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AUGUST 5 , 202 2 | 8 AV 578 2 | VO L. 1 02 | NO. 41 | CANDLELIGHTING | FRIDAY, AUGUST 5, 8:18 P.M.
United We Walk
Celebrating Omaha’s diversity Friedel teachers look forward Page 4
WENDY GOLDBERG Executive Director and Co-Founder at Tri-Faith Initiative n a time of division, The Tri-Faith Initiative believes in a world where everyone belongs. In this spirit of unity, Tri-Faith will host a new event that invites all communities to come together and share in our common humanity. The inaugural United We Walk (UWW) will be held on Sunday, Sept. 11 from 3-6 p.m. at the Tri-Faith Commons (13136 Faith Plaza, Omaha, NE 68144). United We Walk is an opportunity to demonstrate to local, state, national, and international audiences that Omaha, Nebraska is a welcoming and inclusive community – a place where all people belong. Though it will coincide with commemorations of 9-11, UWW will be celebratory and joyful, and will welcome Omaha’s diverse community. United We Walk hopes to attract hundreds of walkers across many backgrounds to gather and explore the Tri-Faith Commons; tour the Tri-Faith Center and faith partner buildings; enjoy delicious cuisine from local
I Reminder: Challah Bake and Boutique Page 5
Holocaust memorials in Buchenwald and Berlin vandalized Page 6
food trucks; participate in family-friendly programming and entertainment; and more. “We are better together. Together we can create an environment supportive and brave enough to build a stronger, more cohesive community,” Wendy Goldberg, Tri-Faith Initiative Executive Director, said. “United We Walk will be a wonderful opportunity to come together and celebrate the rich colors and cultures of our community during a fun, family-oriented afternoon. In this moment, there is so much division, so many silos, so much pain and oppression. United We Walk is a reason to get up in the morning. It’s the hope, it’s the promise of a brighter future, that we can unite, that we join hands and walk the walk together in harmony, and expand the circle of human connection.” Grand Marshals representing Omaha’s diverse community will welcome walkers and then lead them on a 1.14-mile journey around the Tri-Faith Commons, circling the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim houses of worship located on the campus. United We Walk Grand Marshals for 2022 are: See United We Walk page 2
Backyard Concert Series
REGULARS Spotlight Voices Synagogues Life cycles
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SPONSORED BY THE BENJAMIN AND ANNA E. WIESMAN FAMILY ENDOWMENT FUND
GABBY BLAIR Jewish Press Staff Writer What better way to wind down the dog days of summer than with a little live music in the park? Now in its 11th year, The Staenberg Omaha JCC Backyard Concert Series has become a favorite tradition for community music lovers of all ages. These super relaxed family friendly concerts are free, open to the community and will be held from 5-7 p.m. in the JCC Backyard on the east side of our beautiful campus next to the JCC Pavilion and just behind the Goldstein Family Aquatic Center. Lawn games, gaga pits and the JCC
playground will be available during concerts, providing fun for the whole family; Attendees should bring chairs or blankets. Pack a picnic or visit one of the food trucks — including
the Backyard. Kicking off the 2022 three concert series on Aug. 14 is Midwest Coast and their exhilarating brand of Electric RNB/Soul. Midwest Coast’s
Backyard concert series
Dante’s Pizza and Kona Ice- which will be parked on-site providing food for purchase at each show. As always, donations of non-perishable unexpired food items for the Jewish Family Service Pantry are appreciated and can be placed in marked donation bins as you enter
charged live shows have quickly earned them a reputation as one of the most exciting new acts to emerge from Omaha’s music scene. Formed in July 2020, Midwest Coast was formed by saxophonist, composer, arranger, teacher, and OmahaSee Backyard Concert page 2
Beth El welcomes Mark Kelln LISA MARCUS for Beth El Synagogue On Aug. 28, the 2022-2023 Beth El Synagogue Talmud Torah (BESTT) school year will begin with Mark Kelln at the helm. Few Beth El members will need to be introduced to Mark. He is an active congregant who has previously served on Beth El’s Board of Trustees, taught Hebrew High, and for the past several years has organized the Sukkah Build.
Mark Kelln
Mark grew up in Rome, Wisconsin. After high school he joined the Army, where he repaired missile systems. Following his Army career, Mark attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and later graduated from the University of WisconsinLa Crosse with a BS in elementary education. He met his wife, Heather, while in college. Heather, daughter of Ray and Jody Goldstein, grew up at Beth El. After college graduation, Mark and Heather moved to Omaha, where they were married at Beth El by Rabbi Paul Drazen. They have two sons, Colin and Peyton. Peyton is beginning his senior year of high school, and Colin will have his bar mitzvah at Beth El next month. Mark’s teaching career began in August 2001, teaching fifth and sixth grades at Joslyn Elementary School. After teaching for several years, he earned a master’s degree in elementary education administration and supervision from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2007. He then served in a variety of administrative roles. For the last 11 years, Mark was principal at Adams and Indian Hill elementary schools. He received an early childhood education endorsement from Creighton University in 2019. After Eadie Tsabari announced her retirement, Mark joined Beth El’s Education Director Search Committee. He quickly dropped out after realizing that he wanted to apply for the job. In his cover letter, Mark wrote “For anyone who knows me, I think they know I have See Mark Kelln page 3
2 | The Jewish Press | August 5, 2022
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Backyard Concert
On Aug. 28, Bach Mai will Continued from page 1 play the final concert of the senative Skye Junginger. Skye has ries. The indie pop-punk band toured the world playing leans on lyrical content, pop music in Japan, China, South punk tropes, and percussive Korea, Lithuania, Latvia, and nuance to garner the attention the Czech Republic and had of their listeners. Bach Mai atthe honor of playing for the tempts to unravel the emo44th President of the United tional tumult of growing up States, Barack Obama. He has through verse and song. Misalso backed up artists such as takes, broken hearts, love, and Conor Oberst, Nate Walcott, hope are strewn across the Chris Potter, Donny McCaslin band’s music, highlighting a and more. Junginger’s dream to particular vulnerability in their build one of Omaha’s premier performance. bands when the world was The band’s namesake and shut down turned into reality sometimes solo troubadour, when he recruited life-long Bach Mai started playing friends and accomplished mumusic in his late teens, latchsicians, Maggie Vlassakis, Sam ing on to the tunes of Say AnyMcDermott, Gage Wiggins, thing and Damien Rice. He is Henry Tomsu and Harrison El decidedly focused on developDorado to form Midwest ing lyrical content that he feels Coast. The band has gone on to is as honest as possible. His play originals and covers at greatest pleasure is to see peosome of Omaha’s best live perple singing together whether it formance venues, merging the be out of joy or anguish. sounds of Steely Dan, Hiatus The band’s second most senKaiyote, and Jamilia Woods in ior member, Joshua von Kamone package, making them one pen, has been one of the of the most unique groups in greatest immediate influences the midwest. on the direction of the band’s On Aug. 21 The Hynek Mamusic today. Josh earns his neuver will take listeners on a stripes creating all percussive journey back in time, to the elements to the repertoire. golden era of Rock, Pop and Crushing the drums and aidR&B. ing Bach through the writing Veteran Omaha musicians process, he has become an inJohn Finocchiaro (lead vocals, dispensable part of the team. guitar), Dave Hynek (drums), Cricket Kirk (bass, vocals), Pictured from top: Midwest Coast, Hynek Maneuver and Bach Mai Aside from creating sweet, along with the youthful talents of Elliott Chael (keys, vocals) sweet tunes, Josh spends his days enriching the lives of Omaha will keep the pace moving, upbeat and fun as they cover songs youth by directing theater, telling awful jokes and dreaming of The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Steely Dan, The Doors, The All- of his wife. Molly Gaughan provides a truly necessary layer of moving man Brothers and much more! A nostalgic and entertaining experience for all - The Hynek melodies on lead guitar and back up vocals that direct the Maneuver is sure to please all in attendance. See Backyard Concert Series page 3
Continued from page 1 • Rabbi Aryeh Azriel (Rabbi Emeritus, Temple Israel) • Roger Garcia (Douglas County Board of Commissioners, • District 1) • Marisa Hattab (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, • Douglas County) • Farhan & Fatima Khan (American Muslim Institute) • Preston Love (Institute for Urban Development) • John & Deb McCollister (Countryside Community • Church) “The Jewish Community Relations Council and JFO welcomed the opportunity to participate in the Tri-Faith Initiative’s inaugural United We Walk. The vision of inclusion and taking steps – literally and figuratively – to connect, build relationships, deepen understanding, and find common cause is foundational to JCRCs across the country, Sharon Brodkey, Executive Director of Jewish Community Relations Council, said. “We look forward to making new friends and allies and we are honored that tri-Faith invited the JFO to be a part of the event.” “If we were more inclusive, there would be less hate,” Preston Love, Founder and Executive Director of Institute for Urban Development, said. “ And if we were more unified, we could solve problems together,” . Following the walk, Temple Israel, Countryside Community Church, the American Muslim Institute, and The TriFaith Center will host open houses with opportunities to learn about Tri-Faith’s mission and each faith. A pop-up experience from the Kiewit Luminarium and an outdoor stage will present family-friendly entertainment and music, and Abraham’s Bridge will invite attendees to stroll the boardwalk that connects buildings on the Tri-Faith Commons and contribute to a community-based art activity. Local food trucks will also be on hand to add to the festive atmosphere. “There is no other place to be on Sunday, Sept. 11 at 3 p.m., join us, we are committed to building our future together,” Rabbi Aryeh Azriel, Tri-Faith Founder and Temple Israel Emeritus Rabbi, said. Registration for United We Walk is open now at trifaith.org/walk. Registration is free, and walkers may sign up as individuals or as members of a group. Donations will be accepted both online and at UWW to support Tri-Faith’s work in creating spaces that dispel hate and distrust by building trust and connections across lines of difference. For more information about United We Walk, please visit trifaith.org/walk or contact Tri-Faith Vice President of Operations and Development Erik Servellon at eservellon@ trifaith.org.
