September 14, 2018 by Jewish Press

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Women’s Men’s Philanthropy Event Major Donor Event

Young Jewish Giving page 3

gAbby bLAir Staff Writer, Jewish Press he Jewish Federation of Omaha is pleased to present the 2019 Women’s Philanthropy Event on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 5:30-7:30 p.m. The evening’s soiree will be hosted at Mode de Vie, Regency Court (120 Regency Parkway, across from Garbo’s Salon). Featuring a champagne bar, hors d’oeuvres and desserts, all fare will be dairy with kosher options available upon request. Event chairs for this special evening are Dana Kaufman and Marti Poulos. French for ‘Way of Life,’ Mode de Vie reflects the very meaning of Women’s Philanthropy. The JFO’s Women’s Philanthropy engages Jewish women in the fulfilling work of making the world a better place. We have the power to be denise Albert change-makers and community-shapers and play an integral role in building and supporting Jewish life today and for generations to come.ˆ This year’s guest speaker is award-winning journalist and television producer, Denise Albert. Ms. Albert will be presenting on The Positives of Social Media and One MOM’S Journey. A self-proclaimed #FutureCancerSurvivor and #fulltime workingstayathomemom, Ms. Albert is also co-founder of The MOMS, a multi-platform lifestyle brand that celebrates--and puts a spotlight on--modern motherhood. Denise has written about her life’s journeys through motherhood, her career, divorce and her battle with breast cancer for people.com and GoodHousekeeping.com. Prior to The MOMS, Denise served as Executive Producer for David Blaine, Deputy Editorial See Women’s philanthropy event page 2

Learning beyond the desk page 5

Emerging Voices: In defense of supercars page 12

Annette vAn de kAMp Editor, Jewish Press he Jewish Federation of Omaha will host the Men’s Major Donor Event Thursday Oct. 4, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.at the Kutak Rock offices in The Omaha Building. Event Chair is Allan Murow. Guest speaker will be author Mohammed AL Samawi. AL Samawi was born in Sana’a, Yemen, and grew up as a practicing Muslim. While still in Yemen, AL Samawi worked for several NGOs, including Oxfam and World Relief. In addition, he worked as a freelance researcher for Boehncke Information technology GmbH for more than two years. He has authored more than 30 studies and reports about Yemen and has reported extensively on Sudan, including DarMohammed AL Samawi fur. Most recently, he served as the Regional Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Region at the international Center for Religion and Diplomacy. He is best known for his 2018 book The Fox Hunt, a Refugee’s Memoir of Coming to America. In it, he shares his personal story of love, war and hope, as well as the harrowing tale of his transformation from a traditionalist to an interfaith activist. AL Samawi escaped the civil war in Yemen with the help of a plan engineered on social media by a group of Facebook friends in the West. Desperate to escape, AL Samawi sent a message to four Americans he had met at an international peace conference. “Half a world away, New York City bioengineer Daniel Pincus, 39; San Francisco social entrepreneur Justin Hefter, 29; and See Men’s Major donor event page 2

Jewish Community Candidate Forum

inside Viewpoint Synagogues Life cycles

9 10 11

CASSAndrA HiCkS WeiSenburger Director of Communications, Temple Israel Mark your calendars for the 2018 Nebraska Jewish Community Candidate Forum on Sunday, Oct. 7, 3-4:30 p.m. at Temple Israel. Members of our community will have a chance to hear directly from the candidates for Governor, Senator, Congress, and the Nebraska Legislature during

the Forum, and every candidate participating will have a table set up to meet with

chance for all of us to become more involved with our system and to invest time

constituents before and after the Forum to speak with them individually and in smaller groups. The candidates will be asked several open-ended questions formulated by the planning committee on a variety of issues that affect us locally and globally. This is a

into making the meaningful choices that go into our votes. “The Forum is designed first and foremost as an opportunity for members of the Jewish community to meet and hear from candidates running for offices,” said Rabbi Brian Stoller, who will be our moderator.

“This event is not a debate, it is an opportunity for candidates to make a positive case for why they should be elected.” “I am excited about this Forum because this is the kind of event that makes living in the Omaha Jewish community special,” said Dan Gilbert, member of the planning committee. “In other communities, the citizens rarely have the chance to meet and interact directly with candidates from both parties at the same time in the same room.” This exciting and engaging event is free and open to the public. The Forum is sponsored by Temple Israel, Beth El, Beth Israel, B’nai B’rith, and the Jewish Federation of Omaha. After the Forum, we invite you to join us for the Jewish Federation of Omaha Community Event at the Hilton Omaha downtown.

2 | The Jewish Press | September 14, 2018

community

Beth el adult ed new semester

Ozzie nOGG Studies and the Goldstein Center for ish relations with a focus on Omaha. Rabbi Steven Abraham, Shira Abra- Human Rights at University of Ne- Classes meet on Oct. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, ham and Professor Jeannette Gabriel braska-Omaha. She is finishing her Nov. 7, and 14 from 6 to 7 p.m. at Beth have signed on to lead Beth El’s Adult Education classes for the upcoming season. The learning line-up includes: Talmudic Arguments Everyone Needs to Know: Sept. 25 through Dec. 19. Participants are invited to attend on either Tuesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., or Wednesday evenings from 7:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Rabbi Abraham leads these discussions, and rabbi Steven abraham Shira abraham Professor Jeannette Gabriel the subject matter on both meeting days will be the same. Tuesday PhD at the University of Iowa’s College El. Cost: $54 includes dinner. Register classes are scheduled for Sept. 25, Oct. of Education in Social Studies Educa- online at: www.bethel-omaha.org. 2, 9, (16 no class), 23, and 30; Nov. 6, tion. This course explores chronological The Power of Water: Understanding 13, 20 and 27; Dec. 4, 11 and 18. Cost: historical themes that impact African- the Meaning of Mikveh. Taught by Shira $65 includes lunch. Wednesday ses- American and Jewish communities be- Abraham. Four sessions: Thursday, sions meet on Oct. 3, 10, (17 no class), ginning with the Great Migration and Oct. 11 through Thursday, Nov. 1. Ses24, and 31; Nov. 7, 14, 21 and 28; Dec. Jewish settlement in the Midwest and sions meet from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Cost: 5, 12 and 19. No charge. Register online culminating with the impacts of gentri- $36 includes dinner. Register online at: at: www.bethel-omaha.org. fication. Students will examine political, www.bethel-omaha.org. We Walked the Same Streets: African- economic and historical themes includ“All Beth El adult education classes American and Jewish Cooperation and ing claims for full citizenship, impacts are open to the community, and we inConflict with Professor Jeannette of extralegal violence, restrictive vite you to attend,” said Eadie Tsabari, Gabriel: Thursday, Oct. 3 through covenants and redlining, anti-segrega- Beth El Director of Congregational Thursday, Nov. 14. Jeannette Gabriel is tion protests and urban neglect. The Learning. All sessions require online a resident scholar working with the course will engage students in a histor- registration, available on the synagogue Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish ical study of African American and Jew- website: www.bethel-omaha.org.

Women’s Philanthropy Event Continued from page 1 Producer at ABC’s Good Morning America and a feature reporter for NBATV. Denise is a better mom because she works and a better worker because she’s a mom (and able to do it all because of

her mom, Benita!). Please RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/ womenphilanthropy2019 by Sept. 26; cost to attend is $36 per person plus a $200 minimum pledge to the 2019 Annual Campaign. Please contact Louri

Sullivan, Jewish Federation of Omaha Senior Director of Community Impact and Special Projects, at lsullivan@jew ishomaha.org or 402.334.6485 with questions.

See full digital issues of the Jewish Press at https://issuu.com/jewishpress7

Men’s Major Donor Event

Continued from page 1 humanitarian activists Megan Hallahan, 38 and Natasha Westheimer, 27, then based in Israel, separately hit reply,” reads a story on People.com. AL Samawi has shared his powerful story across the globe, from religious organizations to schools and universities, as well as humanitarian and global groups. “The story of Al Samawi’s escape from Yemen,” wrote Neil Steinberg in the April, 2018 Chicago Sun Times, “is in one sense the story of any refugee anywhere in any era: growing up in an insular place — in his case, a child of privilege, his parents both doctors. Taught the insular local beliefs: to fear the West, hate Jews and Christians. Yet also glimpsing the world beyond the confines of home and its doctrine — in the case of Samawi, reading the Bible, becoming an activist for religious harmony. Then being forced to flee from that home, his only hope to find safe haven in the United States. What makes his case different, is that Al Samawi’s flight to America was arranged by a quartet of near-strangers on social media. A reminder that there’s more to Facebook than Cambridge Analytica swiping data.” AL Samawi, whose story is being made into a movie by producer Marc Platt, was granted asylum in the United States and today lives in Miami. Al Samawi’s book will be available for purchase during the event. For more information about the Men’s Major Donor event, please contact Senior Director of Community Impact and Special Projects Louri Sullivan at lsulli van@jew ishomaha.org or 402.334.6485.

