August 13, 2021 by Jewish Press

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Backyard Concert Series ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor lease join us Sunday Aug. 22 from 5-7 p.m. for our FREE concert series! Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy a night of fabulous music. Dante’s, Kona Ice, and Cheese Life will have food available for purchase. Concerts are held in the green space on the east side of campus (near the JCC pavilion) and are open to the entire community. Simply show up and enjoy! Don’t miss the “Uncle” Chuck fundraising drive kickoff on Aug. 22. At the concert, you can learn more about the new “Uncle” Chuck fundraising drive. The aim of this drive is to raise $2M to build a pickleball complex and an additional basketball gymnasium! In addition to great music and food for purchase, we’ll have yard games and special activities. On the schedule for Aug. 22 is local band Midwest Dilemma. On Aug. 29, Domestic Blend will take the stage. The Backyard Concert series is made possible through the generous support of the Frederick J. Simon Memorial Endowment Fund, Omaha Steaks and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor, Andrew Robinson. In case of inclement weather, the concert will be canceled. Please check the website at www.jccomaha. org or find us on Facebook for event updates.

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Spotlight: Photos from around the Jewish community Page 4

Midwest Dilemma

This haredi Orthodox mom is the face of new Adidas campaign Page 8

Opposition to the ACE Act

REGULARS Spotlight Voices Synagogues Life cycles

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ANNETTE VAN DE KAMPWRIGHT Jewish Press Editor New York, NY, Aug. 2, 2021 Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) spearheaded a letter to the Senate Finance Committee Monday alongside more than 285 national and

JFNA is collaborating with the Community Foundation Public Awareness Initiative (CFPAI) to raise concerns about the proposed legislation. Signatories include the American Red Cross, the American Lung Association, the Philanthropy Roundtable, and the National Philanthropic Trust.

community organizations from all 50 states, urging Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-ID) to oppose the Accelerating Charitable Efforts (ACE) Act.

The signatories also include the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation. The ACE Act, introduced by Sen. Angus King (I-ME) and Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), proposes restrictions on donor-advised funds (DAFs) and private foundations that JFNA and its partners fear would substantially reduce charitable giving and ultimately deprive charities of the necessary resources to serve the most vulnerable in our nation. “The Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation is a sponsoring organization that owns over 260 donorSee Opposition to ACE Act page 3

The Alcohol/ Suicide Link Across this country, people who are intoxicated from alcohol and other substances arrive in Em ergency D e p a r t - M’LEE ments (ED) HASSLINGER daily. Often, these patients make some type of threat of self -harm or suicide while in this condition. The American Journal of Psychiatry, Residents’ Journal, June, 2018, states that “suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States, across all age groups.” It further states that “compared to the general population, individuals with alcohol dependence and persons who use drugs, have a 10 to 14 times greater risk of death by suicide.” The article also states that substance use on its own can increase the risk of suicidal behavior. Statistics show 22% of deaths by suicide involved alcohol, followed by 20% for opiates. These

staggering statistics again confirm not only the link we see with substance use and suicide, but also the need to greatly increase ways of educating and screening those who may be at risk. Alcohol misuse can have a negative effect on anyone when depression and suicide are involved. Disinhibition, impulsiveness, and impaired judgment can each be present with alcohol use. Increased visibility related to educational materials in the hands of all types of mental health providers, physicians, educators, clergy and concerned family and friends, could prove to be pivotal. Education and support can give patients more tools; tools that might give them a unique opportunity to turn the tables, which would be a first step. This is not meant to be a substitute for any form of treatment, which would be tailored to each individual’s situation and needs. When we are unfortunate enough to see an intoxicated and suicidal person in the ED, we have the gift See Alcohol/Suicide Link page 2

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that we bring back to the Omaha Jewish community. KAREN GUSTAFSON, MS, NCC, LIMHP Suicide is a real issue. Although it may not have touched Jewish Family Service Executive Director Jewish Family Service is hosting a team for the American your family directly, we do have community members who Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s (AFSP) Out of the Dark- have been impacted by a suicide in their family. Please join us, as we work to continue to ness Walk on Saturday, Sept. bring attention to this impor18. To register and join our tant issue. Our goal is to preteam, please go to AFSP.org, vent even one more family click on “find a walk near you” from having to go through this and select JFS as your team! heartbreak. This event is FREE to attend; In 2020, AFSP’s walk was held however, when registering you virtually. We are keeping our do have the option of donating fingers crossed that this year to AFSP. will be in person. Once you are Over the years, Jewish Family registered on our team, we will Service (JFS) has been dedido our best to stay in touch cated to several important with you about any changes to causes, one being suicide prethe format of the walk. We will vention and education. Partnering with the Kim Foundation JFS staff and supporting community members during a pre- also invite you to stop by Jewish Family Service to pick up a for over seven years, JFS has vious ‘Out of the Darkness Walk’ in 2019. been able to receive up-to-date information, including local and special gift for the day of the walk and to thank you for your national statistics, and education related to suicide prevention participation.

