September 27, 2024: Rosh Hashanah Edition

Welcome

The Jewish Press

(Founded in 1920)

David Finkelstein

President

Annette van de Kamp-Wright

Editor

Richard Busse

Creative Director

Claire Endelman

Advertising Executive

Lori Kooper-Schwarz

Assistant Editor

Melanie Schwarz

Intern

Sam Kricsfeld

Digital support

Mary Bachteler

Accounting

Jewish Press Board

David Finkelstein, President; Margie Gutnik, Ex-Officio; Helen Epstein, Andrea Erlich, Ally Freeman, Dana Gonzales, Mary Sue Grossman, Hailey Krueger, Chuck Lucoff, Larry Ring, Melissa Schrago, Suzy Sheldon and Stewart Winograd.

The mission of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to build and sustain a strong and vibrant Omaha Jewish Community and to support Jews in Israel and around the world. Agencies of the JFO are: Institute for Holocaust Education, Jewish Community Relations Council, Jewish Community Center, Jewish Social Services, Nebraska Jewish Historical Society and the Jewish Press Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page stories and announcements, can be found online at: www.jewishomaha.org; click on ‘Jewish Press.’ Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole. The Jewish Press reserves the right to edit signed letters and articles for space and content. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment.

Editorial

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A Brand-New Year

The Talmud relates that when G-d came to offer the Torah to His people, He asked for a security. Many tangibles were offered and were refused by the Almighty as being temporary and fleeting. However, when the Israelites offered their children as security, the Torah was granted them.

The above quote is printed on the cover of the 1989 Passover edition of the Jewish Press. Focusing on babies born in or around 1988, the issue features the hopes and dreams of their parents. The editor at the time was Morris Maline z”l, and he wrote:

“Some lucky children -the Class of 2001- are going to have some fabulous moments when they read the messages in this issue in the years ahead.” He credited Sylvia Roffman (a Jewish Press past president!) with the idea. Sylvia, in turn, was interviewed by Bert Lewis for the issue. Bert was also the one who coordinated the entire project.

“To most of us,” Bert wrote, “I’m sure the year 2001 seems like a really long way off. And I’m also sure the words twentyfirst century have a feeling of belonging to the distant future. In fact, is that time really so far away?”

It’s not, because here we are, in 2024. And if you were born in 1988, you have your double chai birthday this year, and that is reason to celebrate- and write more stories!

The initial topic already had follow-up: a segment of the babies featured in that 1989 edition showed up again in 1995, when they started elementary school; in 2001, when they had their b’nai mitzvah; in 2006, when they graduated high school.

The list of names is not the same for each of these issues, and we weren’t able to get in touch with many of them. So if you (or your mom, or aunt, or old high school friend) read this and find us lacking, A) the responsibility is mine, and B) please get in touch with us! We would love to hear from you.

New Year’s messages from our clergy are also, of course, included in this issue, as are other stories about the holidays. It’s been a strange year, and the world looks very different than it did in 2023. It is my heartfelt desire that the year 5785 is better and full of peace.

Before you dive into the stories, allow me to thank a few people. First of all, our advisory board members, under the expert guidance of president David Finkelstein: thank you all for being in the room with me.

This edition would of course not have been possible without our amazing staff: Creative Director Richard Busse (there are not enough Peeps in the world) and assistant editor Lori Kooper Schwarz. You’re both fabulous. Our sales director, Claire Endelman: we are so happy you are here! Thank you for jumping right in! We are grateful for Sam Kricsfeld, who we are not willing to say goodbye to, and who continues to give us technical support from his office in Kansas City. And who makes us proud, being the editor of the Kansas City Jewish Chronicle

Thanks also go to our Chesed Fund (formerly the Murray H. and Sharee C. Newman Supporting Foundation) summer intern, Mel Schwarz, who did more typing than I’ve ever seen anyone do.

Thank you to the Jewish Press proof reader team: Claire Flatowicz, Pam Friedlander, Les Kay, Margaret Kirkeby, Ann Rosenblatt, Sibby Wolfson and Isa Wright. Any remaining typos are mine.

I also want to pay attention to the main reason this job continues to be so much fun. As an agency of the Jewish Federation of Omaha, we are part of the larger whole. That means we get to work with great people in a large variety of departments and agencies. Some of those are seasonal (hello, camp staff and life guards), some of them are always here and never sleep (hello, maintenance and housekeeping!). All of them have one thing in common: they are amazing, nice, and form a big family. You may think I’m kvelling, but it’s true: the people make the Jewish Federation of Omaha a wonderful place to work. Thank you, all.

Thank you, most of all, to you, the one who’s reading this. Because without you, there would be no Jewish Press

Shana Tovah U’metukah,

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT

Jewish Press editor

Rosh Hashanah

Passion and joy: Lexie Newman

SANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor

She is passionate about raising her two boys in a loving home and being the best parent she can be. She dreams of being able to create beautiful designs, that fulfill her creatively and bring joy into others' lives.

Lexie Newman, daughter of Sharee and Murray Newman, entered the world as Alexa Jillien Newman. Of course, at the time, she didn’t really get a say- she was just an infant. In a 1989 story written by Lynda Frank, Murray Newman is quoted as saying he was “looking forward to the unique relationship that fathers and daughters have that I’ve heard about all my life.” Lexie had an older brother, Nick.

“It’s important to have a full and joyous childhood,” mom Sharee said in that same article. “When they’re little and young they should enjoy discovering how stimulating the world is.”

She also said: “Self-concept and self-esteem are important issues in childhood. She needs to find her identity not in what she has but in who she is.”

And, the article continued, the Newmans want her to have a Jewish identity. “It’s our tie to our heritage and our future, Murray said.

“At Temple Israel, the J and through our own practice this will just become part of her natural way of life and feeling. It won’t be anything that will have to be shoved down her throat; it’ll be her way of life as it is ours.”

Sharee said:

two small children myself. It sounds like they had many similar hopes and ambitions that I have for my children. I definitely get my work ethic and discipline from my parents. They instilled that in me from a very young age. Of course my creative drive and love of the arts come from my mom. I also see great value in giving back to my community and being involved at my son’s Jewish preschool.”

In 1995, when Alexa turned six, Murray wrote a follow up for the Jewish Press:

“Alexa Jillian Newman is a typical six-year-old girl; artistic and athletic; inquisitive and thoughtful; silly, exuberant and loving.

“Alexa spends her weekdays attending first grade at Swanson Elementary School, where she enjoys art, computers, physical education and lunch. She is an avid reader and participates in the Junior Great Books Program.

“On the weekends, when Lexi (the spelling was with one ‘i’ back then, ed.) is not attending a birthday party, you can find her playing with Barbie dolls, creating ‘great art,’ or hanging out with her brother, Nick. She also enjoys ice skating and swimming. She plans to try gymnastics and softball this spring, and she is looking forward to attending Camp Chaverim at the JCC this summer.

“Lexi treats every member of her family, including her dog, Bailey, with care and affection. She embraces life and is fun to be with.”

Then, in 2001, it was Lexie’s turn to tell her story.

“It’s interesting to read the ’89 article,” Lexie said, “and to hear my parents talk about me as a baby and their parenting goals, especially since I have

“you can’t protect your children from everything. You can’t shelter them as much as you’d like. I think it influences me to start educating them younger and preparing them for problems they may face. There are so many things going on today that affect families. We need to strive to get good information to our children.”

“Lexie is my nickname but I changed the spelling for fun. It used to be L-e-x-i, but I was tired of it so I wanted a change. I don’t exactly love all my teachers, See Passion and joy page A5

Stay curious: Alex Epstein

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor

Alex specializes in large acquisitions, dispositions, and leasing assignments within the office, multifamily, and industrial sectors. Throughout his career, he has leveraged his track record of success, relationships, market expertise, and disciplined process to create meaningful outcomes for his clients. Alex has significant experience with structuring sale-leasebacks, asset dispositions, lease negotiations, stay vs. relocation analysis, tenant renewals, and targeted acquisitions. Alex is an Omaha native and a graduate of Indiana University-Bloomington. He enjoys serving the community and is currently the Chairman for the Jewish Business Leaders of Omaha, and from 2016-2020 was the Vice-Chairman for the Omaha CRE Summit.

That first paragraph comes wholesale from his professional bio. But in 1989, when Lynda Frank interviewed parents Lisa and Gary about baby Alex, he was a long way from being a successful entrepreneur.

“It’s like a piece of a puzzle,” Lisa said at the time. “I hope he’ll fit in.”

“The ‘he’ refers to the newest piece of their family puzzle,” Lynda Frank wrote, “Alex Drew Epstein, who was born October 11, 1988. The others are his brothers, Robbie, 5, and Ben, 2.

Gary himself is the youngest of three brothers and feels this will help him understand what his son will go through.

“Being number three,” Gary said, “he’ll watch and learn from his older brothers and take the best road for himself. I look up to both my older brothers and hope he’ll have the same respect for his. Health and family will always pull you through.” Lisa added: “He needs to be a productive, responsible human being.”

In 1995, mom Lisa followed up with an interview she conducted with Alex, then six years old. He liked that, at six, he was the tallest in his class: “I like it because it makes me strong,” he said, “and I get to go on rides that little kids don’t get to go on.”

School and college were the most important things in the world, the saddest thing was getting beat up by other kids, and his favorite holiday was Hanukkah: “...because people know then that I am Jewish and I don’t have to believe in Jesus.” When asked what he will look like at 13, he predicts he will be cool, have bigger friends and will still be the tallest. When Lisa asked “Do you ever get in trouble?” Alex said “I have to go to my room for 15 minutes or longer when I talk back or I hit Ben.” But when she asked what he can do by himself, the answer was “I can beat my brothers up,” so whether that punishment worked is unclear.

In 2001, Lisa and Alex provided the Jewish Press with an update. By that

time, Alex was 12, a sixth-grader at Columbian Elementary, and he liked that he had privileges. The most important things in the world were family, religion, school and basketball. Hanukkah was still his favorite holiday, and synagogue was “important but boring.” The saddest thing he could think of was losing his grandpa George; the happiest was playing basketball. And while, in a different article when Alex was four, he claimed he’d “wear a green suit and have fur on his body” at his Bar Mitzvah, 12year-old Alex chooses a more elegant option: “I will be tall, wear a dark suit and a tallis from Israel.”

He still got in trouble: “Oh yeah, especially in Hebrew School,” he said. Fast forward to today, and Alex has long outgrown both Hebrew School and being sent to his room. He is now a dad himself: son Ari Dae was born in 2019; Avi Hue in 2021. In a few weeks, he will celebrate his 36th birthday, so we asked him some of the same questions Lisa asked him back then.

Q: What do you like most about being 36?

A: Raising my boys and travelling to see the world.

Q: Happiest time of your life?

A: Life is made up of many highs and lows. It’s hard to pinpoint the single happiest moment, but being surrounded by my boys and love brings me the most joy.

Q: Saddest time in your life:

A: Learning to navigate trauma and loss.

Q: What is the most important thing in the world?

A: My kids and doing everything with the intent to cause good in the world and to those around me.

See Stay curious page A6

Ari Epstein is going to space

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT

Jewish Press Editor

Or maybe he’ll be a police officer, who knows? Alex Epstein was interviewed by his mother Lisa multiple times throughout the years. Now it’s Alex’ turn to question his oldest, Ari, who turned five years old in July of this year.

Alex: What do you like about being 5?

Ari: Being nice.

Alex: What is the saddest thing that’s ever happened in your life?

Ari: Missing my dad.

Alex: What is the most important thing in the world?

Ari: Going to space.

Alex: What’s your favorite holiday?

Ari: I love the 4th of July.

Alex: What do you feel like in synagogue?

Ari: I feel like playing.

Alex: What do you want to be when you grow up?

Ari: A police officer to arrest everyone.

Alex: What will you look like when you’re 13?

Ari: Black hair and black shoulders.

Alex: Who will you invite to your bar mitzvah?

Ari: Camille and Madi and everyone can come.

Alex: Who will you marry when you grow up?

Ari: My dad.

Alex: What’s your favorite sport?

Ari: My Music Class.

Alex: What’s your favorite movie?

Ari: Minions

Alex: What’s your favorite book?

Ari: My carwash book.

Alex: What scares you the most?

Ari: Thunder.

Alex: Do you ever get in trouble?

Ari: Yeah, all the time I get in trouble.

Alex: What can you do by yourself? Ari: Clean up.

Alex: What’s your favorite song? Ari: The I got this feeling Trolls song.

Bennett Ginsberg Managing Director

Alex Epstein

Passion and joy

Continued from page A3 considering I do go to Middle School. I ‘despise’ my older brother, Nick, who is 15, and he feels the same way about me; I try to stay away from him, unlike my earlier years.”

“Maybe my parents should have proofread that one a little more thoroughly,” 2024 Lexie said. ‘It’s fun to read and a little embarrassing, to be honest!

Middle school girls are the worst, aren’t they? My tone comes across bratty!”

Perhaps, but that’s okay; it’s great to watch her grow through the years. Even if, in 2001, she wrote “I don’t want to get married, and I don’t want the responsibility of kids.”

In 2006, she was responsible for the front cover of the Jewish Press Passover edition. By then, she was a senior at Westside High School, an award-winning artist, and about to set off to attend the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design. In her article, titled Extreme Art, she explained that she inherited the ‘wimp gene’ from her father.

“I am scared of everything: amusement park rides, low ropes obstacle courses, rope swings, ice skating, rock climbing, jet skiing and even roller skating. I am always the girl who is screaming and crying while my teammates hoist me up on the 20-foot-tall tight rope.”

Wimp gene or no, she found her bravery elsewhere.

“Whenever I’m about to place my timid foot on the tightrope, I remind myself it’s okay that I’m a wimp because I’m an extreme artist. Extreme artists take risks, conjure wild and unpredictable ideas and truly treat art as a process. Who says extreme has to be white water rafting or parasailing? Extreme means exceeding the limit, pushing past the unexpected, entering the land of the spontaneous.”

“Thankfully,” she said in 2024, “I’ve had to get over a lot of my fears (birth and being a mom to small children will do that to you).

But yes, I am still terrified of roller coasters and will only do kiddie rides. In my “extreme art” phase, I was definitely trying to push the envelope and be different and outrageous.

High school-me took great satisfaction in making people uncomfortable and I think that’s where all that came from. Once I left Omaha, I was around lots of different types of people, lived in bigger, more exciting (sorry Omaha) cities, I chilled out and I would say no, I do not still practice “extreme art”. I do however still create art that’s whimsical and playful, that’s more of a style thing. I don't care as much anymore about pushing people's buttons. I am too tired.”

Today, Lexie is a mother to two boys, aged 3 months and 2 years, and lives in Los Angeles

a BFA in textile design. After graduating, she moved to New York, where she worked in fashion for only a year.

“Hating it, I spent my free time applying to graduate school for costume design programs,” she said. “I chose to go to UCLA and moved to LA in 2011. I met Jacob, who is now my husband, in 2012. I graduated with an MFA in costume design in 2014 and spent the past 10 years working in film and tv in costume departments. As much as I enjoyed that path for a long time, growing older, coping with uncertainties during the pandemic, and then having a baby, I realized the hustle-culture and incredibly long hours were not for me. In February 2022 Jacob and I got married after dating for 10 years and I gave birth to my son Jule in June (named after his grandfather Jule Newman). Yes, I had a shotgun wedding! After Jule was born I started my baby bedding company, Moon Star Baby, and got back to my textile design roots. I dip back into costume work from time to time but am trying to make Moon Star Baby my primary focus. My son Reuben (we call him Ruby) was born April 2024. Now I am home for the summer spending time with my family and working on growing my company. I also have a black and white mini poodle named Hazel who is the true matriarch of the household. And yes, being a mom would've totally shocked my younger self!”

To the younger Lexie, she would say that life ebbs and flows.

“Be open-minded to change and not so focused on achievements. I’d tell myself to relax, try to live in the moment a little more, have fun, not worry so much. It all works out

Above clockwise from left: Jacob, Lexie, Reuben and Jule; below left: Lexie and Jule and below right: Lexie, Reuben and Hazel.

It just keeps getting better: Sarah Spooner

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT

Jewish Press Editor

Sarah Spooner was first introduced to the readers of the Jewish Press in the Passover issue of 1989:

“Sarah Mackenzie Spooner was born on Nov. 30,” Lynda Frank wrote, “the same day as her great-grandmother, and recently had her Hebrew naming in memory of her aunt, Evvie Rice.” The article talked about her parents, Gayle and Jim Spooner, their plans to raise Sarah Jewish, their hopes for her future. Those hopes include, but are not limited to, Sarah becoming Chief Justice on the Supreme Court.

Then, in 1994, Sarah turned six, and again, there was a write up in the Jewish Press, this time by her father, Jim:

“She attends morning kindergarten at Columbian Elementary and Sunday School at Temple Israel,” he wrote. He mentions she is doing well in school, and gets good grades. Sarah is also beginning to show her personality:

“Sarah is a caring 6-year-old who has her own opinions about what she wears and how she looks. She can flash a smile that will win you over in a second. She can engineer things to fit her own agenda and achieve goals, using the persuasive powers daughters have over fathers.” He also wrote: “Family remains a big part of Sarah’s life. Grandparents and her aunt and uncle live close by, and she seems quite comfortable being around them.”

In 2001, a twelve-year-old Sarah herself shared what her life was like with our readers:

“The Year 2001 is a very special year to me, because I will be celebrating my Bat Mitzvah on Dec. 15 at Temple Israel,” she wrote. “When all your relatives are there at that special time for me, I know I’ll love it.”

