September 9, 2022 by Jewish Press

SEPTEMBER 9, 2022 | 13 ELUL 5782 | VOL. 102 | NO. 46 | CANDLELIGHTING | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 7:25 P.M. What we did at JCC Camp Page 4 OJAA Topgolf: Thank you for coming! Page 7 How a home movie from 1938 turned into a Holocaust documentary Page 12 The Jewish PressWWW.OMAHAJEWISHPRESS.COM | WWW.JEWISHOMAHA.ORG SPONSORED BY THE WIESMANANDBENJAMINANNAE.FAMILYENDOWMENTFUND AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA REGULARS Spotlight 6 Voices 8 Synagogues 10 INSIDE

ARIEL O’DONNELL

ARI KOHEN Planning a month-long study abroad program in Israel is a lot of hard work, but actually living, working, and touring abroad for that month is an absolutely unique pleasure. Thanks to a group of University of Nebraska students who were excellent travelers—some of whom were experienced and some of whom had never left the United States before—we were able to explore so many different places and so many different aspects of Israeli society. While it would be impossible to discuss all the territory we covered, the people we met, or everything we learned together, there are a handful of places that stood out—even for someone, like me, who has been to Israel a half dozenFirst,times.it’scrucial to note that there is something special about living in Jerusalem. Having done my fair share of traveling, I can say that there is nothing that compares to waking up each morning, opening the blinds and looking at the Old See Huskers in Israel page 2

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor B udapest is the capital city of Hungary. There are actually two cities: Buda and Pest, separated by the Danube river. It’s attractive to tourists, it has beautiful architecture and a world-class classical music scene. Due to the exceedingly scenic setting and its architecture, it is often called the “Paris of the East.” In 1987, Budapest was added as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for the cultural and architectural significance of the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue. But to know Budapest in a Jewish context is more complicated. We can talk about the Great Synagogue (the largest in the world) and the Jewish Quarter, or the Israeli See Living out loud in Budapest page 3

Huskers in the Holy Land: Part II IHE Third Thursday Lunch and Learn Series

speaker is Sandy Renken, a Holocaust Educator from Nebraska. She will present The Relevance of A Holocaust Educator and How I Became One, which will detail her journey to becoming a Holocaust Educator, her experiences teaching the Holocaust and the relevance of this work in today’sRenkenworld.has been a social studies teacher at Freeman Public Schools in Adams, NE, for the past 29 years. Since 2004, she has taught a semester-long course on the Holocaust. She is a United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Teacher Fellow (class of 2006), a Conference for Holocaust Education Centers Museum Teacher Fellow and a Mentor Teacher for the Holocaust Museum’s Teacher Fellowship See IHE Lunch and Learn page 2

Budapest, Hungary Credit: Thomas Depenbusch, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

The Institute for Holocaust Education is pleased to announce the next three months of our Third Thursday Lunch and Learn Series speakers. This series is presented by the Institute for Holocaust Education and seeks to educate, engage and empower the community through discussion, presentations and informative speakers about topics pertaining to the Holocaust. All Third Thursday presentations are offered via Zoom, from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on their respective days. Sept. 15, 2022 our scheduled

Living out loud in Budapest

IHE Communications Coordinator

IHE Lunch and

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I had never been to the Temple Mount and it hadn’t ever occurred to me that I might be able to go. While it is obviously such an important holy site for both Jews and Muslims, it always seemed like a place that served as a flashpoint for conflict and, as such, didn’t seem like a place I would ever visit. And yet, staring at the Dome of the Rock from so many lookouts around the city, as well as from the Kotel plaza, I often wondered what it might be like up there. The answer, I discovered, is that it’s beautiful, inspiring, and fascinating up there. While we were not permitted to enter any of the mosques—they are open only to Muslims at this time—we were able to walk quietly amongst the olive trees and fountains, see first-hand the areas that were home to the first and second Temple and the massive Herodian extension of the Temple Mount platform, learn about the history of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, as well as the excavation of Solomon’s Stables to build the El-Marwani Mosque in the 1990s, and of course take lots of photos. The experience—both holy and educational at the same time—is one I’ll never forget. A completely different experience, but no less unforgettable, was our visit to Eilat and Timna National Park.

For more information about Third Thursday programming at IHE, or to RSVP for any of these IHE Third Thursday Lunch and Learn programs, please reach out to Scott Littky, Executive Director of IHE, at slittky@ihene.org digital issues:

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Continued from page 1 City while drinking a cup of coffee, and then catching a bus to go teach at Hebrew University on Mount Scopus. And living in Jerusalem also afforded me and the students the opportunity to go shopping in the Mahane Yehuda market, to eat shawarma, falafel, or sabich sandwiches to our hearts’ content, to take a guided tour of the Knesset, to visit Yad Vashem and the Israel Museum, and to wander the twisting streets of the OldButCity.one of the highlights of the entire trip was a nearly threehour tour of the Temple Mount. Our guide for the day— Yitzhak Reiter, the students’ Hebrew University professor—has deep and long-standing connections with both the Israeli police and the Islamic Waqf, which meant that we could ascend to the Temple Mount without ceremony and tour the entire area without a police escort.

Continued from page 1 Program. In 2014, she was chosen to attend the Olga Lengyel Institute for Holocaust Studies and Human Rights and joined their teacher education network. She was also one of the founding members of the Nebraska Holocaust Education Consortium. When she’s not in the classroom, Sandy enjoys traveling, running, and spending time with her new granddaughter. Oct. 20, 2022 the Institute for Holocaust Education welcomes Becki Zanardi, who will give a presentation entitled Upstanders & Rescuers. Zanardi’s presentation will seek to discuss hard questions about the actions of people during the Holocaust. She says, “It’s been a perplexing question regarding the Holocaust: Why did some gentiles chose to aid Jews while others did not? We’ll look at why people acted in a certain way based on country, class, and religious beliefs in addition to how the events of the world around them affected their decisions.” Nov. 17, 2022 our speaker is Dana Knox, a child of a Holocaust survivor, who will share her family’s story with the community. In regard to her mother’s story, Knox says, “As 1939 began, news of the inhumane treatment of the Jewish people and certain others within the Third Reich had already circulated in the United States. While many people were displeased, very few were in favor of accepting new immigrants or helping in any other tangible way. A notable exception was Beth Shalom, a Jewish fraternal group headquartered in Philadelphia, which decided to mount a rescue of children. My mother was one of 50 children rescued by the group and our family is one of 50 families whose entire world was saved through their actions.”

ELECTIONGENERAL

“You’re taking a trip to Eilat in July?,” people kept asking me. Of course; if not now, when?! Obviously, the heat was intense but that didn’t stop us for a moment. When we first arrived, after a long bus ride, we took a sunset cruise on the Red Sea, anchoring for a half hour so people could jump off the boat and go for a swim, and enjoyed the views of Jordan, Egypt, and even Saudi Arabia in the distance. Then we woke up the next morning and drove just a few minutes north to Timna to go hiking in the desert. The national park is both beautiful and historically interesting; in See Huskers in Israel page 3

Huskers in Israel

Learn

While in Hungary, Jennifer and Leigh will keep us updated on what they see and experience, so check both the Jewish Federation of Omaha and the Jewish Press on Social Media. For more information about the Partnership, please visit https://www.jewishagency.org/partnership2gether/

The Jewish Press | September 9, 2022 | 3 Andra Johnson InsuranceMEDICAREAgent SUPPLEMENTS • LIFE • LONG TERM CARE • ANNUITIES 3345 N. 107th Street Omaha, NE 68134 Toll Free 866-443-9698 Phone 402-614-9292 Fax 402-614-9293 Cell 402-206-6459 Email ajohnson@americanseniorbenefits.com

Above: Budapest Chain Bridge Credit: Mmullie, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license; and below: The view of the Hungarian Parliament from Buda Castle. Credit: Ivanhoe, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

A final experience that warrants special mention was our trip to the Golan Heights and Tzfat. We spent the night at a lovely hostel that was literally on the banks of the Kinneret, awoke early and drove to Tel Saki, a volcanic hill in the southern Golan that is the site of a battle during the Yom Kippur War; there we met up with Yaakov Selavan, a great friend of many previous Omaha Federation tours, who first gave us a detailed geopolitical briefing on the situation in Syria (and Iran) and then told us stories of heroism survival from the battle in 1973.

