September 20, 2019: Rosh Hashanah Edition

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SEPTEM B ER 20, 2019 | 20 ELUL 5779 | VOL . 99 | NO. 48 | 4 SECTI ONS | C A Nd leli g H ti Ng | SEPTEM BER 20, 7: 07 P. M .

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A2 | The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019

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Happy New Year

elcome to your 2019 Rosh Hashanah issue!

To be honest, I’m writing this in July, but by the time this paper lands on your coffee table, the holidays are almost here, so Happy New Year!

We’ve chosen to celebrate the birthday of the world by dedicating this issue to stories about our environment, this crazy weather, and all its implications and how some community members work towards saving our planet. The idea was brought up to skip printing for this occasion, considering it would for sure be more eco-friendly to deliver this paper online only. But is that really the case?

In 2009, Tom Zeller discussed the environmental impact of newspapers for a New York Times article. One reader he spoke to said this: “Newspapers are bad for the environment. Now it’s been said out loud. Let them fail.

Forsake the paper, save the planet.”

That’s not easy to hear.

But when I looked online, there seemed to be endless opinions on whether reading online is actually greener.

Because, that tablet, phone or desktop computer also uses energy, quite a bit of itdepending on how often you use it.

“Time spent online mattered,” Zeller wrote. “So, too, does the locale. In the Swedish market alone, reading the news online for 10 minutes, or even for 30 minutes, or using the tablet reader, resulted in lower CO2 emissions than reading a physical newspaper. In the wider European market, however, things were different.

Using the tablet or reading online for just 10 minutes generated less CO2 than the printed product. But when the time spent reading online was increased to 30 minutes, the printed product proved more ecofriendly.”

“Paper may be an energy hog, but so, too, are the servers and desktops that make online newspapers possible,” wrote Brendan Loerner for The Green Lantern. “Researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have estimated that the average server consumes 4,505 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, a figure that includes the power used to cool the hardware. The environmental difference between dead-tree newspapers and their online editions is a lot smaller than you might imagine. In fact, there are learned experts who contend that traditional newsprint ultimately comes out ahead, at least in terms of net carbon-dioxide emissions.”

Bottom line? When trying to find out which is better, you can’t see the forest for the trees. Added to that is the fact that we still have readers who don’t own an electronic device, the sentimentality of holding the actual paper in your hands and the number of angry phone calls we would receive if we didn’t print. So, print it is. But, you know, please recycle when you’re done reading.

As always, there are many people involved in creating a paper such as this. We want to thank our advertisers and all the community members who agreed to be interviewed for this issue. A big thank you to the Jewish Press Board of Directors, for being the greatest support system in the world; to our fearless leader and CEO Alan Potash and to everyone at the Jewish Federation who makes our lives easier. Creative Director Richard Busse needs almost no introduction, because for many, many years he’s made sure this paper always looks good and everything fits together neatly—no easy feat, week after week. Assistant editor Lori Kooper-Schwarz: thank you for being my right hand (and my left, on most days). Thank you to Susan Bernard, our Advertising Manager, who rarely takes no for an answer and to Staff writer Gabby Blair who is one of the most flexible and productive people I know. Additional stories for this issue were written by Interns Ali Brehmer and Sam Kricsfeld and freelancers Lois Friedman, Ozzie Nogg

and Sara Cohen; thank you for all your hard work!

As a team, we work for months on these holiday editions and that means doing double duty, not just for the staff, but for our proofread-

ers who, in addition to proofing the regular issues, will stare at holiday stories long before the actual High Holidays get here. No JFO agency can fully function without volunteers and we thank you: Pam Friedlander, Andi Goldstein, Margaret Kirkeby, Deborah Platt, Silvia Roffman, Ann Rosenblatt and Dottie Rosenblum for your endless dedication.

We would be remiss if we didn’t mention our donors. Many of you have been very generous in contributing to our Centennial Endowment, which helps this community look to the future of this paper with fewer sleepless nights. There are many papers like ours who have gone by the wayside over the past decade, thanks to you, we are still here and we are all immensely grateful.

Finally, we would be remiss if we didn’t thank you, our readers.

Whether you read us online or in print, whether you skim or read every word, without you, there would be no Jewish Press at all. We hope you enjoy this issue, and we wish you a happy and healthy New Year!

L’Shanah Tova,

Annette van de Kamp Editor, Jewish Press Abby Kutler President, Jewish Press Board

The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019 | A3

roshhashanah

Summer in the city. And in all other seasons, too

Ozzie NOgg “Of all the critical issues that face humanity, climate change and environment are ultimately the most fundamental. The lives of our children and grandchildren are dependent on our ability to act quickly and decisively. And the city is the arena for this action. I enjoy the countryside, but I’m a city person who loves the density and potential of the city to be, in the words of the visionary architect Peter Cook, a garden for ideas. In cities, people and the environment they build have the capacity to interact and create a community of opportunity, delight and justice.”

That’s Marty Shukert talking.

A principal of RDG Planning & Design, a Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners, Shukert’s the man who ‘turned the lights back on in downtown Omaha’ for which, in 2016, he was inducted into the Commercial Real Estate Summit Hall of Fame and in 2017 received the Nebraska State Historical Society’s first PlacemakerHistory Maker award. During his almost 50 year career, Marty has served as Omaha’s Planning Director, been deeply involved in major downtown and neighborhood development initiatives, advanced affordable housing programs, contributed to the growth of the city’s neighborhood business districts, and initiated the city’s trails network.

Outside of Omaha, he has contributed to the future of cities and towns as small as Brownville and as large as Oklahoma City, working from North Dakota to Texas and from Wyoming to Wisconsin.

It’s possible to trace Shukert’s interest in urban design to his early childhood when, on family va-

Marty Shukert in a familiar pose. cations, he visited his Bubbie Rose. “My grandmother lived in Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood on Springfield and Ainslie. I was a little kid, maybe as young as four. We’d take the green CTA trolley bus or walk along Lawrence Avenue, then the city’s Jewish shopping street, to the Kimball ‘L’ Station to catch the Ravenswood line to the Belmont station, where we transferred to the Howard trains which continued into the Loop in the sub-

way. To a child’s eyes, this descent into the subway tunnel was thrilling and terrifying. You look up at the elevated structure and at its shadows and catch the last glimmer of daylight before being plunged into the darkness of the tunnel, punctuated by the roar of the train and the lights flashing by. At our stop, we would emerge into the light and life of Chicago’s Loop. This urban drama fascinated me See Marty Shukert page A6

A4 | The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019

roshhashanah Green matters at Friedel

SAm KRiCSfeld The damage we as people have done to the environment is undeniable and extensive. Weather patterns are changing. There is an island of plastic in the ocean. The atmosphere is full of noxious gases and chemicals. None of these things, of course, should be told to children. They should not have to worry that in 30 years the climate of Minneapolis will be what Kansas City’s is now. Nor should they worry that many plants and animals will become extinct.

How we teach about the environment has to be positive and reinforcing – not depressing and degrading. Rambam said that one should be trained not to be destructive. In the Talmud, it says that anyone who enjoys a Cross-curricular activities take place in part of the natural celebrating Tu B’Shevat. As we celebrated world without a blessing is as if they the birthday of the trees, we enjoyed a Tu B’Shevat Seder, planted grass seeds in have enjoyed from what is sanctified for pots we decorated, and tracked the heaven. These quotes growth of beans. act as a reminder that the natural world is beautiful, and it is imperative that we maintain and preserve it. This positive method is how Friedel Jewish Academy teaches its students about the environment.

Principal Beth Cohen and the teachers of Friedel incorporate environmental studies into their science curriculum across all grades from kindergarten to sixth.

Friedel supplements its teaching with partnerships with local programs. Every year they have a program with the Papio Natural Resources District during their annual Rosh Hashanah Tashlich program.

“Last year’s program was called ‘Animal Adaptations,’ and we learned about how animals adapt to their environment and changes in their habitats,” Cohen said.

Friedel also worked last year with Milkweed Matters, an organization whose mission is to preserve and expand the feeding and breeding See friedel page A7

It’s human nature v. Mother Nature, she says Ali BRehmeR Intern, Jewish Press

booth in the market, selling beautiful summer annuals and fresh vegetables from The Swallows Nest gardens. Garlic, ou may remember Rebecca Bloom lemon cucumber, zucchini, squash, tomatoes, onion, eggas the owner of Blooms Organic where plant, peppers; you name it, she has it. As she gives hugs and she spent 18 years cultivating crops at catches up with those who visit her at market, it is clear that Fertile Crescent Farm. What you may not Rebecca has built meaningful relationships with many in know is that her passion for our environ- the healthy foods industry. ment has continued beyond the closure of her “I want to be a model,” Bloom said. She is not talking farm after her Chai year. Although she has about making her debut in the catalogues that arrive at your handed over the reins of her 11-acre plot, or- doorstep. She wants to set an example as someone who cares ganic farming is deeply about ensuring the a hard habit for future of our planet.

Bloom to break. She contin“The reality of our human ues to farm vicariously actions is very apparent to through others – working me. The subtlety of change is with a friend through the sometimes difficult to see and Latino Center in South feel, but the scientific data is Omaha – wherever she can believable and real and the get her hands in the soil. time for action has arrived.”

Bloom grew up in Omaha, When asked if she has been before moving to Iowa at age personally affected by what 12, where her father owned humans have done to our three farms. Her childhood planet, Bloom said: was spent enjoying the out“I’ve worked close to nature doors and helping tend to for 60 years, I’ve seen it. I’ve the various gardens and orseen the damage.” chards. Her parents planted a The weather is a big indiseed in Rebecca that she has cator of our changing envispent the past 60 years nurronment to Rebecca. turing. It has become her Holding back tears, she dislife’s mission to learn everycussed the absurd level of thing she possibly can to flood waters in the Midwest, model eco-friendly behavior. the heatwave that affected Bloom spent earlier years 2/3 of our country in the beas a K-12 art teacher. “But I ginning of July and the backwasn’t fond of the classroom to-back hurricanes and management part,” she says. wildfires on the news. CliRebecca is a creative person mate change is an urgent, Rebecca Bloom but being confined to a classworldwide challenge, she room was not her cup of tea. She wanted a career that she says, and these weather events are going to start piling up if excelled in and was passionate about. Thus, bloomsorganic we, the human race as a whole, do not make a change. was born. With the help of her family, Rebecca spent 18 years As we near Rosh Hashanah, Bloom reminds us: growing high-quality organic vegetables, in the purest envi“This is the time of year that Jews turn inward to examine ronment, to be utilized by her community. Local restaurants ourselves and apologize for our transgressions against other and grocers sought out her crops, as well as community people and we should truly make some changes to help heal members who visited her farm and greenhouse. She also sold the planet we share with millions of others – humans, plants her produce at local farmers markets and supplied the an- and animals.” nual Friedel plant sale with high-quality herbs and heirloom There is a saying that says it takes a village to raise a child. vegetable starts for many years.

Similarly, Rebecca feels that it will take each individual’s Rebecca recently set up shop at the Rockbrook Village own contributions to repair our Earth. “It is hard not to feel Farmer’s Market with a friend from The Swallow’s Nest helpless and overwhelmed,” says Bloom. “But don’t get me Farm, as she does most Wednesday evenings. It is an inti- wrong, I am not hopeless.” She is encouraged by technology mate setting with a handful of vendors, but to Bloom, that such as solar, wind and hydroelectric power, and reducing is what makes it so special. You can find her at the busiest See Rebecca Bloom page A5

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The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019 | a5

Omaha JCC: Beautiful inside and out

Gabby blair Staff Writer, Jewish Press If you have visited Omaha’s Staenberg-Kooper-Fellman JCC campus recently, it is obvious that something big is going on.

From our fabulous new Goldstein Family Aquatic Center’s outdoor pool, to our newlyupdated Sokolof Fitness Center, the changes are hard to miss.

Construction is underway in many locations across campus as the indoor pool, the new Shirley and Leonard Goldstein Community Engagement Room (formerly the Auditorium) and the Staenberg Arts and Engagement Corridor (previously the Community Room and Social Hall), are all currently being repurposed, expanded and improved. The creation of entirely new spaces, such as the mind and body studio, are also underway with additional projects, including JCC theater and locker room updates, slated to take place later this year.

What might not be as noticeable are the updates and improvements taking place to infrastructure and building management in an effort to reduce waste and increase efficiency campus wide — changes that will ensure our

Rebecca Bloom

Continued from page a4 fossil fuel fracking that pollutes the ground.

She also believes it is crucial to inform younger generations about the change in human behavior that is needed to protect our environment.

It starts with education.

Bloom is completely selftaught in everything she knows about leading an organic lifestyle. She believes it will take the same effort from others to truly grasp the disservice conventional agriculture does to our planet, and understand how to live more ecofriendly.

Rebecca has attended conferences, read countless books and conducted her own research using resources on the internet – and she encourages you to do the same.

There is a bill working its way through Congress called the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. If passed, it would implement a carbon tax on fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas. It starts low and grows over time if large production companies continue to take advantage of these resources. The money collected from the carbon fee would be allocated to citizens of the community. Rebecca, along with the Citizens Climate Lobby, believe this will push companies to focus their energy and funding on renewable resources, and ultimately be extremely beneficial to our climate.

Stop being clueless and careless. Bloom explains that leading a more ecofriendly

Happy New Year JCC is not only more environmentally friendly, but also able and ready for the future.

Phil Malcom, Director of Facilities and Project Management, took time to explain some of these exciting changes and discussed the two environmental tracks the Jewish Federation of Omaha is following in order to improve our building. Malcom explains that the first track is simple, focused on recycling.

“We started a more comprehensive recycling program about three years ago — all paper, plastic, aluminum and cardboard generated on campus is recycled. Additionally, we have begun recycling toner cartridges and building materials. Any kind of recyclable material — metal, wood, fixtures etc. are repurposed or recycled rather than thrown away.”

Even electronics are recycled at the JFO. Broken or outdated copiers, printers, computers are wiped, then donated to a company that provides vocational training for disadvantaged populations who use this equipment in order to learn how to deconstruct, reassemble and service them.

The second track focuses on reducing the overall carbon footprint of the JCC and is a bit more complex. Malcom shares that the See Omaha JCC page a8

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lifestyle could start with something as simple as the conscious effort to avoid plastic straws.

It is the chain reaction following this step, however, that need to be fostered. Rebecca suggests starting with simple lifestyle im-

provements, such as: using reusable grocery bags, declining Styrofoam boxes for take-out and instead using a paper bag for leftovers.

Instead of driving everywhere try walking or biking. Avoid excessive travel by air or cruise ship and other big engine machines. She also stresses the importance of supporting politicians who choose sustainable policies.

Although Fertile Crescent Farm was sold about a year ago, Rebecca Bloom’s passion for leading an organic lifestyle may be at its peak.

Not only is her head reeling with ideas on how to improve the well-being of our natural surroundings, but the dirt under her nails confirms that she continues to be an activist for the environmental crisis our planet is facing.

She hopes all of her hard work will inspire others to also make a change... before it is too late.

GIVING BACK. The greatest gift of all.

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A6 | The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019

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Continued from page A3 Shukert told the audience, “I have long considered urbanism, then and still does. And my grandmother knew every nook an abiding faith in the value and creative potential of cities, and cranny in Chicago. She loved the city and communicated to be central to my philosophy of life, almost a secular relithat love to me. Those trips helped define my life’s work.” gion. I am also a committed and practicing Jew who spends Shukert also has what he calls an “almost photographic a significant part of my intellectual life on the study, interprememory” of taking the streetcar to downtown Omaha with tation and discussion of texts. I believe that Judaism provides his mother to shop or visit the dentist.

“This was pre-1955, the year the streetcars stopped running. We lived in Benson at 54th and Sprague and went downtown on the 52nd Street feeder and the North 45th streetcar line. The tracks ran along Military, Hamilton, 40th and Farnam to downtown. My mother and I would enter the Brandeis Theater Building on the west side of 17th Street and come out on 16th Street. That seemed like magic. Those experiences at home and in Chicago were my introduction to the three-dimensionality of a city, full of people and noise, streetcars and subways.”

This fascination with buildings and local transportation seems to be transferring to Marty and his wife Aveva’s grandsons — Nathan and Eli (three-year-old twins of the Shukerts’ daughter Ariel and her husband Jeff Taraday, and two-year-old Theo A drawing Marty Shukert made as part of a 2nd Grade school assignment. His three grandwhose parents are Rachel Shukert and sons have a print of it hanging in their rooms. “The inaccuracy here,” said the detail-conher husband Ben Abramowitz. “All scious Shukert, “is that the bus vehicle number – 123 in the lower left hand corner – three boys love trains and buses and should have been a 4-digit number that began with 16 like 1619, for example. The rest have big wooden railway layouts that isn’t too bad.” lend themselves to creative play. Both families live in LA, and a practical and ethical guide to secular and professional life, we bring them additions to their fleets, usually subway cars and have tried to apply this framework to my work.” and buses in their favorite colors – orange, blue and green.

In his remarks, Shukert reminded listeners that while God All three boys like to be out walking and observing their created the natural world, humans created cities and that the neighborhoods and developing a sense of place. It’s exciting first city-builder was Cain. “For me, Judaism establishes a to watch my interests transmitted to another generation.” universal perspective about the possibilities of the city, both Whether the boys eventually explore their surroundings on for good and ill,” Shukert continued. “Sometimes by choice, a bicycle, like their grandfather, remains to be seen. And sometimes by coercion, Jews became the most urban of peothough some might think Marty Shukert was born on a bike, ple. Cities as human creations make them the primary venue he came to cycling by a circuitous route. “I weighed 215 when for our creative partnership with God where we — in Rabbi I graduated from Central, so when I got to Yale as an under- Joseph Soloveitchik’s words – become the creator of worlds. grad I began a long-term ‘Remaking Marty’ program. I walked Our unique charge as citizens is to advance the quality, justice everywhere, gradually became a vegetarian and lost about 60 and environmental sustainability of our urban habitat. Nature pounds in college and another ten afterward. When I arrived is God’s province. Humans have the responsibility to preserve at Berkeley for graduate school, bicycles were all over campus, that gift, to interact with the natural environment and not deso I decided I also needed one for transportation. I didn’t know stroy it, to make our cities as kind as possible.” much about bikes and bought a Peugeot racing bike. I tried to According to Shukert, in addition to a philosophical base, ride the thing home from the shop but couldn’t get out of the Jewish texts offer practical guidance on the form of cities. In toe clips. After falling four times, I concluded that biking prob- his Klutznick presentation he described the Torah requireably wasn’t for me. Seven years later, after we’d moved back to ment that Levitical towns have a midrash as the first example Omaha, I decided to try riding my disused bike downtown. I of a requirement for a greenbelt around a city’s perimeter. And did it and liked it and a serious urban bicyclist was born.” the concept of eruv defines an urban district as a single ‘house’ Generally, Marty commutes by bicycle, though he walks to and speaks to the essence of sustainable urbanism – the conshul on Yom Kippur and sometimes hoofs it from his house cept of compact neighborhoods with its assets all within easy to his downtown office in winter. “At a walking speed you see walking or cycling distance. “The idea of compactness and things you don’t notice by car or even from a bike. You notice the sense of community that results from applying the prina sign you might have taken for granted, a view of an alley ciple of eruv has been a major influence on my own work.” that seems especially interesting and worth exploring, the Shukert’s design work in Omaha’s Jewish community inslope of a street, a juxtaposition of buildings, a window dis- cludes Beth Israel Synagogue, including its stained glass winplay or a new business.” He has ridden the Bicycle Ride Across dows; the Beth El Synagogue school addition; Beth El Nebraska (BRAN) for 30 years — which alone accounts for Cemetery and the Gordman Education Center at the JCC. He about 13,500 miles of riding — and serves on the ride’s all- is now working on ideas for a new Chabad Center and upvolunteer organizing committee. He rode the Arava Institute’s dates of Beth El, and is part of the design team for renovations Israel Ride from Jerusalem to Eilat, combining bicycling and of the JCC Theater. When away from the office and not on environment, and is a five-time participant in New York’s Five his bike, he is a major baseball fan, enjoys music, draws, and Borough ride, most recently this past May. “It poured all the has an active interest in Biblical interpretation and translaway, the worst weather ever. The 40-mile ride plus riding to tion. He is a charter member of Beth El’s Tanach Study Group, the starting point added up to 58 miles of really wet riding.” which is now approaching 25 years of spirited discussion.

Bicycle planning is a major part of Shukert’s professional Marty has a strong interest is science, especially cosmology work. On projects like Mason City’s bicycle and pedestrian and particle physics. “I struggle to understand them,” he said, master plan, Marty typically rides every street to get a close- “but have found an interesting and odd relationship between up feel of the town. According to the local newspaper, he planning and quantum theory. It’s fun to find hidden connecprobably accomplished something no resident had ever done. tions in surprising places.”

He also has completed Nebraska’s two statewide trails plans, Marty’s company, RDG, uses CliftonStrengths Assessment taking him to all corners of the state. to measure talent and help build teams. Marty clearly fits the Marty Shukert’s Bubbie and mother opened his eyes to the Achiever profile. “It feels like there’s always a hum of activity wonders of the city, but “Judaism is fundamental to what I in the background of my head and an unwillingness to accept do,” he says. In a speech delivered at the 2007 Klutznick Sym- anything that’s just ‘good enough,’” he says with a grin. “When posium on Green Judaism and the Design of Communities, I get started, it’s hard for me to shut up and turn off.”

Remembering our camp: The legacy of Esther K. Newman

Gabby blair area young people. Since 1962, a whole genStaff Writer, Jewish Press eration of Omaha youngsters has grown up leep-away camp has be- with a camp of their own, but it was not alcome a rite of passage ways that way...In the beginning The Jewish for many families in our Federation did not own its own campsite, community. As each sum- and ‘Camp JCC’ rented space from other ormer approaches, a new ganizations around the state.” generation of kids wait In the 23 years between 1939 and 1962, with eager anticipation ‘Camp JCC’ was held at various locations into reconnect with their cluding Harriet Harding Campfire Girls camp friends at their Camp and Camp Kitaki in Louisville; Camp home away Brewster in Bellevue; and from home, just a Campfire Boys camp in as many of their own parFremont. The article goes ents did before them. on to discuss the yearly loToday, our community’s gistic and scheduling chalchildren travel to Jewish lenges faced by relying on sleep-away camps across the camps of others.

America. However, many In 1956, The Jewish Fedadults who grew up in this eration of Omaha estabarea during the 1960s and lished a Campsite Search 1970s have fond memories Committee led by Ernest of attending camp a little Nogg. Upon appointcloser to home, at Esther K. ment, Chairman Nogg Newman Camp. explained, “Parents of Located 23 miles west of Omaha’s Jewish youngOmaha, Esther K. Newman sters are very eager for the Esther K. Newman was the only Jewish sleepFederation to find a site away camp in the region, serving Jewish fam- within 50 miles of Omaha so that they do ilies from across Nebraska, the Dakotas, Iowa, not have to send their children to faraway Kansas and beyond. While only in operation camps in Wisconsin or Minnesota. Furtherfor 16 years, it filled a void in Jewish camp op- more, Omaha parents want a specifically tions between St. Louis and Denver and cre- Jewish camp where their children could be ated memories that would last a lifetime. with Jewish friends and identify with their The history of Jewish Summer Camp in Jewish customs and values.” the area and the eventual establishment of The same year in which Nogg began chairEsther K. Newman Camp are discussed in a ing the campsite search committee, our 1976 Jewish Press article by Barbara Simon. community mourned the loss of Esther K. “Since 1939, the Jewish Federation of Newman on July 28, 1956. Wife of HinkyOmaha has operated a summer camp for See Eshter K. Newman Camp page a10

The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019 | a7

roshhashanah Friedel

Continued from page a4 member that Friedel used to have a garden in the environments of pollinators such as the Monarch but- neighboring Metropolitan Utilities District field terfly. “Our students learned across from its parking lot about the concerns facing as a collaboration with pollinators,” said Cohen, “and Beth El Synagogue. Unforthen made a batch of seed tunately, problems with balls that RAGBRAI (Regissummer maintenance and ter’s Annual Great Bicycle irrigation made the garden Ride Across Iowa) riders unsustainable, according to would toss along highways in Cohen. However, Friedel Iowa during the bike ride does not plan on giving up across the state. This handson gardening. Cohen said, on approach to education is “The Federation is just a hallmark of the program completing construction of Friedel provides to students.” a replacement deck at the In addition to these proschool that will include grams, Friedel also celeplanter boxes so we can brates Tu B’Shvat, the restart a school garden this “New Year of the Trees.” year. Students will not The entire school raises only have the opportunity tzedakah through the Jewto plan out the plantings, ish National Fund to plant we will also build a drip-irriCharting our progress as we raise money to gation system so we will be trees. The JNF is well known for planting trees in plant trees in israel. able to maintain the plantIsrael, planting over 250 million trees over 250,000 ings, especially over a hot Nebraska summer when acres since its founding in 1901. “As we celebrate we’re not in school.” that holiday, we take the opportunity to learn about Anne Frank wrote in her diary that “the best remhow the millions of trees planted in Israel have edy for those who are afraid, lonely, or unhappy is transformed the desert landscape and how water to go outside... because only then does one feel that conservation systems have been developed to allow all is how it should be and that G-d wishes to see for agriculture to thrive there,” Cohen said. people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature.

In Bereshit, G-d took Adam and placed him in the As long as this exists, and it certainly always will, I Garden of Eden to work and guard it. To work and know that then there will always be comfort for guard a garden is something that students of Friedel every sorrow... and I firmly believe that nature will become well acquainted with. Some may rebrings solace in all troubles.”

Shana Tova!

Wishing you a Happy and Healthy New Year From Our Families to Yours!

335 South 132nd Street Omaha, Nebraska 68154

To learn more about our curriculum for kindergarten through sixth grade or to schedule a tour, contact Beth Cohen, Head of School, at 402-334-0517 or bcohen@fjaomaha.com.

a8 | The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019

roshhashanah more than a hobby: Jodi and Mike Levine annette van de kamp-wright Editor, Jewish Press Walking onto Jodi and Mike Levine’s acreage is like a mini-vacation. For the visitor, that is, because one can only imagine the amount of work it takes.

Mike, originally from Louisville, Kentucky, grew up in Columbus, Ohio. Work brought him and Jodi (from Frankenmuth, Michigan) to Nebraska, where seven years ago they purchased their property, a mere 20-minute drive from the Jewish Community Center but at the same time, a world away.

Mike has a Master’s Degree in Agriculture, spent his career in the food- and drink business and, like Jodi, always wanted an acreage. He still works fulltime, so there is little time off; but it is worth it.

“We have three geese and 21 ducks,” Jodi said. “We sell the eggs, especially to people who are allergic to chicken eggs and they are great for pest control!

They eat Japanese beetles, among other things.”

There is a stream on the property they use to swim and a pond, but none of the fowl go near it.

The geese make good watchdogs, Jodi said.

“We had to read up on ducks,” she added, “and

how to take care of them, but they are much better suited to the landscape.”

There were a few surprises when they bought the property, such as the still that was located underneath the chicken coop. There is also a barn on the property that was built in the 1920s— with room for barn dances. If you stand on the second floor, it’s easy to imagine the place filled with neighbors dancing the night away. In fact, the piano is still there, its ivories yellowed with age. These days, it’s mostly the bats and raccoons that frequent the place late at night.

“When we bought this farm, it was a pumpkin patch,” Jodi said. “The barn was the haunted house. But I had several neighbors tell me they remembered how way back when, they came here for barn dances.”

“We farm in compliance with organic guidelines,” Mike said, “from raspberries to garlic, asparagus, fennel and potatoes. As a matter of fact, the first potatoes I ever grew were Dutch potatoes, named ‘Bintjes.’ Our goal is to enjoy our life outdoors and make a living once I retire. More and more people want locally- produced food.”

See Jodi and mike Levine page a11

Omaha JCC

Continued from a5 “JFO’s goal is to reduce annual energy consumption by 40% over the next 5 years.

While this ambitious number may raise eyebrows, we are on track to meet our goals.

We have met with independent consultants who agree that our targets are achievable and I am proud to be part of this undertaking.”

Malcom explains. “Over the past 3 years we have slowly been retrofitting fixtures with LED lights and we are approximately half way through this project campus wide. A special donation from Michael Staenberg, Howard Kooper and Tommy Fellman specifically designated for this purpose was instrumental in updating all of our parking lot, gym, and fitness center lights with this energy saving technology.”

The next big initiative this year is automating the building systems. According to Malcom, “having a ‘smart’ building will allow optimization for scheduling of pumps, HVAC and lighting. This system will help lower consumption by a projected 7% over the course of the next year, alone.

New and updated HVAC systems will also help to increase efficiency in air handling, something that large, older buildings struggle with.”

Malcom’s excitement and in-depth knowl-

edge of the improvements underway- and on the horizon- are obvious as he continues.

“We expect to see a big difference thanks to our roofing, as well. We are currently in the second year of a 5-year roofing im-

provement project that will provide much better insulation- in fact, doubling the Rvalue- of roofs over the entire campus. The improvements we are making are huge and will be beneficial to increasing efficiency.”

Malcom credits the efforts of major donors in making these improvements possible. “We are very blessed to have major donors like Staenberg, Kooper, Fellman and many others whose professional work is within the industry of construction and property management. They possess an indepth understanding of the newest environmental technologies and have a vested interest in not just making the JCC look great from the outside, but making sure the inside is up to date, environmentally sound and ready to carry us on into the future.”

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How my Omaha roots will help me chair Hazon RICHaRd Slutzky

Even though many years have passed, I recall from Dr. Fren July 1 of this year, I was installed as und’s class that it was very clear from Jewish tradition and Board Chair by the Board of Direc- text that we Jews are only temporary stewards of the land and tors of Hazon, a national Jewish en- that as other previous generations planted trees for fruits and vironmental organization (www.h shade for us, so must we plant for generations to follow. Durazon.org), for a two-year term. ing those same years, U.S.Y. themes and messaging by the The primary focus of Hazon, “the Omaha Jewish Federation highlighted the importance of Jewish lab for sustainability,” is to Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) and C’Lal Israel (we are educate Jews of all ages to take ac- responsible for one another) as well as the critical importance tion personally to reduce their car- of Tzedakah. Lastly, classes like Eleanor Whitman’s Jewish bon footprint, and, by doing so, American literature, where we read Saul Bellow, Elie Wiesel, improve the environment for themselves, their Philip Roth and Chaim Potok, gave me a sense of the rich difamilies and the rest of us. versity in American Jewish Hazon educates through imculture, that many paths were mersive experiences at various possible, that individual aclocations, including at a Hazon tions have consequences and retreat center in Falls Village, that while life can be full of Connecticut, as well as by contradictions, controversy training scores of young, enviand conflict, at the same time ronmentally-knowledgeable there are threads of hope that Jews (through a program run through much of the Jewcalled JOFEE Fellows (Jewish ish American experience.

Outdoor Food, Farming and Had I grown up in LarchEnvironmental Education) to mont, Great Neck or Newton, disseminate useful informaI may not have been as sensition throughout the country tive to environmental issues as through JCCs, day schools, I was growing up in Omaha. synagogues, etc. Hazon has While I grew up in suburban also successfully created a Seal Omaha, the city relied heavily of Sustainability that is on the nearby agricultural awarded to Jewish institutions community for our commerce. that have undertaken environFarming had its own daily TV mentally-sustainable initia- Omaha native Richard Slutzky proudly wearing my Nebraska news segment and when I was tives, including using solar shirt in front of the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, in high school, my parents energy to partially power their which is part of Hazon. moved us out to what was west activities and using recyclable materials instead of plastic Omaha in the ‘70s. I remember hiking (OK, trespassing) plates and utensils for social activities like Oneg Shabbats or through nearby cornfields, and cycling while inhaling pestimeetings, etc. cides and herbicides around farmland where now the MeadHazon is perhaps best known to many as annually spon- owbrook subdivision exists. soring a week-long Israel bike ride which it operates in partTo the west and east of Omaha, Interstate 80 in the ‘70s cut nership with the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies a swath through fields of corn, sorghum, alfalfa, soybeans, in the Negev Desert at Kibbutz Ketura. In 2015, I had the etc. At that time, we couldn’t really claim a farm-to-table culgood fortune of biking through the Negev with Omahan ture since much of the produce went to feed cattle. What exMarty Shukert and former Omahan Nancy Rosenstock Barag isted then, and perhaps still does today, was a highly along with another 160 cyclists. industrialized approach to growing our food. Michael Pollan At Hazon retreats, I have seen young Jews, very secularized in his best selling books like the Omnivore’s Dilemma traces and uninvolved, become turned on by learning how our tra- many of the challenges we Americans must confront as a redition has interpreted our relationship with the environment. sult of how our food economy has been built and how agriThey have also become enthused about their Jewishness by culture as currently structured contributes to global warming recognizing that there is a growing community of like- on a massive scale. Much can be done politically to legislate minded Jews who care deeply about the environment and are change to create more sustainable agribusiness solutions. concerned about the potentially cataclysmic damage caused Hazon is a nonpartisan charity and does not lobby for legby climate change. As we envision what the Jewish commu- islative change. That said, part of Hazon’s role is to educate its nity will look like in 20 years or more, I hope that Hazon can participants on the scientific research regarding the interretake significant responsibility for building a stronger, envi- lationships between agriculture and climate change so they ronmentally-sensitive Jewish community that takes the con- can take their own actions in the political arena with ample cept of repairing the world quite literally. information.

