September 30, 2016: Rosh Hashanah Edition

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A2 | The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016

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Happy New Year id you know that the first name Aharon, or Aaron, means “Mountain?” Or that Abba gained popularity as a given name during the Talmudic era? Or that Alon means “Oak Tree,” and that the earliest Alon was a grandson of Jacob? Be wary if you have a friend named Dan, because it means “He Judged.” One little-known diminutive form of David (“Beloved”) is Dudel.

When my son Mendel was little, he couldn’t pronounce his sister’s name Isabella, and shortened it to Adi. It has stuck to this day, and I’m not sorry: in Hebrew it means “Jewel” or “Ornament.”

Names are fun to think about, but they are also quite meaningful. The name we carry with us becomes an integral part of our identity. Few things are as annoying as people mispronouncing our names, something I unfortunately have experience with on both ends: most people here in Omaha mispronounce my Dutch name, and I tend to not get American names quite right because of my accent.

Don’t worry; I have kids who correct me regularly. They still hope I’ll get it someday.

For this issue, we looked at first and last names, we looked at different pronunciations and at origins and we took a stab at a few other things, like what actually happened at Ellis Island. We included stories about babynaming traditions, the names of G-d and about nicknames.

Once you start thinking about it, there is quite a bit to say about names.

It’s a topic that has been fun to think and write about, and credit goes to the Jewish Press Board. Not everyone knows how incredibly supportive, kind, knowledgeable and just plain enjoyable this Board is. We are very lucky to have a group of lay leaders who find excitement in getting involved, and who come up with great ideas.

I want to thank the Jewish Press staff for working tirelessly on this issue: Sales Executive Susan Bernard, who sold an impressive number of advertisements, Creative Director Richard Busse, who never ceases to amaze me with his layout and design skills, and of course Assistant-Editor Lori Kooper-Schwarz, who not only put an enormous amount of energy in this issue, but managed to get her eldest daughter Bat Mitzvahed in the process (Mazal Tov, Mel!), with a little help, of course.

To our clergy, both in Omaha and Lincoln: I am always grateful for your willingness to get your Rosh Hashanah message to the Press office; we know this is a busy time for you and we appreciate you so much for all you do.

A paper like this cannot be created without dedicated writers: Ozzie Nogg, Gabby Blair, Sybil Kaplan, Oliver Pollak, Teddy Weinberger: you are all fabulous. A special Thank You goes to Nate Shapiro and Mark Kirchhoff for jumping in and joining the fun.

To our proofreaders: Margaret Kirkeby, Deborah Platt, Silvia Roffman, Dottie Rosenblum and Suzanne Singer: we can’t thank you enough for what you do.

I want to take a moment to mention our advertisers.

Over the past decade, many community newspapers in the United States have bitten the dust. There are varying reasons for that, but loss of advertising dollars is definitely at the top of the list. The Jewish Press has definitely seen its share of tsuris, but I am happy to share with you that advertising sales are up, and, thanks to the never-ending support of this community, we are well on our way to our 100th anniversary. Advertising in the Jewish Press is a vote of confidence, a way of saying “we’re in this together,”

Credit: Barry A. Kaplan, Jerusalem

and it makes a tremendous difference. So to all our advertisers: thank you for getting involved, and seeing the value in our paper. We appreciate every single one of you.

Now, it is almost the New Year: time to make up the balance and prepare for what’s to come. We don’t know what this next year will bring, but we do know this: we have a great, strong, vibrant community, and together, we can continue to accomplish great things. We wish you all a wonderful High Holiday season. Shana Tova!

Eric Dunning, President Annette van de Kamp Wright, Editor

The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016 | A3

roshhashanah

HaShem aka Ein-Sof aka...

OzziE NOGG he ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians -- along with contemporary followers of Mahayana Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism and Shintoism -- count dozens, even hundreds, of gods and goddesses in their pantheons. Hinduism, depending on the source, claims 33 million gods and goddesses. But in every case, each deity has just one name. On the flip side, we Jews believe in One God to Whom we’ve given multiple names.

Why so many? And what are they? I’m not equipped to untangle knotty Kaballistic triangular anagrams containing letters of the Name, or explain its connection to the ten sefirot or to three pillars of a tree, etc., etc., etc., so if you want occult mathematical formulae and mystic permutations unlocked, please consult your rabbi. However, a partial list (operative word, partial) of the most familiar names for the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob - of Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah - that, after much research, I can provide.

Topping the charts: the Tetragrammaton, represented by the four Hebrew letters Yod, Hei, Vav, Hei or YHVH. Too sacred to speak aloud, uttered only once a year by the High Priest, the Tetragrammaton, according to the online Jewish Encyclopedia, appears in the Hebrew Bible 6,823 times - more often than any other of God’s appellations. We generally say, Adonoi, and call it good. However, in his paper titled, Adonai-Elohim: The Two Faces of God, Rabbi Harold Schulweis points out that in the opening chapter of Bereshit, the Creation is credited to Elohim. Not until the second chapter of Genesis is Adonoi introduced. Rabbi Schulweis suggests that when we recite the Shema, we pray that Elohim and Adonai shall become one - ehad - to unify the world and sanctify the name of God. While we await the unity of the world, (speedily in our day, would be nice) let’s troll Jewish sacred text and prayers for additional name choices, starting with the ‘honorific’ ti-

T

tles for The Most High (usually masculine), including Melech ha-M’lachim (The King of Kings); El ha-Tishbahot (Praiseworthy God); Ha-Kadosh, Baruch Hu (The Holy One, Praised be He); and Ribbono shel Olam (Sovereign of the Universe). For the record, my Bubbie pronounced it Riboy-neh-shel-Oy-lum - one long plea, heavy on the Yiddish accent - but I’m sure the Sovereign understood the message.

Jewish writings also ‘name’ God in relationship to His activity on our behalf. ‘You want to know My name?’ the midrash asks. ‘I am called according to My actions.’ Those actions are described in the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy: Adonoi, Adonoi, El rachum v’chanun -- Lord, Lord, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in kindness and truth, forgiver of iniquity, sin and error. The midrash, in a 180 degree turn, continues, ‘When I am waging war against the wicked, I am called El Shaddai

pronounce this most holy name of God, it IS permissible to write YHVH on a card and stare at it until you zone out.

Obviously, Kaplan didn’t buy the rabbinic edict that forbids writing God’s name on anything from which it could be erased, discarded or destroyed. Either, some say, did Rav Soloveitchik (z”l) who, while teaching a class, intentionally wrote GOD on the board and then deliberately erased it, to demonstrate - by his own example - this was not halakhically a problem. Cool.

Any attempt to compile an all-inclusive list of God’s names will, quoting Tevye, pose problems that would cross a rabbi’s eyes. Ein-Sof (The Infinite, Endless One). HaDavar (the thing that cannot be described). HaShem (the Name).

Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh (I Am That I Am), the name revealed to Moses at the burning bush. Dig deep enough and you uncover not only the Four Letter Tetragrammaton, but also

Hebrew for Shadai, one of the most well-known names of God. (Almighty God.)’ Different strokes for different folks, folks.

Other prayers refer to God as Avinu she-ba-Shamayim (Our Father in Heaven); Avinu Malkeinu (Our Father, our King); Tzur Israel (Rock of Israel); Ro’eh Yisrael (Shepherd of Israel); and Magen Avraham (Shield of Abraham). If you’re into meditation, another favorite name, Makom (literally, the Place), makes an excellent mantra.

Mak-ommmmmmmm. Don’t snigger. We Jews have a rich tradition of meditation where practitioners focus on divine names. In Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan’s 1985 book, Jewish Meditation, he suggests contemplating the four-letter Tetragrammaton, and while Kaplan allows that it’s forbidden to

the 12-Letter Name of God; the 22-Letter Name of God; the 26, 33, 42, 54 and (tah-DAH) the 72 Letter Name of God - a group of seventy-two triplets arranged in seventy-two squares, read bi-directionally with individual letters flipped or mirrored, on what resembles a Kabbalistic bingo card.

For Joshua Trachtenberg, author of Jewish Magic and Superstition, any effort to unfold the esoteric significance of these names is ‘impenetrable mystic rigmarole.’

Perhaps the best we can do is look to the Aleinu: Bayom hahu yihiyeh Adonai echad, u’shemo echad.

And on that day, God will be One and His name will be One.

Best wishes for a

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roshhashanah what’s in a name: Zoob annette van de kamp-wriGht any names that are considered “typically Jewish” are not that hard for me to translate. Dutch is my native tongue and I have a working understanding of German. Combine that with a little research and I can make sense of most names, as long as they are Ashkenazi in origin.

That’s not the case with ‘Zoob.’

Barry Zoob heard about the meaning of his last name from his father: “It means tooth in Russian,” Barry said. “Supposedly my great grandfather landed at Ellis Island and was asked for his papers. He responded with pointing at his jaw and kept saying ‘Zoob. Zoob.’

Zoob means tooth in Russian and the story says my grandfather had a toothache and did not speak English. Hence the foundation of our name.”

Researching that last name is tricky. ancestry.com has no suggestions (which is irritating; they always have suggestions! Why not now?) and apparently ‘Zoob’ means something unmentionable in French slang, which I can’t print here, so I’m facing a dead end. The Internet can tell me there are 136 people in the world who share Barry’s last name, and Ancestry.com has 672 Historical Documents that mention ‘Zoob.’ This includes 199 births, marriages and deaths, 189 censor and voter lists, 18 military records, 111 immigration records and 155 member family trees.

I also find out that ‘Zoob’ is the 1,058,402nd most common surname in the world, according to Forebears.com. Most of those live in the United States (68), but one can also find ‘Zoobs’ who are still in Russia (14), Mongolia (2), Ukraine (8) and in more surprising

M

The history of Jewish Surnames: All that glitters isn’t Gold...berg

places like Pakistan (1) and South Korea (1). Who knew?

Then, there are variations of the name: “I have seen it spelled Zoub,” Barry said. “And I have also found ‘Zoob’ families who are not related.”

I find ‘Zoobis,’ Zoobys’ and ‘Zoobes.’ There are

Gabby blair n the long list of traditionally Jewish surnames is a group that ‘shines’ above the rest.

Names like Gold, Goldberg, Silver, Silverstein; where did these ‘blingy’ names, sprinkled throughout Europe amongst families of the likes of Abramson, Tuchman, Rosenberg and Blumenthal, come from?

First, a historical context into how Jewish families identified themselves must be examined. Within Jewish communities, names and familial lines followed a format of referencing themselves in relation to who their parents were. For example, Joseph, son of Aaron, or Mushka, daughter of Yankel; much in the same way that Jews today are called to the Torah. This custom of naming dates back to earliest times, where we see Isaac referred to as Yitzak ben Avraham or Moses as Moshe ben Amram ha-Levi.

I

‘Zobs,’ ‘Zoohbis’ and ‘Zobus.’ But none of that gets me closer to finding out once and for all what the name means and how it came to be.

Finally, after another number of dead ends (including the wikitravel site that freezes up my computer completely) I find a Russian phrasebook that tells me how to say “toothpaste” in Russian: ZOOB-nuh-yuh PAHStuh. And toothbrush is ZOOB-nuh-yuh SHYOHT-kuh.

