the chairperson of the Institute of Holocaust Education since its inception. She volunteered with OPS as a teacher of English as a second language and currently tutors foreign students. She is past Chair of the Kripke library, served on the JFO Board and the board of the former Center for Jewish Education and is a past member of Beth El’s Board of trustees. “Gloria Kaslow has shown a life-long dedication to Holocaust education,” Howard Epstein, JFO Foundation Executive Director, said. “She taught Holocaust education classes at Beth El Synagogue Talmud Torah and Hebrew High School for 25 years, and still teaches it to Beth El teens. She served on the JFO Foundation board for several years and provides terrific support.” Howard Kaslow has fulfilled many leadership positions over
the years, including secretary, vice-president, and president of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. He has chaired JFO search committees and the task force that led to the establishment of the JFO Foundation, as well as one of the planning committees when the JCC was moved from downtown to its present location more than 30 years ago. Since then, nearly every agency has benefitted from his support, advice and trusteeship. He helped create and has served on the Governance Council of the Institute for Holocaust Education since its inception. Howard has been a devoted and involved member of Beth El Synagogue. Once upon a time, he was even a BBYO Advisor! In addition, Howard has been instrumental in managing the Herbert Goldsten Trust, which is a major supporter of the Jewish Federation of Omaha and its agencies. “Howard is always willing to be a sounding board,” Howard Epstein, JFO Foundation Executive Director said. “He is always willing to give good, sound, well-reasoned advice. He does a great deal of behind-the-scenes, unsung work on behalf of the Omaha Jewish community and the broader secular community. He is one of the most highly respected attorneys in the city and is regarded as one of the premiere lawyers from whom to seek advice for business matters, estate planning and gift planning. While valuing and keeping the confidentiality of attorneyclient conversations, it is not at all unusual for donors and prospective donors to seek out charitable giving opportunities after learning about those opportunities from Howard. He is a man of high integrity and leads by deed and example.” Please help us celebrate Gloria and Howard during the Jewish Federation’s Annual Meeting. Light refreshments will be served and RSVPs are not required.
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Pay it Forward DAN MARBURG Community Volunteer This idea started with the conversation, as is often the case. Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation Executive Director Howard Epstein and I were walking out of a Jewish Business Leaders of Omaha Bagels & Business breakfast, back in 2019. I mentioned my family has benefited from a variety of grants and scholarships from the Federation over the years. As my sons were working their way through college, I wanted to come up with a plan to make sure future generations would have the same benefits. Basically, I wanted to figure out how much our family had received so I could make sure we give at least twice that much back once my kids were out of college. Over the course of several conversations (delayed, of course, by Covid), Howard and I decided there are probably many people like me; parents or grandparents who are now in position to be on the giving end rather than the receiving end. Even college graduates who benefited growing up through college and are now working and may also be in a position to give back. So, we created an avenue for people to “Pay It Forward.” The idea is for many people to contribute money every month to increase the pool of scholarship money available for current and future generations to receive the same benefits our families have received from the Federation. The “Pay It Forward” Fund will support Omaha’s Jewish youth who want to attend college, Jewish summer camps, the Pennie Z. Davis Early Learning Center, Friedel Jewish
Academy, and participate in other Jewish experiences. Simple idea: Create a monthly gift of $18, $36, $72, or any other amount. The Federation Foundation will pool that money and be able to do great things for kids in the Omaha Jewish community. For example: When 100 community members donate $36 a month, we will create an extra $43,200 a year for grants and scholarships, with the potential of increasing that amount as the donors increase in number. This is not designed to be a solicitation for donations, rather an opportunity for a simple way to “Pay It Forward.” Many of us have benefited from the generosity of our community. If you’re like me and looking for a way to make sure the next generations have the same opportunities, here’s your chance. To get started (please enter “Pay It Forward Fund” in the designation field) https://tinyurl.com/payitforward JFOF. If you have questions please feel free to contact Dan Marburg at 402.250.2520 or MarburgOmaha@gmail.com. Or you can reach Howard Epstein, Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation Executive Director, at 402.334.6466, hep stein@jewishomaha.org.
Trade scholarships available for the 2022-23 academic year An anonymous donor in our community has created two trade school scholarship opportunities, up to $5,000 each, to go towards the 2022-23 academic year. Not every student who advances into higher education signs up for a four-year curriculum. Some high school graduates seek job training that lasts a year or two and then places them in the workforce. Such opportunities include, but are
not restricted to: Information Technology, Construction, Industrial, Transportation and Horticulture. It is not too late to apply for this upcoming school year! Qualified students who have unmet needs regarding tuition for either a two-year trade school program or a trade certificate program can contact the Jewish Press at avande kamp@jewishom aha.org or jpress@jewishomaha.org for more information.
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The Jewish Press
SHIRLY BANNER JFO Kripke Library Specialist JUVENILE: Tía Fortuna’s New Home: A Jewish Cuban Journey by Ruth Behar A poignant multicultural ode to family and what it means to create a home as one girl helps her Tía move away from her beloved Miami apartment. When Estrella’s Tía Fortuna has to say goodbye to her longtime Miami apartment building, The Seaway, to move to an assisted living community, Estrella spends the day with her. Tía explains the significance of her most important possessions from both her Cuban and Jewish culture, as they learn to say goodbye together and explore a new beginning for Tía. A lyrical book about tradition, culture, and togetherness, Tía Fortuna’s New Home explores Tía and Estrella’s Sephardic Jewish and Cuban heritage. Through Tía’s journey, Estrella will learn that as long as you have your family, home is truly where the heart is. ADULT: Bagels, Schmears, and a Nice Piece of Fish by Cathy Barrow A playful-yet-comprehensive cookbook that lets anyone create bagels, schmears, and other deli favorites at home. Bagel lovers rejoice! This delightful cookbook makes it easy to bake fresh bagels in your own kitchen with just five base ingredients and simple techniques. With advice on mixing the dough, shap-
ing the bagels, proofing, boiling, baking, slicing, and storing, you will be a master bagel-maker in no time. Recipes include two dozen variations on the New York bagel, with classic and innovative flavors ranging from Sesame to Blueberry to Hatch Chile Jack. You’ll also find recipes for homemade sweet and savory spreads, schmears, pickles, and other deli mainstays like HomeCured Lox and Chicken Salad. With suggested menus for fun brunches and gatherings, photos of finished food and step-by-step techniques, and a charming deli aesthetic, this is both a comprehensive baking resource and a playful guide to making one of America’s best-loved foods. BAGELS ARE EASY BAKING: This book brings bagels to the home baker with step-by-step recipes for making classic New York bagels, even in the smallest kitchen. And it’s not about the water! It’s about just five ingredients and straightforward technique. Madam: The Biography of Polly Adler, Icon of the Jazz Age by Debby Applegate The compulsively readable and sometimes jaw-dropping story of the life of a notorious madam who played hostess to every gangster, politician, writer, sports star and Cafe Society swell worth knowing, and who as much as any single
Greenberg Scholarship Continued from page 1 into our school, and planned activities inspired by various art forms and themes that prompted us to think about the world in a unique way. As time passed, I felt myself becoming more comfortable with expressing myself and taking on roles of leadership both in the club and in everyday life. I began volunteering at my local food hub and became involved in a student activist program at the Women’s Center for Advancement.” Arjun graduated from Millard North High School and will attend the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in the fall. He organized a school supply donation drive that provided 500 backpacks to students in low income schools. In his application, Arjun wrote, “Since the beginning of high school, I’ve become interested in learning about disparities in the education system in major world cities and how to ensure equitable access for each student. A child’s residential location, ethnic background, and in-
come levels too often map out their future. However, those characteristics shouldn’t indicate what a student can accomplish with the right resources.” Ty graduated from Bellevue West High School and will attend the University of Nebraska at Omaha to study business. Ty has worked hard to overcome personal challenges, and wrote in his application, “I have a strong desire to help people that struggle with life issues. It is my firm belief that all people deserve respect, equality, and to feel included. Throughout high school I worked hard to understand my own identity. First as an Asian American, the son of refugees and as a gay man. I looked for situations and opportunities where I could learn about others and become an ally. My high school did not have a formal “No Place for Hate” program but when I heard about PEW I sought and received special permission to attend. I was able to bring the knowledge learned and the experience back to my high school where I used it to help others.”
