August 14, 2015

Endowed by the Benjamin and Anna E. Wiesman Family Fund AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA

For Every Generation

August 14, 2015 29 Av 5775 Vol. 95 | No. 48

This Week

Omaha Jewish Film Festival: Week Three -Establishing an Identity.

Page 6 JCC Backyard Concert Series kicks off this Sunday!

Page 5

A Magical Place Page 12

Inside Point of view Synagogues In memoriam

Next Week Education See Front Page stories and more at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on Jewish Press

8 10 11

by SHERRIE SAAG Communications, Jewish Federation of Omaha Ask this year’s Campaign Chairs Jan Goldstein and Howard Kooper to use a single word to describe this year’s Campaign volunteers and it may well be: cooperation. Young community members are stepping up and getting involved in the active planning and running of the Annual Campaign. And this youthful activism really represents our Campaign theme, “For Every Generation…Federation.”

“While we respect and revere what has come before us, it is so gratifying to see our young adult leaders appreciate the past, yet join us with fresh ideas and enthusiasm for Jewish Omaha,” said Goldstein.

The words in this year’s Campaign logo were chosen with this youthful emphasis in mind. “Impact” represents our actions each and every day on behalf of Jewish Omaha and “Imagine” stands for the optimism and hope we have for our future.

“We look to the people who have done this before, who have made an investment,” Kooper said, “and pair them with the next generation. It’s a way to build on the successes of the past and all the effort that went into

Jeff Kirshenbaum, left, Laurie Epstein and Brian Nogg them. Together we are shaping this community into what is known as one of the best in the country.”

The concept of investment is incredibly powerful. For the next generation, it means ensuring that there is a prosperous and vibrant place to put down roots. Older, established individuals want to make sure the community they know and love continues to thrive. “All of us, regardless of age, want to maintain the sense of community that is so important in our lives. We all have a huge stake in Jewish Omaha, in Israel and in sup-

ADL Introduces New Regional Director

by SUSAN WALLIS democratic ideals and protecting ADL Education Director civil rights.

This critically important work can It’s a new day at the ADL! We are pleased to introduce Mary-Beth be quite daunting and complex, and Mary-Beth Muskin as the brings a wellnew Regional rounded backDirector of the ground in Plains States social justice Region of the and education Anti-Defamaalong with a tion League great deal of ex(ADL). perience in The ADL was working with founded in diverse popula1913 "to stop tions throughthe defamation out our city and of the Jewish state. Her talpeople and to ents and exsecure justice pertise will help and fair treatadvance our ment for all.” commitment to Today we are providing safe one of the naMary-Beth Muskin and welcoming tion’s premier civil rights and human relations environments for all people throughagencies, fighting anti-Semitism and out our three-state region of Neall forms of bigotry by defending braska, Kansas and Iowa.

Mary-Beth graduated from the University of Nebraska with a BS in Elementary/Pre-School Education, and went on to obtain her MS in Counseling from Johns Hopkins, and her Ph.D in Philosophy with an emphasis in Adult and Continuing Education from the University of Nebraska. Mary-Beth’s ADL roots run deep. Her daughter, Emily Muskin, is the Associate Project Continued on page 2

porting smaller Jewish communities around the world,” said Goldstein.

Asking a father/son duo to chair the Pacesetter division was a smart move, as Jeff Kirshenbaum can attest.

“Having the opportunity to volunteer alongside my Dad, Joe, was something I could not pass up.”

“This year’s campaign leadership is unique in its vast amount of experience,” he said. “This will give me an opportunity to take an active part in the Campaign while working with some of Omaha’s most dedicated, longstanding leaders.”

Laurie Epstein, spearheading the Women’s Major Gifts Division with Jeanie Neff, joined the Campaign leadership because, “I wanted to do something to give back to the Jewish community that has given me so much. The Jewish communities in both Omaha and my hometown of Memphis have been a huge part of my life. I believe that giving, not only my money, but my time is important.

I am interested in seeing what it’s like ‘behind the scenes’. I have been inspired by so many of the staff and lay leadership; so when I was given the opportunity to work with some of them, I took it.”

Brian Nogg agreed, “I have always made a lot of calls during Campaign season but wanted to go to the next level and take a leadership role. Some of my friends and other peers have done a lot already, and I feel it’s time to have a larger leadership presence from my generation.” Brian is leading the new solicitation initiative, “The Kehilla Cup.” The Hebrew word kehilla is defined as a community or group of people who have come together with a shared purpose.

All three emerging leaders, Jeff, Laurie and Brian feel strongly about Continued on page 2

Splashin’ good time

Lisa Salomon, left, Jim Farber (grant sponsor), SharkNado, Karen Gustafson (Executive Director of JFS), two unid. Ollie Webb members, Jillian Salomon.

by JOYCE RYAN Assistance Coordinator for Yachad There was no fear of sharks at the recent pool party for the Jewish Family Service’s Yachad and Ollie Webb program members!

The JCC Pool Party was made possible with the generous grant by the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) earlier this year. The $5,000 Quality of Life grant was established to provide a collaborative fitness program for the Omaha and Jewish community’s group of adults with developmental disabilities.

The pool party was the second event sponsored by the MDRT grant. In partnering with the Ollie Webb Center, Yachad now has a larger group of friends to socialize with. There were 41 people in attendence at the recent pool party.

The group enjoyed a D.J., dancing,

singing, eating pizza, swimming, and socializing with their new and current friends. A great time was had by all including the guest appearance by a real live shark!!

We are so grateful to the MDRT Foundation and Jim Farber, grant sponsor, JSS Board member and Past President, and long-time JFS supporter, for providing this incredible opportunity to our Yachad members. We also would like to thank Mark Martin and his staff for planning the event and closing the fitness center pool to accommodate our special party. The lifeguards, staff, D.J. and “The Shark” all joined in to make this a truly special evening!

A high point of the evening was when the song Let it Go was played and watching everyone in attendence sing, dance, hug and simply Let it Go for this one special night!

2 | The Jewish Press | August 14, 2015

New Friedel Teacher to share World Travels with students

by CLAUDIA SHERMAN for Friedel Jewish Academy Friedel Jewish Academy, like many schools throughout the metropolitan area, welcomed its students back this week.

At Friedel, the students welcomed a new teacher, Paul Maudlin. He will teach third and fourth grade General Studies, replacing Barb Sather who retired at the end of the last school year.

Maudlin grew up in Springfield, Nebraska, and has lived in Minnesota, New York, and South Carolina since graduating high school.

“Though I’ve lived in different states,” he said, Paul Maudlin “I have always considered Omaha my home.” Now that he’s back in Omaha, he tries to spend as much time as possible with his family.

“I started teaching in a third grade classroom in the inner-

city of Columbia, South Carolina,” he continued. Having just graduated college, “It was a difficult situation.” The three teachers preceding him walked out of the school, but “I learned a lot from the experience.” He taught fourth grade after that and “absolutely loved it! For the last five years in South Carolina, I taught World History to sixth graders.”

Maudlin also “became actively involved in students’ extracurricular activities. I was at the ball fields almost every night watching baseball, football, and soccer games,” he explained.

As a student himself, Maudlin had found school to be “difficult” until “a concerned professor took the time to help me.

That experience opened the world of reading to me, and I didn’t want to stop reading.” Now, as a teacher, “I understand what it’s like for a student to try really hard and still not get it.” He hopes “to be a patient teacher who helps students understand things for the first time. I like the idea of working with a small group of students,” something that drew him to Friedel. “I want to know their strengths and weaknesses and closely monitor their learning. I appreciate the fact that students are not over-tested at Friedel. Rather, the focus is on learning.”

He also mentioned that his students should expect to Continued on page 3

ADL Introduces New Regional Director Continued from page 1 Director of Education in the ADL’s Cleveland Regional Office, and Mary-Beth’s grandfather, I.G. Goldbarg was an active member of the ADL family. Her education and professional experience make her a natural leader to strengthen and build new bridges of communication and understanding among the diverse groups we serve throughout our region.

As the Education Director here at the ADL, I’ve had the great pleasure of working with Mary-Beth in the past as Omaha South Magnet School’s No Place for Hate® school sponsor. In her role as Director of Guidance at Omaha South Magnet School, Mary-Beth implemented this ADL school-based initiative as a way to combat bias and bullying and to create long-term solutions for cultivating a positive climate for students at South. Mary-Beth has also been an active member on our local ADL Education Committee, helping us develop systems and strategies to move our mission forward. As we welcome Mary-Beth as our new leader at the ADL, we also welcome her into our shared community on the JCC campus. In the spirit of getting to know more about our brand new regional director, I’ve asked MaryBeth a few questions to help us all learn more about her: Susan Wallis: Mary-Beth, we are so excited to have you join our team. What is one thing that you are most looking forward to in your new role as regional director?

Mary-Beth Muskin: I am thrilled to join the ADL family. This is an exciting time of change. As someone who has spent many years developing and writing curriculum, I am excited about the comprehensive approach here at the ADL which focuses on education, advocacy and civil rights.

S: What do you hope to accomplish in the first six months as regional director?

MB: I’m really looking forward to learning more about all the great work the ADL is doing, and I’m excited about

working with the board of directors on a strategic plan to move the region forward in new and exciting ways.

S: In trying to learn more about you -- what are some of your hobbies or favorite pastimes?

MB: I love spending time with my family. In fact, we just returned from a fantastic family vacation! My hobbies include: puppies (who doesn’t love puppies?), reading, and walking—though I don’t recommend reading and walking at the same time.

S: You daughter, Emily Muskin works in the ADL’s Cleveland office. As the ADL veteran in your family, what sort of advice has she given you?

MB: Em told me, “Be yourself; you're gonna be great, Mom!” S: If you could change one thing about Omaha to make it more respectful and inclusive, what would it be?

MB: Omaha is such a great city, full of many individuals and organizations, much like myself—that are passionate about social justice. I would love to see an increase in the partnerships as we work together to address some of our most pressing community issues.

Here in the Plaines States Region, we are delighted to welcome Mary-Beth Muskin as the new Regional Director. Both locally and nationally, the ADL is changing and growing. On July 21, Jonathan Greenblatt, succeeded Abe Foxman as the sixth National Director of the Anti-Defamation League.

Jonathan is an accomplished entrepreneur and innovative leader with deep experience in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. Prior to heading the ADL, Jonathan served in the White House as Special Assistant to President Obama and Director of the Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation. It’s a new day at the ADL! We look forward to continuing our work in fighting hate and building hope. If you have any questions or want to learn more about our work, feel free to stop by or contact me directly at swallis@adl.org.