The Alcohol/Suicide Link Continued from page 1 of time: time to intervene, medically, if any attempt has taken place and time for them to become more sober. In this case, the patient might be more mentally ‘present’ and better able to participate in the Behavioral Health interview and review of treatment options. If you would like to learn more about this complex connection, there are many articles. For example, the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (samhsa.org). National Suicide Hotline 800.273.8255 Alcoholics Anonymous-Omaha office 402.556.1880, web-

site: aa.gov Al Anon-Omaha office 402.553.5033, website: nebr-alanon-alateen.org Domestic Violence Hotline 800.799.7233 Community Alliance 402.341.5128 (Offering day program, counseling, housing, vocational, advocacy and psychiatric services for those with mental illness or a dual diagnosis.) In an emergency, call 911 or go to the closest Emergency Department. The Mental Health Series is presented by The Jewish Press and the Jennifer Beth Kay Memorial Fund.

ORGANIZATIONS B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS The Monsky Lodge of B’nai B’rith is pleased to announce the resumption of its award-winning speaker program via Zoom. Although the Home auditorium remains temporarily closed, we’ll continue presenting an outstanding lineup of thought-provoking keynoters. For specific speaker information and/or to be placed on the email list, please contact Breadbreakers chair Gary Javitch at breadbreakersomaha@gmail.com or leave a message at the B’nai B’rith JCC office 402.334.6443.

Chabad: Call for volunteers

GABBY BLAIR Staff writer, Jewish Press Can you believe it!?... The High Holidays are just around the corner! Over the past several years, the outreach and loving kindness work of Chabad in our community has increased exponentially. Opportunities abound for community members to engage in these important, satisfying mitzvah experiences. Especially in the wake of the coming New Year - there is MUCH to be done.

Come be part of the family; Together we can make it all happen! The Kitchen: Clean, organize, restock cookware and utensils as well as food and provisions. This big job is perfect for a few folks who love to organize. Plan on about a week depending on the number of volunteers and time available. Baking: Learn how to make Shani’s famous honey cakes and challah. Help make these tasty - and much anticipatedbaked goods for the community! All volunteers are welcome to take a challah and cake home for the holidays! Event Planning: Help us help the community! We need volunteers to help plan services, celebrations and events for the High Holidays -and beyond- and to promote happenings by making calls and sending emails. Administrative Help: Not into baking, cleaning, or planning big events, but still want to help? No problem! We need help updating mailing and email lists, and preparing mailings- including Chabad’s complimentary annual Jewish Art calendar. The past 18 months of this pandemic have been challenging for so many and we’re happy to welcome the community back to the Chabad House. Having volunteers to assist with the many activities, events and projects would be amazing! We have volunteer opportunities of all types and sizes; please consider helping us to do one more mitzvah. Want to sign up for one of the aforementioned volunteer opportunities? Great! Simply drop a message to Chabad’s new administrative assistant, Alissa Neu, at alissa@ ochabad.com or call 402.330.1800, today!

The Jewish Press | August 13, 2021 | 3

Chanan Weissman appointed White House liaison to the Jewish community RON KAMPEAS WASHINGTON | JTA After months of speculation, President Joe Biden has chosen Chanan Weissman as White House liaison to the Jewish community. Weissman, 37, was President Barack Obama’s Jewish liaison in the last months of his presidency. Sources close to the White House on Thursday confirmed the choice. “We are thrilled to have Chanan Weissman serve as the White House’s liaison to the Jewish community,” a Chanan Weissman describes his White House official told role as White House Jewish liaithe Jewish Telegraphic son to the Jewish Federations of Agency. “Chanan will pro- North America General Assemvide strong leadership in bly, Nov. 16, 2016. Credit: YouTube the administration’s efforts to partner with Jewish leaders, organizations, and community members to combat antisemitism and hate; serve people in need; support the US-Israel relationship; and promote dignity, equality, and opportunity for all.” Weissman’s LinkedIn profile says he has been director of technology and democracy at the White House’s National Se-

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curity Council since May. It’s not yet clear if he will maintain that position as he assumes the role of Jewish liaison. Jewish groups have been pressing the White House to name a Jewish liaison and a State Department antisemitism monitor as antisemitism has spiked in recent months. Last week, Biden nominated Deborah Lipstadt, a noted Holocaust historian, to be the antisemitism monitor. The Anti-Defamation League praised the appointment, although the White House had yet to formally make the announcement on Thursday afternoon. “Especially in light of the recent rise in antisemitic incidents, we’re pleased the White House has chosen Chanan Weissman to finally fill the position of liaison to the Jewish American community,” Jonathan Greenblatt, the ADL CEO, said in a statement. “This will improve the Biden Administration’s ability to foster relationships with the Jewish community and work with stakeholders to address concerns such as antisemitism and extremism.” Weissman first came to the role in April 2016 after a long stint working in the office of the antisemitism monitor, who was at the time Ira Forman. Weissman returned to the State Department with Donald Trump’s assumption of the presidency in 2017 as a career hire, not a political appointee, and remained in the department in various capacities through April. The graduate of Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service has also worked at the Pentagon on Middle East issues. He is from Baltimore, where he graduated from Beth Tfiloh, a Jewish community day school.

