June 29, 2018

thejewishpress AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA

this week

There will be NO Jewish Press next week. The next paper will publish July 13.

Mega Teen Trip page 6

Hundreds of Jews protest at ICE headquarters page 12

inside Viewpoint Synagogues

8 10

WWW.JEWISHOMAHA.ORG

SpONSOred BY The BeNJaMiN aNd aNNa e. WieSMaN FaMiLY eNdOWMeNT FuNd

JU NE 2 9 , 2 0 1 8 | 1 6 T AMMU Z 5 7 7 8 | V O L. 9 8 | NO . 3 7 | c a Nd LeLi G h Ti NG | FRID AY , JU NE 2 9 , 8 : 4 3 P. M. | F RID AY , JU LY 6 , 8 : 4 2 P. M.

The Feldsterns’ new adventure

a

aNNeTTe vaN de kaMp Editor, Jewish Press t the end of July, the Jewish Federation of Omaha, and our community, will say goodbye to IHE Executive Director Liz Feldstern. Together with husband Yonatan and children Yishai (9), Gila (7) and Nadav (2), Liz will trade Omaha for Israel to begin the next chapter. Talpiot, to be exact; it’s a neighborhood in Jerusalem where the Feldsterns lived previously.

“Yonatan was born and raised in Israel,” Liz said. “After five years here, we felt it was time to go back. Yonatan’s entire family is there and while Omaha has become our family in many ways, having biological family nearby is something we are all looking forward to.”

Gloria Kaslow has been there for Liz through her time at the IHE: “The Institute for Holocaust Education has a sacred mission to fulfill,” she said. “It’s a mission which for the past five years has been entrusted to Liz. She has demonstrated in every possible way that our trust in her was well placed.

She understands the moral imperative of teaching about the Holocaust both as a remembrance to its victims and as vital to issues of critical relevance today. She has developed educational programs and trained teachers to achieve the goals of reaching out to new audiences.”

Gloria calls Liz a self-starter who is undaunted by any task or project: See The Feldsterns page 2

Tillie Olsen’s Omaha legacy

Tillie Olsen with Mrs. B. at her store.

Olsen’s Omaha: Fictions and Realities at JeaNNeTTe GaBrieL Linda Pratt, Professor Emerita of Engthe Jewish Community Center on Tueslish at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, day, July 10 at 7 p.m. This lecture is will be giving a presentation titled, Tillie being cosponsored by the Jewish Women in the Midwest summer class and the Community Engagement arm of the JFO. The event is open to the public.

Tillie Olsen has a long, rich history with Omaha. She grew up on the North Side in the 1910s and 1920s before moving to San Francisco in 1933. Olsen became one of the leading Jewish feminist writers of her generation, and some of her work has an autobiographical focus on life in Nebraska and memories of her mother.

See Tillie Olsen page 3

Counterclockwise from bottom left: Liz, Yonatan, Yishai, Nadav and Gila Feldstern

Meet Jacob Geltzer

Melanie Schwarz, left, Jacob Geltzer and Julian Fichepain racheL MarTiN with a concentration in InformaThe Jewish Community Center tion Management. of Omaha is thrilled to welcome the Geltzer has many accolades from new Director of BBYO and Teen his accomplishments in Jewish life Programming, Jacob Geltzer. on campus, as he was a founding faGeltzer is a great addition to the ther of the recently recolonized Omaha JCC and its teen programs Alpha Epsilon Pi chapter, served as as he brings a wealth of experience Hillel president, and volunteered as from his hometown of Nashville, an advisor to an AZA BBYO chapter TN, where he worked at the during his senior year in Knoxville.

Nashville JCC Camp for the past As the BBYO/Teen Director, eight summers. Geltzer recently Geltzer will be responsible for workgraduated from the College of ing directly with our Jewish teens in Business Administration at the BBYO programs, building and leadUniversity of Tennessee (Go Vols!), ing the Team Omaha delegation where he majored in Management See Jacob Geltzer page 2

2 | The Jewish Press | June 29, 2018

Jackson Home Appliance “OMAHA’S MOST TRUSTED NAME IN APPLIANCE REPAIR” NOW BRINGS THAT SAME ATTENTION TO HEATING & COOLING

Jackson Heating & Cooling FEATURES CARRIER HOME HEATING & COOLING PRODUCTS CALL TODAY FOR YOUR FREE QUOTE FROM ONE OF OUR HVAC SPECIALISTS ON A NEW FURNACE, AIR CONDITIONER OR HEAT PUMP

402-391-4287 Carrier Factory Authorized

The Feldsterns

Continued from page 1 “She constantly demonstrates dedication, diligence, intelligence, creativity, humor and team spirit. What’s more, she can balance budgets, write grants, solicit donors and pitch in to make coffee and pick up donuts. I even had to retire my red pens during her directorship; she’s an accomplished writer and an effective public speaker.

Very importantly, Liz has developed meaningful and caring relationships with the survivor community who, along with all of us who know and work with Liz, will feel a loss at her departure from Omaha. We wish the Feldstern family the very best in the next stage of their life journey, and we’re grateful for the significant accomplishments Liz has made to the Institute for Holocaust Education during her time with us.”

“I came into the organization as a sort How is this publication thinking about the future? of blank slate,” Liz said. “I learned so much, because everything was new and I had endless opportunities for new exBy becoming part of the past. periences. I was able to interact with edThis publication is available from ucators at every level, including the ProQuest Information and Learning Diocese, the State Education Departin one or more of the following ways: ment and a variety of organizations.

Navigating them all to further a cause • Online, via the ProQuest® that is in everyone’s best interest offered information service me a great opportunity for professional • Microform growth.” In addition, she loved figuring • CD-ROM out new tasks, confronting an idea and • Via database licensing creating impactful experiences, such as the play The Mitzvah at the Omaha Community Playhouse, or the Fabric of Survival exhibit at Kaneko.

Electronic Databases Microform & Print Chadwyck-Healey She’s grown on a personal level as well.

“I’ve spent a lot of time thinking For more information, call about what it means to be Jewish, what 1-800-521-0600, ext. 2888 (US) or 01-734-761-4700 (International) are the limits when you live as part of a www.il.proquest.com minority in a larger society and what does it mean for our family. We don’t From want to be insular, so how do you make that work? What do you share in which setting? It’s a question that simply doesn’t come up as much in Israel.”

She’s matured, she said. “Or at least, I’d like to think so—but I’m also mature enough to know I still have much to learn and I still have much growing to do. Unfamiliar experiences open your eyes to the fact that there are many different ways of doing things. It’s healthy to remind myself that my way isn’t the way.”from ProQuest This publication isonly available Among what she and Yonatan will I miss: friends, like Heather and Mark Kelln. Heather was instrumental in helping Yonatan find employment quickly and has worked closely with him over the past five years. A personal friendship developed as well: Please give us the following information: “I will miss the Feldsterns more than Your name, old address and new address they know,” Heather said. “Our boys have shared birthdays. Our families and when you want the address change have shared meals and smichot. All of to go into effect. the Kellns have gained by having met the Feldsterns. Their absence from our everyday will leave a noticeable gap.

Call 402.334.6448 Over their years here, Yonatan and I or email us at jpress@jewishomaha.org have had the pleasure of being both coworkers and close friends. I know him to be caring, devoted, hard-working, and hilarious. I will miss him dearly. I wish all of the Feldsterns a lifetime of luck, happiness and health. I cannot wait for our paths to cross again. And I know that we will stay in touch always.”

“We really have loved Omaha, and it’s very hard to imagine what it was like in the beginning when we didn’t know that many people,” Liz said.

8827 Maple Street Omaha, NE 68134

Nate Certified Technicians

Changing your address?

thejewishpress

Liz Feldstern It was Rabbi Steven Abraham who first connected Liz and Yonatan with Omaha: Steve and Liz were staff members for USY on Wheels when Liz was 19 and Steve was 20.

“We worked together for one summer,” Liz said, “and the following year we came back and I met Yonatan. When Yonatan and I were newly married and lived in Israel, Steve came as a staff person for Nativ. A few years later he and Shira both came to Israel for a year; Steve is the reason I found out there was a job opening at the IHE.” Then there is Marcel Kahn, who, according to Liz, is a ‘big fan of her kids.’

“He took us to see the animals at Boys Town once and one of the cows wouldn’t cooperate, so Marcel climbed the fence and sitting atop, enticed the

Jacob Geltzer

cow to come closer. It was nerve-wracking to watch, but a good example of how far Marcel will go for the kids. He’s also always the one with the candy to share!”

She will miss drive-throughs, she said.

“Don’t underestimate how handy they are when you have three little kids!”

She’s also going to miss having all three of her kids on the JCC campus: “It’s a pleasure and a gift most people don’t get to enjoy, having CDC preschool, after-school care and Friedel Jewish Academy all down the hall. I’ve always been very aware of how lucky we are in that regard.”

The one thing she will happily leave behind is the snow. “But that’s the only thing I can think of that I’m really glad to do without. It’s probably telling that I can’t think of anything else. Life has been good here, most of what we need has been convenient and easily accessible.”

When she and Yonatan fly to their new home in late July, they will leave good memories at Beth El, at the IHE, with community members, lay leaders and her Jewish Federation of Omaha colleagues.

“Liz is one of the best professionals we’ve had on our campus,” JFO CEO Alan Potash said. “She brought expertise and professionalism, is a collaborative partner with the Omaha community and has real passion for the lessons of the Holocaust. She has been tremendously supportive and kind to our community survivors, becoming a friend to each of them. We will miss her at the Federation and wish her nothing but the best in future endeavors.”

Continued from page 1 for the JCC Maccabi Games, and directing the junior counselors, Leaders in Training (LITs) during J Camp. Geltzer will also serve as the Assistant Delegation Head for Team Omaha at the 2018 Maccabi Games & Artsfest in Orange County and Long Beach, CA. As a team member of the JCC staff, Geltzer will also collaborate with and help in other departments, as needed.

Geltzer has fond memories of growing up at the Gordon JCC in Nashville, where his mother has worked for nearly 20 years as the Assistant Director of the Early Child Development Center.

Jacob and his younger brother Noah attended day camp at the JCC each summer. The Geltzer brothers also both attended University of Tennessee and lived together during the years in which they overlapped.