Please give us the following information: Your name, old address and new address and when you want the change to go into effect.

The Jewish Press Call 402.334.6448 or email jpress.jewishomaha.org

Russ Kaplan Investments, Inc.

Providing 32 years of investment experience in Nebraska

Call today at 402-614-1321

Visit us on Facebook

Personalized customer service, ensuring your financial plan meets YOUR lifestyle needs.

Consultations free. www.russkaplaninvestments.com

Foundation funds sponsor the popular JCC summer Backyard Concert Series.

Establish an endowment fund and help keep exciting and fun-filled activities going all year long.

Contact Howard Epstein, Executive Director 402-334-6466 | hepstein@jewishomaha.org | www.jfofoundation.org

August 28 - September 7

Wade Shows is back with more rides than ever!

Get your tickets to the Fair now!

Available at Etix.com

StateFair.org

For Every Generation Continued from page 1 their Omaha Jewish roots and are passionate about sharing how they feel with their peers. “Jewish Omaha – despite its relatively small size – has many attributes of a larger Jewish community; not only because of the generosity of its donors but because the community works and volunteers together. We continually strive for excellence,” Jeff said.

Their enthusiasm and earnestness is palpable.

Brian wrote, “I hope to help inspire more people from my generation to participate! I have always enjoyed our unique community. There is a close-knit feel that is unlike anywhere else I have experienced. There has always been an excitement about overachieving for our size. Let’s figure out ways to continue this Jewish Omaha spirit.”

Laurie was in complete agreement. She added, “I am amazed at how small but powerful and strong the Omaha Jewish community is. I love how so many of my family

Moving?

members and friends are involved in making the Jewish community what it is.”

A community like Omaha depends on each and every one of us to make it strong, they emphasized. “Recently, it hit me.

‘What would it be like without the Jewish organizations and programs that I have always taken for granted?’ I had an epiphany. It’s not right to always depend on others to make the Omaha Jewish community great,” Laurie said. “In a small community like ours, it is my responsibility to make sure the community continues to thrive for the next generation.”

Don’t miss out on the excitement of the 2016 Annual Campaign. Impact today and imagine tomorrow with our energetic and enthusiastic leadership team! Contact Louri Sullivan, Director of Community Impact and Special Projects, lsullivan@jewishomaha.org or Steve Levinger, Chief Development Officer, slevinger@jewishomaha.org, to see how you can help.

!

TODAY!

August 14, 2015 | The Jewish Press | 3

Academic Excellence Scholarship Awarded to Sam Lieb

by MARY SUE GROSSMAN The Center for Jewish Life The Financial Aid Committee of the Center for Jewish Life is pleased to announce Samuel Lieb was selected as the 2015 recipient of the David Keiser and Lillian Keiser Stoms Foundation Education Endowment Fund for Academic Excellence Scholarship.

This is the only merit based scholarship granted by the committee. While based strictly on scholarship, with high school grade point averages and SAT/ACT scores used as the primary measure, a prerequisite for consideration is that the recipient must demonstrate a commitment to the Jewish community.

Sam, the son of Lisa Sam Lieb Marcus and the late Doug Lieb, graduated from Burke High School. He took a significant number of AP and Honors courses, was a Burke AP scholar, National Honor Society member, Spanish National Honor Society member and participated in the Science Olympiad. Sam was on the varsity track team, competing in the pole vault. He was a competitive gymnast for many years and worked as a coach throughout high school.

Sam was active in USY and BBYO. A member of Chaim Weitzman, he was on several committees plus serving as vice president and president of BBYO’s Omaha Council.

He also participated in a summer entrepreneurship program through BBYO and the University of Michigan. Sam received Beth Els Merit Scholarship each year throughout

high school and was a Hebrew tutor.

Sam heads to Boston next week to attend Brandeis University, planning on a degree in psychology. “I found my psychology and sociology classes very interesting,” reported Sam. “I will go on for a graduate degree, likely going into clinical work.” He is also looking forward to the different pace in Boston and said “there is such a different feel from the Midwest.”

“It is a pleasure each year to read of the accomplishments of the scholarship applicants,” commented Dorothy Spizman, Financial Aid Committee chair when asked about the quality of the candidates. “Their achievements are always impressive and I read the applications knowing these young adults will be a success.”

Lillian Keiser Stoms and her brother David Keiser were native Omahans, and this fund was established in their memory by their niece, Sally Clayman. In addition to the Academic Excellence award, there are two other scholarships that were established in memory of David Keiser and Lillian Keiser Stoms.

The Lillian Keiser Stoms Educational Fund was established to benefit and assist in the education of Jewish youth living in a single parent family or Jewish single parents who have custody of their children. The David Keiser and Lillian Keiser Stoms Foundation Education Endowment Fund was created to provide funding for university scholarships to Jewish youth who have earned a minimum 3.0 GPA. Both funds are awarded based on financial need.

For information on any scholarship program, please call Mary Sue Grossman, Program Coordinator for the Center for Jewish Life at 402.334.6445. Those interested in contributing to or endowing scholarship funds should contact Howard Epstein, Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation, at 402.334.6466.

New Friedel Teacher Continued from page 2 experience learning this year by doing. His class “will have the opportunity to get their hands dirty during science labs and to create various art projects while we study Nebraska’s history. I love art and reading, so students should expect opportunities to be creative and to dive into amazing stories that we’ll experience together.”

While in college, Maudlin traveled to Kenya and Tanzania with Africa Inland Mission. After he became a teacher, he went to Africa independently and used his contacts to help schools and orphanages. “I took them school supplies and

recess equipment. Many of the students were not able to complete end-of-year standardized tests because they didn’t have pencils. They had worked hard all year but wouldn’t get credit or be recognized by the government for completing the school year,” because they couldn’t take the tests. “So when I opened up the box of school supplies, I was not expecting the overwhelming response of students and teachers getting emotional for being able to take a test.” He hopes to continue traveling in the summers and plans to use his travel experiences to teach his students at Friedel about different cultures of the world.

S’lichot at Temple Israel, a musical start to the New Year

by SCOTT LITTKY Program Director, Temple Israel The beginning of the month of Elul is upon us. In a few short weeks we will usher in the High Holidays. One way that we ready ourselves for the coming new year is the sounding each morning of the Shofar. Others chose to study text with the topic being the High Holidays. A highlight, though, of the month of Elul is S’lichot.

Omaha Music Chamber Society This year S’lichot falls on the evening of Sept. 5. At Temple Israel we will hold our S’lichot program and service at 7 p.m. with Havdalah as we end Shabbat and welcome in our new week. Next, we will be changing the covers of our Torah scrolls to their High Holiday covers. S’lichot services in the Chapel will be the next event of the evening.

After services, the Omaha Chamber Music Society will be playing two pieces, Osvaldo Golijov - Tenebrae for string quartet and Judd Greenstein - The Night Gatherers for viola and string quartet. When asked about the choice of music, Stacie Haneline, Executive Director of the Omaha Chamber Music Society, said: “The music is reflective, introspective and transformative which will embody the spirit of S’lichot.”

Cantor Wendy Shermet went on to say, “When we first began planning S’lichot for this year and we talked about a musical program, the Omaha Chamber Music Society was my first choice to work with. I had the pleasure of working with Stacie a few years ago and welcomed the chance to do it again.”

The evening will end with our annual Chocolate Oneg which is always a treat for all in attendance. Temple Israel’s S’lichot programming is open to the community and we look forward to the start of a meaningful High Holiday season. For more information, please contact Scott Littky, Program Director at 402.556.6536.

ADL welcomes

Mary-Beth Muskin Today begins a new chapter for the Plains States Region, as Mary-Beth Muskin joins the organization as the new regional director.

Basic computer skills made easy!

Whether it’s a one-time lesson or ongoing instruction and support, learn how to use the computer with Dr. David M. Cohen, Ph.D., an educator and innovator who specializes in teaching computer skills to persons with little or no experience.

Learn: How computers work • How to use programs like Word, Excel and PowerPoint How to e-mail friends and family • How to play games on the computer Shop, read newspapers & books and watch videos online How to use SKYPE for free video-conferencing with your children and grandchildren Call today to see how we can tailor our services to meet your needs.

Cohen’s Computer Club 402-637-3935 www.CohensComputerClub.com

David M. Cohen, Ph.D.

4 | The Jewish Press | August 14, 2015

Omaha Jewish Film Festival:

Serving Generations…

Week Three - Establishing an Identity

Bill Cutler III

402-391-3900 7805 W. Center Rd. BELLEVUE CHAPEL 402-291-5000 Bellevue DWORAK CHAPEL 402-346-1144 16th & Vinton

Bill Cutler IV

www.heafeyheafey.com

by MARK KIRCHHOFF Center for Jewish Life The 14th Annual Omaha Jewish Film Festival presents The Last Mentsch (Der Letzte Mentsch) on Sunday, Aug. 16 at 7:15 p.m. in the JCC Theater. Admission cost is $5 with popcorn, snacks and drinks also available.

Also featured in the Atlanta and San Francisco Jewish Film Festivals, The Last Mentsch presents the difficulties faced by Marcus Schwartz, an old man who has been hiding his Jewish identity since his survival and departure from the horrors of Auschwitz at the end of WWII. Realizing now that he is reaching the end of his life, he wants to make arrangements to be buried in a Jewish cemetery in Cologne. In order to do so, he must establish his Jewish identity that he has denied so effectively for decades. The fading tattoo on his arm is insufficient proof. With no synagogue, rabbi, Jewish friends or family, there seems no way for him to reclaim his identity.

Marcus’s only hope to find proof of his birth is to return to the village in Hungary where he grew up. The young Turkish woman he enlists to drive him there turns out to have a past of her own, and the journey is one that will change both of their lives forever. A recent review referred to the film as “one of the most delightful movies I’ve seen in a long time and an unusual take on a time-honored genre, the road movie.” It is an emotional narrative of friendship and healing that explores the cost of forgetting the past and the power of remembering it. This 2014 release is in German with English subtitles.

The Last Mentsch promises to receive the overwhelmingly positive response that Festival attendees have had to this year’s

selections. The Film Festival is setting record attendance – and rightfully so. The audience expressed its pleasure with applause after watching Dough. The following week, 24 Days presented a deeply moving and poignant true story of a kidnapping in Paris, France. Besa: The Promise provided a look at two men traveling to Albania, one to document those who had provided refuge to Jews during WWII, the other to fulfill a promise of his father to return a set of books to a Jewish family who left them behind in their haste to flee during the War. The Omaha Jewish Film Festival is presented jointly

by The Center for Jewish Life as part of its mission to maximize involvement of Omaha's Jewish community in imaginative, compelling and meaningful Jewish experiences, and the Institute for Holocaust Education with its mission to provide educational resources, workshops, survivor testimony, and integrated arts programming to students, educators, and the public. The festival is made possible through the generous sponsorships provided by Todd and Betiana Simon, the Henry Monsky Lodge B’nai B’rith plus the following funds of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation: The Klutznick Chair of Jewish Civilization at Creighton University; Special Donor Advised Fund; Samuel & Bess Rothenberg Memorial Endowment Fund and Avy L. & Roberta L. Miller Foundation by Lindsey Miller-Lerman.