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figure helped make the twenties roar— from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Most Famous Man in America. “Applegate’s tour de force about Jazz Age icon Polly Adler will seize you by the lapels, buy you a drink, and keep you reading until the very last page. A treat for fiction and nonfiction fans alike.” — Abbott Kahler, New York Times bestselling author (as Karen Abbott) of The Ghosts of Eden Park. Simply put: Everybody came to Polly’s. Pearl “Polly” Adler (1900-1962) was a diminutive dynamo whose Manhattan brothels in the Roaring Twenties became places not just for men to have the company of women but were key gathering places where the culturati and celebrity elite mingled with high society and with violent figures of the underworld—and had a good time doing it. As a Jewish immigrant from eastern Europe, Polly Adler’s life is a classic American story of success and assimilation that starts like a novel by Henry Roth and then turns into a glittering real-life tale straight out of F. Scott Fitzgerald. She declared her ambition to be “the best goddam madam in all America” and succeeded wildly. Debby Applegate uses Polly’s story as the key to unpacking just what made the 1920s the appallingly corrupt yet glamorous and transformational era that it was and how the collision between high and low is the unique ingredient that fuels American culture.
IN THE NEWS
Cooper Katskee has accepted a four year baseball scholarship to Indiana University in the Big Ten Conference. He led the Colorado High School Baseball Association in strikeouts this past spring at Cherry Creek High School in Denver. He currently plays for the 18 and Under Nebraska Prospects Baseball Organization select team. Cooper as a quarterback also led the Omaha Burke High School football team to an 8-3 record and a spot on the Class A playoffs in Nebraska. He was an All-Metro Conference third team quarterback passing for over 1000 yards and 15 touchdowns. He is active with the BBYO organization in Omaha. He is the son of Scott and Kendall Katskee of Denver, Colorado, and the grandson of Roy and Cookie Katskee of Omaha, and of Robert and Judy Thornton of Austin, Texas.
The Jewish Press | June 24, 2022 | 5
News LOCA L | N ATION AL | WORLD
JFO save the dates
Our Staenberg Kooper Fellman Campus is getting busier and busier, and it can be hard to keep track of everything that’s going on. While we encourage you to check the full community calendar at www.jewishomaha.org for any and all community events, for more information, please contact Rachel Ring at rring@jewishomaha.org, or visit our website.
Decoration Day
Everybody called it Decoration Day instead of Memorial Day. To me, in the late 1930s and early 1940s, it was a holiday, a holiday which everyone I knew observed. Everything was closed, all the stores, all the restau- RICHARD FELLMAN rants, everything except one place--and I never went there. But I heard all about it, since the doctor who delivered me told me that he was at the Ak-Sar-Ben race track one year on Decoration Day with some friends. Early in the afternoon he heard his name on the loud speaker: “Dr. Greenberg, call your answering service at once,” and he went to the hospital where at six that afternoon he delivered a baby boy. That was me. From that day on, for all of my childhood, Decoration Day was more than a holiday. To me it was “my holiday.” You see, my world sort of stopped every year on Decoration Day.
My father was home. He didn’t go to work. My mother always asked me what I wanted for dinner that night, and she made it. It was the only day of the year that happened. There was always a party for me. Some aunts and uncles came to our house, and I had 19 aunts and uncles so there were always a few who came. There were cousins. I had l6 first cousins. A few of them came. We had a big, big party, and there were always presents for me. One of my favorite relatives, my Aunt Rose, my father’s older sister, always brought me a special present. Before she would give it to me, she would hold it out and say: “This is for you, but do you remember whose birthday it is tomorrow?” I would tell her: “Sure, it’s Uncle Bob’s birthday, isn’t it?” And she would smile, give me the gift with a big, big hug and a wet, wet kiss. That was a long time ago, and to this day, Uncle Bob’s birthday is the only one of all my uncles and aunts that I remember, all because of Aunt Rose, a lovely woman who I grew to adore. See Decoration Day page 6
June 28 - JFO Annual Meeting and Awards Night 7– 9 p.m. in the Alan J. Levine Performing Arts Theater July 10 - Big Picture Art Tour and Presentation of the Donor Wall – 2–4 p.m. at the Staenberg JCC Campus July 10 - YJO Beyond Van Gogh Exhibit July 12 – NJHS Archives Uncovered – “Holocaust and Refugees” July 21 - IHE Lunch and Learn 11:30 a.m.– 1 p.m. Zoom July 21 - Dorothy Kaplan Book Discussion Group, 1 p.m. in the Wiesman and on Zoom July 24 - Ben Gurion Society Summer Social July 27 - Jewish Business Leaders Event
JCC trainers in the kitchen Our personal trainers have taken to the kitchen to share some of their favorite healthy recipes and tips.