When the first Earth Day was announced, it was April, 1970 Whether it was attending day camp at Hummel Park Naand I was a student at Lewis and Clark Junior High School, ture Center, then sleep-away camp at Esther K. Newman anxious to enter Central High that fall. Earlier that February, Camp and later at Herzl Camp in Wisconsin, being in nature Barry Commoner, the biologist and environmentalist (and was infectious, no pun intended. Whether it was the diversity future professor of mine at Washington University) was on of shrubs and trees (including the missed Dutch Elms), the the front cover of Time Magazine. Commoner and Wisconsin humming of the crickets, the chirping birds, the sound of the Senator Gaylord Nelson who initiated Earth Day, called at- rivers and lakes around me, I felt then and still do feel contention to the ways to avoid the Earth’s despoliation. I recall nected spiritually to nature. Back then, nature seemed to exist that one of our activities in the newly-formed environmental on a different plane of perception from Judaism, which in my club at junior high school was to clean up a local creek. I had mind at the time seemed solely text-based. Now, in adultrarely gotten my hands dirty like that, and I came into contact, hood, through Hazon, I am seeing more clearly how interperhaps for the first time, with the trash that people inten- connected Judaism is to our environment. tionally and disturbingly threw into the creek.

As I experienced my youth in Omaha, the lectures and At the same time, in Hebrew school at Beth El, Professor classroom study as well as my perception of my local enviFreund, who also taught at UNO, used Al Vorspan’s Jewish ronment did not intuitively illuminate a path for me to follow Ethics and Social Values book to help us understand and for- for the future, but only in retrospect do I know now that my mulate opinions on current international topics including teachers and experiences made a significant impact on me, civil rights, civil liberties, the environment, abortion, etc. The ultimately leading me to become involved in Hazon as an acissues surrounding the Jewish response to the environment tive cyclist on Hazon rides, as a participant on their sustaincontinued to concern me, especially as we celebrated our hol- ability mission in Israel, as a donor and as a board member. I idays, many of which had agricultural roots. We were the peo- regret that I cannot travel back in time to thank my Beth El ple who built a nation in the desert and survived and who Hebrew school teachers, biology teachers, camp counselors eradicated the swamps when Israel became a state. Back in and others who, many years later, I recognize helped me build the ‘70s, national Jewish leadership was not focused on the the necessary ethical foundation and requisite passion for my environmental movement, and that perhaps was a missed op- new leadership role. For more information about Hazon, portunity to connect with environmentally-concerned Jews. please visit our website, www.hazon.org.

The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019 | a9

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A10 | The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019

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Esther K. Newman Camp Continued from page A7 Dinky supermarket founder, Jule Newman, and beloved mother of Murray, Robert, Calvin and James, Esther was only 57 years young at the time of her passing.

Described as an outstanding leader in the community, Esther chaired the Women’s Division of the Jewish Philanthropies Campaign in 1940. She also dedicated many years serving on the boards of Children’s Memorial Hospital, Planned Parenthood and Temple Israel Sisterhood. It was in her honor that the Newman family contributed significantly to a fund held by the Jewish Federation of Omaha dedicated for the purchase and development of a future camp.

The Campsite Committee searched for available land for nearly four years before meeting Mr. & Mrs. Austin Finlay of Louisville. The Finlays owned approximately 190 acres of land overlooking the Platte River between Camp Harding and Camp Kitaki. According to the Simon article, the aging couple decided to sell their land to the Jewish Federation as they had been impressed with “the respect and behavior of the JCC camp and campers over the many years they had spent at their neighboring camp properties.”

The purchase was completed in December 1960 after an “unusual and humane sale agreement” was met. “The Finlays were elderly and cared for their son who had health problems. They were more interested in longterm security and monthly income that would provide for themselves and their son into the future rather than a large lump sum purchase price.”

The Jewish Federation agreed that the family could continue living in their home - rent and maintenance free- and provided a monthly stipend to the family until all three Finlays had passed. Additionally, the family would be able to host their large annual friends and family reunion on the property and the Louisville Boy & Girl Scouts could continue using the site, rent-free.

In a 176 quote, Bob Newman, son of Esther & Jule, summed it up: “Many people, it appears, tie together their love of land with their love of children and agree that camping is a perfect and fitting tribute to memorialize loved ones while providing for the health and happiness of future generations.”

The Jewish Federation of Omaha spent the following year developing the camp property with help of local architect Alex Weinstein.

Sherman Poska was hired as Camp Director and kept busy designing excellent programming for the camp’s upcoming inaugural year. In later years, Bob Litvak and “Uncle” Chuck Arnold would continue this tradition, pouring their energy and love into designing the best camp experience for Jewish youths in the region.

Support and excitement for the camp’s imminent opening was apparent in the December 15, 1961 issue of The Jewish Press, which contained no less than four front-page articles with details about camp features, staff, donors and Esther K. Newman. Jewish Federation President, Harry Trustin, was quoted,

saying, “Permanent and complete camping facilities for the Omaha Jewish Community will soon become a reality through the opening of the Esther K. Newman Camp. The realization of the dreams and hopes of our community for a quarter century has been given the impetus and initiative through a gift towards building and equipping the camp by Jule Newman and sons in Esther’s memory.

The entire Board of The Jewish Federation of Omaha joins me in expressing our appreciation to the Newman Family for their generous gift.”

In the article, Jule Newman shared that “Esther was deeply interested in children and their activities. All our sons attended camp and we consider it a great privilege to make this gift.”

Nestled in a comfortable wooded setting, Esther K. Newman Camp featured 16 camper cabins, four unit lodges, two staff cabins, an administration building, infirmary, multipurpose dining hall/ recreation building, a swimming pool, bathhouses, roads and infrastructure.

While used primarily as a Jewish summer camp, it also hosted retreats and camps for senior citizens, families, preschoolers, the visually impaired and diabetics, as well as outside groups like the Omaha Ballet, who began holding one-week summer dance camps in 1964.

Due to financial issues, primarily involving difficulties in maintaining the property and infrastructure, the camp closed in 1978. The Nebraska Games and Parks Commission, led

by Eugene Mahoney, purchased the Newman Camp property and the adjoining Harding Camp, which they combined with an additional 104-acre tract of land to create the 418acre Platte River State Park in 1982.

Platte River State Park’s website acknowledges its history noting that some of the “charming vintage cabins that once housed summer campers at Esther K. Newman Camp today provide cozy accommodations” for those seeking a retreat to nature. Open to all with a state park permit, Platte River State Park offers many amenities. In addition to cabin rentals, there are tent sites, hiking and biking trails, Crawdad Creek exploration, a spray ground, archery and shooting ranges and horse rides, as well as fishing and boat rentals on Jenny Newman Lake. The Park also offers a full service restaurant at the Walter Scott Jr. Lodge and an event rental facility at the Mallet Lodge. Two observation towers in the park- the more amenable Daugherty Tower and the 85 ft. Lincoln Journal Toweroffer breathtaking views of the Platte River Valley and the land of our former camp.

While it is a pity that our community no longer runs a summer camp in this area, the legacy of the Esther K. Newman Camp has not been forgotten. The Jewish Federation of Omaha held a celebratory camp reunion and dedication ceremony in May 2019 in which a plaque honoring the Esther K. Newman Family was installed at Platte River State Park’s Mallet Hall. Consider visiting Platte River State Park to enjoy the beauty of nature and to remember the rich history our community shares with this special piece of land.

Jodi and Mike Levine

Continued from page A8 During the summer, Jodi and Mike grow their vegetables mostly for their own consumption, although they do deliver to certain restaurants in the area. Ted and Wally’s as well as Coneflower Creamery use ‘Fruit of Levine’ raspberries. Then, there are the bees, the reason I originally reached out to them—not knowing there is so much more to what they produce.

“I had my first hive in 1979,” Mike said. “I began to learn about bees in college. They are such interesting animals and, of course, they are important pollinators. As a species, they are under attack, something more and more people are aware of. Approximately 40 percent of commercial hives have disappeared. Pesticides are a problem, especially the ones used during soybean production and in cornfields, of which we have many in the Midwest. Their habitats are shrinking everywhere. There are also pests like the Varroa mites, a former unknown Eurasian species that somehow was introduced here and spreads disease among the bees. On top of that, many chemicals that have already been banned in Europe are still allowed in America. But, farmers have no choice but to use chemicals to survive economically; so we’re in a tough spot.”

A side note: those Varroa Mites are also known as ‘Varroa Destructors,’ that attack and feed on honeybees and, to top it off, they spread a disease called Varroosis. They can only reproduce in a honeybee colony, attach themselves to the body of a bee and weaken the bee by sucking fat bodies. Yikes.

Mike gets regular calls when people find a swarm in the wild.

“It’s not so common anymore to simply exterminate a hive; most people are aware there are different options. Even pest control companies will call people like me to come pick up a wild hive rather than getting rid of them. However, during a normal year I get on average of

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The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019 | A11

eight calls; this year, it’s happened only three times. There are just fewer swarms around.” A wild swarm, he says, usually holds anywhere from 6,000 to 15,000 bees.

EarthDayNetwork.com states: “For much of the past ten years, beekeepers, primarily in the United States and Europe, have been reporting annual hive losses of 30 percent or higher, substantially more than is considered normal or sustainable. In fact, one in four wild bee species in the U.S. is at risk of extinction.

Worldwide bee populations are in decline, including the honey bee and many of our wild native bees. One example: The yellow-banded bumble bee was the most abundant bumble bee in northern Wisconsin in the mid-1990s.

Then within ten years it made up less than one percent of the state’s bumble bee population. In Oregon, Franklin’s bumblebee has likely gone extinct during the same period.”

“While we do see a loss of habitat due to development, Nebraska is still a popular state for bees,” Mike said.

That’s a good thing, as bees are indispensable pollinators of most ecosystems. There are 369,000 flowering plant species and 90 percent of them are dependent on insect pollination. A honeybee can usually visit 50-1,000 flowers in one trip; if one bee takes ten trips a day, a colony with 25,000 forager bees can pollinate 250 million flowers in a day. Just think of that number for a second.

They are what is called a ‘keystone species.’ That means other species depend on them for survival, since so many food sources depend on the bees for pollination. Were the bees to disappear, a domino effect would be unavoidable, no matter how smart our scientists are.

Besides the food source, pollination is essential to maintain habitats for many different animals, including birds and insects. Remember: bees don’t just visit flowers. They pollinate trees in the spring, too.

If none of that is convincing enough, global crop production pollinated by bees is valued at $577 billion. Pollinators contribute $24 billion to the U.S. agriculture industry, making up a third of the food consumed by Americans.

In February of 2019, HR 1337, Saving America’s Pollinators Act See Jodi and Mike Levine page A12

roshhashanah WaterGen: Creating water from air

GAbby bLAir Staff Writer, Jewish Press Water. Essential for life, we cannot live without it.

Access to potable water has long been a cause of many conflicts - between neighbors, states and even countries. Increased pollution threatens the safety of sources around the world. As the global population grows and climate changes, demand for clean water is at an all time high.

Last year, I had the opportunity to visit the Birthright Innovation Center in Tel Aviv, Israel as part of a JWRP Momentum trip. Of the many inspiring Israeli inventions displayed, most impressive to me was the ‘Water GENNY’ created by WaterGen. At first glance, this nondescript water cooler could be easily overlooked as ordinary. What made the ‘GENNY’ so impressive was that it converted ambient humidity from the air in the very room we were standing in, into pure, clean drinking water.

This technology was mind-blowing to me, and it is proving itself to be a real game changer for the world.

Approximately 71 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water. Of this, an estimated 96.5 percent is contained in the world’s oceans. The remainder exists in glaciers, rivers, lakes, aquifers and in the air, as vapor.

Ironic then, that on a planet full of water, it is estimated that two-thirds of the world population will face a shortage of clean drinking water by 2025.

Established in 2009 in Rishon Lezion, Israel, by founder and co-CEO Arye Kohavi, WaterGen’s first atmospheric water generator (AWG) was launched in 2012, attracting the attention and investment of Israeli-Georgian philanthropist Mikhael Mirilashvili in 2016. Since then, WaterGen has gone global, installing its first system overseas in New Delhi, India in 2017.

See Water Gen page A12

Jodi and Mike Levine

A12 | The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019

roshhashanah WaterGen

Continued from page A11 around the world. We also aim to remove This year alone, WaterGen has pro- plastic from earth, to reduce the global vided clean drinking water to people in carbon footprint, and of course make our Brazil, Vietnam, India and Flint, Michi- planet cleaner and safer. Our greatest gan, amongst others. According to their problem is that we cannot supply the website, WaterGen also growing demand.” “assisted in rescue and reAs such, Mirilashvili covery efforts during the has committed to ex2018 California wildfires panding manufacturand provided clean water ing facilities to to the residents of Texas Vietnam, India, China, and Florida in the afterBrazil, Hungary and math of Hurricanes Harvey Ukraine, although the and Irma.” patented technology Available commercially behind the GENius in a variety of sizes, Waterheat exchanger will reGen’s units are able to meet main in Israel. Manua range of needs from indifacturing facilities are vidual homes to villages. currently operating in Arye Kohavi Deployment of multiple Israel and the USA. AWGs could even sustain Credit: Wikimedia Commons This ingenious sys-

cities. It is estimated that 10,000 largescale units could provide clean drinking water for up to 25 million people, per day.

Originally created to assist getting water to Israeli soldiers on front lines and remote outposts, WaterGen is also able to be installed in vehicles, a particularly important aspect for emergency response vehicles and the military.

A Jerusalem Post article from March 2019 quotes WaterGen Chairman Mirilashvili as saying “our main target is to save and improve people’s lives all

tem requires no water source or costly infrastructure projects; only a minimum humidity of around 30%, close to that of the Sahara desert, and the ability to plug it into a standard electricity supply.

Eventually, WaterGen hopes to incorporate solar power into their designs.

WaterGen founder, Arye Kohavi, explains the role climate plays in the water- producing capabilities of the WaterGen simply. “The warmer and more humid it is, the more the system will produce. As long as the temperature is above 7 degrees Celsius, it will be able

to generate water even at lower-than-average humidity.”

According to subsidiary WaterGenUSA, the GENNY is able to create up to seven gallons per day for home or office use. The GEN-350, a medium-sized system, can produce around 240 gallons per day, while the largest unit is capable of creating approximately 1,300 gallons of water per day. Larger units are created modularly allowing them to be connected to easily scale up water production based on need. These numbers are quite remarkable when considering this water is literally pulled out of thin air.

While other AWGs exist, WaterGen claims to be the most efficient in the world, creating more water while consuming less energy. The WaterGen website reports their product “produces up to five times more water per kilowatt than any other technology on the market, using just 300Wh per liter.”

So, how exactly does the WaterGen work?

According to their website, “WaterGen’s built-in blower draws air into the system’s atmospheric water generator.

There, an internal filter cleanses the air by removing dust and dirt. Once clean, the air is directed through the GENius TM heat exchange and cooling process, and condensed into water. The water is then filtered again to remove impurities See WaterGen page A14

Continued from page A11 was introduced in the House of Representatives. The bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a Pollinator Protection Board to develop an independent review process for pesticides that pose a threat to pollinators and their habitats. In addition, the bill “requires the EPA to cancel the registrations of any pesticides containing imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam, dinotefuran, acetamiprid, sulfoxaflor, flupyradifurone, or fipronil until the board has made a determination that such insecticide will not cause unreasonable adverse effects on pollinators based on findings that include results of studies of neonicotinoids and the effects of residues, repeated applications, and multiple chemical exposures.

Under the bill, the EPA shall not issue any new registrations for any seed treatment, soil application, and foliar treatment on beeattractive plants, trees, and cereals until the board has made determinations on such insecticides.

The bill requires the Department of the Interior, the EPA, and the Department of Agriculture to coordinate monitoring activities and report on the health and population status of native bees and other pollinators.

The bill prohibits unregistered uses of pesticides by a federal or state agency to address emergency conditions except (1) to avert significant risk to threatened or endangered species, (2) to quarantine invasive species, or (3) to protect public health. (Source: Cong ress.gov) Beekeeping is very labor-intensive. Because bee populations are so delicate, it is difficult for beekeepers to maintain extremely large operations on the same scale as an industrial farm. And forget about automation. There really is nothing about beekeeping that can be turned over to machines.

It’s easy to look at what Jodi and Mike are doing as idyllic, beautiful, a nice respite from busy city-life, and-oh-those-cute-ducks.

Truth be told, it’s energizing to visit their farm and it’s a great place to breathe. But when we really think about those bees and what they mean to all of us, this is much, much more than just a hobby.

From my family to yours, we wish you a peaceful and prosperous new year.

www.facebook.com/jean.stothert | Twitter: @Jean_Stothert Paid for by the Jean Stothert for Omaha Committee, 5909 S. 118th Plaza, Omaha NE 68137

Nathan’s Lake

The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019 | a13

We Buy Gold

annette van de kamp-wright Editor, Jewish Press here are no coincidences. Or maybe, there are. While we were in the thick of writing and researching and interviewing people, we had a not-so random visitor in the form of Ira Nathan from Scottsbluff, Nebraska.

He was looking for information on his relative, Leonard Nathan, who at one time was the editor of our paper.

In 1978, Ira shared, Leonard wrote an article titled Omaha Jews gather at Nathan’s Lake. Ira’s great uncle (Samuel Nathan) and great aunt (Leah Nathan) settled at Nathan’s Lake in 1909. Leonard Nathan was their son. The lake is part of an area named ‘Boyer Chute,’ which was established as a national wildlife refuge in 1992 to restore and protect fish and wildlife habitat in and along the Missouri River. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the largest network of lands and waters in the world set aside for the benefit of wildlife.

“The Boyer Chute (or channel) lies at the center of the refuge and runs parallel to the Missouri River. The chute carved out its path from an island formed by the Boyer River. It was blocked in 1937 to make boat travel on the river easier, not knowing that this would disturb valuable wildlife habitat,” the official brochure reads.

The Boyer Chute was restored with the help of many conservation partners, including the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and is now once again a functioning part of the Missouri River.

The brochure also says: “Thousands of acres of floodplain forest, tall grass prairie, and wetlands are currently being restored and protected within the refuge boundary. These habitats benefit a wide variety of

Leonard Nathan could not have known of the current conservation efforts when he wrote about the lake in 1978. Nor could he have known that a future editor of that same paper would be this excited about his story in 2019, nor that one of his descendants would visit the Press office looking for information at the exact moment we were working on a green issue. Life is funny that way. What follows is a part of Leonard’s original story--we hope you enjoy it. Happy New Year, Ira!

Leonard nathan A former editor of the Jewish Press September 29, 1978 As a young soldier at Fort Omaha in the days prior to the Spanish-American War, my father Samuel Nathan would frequently take his troops on hikes north of Florence along the Missouri River. It was a region he fondly remembered from his boyhood, and he was not only devoted to its beauty but immersed in its rich history. He was determined that someday he would make his home among these high bluffs and the lovely lakes that had been left behind when the turbulent Missouri had changed its course.

Before he was finally to realize his dream, he was to participate in the Chippewa Indian Uprising, be wounded at the Battle of Santiago de Cuba, help capture Aguinaldo, the leader of the Philippine Insurrection, undergo the siege of the embassies in Peking during the Boxer rebellion and, as a member of the American military mission, observe the defeat of the Russian army in Manchuria during the Russian-Japanese War. Finally, during the Moro Uprising, two bullets smashed into his shoulder an inch apart, causing the partial loss of his left arm and an end to his military career.

He had been attached to the sub-agency of the three important Sioux Reservations then under control of the War Department, had tours of duty in the frontier posts and experienced a brief civilian interlude running a cheese factory for the Sassoon family in Shanghai. He was probably the first American to visit the Jewish communities in China’s South Hunan Province. All this he left behind to settle midway between Florence and Fort Calhoun at a large farm known as Nathan’s Lake—named for Philip Nathan.

As a child he had been intrigued by the stories of the Council Bluffs, the name given by Lewis and Clark to the Nebraska side of the Missouri. Mendes Nathan, of New Orleans, had

been a partner of Jean Pierre Cabanne in the Post of the Otoes, located in the hills overlooking the river just north of what is now Hummel Park. In the very early years of the 19th century, this valley had been rich in beaver, otter and other fur-bearing animals and it was while carrying the pelts to the great Fur Fair in Canton, that in 1820 Mendes Nathan was lost at sea.

Although Samuel Nathan was a scholarly and reserved man who enjoyed his isolation, Nathan’s Lake soon became the center of a very active social life and it was particularly a place where Omaha Jews had their first contact with rural life. Originally, the place was jointly owned by Samuel Nathan, his brother Philip and a cousin, Louis. In 1883, Philip Nathan had established two furniture factories in Omaha, “Nathan and Epstein” and “Omaha Reed and Rattan Works.”

As one of the founders of the Great Masonic Lodge of Nebraska, he was not closely identified with Omaha’s Jewish community. Nevertheless, he was one of the patrons of the first Jewish Encyclopedia. Other brothers in Omaha were Max, Charles and Isadore and a sister, Mrs. Sarah Arkin.

In 1909, my father brought a bride to Nathan’s Lake. My mother, Leah Nathan, was a well-known newspaperwoman and among other activities conducted the Winnie Wise column of the Omaha World-Herald for many years. Because the countryside was still fairly rugged, my father insisted my mother learn to handle firearms and her reputation as a markswoman kept many an itinerant from our doors.

Because of the limited recreational facilities in the Omaha area, Nathan’s Lake, which my father had originally conceived to be his refuge from the world, became a popular place for Omahans to stop by for a Sunday picnic on the seven acres he had set aside as lawn, or they would fish or swim, all without charge.

Because the Third Nebraska had been one of the most important regiments in the Philippines, its veterans found the See nathan’s Lake page a15

wildlife including some 240 species of birds, 80 species of fish, and 70 species of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. Visitors to the refuge might see meadowlarks, yellow-rumped warblers, short-eared owls, and bald eagles. Along the waterways, you may see spotted sandpipers, great blue herons, hooded mergansers, or several species of ducks.”

Personally, I’m excited about the bald eagles, but there are many more species that benefit from this refuge, such as white-tailed deer, beavers, muskrats, coyotes, badgers, and bats, as well as reptiles and amphibians, including northern prairie skinks, soft shell turtles, ribbon snakes, woodhouse’s toads, and leopard frogs. And yes, a ‘skink’ is a real thing. The floodplain also provides suitable habitat for endangered species such as pallid sturgeon.

Omaha Jews gather at Nathan’s Lake

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Happy New Year

The green lobby: Jennifer Glazer and Sandy Lehr anneTTe van de kamp-wrighT Editor, Jewish Press Fairly soon after we began working on this issue, the Jewish Press received a call from Sandy Lehr and Jennifer Glazer. Sandy’s sister-in-law, Cindy Goldberg, shared the fact that we were doing a climate change issue and called Sandy.

“This is a great opportunity to talk about the climate lobby we are involved with,” Sandy said.

“It’s called the Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL),” Jennifer added, “a non-partisan grassroots volunteer organization with over 125,000 volunteers across the country working towards federal policy change.”

Most of this lobbying happens on the national stage; participants work in chapters lobbying the U.S. Congress to support legislation which is believed to reduce greenhouse gases.

Jennifer is currently the State Coordinator for Bellevue, Omaha, Lincoln and Chadron.

“After the 2016 election, “Jennifer said,” I felt frustrated and so I explored ways to get involved. I didn’t like the way things were going and looked at various activist groups. Then, Sandy brought me along to my first CCL meeting. I realized: If we do not have a livable climate, nothing else matters. That kind of settled it for me.”

Sandy, whose children had graduated, found herself with more time on her hands and researched her options for over a year.

“It took a while to find the right fit,” she said, “but I’ve always been interested in climate change. I remember my parents took our kids to Alaska—the trips they took were two years apart and in that short time, the glaciers shrank considerably. While researching my options, I found that CCL is non-partisan, which is important. We have to find common ground if we want to make real change.”

That real change, Sandy and Jennifer hope, will arrive with the passing of HR 763, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act that was introduced in January 2019. It aims to drive down America’s pollution and bring climate change under control, while unleashing American technological innovation and ingenuity. The official language states: This bill imposes a fee on the carbon content of fuels, including crude oil, natural gas, coal, or any other product derived from those fuels that will be used so as to emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

The fee is imposed on the producers or importers of the fuels and is equal to the greenhouse gas content of the fuel multiplied by the carbon fee rate. The rate begins at $15 in 2019, increases by $10 each year, and is subject to further adjustments based on the progress in meeting specified emissions reduction targets. The bill also imposes a specified fee on fluorinated greenhouse gases.

The bill includes exemptions for fuels used for agricultural or non-emitting purposes, exemptions for fuels used by the Armed Forces, rebates for facilities that capture and sequester carbon dioxide and border adjustment provisions that require certain fees or refunds for

WaterGen Senator Bob Hilkemann Nebraska Legislature | District 4 Paid for by Hilkemann for Legislature

Continued from page a12 and add minerals, resulting in fresh drinkingquality water. Once produced, the water is continuously circulated in a built-in reservoir to preserve its freshness.”

As quoted on fromthegrapevine.com, a website dedicated to Israeli innovation and contributions, Yehuda Kaploun, president of WaterGen USA, explained that the “‘GENNY’ will be coming to local US retailers soon. Currently under production at their Columbia, South Carolina factory, it is estimated that the

carbon-intensive products that are exported or imported.

The fees must be deposited into a Carbon Dividend Trust Fund and used for administrative expenses and dividend payments to U.S. citizens or lawful residents.

The fees must be decommissioned when emissions levels and monthly dividend payments fall below specified levels.

The bill also suspends certain regulations that limit greenhouse gas emissions. The suspensions expire if the emissions targets established by this bill are not reached after a specified time period.

Both Republicans and Democrats are on board: the

bill is co-sponsored by 41 lawmakers, although only one as of this writing is a member of the Republican Party (Congressman Francis Rooney, Rep. for Florida’s 19th district) majority support for climate legislation can be found among the entire electorate.

The pros of HR 763, which puts a fee on fossil fuels, Sandy said, are its effectiveness and the fact that it puts money back in people’s pockets. The bill would create 2.1 million new jobs and will be revenue neutral.

“It’s the polluters like gas companies who are currently not being held accountable for the damage they cause. The biggest culprits would pay fees and thereby be encouraged to find alternative sources.

The dividends will come back to households to offset cost of rising energy costs. Think it’s radical? There are 43 other countries who already have some form of carbon pricing in order to incentivize clean energy-and Canada even has this exact policy.”

It’s tremendously important to keep this bill (and this issue) non-partisan, both Sandy and Jennifer agree.

“We have to keep working towards bipartisan legislation and bipartisan solutions. If we want to make a change, it cannot remain an issue that divides us.

All of us inhabit the same planet,” Sandy said.

“I find it’s still uncomfortable for people to have this discussion,” Jennifer said, “especially in the Midwest, here in Nebraska. I’ve had good friends walk away from me when I bring up the climate. I think it’s simply not comfortable for people to believe in this or think about it. It’s an overwhelming issue, and maybe someone else will take care of it. But it doesn’t work that way; we all live here, we are all responsible.”

For Jennifer, working to save our planet is all about relationships: See The green lobby page a15

GENNY will cost around $1,500.” Costs for larger units were not readily available.

Chairman Mirilashvili told the Jerusalem Post, “My first priority is not how to make money but to help people, the planet and make kiddush hashem (sanctify God’s name). Regarding the revenues, only G-d decides who makes money and how much.” Based on the research, WaterGen’s vision of providing access to clean drinking water to those who need it is well on its way to becoming a reality.

Nathan’s Lake

Continued from page A13 lake a convenient place to gather. During the first World War, the famed balloon school was partially quartered on the place, and my earliest memories are associated with the machine guns firing from our hills at the target balloon. For me, it was sheer terror.

Its strong ties to the Omaha Jewish community gave our family its greatest pleasure.

My father had always felt that the Jews fleeing the pogroms of Eastern Europe would have their greatest opportunity on western farms and to this end he gave support to the Alliance Universelle Israelite. First, of course, it was our Omaha families who would come to spend the summer months with us. There was much laughing as our city kin learned to adapt to the rigors of rural living: outdoor toilets, glass-less windows, etc. The cows were named after my aunts, the horses after my uncles, a practice that was not received with universal acclaim in the family.

This writer came to Nathan’s Lake a few weeks after his birth, but my mother often related how close I came to being born on horseback.

As befitted a veteran cavalryman, my father was devoted to horses, but they had to be wild and spirited. The automobile, to him, was a sacrilege. Only with great reluctance did he allow them to be used on the farm, but he refused to learn how to drive.

Instead, he rode alongside one of the farm hands, his foot braced against the car’s

The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019 | A15

fender. Our cars in that early day of motoring always had to have the door removed from the passenger side so he could ride in this fashion.

From her early days in settlement work, my mother had retained a deep interest in youth activities and education. When the Girl Scout Movement started, she signed the charter for the Covered Wagon Area. Combining this interest with my father’s belief that Jews

should shed their urbanization, the Jewish Community Center was invited to establish a camp on the shores of the Lake, which in those days covered over a hundred acres.

As a result, Camp Morris Levi started in the very early 1920s, providing the children of many Jewish homes a first contact with rural life. Usually isolated from children my own age, I was delighted with the companionship of contemporaries. Many of the friendships I formed at that time still exist.

Only one rule was promulgated to curb me.

The campers were not allowed to go barefoot, and I hardly knew what shoes were.

When I entered the camp area, I had to put on my tennis shoes.

It was a lovely world both in time and place and I for one miss it very much.

roshhashanah The green lobby

Continued from page A14 “The Citizens’ Climate Lobby is a place where my personal and professional relationships have blossomed. As the State Coordinator for Nebraska, I have the privilege of getting to know and keeping in touch with people in all four of the Nebraska chapters. I have thoroughly enjoyed relating to, working with and getting to know folks in all these chapters. Not only did I build relationships with other conference attendees, but this experience has taught me how to build relationships with our members of Congress. It is such a feeling of empowerment to be able to participate in democracy by walking into our Nation’s Capital and meeting with elected lawmakers to advocate for a climate change solution policy (H.R. 763 The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividends Act). As a registered and active Democrat, this experience allowed me to function outside my Democratic bubble and have meaningful conversations with our Republican members of Congress and their staff. Through CCL we are taught to have meetings that are professional and respectful. We work to find a shared value and go from there when advocating for support for climate change solution policy.”

“I would expect,” Sandy added, “especially the agrarian states like Nebraska to have a higher awareness. I do have to say, with the extreme weather patterns becoming much more obvious, like the extreme cold we had last winter and the subsequent flooding, more people are open to having this discussion. Especially after the flooding, more people have talked to me about climate.”

“Part of the problem,” Jennifer added, “is that

wealthier people can buy their way out of the consequences, for now. People who are not as financially stable cannot and are hit disproportionately hard when climate change takes their house and livelihood.”

“We as a nation are definitely not leading on this,” Sandy said. “Especially since the U.S. in 2017 abandoned the Paris Climate Accords, so it is important that we let our Representatives know we want to see real action on climate. Make them aware. Don’t just recycle and think you’re doing your part; write letters, tweet, make phone calls.”

It’s not the protests they are looking for, they said, “We don’t yell at members of Congress. What we need is the diplomatic route. Real change, real legislation is what’s going to ultimately make a difference.”

“But we need more people,” Sandy said. “We want the Jewish community to get involved. As Jews, we are supposed to take care of this world, but we need more people to get involved and use their voice.”

If you are interested in finding out more about CCL, please contact Jennifer Glazer at Jennifer.glazer@ citizensclimatelobby.org.

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The Jewish Press | September 7, 2018 | B1

section 2 R O S H

H A S H A N A H

The Benson Plant Rescue: Growing community, not just plants GaBBy BlaiR Staff Writer, Jewish Press ne lazy Sunday afternoon in early summer, my husband and I stumbled into the Benson Plant Rescue for the first time, and found a diamond in the rough.

Off 73rd and Maple Street, the nondescript building with a low slung porch was overflowing with a hodgepodge of planters, sacks of hand thinned day lilies, gardening tools and hoses. A lushly overgrown cacophony of plants and flowers were blooming with wild abandon, ringing the large parking lot. A beautifully painted metal cut mural of a garden designed by artist Mike Girón fences in the east end of the lot. Stacks of limestone and paving tiles, still covered in dirt from their previous homes, sit far against the back wall with bits of chicken wire and fencing, all available for purchase.

My first impression was of having driven into a moshav- the Israeli version of a residential- agricultural acreage, which I mentioned to my husband.