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The Jewish Press | August 5, 2022 | 3
Mark Kelln stakeholders. After only a month on the job, Mark has already Contunied from page 1 a real passion and love for education and for Beth El. What an met with an educational consultant, collaborated weekly with amazing opportunity to bring these two things together.” his Temple Israel cohorts, and strategized with Rabbi Steven After reviewing his qualifications and conducting an inter- Abraham, Hazzan Michael Krausman and BESTT Chair Caryn view, the search committee agreed that Mark would be a great Scheer. He will attend the New School Directors Institute later fit for the position. this month. Mark said another benefit of “Beth El is lucky to have his job is the chance to work someone with such a tremenwith some of his favorite peodous background in education Wednesday, Aug. 24, 6 p.m. ple. He added that the teamand passion for learning on our $10 per Family work has been invaluable, and team,” said Linda Saltzman, BESTT families can get to know Mark and their Rabbi Abraham and Hazzan search committee co-chair and teachers while enjoying a slip-and-slide and having Krausman have been instruBeth El president. “His creativsome pizza. A school supply drive will also take place. mental in setting him up for ity and ability to think outside RSVP at www.bethel-omaha.org. success. the box will help expand our program and develop innovaRabbi Abraham said Mark is a wonderful addition to the Beth El team. “Mark is a phenomtive ways to instill Judaism in all of our students.” Mark is very impressed with the enthusiasm of BESTT stu- enal educator, who will help Beth El think deeply about Jewish dents. “The kids are clearly excited to be here,” he said. “This Education today and into the future.” While some aspects of the job may be a work in progress, is a great compliment to the efforts of Eadie and our teachers.” Mark is especially pleased with the Beth El teens, a demo- one thing is clear – Mark intends to be present whenever graphic that many synagogues struggle to engage. “Our teens kids are in the building. “There are plenty of times outside of consistently show up, and their leadership is amazing,” he said. the classroom when kids are here, and I’ll be here, too,” he Mark acknowledges that he has a lot to learn in his new role, said. “I’m excited to be involved in all aspects of their time at and his vision for BESTT will evolve by working with key Beth El.”
Slide Back to BESTT with Mark
Backyard Concert Series Continued from page 2 music to new spaces. Molly made her mark in the band by showcasing an unprecedented level of work ethic. Practicing and developing her skills, there’s little that Molly cannot learn. Molly’s passions lie in the creation of her music but also in the music education of others. As another active teacher in the band, she helps other children around Omaha reach their musical goals. Matt Capoun is so good at everything he does. An absurdly talented bassist and guitarist, Matt continuously finds fresh lines to keep the listener’s ear from turning away. His foremost training in guitar enables him to play the bass with lead melodies in mind. Always jumping between frets, Matt is very entertaining to watch on stage. The band as a whole
agrees that Matt is the greatest showman of the group. Matt is an engineer by day and a lover of food 24/7. If Bach and him aren’t talking about music, they’re discussing the last delicious meal they ate. Bach Mai shares “The solidarity that music can bring is one of the most beautiful things on this earth.” Event updates can be found on our website (www.jccom aha.org) or on our JCC Facebook page. Please note that in the event of inclement weather, concerts will be cancelled. The Backyard Concert Series is made possible through the generous support of our sponsors: The Shirley and Leonard Goldstein Supporting Foundation, Omaha Steaks and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor, Andrew Robinson.
See full digital issues: omahajewishpress.com/eedition Industrial Escape Rooms: Great for Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, birthdays and job parties Industrial Escape Rooms is a small locally/veteran owned business located in the Millard area of Omaha. Established in 2018, we are dedicated to providing a fun and family-friendly entertainment option for the community. Escape room games are a great option for families and friends and co-workers to spend quality time together. Players are encouraged to play as a team, with everyone contributing to the effort to “escape” the room. Escape room games generally have a theme and a storyline to engage the players. Industrial Escape Rooms game themes include Moriarty’s Parlor, a Sherlock Holmes theme set in an 1890’s London England parlor room. Our second room is Blackbeard’s Treasure, a pirate themed game set in the captain’s cabin of Blackbeard’s flagship. Our third room is Sea Voyage, a nautical themed game set on the bridge of the sink-
ing ship S.S. Sea Turtle. Each game features unique and fun puzzles that challenge the players to stretch their problem solving abilities. Escape room games are great for a wide age range of players. We have had family groups with young pre-school-age players that enjoy finding puzzle pieces to give to Mommy and Daddy to the grandparents that find that they enjoyed solving the puzzles as well. Each room has a wide variety of puzzles ranging from easy to challenging to keep a group engaged for the duration of each game. Industrial Escape Rooms are great for Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, birthdays and job parties. For more information about Industrial Escape Rooms, please contact Patrick Corbitt at 402.934.2083 or info@Indus trialescaperooms.com.
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Friedel teachers look forward
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Above left: Julie Shelburne, Friedel’s kindergarten teacher, during the kindergarten class’s butterfly release last spring; above right: Teachers Julie Shelburne, Lori Morrissey, Renee Pritchett, and Emily Coffin wearing special shirts to celebrate Earth Day.
