July 10, 2020 by Jewish Press

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African-American and Jewish connections in music Page 3

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Memories lead to new BBYO Fund LINDA POLLARD Endowment Assistant/Staff Writer Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation ond memories of their years as BBYO members left a lasting impression on Sandy and Stuart Kutler. Stuart said that BBYO gave him the opportunity to develop his social and leadership skills and helped build his confidence. He credits his experiences in BBYO with him gaining the confidence to build his own business. It introduced him to a broader world of culture, arts and people. He still vividly remembers the conventions he attended and the contacts he made with other Jewish youth from around the country. To this day, Stuart counts some of those contacts among his closest friends. A strong and vibrant BBYO benefits Omaha, as the participants become more engaged and understand the importance of their involvement in the well-being of the Omaha Jewish community. The Kutlers have two grandchildren who are active in BBYO now, with three more who will join when they reach their teen years. They hope BBYO will See BBYO Fund page 2

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Schwalb Center supports UNO Israel & Jewish Studies Research

My Black Jewish family’s values Page 12

Sandy and Stuart Kutler

So we do not forget

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Dr. Roni Reiter Palmon

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JEANNETTE GABRIEL Director, Schwalb Center for Israel & Jewish Studies The Schwalb Center for Israel & Jewish Studies established new grant programs this year to support faculty and graduate student research at the University of Nebraska-Omaha (UNO). The purpose of these grant programs is to promote quality, interdisciplinary scholarship in Israel, Jewish and Middle East Studies. In addition, two undergraduate students who are being mentored through the

Schwalb Center received UNO FUSE (Fund for Undergraduate Scholarly Experiences) grants to conduct research within the local Jewish community. The Schwalb Center planned a public event where the grant recipients would give presentations about their research projects at the end of the Spring 2020 semester. However, due to the closure of the University, this event has been postponed. The two faculty members who received the inaugural Schwalb Center See Schwalb Center page 3

Henry and Zach Krausman

SCOTT LITTKY Executive Director, Institute for Holocaust Education The Institute for Holocaust Education is honored to be partnering with Beth El Synagogue to share the testimony of Holocaust survivor, Henry Krausman. Mr. Krausman’s testimony will be presented by Hazzan Michael Krausman, Henry’s son. Hazzan Krausman is a frequent speaker for the Institute for Holocaust Education and was one of the IHE’s volunteers of the year, hon-

ored by the Jewish Federation of Omaha this past June at their annual meeting. Hazzan Krausman is a second generation Holocaust survivor. His father Henry Krausman was born in Zawiercie, Poland in 1927. During the Nazi invasion, Henry was made to live in a ghetto where he was put into forced labor under deplorable working conditions and was subject to severe beatings. He was deported to a series of concentration camps See So we do not forget page 2

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So we do not forget Continued from page 1 including Gros Rosen and Buchenwald. Henry escaped during a death march by hid-

ing with others in the barn of a German farm. Following his liberation, Henry lived in Germany where he was reunited with his older brother Jack, the only other member of his large family to survive the Shoah. After graduating from an ORT vocational school as a machinist, Henry moved to Brooklyn, New York, to once again be with his brother Jack. There he pursued a successful career as a high precision machinist in the military aviation industry and other highly technical fields. Henry met the love of his life Lil, (OBM) and was soon married. They moved back to her home town in Canada and eventually to Toronto where he currently lives an active and very involved life. Hazzan Krausman’s presentation will be on Wednesday, July 22 at 7 p.m. by Zoom. The link for the presentation is https://zoom.us/j/2129204 230. For more information, please contact Scott Littky at slittky@ihene.org or Robby Erlich, Engagement Coordinator at Beth El Synagogue at rerlich@bethel-omaha.org. Hazzan Krausman at Marian High School

BBYO Fund Continued from page 1 remain an active and vibrant opportunity for their grandchildren and for all Omaha Jewish youth. In an effort to ensure that all of Omaha’s Jewish teens can have the same BBYO experiences that the Kutlers enjoyed, they are establishing the BBYO Leadership Development and Programming Excellence Endowment Fund at the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation. The purpose of the fund is to provide support for the Omaha Jewish community’s BBYO program to be dedicated to recruitment, retention and leadership development of its members, subsidizing members’ attendance at national, regional and local conclaves, conferences, and conventions and subsidizing metropolitan Omahaarea BBYO programming. Sandy and Stuart realize that financial need may prevent some teens from attending regional and national conventions. This fund is created to enable those teens to fully participate in all BBYO activities. Jacob Geltzer, BBYO/Teen Program Director, said that BBYO has hit its membership goals set by the teen leaders these past few years. However, Jacob noted that there are members who don’t attend conventions and programs, both regionally and internationally, if they are not granted some type of scholarship. Sandy and Stuart believe that an infusion of funds will energize the Omaha organization, and will enable more teens to participate in all activities regardless of the financial situation of their families. Jacob said: “I am so grateful to be a part of a community where people care so much

about BBYO and our mission of providing more Jewish teens with more meaningful Jewish experiences. Thanks to the generosity of Sandy and Stuart, BBYO will be able to continue elevating our programs for our current members and plan more engaging programs for our new and incoming members. Not only will this encourage our teens to be involved in our local programs, but this fund will also give them the chance to see all levels of BBYO and the many conventions and leadership conferences that we offer throughout the year.” A strong, active BBYO lays the foundation for a new and engaged generation in the Jewish community. It builds Jewish identity and dedication to the community that will be carried into its members’ adult years. As each generation “passes the torch” to the next, these teens will be prepared to continue to build on the strength and successes created by their predecessors. Not only do the Kutlers want to support BBYO, but they want to encourage others in the Jewish community to join in helping ensure the continued vibrancy of the organization. The Kutlers will generously match any donations up to $100,000. BBYO greatly impacted Stuart Kutler’s life, and with the establishment of this fund, the lives of many more Omaha Jewish teens can likewise be impacted. If you wish to contribute to the Stuart and Sandy Kutler Omaha BBYO Leadership Development and Programming Excellence Fund, or establish your own endowment, please contact Howard Epstein, Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation Executive Director, at 402.334.6466, or hepstein@jewishomaha.org.