Upon entering the building which contained a wide array of houseplants, we were greeted by an older woman behind a desk. Imagine my surprise when I heard her unmistakable Israeli accent. And so, I met Yehudit Navron, a Libyan Jew from Akko, Israel.

Yehudit, who goes by Judy, is passionate about plants, Pit Bulls and Torah. Judy and her husband, Dr. David Hibler, have been running the Benson

Plant Rescue for over 20 years and they love what they do. When asked how she got into gardening and running a plant res-

cue, she said: “It must have been G-d’s plan!”

Navron shares that the couple married and settled in Omaha in 1997. “I was amazed that we had our own yard. This is not particularly common in Israel and I wasn’t exactly sure how to deal with it.

I recall sitting in our house shortly after moving here and watching my neighbor across the street spend hours mowing, weed wacking, edging and fertilizing her yard until it looked like a marine’s haircut. I asked my husband why she would do this and he explained she was growing her grass.

It seems silly now, but I just could not wrap my mind around this idea. A perfectly manicured lawn of only grass that grows for no reason other

than to cut it. I decided I wanted to grow a big beautiful garden, not a green square of grass and so, I tore it all out. Then I realized I had two problems. First, I had no idea how to garden or what to plant and second, we had a very small, almost non-existent budget.”

Navron continues. “At that time, David had been attending Benson Business Association meetings and met a woman, Charlotte Hauser, who had started up the Benson Community Garden Walk. This yearly event raised funds for the Benson Library children’s section by selling tickets to spend an evening walking around private gardens in the neighborhood. Enamored by this idea, David told Charlotte he’d married an Israeli woman newly obsessed with gardening and suggested she check out our garden as a potential stop for the walk. One look at our garden, covered in the only plant I had successfully split from my neighbors overgrowth, an invasive weed called Creeping Charlie, and she laughed saying to check back with her after ‘Charles’ left. I had no idea it was a weed!”

Navron continues, “This experience was a turning point for me. Charlotte became a good friend and my gardening mentor. She was kind and generous, supplying me with tons of old gardening magazines, catalogs, and plant splits from her own See Benson Plant Rescue page B3

B2 | The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019

roshhashanah

Climate change

Lauren MarshaLL and saM GitteLMan e are students with the Religious Action Center.

We want to talk you about climate change, a really important issue to us.

Human activity enhances the natural greenhouse effect.

It’s important to highlight that human activity is enhancing the normal heating and cooling patterns of the planet. Our everyday lives affect climate change.

Some of the effects of this are more severe weather events such as hurricanes Florence and Maria, wildfires such as what happened in California, droughts, floods, and heat waves. These events also affect the spread of infectious diseases that can even lead to respiratory and cardiovascular health issues.

Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea, and heat stress. Unless significant action is taken, the world will experience 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming as early as 2030.

This is important, because we have one earth and we should take care of it. Just like we have one life. Although we have the potential to go to Mars, not everything can adjust to Mars and it’s just not as lush as earth. In Judaism, it speaks of our responsibility to future generations. Specifically, we talk about G-d and Adam. G-d created Adam, and led him around all the trees in the Garden of Eden.

G-d said to him ‘See how beautiful and praise-worthy all of my works are? Everything I have created has been created for your sake. Think of this, and do not corrupt or destroy my world; for if you corrupt it, there will be no one to set it right for after you.’ Oceans full of plastic, hundreds of species disappearing from the planet, and oil spills have shown that humans have not appreciated the gifts G-d has created for us.

We are destroying the world G-d made for us, and we have the power to fix things before it is too late.

This has been an issue I’ve cared about since I was a kid.

When I was in Kindergarten in art class, we learned how to properly wash our paintbrushes. My art teacher said if we turn the sink all the way on, we hurt Mother Nature. As a Kindergartener I thought of Mother Nature as a goddess that looks like the Starbucks logo, and I didn’t want to hurt her.

Now as a teenager, I know that Mother Nature isn’t the face I see every time I need a coffee. But, the experience made me realize how precious something like water is. Since then I have been more mindful of how much of the sink I turn on and making sure I don’t waste energy and water. Even though turning off the faucet is such a tiny act, I try to do my part every day. If everyone cared a little bit more and did their own tiny acts, it could have a huge impact on cleaning the world.

I care a lot about this issue as well. Something that has always stood out to me was how more trees are being cut down than being planted. Without protecting our forests and regulating what goes into our air, we could end up with the deadly smog clouds that we see in places like China. If all of our forests are cut down, the world will be ugly because of the lack of nature and, more importantly, future generations will struggle to live. Trees represent an essential resource in our world that both provide life sustaining oxygen and help tackle rising carbon dioxide levels. By switching to renewable energy, air pollution would be greatly reduced, and generations to come will be able to enjoy our nation’s beautiful forests thanks to switching to forms of renewable energy.

I urge you to cosponsor the 100 by ’50 Act, H.R. 3314/ S. 987 in the 116th Congress, when it is reintroduced in the House and Senate. This legislation addresses negative impacts of climate change and fossil fuels. The 100 by ’50 Act will help move us into our energy future and prevent impending catastrophic climate change.

Editor’s note: Temple Israel teens Lauren Marshall and Sam Gittelman wrote this speech for their 2018 L’Taken trip. These trips are designed to expose students to a variety of public policy issues and explore the Jewish values that inform the Reform Movement’s advocacy around these issues.

L’Shanah Tovah

Celebrate the High Holidays at B’nai Israel

nancy WoLf The Community is invited to B’nai Israel for High Holiday Services.

Please join us for our meaningful and participatory High Holiday services at B’nai Israel in Council Bluffs!

Once again we are pleased to welcome Jeff Taxman as our Cantorial Soloist, a role he has served with inspiration and great heart for more than 18 years. As always, we will enjoy the participation of all who wish to join in as readers.

There is a great line-up of speakers: • Erev Rosh Hashanah: Jamie Skog-Burke; Standing at an Intersection: Individual Identity & Jewish Peoplehood • Rosh Hashanah morning: Nate Shapiro; Rosh Hashanah: Moving Forward, While Looking Back • Kol Nidre: Dr. Leonard Greenspoon; Vows, Vowels and Virtue: Does It Really Matter When, Where and Why We Pray?

• Yom Kippur morning: Jim Fried; Sin and Forgiveness: In the World and in Ourselves Services begin at 7:30 p.m. for evening, and 10:30 a.m. for morning, with the Memorial service following the Yom Kippur morning service. The Yom Kippur Concluding service is held at 5:30 p.m., with a dairy Break-the-Fast community potluck to follow.

B’nai Israel is not affiliated with any specific Jewish denomination, and we welcome all who wish to worship with us. We strive to provide a comfortable, friendly service, in a traditional setting.

We are a short drive from Omaha, just a block north of Broadway.

Hope to see you!

Contact any of our board members for more information: Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Howard Kutler, Carole Lainof, Wayne Lainof, Sissy Silber, Nancy Wolf.

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Shanah tovah um’tukah

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For directions, call Patty Nogg, 402/493-3479 Cemetery Manager Steve O’Neill, 712/328-1579

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New Year’s Greetings from the Board of Directors: Patty Nogg, President; Joel Finkel,V.P.; Bob Kully,V.P.; Gail Krasne Kenkel, Secretary; Doug Krasne,Treasurer; Mark Eveloff, Elyse Gallner, Mike Gallner, John Goldner, Larry Goldstrom, John Katelman, Joshua Katelman, Rick Katelman, Sissy Katelman, Marty Ricks, and Ted Seldin Paid for by Dave Pantos for Metro Board

The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019 | B3

Benson Plant Rescue Continued from page B1 garden. Starting with a dirt patch full of transplanted weeds, people watched my garden progress over the years from that of an inexperienced beginner, to my own little slice of Eden. I had every plant that could grow in Omaha growing in my garden at one point,” she says. “Everything I learned was through trial and error. But, the moral here is that if I could do it, anyone could... so this is where I got my start and education in gardening.”

thoughtful in her explanation.

“Nature has been here long before us, and will be here long after us. When pondering the days of Creation, I consider two viewpoints regarding the order in which the world was created. Traditionally in Judaism, everything has been created for us. Man, created last, is the most important—the climax of creation. A less conventional theory is that creation started with the most important, light, for

Not manicured, but still not messy, The Benson Plant Rescue not only looks different, but feels different than pulling up to the local hardware or big box store’s gardening centers; although, those types of stores are where this non-profit’s story begins.

“In the beginning, David came across some nearly dead plants at the old Osco Drug store on Maple Street. The manager said they were headed to the trash and to help himself to anything he wanted. This planted an idea, and he told Charlotte Hauser he would try to raise money for her annual garden walk library fundraiser by rescuing dying plants and selling them.” Just like that, a plant rescue was born.

And so, David began collecting plants destined for the dump from stores all over town and Judy continued to nurture them back into thriving plants once more. “I remember David coming home with his hands behind his back saying I am bringing you what every woman dreams of—before producing a half dead plant, and you know what? I absolutely loved it!”

Purely through word of mouth, people in Benson began visiting their garden — to drop off thinned perennials and pick up new plants for their own gardens. By making plants and gardening supplies available to even their most low income neighbors, they helped grow and strengthen the Benson community. As promised, any Benson Plant Rescue proceeds went to the Benson Public Library and still do to this day.

For nearly 14 years, Judy and David ran the Benson Plant Rescue from their own backyard. At first, they were open once a week, before eventually expanding to three times a week as interest grew. When the current Maple Street property came up for rent, they jumped on the chance to expand given the growing demands for the Plant Rescue. Most recently, the property had housed a Halal grocery store, but originally it was a plant nursery, so the space was well suited for their needs with plenty of land, space and parking.

When asked why they would decide to run a full time non-profit plant rescue that requires a lot of hard physical work and effort, Navron, a former Judaics teacher, was

nothing could survive without it. Light was followed by all of nature, and creation ends with us: stewards of all that has come before us. As usual, I choose to believe the unconventional and feel that I was created to serve the world around me rather than be served by it, my version of Tikkun Olam, I suppose.”

She adds, “It also helped that we were retired and wanted to stay busy. Growing and planting, helping others to learn, improving our community through our work... it brings us great personal satisfaction. Today, I can say that I have gardened everyday for the past 20 years and am making positive impacts in my community because of it.”

It is Judy’s dream that they will be able to one day raise the money to buy the property the Benson Plant Rescue is currently renting and find a successor for their efforts.

“People are interested in the environment and would prefer to donate their unwanted houseplants and gardening materials to us rather than throw them into the trash. Gardeners all over Omaha thin their plants and donate them to us, knowing that someone else will be able to enjoy them. We are a 501c3 and the community knows that we give back to them. We receive donations of overstocked or unsellable plants from businesses all over town from places like Lowes, Mulhalls and Lauritzen Gardens to small family operations and individual gardeners. Our overhead is extremely low, we have no debt and we rely on volunteers, donations and memberships.

The Benson Plant Rescue also serves an important role in greater Omaha by providing a place for community service to be performed. There is a demand and a need for this business.”

Indeed, during our interview, numerous clients came in looking for plants and advice.

Judy spent time with each discussing attributes and preferences of each plant intimately.

What struck me most was that she seemed more concerned about the plant’s future than its sale. When one couple had chosen houseplants that preferred full sun, she dissuaded them after learning they only had low light in their house, instead recommending low light plants for them which they gladly bought. “I See Benson Plant Rescue page B4

HAPPY & HEALTHY Wishing a happy and healthy New Year to our friends and clients,

L ’Shanah Tova!

+1 402 345 5866 www.colliers.com

b4 | The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019

Happy Rosh Hashanah Dr. James Wax

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The Shermet-Burrell Environmental Gap Year Fund

annette van de kamp-wright, graphically restricted. Such organizations include but are not Editor, Jewish Press restricted to the following fields: and CaSSandra weiSenburger, Climatology, Ecology, Entomology, Hydrology, Marine BiDirector of Communications, Temple Israel ology, Meteorology, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, ur Jewish tradition teaches the importance Oceanography, Paleontology, Seismology, Wildlife Biology, of caring for the environment, for we Zoology, Large Animal Veterinary, Conservation Biology or must act as partners with God in pre- Fisheries Science. serving His creation. In a midrash “For instance,” Cantor Shermet said, “there is a group in from Kohelet Rabbah (Ecclesiastes) Gretna that saves raptors. There are organizations like the Na7:13, we learn that, “When God cre- ture Conservancy and last year we took some kids to a wonated the first derful place in Wyoming that saves lab human beings, animals that were experimented on. If God led them around there is any organization students want to the Garden of Eden and explore and volunteer with that works tosaid: ‘Look at my works! See how wards healing our earth and animal life, beautiful they are-- how excellent! For your while they think about what they want to sake I created them all. See to it that you do, they can now request assistance do not spoil and destroy My world; for if through this fund.” you do, there will be no one else to repair Cantor Shermet hopes this will go a it.’” We have both the power to preserve ways towards physical learning, handsand guard and the power to destroy and on experience, which is too often missdefile. Our tradition teaches that when we ing from their lives. do not preserve the environment, we not “They need to get outside,” she said, only destroy life, but we diminish God’s “and I’m a big believer in the hands-on presence in the world. (RAC.org) learning they do as a result. Go and clean When Cantor Wendy Shermet was a cemetery, garden, visit places outside awarded a monetary gift from The Livthe classroom and see directly the effect Cantor Shermet ingston Foundation in 2018, she wasn’t we as human beings have on the planet. immediately sure what to do with it. The gift was in recogni- We could even take kids to visit the landfill so they can see for tion of her service to the teens in her care as part of the 11th themselves how much waste we create. Our home is sick; in and 12th grade Mega Teen Trip to Israel and for being a lead- another 20 years there will be more plastic in the oceans than ing light in the Omaha Jewish community for 18 years. fish. We cannot keep writing off the weather as aberrant. As “I spent a lot of time thinking about how I wanted to use Jews, we are not allowed to hide from the truth, and we have this award and , having worked with so many teenagers over to start somewhere.” the years, I realized not all of them are meant to go to college No matter our individual politics, she added, “we all live on right after high school. Kids really tend to grow up during a this one earth together. If you walked into your house and gap year and I think it’s important for them to consider their saw mold, you would do something about it. That’s how we options and even get some work experience before going to need to view our planet.” college,” Cantor Shermet said.

In addition to the gift from the Livingston Foundation, Together, Cantor Shermet, her husband Len Burrell and Cantor Shermet has utilized monies from both her Temple their son Sam, created the Shermet-Burrell Environmental Israel Discretionary Fund and personal family savings. DarGap Year Fund at Temple Israel. The purpose of this fund is lynn and Tom Fellman and Louri Sullivan and their families to allocate scholarship money for a gap year either between also have graciously donated. Since its inception, other Temhigh school and college, or during college, for students who ple members have begun to donate to the fund as well. wish to explore their interest in the Environmental Science For more information about how to apply, please contact fields before committing to a major. Students will choose an Temple Israel Executive Director Dennis DePorte by calling organization with which to volunteer and will not be geo- 402.556.6536.

benson plant rescue

Continued from page b3 have the soul of a teacher. I want the plants to live and I want the people to succeed. That way everyone is happy,” she explains.

Her advice for new gardeners is to spend the first year observing their yard before rushing into starting a garden. “Look at where the sun is throughout the day. Consider the runoff during rain, types of trees in your yard and the quality of the soil. Look at what is growing well and what is struggling nearby and research what you want to grow. Look at plants!”

Not a fan of fertilizers or pesticides, she only uses leaves in the fall and mulch in the spring. “I am sure our neighbors thought we were crazy when we first started gardening, taking their yard waste leaves to cover our garden!” she recalls laughingly. While she absolutely recommends thinning and weeding, Navron is a proponent of having a full and wild garden with lots of variety over straight rows of manicured, homogenous flowers. “I think a happy and healthy garden should look more like a wild prairie, full of diversity in plants and animals, especially pollinators like bees, butterflies and hummingbirds, just as The Creator intended. With diversity comes balance: the soil will be healthy and the plants will be happy.”

Indeed, Benson Plant Rescue’s motto is “Growing Commu-

nity Not Just Plants,” and this rings true. While the library has been one of the Benson Plant Rescue’s main beneficiaries over the years, food pantries, homeless shelters and other charities have also received donations and produce. This unique non-profit has been nationally recognized and hosted this year’s community Tu B’shevat seder with Ron Lugasy, Schlicha.

Countless citizens have been impacted by the rescue as donors, clients or volunteers.

The Benson Plant Rescue is open Tuesday-Sunday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and can be reached at BensonPlantRescue@gmail. com or 402.933.3867. Look for them on Facebook @bensonplantrescue. Please consider making donations of plants, pots and old gardening supplies or volunteering your time. This would be a great opportunity for a community service or mitzvah project. Become a Benson Plant Rescue member for under $20 per year and receive a 10% discount on all plants.

All monetary donations are fully tax deductible and go towards helping to grow the community.

Cycles of nature and Judaism invite renewal

Betsy samuelson Daughter of Tom Goodman & Suzy Zorinsky Torah reminds us to take time in nature to reconnect and renew during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

On Rosh Hashanah, we eat apples and honey to embrace a sweet new year. Did you know that in Nebraska, apples and honey are harvested once a year, and that time typically sits right around Rosh Hashanah? Each year, when it is time to harvest apples, I am reminded of nature’s abundance, we often take this for granted. In this modern world, we are able to go to the grocery and find an endless supply of apples and honey to place on our tables as totems.

But a deeper and different understanding of the sweetness of these treats comes with tending to the living trees and bees who produce it. Consider planting two apple trees (it takes two for adequate pollination), or attending an Omaha Bee Club meeting to explore the possibility of caring for our precious bee population. Simply exploring our personal connections to holiday rituals may reveal answers to complex spiritual questions.

Tashlich, while traditionally performed on Rosh Hashanah in congregation, can be extremely powerful if done alone or with close friends and family at a body of water that flows to the ocean, like the Platte or Missouri Rivers. This purifying ritual can be performed anytime before Hoshana Rabbah. By taking time to consider difficult aspects of ourselves or our histories, we bring intention to absolving or transforming these qualities as we vocalize prayers of riddance to the waters below and the heavens above. There is something mystical about speaking the words aloud, nature responds as if to echo see Cycles of nature page B7

The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019 | B5

roshhashanah Kosher? Organic? Who do you trust? ozzie nogg ’m a skeptic at heart. All those signs in the produce aisle proclaiming Organic This, Organic That, push my Doubting Thomas button. I mean, can organic claims be trusted? In 2017, as reported on the NerdWallet website, investigators in Costa Rica discovered that pineapple being exported to the U.S. as organic were bogus. And how about the three farmers in Overton, NE recently found guilty of knowingly selling corn and soybeans marketed as certified organic when, in fact, the grain was mostly non-organic, having come from fields where they applied pesticides and nitrogen in violation of USDA standards? Both examples justify the opinion of watchdog groups that consider organic labeling a scam to bilk gullible consumers. Well, then. Seems the only way I can be sure the fruit and veggies on my table are unquestionably organic is to grow them myself.

To that end, let’s say I build raised planter beds on my back patio, fill the beds with soil containing the proper pH and nutrient levels (as recommended by my local agricultural extension office), mix in some compost (kitchen scraps, leaves, coffee grounds), head to a garden center or farmer’s market and choose vegetable and berry seedlings

raised without chemical fertilizers or pesticides that will thrive in Omaha weather (as suggested by the USDA’s Hardiness Zones), return home, plunk the plants in the prepared soil and water them (drip or soak system) every morn-

and vegetables are kosher, but bugs that may lurk in raspberries or cabbage, etc., etc., are not, since eating insects is strictly forbidden. Did you know that the average head of lettuce contains as many as thirty aphids and even several

In the 1970s, Reb Zalman SchachterShalomi coined the term Eco-Kosher. It encourages us to heed our tradition and blend it with our modern global consciousness and citizenship. Is it enough to eat only kosher meats if those meats were fed with pesticide laced grains? Is it enough to bless Shabbat wine if it is served in a non-decomposing/ non-recyclable plastic cup? Is it enough to eat vegetarian if those fields were harvested with underpaid workers? ing. If/when the plants are attacked by creepy crawly critters, I’ll treat them with neem oil (Google it and be amazed) or zap the bugs with insecticidal soaps, garlic or hot pepper sprays.

From asparagus to zucchini, we’re talking glatt organic here.

But is my produce kosher? The answer to this question opens up a can of worms. According to the Torah, fruit

rinses under strong running water doesn’t guarantee cleanliness? The only way to ensure bug-free (hence, Kosher) lettuce is to remove each leaf from the head, soak the leaves in vegetable wash, rinse, then dry and check both sides of every leaf, using a light box for improved visibility. These steps should expose even the tiniest insect — the eating see Who do you trust? page B6

Wishing You

A Good & Sweet New Year

PAID FOR BY DON BACON FOR CONGRESS

B6 | The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019

roshhashanah

Who do you trust?

continued from page B5 of which, according to some Rabbis, is six times worse than eating treif. Chew on that for a moment, while we tackle eggs, organic or otherwise.

All eggs are considered kosher, providing they come from Torah approved fowl — chicken, pigeons, Cornish hens, plus domesticated ducks, geese and turkey. (There are, however, two caveats we’ll discuss in a minute.) Meanwhile, I stand before the refrigerated section, dithering between brown, white, jumbo, organic, humanely-raised, farm-fresh, vegetarian-fed, free-range, antibiotic-free, GMO-free, hormone-free, cagefree, grade AA, A or B. “But which are the best eggs?” asks Adrienne Rose Johnson, a writer for Bon Appetit Magazine.

(My question, exactly.) “Cage-free doesn’t always mean cruelty-free,” Johnson explained, “since the hens might still live on top of one another in cramped facilities and never see daylight. Free-range is better because chickens must have access to the outdoors. ‘Access’ doesn’t mean chickens go outside any more than a gym membership means you go to the gym.

Some free-range chickens roam freely on picturesque fields, but other chickens can only access a screened-in porch. Depends on the farm. Pastured is your safest bet,” Johnson determined. “Usually pasture-raised hens actually live outdoors and eat a diet of seeds and insects that could improve the taste and nutrition of the eggs. Ideally the best egg is organic, pastured (or free-range), USDA or AA, stamped with the Certified Humane or Animal Welfare Approved seal.”

Now for the two caveats I mentioned. Those conditions that render an egg non-kosher. #1: If it comes from a barn owl, bat, eagle, falcon, hawk, hoopoe, ibis, kite, magpie, osprey, ostrich, pelican, stork, vulture or any of the other twenty-four families of non-kosher flying creatures listed in the Torah, and #2: there’s blood in the yolk. Since we’re probably not going to make an omelette from vulture eggs, let’s not fret over caveat #1. But blood could be a deal-breaker. First, some backstory.

Hens don’t need roosters to lay eggs. And though the ‘Fertile’ label on the carton means a rooster and a hen got cozy See Who do you trust page B8

Read it and eat

Food You Want | nealy Fischer | da capo Lifelong Books, $28

aking healthy choices for Rosh Hashanah... think eating rainbow colors of fruits and veggies. Focus on nutritionally dense foods. Buy the highest quality, freshest, seasonal, organic, locally gown, natural.

Reduce the distance of food traveled. Check out farmers markets. Garden. Make informed choices filling your shopping cart at the grocery store, and read the Environmental Working Group Produce Shoppers Guide Clean 15.

That being said, open the pages of Food You Want. The author, Nealy Fischer, a yoga teacher, was overweight, overworked, overwhelmed, bounced through extremes and then embraced yoga, flexibility and fulfillment. Today she can be “#tagged and instagrammed” for “inspo”, or recipes and reached at her blog... she’s only a click away. On these pages she shares the essence of being “confident enough in your course to veer from it”.

Fischer presents over 100 “craveable, global” recipes inspired from traveling and living in Asia and Israel that emphasize fresh and unprocessed and address gluten for foods that make you and your family feel better. She wasn’t “your typical Jewish mom,” mostly because, for years, she couldn’t cook a killer brisket. Enter Sarah’s Meltaway Brisket recipe that breaks every

brisket rule and melts in your mouth (attributed to the noted NYC bookstore owner Nach Waxman.) She was raised on My Mom’s Comforting Chicken Soup recipe that includes a few simmering secrets to elevate it to extraordinary (simmering the vegetable peels starts the magic, tossing in a couple turkey necks doesn’t hurt either).

Each recipe has a friendly headnote deLoiS Friedman scription, lists tools needed, clear numerical instructions, suggestions for variations, strategies and ideas for mix, match, substitute and some flips for flops in “nail this” and “flip it”. Generously illustrated with delicious photographs of Nelay’s husband and four kids and tempting recipes. Chapters: AllDay Breakfast,Breads and Muffins, Soups and Small Plates, Salads and Dressings, Fish, Poultry and Meat, Veggies Anytime, Indulgent Desserts, Drinks and Nibbles for Friends, and Condiments and Pantry Essentials, lists the recipes included and helpful primers (a dozen recipes to make in 10 minutes, half a dozen cheats and time saver ideas and more). Note the recipes for Anytime New Year’s Apple Cake, Vanilla-Infused Cornbread Challah, Unfried Chicken Schnitzel, Roasted-Califlower Shakshuka, Rockin’ Raspberry Hamentaschen, Lean and Green Falafel Bites, Hummus Any Way Any Day and this piquant Israeli chile condiment to add to just about everything and everything savory... beware: it’s spicy... test your flexibility, adapt to your personal taste.

Lois Friedman can be reached at readitandeat@yahoo.com.

Green SchuG

Ingredients: 10 jalapeño chiles (or another spicy green chile) 2 cups loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves and small tender stems only (discard the long thicker stems) 8 garlic cloves 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice 1/4 tsp. cumin 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil Directions: Wear gloves when handling the peppers because they are spicy!

Remove the stems from the peppers. I like to keep the seeds in because they increase the spiciness—and I hate the hassle of removing them.

Place all the ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor and pulse to combine to a chunky paste. Continue processing and slowly drizzle in the olive oil.

Taste and adjust the seasoning. The spice level will depend on

1007 Leavenworth Street Omaha, NE 68102 (402) 342-0282 nature.org/Nebraska

Credit: joyofkosher.com

the size of the peppers used, if its far too spicy, add more cilantro; if it isn’t hot enough, add more peppers. Add more salt and black pepper if desired.

Keeps for 1 week in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. Freeze in ice cubes or small batches for easy access.

Makes 1 1/2 cups.

WISHING YOU A HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

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The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019 | B7

Update on Autism Study Completing 4th Year

Jewish and Green: The Klutznick Symposium in 2007

annette van de kamp-wriGht Concern for the environment knows (or Editor, Jewish Press should know) no boundaries, including those In 2007, Creighton University of religion. Surely, no faith has a monopoly on presented the familiar Klutznick insights or experience. Nonetheless, it does Symposium with the following seem appropriate to posit that each faith aptitle: The Mountains Shall Drip proaches such issues from a unique perspecWine: Jews and the Environment. It was the tive. Thus this volume, as its title states, 20th time the Klutznick Chair in Jewish Civ- approaches the environment through the mulilization-Harris Center tiple lenses of Judaism. for Judaic Studies preThis is not to say that sented the symposium.

Jewish insights or expeAs usual, the presentariences are necessarily tions given at the Symbetter than other reliposium were collected gious (or secular) apin a volume, accessible proaches. But it is to to anyone who wants to insists that Judaism, dive into the material from Biblical anafterwards. tecedents through conConsistent with the temporary times, has theme, “It is worth much to teach about the mentioning that the proper role humanity Leonard Greenspoon keynote dinner and should play in our dessert reception at the J included a number larger environment and that these teachings of organic and locally grown items,” Leonard are properly evaluated as central to, rather Greenspoon wrote in that post-Symposium than on the periphery of, Judaism. publication. What follows is a portion of Being green and being Jewish naturally flow Professor Greenspoons introduction, which, into each other. This has important implicaalthough it was written 12 years ago, is as rel- tions in terms of pedagogy, from what we teach evant today as when he originally wrote it. to how we teach it, in Jewish day schools and Like many professors, I have a board outside after school programs. From what I would my office so that students, colleagues, or other term the external focus, Jewish scholars have passers-by can leave a note if no one is “at much they can teach to their colleagues as we home.” Over the years, some of the messages jointly explore our heritages in the search for have been anonymous or cryptic, but none solutions that are rational and deeply felt. Jewmean or mean-spirited—or like the one I saw ish contributions are not more or less valuable a year or so ago. It read: “Greenspoon was than those from other communities, but withgreen before it was cool.” out them we are noticeably impoverished.

I would not claim that this comment was the For a more detailed look by Greenspoon “inspiration” for our Symposium on Jews and into the subject, one should read From Dothe Environment, especially because the note minion to Stewardship? The Ecology of Biblical was posted after the Symposium took place.

Translation, a scholarly paper he published I suppose I can take a modicum of credit for the following year. In it, he looks at nine pashaving the good sense to know a relevant and sages from the Hebrew Bible, seven from the worthwhile topic when presented with it. And Torah and one each from the Prophets and I was not alone. The environment was also the the Writings: topic for a Fall 2007 symposium held by “With only one exception (Genesis 1:13) Creighton’s Kripke Center, which is headed by these are passages that talk about how hucolleague Ronald Simkins. More broadly, mans fit in with and relate to the rest of the Creighton University was at that very time be- created or natural order.” ginning the renewal of its efforts at sustainabilFrom Dominion to Stewardship? The Ecolity, and the Omaha Jewish community was ogy of Biblical Translation can be found at moving these concerns closer to the center of http://dspace.creighton.edu:8080/xmlui/ its interests. Simply taking these actions into handle/10504/64704. A copy of Studies in account, to say nothing of parallel activities Jewish Civilization is available for check-out elsewhere, I feel that we were in good company. at the Jewish Federation Kripke Library.

Cycles of nature

Continued from page B5 G-d’s receipt of acknowledgment about our wrongdoings. A thoughtful Tashlich brings resolve.

Between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur here in Nebraska, we typically begin to see trees begin to drop their leaves. The smell in the air becomes crisp, and the heaviness of the summer humidity seems to blow away with the wind. Soon enough, the tree looks as if it has lost its adornments, bare and totally vulnerable to the elements. This is how we should feel at Yom Kippur, to be honest with our own core self, even if it makes us slightly uncomfortable. We need not shy away from this process of renewal, for it is an opportunity to shed that extra baggage so that we may thrive and live more authentically to our true selves. Over the winter, all the tree’s energy is able to focus on its roots - healing, restoring, and dwelling in those dark places that are otherwise ignored. Give thanks to

these natural and spiritual paths that support personal refinement.

This holiday season, leave your digital devices behind, join nature in her splendor, and simply rejoice in the sweet abundance of earth’s bounty as you bite into a locally grown treat of apples and honey.

As the season changes, pay close attention to what stirs up inside of you. What comes to the surface ready to be nurtured or repaired?

May we allow ourselves to vocalize our vulnerabilities and regrets in transparency and humility to those whom we care for, then let those worries be washed away in the form of breadcrumbs into the great abyss. May we cleanse our spirit in accordance with the cycles of the seasons and of Judaism. If we need support in this process, may we have the patience to once again return to nature and relinquish our fears to find that the loving embrace of our creator is all around us.

● Among the four similar Autism Studies ongoing in America, only the Omaha-based ● Study has unrestricted enrollment ● This is the only Study with no targeted end date while the others are about 18 week ● efforts after which participation is terminated. ● This is the only Study that omits a placebo so that all may benefit from the safe ● over-the-counter supplement used in the Study.

● 4-year data show beneficial outcomes are maintained [average of 75% reduction in ● moderately serious or severe autism behaviors]. ● The Study is supported by the non-profit Therapeutics Research Institute but seeks ● a benefactor to help it expand participation. ● To enroll or to help, email steven.evans@ControlAutismNow.org

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B8 | The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019

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GaBBy Blair mushroom has proven difficult to cultivate populations that typically fruit for only a few Staff Writer, Jewish Press compared to its fungi cousins, making foragweeks in spring, the Israeli populations have a One of our favorite springtime ing the best way to obtain them. long-season ecotype, fruiting from early Novemtraditions is hunting for morel Interestingly, Israel is one of three counber to late May (winter-spring). This period cormushrooms. Each year we eatries that has had some success in cultivating responds to the rainy season in Israel typified gerly await the short window morels, the other two being the US and by low to moderate temperatures.” of time where the elements line up just perChina. Surprised by this news, I wondered While smaller operations in the US and fectly to produce these elusive China have had limited success delicacies. The soil and air temin cultivating these tricky peratures, moisture, humidity mushrooms, most had a short and sunlight must be just right run due to economics, disease for morels to start popping. and difficulty producing consisFor nearly 20 years, we have tent commercial quantities. hunted morels and now our chilA year later, Segula, Masdren are just as excited for the aphy and Migal from the spring treasure hunt as we are.

Galilee Technology Center, a There is something special subsidiary of the Galilee Develabout tuning into our unique opment Company in Israel, renatural environment and hiking ported success cultivating deep into nature looking for Morchella rufobrunnea. A 2010 Earth’s secret bounty. There is report entitled Biotechnology of satisfaction in teaching a morel mushrooms: successful younger generation to forage, a fruiting body formation and deNoah, left, Ezra, Jason and Mo Blair with the 2017 harvest. skill that is dwindling in our velopment in a soilless system high-tech, fast paced, prepackaged world.