The final film for the festival, Above and Beyond, will be shown on Aug. 23 in the JCC Theater at 7:15 p.m. For more information about the 14th Annual Omaha Jewish Film Festival please call 402.334.6463 or 402.334.6575.

Give Blood, Give Life, L’Chaim!

by MARGIE GUTNIK Beth El Synagogue Program Director Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. On Sunday, Aug. 16 from 8 a.m.–1 p.m. at Beth El Synagogue you will have a chance to make a live-saving impact on another person’s life by donating blood.

WHY HIRE A UFARM

Land Manager?

We have a unique grasp of the challenges facing landowners, because our managers have hands-on experience in agriculture.

DID YOU KNOW? In Nebraska, the lease termination date for an oral carryover lease is SEPTEMBER 1.

Learn more at ufarm.com/faqs or give us a call!

ufarm.com

Your Trusted Partner.

Lincoln 402.434.4498

Kearney 308.237.7662

blood supply for patients all year long.

Summer blood shortages are not uncommon, but they can be prevented when generous volunteers roll up their sleeves to restock the shelves.

Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent), weigh at least 110

Norfolk 402.371.0065

North Platte 308.532.4991

FARM & RANCH MANAGEMENT | LAND SALES & AUCTIONS | APPRAISALS

Steve Tipp, left, and Michael Parsow donating at previous Beth El blood drive Summer can be among the most challenging times of the year to collect enough blood donations. Yet, the need for blood doesn’t take a summer break and hospital patients still depend on volunteer donors to receive lifesaving transfusions. The need for blood is constant and the American Red Cross urges blood donors of all blood types to give before summer is over. Right now, the Red Cross has an urgent need for ALL eligible donors, especially those with types AB, O negative, B negative and A negative blood to help ensure an adequate

pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood.

Registering to donate is easy! Eligibility requirements and a link to register can be found on Beth El’s website: www.bethelomaha.org. Or, visit www.redcross blood.org and enter the SPONSOR CODE “BETH EL”. Chairman of Beth El’s blood drive, Bill Dreyfus will also be glad to register you as a donor. Contact him at either 402.490.5957 or bd4880@cox.net. Save lives this summer at Beth El Synagogue’s upcoming Blood Drive.

August 14, 2015 | The Jewish Press | 5

PEOPLE WHO READ NEWSPAPERS ARE

JCC Backyard Concert Series kicks off this Sunday!

by GABBY BLAIR If you somehow missed the memo... or perhaps you have been out of town... be sure to mark your calendars for the JCC Backyard Concert Series kicking off this Sunday, Aug. 16 from 5-7 p.m. on the shady lawn next to the JCC pavilion. Grab your blankets and lawn chairs, pack up a picnic

Sunday Aug. 30 from 5-7 p.m. Desserts will be available for purchase at all concerts this year and, as always, the show will go on rain or shine; in case of inclement weather, head to the JCC Theatre.

Please consider bringing a donation of unexpired pasta sauce, pasta, 15 oz cans of fruits in juices and vegetables,

or bring a bottle of wine to enjoy with friends as the ever popular, much anticipated concert series begins with local cover band Velvet Crush. With music that appeals to everyone, this family-friendly event is free to attend and is a wonderful way to unwind after the first full week back to school after a long summer break. The following Sunday, Aug. 23 from 5-7 p.m. get ready for some homegrown good feeling vibrations from Pancho and the Contraband.

Last, but certainly not least, the JCC is pleased to present the much acclaimed Josh Hoyer and the Shadowboxers on

13026 Shirley St | Asking $236,900

Walk to Catlin School! Charming four bedroom two story....

Call or text For more photos and information see my website at tonirosen.cbshome.com

Backyard concert series

STUDENTS WITH BETTER GRADES It all starts with Newspapers

Velvet Crush toilet paper, deodorant, and disposable razors for JFS. Look for the specially marked donation blue bins as you enter the concert.

Any questions should be directed to Esther Katz, JCC Cultural Arts Director 402.334.6406 or at ekatz@jccomaha.org. Many thanks to the Karen Sokolof Javitch Music fund, the Herbert Goldsten Trust and the Jewish Federation of Omaha Special Donor-Advised Fund for ensuring the continuation of the JCC Omaha Backyard Concert Series through their generous support.

TONI ROSEN 402-334-7257 office | 402-630-8664 Cell

HIRO 88 WEST OMAHA OLD MARKET

3655 N 129th St.

County Fair at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home promises intergenerational fun

by OZZIE NOGG on the lookout for Omaha’s Community Shaliach, Eliad The entire community can look forward to an afternoon Eliyahu Ben Shushan, who will stroll the hallways, singing of fun on Sunday, Aug. 30, at the Rose Blumkin Jewish with his guitar.

“You don’t have to have a loved one at the Home to enjoy Home County Fair. The event, a joint effort of L.O.V.E. the afternoon,” Heiman (League Offering Volunteers added. “The entertainment, for the Elderly) and the RBJH food and music will put Activities Department staff everyone in a happy mood. runs from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Bring your kids, play some “The afternoon will feature games, and visit friends who old fashioned carnival games, either live at the Home or are 4-H type agricultural disthere for rehab. This activity plays, real farm animals, and is always a much-anticipated midway food like popcorn, event at the Blumkin Home, funnel cakes, apples with and we invite all members of caramel, ice cream and the community to join in the lemonade,” said Mary fun.”

Heiman, a Rose Blumkin The Blumkin Home County Home Activity Director, who Fair is underwritten by these is coordinating the program. funds administered by the The Omaha International Joie Simon, left, and Gloria Goldberg at the 2014 County Fair Jewish Federation of Omaha Folk Dancers will be the featured entertainment. “The group wears authentic costumes Foundation: The Sheldon A. and Lorrie Bernstein and performs dances from Eastern Europe, South America Endowment Fund; The Betty A. Studna and Seymour T. Lee and other countries, including Israel,” Heiman said, “so Endowment Fund; and The Chester and Phyllis Lustgarten we’re excited to see them perform a spirited Hora.” Also be Endowment Fund.

Organizations B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Hilary Adams, Omaha Community Playhouse Director will discuss the upcoming NEW season. Music Director Jim Boggess will play some hit songs on Wednesday, Aug. 19, noon. For more information or to be placed on the email list call 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@jewishomaha.org.

Births Allie Schrader and Alex Lund of Omaha announce the July 31 birth of their daughter, Hannah Beatrice Lund.

She is named for her great-grandmother Beatrice Schneider and great-great-grandfather the late Herman Krause.

Grandparents are Kellie Schrader and the late William Schrader, Omaha and Jan and Blake Lund of Omaha.

Great-grandparents are the Late Ben and Beatrice Schneider of Council Bluffs and Omaha.

Lost and Found: A 1963 Crimson and Blue Abraham Lincoln High School (Council Bluffs) yearbook was found in the RBJH parking lot. If this is yours, please contact Becky Mains at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home: 402.330.4272

1308 Jackson St.

LINCOLN

601 R St. #100

402.933.0091 402.933.5168 402.261.9388 M-Th 11:30a-2p 4:30a-10p F 11:30a-2p 4:30-12a Sa 11:30a-12a Su 11:30a-10p

M-Th 11a-midnight F-Sa 11a-1a Su 11a-9p

M-Tue 11a-10p W-Th 1am-12a F-Sa 11a-1a Su 11a-10p

S U S H I | J A PA N E S E | C H I N E S E

The Trendiest Night out in Omaha 13933 Gold Circle | Omaha NE 68144 | www.uncorkedomaha.com

GATHER, CREATE, SIP & ENJOY A Local Artist will guide you through a one-of-a-kind Experience.

Private Parties | Team Building | Birthdays Girls’ Night Out | Baby & Bridal Showers Bachelorettes | Holiday Parties | Kids Classes Family Day | Corporate Events & More

You can register online at www.uncorkedomaha.com Or call us at 402-990-6710 to book your private event.

Email: info@uncorkedomaha.com

Hillel to talk BDS with J Street

by JTA NEWS STAFF WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Hillel President Eric Fingerhut will address J Street students about combating the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel on campuses.

Fingerhut, who pulled out of addressing a J Street conference in March, reportedly under donor pressure, will address the summer leadership institute of J Street’s Campus affiliate, J Street U, on Aug. 17, a Hillel statement said. The statement issued Thursday said Fingerhut would “discuss issues of mutual concern and importance to both organizations and the pro-Israel community on campus.”

Matthew Berger, a spokesman for Hillel, said Fingerhut “looked forward to meeting the students and engaging with them.”

“All Hillel professionals value opportunities to speak to as many Jewish students as possible,” Berger said.

J Street and Hillel officials have met since Fingerhut pulled out of the March conference to discuss means of working together.

J Street U opposes the boycott movement, but its openness to engage with entities and individuals that some centrist and right-wing Jewish groups consider hostile to Israel and Jews has created tensions among pro-Israel groups.

The world’s only

“KOSHER CERTIFIED” POV/scooter!

The halachically-approved Amigo Shabbat satisfies the “no work” Sabbath restriction to help you stay on the go!

Terry Ford

402.630.3581

Tford7372@aol.com www.afordablescooters.com

6 | The Jewish Press | August 14, 2015

What a great party – PJ Library does it again!

by MARK KIRCHHOFF quite difficult in Israel to find children’s books in English, Center for Jewish Life which are perfect for students learning English. “The More than 130 kids, parents and grandparents enjoyed a schools will love getting these books,” she said. fun-filled evening with face-painting, a bounce house, cusPJ Library provides Jewish children free age-appropriate tom balloon creations, a Jewish-content bouncy obstacle course, books or music CDs music and yes, food, at every month. The the first PJ Library program is designed Birthday Party! “This is to strengthen the absolutely great” said identities of Jewish Lisa Lucoff who attendfamilies and their ed with daughters, relationship to the Mikayla and Kori. “The Jewish community. girls are having such Nationally the profun!” Numerous others gram is supported shared similar comby the Harold ments.