Bingo. ‘Zoob’ means tooth, Whether Barry’s grandfather actually did have a toothache, we might never know. I for one am going to take Barry’s word for it.

Sephardic Jews in the area of Spain and Italy began adopting surnames to better define family lines amongst themselves as early as the 11th century. Ashkenazi Jews only began adopting permanent surnames in 1787 after being ordered to by laws decreed by the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Due to persecution, inability to own land, and the need for work, Jews tended to be more transient than other European populations of the time. The government wanted to monitor, register, tax, draft and educate Jews and having a surname, which was required to be of Germanic origin, made these tasks easier to accomplish.

Shortly thereafter, in 1804, similar laws were passed in tsarist Russia.

In both cases, be it voluntarily or because of laws requiring them to do so, choosing a family surname followed similar logic. Jews who identified as a Cohen or Levi, simply adopted their tribal title role, or a variation See Jewish surnames page a6

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

www.facebook.com/jean.stothert | Twitter: @Jean_Stothert Paid for by the Jean Stothert for Omaha Committee, 9919 Essex Drive, Omaha NE 68114

The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016 | a5

Rosh Hashanah Greetings

The Pollak name has been around for at least 150 years

Oliver B. POllak ames are a big thing in the brick and mortar complex. They are printed in big letters on libraries, hotels, universities, hospitals, and airports, honoring owners and machers. Omaha examples include Dale Clarke, Joslyn, Kiewit, Clarkson, and Bergan. UNO boasts Roskens, Weber, Eppley, Baxter, Caniglia, Henningson, Sapp, Allwine, Criss, Kaiser, Durham, Mammel, Scott, Strauss, Thompson, Davis, and Weitz. They honor administrators and prominent citizen-philanthropists for contributing to Omaha’s economic and cultural life.

Jews contributed to this phenomenon at UNO, Creighton and Lincoln libraries and programs: Philip and Ethel Klutznick, Natan and Hannah Schwalb, Dorothy and Myer Kripke, Norman and Bernice Harris, and Guinter Kahn. My name, Pollak appears inside the library catalogs and on the bookshelves.

If it turns out alumni were in the slave trade or other nefarious colonial ventures, watch out. Their name is tainted, and calls echo for denaming and renaming; poor Cecil Rhodes and John C. Calhoun, et. al.

We have two or more names. It is not always straightforward how it is spelled and pronounced, what syllable gets emphasized, are the vowels long or short. Anderson, Larson, and Stevenson can end with “on” or “en.” Smith can be Smythe. Phillip can be Philip and Denis Dennis.

Ginsberg Ginsburg Ginzberg, Ginzburg could confuse the beat poet with a pornographer. Is it Alan, Allan, Alen, Allen, or even Alain?

Pronunciation and spelling can bedevil and garble even popular names. There are three ways to pronounce Shapiro. Mel Brooks plays with Frankenstein. How lucky it is to have a single syllable name.

I have taught thousands of students. Their syllabus has Pollak on it. At least 40% manage to add a “c,” Pollack, on their exams and term papers. My editors proof read and spell it Pollack. My two worst stories – I got page proofs of an article and my name was Pollak, when the article was published it was Pollack. The Jewish Press identified me as Pollack more than once; and one article spelled my name two different ways. It can be found wrong in index, bibliography, acknowledgements, on the web, just about everywhere, but my tombstone, though it was misspelled once on my law office letterhead. When I get a check with my name misspelled, I smile, and cash it.

My father had some inkling of the Pollak name problem from living in Austria and England.

When we came to America there was some discussion about anglicizing it to Pollard. Now wouldn’t that that be a treat, almost like changing it to Rosenberg in 1952. Parents sometimes honor an icon and name their children Lincoln, Jefferson, Washington, Roosevelt, and Gromyko. I have not recognized this so much among women, but watch out for some Hillarys in the womb.

The Omaha phonebook has two Polacks, six Polaks, five Pollacks, one Pollak (that does not include me because we are unlisted), twelve Pollards and fourteen Pollocks.

Phonebooks in different cities vary in frequency of the spellings due to immigration patterns. My name is pronounced softly, Pollak. Not Poe-Lack but pawlek. It is mispronounced about as often as it is misspelled. People frequently ask how to pronounce it.

So what does Pollak mean.?Disregarding that the spelling Pollock is a species of codfish, and

Pollok is a Glasgow suburb. Some assume the bearer has a Polish background. My paternal grandparents lived in the Austro Hungarian Empire. As a child I overheard a conversation suggesting the prior family name may have been Wolf, and that’s all I know about that. Completely unconnected, my oldest grandson is named Zev. In 1987, the Austrian government published the Totenbuch Theresienstadt, damit sie nicht vergessen werden [Theresienstadt Death Book – so that they will not be forgotten] listing the Austrian Jews deported to Theresienstadt or Terezin. It shows their birthday, and all too often death day; Agnes Pollak, my paternal grandmother, was born on Feb. 6, 1871, and died Aug. 21, 1942, about two weeks after she arrived. My maternal grandfather, Felix Bachmann, survived Theresienstadt.

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The list contains 141 individuals named Pollak.

The editors lumped almost all the various spellings under Pollak, an indignity similar to the nazis (I refuse to capitalize the word) inserting Israel and Sarah as the middle name for Jews.

My first name, Oliver, may derive from being born in England in 1943 to refugee parents. Perhaps they wanted me to have an English name, and maybe it was because Oliver Cromwell readmitted the Jews into England in 1656. They had been expelled by King Edward I in 1290. 2006 was the 350th anniversary of re-admission. However, Oliver Cromwell was also a regicide who facilitated the execution of King Charles in 1649.

Oliver was a republican, believing in government without king or monarch.

The middle name on my birth certificate, social security card, military service papers and passport is Burt or Bert. It derives from my paternal grandfather Adalbert, who lived in Vienna. My cousin told me in August 2016 that our paternal grandfather, born in 1867 in Kalocsa, Bacskiskun, Hungary, was named Bela. He moved to Austria and took the name Adalbert and died in 1927. He is buried in the Zentralfriedhof [Central cemetery] that also contains an Adalbert Pollak who died in 1923. Why my father in 1943 preferred the Germanic Adalbert over the Hungarian Bela confuses me. Perhaps it was easier to anglicize. My sister’s middle name is Agnes, after our paternal grandmother. Born in Gilgenberg, Austria, her family name was Ehrenzweig.

We cannot control our personal and family names. Nicknames, shortened or contracted, have a shelf life. Only those who knew me before I married Karen remember Oli or Ollie, and only I remember Stinky. My father moved around Europe, Palestine, England and America known as Wilhelm, Villie, Vilem, Hillel, Willie, William and just plain Bill.

The most famous Oliver Pollock (1737-1823), of which friends and associates remind me, helped finance the American revolution and introduced the $ symbol.

Sean Ferguson is my favorite joke about See The Pollak name page a6

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a6 | The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016

almost 613 products Sybil Kaplan here is a legend that inside every pomegranate are 613 seeds, the number of mitzvoth or commandments in the Torah, according to the Talmud, given

by G-d to the Jewish people.

According to Yossi Ben Ivgi, guide for the past five months at Rimon Winery (and not a member of the founding family), pomegranates took on new meaning for a farmer and his son in the late 1990s. Gabi and Avi Nachmias, third generation in a family that founded Moshav Keren Ben Zimra, read an article about the medical qualities of pomegranates and decided to develop a new variety.

They created a pomegranate orchard located on the mountain next to Moshav Kerem Ben Zimra.

Four years later, they found that this variety, larger than normal pomegranates -- some weighing one and a half kilos each (3.3 pounds) -- was high in sugar, the

T

Jewish Surnames

Continued from page a4 of it, as their surname in order to define their role within their community. This gave birth to surnames such as Kohen, Cahn, Cogan, and Kagen; Levin, Levine, Levitt, etc. Those Jews who were not Cohenim or Levites, were considered ‘Israel’, which was the only other specifically Jewish surname, variations of which include Disraeli or Yisroel.

Aside from the Cohens, Levis and Israels, Jews tended to adopt names that were related to their trade or geographic region. For example, Krakowski could reference a family tie to Krakow, Poland.

Shuster or Sandler traces back to shoemaking and Shechter, Shochet, and Fleishman all reference livelihoods related to kosher meat production. Kaufman translates to ‘merchant’ in German while Schneider and Kravitz both reference ‘tailoring’. In a nod to the more traditional naming format, many simply added the suffix ‘-son’, ‘-sohn’ , ‘-ov, -vitz’, ‘-witz’ or ‘-sky’, to their father’s given names resulting in surnames like, Abrahamson, Mendelssohn, Maximov, Birkowitz, and Lewinsky. Some names are thought to have been derived by using common German names or those based on nature like Rosenblum (Rose flower) and Kirschenbaum (cherry tree). Others, still, are said to have been assigned by authorities, sometimes as an insult, such as Pasternak (white turnip), Indyk (turkey) and Billig (cheap).

While there were many restrictions upon Jews leading up to this time in Europe, including prohibitions of land ownership, certain professional fields, and the joining of guilds, they were able to create some niche markets that allowed smaller groups to thrive and even amass wealth. Cash was one thing a Jew could legally own and this

The Pollak name

Continued from page a5 immigration to America features an Irish, Jewish and Chinese man going through customs: You can google “Sean Ferguson Joke” and see it morph in “Schon fergessen” (I’ve forgotten).

We named our children, Aaron and Noah,

same as in grapes.

In 2003, they decided to try to make pomegranate wine and started with a dessert wine. After half a year, they tasted it and saw it had a unique flavor, people were excited and there were positive comments.

At this time, they decided to establish a commercial production line and produced 2000 bottles of pomegranate wine.

See almost 613 products page a7

finally brings us to the surnames that imply material value, such as Gold, Silver, and their derivatives. These names are thought to come from professions in which Jews became quite successful thanks, in part, to decrees of the Church.

Christians were, for quite some time, prohibited from doing jobs that were said to be sinful, such as money lending. Banking and money lending were typically high risk professions since courts were loathe to enforce repayments on delinquent accounts, as it would be in conflict with Church rulings on usury. However, that did not reduce the need or demand of the general population for loans. The budding banking industry, which required some degree of higher education, specifically in literacy and mathematics, became a lucrative niche for Jews. Jews also sometimes found work as rent collectors for non-Jewish land owners, which was not a particularly sought after, pleasant or endearing job.

Professions such as these, while allowing some families to improve their own financial situation, helped give rise to many of the negative stereotypes regarding Jews and money, and resulted in the consequence of increased anti-semitism and even pogroms. With cash being one of the Jew’s only financial assets, many families focused on trades open to them to expand their businesses, such as the the buying and selling of wares, durable goods, spices, or jewelry. For example, a jeweler who worked with gold or silver might have adopted the surname ending in ‘Stein’, ‘Steiner’, or ‘Stone’, giving rise to names like Goldstein or Silverstone. While last names such as Goldberg or Silver are often considered by many as inherently “Jewish”, many non-Jewish Europeans, particularly Germans, also share these names.

and they named our grandchildren, Jaikob, Shaina, Yael, and Zev. I wonder what our spelling has inflicted on our progeny. I have dwelled on this long enough for five generations. There does not appear to be a Polish connection in the last 1 1/2 centuries.