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Schwalb Center Continued from page 1 faculty grants were Dr. Roni Reiter-Palmon, Varner Professor of Industrial/Organizational Psychology and Dr. Tatyana Novikov in Foreign Languages and Literature. Both faculty members will publish results of their research projects in academic journals over the next year. Dr. Reiter-Palmon’s general research work focuses on creativity and innovation in the workplace, cognitive processes and individual difference variables that influence creative performance of individuals, teams, and organizational adoption of innovative processes. She is collaborating with researchers at the University of Haifa to examine how individuals in different culAshton Linthicum tures adapt to difficult situations. Originally the project focused on Israeli populations responding to missile attacks and U.S. populations responding to natural disasters. However, with the onset of the global Coronavirus pandemic, the research project shifted to examining cross-cultural similarities and differences in response to the pandemic. Additional researchers joined the project. The final data analysis will include findings from Italy, China, Israel and the United States. Dr. Novikov immigrated to the United States from the Soviet Union in 1989 and came to UNO in 1995 to teach Russian Studies. Her areas of expertise include Russian symbolist poetry, comparative literary studies, utopian and anti-utopian literary traditions, women’s writings and Russian émigré prose. Dr. Novikov is conducting a literary analysis of Emil Draister’s fictional works examining his use of Jewish themes and analyzing why he emerged as the preeminent Jewish writer on Russian emigration. Draitser, who left the Soviet Union in 1975, is a professor of Russian at Hunter College in New York City. His work examines anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union and the movement to free Soviet Jewry as well as the challenges faced by Soviet Jews who settled in the United States. Ashton Linthicum, a first-year graduate student at UNO in History, received support from the Schwalb Center for her research work examining women’s experiences in concentration camps during the Holocaust. Ashton argued, based on an emerging body of research, that Jewish women and men had significantly different experiences in the concentration camps based on their gender. Next year, Ashton plans to focus on examining how Jewish communities in the Southern U.S. interacted and adapted to African-American culinary culture. Finally, there are two undergraduate research projects being

conducted in the Omaha Jewish community over the next year. Kristy McGuire, a sophomore at UNO majoring in multidisciplinary studies, plans to become a trauma specialist working with children in community settings. She is conducting a research project examining Jewish family service organizations in Omaha and Minneapolis to identify and assess how

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childhood trauma is addressed. The purpose of her study is to compare how religious communities-in this case specifically Jewish communities-respond to the multifaceted needs of children within their care. Kristy hopes to present the results of this research project at academic conferences and publish in an academic journal. Kimberley O’Donnell, a sophomore at UNO who is majoring in Religious Studies and Philosophy, is studying the intersections of religion, thought, literature and identity. She plans to continue in graduate studies focusing on creative writing and religious thought. Over the past few years, Kimberley has been researching her own family’s Jewish heritage and eventually decided to embrace Judaism and join the Jewish community in Omaha. Inspired by her own process of self-discovery, Kimberley will be collecting oral histories within the Jewish community of Omaha to document the experiences of individuals who have converted to Judaism. The purpose of her study is to capture the intersecting complexities and realities of Jewish identity. The Schwalb Center is pleased to support faculty research. It is our hope that the Center’s support will encourage faculty at UNO who have not previously worked in these areas to take up research projects that contribute to Israel, Jewish and Middle East Studies scholarships. In addition, we are proud to support high quality graduate and undergraduate research projects. A central goal of the Schwalb Center is to assist students in developing nuanced and complex understandings of Jewish communities here in Omaha and throughout the world. We hope the experiences UNO students have through the Schwalb Center will contribute to their success as better informed professionals and citizens.

African-American and Jewish connections in music

ROBBY ERLICH Engagement Coordinator, Beth El Beth El Synagogue and the Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies at University of Nebraska at Omaha are excited to present a summer virtual class starting on July 14. This course will examine how African-American and Jewish musicians, performers, directors and agents have influenced each other across time. Hip-hop, pop, Broadway, jazz, Tin Pan Alley and ragtime have all emerged with collaborations between African-American and Jewish creations. The course will involve brief lectures, listening to music, watching documentaries, reading academic articles and engaging in discussion. Dr. Jeannette Gabriel, Director of The Schwalb Center for Israel & Jewish Studies at UNO (who is teaching the course), said, “This course will both celebrate the positive interconnections between the two communities and also consider some of the complications of this relationship including the history of blackface in vaudeville and tensions between African-American bands and Jewish owned record companies.” Both groups went from being outsiders to becoming dominant forces in American music and this course will examine how exciting artistic collaborations helped propel African-American and Jewish musicians into the mainstream. Register for the class today, as virtual seating is limited, at www.Bethel-omaha.org. Classes are are July 14, 21, Billie Holiday, Downbeat, New York, N.Y., ca. Feb. 1947 Credit: William 28 and Aug. 4 at 2 p.m.; participation is free. Please con- P. Gottlieb This class is graciously being underwritten by the Leonard tact Robby Erlich at rerlich@bethel-omaha.org with any Goldstein Fund at Beth El Synagogue. questions.

ORGANIZATIONS B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Due to the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home temporarily being closed to the public, B’nai B’rith Breadbreakers will not meet until further notice. For specific speaker information, please email Gary.Javitch@Gmail.com, Breadbreakers chairman. For more information or to be placed on the email list call 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@jewishomaha.org.

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Join Ambassador Aharoni on Zoom ROBBY ERLICH Engagement Coordinator, Beth El Ambassador Ido Aharoni will speak at Beth El Thursday July 16 at 11 a.m. on Zoom. His topic is: How Marketing Changed the Way We Promote & Defend Israel. Ambassador Aharoni is known for introducing marketing tools to the practice of diplomacy. Looking at places as brands was part of this in- Ambassador Ido Aharoni novative approach. In this lecture, Ambassador Aharoni will take you through the various stages of the process that has

improved Israel’s positioning in the world. Ido Aharoni serves as Global Distinguished Professor for International Relations at New York University’s Faculty of Arts and Science. He is a co-founder of Emerson Rigby Ltd., a member of the International Advisory Council of APCO Worldwide, a Global Ambassador for Maccabi World Union and the Chairman of the Charney Forum for New Diplomacy. Aharoni is a 25-year veteran of Israel’s Foreign service. He is a public diplomacy specialist, founder of the Brand Israel Program and a well-known nation branding practitioner. Aharoni has been Israel’s longest serving Consul-General in New York and the tri-state area to date. He held that position with the rank of Ambassador for six years, overseeing the operations of Israel’s largest diplomatic mission worldwide. For more information, please go to http://bethel-omaha. org/events/ambassador-aharoni/.

Foundation update Nineteenth century French diplomat, political scientist and author Alexis de Tocqueville came to the USA in the 1830’s to observe democracy in action. Less than 60 years after the founders of our country mutually pledged to each other their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor in signing and supporting the Declaration of Independence, de Toc- HOWARD EPSTEIN queville wrote in Democracy in Amer- Executive Director, ica, “The health of a democratic JFO Foundation society may be measured by the quality of functions performed by private citizens.” As we just celebrated this 4th of July, let’s follow it up with a celebration of the “quality of functions performed by the private citizens” of our own Omaha Jewish community. For well over a century, our collective deeds and generosity have ensured the growth and strength of Jewish Omaha, and today, though times are turbulent and uncertain, that quality shines through.