Opposition to ACE Act

Continued from page 1 advised funds,” Foundation Executive Director Howard Epstein said. “This includes Young Jewish Giving Funds, which are established by and for teenagers who wish to be engaged in charitable giving. Distributions from the donor-advised funds, as recommended by our donors, support, among other things, the Federation’s annual operating needs, Jewish Family Service, the Anti-Defamation League, the Institute for Holocaust Education, assistance to the elderly, and scholarships to help students attend college, preschool, and summer camps. Donor-advised funds are exceptionally important and popular charitable tools that encourage our donors to generously support the Federation, its agencies, local synagogues, and other philanthropic causes most important to them. They encourage donors and their families to develop long-term giving plans and ensure that charities have the resources to realize their philanthropic visions far into the future.” “Rather than speed up the flow of funds to the needy as its sponsors intend, the ACE Act would disincentivize charitable contributions, resulting in a greatly slowed and constricted flow of charitable donations,” Mark Wilf, Chair of the Board of JFNA, said. “We need to make it easier, not harder, for donors to be generous to the causes that matter to them.” The ACE Act would add onerous and complicated restrictions on DAFs. DAFs, which have grown in popularity in recent years, enable philanthropists to make commitments to charity without the time and expense of setting up private foundations. In addition to imposing significant administrative burdens on those charities that sponsor DAF programs, the ACE act would make DAFs much less appealing to donors and pave the way for the elimination of this popular charitable

vehicle, risking a decline in the overall level of philanthropy. “The core argument promoted by supporters of the Accelerating Charitable Efforts Act,” Epstein said, “is that DAFs keep funds locked up and unavailable to meet pressing needs. This is not borne out by our experience. For example, grants from our DAF donors resulted in the immediate distribution of more than $75,000 to a special COVID relief fund at the early onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Omaha. The immediate impact of DAF distributions during the fiscal year which ended June 30, 2020 is clear. Pursuant to donor recommendations, the Foundation distributed $4,095,000 to a multitude of secular and Jewish philanthropic causes in Omaha, throughout greater Nebraska, and across the United States. This past fiscal year was typical in that the distribution rate from our donor-advised funds exceeded 15% of total donor-advised fund assets. Our donors actively use and recommend distributions from the donor-advised funds. “The Accelerating Charitable Efforts Act would limit DAFs by requiring that their funds be spent within a prescribed time-period (such as fifteen years), limiting the life of a DAF, delaying the charitable tax deduction until the funds are disbursed, and not permitting the donor to deduct the fair market value of property given to a DAF. These provisions would reduce the incentive for donors to use DAFs, pave the way for their elimination, and sharply curtail philanthropic giving to charities and their beneficiaries. Moreover, the various restrictions proposed by the legislation would serve to add to our Foundation’s administrative burdens and expenses. In short, it would diminish rather than enhance our community’s and our donors’ ability to support urgent charitable needs.”

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The Jewish Press

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Above and below: PJ Library hosted the ﬁrst Splash Pad meet-up and it was a big hit!

Above: Omaha Shalichim past and present meet in Israel to share stories of Omaha with our new Community Shlicha Sivan Cohen. Come meet Sivan on Aug. 22 at Uncle Chuck’s night at the JCC Backyard Concert Series.

Getting to go to camp this year was a big deal! Left: Makayla Lucoff and Megan Kugler; above: Makayla and Kori Lucoff.

SP O TLIGHT

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Below: Schwalb Center Director Jeannette Gabriel using the co-working space to take a Zoom call.

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 and below: Recent Havdalah at Temple Israel, with Ben Mazur and Cantor Alexander.

Above: Jewish Learning in Action! Pennie Z. Davis ELC student Daniel Cohen and a group of other students helped put up the mezuzot (Jewish door blessings) around the new spaces on campus.

The Jewish Press | August 13, 2021 | 5

Voices The Jewish Press (Founded in 1920) Margie Gutnik President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Susan Bernard Advertising Executive Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Editor Gabby Blair Staff Writer Mary Bachteler Accounting Jewish Press Board Margie Gutnik, President; Abigail Kutler, Ex-Officio; Danni Christensen; David Finkelstein; Bracha Goldsweig ; Mary Sue Grossman; Les Kay; Natasha Kraft; Chuck Lucoff; Joseph Pinson; Andy Shefsky and Amy Tipp. The mission of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to build and sustain a strong and vibrant Omaha Jewish Community and to support Jews in Israel and around the world. Agencies of the Federation are: Community Relations Committee, Jewish Community Center, Center for Jewish Life, Jewish Social Services, and the Jewish Press. Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page stories and announcements, can be found online at: 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.