The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016 | A7

roshhashanah Names: Jewish, Hebrew, and English

Almost 613 products Yossi Ben Ivgi, Rimon Winery Guide

Continued from page A6 Today they are producing 13 different kinds of wine -- dry, sweet, semi-sweet and semi-dry, as well as rose, port style and sparkling wine. The wines have won 45 medals in competitions and in 2007, the wines were first place product of the year at the New Jersey Kosherfest.

At the back of the visitors’ center is a whole natural cosmetics line, all made with pomegranate oil.

Because it was during the intermediate days of Passover, the machinery was not in operation, however the process includes a machine which separates the berries from the fruit, a special squeezing machine which squeezes the berries, fermentation tanks where the wine sits for two to four months and then the barrel room where the wine sits from six months to ten years.

From there it goes to the bottling machine. Today, Rimon Winery is exporting 70%; 30% is for the local market.

Tours of the winery include a video followed by tasting of three types of wine.

In the room off to the side of the main room are six varieties of mint chocolates with pomegranate wine inside. Rimon Winery now offers chocolate workshops with a minimum of 20 people and registration in advance.

Rimon Winery has also opened a concept shop in the Tel Aviv flea market for wine tasting and selling of the wines and cosmetics.

The visitors’center is open Sunday – Thursday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday and holiday eves: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Phone 04 682 2325.

How to get there: The winery is about one kilometer south of Moshav Kerem Ben Zimra. It can be reached from Meron and Tzfat on Road 89. At the Ein Zeitim Junction, turn onto Road 886 and continue to the Dalton Industrial Zone. You may also travel via Road 90 on the section between Rosh Pina and Kiryat Shemona. At the Koach Junction, turn onto Road 899 and continue to the Yesha Junction; from there turn onto Road 886 and continue in the direction of the Dalton Industrial Zone.

The winery is in the Dalton Industrial Zone.

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TEDDY WEINBERGER n choosing names for their children, my parents were guided by the following: a Jewish name in memory of a deceased relative, and an English name that they liked.

My Jewish name (Yitzchak Chayim) and my brother Everett’s, Avraham Meir, are Hebrew, and my sisters’ names, Shayna Zelda and Masha Leah, are Yiddish (respectively, Jessica and Marissa). Our parents used our English names exclusively, and only at our Jewish day school TEDDY were our Jewish names used. Being WEINBERGER called upon during Judaic studies classes, however, did not cause us to really embrace our Hebrew names, and so we all grew up identifying solely with our English names.

Sarah and I wanted our children to identify with both their Jewish and English names. We felt that the best way for them to do so was to go biblical. Ideally, we wanted the biblical name to also be in memory of a deceased relative, but after our first two children Nathan and Rebecca (named after my grandparents), we had to go pretty far for Ruth (a great aunt of Sarah’s whom she never knew). With Ezra and Elie (Eliyahu), we gave up trying to find a family namesake and went with a biblical name that we liked.

Our system of naming initially hit a snag. Nathan is named after my paternal grandfather, and since Nathan is also a biblical figure (pronounced Natan in Hebrew), we thought that our firstborn would be Nathan/Natan. The only problem is that my grandfather Nathan was named in Hebrew after a completely different biblical figure: Naftali.

Since we liked the name Nathan more than Naftali, and since we wanted our children to identify both with their Hebrew and English names, we went with Nathan/Natan-much to the displeasure of my father who wanted us to duplicate the name mismatch of my grandfather.

When we made aliyah, our naming system worked beautifully for 4 of our 5 children--there was no disconnect between how they had been called in America and how they were called in Israel. Their English names just shifted to the Hebrew version: Nathan/Natan, Ruthie/Ruti, and with Ezra and Elie there was no shift at all. The only catch was Rebecca. In the United States, Rebecca is a fairly cool name, but when it moves to Hebrew we are not talking about a

I

mere shift, but a seismic change to Rivka. Rivkas in Israel are mainly octogenarian and up. The next generation (mine) already prefers the diminutive, such as Riki. And as far as my daughter’s generation, well unless you go into an ultra-orthodox community, you will find it almost impossible to track down a native-born Rivka. We know of another Rebecca, a girl my daughter’s age (the family is from California), who insists on being addressed as “Rebecca” in Hebrew (even though Israelis have trouble with that first syllable), and she will correct you if you refer to her as Rivka. God bless our Rebecca who, though she is wont to berate us for saddling her with an incredibly “square” name, is Rivka in Hebrew even for the announcers at her professional basketball games. Indeed, the crowd seems thrilled to chant “Rivka, Rivka.” I keep telling her: just want until you’re a grandma, then you’ll thank us that you have a proper name.

Those cool, hip Israeli names (mainly taken from nature) will seem strange on septuagenarians; e.g., Gal (Wave), Stav (Autumn), Tal (Dew), and Bar (Wild). Those names by the way are typically considered unisex, and Israel is filled with hundreds of boys and girls sharing the same names.

You would think that young national-religious parents would be more sensible in choosing names for their children, especially for their boys’ names. After all, it is one thing to name your son Shachaf, Almog, or Maayan but it is another to be called up to the Torah as Seagull, Coral, or Well-Spring. You might think this, but you would be wrong.

The key for grandparents is to remember to do what our friend did for the last trimester of her daughter’s pregnancy; she kept practicing over and over saying the following words: “That’s a lovely name.” Hopefully, my turn for saying this will come soon.

Teddy Weinberger made aliyah in 1997 with his wife, former Omahan Sarah Ross, and their five children. Their oldest four, Nathan, Rebecca, Ruthie and Ezra are veterans of the Israel Defense Forces; Weinberger can be reached at weinross@net vision.net.il.

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L’Shanah Tovah

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For directions, call Marty Ricks, 402/334-6440 Cemetery Manager John O’Connor, 670-8913 New Year’s Greetings from the Board of Directors: Bob Kully, President; Patty Nogg,V.P. ; Sissy Silber, Secretary; Marty Ricks,Treasurer; Harold Bernstein, Mark Eveloff, Joel Finkel, Elyce Gallner, Mike Gallner, Dave Goodman, John Goldner, John Katelman, Rick Katelman, Gail Krasne Kenkel, and Ted Seldin

A8 | The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016

roshhashanah Two new kids’ books for the Jewish New Year

pEnny SchwArTz JTA et ready: 5777 is arriving soon. And a new Jewish year means a fresh crop of top-notch Jewish books for kids.

This year, not one but two new Rosh Hashanah books are penned by Eric A. Kimmel, the master storyteller whose popular award-winning children’s classics include Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins and Simon and the Bear. His latest entries, Little Red Rosie and Gabriel’s Horn, are among the new crop of lively and engaging Jewish children’s books for the High Holidays that reflect the wide range of today’s American Jewish families.

Typically, most of the ink is devoted to Rosh Hashanah, which begins this year on the evening of Oct. 2. But there are fresh reads about many of the forthcoming holidays.

Want to make the new year extra sweet for a little one in your life? Check out the books below. rosh hashanah is coming!

Tracy Newman; illustrated by Viviana Garofoli Kar-Ben; ages 1-4 Families can usher in the Jewish New Year with this colorful and lively toddler board book, the fifth in the Kar-Ben board book series on Jewish holidays by Tracy Newman and Vivian Garofoli See new kids books page A10

G

What is going on with those Epsteins?

AnnETTE vAn dE kAmp-wriGhT tongue more easily than ‘Epstine.’ here are quite a few people in Omaha with the last Sharon thinks most of their friends think it’s hilarious: “We joke about name Epstein, and they are not all related. It’s supposed it all the time. Try going to a restaurant; when we’re asked under whose to be pronounced “Epstine,” as in the original German name the reservation is, and Howard and I both give a different answer, pronunciation. That is, if you believe Howard Epstein, it often causes confusion- but in a funny way.” As it did during the kids’ Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of Omaha B’nai Mitzvah, Howard said: “I remember Rabbi Drazen welcoming everyFoundation. His reasoning? one to the Epstine/Epsteen Bar or Bat “It”s how my dad pronounced it.

Mitzvah. It was good for a laugh from My grandfather David Epstein, tothe congregation.” gether with my grandmother Sonia Still, Howard is not alone: neighbor “Sadie” Meyerhoff, immigrated to Ron Epstein pronounces his name the America from the area near Riga in same way as Howard does. Paul EpLatvia around 1912 or ‘13, and stein disagrees: that’s the name he came with. He “I don’t like the German pronuncimay have pronounced it with more ation,” he says, “because it sounds of a Yiddish accent, ‘Epshtein,’ but harsh, as if you’re ready to bark orit was spelled the same as it is ders at someone. ‘Epsteen’ sounds today.” much nicer, so that’s what I’m stickIt’s a pretty convincing argument. ing with.” Paul’s wife Sandy feels Howard finds himself in mixed comthe same way about the German propany, though: his own brother Steve nunciation. “I just don’t like the pronounces his last name ‘Epsteen.’ sound of it,” she says, “especially “When our grandfather came to The town of Eppstein, Germany when people add that ‘sh’ sound in Credit: Michael König via Wikimedia commons the middle. It just gives me the shivEllis Island,” Steve says, “he had to spell his name phonetically, coming from Latvia, and since so many Ep- ers! We don’t make fun of Howard, though; live and let live.” steins had already come through, the officials spelled it “Epstein.” But, Tuffy Epstein adheres to the same “Epsteen” pronunciation, most technically, it should have been “Epshtain” (Rhymes with abstain). of the time: Two brothers, two different pronunciations. Are you still with me?

“My father used to say that rich people pronounce their name ‘Ep“It’s something that happened very gradually,” Steve says. “When I steen’ and poor people call themselves “Epstine.” But, those are my was in Junior High and High School, somewhere around that time, my father’s words. Actually, I kind of go back and forth and I’ll respond to friends began to call me “Epsteen.” The first few times I corrected either.” them, but eventually I gave up and started calling myself that.” By the Howard was not sure about the actual meaning of his last name so time Steve got married and had kids, the pronunciation had been re- we did a little digging. According to Ancestry.com, the name is of Gerestablished, and his family doesn’t know any different. man Jewish (Ahkenazi) origin, and is habitational for someone who hails “Howard and I have never really had any disagreements about it,” from a place named Eppstein, a town in the Main-Taunus-Kreis district Steve says, “and we rarely talk about it. It is kind of funny, though.” in Hesse, Germany, about 12 km north-east of Wiesbaden. The word But that’s not all. To add insult to injury, Howard’s wife Sharon also “Epp” comes from the Old High German “Ebur,” meaning “wild boar,” adopted the “Epsteen” pronunciation when she married him. The chil- and “Stein” means “Stone.” That a typically Jewish name contains the dren followed suit; son Jason thinks it’s probably due to the fact they German word for wild boar, well, that’s a discussion for another day. spent more time around their mother when they were little.

So, who gets the last word? Maybe Howard still has a chance chang“I heard others pronounce it that way,” Sharon said, “and I immedi- ing the minds of the grandchildren? ately started using the ‘Epsteen’ pronunciation. It just rolls off the “Good luck,” Sharon says.

