September 10, 2021

A N AG E N C Y O F T H E J E W I S H F E D E R AT I O N O F O M A H A

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SEPTEMBER 10, 2021 | 4 TIS H RE I 578 2 | VO L. 1 01 | NO. 4 6 | CANDLELIGHTING | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 7:23 P.M.

ADL-CRC board members to be honored Just plain fun: Mark Abrahamson’s Collection Page 4

Beit Midrash: Third-time charm MARK KIRCHHOFF Community Engagement and Education It is no surprise that the Jewish community of Omaha comes together for significant events and topics of interest. Visitors to the community share that observation with regularity. Jews in Omaha experience it routinely. When Rabbi

Baruch Haba’im! Omaha welcomes new Shlicha Page 5

Carol Bloch

David Gilinsky

JILL KUSHNER BELMONT hen the Anti-Defamation League’s Omaha office celebrates its 70th anniversary on Sunday, Sept 19, it will also celebrate two longtime board members for their dedicated advocacy work over the years.

Carol Bloch and David Gilinsky will be honored with the newly established “Spirit of Justice Award” during ADL-CRC: Strong at 70, a casual cocktail party planned for 4 to 6 p.m., in the front plaza (outdoors) of the

Jewish Community Center.

According to ADL-CRC Regional Director Gary Nachman, the award is based on several criteria: to honor an individual or institution whose actions have embraced ADL’s mission of securing justice and fair treatment to all; to recognize those whose actions have improved the lives of, or given meaningful voice to, others; to honor those who have shown significant dedication, personal commitment and leadership in fighting antisemitism and all forms of hate, bigotry, and social injustice.

See ADL-CRC board members page 2

W What Jewish chefs are making Page 16

Uncle Chuck taught us to look at the stars

REGULARS Spotlight Voices Synagogues Life cycles

11 12 14 15

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMPWRIGHT Jewish Press Editor There are many people in our community who have fond memories of “Uncle” Chuck Arnold, whose name is synonymous with ‘Camp.’ From Camp Brewster to Esther K. Newman, you can’t think of Camp without thinking of Arnold.

“You take kids 40 miles out of Omaha,” he said in 2014, “and it feels like they are in a different world.” He called Camp a “time to look at the stars and smell the trees.”

“Uncle” Chuck Arnold

Among his many roles, “Uncle” Chuck Arnold was best known for being the Athletic Director at the Omaha JCC for 28 years. Whatever the task, he did it with love, warmth, and dedication. He considered his role here much more than just a job.

He treated everyone like family. He was an individual who put the ‘com-

munity’ within the JCC. Chuck’s world was a very inclusive place. He made sure to provide a variety of programs for all ages and skill levels. He led the way in bringing high-caliber programming to JCC Members. Today, we strive to do the same. Part of the way we hope to accomplish this is by providing our community with top-level facilities, programs and opportunities.

With this project, we keep Chuck’s legacy alive. Our aim is to raise $2M to build an additional basketball gymnasium in Chuck Arnold’s memory.

The gymnasium will have a fulllength basketball court (95’9” x 77’) with a hardwood floor. This muchneeded space will also be ideal for our growing programming.

In addition, a pickleball complex, consisting of 4 courts (44’ x 34’) is planned.

Please consider a donation in support of the “Uncle” Chuck Fundraising Drive or keep in mind the need to See Chuck Arnold page 2

Ari Dembitzer first became the Senior Rabbi at Beth Israel Synagogue in March of 2015, he said, “Jewish people are a united people. When we are able, we should speak as one and Omaha is very good at that.

This is one of the most close-knit communities I have ever seen. We have different viewpoints, but we have so much love.” It follows, then, that for the past two years the Omaha community has come together for a purpose that is central to all Jews – learning. From the first Beit Midrash (the Hebrew term for “House of Study”) beginning October of 2019, through May of 2020, and the second year from October of 2020, through May of 2021, Beit Midrash continues to attract enthusiastic participants. Two hundred and thirty-four people registered for the 2020-2021 classes with an average of 51 participants at any given session. It has survived – even thrived – in the virtual land of Zoom. Dialogue with the clergy has been wide, deep, interesting, informative – and occasionally even a bit controversial.

Following this past year’s classes, Jan and Phillip Wayne shared, “We’ve appreciated the opportunity to broaden our horizons and look forward to the coming year!” In her comments regarding the Beit Midrash series, Joanie Lehr said, “I think it is really healthy for the community to see how well the clergy interact with each other; that does not happen in many communities.”

This year’s Beit Midrash begins with panel discussions on Oct. 6 and 13 from 7-8 p.m. The topic of these sessions will be: Jewish Americans in 2020 – Unpacking the Pew Study Data. Beit Midrash will continue on subsequent Wednesday evenings through June 4 with See Beit Midrash page 3

2 | The Jewish Press | September 10, 2021

ADL-CRC board members

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Continued from page 1 “Incredibly, Carol and David’s combined years of service to the ADL-CRC add up to 40 years,” Nachman said. “Whenever they’ve been needed, they have never failed to step up. I cannot think of any two people more deserving of this honor.”

Since the 1980s, Bloch has distinguished herself locally and nationally as a vital community activist for social justice, women’s reproductive rights, and civil rights. Working with the ADL-CRC came naturally, complementing her volunteer efforts with the National Council of Jewish Women, Planned Parenthood of Omaha-Council Bluffs, and the Nebraska ProChoice Coalition, among other organizations. In addition to the ADL-CRC, she currently sits on the boards of Nebraska Appleseed, and the Courts Matter Coalition of Nebraska, which she co-founded in 2009.

Bloch joined the ADL-CRC board in 2004, after receiving encouragement from then-regional director Bob Wolfson. She jumped in with both feet, becoming chair of the Nominating and Bylaws committees, as well as co-chair of the Civil Rights Committee, a position she continues to hold today. Her work with the latter has focused on the separation of religion and state, religious freedom, advancing voting rights, instituting fair immigration laws, and most recently, the Ruby Platt Allyship Initiative.

She has spent countless hours monitoring issues of discrimination, bias, and antisemitism, all in the name of raising public awareness.

“One of my priorities is education,” Bloch said. “I want people to learn about the issues, and then I want them to take the next step by contacting their representatives, writing letters to the editor and getting involved. Even if our elected officials do not agree with us, they need to hear from us.”

She expressed gratitude to the local ADL-CRC staff for tackling a never-ending workload.

“Unfortunately, our work is never done,” she said. “With so many volatile issues currently before us, I see no ‘mission accomplished’ sign on the horizon. I take great pride in being associated with an organization that never resigns from its endeavor to create justice for all in our society.

“These dedicated staff members show up every single day to educate students about bias, train teachers, and work with the local criminal justice system, all while addressing constant antisemitic incidents, racism, extremist threats and other crimes of hate. The challenges are endless.”

Ellie Batt, ADL-CRC board co-chairman, praised Carol’s decades-long dedication.

“Carol’s work on our board and the civil rights committee has been incalculable,” she said. “She has always been an ardent and steadfast advocate of social justice issues for both the Jewish and secular communities. She has been ceaseless in her work, a true galvanizing force.”

Gilinsky credited Ann Goldstein, of blessed memory, for getting him involved with the ADL-CRC.

In 1994, he had just completed the Omaha Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Omaha program. He recalled Ann (the director of Leadership Omaha at the time) saying to him, “‘So, what are you going to do now? You need to get involved on a local board. I’m on the board of the ADL. Come to a meeting with me.’

“She really challenged me to get involved in something I’m passionate about and to make a difference,” he said. “And here I am today! I am forever grateful for her leadership and influence.”

As a board member, Gilinsky has taken on a variety of leadership roles, including a recent stint as board chairman. His involvement in the Jewish community and greater Omaha community has included serving on the boards of the Jewish Federation, Temple Israel, the Jewish Federation Foundation, and CHAD (Community Health Agencies Drive).

His passion for ADL’s work has not wavered over the past 27 years.

“We live in a world of fear and xenophobia, which has created tremendous divisiveness, and the ADL is actually doing something about it by attacking it from more than one angle,” Gilinsky said. “First, the ADL’s focus on promoting understanding and inclusiveness through education and dialogue is the key to healing the wounds in American society today. And, just as important to address, there is a fringe vocal minority which is constantly stoking the fires of hate. These groups end up influencing a much larger audience. There is simply nothing like the ADL’s Center on Extremism, which tracks these groups and aids law enforcement in limiting their influence and abilities worldwide.”

Lauding Gilinsky’s dedication, ADL-CRC board co-chairman Ron Giller noted that, “With his passion and sense of humor, David has always led the way in inspiring others to support the ADL-CRC and other important causes. He has served in multiple roles on the board – from chair of the Nominating and Finance committees to board chairman – and has made a significant contribution in each of those roles.”

Giller and Batt emphasized the tremendous spirit of generosity that guides both of the honorees in their endeavors, whether public or behind the scenes.

“Every board should be as lucky to have a David Gilinsky or a Carol Bloch,” Batt said.

The community is invited to raise a glass in honor of Bloch and Gilinsky during the Sept. 19 event. Tickets are $70, and may be purchased by visiting adl.omaha.org/70strong, or by contacting Pam Monsky at 402.334.6572, or pmonsky@adl.org.

The ADL-CRC gratefully acknowledges the following sponsors of the anniversary celebration: The Norman and Frances Batt Family Fund; Bergman Incentives; Steve and Carol Bloch; Gary and Lisa Epstein; Paul and Sandy Epstein; Fraser Stryker Attorneys at Law; Jerry and Cookie Hoberman; Rich and Fran Juro; Howard and Gloria Kaslow; Carl and Zoë Riekes; the Special Donor Advised Fund of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation; the Staenberg Family Foundation Anything Grant; and Aaron Weiner and Therese Vaughn.

Chuck Arnold Continued from page 1 further build our Federation Facilities Replacement Fund, an endowment though the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation.

The planned Donor Recognition Wall in the Fitness Center will recognize contributions to the fundraising drive of $500 and above with multi-colored tiles.

Chuck Arnold grew up in Florida and earned degrees in exercise science and psychology in 1962 from the University of Alabama, where he played football for the Crimson Tide.

After college, he moved to Omaha to accept the position of Athletic Director at the Jewish Community Center. After 28 years in that position, he became the executive director of the Council Bluffs Senior Center, a position from which he retired in 2004. At the time, he said: “Your greatest gift to me has been the recognition that age is truly a state of mind. I will miss the center and all the dear friends I have made in our journey to make this the only comprehensive wellness center for older adults in the region - and the most exciting. My appreciation to each and every one of the members, volunteers, businesses, civic leaders, elected officials and professional staff who believed in us and supported us. I wish you much health and happiness and look forward to meeting you at the center as a member.”

He was a professional member of the American College of Sports Medicine, the Council on Aging and the International Council on Active Aging. He was past president of the Downtown Council Bluffs Noon Kiwanis and served as a Cee Bee Ambassador.