Organizations

Bnai B’rith BreadBreakerS

B’nai B’rith Breadbreakers meets weekly on Wednesdays at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home auditorium from noon to 1 p.m. For specific speaker information, please email Gary.Javitch@Gmail.com, Breadbreakers chairman. For more information or to be placed on the email list call 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@jewishomaha.org.

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The Jewish Press | September 14, 2018 | 3

Eye on Israel

MARK KIRCHHOFF Community Engagement and Education n observance of Labor Day and the High Holidays, Eye on Israel has been rescheduled this month from its customary first Monday to Sept. 17. The session will meet at noon in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library. This will be the first session with our newly-arrived Shlicha, Ron Lugasy, who will be joined by Rabbi Shlomo Abramovich for a team presentation. Ron and Rabbi Shlomo have chosen a number of “in the news” topics to present at the beginning of the session. They will begin with how the BDS movement has impacted enterron lugasy tainers in their decisions to either perform or not perform in Israel. Those outside Israel have certainly formed their opinions about this; our presenters will view it from an Israeli perspective. They next will discuss the “Israeli Statistics.” At the start of the year Israel announces its statistics – how many Jews live in Israel? How many men, women, or children? How many deaths, births? This will be an interesting discussion of the population trends of the country. No Eye on Israel would be complete without an examination of a “hot topic.” The recently named Jewish Agency Chairman, Yitzhak (Bougie) Herzog, is advocating bringing Ethiopian Jews remaining in Ethiopia to Israel. It is an understatement to say that this does not have universal approval. Ron and

Young Jewish Giving

Shlomo will shed light on the topic. Israel is also in the news as it is providing $15,000 in water treatment systems to combat a cholera epidemic in Cameroon. This is a shining example of Israel using its resources to assist those in need, and you will surely be proud to hear the details of what is being done. The feature topic for this month will be a reflection on the Oslo Accord process which started 25 years ago. These talks between Israel and the Palestinians were filled with hope for establishing a peaceful coexistence. Now we wonder what impact they have had. Since that time there have been nearly 1,600 Israeli casualties and many more thousands wounded from terrorist attacks. rabbi Shlomo abramovich Is Yitzhak Rabin’s land-for-security formula a complete failure? Was it ever the correct approach? What impact do these accords have on life in Israel today? Ron and Shlomo promise a spirited exchange as they examine the positive and negative aspects of the Oslo accords. This is a discussion that you won’t want to miss. Mark your calendar now to attend Eye on Israel on Sept. 17 at noon in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library. Eye on Israel is presented to the community free of charge through the Community Engagement & Education arm of the Jewish Federation of Omaha with support from the Ann Goldstein Education Programming Endowment.

Danielle GorDman Sunday, Sept. 30, 8:30-11a.m. serve brunch at Siena FranProgam Director, Young Jewish Giving cis House. Young Jewish Giving provides hands-on experience and edSunday, Oct. 14, 6:15-7:15 p.m. run the concessions stand ucation about philanthropy and non-profit organizations. at the Jewish Film Festival at the JCC. YJG oﬀers fun, social, enerSunday, Oct. 21, 12-5 p.m. getic and insightful programhelp clean up Seymour Smith ming built around tzedakah, Park! Be a part of thousands of its importance in Judaism and city-wide volunteers for Keep the responsibility to engage in Omaha Beautiful. Sunday, Oct. 21, 6:15-7:15 acts of Tikkun Olam, repairing p.m. run the concessions the world. Teens learn firststand at the Jewish Film Festihand about giving tzedakah by val at the JCC. opening their own fund, pracSunday, Oct. 28, 4:30-7 p.m. ticing social action, and being serve dinner at Siena Francis part of a community that House. models leadership. ere are limited spots for YJG is planning a busy season over the next few months, these opportunities, so don’t with many opportunities for hesitate to sign up! teens to become involved. A Upcoming Young Jewish Teen Foundation Board MeetGiving events will be held Nov. ing will be held Sunday, Sept. 11 from 11:15 a.m.-noon at Young Jewish Giving at the Food Bank 16 from 12:30-2 p.m. Beth El Synagogue, for grades

At this first meeting, new and existing board members will begin the grant making process. e agenda includes ice breakers, discussion of expectations, preliminary draing of our Request for Proposal documents and fun! Volunteer opportunities include: Sunday, Sept. 16, 8:30-11 a.m. serve brunch at Siena Francis House.

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7 and 8 and Nov. 13 from 7-8 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center following the BBYO Chapter Meetings, for grades 912. Kosher donuts will be provided at Beth El; the Nov. 13 meeting will include a kosher dinner. For more information, to open an account or sign up for volunteer opportunities, please contact Danielle at 402.334.6446 or dgordman@jewishomaha.org.

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Days of Awe-some vacations very now and then I feel it my duty to reveal just how secular are secular Israeli Jews. I’ll begin here with a question: Is it really possible for a secular Israeli Jew to treat Rosh Hashana or Yom Kippur the way an American treats Labor Day? I’m afraid that the answer is yes. After 21 years in Israel I am finally ready to acknowledge TeDDY that for many secular Israelis, Jewish WeInBeRGeR holidays are mainly looked upon as a chance to take a vacation at the State’s expense. This is especially true of the Fall holiday period, which for secular Israelis contains no essential observances. (Whereas over the Spring holiday period, the three weeks beginning with Passover and ending with Independence Day, most Israelis are devoted to some kind of family Passover Seder and many are committed to visiting certain bereaved families on Memorial Day.) Additionally, because the university calendar-year only begins with the conclusion of the Fall holidays, many students are abroad during the whole Fall holiday period. Depending on the way holidays occur in a given year will influence the vacationing of secular Israelis; for example, with Rosh Hashana falling out this year on Monday and Tuesday Sept. 10 and 11, and with the eve of Rosh Hashana (Sunday Sept. 9) being a holiday for most people, it will be extremely tempting for secular Israelis to forgo the apples dipped in honey in favor of flying out of Israel Thursday night Sept. 6 for a 5-day trip abroad that does not “cost” a single personal vacation day. Many Israelis are quite flexible about opting in and out of Jewish tradition and ritual. A vacation abroad may mean a total vacation from Jewish tradition and ritual, whereas I once heard a woman say: “If I am in Israel, I fast on Yom Kippur.” Jews like myself who grew up abroad, where people with any Jewish consciousness make it their business to get to a synagogue on Rosh Hashanah and/or Yom Kippur, are always amazed that for some Jewish Israelis synagogue attendance is out even on the High Holidays. Last year my neighbor boarded a non-kosher cruise in Barcelona over Rosh Hashanah. Though he typically has festive family meals over the Jewish holidays, last year he completely blew off the New Year (shofar pun intended). Why do I feel bad about my neighbor’s treif cruise over Rosh Hashanah? Let him enjoy himself, no? Part of it is that I think that there are enough values in Jewish tradition whatever one’s faith commitment. I care about my neighbor and I honestly feel that he missed out by not in any way marking the Jewish New Year. But to be completely honest, I do not care about my neighbor that much. There must be something

more to explain my disappointment. I think the reason has to do with the fact that I observe Jewish tradition mainly for ethnic reasons and less for theological reasons (though I am fully observant, this makes me Reconstructionist more than Orthodox). The more observance of Jewish traditions, the more I feel validated in participating in these traditions, the more I feel that doing so is important in an ultimate, timeless, cosmic way. When I am faced with Jews who don’t observe, the rituals and traditions seem to lose some of their power and to become more arbitrary and idiosyncratic. Having said all this, I find it important to recall a conception of religious Zionism that holds that in the Jewish polity all life is Jewishly important; i.e., whatever Jews choose to do in the Jewish state on the Jewish holidays is Jewish--whether it is going to the synagogue or going to the beach. With several of my children opting for the latter on a typical summery Jewish holy day, but with all five of them well on their way to building adult lives here in Israel, I’m a big believer in this Zionist approach! Shana Tova! Teddy Weinberger, Ph.D., made aliyah in 1997 with his wife, former Omahan Sarah Jane Ross, and their five children, Nathan, Rebecca, Ruthie, Ezra, and Elie, all of whom are veterans of the Israel Defense Forces; Weinberger can be reached at weinross@netvision.net.il.