“I would call the GJCC in Nashville my second home,” Geltzer said. “So much so that during my years as camp staff member, I would hear jokes from the kids and the other staff that I practically live in the JCC. My brother and I grew up attending JCC preschool and the aftercare program for many years. I have met so many people at the GJCC and it has been a huge part of my life.”

Geltzer was an active member of BBYO in Cotton States Region #72 and served in many roles on the chapter, regional, and international level. When reflecting upon his Jewish upbringing, Geltzer said, “I feel that I learned a lot more about Jewish values and which ones I really connected with, and how to create even better Jewish experiences during my time in BBYO. Having this amazing experience in high school, I knew that I wanted to carry it over into my college years. That is why I started AEPi at UTK and became involved in Hillel. I wanted to continue my Jewish experiences and to meet new Jewish people and be involved with a new Jewish community.”

With Geltzer’s background in Jewish programming and BBYO involvement, it came as no surprise that he sought a career in which he could put his passions into practice; he just didn’t know that it would begin in Omaha.

“When I first thought about applying for this job, I was nervous and excited about the potential of working in a position that I have wanted to do since I was a sophomore in high school,” Geltzer said. “When I heard this job was open in Omaha, I thought it would be such a cool place to start my BBYO career because you hear all about it when you’re a freshman in BBYO. “I wasn’t really sure what I expected to see when I arrived. I knew Omaha mostly from the College World Series and Omaha Steaks. I definitely didn’t expect to see that Omaha is a growing city with such a big and diverse Jewish community.”

Geltzer has big plans for his work with Jewish Omaha’s teens and community See Jacob Geltzer page 3

Tillie Olsen

The Jewish Press | June 29, 2018 | 3

Continued from page 1 Olsen’s work had fallen into relative obscurity in the 1980s before it was revived by Pratt’s scholarship.

Pratt began to investigate Olsen’s life to make sure that the urban, culturally diverse population of the state was included in literature anthologies of Nebraska women. In addition, Pratt responded to a request from Mary Fellman to further investigate Olsen’s background.

After conducting extensive historical research, Pratt published several scholarly articles on Tillie Olsen’s life and connections to Tillie olsen in 1927 in omaha Omaha. This research work resulted in the Jewish community reconnecting with Olsen, and she made five trips to Omaha over the next 15 years. During those trips, Olsen gave public readings, received an honorary degree at Central High School, and renewed her acquaintance with Mrs. B’s daughters who she had babysat during her teen years.

Karen and Oliver Pollak developed a close personal relationship with Olsen during these visits. Oliver Pollak remembers how he was “enamored by her fertile, imaginative mind and memory.” He reflected that Olsen’s background growing up on the wrong side of the tracks and being an outsider motivated her lifelong commitment to justice and her vehement support for the United Nations Charter for Human Rights.

Renee Corcoran, Director of the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society, believes that “Tillie Olsen was a woman ahead of her time.” She urges members of the community who are interested in learning more about Olsen to examine the collection of papers held in the archives.

Pratt’s upcoming lecture will consider the important contributions that Olsen’s work made to feminist literature and her complex and enduring relationship with Omaha’s Jewish community.

W

community

ADL-CRC hosts 19th Annual Supreme Court Review Pam monsky Community Development Liaison, ADL-CRC ith the Supreme Court’s first full term under President Trump and nine Justices on the Supreme Court for the full term, this year has been a blockbuster one for the courts.

On July 10, 2018, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., please join us in the Auditorium of the Jewish Community Center as we tune in for ADL’s 19th annual Supreme Court Review. The Review is being broadcast live from the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia and will include commentary from distinguished legal

scholars Erwin Chemerinsky, Frederick Lawrence, and Dahlia Lithwick as they discuss the most important cases of the term, including the Masterpiece Cakeshop case affecting LGBT rights, the challenges to the President’s “Muslim Ban,” and a major redistricting case. They will also discuss continued challenges to the President’s executive orders in the lower courts and what to expect at the Supreme Court next year.

This exclusive event is free and open to the community. Nebraska lawyers attending the event may register for CLE credits.

Continued from page 2 members. “A goal I have is to somehow serve in some capacity, either on a board or committee, to help expand programming and be more involved in doing things that grow and strengthen the Omaha Jewish community,” Geltzer said. “I also want to attend as many Jewish community programming events that I can so I can start forming relationships and become a part of the Jewish community in Omaha.”

The future of Omaha BBYO and other JCC teen programming is in great hands. Geltzer possesses the tools, ideas, and dedication to ensure the success of each program. “I want to help develop the future Jewish leaders of the world,” Geltzer said. “Not just how to become more involved in Judaism, but how Jewish values and BBYO can help teens learn to be better leaders and to develop skill sets that will help them through-

out their academic, professional, and personal lives.”

BBYO is a teen-led, worldwide organization that provides fun and meaningful Jewish experiences for Jewish teens in 8th – 12th grades. Founded in Omaha, NE, BBYO’s 94-year history has brought leadership training, community service opportunities, Jewish education, a connection to Israel, and positive identity to thousands of Jewish teens in more than 25 countries. BBYO has always been the world’s leading pluralistic Jewish youth movement. As the first and the most dynamically inclusive organization of its kind, every Jewish teen, of all backgrounds, anywhere in the world, will find an experience that provides the foundation for a meaningful Jewish life.

For more information about BBYO and JCC teen programs, Jacob can be reached at 402.334.6404 or jgeltzer@jccom aha.org.

Jacob Geltzer

ROSH Hashanah Greetings This year you can send your greetings through these very special ads that will run in our annual Rosh Hashanah issue. Each ad can be personalized with your name, the names of your children or your grandchildren.

1 | Choose your size.

Design

A 52 $

Greetings

ROSH HASHANAH from

Your names go here

Design

B

Rosh Hashanah Greetings

65

$

from Your names go here

Just fill out the form below and send or bring it to the Jewish Press office.

But hurry these ads will only be accepted through August 8, 2018. For other sizes and prices contact our sales representative.

Susan Bernard 402.334.6559 | sbernard@jewishomaha.org

2 | Fill out the form.

Design

C 88 $

Rosh Hashanah Greetings

Rosh Hashanah Greetings Form Name ________________________________________________________________________________ Address ______________________________________________________________________________ City ___________________________________________________ State ___________ Zip ___________ Check the size of ad you would like: O A O B O C Use the lines below to list your family members names you would like on your Rosh Hashanah ad. ______________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Please send a check for the amount listed along side the different sized ads or you can drop the form and payment off at the Jewish Press office in the JCC by August 8.

The Jewish Press, 333 South 132 Street, Omaha, NE 68154

from Your names go here

4 | The Jewish Press | June 29, 2018

FOR A LIMITED TIME!

calendar

nal o i t sa

n e

S CD Rates Ask an Enterprise Banker about our latest CD Special and let us help put your money to work for you!

12800 West Center Road

330-0200 210 Regency Parkway

392-0400 N.A., MEMBER F.D.I.C. MEMBER F.D.I.C.

DR. KRISTINE B. SIMONSON CHIROPRACTOR 132nd & Dodge

July 2018

All events held at the Jewish Community Center unless otherwise noted. This calendar does not include all community events. For a complete listing, visit the Federation’s website: www.jewishomaha.org (click on calendar). To keep calendar accurate, call Pat Anson at 402.334.8200. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the accuracy of the events.

FRIDAY, JUNE 29 Star Deli, 11:30 a.m at RBJH Beth El’s Swim and Shabbat in the Park, 4:30 p.m. at Zorinsky Lake Aquatic Center, 3808 S. 156th St. SATURDAY, JUNE 30 Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel

(Next to Hy-Vee)

402/496-6090

SUNDAY, JULY 1 Torah Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El

Back & Neck Pain Headache Arm & Leg Pain Auto & Work Related Injuries Sports Injuries

THURSDAY, JULY 5 Hebrew Class, 10 a.m. at RBJH

Mon & Wed: 8 a.m.-Noon & 2-6 p.m.

Tues: 2-6:30 p.m. Thurs: 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

Fri: 9 a.m.-Noon & 2-5 p.m. Sat: 9-11 a.m.

FRIDAY, JULY 6 Shulchan Ivrit - Hebrew Table with Yoni, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH Star Deli, 11:30 a.m at RBJH SATURDAY, JULY 7 Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel

Serving Omaha Comfort Food for 45 years Party Room and Catering

SUNDAY, JULY 8 Torah Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El Happy Hour for Friedel Parents, 3 p.m. at Barchen Beer Garden

655 North 114th Street • Omaha, NE

402/496-2090 Mon. - Thurs. 11 a.m. - close • Fri. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Sat. 4 p.m. - 9 p.m. • Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 9 p.m.

JackandMarys.com

FIRST CLASS ENTERTAIN

HONEYMAN RENT-ALL The Party Place WITH

FOR THE FINEST IN ENTERTAINING ACCESSORIES, HOW CAN YOU THROW A PARTY AND NOT INVITE US? • Tables • Chairs • Linens • Skirting • China • Glassware • Champaign Fountains • Chafing Dishes • Party Canopies • Wedding & Church Displays • Dance Floors • BBQ Grills • Coat Racks • Candelabras • Margarita Machines • Chocolate Fountains Our Visit room w o Sh

11226 Wright Circle

402-333-2882 (1 Block South of 114th & Center)

We Disp dding Sup lays & plies

Jade Garden Chinese Restaurant CARRY OUT AVAILABLE

402-498-8833 Beer and Wine Available 2068 N. 117 Ave.

North Park (117th & Blondo) M-Th: 11-9:30 • Fri & Sat. 11-10:30 • Sun. Noon-9:30

MONDAY, JULY 9 Holocaust Teaching Conference (OPS), 8 a.m.

IHE Governance Council Meeting, 11:30 a.m.

Beth El Women’s Book Group, 7 p.m. at Beth El TUESDAY, JULY 10 Holocaust Teaching Conference, 8 a.m.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 11 Holocaust Teaching Conference, 8 a.m.

Breadbreakers and Speaker, noon at RBJH Board of Commissioners Meeting, 6:30 p.m. at Beth Israel THURSDAY, JULY 12 Holocaust Teaching Conference, 8 a.m.

Hebrew Class, 10 a.m. at RBJH Come Play Shanghai, 1 p.m. at Beth El FRIDAY, JULY 13 Star Deli, 11:30 a.m at RBJH Temple Israel Shabbat Comes to You at Remington Heights, 4 p.m.