They know how to identify plants to avoid, like poison ivy and stinging nettles; optimum places to look in woodlands, sands and grasses; and are able to do thorough tick checks. While morels command some serious money (as much as $40 per pound fresh and $20 per oz. dried) we never sell ours, opting instead to give some to friends and family that can no longer manage hunting themselves and dehydrate any surplus for use throughout the year.

The reason behind the high costs are threefold. First, the hunt is physically demanding requiring hours of hiking, and navigating through brush and fallen tree limbs. Second, fresh morels are hollow inside with a porous honeycomb-like outer structure making them delicate and difficult to transport. Fresh morels are best when locally sourced within a few days of harvesting. Lastly, the morel

how these tasty delights even ended up on an Israeli researcher’s radar. While it is common knowledge that morels grow in the springtime of many regions worldwide, I was surprised to find out that Israel was included in countries in which they have been found.

In a 2009 article published in the scientific journal International Applied Mycology entitled, New long-season ecotype of Morchella rufobrunnea from northern Israel by Masaphy, Zabari, and Goldberg, Israeli researchers examined reports of various morel species from Northern Israel. According to their abstract, molecular genetics were used to confirm the identity of samples found in Northern Israel.

One type found, Morchella rufobrunnea, is common to the western half of the U.S. According to the article, “This was the first documented appearance of this variety of the fungus outside the American continent. Unlike North American

details the scientific study of mushroom development within the controls of a laboratory in order to better understand what is needed for growth and the potential for future cultivation of morels.

While tiny Israel has proven itself time and again as a center for research and innovation across a broad spectrum of science and industry usually reserved for much larger countries, I found it impressive that researchers took the time to focus on such a small and seemingly insignificant topic as a mushroom. While studies indicate that morel cultivation is possible under very controlled environments, morel growing appears best left to nature.

And so, our boots, gloves and mesh gathering bags will remain at the ready as we brace for the harshness of Nebraska’s winter. We will eagerly await the coming of spring.

Continued from page B6 and the eggs could turn into chicks, in modern commercial egg operations ‘getting cozy’ is achieved by artificial means, not through the natural reproductive process. And so, according to the the O.U. Kosher website, “The eggs themselves are not fertile. They will never develop into chickens. While in the past every blood spot might have signified the beginning of a new embryo, today’s commercial methods virtually insure that this is not the case. In light of this modern reality, Harav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, clarifies that blood spots found in commercially produced eggs do not present any fundamental kosher problem.” However, blood found in naturally fertilized eggs — clearly marked as ‘natural’ or ‘organic’ on the package — renders the egg non-kosher and it must be tossed out. Still perplexed? Consult your rabbi.

Your rabbi will (most likely) also have an opinion about beef — kosher, organic, or both — since scandals in the kosher meat world about the suffering of animals undergoing ritual slaughter (think Agriprocessors in Postville, Iowa) have led many to reconsider what

kosher meat really means. On the one hand, a March 2016 blog post from Merrimack Valley Havurah titled Ethical & Sustainable Kashrut states, “Some religious Jews separate certain technical laws of kashrut from the rest of Torah.

They determine that a kosher food company is acceptable only if a small number of mitzvot, especially about slaughter and inspection, are followed.

People in this school of thought believe that this is a ‘traditional’ or ‘Orthodox’ position. On the other hand, those influenced by teachers such as Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, advocate integrating kashrut to include all Torah mitzvot.

This would include mitzvot related to ecological considerations, humane treatment of workers, and humane treatment of animals.” Two defensible arguments.

Hillel and Shammai: version 2019.

So where does that leave us? We Jews (to borrow from Rabbi Arthur Waskow), some of whom are deeply steeped in Jewish law, others who are committed to Jewish forms of social action but skeptical of halakha, and those with barely any Jewish connection but who care about healing the earth? In his book, Kashrut and Jewish Food Ethics, Rabbi Shmuly

Yanklowitz offers this answer: “The first command of the Torah — in the Garden of Eden, no less — was about the ethics of food consumption.

Indeed,” Rabbi Yanklowitz continues, “the emergence of moral consciousness — eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil — was born in this first act of food consumption. Today, therefore, each ethical food choice we make has the potential to be a tikkun (a holy repair) on that first historical mistake in the Garden of Eden. Making forthright and righteous choices at the grocery store is our most powerful asset. By taking positive steps towards reducing the harm in our consumer choice, we are saying, in essence, that transparency and kindness to workers is essential, that not giving in to corporate bullying is crucial, and that we are empowered to be the positive change in the world.”

Taking these steps toward ethical food consumption strikes me as more effective (and more achievable) than raising my own produce.

Editor’s note: Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz will speak at Beth El Synagogue during the Sept. 20 to 22 weekend. The community is invited to learn with him.

Who do you trust?

the nature conservancy annette van de KamP-wright Editor, Jewish Press ne advantage of working on a green issue is getting to see the places you never knew existed. Dr. Mace Hack, State Director of the Nature Conservancy, sends me to 13th and Leavenworth, where I find a formerly vacant lot. It’s been turned into a pop-up garden, as part of the Sacred Seed project. On a crazy hot day, I stand in the middle of a very urban landscape—yet surrounded by tall cornstalks, sunflowers and native plants it feels like a small oasis. I can still see and hear the traffic, but that’s okay; this is not about replacing the cityscape, it’s about integrating.

“A group of non-profits, businesses and community members started to dream together, and a shared vision emerged. A vision of a harmonious community green space in Downtown Omaha - part garden, part prairie, part living art installation, and part gathering space. A pop-up sanctuary to connect people with nature,” it states on the website. It’s the brainchild of Taylor Keen, who works to grow and spread the seed of traditional Indian corn.

It’s just one of the many things the Nature Conservancy under Dr. Hack’s guidance has become involved in. His staff focuses on conserving the land and water of Nebraska, focusing on keeping Nebraska’s natural heritage healthy for future generations.

Mace holds an undergraduate degree in ecology, evolutionary biology and animal behavior from Princeton University and a doctorate in the same fields from the University of California in San Diego. His research has focused on a variety of species, from field crickets to the plains zebra and has given him extensive experience in the conservation issues of grasslands both in North America and in Africa. He’s

married to Rosie Zweiback; they have three children, Grace, Joe and Abby.

“In Nebraska, we have four top priorities,” he says. “First of all, we aim to protect land and water. The Nature Conservancy owns certain pieces of land and steward others and we want to ensure future generations will have good examples of healthy wetlands and water. In doing so, we also cooperate with other non-profits. Nebraska has relatively little public land, so there is a big role to play for the private sector.”

Responding to climate change is front and center.

“We work towards reducing its impact, but also towards adapting to the changes that are already taking place,” he says. “We have to accomplish it through mitigation, reducing

emissions, and adaptation: expecting more frequent droughts. Our economy is heavily based on the cattle industry and so we help the ranchers become more resilient to the droughts that are already happening.”

In Nebraska, that means thinking about sustainable food and water and the most efficient use of resources, especially for those cattle ranchers. “Our mission is about people and nature both,” Mace says, “we need to produce more food, so how do we do that more efficiently? One way that is happening is through something called ‘sustainable grazing.’” Also See the nature conservancy page B11

The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019 | B9

roshhashanah A different kind of Purim

Sam KricSfeld On March 14, 2019, the Spencer Dam in Boyd County, Nebraska collapsed under the weight of rainwater. The flooding destroyed the Highway 281 bridge. Record flooding caused residents living near the Missouri, Elkhorn and Platte Rivers to evacuate. The city of Norfolk, Nebraska asked onethird of its population to evacuate after the local levy neared its limit.

By March 15, road closures due to the flooding made Fremont, Nebraska an island with no way in or out. Thirty buildings and three thousand feet of runway were underwater at Offutt Air Force Base. Some buildings were inundated with up to eight feet of water.

All this flooding was due to a “bomb cyclone” – a massive drop in air pressure causing extreme weather. According to the Omaha WorldHerald, weather satellite images showed what looked like a hurricane on land. The frozen ground was unable to absorb the snow runoff and the incoming torrential rainfall. Ice sheets clogged the rivers and caused large jams.

I was in Omaha for spring break and planned to return to school in Kansas on the 17th. Upon hearing about the projected flooding, I left two days early. I drove over the Platte River on Highway 75 where the See a different kinf of Purim page B10

Happy New Year

W I S H I N G T H E E N T I R E J E W I S H C O M M U N I T Y A

A different kind of Purim

B10 | The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019

roshhashanah The business of water (in a changing world)

Sara Cohen

ccording to the Genesis story, before there was land on Earth, there was water. As one of the basic building blocks of human life, and an element essential to our continued survival, it makes an important commodity, too. And as newer generations and recent directions in science encourage a culture of people more educated about what goes into their bodies, there is a growing concern about the quality of the water we consume. These make up some of the reasons for why local business-owner and Temple Israel member Jeff Platt thinks the future of the water industry is brighter than ever.

Platt’s company, Ideal Pure Water, opened in 1991, an outgrowth of his family’s four-generation-long stint in the soft drink business in Lincoln and Omaha. Not long after Jeff and his father, Mike, sold their Vess Beverage distribution site to Dr. Pepper/Seven-Up, Inc., in 1989, they began thinking of ways to get away from the international soda company and do something different, while staying true to their roots.

“We really couldn’t have picked a better time to get into the business,” said Platt. “We knew a lot of people in Omaha,” he said, including old patrons from their family’s soda business and supportive members of the Jewish community, “and we

felt there was a need for it.” Starting with a substantial base of 1000 customers, Platt said they have seen growth every year since. They now supply to somewhere around 6000-7000 customers in a 100-mile radius encircling Omaha, with the exception of a Missouri River Valley/Blair cutoff to the north.

Of those customers, 70% are individuals, but the companies they supply to account for 70% of sale volume.

Still, starting out, Platt said there was some resistance to the water idea, especially from people of his father’s generation who may have taken the availability and quality of the resource for granted. Nowadays, although water quality may be more appreciated among health-conscious consumers, the water industry as a whole has received the bulk of the blame for environmental devastation due to plastic bottle waste.

Through a company policy of transparency and a commitment to efficient resource use, though, Platt is eager to bust the myths surrounding these notions.

Ideal Pure Water’s main selling products are their 5-gallon water bottles, the ones that fit turned upside down into the dispensers you may encounter in waiting rooms or at business offices. Platt estimates that Ideal sells to 50-65% of 5-gallon consumers in the Omaha metro. The presence of office dispensers like these encourage employees to carry their own reusable cups or bottles, saving from unscrupulous plastic waste due to the “convenience” of single-use bottles. And out See The business of water page B12

Continued from page B9 water was less than three feet from the top of the bridge. The next day it was completely submerged.

The Missouri River crested at 33.7 feet on March 17. The next day, with flooding still affecting much of Nebraska, Governor Pete Ricketts declared a state of emergency. Ricketts said, “[it is] the most widespread disaster we have had in our state’s history.” Vice President Mike Pence flew in to assess the damage and show his and the President’s support.

By Purim, the water had only marginally subsided. Volunteers from across the country had come to help those affected. Yaakov Jeidel saw the posts on Facebook of devastation and ruin. Upon realizing how close he was in Omaha, he decided to go help the displaced people in need of food, water and shelter.

Jeidel spent many years living in Israel, where rain, water and flooding are different stories.

“The amount of water that it actually rains really makes a difference [in Israel],” he said. “[It is] not just for farmers, but for the entire country. People, even completely non-affiliated [people], become very spiritual and pray for rain, realizing that it’s simply out of their control.”

Nebraska residents are familiar with the violent swings of local weather, but even to people from other wild-weather places it can be an unwelcome surprise. Shocked by the volatility of the March Nebraska weather, Jeidel realized the effect it had on residents and how little could be done about it.

“After a plentiful snow season, all of the sudden we get warm weather mixed with rain,” Jeidel said. “This can only be destroying people’s livelihoods. It just struck me, that despite all of the technological advances, we still have so little control. Obviously, I felt bad for those affected and wanted to help.”

Jeidel, along with Rabbi Ari Dembitzer and Sam Kohll, set off to a food distribution center the day after Purim. “We went only a week or two after the major flooding, so the water had receded.

We did see some destroyed roads in the Fremont area, as well as many distribution centers with hundreds of volunteers,” Jeidel said.

The three went to volunteer at a food distribution center where they helped organize the products. The products were laid out so that victims of the disaster could pick out items from the shelves in aisles like at a supermarket.

Despite the seemingly drastic opposites that are a joyous Purim and a terrible flood, there is a connection. “Purim is all about giving and community. Two of the three obligations for the day are giving charity and giving portions of food to others,” Jeidel said.

Jeidel, Rabbi Dembitzer and Kohll’s contributions came at a time of intense need for much of Nebraska. The state was facing over $1.3 billion of flood losses. By April 12, 76 out of 93 Nebraska counties (and 56 out of 99 Iowa counties) were approved for disaster aid.

The March flooding was not the only food distribution Jeidel helped with. “While on a Beth Israel teen trip to New York last year, we participated in a food packaging program. Volunteers See a different kind of Purim page B12

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Continued from page B9 known as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Pasture management,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; this ensures that pasture, either native or improved, is available for sheep, cattle or other grazing animals year-round, and that the soil remains healthy. Good grazing management organizes livestock to make the best use of the pasture and helps conserve biodiversity.

Finally, the Nature Conservancy got involved in transforming the urban landscape, and according to Mace, the pop-up garden is just the beginning. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Many cities are big consumers and waste producers, but not very connected to nature.

In Sacred Seed, we work with other non-profits like Kaneko and the Bemis Center. Growing native food crops like corn and squash are meant as a conversation starter. Through it all, we provide food to No More Empty Pots, wrapping a few different things together.â&#x20AC;?

One thing that certainly keeps the Nature Conservancy on its toes is the changing weather. From extreme cold to floods to droughts, there always seems to be another challenge on the horizon. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The human cost during floods is tragic,â&#x20AC;?

Mace says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A certain amount of flooding is natural to our rivers, but what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been experiencing is excessive. A big part of the problem is that we often fight the natural flooding, we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t allow floodplains and we keep trying to fight the waterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s natural behavior. If we stop it when it is supposed to happen, the water will find another way and it will be devastating. We have to get to a point where we can work with, not against, Mother Nature.â&#x20AC;?

A similar situation exists when it comes to fires, he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our Nebraska landscape took shape through bison grazing and natural firesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s created the grasslands. Nowadays, we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just let that happen naturally anymore.

We have trees where we shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have trees and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve tried to completely eliminate fire, but the landscape needs a certain amount of that so weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve tried to bring some of that back in a safe way. The changing climate is posing additional challenges; back in 2012, fires happened that were way beyond our control. We have to manage that better by cleaning out certain portions with controlled, small fires, so we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get to the point where we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t manage the rough years. Look at the future: our summers are only getting drier.â&#x20AC;?

There is a strong social justice component to the work Mace and his staff do; Tikkun Olam is a big motivator when you look at nature. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are impoverished neighborhoods that have almost no trees, which affects energy costs and as a Jew, I feel responsible.

And: making the world better for future generations is why weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re here,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t necessarily see the benefits ourselves. Judaism teaches us to take the long view. If everyone only thought about the grandkids,

environmental issues would benefit.â&#x20AC;?

Back to those grasslands we have here in the Midwest: they are surprisingly similar to the grasslands in Africa, Mace says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Socially, there are many differences, but ecologically, we are very much the same. Did you know grasslands are the least protected landform on the planet?â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Temperate grasslands,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; he calls them, and they are, as mentioned before, formed by fire and grazing. The animals are different, of course (no zebras in Nebraska, unfortunately) but the grazing behavior is similar, as is the raising of livestock. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are almost no grasslands as part of national parks,â&#x20AC;? Mace says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We tend to think of them as big and empty and as a conservation target they are under-protected. Some grasslands in Mongolia and Africa are still in decent shape and the Sandhills have some integrity (the Nature Conservancyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Niobrara Valley Preserve in Cherry, Brown, and Keya Paha counties covers 60,000 acres (202 km2) and includes a 25-mile (40 km) stretch of the river, ed.); the wildlife is managed very well by the cattle ranchers. Iowa, on the other hand, has only 2% of its original grasslands left.â&#x20AC;?

There are actually three types of grasslands in Nebraska, Mace says. Furthest east, we have tall grass, west of us we have mixed, and the furthest west we have short. According to National Geographic: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Grasslands go by many names. In the U.S. Midwest, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re often called prairies. In South America, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re known as pampas. Central Eurasian grasslands are referred to as steppes, while African grasslands are savannas. What they all have in common are grasses, their naturally dominant vegetation. Grasslands are found where there is not enough regular rainfall to support the growth of a forest, but not so little that a desert forms.â&#x20AC;?

If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re like me, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t spend a lot of time thinking about all this, but we probably should. After all, we live here. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I do think there is a shift in general,â&#x20AC;? Mace says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People are starting to become more aware that we need to take better care of the planet, and are looking for solutionsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;especially those under 30 who are very concerned about the world they are inheriting. I think most people want to be better, they just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what to do or where to start. But I think one person can make a difference. You can make different food choices, transportation choices, call your political representatives, make sure you recycle as much as possible. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to dictate what others should dobut we should all think about our planet.â&#x20AC;?

One last question: whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s his favorite place to go in Nebraska? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I love the Sandhills,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still so very natural. You can drive two hours and not see anyone; that really puts human beings in the right perspective. Plus, I love birds!â&#x20AC;?

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The business of water

Continued from page B10 of each one of these containers, unlike the standard 20-oz plastic water bottle, Platt can get 25-30 uses, or “trips,” as he refers to them. To incentivize returns, Ideal customers pay a $7 deposit on plastic containers ($15 for the glass version), only $1 less than the sticker price. The returned bottles get rinsed through a process of ozone sterilization before circulating into reuse. It is only after bottles begin to show signs of damage or wear that workers cut them in half to be delivered to a local recycling facility.

For these reasons, Platt said the water industry, and especially independent water businesses, are undeserving of the “bad rap” they often receive. In comparison, soda companies, even those that have begun to delve into popular carbonated water beverages to appeal to health-minded consumers, rely on single-use aluminum cans or individual-sized bottles made from a plastic which must be thick enough to contain the pressure of CO2 bubbles, and is thus more difficult to process for recycling. Back when the Platt family was in the soft drink business, Jeff said many drinks were bottled in

HAPPY

Rosh Hashanah!

From Senator Lou Ann Linehan

glass, which could be returned, sanitized, and checked individually for cracks under a fluorescent light. In the age of convenience, however, such measures are deemed too time-consuming to be given much thought, and even with the passing of state legislative “bottle bills” to encourage recycling, the large soda factories remain culprits of significant environmental pollution. That’s not to mention the enormous amounts of water it takes to produce the sugars or syrups in regular sodas, or the unknown environmental effects of artificial sweeteners, which are indigestible and thus pass through our sewage and back into the water supply.

But why should families or businesses opt for Ideal Pure Water when tap is readily available? According to Platt, the answer is in the name—whereas city water quality may be affected by sewage, ground chemicals, and added chlorine, Ideal’s water undergoes a process of highly pressurized filtration through a system of 12 carbon beds which remove chemicals and odors. It is also made less alkaline through the addition of acid to bring the water up to a neutral pH, and runs through a dechlorinator to prevent damage to the carbon beds. (The addition of chlorine to tap water is controversial, as the chemical provides the most efficient means of disinfecting, but also has been linked to increased risk for asthma, heart diseases, and certain cancers.) After this process, Ideal Pure Water tests at a mere 10 ppm or less of dissolved solids, compared to Omaha city water’s average ratio of 450-500 ppm.

To complete the process, Platt injects ozone into the water which further sterilizes the water and containers. But the commitment to quality does not stop there – every hour, his workers test the pH, total dissolved solid ratio, and chlorine and ozone levels to make sure they are up to standard. These hourly numbers are checked for compliance with the FDA, which holds much more rigid regulations than the EPA, the agency charged with the municipality’s water. The EPA, on the other hand, only holds MUD responsible to check the city’s water quality on a monthly basis.

Ideal Pure Water also sells other products, including smaller bottles, private label bottles, and, now, coffee. Since dipping its toes into the caffeinated favorite, Ideal’s coffee sales have been growing in the double digits. Platt said it was an easy transition, with many of their customers happy to add on the beverage along with their regular water deliveries.

They are also one of the only spring water distributors in Omaha, selling both Mountain Valley and Crystal Geyser products. Platt also sees future room for growth in the company’s sale of filtration equipment. Even with the ever-increasing dominance of Amazon over other distributors, Platt is hopeful that consumers will rely on small businesses like his for reliable service and a product they can trust.

Meanwhile, Platt, a proud father of two adopted daughters, board member of the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home and Temple Israel, and the Jewish Federation’s Volunteer of the Year, is happy to do his part to provide quality drinking water to the Omaha community, continuing the legacy of his family’s multigenerational entrepreneurism here. Water isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, said Platt, and neither is he.

A different kind of Purim

Paid for by Linehan for Legislature • LinehanForLegislature.com

Continued from page B10 prepared and packaged food and then others secretly dropped off the food every Thursday at the homes of those in need,” Jeidel said about a program called TomcheiShabbos.

In early July, more severe floods struck Nebraska – this time due to heavy rain. Three hundred people were evacuated when flooding hit Kearney, Nebraska. Nebraska came together to help a second time.

“It was really special to see how people come together in times of need,” Jeidel said. “Now if only we came together even when we didn’t feel compelled to.”

In the garden of the Kamp KEF kids...

OzziE NOGG

On a sunny June afternoon in 2018, a group of pre-K through 4th graders planted vegetable seedlings in a small garden next to the playground behind Beth El Synagogue. The next morning, the kids — all participants in Beth El’s Kamp Kef — discovered full grown plants bearing grocery storesized tomatoes and cucumbers. “It was a miracle,” said then five-year-old camper Dayton Abramson to his parents, Marissa and Brad Abramson. (Rumor has it the kids enjoyed sliced cucumbers dipped in hummus with lunch.)

The “miracle” arrived courtesy of Eadie Tsabari, Beth El Director of Congregational Learning. “After the kids planted the seedlings and had gone home at the end of the day, I came back to the garden and put the mature plants in the ground,” Tsabari admitted. “The next morning, the look of wonderment on the kids’ faces was exactly what I’d hoped for.”

Tsabari, together with Amy Dworin, Beth El Director of Youth Engagement, are the driving force behind Kamp KEF — a week-long day camp that combines an informal approach to Jewish learning with a focus on singing, arts and crafts, and making new friends.

“Kef means fun, in Hebrew,” Tsabari explained.

“Beth El is all about giving kids a Jewish summer camp experience, and Kamp KEF is a great way to introduce it to our cutest, greatest, littlest children. In addition to planting the garden, campers

and staff made a conscious choice to reduce, reuse and recycle our waste in order to make a smaller carbon footprint. There are so many things you can teach and have fun doing at the same time.”

Eadie Tsabari brings to the Kamp KEF garden both her academic credentials and hands-on experience. She studied agronomy with a horticulture minor at the the University of Wisconsin/Madison, and later worked in plant genetics, seed production and genetic engineering in Israel. “My career culmi-

Lucas Epstein, left, counselor Lauren Kirk, Will Friedlander and Leor Abraham add mosaic pieces to the wooden border at Kamp KEF garden.

nated in 1982 and 1983 when I worked on Moshav Ein Ayyala with my husband, Eitan,” Eadie explained. “So many kindergartens in Israel have gardens on the property, and they inspired me to start a kids’ garden at Beth El. I took stock of the containers they used — like painted automobile tires and pop bottles — and thought it would be a fun project to duplicate in Omaha.”

And that’s what they did. Last summer, campers painted recycled tires, filled them with soil and planted tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, herbs and flowers. “It took a lot of effort,” Eadie said, “but See Kamp KEF kids page b14

Michael Halsted, MD

Peter Whitted, MD, JD Mark Emig, MD Teri Geist, OD Martin Mizener, MD Scott Greder, OD Mindy Dickinson, OD David Ingvoldstad, MD Jill Grennan, MD

Abigail Jackson, OD Michael Feilmeier, MD Krystal Wells, OD Matt Willis, OD Matt Appenzeller, MD Rachel Mercer, MD Jesse Himebaugh, MD Zachary Brown, OD

The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019 | b13

roshhashanah Neshama Soaps: Art of the soul

GAbby bLAir Of all the soaps she makes, her most popular Staff Writer, Jewish Press are those containing oatmeal and activated ormer Omahan, Brittani charcoal.

Shtrobach, began making After making Aliyah to Israel with her famsoap in 2015. She began ily in 2018, Shtrobach turned her hobby into learning this age old art after a business choosing to name it ‘Neshama considering the ingredients Soaps.’ in commercially produced “The word Neshama means ‘Soul’ in Hesoaps and the possibilities brew. I believe that my soul was called to the that the chemicals they contained Torah, which lead me to convert to Judaism. contributed to the Names are very important skin conditions of in Judaism. I felt naming her children and others. my soap business some“When our family moved thing meaningful was very to Miami from Omaha, I important because I pour began making soaps as a my soul into my business.” hobby and it just grew from Shtrobach admits that there. I always look for pure after moving to Israel last and natural ingredients and year, finding ingredients am careful to check for any were a bit difficult at first. additional additives. It is “Making soap in the United not always easy to find States is so much easier be100% pure ingredients, but The Last Green Soap: Cucumber cause you have everything I want to create soaps in scented soap infused with spices right at your fingertips, just which clients can identify and herbs by Neshama Soap click and order away. In Iseach and every ingredient. Making high- rael, it took me months to find basic ingrediquality soaps is so important because I feel ents and natural colorants locally. I realized they can impact peoples lives. My soaps are that the luxury of ordering ingredients onpure, environmentally friendly, beautiful to line, as I could in the States, did not exist as look at, lovely to smell and most importantly, costs for shipping and import duty taxes were can hopefully help improve one’s skin.” astronomical. Additionally, items would only Self taught in the art of soap making, be delivered to Holon so we would have to Shtrobach learned the trade through re- travel considerable distance from our home searching natural skin care methods and in Modiin to pick up packages.” Anyone who turning to books and Youtube for techniques. See Nehama Soaps page b15

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B14 | The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019

roshhashanah Eating green: Veganism

aNNEttE vaN dE Kamp-wright animal rights,” Susan says. “It’s about eating Editor, Jewish Press the rainbow, a variety of plant-based foods r. Susan Fellman with a certain amount of backbone. You can Witkowski is not make occasional exceptions with eggs or dairy. vegan because For instance, when my kids have a birthday, I PETA tells her to make their birthday cake the old-fashioned be. She still wears way and yes, I will have a slice with them.” leather (purses She stumbled into a small area of medical and shoes!) and research where optimal nutrition can turn she doesn’t force around certain diseases, like kidney disease others, including her and some inflammatory issues that can be f a m i l y, practically eliminated to eat like she does. through diet.

“I do it purely for the nu“During the fall of 2016, tritional value,” she says.

I attended a conference “In my ever-expanding in Naples, Florida, hosted quest for being as healthy as by the American College possible, I came across more of Lifestyle Medicine, and more information which was up-and-comabout a vegan diet. I was ing at the time. Since looking for inspiration, for then, the discipline has an evidence-based approach grown and attracted to maximize life expectancy more attention. I was but also quality of life. I kept overwhelmed by the Chickpea Nimko reading about ‘Lifestyle amount and the quality Medicine,’ and found some very respected of the evidence.” medical researchers who collaborated, comSusan wants one thing to be very clear: she pared notes and came up with WFPB, which is NOT the food police. stands for Whole Foods Plant Based.’’

“My husband and kids continue to be omFor a heart-disease specific diet, there are nivores. By the way, did you know it’s easier to additional guidelines regarding limitations give up meat than it is to stop eating cheese?” on sugar, oil and salt (limitations meaning: (I perk up. Cheese is sort of like an extra you can’t have it), in which case it’s called family member at my house.)

WFPB-SOS. Forbes agrees: “This diet doesn’t have anything to do with See Eating green page B15

L’shanah Tovah!

Kamp KEF kids

Continued from page B13 Eadie is a wonderful teacher,” Eitan said, “but she the kids loved it. This year we added strawberries, wants kids to know not only the school stuff. She zucchini and sunflowers. And every year we have also thinks it’s important for them to see things a watermelon or two grow and to know from all the seeds what the land can we spit during the give us. That when previous summer. you plant something, The kids are totally you get something involved in both back. Just to see planting and waterthings bloom and to ing during the week see how they add to of camp, and they’re the world is pleasure invited to visit the for her.” garden anytime dur“There’s a joke ing the summer to around Beth El,” check on their crops says Dworin, “that and eat freely.” when Eadie decides During the first to retire, the garden season the campers will be named The also painted rocks Garden of Eadie.” and put them in the But before that hapgarden to make it, in pens? “I’m thinking Sabrina Schwarz, Kamp KEF 2017, ready to plant Eadie’s words, about teaching the petunias. “extra pretty. This kids about water year,” she continued, “we decided to beautify our garden even more by decorating the wooden edging with mosaic tiles. The kids could come during free time and place the mosaic tiles in the cement.

It looks really beautiful.” According to Gabby Blair, “Kamp Kef is my seven-year-old son Ezra’s favorite week of summer camp. I think this is because of the smaller, intimate setting at his synagogue — it reinforces that he belongs. Eadie and her staff make sure the kids have a wide variety of activities and Ezra enjoys visiting the garden all summer long to see how it’s growing and try fresh tomatoes and strawberries. Eadie enjoys getting the kids outside, letting them get dirty while learning where our food comes from.”

Eadie’s husband, Eitan Tsabari, is an Israeli-born environmental engineer. The couple still own a farm in Israel near Zichron Yaakov. “Everyone knows

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next year,” Eadie said, “and with Eitan’s help I plan to put in a bit of drip irrigation. We’ll see.”

June, 2020, marks Kamp KEF’s 6th season.

Along with Beth El clergy, professional staff and parent volunteers, the Kamp KEF counselors include college students and High School/Middle School madrichim who act as ‘guides’ during the year in the synagogue’s Hebrew and Sunday School. For Eadie Tsabari, Kamp KEF is all about building community. “The best way to instill Jewish values into our children is by doing. Summer camp is a place to build memories, make best friends and have a wonderful time. We invite Beth El families and all Omaha Jewish families with young children to feel welcome, to come experience Kamp KEF and this great week of Jewish fun.” Information on Kamp KEF 2020 is available at the synagogue website: beth-el.omaha.org.

The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019 | B15

Neshama Soaps

Continued from page B13 has ever dealt with sending packages to Israel can commiserate with her plight.

As time passed, Shtrobach has found sources of natural and local ingredients. She is enjoying creating a wider variety of soaps, infused with unique ingredients like cucumber, herbs, spices, fruits and clays. She recently created a loofah styled bar wrapped in alpaca wool which she sourced from a farm in southern Israel.

Currently, Neshama Soaps are available only in Israel as she researches ways to start up a cost effective online platBrittani and Ido Shtrobach and family form. Brittani sells her soaps She would welcome visits from friends and through her Facebook page and at local markets, shuks and bazaars. She also offers con- community members when they are next in sulting for skin types and soap making Israel. Look for her wonderful all natural products on Facebook at Neshama Soap. classes.

L’Shana Tova Wishing you a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year

Eating green

Continued from page B14 “It turns out there’s a reason behind our cravings. Cheese contains casein. It also contains casein fragments called casomorphins, a casein-derived morphine-like compound.

Basically, dairy protein has opiate molecules built in. When consumed, these fragments attach to the same brain receptors that heroin and other narcotics attach to.” (Forbes.com)

ing spent the first 18 years of her married life becoming and being a good cook, she now had to relearn many things.

“Being a good cook meant having the ability to cook culturally appropriate foods, like grandma’s brisket, a great roasted chicken, so I had to make a total switch. It was a practical change, but also a cultural change. But I could not have all this knowledge about how to eat better and ignore everything I’d learned.”

Changing your diet that much is almost like a mourning process, she says.

“It’s particularly difficult around the holidays. There is so much comfort in eating and preparing those holiday staples, you grow up with it and there are so many memories attached to certain foods. When we talk about comfort food, especially Jewish comfort food, we think of the people we love.

Sushi can be made Vegan too We associate it with recipes Credit: Christo/https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ that are passed down for deed.en generations and yes, telling Sounds dangerous. However, the European yourself you can no longer eat most of it comes Food Safety Authority in 2009 did a study with a sense of grief.” into just this area, and found that “reThere are ways around it, she says. You can searchers could only elicit opioid-like effects still make latkes—just use an egg replacein animals if they injected the stuff straight ment: the liquid from a can of chickpeas, into their body cavity or brain -- i.e., not via called ‘aquafaba,’ is a great substitute for eggs. digestion of dairy products.” (Efsa.onlinelib It has proteins from the beans and functions rary.com) just like egg whites when you cook with it.