ASIAN CUCUMBER & SEA VEGETABLE SALAD Ingredients for Dressing: 3 Tbsp. brown rice vinegar 2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice Zest of 1 lemon 1 Tbsp. evaporated cane sugar 1 Tbsp. pickled ginger, chopped 1 tsp. dried minced onion 1/2 tsp. sea salt 2 tsp. sesame seeds, plus more for garnish Ingredients For Salad: 1/4 cup dried wakame seaweed 2 cucumbers, cut into rounds about 1/4-inch thick
1/2 cup shredded carrots
Directions: Whisk vinegar, lemon juice and zest, sugar, ginger, dried onion, sea salt, and 2 teaspoons sesame seeds together. Set aside. Soak wakame in warm water for 3 to 5 minutes to rehydrate. Drain and chop, if desired. Place in large serving bowl. Add cucumbers and carrots. Add dressing to vegetables and toss. Serve, garnished with additional sesame seeds.
FOOD
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Decoration Day
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NJHS “Archives Uncovered”
The Nebraska Jewish Historical Society recently kicked off its “Archives Uncovered” series at the JCC by sharing early- to mid20th-century memorabilia of community members’ military and political service. Above left: NJHS Interim Director Liz Boutin offers a close-up look at a military helmet worn by Harry Goodbinder during WWII, at right: NJHS Board President Ben Justman takes attendees on a tour of the organization’s climate-controlled archives room. The next “Archives Uncovered” event, which will spotlight “Holocaust and Refugees,” is scheduled for Tuesday, July 12, at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Reservations may be made by contacting the historical society at lboutin@jewishomaha.org.
Ukraine support from the Lincoln Jewish Community Dear Friends, We want to share what has been achieved so far in Ukraine because of your beautiful Mitzvah in sending donations to Ukrainian families suffering from the Russian war in their country. Your donations were crucial in providing badly needed relief to simple Ukrainians on the ground. They are people who have suffered tremendously and
endured very difficult conditions. They have lost beloved ones, homes, their jobs, and their way of life. They are enduring everyday difficulties, and because of your generous help and compassion, they have received spiritual and material support to get by and feel some minor hope. Todah Rabbah! RABBI ALEX AND IRYNA
Continued from page 5 Decoration Day in those years was always on May 30th. It never moved around, never became part of a long weekend, and back then I never heard talk of remembering those who had died. Memorial Day was not included in Decoration Day, at least to me as a small boy. What was included was the joy of having my birthday each year become a holiday that everyone celebrated. It did wonders for my young ego that the entire world, a least the part that I knew, seemed to celebrate my birthday. To this day, no one has ever accused me of being short-changed in the ego department. But through the years, starting with Pearl Harbor on December 7th, change did come. That day in 1941, my father sat at the breakfast table talking to my mother and telling her that he would no longer get any delays in his orders to active duty as a Captain in the Army. He would soon be leaving. My father and mother then turned to me, since I had been listening. At six years old, I did not really understand what they were talking about, but she said to me: “Dick, Daddy’s going to be away. He’ll be in the Army serving our country. You and your sister and I will be home alone. Dick, you’ll be the man of the house.” Decoration Day forever changed. So did the prayers we said that night. Until then my mother would come to the side of my bed and together we said the Shema, the Jewish prayer children say each night. We always added “goodnights” to our family. That night, my mother said we would add another sentence: “Please God, make the War end soon.” Those additional words remained in our prayers until the war was over in 1945. Some time, and I don’t know exactly when, Decoration Day became Memorial Day. Today that change seems correct. Yesterday, seven days after the 87th “Decoration Day” of my life, I attended Yizkor, the Jewish Memorial Service for the dead. It is observed in every synagogue four times each year: on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, and on each of the three major holidays, Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot. As I read the Yizkor liturgy and thought about its meaning, my mind wandered. I thought about those Decoration Days so many years ago. Times are different and many things have changed. Today, all 19 of my aunts and uncles have passed away as have a third of my first cousins. My parents are gone, as is my wife. My body has become a bit weaker. But my ego is still intact.
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Susan Bernard | 402.334.6559 | sbernard@jewishomaha.org
The Jewish Press | June 24, 2022 | 7
Above: The entire staff of Friedel Jewish Academy wishes everyone a great summer! Right: The Early Learning Center invited Mr. Bill Sullivan to Shabbat to send him off in ELC style. Happy retirement, Bill! Below: At the end of the 21-22 school year, Friedel kindergartners released their butterflies.
Top, above, below and bottom: Our Shlicha Sivan Cohen recently hosted the L’chaim cocktail workshop- the Shavuot edition. While at Spirit World, participants sampled Shake or stir cocktails, made with Israeli whiskey, gin and wine.
SP O TLIGHT
GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY
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.
The women’s philanthropy event at the Farnam. Above left: Sivan Cohen, Margo Parsow and Rachel Ring; and above right: Iris Ricks and Stacey Feldman.
Below: Christina Caniglia (in yellow) represented the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home at the Congressional Briefing for Direct Care Staff in Washington DC. The Nebraska Health Care Association advocates on Capitol Hill for health care professionals working in Nebraska’s nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
8 | The Jewish Press | June 24, 2022
Voices
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Margie Gutnik President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Susan Bernard Advertising Executive Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Editor Gabby Blair Sam Kricsfeld Staff Writers Mary Bachteler Accounting Jewish Press Board Margie Gutnik, President; Abigail Kutler, Ex-Officio; Danni Christensen; David Finkelstein; Bracha Goldsweig; Mary Sue Grossman; Les Kay; Natasha Kraft; Chuck Lucoff; Joseph Pinson; Andy Shefsky and Amy Tipp. The mission of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to build and sustain a strong and vibrant Omaha Jewish Community and to support Jews in Israel and around the world. Agencies of the Federation are: Community Relations Committee, Jewish Community Center, Center for Jewish Life, Jewish Social Services, and the Jewish Press. Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page stories and announcements, can be found online at: www.jewishomaha.org; click on ‘Jewish Press.’ Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole. The Jewish Press reserves the right to edit signed letters and articles for space and content. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment. Editorial The Jewish Press is an agency of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Deadline for copy, ads and photos is: Thursday, 9 a.m., eight days prior to publication. E-mail editorial material and photos to: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org; send ads (in TIF or PDF format) to: rbusse@jewishomaha.org. Letters to the Editor Guidelines The Jewish Press welcomes Letters to the Editor. They may be sent via regular mail to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154; via fax: 1.402.334.5422 or via e-mail to the Editor at: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org. Letters should be no longer than 250 words and must be single-spaced typed, not hand-written. Published letters should be confined to opinions and comments on articles or events. News items should not be submitted and printed as a “Letter to the Editor.” The Editor may edit letters for content and space restrictions. Letters may be published without giving an opposing view. Information shall be verified before printing. All letters must be signed by the writer. The Jewish Press will not publish letters that appear to be part of an organized campaign, nor letters copied from the Internet. No letters should be published from candidates running for office, but others may write on their behalf. Letters of thanks should be confined to commending an institution for a program, project or event, rather than personally thanking paid staff, unless the writer chooses to turn the “Letter to the Editor” into a paid personal ad or a news article about the event, project or program which the professional staff supervised. For information, contact Annette van de KampWright, Jewish Press Editor, 402.334.6450. Postal The Jewish Press (USPS 275620) is published weekly (except for the first week of January and July) on Friday for $40 per calendar year U.S.; $80 foreign, by the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Phone: 402.334.6448; FAX: 402.334.5422. Periodical postage paid at Omaha, NE. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198 or email to: jpress@jewishomaha.org.