Fighting anti-Semitism, discrimination and bigotry, educating our children, providing Jewish experiences for our youth, providing financial assistance and counseling to those less fortunate, providing for the needs of the elderly, sustaining our Jewish Federation and its agencies, supporting Israel: these are among the quality functions you can support through the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation. An endowment fund is a popular means of providing support. The endowment will provide income year after year to support those causes you value most. You can fund your endowment now or, if you prefer, you can fund an endowment after your lifetime. We will be happy to work with you and your professional advisors to create the plan that works best for you. If you know anyone who might be interested in receiving the Foundation’s eNewsletter, please send me their email address. Also we encourage you to “like” our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter. We provide this newsletter and our website to our friends as a free service. Please feel free to contact me at 402.334.6466 or by email at hepstein@jewishomaha.org. We will be happy to help you achieve your charitable legacy.

Rainbow challah

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SAM KRICSFELD Jewish Press Intern June is LGBTQ Pride Month, commemorating the impact that the LGBTQ community has on history across the world. This year marked the 50th anniversary of Pride traditions that started a year after the 1969 Stonewall Uprising. JFO usually participates in the Heartland Pride Festival and Parade with their trademark “Love is Ahava” banner. This year’s parade was cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Jamie Skog-Burke, Ron Lugasy and Annette van de Kamp-Wright came up with another plan: bake and sell rainbow-colored challahs. Challah baking took place late into the night on Thursday, June 25 at the Jewish Community Center. “While COVID-19 led to the cancellation of this year’s local festivities, we looked to find a way to integrate this expression of identity with Jewish tradition in a safe way,” Jamie said. The community support was overwhelming – Annette, Jamie and Ron baked 75 challahs for over 35 individuals. The challah bake brought in over $300 for community youth to attend LGBTQ/Inclusion programs and trainings. The challahs were baked using Ron’s recipe: a half cup sugar, four teaspoons yeast, three and a half cups water, seven cups flour (according to Ron – eight according to Annette and

Jamie), four tablespoons oil, one tablespoon salt and an egg wash – in that order. For the special rainbow version, add a healthy dose of food coloring before the flour. “They tasted great,” Annette said. “One challah didn’t survive the night.” The challah bake took place in the wake of a landmark 6-3

Ron Lugasy and Jamie Skog

U.S. Supreme Court ruling which protects LGBTQ employees from discrimination based on sex. According to the justices, the 1964 Civil Rights Act that bans discrimination based on race, religion, national origin or sex also protects LGBTQ employees from being fired based on their gender or sexuality. “What better way to honor the Supreme Court ruling than around a table with people you enjoy?” Jamie said.

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ADI POUR, PH.D. Director DCHD As the Douglas County Health Department (DCHD) sees some positive signs in the COVID-19 response, please remember to do the things that have kept you from getting sick. DCHD asks you to use the tools we have available to fight the pandemic: wash your hands or use hand sanitizer, cover your cough, stay home when you’re sick, practice social distancing, and wear a mask when you’re in public. All these tools work to protect you and those around you, and they cost little or nothing. On Wednesday, July 1, the

Health Department reported 59 new cases of COVID-19. That brings the total number of cases in Douglas County to 7,280 from the outbreak since it began in March. The total deaths linked to the pandemic in Douglas County total 91, as of July 1. DCHD has confirmed 3,498 county residents have recovered from the illness. As of July 1, metro area hospitals reported 278 medical and surgical beds were available for a 79 percent occupancy rate. There are 91 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Of the 363 ventilators available to area hospitals, 125 were in use, including 23 for confirmed COVID-19 patients.

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Temple Israel Avodah Award CASSANDRA WEISENBURGER Director of Communications, Temple Israel Mazel tov to Tom Friedman for receiving the Avodah Award for his excellent musical contributions in worship. Tom is a lifelong congregant who has played the guitar since he was 14 years old. “I was very surprised and certainly honored to receive this award,” said Tom. “I’ve always been involved in music at Temple. I sang in the choir when I was very young with Cantor Kuttner. I started playing the guitar with Cantor Shermet occasionally, and it sort of morphed from there. Cantor Alexander has chosen different music and it’s good. I like the change.” Tom Friedman Cantor Alexander remembers meeting Tom when she came to Temple Israel to interview for the Cantor position: “He was kind and talented, warm and welcoming, and up for a musical challenge. Over this year, he’s not only said yes to play and sing as needed but also shared his love of guitar and music throughout our conversations. He will stay late after choir to help another member figure out their part or how guitar and piano should fit together. I know he spent many years sharing his music with Temple Israel, and I am so glad that he’s continued to do so with me.” Tom enjoys the challenge of the music the cantors pick: “My job is to interpret the music how the Cantor wants it played.” He looks forward to when we can hold services at Temple Israel again so he can play. Tom is retired, and in his free time he enjoys walking his gardens with his wife and working with glass. As we move through July, Temple Israel will be announcing more of our 2020 award winners in our weekly eTidings email and in the Jewish Press.

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Here’s a fresh take on whitefish salad REBECCA FIRKSER This recipe originally appeared on The Nosher. Few things are more reminiscent of classic Jewish deli fare than whitefish salad. And while buying it by the pint is a weekend morning luxury, making your own whitefish salad might be even better because you can tailor it to your exact flavor preferences. Not a dill fan? Skip it! Like things uber-tart? Add more lemon juice. The only thing that’s non-negotiable:

smoked fish. Still, there’s room for creativity — this salad is just as tasty when made with whitefish as it is with hot-smoked salmon or trout. As for the dairy that tethers together the salad, nothing is as delightfully rich as creamy labneh, but you could just as easily sub in full-fat Greek yogurt or sour cream if you have them on hand. Serve this smoked fish salad with toasted marbled rye bread (the superior choice, in my opinion) or make a bagel

sandwich, though you could just as easily swap the bread for a pile of crisp Little Gem or Bibb lettuce with a handful of crackers on the side. Just don’t skip an extra squeeze of lemon to finish. Editor’s note: Enjoy cooking? Find this and many other Jewish and Jewish-inspired recipes at www.omaha jewishpress.com and check back often—we add new ones all the time. If you want to submit your own (we would love that!), please email avan dekamp@jewishomaha.org.

WHITEFISH SALAD

Credit: Rebecca Firkser

Ingredients: 6 scallions, thinly sliced Zest and juice of 1 lemon, plus more juice to taste Kosher salt and black pepper 1/2 to 3/4 cup labneh, Greek yogurt, or sour cream 2 pounds hot-smoked whitefish, trout or salmon, picked off the bone 4 stalks celery, thinly sliced on the bias, plus any leaves, reserved

1/2 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped 1/4 cup fresh dill, roughly chopped Rye toast, bagels or crackers, for serving Crisp lettuce and/or sliced cucumbers, for serving Lemon wedges, for serving Directions: Combine scallions, lemon zest and juice in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and let sit for at least 5

minutes or up to 1 hour. Stir in labneh (start with 1/2 cup and add more to taste after the following ingredients), then fold in picked fish, sliced celery, parsley, all but 1 tablespoon dill and sliced chives. Season with more salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. Top with reserved dill and celery leaves. Serve with toast, bagels or crackers, as well as lettuce, cucumbers and lemon.