Before I get lost down that rabbit hole “What really helped was embracing differ(also, I’m not a doctor), let’s move away from ent ethnic foods. In addition, when we went the cheese. to Israel on a family trip, it was incredibly Explorer, National Geographic Fellow, easy to stick to a vegan diet.” award-winning journalist and producer and Knowing how to prepare parve meals best-selling author Dan Buettner has written helps- she has that advantage. “But it was still extensively about ‘Blue Zones,’ Susan tells me. hard,” she says, “Especially the entire first In his books, he discusses the five places in year. I had to figure out how to make matzah the world—dubbed Blue Zones—where peo- balls without eggs, how to replace so many of ple live the longest, healthiest lives—largely my habits—but ultimately, it’s also a fun chaldue to their plant-based diet. From that, he lenge. I learned many new skills and I am cercreated the Blue Zones Project, which offers tainly not deprived.” “community transformation programs that She goes on to tell me how she makes a lower healthcare costs, improve productivity, “fantastic chocolate mousse” and promises to and boost national recognition as great places send me a recipe for an African peanut stew. to live, work, and play.”

“Many cultures around the world have de“For me, hearing about all this was a mo- veloped entirely plant-based diets because ment of truth,” Susan says. “I came home and meat production wasn’t and isn’t always a switched my diet.” constant. Ultimately, if you are an adventurHowever, that’s easier said than done. Hav- ous eater, it’s totally doable.”

Dana Wayne Gonzales 402-850-9007 | dana.gonzales@bhhsamb.com

B16 | The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019

Absolutely Fresh Seafood Market

What’s new and fresh at Absolutely Fresh Seafood Market? The better question might be “What isn’t? 2018 was a banner year for our business which is entering it’s 40th year of operation, and we are looking to continue our growth into 2019.

For starters, we completed the installation of a brand new, state-of-the-art smokehouse for the production of our smoked fish, along with other items used for our expanding catering services, including smoked prime rib, turkeys and more. In addition, we are producing items such as briskets, pastrami and and roast beef for the other restaurants in the Absolutely Fresh Family. As prepared food items have been our largest growing sector, we have decided to continue our focus on this area.

Not to worry though: there is still plenty of new fresh and frozen seafood coming to our door daily! We are now featuring some second-to-none wildcaught gulf shrimp from Louisiana that has been very popular amongst our customers. Also, Omaha’s “addiction” to our Faroe Islands Salmon continues to set new benchmarks for sales, and we couldn’t be happier that so many people are enjoying it on a regular basis.

We hope that anyone who has not yet visited our store takes a moment to stop in and see what we have to offer. And, anyone who has not been in for a while might be surprised at all of the new tasty offerings we have. Thanks again for all of your support over the years.

Shucks Fish House & Oyster Bar All 3 of our Shucks locations had a very prosperous 2018, and continue to develop their own distinct identities. From a business standpoint, it fascinates us what a difference 6 miles can make in what customers are looking for in their dining choices. Nevertheless, its a fun challenge for us to “Keep it Fresh” for Downtown, Midtown and West Omaha. New menu items like the Angry Crab Pasta and the return of Shrimp & Grits have been very popular amongst our new and long-time customers.

In the upcoming year, we plan on continuing to provide a consistent and top notch variety of the best seafood in Omaha. We are also placing renewed emphasis on our daily and weekend specials thanks to the exceptionally talented culinary team working in the kitchens of all of our locations.

We encourange everyone wanting to know “What’s Fresh Today?” to sign up for our weekly email newsletter at shucksfishhouse. com where we also post our specials daily. Not to mention, we have very active

social media profiles on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Finally, we also look forward to being able to utilize the smokehouse purchased by our fish market to expand our smoked offerings, both surf and turf. We also have been getting a little more creative behind the bar with our drink specials, and continue to find new varieties of oysters to appease the masses. Thanks to everyone who helped get us to this point, and we enjoy being your neighborhood fish shack.

rant, we have brought on a new head chef, Josh MacDonald, to provide some new ideas and some superb culinary skills to our kitchen.

His house-smoked pastrami that goes on our Big Easy sandwich is like nothing you’ve ever had, and he also has been instrumental in incorporating more Absolutely Fresh Seafood into the specials and core menu. How do you find out what Chef Josh has planned for lunch today? Visit our

newly updated website at dundeedell.com.

Plus, he does a fantastic job catering in one of our two party rooms.

Our Skye Room is great for groups of up to 12, the ultimate back room experience, and our Pine Room can accommodate up to 60 guest for sit-down dinners, or casual gatherings with appetizers and drinks. Stop in and see what’s new with your old neigborhood friend, The Dundee Dell, at 50th and Underwood.

Mary’s, have been gaining popularity with an increasingly younger crowd that enjoys the ability to have breakfast into the afternoon.

We also have had great success in our Dinner After Dark and Dinner With The Market events in partnership with Absolutely Fresh Seafood Market and Shucks Fish House. These reservation-only, fivecourse meals are unlike anything else in Omaha, and have gained quite the regular

following. Plus, we encourage everyone to check out our catering menu for delicious breakfast and lunch options.

Not to mention our restaurant is available to rent every evening after 4 p.m. for dinner events and parties. Take a moment and visit our website at baileysbreakfast.com to see what we offer, and what we might be able to do for you for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

It’s always a great day with Bailey’s!

The Dundee Dell Finding a balance between the old and the new has been our quest since The Dundee Dell joined the Absolutely Fresh Family a few years ago. We have found that subtle changes are the best - a little brighter lighting, a few new colors and a handful of new friendly faces on our staff. But some things at The Dell will never change like our famous fish & chips and our Wall of Scotch.

In our effort to add a little “freshness” to Omaha’s second oldest operating restau-

Bailey’s Breakfast & Lunch

It’s getting competitive in the Breakfast scene in Omaha, so we are constantly working to stay on the top of the list of best places to enjoy a nice homestyle breakfast with a little flair. In the past year, we added a few “South of the Border” items to our menu including Breakfast Enchiladas and Barbacoa Tostadas which have been extremely popular amongst our guests. And, our featured flavored coffees and signature drinks, including Mimosas and Bloody

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The Jewish Press | September 7, 2018 | C1

section 3 R O S H

Growing together

annette van de kamp-wriGht Editor, Jewish Press emple Israel member Bonni Leiserowitz prefers the outside. The fact that Temple Israel is situated in a particularly green part of West Omaha is a bonus; she’s found room to plant and grow and plenty of people to do it with.

The Tri-Faith Garden and Orchard, which became a reality just this summer, might not have come about without Bonni’s endless enthusiasm—although she’s not one to take all the credit: “Temple Israel’s Social Justice Committee began talking about a garden about two years ago,” Bonni said. “However, they concluded the project was a bit bigger than they could handle. Eventually it was handed off to Tri-Faith. I worried for a while whether it would happen at all, but Rabbi Deanna Berezin was instrumental in guiding the process along.”

Getting something this big off the ground, laying the beds and putting the soil in, is a gargantuan undertaking, according to Bonni.

“A garden is much more than a plot of land. It’s a metaphor for life in general, for perseverance, forgiveness, love and perspective. If we look at it as only growing vegetables and fruit to give away, then we’ve missed the point.”

While the vegetable plots (yes, tomatoes are technically a fruit) and fruit trees (apples, pears and peaches!) take an immense amount of work, ‘work’ is not Bonni’s preferred term for volunteering.

“It’s much more purposeful than that,” she said.

“Besides vegetables and fruit, we are growing rela-

H A S H A N A H

nities, non-profits, and other organizations to start community gardens on their property. Big Garden sites receive free seeds and seedlings annually, regular technical support, access to its volunteer network for projects and educational programming

Bonni Leiserowitz tionships, we’re growing precious things that don’t come from the soil—they come from the people.”

“It’s surprising,” she said, “to see how everything came together.” She’s grateful for the many volunteers, who rolled up their sleeves—and continue to stop by and tend the garden on a daily basis. “It hasn’t been easy, with the hail, the bugs, the hot weather and the rain coming when we didn’t need it and then staying away when we did; however, we were able to overcome all those obstacles in a glorious and splendid way!”

While the beds themselves were paid for through Tri-Faith, the plants were donated by Big Garden, which works with schools, faith commu-

in the first three years. Big Garden has helped to start more than 160 community gardens in Nebraska, Kansas, and Southwest Iowa.

For the Tri-Faith garden, that meant a gift of 30 tomato plants, 14-16 pepper plants, seeds for radishes, 16 squash plants (that unfortunately didn’t survive), 15 cucumber plants and green bean seeds.

Bonni hopes the garden will continue to increase participation by Tri-Faith congregation See Growing together page C2

5780 Caring

ng i t ca u Ed Bui

Enric lding hing g n i t ca Supporting o v Ad Leveraging Inves ting g n i liz i b Mo

JON MEYERS, PRESIDENT ALAN POTASH, CEO 402-334-6574

As we enter the New Year full of hope and opportunity, we want to thank you for the impact you have made on Jewish Omaha this past year.

Imagine the New Year where your support changes lives for the better and creates a brighter future for us all. Your investment does that.

L'SHANAH TOVAH U'METUKAH May you have a good and sweet year.

DAVID GILINSKY, PRESIDENT HOWARD N. EPSTEIN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 402-334-6466

C2 | The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019

roshhashanah

The cypress and the cedar speak words of love Ozzie NOgg n Lerner and Lowe’s 1951 Broadway musical, Paint Your Wagon, Julio (a love-sick young man) sings, “I talk to the trees, but they don’t listen to me...” Let’s hope Julio didn’t take it personally, because the trees (rather than ignoring him) were most likely chatting amongst themselves. Don’t snigger. The notion that trees and plants mysteriously talk to each other, work together and form nurturing families isn’t new.

Michael Pollan, in a 2013 New Yorker article, describes The Secret Life of Plants (1973) by Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird as a “beguiling mashup of legitimate plant science, quack experiments, and mystical nature worship that captured the public imagination at a time when New Age thinking was seeping into the mainstream and Americans began talking to their plants and playing Mozart for them.” Pollard also cites What a Plant Knows by Danny Chamovitz of Tel Aviv University in which the author states, “Plants may be brainless, eyeless and devoid of senses as we know them, but they have a rudimentary ‘awareness.’ Even a daffodil can detect when you’re standing in its light, and a rhododendron knows when you’re savaging its neighbor with the pruning shears.”

Dr. Suzanne Simard, a professor of ecology at the University of British Columbia, and German forester Peter Wohlleben, author of The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate, have kept their ears to the ground for decades. With Simard’s microscope and Wohlleben’s observations as a forester, the pair determined that trees are linked together through infinite biological pathways that allow them to send messages to one another by plugging into a single massive network of bright white and yellow fungal threads that grow around and inside their roots. The pair nicknamed this system the

WoodWide Web. Nature’s Internet.

“Trees may look like solitary individuals,” Professor Simard says, “but the ground beneath our feet tells a different story. The hidden network creates a thriving community

where trees secretly talk, trade, and wage war on one another.” In their documentary film, Intelligent Trees, Simard and Wohlleben contend that trees are much more than rows of wood waiting to be turned into furniture, buildings or kindling. They are more than organisms producing oxygen or cleaning the air for us. Forests are social networks where individual trees communicate with each other, and live shorter lives when in isolation. “Trees can count, can learn, can remember,” Wohlleben insists. “Trees have families. They nurse their children. I don’t claim this, that is actual research. Trees are living beings. They have feelings, know friendship, have a common language, send warning signals when danger approaches, care for their young, their sick and elderly.”

Prime examples of caregivers are the wise old Mother Trees that rise above the forest and stand at the hub of the vast belowground fungal networks. “These Mother Trees

growing together

Continued from page C1 members and offer opportunities for volunteers to get involved. Maybe, she added, the kids can be involved through religious school, or a section of the garden can be set aside for the kids to grow their own produce.

are nurturing and supportive,” Simard says.

“With their deep roots, they draw up water and nutrients and deliver them to shaded, shallow-rooted seedlings to help them grow.

Without this helping hand,” Simard continues,

“most of the seedlings wouldn’t make it. And when a Mother Tree is cut down, the survival rate of the younger members of the forest is substantially diminished.” Simard also found the Mother Trees change their root structure to make room for baby trees. According to Wohlleben, “Trees, through their roots, recognize where their kids are.”

And the warning signals when danger looms? Giraffes in sub-Saharan Africa love to lunch on acacia trees. Within minutes, the angry acacias start pumping poison gas into their leaves. The giraffes get the message and move on. But trees, like people, know how to swap information. The red-flag scent is carried to neighborhood acacia trees on the breeze, and they promptly begin pumping toxins into their leaves. Which leaves the giraffes really hungry. Or dead.

Before you write this off as anthropomorphic mumbo-jumbo, consider these words See The cypress and the cedar page C4

Happy New Year!

From the Blumkin Family and Nebraska Furniture Mart

“We definitely need more raised beds in the future, we need a fence, we need a storage shed. Benches would be nice and we could use some art. In addition, pollinatorfriendly plants should be grown near the garden. I also dream about adding raspberry and blackberry bushes, if we can find the funding. All of this is a long-term endeavor and the sky is the limit.”

Meanwhile, although the vegetables are harvested this season, the fruit trees will make everyone wait a little longer.

“It takes five years before the trees are mature enough to bear fruit,” Bonnie said, “until then, we need to pinch the blossoms every year. If you allow the trees to bear fruit too soon, you weaken them. Imagine the amount of time and effort it takes! But, it will be worth it.”

The project as a whole takes up to 60 volunteer hours every week. Those volunteers come from all Tri-Faith partner congregations; the produce goes to a variety of destinations. The Chabad pantry is a recipient, as is the Countryside Community Church food pantry, the Benson plant rescue and others.

“As human beings, we should heal any way we can,” Bonni added. “Gardening teaches us how. Respecting the space in which we live and work is a testament to how we feel. We’re not just talking the talk, we’re walking the walk and doing the work that needs to be done, and we do it across religious divides. This is one way in which we fulfill our mandate to repair the world.”

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The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019 | c3

Should averting a climate catastrophe be a Jewish priority?

RichaRd h. SchwaRtz, Ph.d.

The greatest threat to humanity today is climate change. The world is on a path that could lead to an uninhabitable world by the end of this century unless major changes soon occur. And it might happen much sooner, because of self-reinforcing positive feedback loops (vicious cycles) that could result in an irreversible tipping point when climate change spins out of control.

An outrageous exaggeration, like those in the past that predicted an end to the world?

Not according to science academies worldwide, 97% of climate scientists, and virtually all peer-reviewed papers on the issue in respected scientific journals, that argue that climate change is largely caused by human activities and poses great threats to humanity. All the leaders of the 195 nations at the December 2015 Paris Climate Change conference, including Israel and the U.S., agreed that immediate steps must be taken to avert a climate catastrophe and most of the nations pledged to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

An October 2018 report by the respected Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, an organization made up of leading climate scientists from many nations argued that “there is no documented historic precedent” for the scale of changes needed by 2030 to avoid a climate catastrophe Despite the urgency of reductions in greenhouse gas. emissions, they increased by 1.6% in 2017 and by 2.7% in 2018.

Another major concern is that the Pentagon and other military groups believe that climate change will increase the potential for instability, terrorism and war by reducing access to food and clean water and by causing tens of millions of desperate refuges to flee from droughts, wildfire, floods, storms, and other effects of climate change.

The world is already seeing the many negative effects of climate change. Contrary to the views of many climate-change deniers, the world’s temperature has significantly increased in recent years. Every decade since the 1970s has been warmer than the previous decade and all of the 18 years in the 21st century are among the 19 warmest years since temperature records started being kept in 1880, the only other year in the top 19 years being 1998. 2016 was the warmest year globally, breaking the record held previously by 2015 and before that by 2014, the first time that there have been three consecutive years of record world temperatures.

Just as a person with a high fever suffers from many of its effects, there have been many negative effects due to the increased global temperature. Polar icecaps and glaciers worldwide have been melting rapidly,

faster than scientific projections. This has caused an increase in ocean levels worldwide with the potential for major flooding. Glaciers are “reservoirs in the sky,” providing important water for irrigating crops every spring, so their retreat will be a major threat to future food supplies for an increasing world population.

There has also been an increase in the frequency and severity of droughts, wildfires, storms and floods. California has been subjected to so many severe climate events recently that its former governor, Jerry Brown, stated that “humanity is on a collision course with nature.”

Another alarming factor is that, while climate experts believe that 350 parts per million (ppm) of atmospheric CO2 is a threshold value for climate stability, the world has now reached 415 ppm, the highest value in human history.

Reducing climate change is an especially important issue for Israel as a rising Mediterranean Sea could inundate the coastal plain where much of Israel’s population and infrastructure are located, and an increasingly hot and dry Middle East makes terrorism and war in the region more likely, according to military experts.

Given the above, averting a potential climate catastrophe should be a central focus of civilization today, in order to leave a liveable world for future generations. Every aspect of life should be considered. The world has to shift to renewable forms of energy, improve our transportation systems, produce more efficient cars and other means of transportation, produce far less meat and other animalbased foods, and do everything else possible to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs).

It is essential that Jews apply our splendid environmental teachings, playing our role as a ‘light unto the nations” (Isaiah 42:6), in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

These teachings include: • Jews are to be co-workers with God in protecting the environment, based on Genesis 2:15, which indicates that Adam was put into the Garden of Eden to “work the land and to guard/preserve it.”

• Jews are to avoid wasting or unnecessarily destroying anything of value , based on the Jewish sages expansion of the prohibition of destroying fruit trees in wartime to build battering rams to overcome an enemy fortification. (Deuteronomy 20:19 20) • Jews are to imitate God, Whose compassion is over all His works. (Psalms 145:9) Because the threats are so great, it is essential that Jews and everyone else make this issue a major priority, and make every effort to make dietary and other lifestyle changes, in order to help shift our imperiled planet See climate catastrophy page c4

Fall is here, which means cooler weather, a warmer wardrobe and Saturdays at the stadium.

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C4 | The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019

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The cypress and the cedar speak words of love Continued from page C2 from Midrash Genesis Rabbah 13:2. “Trees are created as friends and partners for human beings, engaging them in constant dialogue.” Furthermore, Rashi teaches, “The Torah compares humans to trees because, like humans, trees have the power to grow. And as humans have children, so trees bear fruit. And when a human is hurt, cries of pain are heard throughout the world. So when a tree is chopped down, its cries ring out from one end of the earth to the other.”

While Peter Wohlleben understandably bemoans today’s clear-cuts that destroy the social systems of the forest and ignore the ecological implications for future generations, we can teach our children this lesson from Deuteronomy 20:19. “When you lay siege to a city for a long time, fighting against it to capture it, do not destroy its trees by putting an ax to them, because you can eat their fruit. Do not cut them down, for the tree of the field is man’s life.” I’m tempted to send those words to Acting EPA Administrator, Andrew Wheeler, the Senate’s most vocal critic of climate change and bosom buddy of James Inhofe (R-Okla.) who authored, The Greatest Hoax: How the Global Warming Conspiracy Threatens Your Future. But Wheeler would never listen. So back to Simard and Wohlleben.

I wonder if they’re familiar with the Jewish custom of planting a tree when a child is born. Cypress for a girl. Cedar for a boy. As the children grow, they tend their own trees, and when they marry, the bride and groom stand under a chuppah made of branches cut from the trees planted in their honor years before. Speaking of years before, this past August, Don and I celebrated our sixty-fifth anniversary. Our wedding canopy was not made from cypress or cedar branches, but nonetheless, I find myself comparing our lives together to the lives of trees, searching for similarities.

Like trees, we have a family. Like trees, we have a social network of friends. Like trees, we have feelings. We can count, learn, remember — though not as well as once upon a time. Like trees, we have sent warning signals when danger approaches and even, at times, waged war on one another. During these sixty-five years, like trees, Don and I have thrived in this community, cared for our young, our sick and our

H A P P Y

N E W

Y E A R

Climate catastrophe

Continued from page C3 onto a sustainable path. Unfortunately, “denial is not just a river in Egypt,” and most people today are, in effect, rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, as we head toward a giant iceberg.

Richard H. Schwartz, Ph.D. is Professor Emeritus, College of Staten Island and the author of Judaism and Vegetarianism, Judaism and Global Survival, Mathematics and Global Survival, and Who Stole My Religion? Revitalizing Judaism and Applying Jewish Values to Help Heal Our Imperiled Planet.

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elderly. We communicated, we talked, though Don (bless his heart) engages in this ‘talking’ part more enthusiastically than I. Seems we checked all the boxes.

But my true eureka moment came in the documentary, Intelligent Trees. One scene shows Peter Wohlleben walking through Germany’s Hümmel forest. He sees two massive beech trees growing next to each other, points up at their skeletal winter crowns (which carefully do not invade each other’s space) and says, “These two are old friends. See how the thick branches point away from each other? That’s so they don’t block their buddy’s light. They are very considerate in sharing the sunlight, and their root systems are closely connected.” Before moving on to an elderly beech to show how trees, like humans, wrinkle as they age, Wohlleben adds, “There is in fact friendship among trees.

They like to stand close together and cuddle. Trees can form bonds like an old couple, where one looks after the other.” Oh, boy. That’s Don and me.

As for Julio, the love-sick young man in Paint Your Wagon. Before the curtain comes down he wins the ingenue’s heart and they, too, live happily ever after.

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Five hacks for the best Rosh Hashanah ever

BEaTa aBraham JTA via Kveller I can’t help but wonder why Hallmark and the retail world at large haven’t co-opted the Jewish New Year. True, while there may “only” be some 5 million to 7 million Jews in the U.S. (depending on who’s counting), Rosh Hashanah is a particularly important holiday on the Jewish calendar.

Many Jews spend Rosh Hashanah at synagogue immersed in prayer, self-reflection, repentance, kicking off 10 days of “awe.” But it’s a family holiday, too, usually celebrated at home with a big family dinner.

So why aren’t there any light-up shofars or tasteful Happy New Year banners to be found leading up to the big day?

Of course, depending on where you live, you may come across a dusty box of matzah on the shelf of your local grocery store in a well-intentioned, if misguided, attempt to acknowledge Rosh Hashanah (along with every other Jewish holiday).

But fear not. In lieu of tacky, ready-made accoutrements, you can design your own Instagram-worthy Rosh Hashanah celebration. Keeping in mind that the goal is to create joy and lasting memories, I have tried and tested a few ideas to make your Rosh Hashanah celebration personal and memorable.

Conduct an apples and honey taste test Not all apples — nor honey — are created equal. So here’s a fun way to see which varieties your family really prefers.

Procure as many types of honey as you can (but remember, this is not a reality cooking show, so don’t go crazy). Put out a variety of sliced apples to dip and create your own voting method, too. For a bit of extra flair, add a blindfold. The honey with the most votes will receive the honor of the blessing for a sweet new year.

Create a rosh hashanah craft museum Remember all those New Year’s crafts your kids brought home over the years from Sunday school or day school? It’s time to unearth those boxes filled with clay honey pots, See Best rosh hashanah ever page C7

The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019 | C5

roshhashanah Chelsea Taxman, Farm Director

annETTE Van dE kamp-wrighT classes daily about herbal medicine as it connects to Judaism.”

Editor, Jewish Press Chelsea is the daughter of Sherry and Jeff Taxman and is he mission of Eden Village Camp in Putnam trained in herbalism, permaculture, ayurvedic cooking, farmValley, NY, states: “Rooted in the Jewish vi- ing and urban farming, humane education, Raja yoga and sion of creating a more environmentally sus- nonviolent-communication. tainable, socially just and spiritually connected world, Eden Village Camp is dedicated to providing campers with an incredible summer experience while empowering them to promote a vibrant future for themselves, their communities and our planet.”

Located on 248 acres touching the Appalachian Trail, CEV is a non-profit, co-ed, pluralistic Jewish sleepaway organic farm camp Left: Chelsea Taxman and above: The Farm at Eden Village that promotes sustainable-living, and ‘farm“When the Farm Director job became available, it was a to-table.’ It means no great match,” she said. “I manage farm educator apprenticeelectronics, get your ships, which are immersive 6-month experiences where nose out of your phone young people learn farming within a Jewish context.” and get outside. It’s the 2008 brainchild of Vivian Lehrer Eden Village Camp established the Farm at Eden Village in Stadlin and her husband, Yoni Stadlin. A second camp, Eden 2010, in partnership with the Jewish Farm School. Eden VilVillage West, opened its doors outside Healdsburg, Califor- lage runs the farm internally with a full farm staff. The Eden nia, 70 miles north of San Francisco. At the original camp, in Village Farm team oversees the organic educational farm for Upstate New York, Omaha native Chelsea Taxman is the cur- the Summer program, develops a Jewish educational farm rent Farm Director. curriculum, and implements a variety of programs at Eden “I worked there as herbalist one summer at the invitation of Village when camp is not in session. There is also an orchard, Avi Katzman,” she said. “Eden Village has camp counselors and which was established in 2012 and holds more than 100 trees, educators for the children who attend this camp. I taught four See Chelsea Taxman page C6

Shanah Tova!

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Susanne and I wish you a good year of health, prosperity, and happiness!

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Chelsea Taxman

C6 | The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019

roshhashanah This Apple Cake recipe is a perfect dessert for Rosh Hashanah if you’re gluten-free RAChel pAttIson JTA via The Nosher In recent years, it seems that more and more of my family members and friends have developed food allergies and food intolerances. This can make it difficult to determine what to serve at holidays and family events. So a gluten-free, dairy-free apple cake for Rosh Hashanah is a delicious way to celebrate the holiday while also suiting everyone at my table.

Nut allergy? You can absolutely leave out the walnuts here.

My preferred gluten-free flour to use is Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, which can be used as a direct substitution for all-purpose flour and doesn’t require additional thickeners such as xanthan gum.

Rachel Pattison is a healthy food blogger living in Los Angeles. She loves taking traditional recipes (including Jewish family recipes!) and finding ways to make them healthier.

You can find more of her recipes on her blog, www.littlechefbigappetite.com.

Apple CAke

Ingredients: 1/4 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 large eggs, room temperature 2/3 cup honey 1 tsp. vanilla extract 2 1/2 cups gluten-free baking flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. allspice 3 apples, peeled, cored and chopped into 1/4-inch pieces (I recommend using a mixture of green and red apples) 2/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped (optional) Unsweetened plain almond milk (optional) Directions: Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease and lightly flour a 9-inch bundt pan (nonstick, if you have one).

In a stand mixer, beat together the sugar and olive oil. Beat in the eggs, then the honey and vanilla. Turn off the stand mixer.

In a separate large bowl, stir together the gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and allspice.

Turn the stand mixer back on, and very slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl, ensuring that all the ingredients become well incorporated.

Fold in the diced apples and walnuts. If you find that the mixture is too thick, you can add some almond milk, 1 tablespoon at a time,

Credit: Rachel Pattison

not to surpass 1/4 cup.

Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake in the oven for 1 hour. Check the cake at the 50-minute mark. It is done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Once done, allow the cake to cool in the bundt pan for 15 minutes. Then place a cake plate on top of the bundt pan, and while holding the pan and the plate together, very carefully flip the bundt pan so the cake lands directly onto the cake plate.

Allow the cake to cool completely and then dust lightly with confectioners’ sugar. Serves 6-8.

eden Village Camp

Continued from page C5 including plums and persimmom. There are two flocks of chickens, bee hives, milking goats; everything staff and campers eat is locally sourced or grown right there on the farm.

Chelsea calls the farm “the heart of the camp,” and said “campers learn so many different sides of outdoor life. The art department has plant-based teaching, they help produce food that goes directly to the dining hall and staff do off-site education while the farm rests during the winter season.”

There is even an Eden Village cookbook.

Founder Yoni Stadlin is a veteran educator for the Teva Learning Center, the country’s leading Jewish environmental education program. He has taught Judaism and environmental justice internationally with the American Jewish World Service, taught environmental science from an educational sailboat on which he lived, co-organized earthquake relief trips to India and Turkey, and led Birthright Israel trips. In 1999 and 2006, Yoni spent several months living aloft in ancient redwood trees that were slated to be cut, as an environmental protection initiative.

Today, those trees are alive and well.

“Our Camp is not a place to retreat,” he said, “but a place to more fully engage with the world around us. Campers gain both technical skills like outdoor living and social skill sets, and learn to thrive in a community. They deepen their sense of personal purpose, contribution and Jewish identity.

“I think the work I am doing now has made more sense of Judaism for me,” Chelsea said. “Modeh Ani suddenly makes more sense, the High Holidays make more sense.

Suddenly, you realize there is a rhythm to the calendar; imagine, counting the Omer, that’s a crucial time of year if you are a farmer. It’s become a very different experience!”

“Our big garden,” she continued, “is called the ‘calendar garden.’ There is a section for each month and each plot has its own plant. For instance, last year, Kislev, which is the month during which we celebrate Hanukkah, had potatoes and onions. This year, we’re doing mushrooms because mushrooms are miraculous.”

She feels grateful, most of all, she said: “It’s hard to imagine living without the seasons as we do here. I have so much more awareness of what is happening in nature. I haven’t been here that long, but when I look over the books, I’ve noticed rain increase and changes to the insect population. It’s important we teach as much as we can about being connected to nature; our major mission is teaching others and ourselves to slow down. We have endless opportunities to grow.”

The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019 | C7

Instant Pot Georgian Pomegranate Chicken: The easiest chicken for the holidays or any time SoNYA SANford JTA via The Nosher was initially an Instant Pot doubter. I love both my Dutch oven and my stock pot, and I love letting the kitchen slowly fill with warmth as things simmer and cook for hours while I putz around the house. Then I got married and an Instant Pot (real talk: Instapot) literally showed up on my doorstep. At the risk of sounding ungrateful, I put it in the closet and forgot about it for at least six months.

And then I heard about making rice in the Instant Pot. My first pot of sushi rice instantly made me a convert. My first vegetable stock changed my feelings about how stock can best be made. My first batch of chickpeas led me to making hummus on a more regular basis. Rice, stock and beans are all great in the Instant Pot, but I still carried some skepticism about cooking other things. Chicken?

What’s wrong with cooking it in the oven?

Turns out, chicken in the pressure cooker is delicious. The chicken ends up deeply infused with any added aromatic or spice, it becomes fall-off-thebone tender and requires much less attention than cooking it on the stove.

As documented by the queen of Jewish cooking, Joan Nathan, and by Georgian food guru Carla Ca-

palbo, the Georgian Jewish community traditionally makes chicken cooked in pomegranate juice for Rosh Hashanah. It’s a perfect recipe for the High Holidays: sweet, tart, flavorful and eye-catching.

This recipe is an adaptation from multiple recipes for this dish, but in any variation the chicken is braised in a generously spiced, fruity pomegranate juice-based broth and then topped with fresh red jewel-like pomegranate kernels.

The pomegranate juice adds expected sweetness, but there’s also an assertive and awakening tang that comes through, especially with the addition of tamarind and pomegranate molasses. The copious amounts of onion and garlic add deep levels of sweet savoriness to the dish. The coriander, hot pepper (not too hot) and thyme play off each other with their respective aromas, heat and mintiness. It is Rosh Hashanah, so a hint of honey makes its way into the pot to remind you of sweetness without being at the forefront of the show.

After 15 minutes at high pressure, the chicken barely clings to its bones and the sauce becomes rich with and fortified by the golden schmaltz left over from browning the chicken. Take out the chicken and let that liquid simmer (still in the Instant Pot), and the mahogany-colored sauce will thicken and become silky and as decadent as a festive meal demands.

See Georgian Pomegranate Chicken page C9

Best Rosh Hashanah ever

Continued from page C5 tial sweat self-reflecting, soul-searching and handcrafted Happy New Year cards and resolution-making. Like any good workout, it paper apple mobiles. Bonus if you can exca- will transform, strengthen and fortify you for vate the childhood Rosh Hashanah relics navigating your daily life in the year to come. from your own youth. And if kids never made them — or you tossed them years ago — you can always make new Rosh Hashanah crafts, like a honey jar or shofar.

Cluster these items in a special museum-style display for all to enjoy. Heart strings will be tugged, guaranteed.

Throw a birthday party for the world Rosh Hashanah is not just a Jewish holiday — according to the Talmud, it is the birthday of humankind and the world. Consid- An apples and honey test is one way to make a joyous and ering that the universe is a pretty lasting Jewish New Year’s celebration.

Credit: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images significant creation, some special treats to commemorate this day hardly seem Write some open-ended questions on cardlike too much effort. Whether you celebrate stock, and arrange them on your table for your with a spherical cake frosted to look like family or friends to select and answer aloud. planet Earth or a candle on a single cupcake, Some examples: What were your biggest misor even just a Happy Birthday banner, let it takes over the last year? Greatest achievespark a conversation about what each indi- ments? What brought you the most joy? vidual’s part can be in making the world a Which moments felt deeply meaningful? What better place — the ultimate birthday gift. have you resolved to do differently next year?