The other side than grow up in silence, only to start questioning ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT what Grandpa did during the war? Jewish Press Editor Growing up so close to Germany, in a country According to a recent story for JTA by Cnaan Lipand a time when the memories were fresh, it’s imshiz, “A 100-year-old former Nazi concentration possible not to ask ‘Where were you?’ each time camp guard has been indicted in Germany for you cross the border and see someone over a cerbeing an accessory to murder in 3,500 cases. The defendant, who was not named in the German media, is scheduled to go on trial in October in the Neuruppin district court for his service at Sachsenhausen.” On the heels of that story, public prosecutors in several German states announced they are investigating more than a dozen other suspects- and every single one of them has lived what we can presume was a regular life. Some people may wonder why, when these Nazis are so old, the courts in Germany still bother. When I see stories like these, I have to The entrance to the Sachsenhausen memorial near Berlin, wonder: what has it been like? Growing Germany. Credit: Paul Zinken/picture alliance via Getty Images up surrounded by survivors, hearing my grand- tain age. Guilt takes many forms; I know what it’s mother’s fears that it could all happen again, I can- like to feel guilty for not having been alive during not help but think about the other side. It’s one the war(‘You don’t know what it was like, finish thing to share the stories with your children and your dinner, we didn’t have such good food in the grandchildren when you are a survivor. It’s another camps, don’t try to understand, you weren’t there’). thing entirely when your memories involve being a But what would it be like to be born in the 1960s or camp guard. Should I, in some strange and bizarre ‘70s and finding out your grandfather was a camp way, be grateful that I heard explanations about guard? That’s a whole different level of inherited where that tattooed number came from, rather guilt and potential trauma.

Prosecuting these old, old Nazis needs to happen while they still live. The question is, what comes next? When the last one is gone, when no more actual Nazis are hiding among the population, when we have no one left to punish, what do we do? There is something extremely jarring about seeing a very old person standing trial for Nazi crimes. A reminder that once upon a time, these people really were in charge, and they did horrible things with their power. A reminder that that regime is gone and all that’s left is hiding your past and hoping not to get caught. When we no longer have that visual, will we slowly start to send the Nazis to the realm of myth? What is the limit of our collective ability to remember? I worry about this. I worry that someday soon, people will begin thinking of the Holocaust as just another story, relegated to the history books. When that happens, we no longer take it seriously. And to be honest, I already think we see that—with how we as a society talk about the Holocaust. Each time someone uses the phrase “spelling Nazi,” each time we are accused of “always bringing up the Holocaust,” we are reminded that the underlying thought is we should “get over it.” What we need to do, perhaps, is remind the world that No, we are not “over it.” Just as there is no limit to how late in life an actual Nazi should be prosecuted, there is no proper time line for mourning six million dead.

Torah commands both love and vengeance. HAVIVA NER-DAVID KIBBUTZ HANNATON, Israel | New York Jewish Week via JTA Text Messages, produced with The Jewish Week, is a column sharing wisdom from the weekly Torah portion. Like Tikvah, one of the two main characters in my debut novel, Hope Valley, I moved to Israel out of Zionist ideology. Growing up, I went to Zionist schools and summer camps, where I imbibed the narrative that after 2,000 years of exile and oppression, even genocide, we, the few, defeated the many evil nations who were out to destroy us, and created a third Jewish sovereignty here on this land promised to us by God. But once living on this land, I slowly began to open my eyes, ears and heart, and realized I had only been told part of the story. Like Tikvah, who meets the Palestinian protagonist of my novel, Rabia (or Ruby), and hears her family’s story, I began to form close friendships with Palestinians and look beneath the surface of what I had been taught. I did my own research and listened to my friends’ family stories, and I began to get a broader picture. When I read this week’s Torah portion, Ekev, I hear echoes of the Zionist narrative of my upbringing. Moses tells the Israelites as they are about to cross the Jordan River into Canaan: If you shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love YaHWeH your God, to walk in all God’s ways, and to hold fast to God, then will God drive out all these nations from before you, and you shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves. Every place where the sole of your foot shall tread shall be yours; from the wilderness to the Levanon, from the river, the River of Perat, to the uttermost sea, shall be your border. There shall no man be able to stand against you. (Deut. 10:22-24) Moreover, we are told: You shall consume all of the peoples which YaHWeH your God shall deliver to you. Your eyes shall not have pity on them, and you shall not worship their gods. For that will be a snare for you. (Deut. 7:15) As I read this week’s Torah portion, I want to close the book in dismay. If this is what my most sacred religious text tells me, then this religion is not for me. But then another verse in this week’s Torah portion catches my eye: And love the stranger because you were strangers in Egypt. (Deut. 9:19). I grasp onto this lone voice of collective memory that is not about vengeance but rather love and compassion. These are the two voices I heard inside my head