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According to The Kaplan Book Group, a lot can happen in 15 Seconds SHIRLY BANNER In keeping with social distancing, the Dorothy Kaplan Book Discussion Group continues to meet using Zoom. To join the Zoom Meeting, contact sbanner@jewishomaha. org for the link and meeting ID. On July 15, the Dorothy Kaplan Book Discussion Group continues their book discussion with the mystery thriller 15 Seconds by Andrew Gross. The previous two months, the group has read selections of the mystery genre, each with a different style and pace. In the book 15 Seconds, Henry Steadman is a plastic surgeon from Florida on his way to deliver the keynote address at a medical conference when he is stopped by the police for what seems like a minor traffic violation. As the traffic stop escalates out of control, Henry is handcuffed and told he is under arrest. Cooler heads soon prevail and as he is about to be released, a person in a mysterious blue sedan pulls up and shoots the policeman leaving Henry as the only known suspect in the shooting. After a close friend of Henry’s is killed while trying to help him, Henry becomes the main suspect in yet another murder and realizes that someone has set up an elaborate frameup leaving Henry the main suspect for both murders. Forced to avoid the police at all cost, Henry doesn’t know who to trust. So begins

Henry’s attempt to avoid the police manhunt for him all while trying to figure out – with the help of Community Outreach policewoman Carrie Holmes – who has set up the elaborate frame-up and why he is the object of this person’s vengeance. Andrew Gross began his writing career collaborating with author James Patterson. Blue Zone written in 2007 was Gross’ first solo book. 15 Seconds is one of several stand alone novels (like Blue Zone) that Gross has written. He has also written the Ty Hauck series (Dark Tide, Don’t Look Twice). If Andrew Gross’ name is familiar, it is possible that you have read one of his more recent works that segue from the thriller to historical fiction genre namely The One Man,

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

ADL-CRC welcomes new Education Director

PAM MONSKY Community Development Liaison Sharon Comisar-Langdon joined the ADLCRC team this past March as ADL Education Director. Sharon joins the team with many years of diverse experience in the field of education. Prior to joining ADLCRC, Sharon enjoyed the multi-faceted role of Religious School Director at Temple Israel from 2015-2019. She appreciates the opporSharon tunity afforded by Comisar-Langdon that role to be part of the Temple Israel family. Before that, in 2015, Sharon retired after 34 years from Millard Public Schools-ending a successful career with the district. Prior to retirement, Sharon was director and developer of Millard New Staff Induction Program, which served to professionally develop all new certificated staff through mentoring, peer coaching and career goal development. Sharon is inspired by the work of the ADLCRC and is proud to be a part of the important work being done. She looks forward to building community relationships and furthering education outreach within our Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas region.

2020-2021 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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Jon Meyers, President Mike Siegel, President Elect* Bruce Friedlander, Ex-Officio Betsy Baker Ellie Batt Toba Cohen-Dunning Ron Feldman David Gilinsky John Glazer Abigail Kutler John Lehr

Lisa Lucoff Mike Norton Linda Saltzman Nancy Schlessinger Matt Shapiro Phil Wolf Jeff Zacharia

Watch for the opportunity to vote and ratify the 2020-2021 JFO Board of Directors in the July 17th JFO Enews.

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The Jewish Press | July 10, 2020 | 7

Above: Alex Gutis and Toni Baxter were enjoying some much-needed summer patio time at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

Above: Beth El and Federation partnered together for a social distance Shabbat. Food was ordered from local business Soular Power Plate.

SP O TLIGHT PHOTOS FROM RECENT JEWISH COMMUNITY EVENTS SUBMIT A PHOTO: Have a photo of a recent Jewish Community event you would like to submit? Email the image and a suggested caption to: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org.

Above: Helen Sweet and Poison Ivy (Molly Rosenberg) Below: Betsey Tully with Captain America (Heather Smith)

The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home was rip-roaring with crime-ﬁghting action heroes for this week’s Wacky Wednesday. Staff pulled on those stretchy pants and paid homage to the hero that inspires them. RBJH employees enjoyed a delicious gyro bar buffet from Omaha’s own El Basha Grill, which was generously donated by an anonymous community donor. Above: Staff costume parade Right: Comic Lady (Denise Stromer) with Ethel Lerner Below: El Basha luncheon Above: Jerry Freeman with Super Hero (Joy Rutar) Below: Healthcare superhero (Nicole Shipley) and Lois Endelman

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

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Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole.

Changes

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor So far, this has not exactly been a boring year. Don’t get me wrong; at the Press, we like excitement. One of the most attractive aspects of working here is that nothing ever really becomes routine, except for getting that paper out every week. It’s the one constant amidst a great number of variables, never more true than this year. We had a close call in March when we were forced to skip one edition while we figured out how to respond to the pandemic, but we managed to make it work. Then, in late May, we received a phone call from the printing company. The news was not good: they were closing and merging a small part of operations with a bigger print shop. We could move with them, but it would mean a different-sized paper, completely different layout, higher cost, and more postage. During a time when it is absolutely essential that we are financially accountable, I admit to panicking a little. Okay, I panicked a lot. We had two choices: go with the flow, see where the chips fall and possibly tank our finances. Or, we could start shopping around for a different printer who would allow us to keep our layout intact. That’s not as easy as it sounds, but we found one; the fact that they are not local (they are located in Minneapolis) was not necessarily a dealbreaker. We have submitted our paper digitally for years, so emailing the final product to Minneapolis instead of Bellevue is not what would trip us up. There are other changes. The timeline is stricter, since after printing the actual paper stacks must be physically delivered to the post office by truck and we now print a day earlier. Our work week has

shifted, and we all have to get used to that. Our deadlines have changed, which affects writers, organizations and agencies who submit stories. After years and years of hammering down that Thursday morning deadline, we now have it on Wednesday morning. Which is why, as I am writing this, it feels like Friday—even though it is most definitely not.