Food: A family tradition

Speigal Family at Holiday Time

Renee RaTneR CoRCoRan Executive Director, Nebraska Jewish Historical Society The nebraska Jewish Historical Society invites you to attend their annual meeting. It will be held on Sunday, oct. 28 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the JCC auditorium. Come hear stories and sample food we most remember from our family gatherings. The Mary Fellman award for preserving the past for the future and the Volunteer of the Year award will be presented at that time.

Prepare for your newborn at the free Boys Town Pediatrics newborn expo New and expecting parents are invited to the free Boys Town Pediatrics Newborn Expo on Saturday, Sept. 22 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Pacific Street Medical Clinic on Boys Town Campus. This free event provides attendees with the opportunity to attend expert-led newborn seminars, learn about local businesses and enjoy complimentary refreshments and pampering. expert education Boys Town pediatricians and a Hy-Vee dietitian will lead short educational sessions for parents. Topics covered range from early newborn care, to what breastfeeding mothers should be eating, to things that our pediatricians wish they knew before becoming parents. At the conclusion of each class, there will be a drawing for a free car seat!

Meet Local Businesses Whether you’re in need of some new baby clothes, a lactation consultation, mommy boot camps or anything in between –our vendors will have you covered! Stop by each table and learn about how local businesses can be resources to you and your growing family. You might just walk away with some free swag. enjoy the event The Newborn Expo isn’t all work and no play. Mothers can enjoy prenatal massages, and there will be free spa treatments on site. Parents can enjoy a buffet of treats and fruit and then head over to the photo station to get a keepsake baby bump photo (or a family photo if your newborn will be joining you)! Plus, Molly from Channel 94.1’s Big Party Show will join us and help announce our hourly prize winners.

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Volunteers needed for B’nai B’rith Annual Sukkah Building Event

In preparation for Sukkot, members of Henry Monsky Lodge #3306 B’nai B’rith will build and decorate sukkahs at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, the Child Development Center and Friedel Academy. The annual event will take place on Sunday, Sept. 23 at 11 a.m. Volunteers will meet at the Canteen area, outside the Youth Lounge in the Jewish Community Center. Monsky Lodge will supply the building materials and decorations for the sukkahs and will also provide lunch, following the completion of the booths, for all volunteers. “Everyone is welcome to join us as we prepare for this festival by coming out on Sunday, Sept. 23. It’s a great chance to have fun, do a mitzvah, meet some new people, and you even get lunch,” said Monsky Lodge President, Ari Riekes. He further praised and thanked Gary Nachman for providing the tree branches and David Jacobs for his part in organizing the build. Since volunteers will be handling tree branches as they build sukkahs, they are encouraged to bring a pair of gloves to wear. For more information about the event or to volunteer, please call Steve Riekes at 402.492.9800 or email bnaibrith@jewishomaha.org.

Learning beyond the desk

Friedel Jewish Academy students are playing chess in the classroom.

The Jewish Press | September 14, 2018 | 5

community Jewish Family Service hires Lauren Edgecombe as Vocational Concierge KArEn GuStAFSon JFS Executive Director Following the 2017 Jewish Federation of Omaha Population Study: A Portrait of the Omaha Jewish Community, Jewish Family Service has hired a new part-time position approved July 1. The study reported that 20% of households with adults ages 15-64 needed job counseling in the past year. Lauren Edgecombe is developing the program and working with clients who are interested in employment searching, job placeLauren Edgecombe ment, identification of supportive employment resources, or looking for volunteer opportunities. Clients can be interested in looking for part-time or full-

unacceptable

KArEn DAnEu CEO, Susan G. Komen® Great Plains Susan G. Komen is the name of the world’s largest breast cancer organization. It is also the name of the woman, Suzy, who died of breast cancer at age 36 in 1980. Suzy was likely a BRCA1/2 carrier, but the discovery of the most well-known gene mutation linked to breast cancer risk wouldn’t be discovered until 1990. Suzy’s breast cancer was likely a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer, but that discovery wouldn’t be made until 2005. In nearly forty years we’ve made lots of progress in breast cancer screening, treatment and research, but people like Suzy — 40,000 each year— are still dying of this disease. That is unacceptable. Suzy’s older sister promised she would make things better for women facing breast cancer, and Susan G. Komen research and local

time employment for pay or volunteer positions in and around the Omaha community. Services that the Vocational Concierge will be providing include but are not limited to: defining/refining a work goal, researching job openings, finding job leads, filling out a work application/form, or changing the educational situation of the individual. Other opportunities include guidance with volunteer opportunities and any additional support in employment or educational barriers. Barriers could include but are not limited to transportation, mental health, physical health, childcare, and housing. Lauren has researched other resources in Omaha that could potentially provide services to our individuals. She will also be working with members in the community who are business leaders who could potentially partner with our program to successfully match employees. Lauren says, “This opportunity would be beneficial to both our client and their business by promoting an inclusive environment and expanding their employee “pool” with dedicated, proud employees.” If anyone in the Jewish community is in need of assistance with employment, please reach out to Lauren by email at ledgecombe@jfsomaha.com or by phone at 402.334.6495. Her office hours are Monday through Wednesday from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

programs have helped many. Because of early detection and better treatment, the mortality rate for breast cancer has dropped 39 percent since Suzy’s death. But women and men are still dying of this disease. That is unacceptable. Breast cancer is still very relevant today, as there’s not a cure and people still are affected physically, mentally, and financially. Communities are impacted by this disease with a quarter of a million new diagnoses each year in the U.S. Continue the promise Suzy’s family made by taking care of your personal breast health and encouraging others to do the same. Donate to help find cures and more treatment options. Donate to help those without resources to get screened and get help. Visit komengreatplains.org and make a commitment to the promise. That is acceptable.

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The Jewish Press | September 14, 2018 | 7

Rabbi Hillel said

“If I am not for myself, who will be? If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?” These words remind us that though self-interest is our right, we also have a duty to care for others. Today. For over a century, Jewish Family Service of Omaha has focused on providing crucial aid to individuals, couples and families facing challenges in their lives. Between July, 2017 and June, 2018, our efforts have been sustained by the following contributors who chose to balance their own needs with the needs of others. Grants

Endowments

In Kind Donations

Contributions & Tribute Cards

Project Dreidel

Friends Campaign

Members of our community deserve to live with dignity. These grants provide financial assistance, counseling services, YACHAD activities and other critical programs that strengthen Jewish family life. C.M. “Nick” Newman Bequest FundFoundations Grant Committee Herbert Goldsten Trust Lazier L. Singer Memorial Fund for Youth Million Dollar Round Table Foundation (MDRT)- Worldwide Grant Program Murray H. and Sharee C. Newman Supporting Foundation Omaha Jewish Community Legal Assistance Fund Phillip and Terri Schrager Supporting Foundation Shirley and Leonard Goldstein Supporting Foundation Sokolof Foundation Special Donor-Advised Fund of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Staenberg Family Foundation Anything Grant

Nathan and Rose Lillian Fine JFS Tzedakah Endowment Fund Parsow and Simons Families Special Needs Community Fund Paul Alperson Endowment Fund Paul & Joy Grossman Family Endowment Fund Pennie Z. Davis Family Life Education Fund Perlmeter Family Jewish Family Service Assistance Fund Richard “Pete” Lee Memorial Endowment Fund Robert Sturm JFS Housing Assistance Endowment Fund Rosalie & Milton Saylan Endowment Fund for JFS Ruth & Bernard Raskin Endowment Fund Ruth & Otmar Liebenstein JFS Financial Assistance Endowment Fund Samuel & Delma Goodman Youth Fund, Donor-Advised Fund Steven Bloch President’s Fund Yachad Endowment Fund

Patty Nogg Maxine Noodell Robert Osborne Dr. Jeffrey and Sandy Passer The Pennie Z Davis Child Development Center Jacob Phillips Miles Remer Marty and Iris Ricks Rose Rosenberg Dottie Rosenblum Steven and Marsha Senft Dr. Paul Shyken Mike and Andrea Siegel Sparks Computerized Car Care Beth Spizman Temple Israel Synagogue T.O. Haas Tire and Auto Unique Auto Inc

Rabbi Steven and Shira Abraham Al Bloch and Fefe Passer Sherman and Sandy Brodkey Jason and Laurie Epstein Ted and Jamie Friedland Howard and Gloria Kaslow Jeff and Sharon Kirshenbaum Sharon and Howard Kooper Jay Matz and Dr. Stacie Spies-Matz Joe and Tina Meyers Sue Meyers Alan and Linda Muskin Steve and Patty Nogg Michael and Susie Norton Jack and Helene Shrago Larry and Sherry Shapiro Rabbi Maximo and Jeanne Shechet Steve and Kathleen Zalkin Ted and Amee Zetzman B’nai B’rith/Henry Monsky Lodge