SATURDAY, JULY 14 Lifeguard Re-certification, 8 a.m.

Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel Relay for Life of Greater Omaha, 5 p.m. at Stinson Park in Asksarben Village, 2285 S. 67th St SUNDAY, JULY 15 Torah Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El TUESDAY, JULY 17 Board of Trustees, 7 p.m. at Temple Israel WEDNESDAY, JULY 18 “Cine-gogue” Lunch & Movie, noon at Beth El Breadbreakers and Speaker, noon at RBJH THURSDAY, JULY 19 Hebrew Class, 10 a.m. at RBJH Resident Council Meeting, 3 p.m. at RBJH Love Board Meeting, 7 p.m. at RBJH FRIDAY, JULY 20 Star Deli, 11:30 a.m at RBJH SATURDAY, JULY 21 Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel Tisha B’Av Services, 8:45 p.m. at Beth El SUNDAY, JULY 22 Tisha B’Av Shacharit Services, 9:30 a.m. at Beth El Torah Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El WEDNESDAY, JULY 25 JBL-Speaker Meeting, 7:30 a.m. at Happy Hollow Breadbreakers and Speaker, noon at RBJH JCC Dance Fall 2018 Open House, 4 p.m.

THURSDAY, JULY 26 Hebrew Class, 10 a.m. at RBJH FRIDAY, JULY 27 Ethics Workshop, 8:30 a.m.

Beth El Cooks/Serves Lunch at NE AIDS Coalition, 11:30 a.m.

Star Deli, 11:30 a.m at RBJH SATURDAY, JULY 28 Lifeguard Class, 8 a.m.

Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel SUNDAY, JULY 29 Friedel Family Zoo Day, 9 a.m. at Henry Doorly Zoo Torah Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El

The Jewish Press | June 29, 2018 | 5

Tritz Plumbing Inc. 402-894-0300 www.tritz.com repair • remodel

Temple israel’s new director of Congregational engagement

T

CaSSandra HiCkS WeiSenBurger Director of Communications emple Israel is excited to announce that Jamie SkogBurke is our new Director of Congregational Engagement. Jamie is an energetic, friendly, and creative Jewish professional with 13 years of experience in the field of engagement. She holds a master’s degree in Jewish education from the Jewish Theological Seminary, where she graduated summa cum laude.

Jamie grew up at Temple Israel and recently moved back to Omaha from Michigan where she served as Assistant Director of Educational Engagement at the University of Michigan Hillel. While there, one project she focused on was training and empowering students to host “In the Home” holiday and Shabbat meals for their campus community. She supported over 190 students in hosting a meal in their home this year. Prior to Michigan, she spent three years as Hillel Campus Director at the University of Denver where she was in charge of creating and implementing strategic plans for outreach and programming serving over 450 individual students annually.

She is very proud of the Omaha Jewish community. “My very first job was at the JCC!” she remembered. “I’m proud to have grown up in the Midwest where hard work really means something. I love being able to come back to the community that helped me develop into the person I am. I’m excited to bring the professional skills I’ve honed

over the last 13 years to the best Jewish community I know.”

In this newly created position at Temple Israel, Jamie will work to create vi-

Jamie Skog-Burke brant, meaningful, and compelling engagement opportunities for all demographic segments within our congregational community. “It’s an honor to be part of the legacy of amazing educators and professionals who have called Temple Israel home,” she continued. “I’m looking forward to engaging individuals to understand what inspires them Jewishly and to help them connect with people in the community who have shared interests so they can strengthen their feeling of connection to the broader Jewish community.”

Rabbi Brian Stoller knows she will be a

commercial • residential

family owned and operated since 1945

great asset to our team: “Jamie is an experienced Jewish Engagement professional with incredible energy, an outgoing and friendly personality, great ideas, and a clear vision of how to help our members connect and find their portal into Jewish life. She is going to be an outstanding addition to the Temple Israel team and we can’t wait for her to get started!”

Jamie understands that everyone has a uniquely different Jewish journey and form of Jewish expression. “Engagement work is really centered on the concept of empowering the community to take ownership of what is meaningful to them so they can integrate it more into their own personal lives. Our Jewish needs change at every stage that we’re in and part of owning your own journey is knowing what your needs are.”

Rabbi Deana Sussman Berezin is also delighted that Jamie will soon be joining our Temple Israel team. “Jamie’s passion for Jewish engagement is contagious, and her enthusiasm for connecting people with the Jewish community becomes evident within moments of meeting her. These traits, alongside her impressive professional career in Jewish communal life, make Jamie a perfect fit for this role. I can’t wait for our community to connect with her!”

Jamie’s first day at Temple Israel will be Monday, July 2. The next time you’re here, please stop by and welcome her!

Jamie married her husband Bartley last year. In her spare time, Jamie likes listening to music, watching documentaries, playing with her dog, skiing, and yoga.

NORM’S DOOR SERVICE

WHY NOT DO IT THE EASY WAY?

GARAGE DOOR SPECIALISTS SALES AND SERVICE COMMERCIAL • INDUSTRIAL RESIDENTIAL

6200 South 90TH St. at 90th & Washington

Hidden children of the Holocaust open up about border situation Todd guTniCk The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) last week issued a statement on behalf of a group of hidden children of the Holocaust who felt strongly compelled to oppose the Trump Administration’s expanded “zero tolerance” policy for migrants seeking to cross the border, which has led to thousands of children being separated from their parents.

The hidden children, many separated from their parents at the beginning of World War II, are recalling the severe and lasting trauma they experienced as a consequence of their forced separation. Now aged in their 70s and 80s, the Holocaust survivors are reacting to what is happening along America’s southern borders with a mix of anger and disbelief, calling the practice of separating families with young children inhumane and unconscionable.

According to news reports, nearly 2,500 children have been separated from their parents under the new policy. Such practices have the effect of causing unnecessary trauma to the children – many of whom have already suffered significant traumatic experiences – negatively impacting their physical and mental health and increasing their risk of early death.

In a video testimonial released today, Rachelle Goldstein, co-director of the Hidden

Child Foundation, a New York-based organization which represents Jewish Holocaust survivors who were hidden during the war, spoke to the lifelong pain she -- and others -have endured as a consequence of being separated from their parents at a very young age. Rachelle was just under three years old when she was separated from her parents in Belgium. The video also includes her husband, Jack Goldstein, who was separated from his parents when he was nine years old. The video closes by urging viewers to sign an ADL petition calling on the Attorney General to stop this practice now.

The Hidden Child Foundation issued the following statement: As former Hidden Children of the Holocaust, we know that the trauma of separation from parents lasts a lifetime. Now in our late 70s and 80s, we still ache from the losses we suffered as a result of this separation. It is very difficult for us to see such inhumanity taking place today at our southern border. Let’s be clear: We are not comparing what is happening today to the Holocaust. But forcibly separating children from their parents is an act of cruelty under all circumstances.

When speaking about the fate of such children, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly said recently: “The children will be

taken care of — put into foster care or whatever.” That “whatever” mostly means institutional warehousing. For a child, this is a wrenching experience even under the best conditions. We, who were placed in orphanages and convents during World War II, know that it takes more than a clean bed and three meals a day to endure being severed from one’s parents.

Children can bear all sorts of adversities and cruelties as long as they are with a parent. A mother or father’s presence assures the child that he or she will be cared for even under the direst circumstances.

All Hidden Children suffered lifelong anxieties that resulted from that early separation. The youngest, particularly, worried about their parents’ “disappearance.” All wondered if they would ever be reunited.

These migrant children are surely longing for their parents – as we did. We feel compelled to raise our voices for them.

The Hidden Child Foundation represents the youngest survivors of the Holocaust.

With a worldwide membership of more than 6,000, the organization has a mission to educate all people about the consequences of bigotry and hatred so that never again will anyone suffer the atrocity, the injustice and the agony of genocide.

See full digital issues at https://issuu.com/jewishpress7

Omaha, Nebraska

402-331-8920

A

P R I C E

R o S h

A B O V E

h a S h a n a h

2 0 1 8

publishing date | 09.07.18 space reservation | 08.01.18

Contact our advertising executive to promote your business in this very special edition.

Susan Bernard 402.334.6559 | sbernard@jewishomaha.org

6 | The Jewish Press | June 29, 2018

mega Teen Trip: Zach Krausman

food

The Omaha Teen Trip to Israel is a collaborative project led by the Jewish Federation of Omaha, Beth El Synagogue, Temple Israel, and Beth Israel Synagogue. The purpose of the mission is to bring Jewish Omaha Teens to Israel to experience the Jewish Homeland, connect with Israelis, and connect with each other. As a way of saying “thank you” to the community, the teens are writing about their experiences and sharing them with the community via The Jewish Press throughout the year.

In addition to being led and financially supported by each Omaha Synagogue and the Jewish Federation of Omaha, The 2017-2018 Teen Trip was supported in part by The Herbert Goldsten Trust, the Phillip & Terri Schrager Supporting Foundation, the Lois Jeanne Schrager Memorial Fund, the Carl L. Frohm Educational Custodial Fund, the Milton S. & Corrine N. Livingston Foundation Fund, the Shirley & Leonard Goldstein Supporting Foundation, and the JFO Foundation Special Donor Advised Funds. Thank you to all who supported this effort.

T

zach krausman he teen mission trip to Israel was a completely different experience for me than it probably was for most of the other teens on the trip. I was one of the few people who had already been to Israel before when I went with my family to celebrate my Bar Mitzvah. While seeing the Kotel, Tzfat, and Masada was cool and all, the thing that really made the trip meaningful to me was the amazing people I got to do all of those things with.

In order to truly understand what it was like for me, we have to go all the way back to before the trip even started.

As the trip was rapidly approaching, I was so excited to return to the Holy Land! I couldn’t wait to go back to Jerusalem, Akko, and Tel Aviv. But at the same time, I was very nervous.

This was going to be the first time where I got to really meet other Jewish teens in Omaha outside of Beth El. I didn’t know what to expect.

Would they like me? Would they hate me?

Would they think I’m weird? Will I think they are weird? All of these questions kept on swirling through my head, but when the day of the trip finally came I had to confront my fears and buckle my seatbelt for the long plane ride to Tel Aviv.