T

The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016 | A9

Not every guy named Israel observes the Jewish New Year

OzzIe NOgg bad-boys from both teams were likeicture this. It’s once wise disciplined. A video of Israel upon a Sunday Kicks the Catcher is available on morning, in a little YouTube. wooden church, the Obviously, there’s no record of our congregation sits patriarch Jacob’s weight when he took transfixed as the on The Man at Peniel. But Israel preacher raises the Holy Vázquez (b.1977), weighed maybe 120 Scriptures and reads from the pounds when he met Rafael Marquez Book of Genesis. at the Dodge “And Jacob was Arena in Hileft alone,” the dalgo, Texas, in preacher booms.

2007 for the “All alone he was Super Banleft to wrestle with tamweight a man until the World Champibreaking of the onship. The riday.” The people valry between in the pews lean Israel and forward, mute.

Rafael “But Jacob, (oooooh, is Jacob prethere a mesvailed upon sage here?) the man,” conwas intense tinues the and brutal, preacher, gathwith the ering steam.

Dodge Arena “Yea, verily match-up upon this Angel hailed as of the Lord did Ring MagaJacob win out, zine’s Fight of and before the the Year for Angel departed 2007. Israel he said to Jacob, ‘Thy won by a TKO name shall be called in the 6th round, no more Jacob, but but the pummelIsrael; for thou ing drew addihast striven with tional blood in an God and with already savage caPictured from top men, and hast reer that left him middle: : Israel Alcá&nta Israel V prevailed.’ And so with a 44-5 record ra, ázq Miller/G etty Ima uez Credit: Eth it was, brothers (33 by TKO), and eyean ges and rael Ido bottom: nije Cre and sisters. So it lids pounded thin as tisdit: IsGetty Im ages No Jonathan Danie sue paper. After several was. Hallelujah rth Ame l/ rica. and amen.” Husdetached retinas and his bands in the congregation look at vision failing, Vázquez antheir wives - some heavy with child nounced this past July that his right imagine the new-born and decide, eye will be surgically removed. A fate “My boy won’t be a push-over, either. of truly Biblical proportions.

Going to name him Israel.” And so it To this group of strong-men named was. Still is, actually. Statistics on Israel, let’s add Israel Idonije (b.1980), BabyName Wizard show that in 2006, a Nigerian-Canadian defensive end, ‘Israel’ was the name given to almost now retired. His mother must have be500 out of every one million babies lieved the song lyric that advises born in the U.S. (or in nearby tropical Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to locations), most of Latino and Hisbe Cowboys, because Israel never did panic descent. Not all became sign with Dallas. Although, during wrestlers, but sports, in one form or various seasons, he played for the another, is Job One. Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions and Israel ‘Izzy’ Alcántara (b.1971) - a Chicago Bears, always ready to rush former Major League baseball player the quarterback (grab him by the for the Boston Red Sox and Milwaukee thigh, maybe) and rack up another Brewers - was clearly no pushover. Alsack. Israel Idonije, his net worth esticántara, his career already in the tank, mated at many millions, lives in a is remembered for a brawl he started three-bedroom, 2,100-square-foot, in 2011 while playing with the Pawnewly constructed home on Chicago’s tucket Red Sox (Boston’s AAA farm North Side, complete with heated conteam) against the Scranton/ Wilkescrete floors, custom-designed Italian Barre Red Barons. When the Baron’s kitchen, porcelain washbasins and a pitcher tossed a couple knuckle-balls spacious rooftop deck. (How goodly too close to Izzy’s ear, Alcántara are thy dwelling places, oh, Israel.) On turned around, karate-kicked the the other hand, Israel Idonije estabcatcher in the mask, charged the lished a non-profit organization to mound swinging punches at the benefit underprivileged kids in North pitcher, whereupon both teams cleared America and Africa, so the fellow their benches and joined the fracas. Is- sounds like a mensch. rael was eventually decked by the Now, not every guy named Moses Baron’s third-baseman and handed a observes the Jewish New Year, either. six-game suspension on the spot, We could start with Moses Malone, along with an undisclosed fine. Other Moises Alou, Edwin Moses...

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The art of Yiddish name calling AnneTTe vAn De KAMpWrIgHT alling someone a Putz or a Shmuck is not nice, anyone can tell you that. However, if you choose to do so anyway, it’s probably helpful to know the difference (hint: Putz is not as bad as Shmuck). And what about calling someone a Schlub? Or a Schnook? How about a Schmegeggy?

“A surprisingly large number of English words from Yiddish are devoted to insulting and name-calling,” writes Theresa Rothschadl on her blog The Editor and the Beast. “In fact, there are so many insults that I had to break it down into categories and subcategories.”

Well.

We all know of the Putz, the Klutz, the Pisher and the Schlemiel.

What we don’t know is exactly why Yiddish offers so many colorful ways to describe people who don’t quite measure up. And I don’t want to be a Nudnik, but could it be that secretly (very secretly) we think it’s more fun to repeat naughty words in Yiddish than nice ones? Perhaps?

“If you have to curse someone, make sure to do it in Yiddish,” Nico Lang writes on ThoughtCatalog.com. “It just sounds cooler.”

Maybe, although it doesn’t necessarily work the same way when you are on the receiving end (Hint: don’t call your wife an Alte Makhsheyfe, because it won’t go over well, no matter how cool it sounds).

My personal favorite is Beheyme. Literally translated, it means a “cow’s head” but as an insult, it means “fool.” I think it would totally work in English too, especially when said with gusto. Imagine punctuating your next argument with that lovely expression. Still, even the more innocuous-sounding Yiddish might not be so clean after all. For instance, did you know that the word Bupkes actually became synonymous with ‘small’ because it literally means “goat stool?” Think of that next time you use it. You are talking about poop.

Okay, back to the why. We might find one possible answer when we consider that many Yiddish curses aren’t limited to the single-word expressions mentioned above. Instead, there’s often an entire phrase, a literal curse, rather than merely one curse word.

“As cursing is a violation of Jewish ethics, Eastern European Jews, in desperate need of catharses

C

New kids’ book

Continued from page A8 (including Shabbat is Coming! and Passover is Coming!). Young kids braid a round challah, blow the shofar, set out apples and honey, and enjoy a juicy pomegranate as they get ready to celebrate the new year.

How It’s Made: Torah Scroll Allison Ofanansky; photographs by Eliyahu Alpern Apples & Honey Press; ages 3-8 What’s a Torah scroll and how is it made? This fascinating photo essay is perfect for Simchat Torah, the holiday that marks the end of the cycle of weekly Torah readings and the beginning of the new cycle, giving kids and grown-ups a behind-the-scenes look at what is involved in

in a hostile world, found a loophole,” writes Marnie Winston on Aish.com.

“What most Jews may lack in fists, we make up for in pisks. These euphemistic sentences (or entire paragraphs) are juicy, creative maledictions that no simple Drop Dead! or obscene word could possibly convey. In fact, the whole point of the Yiddish curse is not to swear, but to... prophesize.

For example: How do you get around saying, drop dead? Simple: May you have ritual-purification water (that is, for a corpse) poured over you.”

We’re not rude, we are just creative.

Sometimes, it gets complicated, as in Lign in drerd un bakn beygl! It means: “May you lie in the ground and bake bagels.” Presumably there is something particularly frustrating about being dead and baking bagels you can’t ever eat. I mean, how would you bake them?

Where? And, most importantly, why bagels? Why not Babka or Rugelach?

Wouldn’t that be worse?

In a 2012 Tablet Mag article, Rachel Shukert (yes, that Rachel Shukert) wrote: “With a cadence alternately baroque and colloquial, Yiddish -- or rather, our Anglicized approximation of it -- seems uniquely calibrated to lay bare any hypocrisy, pick the bones of self-righteousness, puncture the balloons of pompousness, and many other such metaphors.”

She continues: “The greatest Yiddish curses, however, are the sort with some kind of clever twist of the knife (always a dull one). These start off sounding like a blessing, wishing on the disdained something that anybody would be thrilled to have -- a vast fortune, a superannuated life -and then, with little warning, wish for it all to turn to dust. Take for instance, the classic insult I consider to be the apex of this genre, and indeed my most dearly beloved Yiddish curse since I first heard it growled over a Canasta table at a family reunion as a very young child: “You should have a large store, and whatever people ask for, you shouldn’t have. And what you do have, it shouldn’t be requested.”

There it is -- the nostalgia, the history that gives Yiddish curses its additional value. This is not merely funny; it’s a way to collectively flex the muscle of our Jewish identity. Language can do that; it confirms a bond, it marks us as “part of the tribe” and gives us a sense of belonging.

But: whether we use a single word, or utter the entire Vahksin zuls du vi a tsibeleh, mitten kup in drerd, just remember: Verter zol men vegn un nit tseiln. Words should be weighed, not counted.

this ancient Jewish tradition. The author and photographer break down the many people, steps and materials involved, from hand-stretched parchment, special inks, and feather and reed pens to the meticulous rules for the calligraphy. The photo-filled pages reveal intriguing facts (for example, there are 304,805 letters in a Torah scroll); DIY projects (ink making), and open-ended questions for further thought (for one, how do you fix mistakes?).

A name like Solomon

f you are a living, breathing human being who set foot inside an American school in the last ten years, you know someone named Jacob. It can be any school, kindergarten through college. Since 1995, it has been one of the top five most popular names for boys in the U.S. Often, it has been the most popular name in the United States. I did an informal check last year using my school’s email system, and there were around forty Jacobs enrolled. In a school of around 2,000 people, that means around 2% are named Jacob.

We could have an entire class of Jacobs. Now, the same could be said for several other names. Ashley, Matthew, Jessica, Tyler, Emily, Christopher, the list goes on. Unlike those names, however, Jacob is a name taken out of the Torah, or, as most non-Jews would refer to it, the Old Testament. Jacob is a Jewish name, or at very least a name of Jewish origin. It was Jacob, after all, upon whom God bestowed the name “Israel”. Hannah is the same way.

While not quite as popular as Jacob, there are still hundreds of thousands of Hannahs in the world, the majority of whom likely do not know or realize that their name is a Jewish one.

Not all Jewish names have enjoyed so much success. I grew up knowing that I had an uncommon, even slightly old-fashioned first name. It has advantages, of course. When I would hear my name called out, there was never any doubt that someone was talking to me, and not someone

else with my name. People also have an easier time remembering a more unique name. The name Solomon has a distinctly Jewish connotaSoLomon tion. It is conmarBurg sidered by the masses to be a “biblical” name. Of course it is most directly attributed to King Solomon the Wise, another very important figure in Judaism. Yet Solomon is, as I mentioned, a distinctly Jewish name, currently ranked as the 376th most popular boy’s name in the United States. It has seen a rise in popularity over the last 50 years, which I would best describe as a move from “nobody” to “almost nobody”. This despite the fact that King Solomon is considered an important and positive figurehead in the Islamic and Christian faiths as well as in Judaism.

There isn’t really a good explanation for why everyone and their mother (literally) has chosen to name their son Jacob while Solomon remains a semi-obscure name designated to one religious minority. I would say it comes down to random chance just as much as many other trends, and could also possibly change as such.