Every Year Brings Change is the headline on the next story, again written by Sarah herself, in the 2006 Passover edition of the Jewish Press. This time, she looked back on what her father said about her in 1989, and made it clear Chief Justice was not in the cards: “When I was a kid, I always wanted to become an interior or fashion designer,” she wrote. “I would love to attend Kansas University and major in interior/fashion design.” She wrote about summer camp, about Sabra and J-Camp and her Artza trip, but also about family: “The two most favorite people in my life are my GMA and GPA. Jerome and Frances Milder are the best grandparents. They have inspired me and

Stay curious

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A:

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always told me to follow my dreams.”

Today, Sarah Spooner is 35 years old and an entrepreneur.

In March 2015, she opened her own store, named Four Sisters, in Rockbrook Village. The store is named for the Osoff girls: Sarah’s grandmother Frances, and her sisters Evelyn, Pearl and Roselle.

She thinks the 2006 Sarah would be “SO proud of how it looks and how it’s evolved. It’s funny to think back about how I was interested in interior design and how aspects of interior design really came out with opening my store. I am very particular on how I wanted it to look so I’m all about the aesthetic. I notice when I walk into places now, I always look at the aesthetics of a restaurant or a boutique, and I think it catches the eye of the customer. That’s what I wanted to do for Four Sisters. People walk into a store that they love and feel comfortable in and want to continue to shop there, so I think 2006 Sarah would definitely say I killed it!”

She celebrated her ninth year as a small business owner earlier this year, and her employees describe her as a kind, smart, and dependable leader. Sarah has a big heart and truly cares about others. Whether it be customers, employees, friends or family, she always goes above and beyond to show her support or lend a helping hand. Yes, she’s all these things, but she is simultaneously one of the most hard-working entrepreneurs you’ll find. She is always striving to better her life by setting goals for herself and the boutique. By curating a team and empowering them to bring her ideas to life, she’s been able to expand her storefront and establish a warehouse. Above all, Sarah is grounded in gratitude. She starts each and every day noting what she is grateful for. Her greatest strength? Her positive attitude.

“The biggest thing I have learned in the past decade,” she said, “is how to be a better communicator and leader. All of the activities I involved myself in during my teens and 20s helped me develop my communication skills and evolve into the leader I am today. By the time I opened Four Sisters, these strengths were essential when engaging in everyday activities with employees. I’ve learned that, as a leader, it’s important to remember that everyone is going through something. Showing compassion, believing in others, and giving girls the opportunity to step up has played a huge role in my success. Now See It just keeps getting better page A7

A: The Power of No by James and Claudia Altucher

Q: What scares you the most?

A: People that have the capacity to cause harm and destruction. Still scared of spiders and snakes and bugs and manual labor.

Q: Do you recognize the Alex from 2001 and 1995?

A: Of course, my younger self is part of who I am today. We can learn so much from embracing our inner child.

Q: What would you tell Alex from 2001?

A: Embrace the joy of the world because joy comes in waves, never deviate from being you.

Sarah Spooner in the Four Sisters Boutique

Open awareness on Rosh

There is a debate in the rabbinic tradition concerning whether or not mitzvot need kavana (“intention”). That is, does one get credit for the performance of a mitzvah even if just by rote, or does one need to have in mind, when doing the mitzvah, that one is fulfilling the commandment of God. The conclusion of the Rabbis is that one gets credit even without “intention,” though there is a hope that through the performance of the mitzvah one will come to perform it with kavana. Maimonides (1138-1204) and other rabbinic scholars sought to make prayer, or at least key portions of prayer (such as the first paragraph of the Sh’ma) conditioned upon kavana, but in practice Jewish Law is lenient here. As Rabbi Moses Isserles (1530-1572), the great Ashkenazic posek (decisor) writes: “In our day, one doesn’t repeat a prayer due to a lack of kavana because it may very well happen that even when one repeats it, they will not have kavana--so why repeat?” Clearly, though, one should aspire to pray with kavana; or in the words of the great Sephardic posek Rabbi Yosef Karo (1488-1575): “During prayer, a person should direct their heart to the meaning of the words and think that it is as if the Divine Presence is before them.”

I got to thinking about prayer and kavana as I was making my way through The Healthy Minds Program. It’s a mindfulness app (free and available on the App Store and Google Play) whose pitch is: “With a combination of

podcast-style lessons and both seated and active meditations, you’ll learn what the science says about the brain while developing skills to tap into these learnings for a healthier, happier you.” The science in question comes out of The Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, whose founder and director is Dr. Richard J. Davidson (yes, he’s Jewish). A key goal of Healthy Minds is open awareness: to be fully present wherever one is, to be completely aware through all of one’s senses. The main barrier to open awareness is our “monkey mind,” which is a formidable presence for all but yoga masters. “Monkey mind” is a playful term to describe the non-stop streaming of various thoughts that scamper unbidden through our heads. It can seem as if we are prisoners of our monkey mind, as if essentially no matter where we are or what we are doing, what really is going on with us is showtime for Monkey Mind: worry about an upcoming tuition payment, regret for a callous remark, anticipation for a long-planned trip, a reminder to pick up a loaf of bread on the way home. There are many techniques to help with monkey mind, and you can find some of them on the Healthy Minds app. Typically, techniques often involve anchoring the mind while being open to one’s senses; two examples are: repetitively counting one’s breaths and repeating a mantra. Thinking “one, two, three, four; one, two, three, four,” or “may I be healthy and safe” can dampen the monkey mind’s activities and allow one to be more fully present.

Now putting all of the above together, here comes a High Holiday gift for you: This year, See Teddy Weinberger page A9

It just keeps getting better

Continued from page A6 I can lead by example and teach my employees how to improve their communication skills, as well, so that Four Sister’s customer service can be top tier.”

She would tell her younger self to always continue to be kind to others.

“Being a social butterfly, always using my manners, and supporting others has played a huge role in my life.,” she said. “I would tell her to continue to get involved, be social, stand up for yourself, be close with family and friends, LISTEN, learn from experiences. My entire store was built on who I knew to help me and it was able to grow and succeed with the success of what I learned as a young gal.

I would definitely tell my younger self to always look for the best in people and to be confident in who you are. I genuinely wouldn’t change anything about my life thus far, so I’d just say, “Take it all in. Be grateful. Keep up the good work. It just keeps getting better.”

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Wishing the Omaha community Shana Tova

Sarah Spooner

TEDDY WEINBERGER

Class of 2001: Alex Wolf

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT

Jewish Press Editor

“In 2024,” game designer and developer Alex Wolf said, “I am obeying the law, raising two border collie-pointer mixes, and enjoying life with my wife Bobo. I’m also running my company, Spielcraft Games, developing and publishing board games.” Alex is the son of Nancy and Phil Wolf; he has a sister, Hannah, and a brother, Nathan. And: he wishes everyone in Omaha a Happy New Year.

Spielcraft Games is an independent publisher of tabletop games, located right here in Omaha. Alex is supported by an ever-growing team of artists, designers and manufacturing and fulfillment partners. Its mission: to deliver positive gaming experiences for everyone. In March 2020, Spielcraft successfully funded its debut title, For Glory: The Game of Gladiatorial Combat and Deck Building

In 2001, however, Alex had a different focus: making it

through his Bar Mitzvah. His personal prayer made it into the Jewish Press

“I stand before you today as a Bar Mitzvah,” he told the congregation, “a son of the commandments; one of the 600,000 souls at Mount Sinai.”

His Torah portion was Yitro. In it, the Jewish people make a covenant with G-d, and 13-year-old Alex took it to heart:

“Keeping the covenant means to me doing mitzvot, such as keeping kosher, having a mezuzah on my door and studying Torah,” he wrote. “I learned that Jews have a responsibility to be good people and help the world be a better place. Therefore, I will try to make the world a better place.” He started with his mitzvah project: Alex helped with Jewish Family Service’s Project Dreidel and collected supplies for the Humane Society.

“The biggest thing I have learned since then,” Alex said, “is that everything is interconnected to the point of being one See Class of 2001 page A10

The B’nai Mitzvah

Class of 2001

CAROL KATZMAN, EDITOR

LLOYD ROITSTEIN, CHAIRMAN

From the April 6, 2001 Jewish Press

In the 1989 Passover issue of the Jewish Press, Sylvia Roffman wrote: “To most of us, I’m sure the year 2001 seems like a really long way off. And I’m certain the words ‘twenty-first century’ have a feeling of belonging in the distant future.

The theme of that issue began when Roffman realized in 1987 that children born the following year would be celebrating their B’nai Mitzvah in the year 2001.

Some of us did have babies in 1988. And when we realized that their B’nai Mitzvah year, 2001, shared a futuristic feeling with the movie of the same name, Stanley Kubrick’s 2001, A Space Oddisey, it seemed only natural that the Press follow these infants from birth.

Some of the predictions made by parents in 1989 have indeed come true: talking computers, atsronauts on space stations, videophones and portable phones.

Some of our young authors have written about Jewish camping experiences or the long preparation for Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Others have written about people important to their young lives: parents, grandparents, teachers, Holocaust survivors and others. They’ve allowed us to share a glimpse into their lives through their writings, their personal prayers, their devrei Torah and their photos.

Though not every teen who has or will celebrate a Bar or Bat Mitzvah this year had participated in this issue, the Jewish Press tried to feature additional teens through photos, some recent, some taken in preschool, some in one-year-old playgroups.

We hope those who were not featured in this issue will join this group in a future Passover edition. And we hope you, the reader, enjoy this journey of sorts as we look forward to discovering more about the Class of 2001 once again, in 2006, when they graduate from high school!

Roffman wondered how many of the initial group of babies in 1989 would still be in Omaha in 2001. We;re happy to report that few have moved away, and those who have are still in touch.

These young teens are about to enter a critical stage in their development. We pray the community welcomes them and supports their efforst to grow as responsible, independent Jews.

JEWISH PRESS NOTICES

The Jewish Press will be closed on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 3 and 4 for Rosh Hashanah, Thursday Oct. 17 for Sukkot. The deadline for the Oct. 11 issue is Tuesday, Oct. 1, 9 a.m.; for the Oct. 25 issue, it is Monday, Oct. 14, 9 a.m. Questions? Call 402.334.6448.

Bobo and Alex Wolf with their two dogs

Answering the love letter

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor

Lindsay Rachel Belmont’s story begins with mom Jill, who wrote in 1989:

“When I decided to write an article about my hopes and aspirations for my six-monthold daughter, Lindsay Rachel, I first thought, ‘Well, what do I want for her?’ To which, of course, I answered, ‘Everything!’ I’ll try to expand on what ‘everything’ means.”

Jill’s wish was for her daughters (it applied to older sister Jessica Sarah as well) to always be comfortable in their own skin.

“When she looks in that mirror, Mark and I want her to see herself as a Jewish girl who is comfortable with and proud of being Jewish, despite the pressure that can arise from being different from the majority. We want to teach her to understand and take pride in those differences.”

Jill talked about knowing the celebrations, as well as the history; the persecution, the Holocaust, “so that she will appreciate our strength, our perseverance as Jews.” She ended her ‘Love Letter’ by saying Lindsay should always know how much she is loved by her parents.

In 1995, Lindsay is in first grade. Jill followed up by writing: “She signs her name ‘LIN-Z.’ Her bedtime prayer ends with either ‘G-d bless my whole family... and my relatives,’ or ‘G-d bless everybody... except bad guys.’ She delights in relentlessly annoying her older sibling, and does it well, and often.”

1995 Lindsay liked to have tea parties and play practical jokes, and she liked to write. When she lost her first tooth, she wrote a lengthy letter to the tooth fairy, including

Teddy Weinberger

name, address, phone number and directions to their house. Just in case.

“She’s quite a combination,” Jill wrote, “this LIN-Z: a comedic spitfire with selective hearing and a sunny disposition, but also a thoughtful and sensitive little child who is easily moved to tears and is always aware of others’ feelings.”

Fast forward to 2001, and Lindsay was getting ready for her Bat Mitzvah, which was scheduled for October 13 at Beth El Synagogue. That year’s Passover edition of the Jewish Press came too early to include a story about the actual Bat Mitzvah, but that didn’t stop Lindsay (who by then was no longer LIN-Z).

“When I was a fifth grader,” Lindsay wrote, “my class wrote essays about whom we would email and why. I chose Anne Frank. Sometimes when I think of Anne Frank, I can sort of feel what she felt, just by reading her diary and listening to all of her emotions.” She included the email she wrote to Anne in fifth grade in its entirety, and it’s fascinating to read: a different kind of love letter, from a young girl in 2001 to a young girl in 1944.

In 2006, Lindsay was a senior in high school, and she wrote an article about her love for dance: “There’s no way of putting into words what that rush of joy and exuberance is like when the spotlight’s on,” she wrote. “I throw my heart out on the line while I’m dancing. In a way, the setback helped me grow as a dancer. It’s simple.”

The ‘setback’ she refers to was an injury she sustained while practicing her splits, something that gave Lindsay a serious lesson in patience.

“After a few long, frustrating and aggravating See Answering the love letter page A11

Continued from page A7 instead of saying the same old words by rote, turn your synagogue experiences into mindfulness workshops. Rather than mindlessly repeating what you have said annually for years and years, try every now and then to pay attention to the meaning of the words. Yes, 500 years ago Rabbi Karo was on to something! The words of your prayers can act as a kind of mantra to quiet your monkey mind and help facilitate mindfulness. Don’t worry, you can start by only trying this for small portions of the liturgy. But as the Center for Healthy Minds teaches us, practicing mindfulness is like exercising a muscle: the more you try it, the better you become at it and the richer the experience. Shana Tova. Teddy Weinberger, Ph.D., made aliyah with his wife, former Omahan Sarah Jane Ross, and their five children, Nathan, Rebecca, Ruthie, Ezra, and Elie, all of whom are veterans of the Israeli Defense Forces; Weinberger can be reached at weinross@gmail.com

Lindsay, Mike and Lila

For rabbis writing High Holiday sermons during the Israel-Hamas war, procrastination pays off

JACOB GURVIS

On the morning of Oct. 7, Rabbi Erez Sherman was preparing for the Yizkor memorial service at his Conservative synagogue, Sinai Temple in Los Angeles. He had written a sermon, somewhat presciently, about memory. It was titled Hard to Say Goodbye.

Then he received a text message from his predecessor, Rabbi David Wolpe, who was three hours ahead in Boston: “Change your sermon.”

News had broken about Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel, and while Sherman said he typically doesn’t use technology on Shabbat and holidays, it became clear that this was no typical holiday. For his sermon that day, Sherman ended up reading text updates from someone in a shelter in Ashkelon, near the Gaza border.

Now, as rabbis across the United States prepare their sermons for the upcoming High Holidays, the first since Oct. 7 sent shockwaves across the Jewish world, many are acutely aware that similar last-minute changes could be needed yet again. As the Israel-Hamas war continues and the U.S. presidential election approaches, the volume and pace of news show no sign of abating. For any rabbi interested in preaching on current events, that uncertainty presents a challenge.

But as Rabbi Nicole Guzik, Sherman’s wife and co-senior rabbi, points out, it’s a challenge with which rabbis are — often somberly — familiar.

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

“I hate to say it, but look what has happened during the months of September and October,” Guzik said. “What was it like to be a rabbi during 9/11? What was it like to be a rabbi during the Yom Kippur War? Being a rabbi is being able to pivot and to give meaning and significance and the grounding of Torah to current events.”

Rabbi Jennifer Frenkel, the senior rabbi at Congregation Kol Ami, a Reform synagogue in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, said High Holiday sermon-writing often boils down to “the art of procrastinating.” That’s especially true, she added, when the holidays fall as late as they do this year — Rosh Hashanah begins Oct. 2, nearly three weeks later than it did last year.

“I think clergy have learned a lot since 9/11, since all these things tend to hit around the holidays, about being open to needing to scrap everything we’ve thought of and start again,” Frenkel said.

Frenkel, who plans to speak about current events for one of her High Holiday sermons, said she has been collecting resources and brainstorming with colleagues. But while in a typical year she would likely have an initial draft by this point, Frenkel said she has not yet started writing that sermon.

“That process, I imagine, is going to start much later than it has,” Frenkel said. “Certainly with the situation in Israel ever evolving, the political climate in the country. So that’s kind of where I am — not very far at all. But I think that’s the best place to be right now, just staying open to the meaning that we’re finding in the day to day.”

Guzik, who is planning to speak about the Gaza war on Rosh Hashanah, said the conflict has actually simplified rabbis’ See High Holiday sermons page A12

Alex Felch

Continued from page A8 thing. I probably wouldn’t tell my younger self that, or anything else, as that would most likely lead to some sort of monkey’s paw or butterfly effect nightmare.”

In his Bar Mitzvah speech, Alex talked about visiting Israel, and learning a lot about Jewish history. In the 2006 edition of the Jewish Press, he was featured holding a koala in Australia (we are all a little jealous) during a People-toPeople Sports Ambassador mission, and visiting Israel again in 2005 on a Young Judaea trip. He’s gone on other trips since then:

“I’ve traveled to Fiji, Thailand, The Philippines, Great Britain, and China,” he said, “and now I pretty much just want to stay in Omaha!”

That can be arranged. Omaha is happy to have Bobo and Alex.