as missiles were falling on us weeks ago, and much today. But what if we aren’t? What if we are meant of the world did seem to have turned against Israel to read it as a recipe of what not to do today? What and the Jews. There is an enemy who wants to wipe if instead of trying to repeat history, we are meant us out. There is antisemitism. There is an anti-Is- to correct it? The Jews were sovereign on this land rael bias. Our collective trauma is not unfounded. twice already, and it did not end well. How easy it would be to turn to this week’s Torah As Ruby tells Tikvah about her mandala art in my portion for justification to close the heart I worked novel: “These paintings combine the linear and the hard to open. But how can I love the stranger if my heart is hardened? If I cannot have compassion on the stranger, how can I love her? In this same Torah portion, we are told to love not only the stranger, but to love God — with all of our hearts and all of our souls. (Deut. 9:12) How can I love this vengeful God with my heart when my heart is a compassionate heart? How can I love this jealous, power-hungry God with my soul when my soul is an expan- A view of the Galilee, in northern Israel Credit: Flickr Commons sive universalist soul? Does having no pity align circular. As does life. We move forward as we spiral with what we today call “Jewish values”? Perhaps back to our core. Each reconnection to our essense for some it does, but for this human with this heart strengthens us for the next spiral. Hopefully even and this soul, it does not. correcting past mistakes, healing old wounds.” I am reminded of the powerful documentary film Should we insist on the borders God promised Blue Box, directed by Michal Weits, great-grand- us in Deut. 10:23, or should we take the spiral path daughter of Yosef Weitz, the mastermind of the Zion- forward, look beyond Deuteronomy, inward to our ist plan to create a Jewish majority in a sovereign “hearts of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:29), and find a new way Jewish state. The Jews were a minority on this land to live here in this land that does not pit “us” before 1948, which is why they were happy to accept against “them”? I am part of a growing movement the Partition Plan. When the surrounding Arab in Israel to create a shared society, a true partnercountries attacked, this was a license to change those ship of equals. It is hard work, but it is the only way demographics. When the Arabs left in fear, their vil- to spiral out of this vicious cycle dating back to the lages were razed and they were not allowed to return. biblical Ishmael and Isaac. According to the many diaries that Yosef Weitz In my novel, when Tikvah and Ruby meet, they left behind, he carried out this plan with a heavy are suspicious and fearful of each other. But slowly, heart, as he did feel compassion for the Arab as they recognize each other’s humanity and acrefugees he was creating, but he felt at the time that knowledge each other’s pain, they build a deep and it was “us or them.” He assumed the surrounding true friendship which ends up being the corrective Arab countries would absorb the Palestinians, of the novel’s backstory in 1948. Let’s hope fiction whereas Jewish refugees had nowhere else to go. can one day become reality. But the Palestinian refugees were not absorbed, Haviva Ner-David is a rabbi, writer and spirand he had a change of heart — especially in 1967, itual companion. She runs Shmaya: A Mikveh when occupying the West Bank and Gaza Strip re- for Mind, Body and Soul, on Kibbutz Hannaton, versed much of what he had accomplished. With where she lives. She is the author of two pubannexation, Palestinians would again be a majority lished memoirs and one forthcoming (Dreamon this land. With occupation, Jews would be mis- ing Against the Current: A Rabbis’ Soul treating the stranger. At that point in history, the Journey). Hope Valley, which came out in April Jews were no longer the powerless refugees they 2021, is her debut novel. were in 1948. But matters were out of his hands. The views and opinions expressed in this article are This week’s Torah portion tears me apart — if we those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the are truly meant to read it as a recipe for how to live views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.

Synagogues

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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

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE

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

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME

323 South 132 Street Omaha, NE 68154 rbjh.com

TEMPLE ISRAEL

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

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: TIFERETH ISRAEL

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

B’NAI ISRAEL Join us in-person on Friday, Aug. 13, 7:30 p.m. for evening services. Our service leader is Larry Blass. 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, Debbie Salomon and Sissy Silber. Handicap Accessible.

BETH EL Virtual services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman. VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON MINYAN SCHEDULE: Mornings on Sundays, 9 a.m. and Mondays and Thursdays, 7 a.m.; Evenings on Sunday-Thursday, 5:30 p.m. FRIDAY: Passport to Shabbat Culture Connection: Greece, 4:30 p.m. on Zoom only; Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m. at Beth El & Live Stream; Kiddush Lunch Celebrating the birthday of Steve Riekes and the anniversary of Margo and Steve Riekes, noon; Havdalah, 9 p.m. on Zoom only. SUNDAY: Torah Study, 10 a.m. TUESDAY: Board of Trustees Meeting 7 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Passport to Shabbat Book Talk: The Thread, 7 p.m. on Zoom only. FRIDAY-Aug 20: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream. SATURDAY-Aug 21: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m. at Beth El & Live Stream; Bar Mitzvah of Joe Scioli; Havdalah, 8:50 p.m. on Zoom only. Please visit bethel-omaha.org for additional information and service links.