His biggest impact was as the JCC’s athletic director: there are countless people who have stories, memories and, most importantly, gratitude when they think of Uncle Chuck.

“The institution’s oldest institution,” the Jewish Press called

him in 1983. In an interview he gave on the occasion of his 20th anniversary, he mused about the Jewishness of his job: “What about all this is Jewish? Chuck refers those who ask that question to the Talmud, which says the mind cannot survive without a healthy body. He said further that the strenuous activities at the Center may have helped to dispel a popular image of the Jew as a ‘sedentary, inactive’ person and gave the JCC Blue-Star basketball team as an example of how Jewish identity is ‘woven into the P.E. program.’ Besides, said Chuck, athletic programs in which Jews participate always do much to foster Jewish friendship and association.”

Chuck’s department was instrumental in developing the first pre-school physical education program in the Midwest.

It was called ‘Tot Gym,’ and served as a model for educators all throughout the region. The JCC even held training workshops for visiting pre-school teachers.

Then, there was the rehabilitation program for people with coronary disease, which was supported by the Nebraska Heart Association. Chuck started an educational and pool exercise program for those with rheumatoid arthritis, stress-management workshops and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation classes. A special exercise class for heart patients was called ‘Sweathogs;’ the ‘Early Risers’ met five times per week at 6 a.m. Some of these groups bonded to the point where they held other, more socially-aimed events, like Hanukkah breakfasts. The Sweathogs wore white T-shirts with a heart on them.

That heart was an appropriate symbol for someone as charismatic as Chuck Arnold. Please help our community build on his memories, and follow his example.

Donate online at www.jccomaha.org. Please contact Jennifer Tompkins at 402.334.6435 or jtompkins@jewish omaha.org to learn more.

The Jewish Press | September 10, 2021 | 3

OJAA Topgolf success

News LOCA L | N ATION AL | WORLD

Beit Midrash

Above: Matt Faier, left, Chris Faier, Dennis DePorte, Pam DePorte, Lisa Epstein, Sue Friedman, and Tom Friedman; right: Mara Cohn, left, Shane Cohn, and Ellen Cohn

JAY KATELMAN JFO Community Development Leader “We are so proud of the Omaha community and our Omaha Jewish Alumni Association (OJAA) members for the amazing turnout at our First Annual OJAA Charity Topgolf Outing”, said Jay Katelman, Omaha Jewish Alumni Association and LIFE & LEGACY Coordinator for the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation. “We anticipated roughly 75 registrations for our first event; however, we are happy to announce we sold out at 96 registrations. To put that in perspective for anyone who has been to Topgolf, we sold out 16 bays for the event. A special thank you to all of our golfers, our sponsors and those who donated.”

The event raised $7,000 net. All $7,000 will be donated to the Pennie Z. Davis Early Learning Center Scholarship Fund, to help make our wonderful Early Learning Center more affordable for young, growing families.

“This money, along with the gifts we expect to receive, will undoubtably help a number of families. For this, the Foundation and the

Early Learning Center are beyond grateful,” said Howard Epstein, Executive Director of the Foundation.

Everyone had a great time smacking golf balls, dining on tasty food and trying to win the Hole-in-One contest. Even though no one walked away with the $10,000 grand prize for a hole-in-one, a few came close.

Many people bid at the silent auction, and the winners took home anything from a 6month carwash pass to a 3-month Platinum Elite Topgolf Membership. Yard games and sports tickets were also available for bid.

“During a global pandemic, it was great to get people together safely in outdoor bays.

We expect this to be an annual event which will grow in scope each year,” Epstein stated.

The Omaha Jewish Alumni Association looks forward to our second annual Topgolf Fundraiser next summer!

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Continued from page 1 breaks for holidays and other community events. Current plans are to conduct classes via Zoom with the possibility of limited inperson presentations depending on the status of COVID and health guidelines. To whet appetites a bit more, a quick perusal of the topics reveals these, among others: American Loyalty to Israel vs Progressive Values; Be Fruitful and Multiply – But What if We Can’t?; Greatest Hits of Pirkei Avot. There’s even more. When the clergy brainstorm, the results are incredible.

The sessions will be taught by the knowledgeable and dedicated clergy of the community. Rabbi Ari Dembitzer and Rabbi Yoni Dreyer from Beth Israel will once again lead some of the sessions. From Beth El Synagogue, Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman will present. Rabbi Brian Stoller, Rabbi Deana Berezin, Rabbi Aryeh Azriel and Cantor Joanna Alexander from Temple Israel are all dedicating their time to this endeavor. Rabbi Mendel Katzman and Rabbi Eli Tenenbaum from Chabad Nebraska will share their knowledge and insight with the community. As in years past, the Federation’s own Director of Community Engagement & Education, Jennie Gates Beckman, will moderate all panels. Each and every one of these people brings his or her knowledge and teaching talent to every session.

The idea for a community-wide adult learning program developed in 2019 at one of the monthly luncheons shared by Rabbi Brian Stoller of Temple Israel and Rabbi Steven Abraham of Beth El Synagogue. “We began talking about more than the usual limited, one-time thing,” Rabbi Abraham said. “We were looking for something that would be more solid and permanent.” Rabbi Stoller shared that, “As the program idea developed, we were confident that Beit Midrash would offer an exciting weekly opportunity for community members and clergy to learn together.

We didn’t miss the fact that this would also give the clergy an opportunity to teach together – something for which we all have a great passion, for we are all teachers at heart.”

Planning continues for this year as the long list of topics is discussed and synthesized to fit the number of sessions available. As the time draws near and the slate is full, information will be provided through the Jewish Press and established emails. The series is offered free of charge. Participants may choose some or all of the sessions to attend. There is always something to be learned and gained by participating.

Questions about Beit Midrash may be addressed to Jennie Gates Beckman by email at jbeckman@jewishomaha.org or by phone at 402.334.6445.

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4 | The Jewish Press | September 10, 2021

News

Ann Goldstein Young Leaders

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

Just plain fun: Mark Abrahamson’s Collection SAM KRICSFELD Mark Abrahamson has a very certain passion. When you enter his basement, you are immediately struck with awe as you witness the sheer dedication he has put into collecting model cars. It’s not a standard Hot Wheels collection with dinged up bodies and dented wheels. It’s a curated, pristine, diverse and intricate arrangement of over 7,000 model cars.

Many were assembled or restored by Mark’s own hand, and all are displayed in custom cases and carefully arranged by make, model or theme.

The passion started young – Mark always loved sports cars and remembers seeing his grandfather driving a Jaguar XK120 in the mid-1950s. His first model came after he lost his first tooth and got a dollar. At the store, he wanted a model of a Lincoln Continental, but couldn’t afford it. He spent his dollar on a Plymouth model. “It was a very crude model and a poor representation of the car. I never did care for it very much,” he said. “It’s long gone.”

In 1958, Mark got his first one-piecebody model car, and that sparked his true love of models. He started assembling a real collection and had two or three dozen models by the end of high school. They were put away in a box before Mark went off to college.

Mark took drafting classes in junior high and high school. He then took general classes at UNL, UNO and Bellevue College before becoming a draftsman. He made instruction manuals for boat trailers, utility trailers, farm equipment and three-wheeled minibikes. These manuals are hand-drawn, but the illustrations are so detailed and clean that they look like they were made with AutoCAD.

Mark and Linda Abrahamson

“I always liked to draw,” he said, “even when I was a little kid. In grade school, my teachers found out early that I could draw, and they had me doing bulletin boards for them all the time.”

Mark is married to Linda Abrahamson nee Fedman. They met on a blind date set up by Linda’s mother and a friend of Mark’s mother at a volunteer event.

“Linda’s mom asked her, ‘Would you

be agreeable to go out on a date with a nice Jewish boy? They’re hard to find.’

Linda said, Yes,” Mark said. They went on their first date the same night as their first phone call, tobogganing and listening to music. “We went out every night after that.”

The models reentered Mark’s life shortly after he and Linda were married in 1971. “That first winter [after we got married], back when there were only three channels on television, everything was reruns. I got bored with that, and I said to Linda, ‘I’m going over to my mom and dad’s house, and I’m getting my models.’”

At that point, the collection started becoming impressive. The collection moved along with Mark and Linda through multiple apartments. “Lucky Amy, our first daughter, got to share a room with the crib against one wall and the rest of the room models,” Linda said.

When they moved into their current house, the collection moved to the basement.

See Mark Abrahamson page 6

On Aug. 5, the Leadership Omaha Alumni Association (LOAA) honored Navaeh Prince and Elisha Mufungizi with the Ann Goldstein Young Leader Award. The awards were presented at the Omaha Housing Authority board meeting.

Navaeh Prince, left, Don Goldstein and Elisha Mufungizi

Navaeh graduated from Omaha Central and Elisha graduated from Omaha Bryan. Both plan to attend UNO. Each year, LOAA awards book scholarships to one or two high school seniors who have lived in the Omaha Housing Authority throughout their high school careers. As a tribute to Ann Goldstein, the former director of Leadership Omaha and her belief in the importance of the scholarship, LOAA named the award the Ann Goldstein Young Leader Award in 1999.

Funding for the awards comes from the Ann Goldstein Outstanding Young Leader Award Endowment Fund at the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation.

“We at the Foundation are thrilled to collaborate with the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce and its current and past Leadership Omaha classes,” said Howard Epstein, the Foundation’s Executive Director.

“Several years ago, the Chamber entrusted the Foundation with administering and investing the endowment fund. Almost every year thereafter, the Leadership Omaha Class has contributed additional dollars to the fund. The JFO Foundation is pleased to do our part to help these deserving students cover the cost of books, which are essential to their college education. At the same time, we know we are honoring the memory of Ann Goldstein.”

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The Jewish Press | September 10, 2021 | 5

Baruch Haba’ im! Omaha welcomes new Shlicha Jewish Agency’s preparation program, I atGABBY BLAIR tended a lecture a few weeks before my deJewish Press Staff Writer The Jewish Federation of Omaha is excited parture. Eliad was the lecturer!” to introduce our newest Shlicha, Sivan “Since we were acquainted with each other Cohen. from Akko, and it was his Sivan hails from Akko, Isown experience that indirael, and arrived in Omaha rectly prompted me to bejust over a week ago. come a Shlicha, we were Cohen is fluent in French catching up after the lecand as such, she served in ture when we discovered Sherut Leumi working with the Omaha connection. We Olim Hadashim (New Imwere thrilled! I had no idea migrants) as a French transwhere he had been placed lator and as an activities and he did not know that I organizer for newly arrived was coming to Omaha. It Ethiopian immigrants. She was a very happy surprise also worked at Camp for both of us! Eliad had Ramah Darom as a counsuch good things to say selor two and half years ago about Omaha and his famSivan Cohen and enjoyed traveling ily’s experience here, which around the East Coast and Southern United was very reassuring!”

States during her previous visit.