Alex and Bobo Wolf

Paid for by the Jean Stothert for Omaha Committee, 5909 S. 118th Plaza, Omaha NE 68137

For any rabbi interested in preaching on current events during the upcoming High Holidays, the volume and pace of news present a challenge. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Rosh Hashanah in 1924

The Rosh Hashanah edition of September 25, 1924 was 16 pages thick, had a full page of New Year’s greetings and a half page of social news (Mrs. S. Gilinsky is in New York City.), so nobody had to wonder what anyone else was doing. Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Jewish Welfare Federation Joe L. Wolf had the honor of writing a community New Year’s greeting.

“Our Superintendent, Mr. Blumenthal, tells me three things.

One, that we have the most completely Federated Jewish community in the Country. That’s our Welfare Federation.

Two, and what is very important, according to our census just being completed, our Federation membership is 11% of the entire Jewish population of the city. That’s leading the banner Federation cities, San Francisco, Baltimore and Cincinnati, who have each less than 10%.

Three, now as to the third matter which is not so good. If we could only lead in that too, why—we would be the talk of the country.

Leading cities of America give about $10 per capita for their Federation, that is $10 for every man, woman and child in the city. Last year our avergae was $5. This year it is running about $5.50. There is hope that during the New Year, we are going to hit up the percentage to the tune of $6 and show them that we can stand high in everything.

Folks, I want to tell you this has been a hard year for me as Chairman of the Finance Committee and that I worried a great deal. But, say, I just love to work, for I know what it means to the sick, the poor, the aged, the widow and the orphan. We have made ‘em HAPPY!

Those of us who have given to and worked for the Federation and other charities will surely have a Happy New Year!

Answering the love letter

Continued from page A9 months,” she wrote, “I was finally able to dance as I had before. Eventually, different leaps and jumps found their way back into my body. I cannot emphasize enough what a relief it was to be dancing again.”

In 2024, Lindsay once again lives in Omaha: “I’m a wife to my wonderful husband, Mike, mom to our amazing daughter, Lila, and dog mom to my 11-pound shih tzu, Daisy,” she said. “I settled back into Omaha ten years ago, after getting my undergrad degree at the University of Kansas, participating in a six-month internship program in Tel Aviv, and earning my law degree at the University of Nebraska College of Law. I’m incredibly lucky to have my parents, grandparents, and my brother, his wife, and their son in town. I only need to convince my sister and her husband and kids to move back from Washington!”

Lindsay is a partner at the law firm of Koenig|Dunne. As a family law attorney, she represents clients during what is often the scariest time in their lives. “In my practice, I see how challenging divorces can get,” she said, “especially when children are involved— but when a client tells me what is most important to them, I’m dedicated to presenting the strongest case possible.”

She has learned a few important things along the way:

“I have learned what true resilience, grit, and grace means,” she said. “I have learned that the people who truly love you will always

Shanah Tovah

be there for you, lifting you up when you need it, and standing by you during your darkest days. I have learned that having a growth mindset, being open to trying new things and taking leaps of faith, can lead to the most rewarding things. I have learned to be my own strongest advocate and to never compromise

my integrity.”

If she had the opportunity to speak to her younger self, she would tell her perfection is not the goal: “Strive for excellence instead,” she said. “You can be excellent with imperfections. And life is too short to be worried about saying exactly the right thing, getting a perfect score on an exam, or never making a mistake. We’re all human. We’ve never done this before. Being perfect isn’t the goal; enjoying a beautiful and fulfilling life is.”

What would she tell Anne Frank today?

“If I could even put my feelings into words, the first thing I would tell her is how I felt that day in early December of 2010, when I visited her house in Amsterdam,” Lindsay said. “With a heavy heart, I would tell her that not much has changed. It would be devastating to tell her of the atrocities of October 7, 2023, that there are hostages who have been held by murderous terrorists for over 320 days, and that antisemitism is running rampant throughout the world. I would tell her of my friends who have said they would hide me if needed. But I would also tell her of the everlasting hope of the Jewish people. That when anything happens to one of us, we all feel it. I would tell her about the strength and resilience of the Israeli people and of our undying commitment to ensure our homeland and Hatikvah live on.”

Maybe “Everlasting Hope” should have been the headline of this story. It’s something Lindsay certainly embodies.

High Holiday sermons

Continued from page A10 preparations in one key way — when it comes to choosing sermon topics.

Rosh Hashanah in 1934

From the Sept. 6, 1934 edition of the Jewish Press

Rosh Hashanah will start on Sunday evening

World Jewry, imbued with the faith and hope which have inspired Israel through the ages, will observe the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah 5695, starting Sunday evening, September 9.

Reform Judaism devotes one day to the observance of this holy day; others two days.

Rosh Hashonah means literally, in Hebrew, “the head (or beginning) of the year.”

In earliest times the Hebrew New Year began in autumn with the opening of the agricultural year in Palestine—a system adopted by all Semitic peoples. Since ancient times the beginning of the economic year has been celebrated in some special way. On this day there was to be a holy convocation of the people, trumpets were to be blown and special sacrifices offered at the altar of the Temple. Though the Bible refers to this day as “the day of the blowing of the trumpets,” yet in Palestinian days it was regarded by the Jewish people as the New Year of the agricultural cycle.

With their exile from the holy land and their dispersion, New Year’s Day assumed a new meaning and a higher value in Jewish life. In rabbinic tradition the holiday is regarded as the commemmoration of the beginning of the creation of the world. It is a day upon which all the creatures of the world pass in review for judgment before the Creator, even as sheep pass before the shepherd.

The idea of New Year as a Day of Judgment gave rise to a beautiful and elaborate ritual throughout the middle ages. It fashioned the holiday into a solemn occasion upon which every Jew is to reawaken within himself the loyalty to the teachings of Judaism. Emphasis was laid upon the New Year as a day for self-examination and reflection upon past deeds—a day upon which man should search the inner recesses of his heart and sincerely resolve to turn from the misdeeds of the past year.

“You know you’re going to speak about Israel,” Guzik said. “I would be shocked if one of the five sermons that people deliver, [if] one’s not about Israel, that would be a very hard thing for me to hear. I think it kind of relieves that uncertainty. I think the question will be the direction.”

Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky, who leads Congregation Shaare Tefilla, a Modern Orthodox synagogue in Dallas, said he has recently been writing his Shabbat sermons later than usual and, where possible, avoiding references to specific events that could quickly become outdated.

For the High Holidays, he said, he plans to keep his sermons focused on broader subjects that can be written ahead of time with little risk of requiring changes, and when he talks about Israel, current events will not be “the sole focus” of his remarks.

“Given that the specific reality may change, not just from one day to the next but from one hour to the next, my discussions are going to focus on the types of themes that you can prepare for in advance, that you can anticipate,” Rackovsky said.

Michele Lowe, a playwright who advises rabbis across the country on their sermons, said many of the rabbis she is working with ahead of this High Holiday season are planning to speak about the war and antisemitism, even if they gave similar sermons last year or in the months since Oct. 7.

Lowe is advising roughly two dozen rabbis on 37 sermons for this fall — her largest workload since she began moonlighting as a so-called “rabbi whisperer.” Most of her clients are Reform rabbis and the majority are women, she said.

Lowe said that any rabbi who chooses to speak about the war knows that they will likely need to continuously edit their sermons until the day they deliver them.

“Because this is something that is unfolding literally by the day, I think that if they are going to be preaching about the war, for example, they know that,” Lowe said. “It’s absolutely not a surprise.”

Lowe said the current moment reminds her of another recent crisis that accelerated ahead of the High Holidays: the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, even as vaccination rates increased, the spread of the Delta variant cast uncertainty over how synagogues would approach the holidays.

“Everyone thought in July of 2021, everybody’s going to stay healthy, things are going to be OK,” Lowe said. “And then what ended up happening was, the more the summer came on, a lot of those sermons had to get rewritten.”

On the plus side, Lowe said, giving a sermon about the war or other current events during the High Holidays provides rabbis a luxury often not available to them on a typical Shabbat: Time.

While she usually encourages brevity — “I’m of the belief nobody ever complained that the sermon was too short,” she quipped — Lowe said High Holiday sermons are often closer to 20 minutes, sometimes twice as long as a typical Shabbat offering.

As rabbis tackle — or revisit — these topics on the High Holidays, length is not the only factor to weigh. There’s also the question of navigating the political climate in one’s own congregation, a reality that differs in each community.

At Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, Sherman said the clergy have historically tended to steer clear of politics — an approach that drew criticism when Wolpe argued for it.

“We don’t give political commentary, we give spiritual food for the soul, and I think that’s an important aspect,” Sherman said. “Anybody can go read the news on whatever site they would like to, but when you’re going to come to a synagogue on Shabbat, on holidays, on High Holidays, I think people want to feel connected three ways: To each other, to a deeper sense of themselves and to God.”

Sherman said his community includes members of all political stripes, and that he and his colleagues “really try to present ideas of how to think and not what to think.” That apolitical approach does not apply to Israel, however, which he said has been a topic of conversation and education “literally every week” since Oct. 7.

In fact, that’s a practice Sherman said his congregants have validated. About five or six months after the war began, Sinai Temple’s rabbis asked lay leaders whether they should stop talking about Israel.

“When we asked our leaders, should we go back to what we were doing pre-Oct. 7, they said, ‘No, we’re not enjoying what you’re doing, but we crave it,’” Sherman said.

To Frenkel, the appeal of an Israel sermon — for both the rabbi and the congregation — is the opportunity to use Jewish tradition and text to draw meaning out of a difficult situation, an exercise that can be repeated, even on the same topic.

See Sermons page A13

Nicole Guzik and Erez Sherman, the husband-wife team of cosenior rabbis at Sinai Temple in Los Angeles. Credit: Sinai Temple

We Are One: A memory from 2001

As the b’nai mitzvah class of 2001 was experiencing a year of torah portions, speeches and parties, something else was brewing. On September 11, 2001, a plane flew into one of the twin towers at the World Trade Center in New York City. Then, another plane hit the second tower, followed by an attack on the Pentagon, while the fourth plane went down in rural Pennsylvania after its passengers fought back. The attack cost 2,977 lives. The front page of the Jewish Press had the story.

Jewish Press News Service

Even for North American Jews used to thinking about security issues at home, and confronting terrorist acts in Israel, the horrific acts that struck September 11 came as a devastating, unimaginable blow.

“This is surreal. This whole situation seems surreal,” said Martin Raffel, the associate director of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, whose offices are located in midtown New York, a safe distance from the destroyed World Trade Center.

Before the initial shock wore off, Israel was offering help, U.S. Jewish groups were reacting with anger and Jewish communities across North America were holding prayer vigils.

In a statement of support, solidarity and prayer, the Jewish Federation of Omaha, Centers of Excellence and the synagogues said, “We join with the community, the country and the world in expressing our immense sorrow at the senseless loss of life on September 11. We extend our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those lost in this horrific act.

“We pray for the recovery of the injured and stand ready to support those seeking physical and emotional healing. We condemn those who act with hate and violence toward innocent people, here at home and abroad, and we recommit ourselves to eradicating terrorism.

“We must always remember, if one of us is not safe, none of us are safe.”

In that same issue, editor Carol Katzman relayed messages from Omahans who were there.

In New York, Omahan Jan Schneiderman, National President of the National Council of Jewish Women, was in a meeting in Manhattan.

“I was on the 46th floor of a building on 43rd and 6th Avenue,” she wrote in an email to this office, “approximately six miles from the World Trade Center. A moment or two after the first explosion, two of us went to see what happened. We then went back to our conference room to tell our colleagues, who then rushed over to view the devastation.

“Just at that moment, the second plane hit the building and they witnessed this horrible tragedy.”

About an hour later, one member of the group went back over to see what was going on and witnessed the collapse of the towers.

“The city is in shock,” Schneiderman observed. “Streets are empty; stores are closed. People walk down the street not knowing what to do or what to think or how they will get through the next days. Many were unable to get home unless they walked, sometimes miles, across the bridges which are

Sermons

Continued from page A12

“For many [congregants], they haven’t been in the synagogue to hear every Israel sermon that we’ve given, or every sermon on antisemitism, or every sermon on the meaning that we find in community right now,” Frenkel said. “These sermons are kind of the heavy hitters. Are we going to echo some of the things that have already been said this year? Absolutely. But I think there’s always a new angle.” Rackovsky has experience revising his sermons quickly. In 2018, American-Israeli activist Ari Fuld, whom Rackovsky knew personally and who had a relationship with Rackovsky’s synagogue, was stabbed and killed by a Palestinian teen in the West Bank days after Rosh Hashanah. Rackovsky said he found a way to incorporate Fuld’s “legacy and what he stood for” into his Yom Kippur sermon that year.

If he has to adapt his sermons this fall, he hopes it’s for a brighter reason.

“I hope that that pattern doesn’t hold up this year,” he said. “But on the other hand, there’s already been so much bad news that it’s not like you’re starting from a place where you’re talking about how great things are and suddenly they’re not.”

While last-minute changes to High Holiday sermons have historically been prompted by tragedy — 9/11, COVID spikes, war in Israel — Guzik isn’t ruling out the possibility that good news could throw a wrench into her sermon this year.

“Say suddenly on erev Rosh Hashanah, I get news that — God willing it happens much earlier — a deal has been reached and the hostages are being released, you better believe that my sermon is changing,” she said.

closed to cars.

“Please pray for those families of the victims; the men, women, and the children whose lives will be forever affected by this day,” Schneiderman added.

Shana Novak, who moved to Manhattan after graduating Syracuse University two years ago, wrote to the Press, “The first tower fell as I dressed for work. In my head, I can still hear the screams from the street. Over and over. I ran outside, turned the corner, and stopped dead in my tracks. One of the towers simply wasn’t there.

“Where’s the other tower?” a girl asked her friend. “It’s gone,” he answered. She burst into tears. I went inside.

On the evening of the Trade Center attack, a blanket of calm spread over Greenwich Village. Children rode scooters in the middle of a deserted Fifth Avenue while their parents watched the sunset paint the billowing smoke over lower Manhattan a brilliant shade of pink. The beauty of it all made me sick to my stomach.”

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Memorial Service October 6 11 a.m.

For directions, call Patty Lee Nogg, 402/578-7461

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New Year’s Greetings from the Board of Directors: Patty Nogg, President; Bob Kully,V.P.; Gail Krasne Kenkel, Secretary; Doug Krasne,Treasurer;

Beth Seldin Dotan, Mark Eveloff, Elyse Gallner, Michael Gallner, Larry Goldstrom, Jay Katelman, John Katelman, Joshua Katelman, Rick Katelman, Marti Nerenstone, Sissy Silber, and Marty Ricks

United Airlines Flight 175 hits the South Tower

This year’s High Holiday kids’ books are a celebration of Jewish diversity

PENNY SCHWARTZ

The enduring traditions of the High Holiday season take shape across time and place in the latest crop of children’s books about Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot.

This year’s books transport readers back to biblical times; whiz them to the old-world streets of Istanbul; remember the etrog trade in 18th-century New York City; and celebrate harvest festivals from very different culture. All of them beckon families with stories that display the rich diversity in Jewish culture.

Here’s your roundup of new children’s High Holidays books for 2024.

A Turkish Rosh Hashanah Etan Basseri; illustrated by Zeynep Özatalay | Kalaniot Books; ages 5-9

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In this heartwarming story, Rafael, a young Jewish boy in Istanbul, wishes his grandmother Nona, and his cousins Alegra and Leon, “anyada buena,” the Judeo-Spanish greeting for a happy new year shared by Sephardic Jews at Rosh Hashanah. Kids follow the cousins at the bustling outdoor market, where they help Nona shop for the ceremonial foods they will enjoy that evening at their traditional Sephardic meal. The cousins’ excitement is briefly dampened when an older kid bullies them while they shop. But Alegra courageously uses her voice to stand up to him, leading the way for Rafael and Leon to speak out, as well. A playful pack of friendly cats gets in on the action, keeping it light. When the family gathers for the holiday, Nona praises the kids for their teamwork. The book concludes with an author’s note about Sepharic customs and a handy glossary. Max and the Not-So-Perfect Apology

Carl Harris Shuman; illustrated by Rory Walker and Michael Garton Apples & Honey Press; ages 6-8

directly with law enforcement, Secure Communities Network, and the Anti-Defamation League.

Luis comforts Rachel with a beautiful silver etrog cup. But will her papa return for Sukkot, bringing the promised etrog? To everyone’s relief, Papa returns home just in time, and the etrog finds its home in Leah’s silver cup. In an author’s note, families learn that the story is based on the life of Luis Moises Gomez (1660-1740), a prosperous merchant and trader from Britain who settled in New York. Mixed-Up Mooncakes

Christina Matula and Erica Lyons; illustrated by Tracy Subisak | Quill-Tree Books; ages 4-8

An Etrog from Across the Sea

A Jewish mother who lives in Hong Kong is one of the co-authors of a story featuring a young girl whose family celebrates two harvest holidays: Sukkot and the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. Ruby shops separately with her Chinese Nainai and her Jewish Zayde for supplies for the holidays, but she craves some way to combine them. Like other recent books such as Two New Years and The Very Best Sukkah, the book illuminates connections between different traditions for readers who appreciate learning about the world and want to see contemporary models of Jewish family represented in children’s literature.