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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.
Full Picture Art Tour
ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor We invite you to be our guest on Sunday, July 10, from 2-4 p.m., when the Jewish Federation of Omaha hosts an open house, including a guided Art Tour, of the Staenberg Kooper Fellman Campus. Full disclosure: my name is on the program as co-chair with Shiri Phillips and we have a vested interest in getting you all in the door. Works of art evoke emotion—or at least, they are supposed to. Sometimes that emotion is positive and optimistic, sometimes it is not; we all love and like different things. Art does more than embellish or simply ‘pretty up’ the space—it gives us something to feel, talk, think about. Art tells a story. A public space, especially a community center like ours, really isn’t complete without works of art. And while it may appear as if the artwork on our walls simply shows up without rhyme or reason, there is a method to the madness. Michael Staenberg, in donating these many pieces to our campus, has made the art accessible. That accessibility is an important aspect of the way he operates; rather than hang in a museum behind glass, protected by security, ‘our’ art is available for anyone who comes in. It can (sometimes) be touched, we can get close to it, it becomes part of our everyday lives. We, the public, do not need to feel intimidated. This is not a museum; it’s our building—our community home. We belong here. To be honest, I’m biased. I love any and all art- I even enjoy looking at pieces that I secretly find ugly, because there is always a story. I try to imagine who
made it, what was going through the artist’s mind, what they are trying to say—what we are supposed to hear. If something doesn’t make sense right away, I get to look at it again the next day, and the next day after that. “Every artwork depicts a story,” Artist Andy Okay said, “and when you decorate your home, you have limitless reasons to actually choose artworks that will truly be there to inspire you each and every day.” It’s true for our other spaces, too—where we feel at home is not always our actual ‘home.’ We should still feel inspired. Michael Mendelson, Resident Artist of Artists Repertory Theatre in Oregon, said: “The Arts benefit society and the individual by offering an opportunity for a diverse group to gather and share the magic of storytelling. The oldest and most profound form of ritual. It allows us to be moved, to engage our mind, heart and soul collectively and gain new insights of experiences that are not our own but that are uniquely human. Art helps to define our place in the world
and understand the world’s impact on us. Art changes our perspective either consciously or subconsciously. Art is intrinsic to our well being and encourages, sometimes forces us to question our current ideals and if we’re open to it, alter our perspective. We are not a complete human without the influence of Art in our lives.” And if that doesn’t convince you: “A study by neurobiologist and professor Semir Zeki found that looking at a work of art can actually have the same psychological effect as the euphoric experience of romantic love.” (theculturetrip.com) During the July 10 Art Tour, you will be able to ask questions yourself, as local artists as well as docents will be on site to explain what you’re seeing. Docentled tours are at 2:25, 2:45, and 3:15 p.m. In addition, we will have refreshments, sparkling wine, a presentation of the donor wall, live music from the Mahr Quartet and we are giving away art catalogues featuring the works in our building. We can’t wait to
I’m neither ‘Ukrainian’ nor ‘German.’ IRINA ROSENSAFT FRANKFURT, Germany | JTA I was born in Ukraine but have never considered myself Ukrainian. My parents had immigrated to Germany, seeking political and economic stability during the chaotic time of the Soviet Union’s collapse, and I still live here, in Frankfurt. Now, as a mother of two with a full-time job, I spend most of my spare time trying to help the country my family left when I was 12. Along the way, I am also finding ways to reconcile my complex Jewish identities. Until Russia invaded Ukraine in February, I didn’t think much about my native country. Instead, I was focused on my family and my career. My professional background is in consulting and management; I am also a member of the World Jewish Congress’s Jewish Diplomatic Corps, a network of people ages 30 to 45 whom WJC trains to influence Jewish interests through diplomacy and public policy. Even if I hadn’t been a member of the JD Corps, as we call it, I would have followed the war closely and probably tried to help. As part of the network, however, I realized that I could do more. Soon after the war started, I understood that despite my complicated relationship with Ukraine, I had absolutely no hesitation about doing everything within my power to help others. And even though WJC is a Jewish organization — it is obviously aware of Ukraine’s history of antisemitism — the group’s leadership as well as my peers in the JD Corps felt compelled to help everyone. I plunged into an array of relief work, including helping people escape Ukraine and find safe havens that have the medical care and other support they need. With the help of WJC, I also focused on procuring medicine, an effort inspired in part by my mother, who has diabetes. If she doesn’t have access to insulin, she will not survive. I do not have a medical background and I started to use creative methods to secure medicine and get it into Ukraine. At first, it seemed like I might not succeed. It’s almost impossible for an ordinary person to buy prescription medicine in bulk, let alone transport it. A pharmaceutical executive told me how to buy in big quantities, and connected me to her contacts, including sellers. A doctor friend made the actual purchase. My mother even collected extra
insulin and other medicines from her friends and the pharmacies she patronizes. Procuring the drug was only the first step, however. Insulin must be stored below a certain temperature. A biochemist who is also a pharmaceutical logistics professional advised me on the logistics of how to best ship it and connected me to her partner company, which donated a special box for the journey. WJC put me in touch with a Jewish communal pro-
Credit: iStock/Getty Images Plus
fessional, who helped me locate a driver to transport the medicine — insulin and other life-saving drugs that would last 80 people between two and three months — to Kyiv, where the Vaad of Ukraine, the Association of Jewish Organizations and Communities, distributes it to their affiliated organizations. After that first shipment, we did a second one that was logistically quite different. We soon learned that finding a viable path one time didn’t guarantee that it would be there the next. For the next shipment, we are working to assemble and transport about 1.5 tons of medicine including heart, asthma and thyroid drugs. We’d buy the medicine with the help of Pharmacists Without Borders and store it in Cologne at a facility owned by the Blue-Yellow Cross, a new organization that collects and transports donations for Ukraine. All this talk of storage temperatures and pharmaceutical logistics might make this work sound very clinical, but for me, it isn’t. It’s centered in a web of feelings and memories and questions that connect my past and my future, and me to family, community and country. Of course, I’ve been troubled by anxiety and guilt related to my children. I’ve been online and on the phone constantly despite their need for attention. I have sent them to play,