SARA KOHEN Friedel Jewish Academy Director of Advancement The news has been full of stories about the difficulties faced by teachers over the past few years, as well as about the unprecedented rate at which teachers are leaving the profession. According to a 2022 Gallup study, K-12 teachers are more burned out than any other workers, with 52% reporting that they “always” or “very often” feel burned out. More than half are thinking of leaving their jobs, according to a March 2022 survey from the National Education Association. The picture looks different at Friedel Jewish Academy. All of the classroom teachers at Friedel plan to return this fall. Lori Morrissey, who teachers third and fourth grade General Studies, attributes this to how the school treats its
teachers. Morrissey says, “I’m so happy to be teaching at Friedel! We teachers get a lot of support from Beth [Cohen, Friedel’s Head of School], the board, and families.” Cohen explains that “at Friedel, we know that our teachers are our greatest strength. By treating them right and making their jobs easier, they can be at their best for the students, and we all benefit.” For example, teachers at many other schools lost planning time to sub in other classrooms during the pandemic, but that this has not happened at Friedel. Denise Bennett, Friedel’s fifth and sixth grade General Studies teacher said she appreciates this because planning time is “so crucial to successful, interesting lessons.” She also says that “during the past few years, it was good to feel that the safety of students and teachers was a real priority.”
Even before the pandemic, however, teaching at Friedel provides unique benefits. Emily Coffin, who teaches first and second grade General Studies, says, “I love that I can be flexible in my job and do things I love and the kids love that meet state standards.” One example of this is the author studies that Ms. Coffin does with her students. The class spends time learning all about different authors and reading their books—one author study last school year was about Mo Willems, who wrote Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. Students even learned how to draw the pigeon! Coffin also says she feels like she has “a closer relationship with parents” than she would elsewhere, with interactions in the building, at dismissal, and through email. “The community at Friedel goes beyond the classroom,” Coffin says.
BESTT Teacher Aliyah Lasky takes on new role as Beth El’s youth director LISA MARCUS for Beth El Synagogue Aliyah Lasky’s favorite quote comes from Winnie the Pooh’s Christopher Robin: “You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” It’s a belief she brings to her job as a BESTT and Hebrew High teacher. And it will serve her well in her new role as Beth El’s Youth Director. Last year Aliyah joined Beth El’s teaching staff, and quickly became a favorite among the kids she taught. Aliyah says she’s really enjoyed getting to know the Beth El students. “I’ve been especially impressed with their active participation in the youth programs that Beth El has to offer. I hope to further strengthen and inspire our youth and teens as they embark on new and exciting leadership opportunities.” Aliyah brings extensive experience working with synagogue youth, including teaching Hebrew School in several Colorado synagogues and serving as Judaic specialist at Camp Shai in Denver. She was also the Youth Director at Temple Israel and taught Hebrew
Aliyah Lasky
School there. In the secular world, Aliyah has been a paraeducator in the Millard Public School District and a grade school counselor for Omaha Public Schools. While in OPS, Aliyah worked for Adams Elementary School while Mark Kelln was principal there. “I was incredibly impressed with her leadership, and her ability to see a need and fill it,” said Mark, who recently began his new role as Beth El’s Education Director. When Rabbi Abraham approached Mark about hiring Aliyah as Youth Di-
rector, Mark thought it was a great idea. “Aliyah taught Colin’s class last year. The kids adored her and it was a very successful year,” he said. Mark added that he and Aliyah have already begun planning for the new school year. “She’s jumped right in and helped me think through a number of challenges.” Rabbi Abraham says he knew Aliyah would be a great fit for this position after she made such a good impression at BESTT and Hebrew High. “Aliyah has become a beloved member of our teaching staff. I’m thrilled to bring her on as our new Youth Director.” Aliyah says she is looking forward to meeting more Beth El families. “I would love to hear more about what makes BESTT so special and anything that can further inspire our students to take up new leadership roles,” she said. She invites us to stay tuned for some exciting youth programs and other opportunities ahead. “I hope that this is a year that helps more of our students to further explore their Jewish identities and feel like Beth El is their home away from home.”
Trade scholarships available for the 2022-23 academic year An anonymous donor in our community has created two trade school scholarship opportunities, up to $5,000 each, to go towards the 2022-23 academic year. Not every student who advances into higher education signs up for a four-year curriculum. Some high school graduates seek job training that lasts a year or two and then places them in the workforce. Such opportunities include, but are not restricted to: Information Technology,
Construction, Industrial, Transportation and Horticulture. It is not too late to apply for this upcoming school year! Qualified students who have unmet needs regarding tuition for either a two-year trade school program or a trade certificate program can contact the Jewish Press at avan dekamp@jewishomaha.org or jpress@jewishomaha.org for more information.
The Jewish Press | August 5, 2022 | 5
Reminder: Challah Bake and Boutique
TIPPI DENENBERG In anticipation of the High Holidays, Chabad of Nebraska offers Omaha the experience of the world-wide phenomenon of community challah baking. Omaha’s own Mega Challah Bake and Boutique will open its doors at the JCC on Sept. 15 at 6:15 p.m. The event begins with wine, socializing, and shopping. At 7 p.m. there is an inspiring program and detailed instruction on how to make challah. For more experienced bakers, challah mavens will be on hand to offer personal expertise and enhanced tips. Everyone leaves with swag and two loaves of dough, ready to bake. For information on prices and how to register, go online to Ochabad.org/challahbake. You can also call 402.330.1800. Lastly, let’s get social, challah bakers! We want to see your challah on Instagram, so please send your pics to @MCBBomaha on Instagram.
The Omaha Community Playhouse opens the season with The Legend of Georgia McBride The Omaha Community Playhouse (OCP) is excited to open its 22/23 Season with The Legend of Georgia McBride by Matthew Lopez. You’ve never seen Elvis like this. Casey, a young Elvis Presley impersonator barely making a living, unexpectedly finds a path to prosperity. He’s young, broke, his landlord’s knocking at the door, and he finds out his wife is pregnant. To make matters even more desperate, Casey gets fired from his gig as an Elvis impersonator in a run-down, small-town Florida bar. When Eddie, the bar owner, brings in his cousin Miss Tracy Mills to run a B-level drag show to replace his act, Casey finds that he has a lot to learn about show business—and himself. The Legend of Georgia McBride is a play.
However, how can you do a show about Elvis Presley and drag queens and not have music! This laugh-out-loud comedy is filled with music, heart and plenty of sass. The Associate Artistic Director of OCP, Brady Patsy, directs the show with a cast of six. The artists include Casey (Ryan Figgins), Miss Tracy Mills (Ryan Eberhart), Anorexia Nervosa (Brock McCullough), Jo (Olivia Howard), Eddie (Dennis Collins) and Jason (Giovanni Rivera). The Legend of Georgia McBride takes place at the OCP in the Howard Drew Theater from Aug 19 to Sept 18, 2022. Tickets can be purchased by visiting the OCP Box office at 6915 Cass St., calling the OCP Box Office at 402.553.0800, or visiting ticketomaha.com.
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2022 Anything Grants DIANE WALKER JFO Foundation Fund & Scholarship Administrator They’re back! After a brief delay, the 2022 Anything Grants are here! The Jewish Federation of Omaha is excited to once again be a part of this amazing grant opportunity! Anything Grants are funded by the Staenberg Family Foundation, the Kiewit Companies Foundation, and Friends of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. The Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation administers these grants. Since 2017, nearly $250,000 has been awarded in Anything Grants supporting Jewish non-profit organizations and synagogues in Omaha, Lincoln, and Council Bluffs. This is a funding opportunity for Jewish organizations in Omaha, Lincoln, and Council Bluffs, IA. to do anything! Eligible grant applications could be for anything, including: hiring a non-
profit consultant, purchasing technology, staff/board professional development, building beautification/improvement. These one-time matching grants will range from $1,000 to $5,000, equal to 50% of the project budget. Organizations are responsible for raising the remaining 50% from other sources. Project budget not to exceed $10,000. Your project must be completed, matching funds raised, and paperwork submitted by Oct. 1, 2023 in order to receive your funds. Additional information and applications are available on the Jewish Federation of Omaha website. Applications are due Sept. 1, 2022 and selection will be completed and announced by Oct. 1, 2022. Please contact Diane Walker at 402.334.6551 or dwalker@jewishomaha. org with any questions.
ORGANIZATIONS B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS The award-winning B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS speaker program currently meets Wednesdays via Zoom from noon to 1 p.m. Please watch the Press for specific information concerning its thought-provoking, informative list of speakers. To be placed on the email list, contact Breadbreakers chair at gary.javitch@gmail.com.