While moving across the world during a Naturally my first question after learning pandemic that is still raging on is a bit dauntSivan was from Akko was if she knew Eliad ing, Sivan is very happy to be here and was and Sarah Ben Shushan, our beloved former overwhelmed with her welcome. “Everyone I Shlichim family from the same city. have met so far has been super nice and wel“Its a funny story, and just shows how some coming to me and I so appreciate the offers things are meant to be,” she shares. to help me learn my way around the city and “I first became interested in becoming a Shabbat invitations. I am a little nervous beShlicha after a friend and work colleague of cause I know the bar was set high with my mother told her about the wonderful ex- Omaha’s former Shlichim. In spite of COVID perience his son, Eliad- and his family- had. and the potential limitations on events due to My mother told me about the program and as the pandemic, I am looking forward to getting a result, I began exploring the possibilities. I started on everything we can do!” initially signed up to be a college Shlicha“Sivan has already met with some young where I would work with Hillel on a campus. adults within our community and hosted a It was looking like I would be placed in New wine education session at a Women’s PhilanYork, but then COVID happened, and the pro- thropy event recently,” said Jamie SkogBurke, gram for new Shlichim was paused.”

JFO Director of Community Outreach and EnShe said: “During that pause, I heard such gagement. “We are so happy to welcome Sivan positive things about working in a commu- and excited to integrate her into our community, that it prompted me to change my place- nity.” ment request. Slowly, as things began moving Sivan Cohen can be reached at scohen@ again, I was notified that my placement jewishomaha.org. would be in Omaha, Nebraska. As part of the

Virtual Pirkei Avot Women’s Class GABBY BLAIR Jewish Press Staff Writer Looking for some inspiration to get you through the week? Yearning for learning opportunities, but don’t have enough time or energy to go someplace at the end of the day? Not quite comfortable meeting in person, but missing meaningful connections with other women in the community?

Chabad of Nebraska has a solution for you!

Virtual Pirkei Avot for Women has been meeting via Zoom on Tuesday nights (excluding holidays) from 7-8 p.m. for a full nine months and has been well attended by women throughout our community- current and former- and their friends and family members around the country. The class is free and online links to the texts can be provided for no cost; the book is available for purchase.

Shani Katzman began leading this insightful class after receiving requests from

THE ARTS

women in our community who were looking for a meaningful way to connect in an effort to combat the isolation and uncertainty caused by COVID. Pirkei Avot presents series of ethical principals and provides commentary that help to form a framework in which to think about aspects and situations in life. Through the lens of the Mishnah, Shani finds relevant ways to link these ancient teachings to our personal experiences in the modern day. Each week, a portion of the text is examined and discussed.

Start your New Year off with an evening of thoughtful study and lively discussion. Plan to Zoom into class when Pirkei Avot resumes after the holidays on Tuesday, Sept 21 at 7 p.m.

Please call Omaha Chabad at 402.330.1800 or email Annette van de Kamp at avandekamp@jewishomaha.org for class links or for more information.

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6 | The Jewish Press | September 10, 2021

Flood Communications makes list of fastest-growing companies

Flood Communications, communities throughout the which reaches more than region,” said Ruback.

500,000 homes as one of the Further emphasizing the quallargest news operations in Neity and community need for braska, announced today it has news programming from Flood secured a place on the Inc. Communications, News Chan5000 list of fastest-growing nel Nebraska and Telemundo companies in America.

Nebraska were awarded both “We are proud of the growth the Google Journalism Relief Fund and Facebook Journalism we’ve achieved to be included Award, which honors top local on the Inc. 5000 list,” said Mike news organizations.

Flood, founder of Flood ComAndy Ruback “We need to make sure Nemunications. “We’re honored to join other great Nebraska companies that braskans from all areas of the state and backillustrate the opportunity and innovation our grounds are informed and see their community reflected in the news media,” said Flood. state has to offer.”

About Flood Communications: One of the Out of the 5,000 fastest-growing companies in the United States, just 32 were from Ne- largest news operations in Nebraska, Flood Communications delivers hyper-local news and braska this year.

“Flood Communications is the only media high-quality programming to radio, TV and digcompany from Nebraska to make the Inc. 5000 ital audiences across the state, reaching more and the only broadcast company in the entire than 500,000 homes and 300,000 social media country,” said Andy Ruback, CEO of Flood followers. Its stations include News Channel NeCommunications. “And we continue to see op- braska, Telemundo Nebraska and 10 radio staportunities to grow a news organization that tions. News Channel Nebraska is the only positively impacts the communities we serve.” in-state, independent television network of its Flood Communications stands alone by fo- kind in America. Telemundo Nebraska is the cusing its news and content to serve two dis- state’s first network affiliate to deliver live, local tinct audiences that are frequently Spanish news to Nebraska’s nearly 250,000 Hispanic residents. Flood Communications conoverlooked: rural and Hispanic.

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Continued from page 4 Linda “tolerates” Mark’s collection. “People would say to Mark, ‘You must be married to a saint to allow you to do all this stuff,’” Linda said with a laugh. The collection grew to the point that they got rid of all their basement furniture to make room.

By the late 1970s, Mark began to get frustrated. The model car companies were not making the models he wanted. He began using his artistic talent to modify and customize existing models to his preferred specifications. Many of the model cars are therefore unique and largely handcrafted.

In total, Mark has over 7,000 cars, not counting unbuilt kits and for-sale inventory.

He goes to conventions and swap meets to find, buy and sell models.

Mark has models of every sports car he’s owned. His first and second car were both red Triumphs, and he has carefully customized existing models to match his original cars’ specifications. He’s also owned an MG, a Fiat Spider and two Mazda Miatas. His current Miata, a 2004 Mazdaspeed edition, is his dream car.

Mark said that he told his friend who owns a real car collection, “I’d rather have a model collection because I can virtually own any car I want. They don’t need oil changes. They don’t need car insurance. I don’t have to worry about hail damage or washing them. I can go down and enjoy them any time I want.”

Mark and Linda have two daughters, Amy and Julie, and two grandchildren, Max and Ruby. They are retired and live with their dog, Sparky Jr. Oh, and that model Lincoln Continental that he wanted after he lost his first tooth? He eventually found one at an antique shop in Auburn, NE. “I had never seen another one since I was a little boy, and it was pristine in the box. I bought it and I built it. It was very exciting.”

Mark’s enthusiasm for his collection is contagious. He loves the reactions of everyone who sees the collection and remembers where he got every single model (including one from a garage sale of my grandmother’s in the 1990s!). True care was put into every custom car, every cabinet and every display.

It could be a museum – but more importantly, it’s just plain fun.

I would like to sincerely thank Mark and Linda for inviting me over to see the models after they read about my love of cars in the Press. They emailed me last summer, but we couldn’t do it because of pandemic concerns.

Thankfully, they reached out again this summer.

The collection is mind-blowing, and I could spend days looking through every car. Mark and Linda were very kind and gracious during both my initial exploration of the collection and the subsequent interview. I am so grateful that I could meet them and explore Mark’s astonishing collection of the things that I love.

The Jewish Press | September 10, 2021 | 7

The Ruby Platt Allyship Initiative is taking wing!

Building a true shared space in a community is not easy. It takes planning, understanding, patience and a willingness to do (often behind-thescenes) hard work. A home built to house understanding, reflection and a lasting culture of learning, is especially challenging as it may require shifting one’s own foundation.

The events of the youth trip to Is- GARY NACHMAN rael nearly two years ago have be- Regional Director, come the catalyst for a reckoning that ADL-Plains States is still taking place. The bravery and Region grace of Ellen Platt’s d’var Torah allowed this reckoning to expand, like concentric circles in a pond, touching more and more lives in all directions, nudging into action entities that were once still on issues of racial justice, diversity and allyship.

Out of this created energy came voices and ideas and a desire for unity and collaboration. One such collaboration evoked the Ruby Platt Allyship Initiative (RPAI): a comprehensive, coordinated effort to help cultivate allies in the Jewish community through understanding the bias and privilege that can hinder self-awareness, open-mindedness and cooperation. While the RPAI will, inevitably, intersect with racial and other types of bias, it begins with a focus on individual growth and reflection to create a shared foundation for understanding social justice. The goal is to create long-lasting relationships with active partners where no one gets left behind.

THE THREE PILLARS OF RPAI ARE: 1. Leadership – Fostering top-down cultural change.

2. Curriculum – Integrating the concept of bias into every level of learning, providing young persons with the tools to be an ally in the moment and confront discrimination and bullying when it occurs.

See Ruby Platt Allyship Initiative page 9

News LOCA L | N ATION AL | WORLD

Auschwitz: Not long ago. Not far away

ARIEL O’DONNELL IHE Administrative Assistant The Institute for Holocaust Education and the AntiDefamation League-Community Relations Committee are pleased to offer our community a truly remarkable opportunity. Join us on Sunday, Oct. 17 at 12:30 p.m. at Union Station in Kansas City to tour the monumental exhibit, Auschwitz. Not Long Ago. Not Far Away.

We have purchased a limited number of discounted group tickets available for $18 each. Tickets are first-come, firstserve, and may be purchased through the Jewish Federation of Omaha website, www.jewishomaha.org, or at tinyurl. com/jointhetour.

We will meet at noon on Sunday, Oct. 17, at Union Station in the entry area to the exhibit. The ticket page has detailed information regarding the Union Station Touring Guidelines, as well as in-depth information regarding the exhibit itself.

Additional information about the exhibit can be found at https://unionstation.org/event/auschwitz/.

I was honored to take a tour of the exhibit earlier this summer, experiencing perhaps the most informative, engaging and transcendent exhibition regarding Auschwitz I have ever wit-

See full digital issues https://issuu.com/jewishpress7

nessed in a three-hour timeframe. The exhibit features more than 700 original artifacts and 400 photographs from more than 20 global institutions. The space itself is designed to take patrons on a journey beginning with the roots of anti-Semitism and through the historical narrative that ultimately created the conditions to birth a reality like Auschwitz. This exhibit is not something you will want to miss, nor is it something that will likely get this close to our community for a long time to come.

We look forward to having this experience with you, and hope you will plan to be with us in Kansas City on Oct. 17, 2021. For questions or more information, please contact Ariel O’Donnell, IHE Administrative Assistant, aodonnell@ ihene.org, 402.334.6576 or Pam Monsky, ADL Assistant Director, 402.334.6572, pmonsky@adl.org.

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

FINANCIAL PLANNING

Publishing date | 12.03.21

Space reservation | 11.23.21

Contact our advertising executive to promote your business in this very special edition.

SUSAN BERNARD | 402.334.6559 | sbernard@jewishomaha.org

8 | The Jewish Press | September 10, 2021

News

USY Fun Run

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

Additions to the Kripke Library’s collection SHIRLY BANNER Library Specialist, Kripke Jewish Federation Library Young Adult: Sarah’s Solo by Tracy Brown Sarah is disappointed when she must miss dancing her solo at the upcoming ballet recital to go to her cousin’s wedding.