As I started to talk to all of these new faces, I started to realize that the people from Temple Israel and Beth Israel were not that different from me. The teens I met on this trip were some of the nicest, funniest, and smartest people I have ever met. One of my favorite memories of the mission is during our stay

with our partnership families in the western Galilee. My host family met up with three of the other host families for some bowling, or as the Israelis pronounced it “bowel-ing”. It was so fun to just hang out with the Israeli teens as well as the Omaha teens, most of whom were friends that I had just made on the trip. Afterwards we went to the mall for some dinner and walked around and

looked at the shops. It was really cool to be able to experience the life of an average Israeli teen and enjoy all of the amazing people I did it with.

Even after the trip was over, I made sure to try and keep in touch with the other teens from the trip. I realized that some of them went to my school, so every time I saw them while walking in the hall, I made sure to say hi. I also was able to hang out with the friends that I made by getting dinner, watching movies, and even going bowel-ing! All in all, while the teen mission trip to Israel gave me an amazing Israel experience, more importantly, it introduced me to a great group of Jewish friends in Omaha, something that I will always cherish.

Omaha chamber music society 2018 summer concert series concludes

publishing date | 07.27.18 space reservation | 07.18.18 Contact our advertising executive to promote your business in this very special edition.

Susan Bernard 402.334.6559 | sbernard@jewishomaha.org

The Omaha Chamber Music Society has announced its 2018 Summer Concert Series, with four performances taking place over four weekends at the Omaha Conservatory of Music. Each concert features musicians familiar to the Omaha community, including artists from the Omaha Symphony, Omaha Conservatory faculty members, and friends to the Omaha Classical Music community.

The concerts all take place on sunday afternoons at 3 p.m., with pre-concert talks happening at 2:40 p.m. in the Accelerando Coffee House on the Conservatory premises. nO sOnaTas aLLOWED: susanna anD VIcTOr rETurn: July 1, 3 p.m.

Of course we don’t have anything against sonatas! But in their second back-by-popular-demand appearance at Omaha Chamber Music Society, Susanna and Victor uncover some hidden

gems of the violin/piano repertoire... like Mozart’s charming Variations on a French song; Schubert’s Fantasy with plenty of bravura and just a touch of Hungarian spice; Prokofiev’s Melodies that range from serene to sassy; and Foss’s Three American Pieces, once called his “gift to America,” bring home the concert with some serious fiddling and square dance tunes.

Tickets are available online at https://www. omahachambermusic.org/ticketsbeta/ as well as the door at each concert. The Omaha Chamber Music Society is a 501c(3) nonprofit, performs and produces over 16 concerts each season with partners such as KANEKO, Gallery 1516, and the JCC, as well as engages in community service and education programs with Josie Harper Hospice House and Omaha Public Schools.

July’s Friday Learning Series presents the Hasidic Movement

mark kirChhoff Community Engagement and Education Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Abramovich, Visiting Scholar at Beth Israel Synagogue, will present a three-part series on the Hasidic movement in his July Friday Learning Series. The sessions will be in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library from 11:15 a.m. until noon on July 13, 20, and 27. “This is a very interesting topic,” said Rabbi Abramovich. “The Hasidim or ‘pious ones’ are an important group in historic and present day Judaism. I am looking forward to presenting these upcoming sessions.”

The founder of Hasidism was Ukrainian Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer, better known as the Baal Shem Tov (literally “master of the good name”), born somewhere around 1700. The movement grew within a period of resurgence of interest in Jewish mysticism and as an alternative to a more formal and scholarly approach to Jewish practice. Although the Hasidic people are known and recognized for their distinctive clothing, the movement is much more than that. In this series of classes, Rabbi Shlomo will examine the movement’s main principles and innovations including a discussion of the strong resistance surrounding it. The sessions will conclude with an overview of Hasidism in contemporary society and an examination of the current struggles the group faces. “I believe the topics discussed and the questions of Jewish leadership, social justice and new ways of spirituality the Hasidic movement presents will add to our fundamental understanding of our Jewish identity,” Rabbi Shlomo offered.

The Friday Learning Series is a joint program of Beth Israel Synagogue and the Community Engagement and Education arm of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. The series is open to the community free of charge thanks to the support of the Ann Goldstein Programming Endowment Fund. Reservations are not required. While you are encouraged to attend all the sessions, each one will have a wealth of information and you will benefit from attending one or all.

Contact Mark Kirchhoff at mkirchhoff@jewishomaha.org or 402.334.6463 for questions.

organizations

b’nai b’riTh breadbreakers

B’nai B’rith Breadbreakers meets weekly on Wednesdays at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home auditorium from noon to 1 p.m. For specific speaker information, please email Gary.Javitch@Gmail.com, Breadbreakers chairman. For more information or to be placed on the email list call 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@jewishomaha.org.

The Jewish Press | June 29, 2018 | 7

community This Week at Camp: June 18-22

briTTany hamor Intern, Jewish Press Multiple inches of rain hit the JCC campus making outdoor activities impossible for the campers. Camp counselors and directors had to roll with the punches to make a fun-filled week at camp this week. Examples include an indoor Gaga tournament and capture the flag for the campers to win points for their Color Wars team.

Maccabiah Color Wars is a chance for campers to be involved in intense competitions with their fellow campers.

This game requires two teams — normally, a red team and a blue team. Each team competes for points through a variety of entertaining activities. The entire J camp, including counselors, put their game faces on for the chance to be the 2018

winners of Color Wars.

Also, this week campers had to put away their green thumb and put on their chef ’s hat. Last week, campers learned gardening; this week they tested their cooking skills by bringing their favorite family recipe to try. They learned the basic skills of cooking while also having a tasty treat afterward.

JCC Extreme Sports Camp kicked off this week. Campers traveled off the JCC campus to experience some extreme sports. Campers were filled with excitement and adrenaline while doing activities like the warrior gyms, trampoline parks, and rock climbing.

This week at Camp Shemesh, campers also learned about the creatures that are in the ocean, which “shore” seems relevant in these weather conditions.

JTA news sTAff Soccer fans displaying Israeli flags at World Cup matches in Russia have been subjected to threats, harassment and violence.

In one incident, a man wearing an Israeli flag around his shoulders was filmed as he was being chased around Moscow’s Red Square by men shouting “Palestine,” including one wearing a Tunisian flag. The man wearing the Israeli flag, who was also wearing a kippah, was filmed walking away from the growing group of hecklers along with another man who walked alongside him.

The hecklers shouted “Israel the whore” in Arabic, “get lost,” and “f*** you” as the men they were pursuing walked away for long minutes without responding to the taunts. About five

hecklers then shouted “Viva Palestine” while waving the Tunisian flag.

In a separate incident, the Israel Broadcasting Corp. reported that a man waving an Israel flag during a match between Portugal and Morocco had it snatched from him by fans who wanted to tear it up. But Israelis who were there during the match Wednesday said a player had thrown his shirt into the crowd and fans were jostling to find it and keep it as a souvenir, the IBC later reported.

Soccer fans from many nations enjoy displaying their national, regional or team flags at matches, regardless of whether teams from those places are playing. Unlike Tunisia, Israel did not qualify to participate in the World Cup.

Israeli soccer fans harassed at World Cup in Moscow

Family-owned for 47 years!

Art, lamps, decorative accessories, gifts One-week custom picture framing service www.lewisartgallery.com

Needlepoint, Knitting, Crochet Supplies & Classes www.personalthreads.com Find us on social media @personalthreadsboutique

8600 Cass Street | Open: Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-6 p.m | Sat 9 a.m.-3 p.m. | 402-391-7733

8 | The Jewish Press | June 29, 2018

viewpoint thejewishpress

(Founded in 1920) Abby Kutler President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Susan Bernard Advertising Executive Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Editor Gabby Blair Staff Writer Thierry Ndjike Accounting Jewish Press Board Abby Kutler, President; Eric Dunning, Ex Officio; Laura Dembitzer; Candice Friedman; Jill Idelman; Andy Isaacson; Michael Kaufman; David Kotok; Natasha Kraft; Debbie Kricsfeld; Eric Shapiro and Amy Tipp.

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

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

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

The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment.

Editorial The Jewish Press is an agency of the Jewish Federation of Omaha.

Deadline for copy, ads and photos is: Thursday, 9 a.m., eight days prior to publication. E-mail editorial material and photos to: avandekamp@jew ishomaha.org; send ads (in TIF or PDF format) to: rbusse@jewishom aha.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@jew ishomaha.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 Kamp-Wright, 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.

American Jewish Press Association Award Winner

Nebraska Press As- National Newspaper sociation Association Award winner 2008

A

Peace

ANNETTE vAN DE KAmP Editor, Jewish Press bout a week-and-a-half ago, a story about the Gay Pride Parade in Malmo, Sweden, made the rounds in the Jewish media. The Jewish participants (Israeli flags in tow) had to listen to the usual anti-Zionist drivel, but then something remarkable happened: “[…]they also found their ranks joined by an Arab waving a Palestinian flag, a refugee from Syria and another one from Libya, as well as several non-Jewish Swedes who marched with them to show support.” (JTA.com) The accompanying picture shows one participant holding both an Israeli and a Palestinian flag, marching side-byside for the same goal. The message: coexistence is not as unrealistic as we think.

It’s a message we must hold on to, because the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement isn’t going anywhere. During the second weekend in June, the International Association of Relational Psychoanalysts and Psychotherapists held its annual conference in Manhattan. At this conference, a vocal minority protested next year’s location (Tel Aviv) and pledged to boycott it.

And: “Backed by the pro-BDS group Jewish Voice for Peace, objectors and two dozen Palestinian mental health professionals, plus an Israel-based group called Psychoactive, sent letters to IARPP’s board asking that the conference location be changed. A petition made the same point.” (JTA News Desk) Its 2,200 strong membership doesn’t really compare to the American Psychological Association (116,000-plus members). Yet, what bothers me –beyond the usual reaction I have when any organization anywhere thinks boycotting is the answer—is the question of what these people think will result from such a boycott. The very na-

ture of their job means they are educated about relational psychoanalysis. In addition, Tel Aviv as a location is not far-fetched or illogical: the Israeli arm of the organization is quite large, with many Israeli therapists attending the IARPP conference every year.

The IARPP board refused to change the Tel Aviv location and was immediately accused of being “an arm of the Israeli government.”