Volunteer G r i n s p o o n Nancy Rips who welFoundation through comed attendees compartnerships with mented, “PJ Library is philanthropists and one of my favorite prolocal Jewish organigrams and these events zations. Omaha’s PJ The Friedlander family enjoying the fun are such fun!” The PJ Library program is Library Birthday Party, generously supportplus events planned in ed by the Dorothy the coming year, was and Myer S. Kripke free of charge thanks to Institute for Jewish the generosity the Family Literacy.

Special Donor-Advised The next big PJ Fund, the Murray H. Library event will be and Sharee C. Newman A PJ Library Supporting Foundation Celebration of Fun and the Morton on Saturday, Dec. Richards Youth 26 at the Omaha Program Fund, all Children’s Museum. funds of the Jewish Watch for details late Federation of Omaha in the fall. The PJ Foundation.

Library Program is And since it was a coordinated by the birthday party, there Center for Jewish were also gifts! Nearly Life whose mission Eli Halpert, left, Eadie Tsabari and Max Halpert 60 books were donated is to maximize by the PJ Library families and will be sent to schools in involvement of Omaha’s Jewish community in imaginative, Omaha’s Partnership2GETHER schools in Akko and the compelling and meaningful Jewish experiences. For more Matte Asher region. Sara Ben Shushan, wife of Omaha’s information or to enroll for PJ Library, please call Community Shaliach, Eliad Eliyahu Ben Shushan, said it is 402.334.6463 or email mkirchhoff @jewishomaha.org.

Monsanto’s ROUND UP

Diagnosed with a serious medical condition, including Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, after exposure to Monsanto’s Round Up pesticide?

You may be entitled to compensation Call McDivitt Law Firm Toll Free: 888-212-1322 ADVERTISEMENT

Rivlin urges Netanyahu to repair ties with Obama

by JTA NEWS STAFF JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Israeli President Reuven Rivlin told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to repair the damaged relations with President Barack Obama.

“I think they are very similar in nature, and are able to upset each other,” Rivlin told the Israeli daily Yediot Acharonot in an interview, one of several he gave this week to the Israeli media.

“But it is not good they annoy each other at the expense of the U.S.-Israel relationship.

“There are three principles to Israel’s foreign policy,” Rivlin told the Hebrew-language Haaretz newspaper.

“First, relations with the U.S.; second, relations with the U.S.; and the third principle Reuven Rivlin — relations with the U.S. “We also need the world, even though many times we don’t agree with it,” he said.

Both newspapers reported excerpts of the interviews, which come at the end of Rivlin’s first year in office; the full articles will appear in the Friday editions. The interviews come as Obama is trying to secure congressional approval of the Iran nuclear deal reached last month between Iran and six major powers. Netanyahu is working to counter the agreement, which offers sanctions relief for nuclear restrictions. Both leaders have addressed representatives of the Jewish community in the last week.

“The prime minister has waged a campaign against the U.S. as if the two sides were equal,” Rivlin told Maariv, according to its sister newspaper, The Jerusalem Post. “And this is liable to hurt Israel itself. I must say that he understands the U.S. better than I do, but, nonetheless, we are quite isolated internationally.”

Rivlin acknowledged that Israel is “in great crisis” over two attacks last week: the firebombing of a Palestinian home, and the stabbing attack at the Jerusalem gay pride parade.

The Israeli president spoke out against the attacks and received threats in return, but told Maariv, “I’m not afraid of them, and I won’t be deterred by them.”

“The perpetrators of these acts hurt us more than anyone else,” Rivlin told Yediot. “If we’re all silent about these things, we’re all complicit.”

NEHires.com

Your online source for Nebraska jobs, owned and operated by Nebraska’s newspapers.

Ask this newspaper about placing your employment ad in print and online at www.NEHires.com, or call 1-800-369-2850.

NEHires.com

August 14, 2015 | The Jewish Press | 7

Yes, that is what you think it is

by URIEL HEILMAN sultants who work with kosher food companies. The vast “Kosher supervision does not only relate to the kosher NEW YORK (JTA) – It may be America’s most iconic majority of those who seek to eat kosher do so not for reli- food; it’s also the ambiance,” Genack told JTA. “A lot of these kosher brand, famous for its hot dogs that in the words of its gious reasons but out of concern for food quality, general things are judgment calls.” unforgettable ad slogan, “answer to a higher authority.” healthfulness or food safety, a 2009 study by the market Hebrew National is far from the only kosher brand marSo consumers might be confused to find videos on research firm Mintel found. Only 14 percent of consumers keting its products to the general public. Bartenura kosher Hebrew National’s homepage suggesting they grill up their polled in that survey said they seek out kosher for religious wines, for example, has been marketing its sweet Moscato kosher franks with some bacon or halloumi cheese. reasons. wines to African-American consumers for several years Hebrew National’s “Simple Summer Skewers” video serves Hebrew National is certified kosher by Triangle K, a New after discovering that hip-hop stars were rapping about their up several unusual kebab combos, including Sweet & Spicy York-based outfit run by an Orthodox rabbi, Aryeh Ralbag. affinity for sweet wine. The marketing approach has been a Halloumi (halloumi cheese, Hebrew National franks, He did not respond to telephone messages left at his office success; the Italian winemaker’s sales have grown precipipineapple, jalapenos) and Hog Wild Stack (scallions, and at the Young Israel of Avenue K in Brooklyn, where he tously.

Hebrew National franks, shaved bacon).

But none of Bartenura’s ads compromise The video ends with the tagline: “Why the brand’s own kosher bona fides, and Hebrew National? Because when your hot Bartenura doesn’t have the word dog’s kosher, that’s a hot dog you can “Hebrew” in its name. trust.”

Ironically, though Hebrew National was Needless to say, bacon isn’t kosher. one of the first companies to advertise its Neither is a halloumi-hot dog kebab, kosher status to the general public – its which violates the prohibition of mixing “higher authority” campaign was dairy and meat. launched in 1972 – exclusively kosher The video is one of several Hebrew consumers commonly eschew Hebrew National is promoting on its website and National meats as insufficiently kosher. in ads running on other sites that feature For many years, the problem was lack of patently non-kosher, or treif, food. In confidence in the company’s use of an another video, New York chef David inhouse rabbinic kosher supervisor – an Kirschner prepares a grilled paella dish arrangement critics said created a conflict that combines Hebrew National dogs with of interest, since the supervisor could be mussels and clams (shellfish is also versubject to company pressure. After that boten for kosher observers). rabbi died in early 2004, Hebrew National For a brand whose reputation is built on turned to Triangle K for kosher certificaits adherence to a “higher authority” than, tion, and a delegation from the A Hebrew National ad suggesting a recipe, with bacon, for a “Hog Wild Stack.” presumably, USDA requirements, the Conservative movement’s Rabbinical Credit: Screenshot: YouTube Hebrew National ad campaign raises the Assembly visited the facility that year and question of whether associating its products with bacon and serves as spiritual leader; office staff said he is on vacation. pronounced Hebrew National’s meats as kosher. clams undermines its brand image or its kosher status.

Rabbi Menachem Genack, CEO of the kosher division of But the company’s products are not glatt kosher – a The bulk of Hebrew National’s customers almost certainly the Orthodox Union, wouldn’t comment specifically on the stricter standard of kosher that has become the baseline in are not exclusively kosher (a company spokesman declined Hebrew National ads, but said that in general there is no the Orthodox community – and therefore are still avoided to provide any consumer data or sales figures), but its brand inherent problem with companies advertising the use of by many Orthodox Jews. is built on its kosher identity. their kosher products in non-kosher recipes -- but there are In May 2012, a group of consumers filed a class-action Dan Skinner, a public relations manager for Hebrew some exceptions. lawsuit against Hebrew National’s parent company, National, told JTA he doesn’t see any problem with the “It depends on the context,” Genack said. “A kosher prod- ConAgra Foods, alleging that it was not following strict videos, which were produced in partnership with Tasting uct that’s sold to the general population, if it’s not confusing kosher procedures and therefore was improperly advertising Table, which produces content for food companies and runs in any way, that would be OK. If it’s a company that’s selling its products as kosher. Though the plaintiffs do not thema culinary website. kosher meat and there’s a real potential for confusion, that selves keep kosher, they said they were misled into paying a “Our hot dogs follow very strict kosher standards in terms would be a problem.” premium price for the product because they believed it of the preparation of the hot dogs themselves, and keeping Granting of O.U. certification is not dependent only on adhered to a higher standard. that kosher process is very important to us,” Skinner said. the food, Genack said. The O.U., the largest kosher certifier A Minnesota judge dismissed the lawsuit last October.

“But our consumers eat the hot dogs for a number of rea- in the country, does not offer certification to restaurants or “It would be unholy, indeed, for this or any other court to sons. Some stick to our hot dogs for kosher reasons, and caterers that violate the Jewish Sabbath, and it would not substitute its judgment on this purely religious question,” some eat our hot dogs for reasons of taste and preference. certify an establishment whose ambiance does not comport Judge Jerome Abrams of the Dakota County District Court For those consumers we have presented recipe options that with Orthodox values, such as a strip club, even if the food wrote. “At bottom, the ultimate remedy for those who feel are not necessarily kosher recipes in the strictest sense.” were strictly kosher. He also noted that the O.U.’s contract they don’t have confidence in the degree of kashrut observed Kosher is a fast-growing part of the consumer food mar- with food companies includes a clause that places limits on in the production of [Hebrew National] products is not to ket, valued at an estimated $12.5 billion annually by con- advertising that might damage the O.U. brand. purchase them.”

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

commercial • residential

family owned and operated since 1945

9 Convenient Locations + Wheelchair Van Sales & Rental

402.408.1990 | www.kohlls.com Pharmacy . Home Medical Equipment Oxygen . Wheelchairs . Diabetes Supplies

Look younger | Reduce fine lines & wrinkles Improve skintone | no downtime/pain Botox ®, Fillers, Latisse ®, HCG Weight Loss, Hormone Therapy 127th & Q St. | 402.895.8001 114th & Dodge Do | 402.408.0017 OmahaPMC.com

8 | The Jewish Press | August 14, 2015

Point of view

American Jewish Press Association Award Winner

Nebraska Press National Newspaper Association Association Award winner 2008

No shame

by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor Two things recently happened in Israel. Horrid, painful reminders to us all of what hatred of the ‘other’ looks like in its basest form.

On July 30, a man named Yishai Schlissel made his way to the Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade and stabbed six random people. One of them, 16-year-old Shira Banki, later died from her wounds. It wasn’t Schlissel’s first rodeo: back in 2005, he stabbed three marchers during the same event. He was convicted for attempted murder and aggravated assault and spent ten years in jail.