I’m not going to dwell on why there aren’t more people with my name, because frankly I am much happier being the only Solomon I know. If you trace it back beyond simply being the name of a famous king, and want to

The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016 | a11

know where that king got the name, you’ll find that the Hebrew version of Solomon is Shlomo, which is essentially “shalom” in name form. The name Solomon, therefore, originally means “peace” or “peaceful”. The same cannot be said for my middle name, Arthur. While still somewhat uncommon, Arthur is a far more popular name than Solomon, and has no Jewish origin whatsoever. As you probably already know, Arthur was also a king. The possibly-true story of King Arthur is a story of British origin, but King Arthur’s name is not derived from any specific word or meaning.

Personally I was given the middle name Arthur after my great-grandfather Arthur, in much the same way that my first name was selected from names beginning with the letter “S” to honor my great-grandmother Sidonie.

My parents had originally planned to name me Sidney for this reason, but mercifully changed their minds at the last moment.

Then there’s my last name. Marburg sounds very German, which is because it is. I was surprised to learn that, even in Germany, it’s not a common last name. It originates from the German town of Marburg, which was founded in 1140. The namesake castle in Marburg was built in the 11th century, and Marburg University, still located in Marburg and one of the oldest universities in Germany, was founded in 1527. Of course, that last name comes from one half of my family. The other half, Schreiber, is also a German name, and can even be considered to have some Jewish or See Solomon pages a13

roshhashanah Five reasons why Sukkot is great for kids (sorry Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur)

Sukkot provides family fun with the sukkah, lulav and etrog.

Credit: iStock

Larry D. BernStein Kveller via JTA osh Hashanah and yom Kippur are boring. There, I said it.

Seriously, what do Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur offer from a child’s perspective?

Rosh Hashanah’s selling points are the shofar and raisins. Kids are hustled into the sanctuary and told to be absolutely silent while listening to the shofar. Keeping my kids silent without electronics in their hands is as difficult as finding a honey cake that I would actually eat. And as for raisins, my younger son doesn’t like them and pulls them out from the challah -- so much for his sweet new year.

And then there’s Yom Kippur. Children spend the whole day in the See Why Sukkot is great for kids page a12

R

Why Sukkot is great for kids

A12 | The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016

roshhashanah Read it and eat

Chickpeas by Einat Mazor (Charlesbridge, $18.95) ver five dozen... count’em, five dozen chickpea recipes for any time of the day... sweet and savory, international, vegan (V), vegetarian (Vg), and gluten-free (GF) ideas for breakfast (Ultimate Omelet) to lunch LoiS FriedmAn (Antipasti Salad) to dinner (Tangy Chicken Stew). Half a dozen hummus recipes (beet, dill, guacamole, mint, pea and Jerusalem) are included. Mazor, who earned a BA and MA from Tel Aviv University and later followed her food passion to be a chef/caterer, shares over a dozen recipes for spreads/snacks, soups (not too cold, and not too hot, just right)/salads, baked treats, two dozen entrees: ragout, tagine, stew, pilaf and more.

Everything you want to know about chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans... this humble, nutritional powerhouse that is so versatile. Actually chickpeas are one of the earliest cultivated legumes. Of the three main kinds: Desi, which cooks in less time, has a higher fiber and is easily found in cans (be sure to rinse before using) and dried in your local grocery store and many ethnic markets. Bombay and Kabuli are the two other types. Mazor recommends pre-soaking

O

FreSh Beet hummuS

Ingredients: 2 cups cooked chickpeas or one 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 clove garlic, peeled 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 4 tbsp. raw tahini 2 tbsp. water Juice from 1/2 lemon 1 medium beet, cooked Salt and freshly ground black pepper Sunflower sprouts, for garnish Preparation: 1. In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, garlic, olive oil, tahini, water, lemon juice and beet. Pulse until smooth.

2. Add salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with sunflower sprouts.

Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

Serves 4 to 6.

chickpeas overnight, replacing water a couple of times to reduce cooking time of approximately two hours (my favorite method is using the pressure cooker for quick results!) and suggests storing extra cooked chickpeas in your freezer.

The inviting format lists the recipes in the chapters: Spreads & Snacks, Soups & Salads, Entrees, and Baked Treats on the Contents pages. The one-recipe-to-a-page format features a terrific color photo. Ingredients lists are followed by clear, simple numerical instructions. The majority of the recipes use whole chickpeas and several use chickpea flour (found at nutritional grocery stores). Chickpeas are added to a world of flavors... Israeli street food, Thai, traditional Japanese, Mediterranean, Indian inspired, and Italian pasta dishes. Most recipes serve six.

A natural for vegetarians, vegans, low calorie and glutenfree, chickpeas are protein and vitamin-packed and perfect for a healthy lifestyle. For an elegant appetizer try this recipe served with baked phyllo crackers.

Lois Friedman can be reached at ReadItAndEat@ yahoo.com

Continued from page A11 basement of the synagogue. Their group leader is some bored teen willing to make 20 bucks for four hours while dealing with kids who don’t have electronics. Now even if your darling has friends at the synagogue and is content to play with them for hours, it’s not memorable. My children would just as soon be home than hang out at temple.

The Days of Awe have passed, and all we can do is hope our signature made it into the Book of Life. But now we have Sukkot, the forgotten holiday. You would think it would be hard to get psyched up for yet another holiday, but Sukkot rocks for children. It is a 10 out of 10 on the child-friendly meter. Here’s why.

1. You get to build a sukkah. My boys love climbing the ladder and using the mallet. OK, they end up using the mallet on each other half the time, but there’s never been any blood let. No harm, no foul.

2. You get to decorate the sukkah. For those children who are into arts and crafts, the sukkah is a great place to show their work. My children are not the crafty type, but even they enjoy hanging up their decorations from preschool days.

3. You get to eat in the sukkah. Doesn’t every child love a cookout?

My children end up outside the sukkah and in our backyard. They go back and forth between eating and playing, except for dessert time.

They are seated during dessert time -- don’t have to request that one.

4. You get to sleep in the sukkah. Children love camping. My boys and I spend one night each Sukkot sleeping in the sukkah. The best thing about this campout is you can run into the house in 18 seconds if it starts raining in the middle of the night. Trust me.

5. In addition to the sukkah, you have the lulav and etrog. Kids get to walk around the synagogue and shake a plant and fruit. That’s just weird and fun. For children, they don’t have to sit down. They don’t have to sit still. Instead, it’s shake, shake, shake -- shake your lulav.

And how does Sukkot end? With the granddaddy of them all -- Simchat Torah. If you look hard enough, I’m sure some biblical commentator says Simchat Torah means no shushing. Either that or one of the 613 mitzvahs is let children be loud on Simchat Torah. Simply put, shuls rock on Simchat Torah. There’s dancing and singing and mosh pits. My children turn off whatever volume control they have and go to town!

Plus, there’s the junk food. You may remember a simple apple and flag from your days celebrating Simchat Torah as a child. Nice, but far from thrilling. Well, Simchat Torah has changed. Today it’s candy. So much candy. My children end up with a bag full of candy so big we have to negotiate their limit for the day.

So I hope your children enjoy Sukkot and Simchat Torah. They need it after the High Holidays.

Larry D. Bernstein is a freelance writer, blogger, and educator.

He and his family reside in North Jersey. He blogs at http://larry dbernstein.com/me-myself-and-kids.

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The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016 | A13

snowbirds

We need to stop overcooking for the holidays Kenden Alfond KVELLER VIA JTA s a young woman at Jewish holiday tables, I never felt comfortable with being the “woman in charge” of cooking. I associated that role with overcooking (too much food at the table) and pushing people to eat more food, even after they were full.

Yet when I got older and started cooking for the Jewish holidays for my husband and daughter, I found myself replicating those same patterns I had witnessed as a young girl: obsessively reviewing food lists in my head and worrying about there being enough food on the table. I would always make too much food, mainly because I was afraid there was not going to be enough. So there would be two salad dressings instead of one, cake and cookies, potatoes and rice, and then of course there was always bread.

I spent last Rosh Hashanah as a guest at the Chabad in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, so I skipped cooking altogether. While at their table munching on kosher pickles (shipped from Israel, no less!), I had a realization, the kind that comes when you’re an adult and self-aware. The realization was that the way I had been cooking (and feeling, for that matter) was not really me. It was as if I had had a lapse of connection with myself and had unconsciously taken on the role of the overcooking Jewish woman that I had resisted for so long.

It could have been a compilation of family heritage and plain poor judgment, but regardless, it was a role I had watched so many other women in my family do with

A

Solomon

Continued from page A11 Yiddish origin. In many cases, people’s last names are derived from their occupations.

Smith, Taylor, Baker, Knight, Mason, Miller, Fischer, Shepherd, and Gardner are just some of the many common last names that originated with the occupation of the family’s early ancestors. This was made easier at the time because occupations were passed down through the generations; if your father was a baker, chances are you would be too. As such, Schreiber comes from the German or Yiddish word for a clerk, secretary, or record-keeper. All of those occupations, at the time, would’ve been classified as “scribe”, the German word for which is “schreiber”. It is therefore very likely that one of my distant ancestors was a scribe, which is fitting as I sit here writing this piece.

The purpose of my telling you these things was not so that you can go on Jeopardy after I become a famous writer and answer trivia about my name. My purpose

sadness. At that moment, I decided I would make an effort to stop creating this type of food atmosphere for myself and others, and consciously move in a more modern, realistic direction.

As I started paying more attention to this phenomenon, I discovered that I’m not the only one who has experienced this pattern of overcooking for holidays. Before I started my business, Jewish Food Hero, I did an informal telephone interview with 15 Jewish women to learn more about their experience with cooking for the holidays.

Please let the Jewish Press know in advance when you are leaving and when you are returning. Sometimes several papers are sent to your “old” address before we are notified by the Post Office. Every time they return a paper to us, you miss the Jewish Press and we are charged! Please call us at 402.334.6448 or email us at jpress@jewishomaha.org.

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SPOTLIGHTFORMALWEAR.COM Credit: iStock The majority had the same answer to the question “What keeps you up at night about the Jewish holidays?” It was: “The food, having enough food.”

When I think about the generations of women worrying about food, it’s clear that at certain historical moments, this worry was warranted. If you asked any of our mothers and grandmothers, they would tell us that it is better to make too much food than too little. But this is simply not true anymore.

For our generation, most of us are fortunate not to experience food shortages, and so the worry should instead be about filling our bodies (and trash cans) with too much food. We now know the incredible damage that chronic overeating has on our bodies and society. Most importantly to me, making too much food is not something I want See We need to stop overcooking page A15

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Omaha I Council Bluffs I Lincoln was to demonstrate that all of this information is available free online. Accurate, verifiable information about what your name means, where it came from, how common it is, and every other fact you could want to know about your name can be found with a few keystrokes. If you’re willing to pay them, many sites will also dig up records about your family in particular, often going back six or seven generations. I encourage everyone to at least try the free sites and learn a little bit more about the history and meaning behind their name. Another excellent resource for finding out more on these topics is the Jewish Historical Society, located in the JCC building just down the hall from the main entrance. In a time when usernames and faceless online identities are becoming an ever-increasing part of people’s lives, it can be interesting and comforting to ground yourself in the history that connects each of us to those who made us who we are.