Sammy Spider’s First Book of Jewish Holidays

Sylvia A. Rouss; illustrated by Katherine Janus Kahn | Kar-Ben; ages 1-4

In this cartoon-style page-turner, readers meet Max, a young inventor who saves time in the morning by washing only one side of his face. When Max and his best friend Emma join forces for their Torah-class project about the biblical story of Jacob and his brother Esau, Max is determined to win first prize. But when their teacher arranges different teams, jealousy and feelings of being left out threaten their friendship. It’s a perfect set-up for a fun-filled adventure when Max powers up his time-travel machine, this time without his co-pilot Jin Emma. He lands in Ancient Israel, where plenty of jokes between Max and Jacob, his son Joseph and Esau will have kids chuckling. There are meaningful lessons to be shared about forgiveness that reflect the themes of Yom Kippur.

Possibly the most famous character in Jewish children’s literature, Sammy Spider is back in board-book form in an introductory text about the Jewish holiday cycle.

Starting with the fall holidays of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Simchat Torah, the book continues through Shavuot in spring, showing the friendly young arachnid who enjoys spinning his web in the home of a Jewish family.

One More Story, Tata!

Julie Salamon; illustrated by Jill Weber | Minerva Books; ages 4-8

In their newest collaboration, Julie Salamon and Jill Weber hit the mark with a charming, beautifully illustrated intergenerational story about a young girl named Ruby, her grandparents, and great grandmother Tata.

Every weekend, when Ruby visits, Tata enchants her with stories imagined from her dreams. On Friday nights, they gather around the Shabbat table and light candles, share challah and enjoy a festive meal. Ping-Pong Shabbat: The True Story of Champion Estee Ackerman

Ann Diament Koffsky; illustrated by Abigail Rajunov Little Bee Books; ages 4-8

Deborah Bodin Cohen and Kerry Olitzky; illustrated by Stacey Dressen McQueen | Kar-Ben; ages 4-10

Award-winning authors Deborah Bodin Cohen and Kerry Olitzky team up in a charming Sukkot tale lavishly illustrated by Stacey Dressen. Set in the early 18th century, a Sephardic Jewish family travels by stagecoach from their country home to New York City to their grandfather Luis’ large house. Leah, her brother Aaron and their mother eagerly await Papa’s return from his travels from Corsica in time for Rosh Hashanah. In a postcard, Papa has promised to bring home a perfect etrog — the fragrant citrus fruit used during Sukkot. But when Papa doesn’t arrive, they fear something is wrong. Grandpapa

Kids will cheer as they follow a rising young ping-pong star named Estee who aces all her competitions. Every Shabbat, Estee takes a break from the fast-paced game to go to synagogue and later, to enjoy the company of her family and friends. But when Estee qualifies for the National championship that will be held on a Saturday, she faces a hard choice. In the back pages of this action-packed, cartoon-style book, readers discover the real-life story of Estee Ackerman, who gave up the chance to compete in the national table tennis championship when she was just 11 years old, because it was held on a Saturday. The following year, Estee won the gold medal at the nationals, gratified by the knowledge that she had honored her values and her religion.

Rosh Hashanah unwrapped

TZVI FREEMAN

Judaism is mysterious. It comes gift-wrapped from heaven with ribbons, strings and knots, each unraveling to disclose yet another mystery, an ever-widening unknown of yet more knots to untie, more strings to follow along an endless path. And with each unraveling another discovery, and with each discovery a deeper wisdom.

Rosh Hashanah is one of those great mysteries. How is it that the beginning of the year appears on the first day of the seventh month? Why are we blowing a ram’s horn, and why do we give it such a central role? What is the cosmic drama of this day, and what is our part in it?

Most puzzling is the Torah’s reticence. It speaks cryptically, as though discussing something we are expected to know without it telling us.

“It will be a day of sounding for you,” we are told. Sounding what? That we are not told. King David wrote in his Psalms, “Sound the shofar at the new moon, at the hiddenness of our festival.” And that is the sole biblical reference we have for our tradition that we are to sound not our voices, not a trumpet, nothing else but a ram’s horn.

But then another verse tells us, “It will be a day of remembrance of sounding for you.” And from this we are to understand not to sound anything—just to remember. Our tradition resolves the matter, that G-d is requesting, “Recite verses of kingship before Me to make Me your king. Recite verses of remembrance before Me, that the memory of you shall rise before Me. And how? With a shofar.” Oh, what a puzzling tradition.

How do we know all this? And how do we know that this is the beginning of the year—something not mentioned anywhere in the Five Books of Moses?

The short story is, because we always knew. We knew because when Moses received the Torah, all this was clear to him as well, and he transmitted this information, even if he did not

Happy RoshHashanah fromBoysTown!

write it down. And even before we heard from Moses, we knew about Rosh Hashanah. Abraham received the ancient teachings from Shem, son of Noah. Noah in return had received from Methuselah, who had received from Enoch. And Enoch certainly knew of Rosh Hashanah, for he received his wisdom directly from Adam, who had been formed on that day.

Rosh Hashanah, then, is not just a Jewish holiday. Rosh Hashanah is the birthday of humankind.

One mystery closes and another opens. Look through the entire book of High Holiday prayers and you will find no mention of Adam’s birth. What you will find is the repeated statement “Today is the birthday of the world.” You will also find an enigmatic phrase, “This day is the beginning of Your works, a remembrance of the first day.”

Suggesting a fascinating thought, indeed one the modern scientist may embrace: perhaps the cosmos was born only when Adam opened his eyes to observe and name each thing? After all, don’t the quantum physicists and cosmologists of today tell us that there can be no events, no universe, without an observer? The universe begins, then, with the creation of the first human consciousness; “He blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and Adam became a living being.”

Fascinating, but not quite satisfactory. Because, in fact, the book of Genesis tells that Adam was formed on the sixth day of creation. There was a world before. Granted, a very different world than the one we know of, one in which matter, energy, time and space came into being and took form, in which events

And the classic response is: because we are not celebrating an anniversary; “Today is the birthday of the world” means today, now. Today the world is born again. This day is “the beginning of Your works,” reminiscent of the very first time the world was made. Only that the first time the world was born, it was a free gift. Since then, it depends on us, the Adam. And so, it occurs on our birthday, Rosh Hashanah. We are reborn, and within us the entire cosmos.

Tzvi Freeman is the author of Bringing Heaven Down to Earth and, more recently, Wisdom to Heal the Earth You can read more of his writing at www.chabad.org. The content on this page is produced by www.chabad.org, and is copyrighted by the author and/or www.chabad.org. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further, provided that you do not revise any part of it, and you include this note, credit the author, and link to www.chabad.org.

Credit: Zachi Evenor, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

Rosh Hashanah

BOB GOLDBERG Chief Executive Officer, JFO

The Jewish story will continue

We are links in the chain of the magnificent Jewish story. Our individual stories matter and bring needed light to a world that can at times feel dark.

This year has been hard. We all know this. K’lal Yisrael, the Jewish people, have been tested. In times like this, we lean on each other, on our collective history of overcoming, reliance on our resilience, our faith, and the justness of our cause.

In March, I had the opportunity to travel to our Partnership region in Israel with our Board Chair Nancy Schlessinger, and we engaged with volunteer groups who come together daily to prepare meals for soldiers, to work the fields, to provide services to so many suffering from trauma in its many forms.

Every day since Oct. 7, new heroes have stepped up. Individuals who have taken it upon themselves to do incredible selfless acts of kindness to help others. This is who we are when we are our absolute best. Anne Frank wrote, “How wonderful it is that no one has to wait, but can start right now to gradually change the world!”

I was able to have a short visit with my friend, Avi, who not only oversees a battalion of 500 soldiers on the northern border where he has been since Oct. 8, but he also has a son and a daughter who are serving and have been inside Gaza. Their sacrifices are hard for me to fully grasp.

This is not just another High Holiday season where we look back and commit to being and doing better. Yes, we must do this, but this year is

See Bob Goldberg page B3

Make every moment count

In our tradition, our thoughts and actions during the Days of Awe from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur can alter what may be in store for us in the coming year.

During this time of introspection and taking responsibility we have choices when we set our intentions for the next year that has just begun.

The Jewish Federation of Omaha’s intention is to serve our community, which is made possible by generous people like you who are grounded in timeless Jewish values. One such value is collaboration, partnerships that strengthen within and beyond our community and are essential for enhancing Jewish life.

So much of our ‘Jewish life’ has changed since our Rosh Hashanah message last year, prior to October 7. At this time of year, as we move from warmer summer months into crisp fall days, we ask for forgiveness. This year we will come together and pray for peace for our family and friends in Israel as they continue to fight for peace, their land and the release of innocent hostages.

See Nancy Schlessinger page B3

Shanah Tovah

NANCY SCHLESSINGER JFO Board Chair

Exploring Machzor

HAZZAN MICHAEL KRAUSMAN

Beth El

As Hazzan, I have always felt a deep, intimate, personal, relationship with the prayers of the High Holiday Machzor. It is truly remarkable how the ancient and modern authors of this brilliant liturgical compendium were able to capture and reflect the most salient themes of the high holidays in such a meaningful and relevant manner.

Let’s briefly explore the history of the Machzor, the high holiday prayer book. Its origins can be traced back to the early centuries of the Common Era, when Jewish communities spread throughout the world and developed diverse customs. In an effort to unify and codify these traditions, the renowned Jewish scholar Saadia Gaon compiled the first Machzor in the 9th century. Written in Judeo-Arabic, it contained prayers for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

In the 16th century, the first printed Machzor was published in Venice, Italy. This was a significant milestone as it made the liturgy more accessible to the wider Jewish community. With advancements in printing technology, more and more Machzorim (prayer books) were published, each with its own unique variations and customs.

Now let’s delve into some of the key themes of the high holidays and how the

prayers and Piyutim (liturgical poetry) of the Machzor address them. One of the most important themes is Teshuvah (Repentance), which is found in the Selichot service that introduces the High Holidays and also recited throughout Yom Kippur, the day of atonement.

The Vidui (confessional) also expresses this theme through an exhaustive list of sins that the entire community acknowledges. This is preceded by a striking prayer beginning with the words “Ana Tavo,” emphasizing the need to first admit our faults and short comings before beginning the process of Teshuvah.

Another vital theme is Din (judgment), which is eloquently expressed in the medieval Jewish liturgical poem Unetanah Tokef begins by declaring, “We shall ascribe holiness to this day,” reflecting its focus on the solemnity and spiritual weight of the Days of Awe.

Traditionally attributed to Rabbi Amnon of Mainz, the prayer narrates a vivid and emotional portrayal of divine judgment for the coming year. According to legend, Rabbi Amnon composed it while dying after refusing to convert to Christianity under duress. The prayer emphasizes human frailty and the power of repentance, prayer, and charity to alter one’s fate. Despite its somber themes, it conveys hope through the possibility of redemption; “Even up to

our very last breath, God will wait for us to return.”

Yirat Hashem (awe and reverence for God) is a third significant theme of the high holidays. Avinu Malkeinu (Our Father, Our Sovereign) is one of the most popular prayers of the holy season – perhaps due to its hauntingly beautiful traditional melody. This prayer juxtaposes our relationship to the Blessed Holy One as both a ruler who judges us with pure justice and a parent who loves us with mercy and compassion.

By acknowledging and appealing to these divergent attributes of God, we proclaim God’s sovereignty while at the same time asking for Michilah (forgiveness), which is also one of the most important themes of the High Holy Day season. Fortified by this prayer, we also strive to forgive those who have wronged us in the past year, emulating God’s attribute of forgiveness.

This year, as you attend high holiday services in whatever form they may take, I pray that you too may be inspired to develop your own personal relationship with the prayers and poetry of the Machzor. May the essential themes of the High Holidays resonate within you, and may we all be inscribed and sealed for a year of peace, blessing, prosperity, and fulfillment.

Shannah

Tova UM’Tukah

Shana Tova!

CANTOR JOANNA ALEXANDER

Temple Israel

What is there to say that has not already been covered. At this time of year we pray for a returning and we pray for hope. But we also do a review of the past year, a year filled with pain and separation, misunderstandings and divisions. At once a desire to be together, to feel community and simultaneously a feeling that if you are not with me you are against me; a sense of litmus tests to relationships, institutions and communities. I pray that we might find a way to feel loved and heard even by those who have hurt us or who have vastly differing opinions from us.

Zeh Beseder, a song written by Nova Festival Survivors, says: “it’s ok to not be ok.” (https://youtu.be/WlBWOrL qErI?si=WmIRxRvwnMkyGoXN)

This might say it all, it’s ok to not be ok. We strive for perfection in so much of life, perhaps it’s being a perfect parent, or perfect student, perhaps it’s within our work or our volunteering. But it is ok to not be ok. It’s ok to struggle with family and friends who see the world differently, it’s ok to want a community of like-minded people. It’s ok to be disappointed and saddened by the state of the world. But for this coming year, perhaps, we try to also be ok with being uncomfortable, ok hearing another’s narrative, and ok with the imperfection of ourselves and the world around us. It’s ok to be sad and angry and scared. It’s also ok to be hopeful and committed and striving. It’s ok to be joyous at everyday life, and also saddened by tragedies happening in far away communities. It is ok to live with ambiguity and the humility of being unsure. So, for this Holiday season, I pray we will find fulfillment in moments of discomfort. I pray we will find a way to be ok regardless of the personal hardships or the communal struggles. I pray we will find our way to openness and support while continuing to question, seek and learn. I pray you will find the return that is right for you and the wholeness of shalom in your life. I pray for our world and our country and our community. May we find meaning and wholeness in this season of repentance and may we find community and support and hope for this new year of 5785.

We are the Children of Israel

RABBI ALEX FELCH

The Jewish Community of Lincoln

When our patriarch Jacob was preparing to defend himself from his brother Esau, he was attacked by an angel (Genesis chapter 32). Enduring a whole evening of wrestling Jacob succeeded in overcoming his opponent. This messenger of God asks to be released, but Jacob demands a blessing.

The angel says, “Jacob will not be said as your name anymore, but Israel, for you wrestled with God and with people, and have prevailed!”

We are Jacob’s descendants. We are the children of Israel. We are the descendants of a people that has wrestled with an innumerable amount of opponents, tests and hurdles. We, the children of Israel, have been challenged, knocked down at times, but have always stood up again. Having just returned from Israel, I could not cease to be amazed at how inspiring our brothers and sisters there continue to be as an example of what resiliency means. As my wife and I toured around the country, being at the North and South of the country, we were amazed to witness the inner strength and formidable spirit that despite all challenges and difficulties, Israelis display day in and day out. The challenges they face are enormous and still they approach each day with strength and determination. It is the strength of spirit

B”H | We shall grow

RABBI ELI TENENBAUM

Chabad of Nebraska

As we approach Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, we find ourselves reflecting on the year that has passed. The year 5784 was undeniably challenging for many of us. Whether through personal struggles, global uncertainties, or the ever-changing dynamics of our communities, it was a year that tested our resilience and strength. Yet, as we stand at the threshold of 5785, it’s important to recognize that these challenges are not merely obstacles—they are opportunities for growth.

The difficulties we faced in 5784 may have felt overwhelming at times, leaving us questioning our direction and purpose. But just as a tree’s roots grow deeper when it encounters resistance in the soil, so too do we find our true strength when we push through adversity. The things we perceive as holding us back are the very forces that propel us forward. They challenge us to adapt, to innovate, and to grow in ways we never imagined possible.

In the year ahead, we have the opportunity to harness the energy of 5784’s trials and turn it into the fuel that drives us towards a more positive and fulfilling 5785. This is a time to

Bob Goldberg

Continued from page B1

different. It has been posed that some have lost their humanity in the months since October 7. I would suggest that the struggle that many are wrestling with is in fact due to our strong belief in humanity. Our belief that compassion, empathy, and recognition that all people are made in the image of G-d ground us in this humanity and strengthen our connection to our faith and people. This year, in the face of immense challenges, we can take considerable pride in the impact our collective efforts have made on the lives of so many individuals. A part of our story is that this year we celebrated one hundred years since the creation of AZA in Omaha. AZA, now BBYO, is a global force engaging and inspiring the next generation of Jewish people. We celebrated the opening of the Kleinberg Heritage Center which proudly portrays the impact that our Jewish community has made in Omaha and the surrounding area. We have increased the impact that we make possible as a Jewish Federation, as a Jewish community, by raising the funds to care for and about one another to help inspire Jewish journeys. I can list dozens of amazing impact stories that we, together, have made possible because we are a united, caring Jewish community. The Jewish story will continue long past our time. The Baal Shem Tov is known to have said, “From every human being there rises a light.” Our actions and behaviors can shine our light broadly and help to write a new chapter of this magnificent story. Each of us will craft our portion by keeping true to ourselves, making good decisions, caring for and about one an-

that enables a Jewish person to confront danger with firmness. It is the personal bravery that enabled Jacob to become Israel. As I am writing these words, today is Tisha B’Av, the 9th Day of the month of Av. It is the most tragic day in the Hebrew calendar, as it especially commemorates the destruction of the First and Second Jewish Temples in Jerusalem. Even though the mood of our people has had its share of gloomy days, it has remained firm and hopeful. Down but not out. Rosh Hashanah is not far away and the dawn of 5785 is calling on us all to stand up. To be Israel. To wrestle with everything coming our way and not to give up. The call of father Jacob is that we can. That call applies to all aspects of life. For some of us, that is a reminder to reach out to those with whom we have been estranged. For some of us, that call is telling us to stand up and help others in need. For some of us, that call is prompting us to give ourselves (and others) new opportunites, as we open a new page. For some of us, that call is a call to open a new page in the “Sefer Hachayim”, in the Book of Life. Yesterday is behind us but not forgotten. Today we stand up again, inspired by the eternal call of the Almighty, reminding us all that we are The Children of Israel!