6 | The Jewish Press | August 5, 2022
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Zelensky reportedly strips three Jewish oligarchs of citizenship CNAAN LIPHSHIZ JTA Three powerful and prominent Jews in Ukraine appear to have had their citizenship stripped as their long-simmering conflict with President Volodymyr Zelensky has reached a boiling point amid the war with Russia. Last week, Zelensky reportedly either revoked or took steps to revoke the Ukrainian citizenship of two of the country’s best known oligarchs, Igor Kolomoisky and Hennadiy Korban, as well as that of Vadim Rabinovich, a former tycoon turned opposition lawmaker. Igor Kolomoisky is a banking magnate from Dnipro and a major funder of Jewish causes and the Chabad movement in Ukraine. He holds citizenship in Cyprus and Israel as well in Ukraine, where he was born. Hennady Korban is a past business associate of Kolomoisky, a former politician and a mining magnate who is famously belligerent. Korban was arrested in 2016 in connection with a $150,000 bribe that police said he had given to a judge. The investigation into his actions, which Korban has compared to an antisemitic blood libel, is ongoing. Vadim Rabinovich is a former major donor to Jewish causes who appears to have lost his fortune of billions of dollars before becoming a lawmaker in 2014. As a longtime critic of Zelensky who holds Israeli citizenship, Rabinovich was flagged as a “traitor” in April by Ukraine’s National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption, alongside 110 other Ukrainians. The three men are among the wealthiest Jews in Ukraine, and the official reason for the move appears to be that they hold foreign citizenship — including in Israel. Dual citizenship is technically illegal in Ukraine but is widely tolerated in practice. Several alternate theories are also circulating, including that Zelensky is purging oligarchs with checkered pasts in an effort to prove to the United States and other Western countries that Ukraine has no tolerance for corruption. What is clear is that three of the most influential Jews in Ukraine, including two who have been instrumental in funding Jewish infrastructure projects, especially in the ChabadLubavitch stronghold of Dnipro, appear no longer to be welcome in their native land. Korban has already been denied entrance into Ukraine at a border crossing and had his Ukrainian passport confiscated, according to Ukrainian media reports.
It is also clear that the decision is generating rare pushback for Zelensky, Ukraine’s Jewish president who is widely seen as a hero for standing up to Russia. The citizenship revocations have “revealed a colossal institutional problem that has now upset a really huge number of people,” Borys Filatov, the (non-Jewish) mayor of the strategically important city of Dnipro has said, referencing hundreds of thousands of people with dual nationalities in Ukraine. Filatov, who is an ally of Korban, added that some Jews from Dnipro with Israeli citizenship are considering leaving following the move. Approached by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency for comment on this claim, the city’s rabbi, Shmuel Kaminezki, declined to comment; a source in Dnipro told JTA recently that about half of the city’s Jews had already left since the start of the war. At least 8,000 Ukrainians with Israeli citizenship were living in Ukraine when the war broke out, according to the Israeli embassy in Kyiv. “No one has the right to violate the constitution, even if you have a halo glowing around your head and you feel like a god,” Zoya Kazanzhi, a prominent Ukrainian journalist, said in an interview with the NV news site earlier this week. She characterized the move as “political revenge.” The move comes as Zelensky reportedly is cracking down on Ukrainians who may be cooperating with Russia. But Kolomoisky, Korban and Rabinovich all have strong patriotic credentials. Instead, at least part of the long-simmering internal conflict is believed to be about power more than ideology. Since his election in 2019, Zelensky has continued the anti-oligarch reform started by his predecessor Petro Poroshenko in a bid to loosen Kolomoisky’s grip on the economy, media and other centers of power. That move surprised some because Kolomoisky had been among Zelensky’s top backers and had returned from a self-imposed exile in Israel only after Zelensky was elected in 2019. Whatever Zelensky’s motivation, the move could have sweeping consequences for efforts to reinvigorate Jewish communities in Ukraine. Jewish leaders were already concerned that a looming financial crisis would reduce the capacity of wealthy Ukrainian Jews to build back up institutions that have been damaged by a mass exodus of Jews during the war. Now, the question may be whether those wealthy Ukrainian Jews remain Ukrainian at all.
THE ARTS
Holocaust memorials in Buchenwald and Berlin vandalized
CNAAN LIPHSHIZ JTA In the same week, sets of unidentified individuals cut down trees planted to commemorate Holocaust victims near the former Nazi camp of Buchenwald in Germany and drew swastikas on one of the concrete slabs of Berlin’s Holocaust memorial. Near Buchenwald, the perpetrators on Tuesday sawed off the tops of seven trees planted along a road that used to lead to the camp, the DPA news agency reported.
Vandals cut down memorial trees at the former Nazi camp of Buchenwald in Germany, July 19, 2022. Credit: Stiftg. Gedenkstätten Buchenwald u. Mittelbau-Dora
The trees were planted earlier this year as part of a commemorative project titled “1,000 beeches for Buchenwald,” through which relatives of some of the victims murdered there planted dozens of trees commemorating their families across the campground. The perpetrators did not take any branches, leaving the tree tops lying near the trunks. The International Auschwitz Committee, an association of survivors of that former camp in Nazi-occupied Poland, called the incident a “hateful and calculated demonstration of power by neo-Nazis.” Police told DPA that they do not have concrete information on the perpetrators. Buchenwald was one of the first concentration camps built by the Nazis, who from its construction in 1937 to its liberation in 1945 imprisoned about 238,000 people there. Of those, over 40,000 died. In a separate incident in Berlin a few days earlier, two swastikas were found etched onto the surface of one of the slabs of the city’s famed Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. The vandals also wrote “Heil Hitler” on the monument. Police are looking for the culprits but currently have no suspects in custody.
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Above: Friedel’s Head of School, Beth Cohen, traveled to Israel for the KKL-JNF Educators Mission in July. Along with leaders from other schools, she learned about new opportunities for Friedel’s students. Many thanks to the Albert and Eleanor Feldman Family Israel Foundation for helping fund this trip!
Above: BESTT classmates visit in Jerusalem. Gal(Tsabari) Moss and Jason Rich and the next generation Ezra Moss and Emmet Rich, accompanied by Eadie Tsabari. Right: Dalia Fox Boehm holds her sister Ruby Rose Fox Boehm. Dalia and Ruby are the daughters of Naomi Fox Boehm and Andrew Boehm.