Be a role model; the person you yourwantkidto be. anti-drugstrongermessageisthere?

sentatives to learn about the Hungarian community and build lasting“Hungarianrelationships.Jewsneed Jews from other countries to know them and maintain relationships with them,” Jan Goldstein said. “They are our responsibility, just like we are all each other’s responsibility. We are all one family.” The Hungarian Jewish community, estimated at between 75,000 and 100,000, is the largest in East Central Europe. Most Hungarian Jews live in Budapest, which has some 20 working synagogues and a plethora of other Jewish institutions, both religious and cultural. There are also several smaller Jewish communities in provincial cities, including Debrecen, Miskolc and Szeged, with an active religious and cultural life. Despite occasional antisemitic incidents and a neo-Nazi party, Jobbik, Hungarian Jews have every facility to express their Jewish heritage and religious life. The representative body of Hungarian Jewry is the Federation of the Hungarian Jewish Communities (MAZSIHISZ) – an affiliate of the World Jewish Congress. Participants in the summit will visit such sites as the Rumbach Synagogue, the Budapest Jewish University, Budapest Jewish Hospital and the Scheiber Jewish School. In addition, they will visit the Jewish District, considered to be the inner part of Budapest’s District 7 — the area enclosed by Király Street, Erzsébet körút, Dohány Street, Károly körút. It was here that Jewish people started settling down in the late 18th century (the medieval Jewish Quarter on the Buda side was decimated during the battle between the European allied forces and the Ottomans in 1686). Budapest’s rapid urbanization and economic development at the time presented plenty of business opportunities for Jews, drawing them in increasing numbers. They, in turn, further contributed to the city’s progress.

“To be Jewish in Hungary,” Jan Goldstein said, “takes tremendous courage. The Holocaust left scars upon scars—for those who survived, living Jewishly became something to never again take for granted. In fact, many Hungarian Jews went silent after the war, didn’t speak about being Jewish, did not live an outwardly Jewish life and were afraid to enter Jewish institutions. The most important audience they didn’t speak to were their own descendants.

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Afterward, we drove to Tzfat, had a quick lunch, and met up with a tour guide who gave us a comprehensive, top-tobottom, three-hour tour of the city. Our Tzfat tour hit many of the highlights that those who have visited in the past will remember: learning about Kabbalah and the famous rabbis, like Joseph Karo and Isaac Luria, who lived in Tzfat in the 1500s, visiting the Abuhav Synagogue, doing some shopping for unique artwork and talking with the artists themselves, and—of course—climbing up and down hundreds of steps. But this visit to Tzfat was different in one very important respect: rather than stopping halfway up on one of the two main tourist streets of Tzfat’s Old City, our tour went up as far as we could and visited the area where the Crusaders built a fortress in the mid-12th century that was then conquered by Saladin in 1188. On our way down, we stopped at and climbed through a cave-like entrance into the thousand year old cistern below the fortress. This was my fourth visit to Tzfat in as many years, but I had no idea that these sites even existed! It was a great reminder that, no matter how many times you visit, Israel always has something new to show you, some stunning and important antiquity right around the corner that you didn’t know was right there, or some lesson or insight you might not have learned last time. This program was made possible with funds from the Harris Center and the Feldman Family Israel Foundation.

Living out loud in Budapest

What

Judaism, if it was expressed at all, became something cultural rather than religious. It was in the past, not part of anyone’s future, it was a collection of stories about what was, rather than what it could be.” And so, two generations grew up barely knowing their own identity and their own history. While Survivors in some other, more western, European countries, began to be more open about their Judaism (or the lack thereof) during the late 1980s, behind what used to be known as the Iron Curtain, it took another generation for anything to change. But change it did. A big part of that change comes from healthy relationships with Jews elsewhere. Jews in Israel, but also in the U.S., largely through Partnership2Gether (P2G). If you need a refresher: Partnership2Gether (P2G) is a program of The Jewish Agency and The Jewish Federations of North America, promoting peopleto-people relationships through cultural, social, medical, educational, and economic programs. The Western Galilee Partnership connects 17 U.S. communities of the US Central Area Consortium, Israel’s Western Galilee and Budapest, Hungary.OnSept. 9, Executive Director of Philanthropy & Engagement Jennifer Tompkins and Israel Engagement & Outreach Director Leigh Chaves will join this year’s P2G Summit in Budapest. They will join other Israeli and American P2G repre-

Huskers in Israel

Continued from page 2 addition to the enormous sandstone columns known as Solomon’s Pillars and the unusual geological formation known as the Mushroom, it’s also home to an ancient copper mine whose mining shafts can be seen—and climbed into— throughout the park. Our group spent several hours walking the trails and clambering up and down the rock formations before returning to Eilat to spend the afternoon at the hotel pool and then preparing for Shabbat. While the Negev in July definitely isn’t for the faint of heart, the desert has a unique beauty that I think our whole group was glad we didn’t miss.

Continued from page 1 Cultural Institute, which represents the Israeli presence in Hungary. As in most European countries, evidence of a Jewish past is certainly there, but more recently, it exists side-by-side with current Jewish life. And that is a bit of a miracle.

We would like to welcome our newest member of the JCC team, Josh Meier. Josh will be joining the Athletic Department as the Basketball Coordinator. Josh’s first day will be Monday, Aug.Originally29. from Illinois, Josh played basketball collegiately for one season at Division 1 Chicago State, was a member of the 2015-16 NJCAA National Championship team at Kirkwood Community college, and finished his playing career at Bellevue University where he was a team captain. After earning his degree in Sports Management, Josh has spent the past three years as an Assistant Coach for the Bellevue Bruins Men’s Basketball Team. He was part of the 2020 North Star Conference Coaching Staff of the year. Josh also brings many years of experience working with youth at various basketball camps throughout the Midwest. Some camps he worked at include Creighton, Bellevue, and Dwayne Wade’s Elite Camp. We are very excited for the knowledge and experience that Josh will be bringing to our JCC Basketball Programs. Josh Meier Meier

L’chaim- the beer edition was a pleasant and refreshing summer event that took place in the middle of August at Jess and Shane Cohn’s residence. With the guidance of Sivan Cohen, Omaha Community Shlicha — a wine and spirit connoisseur — participants tasted Israel’s famous first draft beer, Goldstar, which is still on the bestseller list — representing authentic “Israeliness.” In addition, participants tasted an American IPA-style craft beer that has recently entered the Israeli beer market and is receiving great respect among beer-loving Israelis.

It seems that the summer has gone so fast! The JCC Summer Camps are now over. Not only did we do a lot, but our activities were fun learning experiences for participants and counselors alike. For both the first and second sessions of camp, we focused on the Jewish holidays and taught about those holidays. To make it special, we had activities to go with each one.

The tasting was accompanied by a variety of dips, cheeses and delicacies that appropriately accompany the beers.

JEBB FISH Staenberg Omaha JCC Sports and Recreation Director

During the first session we studied Passover, Purim, and Tu B’shevat. In the second session we learned about Hannukah, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Ha’Atzmaut. Each of these holidayoriented sessions were part of the Shabbat service for the week. When we learned about Hanukkah, we told the story of the Hanukkah Maccabees. We had fun with Jewish customs by painting dreidels, spinning them and betting on which letter would appear when the dreidel stopped spinning in order to win some gelt. For the Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashanah, we explained the symbols of apples, honey and pomegranates. We learned about the shofar and why we eat sweet challah at this time. Our activity was for the campers to make a card with best wishes for the New Year to share with their families. Yom Ha’Atzmaut, the celebration of Israeli Independence Day, was a particularly meaningful holiday this year since Israel will celebrate its 75 years of existence next year. We learned about the symbolism of the Israeli flag. The kids had alot of fun building their own Star of David by tying tree branches together.Additional activities that we did as part of learning about Israeli culture were making hummus from scratch using chick peas, tahini pizza chips, and vegetables; creating a large map of Israel using paint, sand, pebbles, and different poster materials; learning to give back to the community by visiting the Blumkin Home and making greetings cards for the Residents to be distributed by the staff. We also held a summer party with fruit kabobs and sweet lemonade. All in all, we learned many new things, we had fun, and we are looking forward to next year’s camp experience!

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A cold beer on a hot day - there is nothing more perfect than that!