BETH ISRAEL Virtual services conducted by Rabbi Ari Dembitzer. Classes, Kabbalat Shabbat and Havdalah on Zoom, WhatsApp or Facebook Live. On site services held outside in pergola, weather permitting. Physical distancing and masks required. FRIDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Deeping Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Laws of Shabbos, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbos, 7:30 p.m.; Candlelighting, 8:08 p.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:45 a.m. with Shiran Dreyer; Daf Yomi, 7:30 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:10 p.m.; Havdalah, 9:10 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Daf Yomi, 7:30 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:10 p.m. MONDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Deeping Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Laws of Shabbos, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Daf Yomi, 7:30 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:10 p.m. TUESDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Deeping Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Laws of Shabbos, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Daf Yomi, 7:30 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:10 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Deeping Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Laws of Shabbos, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Board of Directors Meeting, 6:30 p.m.; Daf Yomi, 7:30 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:10 p.m. THURSDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Deeping Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Laws of Shabbos, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Character Development, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Kids Parsha Class, 11 a.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Daf Yomi, 7:30 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 8:10 p.m. FRIDAY-Aug 20: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Deeping Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Laws of Shabbos, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbos, 7:30 p.m.; Candlelighting, 7:58 p.m. SATURDAY-Aug 21: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:45 a.m. with Shiran Dreyer; Daf Yomi, 7:10 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:10 p.m.; Havdalah, 8:59 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 online at 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, 6 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: ochabad.com/Lecha yim; Light Candles, 8:07 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 9:08 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Parsha and Coffee, 9:45 a.m. MONDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Personal Parsha class, 9:30 a.m. with Shani Katzman; Advanced Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen. TUESDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Virtual Pirkei Avot Women’s Class, 7 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Mystical Thinking (Tanya), 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Katzman; Introductory Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Introduction to Hebrew Reading, 11:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen. THURSDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Advanced Hebrew Class, 11 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Talmud Study [Sanhedrin 18 — no advanced experience necessary], noon with Rabbi Katzman. FRIDAY-Aug 20: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Inspirational Lechayim, 6 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: ochabad. com/Lechayim; Light Candles, 7:57 p.m. SATURDAY-Aug 21: Shacharit, 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 8:57 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, Leslie Delserone and Peter Mullin,

6:30 p.m. at SST; Candlelighting, 8:09 p.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Alex at TI; Torah Study on Parashat Shoftim, noon via Zoom; Havdalah, 9:10 p.m. SUNDAY: Temple Garden Work Party, 8 a.m.; 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 its too wet, cold, cloudy, windy, hot or humid) followed by coffee and spirited discussions. No fee to join, no dues, no president, no board or minutes taken. If Interested please email Al Weiss at albertw801@ gmail.com to find out where to meet each week; Intro to Judaism Class Resumes, 11 a.m.; Jewish Book Club, 11 a.m. and will discuss The Odyssey of Partisan by Joseph L. Zygielbaum via Zoom; Come learn and play Pickleball, 7-9 p.m. at Peterson Park. Everyone is welcome; just wear comfortable clothes and tennis or gym shoes. If you need a paddle contact Miriam Wallick by email at Miriam57 @aol.com or by text at 402.470.2393 before Sunday. TUESDAY: Tea & Coffee with Pals, 1:30 p.m. via Zoom. THURSDAY: Choir Rehearsal, 7 p.m. FRIDAY-Aug 20: Kabbalat Shabbat Service, service leaders/music: Rabbi Alex, Nathanial and Steve Kaup, 6:30 p.m. at SST; Candlelighting, 7:59 p.m. SATURDAY-Aug 21: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Alex at TI; Torah Study on Parashat Ki Tetzei, noon via Zoom; Havdalah, 8:59 p.m.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE

FRIDAY: Virtual Shabbat Service, 7:30 p.m. every first and third of the month at Capehart Chapel. Contact TSgt Jason Rife at OAFBJSLL@icloud.com for more information.

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME

The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home ‘s service is currently closed to visitors.