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Bought and sold chairman of the European Jewish Association, a ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Brussels-based lobby group. Jewish Press Editor The auction house has been criticized in the past The Alexander Historical Auctions House in Chesapeake City, Maryland, is under fire for putting for selling Mengele’s diaries and in 2017, they sold some of Adolf Hitler’s personal items up for sale. an item it had described as Hitler’s telephone to an There is a candy dish, emblazoned with a golden unidentified buyer. Bidding started at $100,000, and symbol of the Reichsadler – the Nazi party’s impe- the item ended up fetching $243,000. rial eagle – and the initials AH, estimated at $3,000. “Another similarly priced item is a dog collar said to have belonged to Eva Braun, Hitler’s wife, for her pet Scottish terrier. A leather artifact with a small metal plate that reads “wau wau” – the sound of a dog barking as it is described in German – it is also studded with multiple metal swastikas,” Cnaan Liphshiz reported for the JTA. “Cheaper items on sale that are said to have belonged to Hitler and Braun include cutlery, champagne glasses, a beer glass tray and sta- A dog collar said to have belonged to the Scottish terrier of Eva tionery. Some of the items had Braun, Adolf Hitler’s wife, on display on the website of Alexander Hismultiple bids on them, including torical Auctions, July 28, 2022. Credit: Alexander Historical Auctions Bill Panagopulos, the president of Alexander Histhe collar going for up to $2,750 and the candy bowl torical Auctions, isn’t worried about the criticism. He going for up to $1,600.” “The sale of these items is an abhorrence,” Rabbi calls the items ‘historical evidence,’ and said the buyMenachem Margolin wrote to the auction house in ers “are NOT neo-Nazis, who are too poor and too a letter that was co-signed by 34 members and stupid to appreciate any kind of historic material.” Like Rabbi Margolin, I am not convinced there is leaders of European Jewish communities. “There is little to no intrinsic historical value to the vast bulk historical value in a swastika-studded dog collar, of the lots on display,” he also wrote. Margolin is the whether it actually belonged to Eva Braun’s terrier
or not. I also don’t believe that all neo-Nazis are “too poor and too stupid to appreciate any kind of historic material.” If only. I think for the auction house, if historical value was really the main motivator, there would perhaps be an effort to send the items to a museum? I don’t know the ins and outs of auction houses, so maybe I’m wrong. I do know that when this much money is at stake, we should be suspicious about buyers and sellers alike. I mean, what private buyer bids on Hitler’s candy dish? I imagine someone with more money than sense, who proudly displays it in their house. A conversation piece, for sure. The thought alone makes my skin crawl. What I see, when I look at the auction house’s official response, is “We don’t really care. We will deny anything you say, we won’t listen, we will do whatever we want because there is money to be made. And then we will gaslight you by suggesting you don’t want people to look at these items as proof the Nazis were real.” The thing is, we know Nazis were and are real. We don’t need Hitler’s personal stuff to prove it to us. The day we only believe the Holocaust was real because of a dog collar will be a cold day in hell. What’s more: we know Nazis continue to exist, and they are not all “poor and stupid.” They come in all shapes and sizes. Some of them are rich enough to frequent auctions and buy Hitler’s stuff. And they probably don’t care about provenance. Simply the thought of owning something that might have belonged to Hitler is enough. So tell me, Mr. Panagopulos, what are you really selling?
The ‘queer, disabled’ Zionist who challenged the conventions of Israel’s founders ANDREW SILOW-CARROLL JTA It’s hard to find a poster promoting early 20thcentury Zionism that doesn’t depict a tanned, chiseled man toting a shovel or a gun. The posters were visual reinforcement of the “Muscle Jewry” valued by Max Nordau and other early Zionist leaders, who felt the land would redeem a physically depleted Jewish people and the people would renew a neglected land. One early Zionist thinker defied this macho image, and then some: “While Zionism celebrated strong and healthy bodies,” Jessie Sampter “spoke of herself as ‘crippled’ from polio and plagued by weakness and sickness her whole life.” In addition, “she wrote of homoerotic longings and had samesex relationships we would consider queer.” Those quotes are from Sarah Imhoff ’s new biography, The Lives of Jessie Sampter: Queer, Disabled, Zionist (Duke University Press). The book explores the life of a New York-born poet and writer (1883– 1938) who moved to Palestine in 1919 and whose circle before and after included Henrietta Szold, who founded Hadassah; Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, the founder of Reconstructionist Judaism; Louis Brandeis, the future U.S. Supreme Court justice and leader of the Zionist Organization of America; the writer Mary Antin, and Albert Einstein. Although Sampter never became a household name, she published 11 books and dozens of poems in English and Hebrew. She shared a home at Kibbutz Givat Brenner with the Russian Zionist Leah Berlin, and advocated on behalf of Yemenite Jews and the pre-state Jewish community’s deaf population. She never married nor bore children, although she did adopt a Yemenite Jewish daughter. Her story is worth remembering, writes Imhoff, because Sampter’s life itself represented an alternative vision of Zionism — one that “did not follow the gender norms prescribed for the ideal (male) Zionist builder or the female Zionist nurturer of the nation.” Imhoff is associate professor of Religious Studies at Indiana University, Bloomington, and author of “Masculinity and the Making of American Judaism.”
We spoke via Zoom recently. religious traditions. She doesn’t go “religion hopping,” Our conversation was edited for length and clarity. but has this early life of being very interested in reliNew York Jewish Week: I had never heard of Jessie gion, but not knowing where she fits. And then, inSampter. When did you come to know her and decide terestingly, she comes to Zionism before she comes she was a subject to be written about? to Judaism, which is a relatively unusual thing. Sarah Imhoff: My first book was about masculinTell me a little bit more about that. How old is she ity and American Judaism. I had plenty of men talk- at that point? ing about Zionism and masculinity, and I was wondering what women, specifically American Jewish women, thought about Zionism and masculinity. I knew that Sampter was a Zionist, so I got hold of some of her files in Jerusalem. She didn’t actually have that much to say about masculinity and Zionism, but I was totally captivated. Before we get to her Zionism, let’s place her in New York, the kind of family she was born into and the way she grew up. She was born in Harlem. She grew up with two parents who were German Sarah Imhoff’s new biography, The Lives of Jessie Sampter: Jewish and fairly middle class. They be- Queer, Disabled, Zionist (Duke University Press) explores the life longed to the Ethical Culture move- of a New York-born poet and writer who moved to Palestine in ment with other acculturated Jews. 1919. Credit: Duke University Press They spoke English at home, they had a Christmas She is definitely there by 1914, so her mid-to-late tree at home, at least sometimes. They’re integrated 20s. Many people at that moment are thinking into what I think of as a Jewish culture. about nationalism, and not necessarily in the way Even though they didn’t ascribe to Judaism itself. that we think about nationalism. We might say “peoJessie has this story about when she was perhaps plehood.” One of the things she likes about Zionism 8 years old. Somebody said, “You’re a Jew!” And she is it imagines Jews as a people the way Mordecai Kareplied, “No, I’m not!” and went home crying. And plan did, and she and Kaplan are often in contact. then her parents told her, “Well, actually, we are She thinks that Jews as a people have something Jewish,” but it doesn’t seem like that was a major distinctive to contribute to the project of humanity. way they talked about themselves. She would also say that every people has someAnd as she grew up she became what we might call thing distinctive to contribute to the project of hua seeker — exploring Eastern religions, seances, Tran- manity, but part of our goal is to figure out what scendentalism, Ouija boards — but what you prefer that is, and each people can be its own people and to describe in terms of “religious recombination.” then we’ll all be stronger together. And then she I like that as a metaphor, because it suggests that thinks, well, if part of what the Jewish people has what you end up with is actually a whole thing, to offer is a biblical tradition, or prophetic tradition, rather than what some refer to as a “cafeteria reli- I should explore Judaism. gion,” which can be a little condescending. When And yet, she’s a single woman in the early 20th cenpeople think about “how do I understand the world” tury, when not a lot of Americans were willing to sail they draw on things that we could trace to different See The ‘queer, disabled’ Zionist page 9
The Jewish Press | August 5, 2022 | 9
The ‘queer, disabled’ Zionist