Welcome,

Josh

SIVAN COHEN Omaha Community Shlica

What we did at JCC Camp

During the event, Sivan explained about the beer industry in Israel from its beginning to the present day.

L’Chaim!

Annette Fettman has Nachas

IN THE NEWS

JFO Library Specialist On Thursday, Sept. 15 at 1 p.m. the Dorothy Kaplan Book Discussion Group will gather for their monthly meeting. Group members have the choice of meeting either in person in the Benjamin & Anna Wiesman Reception Room in the Staenberg Jewish Community Center or via Zoom. This month they will be discussing Still Foolin’ ‘Em: Where I’ve Been, Where I’m Going, and Where the Hell are My Keys by Billy Crystal. Join us as we reminisce along with Crystal about life, love, and many other subjects. At 65, Billy Crystal has a lifetime of stories and memories. Billy Crystal’s memories in Still Foolin’ ‘Em: Where I’ve Been, Where I’m Going, and Where the Hell are My Keys starts out a bit juvenile and cocky going for the cheap “shock” in language/content but much like the seasoned performer he is, he settles down and becomes quite sentimental and honest about who he is and what he has managed to accomplish. I believe that with age ultimately comes wisdom when looking back at one’s life and one’s accomplishments. Crystal has chutzpah about his accomplishments: “I said I would do this one day and I did.” His accomplishments include being a standup comedian, being a TV, movie, concert and Broadway performer, and successful writer and director. Sometimes when we meet our heroes they do not disappoint us and become a good friend. Some of Crystal’s best recollections are about his long-standing friendships with such heroes ranging from Mickey Mantle and the New York Yankees to Muhammad Ali. As his heroes age and the brilliance of their greatness starts to tarnish and fade, Crystal’s admiration and respect for them continue despite their decliningWithhealth.everything that Crystal has done and accomplished, he is still proudest of his family. Crystal has been married to his wife Janice for 43 years (when the book was released in 2013) and his love for her, their two daughters, his four grandchildren, his mother, and his brothers is obvious and heartwarming in the stories he shares. Billy Crystal is the first to admit he is not perfect. He admits he’s made mistakes in his life but more importantly he relates what he has learned from them. Through his recollections, we see that Crystal’s loyalty to both his friends/collaborators and those who helped nurture his career along the way are evident in his book through the various stories he weaves throughout Still Foolin’ ‘Em: Where I’ve Been, Where I’m Going, and Where the Hell are My Keys Please feel free to join us on Sept. 18 in person or via Zoom. The Dorothy Kaplan Book Discussion Group meets on the third Thursday of every month at 1 p.m. New members are always welcome. The Group receives administrative support from the Community Engagement & Education arm of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. For information about the group and to join in the discussion, contact Shirly Banner at 402.334.6462 or sbanner@jewishomaha.org

SHIRLY BANNER

Annette Fettman is the proud great-grandmother of two new great-grandsons. One of Annette’s granddaughters recently welcomed a son, Mordechai. Another granddaughter recently welcomed a son, Eliezer. He is named for Annette’s husband, Cantor Leo Fettman. Both little boys have six older siblings in the family. The Old Avoca Schoolhouse in Avoca, Nebraska, will be streaming three online “Women’s Compositions for Two Workshops” for recorder players, fiddlers, violists, cellists, bassists, and mandolinists. The Workshops will be on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 7 p.m., CT, Wedesday, Oct. 12, 10 a.m., CT, and Friday, Oct. 14, 7 p.m., CT. Different tunes will be played at each session. Each participant will receive a copy of our “Women’s Compositions for Two” book, arranged for the instrument of theirJustchoice.asinall of the collections in the Tunes for Two series; these books contain the same tunes in the same keys making it easy for you to play with a friend playing another instrument. During the Workshop, we will read, play, and discuss various survival skills for these kinds of pieces. A treble clef version of the sheet music for the tunes being played will be displayed on the screen during the workshop. There is limited enrollment, and pre-registration is required. The fee for each “Women’s Compositions Workshop” is $25.00.Formore information, and to register: blattandseay.com/workshops_women_compositions.shtmlhttps://www.green

Kaplan Book Group Ponders “Where Have I Been, Where am I Going?”

JILL OHLMANN RBJH CoordinatorActivities

Above: Members of the Abraham Lincoln High School Class of 1952 pose during a class reunion in Council Bluffs in July. Among them is Sissy Silber, sixth from left on the backrow.

6 | The Jewish Press | September 9, 2022 SUPPORTEDGENEROUSLYBY PHOTOS FROM RECENT JEWISH COMMUNITY EVENTS SUBMIT A PHOTO: Have a photo of a recent Jewish Community event you would like to submit? Email the image and a suggested caption to: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org

Below: Ben Justman, accompanied by his wife, Jeannette Gabriel, had the honor to serve as the Grand Marshal of Bellevue’s Arrows to Aerospace parade in recognition of his service to historical preservation. “He is a guardian for the history of Sarpy County,” Event Chair Karen Mier said. “We felt it was an important time to recognize his role in the community.”

Left: Fun in the Sun. RBJH Residents soaked up the sun at the JCC pool and enjoyed a perfectly sunshiny day. Thank you to the RBJH volunteers and staff who helped Residents journey to the outdoor pool.

Above: Staff and lay leaders recently attended communication training with Aaron Henne.

Left and below: RBJH Residents celebrate Bee & Honey month with a beehive craft project and tasting homemade cornbread with various honey samples. Residents learned fun facts, trivia, and information about how honey is produced.

SP O TLIGHT

Top, above and below: Husker Time at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

Right and below: Beth Israel’s ‘Meat Your Whiskey 2022’ is in the books. A big Thank you to Ari Kohen, Ben Shapiro, Steve Kaniewski, Joel Alperson, Rabbi Yoni Dreyer, Seth Feldman, Jeff Zacharia and Matthew Taub for sponsoring, preparing, cooking, coordinating, and presenting. Thank you also to everyone who came out and participated.

| BarrocoWineBar.com

JAY KATELMAN

JFO Director of Community Development Aug. 14, 2022 was a day to remember. From noon to 3 p.m., the Omaha Jewish Alumni Association hosted its second yearly Topgolf Charity Event. Just like the previous year, the event was sold out completely. This year, 113 people registered. While we had many people return because of how much fun the event was in 2021, we welcomed many new faces as well. It was great to see families, friends, and those that were strangers become friends. Everyone who attended was treated to three hours of unlimited golf, food, drinks, and an extraordinary silent auction. A huge thank you goes out the Omaha Jewish Alumni Board, Omaha Jewish Alumni members, and the Foundation staff for their support in making this event even more successful than in 2021. This year we raised around $8,000 to be used by deserving families who need scholarships to attend or continue attending the Pennie Z. Davis Early Learning Center. Since we always have more families that apply than we can award, we think this is the perfect partnership to help families attend our Early Learning Center. We are so thankful to all those who registered, sponsored, or donated a silent auction item. Thanks to the continued success, this event does not look to be going anywhere anytime soon! We’ll see everyone next August. We hope you are marking your calendars now!

The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) is the public affairs voice of the JFO. The JCRC works to foster a just, democratic and pluralistic society through cooperation with other faith partners, racial, ethnic, and civic groups. Guided by Jewish values, the JCRC fights anti-Semitism, advocates, educates, collaborates, and mobilizes action on issues of importance to the Jewish community, and promotes the security of Israel and Jews everywhere. 2935 S. 108th 402-885-8185

BARROCO WINE BAR & CRAFT COCKTAILS

This program will be in-person and virtually. A reception with light refreshments will follow the program. For more information please contact Pam Monsky, JCRC Assistant Director, pmonsky@jewishomaha.org, 402.334.6572.