Released in June of this year, it took him a little over a month to commit the same crime, this time with even more serious results.

Only one day later, Jewish extremists set fire to a Palestinian home in the West Bank town of Duma, killing 18-month-old Ali Dawabsheh in the process.

Both parents, as well as a four-year-old brother, were critically injured with burns over 70% of their bodies.

On Saturday August 8, Ali’s father succumbed to his injuries.

The response from Israeli politicians, rabbis, pundits and the community at large was immediate, and damning. About Schlissel’s crime, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “Justice will be dealt to whoever was responsible for this act. In the State of Israel, an individual’s freedom of choice is one of the country’s most basic values. It is up to us to make sure that every man and woman can live in safety at all times in every way that they choose to live. This is how we work, and this is how we will continue to do things.”

In foreign media as well, condemnation was swift, and with the exception of a few internet trolls, everybody agreed that this was a bad week all around.

But here’s the thing: sometimes when we condemn acts of

violence, we go a little overboard.

In a recent opinion piece for the Huffington Post, Rabbi Jason Miller responded to both the murder of the baby and the stabbing at the parade.

“Jewish Extremists Make Me Embarrassed to be Jewish,” the headline screamed.

Pardon?

When terrible things happen, we should be outraged. We should be sad, and hurt, and we should be empathetic with the victims. We should worry about how to make sure these things don’t happen again. We should demand justice, we should examine our own behavior and ask ourselves if we perpetuate stereotypes or display intolerance of others.

What we should not be, ever, is embarrassed to be Jewish.

True, to some people the single person who commits a crime will always represent his or her people as a whole. It’s

why Jews who are in the news for bad behavior sometimes make us nervous. We worry, because we fear generalizations.

But we ourselves should not take part in that generalization while we try to figure out how to respond. For while we must respond, claiming shame implies that there is something inherently Jewish about these crimes. That the guilt of a few makes us all guilty, and that somehow Judaism itself shares the blame for this baseless hatred.

Let’s be very clear: “price tag” attacks are not Jewish.

Hatred of the LGBT community and its supporters is not Jewish. Murder is not Jewish. Senseless violence is not Jewish. It is, in fact, the very opposite.

The criminals in these cases did not commit crimes because they are Jewish—they committed them in spite of it.

When we respond with embarrasment, we take a different kind of ownership of what transpired. We put ourselves in the shoes of the killer, when we should identify with the victims instead.

And maybe, just maybe, there is a larger problem in how we address this in the media. What, after all, is a “Jewish extremist?” We toss the phrase around like it’s nothing, but we never really discuss what we mean by it. The reason for that is our discomfort. Let’s be honest, by “Jewish extremist,” we really mean “Haredi.” But not all Haredim are extremists. And even if, compared to certain other groups in Israeli society, or in the diaspora, someone’s views are seen as “extreme,” it doesn’t automatically lead to murder and mayhem. Sometimes, by labeling a criminal “extreme,” we distance ourselves completely. And that is not okay either, because when we witness injustice, we have to act, and speak out. But we can only do that if we go beyond words, and shake the tricky habit of feeling personally responsible for every single bad act a Jewish person somewhere commits.

Israel must confront the fundamentalists within

by AARON PANKEN JERUSALEM (JTA) -- This past month, as our attention was focused on watching the developing Iran deal, the situation in Israel has taken a deeply troubling turn.

First, a woman wearing a kippah was detained by the police for attempting to worship at the Western Wall. Then David Azoulay, the haredi Orthodox minister of religious affairs from the Shas political party, called the largest movement in Judaism, Reform Judaism, “a disaster for the State of Israel.” He then followed up with an even more disturbing diatribe, saying he couldn’t even call adherents of Reform Judaism Jewish.

While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admonished him publicly for such comments, his government also decided to restore Orthodox control of conversion and kashrut in a series of decisions that undid decades of progress toward religious equality. President Reuven Rivlin responded with a constructive symbolic gathering of Jews from diverse streams at his residence in Jerusalem, but even such valiant acts cannot change the effective reality that is now developing.

Just this week, my students in Jerusalem were horrified to watch as a deranged haredi Orthodox repeat offender stabbed six peaceful marchers in the annual Jerusalem gay pride parade. Hours later, an arson attack in the West Bank took the life of a Palestinian toddler.

Extremist Jewish fundamentalists are now more emboldened than ever as Israel is increasingly held hostage by a hostile, intolerant approach to diversity. In recent years, I had witnessed hopeful incremental changes that appeared to be cracks in the ice of Israel’s state-sanctioned religious intolerance. I saw increased police protection for Women of the Wall, which advocates for the right of women to pray at

(Founded in 1920) Eric Dunning President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Jessie Wees Advertising Executive Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Editor Thierry Ndjike Bookkeeper

Jewish Press Board Eric Dunning, President; Andy Ruback, Past-President; Andrew Boehm, Scott Farkas, Sandy Friedman, Paul Gerber, Alex Grossman, David Kotok, Debbie Kricsfeld, Abby Kutler, Pam Monsky, Paul Rabinovitz, Nancy Wolf and Barry Zoob.

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 sto-

Judaism’s holiest site. I had conversations with Knesset members and other officials who were ever so slightly more open to Reform and Conservative Judaism, and watched with enthusiasm the sharp rise in the percentage of Israelis who participate in progressive synagogues and marry their partners with the officiation of progressive clergy. I celebrat-

Israelis participating in a memorial service in Jerusalem for Shira Banki, who was fatally wounded in an attack at Jerusalem’s gay pride parade, Aug. 2, 2015.

Credit: Garrett Mills/Flash90 ed the growing number of Israelis excited to build the burgeoning Israeli Reform movement.

Last November, I was moved when President Rivlin met with the leaders of the Reform movement’s global seminary, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, and declared, “We are one family, and the connection between ries and announcements, can be found online at: www jewishoma ha.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@jew ishomaha.org.

Letters to the Editor Guidelines The Jewish Press welcomes Letters to the Editor. They may be sent via regular mail to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154; via fax: 1.402.334.5422 or via e-mail to the Editor at: avandekamp@jew ishomaha.org.

Letters should be no longer than 250 words and must be single-spaced typed, not hand-written. Published letters should be confined to opinions and comments on articles or events.

all Jews, all over the world, is very important to the State of Israel.”

But now I am afraid that too many Israelis have forgotten the extraordinary role that Reform Jews played and continue to play in the story of the Zionist movement and the State of Israel. A Reform rabbi and scholar, Judah Magnes, immigrated to Jerusalem in 1922, helped found the Hebrew University, and served as its first chancellor and president.

Magnes built this prestigious institution of higher education into a university that educates Jews, Muslims and Christians in an atmosphere of respect and equality.

Rabbi Stephen Wise, a close confidant of President Woodrow Wilson, influenced the American leader to support the Balfour Declaration, in which Britain said it favored a Jewish national home in Palestine. In 1947, Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver captured the world’s attention as he addressed the U.N. General Assembly and made the case for Jewish statehood just months before the historic vote that approved partition and helped establish the State of Israel.

Dr. Nelson Glueck established the Israeli campus of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1963 with Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion’s full support, educating thousands of Reform Jewish leaders in the heart of Jerusalem. Countless Reform Jews founded kibbutzim and other communities, built synagogues and schools, fought in the Israeli army and made aliyah to the Jewish state. Millions of other Reform Jews have offered their constant support from afar for over a century. And thousands upon thousands of native Israelis now proudly affiliate with the homegrown Israeli Reform movement in congregations that span the length and breadth of the State of Israel.

Continued on page 9 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, but the name can be withheld at the writer’s request. The Jewish Press will not publish letters that appear to be part of an organized campaign, nor letters copied from the Internet. No letters should be published from candidates running for office, but others may write on their behalf.

Letters of thanks should be confined to commending an institution for a program, project or event, rather than personally thanking paid staff, unless the writer chooses to turn the “Letter to the

Editor” into a paid personal ad or a news article about the event, project or program which the professional staff supervised. For information, contact Annette van de Kamp-Wright, Jewish Press Editor, 402.334.6450.

Postal The Jewish Press (USPS 275620) is published weekly (except for the first week of January and July) on Friday for $40 per calendar year U.S.; $80 foreign, by the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Phone: 402.334.6448; FAX: 402.334.5422.

Periodical postage paid at Omaha, NE. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198 or email to: jpress@jewishomaha.org.

August 14, 2015 | The Jewish Press | 9

Faigy Mayer’s suicide is a Jewish tragedy, not just an Orthodox one

by SHULEM DEEN In September 2013, I gathered with a group of friends to share feelings and reflections on the suicide death of one of our friends, Deb Tambor, who had been struggling with a variety of issues related to leaving the insular Hasidic Jewish world.

Next to me sat Faigy Mayer, a friend and fellow ex-Hasid.

Faigy and I talked for a bit, about Deb, and about our own lives. She told me she was doing well. I told her I was writing an essay about Deb’s death for an online magazine, and she offered me some helpful thoughts.

This week, nearly two years later, Faigy jumped to her own death from a 20-story building in Manhattan.

The news, when I heard it, shook me, as it did many in our community of ex-haredi Orthodox Jews. But it didn’t shock me. It’s almost as if we’ve come to expect another suicide in our ranks every so often.

Since leaving the Hasidic community in early 2008, I have lost at least half a dozen friends and acquaintances to death by their own hands, usually deliberate. There have been others too, friends of friends, members of our extended community, with waves of grief flowing outward far beyond those who knew the victims.

Still others I know have been on the verge, about to leap but pulled back by a friend, a counselor, a kind stranger.

Now, with Faigy’s death, those of us left grieving find ourselves wondering anew: What is it that drives so many in our community to despair? Who is next? And what can we do to stop it?

Faigy and I had been friends for about five years.

Whenever I saw her, she appeared bright and optimistic and passionate about the work she was doing – she loved all things tech: coding and apps and gadgets of all kinds.

There were signs of trouble, though. She struggled with mental illness, and every so often I’d hear that she’d been hospitalized. But then she’d be out, back to her cheery self, talking about new friends and new projects.

The last time we met was several months ago, at a party to celebrate the release of my recent memoir, “All Who Go Do Not Return.”

“Today is my five-year ex-Hasid anniversary,” she told me, grinning, her pride infectious.

Then came trouble again. On Facebook, which is where I kept up with her most, she shared as recently as last week her dismay at being mistreated by her family for leaving Orthodoxy. She’d asked her relatives for some mementoes – baby photos of herself and the like – but they refused to share them.