Continued from page 8 across the world and become a pioneer in a kind of backwater country. Where does she get the impulse? That’s a great question. A Zionist friend of hers, Lotta Levensohn, calls its a “malarial swamp.” Sampter was trying to convince the Zionist Organization of America to send her and initially they said no, but eventually she convinced Brandeis. That’s how she narrates it, anyway. And she goes on a one-year contract where she’ll be writing and they’ll be paying her to write, and even when she goes she is thinking that staying is her plan. She writes that she is “getting married” to Palestine. I think it is audacious, especially because she’s disabled with what I think is post-polio syndrome. Basically right after she lands she ends up in Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem for a few weeks recuperating. She got polio when she was 12. Describe her disability and how she presented physically either to others or to herself. If you see a photo of her it’s not obvious, although she’s often holding her own wrist or putting her hands behind her back. There are no action shots of her; she’s almost always sitting in a chair or posed standing still. If you just looked at her at one instant, you wouldn’t see disability. But if you interacted with her at any length, you probably would. And she definitely had limitations in terms of walking, or working with her hands, and while she loved working in her garden there were limits on what she could do. Right. And those are things that are much more pressing in Palestine than they are in New York. And that’s because the pioneers were expected to work and build the homeland with their hands and backs as “muscle Jews.” That idea permeates a lot of Jewish settlement in Palestine at that time. She’s involved a little bit in the scouting movement, which is about making little muscle Jews: “We’re gonna go hiking, you’re gonna learn to build the nation.” That permeates almost all of the Zionist propaganda that you can see in the U.S. and in Europe, too. And is she very much aware that she’s in a contradiction with the classic Zionism of the day? Yes, she is. There are moments when I see her in her writing pushing against it. She’s involved with early deaf education in Palestine, and she thinks deaf people can grow up to be real, central citizens when others didn’t. She’s involved in Yemenite education, too. She insists on a democratic approach that says
the Yemenite housewife is the same as the male European halutz [pioneer], and she says — and these would be my words — that we want a more inclusive Zionism with respect to bodies. But she has a lot of self doubt. There are moments where she’s very cognizant of not fitting in and, maybe in that moment, buys into the Zionist ideal of healthy, strong bodies. If her physical limitations set her apart, I imagine her sexual identity would too. This is also in a community where procreation is considered a Zionist tenet. I’ve wrestled with this a lot. I wouldn’t say she has a clear identity. I wouldn’t, for example, call her lesbian, because she wouldn’t have self-described that way. There are two things that I think make it right to think about her in queer terms. Her father died when she was young, her mother died not long after. And she created what queer theorists often think of as a chosen family. She met Leah Berlin very soon after moving to Palestine, and the two of them live together most of the time. They lived apart for a little bit and then they moved back in together and made financial decisions, like to go to Kibbutz Givat Brenner together. She adopted a Yemenite orphan named Tamar. And Leah would visit Tamar when she was a little older and away at school. It’s not like she has no biological family — she writes a ton of letters to her sister Elvie — but there are these kinship structures that look very much like chosen family and they’re queer kinship structures. You referenced Tamar, the Yemenite toddler that she adopts. How unusual was that? And I think we should say this is not in the 1950s, when the Ashkenazi elite were accused of separating Yemenite kids from their birth parents. It’s not that, but there is still an undergirding of cultural assumptions about Ashkenazi culture being more civilized or better than Yemenite culture. This was not part of that same story, but it obviously has connections. But Sampter was involved in Yemenite education, like setting up a Yemenite kindergarten, so she really cared about Yemenite kids and women. Adopting a Yemenite child was relatively unusual. Some of her friends think it’s a terrible idea. Even Henrietta Szold says, “How are you going to take care of this kid? You can barely take care of yourself.” She died in 1938, 10 years before statehood, but already the armed struggle against the Arabs and the British in charge of Palestine had begun. You write that she was a pacifist who sup-
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ported Jewish armed defense in Palestine. She bought a gun at one point. She was like, “I have no idea how to shoot it, but I’m gonna put it here in case somebody needs to come in and use it.” She’s a pacifist except that she believes that sometimes we might need to defend ourselves. Her position moves back and forth. She experiences some of the armed conflict in Palestine, although it’s clear she thinks the real bad guys are the British, who she thinks are setting up Jews and Arabs to fight it out for resources and land. She has moments of being more interested and understanding of Arabs than some of her contemporaries. And then she also has moments of saying that the Arabs have more to learn from Jews than Jews have to learn from them. It’s not quite as one sided as it is for many others. On the other hand, it is clear which side has her basic loyalty. She had a number of well-known friends, but again, she’s hardly as well known today as they are. What about her body of work might still be valuable or worth knowing about today? What’s compelling is a little bit about her body of work and a little bit about her own story. She makes us think about the real variety of possibilities for Zionism. I think, today, Zionism has a much narrower set of meanings than it did in Sampter’s time. She gestures toward other possibilities. How else do we access her today? Are any of her books in print? Is there a monument to her? Some folks at Givat Brenner still remember her and still tell stories about her. The rest house she helped found is still standing, although it is no longer a rest house. I don’t know if any of her books are in print. She’s not very well remembered. I think there are reasons for that. I think her being single is actually one of them. It’s often families that are good at memorializing and publicizing the importance of people. And I think it’s because her Zionism was not actually the Zionism that got picked up as the mainstream. She doesn’t fit what people imagine that group of pioneers to be. Andrew Silow-Carroll is editor in chief of the New York Jewish Week and senior editor of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. He previously served as JTA’s editor in chief and as editor in chief and CEO of the New Jersey Jewish News. @SilowCarroll. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.
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B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE
618 Mynster Street Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 712.322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com
BETH EL SYNAGOGUE
Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California Street Omaha, NE 68154-1980 402.492.8550 bethel-omaha.org
BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE
Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street Omaha, NE. 68154 402.556.6288 BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org
CHABAD HOUSE
An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street Omaha, NE 68144-1646 402.330.1800 OChabad.com email: chabad@aol.com
LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN
South Street Temple Union for Reform Judaism 2061 South 20th Street Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org
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TEMPLE ISRAEL
Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive Omaha, NE 68144-1206 402.556.6536 templeisraelomaha.com
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Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Boulevard Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 402.423.8569 tiferethisraellincoln.org
B’NAI ISRAEL Join us on Friday, Aug. 12, 7 p.m. for evening services. Our service leader is Larry Blass. Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel! For information on COVID-related closures and about our historic synagogue, please contact Howard Kutler at hkutler@hotmail.com or any of our other board members: Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Janie Kulakofsky, Carole and Wayne Lainof, Mary-Beth Muskin, Debbie Salomon and Sissy Silber. Handicap Accessible.
BETH EL Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman. VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON MINYAN SCHEDULE: Mornings on Sundays, 9 a.m.; Mondays and Thursdays, 7 a.m.; Evenings on Sunday-Thursday, 5:30 p.m. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m. Beth El & Live Stream; Tisha B’Av Service and Eicha, 9 p.m. at Beth El & Zoom. SUNDAY: Tisha B’Av Morning Services, 9 a.m. Zoom Only; Torah Study—Focus on Eicha, 10 a.m.; No Evening Service on 8/7. FRIDAY-Aug. 12: Kabbalat Shabbat & Dinner with Dr. Sharon Keller, 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream. SATURDAY-Aug. 13: Shabbat Morning Services with Dr. Sharon Keller, 10 a.m. at Beth El & Live Stream followed by Lunch & Learn with Dr. Sharon Keller; Walking Group with Matt Hazimeh, 1:45 p.m.; Havdalah, 9:05 p.m. Zoom Only. Please visit bethel-omaha.org for additional information and service links.
BETH ISRAEL FRIDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat, 7:30 p.m.; Candlelighting, 8:19 p.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:45 a.m.; Tehillim for Kids, 5:30 p.m.; Kids Parsha Class, 6:50 p.m.; Mincha/Shalosh Seudos, 7:30 p.m.; Tisha B’Av Class/Kids Activity, 8:30 p.m.; Fast of Tisha B’Av Begins, 8:34 p.m.; Havdalah, 9:21 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Daf Yomi, 7:40 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:20 p.m.; Fast of Tisha B’Av Ends, 9:18 p.m.; Havdalah, 9:20 p.m. MONDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Daf Yomi, 7:40 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:20 p.m. TUESDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Daf Yomi, 7:40 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:20 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 a.m.;
Daf Yomi, 7:40 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:20 p.m. THURSDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Character Development, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Kids Parsha Class, 10 a.m.; Daf Yomi, 7:40 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:20 p.m. FRIDAY-Aug. 12: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat, 7:30 p.m.; Candlelighting, 8:10 p.m. SATURDAY-Aug. 13: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:45 a.m.; Tehillim for Kids, 5:30 p.m.; Kids Parsha Class, 6:50 p.m.; Mincha, 8:10 p.m.; Laws of Shabbos/Kids Activity, 8:30 p.m.; Havdalah, 9:12 p.m. Please visit orthodoxomaha.org for additional information and Zoom service links.