The Jewish Press | September 9, 2022 | 7 JCRC presents Community Conversations:

Experiencethe Imperfect Pearl

Please join the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) on Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m., in the Alan Levine Theater at the Staenberg Omaha JCC, for Community Conversations, the first in a series of programs on compelling, current topics impacting the Jewish community of Omaha. This inaugural program, Reproductive Rights in Nebraska— Where Do We Go from Here features a panel of local and national experts in a moderated discussion about protecting reproductive rights in Nebraska. The JCRC, along with our partners and cosponsors, aim to equip attendees with tools to advocate for reproductive freedom, learn the best ways to communicate with local law makers and how to build coalitions. Cosponsors of the program include the ACLU of Nebraska, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Nebraska, and The Women’s Fund of Omaha. Panelists as of this writing include Carol Bloch, moderator and chair of the JCRC’s Civil Rights Committee; and Rabbi Steven Abraham of Beth El Synagogue will offer insights into the Jewish perspective on abortion. Other panelists include renowned researcher and author Gilda Sedgh, Principal Advisor of Research and Policy Integration at the Guttmacher Institute; Dr. Daniel Rosenquist, newly elected president of the Nebraska Medical Association and family physician from Columbus, NE; Andi Curry-Grubb, Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Nebraska; Dr. Erin Feichtinger, Policy Director of The Women’s Fund of Omaha; and Scout Richters, Senior Legal & Policy Counsel at the ACLU of Nebraska.

OJAA Topgolf: Thank you for coming!

“Reproductive rights in Nebraska—Where do we go from here?”

Street |

“The Jewish community in particular, is concerned that the Dobbs v. Jackson decision returning power to the states will have a profound impact on many people, including our most vulnerable populations,” said Sharon Brodkey, JCRC Executive Director. “Abortion is NEVER an easy choice, and this is a nuanced issue within Jewish law and many other faiths. With no Federal protections, the religious beliefs of vocal minorities may lead to poor state laws that place stumbling blocks in front of people.”

PAM MONSKY Jewish Community Relations Council Assistant Director

ANDREW SILOW-CARROLL JTA I hadn’t heard of “quiet quitting” until about 10 minutes ago. Since then every major news outlet has done a story on this purported trend, defined as a movement among office workers to draw firmer work-life boundaries by doing less work. It means closing your laptop at 5 p.m. when your cubicle-mate is staying late to finish a project. It means turning off notifications on your phone so you can’t check your work emails after hours. It can mean doing the bare minimum and still hanging onto your job.

Jacobs — now the executive director of T’ruah, the rabbinic human rights group — describes nine principles of workplace justice in the Torah, and nearly all are addressed to the employer. These include treating workers with “dignity and respect” and paying them a living wage and on time.

Voices

If quiet quitting were actually slacking, it would run afoul of Jewish law. “Jewish employees are obligated to work at full capacity during their work hours and not to ‘steal time’ from their employers,” writes Rabbi Jill Jacobs in a responsa — legal opinion — called “Work, Workers and the Jewish Owner,” written for the Conservative movement in 2008. And yet this warning aside, Jewish law is much more concerned with employers who take advantage of employees rather than the other way around.

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor

I don’t have a dog in this fight, since I am not a “quiet quitter.” (I am more a “person without any hobbies or little kids, who if he closes his laptop at 5 p.m. doesn’t know what to do with himself.”) But I understand the impulse. Technology and corporate culture conspire to blur the lines between work and office. The demise of unions has shifted the workplace power balance to employers. For those who could work at home, the pandemic obliterated the boundaries between on and off hours. “Quitting” is a terrible way to describe what is really doing your job, no more and no less. It only feels like “quitting” to a culture that demands that you sacrifice private time to your employer or career. This peculiarly American “ethic” shows up, for instance, in vacations: Americans get on average 10 fewer vacation days a year than Europeans because, unlike the European Union, the United States does not federally mandate paid vacation or holidays.

The artist Jenny Odell’s 2019 manifesto about quitting the “attention economy,” How to Do Nothing, similarly rejects “a frame of reference in which value is determined by productivity, the strength of one’s career, and individual entrepreneurship.” Easier said than done, however. Her antidote — to “stand apart,” to embrace “solitude, observation, and simple conviviality” — is perhaps more feasible if you are an artist rather than an office-worker, let alone a factory worker, home health aide or Amazon warehouse runner. (She spends a lot of time birdwatching and retreating to mountain cabins.)

Of course, to a certain kind of devotee of the attention economy, this sounds like nothing less than slacking off. “Quiet quitting isn’t just about quitting on a job, it’s a step toward quitting on life,” huffed Arianna Huffington, in a LinkedIn post. The Fox News host Tomi Lahren said it’s just a euphemism for being “LAZY” (she added an expletive).

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

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To her credit, Odell quotes Samuel Gompers, the Jewish-British immigrant and labor leader who championed the eight-hour work week as far back as 1886. In an address asking What Does Labor Want?, Gompers answered by quoting Psalms: “It wants the earth and the fullness thereof.”

(Founded in 1920) Margie Gutnik President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Susan Bernard Advertising Executive Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Editor Gabby Blair Staff Writer Sam Kricsfeld Digital support Mary Bachteler Accounting Jewish Press Board Margie Gutnik, President; Abigail Kutler, Ex-Officio; Seth Feldman; David Finkelstein; Ally Freeman; Mary Sue Grossman; Les Kay; Natasha Kraft; Chuck Lucoff; David Phillips; and Joseph Pinson. 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 JFO are: Institute for Holocaust Education, Jewish Community Relations Council, Jewish Community Center, Jewish Social Services and the Jewish Press Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page stories and announcements, can be found online at: www.jewishomaha.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.

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Just reading a New York Times article about how eight of the 10 largest private U.S. employers are using tracking software to monitor their employees made me feel guilty and anxious — even though I was reading the article as part of my job.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.

Letters to the Editor Guidelines

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

‘Quiet quitting,’ the sudden trend in work, sounds sort of ... Jewish? (Hear me out.) Heide Benser/Getty Images the Holidays

Preparing for

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Letters should be no longer than 250 words and must be single-spaced typed, not hand-written. Published letters should be confined to opinions and comments on articles or events. News items should not be submitted and printed as a “Letter to the Editor.” The Editor may edit letters for content and space restrictions. Letters may be published without giving an opposing view. Information shall be verified before printing. All letters must be signed by the writer. The Jewish Press will not publish letters that appear to be part of an organized campaign, nor letters copied from the Internet. No letters should be published from candidates running for office, but others may write on their Lettersbehalf.ofthanks 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.Periodicalpostage 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

What most people want, I suspect, is simply more control over their time and mind-space, and to keep work from leaking into their private lives — and maybe vice-versa. They want to do work that matters, and the private time to decompress, reconnect and take care of stuff.

Part of Teshuvah – repentance – is just letting go. Rather than dwell on what may or may not have upset you in the past, allow yourself to live in the present, to be holy and let the holiness of others shine through. Teshuvah is not just about repentance – it is also about returning. Let us all return to a place of healing and wholeness. It’s no coincidence that email arrived the day after my goat-related epiphany. I guess this is why it’s so important the High Holidays come every year—we need that reminder every year, that voice that tells us to ‘just breathe.’ At least, I do; maybe you are better at this than I am. I kind of hope so. So why is it that it doesn’t stick throughout the year? Is my attention span that short? I think it has to do with Ego. For many of us, being busy makes us feel important. No time to waste, we are adults and we are essential. Does the world turn just fine when we take a day off? It does, but we don’t like to think about that. We’d rather focus on completing tangible tasks, paperwork we can point at and say: “I did that.” We want spreadsheets and meetings and endless data that tells the world we are here and weHere’smatter.athought: what if we think of collecting a different kind of data, the kind that can’t be measured in office hours or pay stubs? What if we do what that Rabbi said, and simply breathe? The Holidays will get here, whether the shopping is done, whether the brisket is cooked or not, whether we leave a perfectly clean desk or a mount of unfinished reports. All we have to do to be present is just that: be present.Themere thought of letting go lowers my heart rate. The notion that Judaism allows us space to calm down, to slow down and relax, even if it is only temporary, isMaybecomforting.I’lleven take a few extra days off this time around and maybe I’ll convince myself to not spend those days frantically working on my house. Maybe. I know better than to make promises to myself I’ll have a hard time keeping. But then, part of learning how to breathe is knowing that even if I am not perfect, G-d willing, there is always next year.