But as she explores some of the Jewish customs at the wedding, she begins to realize how much her own culture’s traditions have to offer. Although not the delicate melodies of classical music and elegant movements of ballet, the hypnotic rhythms of the klezmer band and the energetic steps of the hora still transport her—and the reader—to another world.

Adult: A Ritchie Boy: A Novel by Linda Kass 1938. Eli Stoff and his parents, Austrian Jews, escape to America just after Germany takes over their homeland. Within five years, Eli enlists in the US Army and, thanks to his understanding of the German language and culture, joins thousands of others like him who become known as Ritchie boys, young men who work undercover in Intelligence on the European front to help the Allies win World War II. In A Ritchie Boy, different characters tell interrelated stories that, together, form a cohesive narrative about the circumstances and people Eli encounters from Vienna to New York, from Ohio to Maryland to war-torn Europe, before he returns to the heartland of his new country to set down his roots.

Set during the dawn of World War II and the disruptive decade to follow, A Ritchie Boy is the poignant, compelling tale of one young im-

migrant’s triumph over adversity as he journeys from Europe to America, and from boyhood to manhood.

The Book of V. by Anna Solomon Lily is a mother and a daughter. And a second wife. And a writer, maybe? Or she was going to be, before she had children. Now, in her rented Brooklyn apartment she’s grappling with her sexual and intellectual desires, while also trying to manage her roles as a mother and a wife in 2016.

Vivian Barr seems to be the perfect political wife, dedicated to helping her charismatic and ambitious husband find success in Watergate-era Washington D.C. But one night he demands a humiliating favor, and her refusal to obey changes the course of her life―along with the lives of others.

Esther is a fiercely independent young woman in ancient Persia, where she and her uncle’s tribe live a tenuous existence outside the palace walls.

When an innocent mistake results in devastating consequences for her people, she is offered up as a sacrifice to please the King, in the hopes that she will save them all.

In Anna Solomon’s The Book of V., these three characters’ riveting stories overlap and ultimately collide, illuminating how women’s lives have and have not changed over thousands of years.

ERIKA LUCOFF USY Fun Run Chair Looking for something to do on Sunday, Sept. 19? We have just the thing for you!

Beth El’s USY is sponsoring a community wide FUN RUN (or walk for those who prefer a slower pace). It is a fundraiser in which proceeds will support the BILU USY programing. USY is a national youth group associated with conservative synagogues and Beth El’s chapter is called BILU. USY is de-

signed to empower Jewish youth in high school to help develop friendships, leadership skills, a sense of community and commitment to inspired Jewish living through a variety of programs and activities.

“After such a long period of time that we haven’t been together, this is a great opportunity to be with and support our amazing and resilient teens,” said Beth El Education Director, Eadie Tsabari. “We are so grateful to Erika Lucoff for taking the lead on this wonderful program for our USY-ers.”

Join us for the event and get some fresh air and socialization while supporting Omaha’s youth.

When: Sunday, Sept. 19, 9 a.m. Where: Lake Flanagan (located at 168th Street & Fort).

Cost: $18 per Individual; $36 per Family Please register online or make a donation to support our youth if you are unable to attend at Bethel-omaha.org by Sept. 10.

Sponsorship opportunities are available.

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J O H N & K AT H Y W I N T E R B U R N

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The Jewish Press | September 10, 2021 | 9

JFO welcomes Maren Angus GABBY BLAIR Jewish Press Staff Writer The Jewish Federation of Omaha is pleased to introduce Maren Angus as Philanthropy Coordinator.

Ms. Angus brings a wide array of experience to her new position and will be managing a portion of the annual campaign, planning and coordinating events, public relations, grant processes and administrative initiatives.

Born in Los Angeles, California, Maren grew up in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Her father and grandfather, both of Blessed Memory, Maren Angus were successful in the music and television industries, running Camp Digital - a mobile production resource provider with locations in both cities and as producers, most notably including the Johnny Cash Show. Growing up behind the scenes in L.A. and Nashville, Maren brings unique event and production planning experience to Omaha.

A life-long writer and athlete, Maren attended Arizona State University -where she was a Hillel Teaching Scholar and Mid-

dle Tennessee University, graduating with a degree in journalism, marketing and Middle Eastern studies.

Since age four, Maren has played competitive softball and was a gold medal winner at the 2017 Maccabiah Games, one of several visits she has made to Israel. She has also served as a coach for the Israeli Junior National Softball Team World Championships in Clearwater, Florida, and is an avid recreational league hockey player. Her combined love of sports, journalism and arts production led her to become a sports writer for many organizations and publications over the years including Softball America, USA Hockey Magazine, Major League Baseball Advanced Media and The Tennessean.

Through these experiences, she has gained excellent networking , communication and fundraising skills.

Maren moved to Omaha in the summer of 2020 to join her fiancé, Trever, and has immediately jumped in to the community. Her first stop was joining the JCC and Temple Israel, where she will be teaching 5th grade Sunday school this year.

“I wanted to feel comfortable in my new home and know well the importance of community. Growing up in Hendersonville, we commuted to Nashville for services, Sunday school and holidays at Congregation Micah. Friendships I made during my own teen trip to Israel and through my sports experiences as an athlete and coach with ties to Israel have had a profound impact in my life. I want to be a team player in the Omaha Jewish community and I look forward to meeting new people and working with them to build and grow this vibrant community.”

Jennifer Tompkins, Director of Community Philanthropy & Engagement shares, “I am so glad Maren is here! She has great ideas and brings an array of Jewish experiences to the table.

She doesn’t wait for things to come to her, she goes out and makes things happen. She researches the topic and finds the answers. She is down to earth, and we welcome her to the Community Philanthropy and Engagement group.”

Maren Angus can be reached at mangus@jewishomaha.org.

Ruby Platt Allyship Initiative Continued from page 7 3. Community – Partnering with members of the community to build stronger ties between Jewish institutions in our city and better connect with our community (internally) and become better allies to oppressed communities (externally.)

WHAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED: • Community and institutional partners established a committee to spearhead the initiative in a way that speaks to the community. This group meets regularly to discuss ways in which the community wishes to explore understanding.

• ADL has provided over 30 hours of anti-bias workshop hours to Jewish leaders. Participants included the leadership from the Jewish Federation of Omaha, local Jewish houses of worship and the RPAI committee. We were glad to see over 40 participants sharing intense experiences and an understanding of bias.

• The RPAI committee has scheduled a communitywide anti-bias training to be held Oct. 10.

• Partnering with Jewish houses of worship and the Friedel Jewish Academy, ADL has created curriculum and programming for the upcoming school year to engage young Jewish students in understanding bias and allyship.

WHAT’S NEXT? ADL/CRC is creating a position for a full-time Community Relations Coordinator whose role it will be to provide age-appropriate, ongoing anti-bias programing in our Jewish educational system (elementary through college-age.)

They will establish peer-to-peer training for young people, developing ambassadors to future students, as well as youth community outreach. This role will work in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Omaha providing antibias and allyship training for all students, parents and chaperones who travel on Federation programs. We expect this role to be filled within the next 60 days.

ADL-CRC is in this for the long term and we understand that this is a marathon and not a sprint. We expect the RPAI to have a lasting presence within the community and to make allyship synonymous with Jewish culture. By doing our part to nurture diversity and unity within the Jewish community, we aim to build strong bridges toward other communities.

The Omaha Jewish community will always be a shining light for its willingness to reflect and foster progress. Help us continue to repair the world.

Please join and support our initiative! We simply cannot spell community without “u.”

JEWISH PRESS READERS If you do business with any of our advertisers, please tell them you saw their ad in the Jewish Press. It really helps us!

HANUKKAH

Publishing date | 11.19.21 Space reservation | 10.26.21 Contact our advertising executive to promote your business in this very special edition.

SUSAN BERNARD | 402.334.6559 | sbernard@jewishomaha.org

10 | The Jewish Press | September 10, 2021

Dr. Jeff Cooper talks hyperbaric medicine

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LISA SPELLMAN UNMC Department of Strategic Communications The Hyperbaric Medicine Center at the Nebraska Medical Center is one of 11 units around the nation to take part in a new multicenter phase II clinical trial that is aimed at reducing neurological damage in persons suffering from traumatic brain injuries.

The Hyperbaric Oxygen Brain Injury Treatment Trial (HOBIT) is designed to determine whether hyperoxygen therapy will help reduce brain injury in people who have suffered severe blunt force trauma. Hyperbaric oxygen is Dr. Jeffrey Cooper the delivery of pure oxygen at higher-than-normal pressure in an enclosed chamber.

“We are anticipating a successful outcome, based on earlier studies that reported impressive improvements in constricting blood flow using hyperbaric oxygen, which decreases the swelling on the brain and lessens the secondary trauma the patient experiences from it,” said Jeffrey Cooper, MD, director of hyperbaric medicine for Nebraska Medicine and associate professor of emergency medicine at UNMC. Dr. Cooper said patients with traumatic brain injuries often suffer a secondary injury due to the way the body responds to the initial trauma with swelling on the brain.

“That inflammation causes direct tissue destruction and further compromises blood flow to the brain causing more brain cell death,” he said.

Patients then suffer neurological defects for the remainder of their lives that impact intellect, memory, motor function and cause emotional problems.

“The hope is that through the HOBIT trial, we learn better treatment methods using hyperbaric oxygen that decreases or

Did you know...

It’s traditional to eat a fruit you haven’t eaten for a long time on the second night of Rosh Hashanah.

Apples and honey (and pomegranates) aren’t the only symbolic foods traditionally enjoyed on Rosh Hashanah. Other foods eaten to symbolize wishes for prosperity and health in the new year include dates, string beans, beets, pumpkins, leeks — and even fish heads.

Leonard Cohen’s Who By Fire draws on the Unetanah Tokef, which many consider the most important prayer in the High Holiday liturgy.

It is traditional to fast on the day after Rosh Hashanah. The ‘Fast of Gedalia’ commemorates the assassination of Gedaliah in 586 B.C.E.

prevents secondary trauma and allows the brain the time it needs to heal without further complications,” Dr. Cooper said.

To make a clinical trial like this happen takes a lot of coordination and cooperation, Dr. Cooper said. His coinvestigators include: Daniel Surdell, MD, a professor of neurosurgery at UNMC; Brett Waibel, MD, an associate professor in the department of surgery at UNMC; and Erin Etoll, MD, an assistant professor and critical care anesthesiologist at UNMC. “It has taken a lot to put this together,” Dr. Cooper said.

“We’ve had tremendous support from the vice chancellor for research and the ER department, trauma, neurosurgery, anesthesiology, respiratory therapy and surgical intensive care unit.

It’s truly a multidisciplinary team effort.”

It also helps that the hyperbaric oxygen unit at Nebraska Medicine is accredited by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society and one of 50 in the nation with the critical care capability and experience to participate in such a trial.