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Cohen, Kohen, Kahn... its all Cohn to me!

Gabby Cohen-blair man asks the rabbi of his new synagogue what he needs to do to become a Cohen, to which the Rabbi responds that it is impossible for him to “become” a Cohen. The man returns everyday over the next few weeks making sizable donations, studying more Torah, making every minyan, all the while begging the Rabbi to make him a Cohen. Finally, the exasperated Rabbi asks the man why he wants to be a Cohen so badly; the man’s response is that his father was a Cohen,

ment at Rambam Hospital, was quoted saying, “the simple and most straight forward explanation is that these men have the same Y-Chromosome as Aharon, which suggests that a 3000-year-old tradition is correct and has a biological counterpart.” Additionally, it has been found that Cohenim of both Ashkenazi and Sephardic modern lineage share additional common sets of genetic markers, predating the current separation of these geographically detached communities.

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The Ark Passes Over the Jordan by J.Jacques Joseph Tissot which depicts Kohanim carrying the ark.

Credit: Public domain his grandfather was a Cohen, and that he just wanted to be a Cohen too. ...This age old joke highlights the importance of the surname “Cohen” in Judaism, although it does little to explain what, or who, a Cohen is.

Many variations of Cohen exist today; Kohen, Cohn, Kahn, Kagan, Kogan; the list goes on and on, with vernacular changes over time throughout diaspora. Some families further differentiate their specific family line through combining with another surname such as the Cohen-Scali family of Morocco. The word “Cohen” itself, which translates to “priest,” refers specifically to the patrilineal line of priests descended directly from Aharon, brother of Moses. Aharon was the first “Cohen Gadol” or, High Priest, of Judaism. This distinction originates back to the time of the Exodus, when the Israelites faltered in their belief while wandering in the desert and constructed the Golden Calf.

Those of the tribe of Levi refused to worship the calf and as such, were rewarded with special duties as servants of G-d (Exodus 28:1-4). Those Levites whose linage was directly derived from Aharon had the distinction of becoming the Cohenim (Kohenim).

Although Judaism is halachically passed through matrilineal descent, the determination of who is a Cohen depends on patrilineal descent. Interestingly, this ancient tribal affiliation of more than three millennia has been proven to have some basis in science, through DNA testing.

There have been many studies of Jewish males identifying as Cohenim throughout the world who share the unchanging Y-chromosome Alu Polymorphism (YAP) marker, throughout generations. In an interview with the Jerusalem Post, Professor Karl Skorecki, Director of Medical & Research Develop-

in 1997 after years of cooperative research between Haifa’s Rambam Hospital, the University College of London and The University of Arizona, has today led to the creation of the International Kohanim Society and, in 2007, the first Cohen-Levi “family reunion” in 2000 years, took place in Jerusalem.

The role of the Cohenim has changed quite a bit since inception, and was of particular importance from the time of wandering in the wilderness, where they performed duties and services in the portable Tabernacle through the times of the First and Second Temples, in Jerusalem. The duties of the Cohenim were numerous and included daily and holiday offerings, blessings, and advisory roles. Cohenim were also subject to a higher degree of restrictions, originally instituted to help maintain the spiritual purity required to perform holy rituals during the time of the Temple. Since the destruction of the Second Temple, the role of the Cohenim has been significantly reduced compared with the duties historically held. Today, while services are typically led by religious leaders such as a Rabbi or Hazzan, Cohenim typically receive the honor of taking the first aliyah when called to the Torah during services. Cohenim still receive the honor of administering the Birkat Ha’Cohanim (Priestly benediction) and the Pidyon Ha’Ben (redemption of the first born son), to those in their community.

Regardless of which variation is used, the name Cohen implies a certain unique role and status in the history of the Jewish people. While Cohen is a very common surname today, the title of Cohen predates the use of last names in Jewish history by millennia and is, quite possibly, one of the most ancient names in use today.

We need to stop overcooking

The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016 | A15

roshhashanah

Continued from page A13 to teach my daughter and the next generation.

Even though I’m aware of the problem, I have to actively watch to make sure I don’t follow through on the impulse to overfeed as an expression of care and love -an impulse that is deeply ingrained in me (and many of you, I’m sure). I remind myself there are many, many ways that I can express love and care. And adults and children know if they feel hunger in their own bodies, they can ask for more food using their own voice.

So now when I feel the familiar worry about having enough food on the holiday table, I pause and observe.

I’ve also created certain strategies when I’m in the planning and preparation phase of cooking for a meal that supports my intention not to overcook.

They include: 1. Planning my meal around a starch, so if there is extra I set it aside to use in the next day’s meal.

2. Making fewer dishes; three to five at any meal is plenty.

3. Keeping extra fruit on hand for those with a sweet tooth (as opposed to 10 different kinds of cake).

4. Serving water to everyone before the meal to hydrate them and allow them to start the meal without being hungry.

When I cook for people, I think about their well-being and how I want them to feel before, during and after the meal. I want my guests to feel relaxed and nourished by the food and atmosphere. I want them to feel peaceful in their bodies. I want to generate positive holiday memories for my daughter, not ones full of stomach aches.

Rather than using food as a way to express love and control, let’s relax and allow ourselves to express and generate our desired feelings in more positive ways.

Kenden Alfond is the founder of Jewish Food Hero, a website that nourishes your mind, body and spirit.

Visit us at jewishomaha.org

Here’s how to turn ‘epic fails’ into fresh starts

Here’s the good news. Elul, the month leading up to the High Holidays, ELAnA ZELony RICHARDSON, TX | JTA is one of contemplation. According to the midrash, on the first day of Elul rbandictionary.com is an open-source site Moses began carving a second set of tablets with his own hands. Carving where the average citizen contributes defi- the second set of tablets is about starting over again after failure. nitions to new and old words and slang. As The High Holidays cycle demands that we examine the ways we have the High Holidays apfailed, but it also gives us the proach, I’ve been constrength to start anew. On the templating the phrase first of Elul (Sept. 4 this year), “epic fail.” According to we begin re-carving our own one entry on Urbandicsmashed tablets. It’s hard work tionary.com, epic fail to hew meaning out of stone, but means “complete and total the effort leads to renewed relafailure when success should have tionship and hope for the future. been reasonably easy to attain.”

Some choose to gather in Epic fail defines most of the sins I contemplate during small groups before the holithe High Holidays. I should have been able to succeed, days, using the time to spiritubut I didn’t because I’m human and I have weaknesses. ally prepare. Find out if your I spend the period that begins with the Hebrew month local synagogues offer Elul of Elul and culminates with Rosh Hashanah and Yom classes. If a class isn’t possiKippur thinking of the many times when I easily could ble, check out websites to help have been more kind, patient and optimistic. with your preparation for the It’s not that I’m incapable of those behaviors; I High Holidays during Elul, inhave a normal psyche and can be a good person. Howcluding Jewels of Elul and Ritever, as a human I failed to be my best self during the ual Well. past year on numerous occasions.

On Rosh Hashanah, if I see I know I’m not alone in my epic fail. Look at the stothe blisters on my friends and ries we’re told about the Jewish people in the Torah. family’s hands, I’ll point to my The epic fail of the Jewish people was worshipping own. We’ll nod knowingly and the Golden Calf, and the epic fail of Moses was smile at one another. We’ll affirm Looking ahead smashing the Ten Commandments carved with God’s the hard work that went into reCredit: StockSnap/ Pixabay, CC0 Public Domain carving ourselves. Together, own finger. All the people had to do was wait until Moses returned with God’s law, but they panicked during their leader’s we’ll celebrate the New Year as an opportunity to start all over again. absence and sought security in a golden image. All Moses had to do was Rabbi Elana Zelony, the spiritual leader of Congregation Beth reprimand the people. Instead he flies into a rage and smashes the holy Torah in Richardson, Texas, is a fellow with Rabbis Without tablets. They were capable of doing better.

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The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016 | B1

section2

ROSH HASHANAH

Shapiro: Blood, death, and beautiful sapphires Nate Shapiro o many of our dear readers, the surname of “Shapiro” or its variation is quite common.

I’ve always wondered about the connection I surely must have with other Shapiros. So, I decided to do some digging about what it means to be a Shapiro.

There are a couple of different theories about where the word Shapiro comes from. Some people think that it comes from the polish word szafir, which means sapphire. Some think it comes from the Hebrew word Shafir, which according to Google translate means “benign, good, excellent, and fine.” While I would posit that these two theories describe me quite well on the basis of eye color and general disposition, I believe that is merely coincidence.

As nice as those stories and associations are, there is a much more generally accepted explanation of the Shapiro origin that fits nicely into the larger narrative of the history of Ashkenazic Jews. You might not be aware, but the Ashkenazic Jews were some of the last Europeans to take family names. While some took their names as early as the 16th century, others only did so when forced. Historically, Jewish names tended to be both Hebrew and patronymic, meaning that the first name is followed by ben- or bat(“son of ” and “daughter of,” respectively), and then the father’s name. You may have noticed that a lot of Jewish people have their regular

T

name and their “Jewish” name. This double name is largely because Jews were required to adopt German surnames in exchange for Jewish emancipation. The authorities needed Jews to have surnames so they could be taxed, drafted, and educated. Jews were weary of these authori-

Speyer, Germany Credit: Calflyer001 via Wikimedia Commons ties and used their “official” last names for only “official” purposes, but eventually Jews accepted their new last names.

The simplest way to decide a new name was to continue the use of patronymics (son of...). In German and Yiddish, “son” would be written as “son” or “sohn” or “or”. In Slavic languages like Polish or Russian, it would be “wich” or “witz.”

Using this convention you could go from Moshe Ben Abram to Moshe Abramson. Less common, but still used would be matronymics (daughter of...). The convention is similar, except based on a woman’s name. For instance, Edelman – Hus-

band of Edel.

Other methods for coming up with last names might include names related to places, occupation, personal traits, animal names, or Hebrew acronyms. The most common of these names are the place names.

Shapiro and its variations: Shapira, Schapiro, Sapiro, are place names. The place that Shapiros are named after is Spira which is now called Speyer, in modern day Germany. Speyer was one of three cities (along with Worms and Mainz) that made up the cultural and economic center of Medieval European Jewry around 1100 CE. Due to Crusades, pogroms, accusations of blood libel, mass emigrations, forced conversions, and many suicides to avoid forced conversion, no Jews were left in Speyer by 1529.

Jews trickled back to Speyer in the 1600s. By 1890 the Speyer Jewish community’s numbers peaked. However, in the 1930s, Jews once again left Speyer due to animosity towards Jews. By the end of World War II, the entire Jewish community of Speyer had, once again, been totally wiped out.

With the fall of the Iron Curtain, Jews have once again returned to Speyer. In fact, on Nov. 9, 2011, Beth Shalom synagogue was consecrated in Speyer.

While the name Shapiro may literally translate as “guy from Speyer,” its meaning is much deeper. Like many Ashkenazic names, Shapiro is an echo of the larger narrative of the Jewish people -- a tragic, but immortal history. To be a Shapiro, is to be one who has survived.

Or, maybe it just means pretty sapphire.