The other day, I was at Temple Israel and someone mentioned the words ‘live’ and ‘goat’ in the same sentence. I’m not saying who it was Okay, fine, it was JennieThatGates-Beckman.wasprobablythe moment it hit me: the High Holidays are really almost here. Really, really. This always happens: I prepare for the Holidays two ways: getting all the work done (New Year’s issue, Sept. 23!!) with all the craziness and writing and planning, doing double duty because there’s the regular paper and all that comes with it. It starts in April and it’s such a hectic time, I always forget that at some point I get to look forward to the actual holidays. Not as something that gives our office pressing deadlines, but as a cause for celebrating with family and friends. Peace, instead of stress. Reward, renewal, a chance to breathe and re-engage, Why do I have to learn that lesson anew every single year? Recently, Rabbi Erin Boxt wrote: Have you ever sat down and just emptied your brain of all of the tensions and stresses that are affecting you? This may sound crazy. Go ahead, try. Sit down, take a deep breath, and just relax. Let your worries fade away…find yourself in a safe, comfortable place. The month of Elul gives us this opportunity to reflect and look deep within ourselves for hidden comfort and possibility. This possibility allows us to focus on what we need. Our health – mental, physical, and spiritual – is of utmost importance.

It’s telling that there is no commandment in Torah to work, but there are plenty to rest. Shabbat is a literal day of rest, but it is also a mindset. It strictly defines profane productivity, in order to carve out space and time for the sacred. This Jewish attitude toward work and rest is not about quitting, but it is about occasional quiet. Andrew Silow-Carroll is editor in chief of the New York Jewish Week and senior editor of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. He previously served as JTA’s editor in chief and as editor in chief and CEO of the New Jersey Jewish News. @SilowCarroll

“The ideal worker-employer relationship should be one of trusted partnership,” she writes, “in which each party looks out for the well-being of the other, and in which the two parties consider themselves to be working together for the perfection of the divineThisworld.”isnot exactly what we now know as the “Protestant work ethic.” The rabbis of the Talmud did not tie hard work and economic success to divine salvation. No doubt, they understand that people need to and should work for a living. “In traditional sources, work is often regarded as necessary, and certainly better than idleness (which can lead to sin),” according to a helpful article from My Jewish Learning. And yet, because the study of Torah is considered the ideal use of one’s time (assuming you are a man, anyway) the rabbis were clearly wary of occupations and ambitions that demanded too much of a worker. In Pirkei Avot, the collection of ethical sayings from the Mishnah, Rabbi Meir says, “Minimize business and engage in Torah.” The rabbis, My Jewish Learning explains, “were clearly worried that excessive pursuit of material well-being would distract from higher pursuits.”

On a grander scale, it means cooling your hottest ambitions in favor of a saner work-life balance.

KIDZ INN AFTER CARE Members, K-6th Kidz Inn is for families needing after school care for the entire school year. We provide age appropriate activities in a safe, nurturing and exciting environment.Kidz Inn is a state licensed childcare program, which means we meet the highest standards of our state regulations for childcare centers.Wegive kids one-onone attention as we promote their social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development through our curriculum. Kids love it because they run off steam in the gym and outdoors, get help with homework, get creative with art projects, play games and eat snacks. Parents love it because they know their children are being cared for in a safe environment by our professional staff. Kidz Inn enhances your child’s school day experience in the best way possible. Children will be offered a variety of programming throughout the week with a different topic focus each day. Topics can range from: • Nutrition & Cooking • Sports & Physical Activity • Science & Technology

The only form of Jewish identity that has proven itself capable of surviving more than a few generations is one rooted in the complete embrace acceptance of the truth of all the factual claims made by Judaism, including belief in God and His authorship of the Torah. Throughout our long history no Jewish community has ever survived without a belief in the foundations of our faith. A pretend Judaism won’t cut it. Only the real thing is worthy of us and our children — and a guarantee for a bright Jewish future. So where does this leave us? As a first step, we need to acknowledge the problem: that the fictionalist approach is both incompatible with Judaism, and unsustainable. This means that we cannot accept with equanimity the trend of fictionalism, and become comfortable with this as the new normal. We need to formulate an appropriate response. There are many proud Jews with genuine doubts about their heritage, and genuine crises of faith. The answer is not for us to reject those who harbor those doubts. Neither should those doubters give up hope in faith, or shape their doubts into a new philosophy which celebrates the falseness of Judaism. The only way forward is to engage directly and honestly and fearlessly with doubt, embracing the struggle to find faith, and make that the goal. There are many who have grappled with these issues — and have discovered their faith through intellectual inquiry and rational argument, rather than discarded it. Judaism makes specific truth claims about the world and the nature of reality, and these claims are supported by ra-

All School After Care: Mondays – Fridays, 3:30 – 6 p.m. Millard Public School Early Dismissal: Wednesdays, 2:15- 6 p.m. Friedel Jewish Academy Early Dismissal (Nov. – Mar.): Fridays, 2 – 6 p.m.

“It’s just what we Jews do,” Hershovitz explains. “[I]t keeps me connected to a community I value.”

must not be surprised when our children discard it along with the Tooth Fairy when they grow up, dismissing it as just another tale to make their childhood more charming. Why should they live a delusion? Why should they pay any more attention to their heritage than the “Magic Faraway Tree”?

After Care Includes: Kosher Snack, Afternoon Activities & Study Time and Transportation which is available to select area schools at a nominal rate. We transport from Aldrich, St. Vincent de Paul, Columbian and Friedel. Additional schools may be added as need arises. There is no transportation fee for Columbian and Friedel children, as they are walked over each day. Transportation fee is $50/month for all kids who need transportation (not based on days attending). Parents must complete a Youth Health Form (for each child) and return it to the JCC Youth Department on or before the first day of the program. The Health Form should be updated every year. To download forms and to register, please visit our website at ww.jccomaha.org or call us at 402.334.6452 or 402.334.6426 to register for programs.

A Few of our Upcoming Programs at the Staenberg JCC

A new generation of Jews is being born into a world overflowing with real, compelling and competing ways of thinking and living. Fed a Judaism that is a quaint cultural relic, a fairytale of false claims, they have quite naturally concluded that it can be jettisoned at a whim. That is why we are hemorrhaging young Jews, who are exiting our people in droves, raising questions of who and what will be left.

Judaism without God? God forbid, says South Africa’s chief rabbi

DANCE CLASSES & PROGRAMMING Member & Non Member, Ages 2 – Adult Welcome! The Performing Arts Department at the Jewish Community Center of Omaha imparts the joy and discipline of dance, theater, and music through a well-rounded catalogue of programming. For over 40 years we’ve provided dance programming to the community. We offer high caliber instruction in pre-ballet, ballet, jazz, tap, modern, hip hop, leaps & turns, lyrical and pom. Classes are offered at a variety of levels, with all classes providing emphasis on technique, musicality, body awareness and the development of self-expression through movement. All programs are taught in a caring and positive atmosphere by our qualified and experienced staff. Limited class size ensures students receive greater personalized instruction and the ability to social distance. Attention to detail, such as providing live piano accompaniment for ballet classes, is what sets our program apart from the rest. We also house one of the finest facilities in the metro area. We have gorgeous dance studios that are newly renovated and fully equipped, a beautiful 330-seat theater and new musical training studios. We also offer a variety of special programs. Choreographic workshops, music lessons, theater and acting classes, performance opportunities with recognized artists, and field trips to area dance events, are just some of the exciting opportunities that await! Performing Arts programming at the J is open to Members and Non-Members, ages 2 through adult. Members receive discounted rates and other benefits. If you are interested in joining the J, contact Member Services at 402.334.6426.

TO SUBMIT ANNOUNCEMENTS

"Emet" is the Hebrew word for "truth." Credit: JTA graphic

B’nai Mitzvah announcements may be e-mailed to the Press with attached photos in .jpg or .tif files to jpress@jewishomaha.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, or by e-mailing: jpress@jewishomaha.org

RABBI WARREN GOLDSTEIN

JTA In a recent Jewish Telegraphic Agency column, Andrew Silow-Carroll identified a trend in American Jewry, which he described as “fictionalism.” In the article, he defines it as “pretending to follow a set of beliefs in order to reap the benefits of a set of actions” and cites the philosophy professor Scott Hershovitz, who explains that he fasts on Yom Kippur and observes Passover even though he doesn’t believe in God.