“We are one of the few units who can do critical care and are staffed 24 hours a day seven days a week, which was another reason we were asked to participate in the HOBIT trial,” Dr. Cooper said.

Need Help?

Please call: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1.800.273.TALK (8255), Boystown National Hotline 1.800.448.3000, Safe Harbor 402.715.4226 or Jewish Family Services 402.330.2024.

Who Am I? The Nebraska Jewish Historical Society (NJHS) requests help from the community in identifying photographs from the archives. Please contact Kathy Weiner at 402.334.6441 or kweiner@jewish omaha.org if you are able to assist in the effort to preserve Jewish Omaha history.

The Jewish Press | September 10, 2021 | 11

Above: B’nai Israel celebrated Joey Hoffman with a special Oneg after Friday night services, before she trades Omaha for New York City.

Left and below: The RBJH organized its Third Annual Corn Shucking Party for Residents.

Above: Jessi Taylor, left, Chris Kelly, Scott Shinbara, Alex Biel, Carina DuMarce, Kael Sagheer, Mariana Nieto.

Below: Relaxing on a Friday with silent reading in Mrs. Bennett’s classroom at Friedel Jewish Academy.

SP O TLIGHT

GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY

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

Above, below and bottom: Friedel students started a new school year on Aug. 18.

Above: Davening and Donuts at Beth Israel.

Below: Rabbi Dreyer is here to remind us: the High Holidays are here!

Above: Zev Gordman, left, and Abby Kaufman, Omaha BBYO’s Presidents, excited to launch the new school year at BBYO's International August Executive’s Conference.

12 | The Jewish Press | September 10, 2021

Voices

The Jewish Press (Founded in 1920)

Margie Gutnik President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Susan Bernard Advertising Executive Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Editor Gabby Blair Staff Writer Mary Bachteler Accounting Jewish Press Board Margie Gutnik, President; Abigail Kutler, Ex-Officio; Danni Christensen; David Finkelstein; Bracha Goldsweig ; Mary Sue Grossman; Les Kay; Natasha Kraft; Chuck Lucoff; Joseph Pinson; Andy Shefsky and Amy Tipp.

The mission of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to build and sustain a strong and vibrant Omaha Jewish Community and to support Jews in Israel and around the world. Agencies of the Federation are: Community Relations Committee, Jewish Community Center, Center for Jewish Life, Jewish Social Services, and the Jewish Press.

Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page stories and announcements, can be found online at: wwwjewishomaha.org; click on ‘Jewish Press.’

Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole. The Jewish Press reserves the right to edit signed letters and articles for space and content. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment.

Editorial The Jewish Press is an agency of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Deadline for copy, ads and photos is: Thursday, 9 a.m., eight days prior to publication.

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The Editor may edit letters for content and space restrictions. Letters may be published without giving an opposing view. Information shall be verified before printing. All letters must be signed by the writer. The Jewish Press will not publish letters that appear to be part of an organized campaign, nor letters copied from the Internet. No letters should be published from candidates running for office, but others may write on their behalf.

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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.

Caught in the middle

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor “Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie was far from the first Republican lawmaker to compare public health measures aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19 to the Holocaust when he posted an image of a tattooed wrist to Twitter,” according to the JTA. “Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert have also done so, along with several lower-level officials who have made similar comparisons across the country in recent weeks.”

‘If you have to carry a card on you to gain access to a restaurant, venue or an event in your own country … that’s no longer a free country,’ read the text in the image Massie tweeted, which he deleted shortly afterwards.

Then, one of his interns resigned and posted the reason why on his Twitter account, at which point it became a bigger story.

“This trend is far from new,” Edna Friedberg wrote, “but it is escalating at a disturbing rate in increasingly polarized times. The Holocaust has become shorthand for good vs. evil; it is the epithet to end all epithets. And the current environment of rapid fire online communication and viral memes lends itself particularly well to this sort of sloppy analogizing. Worse, it allows it to spread more widely and quickly.” (www.ushmm.com) Comparing a vaccination card to a Holocaust tattoo—I am not sure that people who think that is okay can be taught differently. We often respond to these instances assuming people are ignorant and should be educated. They can learn to be better if

they only gained some knowledge, we tell ourselves. They haven’t been exposed enough in school, they learned antisemitism from their parents, and so forth.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., walks down the House steps after a vote in the Capitol, Sept. 17, 2020.

Credit: Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

All those things may be true, but at some point, when the same thing keeps happening, we should probably consider the alternative.

Politicians like Thomas Massie don’t care about the Holocaust. They don’t care about the Jews. And frankly, I kind of wish people like him would be honest about that. There is something exhausting about public figures who claim to be tolerant and open-minded, only to turn around and stab you in

the back. If it’s on the right, it’s Holocaust comparisons; if it’s on the left, it’s hating on Israel. Either way, we are caught in the middle. It’s a battle we keep fighting but can’t win.

Meanwhile, Massie received his share of criticism online. He may have deleted the original tweet, but of course there are screen shots (especially since he left it up for seven hours) and when you post something stupid, people will run with it.

The Anti-Defamation League demanded Massie apologize, which he had not as of this writing. I don’t know that it will matter much if he ultimately does. When it comes to antisemites showing their true colors, apologies often just muddy the waters.

And it’s not as if they ever change anything: just look online at the many, many public figures who’ve had to apologize for saying something antisemitic.

It is a very long list—and that’s just for the times they were caught. How often does anyone actually change their ways or opinions?

Rather than apologize, I think Rep. Massie should do random acts of kindness. Go help out at a soup kitchen. Pick up trash. Build a playground or a skate park. All those things would help the world more than a few empty words he doesn’t mean.

“As the Holocaust recedes in time,” Friedman also wrote, “some Americans (and Europeans) are becoming increasingly casual and disrespectful to the mass murder of millions.”

These silly memes don’t only trivialize the Holocaust itself; they ignore the lessons we all should have internalized by now. And with every re-post, we fall further behind.

Rabbis are struggling to protect Jews’ physical and spiritual health.

RABBI SHIRA KOCH EPSTEIN JTA Over the past year, I have led efforts to teach, guide and coach rabbis and other clergy of every Jewish denomination. We have worked with over 500 individual members of the clergy, serving hundreds of thousands of people since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

So let me say this to my dear clergy colleagues: As we celebrate another High Holiday season under the shadow of the pandemic, I know that there is nothing you need more than support in making (or when prevented from making) impossible decisions about vaccinations, masks, social distancing and the integrity of worship.

Which is why I am baffled as to why some would add to your burden with irresponsible, pain-inducing criticism that could only worsen the challenge, trauma and moral injury that our clergy are experiencing at this moment, and which I spend all of my professional time trying to lessen.

I agree that mitigating all risk at the expense of our Jewish way of life is untenable, and there are certainly appropriate ways to debate safety measures during a public health crisis. Yet second-guessing rabbis like you, as you work overtime to protect the physical safety while meeting the spiritual and communal needs of your communities in everchanging ways, is not one of them.

Those of us actually paying attention have seen your tremendous creativity and labor to ensure that our people have meaningful spiritual and communal ways to learn, to observe and to be connected to Torah and each other, even as COVID has precluded or restricted large in-person gatherings.

I see you toiling to create innovative outdoor or remote opportunities for our unvaccinated children to engage in Jewish learning and living, and to feel a sense of belonging. I see you teaching congregants to lead backyard minyans; managing complicated technology to lead interactive remote services and study groups; introducing walking meditations and Torah treks and prayerful hikes and countless other new ways of helping our people to engage with each other and practice our traditions while reducing health risks.

I hear your trauma at having buried the many

older members of your shul who have died miserably alone this year. I know that when you gather again, the seats of so many “regulars” will be tragically empty. I understand your fear that the immunocompromised and younger, unvaccinated members may be endangered by the high risk that in-person gatherings can pose this year. I know that

Signs at Congregation Bnai Yeshurun in Teaneck, N.J., indicate that the synagogue is closed by order of the local Orthodox rabbinical council, March 2020. Credit: New York Jewish Week

this informs your decisions as the Delta variant wreaks havoc, especially but not only when unvaccinated people gather.

I listen to you agonize as you balance the calls for individual choice and/or trust from some in your community with your desire to have proof of vaccine and/or testing and mask mandates to protect the vulnerable, especially in locations where this is culturally unacceptable (and often the same places where hospitals are now failing under the burden of illness).

You tell me about working with your professional colleagues, lay leaders and local experts as you carefully enact decision trees informed by Jewish values, COVID-era rabbinic opinions and public health experts. Many of your communities model remarkable shared leadership as clergy, boards and medical advisors together make decisions carefully.

Others of you suffer, having to carry out and even be blamed for decisions that you fear are dangerous. With every change, we see you creating backups to backups, even as it means having to do twice the work, ignoring your exhaustion and pastoring to flocks who require your help as they, too, deal

with their justified angst.

And I know that you are experiencing moral injury and burnout from this reality, and that you also fear for your own and your family’s health while also feeling a loss of spiritual connection as a result of your inability to pray in groups, to sing with full voice or to facilitate the mitzvah observances, simcha celebrations, prayer obligations and mourning rituals that give your own life meaning.

Life under COVID is full of difficult calls, weighing physical well-being against mental health; our children’s education against the threat of an insidious virus; the risks of gathering or singing in our beloved sanctuaries versus the atrophying of our communities and our souls. No one wants to needlessly undermine centuries of tradition and our religious choices and obligations.

But you, our clergy, know that preserving life is the paramount value of the Torah, and that our tradition is rife with examples of moderating our observances to protect our well-being. You have contributed to and read the myriad rabbinic opinions offering halachic and ethical ways to adapt beloved customs for this emergency situation. You do not need to be cut off at the knees while you run this ultra-marathon, all the while carrying the heavy weight of existential Jewish decisions. Your detractors may be loud, but I hear the quiet cheers of the many who want only to offer you water as you continue the race.

My dear colleagues, please know: You are enough. You are doing enough. You can and you must make decisions that are the best and safest you can make, to preserve the lives and the health of your beloved members (and yourselves). Ignore the naysayers, especially those simply looking for clickbait who care not for your health or well-being.

I pray that those who see how hard you are working will raise their voices and bolster you with love.

With all of the hugs, love and hope for your spiritual renewal.

Rabbi Shira Koch Epstein is executive director of the Center for Rabbinic Innovation, a project of the Office of Innovation.

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.

The Jewish Press | September 10, 2021 | 13

Why a High Holidays prayer book is still going strong after 70 years YOSEF LINDELL JTA When a local Orthodox synagogue asked me to lead Yom Kippur prayers six years ago, one aspect of the request stood out: Was I comfortable using the “High Holyday Prayer Book” translated and edited by Philip Birnbaum?

The archaic spelling of “Holyday” is a tipoff to the book’s longevity. First published in 1951 by the Hebrew Publishing Company, this Hebrew-English prayer book, or machzor, has been used by multiple generations of worshippers in Orthodox and, to a lesser extent, Conservative synagogues. It is the prayer book I used as a child; my earliest High Holidays memories include counting the number of pages in the Birnbaum machzor until services would end.