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B2 | The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016

roshhashanah

Move over, Curly, Spanky and Spike

Ozzie NOgg in the 1960s and 70s some people assumed his nickname Their Origins and Social Consequences (1979). Or the 1993 f the Olympics awarded medals for nicknames, meant he liked to ‘cop a buzz’. “Generally, they were pretty study conducted by Albert Mehrabian and Marlena Pierce the Omaha Jewish community team would buzzed themselves,” he explained. “I’ve considered putting which found that “given names were ranked high on the atgrab the gold -- for sobriquets both of blessed Neal ‘Buzz’ Malashock, O.D., on my business card and statributes of success and morality and thought more suitable memory and those still much alive and in tionary and just going by Buzz, but it seems too informal for (than nicknames) for business and professional settings. In use. Punky Chapman, Tunky turn, nicknames were ranked high on the atPerelman, Schoolboy Rosen and tributes of cheerfulness and popularity.” Well, Beak Joffe. Speedy Zweiback, okay then. Let’s continue.

Horsey Zweiback, Bongo Ringle Boonjug Telpner. Pants Cohn. Rocky Stern. and Tuffy Epstein.

Rocky Lewis. Chickie Gilinsky. Chickie Passer.

“When I was six months old, Sissy Silber. Dude Dandy.

I weighed thirty pounds,” EpWhen Solomon Joseph Friedman was a very stein said. “My Uncle Jack little kid, he loved chocolate milk and and Koster, who was on his way to the 1936 Olympic Coca Cola, so his cousin, Louie Blumkin, Trials for lightweight wrestling, took one look at started calling him ‘Solomon Joe from me and said, ‘Isn’t he a Tuffy?’ The nickname Kokomo’ and voila - Coke Friedman was stuck. When I get phone calls asking for Arnold, anointed. “Probably 50 to 60 percent of the I know it’s either a telemarketer or someone who people I know have no clue what my real name doesn’t know me. Since I retired from public is,” Friedman said. “If someone calls me Sol, school teaching, my students call me Tuffy, exyou can bet it’s a casual friend or business accept for the Asian students who call me ‘Mr. quaintance. Of course my wife, Lois, always Tuffy’. Even the IRS knows me as Tuffy.” Accordcalls me Coke, and when we’re with people we ing to Epstein, “The name has on occasion given don’t know there are often double-takes or the wrong impression of my personality. But mystified looks. Once, when we were in New those who know me know I’m a cream puff.”

York City, walking near the NYU campus, I got Nicknames and diminutives are common ahead of Lois and she yelled, ‘COKE!’ People among the Jewish people, but not all of them stopped in their tracks, looking for the dealer, describe cream puffs. In New York, ferinI suppose. We obviously disappointed them.” stance, back in the day, if Bugsy Siegel looked Her mother always called her Leslie, says the Maybe they started it: The Three Stooges. Joe DeRita (Curly Joe), left, Moe Howard (Moe), and you in the eye and said, “Stick ém up,” you Woman Known as Cookie Hoberman. “My Larry Fine (Larry).

Public domain probably didn’t get all proper and beg, nickname came from the Dagwood comic strip “Aawwww, Benjamin, please don’t shoot.” Likewise with professional settings, so I keep using two different handles.”

- the daughter’s name was Cookie. It was a familiar name Arthur (Dutch Schultz) Flegenheimer. Or Harry (Gyp the And Ducky Milder? “My Dad, David Rodin, threw me in that reflected closeness and affection. Cookie was catchy Blood) Horowitz. Oi, where did their parents go wrong? But the swimming pool at the age of 18 months and they say I and easy to remember, so I continued to use it. However, back to our local good guys.... swam like a duck. Thus I became ‘Ducky’. In my profession when I turned forty, I thought it was time to grow up, and Bomber Malashock, Blackie Richards, Tootie Simon and as an interior designer, I introduce myself to new clients by told my husband, Jerry, I wanted to be called Leslie. He Skee Fisher. Snookie Rosenstock, Boots Greenberg, Aukie my real name, Lois, with hopes of becoming Ducky, a nickbalked and said he would never call me Leslie, so Cookie it Yaffe and Poj Fogel. We Omaha Jews are marvelously crename people never forget. My late cousin, Roz Friedman, remains. At times, in deference to my mother, I’m sorry I ative with monikers. and other friends couldn’t stop buying me little ducks -didn’t insist, but oh well. What’s in a name? Don Nogg and “My name is Neal Harris Malashock,” said Neal Harris metal ducks, cloisonné and china ducks, crystal and Jimmy Farber always call me Leslie, which I do appreciate.”

Malashock, “but I don’t remember when I learned my name wooden ducks. I’ve got duck napkin rings in the kitchen. A And so we come to the late Trickle Milder. Legend has it was actually Neal. The way I understand it, my older sister, duck umbrella in the front hall closet. Debbie Farber Dresthat as a High School student Bernice (her real name) was noBeth, had just turned two when I was born. My parents exner calls me ‘Duckala’ and now that’s part of my user name. toriously slow, prompting her locker mate - the late Dorothy horted her to, ‘Say hi to your little brother,’ but the best she When my cell phone rings with a call or a text the sound is Riekes - to say, “If you were water from a faucet, you’d be a could do was, ‘Hi, little buzzer.’ So from my earliest recollecQuack, Quack. There’s no escape.” trickle. If you were any slower I’d have to call you ‘Drip’.” tion I was Buzzer or Buzzy or Buzz.” Malashock allows that For a scholarly approach to this subject, read Nicknames: Let’s leave it there, why don’t we.

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The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016 | B3

Why the new year is a time for saying ‘thank you’ to interfaith families Melinda Mersack CLEVELAND | JTA hank you: two simple words with tremendous meaning. Thank you for being part of our community. Thank you for raising your children with us. Thank you for being with us.

Many of us are seeking meaning in our lives and wish to be valued for the contributions we make and the people we are. While the Jewish community has traditionally struggled with welcoming interfaith families, the High Holidays present

ued. Many rabbis invite those members of our community who aren’t Jewish and are a link in the chain of transmission of Jewish values and traditions to their children to rise and receive a blessing to honor their commitment to Jewish life and heritage. This has a profound impact and speaks volumes about the type of community we are and can reinforce why someone would choose to be affiliated with us.

Tzedakah: Working for justice in our world is a Jewish priority that is

Credit: Katt Grigg/ Flickr, CC BY 2.0 the perfect opportunity for us to put our values into action and express our gratitude to interfaith families for the investments they make in the Jewish future.

Interfaith families are a growing part of our community. Many are seeking meaning in a Jewish context.

Many are exposing their children to Jewish customs and rituals, and are doing their part to transmit Jewish values and traditions to their children. Many are active members of our congregations. For such a family that chooses us and asks only to be accepted in return, why shouldn’t we extend that acceptance?

The High Holidays beckon us to examine ourselves. This is our annual accounting to determine if we have lived up to our potential. We engage in teshuvah (repentance), tefillah (prayer) and tzedakah (acts of justice and giving) as a way to keep us on the right path to being our best selves and contribute to making our society and the world a better place.

These themes translate to how we may specifically welcome interfaith families during this new year.

Teshuvah: An opportunity to open our hearts and our doors widely to truly welcome all families who wish to be part of our communities. Too often I hear stories of how people have felt rejected and denied a place within a Jewish community because they fell in love with someone who isn’t Jewish. Teshuvah is a way for us to mend our past communal mistakes. Welcome those who wish to be welcomed and support them on their personal journeys as they explore Judaism in their own way.

Tefillah: The chance to acknowledge with blessings that every member of a Jewish family is val-

shared with people of many faiths.

As we strive to help those who are vulnerable in our communities by performing acts of tzedakah, why not actively seek to engage every member of our community, Jewish or not? A personal invitation says with sincerity that the person who isn’t Jewish is respected. It says to their Jewish partner that we value both their participation in and contributions to our community.

Thousands of families will come together in observance of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. What better time for synagogues and communities to reflect their intent to be welcoming and inclusive by publicly acknowledging and thanking the members of interfaith families who join them?

Al chet shechatanu l’fanecha, for the sin we have committed against You: As we recite these words asking forgiveness for our transgressions of the past year, may we also be mindful of how we have missed the mark by alienating interfaith families. As we seek to begin anew, may our hearts be big enough to embrace all God’s children, recognizing their contributions to our communities and our world, and may we be humble enough to tell them “thank you.”

Rabbi Melinda Mersack is the director of jHUB, which provides new ways for interfaith couples and families to comfortably explore Jewish culture in the modern world. It is a program of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland and the Jewish Education Center of Cleveland and an InterfaithFamily affiliate. Mersack is a Rabbis Without Borders fellow and received ordination from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.

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Wishing the Jewish Community a happy and healthy new year.

b4 | The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016

Yellow Dates for Rosh Hashanah

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SYbil Kaplan he Torah describes Israel as eretz zvat chalav u'dvash, the land flowing with milk and honey, although the honey was more than likely date honey, a custom retained by many Sephardic Jews to this day.

The word honey or dvash in Hebrew has the same numerical value as the words Av Harachamim, Father of Mercy. We hope that G-d will be merciful on Rosh Hashanah as He judges us for our year's deeds.

Since beekeeping is not mentioned in the Bible, some say when the Bible refers to a land of milk and honey, it is date honey. In fact silan is called Biblical date honey.

Middle Eastern Jews boil and press these dates which are on strings and range in color from yellow to brown, to make a date honey to use with apples for this occasion. In Israel, in the open market, one finds the strings of dates at this season.

In an article entitled Cooking Class, It’s a date, honey by cookbook author, Faye Levy (Sept. 17, 2011), she writes: “For many Jews, apples are the Rosh Hashana fruit par excel- Yellow Dates lence. For me, fresh dates are the fruit that herald the coming of the New Year. As soon as I see the bright yellow dates at the market, I begin to plan my menus.”

“I’ve heard people say they’re not fond of fresh yellow dates. I have learned to enjoy them at their [initial] khalal stage, when they are crunchy and less sweet, but I prefer to wait until they become honey-brown, [the] stage called rutab....”

“The way to get rutab dates is to buy yellow dates and wait. With luck, they will turn to this golden-brown delight, but it seems to depend on the weather and, of course, on whether the dates were picked ripe enough....“ Several varieties of dates are grown in Israel. Most people prefer the large, soft, sweet Medjool, which are delicious and easier to find than perfectly ripened yellow dates.

Dates have a traditional association with Rosh Hashanah. They are one of the special foods that are blessed as part of the Rosh Hashana mini-Seder, which is customary in many Sephardi households and dates back to the Babylonian Talmud.

An elaborate Maghrebi [North African made up of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya] specialty calls for nut-stuffed dates that are used to stuff a chicken or a large fish. For Shabbat, cooks might add dates to dafina [a Sephardic meat stew cooked overnight to eat on Saurday lunch], or Moroccan hamin [slow cooked overnight stew for Saturday eating], to contribute a subtle sweetness that mellows the flavor of the sauce. A dish from Baghdad from the Middle Ages calls for stewing lamb with dates and sweet spices.

Brought to Israel by Iraqi Jews, date honey is known in Israel as silan and in Middle Eastern markets in the US as date molasses or date syrup.