And there is hope. The very fact that those who have adopted fictionalism are so drawn to the mitzvah experiences of the Torah despite not believing shows how even they find the system so attractive. It is remarkable that the Torah’s way of life is so compelling thousands of years after it was introduced to the world that even people who think it is based on false claims cannot let go of it. The Passover seder as the model of generational transfer of values and narrative; Yom Kippur as an immersive, cathartic experience of personal growth and accountability; Shabbat with its laws that create the space to rediscover and reconnect with ourselves and our loved ones. How did these and all our other mitzvahs survive with us for thousands of years, and yet still feel as relevant as they were thousands of years ago? This inexplicable phenomenon gives us a glimpse of the Divine author of it all. And it is the bridge waiting for the fictionalists to make the journey over to a world of faith. Rabbi Warren Goldstein is the chief rabbi of South Africa and founder of the global Shabbat Project, and holds a PhD in human rights and law.

Readers can also submit other announcements -- births engagements, marriages, commitment ceremonies or obituaries -- online at: www.om ahajewishpress.com Go to Submission Forms. Deadlines are normally eight days prior to publication, on Thursdays, 9 a.m. Check the Jewish Press, however, for notices of early deadlines prior to secular and Jewish holidays.

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The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.

For fictionalists, God is a useful fiction, and Jewish practice has value only in its pragmatic utility. As Hershovitz puts it: “When it feels like the world is falling apart, I seek refuge in religious rituals — but not because I believe my prayers will beThisanswered.”trendrequires a well-thought-out, clear response because of the serious problems it presents. Firstly, denial of God’s existence or the truth of the Torah’s narrative is utterly incompatible with Judaism itself. Take, for example, the Passover seder. According to fictionalism, the Haggadah that parents read to their children is the equivalent of a collection of the writings of Hans Christian Andersen. “We were slaves to Pharaoah in Egypt, until the Almighty, the Holy One blessed is He, took us out.” Welcome to Hansel and Gretel: “Once upon a time …” When we read the about the Exodus — when we tell our children that our ancestors were slaves in Egypt and that God liberated us with miracles — that is a fraud, according to the fictionalist.Thisapproach drives a dagger through the heart of Passover and places Jewish parents in an invidious position. When do you tell your children that the story of the Exodus is one of the greatest frauds of history, perpetuated by generations of Jewish parents and grandparents? Should the seder night begin with a disclaimer: none of what you are about to hear is Thetrue?point is, if you remove God from Judaism it ceases to be recognizable as such. When we say “may the Omnipresent comfort you” at a funeral , or “God who blessed bride and groom” at a wedding, or “God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh” during Kiddush, or “God is one” every morning and evening, and on our deathbed — these are all just fictions? If so, Judaism is meaningless; it becomes a system based on falsehoods. Strip away the psychobabble, and these aren’t just “useful fictions” or “principled self-deceptions” — they are, simply, falsehoods. And, who wants to live a lie? This brings us to the second major problem with the fictionalist approach to Judaism — it is a formula for the self-implosion of the Jewish people. If Judaism is a fairytale, then we

tional inquiry. We must discover the compelling evidence, and the powerful philosophical, scientific and historical proofs for the authenticity of the Torah, and its claims about the existence of God, and all He did: the creation of the universe, the Exodus from Egypt and the giving the Torah to the Jewish people at Sinai with the mission to observe its mitzvahs forever. For thousands of years, up until around 150 years ago, the vast majority of Jews did not dispute these historical truths. Rabbis need to address matters of faith head on. This has been my experience both as a synagogue rabbi as well as from the almost 18 years that I have served as the chief rabbi to the South African Jewish community. People are searching for truth. We need to articulate with absolute clarity that belief in God and the authenticity of the Torah are indispensable to Judaism. We need to present all of the many rational and scientific arguments to uphold these claims. We need to be fearless and unapologetic about the fact that God exists and that He gave the Jewish people the Torah at Sinai, and how these claims are substantiated with compelling arguments and evidence. But we need to do this with love and kindness — not anger and aggression. And we need to teach Torah to as many Jews as possible as often as possible. A path to rich, authentic faith lies in learning Torah. Our sages (Midrash Eichah, Petichta 2 based on Jeremiah 16:11) tell us that when we feel distant from God — even to the point of losing faith — learning Torah, with dedication and depth, offers us a way back, a means of knowing God and locating our values and identity, and connection to Him.

SATURDAY-Sept. 17: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush Lunch sponsored by Sandy and Jeff Passer at Beth El & Live Stream; Selichot Under the Stars, 8 p.m. Please visit bethel-omaha.org for additional information and service links.

FRIDAY-Sept. 16: Drop-In Mah Jongg 9-11 a.m.; Classic Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. via Zoom or In-Person. SATURDAY-Sept. 17: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. via Zoom or In-Person; S’lichot Chamber Music Concert, 7 p.m. In-Person; S’lichot Service, 8 p.m. via Zoom or In-Person.Pleasevisit templeisraelomaha.com for additional information and Zoom service links.

Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California Street Omaha, NE bethel-omaha.org402.492.855068154-1980

LINCOLN B’NAICOMMUNITY:JEWISHJESHURUN

Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive Omaha, NE templeisraelomaha.com402.556.653668144-1206

Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Boulevard Lincoln, NE tiferethisraellincoln.org402.423.856968502-5236

TUESDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Board of Directors Meeting 6 p.m.; Daf Yomi, 6:50 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv 7:20 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Daf Yomi, 6:50 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:20 p.m. THURSDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Character Development, 9:30 a.m.; Daf Yomi, 6:50 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv 7:20 p.m. FRIDAY-Sept. 16: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat/Candlelighting, 7:14SATURDAY-Sept.p.m. 17: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat 10:45 a.m.; Selichot begins, 1:15 p.m.; Tehillim for Kids, 5:30 p.m.; Kids Parsha Class 6:30 p.m.; Mincha/Shalosh Suedos 7 p.m.; Laws of Shabbos/Kids Activity 7:30 p.m.; Ma’ariv/Havdalah, 8:12 p.m. Please visit orthodoxomaha.org for additional information and Zoom service links. All services are in-person. All classes are being offered in-person/Zoom hybrid (Ochabad.com/classroom). For more information or to request help, please visit www.ochabad.com or call the office at 402.330.1800. FRIDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Inspirational Lechayim, 5:45 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: ochabad.com/Le chayim; Candlelighting, 7:25 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit 9:30 a.m.; Shabbat One Hour Service 11 a.m.; Kiddush noon; Shabbat Ends, 8:23SUNDAY:p.m. Sunday Morning Wraps: Video Presentation, 9-9:30 a.m. and Breakfast, 9:45 a.m. MONDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Personal Parsha class, 9:30 a.m. with Shani Katzman; Advanced Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen.

THURSDAY: Thursday Morning Class, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Azriel via Zoom or In-Person.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush Lunch sponsored by Sherry and Jeff Taxman at Beth El & Live Stream; Havdalah, 8:15 p.m. Zoom Only.

B’NAI SYNAGOGUEISRAEL

CHABAD HOUSE An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street Omaha, NE email:OChabad.com402.330.180068144-1646chabad@aol.com

WEDNESDAY: Yarn It, 9 a.m.; Grades 3-6, 4-6 p.m. In-Person; Grades 7-12 6:30 p.m. In-Person.

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

SATURDAY: Torah Study 9:15 a.m. via Zoom or InPerson; Shabbat Morning Services and Bar Mitzvah of Meyer Feinstein 10:30 a.m. via Zoom or In-Person.

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TEMPLE ISRAEL

South Street Temple Union for Reform Judaism 2061 South 20th Street Lincoln, NE www.southstreettemple.org402.435.800468502-2797

323 South 132 Street Omaha, NE 68154 rbjh.com

LINCOLN TIFERETHCOMMUNITY:JEWISHISRAEL

SUNDAY: BESTT (Grades K-7), 9:30 a.m.; Torah Tots, 10 a.m.; Miriam Initiative Goes to Fabletics, 10 a.m.WEDNESDAY: BESTT (Grades 3-7), 4:15 p.m.; Hebrew High (Grades 8-12), 6 p.m. FRIDAY-Sept. 16: Kabbalat Shabbat 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream.

Join us on Friday, Oct. 14, 7 p.m. for evening services with our guest speaker, Oliver Pollak. Our service leader is Larry Blass. Everyone is always welcome at B’naiForIsrael!information on COVID-related closures and about our historic synagogue, please contact Howard Kutler at hkutler@hotmail.com or any of our other board members: Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Janie Kulakofsky, Carole and Wayne Lainof, Mary-Beth Muskin, Debbie Salomon and Sissy Silber. Handicap Accessible. Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat 10:45 a.m.; Tehillim for Kids, 5:30 p.m.; Kids Parsha Class, 6:30 p.m.; Mincha/Shalosh Suedos 7:10 p.m.; Laws of Shabbos/Kids Activity 7:40 p.m.; Ma’ariv/Havdalah, 8:25 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Daf Yomi, 6:50 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv 7:20 p.m. MONDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Daf Yomi 6:50 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv 7:20 p.m.