Benefactor Sue Meyers Murray and Sharee Newman Dr. Jeffrey and Sandra Passer The Todd and Betiana Simon Foundation Steve and Kathleen Zalkin

Patron Norman Veitzer Dr. James Wax Ben and Anna Weisman Phil and Nancy Wolf Charlotte Zipursky

Angel Rose Blumkin Foundation Gary and Lisa Epstein Paul and Sandy Epstein Richard Fellman Don and Andi Goldstein Richard and Joanie Jacobson Larry and Debbi Josephson Jeff and Sharon Kirshenbaum Bruce Meyers and Marty Tichauer Joe and Tina Meyers Gary Nachman Steve and Patty Nogg Michael and Susan Norton Irv and Gail Veitzer Jim and Sally Zipursky

Endowments

Supporter 2 Anonymous Terry and Joanie Bernstein Jim and Marge Bresel Sherman and Sandy Brodkey Judith Cooper Justin and Joan Cooper Judith Feigin Paulette Flatowicz Ron Giller Mr. and Mrs. David Goldstein Alex and Mary Sue Grossman Janice Harris Frank Kaiman and Laura Dann Joan Kaiman Rocky Lewis Neal and Jody Malashock Scott and Jenny Meyerson Cheryl Phillips Marty and Iris Ricks Helen Rifkin Marcy Ruback Lynn Samuel Wayne Schwartz and Lori Kooper-Schwartz Larry and Sherry Shapiro Mike and Andrea Siegel Andrew and Yukiko Weinberg

Sponsor Nancy Rips Dottie Rosenblum Mark and Alla Rubezhin Errol and Lynne Saltzman Claudia Sherman Phil and Jan Wayne Jeremy Wright and Annette Van de Kamp-Wright

In Kind Donations

Grace Isler Arnold and Sheryn Joffe Joanie Kaiman Howard and Gloria Kaslow Gary and Lorrie Katelman Robert and Esther Katelman Joe and Maxine Kirshenbaum Jerry and Gail Kohll Joseph and Leah Kosinovsky Harold and Alice Kosowsky Jack and Bette Kozlen Stan and Angie Krieger Leslie Kully Joanie Lehr Michael Levine Dmitriy Masyuk Allan and Janie Murow Gary Nachman National Council of Jewish Women Nancy Noddle Alan and Sandy Nogg Alan and Carol Parsow The Pennie Z. Davis Child Development Center Ray and Gwen Pred Sheila Priluck and Family Helen Rifkin Judy Roffman Edye and Max Roffman Schwartz Family Foundation Ben Shapiro and Amy Reynolds Michael and Patricia Sherman Milton Simons Trust Beth Staenberg Stewart and Judy Tully Steve and Joye Wees Andrew and Yukiko Weinberg Arnold and Anne Weitz Norman and Lois Wine Adam and Sarah Yale Barry and Nora Zoob Mort Zuber

Tikkun Olam -- repairing the world -is a moral obligation. Through these endowments, JFS continues to help people build lives of hope and joy. Edith & Paul Goldstein Endowment Fund Glazer Family Endowment Fund Harris Family, Donor-Advised Fund Harry & Fannie Stock Rothkop/Theodore Rothkop Fund Howard and Judy Vann Family Education Fund Ike Friedman JFS Financial Assistance Fund Jake & Mary Wine Fund Jennifer Beth Kay Memorial Fund, Donor-Advised Fund Jerome J. and Frances O. Milder Endowment Fund Jewish Family Service Campaign Legacy Fund Jewish Family Service Discretionary Fund Jewish Family Service Endowment Fund Kutler Dental Custodial Fund Leo & Frances Rodick Memorial Endowment Fund Lippett Family Endowment Fund Louis Friedman Fund for New Americans Mark & Sophie Sturm Immigrant Education Fund Mickey (Sturm) Stern Memorial Endowment Fund Nancy Noddle JFS Financial Assistance Fund

The Talmud says, “A good friend is a tower of strength. To find one is to find a treasure.” Friends of JFS help families in crisis receive guidance to put their lives back in order. The Abraham Family Bagel Bin Beth El Synagogue Beth Israel Synagogue Roni Braaton Alan Cogen Dr. Robert Curry Barbara Dietrich The Feldstern Family Girl Scout Troop at Friedel Friedel Jewish Academy Bob and Barbara Goodman Barry Grossman David and Julianne Herzog Jonathan and Linda Isaacman Andy Isaacson Gary Javitch Dr. Fred Kader Ann Kaiman Esther Katz Joanne Kearney Sara Kohen Debra Kronick Marks Clare and Richards Bruce Meyers Joe and Tina Meyers Sue Meyers Kim Noddle

Young Jewish Giving Zach Adams Hannah Dysico Benjamin Kutler Brady Meyerson Samantha Sullivan

Contributions & Tribute Cards Donations in honor and in remembrance of family and friends help meet the emotional and financial needs that accompany unexpected medical problems or the loss of employment. 39 Forever Anonymous James and Callista Ambrose John Atherton and Marti Rosen-Atherton Al Bloch and Fefe Passer Steve and Carol Bloch Wayne Cadwallader Jason and Laurie Epstein Nancy Epstein Joe Erman Sherry Fletcher Lloyd Kelley and Rich Ford Mr. and Mrs. Howard Friedman Morris and Cindy Friedman Donald and Andi Goldstein David and Shirley Goodman Robert and Barbara Goodman Terri Grossman Renee Handleman Bonnie Horwich

Back to School Howard and Gloria Kaslow Alan and Linda Muskin National Council of Jewish Women Michael and Susan Norton Dr. Jay Parsow Scholarship Fund Jeanne Shechet Special Donor-Advised Fund of the Jewish Federation of Omaha

Project Tzedakah Beth El Synagogue Beth Israel Synagogue Tuffy Epstein Judy Farber David Goldberg David and Shirley Goodman Karen Gustafson Kate Kirshenbaum Nikki Kirshenbaum Gary Kudym Bruce Meyers Susie Norton Justin Norton Ellen Platt Allen and Eden Ostravich The Pennie Z Davis Child Development Center Rabbi Maximo and Jeanne Shechet Dorothy Spizman Temple Israel Synagogue Sonia Tipp Norman and Lois Wine

Friends Campaign Friend for Life Anonymous Friedland Family Foundation Ike and Roz Friedman Foundation Howard and Gloria Kaslow Bruce and Anne Shackman

Champion Jeff and Karen Gustafson Jerry and Cookie Hoberman Milton Kleinberg Judy Roffman Ed Schneider Barry and Nora Zoob Patron Anonymous John Atherton and Marti Rosen-Atherton Steve and Carol Bloch John and Kay Lynn Goldner Rosalie Greenspan Howard and Sharon Epstein Marc and Andrea Hamburg Kate Kirshenbaum Harold and Alice Kosowsky Joanie Lehr Dr. Larry and Diane Malashock Nancy Milder Lazer Gordon and Ann Moshman Allan Noddle Fefe Passer Susan Rothholtz Natan and Hannah Schwalb Dr. Norman and Suzanne Sheldon Sissy Silber

Jewish Family Service is able to do its work because members of this remarkable community genuinely care about one another. Thank you for your generous support.

Sponsor 3 Anonymous Leonard Burrell and Cantor Wendy Shermet Janey Dann Deborah Denenberg Drs. Steven and Tiffany Denenberg Frances Fried Deborah Friedman Bruce and Margie Gutnik Steven and Bonnie Levinger Lina Levit Leslie Kully Linda Novak Helga Patterson Matt and Shayna Ray

Circle of Friends 4 Anonymous Vicki Allely David and Carol Alloy Harry and Doris Alloy Peter Brodkey and Nancy McCormick Rose Davis Richard and Cheryl Diamond Vera Dobin Bonnie Horwich Bob Kaplan Matt Kirshenbaum and Jenn Tompkins-Kirshenbaum Jack and Bette Kozlen Marshall and Barbara Kushner Vera Levit Patricia Mogil Suzi Mogil Henry and Pam Monsky Gary and Clara Paskar Vicki Perlmeter Toni Rosen Michael and Patty Sherman Esther Silver Susan Silverman Dorothy Spizman Rocky Stern Scott Tatelman Steve and Marilyn Tipp Sally Wintroub

Other Amounts Ida Berman-Cohoon Joseph and Leah Kosinovsky Steven and Margo Riekes *Of Blessed Memory

All contributions are as of June 30, 2018. We apologize if your name was omitted from this list. Please call JFS at 402-330-2024

8 | The Jewish Press | September 14, 2018

Friedel Innovations class 4 live shows daily! Over 50 attractions on the farm including the hayride to pumpkin field, train rides, jumping pillows!