telling them I needed another three minutes, when I knew that I would probably need a half-hour to finish a phone call, and that I would then need to make another one. I didn’t attend our community’s Purim celebration because I received a call from a refugee who had no food and no money. When our second shipment was en route to Ukraine, I stayed online on Shabbat in case there were any problems. Yet during this time, I’ve also realized that I do have a connection to the country of my birth. I have remembered my hometown, Zhytomyr, the fields full of sunflowers, the black seacoast of Crimea. I love the Ukrainian songs of Sofia Rotaru, and I wore vyshyvanka (an embroidered shirt that’s part of the national costume) to sing them as part of the school choir. I loved to visit Kyiv with my mom. It’s true that there was antisemitism. I grew up knowing that Jews were not fully part of Ukraine or the Soviet Union before its collapse. We were Jews, something apart. Not Jewish — Jews. We left Ukraine with very mixed feelings. As Jews, we tend to feel solidarity with people in need. By working through some of those feelings, I also found a way to identify with Ukraine, my native country. As I learned of cities in my former homeland being destroyed, my connection to Ukraine strengthened. I plan to learn more about the Jewish community in Ukraine. I’ve spoken to my parents to better understand why we left. I still don’t call myself “Ukrainian,” but I also have the same problem calling myself “German.” Of course I share the democratic values of the German state, but I have a different culture and customs, have another mother tongue, a complex heritage and belong ethnically to another group (which can be very problematic to speak about in Germany after the Holocaust). We all know that Jewish identity is complex. But for now, I’m happy to help other people, set a positive example for my children and future generations and better understand myself in the process. Irina Rosensaft is the digital transformation lead at the Central Welfare Board of Jews in Germany. She is a board member of B’nai B’rith Frankfurt and a member of the World Jewish Congress Jewish Diplomatic Corps. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.
The Jewish Press | June 24, 2022 | 9
What can ‘Disney adults’ teach us about religion? A lot, according to this professor. IRINA ROSENSAFT JTA It started innocuously enough. A post from AITA, a Reddit channel that poses the question, “Am I the a–hole?” went viral on Twitter earlier this week when a Disney-loving woman claimed to have forsaken catering for her wedding guests in order to pay for a Mickey and Minnie Mouse appearance at the ceremony. (Reddit later removed the post, which many had suspected to be fake.) Responses ranged from horror at the egregious wedding faux-pas to harsh critiques of “Disney adults,” or millennials who spend a considerable amount of their time and money visiting Disney’s theme parks, typically without children. And then there was the response from Jodi Eichler-Levine, a Jewish professor of religious studies at Lehigh University. Eichler-Levine, who has written about the way Disney functions as a religion for some, urged against the criticism of adults who love Disney, arguing that much of the criticism of the Disney adult is overly simplistic and rooted in sexism. “Many of the Disney fans I have observed in person and online find immense meaning in the parks. People don’t just marry at Disney. They mourn lost relatives at Disney. They go to Disney to celebrate surviving cancer. They go there for one last trip before they die,” Eichler-Levine wrote. “Religion is a way of making meaning in the world through stories and rituals.” As her thread gained some traction, Eichler-Levine, who has also written extensively about Jewish imagery in media, from Maurice Sendak to Hamilton, faced mockery and criticism, including a deluge from Jewish Twitter users who found her 2020 essay drawing comparisons between the pandemic closure of Disney parks and the destruction of Judaism’s ancient Temples. She received so much scorn through direct messages that she made her account private for a day to stave off antisemitic and sexist harassment. We spoke to Eichler-Levine about her scholarship, that Temple essay and her role at the center of the “Disney adult” discourse. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. JTA: You became one of the most talked about people on Twitter this week, and you said you were the recipient of antisemitic harassment as a result. Tell me about that. Eichler-Levine: I did not expect this Twitter thread to go viral. I didn’t think it said anything that revolutionary. I was just saying, hey, look, this is a site of real meaning for people. I’ve been studying Disney films since 2019. So have lots of other scholars. It really means something to people to get married in Disney World. It really is a ritual. And there’s people who orient their lives around it. So I would say Disney is at least quasi-religious, if not religious. And the reaction was dramatic. Religious studies Twitter said this is an overly facile argument. Jewish Twitter, to the extent I saw it, seemed to be mad at the Revealer article and that comparison. The antisemites came out because I talked about capitalism. I mean, the antisemites came up because I’m Jewish, frankly. But I started getting a lot of retweets discussing the global Jewish conspiracy. I had pointed out that that religion is often intertwined with capitalism. This is something Weber talks about in terms of Protestant Christianity. But the ancient Temple was very holy; it was also a place for people to pay their farming taxes. And so I think the fact that I talked about money, and I’m Jewish, and I do Jewish studies, led to the predictable Twitter antisemites — not a term I use lightly — kind of going bananas. I locked my account down and then reopened it when the fuss died down a bit. It was a deluge. Other people were offended that I was taking on some kind of heresy, that there was something heretical in comparing Disney to a religion because real religions aren’t capitalistic, according to critics, and real religions are real. But if you’re in religious studies, your job isn’t deciding if a religion is real or not. That’s a theological question. I don’t do that. I’m not a theologian, I’m not a rabbi. I say, ‘Okay, what practices and rituals are going on in the world that have meaning to people?’ And that doesn’t mean that Disney is or is not a religion. It means we understand it better through the lens of religion, and this kind of comparison. You wrote about Disney as a stand-in for the Temple. What are the other parallels that you see between Disney and Judaism? It’s interesting to think about both the parallels between Disney and Judaism and also the ways that Judaism is represented in and around the parks. So for example, when Disney does their special holidays around the world at Epcot, they have a Jewish storyteller singing Hanukkah songs and making Jewish food jokes. So there’s a way in which Disney’s new approach to multiculturalism has kind of grafted Jewish traditions that I think is fascinating, in terms of those structural similarities — like Disney being like a Temple, a site of pilgrimage. That’s the most obvious one, is this idea of a holy center,
and anthropologists have been looking at Disney this way for decades, in fact. It’s not a new observation. I think you’ve also got interesting comparisons when it comes to canon. Canon is relevant for a lot of different fandoms: Star Wars, which is now owned by Disney; Star Trek. And Disney has this sort of ever-evolving canon of films and characters that ends up commenting on itself in a very Midrashic way. The live-action remakes are kind of taking biblical stories and filling in new details and altering them for the times, just like what we saw in the evolution of the Talmud and rabbinic literature.