CHABAD HOUSE All services are in-person. All classes are being offered in-person/Zoom hybrid (Ochabad.com/classroom). For more information or to request help, please visit www.ochabad.com or call the office at 402.330.1800. FRIDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Inspirational Lechayim, 5:45 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: ochabad.com/Le chayim; Candlelighting, 8:18 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Ma’ariv, 9:15 p.m. followed by the reading of Eicha; Shabbat Ends, 9:20 p.m. SUNDAY: Sunday Morning Wraps (Food-Free): Video Presentation, 9-9:30 a.m. MONDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Personal Parsha class, 9:30 a.m. with Shani Katzman; Advanced Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen. TUESDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m. WEDNESDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Tanya, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Katzman; Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Hebrew Reading, 11:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen. THURSDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Advanced Hebrew Class, 11 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Talmud Study (Sanhedrin 18 — No advanced experience necessary), noon with Rabbi Katzman; Jewish Law Class, 7 p.m. FRIDAY-Aug. 12: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Inspirational Lechayim, 5:45 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: ochab ad.com/Lechayim; Candlelighting, 8:09 p.m. SATURDAY-Aug. 13: Shacharit, 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 9:10 p.m.
LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN & TIFERETH ISRAEL Services facilitated by Rabbi Alex Felch. Note: Some of our services, but not all, are now being offered in person. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat Service, service leaders/music: Rabbi Alex, Nathaniel and Steve Kaup, 6:30 p.m. at SST. Oneg host: TBD; Candlelighting,
8:19 p.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Alex at TI; Torah Study, noon on Parashat Devarim; Fast Begins, 8:36 p.m.; Havdalah, 9:22 p.m. SUNDAY: Men's Jewish Bike Group of Lincoln meets Sundays at 10 a.m., rain or shine, to ride to one of The Mill locations from Hanson Ct. (except we drive if it’s too wet, cold, cloudy, windy, hot or humid) followed by coffee and spirited discussions. If interested, please email Al Weiss at albertw801@gmail.com to find out where to meet each week; Pickleball at Tifereth Israel is on hiatus until after Yom Kippur 5783. In the meantime, everyone is welcome to play at Peterson Park through the spring and summer; just wear comfortable clothes and tennis or gym shoes. For more information, contact Miriam Wallick by email at Miriam57@aol.com; Fast Ends, 9:12 p.m. TUESDAY: Tea & Coffee with Pals, 1:30 p.m. via Zoom. THURSDAY: HHD Choir Rehearsal, 7 p.m. FRIDAY-Aug. 12: Kabbalat Shabbat Service, service leaders/music: Rabbi Alex, Leslie Delserone and Peter Mullin, 6:30 p.m. at SST. Oneg host: TBD; Candlelighting, 8:10 p.m. SATURDAY-Aug. 13: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Alex at TI; Torah Study, noon on Parashat Va-etchanan; Havdalah, 9:12 p.m.
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE
FRIDAYS: Virtual Shabbat Service, 7:30 p.m. every first and third of the month at Capehart Chapel. Contact TSgt Jason Rife at OAFBJSLL@icloud.com for more information.
ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home’s service is currently closed to visitors.
TEMPLE ISRAEL
In-person and virtual services conducted by Rabbi Batsheva Appel, Rabbi Deana Sussmam Berezin, and Cantor Joanna Alexander DAILY VIRTUAL MINYAN: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. via Zoom. FRIDAY: Drop-In Mah Jongg, 9-11 a.m.; Shabbat B’yachad Service, 6 p.m. via Zoom or In-Person. SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. via Zoom or InPerson; Tisha B’Av Service, 7 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Yarn It, 9 a.m. THURSDAY: Thursday Morning Class, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Azriel via Zoom or In-Person. FRIDAY-Aug. 12: Drop-In Mah Jongg, 9-11 a.m.; Shabbat Shira Service, 6 p.m. via Zoom or In-Person. SATURDAY-Aug. 13: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. via Zoom or In-Person. Please visit templeisraelomaha.com for additional information and Zoom service links.
Jewish Broadway star Ben Platt performs national anthem at baseball’s All-Star game PHILISSA CRAMER JTA Ben Platt, the Jewish Broadway phenom, sang the national anthem before the 2022 Major League Baseball All-Star game Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium in his hometown. Platt was born and raised in Los Angeles before moving to New York and striking it big on Broadway, where his breakout role, reprised last year on screen, was in Dear Evan Hansen. Platt donned a “Choice” pin for the performance, in a statement about the Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed abortion rights to Americans. It was not the first time Platt has sung the national anthem at a baseball game. On July 4, 2015, just before Dear Evan Hansen premiered in Washington, D.C., he performed at Nationals Park wearing a T-shirt advertising the play. It moved to Broadway the following year. Platt’s appearance at the All-Star game comes amid a packed scheduled of roles with Jewish resonance. Coming up, Platt will star in the musical comedy movie Theater Camp, which is filming at a Jewish summer camp that closed in 2019, and in a
revival of the Broadway musical Parade, about the Pederson of the San Francisco Giants were both named to the All-Star roster. 1915 lynching of a Southern Jew. Meanwhile, Sandy Koufax, a Jewish baseball legBefore Platt, the most recent Jewish singer to perform the anthem at the All-Star game, a com- end in part because of his refusal to play in a World petition between top players from baseball’s two leagues, was Rachel Platten in 2016. Platten’s Fight Song became the theme to Hillary Clinton’s unsuccessful presidential bid just a few weeks later. Idina Menzel, another Jewish Broadway star, performed in 2014. Platt, who attended Jewish sum- Ben Platt sings the national anthem prior to the 92nd MLB All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium, July 19, 2022. Credit: Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images mer camps and has performed Jewish classics with his brothers, was Series game on Yom Kippur, was honored last not the only prominent Jew to take the field Tues- month at Dodger Stadium with a statue. day night. Max Fried of the Atlanta Braves and Joc
Life cycles BIRTH EMET TREY RICH Missy and Jason Rich of Bat Ayin, Israel, announce the June 29, 2022, birth of their son, Emet Trey. Emet is named for his great grandmother, Evelyn Lefkoff, great grandfather Eugene Rich and grandfather Terry Schlade all of blessed memory. He has a brother, Izzy and sister, Shyli. Grandparents are Diane and Dr. Philip Rich of Omaha and Helen Lefkoff of Atlanta and the late Terry Schlade. Great-grandfather is Dr. Harold Lefkoff of Atlanta.
IN MEMORIAM CHARLOTTE BRICKER KUKLIN Charlotte Kuklin passed away on July 20, 2022, at age 94. Graveside services were held on at July 25, 2022, at Mt. Carmel Cemetery in Lincoln, NE. She was preceded in death by her husband, Floyd Kuklin; her parents, Ruth and Hyman Bricker, and her sister, Geraldine (Jeri) Lipsman. She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Gary and Kimberly Kuklin of Boynton Beach, FL; daughter and son-in-law, Barbara and Stuart Goldstein of Delray Beach, FL; grandchildren: Tammy and Doug Feinberg and Grant Goldstein; great-granddaughter, Presley; sister and brother-in-law, Sandra (Soni) and Merrell Talpers; nieces and nephews and many friends throughout the country. Charlotte attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln and was a member of Sigma Delta Tau Sorority and also an Alum Advisor. She was a life-long member of Tifereth Israel Synagogue in Lincoln, NE, a member of Temple Beth Sholom and Bet Knesset Bamidbar of Las Vegas NV. Charlotte was a Life Member of Hadassah, Brandeis National Committee and Temple Beth Sholom Women’s League. Charlotte and her husband Floyd worked side by side in several successful family businesses. She enjoyed traveling, bridge, entertaining friends and dancing with Floyd to all kinds of music, especially the Big Bands of the 40’s & 50’s. Memorials may be made in her honor to Tifereth Israel Synagogue 3219 Sheridan Blvd, Lincoln, NE 68502.