Each week, Friedel students build STEM skills in their Innovations class. Here, they were tasked with building a marble roller coaster out of pool noodles, wood skewers, straws, and tape.

Britain’s chief rabbi publishes guide on providing support for LGBT students

JTA Britain’s chief rabbi published a guidebook for Orthodox Jewish schools to help them provide support for LGBT students in the Jewish community. e guide by Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis calls for a zero-tolerance approach to homophobic or transphobic bullying, despite a biblical prohibition against homosexual acts. e 36-page booklet, titled e Wellbeing of LGBT+ Pupils, was produced with input from LGBT Jews and the support of KeshetUK, an organization promoting equality for LGBT members of the Jewish community. e booklet in some cases employs Torah values to show the school leaders how to teach students to deal with the issue, such as not speaking ill of others. Mirvis said in an op-ed published Sept. 6 in the London-based Jewish Chronicle: “Young LGBT+ people in the Jewish community oen express feelings of deep isolation, loneliness and a sense that they can never be themselves. Many are living with the fear that

if they share their struggles with anyone they will be expelled, ridiculed and even rejected by family and friends. ey may even be struggling with a loss of emunah (faith, trust in God) and the fear of losing their place of acceptance and belonging in the Jewish community. “I hope that this document will set a precedent for genuine respect, borne out of love for all people across the Jewish world and mindful of the fact that every person is created betzelem Elokim, in the image of God.” Some haredi Orthodox schools in Britain have been criticized by the Oﬃce for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills, or Ofsted, and some sanctioned for failing to teach students about LGBT issues and censoring textbooks with chapters on the topics. e guide defines LGBT+ as referring to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender, as well as those who are genderfluid, non-binary or questioning their sexuality or gender identity.

Vala’s Pumpkin Patch Fall Festival Vala’s Pumpkin Patch and Fall Festival is fun for the whole family! You can spend all day discovering our 40+ attractions, like our hayrack ride to the pumpkin patch, jumping pillows, haunted house, family bikes and obstacle course. Our Egg Scramble is unique to Vala’s, a towering barn where families can play together, shooting and throwing foam balls. Don’t miss our three live shows, running daily: The Pumpkin Eating Dragon Show, The Pig Races and the Pumpkin Cannon Show. On weekends we have live music, magic shows and The Flying Stunt Dog Show, a favorite with kids and grown-

ups alike. And, of course, enjoy our fall festival foods. We have the very best kettle corn around, thanks to our secret ingredient! The Pie Barn at Vala’s has fresh, artisan pies, made completely from scratch (pre-order if you want one for Thanksgiving!). Hand-dipped caramel apples, pumpkin funnel cakes, mini chocolate chip cookies in a bucket, and chili in a bread bowl are all not-to-be-missed! Vala’s Pumpkin Patch is open every day until Oct. 31, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Plan your visit today!

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Need a Ride? Home Repairs Needed? Jewish Senior Outreach Now offering Transportation and Handyman Services Contact Shelly Fox for more information

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The Jewish Press | September 14, 2018 | 9

viewpoint thejewishpress

(Founded in 1920) abby Kutler President annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor richard busse Creative Director susan bernard Advertising Executive lori Kooper-schwarz Assistant Editor Gabby blair Staff Writer Thierry ndjike Accounting Jewish Press board Abby Kutler, President; Eric Dunning, Ex Officio; Laura Dembitzer; Candice Friedman; Jill Idelman; Andy Isaacson; Michael Kaufman; David Kotok; Natasha Kraft; Debbie Kricsfeld; Eric Shapiro and Amy Tipp. The mission of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to build and sustain a strong and vibrant Omaha Jewish Community and to support Jews in Israel and around the world. Agencies of the Federation are: Community Relations Committee, Jewish Community Center, Center for Jewish LIfe, Jewish Social Services, and the Jewish Press. Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page stories and announcements, can be found online at: wwwjewishomaha.org; click on ‘Jewish Press.’ Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole. The Jewish Press reserves the right to edit signed letters and articles for space and content. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment. editorial The Jewish Press is an agency of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Deadline for copy, ads and photos is: Thursday, 9 a.m., eight days prior to publication. E-mail editorial material and photos to: avandekamp@jew ishomaha.org; send ads (in TIF or PDF format) to: rbusse@jewishom aha.org. letters to the editor Guidelines The Jewish Press welcomes Letters to the Editor. They may be sent via regular mail to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154; via fax: 1.402.334.5422 or via e-mail to the Editor at: avandekamp@jew ishomaha.org. Letters should be no longer than 250 words and must be single-spaced typed, not hand-written. Published letters should be confined to opinions and comments on articles or events. News items should not be submitted and printed as a “Letter to the Editor.” The Editor may edit letters for content and space restrictions. Letters may be published without giving an opposing view. Information shall be verified before printing. All letters must be signed by the writer. The Jewish Press will not publish letters that appear to be part of an organized campaign, nor letters copied from the Internet. No letters should be published from candidates running for office, but others may write on their behalf. Letters of thanks should be confined to commending an institution for a program, project or event, rather than personally thanking paid staff, unless the writer chooses to turn the “Letter to the Editor” into a paid personal ad or a news article about the event, project or program which the professional staff supervised. For information, contact Annette van de Kamp-Wright, Jewish Press Editor, 402.334.6450. Postal The Jewish Press (USPS 275620) is published weekly (except for the first week of January and July) on Friday for $40 per calendar year U.S.; $80 foreign, by the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Phone: 402.334.6448; FAX: 402.334.5422. Periodical postage paid at Omaha, NE. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198 or email to: jpress@jewishomaha.org.

american Jewish Press association award Winner

nebraska Press as- national newspaper sociation association award winner 2008

How hard can it be? anneTTe van de KamP Editor, Jewish Press t was the one line that really stood out in Barack Obama’s Sept. 7 speech, according to the pundits. “How hard can that be?” Obama asked his audience. “Saying that Nazis are bad.” The audience response was laughter, which was a bit jarring (I would have been more comfortable with applause) but the question itself remains valid. There have been times when people have accused me of being too sensitive, too focused on the danger of white supremacists, seeing anti-Semitism where there is none. I doubt I’m the only one. In addition to the problem of Nazism, there is the problem of bystanders. The tendency to avoid real confrontation, the temptation to stick your head in the sand and look the other way, convincing one’s self it’s not so bad is something we, as a society, continue to struggle with. During anti-immigrant riots in Chemnitz, Germany in August of this year, 12 masked neo-Nazis, dressed in all black, threw stones, bottles and a sawed-off steel pipe at Jewish restaurant owner Uwe Dziubilla. They shouted: “Get out of Germany, you Jewish pig.” They broke his window and injured him. Although police arrived quickly on the scene, the Berlin-based Jewish Forum for Democracy and Against Anti-Semitism only learned about the attack on Sept. 5, a full nine days after it happened. For Dziubilla, this was not new. He told newspaper Die Welt about past attacks, pig heads left at his front door, swastikas painted on his storefront. Germany’s Commissioner against anti-Semitism, Felix Klein, called it “reminiscent of our worst collections of the 1930s.” Sure, it does sound like the 1930s, but in invoking the past, there is a danger of not acknowledging the present. Because while it may look like the past, it is very much

happening now. Let’s face it: anti-Semitic attacks are up, Obama’s speech. ‘I’m sorry, I watched it, but fell asleep,’ not just in one German city, but in many other places. he said.” From Poland to Great Britain, from France to the United Trump’s response can be discarded as a joke, a simple States: how much longer can we talk about ‘incidents,’ partisan stab against his predecessor and in that sense, and not acknowledge that there is much more to it? nothing new. At the same time, there is an eerie truth to In Sidney, Australia, the district office of an Australian what he said; if we think Nazism isn’t a real problem in member of Parliament whose wife is Jewish was targeted 2018, we are all, in fact, asleep. If we read the news and by racists who threw pig’s entrails at the front door. They also left a swastika on the office door. Anti-Semitic fliers were posted near five San Franciscoarea synagogues ahead of Rosh Hashanah. Posters saying “Israel is a racist endeavor” appeared on bus stops in London on Sept. 5. With every painted slogan, every broken window, we run the risk of boiling the frog; we treat a swastika sticker was left on the office door of australian lawmaker mike Kelly. Credit: J-Wire every event as an outlier and ignore that something fundamental is changkeep looking the other way, without letting it sink in, we ing. So, how hard can it be, to say that Nazis are bad? are asleep. “Mr. Trump wasted no time in responding,” reported I know; it’s not a very positive New Year’s message, Peter Baker in the New York Times. “Speaking to support- but then, the calendar often doesn’t ask us what we ers at a fund raiser in Fargo, N.D., he dismissed Mr. want.