We do not know yet how different the ‘feel’ of the paper will be- if you are holding it in your hands, you’ll know, and I seriously hope it looks okay. I know the paper it is printed on should be lighter, probably greyer than those thick white sheets we had mixed in before. That is a change that’s supposed to be cost-effective, which is tremendously important. In addition, we are lowering costs by

printing less color, although we will maintain a color front page. Printing a Jewish newspaper for a small community such as ours is not, and never has been, about making a profit. We exist, partially because of loyal advertisers and extremely generous donors. People understand that if we want to have that local news source (you’re not going to read about the recent challah bake or what’s going on at our synagogues on CNN), we have to all support it. At the same time, there may come a day when we decide that our finances dictate printing twice per month, instead of weekly. There may come a time when we have to answer the difficult questions—something I dread. After a century of printing, the thought that we would no longer be a weekly saddens me. However, that time is not yet here. At this time, we have no plans to change our frequency. Please be assured we are doing everything we can to keep this fabulous institution going. A new printer is part of that, so if you think the paper feels too different this week, now you know why. In the meantime, Sam Kricsfeld, our summer Intern, generously sponsored by the Murray H. and Sharee C. Newman Supporting Foundation, is working on a massive research project pertaining to the state of Jewish print in the U.S. today. He will present his findings to the Jewish Press board later this year, so we can have a solid picture of what the world out there looks like. So many Jewish publications have disappeared, it is a good idea to have a handle on what’s still around. We want to be transparent about what goes on behind the scenes, and hope you feel a little more caught up. One of these days, we’ll be able to meet in the hallways of the J- until then, please stay healthy.

ers. Carriers of the virus. Carriers of misinformation. Carriers of prejudice or bias that conflates messages in a way that alters objectivity. Posts, tweets, TikToks, texts, screengrabs, Instagram, Snapchat... the delivery list grows ever larger by the day. The ease of this connectivity inevitably gives way to the urgency of its release. When was the last time you sat down to write or type a letter that wasn’t fraught with immediacy? We no longer seek to convey messages or thoughts that may reach someone and touch them days or perhaps weeks later. We no longer offer food for thought so much as we provide fast food for a food fight. The dilemmas this creates are ones without easy answers. How do we process, cypher, comprehend and evaluate information so quickly and provide it in a way that is consumable? Is it enough to trust the source? Does trust even enter into the equation or do we simply seek agreement—an alignment with our own views—before sharing what is before us? Do our lives require we move so fast that we have relinquished healthy skepticism and inspection? In this rare opportunity for reflection, we must ask ourselves the next obvious question: Are we already infected and don’t even know it? Are we— even the best of us—asymptomatic carriers of harmful material? Distorted facts and false narratives have taken our fiery national reckoning with racism and the confusion caused by the gravest pandemic in modern times. It’s created an echo chamber to be filled by the loudest carnival barker in the row. The numbness or lack of being shocked by extreme behavior is an evolved response to ever more stimuli that tantalize our imagination. “If it bleeds, it leads” goes the mantra of the 25hour news cycle. The more outrageous, the more piqued our interest, the higher value the data packet becomes. The more we divide by our ideologies, the easier targets we become for bad actors seeking to sow discord. This inevitably makes us

the carrier for the virus, the news and the hate because we have not taken responsibility to monitor what we pass on to others. We would never intentionally pass on a physical illness after becoming a carrier. So, why would we pass on harmful, malicious or deceitful messages/information in the form of communication? Our thoughts, our opinions and our own persuasions are made from the environment in which we grew up. Our family’s view, school attitudes, friends, neighbors and religious and political affiliations, all culminate in a world view that as we reach adulthood, forms the basis for how we consume information. How we consume information is a direct reflection of how we choose to spread it. Slowing down to inspect what we carry-let alone consume-is the only method to ensure that we can vouch for the data packets we briefly possess—creating strategies to research, source and verify that what we share is legitimate and safe. The First Amendment isn’t the problem—it is our unwillingness to take responsibility for it. If you see misinformation, abuse or harmful speech, choose to stop being a carrier. This can be accomplished in one of three ways: 1. Ask. You can pass on the information for others to decipher and investigate, withholding any responsibility for being a carrier (I didn’t know that I killed Aunt Marsha by giving her the virus...) 2. Stop. You can stop the transmission by isolating the data package and stemming the spread. 3. Correct it. You can correct the misinformation by doing something as simple as offering a “fact check” statement or a Pinocchio notification when you forward messages that you know are untrue (always include your sources!) In the end, what makes up your moral compass? If you truly want to take advantage of the pinnacle of our democracy and our faster than light communications, think about how you would feel if someone wanted to “infect” you. Let that be your guide. Demand the truth for yourself. Don’t be a carrier without inspecting what you consume.

Ross Dunn, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license

Are you a carrier? COVID-19. Systematic racism. Purposefully misleading news and misinformation. We are all susceptible to these infections and can unknowingly play a role in their spread. A paradigm shift has taken place over the past decade or so giving way to a strange GARY NACHMAN dichotomy: Even as our vir- Regional Director, tual, global experience has ADL-Plains States grown larger, the distance Region between contact points has grown exponentially smaller. Whether in the physical world or on the digital frontier, viruses spread faster under the protections of the First Amendment. This is not indictment, but mere fact. The founders of our democracy could never have foreseen the strain our society faces as it lumbers to keep pace with some of the greatest challenges in modern history. I love to eat. The sensation comes alive on all my senses. The scent that lingers in the nostrils, the flavor profiles on my palate, the texture of warm bread, the excitement of the skillet’s first sizzle, not to mention the optical presentation that adds to the pleasure. I could no more put food in my mouth without visual cues than sit on a chair without looking first to see if it is truly there. I often wonder what the experience would be if you removed even one of my senses, for example: sight. A considerable amount of trust would be requisite to rest easy with the knowledge that I was being provided nutritional, clean and safe food. A goulash or stew of many ingredients and complexity of flavor, would be the ultimate form of confidence when prepared by another. The same is true of knowledge. We live in an era of “data packets,” byte-sized pieces of information ready-made for our consumption. We have become the primary mode of transmission as they find their way through the ether. We have become the carri-

The Jewish Press | July 10, 2020 | 9

I’ve been a rabbi fighting racial injustice for decades. But I have not done enough.

RABBI SID SCHWARZ BETHESDA, MD. | JTA David Axelrod, a former top aide to President Barack Obama often credited with masterminding his two successful campaigns for the presidency, recently published a column in The Washington Post that hit me between the eyes and sat heavily on my heart. Axelrod and I are about the same age. He was too young to have been active in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, but he was deeply affected by the story and eager to believe the myth that the movement, headed by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., solved the problem of racial injustice in America. Axelrod worked for Mayor Harold Washington, a Black public official who broke Credit: Image design by Grace Yagel. Original illustration Richard Daley’s 20-plus year rudall30/getty images hold on the mayor’s office in Chicago. As a journalist in the early 1980s, Axelrod wrote about unequal justice and police brutality in America. But he did not have Black friends with whom he was close enough to ask and understand their life experience. He wrote in the Post: “I thought I understood. Now I realize I did not. Not well enough. Not in the visceral way that comes when you truly imagine yourself in someone else’s shoes.” Me too. I could easily trot out my activist resume and cite all the ways I have engaged in the issue of racial justice over the past 40-plus years. But I am left feeling ashamed on two levels: ashamed for the way that the richest country in the world has refused to confront its systemic racism, and ashamed of the fact that, like Axelrod, even as I became aware of how America has stacked the deck against Black Americans, it has never been my top priority. Like many other Jews, I have lobbied my elected representa-