In the ensuing years, a bounty of new translations has appeared, with modern typefaces, helpful commentary, userfriendly language and supplemental readings meant to “open doors” into prayer for the uninitiated or easily distracted.

Yet come Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, I will lead the services from a Birnbaum covered in brown paper and penciled notations of what to say and what to skip. Remarkably, 70 years after its publication, the Birnbaum Machzor is still here, outlasting its publisher, author and even its own copyright. On the occasion of its anniversary, we ought to consider its remarkable longevity and what its future might hold.

Philip (or Paltiel in Hebrew) Birnbaum immigrated to the United States from Poland in 1923 at the age of 19. While teaching Hebrew school in Birmingham, Alabama, he obtained an undergraduate education at the Southern Baptistaffiliated Howard College (now Samford University). After moving to the East Coast, he received his doctorate in Jewish history from Dropsie College in Philadelphia in 1942.

Throughout his career, Birnbaum forged connections with rabbis and academics affiliated with both the Conservative Jewish Theological Seminary of America and the Orthodox Yeshiva University. In 1944, the Hebrew Publishing Company — a fixture on the Lower East Side of Manhattan that printed everything from prayer books to greeting cards to Yiddish translations of Jules Verne — published his abridged version of “Mishneh Torah,” Maimonides’ seminal code of Jewish law.

Given the success of the volume, the company’s president asked Birnbaum to translate the siddur, or daily prayer book.

Birnbaum’s edition of the siddur, first published in 1949, outsold every other English translation and turned Birnbaum into a household name among Orthodox synagogue-goers. His 1951 machzor had a similar trajectory, rapidly becoming a High Holidays mainstay. In the 1960s, Birnbaum’s publisher reported that he saw the machzor on the shelf in faraway Hong Kong and Tokyo.

A few years ago, when my grandfather gave me a small 1903 machzor that had been in the family, I began to understand the appeal of the Birnbaum machzor. The 1903 prayer book, with the unwieldy name “Form of Prayers for the Day of Atonement,” is hardly usable. It includes a hodgepodge of Hebrew and Yiddish instructions and inconsistently sized texts that sometimes lack vowels. Its head-scratching English rendition of the Song

of Glory (Shir HaKavod or Anim Zemirot) begins, “Sweet hymns I will sing, and songs will I indite, for unto thee my soul panteth.”

To make matters worse, it sent me flipping frantically back and forth searching for the next prayer to say.

Birnbaum’s introduction to his translation speaks directly to my experience with the 1903 machzor and its ilk.

The Birnbaum machzor, first published in 1951, remained a staple of Orthodox synagogues despite a bounty of competitors.

Credit: The Open Siddur Project

“The worshipper is not called upon to search from page to page and to commute from reference to reference,” he wrote about his own work. Birnbaum lamented the “gross carelessness” of earlier machzorim that included pages “broken up by several type sizes which have a confusing effect on the eyes of the reader” and translations that were “a vast jungle of words from which a clear idea only rarely emerges.”

Not all of Birnbaum’s predecessors were guilty of these faults. The 1904 British machzor translated by Arthur Davis and Herbert Adler, which also was used in the United States, was well-organized and exquisitely translated. Yet it came in three hefty volumes and still suffered from a generous dose of what Birnbaum derided as “Bible English.” To a lesser extent, these archaisms also plagued the one-volume machzor published by Morris Silverman in 1939 and which for decades was the official machzor of the Conservative movement.

The Birnbaum machzor took hold because it outshone its competition, but its staying power can be explained by simple economics. Once a synagogue purchased copies for its congregants, switching to a different book was an expensive proposition. Further, the machzor is used only a few times a year, so it wears out at a fraction of the rate of a Shabbat prayer book or synagogue Bible.

Also, unlike much of its competition, the one-volume Birnbaum machzor includes the services for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. While the ArtScroll daily siddur, published in 1984 by Mesorah Publications, quickly replaced the Birnbaum siddur in a vast number of Orthodox congregations, the ArtScroll machzor, with separate volumes for Rosh Hashanah (1985) and Yom Kippur (1986), did not meet with quite the same success. I suspect that a number of congregations could not justify the expense of purchasing so many new books when their Birnbaums were holding up just fine.

Indeed, when Dr. Birnbaum died in 1988, heralded in The New York Times as “the most obscure bestselling author,” his mach-

zor was still going strong. The Hebrew Publishing Company continued to reprint it into the mid-1990s. The publisher ceased to exist sometime around the turn of the 21st century and the machzor’s copyright was not renewed. It is now in the public domain and can be perused online. What other book enjoys such widespread popularity 25 years after going out of print?

Yet without much chance of being reprinted, the machzor’s reign may at last be drawing to a close. Birnbaum’s frequent use of “thee” and “thou” sounds archaic and off-putting. Rabbi David Wolkenfeld of Anshe Sholom B’nai Israel in Chicago put it well when he wrote in 2016 that the Birnbaum prayer books “were state of the art when they were first published and have been sanctified by the prayers of three generations of worshippers,” but the translation “now appears stilted.” And unlike more recent translations, “there is virtually no commentary that might help the novice or veteran worshipper find deeper meaning in the unfamiliar holiday prayers.”

Extensive commentary and contemporary readings for the “novice or veteran worshiper” are a signature of newer translations like “Mahzor Lev Shalem” (2010), which has replaced Birnbaum, Silverman and the 1972 Jules Harlow machzor in Conservative synagogues within the past few years. The Orthodox Koren Publishers at last released a one-volume machzor in 2018, with commentary by the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks. I suspect many Orthodox holdouts will abandon the Birnbaum for the Koren sooner or later. Some have already begun.

But although congregants may of course opt to bring a different machzor, there’s been no official change yet at the synagogue where I will again lead the services this year.

“For nearly two thousand years,” Birnbaum wrote in the machzor’s introduction, “the Hebrew prayers have helped to keep the Jews alive, saving them from losing their language and identity.”

Indeed, on the Days of Judgment, when we contemplate a turbulent past and an uncertain future, the prayer book is a stable text to which we can attach our hopes, dreams and aspirations. But the prayers are also complex and confusing, even to the initiated. For 70 years — indeed, for a lifetime — the Birnbaum machzor has been a sure-footed guide.

And that’s perhaps another reason why it has lasted as long as it has. When everything around us is changing so rapidly, we often find solace in those things that stay the same. Just as there are certain tunes we associate with the Days of Awe, there are also certain books. For many, the Birnbaum machzor has long been among them.

So this year, I will take comfort in the venerable book whose tearstained pages have weathered tragedy, war and illness as I pray for the people of this fractured world to be inscribed in the Book of Life.

Yosef Lindell is a lawyer and writer living in Silver Spring, Maryland. He is an editor of the Lehrhaus and his work has been published in the Atlantic, the Forward, and Moment Magazine, among other places. His website is yoseflindell.wordpress.com.

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.

Drop in number of antisemitic crimes in 2020, but rise in total hate crimes this year by two criminal justice professors said the annual BEN SALES number stands at 89%.

JTA The FBI recorded the largest number of hate crimes last year since 2008, including spikes in the number of anti-Black and anti-Asian hate crimes.

Anti-Jewish hate crimes dropped from 953 in 2019 to 676 last year, a decrease of 29%. Anti-Jewish crimes again made up the majority of hate crimes based on religion in the annual report, which scholars and officials have cautioned not to view as a comprehensive reflection of the state of hate crimes in America.

In total, the FBI announced Monday that it recorded 7,759 hate crimes nationwide in 2020, a slight rise from the 7,314 it recorded in 2019. There were 2,755 antiBlack hate crimes in 2020, up from 1,972 the previous year, and 274 anti-Asian hate crimes, up from 161 in 2019. Asian-Americans drew attention last year to a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes due to the COVID-19 pan- Hundreds march through Chinatown en route to the State House during demic, while the increase in anti-Black racism came a Stop Asian Hate Boston rally, March 13, 2021. Credit: Erin Clark/The against the backdrop of last year’s racial justice protests. Boston Globe via Getty Images Meanwhile, the number of Jewish incidents decreased last year In an audit released earlier this year, the Anti-Defamation relative to 2019, a year that was punctuated with three lethal an- League reported more than 2,000 incidents of antisemitism tisemitic attacks and a wave of antisemitic street harassment in in 2020, a slight decrease from 2019. The discrepancy between New York City. Those incidents became far less common in 2020 the ADL’s and FBI’s numbers is due to differences in methodonce street life, and in-person gatherings at synagogues, largely ology. The ADL gleans its tally from individuals, organizations ceased during the pandemic. The report looked only at 2020, be- and media reports as well as police. In addition, for the FBI to fore the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza in May 2021 count an incident, it has to rise to the level of a crime, while drove a spike in reports of antisemitic incidents. the ADL includes a broader range of allegations.

The FBI relies on reports of hate crimes from more than Recently, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said the lack of re15,000 police precincts nationwide, and a report from the De- porting by police precincts is “simply not credible.” partment of Justice last year found that 87% of precincts re“Data drives policy and without having a complete picture ported zero hate crimes in 2017. A book on the subject from of the problem, we cannot even begin to resolve the issues

driving this surge in hate and violence,” he said.

The FBI recently embarked on a national campaign to encourage people and police to report hate crimes to its 56 field offices around the country.

“We know that hate crimes are underreported,” the FBI told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in a statement earlier this month. “It is our goal to increase this reporting, from law enforcement agencies and the public alike, so we can gather more information to identify trends and take action to stop these crimes from occurring.”

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Last fall I was stunned to learn that our Jewish library was being packed up to be removed to a yet undecided offsite facility. The space would be renovated mostly into meeting rooms.

Although I have always appreciated and admired the amazing job the Jewish Federation has done in providing so many programs for the benefit and enjoyment of Jewish community, I’m having a hard time understanding this move.

I have always thought of the Kripke Library as one of the great achievements of the Omaha Jewish community, a sacred space filled with our treasured heritage where community members attended many meetings, discussions, lectures, receptions, etc.

Being in a room surrounded by books filled with our history, culture, laughter and tears added depth to any gathering. I have attended and enjoyed countless events in that space.

For decades many members of the Jewish community have contributed to and labored to create this extraordinary library, but apparently they have had no say in the decision to remove it. Is it too late to bring our library back to the JCC? Those four little bookcases in what a used to be the library space are a sad reminder of what we have lost.

GILDA PIECK

Synagogues

14 | The Jewish Press | September 10, 2021

B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

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

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE

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

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

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

CHABAD HOUSE

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

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN

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

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE

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

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME

323 South 132 Street Omaha, NE 68154 rbjh.com

TEMPLE ISRAEL

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

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: TIFERETH ISRAEL

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

B’NAI ISRAEL All services have been moved online. The Zoom link is not yet availabl as of the printing of this paper; please contact the synagogue for details.