Too few Jews, Pew! Where are the 'secular maximalists'? The Sunday brunchers?

andreW siloW-carroll NEW YORK | JTA The Pew Research Center’s new typology of religion puts Americans into seven broad categories ranging from Sunday Stalwarts (“active in their faith and congregations”) to Solidly Secular (“hold virtually no religious beliefs”). In between are the Relaxed Religious, who say religion is important but don’t hold much with traditional practices; the Diversely Devout, who believe in that old-time religion but also psychic crystals and other new age enchantments; and the Spiritually Awake, who seem to believe in heaven and hell the way I believe in Marie Condo: I know I should declutter my house but it ain’t gonna happen. What I found most interesting about the typology is the way Jews seem to blow up the whole thing. According to Pew, “Jewish Americans are the only religious group with substantial contingents at each end of the typology.” In other words, while most evangelicals are deeply religious, and Catholics and Mormons tend to cluster toward the believer side of things, about one in five U.S. Jews are, ahem, Shabbat Stalwarts, and 45 percent consider themselves nonreligious. No surprise there: Every recent study shows that Jews are divided among the affiliated and the unaffiliated, the engaged and unengaged, the Alan Dershowitzes and the Adam Sandlers. That’s a quirk of Jewish identity itself, which allows a Jew to be defined by belief, biology, religious practice, peoplehood, nationality or whether or not he works as a lawyer for the Trump Organization. It’s why we call Judaism a family: There are people you’d really prefer weren’t part of your family, but, you know, probate law makes it hard to disown them. I was told. So Pew finds Jews on both ends of the religiosity spectrum. But the pollsters also miss a few key Jewish categories, under the laughable idea that

• Media Resisters: Spiritual life is focused on finding fault with The New York Times’ Israel coverage. • Spiritually Woke: Retweet devastating takedowns of a political foe and call it tikkun olam. • Un-Relaxed Religious: Follows along in the Torah portion just in case the reader makes a mistake and the rabbi, gabbai, cantor and eight other people don’t yell out a correction. • Diversely Frum: Thinks he lives in a multicultural neighborhood because men can be seen in leather, velvet and knitted kippot. • Jewish-Adjacent: Doesn’t identify Jewishly but enjoys suspension of alternate side of the street parking on Jewish holidays. And where do I fit in? I call myself Professionally Jewish, which isn’t one of the Pew categories but really should be. I define it as “draws a paycheck for passing judgment on the lives of his co-religionists.” Credit: Illustration by Charles Dunst/ Andrew Silow-Carroll is the editor in JTA; photo: Wikimedia Commons chief of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. who doesn’t believe in God but will quit her synagogue board if it doesn’t serve potato kugel at kidTo submiT announcemenTs dush. The kind of Jew who shows up in a ton of Announcements may be e-mailed to the Press at jokes, including this one: jpress@jewishomaha.org or mailed to 333 So. 132 Cohen’s son asks his atheist father why he goes St., Omaha, NE 68154. to shul. Readers can also submit announcements -- births, “Because Goldberg goes to shul,” his father says. b’nai mitzvahs, engagements, marriages, commitment “What difference does that make?” ceremonies or obituaries -- online at the Jewish Federa“Goldberg goes to shul to talk to God,” his father tion of Omaha website: www.jewishomaha.org. Click on “Jewish Press” and go to Submit Announcements. says. “I go to shul to talk to Goldberg!” Deadlines are normally eight days prior to publication, The late sociologist Charles Liebman even had a on Thursdays, 9 a.m. Please check the Jewish Press, name for this: “secular Jewish maximalist.” for notices of early deadlines. Who else are we missing? Just like the SJMs deserve their own category, allow me to suggest a few more: early deadline noTice • Seder Perennials: Attend a seder every year but The Jewish Press will be closed on Wednesday, insist on not enjoying it. sept. 19, for Yom Kippur, and monday, sept. 24 for • Bagels and Lox-smiths: Fiercely traditional Sukkot. The deadline for the Sept. 28 issue it is Tuesabout choosing where they go for Sunday brunch. day, sept. 18, 4 p.m. Questions? Call 402.334.6448. there are only seven kinds of Jews. Hell, there are 10 kinds of Jews in any given minyan -- and that’s only 10 people to begin with. Take, for example, the Shabbat Ironist. He or she is the kind of Jew who goes to synagogue every week but does a lot of eye-rolling. The kind of Jew

10 | The Jewish Press | September 14, 2018

synagogues 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

congregation B’nai Jeshurun

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

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

teMple israel

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

tifereth israel

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

B’nai israel synagogue

Please join us for upcoming events: Kol Nidre services, 7:30 p.m. Dr. Leonard Greenspoon will speak on The Book of Joshua: How Biblical Accounts of War Offer a Way to Achieve Peace. Yom Kippur Morning Services, 10:30 a.m., Jim Fried will speak on Yom Kippur: Memories and Meaning followed by the Memorial Service; Yom Kippur Concluding Service, 5:30 p.m. followed by a Dairy Break-the-fast potluck. Our High Holiday services are led by guest Cantorial soloist Jeff Taxman. For information on our historic synagogue, contact any of our board members: Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Carole Lainof, Wayne Lainof, Marty Ricks, Sissy Silber, Nancy Wolf, or email nancywolf16620@gmail.com.

Beth el synagogue

Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman. friday: Tot Shabbat Pre-neg, 5:30 p.m.; Tot Shabbat, 6 p.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. saturday: Shabbat Morning Services, 9:30 a.m.; Junior Congregation, Grades 3-7, 10 a.m.; Mincha following Shabbat Morning Services. weekday services: Sundays, 9:30 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. sunday: Sukkot Building, 8 a.m.; Madrachim Meeting, 9 a.m.; Morning Minyan, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10 a.m.; USY Board Meeting, 10 a.m.; Service Grant Meeting, 10 a.m.; School Board Meeting, 11 a.m..; Evening Minyan, 5:30 p.m. tuesday: Babysitting, 6 p.m.; Yom Kippur Kol Nidre, 6:45 p.m.; Candle Lighting, 7:10 p.m.; Yigdal (Conclusion), 8:45 p.m. wednesday: Morning Service, 9 a.m.; Babysitting (Ages 0-5), 9 a.m.; Youth Service (Grades K-2), 10 a.m.; Torah Service, 10 a.m.; Youth Programming (Grades 3-7), 10 a.m.; Sermon/Yizkor, 10:45 a.m.; Youth Programming (Grades K-2), 11 a.m.; Tot Service (Ages 0-5), 11:15 a.m.; Junior Congregation (Grades K-7), 11:15 a.m.; Musaf, 11:30 a.m.; Kaddish Shalem (Conclusion), 12:45 p.m.; Study Sessions, 3 p.m., 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.; Minha-Ne’ila Service, 6 p.m.; Teen Study Session, 6:45 p.m.; Children’s Procession, 7:45 p.m.; Sounding of the Shofar, 8:08 p.m.; Community Break Fast following Children’s Procession.

Beth israel synagogue

Services conducted by Rabbi Ari Dembitzer. friday: Shacharit, 6:40 a.m.; Mincha, 7:18 p.m.; Candle Lighting, 7:18 p.m. saturday: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Insights into the Weekly Torah Portion, 6:15 p.m.; Mincha/Seudah Shlishit, 7 p.m.; Havdalah, 8:16 p.m. sunday: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Getting the most from the High Holidays, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6 p.m. at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. Monday: Shacharit, 6:40 a.m.; Jewish History — Your History, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Shlomo; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6 p.m. at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. tuesday: Shacharit, 6:40 a.m.; Kol Nidre, 7:10 p.m.; Candle Lighting, 7:11 p.m. wednesday: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Sermon, 11 a.m., followed by Yizkor; The Book of Yonah and Neilah Class, 5 p.m.; Mincha, 5:30 p.m.; Neilah, 6:30 p.m.; Fast Ends, 8:08 p.m.; Havdalah, 8:09 p.m. thursday: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Connecting with Our Faith, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6 p.m. at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

chaBad house

Office hours: Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and Friday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. friday: Shacharit, 7 a.m. followed by coffee, treats, study and shmoozing; Candle Lighting, 7:17 p.m.; Mincha/ Kabbalat Shabbat, 7:30 p.m. saturday: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. Kiddush Luncheon to celebrate the yartzeit of Rebetzin Chana and Women’s Enpowerment. weekdays: Shacharit, 7 a.m. followed by coffee, treats, study and shmoozing. Monday: Personal Parsha class, 9:30 a.m. with Shani. tuesday: Candle Lighting and Fast Begins, 7:10 p.m.;