tives on the issues of Holocaust awareness, fighting anti-Semitism and liberating Soviet Jewry. I urged them to support Israel. But I did not cash in my political capital for Black Americans. And of that, I am ashamed. For the past couple of years, I was part of an Interfaith Task Force on Racism. We held forums throughout the county that brought together citizens of all backgrounds to speak about combating bigotry and racism. Nobody came to these forums with white supremacist bumper stickers or Confederate flags. Everyone I met in these workshops seemed well intentioned and saw themselves as “the good guys” on this issue. Until, of course, the issue of white privilege came up. That is when all these well-intentioned, white folks got very defensive. Most white people, including myself, are not prepared to realize how much they are part of a system that keeps them in a position of privilege at the expense of people of color. Even more importantly, while saying all the right things in polite company — especially in carefully constructed multi-faith and multi-racial dialogue settings — most white people are not prepared to surrender any of the privileges that they enjoy in order to remedy centuries of discrimination against people of color. Many Jews fall into this very same pattern of behavior. We say we want to end racism, but we don’t want a Black family to move into our neighborhood. We say we want to end racism, but we won’t support busing to desegregate our schools. We say we want to end racism, but we won’t support affirmative action if it denies our son or daughter a slot at a prestigious college or professional school. We say we want to end racism, but we are not prepared to be true allies until Black organizations pass every ideological test we create on support for Israel. We say we want to end racism, but we can’t bring ourselves to sign on to critiques of over-policing because the police are protecting our synagogues and they rarely, if ever, harass or kill white Jews without due process, as happens routinely to Black Americans. Jews, like most white people, have a host of reasons to de-

Rosh Hashanah A

Greetings

This year you can send your greetings through these very special ads that will run in our annual Passover issue. Each ad can be personalized with your name, the names of your children or your grandchildren. 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 5, 2020.

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Name __________________________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________________ City ____________________________________________ State ____ Zip ___________ Check the size of ad you would like:

Use the lines below to list your family members names you would like on your Passover ad. _______________________________________________________________________

$52

B $65 C $81

flect responsibility for America’s original sin of racism. I have heard dozens of arguments from white people denying that the privileges that they enjoy contribute to the oppression of Black and brown people. In the end, I can boil all the arguments from a shelf full of books on white privilege down to a poster that I saw at a Black Lives Matter rally I recently attended: “Privilege is when you think something is not a problem because it is not a problem for you.” Spend some time talking to Black people about the obstacles they face daily to access good schools, healthy food, adequate health care, access to mass transit, equal treatment in our criminal justice system, and it is likely you will feel ashamed of the privileges that you enjoy and that are not available to people of color. Contemplate the statistic that in the year 2020, the net wealth of an average Black family is only 10 percent of the wealth of an average white family in America. Read the history of redlining and how Blacks were denied the benefits of the GI Bill after World War II, and you will understand how Black poverty is a consequence of state-sanctioned policy. Or put yourself in the shoes of Black children who are more likely to see police as people who will harm them than as people who are there to protect them. In a 1972 essay arguing against clerical apathy on issues of foreign policy, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel said, “Morally speaking, there is no limit to the concern one must feel for the suffering of human beings, that indifference to evil is worse than evil itself, that in a free society, some are guilty, but all are responsible.” Jews need to take responsibility for the perpetuation of racism in America. We have averted our eyes to the suffering of Black Americans for generations. It is time to face the hard truth, become true allies and marshal all of our considerable political capital to remedy an injustice that has been allowed to exist for far too long. Rabbi Sid Schwarz is a senior fellow at Hazon and the founding rabbi of Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation in Bethesda, Md. He is the author of several books including Judaism and Justice: The Jewish Passion to Repair the World.

ROSH HASHANAH

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Synagogues

10 | The Jewish Press | July 10, 2020

B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

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

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE

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

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

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

CHABAD HOUSE

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

CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN

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

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE

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

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME

323 South 132 Street Omaha, NE 68154

TEMPLE ISRAEL

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

TIFERETH ISRAEL

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

B’NAI ISRAEL Join us for our monthly Shabbat Speakers Series on Friday, July 10, 7:30 p.m. with guest speaker Dr. Marvin Bittner on Cannibalism, COVID-19 and Tisha B’av. Masks are required and social distancing guideline will be followed. Our service leader is Larry Blass, and as always, an Oneg wil follow service. Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel! For information on our historic synagogue, please contact Howard Kutler at hkutler@hotmail.com or any of our other board members: Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Janie Kulakofsky, Carole and Wayne Lainof, Mary-Beth Muskin and Sissy Silber. Handicap Accessible.

BETH EL Virtual services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman. VIRTUAL MINYAN SCHEDULE: Mornings on Sundays, 9 a.m. and Mondays and Thursdays, 8 a.m.; Evenings on Sunday-Thursday, 5:30 p.m. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m.; Havdallah, 9:48 p.m. SUNDAY: Torah Study, 10 a.m.; USY Film Club, 7 p.m. MONDAY: Jewish Law Class with Rabbi Abraham, 8 p.m. TUESDAY: African-American & Jewish Connections in Music with Jeannette Gabriel, 2 p.m. WEDNESDAY: USY Check-In, 5:15 p.m. THURSDAY: How Marketing Changed the Way We Promote & Defend Israel with Ambassador Ido Aharoni, 11 a.m.; Keeping up with the Steins Movie, 2 p.m.; Teen Book Club, 4:30 p.m.; Shul Music, with Hazzan Krausman, 7 p.m. FRIDAY-July 17: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. SATURDAY-July 18: Shabbat Morning Services with guest speaker Arielle Friedtanzer “End of Life”, 10 a.m.; Havdallah, 9:43 p.m. Please visit bethel-omaha.org for additional information and Zoom service links.

BETH ISRAEL Virtual services conducted by Rabbi Ari Dembitzer. FRIDAY: Shacharit, 7 am.; Deepening Prayer, 7:45 a.m.; Laws of Shabbos, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Kabbalat Shabbat, 7 p.m. (Zoom); Candlelighting, 8:40 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Havdalah, 9:48 p.m. (Zoom) SUNDAY: Rambam: Rabbi Moshe, 9:45 a.m. (Zoom) MONDAY: Shacharit, 7 am.; Deepening Prayer, 7:45 a.m.; Laws of Shabbos, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp). TUESDAY: Shacharit, 7 am.; Deepening Prayer,

7:45 a.m.; Laws of Shabbos, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp). WEDNESDAY: Shacharit, 7 am.; Deepening Prayer, 7:45 a.m.; Laws of Shabbos, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp). TURSDAY: Shacharit, 7 am.; Deepening Prayer, 7:45 a.m.; Laws of Shabbos, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Middot with Rabbi Ari, 9:30 a.m. (Zoom); Parsha Inspiration with Rabbi Ari, 4:30 p.m. (Facebook Live). FRIDAY-July 17: Shacharit, 7 am.; Deepening Prayer, 7:45 a.m.; Laws of Shabbos, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Kabbalat Shabbat (Zoom), 7 p.m.; Candlelighting, 8:36 p.m. SATURDAY-July 18: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Havdalah, 9:43 p.m. (Zoom). Classes, Kabbalat Shabbat and Havdalah on Zoom, WhatsApp or Facebook Live. On site services held outside in sukkah, weather permitting. Physical distancing and masks required, Please visit orthodoxomaha.org for additional information and Zoom service links.