Here’s what one attendant –and member of Jewish Voice for Peace—had to say: “Meeting in Israel is implicit support of the Israeli government. The contention isn’t with every Israeli individual but proximity to dehumanizing, I think, genocidal behavior, which makes it politically destructive for the organization to meet there. You wouldn’t have this meeting next to a concentration camp in Germany.”

I’ve been to Tel Aviv. It’s nothing like Auschwitz. And for a Jewish American to immediately reach for that argument makes clear how hysterics rule Jewish Voice for Peace.

I’m sorry, too harsh?

Tell me, does it help Palestinians were this group to change next year’s travel plans? Does it feed them? Does it strengthen their cause, does it make the Israeli government change any policies? Does it affect world opinion?

Does it bring us all closer to peace? No; it doesn’t. What it does do is make BDS proponents sit back in their comfortable homes, smug in their morality, congratulating themselves about how their opinion is the only right one.

That’s the goal: being right, screaming the loudest, feeling morally superior—not actually changing anything. Not actually creating a path to peace.

That Palestinian man in the Swedish Pride parade, clenching an Israeli and a Palestinian flag in the same hand, knows more about what it takes to create peace than most BDS proponents combined. He knows that dia-

But the encyclopedia adds several caveats. Here’s one: Concentration camps, Britannica says, are “to be distinguished from refugee camps or detention and relocation centers for the temporary accommodation of large numbers of displaced persons.”

Whether the detention facilities at the border and beyond contain people “confined for reasons of state

from parents who are arrested, it is to protect the children, and help them, with the intention of reuniting them with their families,” he wrote. “When the guards at death camps like Birkenau separated children, it was to lead them to the gas chambers.”

Concentration camps, before and after the Nazis Much of the debate has been clouded by the conflation of the phenomenon of concentration camps, which predate the Holocaust, and the camps introduced by the Nazis. The key difference is between temporary measures instituted by authoritarian regimes before the Holocaust and the permanent dehumanization of classes of people under the totalitarian Nazi regime.

The camps launched by the Spanish rulers in Cuba in the 1890s — seen by historians as the first concentration camps — sought to control a civilian population perceived as sympathetic to insurgents for the duration of an operation aimed at quelling an uprising. The same is true of the camps that the British established in the subsequent decade to control the Boer insurgents in South Africa.

In both those cases, and in subsequent manifestations, concentration camps were inhumane and deadly — but not permanent. The authorities who established the camps hoped to quell opposition, not to establish a permanent system of imprisoning a designated class of citizen.

The same was true of the initial Nazi concentration camps, which were established shortly after the rise to power of Adolf Hitler in 1933. The first prisoners were “primarily Communists, Social Democrats and other political enemies of Nazism who were seen as being in need of political reeducation,” according to The Holocaust Encyclopedia edited by Walter Laqueur.

The SS assumed control of the camps within a year and by the outbreak of war in 1939, the camps’ mission had shifted: Many had become slave labor camps, housing populations the Nazis considered subhuman, including Poles, Slavs and Jews, and contracting their labor out to the German private sector.

Another tendency is to conflate concentration See Detention facilities page 9

Detention facilities or ‘concentration camps’?

RoN KAmPEAS WASHINGTON | JTA Simmering beneath the heated debate over whether Holocaust references are appropriate in the debate over the Trump administration’s policy of separating migrant families is a question of terminology: Are the shelters where the migrants are housed correctly described as “concentration camps”?

The debate is raging among Wikipedia’s editors after one of them added the facilities housing the children to the crowd-sourced encyclopedia’s entry “List of concentration and internment camps.”

Editors opposing the usage appear to be unsettled in part by the attention the revised Wikipedia entry has accrued, with Gizmodo, Vice and the Daily Kos each devoting major articles to the addition as a seeming validation of the awfulness of the detention policy.

More to the point, the Wikipedia dissenters question the accuracy of the designation: Are the centers correctly described as concentration camps?

Here are some of the complicating factors: I say “shelter,” you say “concentration camp.”

According to a Department of Homeland Security fact sheet, migrant children and parents may be separated when “individuals who are believed to have committed any crime, including illegal entry,” are “referred to the Department of Justice.” DHS then transfers children to the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, where they are held in a “temporary shelter” until a sponsor can be found for the child. Reports suggest these shelters include large centers with dormitory-like accommodations.

Meanwhile, the adults are held in what the government calls “detention facilities” pending hearings.

The Encyclopedia Britannica defines a concentration camp as an “internment center for political prisoners and members of national or minority groups who are confined for reasons of state security, exploitation, or punishment, usually by executive decree or military order.” That definition comports with the arguments of those who note that the separations and detentions are being used to punish or deter would-be migrants, as some administration officials have acknowledged.

Children and workers at a tent encampment recently built near the Tornillo Port of Entry in Tornillo, Texas, June 19, 2018. Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images security, exploitation, or punishment” by Presidential Donald Trump’s “executive decree,” or whether they are “relocation centers for the temporary accommodation” of “displaced persons,” is the debate exercising the editors at Britannica’s scrappier rival, Wikipedia, and also informing the broader political debate.

“These children are not being held without trial,” editor Flamous1 said in the online encyclopedia’s behind-the-page debate. “Moreover, they weren’t taken from their parents, from their homes and then imprisoned (ex: Nazi, Japanese situations).

They are held, just like any other asylum applicant, until the hearing can be heard.”

Kellyanne Conway, a top adviser to Trump, said on NBC’s Meet The Press over the weekend that the intention was simply to facilitate returning the migrants to their countries of origin, not to punish them.

“There are ways to repatriate these people back to their home countries expeditiously,” she said.

Joel Pollak of Breitbart News calls the concentration camp comparisons an abuse of the Holocaust and considers the separation policy humane, not punitive.

“When the U.S. Border Patrol separates children

logue is more powerful than boycotting. He knows that, if we want to find an answer, we have to meet, face to face. We have to open the door wider, not shut it; we must march together, see each other and acknowledge that the other side has valid arguments.

In essence, each boycott shuts that dialogue down more—it’s the activist’s version of sticking your head in the sand. BDS proponents will disagree with that assessment, I’m sure; so I’ll ask again: if everyone stops buying Israeli products and stops visiting Israel, how does that bring us closer to peace? Because no matter how often you repeat that ‘it’s the government,’ and you don’t hate or even dislike the people themselves, cutting off life support in the form of cultural, medical and/or educational exchange will have quite the opposite effect.

The Jewish Press | June 29, 2018 | 9

In Tel Aviv’s African neighborhood, asylum seekers strive for normal life BeN SaLeS TEL AVIV | JTA The Sudanese pizza restaurant is nearly empty on this weekday afternoon, but that doesn’t seem to bother its owner, Yakoub Al-Aldoum, who happily cooks goulash in a small, square kitchen.

Pizza, his specialty, will go into the oven in the evening, AlAldoum assures me repeatedly. He makes a regular crust with tomato sauce, then covers it with Sudanese staples like beans and lentils, or beef or tuna.

Al-Aldoum picked up pizza baking in a large restaurant in his home country of Sudan, then took the craft with him to Libya when he fled, seeking asylum.

Eleven years ago he arrived in Israel. Like tens of thousands of other African asylum seekers, he settled in the South Tel Aviv neighborhood of Neve Shaanan, next to the city’s grimy bus station, and found work in restaurants. He draws Sudanese customers, but also neighboring Eritreans, local Israelis and others.

“In Sudan, before, in Libya, we all worked in pizza,” said AlAldoum, 47. “I came here and there was no pizza. We worked with meat. Now we work with pizza and meat, beans, lentils, poultry -- in every form. We make a little money here, a little money there.”

Adjacent to the restaurant is a bar that’s easy to miss from the street. Its entrance is through a blue metal gate, cordoned off by a tarp and barbed wire. The only way to know it’s there is from a rectangular sign above the gate showing a smiling woman exhaling smoke from a hookah. The entrance leads into a dim courtyard covered by a tent.

A few African men are sitting on plastic armchairs drinking coffee and smoking hookahs , while a handful of others sit at a table with a red-and-white checkered tablecloth. Everyone is watching three TV screens showing, respectively, a pro wrestling match, a soccer game and an action movie that looks like “Top Gun” but isn’t.

Photos are not allowed. The owners do not give interviews.

Openness and suspicion, multiculturalism and insularity.

These are two of the many contradictions that define Neve Shaanan, Tel Aviv’s diverse, underprivileged and vibrant neighborhood of asylum seekers, Filipino foreign workers, working-class Israelis and others.

It is at once an intricate tapestry of cultures and a labyrinth of competing identities. It is the hotbed of a years-long political and social fight that has torn Israel apart.

Neve Shaanan is also a neighborhood where many residents wake up in the morning, work all day, eat a quick meal and go to sleep.

“I do see and hear: ‘You’re like this, Sudanese are like this, Eritreans are like this,’” said Abdelaziz Muhammad, a Sudanese restaurant owner who arrived in Israel in 2008, referring to racism against Africans. “But I don’t see any problems here. We get along. South Tel Aviv is a nice neighborhood.”

If Israelis hear about Neve Shaanan, it’s probably because of the debate over African asylum seekers that has occupied the country for years. By 2012, more than 60,000 people, mostly from Eritrea and Sudan, had entered Israel illegally through its border with Egypt. They say they are refugees seeking asylum from war and brutal dictatorships at home. But the Israeli government contends that they are economic migrants seeking jobs and a better life in a developed country.

Since 2012, the Israeli government has tried to keep out asylum seekers and remove those already in Israel. It has erected a fence on its southern border, placed thousands of asylum seekers in a detention facility in southern Israel, offered in-

Letter to the editor

Dear Editor, I am responding to Paul Landow’s letter regarding the guest editorial of Congressman Don Bacon outlining his support for Israel. Silence is agreement. So, I feel obligated to respond. Mr. Landow wrote that Congressman Bacon was wrong if he assumes that all Jews agree with the present administration’s policies in Israel.

Ironically, Mr. Landow goes on to imply that Jewish people are in agreement on many other issues. He mentions abortion, gun laws and others. He even criticizes Bacon’s support of tax dollar vouchers for parents sending children to private religious schools. Friedel Jewish Academy is one such school. I am sure many Jewish families would welcome vouchers to offset the cost of day schools.

“Israel” means to struggle with G-d. As individuals and as a tribe we Jews struggle with our differences on numerous issues. To imply otherwise is wholly inaccurate.