Kol Nidre, 6:30 p.m. wednesday: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Yizkor, 11:15 a.m.; Musaf, 11:45 a.m.; Mincha and Neilah, 5:30 p.m.; Fast Ends at 8:08 p.m. followed by light refreshments. thursday: Talmud Class, noon with Rabbi Katzman. All programs are open to the entire community.

congregation B’nai Jeshurun

Services conducted by Rabbi Teri Appleby. friday: Shabbat Shuvah Healing Service, 6:30 p.m. featuring music by Steve and Nathaniel Kaup; Oneg, 7:30 p.m.; Candlelighting, 7:18 p.m. saturday: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study on Parashat Vayelech, 10:45 a.m.; Potluck Dinner and Game Night, 6 p.m.; Havdalah (72 minutes), 8:46 p.m. sunday: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.; LJCS Gesher, 10 a.m.; Adult Hebrew Class 2, 11:30 a.m.; Jewish Book Club, 1:30 p.m. at Gere Branch Library, 2400 S 56th St in room #1 and will discuss the writings of Amos Oz. Please contact Laura French with any questions; Feeding the Kids at the F Street Rec Center, 2:30 p.m. For more information, contact Aimee Hyten at aimee.hyten@gmail. com or Lupe Malcom at lupemalcom 65@gmail.com. tuesday: Ladies Lunch, noon at Korea House, 5601 S. 56th St. Let Deborah Swearingen (402.475.7528) know if you plan to attend and if you need a ride; Choir Call, 7:20 p.m.; Candlelighting, 7:11 p.m.; Kol Nidre Service, 8 p.m. wednesday: Choir Call, 9:30 a.m.; Yom Kippur Morning Service, 10 a.m.;Children’s Service, 3 p.m.; Afternoon Service, 3 p.m.; Yizkor, 5 p.m.; N’ilah Service, 6 p.m.; Break-the-fast Potluck, 7 p.m. Please join the congregation after Yom Kippur concluding services for a Break-the-Fast Potluck; Havdalah (72 Minutes), 8:40 p.m. Please come celebrate Erev Sukkot with Rabbi Teri and Jon at their home, sunday, sept. 23 at 6:30 p.m. There will be a short service, a sing-a-long, waving of the Lulav and Etrog, and Ushpizin (invited guests). A light supper will be served. Please RSVP to the Temple office by Friday, Sept. 21. Pizza in the Hut, wednesdy, sept. 26, 6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. Cost is $6 for adults 13 and up and $4 for children 2-12. Please RSVP no later than Sept. 17. I CAN. YOU CAN. LINCOLN CAN. Throughout the month of September, the South Street Temple will collect food and funds to donate to the Food Bank of Lincoln. Look for the blue barrels in the Temple vestibule and help us fill them up! On Friday, Sept. 28, we will bring our donations to the Lincoln CAN event at Gateway Mall.

offutt air force Base

friday: Services, 7:30 p.m. every first and third of the month.

rose BluMkin Jewish hoMe

saturday: Services, 9:15 a.m. led by Marti Nerenstone. tuesday: Kol Nidre Service, 6:45 p.m., led by Marti Nerenstone. wednesday: Yom Kippur Services, 9:15 a.m. led by Marti Nerenstone; Yom Kippur Afternoon Services, 3:30 p.m. led by Marti Nerenstone. Services will be held in the Chapel. Members of the community are invited to attend.

teMple israel

friday: Tashlich Shabbat & Picnic at Lake Zorinsky, Picnic, 5:15 p.m., Service, 6 p.m. Lake Zorinsky, 3808 S 154 St., Shelter #4. Join us for a BYO picnic, Kabbalat Shabbat service, and Tashlich at Lake Zorinsky. This family-friendly Shabbat is the Friday night between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur in which we will think about the ways in which we "missed the mark" this year and set intentions for what we hope to get in the year to come. Temple Israel will provide dessert but we encourage families to come with chairs and blankets to join in the fun! saturday: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Service, 10:30 a.m.; OTYG Mystery Bus Rush Event, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. sunday: Kol Chokolad Kids Choir, 9:30 a.m.; Religious School for Grades PreK-6, 10 a.m.; Book Club: Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman, 10:30 a.m.; Temple TED Talk, 10:30 a.m.; Religious School Steering Committee Meeting, noon. tuesday: Kol Nidre Service, 7:30 p.m. wednesday: Yom Kippur Children’s Service (Tots-4th

Grade), 9 a.m.; Yom Kippur Morning Service, 10:15 a.m.; Yom Kippur Children’s Programming (1st-4th Grade), 10:15 a.m.; Yom Kippur Afternoon Study and Discussion, 1-3 p.m. 1-2 p.m. with Rabbi Deana Sussman Berezin and 2-3 p.m. with Rabbi Brian Stoller. Join us for our 1 p.m. session where we will join hands for a multi-generational mitzvah opportunity! We will weigh, sort, and package our donated canned fruits and vegetables for the Food Bank for the Heartland; Contemplation and Reflective Service, 3:30 p.m. Reflect on Yom Kippur and the year ahead in our beautiful sanctuary as the Omaha Chamber Music Society plays contemplative and serene music; Afternoon Service, Yizkor, and N’ilah, 4 p.m.; Break-The-Fast with Temple Israel, 6:15 p.m. EARLY BIRD Reservations are due by Thursday, Sept. 13. Adults and 13 and older are $12.50, Children 6-12 years old are $5.25, Children 5 and younger are no charge. Your payment is your reservation. Please visit templeisraelomaha.com to RSVP and pay online. Reservations made AFTER Thursday, Sept. 13: Adults and 13 and older are $17.50, Children 6-12 years old are $10.50, Children 5 and younger are no charge; TiYPE Break the Fast, 6:15 p.m. thursday: No Thursday Symposium. Sukkot Service, Dinner, and Bonfire, sunday, sept. 23, 5 p.m. Join us in our family celebration of the festival of Sukkot. Services will begin our celebration, followed by dinner, a bonfire, and s’mores! Sukkot Morning Breakfast & Service, Monday, Sept. 24: Breakfast, 9:30 a.m. and Service, 10:30 a.m. Simchat Torah Service and Consecration, sunday, sept. 30, 6 p.m. Join us in celebrating our kindergarteners as they begin their Religious School education. The children will receive a blessing from clergy and join in parading the Torah scrolls around the Community Court. As in past years, there will be music provided by Tuffy Epstein and dancing with our Torah scrolls. Heavy hor d’oeuvres and ice cream will be served. Simchat Torah Yizkor Service, Monday, oct. 1, 10:30 a.m. If you would like to have the names of your loved ones read at the Yizkor service, please contact the Temple Israel office, 402.556.6536, by tuesday, sept. 25.

tifereth israel

Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: Monday-friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. friday: Services, 6:30 p.m.; Candlelighting, 7:18 p.m. saturday: Shabbat Morning service, 10 a.m. followed by a Kiddush luncheon; Got Shabbat, 11 a.m.; Havdalah (72 minutes), 8:16 p.m. sunday: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.; LJCS Gesher, 10 a.m.; Jewish Book Club, 1:30 p.m. at Gere Branch Library, 2400 S 56th St in room #1 and will discuss the writings of Amos Oz. Please contact Laura French with any questions. tuesday: Offices closed; Ladies Lunch, noon at Korea House, 5601 S. 56th St. Please contact Deborah Swearingen with any questions; Kol Nidre Service, 6:15 p.m. wednesday: Offices closed; No LJCS; Yom Kippur Morning Service, 9 a.m.; Youth Service, 11 a.m.; Mincha, 5:15 p.m.; Havdallah/Break Fast, 7:50 p.m. There is no charge for this meal. We hope to see you there. We will have a uniformed officer present and babysitting available during Yom Kippur Services/Activities. Tifereth Israel will once again be participating in food collection for the Lincoln Food Bank's I CAN, YOU CAN, LINCOLN CAN project. We will have two barrels available for canned food donations between Aug. 27 and Sept. 27. Your donations may be brought on any day except Shabbat. It is very appropriate to bring them just prior to our Kol Nidrei service. Pizza in the Hut, wednesdy, sept. 26, 6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. Cost is $6 for adults 13 and up and $4 for children 2-12. Please RSVP no later than Sept. 17. Tifereth Israel invites all members of the Lincoln Jewish Community to join us at our Simchat Torah Celebration on Monday, oct. 1, 6:30 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. March and dance with the Torahs, sing, and hear the final reading from the Torah. Enjoy the children who will be joining us as part of their “What’s the scoop” PJLibrary program. We look forward to rejoicing with you!