CHABAD HOUSE Virtual services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Due to Coronavirus, all services and classes have moved online. For schedules and more information or to request help, please visit www.ochabad.org or call the office at 402.330.1800 FRIDAY: Candlelighting, 8:40 p.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Ends, 9:47 p.m. MONDAY: Personal Parsha class, 9:30 a.m. with Shani; Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. WEDNESDAY: Mystical Thinking, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Katzman; Introduction to Reading Hebrew, 10:30 a.m. THURSDAY: Intermediate Hebrew Reading and Prayer, 11 a.m.; Talmud Class, noon with Rabbi Katzman. FRIDAY-July 17: Candlelighting, 8:36 p.m. SATURDAY-July 18: Shabbat Ends, 9:42 p.m.

THURSDAY: Ritual Committee Meeting, 6:30 p.m. FRIDAY-July 17: Erev Shabbat Service, service leaders/music: Steve & Nathaniel Kaup, 6:30 p.m.; Candlelighting, 8:36 p.m. SATURDAY-July 18: Shabbat Morning Service, service leaders/music: TBD, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:45 a.m. on Matot-Masei led by Rick Kohn; Havdalah (72 minutes), 10:06 p.m. Feeding the Kids at F Street Rec Center, Sunday, July 19, 1 p.m. For more information, contact Aimee Hyten at aimee.hyten@gmail.com. Jewish Book Club Meeting, Sunday, July 19, 1:30 p.m. via Zoom or in Zoya & Dennis' backyard and will discuss Hannah’s War by Jan Eliasberg.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE All services canceled until further notice.

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME

The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home is currently closed to visitors.

TEMPLE ISRAEL

Virtual services conducted by Rabbi Brian Stoller, Rabbi Deana Sussman Berezin and Cantor Joanna Alexander. DAILY VIRTUAL MINYAN: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. FRIDAY: Shabbat Evening Service, 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. WEDNESDAY: Mindful Meditation, 9 a.m.; Jewish Law & the Quest for Meaning, noon. SUNDAY: 2nd Sunday Breakfast at Stephen Center, 8:30 a.m. WEDNESDAY: Mindful Meditation, 9 a.m.; Jewish Law & the Quest for Meaning, noon. THURSDAY: The Israel Forum, 10 a.m. Please visit templeisraelomaha.com for additional information and Zoom service links.

B’NAI JESHURUN The Temple office is on reduced hours until further notice and all services and activities are being offered via livestream or teleconferencing. Please call 402.435.8004 or email office@southstreettemple. org for further information or to make an appointment for a visit, if necessary. You may also email Board president Nicholette Seigfreid at president@south streettemple.org. South Street Temple’s events can be found at https://south streettemple.org/calendar/. FRIDAY: Erev Shabbat Service, 6:30 p.m. service leaders/music: TBD; Candlelighting, 8:41 p.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, service leaders/music: TBD, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:45 a.m. on Parashat Pinchas led by Robert Rickover; Havdalah (72 minutes), 10:10 p.m. TUESDAY: Tea Time with Temple Friends, noon via zoom.

TIFERETH ISRAEL

Virtual services conducted by Nancy Coren. FRIDAY: Zoom Evening Kabbalat Shabbat, 6:30 p.m. Candlelighting, 8:40 p.m. SATURDAY: Zoom Shabbat Morning Service with Daniel Neiden and Nancy Coren, 10 a.m.; Havdalah (72 minutes), 9:40 p.m Please visit tiferethisraellincoln.org for additional information and Zoom service links. The Lincoln Jewish Community School is looking for a Lead Teacher for our Preschool/Kindergarten classroom. The LJCS is seeking a candidate who is dependable, energetic, creative and nurturing. Early Childhood education experience is preferred. If you or someone you know is interested in interviewing for this position, please contact Andrea Halpern at ahalpern1386@gmail.com.

What is Fox Soul TV? And did it broadcast a speech by Louis Farrakhan? BEN SALES JTA On June 25, a Twitter account representing a network called Fox Soul TV announced that it would be broadcasting a speech by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan on July 4. Farrakhan is a longtime, vehement anti-Semite. The Fox Soul tweet was circulated over the weekend, then denounced by several public figures on June 29, including CNN anchor Jake Tapper. “Farrakhan is a vile anti-LGBTQ anti-Semitic misogynist,” Tapper tweeted. By that afternoon, the Fox Soul tweet was deleted. Later in the day, Fox Soul announced in another tweet that it would not be airing the Farrakhan speech and instead would broadcast a program featuring speeches from Black leaders throughout American history. It did not say anything further about the programming change. Through it all, many who followed the story wondered: What is Fox Soul? It’s a streaming TV channel launched earlier this year by 20th Century Fox focused on reaching Black Americans. It airs new programs every evening and has approximately 41,000 followers on Facebook, 70,000 on Instagram and fewer than 2,000 on Twitter.

Louis Farrakhan in Chicago, May 9, 2019. Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images

“The programs aim to celebrate Black culture and deal with real topics that impact the everyday lives of the Black community through frank and insightful dialogue with local and national influencers,” according to the network. Farrakhan has been discussed at least one other time this month on the channel. During a June 2 panel, R&B singer-songwriter Syleena Johnson called him “one of the most prolific and prominent leaders in my life.” “To me, I hope that Minister Farrakhan is able to make an impact because in my eyes, this is my personal experience, he has been the only one who has

organized black men and has promoted black men in such a singular way,” Johnson said. “He has focused on us much like Malcolm X. We need a Minister Farrakhan right now.” Farrakhan, who has led the Nation of Islam, a Black Muslim group, since 1977, has a long history of anti-Semitic comments. He has praised Adolf Hitler, repeated longtime stereotypes about Jewish control and manipulation, referred to Jews as “termites” and repeatedly denounced what he calls the “Synagogue of Satan.” He was banned from Facebook last year for his hate speech and was un-verified on Twitter, where he has tweeted only once since 2019. The Nation of Islam will be livestreaming his speech on its website. According to the preview video, the speech appears to focus on the historical sins of the United States in killing Native Americans and enslaving Black people, and the “unraveling of this great nation.” The cover image for the video, a photo illustration, shows Farrakhan in front of two groups of people. One of them is of three world leaders: President Donald Trump, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister.