Make a rosh Hashanah tablescape What you write is up to you — just make If you are overwhelmed just thinking about sure that each question can be answered by a setting an elaborate table for the holiday, just responder of any age, and keep in mind that remember that you are going to want to eat Rosh Hashanah is not just about looking at some point, so it might as well be at a strik- backward but is an opportunity to look foring and impactfully set table. But that doesn’t ward as well. mean an overwrought one. Small touches can I hope you will use one or all these ideas to go a long way, like an apple-print tablecloth; set the stage for a sweet and meaningful New a few carefully placed honey or bee-themed Year. And, full disclosure: While they are unitems; a decorative tray filled with apples and doubtedly fun, none of these ideas will abpomegranates; a shofar as centerpiece. Tip: solutely guarantee that you will be written in Use your imagination, not Google. the Book of Life — but they may get you feaSpark meaningful conversation with reflection tured in Martha Stewart Living. cards Beata Abraham, a lifelong writer and a JewRosh Hashanah is a mini workout for the ish educator, is currently the director of edusoul, so you should probably break an existen- cation at a Reform temple in Columbus, Ohio.

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C8 | The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019

My Rosh Hashanah resolution: Accepting my child with ADD Bryan SChwartzman JTA via Kveller Why did I get the child who doesn’t work right?

What did I do to deserve the child who doesn’t eat when she’s supposed to — if she eats at all — who doesn’t sleep when she’s supposed to sleep, who doesn’t learn what

she’s supposed to learn and often doesn’t do what she’s supposed to do?

I really hate to admit it, but in some of my most trying moments of parenthood, the word “unlucky” plays in my mind like a background song trying to be heard. “I’m unlucky,” I’ll find myself thinking — even though, intellectually, I know that of the 7.4 billion people on the planet, I’m in the top 1 percent when it comes to luck. I’ve got two healthy children who shower me with affection; a loving spouse; parents who are actively involved in my children’s lives; a fine house in a

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desirable, safe neighborhood; a rewarding career. I could go on and on.

Yet I can’t shake the sense that within my greatest joy I’ve experienced misfortune. Sometimes I’ll remember that I’m far from alone: My partner is with me in raising a child one could call “challenging,” and there are clearly millions of other parents in similar situations. Undoubtedly, when the word “unlucky” resurfaces in my mind, I’ll feel guilt or shame. But the word remains, ready to reveal itself at the exact moment when I need positive, life-affirming thoughts.

You see, my older daughter has been “diagnosed” with Attention Deficit Disorder. Whether you’d call it a diagnosis — and whether or not this is something to lament — is a question that can fill many books and blog posts. But now that she has this label, it’s all too easy to overlook my daughter’s many wondrous qualities, like her creativity and curiosity. But you take her ADD, throw in some anxiety and a litany of food allergies and eating issues, and you’ve got a combustible cocktail.

Being a parent of a child with ADD can be so much more demanding than I ever realized. And while I truly believe being a parent is my most important mission in life, there’s so much I want to do: I want to write, be fit, be active in my community, maintain a romantic relationship with my partner, advance my career. Yes, I can practically hear you say, “being pulled in multiple directions is the essence of modern parenthood.” But so often, attending to my child’s unique needs seems to require skipping a workout, putting off the latest essay or surrendering any semblance of down time. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but when you look forward to small things, missing them feels like a big sacrifice.

With the High Holidays upon us, I take solace in the fact that Judaism places a much higher value on what people do and how we act — and not what we think. I also know that so many parents lose patience or have selfish thoughts. That doesn’t mean we don’t love our children or that we’re ineffective parents.

At the same time, however, everything from the Rosh Hashanah liturgy to modern psychology reinforces the notion that what and how we think influences how we behave. So as I prepare to sit for hours in shul, I’m pledging to work on my thinking, to reframe the narrative from one of burden to one of gratitude, to focus on nourishing my child’s gifts rather than lamenting her faults. I hope to use this time to focus on what I’m gaining through the joys and challenges of raising both my daughters rather than what I am losing. I don’t think I’ll make it all the way to my destination, but I’m optimistic I can cover a lot of ground.

I’m being aided by a wonderful book, Superparenting for ADD: An Innovative Approach to Raising Your Distracted Child. Both authors — Edward M. Hallowell and Peter S. Jensen — are leading psychiatrists who have lived with ADD in their families. They offer a range of parenting techniques and medical advice, but more than anything, they remind us that at its heart, parenting is about love and empathy. The book provides real hope that with love, expert advice, passionate teachers and possibly medication, my daughter can fulfill her potential in school and in life. She can lead a life of joy, meaning and achievement.

Over the years, I’ve worked to cultivate empathy for others — those with stark differences in life situations, socio-economic backgrounds or political views. But I’ve recently realized that on some level, I’ve failed to empathize with my own See accepting my child with aDD page C10

Georgian pomegranate Chicken Continued from page C7 Once the chicken and sauce are plated, you shower them with the bright green fresh herbs and the glistening ruby red pomegranate seeds. Dark meat works best for this, but you can certainly make it with white meat as well. And like all great holiday dishes, you can make this several days in advance and it only gets better when reheated. It also freezes well, just leave off the fresh garnish until right

The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019 | C9

before serving. And yes, if you really don’t want to cave to culinary social pressure, you can make this recipe the old-fashioned way.

Note: This recipe can easily be doubled. You can find tamarind paste and pomegranate molasses at Middle Eastern stores, Whole Foods, or online.

Sonya Sanford is a chef, food stylist, and writer based out of Los Angeles.

inStant pot GeorGian pomeGranate ChiCKen

Ingredients: 12 whole chicken legs, or 6 bone-in thighs plus 6 legs (about 4 pounds) Sunflower or avocado oil, as needed 3 medium red onions, halved and sliced thin 4-5 cloves garlic, finely minced 2 tsp. ground coriander 1 1/2 tsp. aleppo pepper, or 1/2 tsp.n red pepper flakes, or to taste 1 tsp. sweet paprika 2 tbsp. tomato paste 1 cup pomegranate juice 2 tbsp. pomegranate molasses 2 tbsp. tamarind paste 1 tbsp. honey 3 sprigs fresh thyme 1 bay leaf arils/seeds of 1 whole pomegranate 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro or parsley, for garnish Salt and pepper, as needed Directions: Start by generously seasoning your chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.

Turn your Instant Pot or pressure cooker to the sauté setting, which should produce high heat for browning. If needed increase the heat to More or according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Once the pot is hot, add a drizzle of oil. Brown each piece of chicken until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Cook the chicken in batches so as not to crowd the pot and cause the chicken to steam instead of brown. On the stovetop, brown the chicken in a large pot or Dutch oven on medium high heat. Once all the chicken is browned, transfer it from the pot and reserve.

Next, add the onions to the same pot so that they can cook in the remaining chicken fat. If your chicken did not release very much oil, and another tablespoon or 2 of oil to the pot. Season the onions with salt and sauté for 5-6 minutes or until softened and starting to slightly brown. Add the garlic, coriander and paprika to the pot and sauté for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the tomato

Credit: Sonya Sanford

paste and stir everything until the onion mixture is well coated in the tomato paste. Nestle the reserved browned chicken back into the pot. Press Cancel to turn off the sauté function on the pot. Follow the same steps on a stovetop.

Add the pomegranate juice, pomegranate molasses, tamarind paste, honey, thyme and bay leaf to the pot. Place the lid on the Instant Pot, close the pot and seal it. Press the Poultry or Manual setting and set the time to 15 minutes. Let the steam naturally release for 10-15 minutes; shift the valve to venting if more air needs to be released. On the stovetop, cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes on medium-low or until the chicken is tender and cooked through.

Press Cancel, open the lid and transfer the chicken to a platter and lightly cover with foil to keep the chicken warm. Remove the bay leaf and thyme stems. Turn on the Saute function again. Allow the sauce to simmer and reduce by half, or until it has reached your desired thickness. On the stovetop, turn the heat to medium-high and simmer.

Once the sauce has reduced and thickened, pour the sauce over the chicken. At this point you can keep dish warm in a low oven, or you can cool it and freeze if making in advance.

Just before serving, garnish the chicken with the fresh pomegranate and roughly chopped cilantro or parsley. Serves 6-8.

roshhashanah Pomegranates

Sybil Kaplan On the second evening of Rosh Hashanah, it is customary to eat a new fruit not yet eaten in the season and say a shehecheyanu, the prayer of thanksgiving for things which are enjoyed for the first time.

It is said that in Europe this fruit was often grapes. In Israel today, it is often the pomegranate, which is eaten to remind us that G-d should multiply our credit of good deeds like the seeds of the fruit.

For many Jews, pomegranates are traditional for Rosh Hashanah. Some believe the dull and leathery skinned crimson fruit may have really been the tapuach, apple, of the Garden of Eden.

The word pomegranate means “grained apple.”

In Hebrew, it is called rimon (also the word for a hand grenade!). In fact, the English words, hand grenade, are said to come from this. Both the town of Granada in Spain and the stone, garnet, come from the name and color of the pomegranate. The juice can be made into the concentrated syrup, grenadine also.

On the second night of Rosh Hashanah, when it is customary to eat a “new” fruit that has not been eaten during the year, many Sephardic Jews chose pomegranate.

They recite the prayer “ken yechi ratzon—may it be thy will, O Creator, that our year be rich and replete with blessings as the pomegranate rich and replete with seeds.”

In Israel today, it is often the pomegranate which is eaten to remind us that G-d should multiply our credit of good deeds like the seeds of the fruit.

In modern days, a study at the Technion Institute of Technology in Haifa a few years ago showed the power of the fruit.

The cholesterol oxidation process, which creates lesions that narrow arteries and result in heart disease, was slowed by as much as 40 percent when health subjects drank two to three ounces of pomegranate juice a day for two weeks. The juice See pomegranates page C10

Happy New Year F R O M C I T Y C O U N C I LW O M A N A I M E E M E LT O N

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C10 | The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019

roshhashanah Pomegranates

Continued from page C9 reduced the retention of LDL, the “bad” cholesterol that aggregates and forms lesions. When subjects stopped drinking the juice, the beneficial effects lasted about a month. Other studies showed that pomegranates fight inflammation and cancer and slow cellular aging. Pomegranates are also a good source of potassium, low in calories and low in sodium.

Some say each pomegranate has 613 seeds for the 613 mitzvot or good deeds we should observe. Count them and see if it’s true! I once directed a Zionist youth group and as a project, the leader had the kids count the seeds in a pomegranate. When they reached 613, they stopped!

Accepting my child with ADD

Continued from page C8 child. But my book got me thinking about what it is like to be a 7-year-old with ADD, to have a brain that works too fast, to want to please but to be unable to refrain from “bad” behavior — and to therefore face criticism from well-meaning adults and, at times, cruelty from other children.

Our fractured society suffers from a lack of empathy. But maybe a first step toward a broader societal healing might entail parents taking a closer look at their own children. What if we encourage our kids rather than find fault with them?

What if we comfort them rather than chasten them?

This is my assignment for the Jewish New Year. I know it’s a tough one. As I confront the liturgy and life’s frailty and impermanence, I’ll try to focus the mind and spirit on how lucky I am. I’m sure I’ll falter — I’m only human. I’m just a dad, trying to do the best he can. Here’s hoping my best gets better.

Bryan Schwartzman is an award-winning writer living in Ambler, Pennsylvania. He and his partner, Amy, are the parents of two daughters.

Etrog, How a Chinese fruit became a Jewish symbol Etrog: How a Chinese fruit became a Jewish Symbol | David Z. Moster | Palgrave Macmillan, 142 pp.

Sybil KaPlan n the peak of the warm summer, it is unlikely that people are thinking about the chagim three months from now. However, a very interesting book finally reached me. which I had been wanting to review since it was published.

“Every year before the holiday of Sukkot, Jews all around the world purchase an etrog—a lemon-like fruit—to participate in the holiday ritual. In this 2018 book, I track the etrog from its evolutionary home in Yunnan, China, to the lands of India, Iran, and finally Israel, where it became integral to the Jewish celebration of Sukkot during the Second Temple period. I explain what Sukkot was like before and after the arrival of the etrog, and why the etrog’s identification as the ‘choice tree-fruit’ of Leviticus 23:40 was by no means predetermined. I also demonstrate that once the fruit became associated with the holiday of Sukkot, it began to appear everywhere in Jewish art during the Roman and Byzantine periods, and eventually became a symbol for all the fruits of the land, and perhaps even the Jewish people as a whole,” so writes the author Dr. Rabbi David Moster.

“There is nothing quite like the experience of picking out an etrog for the holiday of Sukkot.”

“When it comes to Leviticus 23:40, every way of interpreting is a way of not interpreting too.”

“The lulav and etrog were ethnic markers that served to distinguish Jews and Samaritans from one another. In this sense, the lulav and etrog—not the menorah, shofar,

firepan or ark—belonged to the Jews alone.”

These are a few of the comments of Dr. Rabbi David Moster--founder and director of the Institute of Biblical Culture, an online community of learners dedicated to studying the Bible and its world from Jewish, Christian and Academic perspectives.

For 10 years, he lived in New York City, where he received a B.A., M.A., M.S., and Rabbinical Degree from Yeshiva University, and an M.A. from New York University.

He spent two years in Israel, and he received his PhD in Hebrew Bible/Old Testament from BarIlan University in Ramat Gan, Israel.

He lives in Yonkers, New York with his wife, a psychiatrist, and his two children.

What Leviticus 23:39-40 says is: Howbeit, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruits of the land, ye shall keep the feast of the Lord seven days; on the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest.

And ye shall take you on the first day the fruit of goodly trees, branches of palm-trees, and boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook, and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.”

The question is—is this the etrog?

This highly documented, fascinating book is “the culmination of years of ritualistic, agricultural, and grammatical/historical fascination explaining how the etrog became integral to the practice of Judaism.”

Chapters 1 to 4 begin with an abstract and end with a bibliography.

For example, the etrog was referred to by Josephus in the first century CE in his descriptions of Sukkot. ...”after it was introduced to the land of Israel in the fourth to third centuries BCE, the etrog quickly became entrenched in the agricultural, political, and religious cultures of the Jewish people.”

Halacha also took the phrase peri ‘es hadar to mean the etrog and no other fruit and interpreted this phrase to mean “the beautiful tree-fruit,” that is, the etrog alone.

According to Nigel Chaffey (September 6, 2018) in Botany One, of all the fruits in Israel, the etrog gets a special status because of the “etrog’s ‘differentness’. Unknown in Israel, until introduced there by the Persian invaders in the 6th century BCE, when it was associated with the powerful ruling class, it has the cachet of being rare, privileged and mysterious. Furthermore, etrog was one of the very few symbols not See Etrog page C12

Wishing the Omaha community

L’Shana Tova from

Karoline S. Anderson | John Andresen | Marie Belin Thomas M. Byrne | Kimberly Christner | Michael D. Cohen Kurt A. Davey | Mary C. Dek | Elizabeth Larson | Patrick J. Steinauer 18018 Burke St. | Omaha, NE 68022 | Corner of 180th and Burke | 402.573.7337 5018 Underwood Ave. | Omaha NE 68132 | Corner of 49th and Underwood Ave | 402.991.5678

The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019 | C11

Best Wishes for a Happy, Healthy New Year! from

Five gorgeous Rosh hashanah recipes from israel’s top chefs JeSSiCa halFin Rosh Hashanah menus, while traditional and delicious, can also get a little stale year after year. With Israeli food trending across the globe, now is a perfect time to add some authentic Israeli flavors to your holiday.

We have gathered five exclusive recipes from some of Israel’s top chefs: from a whole roasted fish to a sweet whiskey cocktail and

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Happy New Year

an apple dessert that is sure to start your year off on a sweet and beautiful note.

Jessica Halfin is an American-Israeli baker, gourmet cook, food and culture writer, and all-around foodie. She is the owner and operator of Haifa Street Food Tours, a company that leads custom foodie adventures in Haifa, Israel, where she lives with her husband and three sons.

David M. Parsow Larry Ginsburg

Sea Bass with Roasted Peppers and Herb Cream Filling

CheF moR Cohen Herbert Samuel Restaurant at the Ritz Carlton Herzliya Cohen is a highly respected chef known for his haute kosher cuisine at the Ritz Carlton. While a fish head on the table might be considered off-putting, it is one of the most traditional symbols of the Jewish New Year, so this recipe serves double duty as delicious and symbolic.

See Five gorgeous Rosh hashanah recipes page 12 for more recipes

Sea BaSS With RoaSted PePPeRS and heRB CReam Filling

ALLEN EDMONDS • ST. CROIX • ZANELLA • PETER MILLAR PAUL & SHARK • MEZLAN • ALBERTO • IKE BEHAR JOSEPH RIBKOFF • ROBERT GRAHAM CANALI • REMY • DONALD PLINER • AGAVE • HILTL

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ingredients: For the fish: 4 whole sea bass, deboned and descaled (each fish should weight about 1 pound) 2 lemons Salt and pepper to flavor For the herb cream: 6 garlic cloves peeled 2 cups of freshly picked herb leaves (oregano, parsley, basil, celery) 1 baguette (just use the inside and not the crust) 5 tbsp. olive oil Salt to taste For the roasted peppers: 4 medium-sized onions (cut in half and diced) 8 garlic cloves diced 1 hot green pepper, cut in rings (optional) 8 fresh peppers that have been grilled and singed. the peppers should be sliced in wide strips.

6 tomatoes similarly roasted and singed and sliced in strips 3 tbsp. olive oil 1/2 cup of arak, ouzo or other anise-flavored liquor 1 tsp. freshly ground oregano Salt to taste Directions: Preheat oven to 425 F.

BOB

KRIST

Credit: The Edge Partners PR

Process the herbs in a food processor together with the garlic and baguette. The mixture should be lightly sprinkled with olive oil until it becomes a consistent yet creamy texture. Transfer to a piping bag and refrigerate.

To prepare the peppers: Heat a large saucepan with olive oil. Add the garlic cloves and hot peppers (if desired) until the aromas start rising from the pan. Add the diced onions and cook until they become translucent and tender.

Add the peppers and tomatoes and stir generously. Add in the arak, bring to a boil and reduce the liquid to about half.

Add the oregano, reduce to a low heat and cover. Keep cooking for about 20 minutes, regularly checking and adjusting the taste with salt.

Remove from heat and set aside until ready for serving.

Using a sharp knife, pierce the sides of the fish ensuring the cut reaches the middle. Cuts should be along the sides and along the fish’s spine.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and set the fish standing (as if swimming) on a baking dish.

Insert a half a lemon in the fish’s cavity and fill the incisions with the herb-crème.

Bake the fish for about 18 minutes, until the fish is completely cooked and you see the cream begin to take on a darker golden color.

Remove and serve the fish over a generous bed of the peppers. Garnish with parsley.

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C12 | The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019

Stuffed Chard LeaveS with Pomegranate moLaSSeS

five gorgeous rosh hashanah recipes Continued from page C11

Stuffed Chard Leaves with Pomegranate Molasses Chef merav BarziLay Meshek Barzilay The Neve Tzedek neighborhood in Tel Aviv is the culmination of its artist residents boasting an unmistakable relaxed bohemian chic vibe, which of course extends to its restaurants and cafes. Right at the heart of the newly declared “vegan capital of the world” sits Meshek Barzilay, the city’s pioneering vegan restaurant, 17 years young, and

its newer delicatessen (opened in April 2018), that serves the readymade organic and vegan dishes in high demand.

For Rosh Hashanah one of the restaurant’s specialties are these cooked chard leaves stuffed with grains, dried fruits, nuts and tart pomegranate molasses. It is a nod to the pomegranate, a major sign of the holiday.

See five gorgeous rosh hashanah recipes page C13 for more recipes

Shana Tova Wishing you a healthy, happy and delicious new year!

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Credit: Meshek Bazilay

Ingredients: For the stuffed chard leaves: Large bunch chard leaves (best if you can get it with large uniform leaves) 2 cups cooked freekeh or quinoa Purple onion, cut into small cubes and caramelized 1/2 cup chopped celery 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint 1/2 cup mixed dried fruits, such as dried cranberries, dried figs and dried apples 2 tbsp. chopped almonds 3 tbsp. pomegranate molasses 1 tbsp. salt Pinch white pepper For the sauce: 2 tbsp. olive oil half a white onion, sliced 8 tomatoes, coarsely chopped 1 clove garlic 2 tbsp. pomegranate molasses Pinch cinnamon Pinch Baharat spice Directions: Preheat oven to 350 F. Blanch whole chard leaves in boiling water for 20-30 seconds to soften, carefully open up each leaf and set down single file on a smooth surface.

Remove the stem from each chard leaf with a paring knife.

Prepare the filling: Mix all the filling ingredients together in a large bowl, and adjust seasoning to taste.

Fill the center of each leaf with a bit of filling (about 1 1/2 tablespoons, but the amount of filling will vary according to your leaf size).

Fold the sides of the leaf inwards toward the center and roll from the cut portion inward. Tightly pack the stuffed chard leaves into a baking dish and set aside.

Prepare the sauce: Saute the onion and olive oil until golden. Add the garlic and tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes start to fall apart, but not so much that the tomatoes start to lose their color.

Add the spices and a bit of water if needed to get a thin sauce.

Taste and adjust seasoning to taste, then pour over the stuffed chard.

Cover the baking dish and bake for about 20 minutes, until sauce is bubbly and the chard leaves are cooked through.

Serve with a garnish of chopped mint leaves and a light drizzle of pomegranate molasses.

Etrog

Continued from page C10 ‘appropriated’ by other religious groups such as the Samaritans: Etrog therefore is, and remains, uniquely Jewish. Increasingly, during the Byzantine and Roman Period (70 – 636/7 CE), etrog became specifically associated with the feast of Sukkot as the choicest of choice tree-fruits. This represents a remarkable elevation for – and highly significant cultural ‘adoption’ of – a botanical that began its journey 6500 km away as a rather humble and unremarkable fruit, amongst many other – and arguably more remarkable – citrus fruits, in China several centuries earlier.”

Mr. Chaffey concludes, “Etrog is in part Moster’s detailed interpretation of the meaning of three words of Hebrew text that appear in Leviticus. Etrog is also the story of how a particular botanical entity has become intimately associated with the religion of Judaism over the course of hundreds of years. It’s therefore an example par excellence of what plants-and-people scholarship is all about. Thank you, Rabbi Moster!”

Not only is this a wonderful journey through the history of the etrog detailed, but readers will enjoy the 80 pictures.

This would make a wonderful gift book to anyone who purchases an etrog each year.

Sybil Kaplan is a journalist, lecturer, book reviewer, food writer and author of witness to history: ten years as a woman Journalist in israel, nine cookbooks (including what’s Cooking at hadassah College.) She and her husband, Barry, live in Jerusalem, where she works as a foreign correspondent for North American Jewish publications, lectures at senior citizen residences, leads walks in English in Machaneh Yehudah, the Jewish produce market and writes stories about kosher restaurants in Janglo.net for which Barry photographs. She has been book reviewing for 40 years.

five gorgeous rosh Hashanah recipes

The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019 | C13

roshhashanah

Continued from page C12

Apple Streusel Honey Cake

CHefs rossellA JonA And AMir porAt Biscotti Bakery What started out as a very small Tel Aviv business 15 years ago is now a booming catering business with a staff of 200 workers and future plans to become an Israeli café chain. Now located in Bnei Brak, just east of the big city, they are committed to using high-quality ingredients to make their mark on the Israeli pastry shop scene. To replicate their famous apple streusel-topped honey cake at home this holiday, just follow this recipe, which we took straight from the head chefs. see five gorgeous rosh Hashanah recipes page C14 for more recipes

Apple streusel Honey CAke

Ingredients: For the cake: 4 large eggs 3/4 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 tbsp. honey 3/4 cup sugar 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp.n baking soda 1 cup strong fruit tea, brewed and cooled 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. ground ginger 1/4 tsp. ground cloves 1 green apple, peeled and sliced for garnishing the unbaked cake For the streusel topping: 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup cold butter, cut into cubes 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour pinch cinnamon pinch salt Directions: To make the topping: In a food processor, blend all the ingredients in short pulses until you get a coarse crumb.

Transfer the crumbs to a sealed container and chill until use.

To make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 F. Whip eggs with the sugar until the mixture becomes thick and triples

Apple and Honey Whiskey Cocktail

Milk & Honey WHiskey distillery Tel Aviv It’s definitely the time for Israeli whiskey on the international scene, and Rosh Hashanah is the perfect occasion to treat yourself to a bottle of the first official batches of the stuff. With at least five Israeli whiskey distilleries having popped up in the past few years, the race is on to see which one can produce the best barrels the fastest. The warm climate in Israel actually speeds up the distilling process.

Milk & Honey’s whiskey has a smooth taste, which just happens to be perfect for blending into a sweet apple and honey cocktail.

Apple And Honey WHiskey CoCktAil

Credit: Boaz Lavi

in size.

Add the oil and mix to combine, then add the honey and do the same.

In a medium bowl, combine the spices flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add to the eggs mixture and add the cooled tea. You can also add fresh peeled and chopped apples or pears, or cherries to the batter at this stage if you wish.

Pour into 2 loaf pans and top with a light layer of streusel and 12-13 apple slices in vertical line down the center. Bake for about 40 minutes.

Cake is done when a toothpick comes out dry with a few moist crumbs attached.

Ingredients: 1/4 Granny smith apple, diced 1 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. honey syrup 1 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. fresh squeezed lime juice 1 tbsp. Calvados (apple brandy) 3 tbsp. Milk & Honey whiskey or other “new Make” whiskey Directions: Make honey syrup: Mix 3 parts honey with 1 part hot water and stir thoroughly until liquid unifies.

For example: 10 ounces honey and a little more than 3 ounces of hot water. Bottle and keep refrigerated.

In a cocktail shaker, muddle the apple with honey syrup.

Add the rest of the ingredients, fill with ice and shake vigorously.

Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with an apple slice.

c14 | The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019

roshhashanah five gorgeous rosh hashanah recipes continued from page c13

Cream Puffs with Candied Pecan and Date Honey Custard

PaStry chefS itzik aNd kereN kadoSh Kadosh Café in Jerusalem Kadosh Bakery and Café in Jerusalem is practically a city landmark. The establishment got its start back in 1967 and has been in the Kadosh family ever since. Now run by a husband-and-wife pastry chef team, Itzik and Keren Kadosh, the place preserves the European café culture of the family’s Hungarian roots while having modernized the menu to include Israeli treats, sourdough breads, French pastries and fresh pastas, all handmade.

Creating variations on their delicacies for the New Year, this is an exclusive recipe we got from the legendary chefs for Paris-Brest, a doughnut-shaped cream puff filled with a candied pecan and date honey pastry cream.

JewiSh PreSS NoticeS

The Jewish Press will be closed on Monday and tuesday, Sept.

29 and oct. 1 for Rosh Hashanah, wednesday, oct. 9 for Yom Kippur, and Monday, oct. 14 for Sukkot. The deadline for the Oct. 4 issue is tuesday, Sept. 24, 4 p.m.; for the Oct. 18 issue it is tuesday, oct. 8, 4 p.m. Questions? Call 402.334.6448.

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creaM PuffS with caNdied PecaN aNd date hoNey cuStard

Ingredients: For the choux pastry: 1/2 cup full-fat milk 1/2 cup water 8 tbsp. butter 1 tsp. salt 1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. sugar 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. sifted all-purpose flour 4 large eggs For the garnish: 2 tbsp. sliced almonds 1 tsp. egg white 1/2 tsp. powdered sugar For the pecan and date honey custard filling: 1/4 cup cornstarch 1 cup plus 1 tbsp. full-fat milk 3 egg yolks Scant 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 vanilla bean (or 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract) Scant 1 cup chopped honey roasted, or candied pecans 1/4 cup date honey 1/2 cup whipped heavy cream (from 1/4 cup heavy cream) Directions: Preheat oven to 350 F. To make the choux pastry: In a pan, bring the milk, water, sugar, salt and butter to a boil. Immediately take the pan off the heat and add the full flour amount all at once.

Mix with a wooden spoon and put the pan back on a medium low flame. Cook until the mixture starts to dry out and the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan to form a ball around your spoon.

Take the mixture off the heat and let the mixture cool slightly.

In a mixer on low speed (or in a medium bowl by hand), add the eggs one at a time, beating until each egg is thoroughly combined before adding the next egg. (The mixture will curdle initially, but then come back together as you beat it.)

Prep a baking sheet by lining with baking paper and tacking the paper down with a small dot of the choux pastry mixture on the underside of each corner.

Fill a large pastry bag with the mixture. Using a 6-inch round cookie cutter to guide you, pipe a fat 7-inch circle. The circle should be a bit raised and not completely flat.

Mix the almonds, egg white and powdered sugar and spread it on

top of the piped circles. Bake for 40 minutes, until deep golden brown, take out of the oven and set aside to let cool.

To make the pecan and date honey custard: Dissolve cornstarch in 1/4 cup cold milk. Add the egg yolks and sugar, and lightly beat into a fully combined mixture.

Pour the rest of the milk (3/4 cup plus+ 1 tablespoon) into a saucepan. Add the vanilla bean and bring to a boil. Remove the vanilla bean from the pot with a slotted spoon, split and with the help of a spoon scrape the seeds into the saucepan. Return the vanilla pod to the pot and lower the heat.

Add a third of the hot milk to the egg yolk mixture and beat well.

Pour the tempered egg yolk mixture back into the hot milk mixture and cook over a low flame, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture thickens and can coat the back of a spoon.

Remove the empty vanilla pod, add chopped pecans and date honey, and mix to combine.

Pour the mixture into a bowl and cover with a piece of plastic wrap directly covering the surface of the custard. Let cool to room temperature, then transfer to the fridge to chill for 2 hours.

After chilling, whisk the custard for about half a minute to get a smooth mixture without clumps. Whip cream, and fold into the custard mixture and transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large round piping tip.

To assemble: Cut the cooled choux pastries in half lengthwise, pipe a fat layer of custard and seal with the other half like a sandwich. Sift powdered sugar over the top as a garnish.

The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019 | C15

Eating in the Sukkah the world over

Sybil Kaplan

he sages declared it a mitzvah to eat 14 meals in the succah, and, in keeping with the agricultural meaning of the holiday, to express gratefulness to G-d after the harvest by eating autumn fruits and vegetables.

Challah is often baked in different shapes for Sukkot—with a ladder for the ascent of prayers; with a key, for the opening of the doors to heaven; with hands since the judgment passed on Yom Kippur is confirmed by a written verdict on Sukkot and received by the hand of G-d.

Many people are influenced by one-dish meals because they are easier to carry to the succah and they often include vegetables or grains of the season.

Ashkenazi Jews often serve stuffed cabbage as a symbol of abundance. Names for this dish include holoptsches, holishkes, geliptzes and prakkes. Because cabbages were pickled in barrels at the start of winter in Eastern Europe, it was customary among Jews in Poland and Russia to eat sweet and sour cabbage, stuffed with minced meat on Sukkot. Phyllis and Miryom Glazer write in The Essential Book of Jewish Festival Cooking that Jews of Russia and Poland also served borsht on Sukkot as a “hot and nourishing meal-in-a-bowl food, made with beets, a mainstay of the diet of Russian Lithuanian, Ukrainian and Polish Jews; sometimes they added cabbage and a piece of meat.

Hungarian Jews served goulash with meat and onions and paprika.

Desserts that were commonly served for Sukkot by Ashkenazic Jews, according to Gil Marks (z”l) in The World of Jewish Desserts, are fruit kuchen, a German coffee cake with seasonal fruit; fluden, a layered yeast cake with apples or raisins and sometimes with cheese; and lebkuchen, a gingerbread cookie which was among the earliest types of European cookies, made in leaf and fruit shapes and containing fruits and nuts.

South African Jews with roots in Rhodes served stuffed figs with almonds, almond brittle and nuts such as pine kernals, sesame seeds or peanuts on Sukkot.

Stuffed dishes are also popular for Sukkot among Greek Jews, particularly moussaka with eggplant and stuffed vine leaves. English-born Nicholas Stavroulakis, former teacher with careers in printing and painting, has lived in Hania, Crete since 1993 where he is director of the reconstructed Etz Hayyim Synagogue. He is author of Cookbook of the Jews of Greece. He wrote that Greek Jews eat foods symbolic of the harvest such as stuffed vegetables and bourekas, the pastry filled with meat, zucchini and pumpkin. Desserts for Sukkot include apples, quince and grapes and bimuelos de calabaza, Sephardic pumpkin pancakes, which were also served by Jews of Turkey as a symbol of the harvest.

Greek Jews also serve a wheat berry dish on Sukkot called assurei or koliva. Wheat berries are unprocessed, while wheat--shelled and mixed with fruit and sometimes garnished with pomegranate seeds.

Edda Servi Machlin, born in Pitigliano, Italy, introduced

Simchat Torah foods

For Simchat Torah, tradition decrees that there be a seudah mitzvah, a festive meal of religious significance. Carrot dishes are served because the slices resemble coins and symbolize the value of Torah.

Edda Servi Machlin says the Italian Jews often take the fruit used to decorate the succah and eat that on Simchat Torah along with cakes, cookies, sugar-coated almonds and vermouth.

Some Iraqi Jews eat a special dish made with chicken, chickpeas, rice, fried onions, tomatoes and tomato paste, stewed together.