Jodi Eichler-Levine, a professor of religion studies at Lehigh University, encountered antisemitic harassment after one of her Twitter threads about Disney went viral. Credit: Eichler-Levine
That reminds me of the 2007 Disney film Enchanted, which is a commentary on the whole of Disney itself and all of these ridiculous norms of the Disney universe. Enchanted is a great example because it’s a meta movie. And very much like rabbinic literature, you have to know the signs to see them. You have to know the shots to say, ‘Oh, that looks just like a shot from Beauty and the Beast’ or ‘that camera angle is from the ballroom scene.’ It’s very much an insider language, which we see in a lot of religious traditions. People tend to dismiss Disney. They dismiss it because it’s seen as “kid stuff ” and because they think of it as fake. But even if the people in the costumes are fake, the emotions are real. So the intervention I was trying to make was to draw attention to the fact that this is real for some people. This is not just kid stuff, and it’s no different from people who weep when their sports team wins. I’m a Boston Red Sox fan. When they finally won the World Series in 2004, all of the reporting was on men in Boston who lived through the whole drought just weeping. And I’m not making fun of that. I thought it was very powerful. But we didn’t mock it the way we mock Disney adults. There’s a gender component, too. When it comes to Disney as opposed to Marvel or Star Wars, there’s a larger number of women in the fan base. Princesses are symbolic of Disney, and they are girls. And so that idea of princess culture, of course, is problematic if we’re looking at girls’ agency — even Disney has realized that — but because of things like princess culture, Disney the brand got feminized. Part of the rise of Marvel and Star Wars is to defeminize the brand as a whole. But the actual word “Disney” for a lot of people still evokes women and children, and sometimes gay men. And all of those people are demonized by certain segments of U.S. society. There was a viral tweet last year mocking a woman who cried when she saw the castle. Because Disney fans are feminized and infantilized. And at what point did you realize that things had snowballed, that this was going in a much bigger direction than you anticipated? And how do you think the fact that you are a woman and Jewish contributed to the harassment that you were getting? I realized it when I started getting media inquiries. I’ve certainly written for the public a lot before, but it started to happen at an unusual rate. And then, to be honest, I have a job. I was also trying to work yesterday. But every time I checked in, things were kind of... people have gotten much more viral than this. It’s not that high a number, but I think that was a pretty clear indication. It was a lot of men. There were plenty of women who were critical. I’m fine with intellectual criticism. But a lot of the “yo
you’re stupid” comments and the threatening direct messages were almost universally coming from men. This is why a lot of people, including women, don’t want to engage on social media. What were some of the valid intellectual criticisms you received, and how did you respond to them? They got very lost in the deluge. But on academic Twitter, specifically on religious studies Twitter, there were lots of thoughtful criticisms. One of the best came from a scholar who pointed out very thoughtfully that when we say “don’t pathologize joy,” “don’t don’t mess with people’s joy,” “they’re having a good time,” he pointed out that they’re having a good time, but there’s also a lot of exploitation involved. Exploitation of their pocketbooks, exploitation of resources. I mean, Disney took over the Everglades in the 1970s. You can’t ignore the problems with Disney. There are racialized problems. There are a lot of problems with Disney. I didn’t want the thread to go on forever, but in my broader work, I’m certainly attending to that. And also, religious studies Twitter kind of went, “well, I didn’t think this would be what made religious studies become the Twitter discourse, but here we are.” But it reinvigorated a lot of the debates that people thought were settled in the study of religion. Like the idea that there is no one normative thing that is religion. One of the things people have been discussing in religious studies since before I even went to grad school 20 years ago, is if religion is this capacious term, can you make it really capacious and apply it to anything that has rituals? Or does that dilute the term so much, that when we say “religion,” we really just mean “culture”? People have also studied the fact that religion is a western concept. Jonathan Z. Smith famously wrote an essay about this. So did a lot of other scholars. It kind of reinvigorated a lot of those debates about what can we call a religion, how does religion connect with commerce — and when we’re talking about religion, if we describe something, are we validating it? Are we valorizing it? Because a lot of people took the tweet to mean, “she thinks that corporations are great” and saying you shouldn’t pathologize something means you shouldn’t criticize it. But when I say, “don’t pathologize Disney fans,” I’m getting at this really gendered “These are hysterical fans,” or “these are strange adults who are interested in children,” which just reeks of homophobia, as well. So to pathologize something is to say it’s diseased, it’s the problem, we need to get rid of it, we need to cut it out. I think it’s fine to criticize Disney fans or to criticize Disney as a company. But I’d like to see people using richer descriptions of what they criticize. And I think it’s fine to criticize Disney adults, maybe. But first we should understand. There’s also a discourse critiquing the idea of the “guilty pleasure.” Because why should things that bring us pleasure make us feel ashamed or guilty? How does that apply to the furor over Disney adults? This is not meant to be a knock at Christians, but I think it’s part of the unspoken Protestantism that is part of American culture. Even parts of the United States that we think are secular have this kind of Protestant overlay to them, where the ideas of guilt and sin are really profound. Now, that doesn’t mean there’s no guilt or sin in Jewish tradition. But humans’ original nature is not always thought of as sinful in Jewish tradition. You have this rabbinic idea of the “yetzer hatov,” the good inclination, and the “yetzer hara,” the bad inclination, sometimes translated as “evil.” But they’re both there. And if I may generalize, Jewish tradition can actually handle joy and play pretty well. The rabbis are very playful in the way they engage with one another.