SUNDAY: Grades PreK-6, 9:30 a.m. In-Person; Congregational Conversion, 10:30 a.m.; In-Person; TriFaith Initiative: United We Walk, 3 p.m. at Tri-Faith Center. In-Person.

Scott Littky

B’NAI ISRAEL

FRIDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat/Candlelighting, 7:26 p.m.

VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON MINYAN SCHEDULE: Mornings on Sundays, 9:30 a.m.; Mondays and Thursdays, 7 a.m.; Evenings on Sunday-Thursday, 5:30 p.m.

ROSE JEWISHBLUMKINHOME

Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street Omaha, NE. BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org402.556.628868154

BETH SYNAGOGUEEL

BETH EL BETH ISRAEL CHABAD HOUSE

Synagogues

Shalom is a wonderful Hebrew word that means hello, goodbye, AND peace. With all three of these definitions we welcome you and are pleased to introduce you to the “Exploring Judaism” class we offer through the Jewish Federation of Omaha.Inthis class you are encouraged to ask your questions, learn multiple perspectives, and discover what is meaningful to you in Judaism. We’ll explore Jewish holidays and life-cycle ceremonies, beliefs, values, prayer, Jewish texts, Israel and the American Jewish experience.Exploring Judaism includes a panel discussion with the community’s rabbis and clergy who will each provide a perspective on Judaism through the lens of their respective congregations. An opportunity to view the mikvah located in the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home is also a part of the class. This 12-session course is wonderfully suited for interfaith couples, those raising Jewish children, individuals considering conversion, spiritual seekers and anyone who wants to gain a deeper understanding of Jewish life, no matter faith tradition, cultural background or religious upbringing. As we emerge from the restrictions of COVID-19, we look forward to opening up for in-person classes to the extent that it is possible. We will always adhere to all safety precautions from the CDC and local agencies. The instructor for the course is Scott Littky, an experienced Jewish education instructor. He began his career in Jewish education in 1985 as a religious school teacher. From 1988 through 1997 he served the then Bureau of Jewish Education of Omaha as a Community Teacher. He taught at Friedel Jewish Academy as well as afternoon religious school programs. Scott served 17 years as a Director of Education, first at Beth El Synagogue in Omaha, Nebraska, followed by positions in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Alexandria, Virginia.In2014, he returned to Omaha and was the Program Director at Temple Israel. Scott is currently the Executive Director for the Institute for Holocaust Education. He has been teaching Exploring Judaism since 2014. Program Assistant for the course is Mark Kirchhoff. Mark has twenty-nine years of experience at Father Flanagan’s Boys’ Home (Boys Town) serving in different capacities over time: direct care, program supervision, business management, and direct mail fundraising. He was the Director for Refugee Residential Placement at the Southern Sudan Community Association (now the Refugee Empowerment Center) for six years.Mark began work at the Jewish Federation of Omaha in 2011 and has worked side-byside with Scott since Scott began teaching the course in 2014. The 2022 Fall Session is Thursdays, 7-8:30 p.m. from Sept. 8-Dec 1. The winter session begins Dec. 13. Updated information will be provided on our website at Jewishomaha.org, and in the Jewish Press and JFO E-News. If you have questions about these classes, would like help in accessing the Jewish Press, or would like to receive the JFO ENews, contact Mark Kirchhoff at mkirchhoff @jewishomaha.org or call 402.334.6463.

TUESDAY: Shacharit 8 a.m. WEDNESDAY: Shacharit 8 a.m.; Tanya, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Katzman; Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Hebrew Reading, 11:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen. THURSDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Advanced Hebrew Class, 11 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Talmud Study (Sanhedrin 18 — No advance experience necessary), noon with Rabbi Katzman; Jewish Law Class, 7 p.m. FRIDAY-Sept. 16: Shacharit 8 a.m.; Inspirational Lechayim, 5:45 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: ochab ad.com/Lechayim; Candlelighting, 7:13 p.m. SATURDAY-Sept. 17: Shacharit, 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 8:11 p.m. Services facilitated by Rabbi Alex Felch. Note: Some of our services, but not all, are now being offered in person. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat Service with Rabbi Alex and music by Leslie Delserone and Peter Mullin, 6:30 p.m. at SST; Oneg host TBD; Candlelighting, 7:27 p.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Alex at TI; Torah Study, noon on Parashat Ki Teitzei; Havdalah 8:25 p.m. SUNDAY: LJCS Classes, 9:30 a.m.; Men's Jewish Bike Group of Lincoln meets Sundays at 10 a.m., rain or shine, to ride to one of The Mill locations from Hanson Ct. (except we drive if it’s too wet, cold, cloudy, windy, hot or humid) followed by coffee and spirited discussions. If interested, please email Al Weiss at alb ertw801@gmail.com to find out where to meet each week; Pickleball at Tifereth Israel is on hiatus until after Yom Kippur 5783. In the meantime, everyone is welcome to play at Peterson Park until after Yom Kippur; just wear comfortable clothes and tennis or gym shoes. For more information, contact Miriam Wallick by email at TUESDAY:Miriam57@aol.com Tea & Coffee with Pals, 1:30 p.m. via Zoom. WEDNESDAY: LJCS Classes, 4 p.m. THURSDAY: HHD Choir Rehearsal, 7 p.m. FRIDAY-Sept. 16: Kabbalat Shabbat Service with Rabbi Alex and music by Nathaniel and Steve Kaup, 6:30 p.m. at SST; Oneg host TBD; Candlelighting, 7:15 p.m.SATURDAY-Sept. 17: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Alex at TI; Torah Study, noon on Parashat Ki Tavo; S’lichot Service, 7:30 p.m. at SST; Havdalah, 8:13 p.m. Garden Work Party, Sunday, Sept. 18, 8:30 a.m. at SST.FRIDAYS: Virtual Shabbat Service, 7:30 p.m. every first and third of the month at Capehart Chapel. Contact TSgt Jason Rife at OAFBJSLL@icloud.com for moreTheinformation.RoseBlumkin Jewish Home’s service is currently closed to visitors. In-person and virtual services conducted by Rabbi Batsheva Appel, Rabbi Deana Sussmam Berezin, and Cantor Joanna Alexander FRIDAY: Drop-In Mah Jongg, 9-11 a.m.; Shabbat Shira Service, 6 p.m. via Zoom or In-Person; Pop Up Shabbat with TISH, 6-9 p.m. at Heirloom Fine Foods. Please RSVP Required.

BETH SYNAGOGUEISRAEL

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

Exploring Judaism

FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream; Tot Shabbat, 6 p.m.

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But then in 1987, the numbers of Jews emigrating began rising precipitously, reaching 185,000 in 1990, spurred in part by bold advocacy by American Jews that made releasing their Soviet brethren a politically wise maneuver for Gorbachev. At the same time, Gorbachev oversaw an end to restrictions on religious worship and most dramatically, opened the gates for the most famous of refuseniks and so-called “prisoners of Zion,” or those who had been imprisoned for their Zionist activity, including Natan Sharansky, Ida Nudel and Yosef Begun.

Gorbachev had not publicly commented on Russia’s invasion this year of Ukraine, formerly part of the country he governed, although his foundation urged its speedy end. The invasion has cooled relations with the west that Gorbachev had warmed — and has spurred yet another wave of Russian Jewish emigration, to Israel and elsewhere.

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He and U.S. President Ronald Reagan joined in successful disarmament talks, and Gorbachev’s policies of perestroika (reconstruction) and glasnost (openness) introduced unprecedented freedoms of expression and organization to the Soviet Union. He decentralized the confederation, handing more power to the republics in a move that would eventually lead to their Gorbachevindependence.resigned after a failed coup in December 1991 that sought his ouster. He had bested the plotters but the economic uncertainty and the devolution of power created a sense of chaos and left him open to criticism that he was no longer the right man to lead Russia in an age of monumental transformation. He slipped into the obscurity of private life, much of which he spent with his beloved wife Raisa until her death in Leaders1999.ofAmerican and western Jewish organizations surprised themselves after his ouster by praising the leader of a nation they had once joined Reagan in reviling as an evil empire.“Though Gorbachev was late in breaking out of the human rights gate, the positive changes he ultimately initiated would have been unthinkable to us in the Soviet human rights advocacy movement a decade ago,” the Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry, among the most strident of advocacy groups, said at the time.