Even more recently, she fretted on Facebook about housing problems: She was facing eviction from her apartment and had nowhere to go. She dreaded homelessness, and she complained that there weren’t enough resources and supports available for ex-haredi Jews.

Her desperation for housing coupled with the lack of fam-

ily support seemed to create a storm within her, then a wave too high to ride. After her death came an outpouring of love on her Facebook page, arriving, of course, too late.

Her leap was an act of censure to anyone who might care: I needed you earlier, but you weren’t there.

Some were quick to blame the haredi Orthodox community, which shuns and ostracizes those who leave and wishes failure upon them. “All of us in the Orthodox world are somewhat complicit in her death,” wrote my friend Rabbi Ysoscher Katz in an article for the Forward, calling the community “sadly complacent.”

Faigy Mayer in Brooklyn in 2011, in a photo posted on her Facebook page.

Credit: Facebook Others were quick to point to Faigy’s mental illness; she reportedly suffered from bipolar disorder.

Neither of these narratives offers much insight into how we, outside the haredi community, can assist the most vulnerable who seek greater choices for themselves. While surely complicit in the troubles of those who leave it, the haredi community is, for the most part, deaf to appeals for change.

And mental illness, while affecting some ex-haredim, needs management and treatment; it should certainly not be a death sentence.

In Faigy’s case, whatever mental illness she may have suffered from, the upheavals in her life – the lack of family support, the troubles finding work and shelter – are enough by themselves to explain her despair.

We must acknowledge that the journey away from ultraOrthodoxy is so fraught that some simply don’t make it.

There can no longer be any doubt: Members of our ex-haredi community are at an elevated risk for suicide.

Faigy dreaded homelessness. I have known many exHaredim like her, who over the years, as they tried to build their lives, felt in their isolation the ground beneath them shaking, felt the vertigo inherent in the transition from a restriction-filled life to one of self-determination.

“I don’t go home often,” a friend in her late 20s said to me

Letter

Fundamentalists within Continued from page 8 Israel was founded to be a homeland for all Jews and a place respectful of all its people. Its 1948 declaration of independence defines it as a state that “will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex,” one that “will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture.”

The government of the Jewish state must always walk a fine line in preserving both its Jewishness and the fundamental freedoms that inhere in any democracy. Granted, this is not simple, especially in a polarized political system where small parties in coalitions can exert undue influence. Nonetheless, what Israel’s citizens and friends abroad should expect from any Israeli government is straightforward: vigorous protection of the religious freedom of all its citizens so that they may pray, marry their partners, bury their dead, welcome new adherents, study their traditions and observe their beliefs without harassment. When one religious group limits, attacks or abuses another, the government is responsible for intervening to curb such toxic and dangerous activity. These commitments lie at the very core of democracy.

The latest studies show that the Israeli Reform and Conservative movements represent approximately 12 percent of the Jewish population of Israel, larger than the hare-

about the small Texas town she’s from. Like many in our community, she doesn’t go home much, but nor does she have anywhere else to go.

Home is of course more than a place of residence. Home is the place to go back to, for the holidays, for a respite from everyday life, for when things don’t go as planned, for the faithful embrace of those who cheer and worry from afar and are ready to hold you close when you return.

It is also in this sense that ex-haredi Jews are homeless. We have chosen exile – temporarily, we hope, until we build our own foundations, our own supports, our own homes. But not all of us manage.

I think of the list of names, of friends and acquaintances now gone, with the latest one freshly tacked on: Alex Deutch. Ruchy Nove. Deb Tambor. Joey Diangelo. Jacob Ausch. Faigy Mayer. Gone by their own hands. Gone, too, are their demons, and their dreams.

How many others are in the shadows, with needs that aren’t being met? Needs that can be met, if we chose to meet them. If we look. If we understand.

This is to me the eeriest feeling in the aftermath of Faigy’s death: There will be another. And then another. Unless we do something.

Unless we start seeing this not as a problem for a small group, to be solved by the very few who care, but as a greater issue: of supporting freedom and choice for those who pursue it despite great costs. Unless this becomes not a haredi issue, or an ex-haredi issue, but a Jewish issue.

To be sure, the ex-haredi community has had many successes – in fact, we are bursting with them. Hundreds of former members of the Satmar and Belz and Chabad and other Hasidic sects are now thriving in their chosen pursuits and aspirations.

Footsteps, a New York City-based organization that offers support to ex-Haredim and where I serve as a board member, now has an annual budget of over $1 million, with programs ranging from college scholarships, to legal services for parents in family court, to social events that form the vital nucleus of a growing community.

Successes, however, do not make up for lost lives.

At present, Footsteps is the only organization in North America that offers a full range of support services to those of ultra-Orthodox backgrounds who seek freedom and choice in shaping their own lives. Its single largest individual donor is one of our own: a Footsteps member, a fellow ex-haredi Jew. The cause might seem narrow, but it is a vital one. And it is time for the broader Jewish community to pay attention to this issue and begin to put resources into it.

We must extend a hand to the person on the ledge. We must offer a home to those who are homeless.

Shulem Deen is the author of “All Who Go Do Not Return.”

TO THE EDITOR di Orthodox population (now at 9 percent). With more than 45 growing Reform congregations and more than 100 active Reform rabbis around Israel, it is long past time for the government of Israel to secure them the same freedoms guaranteed anyone else living in a democracy. It is ironic, to put it mildly, that Reform and Conservative rabbis enjoy less state recognition in Israel than almost anywhere else in the world.

I love the State of Israel and have spent decades working to strengthen its security and democracy. That is what makes me so concerned. At this time of intense international criticism, vitriol and isolation, Israel cannot afford to spurn the millions of ardent, committed Jews worldwide who, consonant with longstanding tenets of our faith, embrace an authentic balance between the demands of tradition and contemporary realities.

The State of Israel faces a significant choice right now. It can become a haven for fundamentalists intent on attacking those who differ, or it can step into a profound role of Jewish leadership as a country that embraces ideological difference as an essential strength. Israel is a leader in technology, education, health care and more. It should now strive to become a leader in religious pluralism and to embrace Reform Judaism as ardently as Reform Jews embrace Israel.

Rabbi Aaron Panken is the president of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.

To order a gift subscription to the Press...

Send a check for $25, made out to the Jewish Press and prorated for rest of 2015, to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154. For more information on how to connect your out-of-town relatives and friends, call 402.334.6448.

Dear Editor: Obama used very poor judgment in making an agreement with Iran.

As a result, Iran will have billions of dollars to continue its role as the world's biggest supporter of terrorism.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt and perhaps other nations will be forced to develop atomic weapons in order to defend themselves.

Obama has put Israel at risk of annihilation because the agreement will allow Iran to have unfettered access to atomic weapons.

There is a clause in the agreement with the caption “Nuclear Safety, Safeguards and Security,” which obliges America and other parties to the agreement to defend Iran in the event Iran is attacked and to train Iran to protect itself against sabotage. There are side agreements which our government won't tell us about.

Obama doesn't want the American people to have a say about this agreement. He has bypassed Congress and has gone directly to the United Nations.

Obama has created the danger that Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and Israel will be forced to go to war against Iran before it's too late. Obama may indeed be starting a war.

He claims that if Iran cheats, we'll know it and can reinstate the sanctions. If Iran cheats, we're not going to know it and reinstatement of sanctions ain't gonna happen.

It's one stupid and irrational thing after another that Obama has done during his six years as president. I hope America can survive the remainder of his term.

Sincerely, Maynard Telpner Talent, Oregon

10 | The Jewish Press | August 14, 2015

Synagogues B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE 618 Mynster Street | Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 |712.322.4705 email: BnaiIsraelCouncilBluffs@gmail.com Tribute cards for any occasion are available. Please contact Sissy Silber at 311 Oak Ridge Ct., Bellevue, NE 68005 or 402.292.8062.

For information on our historic synagogue, or to arrange a visit, please contact any of our board members: Mark Eveloff, Rick Katelman, Carole Lainof, Marty Ricks, Sissy Silber, Nancy Wolf and Phil Wolf.

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California | Omaha, NE 68154-1980 | 402.492.8550 www.bethel-omaha.org Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman.

FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m.; USY Shabbat Dinner, 7 p.m. at the home of Rabbi Abraham.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Services, 9:30 a.m., featuring guest speaker, Steve Riekes followed by Kiddush Lunch; MiniMinyannaires, 10:45 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8 p.m.

WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.

SUNDAY: Red Cross Blood Drive, 8 a.m.; USY Bake Sale, 9:30 a.m.; First Day of BESTT, 9:45 a.m. Pancake Breakfast; Torah Study, 10 a.m.; Torah Tots, 10:30 a.m.

TUESDAY: Get into the Spirit of the High Holidays, noon at Spirit World.

WEDESDAY: BESTT Classes, 4:15 p.m.

Kabbalat Shabbat/Shabbat Al Fresco, Friday, Aug. 21, 6 p.m.

Tot Shabbat, Friday, Aug. 21, 6 p.m. followed by Oneg.

Kiddush will be sponsored following Shabbat Services on Saturday, Aug. 21 by Sylvia Wagner’s family in honor of her 90th Birthday.

Mincha/Ma’ariv and Ice Cream Bonanza, Saturday, Aug. 22, 8 p.m. for returning Camp Kids and their families.

All classes and programs are open to everyone in the Jewish community.

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street | Omaha, NE. 68154 | 402.556.6288 www.orthodoxomaha.org Office hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Friday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Ari Dembitzer.

FRIDAY: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; 15 mins after Kiddush -Mishna L’Neshamah; Mincha/Seudah Shlishit, 7:50 p.m.;

Bat Mitzvah Abby Leigh Kohll, daughter of Susan Leigh Stern, and Alan and Brigitte Kohll, will become a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, Aug. 22 at Temple Israel.

Abby graduated from Friedel Jewish Academy last May and she is a seventh grade student at Alice Buffett Magnet Middle School.

Abby is an avid reader. Her other interests include the guitar and drums, hip hop dance, basketball, playing on the trampoline and spending time with her cat Cupcake and dog Bisou. She loves quality moments with her family and friends, too.

For her Mitzvah project, Abby put smiles on the faces of seniors while playing the guitar at Omaha nursing homes from Elkhorn to North Omaha. She also sorted clothing at the Open Door Mission near the airport and crafted cat toys for donation to the Nebraska Humane Society.

Grandparents are the late Donald and Lois Stern, and Gail and Jerry Kohll.

Great grandparents are the late Cele and Harry Schwartz, Isidore and Selma Tretiak, and Leona and Jerry Cohn.