Janet Kohll

centives for them to leave and tried to negotiate deals with third-party countries to absorb them. By 2018, about 37,000 asylum seekers remained in Israel.

This year, the government struck a deal with the United Nations to transfer half of the asylum seekers to other developed countries while affording the other half legal status in Israel.

But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abruptly backed out of the deal amid objections from Israeli residents of South Tel Aviv, who have portrayed the asylum seekers as a threat to

Shops like these around Neve Shaanan sell ceremonial dress for festivals such as weddings. Much of the clothing is white with embroideries.

Credit: Ben Sales their safety and their culture.

The changes in the neighborhood have been jarring to some of the older Jewish residents who have seen groups of young Sudanese and Eritrean men move into apartments once occupied by Jewish families like theirs.

Although foreign residents, mostly African asylum seekers, make up a majority of residents of Neve Shaanan and its surrounding area, they accounted for less than a third of the crime rate from 2015 to 2017. Police have also beefed up their presence there. The station responsible for Neve Shaanan’s area grew from eight police officers in 2010 to nearly 200 last year -- plus 50 border police officers.

Shirazi, like his African neighbors, is an immigrant. He came from Iran with his family in 1958, when he was 14. He still longs for his boyhood home -- “You don’t forget the place,” Shirazi said -- but added his situation is different than that of the Eritrean and Sudanese. He feels a sense of belonging in a Jewish country, while he says that for them, Israel is just a place they have been able to stay.

“For us, there was someone who took care of us the right way, not like them,” said Shirazi, 74. “They have care, but we had a home here. We were coming to the land of Israel to stay.”

According to Tel Aviv’s official statistics, Neve Shaanan has about 5,000 residents -- part of a larger South Tel Aviv district with a population of 30,000. But the real number is much higher. An Israeli Knesset report from 2016 said that any-

where between almost 15,000 and 30,000 African asylum seekers live in South Tel Aviv -- most of them in and around Neve Shaanan.

The neighborhood was founded in 1921 by another set of refugees -- Jews fleeing anti-Semitic violence in the adjacent Jaffa. Funded by foreign Jewish philanthropy, they eventually built a row of orchards that supplied Europe with fresh Jaffa oranges. In the 1920s, Tel Aviv incorporated the neighborhood and established its central bus station there in the 1940s, filling the streets with noise and pollution, and driving out anyone who could afford to move. So another set of refugees -- recent immigrants to the new Jewish state -- filled it up.

“It was a disadvantaged population throughout the years, a disadvantaged population remained here,” said David Cohen, a guide who does historical and culinary tours of Neve Shaanan. “By the ‘60s this was one of the most severe neighborhoods in Tel Aviv. Many of the apartments were empty, without renters. A lot of businesses closed, and that drew a lot of crime organizations.”

It was still a bad neighborhood in the early 2000s when asylum seekers began arriving from Africa. Because Neve Shaanan was next to the bus station and so neglected -- with abandoned apartments and few police patrolling the streets - it was an easy place for illegal immigrants to settle. Asylum seekers filled the neighborhood as more than 40,000 came between 2010 and 2012.

Many spent their first few nights sleeping in Levinsky Park next to the bus station, then moved into small apartments where eight or 10 people slept on mattresses. Because the asylum seekers have few rights in Israel, they are prone to exploitation by landlords charging high rents and demanding payments in cash.

They have also consistently faced racism from locals as well as national politicians. In 2012, a mob attacked African residents of South Tel Aviv. Miri Regev, now Israel’s culture minister, called them a “cancer” (she later apologized). Official government documents refer to them as “infiltrators.”

“We are not living here, we are surviving,” said Teklit Michael, an Eritrean asylum seeker who came to Israel in 2008 and has since become an activist, serving as a spokesman for his community and helping fellow asylum seekers secure their rights. “You don’t know what’s going to happen the day after right now. You have to live as you can, to be safe for the day.”

African residents all said the same thing. They wake up early to go to service jobs, then come back at night, eat, have a cup of coffee or a smoke, then go to sleep. There are a few people making noise on the street, but life in the neighborhood is quiet. Because the population is largely single men, many of them spend their evenings eating with friends in restaurants, maybe watching a European soccer match, before retiring to bed.

Detention facilities or ‘concentration camps’?

Continued from page 9 camp with Nazi death camps, which had a single overriding purpose: the extermination of the Jews.

So are these concentration camps minus the Nazi baggage?

Andrea Pitzer, a historian who last year wrote a book “One Long Night,” on the history of concentration camps, believes the designation is accurate in this case.

“Yes, of course they’re concentration camps,” she said this week on Twitter. “They aren’t the unique subset of death camps that were invented by the Nazis for genocide, or even Arctic Gulag camps built for hard labor. But they’re camps created to punish a whole class of civilians via mass detention without trial.”

Given that the Trump administration said it is seeking an expedited solution, and that displaced persons conventionally spend time in relocation centers, I asked Pitzer to expand on her conclusion that these are indeed concentration camps. She said what was key to her determination was how other Trump officials, including Attorney General Jeff Sessions and top Trump adviser Stephen Miller, have described the policy as a deterrent.

“We have indications dating back to August that the separation policy was being looked at as a punitive measure — in the hopes that it would deter entry,” she wrote in an email.

“So we have punitive detention being used against asylum seekers, adults and children alike,” Pitzer said. “It’s a policy that wasn’t in place before under other administrations, and

there’s no law requiring it. It wasn’t adopted as an emergency measure to deal with a new problem or a massive influx.

People are being deported without their children, which is as punitive a measure as one can imagine. What can you take from people who have nothing? Their children.”

Historians take the long view Deborah Lipstadt, the Holocaust historian, said it was not helpful to focus on the correct terminology while an event is underway.

“Ten years from now if we’re sitting around analyzing this from a historical point of view, we can make comparisons,” she said in an interview, noting for instance, that it took years to precisely define the carnage in Cambodia in the 1970s as a civil war that included a genocide rather than a genocide in and of itself. “I think the comparisons are made too easily and too glibly; the comparisons don’t get us where we need to go.”

Lipstadt said the Trump administration’s policy of separating children from their parents as a deterrent measure should be regarded on its own terms, whatever historical term eventually defines it.

“Something doesn’t have to be like the Holocaust to be awful, to be just plain wrong,” she said. “Separating children from their parents, children in diapers, putting them in cages, listening to them weep — it’s treating people like commodities.”

Get the inside scoop on the week’s Jewish political news in your inbox. Sign up for The Tell, our new weekly email

by Ron Kampeas, JTA Washington Bureau Chief.

10 | The Jewish Press | June 29, 2018

synagogues B’nAI IsRAel synAgogue

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

BeTh el synAgogue

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

BeTh IsRAel synAgogue

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

ChABAd house

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

CongRegATIon B’nAI JeshuRun

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

offuTT AIR foRCe BAse

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

Rose BlumkIn JeWIsh home

323 South 132 Street Omaha, NE 68154

Temple IsRAel

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

TIfeReTh IsRAel

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

B’nAI IsRAel synAgogue

Following a short summer haitus, we will meet again in September: Young Jewish Omaha Shabbat Event, friday, sept. 7, 7:30 p.m. For information conctact Nate Shapiro at nshap iro@jewishomaha@org.

Erev Rosh Hashanah, sunday, sept. 9, 7:30 p.m.

Rosh Hashanah, monday, sept. 10, 10:30 a.m.

Kol Nidre, Tuesday, sept. 18, 7:30 p.m.

Yom Kippur, Wednesday, sept. 19, 10:30 a.m. and Concluding service and Break-the-fast, 5:30 p.m.

Our High Holiday services are led by guest Cantorial soloist Jeff Taxman.

For information on our historic synagogue, contact any of our board members: Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Carole Lainof, Marty Ricks, Sissy Silber, Nancy Wolf, or email nanc ywolf16620@gmail.com.

BeTh el synAgogue

Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman. fRIdAy: Swim and Shabbat in the Park at Lake Zorinsky, 4:30 p.m. meet at Zorinksy Aquatic Center for swiming and at 6:30 p.m. meet at shelter #1 for dinner. sATuRdAy: Walk with Pride at Heartland Pride Parade, 11:30 a.m. in Council Bluffs. The parade lineup begins at 9 a.m. with the parade starting at 10 am.; Shabbat Morning Services, 9:30 a.m.; Shabbat Mincha following Morning Services.

WeekdAy seRVICes: Sundays, 9:30 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. sundAy: Torah Study, 10 a.m.

WednesdAy: Independence Day — Offices Closed; Morning Minyan, 9 a.m.

ThuRsdAy: Chesed Committee visits Blumkin Home, 2 p.m. fRIdAy, July 6: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. sATuRdAy, July 7: Shabbat Morning Services, 9:30 a.m.; Shabbat Mincha following Morning Services. sundAy: Torah Study, 10 a.m.

TuesdAy: Baking Day, 9 a.m.; Chesed Committee visits Remington Heights, 2 p.m.

WednesdAy: Baking Day, 9 a.m.

ThuRsdAy: Shanghai, 1 p.m.

BeTh IsRAel synAgogue

Services conducted by Rabbi Ari Dembitzer. fRIdAy: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha, 7:30 p.m.; Candle Lighting, 8:43 p.m. sATuRdAy: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Insights into the Weekly Torah Portion, 7:40 p.m.; Mincha/Seudah Shlishit, 8:25 p.m.; Shabbat Ends, 9:53 p.m. sundAy: Fast Begins, 4:05 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Bagels and Beit Midrash, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Havdalah/ Fast Ends, 9:43 p.m. mondAy-TuesdAy: Shacharit, 7 a.m.

WednesdAy: Shacharit, 9 a.m.

ThuRsdAy: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Connecting With Our Fatih, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Ari. fRIdAy, July 6: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha, 7:30 p.m.; Candle Lighting, 8:42 p.m. sATuRdAy, July 7: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Insights into the Weekly Torah Portion, 7:40 p.m.; Mincha/Seudah Shlishit, 8:25 p.m.; Havdalah, 9:51 p.m. sundAy: Fast Begins, 4:05 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Bagels and Beit Midrash, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Ari. mondAy-ThuRsdAy: Shacharit, 7 a.m.