Life cycles

The Jewish Press | July 10, 2020 | 11

Pulverente MONUMENT CO. 60 Years Experience With Jewish Lettering and Memorials

1439 So. 13th 402-341-2452 Frank L. Ciciulla, Jr.

IN MEMORIAM LOUISE LIPPETT Louise Lippett passed away on June 17, 2020 at age 99. Private services were held on June 18 at Golden Hill Cemetery. She was preceded in death by husband, Ruben, and brother Ben. She is survived by her daughte, Sharon, son Mark, nephew Ed Wintroub, niece Joan Kellner and several grandnieces and grandnephews. Louise loved her family unconditionally. She had many friends for whom she was always available for support and aid. She also supported her community. Methodist Hospital honored her for long-term service as a volunteer; she served as a troop leader for her daughter's girl scout troop; she did volunteer work for various religious organizations. Louise was an eternal optimist who focused on all that she had, and not on what she did not have. She will be dearly missed by all those that she touched. Memorials may be made to Beth Israel Synagogue. MELVIN KATSKEE Melvin Katskee passed away on June 24, 2020 at age 74 in a freak accident. Graveside services were held for immediate family only on June 28 at Fisher Farm Cemetery. He was preceded in death by parents, Mabel and David Katskee. He is survived by his wife Pola; brothers and sisters-in-law, Milton and Judy Katskee and Jerry and Sindie Katskee; brothers-

in-law and sisters-in-law, Arie and Dr. Louise Bucheister, and Dr. Anne and Robert Mass; and nieces and nephews. Melvin was born November 19, 1945 and graduated from Central High School (Class of 1964), Creighton University (cum laude 1968), and Northwestern University and University of Nebraska Law schools (Class of 1971). He was an Omaha attorney who clerked for the Honorable John W. Delehant, U S District Court Judge. Melvin served longest as corporate counsel for the Omaha National Bank and successor banks, and in private practice with Katskee, Henatsch & Suing Memorials may be made to the Multiple Sclerosis Society, Judaica Sound Archives at Florida Atlantic University (https://rsa. fau.edu/judaic) or the organization of your choice.

BIRTH ELLIE ILANA CANFIELD Rachel and Dan Canfield of Minneapolis, announce the March 16 birth of their daughter, Ellie Ilana. She has a brother, Noah, age 2. Grandparents are Karen and Gary Javitch of Omaha, and Sandy and Rick Canfield of Prescott, AZ. Great grandparents are the late Phil and Ruth Sokolof of Omaha, the late Bob and Millie Javitch of Cleveland, the late Irving and Faye Gendler of Omaha, the late LeRoy and Anne Canfield of Omaha.

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Administrative Assistant Beth Israel Synagogue is seeking a skilled, confident individual for the position of Administrative Assistant. The position provides administrative support to the synagogue staff, handling information requests, performing a variety of clerical functions, receiving visitors, creating weekly emails and publications, assisting with program arrangements, working with volunteers, handling a variety of special projects, and data base management. Strong oral and written communication skills are needed. Strong organizational and decision-making skills are key in addition to attention to detail and accuracy. Competency in Microsoft Office products including Word, Excel, Publisher, and Outlook required. This is a part-time position, 20-26 hours with potential for hours to increase. Submit resume to beth israel@orthodoxomaha.org attn: Julee Katzman.

12 | The Jewish Press | July 10, 2020

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

My Black Jewish family’s values: 150 years in the making JESSICA KEITH This story originally appeared on Kveller. In the 1880s, a Black Baptist and a Reform Jewish family lived in the town of Tyler, Texas. In the 1870s, Tyler was an illfated town with a train that ran right through it. When an unlikely stop was created on the line in the 1880s, Tyler emerged as a commercial center of West Texas. The Jewish family’s patriarch, Maurice Faber, came from an unbroken line of Orthodox rabbis. He believed his religion was ready to be more progressive, however, and in the 1880s he moved his family from Hungary to the U.S., eventually becoming a Reform rabbi in the Texas town. The train line had tripled the town’s population within the decade, and opportunities for businesses continued to grow. Meanwhile, in 1897, Thomas Butler was born to a landowning Black Baptist family in Tyler. He became a foreman on the railroad and a father to 13 children, all of whom attended an all-Black school in the segregated town. In the 1910s, Butler and his family left Tyler in the middle of the night after his white supervisor made advances on his wife. These two families lived only miles away from each other, though they may as well have been worlds apart. But both families, in their own way, taught their children — and their children’s children — to lead a life of justice (tzedek) and healing the world (tikkun olam). Both families knew communities working together was not enough to desegregate the town. The Butlers preached on getting an education, working together and being good to others. The Fabers sermonized to push communities forward, to take action and to do their part to ensure tomorrow will be better than today. Nearly 150 years later, the descendants of these families met and fell in love in San Diego. I’m the great-great-granddaughter of the Rabbi, and when I met Anthony (the great-grandson of Thomas Butler), I knew he was my bashert, my soulmate. Our families became officially interwoven in October 2009

when Tony and I married. Even today, interfaith marriages are only performed by a handful of rabbis — indeed, interracial marriages only became legalized in this country in 1967 — and we married under a chuppah. Rabbi Harry Danziger officiated the traditional Jewish ceremony, as he had my parents’ and my sister’s weddings, as well as my grandfather’s bar mitzvah at the age of 75 and his funeral at 76.

Tony and I are raising our families’ first generation of Black Jews. We have two daughters, ages 8 and 5, and a 2-year-old son. We live in San Diego, and we intentionally moved to a pocket of the city where our kids see diversity in the families in our neighborhood: homes with two dads, two moms, a single mom, a single dad, biracial, multiracial and various socioeconomic statuses. While our temple is rather small, our children are not the only Black Jews. The recent senseless deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor have ignited a much-needed call to action in the U.S. Our families — with histories of persecution on both sides — have long been prepared for this moment. Over the years, we’ve

been steeping our children in the following lessons, drawing upon the generations before us. The following foundations ground our children in fortifying their Black and Jewish identity: 1. Step out. It is not enough to safely stay within the bubble of our neighborhood. When we travel, we often get a few extra glances. We try to teach our children how to be — and be themselves — in uncomfortable spaces. Often that means experiencing the awkward exchanges with strangers. Many times it’s people approaching us to say how unique and beautiful our family is. 2. Be who you are. Our children’s identity is unique. However, when there is a Hebrew school performance, both sets of grandparents sit in the front row, demonstrating that being Black is not separate from being Jewish. 3. Don’t be pushed out. Embrace standing out in a room and demonstrating that there is space for everyone. Christmas and Easter continue to be celebrated in their secular public schools — my girls are the only Jews in their classrooms. While they understand how decorating a gingerbread house allows them to help others celebrate their holidays, we make sure there’s also a Jewish activity for them to share with friends that teaches the traditions of their Jewish family. 4. Speak up. It is not enough for my kids to just speak up for themselves. It is not enough for the Black community to be the only advocates for their community. Likewise, it is not enough for Jews to champion only Jewish causes. My kids, like so many of us, are learning through the news that it takes allies of communities to help make change. Their voices must be used to amplify those that aren’t heard. 5. Acknowledge the road was paved. My children stand today on a path that was built by their ancestors. It was not so long ago that interracial marriage was illegal — we wouldn’t be able to be a family if it weren’t for the people who fought for change. It is our turn to make space for communities that are on the same journey.

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