Services will be led by Jeff Taxman, Spiritual Leader Emeritus (15yrs) and assisted by Larry Blass, Friday night Service Leader.

Due to the Holiday Schedule there will be NO Friday night service Sept 10.

WEDNESDAY: Kol Nidre, 7:30 p.m. with guest speaker Dr. Leonard Greenspoon.

THURSDAY: Yom Kippur Service and Yizkor, 10:30 a.m. with guest speaker Jim Fried and Haftorah Reader, Nancy Rips.; Yom Kippur Afternoon Service and Shofar Blowing, 5:30 p.m. Having a Break-theFast after the service to be determined.

Questions? Call Carole Lainof at 402 659 8566 or Sissy Silber at 402 292 8062.

For information on our historic synagogue, please contact Howard Kutler at hkutler@hotmail.com or any of our other board members: Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Janie Kulakofsky, Carole and Wayne Lainof, Mary-Beth Muskin, Debbie Salomon and Sissy Silber.

Handicap Accessible.

BETH EL Virtual services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman.

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

FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat/Ma’ariv, 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m. at Beth El & Live Stream; Junior Congregation, 10 a.m. followed by Slip ‘n Slide Shabbat; Ma’ariv/ Havdalah, 8:15 p.m. Zoom Only.

SUNDAY: Sukkah Build, 8 a.m.; Torah Study, 10 a.m.

TUESDAY: Board of Trustees Meeting, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Kol Nidre, 6:30 p.m.

THURSDAY: Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Youth Service/Programming, 10:30 a.m.; Torah Service, 10:30 a.m.; Sermon/Yizkor, 11:15 a.m.; Tot Service, 11:45 a.m.; Musaf, noon; Kaddish Shalem, 1 p.m.; Study Session, 2:45-3:45 p.m. with Rabbi Abraham; Study Session, 4-5 p.m. with Dr Amy Forss-MCC; Study Session, 5:15-6:15 p.m. with Dr. Roni Reiter-Palmon-UNO; Mincha/Ne’ila, 6:30 p.m.; Children’s Procession, 8 p.m.; Sounding of the Shofar, 8:13 p.m.; Break Fast To Go following service.

FRIDAY-Sept. 17: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream.

SATURDAY-Sept. 18: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m. at Beth El & Live Stream; Junior Congregation, 10 a.m.; Havdalah, 8 p.m. Zoom Only.

Please visit bethel-omaha.org for additional information and service links.

BETH ISRAEL Virtual services conducted by Rabbi Ari Dembitzer.

Classes, Kabbalat Shabbat and Havdalah on Zoom, WhatsApp or Facebook Live. On site services held outside in pergola, weather permitting. Physical distancing and masks required.

FRIDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:35 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Selichot/Shacharit, 6:40 a.m.; Deeping Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbos, 7:25 p.m.; Candlelighting, 7:25 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:45 a.m. with Shiran Dreyer; Daf Yomi, 6:40 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:20 p.m.; Laws of Shabbos, 7:40 p.m. with Rabbi Ari; Havdalah, 8:23 p.m.

SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Daf Yomi, 6:30 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:10 p.m.

MONDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:35 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Selichot/Shacharit, 6:40

a.m.; Deeping Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Daf Yomi, 6:30 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:10 p.m.

TUESDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:35 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Selichot/Shacharit, 6:40 a.m.; Deeping Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Daf Yomi, 6:30 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:10 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:35 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Selichot/Shacharit, 6:40 a.m.; Deeping Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Mincha, 5:30 p.m.; Candlelighting/Fast Begins, 7:15 p.m.; Kol Nidre/Ma’ariv, 7:30 p.m.

THURSDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Yizkor, 10:30 a.m.; Musaf, 10:45 a.m.; Neilah Class, 5:45 p.m.; Mincha, 6:15 p.m.; Neilah, 6:45 p.m.; Ma’ariv/Havdalah/Fast Ends, 8:13 p.m.

FRIDAY-Sept. 17: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:35 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Selichot/ Shacharit, 6:40 a.m.; Deeping Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbos, 7:13 p.m.; Candlelighting, 7:13 p.m.

SATURDAY-Sept. 18: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:45 a.m. with Shiran Dreyer; Daf Yomi, 6:20 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7 p.m.; Laws of Shabbos, 7:20 p.m. with Rabbi Ari; Havdalah, 8:10 p.m.

Please visit orthodoxomaha.org for additional information and Zoom service links.

CHABAD HOUSE All services are in-person. All classes are being offered online at Ochabad.com/classroom. For more information or to request help, please visit www. ochabad.com or call the office at 402.330.1800.

FRIDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Inspirational Lechayim, 6 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: ochabad.com/Lecha yim; Light Candles, 7:23 p.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat, 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shacharit, 10:30-11:30 a.m. followed

by Kiddush Lunch; Shabbat Ends, 8:21 p.m.

SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Parsha and Coffee, 9:45 a.m.

MONDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Personal Parsha class, 9:30 a.m. with Shani Katzman; Advanced Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen.

TUESDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Virtual Pirkei Avot Women’s Class, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Kol Nidre, 6:45 p.m.; Fast begins and Candlelighting, 7:15 p.m.

THURSDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Yizkor, 11 a.m.; Mincha/Neilah, 6 p.m. followed by Havdalah and refreshments; Holiday/Fast Ends, 8:12 p.m.

FRIDAY-Sept. 17: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Inspirational Lechayim, 6 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: ochabad. com/Lechayim; Light Candles, 7:12 p.m.; Mincha/ Kabbalat Shabbat, 7:15 p.m.

SATURDAY-Sept. 18: Shacharit, 10:30-11:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush Lunch; Shabbat Ends, 8:08 p.m.

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN & TIFERETH ISRAEL Services facilitated by Rabbi Alex Felch.

Note: Some of our services, but not all, are now being offered in person.

FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat Service, service leaders/music: Rabbi Alex with Sabra camper, Steve and Nathaniel Kaup, 6:30 p.m. at SST; Candlelighting, 7:25 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Alex at TI; Torah Study on Parashat Vayeilech, noon via Zoom; Havdalah, 8:23 p.m.

SUNDAY: LJCS Classes begin, 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 its too wet, cold, cloudy, windy, hot or humid) followed by coffee and spirited discussions. No fee to join, no dues, no president, no board or minutes taken. If Interested please

email Al Weiss at albertw801@gmail.com to find out where to meet each week; Come learn and play Pickleball, 7-9 p.m. at Peterson Park. Everyone is welcome; just wear comfortable clothes and tennis or gym shoes. If you need a paddle contact Miriam Wallick by email at Miriam57@aol.com or by text at 402.470.2393 before Sunday.

TUESDAY: Tea & Coffee with Pals, 1:30 p.m. via Zoom.

WEDNESDAY: No LJCS Classes; Kol Nidre, 8 p.m. at SST; Candlelighting for Yom Tov at 7:17 p.m.

THURSDAY: Synagogue Offices Closed; Yom Kippur Morning Service, 10 a.m. at SST; Yom Kippur Afternoon Service including Yizkor, 4 p.m. at TI followed

by N’ilah and Break-the-Fast; Havdalah, 8:14 p.m.; FRIDAY-Sept. 17: Kabbalat Shabbat Service, service leaders/music: Rabbi Alex, Leslie Delserone and Peter Mullin, 6:30 p.m. at SST; Candlelighting, 7:13 p.m.

SATURDAY-Sept. 18: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Alex at TI; Torah Study on Parashat Ha’Azinu, noon via Zoom; Havdalah, 8:11 p.m.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE

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

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME

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

TEMPLE ISRAEL

In-person and virtual services conducted by Rabbi Brian Stoller, Rabbi Deana Sussman Berezin and Cantor Joanna Alexander.

DAILY VIRTUAL MINYAN: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. via Zoom.

FRIDAY: Shabbat Shuva Service and Tashlich Service, 6 p.m. via Zoom or In-Person. Friday night between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is Shabbat Shuva, a Shabbat of Returning. As part of our process of returning, we think about the ways in which we “missed the mark,” ritualized with our ceremony of Tashlich, this year and set intentions for our hopes for the year to come.

SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. via Zoom or InPerson.

SUNDAY: Second Sunday Breakfast Service at the Stephen Center, 8:30 a.m.

MONDAY: Jewish Law & the Quest for Meaning, 11 a.m. via Zoom.

WEDNESDAY: Kol Nidre: The Power of Our Words and Deeds, 7:30 p.m. via Zoom or In-Person.

THURSDAY: Temple Tots Yom Kippur Service, 9 a.m.; Yom Kippur Morning Service: Pathways to T’shuvah — Renewing Our Relationshiop with God, Ourselves and Humanity, 10:15 a.m.; Yom Kippur Torah Experience, 12:15 p.m.; Yom Kippur Yizkor Service, 3 p.m.; Yom Kippur Study Session, 4:15 p.m.; Ne’ila, 5:30 p.m.; Children’s Procession, 8 p.m.; Sounding of the Shofar, 8:13 p.m.; Break Fast To Go following service.

All services today are available via Zoom or In-Person.

FRIDAY-Sept. 17: Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. via Zoom or In-Person.

SATURDAY-Sept. 18: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. via Zoom or In-Person;.

Please visit templeisraelomaha.com for additional information and Zoom service links.

MEMORIAL SERVICES Sunday, Sept. 12 Beth El Cemetery, 84th and L Sts., 11 a.m.

Oak Hills/Bikhor Cholim, Council Bluffs, 11 a.m.

Temple Israel Cemetery, 6412 N. 42nd St., 1 p.m.

Reminders about our JCC pool The outdoor Goldstein Family Aquatic Center closes for the season, Sunday, Sept. 12. Of course, our beautiful indoor pool is available for all members. To check the schedule and find more information about classes and activities, please visit our website at www.jccomaha.org. You can even take a virtual tour, in case you have not yet seen the space!

In addition to these exciting new spaces, we are

also proud to provide our members with a new Family Changing Area. This space, located just off of the indoor lap pool, features five large and private stalls. Each stall is complete with a sink, soap and paper towels, toilet, shower, and diaper changing station. Lockers and additional sinks are located in the main area of the changing area as well.

Towel service will be available unless otherwise noted. Questions? Call the Aquatics Department

at 402.334.6473 or Member Services at 402.334.6426.

The JCC has been a big part of Omaha for over eight decades. We opened our doors in 1925 and still, today continue to serve everyone in the community with our state-of-the-art facilities, outstanding programs, and dedicated staff. We’ve been here in the past, we’re here today and we’ll be here tomorrow.

Life cycles BIRTHS

SOLOMON AVI KURLAND Sarah and Mendel Kurland of Los Angeles, CA, announce the July 25, 2021, birth of their son, Solomon Avi. Grandparents are Sandra and Allen Kurland of Council Bluffs, IA, and Julie and Ray Craemer of Los Angeles, CA. Great-grandmother is Josephine Berg Simes of St. Paul, MN.