Orban speech decried as ‘pure Nazi’ CNAAN LIPSHIZ JTA Hungary’s top rabbis have added their voice to a torrent of criticism about a speech by Prime Minister Viktor Orban in which he said that Hungarians “do not want to become peoples of mixed races.” Orban, whose far-right rhetoric has long galvanized his base and millions abroad while angering many others, made the remark Saturday during a speech in Romania decrying the arrival to Europe of millions of Muslims. Orban’s remark prompted an advisor, Zsuzsa Hegedus, to resign. In a letter announcing her resignation, Hegedus, who is Jewish, called the speech “a pure Nazi diatribe worthy of Joseph Goebbels,” the Nazi propaganda chief. The rabbis’ criticism is notable because they typically refrain from criticizing the prime minister, even when others do so. This article was edited for length. To read the full story, please visit www.omahajewishpress.com.
Lufthansa to create a position to fight antisemitism ANDREW LAPIN JTA The Lufthansa airline is creating a senior management role dedicated to preventing discrimination and antisemitism two months after it barred a large group of Orthodox Jewish passengers from boarding a flight. However, an independent investigation commissioned by the airline said there was no evidence of institutional antisemitism behind the incident, which the company’s CEO deemed “categorically inappropriate.” In a letter to the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Lufthansa Airlines CEO Jens Ritter said the airline had established an internal task force to investigate the May 4 incident in which more than 100 Hasidic passengers were kicked off a connecting flight from New York to Budapest because some of them had not worn masks and committed other flight violations, such as gathering in the aisles. The incident had outraged Jews in the United States and Europe, some of whom alleged that the crew had been discriminating against all visible Jewish passengers, even those who had complied with the rules. The Conference of Presidents was one of several Jewish groups to criticize Lufthansa in the aftermath and demand a full accounting of the incident. Most of the passengers were traveling to a pilgrimage and did not know each other; a Lufthansa supervisor was caught on video remarking, “Everyone has to pay for a couple,” and, “It’s Jews coming from JFK. Jewish people who were the mess, who made the problems.” In the Lufthansa letter, dated July 22 and first obtained by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, the airline’s task force acknowledged that some of its crew members had been “insensitive and unprofessional” in dealing with the passengers. But the report concluded, “The thorough investigation did not reveal any sentiments of antisemitism, prejudice or premeditated behavior by Lufthansa representatives.” Ritter also blamed “an unfortunate chain of inaccurate communication, misinterpretation and unintended misjudgments” on the final result, while pointing out that the “several Orthodox Jewish passengers” who were not complying with regulations had “created a tenuous situation” and prompted “several announcements” from the captain. The CEO promised that the German airline would take further action, including establishing a senior management role “for the prevention of discrimination and antisemitism,” creating new staff training around issues of antisemitism and adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism. The airline had previously apologized to the passengers for failing to limit its denial of boarding to “non-compliant guests.”
The Jewish Press | August 5, 2022 | 11
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Neo-Nazi Marine plotted to attack Jews and others
PHILISSA CRAMER JTA A former Marine who belonged to a neo-Nazi group that counts willingness to murder Jewish children as a membership requirement has been arrested on charges stemming from a federal investigation into his plot to commit mass murder, including against Jews. Matthew Belanger was an active Marine while conspiring online with members of a hate group called Rapekrieg, according to a July 14 court filing by federal prosecutors arguing that he should remain in jail while awaiting trial. Together with others from his Long Island, New York, hometown, Belanger had “procured weapons, uniforms, and tactical gear, and discussed committing attacks on a synagogue, Jewish persons, women, and minorities,” according to the court document, which Rolling Stone was first to report on Tuesday. The investigation and arrest come amid mounting concerns about neo-Nazi and white supremacist activity within the U.S. armed forces. Many of the insurgents at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, had military ties, and a filing in one case related to Jan. 6 revealed that a Marine had been discharged and sent to prison for plotting to blow up a synagogue. Belanger was also discharged because of his extremist activity, according to the court filing, which offers a window into how online conversation among extremists can translate into real-world activity — a trajectory taken by a number of mass shooters in the United States, including the man who killed 11 Jews in their synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018. Like other white supremacist groups, Rapekrieg’s goal, outlined in a manifesto that investigators learned Belanger had largely written, is to create a white “ethno-state” free of the minority groups that the group believes are “replacing” white Americans. In addition to killing people who do not advance that goal, the group advocates for raping white women to ac-
celerate the production of white children. Anyone who has did not respond to requests for comment. qualms “about being able to pull the trigger on a Jewish child” In the court filing, federal prosecutors argue that Belanger, is not prepared for the group’s work, the manifesto says. who is being held in Hawaii, where he had been stationed as Belanger’s online engagement in the four years beginning in a Marine, is a flight risk in part because incarceration would 2016 demonstrated increasing radicalization and steps to act require him to live in proximity to people from backgrounds on his stated beliefs, according to the filing. It also shows how against which he has advocated violence. small groups of online actors can cut and paste language and characteristics of various extremist groups to inform their own agendas and activities. At one point, using a social media handle with the name Adolf Hitler in it, Belanger chatted with another group member about the best strategy for attacking Jews, according to the court filing. “That fucking synagogue is going to get it,” he said at one point, only to be rebuffed by the other group member who said, “You don’t accomplish anything when you shoot random Jews at a synagogue that aren’t significant in any way.” The group member instead presented “two individuals popular for their work with the Jewish community along with associated physical addresses.” The filing does not A former Marine is accused of lying to obtain guns while plotting attacks on Jews and other groups. Credit: Getty Images name the people targeted. Members of the Rapekrieg group including Belanger trained Those include Black people, who like Jews are frequent tarwith “airsoft” guns, of the sort used in paintball, at one point gets for extremists. The filing shows that Belanger sought to in the woods outside an unnamed Long Island synagogue, ac- weaponize Jews to foment racial division during the period of cording to the filing. They said their target in the training ex- protests following the murder of George Floyd, a Black man, ercise was the Zionist Occupation of Governments, or ZOG, by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020. To other group mema term that is widely used by white supremacists. bers, he suggested “disguising yourselves as hasidic jews” to Multiple members of the Rapekrieg group obtained items that commit a massacre against racial justice protesters. they said would be useful in carrying out an attack, and BeHe also created a social media account under the name “Islanger personally obtained weapons both legally and illegally, rael Shillingstein” in order “to generate Black hate towards the according to the court filing. The charges on which he is cur- Jewish community by making derogatory statements while rently being held relate to making false statements to obtain disguised as a Jewish man.” Traces of the account that can be weapons; Belanger pleaded not guilty on Monday, according seen online now show that at least some Twitter users recogto Rolling Stone. The magazine said Belanger and his attorney nized it as a troll account.
IT’S BACK! Bring your lawn chairs & blankets and enjoy a night of fabulous music. Concerts are and held in the green space on the east side of campus (near the JCC pavilion). Open to the entire community. Simply show up and enjoy. • Food trucks will have food and beverages available for purchase.
FREE • Sundays • 5:00-7:00 p.m. STAENBERG KOOPER FELLMAN CAMPUS | 333 SOUTH 132ND STREET CONCERTS HELD BY THE PAVILION BEHIND THE JCC
Aug. 14
Aug. 21
Aug. 28
• Lawn games, gaga pits & playground will be available providing fun for the whole family! • Jewish Family Service will be taking nonperishable, non-expired food donations. In case of inclement weather the concert will be canceled. Please check our website or find us on Facebook for event updates.
Midwest Midwes st Coast
Hynek M Maneuver aneuver
Bach B ach M ac Mai ai
The Backyard Concert Series is made possible through the generous support of:
SHIRLEY & LEONARD GOLDSTEIN SUPPORTING FOUNDATION
Visit www.jccomaha.org for full details!