To Submit B’nai Mitzvah Announcements Announcements may be e-mailed to the Press with attached photos in .jpg or .tif files to jpress@jewish omaha.org; faxed to 402.334.5422, or mailed to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154.

Forms are available through Omaha and Lincoln synagogues, by contacting The Jewish Press at 402.334.6448, by e-mailing the editor at: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org or online at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on ‘Jewish Press.’

Candlelighting Friday, August 14, 8:06 p.m.

Ma’ariv/Havdalah, 9:09 p.m.

SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Bagels and Beit Medrash, 9:45 a.m.

WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m.

TUESDAY: Men’s Basketball, 8 p.m. at JCC WEDNESDAY: Talmud Learning, 8 p.m.

THURSDAY: UNMC -- Med Center Chaburah, 1 p.m.; Avot U-Banim, 7 p.m.; Jews and Brews Class, 8:30 p.m.

Capehart Chapel 2500 Capehart Road | Offutt AFB, NE 68123 | 402.294.6244 FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m. every first and third of the month.

CHABAD HOUSE

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME

An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street | Omaha, NE 68144-1646 | 402.330.1800 www.OChabad.com | email: chabad@aol.com Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

FRIDAY: Minyan and Meditation, 7 a.m SATURDAY: Minyan and Meditation, 9:30 a.m.

SUNDAY: Minyan and Meditation, 8:30 a.m.

WEEKDAYS: Minyan and Meditation, 7 a.m.

TUESDAY: Dynamic Discovery with Shani Katzman, 10:15 a.m. A class for women based on traditional texts with practical insights and application. RSVP by calling the office.

WEDNESDAY: Personal Parsha class, 9:30 a.m. with Rochi Katzman. RSVP by calling the office; The Development of the Oral Tradition, 7 p.m. with Rabbi Katzman. RSVP by calling the office. In memory of Forrest Krutter -- Efrayim Menachem Ben Avraham Yitzchak.

THURSDAY: Women’s Study at UNMC with Shani Katzman, noon. RSVP by emailing Marlene Cohen at mzcohen@unmc.edu.

All programs are open to the entire community.

323 South 132 Street | Omaha, NE 68154 SATURDAY: Services, 9:15 a.m. led by Robert Yaffe.

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

CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN South Street Temple | Union for Reform Judaism 2061 South 20th Street | Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 | 402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org Services conducted by Rabbi Craig Lewis.

FRIDAY: Federation Shabbat at Antelope Park. Dairy/vegetarian potluck dinner and park play time, 5:30 p.m.; Short family friendly service, led by Federation board members, 6:30 p.m.; Dessert oneg, 7:15 p.m. (approximately). There will not be services at the Temple this evening.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. on Parashat Re’eh; Game Night/Potluck, 6 p.m. All ages welcome!

TUESDAY: Ladies Lunch Group, noon at Copal Progressive Mexican Cuisine, 4747 Pioneers. Questions?

Please contact Stephanie Dohner.

THURSDAY: Choir Rehearsal, 7:30-9 p.m.

LJCS First Day of Classes, Sunday, Aug. 23 -- Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Hallah High Lite, 9:45 a.m.-noon at South Street Temple; Hallah High, 9:45 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel.

Jewish Book Club, Sunday, Aug. 23, 1:30 p.m. at the home of Marcia Kushner and will discuss My Promised Land by Ari Shavit.

President’s Office Hours, Sunday Mornings, 10 a.m.–noon at SST. If you have any Temple business you would like to bring before the Board of Trustees, potential programs, or new ideas, please let us know! Call for an appointment at the Temple or just to chat any time at 402.513.7697. Or if you

prefer, just email David Weisser at president@southstreet temple.org.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE

TEMPLE ISRAEL Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive | Omaha, NE 68144-1206 | 402.556.6536 http://templeisraelomaha.com FRIDAY: Shabbat Comes to You at Remington Heights, 4 p.m. led by Rabbi Azriel; Shabbat Service, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. Haftarah Reader: Miles Remer.

SUNDAY: Teacher and Madrichim Orientation, 10 a.m.; Tri-Faith Picnic, 12:30 p.m. at Countryside Community Church, 8787 Pacific Street. The annual Tri-Faith Picnic will be hosted by our new Christian partner, Countryside Community Church. This event is free and open to all supporters of the Tri-Faith Initiative. Halal hamburgers and Kosher hot dogs will be provided, and we ask that each family bring a side dish or dessert to share (please no shellfish, pork or gelatin).

MONDAY: Temple Israel Annual Golf Outing, noon.

Contact the Temple Israel office for more information.

TUESDAY: Execuvtive Meeting, 6 p.m.; Board of Trustees Meeting, 7 p.m.

THURSDAY: Elul Adult Series with Cantor Shermet, 10 a.m.

TIFERETH ISRAEL Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Boulevard | Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 | 402.423.8569 www.tiferethisraellincoln.org Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

FRIDAY: Federation Shabbat at Antelope Park. Please join us for a Dairy/vegetarian potluck dinner and park play time, 5:30 p.m. followed by a short family friendly service.

SATURDAY: Morning service, 10 a.m. followed by a Kiddush Luncheon sponsored and prepared by Nancy Coren in honor of her anniversary.

TUESDAY: Ladies Lunch Group, noon at Copal Progressive Mexican Cuisine, 4747 Pioneers. Please contact Stephanie Dohner with any questions.

Jewish Book Club, Sunday, Aug. 23, 1:30 p.m. at the home of Marcia Kushner and will discuss My Promised Land by Ari Shavit. Please contact Stephanie Dohner with any questions.

Sixth Annual Shabbat on the Green/New Member Dinner, Friday, Aug. 28, 6:30 p.m. followed by a fun outdoor Shabbat Service.

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders supporting Iran deal

by JTA NEWS STAFF (JTA) -- Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders announced his support for the Iran nuclear deal.

Sanders, an independent senator from Vermont, offered his backing in a statement last Friday following a telephone conversation with President Barack Obama, who addressed some of his concerns, Sanders said.

He talked about his decision during an interview aired Sunday morning on the CBS News program Face the Nation.

“It’s so easy to be critical of an agreement which is not perfect,” Sanders said during the interview with host John Dickerson. “But the United States has to negotiate with, you know, other countries. We have to negotiate with Iran.

And the alternative of not reaching an agreement, you know what it is? It’s war. Do we really want another war, a war with Iran?

“So I think we go as far as we possibly can in trying to give peace a chance, if you like. Trying to see if this agreement will work. And I will support it.”

Sanders’ announcement came a day after U.S. Sen.

Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., who is poised to become his party’s leader in the Senate in 2017, and New York Rep. Eliot Engel, the top Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives, announced that they would oppose the deal. Both lawmakers are Jewish. Schumer was seen as a key vote on the deal reached last month between Iran and six world powers led by the United States.

In his statement, Sanders said, “The test of a great nation is not how many wars it can engage in, but how it can resolve international conflicts in a peaceful manner.

“The United States must do everything it can to make certain that Iran does not get a nuclear weapon, that Israel is not threatened by a nuclear Iran and that a nuclear arms race in the region is avoided,” he said. “President Obama and Secretary Kerry have worked through a very difficult process with the United Kingdom, France, Germany, China, Russia and Iran. This agreement is obviously not all that many of us would have liked but it beats the alternative – a war with Iran that could go on for years.”

Hillary Rodham Clinton, the Democratic front-runner in the 2016 race, also has endorsed the Iran agreement.

Pulverent e

August 14, 2015 | The Jewish Press | 11

In memoriam BERNICE COHEN Bernice Cohen passed away on July 31. Services were held on Aug. 2 at Golden Hills Cemetery.

She is preceded in death by her loving husband Donald.

She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Harvey and Fran, Mel and Anne, and son, Ed Cohen.

MARGE FOGEL Marge Fogel passed away quietly and comfortably on July 24 of natural causes at the age of 90 in Carlsbad, CA. Services were conducted on July 27 at El Camino Memorial Park, San Diego, CA by Rabbi Karen Sherman.

Her graveside marker will bear the inscription Marge requested declaring that she rests “between her two best friends”. Those who remember her and miss her know that Marge refers to her cherished husband, Danny Fogel, whom she lost in 1998, and her beloved daughter, Debi Fromkin, who passed away in 1973. Marge also survived the loss of her dear brother Robert Silverman, in 1995.

She is survived by her nephew James Silverman of Omaha, his wife Susie, their two children and two grandchildren; her niece, Nancy Limprecht of Arlington, VA, her two children and four grandchildren; Danny’s sons, William Fogel of Portland, ME, Richard Fogel of Cincinnati, OH, and Jeffrey Fogel of Carlsbad, CA; and eight Fogel grandchildren whom she knew their entire lives.

Marge was born in Omaha on Dec. 5, 1924 to Harry and Ann Silverman. She lived in Omaha until 1967, when she married Danny, and moved to San Diego, remaining a proud Nebraskan and avid Omaha Jewish Press reader all her life.

Memorials may be made to the Lorraine Silverman Annual Campaign Endowment Fund of the Omaha Jewish Federation, or to the organization of your choice.

EVA SLONIMSKI DE FRYDMAN Eva Slonimski de Frydman passed away on July 30 at age 88. Services were held July 30 at Tablada Cemetery, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Enrique Frydman.

She is survived by daughter and son-in-law, Susi and Rabbi Mordechai Levin, son and daughter-in-law, Mario and Roxana Frydman; grandchildren: Ari, Tali, Gabe, Jonatan and Dani.

She was a loving wife, mother, mother-in-law, and grandmother.

Memorials may be made to Congregation Beth Israel, Munster, IN, 535 Progress Ave, Munster, IN 46322, phone 219.922.0101, or to the organization of your choice.

NPR’s Nina Totenberg reclaims dad’s stolen violin

by JULIE WIENER (JTA) -- Jewish violin virtuoso Roman Totenberg enjoyed a long life, making it to the ripe old age of 101. But that wasn’t quite long enough to be reunited with the prized instrument that was stolen from him in 1980.

The FBI officially announced Thursday that it had recovered Totenberg’s almost 300-year-old Stradivarius, which he purchased in 1943. With just a few hundred of its type in the world, it’s now worth millions of dollars, according to The Associated Press.

Teller - BankFirst, Norfolk, NE BankFirst is seeking a full & part -time service-oriented professionals for its Norfolk location. The candidate will be responsible for providing quality service to bank customers by performing routine branch and customer service duties and by developing long term customer relationships. Successful candidate will possess basic PC skills, good math and communication skills, be accurate, work well under pressure, be well organized and be able to work a flexible schedule as needed including early mornings, early evenings and Saturdays. High School diploma or GED required. Bank experience is preferred. Cash handling experience required. Customer Service experience required.