BRODIE EARL TAYLOR Aliya and Justin Taylor of Omaha, announce the Aug. 20, 2021, birth of their son, Brodie Earl (Eitan Baruch).

He is named for his paternal grandfather and great-grandfather.

He has two sisters, Lennon Josephine and Ashtyn Marie.

Grandparents are Sindie and Jerry Katskee, Karen and John Ostrander, and the late Earl Taylor (all of Omaha).

Great-grandparents are Mabel and David Katskee, Martha Harris and Lt. Col I. J. Harris, Josephine and Earl Taylor, Vernelle and Ralph Thurber (all deceased).

BAT MITZVAH

SYDNEY NATHAN PARCEL Sydney Nathan Parcel, daughter of Carin (Riekes) and Andrew Parcel, will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021 at Temple De Hirsch Sinai in Seattle, WA. Sydney is an eighth grade student at Islander Middle School.

Sydney enjoys playing tennis, volleyball, the violin and guitar, reading, photography and playing with her dog, Guster.

For her mitzvah project, Sydney is raising money to purchase sensory kits for children at Seattle Children's Hospital. For donations please visit https://gofund.me/f68ddc6b.

She has a brother, Liam, and a sister, Dylan.

Grandparents are Zoë and Carl Riekes of Omaha, and Judy Carroll and Randy Parcel of Denver.

ENGAGEMENT

NEMANI/MICHEL Aryn Nemani and Peter Michel announce their engagement.

Aryn is the daughter of Monica Parker Nemani and Ben Nemani. She earned a Bachelor of Science from McMaster University, and a Bachelor of Nursing from the University of New Brunswick. Aryn is currently practicing as a Registered Nurse (RN) in Toronto, Canada. She is the granddaughter of Doris and Milton Parker of Omaha.

Peter graduated from the University of Waterloo, where he studied accounting and financial management. He achieved his CPA/CA designation in Toronto, Canada. He is currently the Director of Finance for one of the largest ophthalmology organizations in Canada.

A wedding is planned for the evening of Oct. 10, 2021, in Toronto, Canada, and will be officiated by Rabbi David Cooper.

The couple is planning a tropical honeymoon and will reside in Toronto Ontario, Canada.

JEWISH PRESS NOTICES

The Jewish Press will be closed on Thursday Sept. 16 for Yom Kippur; and Tuesday Sept. 21 for Sukkot. Questions?

Call 402.334.6448.

IN MEMORIAM CAMEREN JUSTICE HOBBS Cameren Justice Hobbs passed away on Aug. 22, 2021 at age 28. Services were held on Aug. 26, 2021, at Roeder Mortuary, 1010 N. 72nd St, Omaha.

He is survived by his father, Michael S. Hobbs; mother, Erika K. Celeste; daughter, Kyriee-Ember A. Hobbs; and brother, Kaleb H. Hobbs.

Cameren was only 28 years old when he was taken from us, he was very well known in Traveller communities and he loved helping people. He was the type of person that would sacrifice himself and his priorities to drop everything he was doing to go help someone. Cameren had a big heart and was full of adventure. He always strived to bring a spark of magic and hope into people's lives. Cameren will be missed by many.

He was a member of Team Rubicon disaster relief, the Humane Society, and he loved to help people.

GENE OSHEROFF Former Omahan Gene Osheroff of Huntington Beach, CA, passed away on July 30, 2021, at age 93. Funeral services were held on Aug. 2, 2021.

Gene was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 68 years, Eleanore, and son, Neal.

He is survived by son and daughter-in-law, Jeff and Faith Osheroff; daughter and son-in-law, Kerry and Marty Hovenkotter; five grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; cousin, Lora Franklin Levine; and brother-in-law, Barry Fredkin.

Gene led an incredible life. An inventor and innovator who worked until age 93, he also loved family, flying, sailing, skiing, and traveling with Eleanore to all seven continents.

FRANKI (GROSS) MCINTYRE Franki (Gross) McIntyre passed away suddenly on Aug. 19, 2021, at age 83 from complications of COVID. Private family services were held in Orange County, California. A Celebration of Life memorial event will be held at a later date.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Lucille Katelman, her stepfather, Abe Katelman, her father, Gordon Gross, and her stepmother Evelyn Gross.

She is survived by her husband, Ron McIntyre, son and daughter-in-law, David and Sue Ruttenberg; daughter and son-in-law, Sherryl and Jack Anderson; stepson and stepdaughter, Greg and Susan McIntyre and stepdaughter, Tammy Armstrong; grandchildren: Brittany Reenen, Stevie Cruz, James Ameeti, Taylor Anderson, Maddy Anderson, Katie Ruttenberg Kroll, Lauren Ruttenberg, and Kelsey Ruttenberg; ten great-grandchildren; sister, Sandi Martin; nieces, Jody Nyquist and Angela Horner; nephews, Brian Martin and Kevin Martin; special caregivers who are like family, many friends, and adored pets, Sadie and Charlie.

Franki was born and grew up in Omaha, but lived in California her whole adult life. She worked as a nail technician for many years, eventually owning a well-known salon in Beverly Hills.

After retiring, she filled her life with her family, friends and anyone she happened to meet. No one was a stranger, no one was excluded from her inner circle. She was the “go to” person for good advice, a fresh perspective, a cooking lesson, or just a sounding board. She never judged anyone, and accepted everyone with unconditional love.

Memorials may be made to the ASPCA.

CORRECTION Some clarifications to the Campaign Cabinet article in the Jewish Press of Aug. 20: The couples who are chairing the Hannukah Extravaganza are Matt and Kalli Taub, Amanda and Ryan Blumkin, and Emily and Nick Ray. The Kid’s Campaign does not currently have chairs and we apologize about the misprint in the Press.

Matt and Kalli Taub are assisting with the Peer-to-Peer campaign, not chairing it. The Jewish Press regrets these errors.

Biden calls for swift confirmation of Lipstadt RON KAMPEAS WASHINGTON | JTA In a Rosh Hashanah call Thursday with a thousand rabbis across the denominational spectrum, President Joe Biden rededicated his presidency to combating hate and extremism and called on the Senate to swiftly confirm his nominee for antisemitism monitor, Deborah Lipstadt.

In the afternoon webinar, Biden was asked how he intended to combat a spike in antisemitic incidents. He noted that the attorney general, Merrick Garland, was hiring staff to coordinate the prosecution of hate crimes and that his administration was tracking extremist groups in what he called “America’s first-ever comprehensive effort to take on the threat of domestic terrorism.”

The president also cited his nomination in July of Lipstadt to be the State Department’s antisemitism monitor. The Senate has yet to take up the nomination.

“Now there’s no one more qualified and I called her for a

swift confirmation in the Senate,” Biden said of the Emory University Holocaust historian.

“We’re not going to stand for our fellow Americans being intimidated and attacked for who they are, what they believe, and that’s across the board,” Biden said. “Sometimes reform is preceded by serious serious breach of decency and people see it.”

Responding to questions on climate change and civil rights, Biden said he was committed to combating climate change and credited the Jewish community for taking the lead over the decades in the fight for civil rights. He backed current Jewish initiatives to roll back voting restrictions passed by some state legislatures.

Describing his meeting last week in Washington with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Biden noted their political differences — Bennett is a hawk and opposes some U.S. Middle East policies, particularly the U.S. leader’s efforts to reenter the Iran nuclear deal. But Biden said Bennett was a “gentleman” and pledged “unwavering” support for Israel.

The Jewish Press | September 10, 2021 | 15

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16 | The Jewish Press | September 10, 2021

News LOC AL | N ATI O N A L | WO R L D

What Jewish chefs are making RACHEL RINGER This article originally appeared on The Nosher.

We asked noted chefs and food writers what they will serve at home to mark the Jewish New Year, and (spoiler alert) they all plan to weave symbols of sweetness — hallmarks of the holiday — into their menus. Long live apples and honey!

But the apples may be in the form of a confit, and the honey might be replaced by silan (date syrup). And in place of brisket and Manischewitz, consider grilled vegetables and an aperitif.

Read these and other recipes on our website at www.omaha jewishpress.com.

ADEENA SUSSMAN Israel-based food writer Adeena Sussmann, author of “Sababa,” will serve a sticky, sheet pan chicken made with honey followed by her grandmother’s honey cake. To kick off the holiday meal, her “Pomegroni” — like a Negroni, but with fresh pomegranate juice substituted for Campari. Pomegranates are in season in Israel in September, and are often incorporated into the holiday meal.

POMEGRONI Ingredients: 6 ounces (3/4 cup) pomegranate juice 2 ounces (1/4 cup) sweet white vermouth or Lillet 2 ounces (1/4 cup) dry gin Generous splash Angostura bitters Blood orange or other orange wheels Directions: In an ice-filled cocktail shaker, vigorously shake the pomegranate juice, vermouth, gin and bitters. Pour into two ice-filled rocks glasses, add more bitters to taste, and garnish with orange wheels. The recipe can be multiplied (minus the ice) and stored in a pitcher for up to one week and can be freshened with more bitters as needed.

Yields: 2 cocktails

HONEY CAKE WITH APPLE CONFIT MICHAEL SOLOMONOV Solomonov — chef, restaurateur and cookbook author, known for extolling and preparing Israeli food — will return to his roots this year with his Mom’s Honey Cake with Apple Confit. It’s a classic honey cake, moistened with brewed coffee and lots of honey, topped with an elegant apple confit, sweetened with honey, cloves and vanilla. The confit has savory applications, too. It’s great, he said, served with chopped liver.

Ingredients: For the cake: 2 1/2 cups all–purpose flour 2 heaping tsp baking soda 1 cup sugar 1/2 tsp. salt pinch ground cinnamon 3 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 1/4 cups brewed coffee 2/3 cup honey 6 Tbsp. canola oil For the apple confit: 3 apples, peeled and sliced thinly crosswise 1 cup sugar 1 Tbsp. honey 2 cinnamon sticks 1 vanilla bean, split 3 cloves Directions: For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350

Credit: Michael Persico F. with a rack in the middle. Line two 5by-9-inch loaf pans with oiled parchment paper. Combine the flour and baking soda in a bowl and whisk well.

In a bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sugar, salt, cinnamon, eggs, coffee, honey and oil. Mix on low speed until blended. Add the flour mixture and continue mixing just until combined. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared loaf pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Decrease the oven temperature to 275 F. For the apples: Toss the apple slices

with the sugar, honey, cinnamon, vanilla bean, and cloves. Arrange in a single layer in a large ovenproof skillet or a baking pan. Add enough water to just cover the apples. Press a sheet of parchment onto the surface of the water.

Cover the skillet tightly with foil, bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, and transfer to the oven. Bake until the apples are just tender, about 1 hour. Cool to room temperature, transfer to a lidded container, and refrigerate until cold.

Serve with the honey cake.

Yields: 1 loaf