Because of the torah being sweet, many Jews serve popular desserts such as honey cake, strudel (which originated in Hungary and Austria) and baklava, the Persian word for “many leaves,” because it is made from layers of phyllo dough, dipped in butter, with spices, chopped nuts on top such as pistachio nuts and then baked. Afterward, a honey-lemon syrup is poured on top and allowed to soak into the layers. To serve, it can be cut into triangles, some say to symbolize the patriarchs who are in the Torah.

In Israel, sweets such as Turkish delight, strudel, candy-coated apples, honey cookies, nut cakes and cookies are popular. Turkish delight originated in Turkey where it is called rahat loukoum, rest for the throat. It is a rubbery-like candy made of cornstarch and gelatin, sugar, honey and fruit juice and often tinted pink or green. Sometimes chopped almonds, pistachios or other nuts are added. When firm, the candy is cut into squares and coated with confectioners’ sugar.

Etrog preserves and candied etrog are also popular.

Italian Jewish cooking to America with The Classic Cuisine of Italian Jews. For Sukkot, a typical menu is vegetable soup or vegetable cream soup, veal with wine, fried vegetables, stuffed cabbage and a special, oval-shaped bread with a criss-cross pattern on top. Il bollo, a sweet yeast bread, rich and flavorful is also served. For breakfast, they eat a doughnut and a type of bagel, dry or with ricotta cheese, and serve it with a black, sweetened coffee made from roasted wheat grain.

Jews from Turkey serve prehito, a bulgur pudding, also called moustrahana or belila and a wheat berry dish called kofyas.

Many Jews from Middle Eastern countries eat kibbeh or kubeh, the torpedo-shaped, burghul-coated food with meat inside. Some Moroccans serve traditional couscous with chicken on Sukkot.

Persians or those from Iran often make stuffed cabbage leaves with beef and rice and cook them in a sweet and sour sauce.

For Hoshana Rabba which precedes Simchat Torah, some Ashkenazim eat kreplach, the triangular-shaped, meat-filled dumplings because willow branches are beaten and the meat inside is chopped or beaten.

The Lincoln Jewish Community Wishes You L’Shana Tova and a Sweet New Year!

Congregation B’nai Jeshurun The South Street Temple

Congregation Tifereth Israel Member of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism

Union for Reform Judaism Rabbi Teri Appleby

Nancy Coren, Lay Spiritual Leader

2061 South 20th Street Lincoln, NE 68502 402/435-8004 southstreettemple.org

3219 Sheridan Boulevard Lincoln, NE 68502 402/423-8569 tiferethisraellincoln.org

The Jewish Federation of Lincoln Part of the Network of Independent Communities of the Jewish Federations of North America P.O. Box 67218, Lincoln, NE 68506 402/915-3659 jewishlincoln.org

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C16 | The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019

The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019 | D1

section 4 R O S H

A revolutionary idea

hen Annette told me this Rosh Hashanah’s Jewish Press would be focusing on the environment, I was excited to look at carbon footprints – the organization’s and my own. My first question to Annette was: “Will this issue only be digital?” Her response was an empathic “no!” I thought I had a revolutionary idea – a AlAn PotAsh great way to highlight the envi- Chief Executive Officer, ronmental theme. Annette was JFO sure it would cause a revolution!

Our community counts on receiving their printed copy of the Press each Thursday or Friday. After our discussion, I decided to do my own (non-scientific) study and started to ask readers what they thought. Here are some responses: “That’s a clever idea, but why would you do that?”

“I don’t really read the Jewish Press when it arrives – it sits on the counter and when I think about it, I pick it up and read it. If it comes digitally, I might not know how to find it.

It is much easier for me to just find it on my counter.”

“I understand what you are trying to do but I really like getting the Jewish Press in the mail – it is so much better than the other junk mail I get. And I even read it.”

“The Jewish Press is one of our best resources for communicating what takes place in the community. I get so many things in my email inbox, I probably wouldn’t open it. At least if it comes in the mail. I can read it whenever I want.”

The number of people who did not agree with me surprised me, but I did gain insight into the balance between concern for the environment and the comfort of the familiar and relied-upon communication. The Press does have a digital version if you want to check it out.

As for our campus, we are slowly moving to a greener

building by converting lights to LEDs, both inside the building, at the pool and in the parking lot. LEDs help reduce our electric needs, lower our OPPD bill and provide a brighter light.

We recently updated our building optimization system, which will also save energy. In addition, we have begun conversations about the possibility of installing solar panels on our campus roofs. There are rebates and tax credits for individuals and businesses to promote solar energy. As a nonprofit with tax-exempt status, we are not eligible for those incentives but that has not taken the idea completely off the table.

A recent story in the Omaha World-Herald described the declining demand for recycled goods. The challenge is the cost of recycling, so the low return on investment does not make for a sound business model. In some areas, this has led to a storage problem – instead of going to a landfill, the recycled items end up in a storage facility, waiting for a buyer. We will continue to recycle on campus to the best of our ability.

Personally, I have wanted to go paperless for a long time. I know people who have accomplished this, but it remains a challenge for me. On the other hand, I diligently recycle. In addition, I have decided that when the time comes, my next car will be electric. I am thrilled my Honda Element continues to run great with more than 200,000 miles, as I do believe it is more environmentally responsible to keep a car running than the manufacturing and buying of a new car, even an electric one.

In short, I will not request that the Jewish Press become completely digital, but I do think we should examine the environmental impact it has (my guess: not any greater than other things).

One of my favorite holidays that I have written about is Tu b’Shvat, the New year of the trees. Another action with great environmental impact – planting trees! Go and plant.

Shana Tova!

H A S H A N A H

It’s NOT just about RE (Real Estate)

What an exciting time of the year. The kids are going back to school, football season is here, the days are getting cooler, and of course, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are upon us! This is the time of year for us to jon Meyers REnew, REcharge, REflect, President, JFO REmember.

For some of us it’s the opportunity to REengage.

There is an incredible amount of activity going on all around the campus of the Jewish Federation.

There is absolutely something for everyone. Our fitness center, programs and staff are second to none in town. Our cultural arts offerings are quite varied and unique. Something for all ages. Join a class or group, enroll the kids, engage with friends old and new. Make the Jewish New Year REsolution to utilize our JCC. This year is an especially exciting time for our community as we are well into our campus transformation. REbuilding, REpurposing, and REnovating of the facilities and infrastructure have only begun. This year you will see completion of new indoor pools, new family locker rooms as well as REfurbished women’s and men’s locker rooms and heath spas. You will see new dance studios, see jon Meyers page D2

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D2 | The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019

roshhashanah MESSAGES

the environment, our humanity, and the spiritual work of the high holidays ur relationship to the environment and the spiritual work of the High Holiday season are closely related ideas in Judaism. Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik, in his book The Lonely Man of Faith, points out that when God creates human beings, God gives us two seemingly contradictory charges: on the one hand, God commands us to “fill the earth and master it” (Gen. 1:28); and on the other hand, God places us in the garden and instructs us “to till and to tend it” (Gen. 2:15). The directly conflicting nature of these two charges, we learn from Soloveitchik, reflects the paradox of human beings’ relationship to the environment: we are, in fact, commanded to do both. That is to say, it is our God-given obligation to exert our will upon the world and to use its resources in order to create and build things for the betterment of humankind. At the same time, it is our divinely ordained duty to withdraw into the world and nurture it. We are meant to be both mighty masters of the earth and its humble gardeners. That is a delicate balance to strike, to be sure. It means we have to find ways to be as creative and innovative as possible in building up the world and developing new technologies while at the same time being humble and careful about how we use resources. It means we need to strive to achieve ever more while doing so in a sustainable and responsible way. There is, and must be, a constant push and pull between the aggressive master-builder side of humanity (which Soloveitchik calls “Adam the First”), and our

gentle-gardener side (“Adam the Second”). In truth, Adam the First and Adam the Second are interdependent: one cannot succeed fully or responsibly in his task without the other.

The same is true in respect to our own spiritual lives. On the one hand, God calls us to create good lives for ourselves, to achieve and succeed, to live with purpose. We have to go out there and pursue our dreams and make things happen for ourselves; no one else will or rabbi briaN can do this for us. The High Holidays are a stoller time for us to reflect on the changes we want Temple Israel and need to make, and to summon the spiritual strength and courage we need to improve our lives. But in order to do that well, we also have to withdraw into ourselves a bit; we have to acknowledge that, although it is our responsibility to create our own lives, we are not all-powerful masters of everything. The unfolding of life and destiny is, in so many ways, beyond our ability to control. Paradoxically, creating the lives we want also requires us to be humble, and let go a little bit, and surrender to the mystery that is far greater than our ability to understand. So at the High Holidays, we have to embrace the Adam-the-Second side of our humanity, too, and just humbly “tend the garden” of our spirit.

Because it is in that garden that the seeds of courage and change are planted, and if we tend it and nurture it well, those seeds will blossom into beautiful flowers – the perfect synthesis between Adam the First and Adam the Second – that reflect the majesty of God inside each of us.

continued from page D1 community engagement space and new group exercise spaces. We will be starting the lobby, library, theater and museum spaces construction projects.

We are also well into the transformation of our governance.

We are working hard to finish what was started eight years ago when we REstructured our organization and moved to what has become known as a “CEO Model.” This is a cooperative effort that involves our paid leadership AND our lay leadership. It will place a greater value on the people involved at the agency level as the JFO board will rely more and more on their wisdom and expertise.

In REview, the activity and work going on everywhere is

nothing short of amazing. It is truly exciting to be part of this.

We want to share that excitement with you. During the coming weeks and months, YOU will be able to participate financially in this enormous project. I do hope you will consider carefully your level of involvement. The Capital Campaign Cabinet team headed by Don Goldstein is anxious to speak with everyone.

Lastly I would be REmiss if I didn’t once again thank our three cornerstone gifts that have made this physical transformation possible. Michael and Carol Staenberg and the Staenberg Family Foundation, Tom and Darlynn Fellman, and Howard and Sharon Kooper. Our community is fortunate for their vision of what this campus can be.

Jon Meyers

Going green This Selichot in conjunction with the “Green Issue” of the Jewish Press Beth El will be participating in an innovative “Green” Selichot program the evening of Saturday, Sept. 21.

The weekend of Sept. 20-21 Beth El will welcome Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz as a Scholar in Residence. rabbi steveN Then on Saturday night (Sept. 21st) abrahaM at 8:30 p.m., Beth El will be team- Beth El ing up with the “Big Garden” at (5602 Reed Street). The Big Garden began in 2005 as a program of United Methodist Ministries. Initially funded by the USDA’s Community Food Project, The Big Garden had a goal of creating 12 community gardens in three years. Five years later The Big Garden included 26 gardens in the metro-Omaha area and added a sister project, The Big Rural Garden, in Southeast Nebraska. Today, The Big Garden is a network of 150+ community gardens in metro-Omaha and rural and semi-rural communities in Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas.

Participants in the Green Selichot program should plan to be at the Beth El parking lot by 8 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21. A bus will leave at around 8:10 p.m. and head to the Big Garden, where, beginning at 8:30 p.m., we’ll hold Selichot services in one of their two greenhouses. Following services, Big Garden Executive Director Nathan Morgan will discuss the founding of the organization, their mission and how we can help. After the presentation, participants will have the opportunity to plant a variety of vegetables that will be transported to local North and South Omaha schools. Lastly, Nathan will show us the Giving Grove, an area designed to grow apple trees up to the point when they are mature enough to be transported and planted in local neighborhoods where they will continue to grow and provide fresh fruit. While the actual planting of the apple trees in the communities won’t take place until the following week, all Green Selichot attendees can volunteer to dig holes and help with the process.

This promises to be a wonderful experience to study, learn and get our hands dirty helping our community. We invite you to join us for Green Selichot on Sept. 21.

jewish press Notices

The Jewish Press will be closed on Monday and tuesday, sept. 29 and oct. 1 for Rosh Hashanah, wednesday, oct.

9 for Yom Kippur, and Monday, oct. 14 for Sukkot. The deadline for the Oct. 4 issue is tuesday, sept. 24, 4 p.m.; for the Oct. 18 issue it is tuesday, oct. 8, 4 p.m. Questions? Call 402.334.6448.

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The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019 | d3

Day of renewal

snowbirds

ach time we blow the Shofar on Rosh HaShanah, we say the phrase, “HaYom Harat Haolam” which means “Today is the day of the world’s creation.” This phrase is stated to remind us that today is a day of renewal, a day in which we should think about creation, recognize its goodness, and determine what our part should be in maintaining its goodness for our generation and for the generations to come.

Have you ever been astounded when watching a beautiful sunset, or upon seeing a colorful rainbow form after a storm, or when looking up at the stars on a very dark night? Have you ever marveled at the seed cycle or stood in awe while watching a newborn enter the world? Have you ever been amazed at how intricate the human body is or felt a sense of wonder when sitting near the ocean or looking out from a mountain top? It is at times like these that noticing the goodness of creation is readily felt.

Is it at times like these that we also think about our role in maintaining a world for others to enjoy?

We know that the pursuit of wealth and placing ultimate concern on one’s own economic well-being can conflict with concerns for the well-being of the environment. Such attitudes and behaviors, how-

ever, have been leading to environmental disasters and ills that are preventable and need to be reversed now.

As Jews we have the responsibility to speak out when environmental policies do not promote the well-being of our planet. nanCy Coren We must do our part to Spiritual Lay Leader, conserve resources, not Congregation Tifereth waste, and do whatever Israel we can to take care of the Earth by lessening our impact on the environment.

Being Shomrei Adamah, guardians of the Earth, is not a new concept in Judaism. It is part of the very foundation of our belief system. G-d created the world and has ownership of it; we do not. Yet, our role is to take care of G-d’s creation. We need to learn to define ourselves not by what we own, but by what we accomplish. Let’s pledge to do our part in preserving a world that our children and grandchildren and future generations will continue to enjoy. May the sense of awe we feel when looking at rainbows, sunsets, oceans, and mountaintops, translate itself into actions on our part that will attest to our responsibility and accountability for sustaining this marvelous world.

During this time of year we are taught to take stock and contemplate our behavior for the last year as we enter a time of t’shuvah turning, repenting, returning, and prepare for the New Year. For the past year I have been on a journey of change. While most of us do change in the course of a year, we are not always so aware of in what ways we’ve changed. Nor do we always feel our own agency in the changes that occurred.

For this, I feel blessed. Over the past year, I left a job that I loved, but that I knew it was time to move on from. I, with my husband and family, chose a new job in a new city and in a new part of the country. We considered what kind of community we wanted to raise our kids in. We considered what kind of Jewish community did we want to be a part of.

We made the choice to come to Omaha and to Temple Israel because of the values we believed in.

To you who live here (for more than just a couple months), these are the blessings I am thankful for. It can sometimes be hard to remember and feel blessing for what we become accustomed to, and perhaps the tzuris of daily life colors our perspective of these blessings. As a new outsider I say thank you for building and sustaining this community which has welcomed me.

I am grateful that Temple Israel has welcomed me with open arms, people repeatedly remind me of their names, they are showing up to welcome me, to small gatherings and worship settings, people are asking about my family and helping to make my children feel at home. Thank you.

To the greater Jewish community; I don’t know if you are aware how unique you are. I am in awe that I will travel to Israel with 11th and 12th graders from all three synagogues this winter. I am in awe that the Jewish Fed-

eration supports, funds, and cultivates distinctive Jewish institutions while also binding them together as one Jewish Community. I am grateful for the Jewish people who choose to support Jewish institutions, people Cantor Joanna who are members at alexander more than one synaTemple Israel gogue, people who make sure this or that project gets funded; believing in and supporting the continuation of Judaism, and its institutions has fallen by the wayside in many locations, so to the Omaha Jewish community I say thank you.

I am grateful for Tri-faith and the Brooke’s Institute. In my first weeks here, I was meeting with clergy of other faiths dedicated to learning together. Dedicated to building bridges with “the other” not only to repair the breaches of our broken world, but with the sincere knowledge that we become stronger in our own faith by engaging with and better understanding people of different faiths. I believe in opening up love in my heart to those I disagree with, and I am so grateful to be part of a community which is finding commonality and reaching across divisions to see God in the face of the other. Being part of the Trifaith commons is a tremendous gift to myself and the whole city of Omaha.

As we arrive at the beginning of the year, I am filled with gratitude for the many changes and opportunities in my life. I thank God for the blessing of this new community and its embracing of myself and my family. I pray God will allow you to find the blessings in your life and help you return to the best paths for your life and family. Shana Tova um’tukah.

Shana tova

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!

Please let the Jewish Press know in advance when you are leaving and when you are returning.

Sometimes several papers are sent to your “old” address before we are notified by the Post Office. Every time they return a paper to us, you miss the Jewish Press and we are charged!

Please call us at 402.334.6448 or email us at jpress@jewishomaha.org.

HAPPY R OSH HASHANAH

Wishing you a happy, healthy, and peaceful new year!

ANDREW

SAKALOSKY LEGISLATURE

Pa i d f o r b y A n d r e w S a k a l o s k y f o r L e g i s l a t u r e

D4 | The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019

the need for community

nancy wolf B’nai Israel Synagogue inei ma tov u’ma na-im, shevet achim gam ya-chad.

How good and how pleasing for people to sit together in unity.

New Year’s greetings to the community from B’nai Israel Synagogue!

Summer is drawing to a close and another year is now nearly complete.

Our Jewish New Year holy days provide us with a framework within which we can understand and avail ourselves of the time as an opportunity both to reflect and to renew.

The B’nai Israel congregation marks another year as a small community within a larger community. Many of our members are also members in other synagogues and all are associated in a myriad of additional ways within our larger Omaha/ Council Bluffs Jewish institutional and social network.

Throughout Jewish teachings, we see the emphasis on the need for and the power of the community: to uplift those who

Happy Rosh Hashanah

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participate in it, support it and influence it in a positive manner; to provide a basis to work forward as a group beyond simply the desires of the individual. The members of B’nai Israel are engaged in creating community, striving to provide a warm friendly experience in a traditional Jewish setting. Beyond offering one a place to pray, a synagogue offers a place for communal gatherings.

In addition to our regular schedule of High Holidays services, we will continue our congregational practice of once a month Shabbat services with speakers we expect will fulfill the congregation’s interests and draw additional people into our synagogue. We are very privileged to have the Shabbat service leadership of Larry Blass who brings an easy goodhumored tenor to our monthly gatherings.

We have a nice line-up of speakers set for the High Holidays which includes Jamie Skog-Burke, Nate Shapiro, Professor Leonard Greenspoon and Jim Fried. Our service leader and cantorial soloist will once again be Jeff Taxman who brings great heart, warmth and energy to the task. Watch announcements in the Jewish Press for particulars.

We continue to add new members. Some are old friends within the larger community and some are altogether new. We are very happy to welcome them as well as any others from the community who just want to come by for a service and check it out. Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel! During this past year, the community of B’nai Israel has broadened its offerings from services to additional opportunities for gathering, including dinners and group volunteer efforts in the general community. We hope to continue this.

There have been significant contributions, in money, time and participation, by many supporters throughout the year as we continue to sustain B’nai Israel’s contribution to Jewish life in the metropolitan area. It has truly been a community effort.

Thank you to each and every one who has helped.

L’shanah tovah tikateiv v’tichateimu; May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year.

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As another year ends, we attempt to hide the fact that we are getting older. We try to look and feel as young we can, making sure we hold on to the vibrance and energy of youth. However, in Judaism age is revered and respected. To be old means our bodies are tired, but the wisdom and experience we have is never lost, it only grows.

When one looks at this world with material Rabbi aRi eyes, age can depress us. However, when we DembitzeR Beth Israel Synagogue look at this world as a place in which we can evolve and grow and learn, we energize.

When we look at the world around us as the source of our blessings and curses then we are being submissive to the world around us.

Those who are wise in experience and age know that it is us who affect the world, not vice versa. In a world in which 24/7 news keeps us entertained and embroiled in the happenings outside of us there is the risk of losing this perspective. We become increasingly anxious and vulnerable to everything around us. This ages us.

There is another approach. I don’t blame the other, I look inside.

The “Baal Shem Tov” explains that we all have two eyes, one eye to see the positive in others and one to see inward, where we can improve ourselves. The secret to embracing age is to constantly look inside, to grow and develop.

“Rosh Hashanah”, the new year also means “shinui”, or change.

The goal is never to stay stagnant. We look at the world around us, at opportunities for us to work on ourselves and better ourselves. We watch the news and reflect on how we can be better, not how the world can improve.

When we hear the “Shofar” being blown, we focus on returning to the purest place inside of us. We go back to the point of our creation. We reflect on our contribution to move this world forward.

May all of us connected to the Jewish community of Omaha recognize the importance of aging gracefully. May we realize that another year passing means another year in which we can grow and evolve to be the best us.

Wishes for a happy and sweet year for all!

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From my kosher Jerusalem kitchen

The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019 | D5

roshhashanah

syBil Kaplan Did we or didn’t we invent cherry tomatoes?

According to journalist Danny Lewis based in Brooklyn, in Smithsonian.com (June 20, 2016), “For decades, the cherry tomato has been a staple of summer salads and other dishes. But the tiny, sweet treat wasn’t always a standard in side dishes. Indeed, it didn’t become a popular feature in Western meals until the 1980s. While the wild tomato may have originated in the Andes in South America, according to the British Tomato Growers’ Association, it was cultivated by the Incas and Aztecs in Mexico sometime around 700 A.D. In fact, the word ‘tomato’ is derived from the Aztec word ‘tomatl.’ While the first tomatoes were tiny, pea-sized plants that grew in wild clusters like grapes, Central American growers transformed them into something quite different.

The Israeli government has claimed for decades that Israeli growers invented the cherry tomato. Still, as it turns out, Israel’s claim is half-right.”

The Tomaccio tomato was developed by Nahum Kedar and Chaim Rabinovitch of the Agriculture Faculty of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem on its Rehovot Campus. It is the result of a 12-year breeding program by Hishtil, a leader in the world of advanced horticultural nurseries. They used wild Peruvian tomato species to create a sweet snack tomato with improved ripening time and shelf life. Tomaccio is a vigorous, high-yielding, early fruiting cherry tomato bred primarily for the sun-dried tomato market.

Whether we did or we didn’t, why not try these recipes with cherry tomatoes.

Sybil Kaplan is a journalist, author, compiler/editor of nine kosher cookbooks (working on a 10th) and food writer for North American Jewish publications, who lives in Jerusalem where she leads weekly walks of the Jewish food market, Machaneh Yehudah, in English, and writes the restaurant features for Janglo.net, the oldest, largest website for English speakers. see Kosher Jerusalem Kitchen page D6 for more recipes

This Rosh Hashanah, we need to listen to this biblical feminist story

CheRRy TomaTo heRB salaD I found this in a magazine and made my own changes.

Ingredients: 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in halves 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar 2 tsp. Dijon mustard 1/2 tsp. minced garlic 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. olive oil salt and pepper to taste 1 cup fresh parsley or cilantro 1 cup fresh basil 1 cup fresh dill 2 pounds halved cherry tomatoes 1 Tbsp. lemon juice 3 ounces crumbled feta or goat cheese Directions: In a saucepan, combine 1 cup cherry tomatoes, vinegars, mustard, garlic and 1/2 cup olive oil. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Let cool.

Transfer to a blender and puree. Season with salt and pepper and chill.

In a bowl, toss herbs with remaining tablespoon of oil, lemon juice

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and salt and pepper to taste.

Arrange halved cherry tomatoes on serving plates. Drizzle with some of the dressing.

Top with herb salad and cheese.

Makes 6 servings.

Rishe GRoneR JTA via Alma Rosh Hashanah is almost upon us, and with it brings the age-old Jewish tradition of not feeling good enough, wondering what we’ve done wrong and judging ourselves more harshly than God ever could. Not my favorite tradition, let’s be honest, because isn’t it time we all learned to live freely and lovingly in our female bodies with an optimistic perspective on the world we are here to transform?

Along with honey and self-examination, Rosh Hashanah brings some other traditions less known. One of them, which you might know about if you pay extra careful attention at services, is the story of Hannah. In our Alma tradition of presenting badass women of the Bible, I present to you the lady who wouldn’t be silenced by patriarchy, a woman whose emotional outburst was the catalyst for national transformation through subsequent historic events.

Hannah was the mother of the prophet Samuel, but her introduction in the first chapter of the book of Samuel, famously read on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, is an important story not only of the power of prayer but the dynamics of privilege when the one crying out is a woman.

Hannah, the text tells us, traveled each year with her husband, Elkanah, and her sister-wife Peninah to the sanctuary in Shiloh (a sort of mini-Temple before the formal Jerusalem structure was built) for the annual pilgrimage holidays. While Peninah, her rival, had a posse of kids to share the barbecue that ensued after the ritual sacrifices, Hannah was childless and sat out of the party feeling some epic FOMO, even though, being the favorite wife, she got the pick of the spareribs and her husband’s sweet talk.

When Elkanah’s “Come on honey, aren’t I better than 10 sons?” wheedling got too much for her, Hannah stormed out into the sanctuary, where she fell apart in tears and prayer.

She cried, she trembled, she poured her heart out and she did it in that terrible silence of a woman so broken she can’t even find her voice. Her whispered prayer was deep and real.

The text tells us how she begged for a child, even cutting a see Biblical femininst story page D6

D6 | The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019

roshhashanah Biblical feminist story

Continued from page D5 deal with God in that way we all try when searching for a parking space, but this one involved offering to dedicate her future child to a life of service in the Temple, if only she could give birth to him.

Feminist critiques on the centrality of the motherhood theme aside (and I would argue it is just as feminist to pray for a child as it is to ask for any other awesome achievement in life — to each their own), Hannah’s prayer was unique because, back then, nobody prayed silently, nobody prayed emotionally and nobody prayed alone. You showed up at the sanctuary with your family, said some blessings over the cow or sheep you intended to sacrifice on the altar and went on your way. Hannah’s agency in setting her own prayer was groundbreaking — and totally against the norms of the time, as the old patriarch Eli the Priest made clear when he came upon her.

While Hannah’s prayer is a benchmark throughout the Jewish tradition for a real live heartfelt cry, it wasn’t good enough for Eli, who demanded she remove her drunken self from the place until she sobered up.

“How much longer are you planning on this spectacle?” he asked her, kinda like that dude at work who wants to know why you can’t just get on with the presentation instead of taking a minute to cry it out in the ladies room. “Go home, lady, you’re drunk.”

Hannah wasn’t having it, and in a dialogue that would pass the biblical version of the Bechdel test — a woman talking back to a man about her fate rather than submitting (see also: Tamar, Esther, Sarah, daughters of Tzelophchad) — she let Eli know.

“I’m a woman of broken spirit, and I’m just here to pray. I haven’t had a drop to drink... I’m just in touch with my see Biblical feminist story page D9

Kosher Jerusalem kitchen Continued from page D5

Cherry TomaToes wiTh hummus

This also came from a magazine many years ago with some of my changes.

Ingredients: 60 cherry tomatoes with a small amount of top sliced off 2 cups garbanzo beans 1-2 cloves chopped garlic 2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds 2 Tbsp. lemon juice 2 Tbsp. olive oil chopped parsley or cilantro Directions: Drain garbanzo beans, reserving 3 tablespoons of the liquid.

Finely chop garlic in food processor or blender. Add reserved bean liquid, sesame seeds, lemon juice and oil. Whirl until smooth, about 30 seconds.

marinaTeD TomaToes wiTh KusBar

This came out of a food magazine and I liked it because I like cilantro (kusbar in Hebrew), and I made some changes.

Ingredients: 15-18 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half 1/4 cup chopped cilantro 3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar 2 Tbsp. olive oil 2 Tbsp. canola oil 1 minced garlic clove 1/2 tsp. mayonnaise 1/4 tsp. brown sugar 1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard salt and pepper to taste hard-boiled egg wedges Directions: Arrange tomatoes in a shallow serving dish or plate. Sprinkle with cilantro.

In a jar with a lid, combine vinegar, oils, mayonnaise, sugar and mustard. Cover and shake well.

Pour over tomatoes. Cover and chill. Just before serving season with salt and pepper.

Credit: theseamanmom.com

Place tomatoes in a serving dish. Using a small spoon, fill each with hummus.

Garnish with small parsley or cilantro leaf.

Makes 60 stuffed tomatoes.

Garnish with hard-boiled egg wedges.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Cherry TomaToes wiTh PesTo

This is also from an old food magazine with my changes.

Ingredients: 15 cherry tomatoes with tiny piece of tops cut off 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup parsley leaves 1/4 tsp. crumbled basil leaves 1 1/2 tsp. Parmesan cheese 1/8 tsp. chopped garlic 1 Tbsp. finely chopped walnuts or pecans toasted slivered almonds (optional) Directions: In a blender, combine mayonnaise, parsley, basil, Parmesan cheese and garlic. Whirl until smooth.

Add walnuts or pecans and whirl. Spoon into a bowl and refrigerate.

An hour before serving, place tomatoes on a serving dish, fill each tomato with a scant teaspoon of pesto mayonnaise.

Garnish with slivered almonds.

Serves 8.

The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019 | D7

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Rising, The Book of Challah

Rising, The Book of Challah | Rochie Pinson | Distributed by Feldheim Publishers | $34.99 hardcover

SyBil KaPlan f I wrote that I had been trying to get a review copy of this book since November 2016, readers would find that hard to believe, but the book arrived at my door just recently.

If I wrote that Rebbetzin Pinson has written 352 pages about challah, you would ask—are those recipes?

Well, yes and no. This is truly her philosophy, spirituality, history and everything you wanted to know about challah with 38 recipes.

“The intent of Challah,” writes the Rebetzin, “is to reveal our innate power to nurture and nourish, and reclaim our Mothering potemtial in all the forms it can take.”

Section I, the Story of Challah, explains how this young rebbetzin bride arrived in Kobe, Japan, with no kosher bakery, soon got into making 40 challot for the Jewish community.

The rebbetzin then expands to other information about challah and her connections, a detailed examination of each ingredient and information on rising.

Section II is the Cookbook with reviews and details of ingredients and equipment and troubleshooting.

There are eight classic recipes including her own classic challah recipe, gluten free challah and vegan challah; eight holiday specialties like apple and honey challah and pretzel challah; six recipes from around the world such as Moroccan challah, Yemenite challah and Bukharian challah; nine challah embellishments including “fishy” (a challah shaped like a fish with salmon, tuna, mushrooms and other vegetables; deli challah (yes, with deli meats!) and rainbow challah using food

coloring; eight recipes for leftover challah like babka, cinnamon bars and French toasts; and seven challah toppings and accompaniments, like cream cheese frosting, challah stuffing, and challah croutons.

Section III are Laws and Customs such as “separating challah,” challah customs and challah meditations.

A glossary and index conclude the book.

There are 108 color photographs (and I might have missed a few!) and many sketches such as 37 ways to braid and shape a challah.

Is this the book to give to anyone who bakes challah?

Absolutely, and to anyone else who might be contemplating it.

Here is really the ‘definitive everything you ever wanted to know about challah-’ book written with love and nurturing.

Here is a huge amount of information including the story of the Rebetzin’s life “as realized through challah baking, and challah baking as a metaphor for balanced, integrated nurturing of ourselves and our loved ones.”

Rebetzin Rochie Pinson, who grew up in Vancouver, B.C. is cofounder of the IYYUN Center for Jewish Spirituality with her husband, Rac DovBer Pinson, ten years ago, in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, New York. They have four children. She mentors women, teaches classes plus the challah baking workshop, which she teaches worldwide.

Sybil Kaplan is a journalist, author, compiler/editor of nine kosher cookbooks and food writer for North American Jewish publications, who lives in Jerusalem where she leads weekly walks of the Jewish food market, Machaneh Yehudah, in English.

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Persian Upside-down Cake with dates and Cardamom: A sweet tribute to a Rosh Hashanah tradition tannaz sassooni This recipe appeared originally on The Nosher. s a kid in Hebrew school, I learned that my classmates would have apples and honey and round challah at Rosh Hashanah to bring in the Jewish New Year, and that was pretty much it when it came to food traditions. But at home it was a different story.

As an Iranian Jew, Rosh Hashanah was an elaborate affair. We’d gather the extended family for the first two nights of the holiday, the first at my parents’ house, the second at my aunt’s. Dining tables, coffee tables and folding tables would be lined up to make one long dinner table covered with tablecloths to accommodate a good 20 or so family members. The table would be spread with platter after platter: mountains of saffron-laced basmati rice, crispy tahdig and flavorful stews —

maybe a deep green stew of celery and lots of herbs, or a tomato-based eggplant stew, tangy with unripe grapes.

But before dinner, we’d (mostly) pause the loud chatter — a lively mix of Persian and English — for a full Sephardic Rosh Hashanah seder. Yes, there were apples and honey. But we’d also have dates, beets, pomegranate seeds, slow-cooked black-eyed peas and beef tongue, Persian leeks and fried zucchini, each with a symbolic meaning and a blessing for the coming year.