ChABAd house

Office hours: Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and Friday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. fRIdAy: Shacharit, 7 a.m. followed by coffee, treats, study and shmoozing. sATuRdAy: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.

WeekdAys: Shacharit, 7 a.m. followed by coffee, treats, study and shmoozing. mondAy: Personal Parsha class, 9:30 a.m. with Shani.

WednesdAy: Mystical Thinking, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Katzman.

ThuRsdAy: Talmud Class, noon with Rabbi Katzman. fRIdAy, July 6: Shacharit, 7 a.m. followed by coffee, treats, study and shmoozing.

sATuRdAy, July 7: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.

WeekdAys: Shacharit, 7 a.m. followed by coffee, treats, study and shmoozing. mondAy: Personal Parsha class, 9:30 a.m. with Shani.

WednesdAy: Mystical Thinking, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Katzman.

ThuRsdAy: Talmud Class, noon with Rabbi Katzman.

All programs are open to the entire community.

CongRegATIon B’nAI JeshuRun

Services conducted by Rabbi Teri Appleby. fRIdAy: Erev Shabbat Service, 6:30 p.m with the Star City Kochavim; Oneg, 7:30 p.m.; Candlelighting, 8:44 p.m. sATuRdAy: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study on Parashat Balak, 10:45 a.m.; Havdalah (72 minutes), 10:14 p.m. sundAy: Come learn and play Pickleball, 7-9 p.m. All equipment furnished. Wear comfortable clothing. For questions, call or text Miriam Wallick at miriam57@aol.com.

TuesdAy: Star City Kochavim Rehearsal, 6:45 p.m.

WednesdAy: Independence Day — Temple Office Closed. fRIdAy, July 6: Family Shabbat Service, 6:30 p.m; Family Shabbat Dinner, 7:30 p.m. sATuRdAy, July 7: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:45 a.m. sundAy: Come learn and play Pickleball, 7-9 p.m. All equipment furnished. Wear comfortable clothing. For questions, call or text Miriam Wallick at miriam57@aol.com. mondAy: LJCS CAMP ISRAEL, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. at TI. TuesdAy: LJCS CAMP ISRAEL, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. at TI; Star City Kochavim Rehearsal, 6:45 p.m.

WednesdAy: LJCS CAMP ISRAEL, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. at TI. ThuRsdAy: LJCS CAMP ISRAEL, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. at TI; High Holidays Choir Rehearsal, 7 p.m.

Jewish Book Club, July 15, 1:30 p.m. at Gere Library, 2400 S. 56th St. and will discuss The Girl from Human Street

by Roger Cohen.

Dr. Mike Eppel will share his experiences with Rohingya refugees during a recent trip he made to Bangladesh on sunday, July 15 at 3 p.m. This event is open to the whole community (but please note that the presentation is not suitable for young children).

offuTT AIR foRCe BAse

fRIdAy: Services, 7:30 p.m. every first and third of the month.

Rose BlumkIn JeWIsh home

sATuRdAy: Services, 9:15 a.m. led by JIm Polack. sATuRdAy, July 7: Services, 9:15 a.m. led by Stan Edelstein.

Services will be held in the Chapel. Members of the community are invited to attend.

Temple IsRAel

fRIdAy: Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. Rabbi Berezin will give a sermon about Pride and we invite everyone who is participating in the 2018 Heartland Pride Parade to receive a blessing under the beautiful Rainbow Chuppah created by our Pride Task Force! sATuRdAy: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Service, 10:30 a.m. Haftarah reader: Miles Remer; Walk with Temple Israel and Beth El Synagogue at the 2018 Heartland Pride Parade in Council Bluffs, we will start the morning together with a short Shabbat service with bagels at 8 a.m. at the southwest corner of Bayliss Park (100 Pearl Street, Council Bluffs, IA 51503). The parade lineup begins at 9 a.m. with the parade starting promptly at 10 a.m. This is a family-friendly event celebrating Pride month and everyone is welcome to join! Register to walk by contacting Temple Israel, 402.556.6536. fRIdAy, July 6: Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. sATuRdAy, July 7: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Service, 10:30 a.m. Haftarah reader: Miles Remer TiYPE Shabbat (18+), friday, July 13, 6 p.m. Join 18+ TiYPE for Temple Israel services, followed by dinner at Pitch Pizza, followed by dessert at eCreamery in Dundee! RSVP to Temple Israel by monday, July 9.

Tisha B'av Service, saturday, July 21, 7 p.m. Please join us for a solemn service commemorating Tisha B’Av. Tisha B’Av is a day of mourning for the tragedies in Jewish history, the brokenness in the world today, and the pain and loss in our own lives. The mourning we do on Tisha B’Av also marks the start of the High Holiday season, as we begin our climb toward the light and promise of Rosh Hashanah.

Holy Smokes, Tuesday, July 24, 7 p.m. led by Rabbi Stoller, this men-only evening will feature cigars, beer, whiskey, and philosophical discussions of men’s issues and perspectives from Jewish texts. This event is free, though reservations are required. RSVP to Temple Israel, 402.556.6536, by friday, July 20.

TIfeReTh IsRAel

Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: monday-friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. fRIdAy: No Services sATuRdAy: Shabbat Morning service, 10 a.m followed by a Kiddush luncheon. sundAy: Tifereth Israel's Annual Congregational Meeting, 3 p.m.; Come learn and play Pickleball, 7-9 p.m. All equipment furnished. Wear comfortable clothing. For questions, call or text Miriam Wallick at miriam57@aol.com.

WednesdAy: Independence Day — Office Closed. fRIdAy, July 6: No Services sATuRdAy, July 7: Shabbat Morning service, 10 a.m followed by a Kiddush luncheon. mondAy: LJCS CAMP ISRAEL, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. at TI. TuesdAy: LJCS CAMP ISRAEL, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. at TI. WednesdAy: LJCS CAMP ISRAEL, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. at TI. ThuRsdAy: LJCS CAMP ISRAEL, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. at TI.

Billionaire Roman Abramovich helps bring ill Israeli kids to the World Cup

JTA NEWS STAFF Despite Israel’s absence from the World Cup, many Israelis are intensely following this year’s tournament in Russia. Some of these fans, thanks to Russian Jewish billionaire Roman Abramovich, have been given the opportunity to attend the Cup. Abramovich, an investor and entrepreneur who owns England’s Chelsea soccer team, has donated a six-figure sum to the Israeli “Fulfilling Dreams” charity, which takes children with serious illnesses to major soccer tournaments across the world. The organization was founded and continues to be run by U.K. native Gilad Salter.

According to CNN, Ambramovich’s and others’ donations have funded flights from Israel to Russia, hotels and food throughout the weeklong stay.

“We at Fulfilling Dreams are so grateful to all our donors, especially Mr. Roman Abramovich,

for their tremendous generosity,” Salter said. “All the months of hard work and organization become completely worth it when I see the happiness on these wonderful kids’ faces.”

The group of 68, which includes 38 caregivers, attended three matches, including Mexico’s defeat of reigning world champion Germany.

“I’m having the time of my life,” nine-year-old Polina Feldman, who suffers from cerebral palsy, told CNN. “I’ve never been abroad before, and football is my life.”

According to The Jerusalem Post, many of these children were slated to attend the Israel-Argentina friendly that was canceled.

The Chelsea owner was Russia’s 11th-richest man with a net worth of $10.8 billion. Following difficulties securing a visa to enter the U.K., Abramovich, who is Jewish, recently pursued and received Israeli citizenship. He was born to Jewish parents in Lithuania but raised in Russia.

The Jewish Press | June 29, 2018 | 11

community

Picking beets in Israel

nanCy Coren Lincoln's Tour of Israel @ 70 worked in the fields at Moshav Nahallal picking beets for Leket. Leket Israel works to eradicate hunger through various food rescue projects, providing food to 175,000+ Israelis each week and distribute over 2.3 million hot meals a year. e members pictured below, picked 500 pounds of beets that were then sent to 334 families who were able to enjoy fresh and healthy food during the week due to the efforts of those who picked the crops. is hands on experience was just one of many special activities that the 14 members of the tour engaged in during their 10 day tour of Israel organized by Nancy Coren of Tifereth Israel.

Tour members participating from Lincoln were especially thankful for the grant support lent to them by the Albert and Eleanor Feldman Family Foundation of Omaha as they trav-

To subMiT announCeMenTs

Announcements may be e-mailed to the Press at jpress@jewish omaha.org; or mailed to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154.

Readers can also submit announcements -- births, b’nai mitzvahs, engagements, marriages, commitment ceremonies or obituaries -- online at the Jewish Federation of Omaha website: www.jewish omaha.org. Click on “Jewish Press” and go to Submit Announcements. Deadlines are normally eight days prior to publication, on Thursdays, 9 a.m. Please check the Jewish Press, for notices of early deadlines.

60 Years Experience With Jewish Lettering and Memorials

1439 So. 13th 402-341-2452

Frank L. Ciciulla, Jr.

eled from Mitzpe Ramon (in the Negev) to Rosh HaNikra (on the Lebanese border) and from Jerusalem (in the East) to Caesaria (in the West) learning about Israel's past history and present day accomplishments.

Immigration rhetoric After banning Jewish flags last year, Chicago Dyke March displays Palestinian flags JTA The Chicago Dyke March, a queer pride parade, prominently featured Palestinian flags one year after ejecting marchers waving Jewish flags.

Participants in Sunday’s march can be seen waving Palestinian flags in a video posted by the Windy City Times, a newspaper serving Chicago’s LGBT community.

Marchers also waved Mexican, Puerto Rican and rainbow flags, and chanted “No Participants in the 2018 Chicago pride in occupation, no Dyke March waving Palestinian pride in deportation,” according to the newspaper. flags.

Credit: Screenshot of Windy City The march this year was Times video explicitly “a very pro-Palestinian event,” according to the Windy City Times.

Last year, three women were ejected from the Dyke March for waving rainbow flags emblazoned with Jewish stars. Critics accused the march of anti-Semitism, and one woman at the march wrote on Facebook that “Removing those flags, and the people who marched with it, shows a deep level of ignorance, and yes, it also shows antisemitism masquerading as liberal values.”

One of the ejected women, Laurel Grauer, works for A Wider Bridge, a pro-Israel LGBT group.