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In a statement Wednesday, Rabbi Arthur Schneier, the senior rabbi at Park East Synagogue in New York, recalled his multiple meetings with Gorbachev in the 1980s.

“Gorbachev recognized that the issue of human rights was an integral component of international relations, he introduced numerous changes affecting those rights and eventually opened the doors and allowed thousands of Jews to leave the Soviet Union for a life of religious freedom in the United States and Israel,” Schneier said.

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Over 60 Years Experience With Jewish Lettering and Memorials 1439 So. Family402-341-245213thOwnedandOperated Pulverente MONUMENT CO. Tritz Plumbing Inc. family402-894-0300www.tritz.comownedandoperatedsince 1945 repair • remodelcommercial • residentialRON KAMPEAS JTA Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet leader whose reforms, including allowing massive numbers of Jews to emigrate to Israel, changed his country and the world, died at 91. Russian media said Gorbachev died Tuesday in a Moscow hospital.“Michail Gorbachev has died,” Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, Moscow’s chief rabbi from 1993 until this year, said Tuesday on Twitter. “3 million Soviet Jews owe him their freedom.” It was clear when Gorbachev rose to power in 1985 that he would be different from his predecessors as secretary general of the Communist Party. He was younger, more vibrant, more open to acknowledging where communism had fallen short in the Soviet Union.Buthis rise was at first inauspicious for the movement that had sought for decades to allow Jews to freely emigrate. The Soviet regime prevented them from leaving and often punished them for seeking exit at all. The number of Jews allowed to emigrate in 1985 was already low, 1,140, and slipped further to 914 in 1986. The sense among Soviet Jewry activists was that the new and relatively young leader was even more regressive than his predecessors. His Western outlook seemed cosmetic. Visiting Britain in 1984 as a senior member of the Politburo, a year before his rise to leader, he shopped and joked — and snapped at a lawmaker who asked him about religious restrictions, “You govern your society, you leave us to govern ours.”

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“In the days of Stalin, especially after World War II, antisemitism was introduced into domestic and foreign policy,” Gorbachev said. “Even after the death of Stalin, this state of affairs continued, but not in openly repressive forms.”

Mikhail Gorbachev, Russian Politburo member and second in line at the Kremlin, announces the death of Soviet Defence Minister Marshal Dmitri Ustinov, before departing from Edinburgh Airport for Russia, in Edinburgh, Dec. 21 1984. Gorbachev was on a week-long trip to Britain.

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Speaking to a reporter after that speech, he said he also regretted the results. The exodus of what by then was at least 350,000 Jews, was, he said, a “loss for our land and society.”

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The Jewish Press | September 9, 2022 | 11

In a statement an aide delivered in 1991 at Babyn Yar, the killing field in Ukraine where Nazis launched the final solution seeking the annihilation of Jews, Gorbachev condemned all forms of Gorbachev’santisemitism.reforms affecting Jews were part of a much broader revolution he led to end the Cold War, the decadeslong Soviet-U.S. standoff that many in the west feared would heat up into a nuclear conflict.

A pocket of admiration endured in Israel, where Gorbachev got a hero’s welcome in 1992. He got awards, honorary degrees and, much to his bemusement, a new breed of potato named for him. Gorbachev delivered during that visit a nuanced assessment of the antisemitism that had plagued his country. Antisemitism, he said, was “officially denied in policy but encouraged in practice.”

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The award-winning B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS speaker program currently meets Wednesdays via Zoom from noon to 1 p.m. Please watch the Press for specific information concerning its thought-provoking, informative list of speakers. To be placed on the email list, contact Breadbreakers chair at gary.javitch@gmail.com ORGANIZATIONS Mikhail Gorbachev dies at 91

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Learning that Kurtz had donated the three-minute film to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Stigter then watched it on the museum’s website.

One of the storylines follows Maurice Chandler, who survived the war. When Marcy Rosen watched the 1938 film on the Holocaust Museum website, she recognized her own grandfather, Chandler, in the footage, when he was 13. Chandler, now in his 90s, was interviewed for Three Minutes: A Lengthening. “For me, it’s a historic document,” Stigter said. “But for him, it’s his past, his childhood, so he has a completely different relationship to the material than most viewers.” Kurtz donated the original film to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, which was able to send it to a preservation lab and digitize every frame. That footage is used in the new film. Stigter had not previously directed a movie, although she has been an associate producer on films directed by her Oscar-winning husband Steve McQueen. The two are working on a documentary based on Stigter’s 2019 book Atlas Of An Occupied City: Amsterdam 1940-1945.

“Eventually, I had to abandon the novel, and I lived this story that I had been writing — I myself became obsessed with identifying the people who appeared in this film,” Kurtz said. “There’s hundreds of people, and lots of children, and I had this moment of shock when I realized, this is probably the only footage of these people — certainly the only color moving imagery… that exists. And I was now, in a way, responsible for their memory.”

The home movie is now the basis for a feature documentary called Three Minutes: A Lengthening, directed by Bianca Stigter, who is also a historian and culture critic. The film, which appeared at the Toronto International and Sundance Film Festivals, as well as some Jewish ones, gets a wide theatrical release on Friday.

How a home movie from 1938 turned into a Holocaust documentary

The discovery led to four years of research into the footage, the people in it and what became of them, leading to the publication in 2014 of Kurtz’s acclaimed book Three Minutes in Poland: Discovering a Lost World in a 1938 Family Film.

“So I went over there, and watched the footage, and was immediately very drawn into it, because you see it in color, which is very rare for that time. You see these very vivid, vibrant street scenes, that I had never seen like that before. Children, really looking into the lens, and trying to stay in the frame, it has a very robust, joyous atmosphere,” she said.

As for how many of the hundreds of people in the film were actually identified, Kurtz said somewhere between 25 and 30.

Around 2015, not long after Kurtz’s book was published, Stigter found a Facebook post about “Three Minutes in Poland,” and clicked on it, finding it a “very intriguing title,” Stigter told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in an interview.

Townspeople shown in the predominantly Jewish village of Nasielsk, Poland, in 1938, as seen in Bianca Stigter’s Three Minutes: A Lengthening Credit: Family Affair Films/US Holocaust Memorial Museum

12 | The Jewish Press | September 9, 2022 News LOCAL | NATIONAL | WORLD

The film does away with most documentary conventions, such as scenes of talking head historians or other related footage. “I wanted this… raw power of this recording, to be the main focus and have the sense of stakes, and not dilute it with any talking heads, or other embellishments,” Stigter said.

STEPHEN SILVER JTA In 2009, writer Glenn Kurtz was working on a novel about “someone who discovers an old piece of home movie footage in a flea market and becomes obsessed with identifying the people [in it],” he said in an interview earlier this year. As he started researching what happens to old film, he remembered his family’s home movies. This led him to a closet in his parents’ house in Florida, where he unearthed a film of his grandparents’ vacation to Europe in 1938, on the eve of World War II. In the 14-minute film was a three-minute section of their visit to Kurtz’s grandfather’s home village of Nasielsk, Poland, a town whose Jewish community would be decimated by the Holocaust not long after. Kurtz had never heard about this trip, as his grandfather had died before he was born, and his grandmother did not often talk about the distant past.

As part of her research for the film, Stigter visited the town in Poland itself, which allowed her to “solve some riddles” raised by the 1938 film, such as the name on one street sign.

Some of the structures shown in the film remain, but the synagogue is no longer there, and there’s “not a lot of sense of the Jewish past,” she said.

This story was edited for length.Read the full article at www.omahajewishpress.com

Stigter thought it would be great to find some way to extend the footage, and got the opportunity not long after that, when she was asked to make a video essay by the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR). The result was Three Minutes Thirteen Minutes Thirty Minutes, which ultimately formed the basis for the 70-minute Three Minutes: A Lengthening.

In some cases a person was recognized, but only remembered by a nickname, or some other partially identifying detail.

September 9, 2022

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