This date upside-down cake takes the dates from my family’s Rosh Hashanah seder and pairs them with the two fragrant ingredients found in so many Persian sweets: cardamom and rosewater. The cake’s batter uses buttermilk for a bit of tang and goes easy on the sugar to provide some balance for the topping: a super sweet combination of velvety dates in a rich butter caramel. It’s a moist and aromatic dessert that pairs perfectly with a glass of amber-colored Persian tea.

Persian UPside-down Cake with dates and Cardamom

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Ingredients: For the date topping: 27 Medjool dates 6 Tbsp. butter, softened 1/2 cup brown sugar pinch of salt pinch of ground cardamom For the cake: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan 2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened, plus more to grease pan 2/3 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 2 tsp. rosewater 1/2 cup buttermilk Directions: In a medium bowl, cover dates with hot water and soak for at least 20 minutes. Remove skin from dates, halve lengthwise and remove pits.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour the sides of a 9-inch round nonstick cake pan.

For the date topping, cream together butter, brown sugar, salt and cardamom until well combined. Spread butter mixture evenly across the

Credit: Tannaz-Sassooni

bottom of prepared pan. Arrange date halves over butter mixture in a pattern of concentric circles with their cut sides facing up.

To make the cake batter, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and cardamom together in a medium bowl.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together until creamy and pale in color. Add eggs one at a time, incorporating one fully before adding the next. Beat in rosewater to fully incorporate.

With mixer on low speed, add one-third of flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated (do not over-beat). Follow with half of buttermilk, then the second third of flour, the other half of buttermilk, then the remaining flour, mixing completely between each addition.

Spoon batter over arranged dates, spreading evenly and taking care not to jostle dates. Bake cake in middle rack of oven 30-40 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a rack for about 5 minutes. Run a knife around edges of cake, then invert onto serving plate, replacing any dates that stick to pan.

Garnish with edible flowers, ground pistachios or dried rose petals. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 8.

Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue to hold High Holiday services at local Biblical feminist story church

marcy oster JTA Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life congregation will hold its High Holiday services in an Episcopal church located just down the street.

The Calvary Episcopal Church reached out to the congregation just days after the Oct. 27 attack that left 11 Jewish worshippers dead, offering its building for any of the congregation’s needs, the Episcopal News Service reported.

The congregation, known formally as Tree of Life or L’Simcha Congregation, has been holding Shabbat services in the social hall of Rodef Shalom Congregation, another Pittsburgh-area congregation, but it needs a location that can hold at least 800 people for services for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle reported. The church’s sanctuary can seat 1,000 people.

The church is not charging Tree of Life for using the space, according to The Rev. Jonathon Jensen, rector of Calvary Episcopal Church.

He said the church would cover many of its crosses in order to make the Jewish worshippers more comfortable. Tree of Life will be bringing its prayer books, Torah scrolls, an ark and lectern to the church.

Jensen said that Rabbi Jeffrey Myers will come to Calvary on a Sunday in September to introduce himself to the congregation and explain the significance of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. He said that members of his church are interested in attending the services.

Meanwhile, Tree of Life told the Jewish Chronicle that it will hire appropriate security for the services, including requiring non-members to make arrangements to attend in advance.

Jensen said the Jewish congregation has a standing offer to use its sanctuary while its building is being repaired.

Congregation Dor Hadash, a tenant in the Tree of Life building, will hold its High Holiday services at the JCC Katz Theater in Pittsburgh.

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continued from page D6 emotions in that healthy way that means when my heart is breaking and all I want is one thing, I’m going to damn well show up and pray my guts out to God, ‘cause isn’t that what this place is for, after all?”

Hannah said. “Don’t take me for a crazy fool, a Godless woman — I’m here to pray, and you can help here by blessing me that my prayers are answered, actually.” I may be paraphrasing.

Eli does bless her, and (spoiler alert) she does indeed conceive, birthing the prophet Samuel, who is key in restructuring the biblical Israelites from tribal into a monarchy.

Hannah is remembered as one of the seven prophetesses (there must’ve been more, but alas, male scribes...) and as a benchmark for true emotional expression, prayer that tran- Hannah at prayer scends social norms to get to the heart of the matter.

Hannah’s story is a lesson for silenced women — and the men who need to listen harder without judgment. How often are men standing up claiming allyship, yet smearing their judgments and honking their own voices above the sound of the silent, broken-spirited, deeply prayerful woman? When women rise into their power, how often are even the wokest of woke dudes standing up to shut her up under the guise of accolades because heaven forbid the room be filled with the sound of women for more than a few minutes?

Peoples of all genders, it’s time. It’s time to listen and make

The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019 | D9

roshhashanah space. It’s time to step up and be heard. It’s time for the silenced ones to be honored, and the old paradigms that have chastised them to be put in their place.

For Hannah’s sake, inspired by her prayer, let’s call that in

Credit: Wilhelm Wachtel

this new year. Around the Rosh Hashanah table, listen for the silenced voices. Invite them to share, to speak, without judgment. Advocate for those who don’t speak. Listen when they struggle to formulate the words. And remember that the silence can be just as telling as prayers that scream and shout.

This Rosh Hashanah, it’s time.

Rishe Groner is the creator of The Gene-Sis, a post-Hasidic movement toward embodied experience and personal growth through Jewish mystical texts. Groner is a writer, strategist, marketer and teacher, and her work has appeared in Lilith, Tablet, The Wisdom Daily and on www.thegene-sis.com.

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This day in history

D10 | The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019

roshhashanah Western Wall stones inspected for stability

Credit: Western Wall Heritage Foundation

Marcy oster JERUSALEM | JTA The Western Wall Heritage Foundation does a thorough inspection twice a year – prior to Passover and Rosh Hashanah. The inspection includes the stones and the Wilson’s Arch covered area, among other areas.

The stones were cleaned and loose particles and other debris removed, according to the foundation.

In July of 2018, a 400-pound stone fell from the Western Wall to the egalitarian prayer plaza near Robinson’s Arch.

As it does every year before Passover and the High Holidays, the Western Wall Heritage Foundation will remove the notes placed between the stones of the Western Wall. They are treated as sacred objects and buried.

The preservation work was done under the supervision of Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites, in conjunction with the Israel Antiquities Authority. The statement says that restrictions under Jewish law were strictly adhered to and that permission to preserve the stones was given by the chief rabbis of Israel and other rabbinical religious authorities.

his year, the first day of Rosh Hashanah It just so happens that Maimonides had much to say about falls on September 30—on the English Teshuvah, showing how he remains relevant all these cencalendar. It might not mean anything, turies later: yet it is always interesting to see what “The process of repentance, as laid out by Maimonides, happened on this same day in years past. includes three stages: confession, regret and a vow not to reIn 1938 (not a great year by anyone’s stan- peat the misdeed. The true penitent, Maimonides says, is dards), it was on this exact the one who finds himself with the opdate that the Treaty of Muportunity to commit the same sin nich was signed. For the again yet declines to do so. Prayer, Chechoslovakians, it was charity and fasting are also said to help known as “the Betrayal of Munich,” and one win forgiveness.” (MyJewishLea with good cause. rning.com) Signed by the United Kingdom, GerMaimonides explained teshuvah by many, France and Italy, the treaty gave listing the following steps: stop.

Germany permission to annex Sudetenland, which they claimed was ethnically Stop whatever destructive action you German. The rest of Europe felt this are engaged in. If, for example, you are would prevent another World War. losing your temper with others, stop. regret.

On that same day in 1946, 22 Nazis were found guilty in Nuremberg.

You should indeed feel regret for “The international war crimes tribuyour error. It’s wrong to lose your temnal today,” Edward W. Beattie wrote in per as you are likely to hurt others in 1946, “pronounced Nazi Germany guilty doing so. You should be sorry for the of ruthless, aggressive war against 11 harm you caused.

Maimonides Verbalize. countries and stripped the 21 Nazi defendants of their last hope for acquittal. Sentences will be Explain your regret out loud to God. This doesn’t have to announced tomorrow. “(UPI.com) be done at synagogue, and it doesn’t have to be in Hebrew.

Not all the memories are that grim. September 30 marked Talk to God in at least an audible whisper, not just in your Babe Ruth’s last game ever (1934). The Grand Ole Opry was head; of course, God knows already, but you need to hear broadcast for the first time on that day in 1950. And on Sep- it. Tell Him that you are sorry for whatever you did wrong.If tember 30, 1791, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart debuted his your actions harmed other people then you have to make opera Die Zauberflute. Truman Capote and Elie Wiesel had amends. After losing your temper, you must go to your birthdays on September 30. So did Robinson Crusoe, ap- friend and ask his forgiveness. parently, although he was fictional so I don’t know if that Make a Plan. counts.

How can you be sure that the mistake won’t happen again?

Saving the best for last: Maimonides authorized Samuel Ibn Make a practical plan of action. If you know that certain subTibbon to translate The Guide for the Perplexed from Arabic jects are sources of conflict between you and your friend, perinto Hebrew on this day in 1199. The translation was com- haps make a pact to avoid those subjects for the sake of peace. pleted in 1204. It’s Maimonides’ major philosophical work, The completion of these steps is called teshuvah gamurah, and is widely considered to be the most influential book of or “complete return.” It occurs when God puts you in the medieval Jewish philosophy. It was written in the form of a same position as when you originally made the mistake and letter to his student, Rabbi Joseph ben Judah of Ceuta. you do not repeat the mistake.” (Aish.com)

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The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019 | d11

What you should know about Rosh Hashanah

annette van de Kamp Editor, Jewish Press Here we go again: the High Holidays are almost here.

Time for a refresher and maybe a few facts you didn’t know.

You should eat fruit On Rosh Hashanah, it is our custom to eat apples dipped in honey, but apples aren’t the only fruit you should eat. The custom of eating a “new fruit,” or, more specifically, some fruit you haven’t eaten in a long time probably means apples don’t qualify. Think pomegranates, lychees, star fruit; anything that doesn’t make a regular appearance on your kitchen counter is fair game.

There are some other foods that are traditional at your New Year’s table as well, such as leeks, beets and everyone’s favorite: fish heads.

They symbolize prosperity and health. these words do not mean what you think they mean Rosh Hashanah doesn’t actually mean “New Year.” The literal meaning is “head of the year.” Just like your head (brain) tells your body what to do, how you behave on Rosh Hashanah has far-reaching consequences for the entire year, according to Chabad.org. Remind your kids: bickering on Rosh Hashanah is not a good idea.

When not to blow the Shofar When Rosh Hashanah coincides with Shabbat, we do not blow the shofar on that day. This year, we don’t have to worry about that— most of our holidays fall on weekdays. does the pomegranate really have 613 seeds?

Since we often eat pomegranates on Rosh Hashana, the notion that this fruit has exactly as many seeds as there are mitzvot (613) has been around for a while. In spite of many people worldwide counting seeds, nobody has actually been able to empirically prove it’s true. But it makes for a good story. no naps for you We all love Shabbos naps. On Rosh Hashanah, however, naps are a no-no. Remember how Rosh Hashanah sets the tone for the entire year? If you sleep on Rosh Hashanah, your good fortune will sleep as well. don’t forget the Fast of Gedalia After all the festive meals, we are expected to fast the day after, from sunrise to sundown. It’s in memory of the assassination of Gedalia, the governor of Judah. His murder ended Jewish autonomy following the destruction of the First Temple.

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roshhashanah

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BIrths

noa rivka, daughter of Hodaya and Rabbi Shlomo Abramovich; talia ruth anna Bennett, daughter of Megan Adams and Jeffrey Bennett; Walter nathan, son of Jennie (Gates) and David Beckman; robert (robbie) eric, son of Deana and Jared Berezin; Dalia Fox Boehm, daughter of Naomi Fox and Andrew Boehm; amayah Bri’anne, Brooke and DreChaun Brown; Daniel Jerome Boehm Campos, son of Allison Boehm-Campos and Daniel Campos; samuel tyler, son of Jessica and Shane Cohn; Cohen Kulani, son of Madison Eisenberg; ari Dae, son of Lindsay and Alex D. Epstein; asher evans, son of Carrie and Cory Epstein; Isaac Parker, son of Laurie and Adam Finberg; evelyn June and theodore samuel, daughter and son of Jill and Jeff Fredricks; Parker B., son of Cari and Kevin Hagemoser; Willow, daughter of Allie and Michael Hamicksburg; Caleb Judah, son of Liora and Yoni Herskovits; Corrine and russell, twins of Shannon Weiss and Joseph Kahn; myles allen, son of Sara and Nic Kirshenbaum; Benjamin asher, son of

Brigitte and Alan Kohll; ezra graham, son of Amanda and Joshua Mara; Binyomin, son of Tziporah and Max Marcovitz; erez n’tanel, son of Ya’el and Avi Margolin; raya Brielle, daughter of Beth and James Meyers; ri Jacobson osberg, daughter of Rachel Jacobson and Stephen Osberg; ariella adara, daughter of Anna and Joshua Priluck; zelda, daughter of Julie and Jason Rife; Cooper andrew, son of Sara and Daniel Raznick; amelia eve, daughter of Ariella and Joseph Rohr; myelle grace shyken rothbart, daughter of Beth Shyken Rothbart and Chad Rothbart; Connor michael, son of Liz and Joe Ruback; Liam michael, son of Tal and Shir Sandler; talia Lee, daughter of Hannah and Michael Schmidt; atara shoshana and Dovid moshe, children of Rachel and Joey Shyken; simon hayes silverstein, son of Allyson Freeman and Geoff Silverstein; sonya susan, daughter of Mara and Matt Weidinger; and Dove alexander, son of Tiffany and Mordy Yankovich.

noah henry, son of Stacey and Brett Atlas; eva margit, daughter of Sarah Kelen and Dr. Ken Bloom; Braden, son of Joni and Scott Brooks; Doniven reese, son of Danni and Michael Christensen; sasha Belle, daughter of Tippi and Steve Denenberg; Leah anne, daughter of Gilbert and Rachel Dysico; michael sam, son of Steven and Carrie Fingold; Joseph, son of Linda and Joe Fischer; ryan Logan, son of Patrick and Andrea Fisher; noemi evelyn, daughter of Sarah and Dan Gilbert; anna rose, daughter of Jennifer and Larry Gittelman; harrison aron, son of Yesenia and Brad Goldstrom; Preston michael, son of Allison and Jay Gordman; Kathryn michelle, daughter of Danielle and Bryan Howell; Julia hyten, daughter of Aimee and David Hyten; Benjamin Daniel,

son of Dana and Michael Kaufman; oliver Issac, son of Erika and Phil Lucoff; ryan scott, son of Kathy and John McGauvran; Jordan evan, son of Jaime and Brian Nogg; alexander John and zachary nathaniel, sons of Sheila and Jonathan Rich; aaron “aJ”, son of Jessica and Andrew Shefsky; natalie marie, daughter of Drs. E. Andreea and Michael Shnayder; abigail, daughter of Dasha and Jeffrey Stein; sara siedband and sofia siedband, daughters of Julie Siedband; samantha asuenta and sophia marie, daughters of Kim and David Stern; ava Lily, daughter of Sara and Asher Stoller; Lilly, daughter of Lauren and Tommy Tam; adria rose, daughter of Sonia and Alan Tipp; Itai, son of Sarah and Dr. Guy Trainin; and Charlie mogens, son of Sarah and Adam Yale.

Laura Rifkin and Sean Banks; Stephanie Beneda and Matt Beneda; Kathy Shudak and Marty Cohen; Zoya Zeman and Dennis Dohner; Shelby Rubin and Ben Epstein; Gail Ann Brodkey and Patrick John Farrell; Annie Kotok and David Ghio; Lesley Gendelman and Eric Greenfeld; Sarah Craemer and Mendel

Kurland; Rachel Elizabeth Roberts and Justin Robert Lewis; Emily Echevarria, M.D., and Travis Lewis, M.D./PhD.; Emily Newman and Martin MacNabb; Stacie Brodkey and Jason Metz; Charity Bolling and Daniel Murow; Amy Levinger and Paul Springer; and Emily Gordon and Andre Woods.

B’naI mItzVahs

marrIages

C Y C L E S

5 7 7 9

In memorIam

Rabbi Daniel Allen, Marvin J. Azriel, Robert L. Baker, Donald Barna, Sandra P. Belgrade, Cantor Emil Berkovits, Vera Bernstein, Dr. H. Martin Blacker, Marcia Morris Blacker, M. Ronald (Ron) Brodkey, Frederick Arthur Bromley, Karina Brown, Dr. Bruce A. Buehler, Joseph Burstein, Frederick (Fritz) S. Cassman, Kevin Clinefelter, Bud Cohen, Joyce R. Cohen, Rose (Kirshenbaum) Cohen, Sandford Jay “Sandy” Cohn, Adele Josheph Curcuruto, Arthur L. Davidson, Carole Davidson, Sylvia Siref Davis, April DePorte, Jane M. Diesen, Margaret Dishman, Gloria Durmaskin, Sidney Epstein, Mark Louis Erman, Mariya “Mary” Etus, Elaine Evnen, Everett Evnen, Jack Fazio, Mike Feldman, Steven Jay Feldman, Brad T. Finkle, Hersz Flatowicz, Sonia Forbes, Arthur (Art) I. Friedman, Jerry Gerelick, Minerva Beverly “Bev” Gendler, Natalie Kaplan Gendler, Frances S. (Chickie) Gilinsky, Irwin (Irv) Goldenberg, Steven H. Goodman, Melinda Graham, Geraldine (Jeri) Wine Gray, Bernice Bordy Green, Joel Grossbart, Greg Henderson, David Herzog, Angela M. Hoffman, Lorraine Hopson, Ronald Kent Ipock, Richard (Chip) Jaeckel, Gloria Jones, Ilse Kahn, Ann Rosen Kaiman, Aalt van de Kamp, David Kaplan, Gary Kaplan, Beatrice Karp, Esther J. Katleman, Larry Kavich, Larry E. Katz, Helen “Hani” Kenefick, Harriet Klopper, Dr. Bert Kwasman, Debra Lechner, Frederic Leopold, Rabbi Richard Levy, Vera Frances Lewis, Michael Lohman, Bernard Magid M.D., Marci Brookstein Mainus, Sally G. Malashock, Helen Manheimer, Joan E. “Joanie” Martin, Gennadiy Menkov, Donna D. Noel, Donald S. Novicoff, Elaine Nowick, Stanley E. Perlmeter, Robert L. Pitlor, Charles (Chuck) Plotkin, Rose Raphael, Elaine Frank Saunders Richards, Ronnie Robbins, Kenneth Rosen, Susan Nassauer Rothholz, Betty (Kuklin) Rubin, Jane Rae Sawyer, Beverly K. Seldin, Shelley Schaffer, Shmuel Moishe Ben Shaul Schuller, Julius Schwarzstein, Edith R. Shapiro, Alice Mae Shradar, Stephanie Shradar, Leslie Seigel, Harriet Singer, Judy Siref, Stanley “Bud” J. Slosburg, Audree Spatz, Sherman C. Sperling, Lorraine “Lorrie” Stein, Ronald Gary Stein, Larry Stoller, Eric Straus, Anona Trutna, Allen Tully, Jerry Turner, John Walker, Leona Watermann, Anna Ellen Wiesman, Ken Wiseman, Renee Wiseman, Gail Wishnow, Daniel H. Wolk, Alan Zinn and Charlotte Zipursky.

Visit us at jewishomaha.org

d14 | The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019

synagogues B’nai israel synagogue

618 Mynster Street Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 712.322.4705

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: jfrife@outlook.com or sand burgrife@gmail.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: rosh hashanah Monday, sept. 29: Rosh Hashanh Community Dinner, 6 p.m. Reservations accepted at nancywolf16620@gmail. com; Erev Rosh Hashanah Services, 7:30 p.m., Jamie SkogBurke will speak on Standing at an Intersection: Individual Identity and Jewish Peoplehood. tuesday, sept. 30: Rosh Hashanah Morning Services, 10:30 a.m., Nate Shapiro will speak on Rosh Hashanah: Moving Forward, While Looking Back.

Kol Nidre, tuesday, oct. 8, 7:30 p.m., Dr. Leonard Greenspoon will speak on Vows, Vowels and Virtue: Does It Really Matter When, Where and Why We Pray?

Yom Kippur, wednesday, oct. 9, 10:30 a.m., Jim Fried will speak on Sin and Forgivemess: In the World and in Ourselves immediately followed by Memorial Service and Concluding service and Break-the-fast, 5:30 p.m. For information email thelainofs@cox.net.

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, Howard Kutler, Carole Lainof, Wayne Lainof, Sissy Silber, Nancy Wolf, or email nancywolf16620@gmail.com.

Handicap Accessible.

Beth el synagogue

Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman. friday: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. Scholar-in-Residence, with Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz followed by Congregational Dinner sponsored by the Leonard Goldstein Fund. saturday: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.

Scholar-in-Residence, with Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz followed

by Kiddush Lunch and Study Session sponsored by the Leonard Goldstein Fund; Shabbat’s Cool (Grades K-7), 10 a.m.; Selichot Prgram, 8:30 p.m. — Offsite; Big Garden. weekday services: Sundays, 9:30 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. sunday: BESTT (Grades K-7), 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10 a.m.; Torah Tots, 10 a.m.; B’nai Mitzvah Meeting, 10:15 a.m.; From my Mother’s Kitchen, 10 :30 a.m. with Marilyn Tipp; Kibbutz Chaverim (Grades 3-7), noon; In[HEIR]itance Project Open Rehearsal, 6:30 p.m. tuesday: The Book of Jewish Values Class, 11:30 a.m. with Rabbi Abraham; Mahjong, 1 p.m. wednesday: BESTT (Grades 3-7), 4:15 p.m.; Hebrew High, 5:30 p.m. — Offsite, In[HEIR]itance Project. thursday: Brachot and Breakfast, 7 a.m.

NE AIDS Coaltion Lunch, friday, sept. 27, 11:30 a.m.– 1 p.m. Joan Marcus serves lunch once a month at the Nebraska AIDS Project, and she needs baked goods for dessert.

Contact Joan if you can help by donating baked goods.

No BESTT - Erev Rosh Hashanah, sunday, sept. 29.

Beth israel synagogue

Services conducted by Rabbi Ari Dembitzer friday: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:07 p.m.; Candle Lighting, 7:07 p.m. saturday: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; August/September Simcha Kiddush, 11 a.m.; Insights into the Weekly Torah Portion, 6:05 p.m.; Mincha/ Seudah Shlishit, 6:50 p.m.; Havdalah, 8:05 p.m.; Selichot, 1:15 a.m. sunday: Selichot, 1:15 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 am.; JYE BI — Community Service Project, 10 am.; High Holiday Crash Course, 10 am. with Rabbi Ari; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 7:05 p.m. at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

Monday: Shacharit, 6:40 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:05 p.m. at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. tuesday: Shacharit, 6:40 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:05 p.m. at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. wednesday: Shacharit, 6:40 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:05 p.m. at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. thursday: Shacharit, 6:40 a.m.; Connecting with Our Faith, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:05 p.m. at the 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. saturday: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. weekdays: Shacharit, 7 a.m. followed by coffee, treats, study and shmoozing. sunday: Service, 8:30 a.m.; Sunday Secrets, 9:15 p.m. following Minyan.

Monday: Personal Parsha class, 9:30 a.m. with Shani; Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. wednesday: Mystical Thinking, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Katzman; Introduction to Reading Hebrew, 10:30 a.m. thursday: Intermediate Hebrew Reading and Prayer, 11 a.m.; Talmud Class, noon with Rabbi Katzman.

All programs are open to the entire community. For more information call 402.330.1800 or visit www.ochabad.com.

congregation B’nai Jeshurun

Services conducted by Rabbi Teri Appleby. friday: Friday Night Live! Shabbat Service, 6:30 p.m. featuring music by Nathaniel and Steve Kaup; Oneg, 7:30 p.m. hosted by Bryan Gordon; Candlelighting, 7:08 p.m. saturday: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study on Parashat Ki Tavo, 10:45 a.m.; Dessert, Writing-onthe-wall Program, 7:30 p.m.; Havdalah (72 minutes), 8:37 p.m.; S’lichot Service, 9 p.m. sunday: Garden Work Party, 8:30-10 a.m., We will be trimming, weeding, and mulching and all members, friends and family are welcome to join in; LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.; LJCS Gesher, 10 a.m.; Adult Hebrew Prayer Class, 11:30 a.m.; Jewish Book Club Meeting, 1:30 p.m. at Gere Library, 2400 S. 56th St (South 56th & Normal Blvd) and will discuss Spies of No Country by Matti Friedman. Bringing of treats is permitted. Also note that this not intended to be a women’s-only group; men are welcome! wednesday: NE Wesleyan nursing class visit, 1 p.m. at TI; LJCS Hebrew School, 4-6 p.m. at TI. thursday: High Holidays Choir Rehearsal, 7 p.m.

We’ll be sprucing up the Temple gardens for the High Holy Days and we hope that volunteers will join us on the mornings of sept. 29, from 8:30-10 a.m., for gardening. We will be trimming, weeding, and mulching and all members, friends and family are welcome to join in!

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 Alan Shulewitz; Services, 4 p.m. led by Marti Nerenstone.

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

teMPle israel

friday: Tot Shabbat, 5:45 p.m.; Shabbat Evening Service and Dedication of the Brooks Café and Community Court Pillars, 6 p.m. saturday: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning

Service, 10:30 a.m.; OTYG Lock-In, 5 p.m.; S’lichot, 7 p.m.

S’lichot, meaning “prayers for forgiveness,” marks the official start of the High Holidays. We’ll begin with wine, cheese, and casual conversation with our new cantor, Joanna Alexander, about her spiritual journey, her vision for Temple Israel, and the themes of the High Holidays. A S’lichot service led by our clergy, and featuring the changing of our Torah covers to the holiday white, will follow. sunday: Grades PreK-6, 10 a.m.; Kids’ Choir Rehearsal, noon; Kol Rina Rehearsal, 1 p.m.; Temple Israel’s 7th & 8th Grade Youth Group Kick-Off Event at the Mark, 4:30 p.m. wednesday: More Than a Joke - A Tri-Faith Symposium Made in God’s Image: Jewish, Christian & Muslim Perspectives on Human Rights, Lunch-and-Learn, noon-1 p.m. at American Muslim Institute; Grades 3-6, 4-6 p.m.; Community Dinner, 6 p.m. Menu: grilled cheese, tomato soup, potato bar, fruit salad, assorted desserts. Wednesday night dinners are open to the entire community! If you have a child in our Wednesday learning programs, there will be no cost for your family’s dinner. Cost is $4 per adult and $3 per child (12 and under), which will be billed to your account. Please RSVP to Temple Israel the Monday before; Grades 7-12, 6-8 p.m.; Preparing our Hearts for the High Holidays, 6:30-8 p.m. with Rabbi Stoller.

tifereth israel

Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: Monday-friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. friday: No Services; Candlelighting, 7:08 p.m. saturday: Shabbat Service, 10 a.m. followed by a special Kiddush luncheon in memory of Sheldon Kushner.

Marcia Kushner will be sponsoring the meal as we remember Sheldon on the 10th anniversary of his Yahrzeit; Junior Congregation, 11 a.m. followed by a snack; Selichot Service "Radical Forgiveness,” 8 p.m. Join us for an evening of introspection, conversation, and prayer as we prepare for the High Holy Days; Havdalah (72 minutes), 8:07 p.m. sunday: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.; LJCS Gesher, 10 a.m. wednesday: LJCS Hebrew School, 4-6 p.m. at TI. 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 sunday, sept. 1 and thursdays, oct. 10. Your donations may be brought on any day except Shabbat. It is very appropriate to bring them just prior to our Kol Nidrei service.

MeMorial services

sunday, september 22 Mount Carmel Cemetery in Lincoln, 10:30 a.m.

Golden Hill Cemetery, 5025 N. 42nd St., noon Beth Israel/Mt. Sinai, 78th & Crown Point, 1 p.m.

BHH/Fisher Farms, 8900 S. 42nd Street, 2 p.m. sunday, october 6 Temple Israel Cemetery, 6412 No. 42 St., 10:30 a.m.

Beth El Cemetery, 84th and ‘L’ Sts., 11 a.m.

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

Wyuka Cemetery in Lincoln, 3 p.m.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tries to blow shofar and fails

JTA sponded that “God has authorized you.” e exchange was posted in a video online by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson atBritain’s Channel 5 News. tempted, and failed, to blow a shoJohnson was not able to get a far while on a visit to northern sound out of the instrument, but England. managed to utter the age-old pun During a visit Friday to meet vot“Shofar so good,” before handing it ers in Doncaster, Yorkshire, the back to the woman. newly minted prime minister was Johnson also tried to blow the approached by a woman who invited him to “blow the holy shofar.” shofar in 2011, when he was the She explained that the instrument, mayor of London, during a which she said is “like a trumpet,” groundbreaking ceremony for the is from Israel. city’s new Jewish community CenJohnson expressed concern ter building in Finchley, which about whether he is allowed to took place the day before Yom Kipblow the holy instrument, which is Boris Johnson Credit: Chris pur. He managed to get a sound used by Jews on Rosh Hashanah J Ratcliffe/Getty Images out of it that time aer a short tuand Yom Kippur and during the month leading torial by the then-chief rabbi, Jonathan Sacks. up to the High Holidays, and the woman re-

The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019 | d15

The Jewish Quiz Box

Rachel Samuel J. Fox Reprinted from e Jewish Press of September 30, 1949.

Q: Why is the day after Yom Kippur known as “Tzu Gottes Nomen?” a: Between the time of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, a change is made in the daily prayers. At a certain point in the prayers the Lord is blessed as the “Holy God” during the entire year. During the aforementioned period, he is blessed as the “Holy King.” is is done because at this time of the year the Lord becomes the judge of all humanity, passing judgment like a King over his subjects. e day aer Yom Kippur, the original term, “God,” is reinstated and the judgment is over. Amongst the Chasidim, this was an important transition, perhaps like a sigh of relief aer one has passed his trial period. e day was thus given a special name, “Tzu Gottes Nomen,” which means “To God’s name,” indicating the prayers reverted to “God” instead of to a “King.”

Q: Why is the Ark opened at so many prayers during the High Holidays? a: It is believed that during the High Holidays the Jew has more direct possibilities of appealing to God’s mercy than during the rest of the year. His own mood of penitence coupled with the Almighty’s desire for mercy allow him more chance to appeal for his life and happiness.

e gates of prayer are believed to be opened wider at this time. Moreover, the sight of the open Ark makes a profound impression upon the thinking of the worshipers.

Some consider this a means of asking the Lord to open the gates of prayers for our entreaties.

Q: Why is the customary greeting “Leshonoh Tovah Teekosayvoo” (May you be inscribed for a good year) omitted on the second night of Rosh Hashanah? a: e omission is regarded as a display of confidence from one individual to another. Having already wished each other this one the first day, and having been in the synagogue praying together for the good and welfare of all, it is assumed that the individual has already been inscribed in the Book of Life for a good year. Wishing this to him again would indicate a doubt as to whether he was worthy enough to be inscribed on the first day.

Q: Why is it customary to remove knives from the table before reciting grace? a: A number of interesting reasons are offered for this custom. A symbolic reason is offered in the Codes, citing the fact that metal, especially in the form of a sharp knife, is a means of curtailing life, while the family table, which is oen compared to the Altar in the Temple, is a means of prolonging life.

Reciting grace is a means of thanking God for prolonging life by means of food. Doing so in front of an instrument that symbolizes the curtailment of life would be contradictory.

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D16 | The Jewish Press | September 20, 2019

Have a happy, healthy and green New Year!

League Offering Volunteers for the Elderly The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Auxiliary

Happy New Year

L’Shana Tovah

From the staff of

Sabine Strong Volunteer Coordinator 402.330.4272 Ext. 6519 sstrong@rbjh.com

JEWISH WAR VETERANS of AMERICA Epstein Morgan Post 260 Best wishes to our wonderful community for a sweet, healthy, happy year.

May this year bring the fulfillment of our most fervent wishes and dreams.

Rabbi Mendel and Shani Katzman and Family Chabad Board Members and Volunteers

Best wishes for a happy, healthy and peaceful Rosh Hashanah.

FREE membership to all active-duty personnel Contact: Jay Benton, Commander 402-250-6133 We welcome any and all new members

The Natan and Hannah Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies at the University of Nebraska-Omaha wishes all our Friends and supporters a

From the Staff and Governance Council of the Institute for Holocaust Education

Happy New Year

B’nai Israel Synagogue You’re always welcome at B’nai Israel!

618 Mynster Street, Council Bluffs 51503 Best wishes for a Happy, Healthy New Year!

A Century of Tradition National Register of Historic Places

National Council of Jewish Women Nebraska

NCJW extends its warmest wishes to the Jewish community for a Joyous New Year.

Best Wishes for a Happy New Year

Henry Monsky Lodge B’nai B’rith

Best wishes for a Happy, Healthy New Year Beth Israel Synagogue Beth Israel Sisterhood JYE BI

Jewish Youth Experience at Beth Israel

With Your Help We’ll Have A Great Past Ahead Of Us

Happy & Healthy New Year Join us and give a gift for future generations.

Gold $250 | Patron-1 Year $100 | Sponsor $72 | Regular $36