TEMPLE ISRAEL

In-person and virtual services conducted by Rabbi Brian Stoller, Rabbi Deana Sussman Berezin and Cantor Joanna Alexander. DAILY VIRTUAL MINYAN: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. via Zoom. FRIDAY: Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. Join via Zoom or In-Person. SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. Join us via Zoom or In-Person. SUNDAY: New Member Ice Cream Social, 2 p.m.; Rosh Hashanah Bibliodrama Rehearsal, 5 p.m. MONDAY: Jewish Law & the Quest for Meaning, 11 a.m. Join via Zoom; Annual Golf Outing, noon at Shadow Ridge Country Club. FRIDAY-Aug 20: Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. Join via Zoom or In-Person. SATURDAY-Aug 21: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. Join us via Zoom or In-Person; Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m. at Beth El & Live Stream; Bar Mitzvah of Solomon Schneider; Havdalah Serivice, 6 p.m. Please visit templeisraelomaha.com for additional information and Zoom service links.

Azerbaijan opens trade office in Tel Aviv in preparation for future opening of embassy BEN SALES JTA Azerbaijan has opened its first diplomatic office in Israel, three decades after the countries initiated diplomatic relations. Azerbaijan’s trade office in Tel Aviv opened on Thursday and is a stepping stone to the central Asian Muslim country opening an embassy in Israel, according to the Jerusalem Post. The countries began their diplomatic relations in 1992, and Israel has an embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital. Trade between the two countries is at least $200 million, according to the Post. The trade office opening comes amid a flurry of diplomatic activity between Israel and other mostly Muslim countries. Last year, four Muslim countries announced they would normalize relations with Is-

rael — the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan. Yair Lapid visited the UAE last month, the first-ever visit to the country by an Israeli foreign minister. Lapid will also make a first-ever visit to Morocco next month. Lapid opened an embassy in the UAE and will open a diplomatic mission in Mo- A view of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Credit: Getty Images rocco as well. Direct flights between Israel and Morocco also recently began.

News

The Jewish Press | August 13, 2021 | 7

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Artem Dolgopyat’s story riage and technically BEN SALES prohibits Jewish wedJTA Israeli gymnast Artem dings conducted outDolgopyat is not only side of the Chief making headlines Rabbinate’s auspices. around the world for In practice, that means winning a gold medal at hundreds of thousands the Tokyo Olympics. of Israelis with non-JewDolgopyat, 24, who ish mothers, many of immigrated from them from the former Ukraine at age 12, is enSoviet Union, cannot gaged but not allowed marry in Israel. Israelis to be married in Israel considered non-Jewish because he is not Jewish by the Chief Rabbinate according to traditional can be married abroad Jewish law. Only his fa- Artem Dolgopyat of Team Israel celebrates winning gold in the men’s ﬂoor and have that marriage ther’s side of the family exercise ﬁnal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Aug. 1, 2021. Credit: Lau- recognized by Israel. rence Griffiths/Getty Images is Jewish. Dolgopyat’s case, howHis case has added fresh fuel to the fire in the ongoing bat- ever, has brought the issue of marriage restrictions to the fore tles over religious policy in the Jewish state, as well as the sit- front in Israel, where most of the population supports instiuation of the many Israelis like Dolgopyat. The Associated tuting civil marriage. Israel’s recently formed government is Press, The Washington Post and other outlets have highlighted pursuing a slate of reforms to religious policy, though civil how the story has struck a chord throughout Israel, and marriage does not appear to be on the table. quoted Dolgopyat’s angry parents. His fiance flashed her ring Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov, who is also an immigrant on Israeli TV. from the former Soviet Union and once competed for Israel “They need to go abroad [to marry], but they don’t let him in the Olympics as a judoka, cited Dolgopyat’s case as an argo abroad because he always needs to do sports,” his mother gument for letting all Israelis marry in the country. has said. “It doesn’t make sense that the Rabbinate of the country that Israel offers automatic citizenship to anyone with one Jew- Artem Dolgopyat respectfully represented today doesn’t allow ish grandparent, but Israel’s Chief Rabbinate says only those him basic civil rights such as marriage in Israel,” Razvozov with a Jewish mother are Jewish. The Chief Rabbinate also tweeted on Aug. 1. “Israeli citizens, no matter where they were controls marriage registration for Jews in Israel and recognizes born, do not need to go through a tiring and demeaning process only Orthodox Jewish marriage. Israel does not offer civil mar- and get approval or denial from the Rabbinate to marry.”

A compromise in Sheikh Jarrah

BEN SALES JTA Israel’s Supreme Court has proposed a compromise that could avert the contentious eviction of dozens of Palestinians from the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in eastern Jerusalem. The neighborhood, also known in Hebrew as Shimon HaTzaddik, was home to Jewish families before Jordan captured the area in the 1948 war for Israel’s independence. Jordan then gave the Jewish families’ homes to Palestinians who were displaced from Israel and prohibited from returning. Now an Israeli group that obtained the original Jewish families’ ownership rights is trying to evict the Palestinian families from the homes. The neighborhood has been the site of legal battles and protests rooted in the competing broader Israeli and Palestinian claims to eastern Jerusalem. Protests over the pending evictions helped spark the conflict in May between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. At a hearing Monday, Justice Isaac Amit suggested that the Palestinian families stay in the homes as “protected tenants” who are legally protected from eviction for life, according to The Jerusalem Post. In exchange they would have to pay a small amount of rent to the Israeli owners.