May the New Year bring us all a Shanah Tovah that is filled with all that is good indeed.

embrace the lessons we’ve learned and to use them as stepping stones to greater achievements. We can choose to let go of what no longer serves us and to focus on what truly matters: our relationships, our community, our values, and our connection to something greater than ourselves. Our torah and Mitzvah observance.

Rosh Hashanah is not just a time for reflection; it is a time for renewal. It is a chance to start fresh, to set new intentions, and to commit to being the best versions of ourselves. As we hear the sound of the shofar, let it remind us of the power of transformation. Just as the shofar’s call pierces the air, so too can our actions resonate and create positive change in our lives and in the world around us.

Let us enter 5785 with hearts full of hope and determination. May we see the potential in every challenge, the light in every dark moment, and the strength in every weakness. Together, as a community, we can make this coming year one of growth, positivity, and unparalleled success.

Wishing you and your loved ones a Shana Tova U’Metuka— a good and sweet year. May 5785 bring health, happiness, peace to us all, and Moshiach now!

other, and striving through every act of kindness to make a better world from generation to generation. On behalf of our board and staff, we wish you all strength, peace, and good health in the year ahead. Shana Tova U’metukah and Am Yisrael Chai.

Nancy Schlessinger

Continued from page B1

In the role as Federation Board Chair this past year, I continue to be thankful for the professional and lay leadership in our community. We are blessed to have these dedicated individuals working for us on a daily basis.

On a personal note, my own family has expanded in Omaha as our son and his wife have moved back to Omaha and will soon be expecting their first child, making us first time grandparents. Joel and I are blessed to have them here with us and are looking forward to many holidays together.

On Rosh Hashanah, the shofar reminds us of the fragility of life and the need to make every year, minute, hour, second count. Indeed, this is a time of uncertainty and disruption unlike any other in recent memory. This year, may we make every moment count in our efforts to build a stronger community, and a stronger country, and a stronger, more peaceful and secure Israel for generations to come.

Shana Tova – For a happy, sweet, healthy and peaceful New Year.

Hope, resilience and pride

RABBI STEVEN ABRAHAM

Beth El

As we gather for the High Holy Days, our hearts are heavy with the events that have shaken our world. The trauma of October 7, a day that will forever be etched in our collective memory, challenges us to reflect on the very essence of our Jewish identity. Yet, as we stand at the threshold of a new year, I urge us to embrace this moment with a spirit of hope, resilience, and profound pride in who we are as Jews.

The High Holy Days are a time of introspection, a season when we turn inward to assess our lives, our actions, and our relationships with one another and with God. This year, more than ever, that introspection is vital. The events of Oct. 7 have forced us to confront the fragility of life and the stark reality of the world in which we live. But as we reflect, we must also remember that our tradition teaches us not to dwell in despair but to find strength in adversity.

Hope is a cornerstone of our faith. It is what has sustained

Our role in G-d’s vision

RABBI MENDEL KATZMAN

Chabad of Nebraska

A couple moved into a new apartment. One of their neighbors noticed how lovingly the husband spoke to his wife. He called her “honey,” “darling,” “dolly,” and many other endearing terms. The neighbor was struck by the warmth in his voice and the beautiful, affectionate expressions. He asked the gentleman how long they had been married.

“Seventy years,” the husband replied.

“Wow,” the neighbor exclaimed, “and you still speak so lovingly to her. That’s heartwarming and impressive.” The husband leaned in and whispered, “To tell you the truth, I can’t remember her name.”

Genuine relationships are built not merely on words, but on giving, devotion, and a genuine desire to serve the other. In every relationship, whether between spouses, friends, parents and children, or even between us and G-d, it’s not about what we receive, but what we are willing to give.

This concept may seem counterintuitive when we think about our relationship with G-d. After all, what could the Creator possibly need from us? Yet, the truth is that G-d needs, wants, and cherishes our relationship with Him. Our efforts to connect, to do good, and to grow spiritually are significant and important—not only to us but especially to G-d Himself and His master plan for the world. Each of our actions, every bit of devotion and kindness, is a treasured part of the grand tapestry He is weaving.

In the month of Elul, which symbolizes the deep and loving bond between us and G-d, we are reminded of the verse “Ani L’dodi V’dodi Li”—”I am to my Beloved, and my Beloved is mine.” This is a relationship of mutual love and commitment, where G-d is our Beloved, and we are His. It’s a call to focus

our people through centuries of persecution, exile, and suffering. In the face of unimaginable horrors, we have always held on to hope—hope for a better tomorrow, hope for peace, hope for the coming of the Messiah. This hope is not a naive optimism but a deeply rooted belief in the possibility of redemption, no matter how bleak the present may seem.

Resilience is a defining trait of our people. We are a nation that has been tested time and again, yet we have always emerged stronger. Our resilience is not just a matter of survival; it is a testament to our unwavering faith and our unbreakable bond with God and each other. The events of Oct. 7 have tested us, but they have also reminded us of the strength we possess. We have come together in ways that demonstrate the power of community, the depth of our compassion, and the resilience of our spirit.

Finally, let us take pride in our Jewish identity. In a world that often seeks to diminish or erase who we are, we must stand tall and proud. Our identity is not just a label; it is a

on what we can bring to this relationship, how we can invest in it, and how we can be there for G-d in our unique way. On Rosh Hashanah, we crown G-d as our King and commit to being His loyal subjects. We sound the shofar to invoke awe in our hearts and to awaken the dormant aspects of our Neshama to its sacred calling. The powerful blasts of the shofar remind us of our role in G-d’s vision for the world, calling us to rise above the distractions of daily life and to strengthen our commitment to Him.

As we gather this Rosh Hashanah, let us reflect on how we can deepen this sacred bond. It’s a time to think about how we can contribute to this relationship, become closer and more devoted to G-d. Let our prayers and our actions be a testament to our commitment and may we each find ways to elevate our relationship with the Divine by increasing our Mitzvah investments.

May this season of reflection and renewal bring us all closer to our true purpose, and may we merit a year of blessings, growth, and peace.

May G-d bless each of us and all of us together with a year filled with abundant blessings, happiness, and contentment. May we find joy in our Judaism and in the ways that bring us closer to G-d. May we merit tranquility and peace here in Omaha, in the United States, throughout the world, and in our Holy Land.

As I like to say, please, do ONE MORE MITZVAH!

Shana Tova umetukah.

legacy, a sacred inheritance passed down from our ancestors. We are the children of Abraham and Sarah, of Moses and Miriam, of David and Ruth. Our story is one of triumph over adversity, of faith in the face of doubt, of love in the face of hate.

In this new year, let us wear our Jewish identity with pride. Let us celebrate our traditions, our values, and our heritage. Let us be proud of the role we play in the world, as bearers of the light of Torah, as pursuers of justice, as builders of peace.

As we gather for these sacred days, let us embrace hope, resilience, and pride in our Jewish identity. May we be inscribed for a year of blessings, of peace, and of healing. And may the memory of Oct. 7 inspire us to build a world that reflects the values we hold dear—a world of justice, compassion, and enduring hope.

Shanah Tovah U’metukah—may it be a good and sweet year for us all.

We gather in meaningful ways

RABBI BENJAMIN SHARFF

Temple Israel

In preparing for the welcoming of 5785, I have spent some time reflecting on my first year here in Omaha. The year began with much excitement, as I was welcomed to Temple Israel as their 19th Senior Rabbi. There were lots of gatherings and meet-and-greets for me to get to know the members of our congregation. In addition, I spent time getting to know many of the professionals in the larger Jewish community serving at our various agencies: JCC, our congregations, and other organizations. I can say with all honesty that the Omaha Jewish community has been incredibly welcoming to me, and I am now proud to call Omaha home.

That we are such a close-knit and engaged community has really come together especially since the heart breaking and devastating events of October 7. This is not to say this year has not been without the challenges of genuinely listening, hearing, and welcoming a diversity of thoughts and opinions on such a difficult topic. We continue to strive to see the humanity and care in one another, while navigating an ever-changing geo-political world, especially in the face of continued rising antisemitism. Even in the face of such a challenging time to the larger Jewish world and our local Jewish community, we have found numerous opportunities to gather in meaningful ways. These High Holy Days are a representation of yet another opportunity to continue to head down the pathways of engagement and community.

Teshuvah, which is often translated to mean ‘repentance,’ actually means ‘to turn.’ Engaging in acts of teshuvah invites us to turn towards pathways of Godliness, holiness, family, friends, and community. As we find the time to engage in teshuvah, even amidst all the challenges in the greater world and in our community, may we be inspired to continue to turn towards one another. And in this way, and in so many more, may we be able to sweeten our 5785 just as we pray for an end to the conflict and a return to peace in our homes and in the greater world as well.

L’shana Tova

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Rosh Hashana

Through the Years

JTA

Rosh Hashanah Without Incident in Germany (Oct. 4, 1932) Rosh Hashanah passed without incident in Berlin and in the provinces.

Special police detachments were stationed at the Jewish quarters and at temples and synagogues to prevent any possible attacks upon the Jews.

The precautions were taken in view of the attacks upon Jewish worshippers last year as they were returning from New Year services.

Yesterday the police reserves were withdrawn. Some anxiety was experienced by the Jews residing in the Jewish quarter in the vicinity of Grenadierstrasse in view of the clashes between Nazis and Communists in a neighboring district.

Prohibit Freethinkers Meeting on Rosh Hashanah (Sept. 19, 1928) The Free Thinkers’ Society of Warsaw called a huge mass meeting for Saturday, the first day of Rosh Hashanah, to propagate the atheistic doctriue. A hall for this purpose was secured in the Kaminsky Yiddish Theatre and the speakers were announced.

At the last moment, however, the authorities withdrew permission to hold the meeting.

Sadat Sends Rosh Hashanah Greetings (Oct. 4, 1978) A 70-year-old Jewish congregation in Cairo was the recipient of Rosh Hashanah greetings from President Anwar Sadat of Egypt yesterday, it was reported here. Sadat sent a special representative to convey his message to Chaar Hachami Synagogue celebrating the Jewish New Year. The 90-member congregation responded with a prayer for success of Egyptian-Israeli peace negotiations and begged God “to end the conflict between the two countries and bless the area with peace.”

Katzir Issues Rosh Hashanah Message (Sept. 21, 1976) President Ephraim Katzir, in a Rosh Hashanah message to the Jews of the world, said that following a year of attacks against Israel as well as such triumphs as the Entebbe rescue, “Israel and Jews abroad have drawn even closer to each other, more aware of the values we share and of the central importance of Jewish education.”

A different High Holiday Season

RABBI ARI DEMBITZER

Beth Israel

This High Holiday Season is like no other in recent history. October 7 has changed all of us. It changed how we look at our nation, our land, and the world around us(hopefully).

On Rosh Hashanah we blow a shofar, which, according to halacha, needs to be curved. The curvature symbolizes our submission and humility towards our Creator.

Sometimes we place too much confidence and reliance on man-made structures. We over-rely on our ability to defend and protect. As Jews, we work our hardest to protect and succeed. We also pray and submit. We recognize that all our achievements only work because the Creator allows it to.

This is symbolized by the curved shofar. It is also curved be-

cause we rely on and need each other. We lean in to hear each other’s cries. We listen to the tone and yearn to understand the other. This is what makes us a strong nation. No matter where we are and what we practice, we come out for each other when the need arises.

This High Holiday season, let us deepen our understanding of all the parts that comprise our nation. Let us deepen our understanding of why the Land of Israel is so vital to the people of Israel. Let us focus on the foundation of who we are, so we can get to where we need to be. May our nation and the world not need wars to bring final and true peace to all of mankind.

I send you my sincere wishes for a meaningful and powerful High Holiday Season.

Seeing the world in Jewish time

RABBI DEANA SUSSMAN BEREZIN

Temple Israel

So often in our lives, we mark time through significant moments– the beginning of a new school year, the countdown to January 1st, the number of days until summer vacation, and the like. These moments serve to connect us with the world around us. And yet, as Jews, we straddle both secular and sacred time. Jewish time tells the story of how we, as a people, move through the world, and gives us the opportunity to invite in meaning and sanctity, as we weave it into the fabric of our lives.

The cyclical nature of Jewish times teaches us that every

JEWISH PRESS NOTICES

season is connected, and that we cannot experience the fullness of one without the season that came before. We find ourselves in this arc of time where Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the climactic moments, but we cannot appreciate their meaning fully without first living through the brokenness of Tisha B’Av. During the month of Elul we begin the ascent towards the new year and work towards realigning our thoughts with our speech, our priorities with our actions. Our spiritual challenge is to look inward, to find where the brokenness resides, and to begin the sacred healing of the rifts in our hearts, our souls, and our relationships.

The Jewish Press will be closed on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 3 and 4 for Rosh Hashanah, Thursday Oct. 17 for Sukkot. The deadline for the Oct. 11 issue is Tuesday, Oct. 1, 9 a.m.; for the Oct. 25 issue, it is Monday, Oct. 14, 9 a.m. Questions? Call 402.334.6448.

The Worth of a Jew

HOWARD KUTLER WITH RABBI MAXIMO SHECHET

It was the Jewish High Holiday season in Habana, Cuba 1947. The weather was a typical hot and humid day as a young Maximo Szechet was preparing along with his family to attend services for Yom Kippur Day. The family belonged to the Orthodox Synagogue, Knesses Yisroel.

Maximo’s father, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Szechet, z”tl, was actively involved in the congregation. At the entrance to the synagogue, during the High Holyday season, stood a man whose duty was to ascertain that the parishioners had purchased a ticket which gained them entrance to the synagogue. Maximo, who was at his father’s side, witnessed as a young man from the countryside approached and walked up to the Shul. The young man had come to attend the Yom Kippur, Day of Attonement, services.

The shames or doorkeeper stopped the young man and asked if he had purchased a ticket allowing him entrance to the synagogue. The reply was no; he did not have a ticket. The shames then refused him entry. The young man explained that he was once a student in an Orthodox Yeshiva, that he had money in his pocket, but he would not pay him on Yom Kippur. He would gladly pay him after The Holy Day.

to attend the rest of the Yom Kippur’s prayers at the Sephardic Synagogue in Habana, Cuba.

“As we entered the shul,” Rabbi Maximo said, “I thought it was the Moses parting the Red Sea. The congregation parted into two lines allowing the Chacham, the Sephardic Rabbi, to greet my father. The Chacham asked my father, Mendel what are you doing here on Yom Kippur’s mid-day? My father, who was also a Shochet u’Bodek, a Kosher slaughterer and inspector, Mohel, a teacher and a well-known person in Cuba, proceeded to relate the prior encounter to the Chacham and asked him if leaving the shul was correct. The Chacham affirmed my father’s action, he took his hand and wanted him to seat next to him at the Rabbi’s station. My father expressed, “I will pray right here with my son at my side.”

The Chacham agreed. The following Shabbos we went to the Sephardic Shul to Daven.”

Rabbi Maximo’s father was called up to the Torah and Maximo was punched in the back.

“I turned around to investigate,:”

Rosh Hashanah throughout the Years

JTA

A MINYAN FOR ROSH HASHANAH

(Oct. 5, 1978) Three Israeli journalists in Cairo joined eight elderly Jews in the Chaar Hachami Synagogue to complete the minyan during the Rosh Hashanah services. The service was also attended by a young woman from the U.S. studying at the American University in Cairo, a Moslem guard and a U.S. TV crew.

“It was one of the saddest and strangest services I have ever attended,” Zeev Shiff, Haaretz’s special correspondent in Cairo, wrote today. He and the other journalists reported that the Jewish cemetery in the Egyptian capital was completely neglected. They said most of the thousands of tombstones were in ruins and the inscriptions were discernable only on a few. ROSH HASHANAH IN MONTEVIDEO

(Sept.4, 1985) The celebration of Rosh Hashanah in Montevideo had a very significant impact in the general population of Uruguay, thanks to the initiative of B’nai B’rith in this country.

Alfredo Neuburger, B’nai B’rith International’s director for South America, reported that three special programs on the significance of Jewish New Year have been aired by three of the four television stations, on the evening of September 14, the afternoon of Sunday the 15th, immediately prior to the start of Rosh Hashanah and on Tuesday the 17th, upon the conclusion of the two-day celebration.

The programs included a presentation by Vito Atijas, acting president of the Uruguayan district of B’nai B’rith, and Eduardo Kohn, executive director; greetings by the Israeli Ambassador in Uruguay, Dr. Manajem Carmi, and films showing Jewish life in Israel and the diaspora.

The shames again refused him entrance to the synagogue. At that moment Maximo’s father, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Szechet, (as it was spelled in Europe and Cuba), offered to pay for the ticket after Yom Tov. The shames again refused the offer.

“My father, Zichroinoy Librocho, became so dismayed and enraged,” Rabbi Maximo said, “I never saw my father so angry in my whole life, at the shames’ refusal of not allowing the young man to join the Yom Kippur Services. My father tore his Talis off himself and went into the Ezras Noshim room, the section where the ladies prayed, and advised my mother, Zichrona Librocha, that he was leaving the shul and would not pray there any longer.”

Being Yom Kippur, Maximo and his father walked together

Rabbi Maximo said, “and before I opened my mouth an elderly Jewish fellow with a harsh and heavy voice in Spanish advised me, “cuando llaman a tu papa a la Torá tu te levantas y te quedas parado haste que se acabe la porción dada.” When your father is called to the Torah you stand and remain standing until the given portion is concluded. Since then, we attended the Sephardic Shul until we came to America.”