MeMorial services

sunday, september 16 Oak Hills/Bikhor Cholim, Council Bluffs, 11 a.m. Beth El Cemetery, 84th and ‘L’ Sts., 11 a.m. Temple Israel Cemetery, 6412 No. 42 St., 1 p.m. Wyuka Cemetery in Lincoln, 3 p.m.

The Jewish Press | September 14, 2018 | 11

lifecycles Birth

amayah Bri’anne Brown

Brooke and DreChaun Brown of Omaha, announce the Aug. 27 birth of their daughter, Amayah Bri'Anne. Grandparents are Cindy and Alan Shulewitz, LaVita Haynes and Fred Dutcher, Jr. all of Omaha. Great-grandparents are the late Phyllis and Normand Roffman, the late Anna and Norman Shulewitz, Susan Brown, the late Clarence Burns, Sr. and Theresa and Fred Dutcher, Sr. all of Omaha. Great-great-grandparents: Deloris and Willard Hunter of Omaha.

German neo-nazi riots

toBy axelrod JTA Jewish groups are incensed that an attack on a Jewish restaurant and its owner in Chemnitz during last month’s riots in that former east German city went unmentioned for several days. According to Die Welt newspaper, during anti-migrant demonstrations that turned violent on Aug. 27, about 12 masked neo-Nazis injured Uwe Dziuballa and vandalized his “Schalom” restaurant. The attackers allegedly threw stones, bottles and a sawed-off steel pipe at Dziuballa and shouted, “Get out of Germany, you Jewish pig.” A window in the restaurant was broken and Dziuballa was injured when a stone hit his shoulder. Dziuballa has filed charges, according to the State Criminal Investigation Office in Saxony. Dziuballa reported that the police arrived quickly to the scene after he called them, but took a few days to secure evidence and record damage. The incident was confirmed by police on Sept. 6. Local news media already had reported the incident. The Berlin-based Jewish Forum for Democracy and Against Anti-Semitism learned of the attack on Sept. 5 through these reports and obtained photographs of alleged attackers dressed in black in front of the establishment. Germany’s new commissioner against anti-Semitism, Felix Klein, told the newspaper that the incident appeared to represent a turn for the worse in anti-Semitic crimes. “It is reminiscent of our worst recollections of the 1930s,” he said. Charlotte Knobloch, head of the Jewish community of Munich and Bavaria, said in a statement on the eve of the Jewish New Year that the violent anti-migrant demonstrations in Chemnitz were already a wakeup call for the government and society. “The fact that there was also a violent attack on the restaurant Schalom and its owner is shocking and underscores the urgency of resolute action against anti-democratic forces,” added Knobloch, who survived the Holocaust in hiding with a Christian family in Germany. Dziuballa told die Welt he has often been subjected to anti-Semitic incidents, such as having swastikas painted on his storefront and pig heads left at the door. He nevertheless continues to keep the restaurant open. Levi Salomon, JFDA speaker, said in a statement that it was “outrageous that a masked mob in Chemnitz is attacking the city’s only Jewish restaurant, shouting anti-Semitic slogans, and we are not hearing about the case until days later.” The JFDA added that the Saxony state office of criminal investigation assured them that “nothing was concealed” and that they did not always publicize individual cases under investigation.

Visit us at jewishomaha.org

Sweden to create Holocaust museum

JTA Sweden has plans to launch a Holocaust museum with a focus on Holocaust survivors from the Scandinavian country and a center devoted to the diplomat Raoul Wallenberg. Announcing the decision to create the museum, Swedish Minister of Social Aﬀairs and Sports Minister Annika Strandhall said on Twitter that the news “feels more important than ever.” e museum is likely to be built in Malmo, a city of approximately 350,000 where dozens of anti-Semitic incidents are recorded annually. It is tentatively slated to be ready to open in 2020, the Dagen news website reported. A center on Wallenberg, who saved tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews from the Nazis during the Holocaust, is expected to attract international visitors, according to Dagen. e museum will focus on surviving Swedes and collect items, interviews and documents about their experiences. Many of these objects are now scattered at museums, archives and private homes.

CorreCtions

In our Sept. 7, 2018 edition, the Jewish Press mistakenly reported Rachel Martin attended Arizona State University. She actually attended the University of Arizona. The Jewish Press regrets the error. In our Aug. 31, 2018 edition we published a story about the Jewish Federation of Omaha’s Annual Campaign Community event, scheduled for Oct. 7, Ted and Jamie Friedland’s last name was inadvertently misspelled. In addition, underwriting for this event was generously provided by Margo and Steve Riekes and Zoë and Carl Riekes. The Jewish Press sincerely regrets these errors.

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In defense of supercars

emergingvoices

12 | The Jewish Press | September 14, 2018

despite questionable weather, I was at countryside Cars and Caffeine’s July gathering, where the best cars in Omaha show up to impress a dedicated and interested crowd. There were fewer cars than usual due to the rain, but there were some quality showings. Two orange McLarens showed up – McLaren is a low-volume maker of supercars based in England. The more expensive of the two, the brand new 720S, starts at $285,000. Options easily push it to over $300,000 – over five times the average American’s income. For that money, you get a carbon-fiber shell, “twin-hinged dihedral doors,” 710 horsepower, a 212 mile-an-hour top speed, and all the headturning looks your heart desires. But while basking in the majesty of this British supercar, I overheard someone say something along the lines of, “Why would you spend that much on a car? You’ll never drive that fast. And it’s not practical either.” This is the layman’s argument against automotive excess. In their defense, they are right. Regarding practicality, the McLaren’s five cubic feet of trunk space and inability to comfortably go over speed bumps render it useless as a daily driver. Its rearwheel-drive and low stance leave it utterly useless in 90% of Omaha’s weather. The usual owners are either young adults who fell into money or old adults who have accrued their wealth over decades – neither of which usually are qualified, comfortable, or capable of going 212 miles-per-hour. The money could be put to better use – a four-bedroom, three-bathroom house in west Omaha comes to mind. And of course, people will assume you’re compensating for something. But if those are the first thoughts that enter your mind when you look at a butterfly-doored, lava-colored supercar, you’re missing the point. Yes, it stands for excess and wealth. Yes, the owners are

Sam KrIcSfeld

usually not people you’d want to have dinner with. But what it actually is matters more. The supercar is purpose built to push an automotive border in some sense, and usually focuses narrowly on one aspect such as highest top speed, quickest acceleration, or most horsepower. It is not meant for plebian grocery

runs or carpooling.

Think of a world-class symphony. An assembly of the highest caliber of instruments – Stradivariuses, Steinways. Imagine the potential they can achieve – Beethoven’s Fifth, Rhapsody in Blue. Even if the instruments are not played to their full potential (think a 5-year-old playing Chopsticks instead of Mozart playing one of his piano sonatas), it does not detract from the prestige or care that went into creating such an amazing machine. No one complains about how impractical or ridiculous a Stradivarius or Steinway is compared to a normal instrument in terms of cost, usability, and delicateness. A car show full of supercars is a symphony. An assembly of the highest caliber of cars – Ferraris, McLarens. Imagine the potential they can achieve

– 200+ miles per hour, over 700 horsepower. Even if the cars are not driven to their full potential (think a 70-year-old driving around Omaha instead of Stirling Moss at Mille Miglia), it does not detract from the prestige or care that went into creating such amazing machines. So why do people complain about how impractical or ridiculous Ferraris and McLarens are compared to a normal car in terms of cost, usability, and delicateness? This highlights a double-standard. It’s not only instruments either. What about fine art? Why are expensive supercars okay to sneer at while a collection of Picassos or Rembrandts are not? The amount of time and care that went into creating the car is equivalent if not more than the amount of time it took to paint a painting. What the car can do can easily rival the emotions a painting can evoke. The cost and care required to own and maintain a car and a painting are roughly equal. I concede that supercars are impractical, exorbitantly expensive, and unusably fast. I concede that 99% of supercar drivers are not using their cars to their full potential. But the car itself exceeds in what it was designed to do: go fast and look cool. This is the point of a supercar. Disregard the driver. Disregard the cost, delicateness, and upkeep. Remember that these supercars are the Stradivariuses of the automobile world. Sam Kricsfeld is the son of Dr. and Mrs. Alan Kricsfeld. Born and raised in Omaha, he is an alum of Friedel Jewish Academy. Currently he attends the University of Kansas as a Journalism major. His passions include playing piano, writing, and cars. He writes occasionally for the Jewish Press and is a copywriter at the KU Hillel.

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