Synagogues
10 | The Jewish Press | June 24, 2022
B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE
618 Mynster Street Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 712.322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com
BETH EL SYNAGOGUE
Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California Street Omaha, NE 68154-1980 402.492.8550 bethel-omaha.org
BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE
Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street Omaha, NE. 68154 402.556.6288 BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org
CHABAD HOUSE
An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street Omaha, NE 68144-1646 402.330.1800 OChabad.com email: chabad@aol.com
LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN
South Street Temple Union for Reform Judaism 2061 South 20th Street Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE
Capehart Chapel 2500 Capehart Road Offutt AFB, NE 68123 402.294.6244 email: oafbjsll@icloud.com
ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME
323 South 132 Street Omaha, NE 68154 rbjh.com
TEMPLE ISRAEL
Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive Omaha, NE 68144-1206 402.556.6536 templeisraelomaha.com
LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: TIFERETH ISRAEL
Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Boulevard Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 402.423.8569 tiferethisraellincoln.org
B’NAI ISRAEL Join us on Friday, July 8, 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 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: Nebraska AIDS Coalition Lunch, 11:30 a.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m.; Havdalah, 9:45 p.m. Zoom Only. SUNDAY: Torah Study, 10 a.m. MONDAY: Women’s Book Group, 7 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Jennifer Kay Memorial Guest Speaker, 6 p.m. THURSDAY: Othello, 6 p.m. at Elmwood Park. FRIDAY-July 1: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream SATURDAY-July 2: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m.; Havdalah, 9:45 p.m. Zoom Only. SUNDAY: Torah Study, 10 a.m. MONDAY: Beth El Office Closed. THURSDAY: Jazz on the Green, 6 p.m. at Midtown Crossing. FRIDAY-July 8: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream SATURDAY-July 9: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m.; Havdalah, 9:40 p.m. Zoom Only. Please visit bethel-omaha.org for additional information and service links.
BETH ISRAEL FRIDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Deeping Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat, 7:30 p.m.; Candlelighting, 8:43 p.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:45 a.m.; Kids Parsha Class, 6:50 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha, 8:40 p.m.; Shalosh Seudos/Laws of Shabbos/Kids Activity, 9 p.m.; Ma’ariv/Havdalah, 9:53 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:40 p.m. MONDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Deeping Prayer, 7:45 a.m. (Zoom); Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:40 p.m. TUESDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Deeping Prayer, 7:45 a.m. (Zoom); Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:40 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:30 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 6:45 a.m.; Deeping Prayer, 7:45 a.m. (Zoom); Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 8:40 p.m. THURSDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:30 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 6:45 a.m.; Deeping Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Character Development, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Kids Parsha Class, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:40 p.m. FRIDAY-July 1: 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, 8:43 p.m. SATURDAY-July 2: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:45 a.m.; Kids Parsha Class, 6:50 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha, 8:40 p.m.; Shalosh Seudos/Laws of Shabbos/Kids Activity, 9 p.m.; Candlelighting, 9:52 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:40 p.m. MONDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Deeping Prayer, 7:45 a.m. (Zoom); Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:50
JEWISH PRESS NOTICES
p.m. TUESDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Deeping Prayer, 7:45 a.m. (Zoom); Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:50 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:30 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 6:45 a.m.; Deeping Prayer, 7:45 a.m. (Zoom); Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 8:50 p.m. THURSDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:30 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 6:45 a.m.; Deeping Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Character Development, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Kids Parsha Class, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:50 p.m. FRIDAY-July 8: 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, 8:42 p.m. SATURDAY-July 9: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:45 a.m.; Kids Parsha Class, 6:50 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha, 8:40 p.m.; Shalosh Seudos/Laws of Shabbos/Kids Activity, 9 p.m.; Candlelighting, 9:50 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, 8:43 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 9:52 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.; Third of Tammuz Farbrengen, 6 p.m.; Virtual Pirkei Avot Women’s Class, 7 p.m.; Regional Inspirational Tribute to the Rebbe, 7 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Mystical Thinking (Tanya), 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Katzman; Introductory Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Introduction to Hebrew Reading, 11:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Women’s Power Lunch, noon with Shani Katzman. RSVP at ochabad.com/lunch. THURSDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Advanced Hebrew Class, 11 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Talmud Study (Sanhedrin — No advance experience necessary), noon with Rabbi Katzman; Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law) Class, 8 p.m. FRIDAY-July 1: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Inspirational Lechayim, 5:45 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: ochab ad.com/Lechayim; Candlelighting, 8:43 p.m. SATURDAY-July 2: Shacharit, 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent. Special Kiddush celebrating the Rebbes life on the 28th anniversary of his passing on the 3rd of Tammuz; Shabbat Ends, 9:51 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.; 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 — No advance experience necessary), noon with Rabbi Katzman; Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law) Class, 8 p.m. FRIDAY-July 8: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Inspirational Lechayim, 5:45 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: ochab ad.com/Lechayim; Candlelighting, 8:41 p.m. SATURDAY-July 9: Shacharit, 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 9:49 p.m. *Be a part of the beautiful and educational Jewish Art Calendar this year! Please contact Devorah at 402.214.9945 or Devorah@ochabad.com for more information.
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. Oneg hosted by Lupe and Kent Malcom; Candlelighting, 8:44 p.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Alex at TI; Kiddush Lunch sponsored by the Kushner Family, 11:30 a.m.; Havdalah, 9:53 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; Garden Work and Mulching, 8:30 a.m.; SST Board Meeting, 1:30 p.m.; Pickleball at Tifereth Israel is on hiatus until after Yom Kippur 5783. In the meantime, everyone is welcome to play at Peterson Park through the spring and summer; just wear comfortable clothes and tennis or gym shoes. For motre information, contact Miriam Wallick by email at Miriam57@aol.com. TUESDAY: Tea & Coffee with Pals, 1:30 p.m. via Zoom. FRIDAY-July 1: Kabbalat Shabbat Service, service leaders/music: Rabbi Alex, Nathaniel and Steve Kaup, 6:30 p.m. at SST; Candlelighting, 8:44 p.m. SATURDAY-July 2: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Alex at TI; Candlelighting for Yom Tov, 9:52 p.m. SUNDAY: Candlelighting for Yom Tov, 9:45 p.m. MONDAY: Synagogue Offices Closed. TUESDAY: Tea & Coffee with Pals, 1:30 p.m. via Zoom. FRIDAY-July 8: Kabbalat Shabbat Service, service leaders/music: Rabbi Alex, Leslie Delserone and Peter Mullin, 6:30 p.m. at SST; Candlelighting, 8:42 p.m. SATURDAY-July 9: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Alex at TI; Havdalah, 9:49 p.m.
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE
FRIDAYS: Virtual Shabbat Service, 7:30 p.m. every first and third of the month at Capehart Chapel. Contact TSgt Jason Rife at OAFBJSLL@icloud.com for more information.
ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home’s service is currently closed to visitors.