At that young age, Rabbi Maximo learned a lifelong lesson: that there is no value on the good will for one Jew to help another fellow Jew. His father’s lesson taught him that a Shul that does not allow a fellow Jew to enter to daven because he or she was unable to procure a ticket to gain entrance is not a shul.

“May the Almighty grant us Life,” Rabbi Maximo said, “Health, Sustenance, and the best wishes of our hearts with Eternal peace in Israel and all the countries we reside together with our neighbors. Am Yisroel Chai!”

After describing briefly B’nai B’rith’s history and philosophy, Atijas indicated that “our organization, the oldest and largest Jewish service movement, is proud to present to the Uruguayan people images of the Jewish nation throughout the world.” Atijas concluded by wishing “that we in B’nai B’rith commit our effort to help build a world of peace for all humanity.”

The combined audience of the three programs was close to two million people throughout the country, which is the equivalent of over 80 percent of the total population.

PRAYERS FOR HINDENBURG ON ROSH HASHANA

(Sept. 30, 1932) The Jewish Community of Berlin has instructed 42 synagogues affiliated with it to hold special prayers for President Paul von Hindenburg, on the second day of Rosh Hashanah.

The prayers are to be in connection with the eighty-fifth birthday of the President of the German Republic which occurs on that day.

The instructions ask mention be made of the occasion in the sermons of the rabbis.

Synagogues in the provinces are expected to follow suit.

Rabbi Maximo Shechet at Beth Israel

If you’re trying to connect to God on Yom Kippur, here’s a prayer for you

RABBI SHLOMO ZUCKIER

This story was originally published on My Jewish Learning | JTA

For those of us who don’t regularly think in theological terms, the High Holiday liturgy can be jarring to read. Some of the messages are relatively easy to relate to, like the reminder of human frailty in Unetaneh Tokef (“Who will live and who will die?”) or the expression of remorse over our shortcomings in the confession litany (“We have sinned; we have been disloyal…”). But the traditional High Holiday prayer book also includes some far more abstruse ideas.

An obvious challenge is the centrality of animal sacrifice to the way the Day of Atonement was observed in the ancient Temple, a ritual we recount in detail during Yom Kippur. But the prayers also repeatedly invoke ideas about God that are far removed from our regular discourse.

rael and God in various ways, all of which draw on comparisons to non-Divine relationships. It appears to be an expansion of a midrash on Song of Songs 2:16 that proposed several of these relational pairs, justifying each with a biblical verse. It is followed in the High Holiday prayer book by an additional stanza that relates more directly to themes of sin and forgiveness that are the leitmotif of the Day of Atonement, contrasting the human penchant for sin with God’s compassion and mercy. Less clear is the function of the section cited above. In what way does delineating this litany of relationships serve as a fitting introduction to a confession ritual?

I would argue that the purpose of listing these various relationships is to invite each of us to find ourselves in the poem as we stand before God and request atonement. People are complex and multi-faceted, and the way we relate to an infinite God is bound to be

Consider the repeated refrain of “And so, place your fear, O Lord our God, on all your creations.” Or this sequence describing God: “Who knows the inclination of all creations/ All believe that He creates them in the womb/ Who can do anything and unifies them together.” Reflecting on God’s exaltedness, pleading for mercy from a deity who knows our thoughts and holds the power of life and death over us — these are notions that are hard to grasp and difficult to come to terms with. How do we conceptualize and relate to God without recourse to a seminar in theology?

Even as it creates this challenge, the liturgy provides a solution by offering a range of different modes of relating to God. Nowhere is this clearer than in Ki Anu Amekha, a short poem (piyyut) recited multiple times on Yom Kippur to introduce the Viddui, the confessional prayer. It reads:

For we are your people, and you are our God. We are your children, and you are our Father. We are your servants, and you are our Lord.

We are your congregation, and you are our Portion.

We are your heritage, and you are our Destiny.

We are your flock, and you are our Shepherd. We are your vineyard, and you are our Keeper.

We are your work, and you are our Maker.

We are your dear ones, and you are our Beloved.

We are your treasure, and you are our God. We are your people, and you are our King. We are your chosen ones, and you are our Chosen One.

This piyyut presents a list of relational pairs that characterize the relationship between Is-

even more varied and intricate. Some people may relate best to God as a father who loves his children even as he disciplines them. Others may connect better to a political metaphor, seeing God as the king exercising dominion over his nation. Some of us experience God more intimately, as a shepherd tending the flock or a vintner caring for grape vines. Others see the relationship between Israel and God as one of passionate love as described in the Song of Songs. And some may see God primarily through the history of the Jewish people, as having chosen Israel for a particular divine destiny.

Each line of this piyyut depicts a particular quality of relationship between God and Israel, but none of them exhausts it. God simultaneously inhabits all of these modes of relation depending on the person, the point in time and the broader context in which the relationship manifests itself.

The poem, and the High Holy Days liturgy overall, represents God in these various ways not because everyone in synagogue is expected to develop a complex theology that can encompass them all, but because we can all likely connect to at least one mode of relating to God in our prayers. As each of us focuses on and resonates with a particular aspect of the God-Israel relationship, our collective recitation of Ki Anu Amekha serves to express the rich and varied tapestry of God. And hopefully our Father, our King, our Shepherd, our Lover, our Destiny will see fit to grant Israel forgiveness and make 5784 a year filled with blessings.

Rabbi Shlomo Zuckier is a scholar of ancient Judaism and a research associate at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.

Credit: Getty Images

Happy New Year

Rosh Hashanah through the years

JTA

BEGIN’S ROSH HASHANAH MESSAGE

(Sept. 10, 1980)The following is Israeli Premier Menachem Begin’s Rosh Hashanah message:

“We stand on the threshold of the New Year 5741 with hope and belief that our people’s ancient great human values will endure and triumph over the transient material considerations provided by oil these days. We are a small nation and we know our place in the world. We know what we can offer mankind. We also know the role we can and do play in the Middle East.

country and its individual citizens, a year of growing aliya from the East and the West to the Land of our Forefathers. May this Rosh Hashanah usher in a year of happiness and freedom, strength, security and dignity for all the House of Israel.”

“The region in which we live and its periphery is now in turmoil. In Iran we have seen civilization itself endangered by the emergence of dark forces that have trampled underfoot the time-honored customs and traditions of international cooperation. We have seen the power of petro-dollars reduce even some democratic states to subservience and capitulation.

“This is a disturbing development for the shrinking free democratic world. We must stand together in the face of the Soviet thrust into the four corners of the globe for control of strategic and material assets. After Angola and Mozambique, Ethiopia and South Yemen, Vietnam and Cambodia it would be foolhardy to ignore the implications of their operations in Afghanistan, as a result of which the Soviet army could reach the Indian Ocean through Baluchistan. The whole free world is in danger; liberty itself is in peril.

“For our part we have done all in our power to advance the cause of peace in our region. We faithfully carried into effect every commitment that we undertook in the peace treaty with Egypt. We have made great sacrifices for peace–an ideal which is not easily obtainable and, therefore, we must pursue it with determination and patience.

“We have the profound satisfaction that it was we who originally proposed autonomy for the Arab inhabitants of Judaea, Samaria and the Gaza district. We have stated and reiterated our readiness to fulfill the letter and spirit of the second part of the Camp David agreement, dealing with this autonomy, and not to deviate from it by one iota. We are in no way responsible for the periodic interruptions and suspensions of the negotiations–all of them caused by the Egyptian government–and earnestly call on our friends and partners likewise to abide by the original agreements.

“As usual, the world has overreacted to our reaffirmation of an existing truth–that Jerusalem is united, the capital of our State, an indivisible city with complete freedom of access to the holy shrines of all religions guaranteed by law for all time. Any proposal which may either directly or indirectly bring about the redivision or repartition of Jerusalem will be rejected by all our people, for we stand by the unity of Jerusalem for ever and ever.

“From this city, eternal Yerushalayim, I send you, my dear brethren and sisters, greetings for a happy New Year 5741. With God’s help may it be a year of continuing advance towards peace a year of improvement in the economic situation of our

BORDERS QUIET DURING ROSH HASHANAH (Sept. 23, 1971) All of Israel’s borders were quiet during the two days of the New Year holiday. Soldiers who remained on duty during the holiday were able to attend synagogue services at various posts or were visited by mobile synagogues at advance positions. Civilian synagogues were packed to capacity and so were Israeli roads with record traffic jams as thousands spent the holidays camping or at hotels and on the seashore. Police officials reported that despite the bumper-tobumper traffic, only two traffic fatalities were recorded. Both involved pedestrians run down by oncoming vehicles. The beach at Tel Aviv was visited by Hassidim in black garments and fur hats who performed the traditional rites of “tash-lich.”

In the Great Synagogue, Tel Aviv Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren referred to the seven Israelis killed when Egyptian rockets downed an Israeli transport plane over Sinai last Friday. He prayed that they would be the last casualties and that the new year would bring peace. Haifa port, closed down for Rosh Hashanah, was surprised by the unexpected arrival of an Italian passenger liner with tourists, the first time a ship ever docked during a holiday.

Port officials permitted the passengers to disembark but without their baggage. Eilat was hit by a sudden hail and wind storm Monday which forced campers to fold their tents and take cover. But the beach was crowded again Tuesday as were the shores of Lake Kinnereth and other popular outing sights in Galilee.

RABIN ISSUES ROSH HASHANAH MESSAGE

(Sept. 20, 1976) Premier Yitzhak Rabin told world Jewry in a New Year’s message that Israel’s neighbors would find her a willing partner for peace negotiations. Rabin called on world Jewry to show solidarity, especially where the persecution of Jews is concerned.

“Israel, in common with all Jews in the free world, will continue to speak out loud and clear in support of freedom for our brethren in distress,” the message said.

“The expansion and deepening of Jewish education must be pursued in every Jewish community for the sake of our collective Jewish integrity. However, this effort must never be at the cost of Jewry’s material assistance in helping Israel resolve the acute educational and social problems,” he said. Rabin said the Entebbe operation was another indication that “as Jews we act to save lives whenever the opportunity presents itself.”

over 50 years, McGrath

Gary and Karen Javitch

Easiest. Rosh Hashanah dinner. Ever.

SHANNON SARNA

JTA

Some people take great pride and pleasure in planning their Rosh Hashanah menus for weeks or months in advance, chugging away at kugels and cakes and soup to put in the freezer. I know my grandmother and Aunt Ruth both did their High Holidays cooking all summer so they would be “ready.”

But not everyone cooks for 20 people or enjoys the toil and preparation of holiday cooking for weeks on end. And for those people, this simple menu is for you.

Traditional Jewish New Year flavors of apple and pomegranate can show up in unexpected places — like sangria, which is a perfect, easy choice for entertaining, since you can make a large

batch and chill until ready to serve. And even a simple roast chicken becomes special for the holiday with an apricot mustard makeover and crispy roast potatoes.

You can keep your preparations and flavors simple while serving up a sweet, delicious and deceptively impressive spread for family and friends.

See Rosh Hashanah dinner page B10

SHEET PAN APRICOT DIJON CHICKEN WITH BRUSSELS SPROUTS AND POTATOES

Sheet pan dinners are all the rage this year and with good reason: Throw all your ingredients on one large sheet pan and then pop it in the oven. Your cleanup is reduced without sacrificing any deliciousness. This recipe can easily be doubled to feed a larger crowd.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken

1 pound small red or Yukon gold potatoes, halved

1 pint Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

1/4 cup apricot jam

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. orange juice

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

6 garlic cloves

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Cut chicken along the backside, removing spine. Flatten and lay on top of sheet pan.

In a small bowl, mix together apricot jam, mustard, brown sugar, olive oil, orange juice, salt and pepper.

Spread around three-quarters of the seasoning mixture on top of and under the skin of the chicken; reserve one quarter.

Spread potatoes on one side of the pan, brussels sprouts on the other. Drizzle potatoes and Brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt and pepper. Add whole, unpeeled garlic cloves to the tray, alongside the potatoes and brussels sprouts.

After 30 minutes, check on Brussels sprouts and, if caramelized to your liking, remove and set aside. Toss potatoes to ensure even cooking and place back into oven for another 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and spread remaining seasoning on top of chicken. Cut chicken into quarters and serve immediately.

you have lying around, or change things up with red wine if you prefer.

Ingredients:

1 bottle white wine such as sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio (or moscato if you like very sweet wine)

1 cup pomegranate juice

4 ounces vodka (optional)

1 lemon, sliced

1 apple, cored and sliced

1 1/2 cups ginger ale or club soda

Pomegranate seeds (optional)

Directions:

Place sliced apple and lemons in a sealable container. Add 1/2 cup pomegranate juice, 1/2 cup wine and vodka (optional).

Allow to sit overnight in the fridge. When ready to serve, place fruit and liquid in a large carafe.

Add remaining wine and pomegranate juice. Top with ginger ale or club soda to your liking. Serve chilled or with ice.

Optional: For an extra special presentation, make pomegranate seed ice cubes by adding a few seeds into each section of an ice cube tray. Fill with water or pomegranate juice and freeze overnight. When ready to serve, add 1 or 2 ice cubes in each guest’s glass, or all the ice cubes to the carafe of sangria.

Sangria is the perfect drink to serve for Rosh Hashanah – it’s supposed to be sweet and is perfect paired with two traditional flavors of the holiday. You can use whatever wine

Sheet Pan Apricot Dijon Chicken Credit: Shannon Sarna

Apple Pomegranate Sangria Credit: Shannon Sarna

APPLE POMEGRANATE SANGRIA

Rosh Hashanah dinner

Continued from page B9

Growing up, baked apples were a tradition in my house.

This dessert looks impressive but is actually easy to execute. Serve with sorbet, vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for an extra sweet start to the new year.

Ingredients:

2 sheets puff pastry

4 Gala apples

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup margarine or butter

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ginger

Pinch fresh nutmeg

Pinch fresh ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup raisins

1 egg, beaten

Sanding sugar (optional)

Directions:

Take puff pastry out of freezer and allow to sit at room temperature 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

PUFF PASTRY BAKED APPLES

In a medium bowl, mix together margarine (or butter), brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove and salt. Add in raisins and mix.

Peel and core each apple, leaving apple intact but with a cavity for stuffing. Stuff sugar-margarine mixture inside each apple.

Cut each sheet of puff pastry in 2 pieces (there should be 4 pieces in total). With a rolling pin, roll each rectangle piece gently, stretching puff pastry so it is slightly larger.

Sit each stuffed apple in middle of puff pastry. Fold puff pastry up and over apple until completely covered, trim-

ming excess pieces. Optional: Using extra puff pastry, carve decorative small leaves to place on top.

Brush each wrapped apple with beaten egg. Top with sanding sugar if desired.

Bake for 28-32 minutes until golden and juices are just beginning to run. Serve warm.

How do we celebrate Rosh Hashanah?

Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on Wednesday, October 2, and continues through nightfall on Friday, October 4. It’s the day G-d created Adam and Eve, and it’s celebrated as the head of the Jewish year.

The central observance of Rosh Hashanah is hearing the sounding of the shofar, the ram’s horn. It is a mitzvah to hear the shofar on both mornings of the holiday (except if the first day is Shabbat, in which case we only blow the shofar on the second day).

As with every major Jewish holiday, women and girls light candles on each evening of Rosh Hashanah and recite the appropriate blessings. When lighting on Friday evening, be sure to light well before sunset, and on the following night, be sure night has fallen before you light. On the second night (or if lighting after nightfall on the first night), make sure to use an existing flame. Think about a new fruit that you will be eating (or garment that you are wearing) while you say the Shehecheyanu blessing.

During our meal, the bread (traditionally baked into round challah loaves, and often sprinkled with raisins) is dipped into honey instead of salt, expressing our wish for a sweet year. We do this on Rosh Hashanah, Shabbat Shuvah (the Shabbat before Yom Kippur), at the pre-Yom Kippur meal and during Sukkot.

Furthering the sweet theme, it is traditional to begin the meal on the first night with slices of apple dipped in honey. Before eating the apple, we make the ha’eitz blessing and then say, “May it be Your will to renew for us a good and sweet year.”

In many communities, there are additional traditional foods eaten, each symbolizing a wish for the coming year.

Many eat pomegranates, giving voice to a wish that “our merits be many like the [seeds of the] pomegranate.” Another common food is tzimmes, a sweet, carrot-based dish eaten because of its Yiddish name, merren, which means both “carrot” and “increase,” symbolizing a wish for a year of abundance.

The content on this page is produced by Chabad. To read more, please visit www.chabad.org.

Have a happy New Year

Puff Pastry Baked Apples Credit: Shannon Sarna

Rosh Hashanah through the Years

JTA

Pizza is the perfect Rosh Hashanah food MOLLY TOLSKY

This article originally appeared on The Nosher. (Sept. 20, 2020) — Last year I hosted my biggest Rosh Hashanah dinner ever. My boyfriend and I invited about 15 friends over to our one-bedroom Brooklyn apartment, moved all of our furniture into the bedroom, rented a couple of folding tables and chairs, and turned the living room into a Rosh Hashanah dreamscape complete with thematic streamers, ambient lighting and candles. I whipped up four round challahs, a vat of vegetarian matzah ball soup, my mom’s famous cornflake kugel, some baked chicken and a batch of spiked apple cider.

It was a lot of work, but absolutely worth it: I’m always sad when I can’t be with my family in Chicago during the High Holidays, but being surrounded by friends, some Jewish, some not, to celebrate Rosh Hashanah with food and drink was a warm, wonderful way to ring in the Jewish New Year.