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“What we are saying is, let’s move from the level of principles to the levels of practicality,” said Amit, according to Haaretz. “People must continue to live there and that’s the idea, to try to reach a practical arrangement without making various declarations.” But the Israeli owners are demanding that the Palestinian residents formally recognize the Jewish residency rights. The Palestinian families worry that accepting the deal would constitute relinquishing their claims to the property in future potential court battles. The hearing ended inconclusively, and the judges asked the Palestinians’ attorneys to submit a list of people who are eligible for protected tenancy.

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8 | The Jewish Press | August 13, 2021

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This haredi Orthodox mom is the face of new Adidas campaign BONNIE AZOULAY JTA In 2016, Beatie Deutsch placed sixth in the Jerusalem half marathon. Watching Deutsch, an Israeli born in America, you would have never guessed that she had taken up running only four months earlier. The following year she ran the Tel Aviv Marathon while seven months pregnant with her fifth child (really!). Even while running, the haredi Orthodox Deutsch dresses modestly, following Jewish laws. She wears a headscarf, elbowlength shirt and a knee-length skirt covering her leggings — unlikely attire for a star athlete. Just a few short years after her first race, Deutsch placed first in the 2018 Jerusalem Marathon. In 2019, she won Israel’s National Championships Marathon in Tiberias, and she quickly became the Israeli national champion in the marathon and half marathon. Most notably, she qualified for the 2020 Olympics by ranking among the top 80 women runners in the world. Many women, particularly those who are religious, see Deutsch as a role model for observant Jewish athletes. “We don’t have a lot of female athlete role models in Israel,” she says. “I want to see more girls becoming athletes and pursuing that passion. My ultimate goal in life is to share the beauty of Judaism, and impact people to spread light in that way because I did not dream about being an athlete, ever. I wasn’t like, ‘Oh, when I grow up, I want to be a professional runner.’ I didn’t know that was such a thing.” And though she became famous for her speed and positive spirit, disappointments soon arose. First, due to the pandemic, the Tokyo Olympics were postponed until 2021. When that happened, the women’s marathon was moved from a Sunday to Saturday — meaning that Deutsch needed to convince the International Olympic Committee to switch the date, or else she could not compete in the race, as it coincided with Shabbat.

And then, in April 2020, runners needed to requalify for a spot in the Olympics — this time beating a new standard time (2:29:30) or ranking in the top 80. Unfortunately, while Deutsch ran a new personal record of 2:31:39 in England, she didn’t make the cutoff. After publicly fighting for months to switch the race date and show observant Jews around the world that their religion matters, Deutsch was disappointed by her race results. Still, she kept a positive attitude after this major setback. “I know my time will come,” she says. “Plus, my PR is the same qualifying time for the World Champi- Beatie Deutsch Credit: Projects in Torah onships [July 2022], which is a race not on Shabbos like the Olympics is. As much as I wanted to qualify for the Olympics, I knew that the chances of me actually being able to participate in the race were slim to none. “It might take me a week or two weeks or even longer to get over this loss and process my emotions,” she said on Instagram following her disappointing results. “When everything fell apart, my first thought was that this is from Hashem. Maybe this was to show the world that sometimes you don’t

reach the goals you set and how you deal with things when they don’t work out as planned.” Despite the setback Adidas, one of the biggest sportswear companies in the world, took notice of Deutsch and decided to highlight her because of — not despite of — her religious observance. With her usual headscarf, skirt and long sleeves, Deutsch was featured in Adidas’ “Impossible is Nothing” campaign, which hopes to unite people through sports and expand the limits of human possibilities. Within Israel, the campaign is hard to miss — it’s online, and there’s a giant billboard of Deutsch on the Ayalon highway near Tel Aviv. “I couldn’t believe it,” she says. “It was a beautiful opportunity to make an impact as a proudly modest woman, and Adidas chose to highlight that aspect of me.” “I was so surprised that they wanted to highlight the fact that I’m a religious runner and that my faith is what moves me. It’s not necessarily what you’d expect from a big sports company.” Deutsch sees running — and sports in general — as a way to connect to Judaism. “Here I am teaching Judaism through sport,” she explains. By dressing modestly while running and still juggling the laws of Judaism, she shows people that you can be an observant Jew and still compete at the highest level. “I love sport, I love pushing myself, I love challenging myself, I love running,” she says. “I’m using this gift that Hashem has given me in a way to fulfill my mission here. I’m really blessed.” Moms who want to have a family while chasing their dreams consider Deutsch to be their role model. “I see a lot of women on track and field showing up and saying we can continue to pursue our careers and still have a family,” she says. “That is what’s revolutionizing the track and field world, and I’m one of those women.

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