TEMPLE ISRAEL
In-person and virtual services conducted by Rabbi 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 Service, 6 p.m. via Zoom or In-Person. SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. via Zoom or InPerson; Tot Havdalah, 4-6 p.m. In-Person. SUNDAY: Second Sunday Breakfast, 9 a.m. at the Stephen Center. WEDNESDAY: Yarn It, 9 a.m. THURSDAY: Thursday Morning Class, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Azriel via Zoom or In-Person. FRIDAY-July 1: Drop-In Mah Jongg, 9-11 a.m.; Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. via Zoom or In-Person. SATURDAY-July 2: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. via Zoom or In-Person. MONDAY: Temple Israel Office Closed. WEDNESDAY: Yarn It, 9 a.m. THURSDAY: Thursday Morning Class, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Azriel via Zoom or In-Person; Holy Smokes, 7 p.m. In-Person. FRIDAY-July 8: Drop-In Mah Jongg, 9-11 a.m.; Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. via Zoom or In-Person. SATURDAY-July 9: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. via Zoom or In-Person. Please visit templeisraelomaha.com for additional information and Zoom service links.
The Jewish Press will be closed on Monday, July 4, 2022 for Independence Day. There will be no Jewish Press on July 1, 2022. There is an early deadline of Tuesday, June 28 at noon for the July 8, 2022 issue. Questions? Call 402.334.6448.
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The Jewish Press | June 24, 2022 | 11
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Sokolof Award Winners
The Sokolof Awards reception was held Tuesday, June 14 in personal achievement, and community service. Zev Gordman and Jack Scioli were unable to attend as they the Shirley and Leonard Goldstein Community Engagement Venue of the Staenberg Omaha JCC. The reception honored are currently in Israel with the Israel Bound program, sponsored by the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. Ilana McNamara the 2022 recipients of the Sokolof awards: • The Phil & Ruth Sokolof Honor Roll Merit Scholarships: • For High School Seniors: Zev Gordman and Jack Scioli • For Health Care: Albert Cohen Sedgh and Yoni Herskovitz • The Karen Sokolof Javitch Music Fund Award: Ilana McNamara • The Phil & Ruth Sokolof Outstanding Jewish Teacher Award: Abby Haber The awards were created with a bequest from the late Phil Sokolof. Phil and Ruth Sokolof were well known throughout Omaha and throughout the country for their dedication to their community, for their charitable and philanthropic efforts, and for their business and Back row: Anthony and Andee Scioli, left, Karen Sokolof Javitch, Abby Haber, Jody Malashock, and Howard Epstein; Front row: Yoni Herskovitz, left, and Albert Cohen Sedgh. personal accomplishments. This year’s recipients are truly some of the community’s was also unable to attend. She is currently in Vermont, attendbrightest. The students are all great examples of the scholar- ing New Music on the Point, a contemporary music festival. ship criteria of scholastic performance, exemplary character, Each recipient will receive a $10,000 award.
Save the Date Mark your calendar for the 2022 OJAA Golf outing, Aug. 14 at Top Golf. SCHEDULE OF EVENTS • 11:45 a.m. - Noon - Registration • Noon - 3p.m. - Golf and Lunch • 2:45 p.m. - 3 p.m. - Awards and Thank yous Funds raised from this event will provide tuition support so children can experience a top-notch education at the Omaha JCC’s Pennie Z. Davis Early Learning Center (Child Development Center).For additional information and to register, please visit https://app.mobilecause.com/e/M DW8OQ?vid=smysa. Registration includes an All-American Food Package, a silent auction, and 3-hours of unlimited golf.
CORRECTION In the June 17 issue, the incorrect phone number was listed in the Sportscape story. The correct phone number is 531.301.0628. The Jewish Press regrets these errors.
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12 | The Jewish Press | June 24, 2022
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It’s official: Biden to visit Israel, West Bank and Saudi Arabia in mid-July the Palestinian Authority, all but ruptured during the Trump adRON KAMPEAS ministration. The senior administration official cast the initiative WASHINGTON | JTA President Joe Biden will visit Israel, the West Bank and Saudi as returning the United States to a robust engagement overseas, Arabia next month in a visit that will emphasize reestablishing after years of retreat under former President Donald Trump. U.S. ties with the Palestinians. “Of course, when we entered office nearly a year and a half The Biden administration on Tuesday morning posted the ago, ties between the U.S. government and the Palestinians dates for Biden’s Middle East tour, July 13 to 16, after weeks of had been nearly severed,” the official said. “We’ve worked to reporting that such a trip restore those ties. And we would take place this sumnow have regular engagemer. The visit to Saudi Araments with the Palestinian bia will include attending a leadership.” summit of the “GCC+3,” a Biden wants to “rekindle body that brings together a new political horizon” for the Gulf Cooperation Counthe Israelis and the Palescil, the umbrella for Gulf tinians, the official said. Arab states, plus Egypt, Iraq Biden has said resuscitating and Jordan. the prospect of a two-state The statement said outcome to the IsraeliBiden’s visit will “reinforce Palestinian conflict is a forthe United States’ iron-clad eign policy priority and commitment to Israel’s se- US President Joe Biden steps off Air Force One upon arrival at Des twice since assuming office curity and prosperity,” and in Moines International Airport in Des Moines, April 12, 2022. Credit: has intervened to tamp Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images a phone call with reporters down outbreaks of Israelion Monday night, a senior administration official said Biden Palestinian violence. will discuss joint missile defense efforts with Israeli leaders. Another agenda item will be repairing ties between the “In Israel, the president will likely visit an area where these Palestinians and Arab nations that have been made tense by defensive systems are utilized, as well as discuss new innova- the Abraham Accords, the normalization agreements betions between our countries that use laser technologies to de- tween Israel and four Arab countries, and encouraging diafeat missiles and other airborne threats,” the senior logue between the Palestinians and Israelis. administration official said. The visit will be “the start of what we hope will be new and A key agenda item will be reestablishing U.S. relations with reinvigorated dialogue, both between the United States and
the P.A. but also between the P.A. and regional capitals, and, most importantly, Israelis,” the official said. Another agenda item will be reassuring countries in the region that the United States wants to help them contain illicit activity by Iran. Israel and the Gulf Arab states are wary of Biden’s efforts to reenter the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which traded sanctions relief for a rollback of Iran’s nuclear program. “Deterring threats from Iran” will be on the agenda, the official said, as well as regional economic cooperation, climate initiatives, food security and “global energy.” Biden is eager to increase the petroleum flow from the region as Russia’s war against Ukraine has sent gasoline prices sky-high. Biden also is pleased that his visit coincides with the July 12-16 Maccabiah Games, the global Jewish athletic contest, the official said. The quadrennial games were delayed a year because of the pandemic. “He may have an opportunity to meet some of the athletes and we’re pleased that this joyous event, the first since 2017, happens to overlap with the president’s historic visit to Israel,” the official said.
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