But this year? Nah. I’m going with a pizza. Of course we won’t be hosting another Rosh Hashanah dinner this year for the very obvious reason of a global pandemic. I know we could still make a special meal for the two of us with all the standard trappings that I grew up eating at my mother’s holiday table, but when I think about the work that would require, and how exhausted I’ve been from merely existing in this current world, I just … kind of … don’t want to. I still want to mark the day as special, and I love the idea of eating symbolic foods on Rosh Hashanah, but I don’t want to spend an entire day cooking, and I certainly don’t want to spend an entire night washing dishes.

Which brings me to pizza, which I will henceforth argue is the perfect — and yes, symbolic — Rosh Hashanah food.

Why should pizza be considered a Rosh Hashanah food? Let’s dive in.

It’s round.

Traditionally on Rosh Hashanah, instead of braiding challah into an oblong loaf, Jews bake their challah into a round shape to represent the circularity of the calendar and the never-ending cycle of life. You know what else is round? Yup, it’s pizza. Pizza might not be traditionally round for symbolic reasons, but it does allow for easy slicing and sharing, and sharing your food with others seems like a nice Jewish thing to do, no? And I’m not gonna lie: When I stare into a beautiful pizza pie, I see the entire universe staring back at me in all of its cheesy, saucy goodness.

It’s *possibly* a Jewish invention.

Most people assume pizza came from Italy, but the cheesy delicacy actually has quite a complicated and debated history, with some even believing that the ancient Jewish philosopher Maimonides first coined the word. As Henry Abramson wrote in JTA, Yehuda Romano, a 14th-century Hebrew scholar from Italy, “translated Maimonides’ use of the word ‘hararah’ (a type of flatbread) in the Mishneh Torah with four simple Hebrew letters: peh, yud, tzadi and heh, or ‘pizza,’ arguably the very first time the word was ever used in any language.”

In the “History of pizza” page on Wikipedia (a wonderful read if you’ve got the time), it’s noted that “Some commentators have suggested that the origins of modern pizza can be traced to pizzarelle, which were kosher for Passover cookies eaten by Roman Jews after returning from the synagogue on that holiday, though some also trace its origins to other Italian paschal breads. Abba Eban has suggested that modern pizza ‘was first made more than 2,000 years ago when Roman soldiers added cheese and olive oil to matzah.'”

Look, I don’t know if Jews really invented pizza, but the chance that our people have been eating it for thousands of years is reason enough for me to order a fresh pie this Rosh Hashanah.

It goes well with honey.

Honey is a traditional Rosh Hashanah food that represents the sweet New Year. Have you ever put honey on a pizza? What about hot honey? Just do it. Trust me. Moving on.

It’s already kind of a New Year’s food. Is it really a New Year’s celebration if you didn’t order pizza at 1 a.m.? Yes, I’m talking about that other New Year’s Eve, but the logic still applies. Plus, if you go a little too hard on that sweet kosher wine, you’ll be very happy to have a fridge full of cold leftover pizza the next morning. Its numerical value is pretty meaningful. OK, I can’t take credit for this one, and it’s a little out there, but bear with me: My colleague Ben Sales pointed out that according to Gematria, the numerological system by which Hebrew letters correspond to numbers, the Hebrew numerical value of “pizza” (פיצה) is 185. This is also the numerical value of the phrase “אני לדודי ודודי לי,” which translates to “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine,” which comes from a verse in the Song of Songs. This is kind of a slogan for Elul, the month leading up to the High Holidays. The idea is that this is a time period when we’re growing closer to God and vice versa. So let’s grow a little closer to pizza, too. It’s just really good.

I don’t know what else there is to say besides pizza is a perfect food, and why wouldn’t you want to start your new year with something so amazingly delicious? It’s been a tough year and we need comfort foods more than ever. We need takeout more than ever. We need to go easy on ourselves — and not add any unnecessary stress to our lives — more than ever!

If cooking up a storm on Rosh Hashanah makes you happy, then of course, you should go forth and do so. If you can’t imagine the High Holidays without some tzimmes and brisket, by all means, have at it. But if you’re looking for a way out of the norm during this very, very unusual year, I hereby grant you full permission to ditch the kitchen and call up your favorite local pizza place. Let them bring the party to you (and tip well!!). It’s just one of the many Jewish things to do. Rosh-hashanah Pledge to Persecuted Jews in Europe (Sept. 12, 1942) A pledge to the oppressed Jews in Europe on the occasion of the New Year which is being celebrated tonight that “every resource of the Jewish people will be contributed to the struggle for the liberation of mankind and the deliverance of Israel,” was made by the American Jewish Congress and the World Jewish Congress in a joint New Year’s message issued today. “No sacrifice will be too great in the task of achieving the emancipation of the Jewish people and the safeguarding of the equal rights and inalienable liberties of Jewish citizens everywhere,” the message declares.

The fate of the Jews in Europe is a challenge to the Christian churches to “espouse more zealously than ever the cause of liberation and justice” and to help build a world in which it will be “possible for men and women of whatever faith or race to walk in peace and security once again,” Dr. Everett R. Clinchy, president of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, declared today in a New Year’s message to Jews.

In observance of Rosh Hashanah, Junior Hadassah, the Young Women’s Zionist Organization of America, yesterday cabled a special gift of $9,000 to the Children’s Village of Meier Shfeyah in Palestine, where underprivileged and refugee boys and girls receive training in agriculture and the crafts.

President Eisenhower Greets American Jews on Rosh Hashanah

(Sept. 27, 1954) President Dwight D. Eisenhower today issued a Rosh Hashanah message to the Jews of America, through the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, praising the Jews for their “courageous devotion” to noble principles and expressing the hope that the new year will bring “true peace” in the world.

“On the occasion of the Jewish New Year, my warm greetings go to all Americans of Jewish faith,” the President’s message states.

“For the tens of centuries spanned by the history of the Jewish people, members of your race have given to mankind almost unbelievable examples of courageous devotion to noble principles – to justice, to liberty, to the right of men to worship according to the inner voice of conscience. Such are the principles which can now give the only sure guide to all men as they seek to establish true peace in the world, the peace which common people everywhere long for in their hearts.

“From this New Year’s Day forward, may the inspiration of your devotion to these ideals give an ever more brilliant light to the path which leads to a real harmony and concord among nations,” President Eisenhower concluded.

Vice President Richard M. Nixon, in his Rosh Hashanah greetings, said: “It is a pleasure for me to send my greetings and very best wishes to the members of the Jewish faith throughout our country on the occasion of Rosh Hashanah, the New Year 5715. Every new year reinforces in our hearts the fervent hope for understanding, brotherhood and peace throughout the world, and man has been striving toward these goals for centuries. It has taken strong perseverance and faith to come this far along the road. On the eve of the New Year, let us all rededicate ourselves to the attainment of the ultimate in happiness for all.”

Credit: Getty Images

B’NAI ISRAEL

Board Members: Renee Corcoran, Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Janie Kulakofsky, Howard Kutler, Carole and Wayne Lainof, Ann Moshman, Mary-Beth Muskin, Debbie Salomon and Sissy Silber

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE

President, Marty Shukert; Vice President, Howard K. Marcus; Treasurer, Miriam Gottlieb; Secretary, Margie Gutnik; Immediate Past President, Linda Saltzman; Religious Life Chair, Ari Kohen; BESTT Chair, Caryn Scheer; Board Members: Sam Dubrow, Jason Epstein, David Finkelstein, Jay Gordman, Susan Long, Erika Lucoff, Caryn Rifkin, Wayne Schwarz and Susan Witkowski; BILU Youth Group Board: President, Joshua Shapiro; Vice President, Tyler Epstein; Membership and Kadima, Asher Finkelstein; Communications, Cadee Scheer; Religious Education and Israel Affairs, Liat Frey; and Social Action Tikun Olam, Colin Kelln.

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

President, Yosef Seigel; Administrative Vice-President, Helene Shrago; Financial Vice-President and Treasurer, Howard Kutler; Membership Vice-President, Bruce Potash; Secretary, Toba Cohen-Dunning; Board Members: Shirly Banner, Shane Donnelly, Howard Gendelman, Ron Giller, Jeff Kirshenbaum, Nancy Rampey-Biniamow, Debra Roitstein, Michael Shrago, Susie Shyken, Harry Weiner and Fred Weiss.

CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN/ THE SOUTH STREET TEMPLE

President, Sarah Kelen; Vice President, Rick Kohn; Treasurer, Dan Senft; Secretary, Julie Moore; Board Members: Maria Cadwallader, Sandy Grossbart, Art Zygielbaum and Deborah Swearingen.

CHABAD OF NEBRASKA

President, Anthony Scioli; Board Members: David Cohen, Stan Edelstein, Gary Epstein, Ed Horwitz, Joanie Jacobson, Lloyd Roitstein, Nancy Schlessinger, Asher Stoller, Alan Tipp and Nancy Wolf.

TEMPLE ISRAEL

President, Justin Cooper; Presidential Appointee: Joseph Pinson;

President Elect, Geoff Silverstein; Vice Presidents: Tamara Draeger and Cindy Goldberg; Secretary, Larry Gendler; Treasurer, Jeff Laudin; Past President, Troy Meyerson; Board Members: Berta Ackerson, Gil Dysico, Shelly Fox, Robert Friedman, Tom Friedman, Dan Gilbert, Larry Gittelman, Margaret Gurewitz-Smith, Lester Katz, Susie Norton, Marti Poulos, Beth Spizman and Jennifer Vik.

TIFERETH ISRAEL

President, Guy Trainin; Vice President, Haleigh Carlson; Treasurer, Howard Feldman; Secretary, Ken Bloom; Immediate Past President, Dan Friedman; Fair Shares Dues Chair, David Brockman; Trustees: Charlie Friedman and Marlon Weiss; Board Members: Joyce Davidson, Bob Evnen, Nanci Hamicksburg, Eve Hoffman, Brenda Ingraham, Marcia Kushner, Cindi Weiss and Noah Weiss.

JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS

B’NAI B’RITH HENRY MONSKY LODGE

President, Gary Javitch; President Emeritus, Ari Riekes; Advisory Board Members: Howard Borden, Jeannette Gabriel and Marty Ricks; Treasurer, Mike Abramson; Special Project Chair, Howard Shandel; Technical Advisor, Joel Javitch; Trustee, Steve Riekes.

FRIEDEL JEWISH ACADEMY

President, Ari Kohen; Vice-President, Lisa Marcus; Treasurer, Ron Giller; Secretary, Anna Priluck; Officers, Shiri Phillips and Brandon Rich; Immediate Past President, Jeff Zacharia; Board Members: Rabbi Steven Abraham, Cantor Joanna Alexander, Joel Alperson, Rabbi Deana Berezin, Pam Cohn, Rabbi Ari Dembitzer, Helen Epstein, Susan Long, Linda Neumann-Potash, Caryn Rifkin, Lloyd Roitstein, Becca Ruetsch, Ben Shapiro, Helene Shrago and Lilly Phillips.

LEAGUE OF VOLUNTEERS FOR THE ELDERLY (L.O.V.E.)

Co-presidents, Jay Durmaskin and M’Lee Hasslinger; Treasurer, Matthew Frey; Board Members: Renee Corcoran, Stephanie Shapiro-Cohen, Larry DeBruin, Tiffany Franklin, Gary Lerner, Lisa Marcus, Gretchen Radler, Ricki Skog; RBJH Liaison, Sabine Strong.

JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA

Chair, Nancy Schlessinger; Past Chair, Mike Siegel; Board Members: Michael Abramson, Betsy Baker, Toba Cohen-Dunning, Shane Cohn, Ron Feldman, David Finkelstein, Joe Fischer, Margie Gutnik, Jill Idelman, Gloria Kaslow, Sharon Kirshenbaum, Lisa Lucoff, Michael Miller, Shayna Ray, Stacey Rockman, Seth Schuchman, Yosef Seigel, Norm Sheldon, Justin Spooner and Jeff Zacharia.

JEWISH COMMUNITY RELATIONS COUNCIL

Chair, Toba Cohen-Dunning, Past-Chair, Zoë Riekes; JohnCarl Denkovich, Ally Freeman, Dusty Friedman, David Gilinsky, Ron Giller, Jan Goldstein, Dana Gonzales, Hailey Kruger, Janie Kulakofsky, Jody Malashock, David Pitlor, Erin Porterfield, Sara Rips, Ben Shapiro, Lacey Studnicka and Susan Fellman Witkowski

INSTITUTE FOR HOLOCAUST EDUCATION

Chair, Gloria Kaslow; Board Members: Linsay Behne, Toba Cohen-Dunning, JohnCarl Denkovich, Howard Epstein, Laurie Epstein, Father James Gilg, Howard Kaslow, Kelly Kirk, Ari Kohen, Paula Lenz, Sonia Tipp, Donna Walter and Steven Wees.

JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA FOUNDATION

President, Stacey Erman Rockman; Vice-President, Susie Norton; Past-President, Bob Belgrade; Board Members: Michael Abramson, Steven Bloch, Beth S. Dotan, Paul Epstein, Ted Friedland, David Gilinsky, Donald Goldstein, Jay Gordman, Kip Gordman, Howard M. Kooper, Steve Levinger, Troy Meyerson, Murray H. Newman, Steve Nogg, Carl Riekes and Louri Sullivan.

JEWISH PRESS

Chair, David Finkelstein; Past Chair, Margie Gutnik; Helen Epstein, Andrea Erlich, Ally Freeman, Dana Gonzales, Mary Sue Grossman, Hailey Krueger, Chuck Lucoff, Larry Ring, Melissa Shrago, Suzy Sheldon and Stewart Winograd.

JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE

Chair, Shayna Ray; Jonathan Baker, Marti Finkel Poulos, Rabbi Mordechai Geiger, Bruce Gutnik, Gloria Kaslow, Dana Kaufman, Kate Kirshenbaum, Alan Kricsfeld, Bruce Meyers, Susie Norton, Jonathan Rockman, Marti Rosen-Atherton and Sara Slatkin.

NEBRASKA JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Chair, Seth Schuchman; Past Chair, Ben Justman; Board of Directors: Logan Armstrong, Sarah Abrahamson, Herb Friedman, Jeannette Gabriel, Kelly Kirk, Kate Kirshenbaum, Rocky Lewis, Joseph Pinson, Marty Ricks and Beth Staenberg.

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME

Chair, Norm Sheldon; Past Chair, Jeff Kirshenbaum; Darlene Golbitz, Carlos Gomez, Myron Kaplan, Dan Marburg, Tina Meyers, Susie Norton, Gretchen Radler, Ari Riekes, Yosef Seigel, Nancy Skid and Mark Sweet.

STAENBERG OMAHA JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER

Chair, Shane Cohn; Past-Chair, John Glazer; Board Members: Amanda Blumkin, Marty Cohen, Shane Donnely, Carrie Epstein, Laurie Epstein, Candice Friedman, Nick Lemek, Tiffany Milone, Terry Rush and Steve Zalkin.

Elena May Sheiber Angulo, daughter of Monica Angulo and Bret Sheiber; Eliana Yael Clark, daughter of Sarah Beringer and Alex Clark ; Miriam, daughter of Rabbi Ari and Laura Dembitzer; Harrison Rubin, son of Shelby and Ben Epstein; Lillian, daughter of Lauren and Andrew Gaynor; Yitzchak Chaim, son of Rabbi Mordechai and Ayelet Geiger; Bronson Vernon, son of Taylor and Mercer Gunnels; Beckett Carter, son of Abby and Josh Haber; Lauren Danielle, daughter of Samantha and Daniel Hersch; Ira Ervin Haussler Lemek, son of Tori Haussler and Nick Lemek; Mael Aspen Echevarria Lewis, son of Dr. Emily Echevarria and Dr. Travis Lewis; Yehuda Leib, son of Tziporah and Max (Mordechai) Marcovitz; Remi Wilder and Sadie Wade, daughters of Jamie and Mike Mason; Charlotte Mae, daughter of Claire and Robert Osborne; Evelyn Virginia, daughter of Elizabeth and Eli Rosenberg; Solomon Ezra, son of Beth Shyken-Rothbart and Chad Rothbart; Shira Pearl, daughter of Aliyah and CJ Ruf; Maliya Rose, daughter of Amy and Luke Schwartz; Micah Leo, son of Madeline and Mat Sherman; Lila Florence Small, daughter of Lindsay Belmont and Michael Small; and Ezra Simon, son of Rachael and Logan Wilson.