For full-time team members BankFirst provides competitive compensation including an excellent fringe benefit package. For a full job description or to apply, submit resume and cover letter to: BankFirst, attn: Shari Thomas /PSUI UI 4USFFU t /PSGPML /& shari.thomas@bankfirstonline.com Member FDIC

BankFirst is an Equal Opportunity Employer

60 Years Experience With Jewish Lettering and Memorials

Having the facts can give you confidence.

Frank L. Ciciulla Jr.

1439 So. 13th

For more information, call

402-341-2452

1-800-648-4444

$ $UMMER $AVINGS

BLOWOUT! 800-374-6988

AUGUST BUILDING SPECIAL • • • •

Jill Totenberg, left, Nina Totenberg and Amy Totenberg viewing their father’s Stadivarius violin, which was stolen after a concert 35 years ago. Credit: Andrew Burton/Getty Images The Polish-born Totenberg, who died three years ago, was the father of NPR’s legal correspondent Nina Totenberg. He was a musical prodigy, making his debut at age 11 as a soloist with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, according to his New York Times obituary.

After purchasing the Stradivarius, Totenberg, who had immigrated to the United States in 1938, played exclusively on the prized instrument for decades, soloing with major orchestras in the U.S. and Europe.

Then, in 1980, the violin was stolen from his office.

Although an aspiring violinist, Philip S. Johnson, had been spotted nearby at the time of the theft, the police did not have enough evidence for a search warrant or arrest. The case remained unsolved for years.

In June, the FBI called Nina Totenberg and said it had the violin; an appraiser to whom the instrument had been presented alerted authorities.

“I really could hardly believe it at the time,” Nina Totenberg told the AP in an exclusive interview Aug. 5. “I said, ‘I have to call my sisters. I’ll tell them not to get their hopes up,’ but he said, ‘You don’t have to do that. This is the violin.’”

“This loss for my father was, as he said when it happened, it was like losing an arm,” Nina’s sister Jill Totenberg told the AP. “To have it come back, three years after he died, to us, it’s like having him come alive again.”

The AP did not identify the woman who brought the violin for appraisal, but said she is the former wife of Johnson, the violinist who had long been a suspect. He died in 2011.

• • • •

4” Concrete Floor 4’ Wainscoting Two 9’x8’ Garage Doors One 3’ 9-Lite Entry Door Two 3x3 Insulated Windows Vented Ridge Drip Stop

30’x40’x10’

$20,500.00*

*Overhang & Cupola not included Price includes: Delivery & install on your level site. Travel charges may apply.

ALL

*Overhang & Cupola not included.

CALL TODAY ABOUT OUR BUILDING SPECIALS

www.qualitystructures.com

WE BUILD RESPECT. Are you looking for a rewarding career?

Do you enjoy custom projects and a variety of change?

Do you want to be a part of a growing and innovative company?

BE A PART OF SOMETHING THAT MATTERS

Join the Smeal Team!

Office and Production positions available All Positions are Day Shift, Great Pay, and a Full-line of Benefits For more details, visit www.smeal.com or inquire within.

You can also contact us at hr@smeal.com or (402) 568-2224.

SMEAL FIRE APPARATUS CO. 610 W 4th ST. Snyder, NE 68664

Haredi group pays solidarity visit to gay center

by JTA NEWS STAFF (JTA) -- A handful of haredi Orthodox men visited Tel Aviv’s Gay Center to express solidarity following the deadly stabbing at Jerusalem’s gay pride parade.

The delegation of haredim, who came together and organized the visit as part of a grassroots initiative, arrived at the center at Gan Meir on Aug. 5, Haaretz reported.

“I belong to a minority group that suffers from exclusion and [the majority’s] ignorance, just like the gay community,” one of the haredi visitors, who were not named, was quoted as saying.

The delegation rejected the acts of Yishai Schlissel, the haredi man who on July 30 inflicted fatal wounds on Shira Banki, 16, and wounded five others. One participant called Schlissel a lunatic whose actions are resented among haredi Jews.

The visitors, wearing black kippahs, met in a crowded

MONUMENT CO.

Before someone offers you alcohol or other drugs, decide what you are going to say.

room with rainbow flags with a transgender, a bisexual, and several lesbians and gay men. The visitors said they do not belong to the haredi mainstream, explaining they are in daily contact in their work with Jews from various segments of Israeli society.

One of the visitors said he had a gay brother and that his parents did not know about that brother’s sexual orientation.

“This meeting is necessary and important,” one leading activist of the gay community, who was not named, told Haaretz. “It was that before the events of last week, and more so thereafter.”

The stabbing, which occurred one day before a Palestinian baby was burned to death in a suspected hate crime attributed to Jewish extremists, drew widespread condemnations from Israel’s political establishment and civil society, as well as from Jewish Diaspora leaders, including Orthodox rabbis.

Advertise Statewide Classifieds $225 25 words 2x2 Over 170 Newspapers Display Ad $975 Over 160 Newspapers Contact this newspaper for more information, or call 800-369-2850

EOE/Substance Screening

Nebraska STATEWIDE CLASSIFIEDS ADVERTISE STATEWIDE for $225/25 word classified ad. Over 165 newspapers with circulation of more than 365,000. Contact the Jewish Press at 402334-6449 or call 1-800-369-2850.

BANKRUPTCY: FREE initial consultation. Fast relief from creditors. Low rates.

Statewide filing. No office appointment necessary. Call Steffens Law Office, 308-872-8327. steffensbankruptcylaw.com. We are a debt relief agency, which helps people file bankruptcy under the bankruptcy code.

AFFORDABLE PRESS Release service. Send your message to 171 newspapers across Nebraska for one low price! Call 1-800-369-2850 or www.nebpress.com for more details.

CITY OF Cambridge is seeking an executive director of economic development.

Wage based on experience and qualifications. Excellent benefits. Details available at www.cambridgene.org. Deadline 08/20/2015 FULL-TIME REPORTING position open at Holyoke Enterprise, award-winning weekly newspaper in Northeast Colorado. Join young, enthusiastic staff.

Contact Brenda, 970-854-2811 or 970-466-3150, bbholent@chase3000.com.

CRAFTS CONSTRUCTION seeking experienced and entry-level construction superintendents. Construction experience required. Pay based on experience.

Send resume, cover letter to Robert at mail@craftsinc.net. EOE. NAVAJO HIRING CDL-A Truck Drivers. Brand New Pay! No-Touch Freight, New Equipment, Great Benefits! 6 mo. recent tractor/trailer exp. in last 3 years. Call 866-535-6925.

BUTLER TRANSPORT Your Partner in Excellence. CDL Class A drivers needed. Sign on bonus! All miles paid. 1-800-528-7825 or www.butlertransport. com.

12 | The Jewish Press | August 14, 2015

A magical place

Open pulpit RABBI CRAIG LEWIS, Congregation B’nai Jeshurun have recently started watching the television show, Agents of SHIELD. I am a late adopter and am slowly catching up on Netflix.

Among the many engaging plotlines belonging to the central character, Agent Coulson, often speaks of his time in Tahiti, where he was sent to recover from a life threatening injury.

Whenever he or anyone mentions the word Tahiti, he can only respond, “It’s a magical place.” After a while, it becomes clear that his response is involuntary, as if under hypnosis.

Tahiti and its magical properties become a great mystery over the course of the show. Agent Coulson’s “Magical place” reminds me of the way children and teens respond after spending time at a Jewish summer camp. There are many excellent overnight camps—Ramah, Young Judea, OSRUI, Herzl, Shwayder, to name a few. Day camps at the JCC in Omaha and Camp Israel in Lincoln are also very effective.

For the most part, when kids speak of their time at camp, their words are equivalent to “It’s a magical place.” Like Agent Coulson, the response is reflexive, but unlike the television character, they are not subject to science fiction mind control. Their response is genuine, heartfelt, truly their own. They remember their time fondly and cannot wait to return.

Nothing is more rewarding for a Jewish parent than when our children are excited about doing Jewish things. This is the magical effect of Jewish summer camp, and the source of that magic comes from the Talmud (Kiddushin 30a). It enumerates a parent’s responsibilities. Among these are teaching their children Torah and teaching them how to swim.

Teaching Torah is about providing them with the tools to practice Jewish life. The immersive environment of camp is

I

a great place for that, but Torah can be taught anywhere. It is really swimming that creates the magic. We generally understand swimming as a life-saving skill, and a highlight of any camp summer is spending time at the pool or water front.

Still, the magic of camp is not about keeping kids afloat in the water. The magic is the way it keeps our kids afloat, as proud Jews, in every part of their lives.

As a distinct minority in Nebraska, it can feel as though we are swimming upstream to maintain our Jewish identity.

Our kids are confronted with the majority all the time. A

people. They come home with great Jewish pride, a magical feeling that gives them buoyancy in secular waters.

My own seven-year-old son, though he loves Jewish holidays and coming to Temple, is one of only two Jewish children in his entire school. Most of his time is spent feeling different in classrooms where Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny are discussed as non-religious topics. He wants to participate because he hates to feel left out. My wife and I try to help him see what a special gift it is to be different as part of the Jewish tradition. It is not an easy task (even for a rabbi).

great many of our neighbors do not understand what is different about Judaism. There is great pressure to let the majority waters wash over us.

At Jewish summer camp, however, our kids learn how to swim. They live Jewishly, among Jewish children, with topnotch Jewish role models, doing all the things kids love to do, while they learn Hebrew, how to pray with sincerity, to love Israel, and to feel a special connection to the Jewish

This summer, he joined me as I spent a week as visiting rabbi at Herzl Camp in Webster, WI. Soon after our return, he attended Camp Israel, a day camp in Lincoln for a week.

After that week, he had a choice to return to the Jewish day camp or attend a different camp for which we had signed him up months before. He chose the Jewish camp because, “I like being around other Jewish people.”

Jewish summer camp. It’s a magical place.

Club s s e r P h s i w e J e h t g Preservin xt generation. for the ne

Giving levels* Reporter up to $36 Editor $37-72 Publisher $73-180 Gold Sponsor $360

JOIN NOW Club ___________________________ Name ___________________________ ___________________________ Address ___________________________ City | State | Zip ___________________________ Phone ___________________________ Email address

W O N JOIN

20 $5, $10 and $ e iv ce re rs so n old Spo se Press Publishers & G members can u d n b a lu C rs o ss it d re E P eli. , s. * Reporters h at the Star D denomination as 5 C $ in ly e iv ct e Press Cash resp

Giving Levels choose one O Reporter O Editor O Publisher O Gold Sponsor Send check to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154.