“People asked me if I was a Zionist and I said ‘yes, I do care about the State of Israel, but I also believe in a two-state solution and an independent Palestine,'” Grauer said last year. “It’s hard to swallow the idea of inclusion when you are excluding people from that. People are saying ‘You can be gay but not in this way.’ We do not feel welcomed. We do not feel included.”

March organizers said last year in a statement that the women were ejected because they were pro-Israel while the march was explicitly anti-Zionist, and because of the Jewish star flag’s “similarity to the Israeli flag and the flag’s long history of use in pinkwashing efforts.” Pinkwashing is a term used by critics of Israel alleging that the Israeli government touts its pro-LGBT policies in order to distract from its treatment of the Palestinians.

Gretchen Rachel Hammond, the journalist who broke the Jewish flag story for the Windy City Times, was removed from her reporting duties following an outcry over the incident.

Pulverente MONUMENT CO.

ben sales JTA Many people have been comparing the government’s policy of separating families to the Holocaust.

But Paul Krugman, the liberal’s liberal economics columnist at the New York Times, has a different Jewish historical analogy: He says the administration’s rhetoric on immigration is like the age-old blood libel against the Jewish people. e blood libel is an ancient, recurring smear against Jews, falsely accusing them of killing Christian children and using their blood for ritual purposes (like drinking it or baking it into matzah for Passover). e libel has shown up throughout the centuries across Europe, parts of the Middle East and even in the United States.

Krugman said the false, fantastical nature of the blood libel is a lot like the accusations President Trump and his allies throw at immigrants: that they take American jobs, commit a disproportionate amount of crimes and kill native-born Americans.

Krugman cites statistics showing that the opposite is true: Immigration rates are not spiking. Crime rates are lower in areas with a large number of immigrants. And most economists don’t believe immigrants depress wages for low-income, uneducated Americans.

“I don’t know what drives such people — but we’ve seen this movie before, in the history of anti-Semitism,” Krugman wrote. “e thing about anti-Semitism is that it was never about anything Jews actually did. It was always about lurid myths, oen based on deliberate fabrications, that were systematically spread to engender hatred.”

“In any case, the important thing to understand is that the atrocities our nation is now committing at the border don’t represent an overreaction or poorly implemented response to some actual problem that needs solving,” he continued. “ere is no immigration crisis; there is no crisis of immigrant crime. No, the real crisis is an upsurge in hatred — unreasoning hatred that bears no relationship to anything the victims have done.”

According to at least one expert on anti-Semitism, Krugman’s comparison holds water. Deborah Lipstadt, the prominent Holocaust historian, told JTA Krugman is right to note that anti-Semitism and modern American xenophobia share a basis in irrationality.

“It’s a conspiracy theory,” she said of the blood libel. “It makes no sense. It sees Jews as the heart of the problem, just like today crime is down, immigrants are taking jobs that by and large Americans don’t want, but there’s this myth of ‘immigrants are taking our jobs.’ ... ere’s an irrational element to it and a lack of logic.”

Lipstadt has no such sympathy for the comparisons of family separation to the Holocaust, an argument she made in an Atlantic piece published Friday, titled, bluntly, “It’s not the Holocaust.”

“But something can be horrific without being a genocide or a Holocaust,” she wrote.

jewish Press noTiCe

There will be no Jewish Press next week on july 6, 2018. Questions? Call 402.334.6448.

nebraska sTaTewiDe ClassifieDs

aTTenTion aDVerTisers! For $225/25 word classified you can advertise in over 163 Nebraska newspapers. For more information contact the Jewish Press or call 1-800-369-2850.

afforDable Press Release service. Send your message to 165 newspapers across Nebraska for one low price! Call 1-800-369-2850 or www.nebpress.com for more details. enjoy 100% guaranteed, delivered to-the-door Omaha Steaks! Save 75% Plus get 4 more Burgers & 4 more Kielbasa Free! Order The Family Gourmet Buffet Only $49.99. Call 1-855-993-6208, mention code 51689CZD or visit www.OmahaSteaks.com/good34.

GeT an iPhone 8 or Samsung Galaxy8 for $34/month. Call AT&T Wireless today to learn how to get a new phone. Call while supplies last. 1-855-539-2046.

DireCTV seleCT Package! Over 150 Channels! Only $35/month (for 12 months). Order Now! Get a $100 AT&T Visa Rewards Gift Card (some restrictions apply). Call 1-855-977-3794.

Dish TV $59.99 for 190 Channels, $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply. Call 1-877688-4784.

sPeCTruM TriPle Play. TV, Internet & Voice for $29.99 each. 60 MB per second speed. No contract or commitment. More channels. Faster internet. Unlimited voice. Call 1-855-389-3104.

a PlaCe For Mom. The nation’s largest senior living referral service. Contact our trusted, local experts today! Our service is Free/no obligation. Call 1-855-441-8821. fDa-reGisTereD Hearing Aids. 100% risk-free! 45-day home trial. Comfort fit.

Crisp clear sound. If you decide to keep it, pay only $299 per aid. Free Shipping.

Call Hearing Help Express, 1-855-763-2604. life alerT, 24/7. One press of a button sends help fast! Medical, Fire, Burglar.

Even if you can’t reach a phone! Free Brochure. Call 800-216-4935.

MeDiCal-GraDe Hearing Aids for less than $200! FDA-Registered. Crisp, clear sound, state-of-the-art features & no audiologist needed. Try it risk free for 45 days! Call 1-855-753-6493.

MobilehelP, aMeriCa’s Premier Mobile Medical Alert System. Whether you’re home or away. For safety and peace of mind. No long term contracts! Free brochure! Call today! 1-888-506-0793.

saVe on Medicare Supplement Insurance! Get a fast and free rate quote from Medicare.com. No cost! No obligation! Compare quotes from major insurance companies. Operators standing by. Call 1-855-456-0592.

sToP sTruGGlinG on the stairs. Give your life a lift with an Acorn Stairlift. Call now for $250 off your stairlift purchase and free DVD & brochure! 1-877-6528506. all ThinGs Basementy! Basement Systems Inc. Call us for all of your basement needs! Waterproofing, finishing, structural repairs, humidity and mold control. Free Estimates! Call 1-855-627-6895.

beCoMe a published author! Publications sold at all major secular & specialty Christian bookstores. Call Christian Faith Publishing for your Free author submission kit. 1-866-807-0505.

DonaTe your car for Breast Cancer! Help United Breast Cancer Foundation education, prevention & support programs. Fast free pickup - 24 hour response - tax deduction. 1-888-309-7108. freon r12 Wanted: Certified Buyer will Pay Ca$h for R12 cylinders or cases of cans. 312-291-9169; www.refrigerantfinders.com

12 | The Jewish Press | June 29, 2018

usnews

Hundreds of Jews protest at ICE headquarters in New York City

bEN salEs NEW YORK | JTA undreds of Jews crowded the steps of the New York City headquarters of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to protest the government’s policy of separating families at the southern border.

Jewish texts and liturgy imbued the protest organized by T’ruah, the liberal rabbinic human rights group, and Jews for Racial and Economic Justice. It was co-sponsored by 30 organizations, including congregations and liberal Jewish activist groups.

Speakers included Rabbi Shai Held, co-founder of the traditional egalitarian Hadar Institute and an essayist who oen connects biblical themes to current events, and Brad Lander, a Democratic city councilman from Brooklyn with a large Jewish constituency who has allied with liberal Jewish groups. Both condemned the Trump administration in Jewish moral terms.

Held cited a Talmudic passage that says the sounds of the shofar during the High Holidays represent the cries of a mother searching for her son Sisera, a missing Canaanite general in the book of Judges.

“In the most solemn moment of the year, we are asked to learn to listen to the cries of parents who do not know where their children are or whether they will ever see them again,” Held said. “at’s not contemporary liberalism. at’s fundamental Jewish liturgy.”

President Donald Trump issued an executive order Wednesday establishing that migrant families who cross the southern border illegally will be detained together indefinitely. But the speakers at the rally condemned the administration for that decision as well, and for not reuniting the approximately 2,300 children who have been forcibly separated from their parents.

“When children and families are put in cages and in camps, our history requires that we show up and say, when we said

‘Never again,’ we meant ‘Never again,'” Lander said, referring tive order on Wednesday stating that families who cross the to the Holocaust remembrance slogan. “We are required to border illegally will be detained together. show up when xenophobia and Islamophobia and racism and Rabbi Jill Jacobs, executive director of the liberal rabbinic white supremacy and anti-Semitism become the policies of human rights group T’ruah, is on the delegation and said our country.”

Trump’s executive order Wednesday was “chutzpahdik” — a e protest began with a new take on the traditional Jewish Yiddish word that means galling. prayer for travelers, and ended with a recitation in song of the Jewish priestly blessing. During that prayer, protest leaders gathered the children in attendance under a spread-out prayer shawl. roughout, people held signs reading “is is what ‘Never Again’ looks like” and “Don’t stand by the blood of your neighbor,” a quote from Leviticus.

A member of the militant right-wing Jewish Defense League led a handful of counterprotesters nearby.

Meanwhile, a group of 10 rabbis has traveled to Texas to examine detention facilities for separated families on the U.S.-Mexico border. e group, which is aiming to visit the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Centralized Processing Center on ursday, includes rabbis from all four major Jewish religious movements Protesters at a Jewish rally at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and is part of a larger delegation of 40 interde- headquarters in New York City demonstrate against the government’s border separation policy, June 21, 2018.

Credit: Ben Sales nominational clergy. e group also includes Catholic, Protestant and Muslim “We want to see the conditions there, come back, report to leaders. Among them was the Rev. Al Sharpton, onetime our communities and mobilize our religious communities to provocative civil rights activist. stop these policies separating children and families,” Jacobs e clergy are at the border to protest the policy of sepa- told JTA. “At most, the executive order means that children rating families that crossed into the United States illegally. will be imprisoned with their parents, which is inhumane and More than 2,000 children have been separated from their par- a violation of international law.” ents since the policy was instituted in early May. Also on the trip was Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner of the ReliFollowing widespread outcry, including from a broad range gious Action Center, the Reform movement’s legislative arm, of Jewish groups, President Donald Trump issued an execu- who called family separation a “moral travesty.”

health+wellness

publishing date | 08.10.18 space reservation | 08.01.18

Contact our advertising executive to promote your business in this very special edition.

Susan Bernard | 402.334.6559 | sbernard@jewishomaha.org