IN MEMORIAM

Sidney C. Abraham, Barb Ackerson, Aaron Zachary Batt, Lynette M. Benjamin, Florence Bernstein, Jerome “Jerry” L. Bernstein, Sander (Sandy) Bernstein, Alan H. Biniamow, Norm Bleicher, Lois Bowen Boerger, Bruce Bowers, Ilene “Midge” Bowers, Alberto Alvarez Calderon, Peggy Louise Chasen, Sally Lorraine Step Clayman, Alan L. Cohen, Sheldon (Shelley) Cohen, Eli Sagan Chesen, MD DFAPA, Norman Dann, Roger Darrington, Betsy Rose (Goldbarg) Davidson, Peggy Nogg Deland, Norman Hirsh Denenberg, Harold Edelman, David Ellenson, Helen Sue Friedberg, Kathy Friedman, Roger D. Friedman MD, Conrad Lopez Fuentes, Marcia L. Gallner, Norine Gerson, Nina Freifeld Giles, Zina Goldberg, Gary L. Goldstein, Morgan Goodman, Harriet Grossbart, Sammy Hale, Rabbi Jules Harlow, Chris Hightower, Dr. Fred Jeruzalski Kader, Jerome Kaiman, Pola Bucheister Katskee, Marvin Alan Kirke, Alice Klein, Dolores Klein, Marvin Kohll, Beverlee “Bev” Krasne, Alice Kriz, Benjamin Kushner, David Levinson, Norma Levinson, Brett Lindenbach, Anna Litvin, Eric Meiser, Lois I. Melland, Miriam (Tager) Misle, Miriam (Mitzie) Monovitz, Dr. Sherrell B. Najman, Steven A. Neesman, Bob Nefsky, Roberta Ray Newfeld, Delphine Ott, Doris Parker, Catherine Pieck, Joseph Pinson, Jr., Marvin Polikov, Steven B. Redler, Michael Reitz, Cynthia Salkin, Lynn D. Saunders, Monte Schlitten, Janice “Jan” Ricks Schneiderman, Richard “Dick” Stanton Segal, Steven Gary Seglin, Beth Selner, Ben Shapiro, Charlotte M. Shapiro, L. Michael Shapiro, Linda Sharff, Vela Sher, Terrill Ava Sherman, Harold Siporin, Barry Snyder, James “Jim” Sophir, Kenneth “Ken” Edgar Spatz, Lina Spivak, Elayne Stoller, Hyman L. Tabachinick, Alain J. Taylon, Bernard Jerome Turkel, Kaye Turner, Gloria Vann, Ruth Lewin Weiner, Roberta Weissman, Rabbi Michael Weisser, Philip Werner, Sadie Wilson, Davida Wintroub, and Morton “Mort” Zuber.

JEWISH PRESS NOTICES

The Jewish Press will be closed on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 3 and 4 for Rosh Hashanah, Thursday Oct. 17 for Sukkot. The deadline for the Oct. 11 issue is Tuesday, Oct. 1, 9 a.m.; for the Oct. 25 issue, it is Monday, Oct. 14, 9 a.m. Questions? Call 402.334.6448.

B’NAI MITZVAHS

Naama Abraham, daughter of Shira Steinberg and Rabbi Steven Abraham; Brianna Rose, daughter of Cantor Joanna and Jacob Alexander; Evelyn Martin, daughter of Cantor Joanna and Jacob Alexander; Marley Quinn, daughter of Stacey and Brett Atlas; Alexandra Michelle Debruin, daughter of Steven DeBruin and Sarah and Benjamin Baelow; Ari Rhys, son of Christina M. and Matt Blumkin; Sam, son of Jennifer and James Bryan; Max, son of Leslie and Marc Gordon; Hazel Hoffman, daughter of Mary Drake and Mark Hoffman; Arrow Hoffman, son of Mary Drake and Mark Hoffman; Kooper Menin, son of Robyn Kooper; Jacob David, son of Elizabeth and James Meyers; Anna Pitman-Kogan, daughter of Lina Kogan and Roman Pitman; Leo George, son of

BOARDS | LIFE CYCLES

Marti and George Poulos; Ella Miriam Seigel, daughter of Sarah Abrahamson and Yosef Seigel; Evan, son of Melissa and Matt Shapiro; Adam, son of Dasha and Jeffrey Stein; Taylor Marcus, Kari and Brandon Tauber; Isabel Emmalyon, daughter of Jennifer and Erin Vik; Alexander Lawrence, son of Sarah and Adam Yale; and Evelyn, daughter of Renee Zacharia and Jeffrey Zacharia.

MARRIAGES

Pam Berkowitz and Rabbi Steven Abraham; Jodi Benenson and Melissa Breazile; Alyssa Kirshenbaum and Jake Cohen; and Effie Tsabari and Liel Navon.

NEBRASKA

B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

Synagogues

618 Mynster Street Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766

712.322.4705 www.cblhs.org

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE

Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California Street Omaha, NE 68154-1980

402.492.8550 bethel-omaha.org

BETH ISRAEL

SYNAGOGUE

Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street Omaha, NE. 68154

402.556.6288 BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org

CHABAD HOUSE

An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street Omaha, NE 68144-1646

402.330.1800 OChabad.com email: chabad@aol.com

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY:

B’NAI JESHURUN

South Street Temple

Union for Reform Judaism

2061 South 20th Street Lincoln, NE 68502-2797

402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org

OFFUTT AIR

FORCE BASE

Capehart Chapel 2500 Capehart Road Offutt AFB, NE 68123

402.294.6244 email: oafbjsll@icloud.com

TEMPLE ISRAEL

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

402.556.6536 templeisraelomaha.com

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY:

TIFERETH ISRAEL

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

Monthly Speaker Series Service, Friday, Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m. with our guest speaker. Our service leader is Larry Blass. Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel!

WEDNESDAY: Erev Rosh Hashanah Evening Service, 7:30 p.m. led by Jeff Taxman with guest speaker, Leonard Greenspoon on Humor in the Bible.

THURSDAY: Rosh Hashanah Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. led by Jeff Taxman with guest speaker, Jason Epsenhard on JFO update and security.

For information about our historic synagogue, please visit our website at www.cblhs.org or contact any of our other board members: Renee Corcoran, Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Janie Kulakofsky, Howard Kutler, Carole and Wayne Lainof, Ann Moshman, MaryBeth Muskin, Debbie Salomon and Sissy Silber. Handicap Accessible.

Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman.

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

FRIDAY: Nebraska AIDS Project Lunch, 11:30 a.m.; Tot Shabbat with Pre-Neg, 5:30 p.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream; Our Shabbat Tables — Fiesta Night, 7 p.m. at Beth El.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 10 a.m. at Beth El & Live Stream; Jr. Congregation (Grades K-12), 10 a.m.; Selichot, 8 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream.

SUNDAY: BESTT (Grades K-7), 9:30 a.m.; Dinner at Stephen Center, 5 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Erev Rosh Hashanah Service, 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream.

THURSDAY: Rosh Hashanah Family Service, 9 a.m.; Rosh Hashanah Day One Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Tashlich, 4 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:30 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream.

FRIDAY-Oct. 4: Rosh Hashanah Day Two Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. at Beth El & Live Stream; Rosh Hashanah Lunch, 12:45 p.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream.

SATURDAY-Oct. 5: Shabbat Morning Service, 10 a.m. at Beth El & Live Stream; Havdalah, 7:30 p.m. Zoom Only.

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

FRIDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat/Candlelighting, 6:54 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit 9

a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:30 a.m.; Youth Class, 10:45 a.m.; Tehillim, 5:35 p.m. at the Zivs; Soulful Torah, 5:55 p.m. with Rabbi Geiger; Mincha 6:40 p.m.; Laws of Shabbos/Kids Activity, 7:10 p.m.; Havdalah, 7:51 p.m.

SUNDAY: Selichot 1:15 a.m.; Shacharit 9 a.m.; Kinyan 9:40 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv 7:10 p.m.

MONDAY: Selichot, 6:45 a.m.; Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv 6:50 p.m.

TUESDAY: Selichot, 6:45 a.m.; Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Kinyan, 6:25 p.m.; Mincha/ Ma’ariv 6:50 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Selichot, 6:45 a.m.; Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit/Selichot, 7 a.m.; Candlelighting, 6:45 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6:50 p.m.

THURSDAY: Beth Israel Office Closed; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tashlich, 1:30 p.m. at Temple Israel Creek; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6:45 p.m.; Candlelighting, 7:44 p.m.

FRIDAY-Oct. 4: Beth Israel Office Closed; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Second Shofar, 12:45 p.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat/Candlelighting, 6:42 p.m.

SATURDAY-Oct. 5: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:30 a.m.; Youth Class, 10:45 a.m.; Tehillim, 5:25 p.m. at the Zivs; Soulful Torah, 5:45 p.m. with Rabbi Geiger; Mincha 6:30 p.m.; Laws of Shabbos/Kids Activity, 7 p.m.; Havdalah, 7:40 p.m.

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

All services are in-person. All classes are being offered in-person and via Zoom (ochabad.com/academy). For more information or to request help, please visit www.ochabad.com or call the office at 402.330.1800.

FRIDAY: Shacharit 8 a.m.; Inspirational Lechayim, 5:45 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: Ochabad.com/ Lechayim; Candlelighting, 6:53 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shacharit 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 7:50 p.m.

SUNDAY: Sunday Morning Wraps: Shacharit, 99:30 a.m., Video Presentation, 9:30 a.m. and Breakfast, 9:45 a.m.; Sunday Pod (Rosh Hashanah Themed), 9-11 a.m.

MONDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Personal Parsha, 9:30 a.m.; Intermediate Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Parsha Reading, 6 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Translating Words of Prayer, 7 p.m. with David Cohen.

TUESDAY: Shacharit 8 a.m.; Translating Words of Prayer, 11 a.m. with David Cohen; Intermediate Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 6 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Introductory Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 7 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen.

WEDNESDAY: Services and Hataras Nidarim 8 a.m.; Evening Services, 6:30 p.m.; LIght Candles after, 6:45 p.m. (Say Blessings 1 & 5).

THURSDAY: Morning Services 9:30 a.m.; Shofar Shoiunding, 11 a.m.; LIght Candles after, 7:43 p.m. (Say Blessings 1 & 5).

FRIDAY-Oct. 4: Morning Services, 9:30 a.m.; Rosh Hashanah in One Hour and Shofar Sounding, 11 a.m. followed by Kiddush Lunch: Light Candles after, 6:42 p.m. (Say Blessings 4).

SATURDAY-Oct. 5: Morning Services 10 a.m.; Kiddush Lunch, noon; Shabbat Ends, 7:39 p.m.

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY:

B’NAI JESHURUN & TIFERETH ISRAEL

Services facilitated by Rabbi Alex Felch. All services offered in-person with live-stream or teleconferencing options.

FRIDAY: Shabbat Candlelighting, 6:56 p.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat Service with Rabbi Alex, 7-8 p.m. at SST.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service with Rabbi Alex, 9:30-11 a.m. at TI; Torah Study, noon on Parashat Nitzavim-Vayelech via Zoom; Havdalah Service, 7 p.m. at SST; S'lichot Service, 7:30 p.m. at SST; Havdalah, 7:53 p.m.

SUNDAY: LJCS Classes, 9:30-11:30 a.m. at SST; Men’s Bike/Coffee Group, 10:30 a.m. at The Mill on the Innovation Campus. For more information or questions please email Al Weiss at albertw801@ gmail.com; Pickleball, 3-5 p.m. at TI. Anyone interested in playing or learning how to play can text Miriam at 402.470.2393. If there are enough interested people; we’ll play in the Social Hall.

TUESDAY: High Holidays Choir Rehearsal, 7-8 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Men’s Lunch Group, 12:15 p.m. at Roberts Park (weather permitting). We meet every other Wednesday. Please contact albertw801@ gmail.com to get on the mailing list. As plans can change the last minute and it is necessary to contact

everyone. Bring lunch, a drink and a chair; Rosh Hashana Evening Service, 7 p.m. at SST.

THURSDAY: Synagogue Offices Closed; TI Morning Rosh Hashana Day 1 Service, 9:30-11:30 a.m. led by Lay Leader at TI; Rosh Hashana Morning Childrens' Service, 9:30-10 a.m. led by Rabbi Alex at SST; SST Rosh Hashanah Morning Day Service, 10-11 a.m. led by Rabbi Alex at SST; Tashlish, 3-5 p.m. at Antelope Park in Lincoln.

FRIDAY-Oct. 4: Synagogue Offices Closed; Rosh Hashana Jr. Congregation, 9-10:30 a.m. at SST; Rosh Hashana Morning Day 2 Service, 9:30-10:30 a.m. led by Rabbi Alex at SST; Kabbalat Shabbat Service with Rabbi Alex, 6:30-7:30 p.m. at SST; Shabbat Candlelighting, 6:44 p.m.

SATURDAY-Oct. 5: Shabbat Morning Service with Rabbi Alex, 9:30-11 a.m. at TI; Torah Study, noon on Parashat Haazinu via Zoom; Havdalah, 7:42 p.m.

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

In-person and virtual services conducted by Rabbi Benjamin Sharff, Rabbi Deana Sussman Berezin, and Cantor Joanna Alexander

FRIDAY: Drop in Mah Jongg, 9-11 a.m. In-Person; Village Walking Group, 10 a.m. In-Person; Shabbat B’yachad Service, 6 p.m. In-Person & Zoom.

SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. In-Person & Zoom; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. In-Person & Zoom; S’lichot — Film & Discussion: Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel, 7 p.m. In-Person; S'lichot Service, 8:30 p.m. In-Person & Zoom.

SUNDAY: Grades PreK-7, 9:30 a.m. In-Person; Temple Tots, 10 a.m. In-Person; Reproductive Rights — Task Force Events in Partnership with Protect Our Rights Ballot Initiative, 10 a.m. In-Person; Kol Rina Rehearsal, noon In-Person.

TUESDAY: Kol Rina Rehearsal, 6 p.m. In-Person.

WEDNESDAY: Yarn It, 9 a.m.; Erev Rosh Hashanah Service 7:30 p.m. In-Person.

THURSDAY: Tot Rosh Hashanah Service, 9:30 a.m. In-Person & Zoom; Sitter Service for Children Age 04, 10 a.m. In-Person; Rosh Hashanah Morning Service with Torah Reading, 10:30 a.m. In-Person & Zoom; Youth Programming, 10:30 a.m. In-Person.

FRIDAY-Oct. 4: Drop in Mah Jongg, 9-11 a.m. InPerson; Village Walking Group, 10 a.m. In-Person; Bring Your Own Picnic, 5 p.m. In-Person; Shabbat Shuva Service and Tashlich, 6 p.m. In-Person & Zoom.

SATURDAY-Oct. 5: Torah Study 9:15 a.m. In-Person & Zoom; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. InPerson & Zoom; S’lichot — Film & Discussion: Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel, 7 p.m. In-Person; S'lichot Service, 8:30 p.m. In-Person & Zoom. Please visit templeisraelomaha.com for additional information and Zoom service links.

MEMORIAL SERVICES

Sunday, Sept. 29

Beth El Cemetery, 84th and L Sts., 11 a.m. Golden Hill Cemetery, 5025 N. 42nd St., 11 a.m. Beth Israel/Crown Point 78th and Crown Point, noon

Mount Carmel Cemetery, Lincoln, 12:15 p.m. Fisher Farms, 8900 S. 42nd St., 1 p.m. Mt. Lebanon-Wyuka Cemetery, Lincoln, 1:15 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 6

Oak Hills/Bikhor Cholim, Council Bluffs, 11 a.m. Temple Israel Cemetery, 6412 N. 42nd St., 1 p.m.

Your questions about Rosh Hashanah, answered

What prayers do we read on Rosh Hashanah?

While some of the liturgy is similar to other weekday or Shabbat services, much of it is unique, and several of these prayers are repeated later on Yom Kippur. Arguably the most famous part of Rosh Hashanah services is the blowing of the shofar, and the most famous prayer is Unetanah Tokef, which inspired Leonard Cohen’s Who By Fire. A close second is Avinu Malkeinu, which means “our father, our king.” Is it true that you are supposed to throw bread in the water on Rosh Hashanah?

Yes, during the Tashlich ceremony, usually held

on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, Jews symbolically cast off their sins by throwing pieces of bread into a body of water.

What sections of the Torah are read during Rosh Hashanah services?

On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, most synagogues read Genesis 21:1-21:34, the section where Sarah and Abraham, after years of struggling with infertility, are blessed with a son, Isaac, after which Sarah banishes Hagar, the handmaid who is the mother of Ishmael. The second-day reading, Genesis 22:1-24, continues where the first day left off, with the story of the Akedah, Abraham’s near-sac-

rifice of Isaac. (In Reform congregations that observe only one day of Rosh Hashanah, only Genesis 22 is read.)

How long does Rosh Hashanah last?

Traditionally Jews observe two days of Rosh Hashanah. In 2024, Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on Wednesday, Oct. 2 and ends at sundown on Friday, Oct. 4. However, many Reform congregations observe only the first day. But the holidays don’t end there: Yom Kippur falls 10 days later, followed by Sukkot and Simchat Torah.

Source: MyJewishLearning.com

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Little known facts from the Jewniverse

There was actually a fish called the jewfish. It certainly sounds vaguely antisemitic, but the origins of this Atlantic saltwater grouper’s name is a bit of a mystery. Some theories include that it evolved from the Italian “giupesce” (“bottom fish”), or that it’s a mispronunciation of “jawfish” because of the fish’s large mouth. Today, however, the jewfish is no more. While this fish still swims our waters today, after com-

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plaints of cultural insensitivity, its name was officially changed to the goliath grouper in 2001.

Mr. Potato Head was invented by Jews.

Henry, Herman, and Hillel Hassenfeld, later known as the founders of Hasbro, sold the first Mr. Potato head facial parts kit after seeing potential in the invention by George Lerner, a Jew of Romanian descent. While the kit originally recommended that kids use real fruits

and vegetables, Hasbro invented a plastic potato head in 1964 after receiving complaints from parents about rotten produce. Portuguese Jews invented fish & chips.

Jewish refugees from Portugal actually brought the dish to England in the early 16th century; the delicacy is based on a Sephardic dish, pescado frito, or fried fish.

(Source: Kveller.com)

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Best wishes for a happy, healthy and peaceful Rosh Hashanah.

We invite all Jewish veterans to join us

Contact: Jay Benton, Commander 402-250-6133

The Natan and Hannah Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies at the University of Nebraska-Omaha wishes all our friends and supporters a Happy New Year!

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