Varda Shilo, author of Kurdistani Cooking (in Hebrew), describes how to make it from dried dates, which are simmered in water to porridge consistency. The mixture is spooned into a cloth bag, moistened with more water and squeezed to remove the juice. This juice is simmered over low heat until thickened and is kept in jars.

Breakfast is the meal at which date honey is often enjoyed in the Mideast. People mix some silan with pure tehina paste and serve this dip with bread.

The makers of silan at Kinneret Farm recommend using date honey in non-traditional ways as well -- with sauteed vegetables, as a sweetener for beverages and in new creations such as sweet-potato pancakes flavored with cinnamon.

Dates are best known for their uses in sweets. They are a favorite filling for the rich Middle Eastern cookies called ma’amoul and for rolled cookies resembling rugelach that are popular around the region.

“In Persia,” wrote Reyna Simnegar, author of Persian Food from the Non-Persian Bride, “walnut-stuffed dates are a Rosh Hashana treat. The stuffed dates are drizzled with a little syrup and sprinkled with cinnamon.”

Another popular way to serve dates is as a snack with tea.

“Cooks in Egypt use the firm, fresh yellow dates to make jam,” wrote Levana Zamir in Cooking from the Nile’s Land (in Hebrew). “They also use them to make stuffed dates. First they remove the dates’ very thin peel with a sharp knife and cook the dates in water until they are soft. Next, they pit the dates without cutting them in half. Instead, they push the pit

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out with a hairpin so that each date can be stuffed with a blanched peeled almond. Then they make a clove-and-lemon-flavored syrup from the dates’ cooking liquid. One by one, the stuffed dates are carefully added to the syrup, simmered and then cooled. The sweets are served with Turkish coffee and a glass of cold water. Making them is quite an undertaking but, noted Zamir, these stuffed fresh dates are a delicacy fit for kings.”

Some Moroccans dip apples in honey and serve cooked quince, which is an apple-like fruit, symbolizing a sweet future. Other Moroccans dip dates in sesame and anise seeds and powdered sugar in addition to dipping apples in honey.

In her book, The Foods of Israel Today, Joan Nathan writes about having lunch at Jerusalem’s restaurant, Eucalyptus, when the owner/chef, Moshe Basson, “put a bowl of tahina (sesame seed paste) on the table and swirled in a date syrup called silan or halek, which he explained was a biblical ‘honey,’ one of the seven foods in the land of Canaan cited in the Book of Deuteronomy. Today, visitors can see a two-thousand-yearold date-honey press, similar to an ancient wine press but smaller, near the Dead Sea at Qumran, the sites where in 1947 a Bedouin youth found the Dead Sea Scrolls hidden in earthen jars.”

Joan Nathan writes further that Benzion Israeli, one of the founders of Kibbutz Kinneret, dressed as an Arab. In 1933, he went to Iraq and smuggled 900 date saplings back to Palestine. Over the years he brought back more than 7,000 saplings from Iraq, Iran and Kurdistan. Half took root. Shmuel Stoller later brought saplings from Egypt Credit: Barry A. Kaplan and Saudi Arabia.

In the 1970s mejdoul and deglet noor varieties were introduced from Coachella Valley in California.

If you are wondering about dates and your health, Judy SiegelItzkovich wrote an article in the Jerusalem Post, May 5, 2013, entitled Local dates are best variety to fight disease.

In it she wrote: “All nine varieties of dates grown in Israel and found on any supermarket shelf have characteristics that make them better than other varieties at helping protect those who consume them against cardiovascular diseases.”

This has just been demonstrated by Prof. Michael Aviram and colleagues from Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center and Technion--Israel Institute of Technology. The research was published in the prestigious Journal of Agriculture Food Chemistry.

Aviram and his team, including Dr. Hamutal Borochov-Neori of Southern Arava Research and Development, have been studying the health benefits of dates for some time.

The most effective varieties are the yellow Barhi, Deri, Medjool and Halawi. The other date varieties are Amari, Deglet, Noor, Hadrawi and Hayani.

“There are about 20 date varieties growing in various parts of the world, including North Africa and Arizona in the US, but the Israeli varieties growing in the Jordan Valley and the Arava (and in Jericho in the Palestinian Authority) are the best”, said Aviram.

Aviram told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday that it doesn’t matter if dates are eaten fresh or dried, but consuming silan -- date syrup -- can offer little improvement to healthy cardiovascular systems.

As silan is a sweet concentrate that does not contain fibers, it is far from the real thing.

A study the researchers published in the same journal four years ago showed that eating three dates a day does not raise blood sugar levels in healthy people, but it does reduce blood triglycerides and even ‘improves the quality’ of blood cholesterol by reducing its oxidation. These effects reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and other vascular diseases, they said.

Aviram said, however, that since dates contain a lot of sugar, they are not recommended for diabetics, and that they will not reduce blood sugar levels in this group.

In 2009 Aviram was the first to show that antioxidants from the group of polyphenols found in pomegranates, red wine and olive oil help remove plaque from inside the arteries. In the new research, the team found that dates can bring about the slowing and even regression of atherosclerosis (accumulation of fatty plaque) in the coronary arteries, and that eating one of the three specific date varieties is most effective.

The material in dates has the clear ability to speed up the removal of excess cholesterol from endothelial cells inside blood vessels, the team said.

Dates have been cultivated in the Middle East, North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula for more than 5,000 years, the new article states.

Writings of ancient religious and traditional medicine praised dates for their health benefits but did not prove these claims.

Nothing was known about cholesterol in ancient times, but the antibacterial and anti-fungal effects were noted, even though nothing was known about how this worked.

See Yellow dates page b6

High Holidays at Temple Israel 5777 Scott Littky Program Director, Temple Israel s we enter the New year 5777, much is new here at Temple Israel. We welcome two new rabbis to our bima. We will use Machzor, Mishkan HaNefesh. The Central Council of American Rabbis, when publicizing the Machzor, said that the new Machzor offers meaningful liturgy for both regular service attendees and those new to Jewish spirituality and practice. It aides in inspiring a multifaceted experience of Yamim HaNoraim -- from feelings of awe to moments of solace, from the solitude of contemplation to the solidarity of song and worship. The Machzor provides an accessible guide through the journey of t'shuvah (repentance) and cheshbon hanefesh (self-reflection) and bridgse the personal and the communal, the ritual and the ethical dimensions of Yamim HaNoraim.

Our observance of Rosh Hashanah begins on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m., with services in the sanctuary. Services for Rosh Hashanah day begin at 10:15 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 3.

Tashlich, which in Hebrew means "casting off " and involves symbolically casting off the sins of the previous year by tossing pieces of bread or another food into a body of flowing water, follow services at 12:30 p.m. We meet by the Amphitheatre in the back of Temple Israel and walk together to the creek for Tashlich.

Kol Kidre services start at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 11. Yom Kippur morning services begin at 10:15 a.m. Following services, the congregation and community are invited to spend the afternoon studying together.

The afternoon are divided into three sessions.

The first session begins at 12:30 p.m. and features a panel discussion led by Rabbi Crystal, Rabbi Berezin and

A

Cantor Shermet. The theme of the panel is Reflections on Yom Kippur and Why Life Does Matter!

Following this session, at 1:30 p.m., the Moments of Remembrance session allows us to prepare for Yizkor and to experience the comfort of being with others who have lost someone special in their lives.

Marla Cohen, MS, NCC, LMHP, will help participants share important memories of the people they mourn.

Please consider bringing a photograph or other memento that helps convey the essence of the person or people you mourn. This session is open to all who have suffered a loss in the last two years.

Next, Forgiveness for the other 364 days: Practical Tips from Torah, Mindfulness, and the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity with Mr. Brent Bloom - a certified and registered Yoga instructor -- who will guide us through a time of personal reflection with the use of meditation as we prepare for our afternoon of prayer.

Finally, there is time to walk through and discuss the art exhibit in the Simon Community Court, Thoughts on Democracy.

As during many of the past Yom Kippur afternoons, we spend the final session at 2:30 p.m. with Rabbi Samuel K. Joseph, Ph.D. Rabbi Joseph is the Eleanor Sinsheimer Distinguished Service Professor of Jewish Education and Leadership Development at HUC-JIR/Cincinnati, where he teaches in the rabbinical school. His presentations are always thought-provoking and serve as a wonderful leadin to the afternoon service, Yizkor, Ne’ilah and Havdallah which begin at 3:45 p.m.

All of our High Holiday services and programs are open to the general Jewish community. For more information on these services and programs, please contact program Director Scott Littky at 402.556.6536.

The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016 | B5

roshhashanah New kids’ book for the Jewish New Year

PeNNy Schwartz JTA et ready: 5777 is arriving soon. And a new Jewish year means a fresh crop of top-notch Jewish books for kids.

This year, not one but two new Rosh Hashanah books are penned by Eric A. Kimmel, the master storyteller whose popular award-winning children’s classics include Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins and Simon and the Bear. His latest entries, Little Red Rosie and Gabriel’s Horn, are among the new crop of lively and engaging Jewish children’s books for the High Holidays that reflect the wide range of today’s American Jewish families.

Typically, most of the ink is devoted to Rosh Hashanah, which begins this year on the evening of oct. 2. But there are fresh reads about many of the forthcoming holidays.

Want to make the new year extra sweet for a little one in your life? Check out the book below.

Maya Prays for rain Susan Tarcov; illustrated by Ana Ochoa (Kar-Ben; ages 4-9) It’s a warm fall day, and a spunky young girl greets her neighbors in her multicultural town. It seems like everyone is taking advantage of the sunny, dry weather by partaking in all kinds of outdoor activities. But when Maya learns that the evening’s synagogue service for the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret includes a prayer for rain, she warns her neighbors to cancel their plans. Much to Maya’s relief, however, she learns from her rabbi that the prayer is for Israel, where the rainy season is needed for crops and trees. “Amen,” she pronounces at the end of the prayer.

The back page includes an explanation of the lesser-known holiday that comes at the end of the Sukkot celebration.

This Rosh Hashanah, I challenge you to focus on the positives

B6 | The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016

roshhashanah Israel

his rosh hashanah, we are meditating on a basic, but profound concept -- names.

We select names for our children and institutions as both a way of imbuing certain qualities, and a way to honor those who have come before us. I want to share with you a few thoughts I have about the name Israel and why that name creates a passion in me, which drives me to dedicate my professional life to Jewish communal service.

Our name, the people Israel, “Israel” stokes a special kind of emotion. For many of us, when hearing it, we feel inspired by a unique sense of hope, triumph and people hood. Others may feel confused. When some of the college students in our community hear “Israel,” they might feel a kind of isolation. Undeniably, there are also people in this world for whom the word Israel creates a sense of rage.

There are certain governments and groups that will refuse to speak our name, and instead prefer to refer to our homeland as “the Zionist entity.” Regardless of how you feel about Israel, that’s an impressive amount of power for one little word.

Emotional power aside, Israel remains a fascinating name by virtue of its meaning and how it became our name. Israel was the name given to Jacob, our patriarch and legendary birthright swindler, after physically wrestling with a mysterious stranger. The implication being that this mysterious stranger is the G-d of Israel or an agent of G-d, who, after the match, blesses Jacob and renames him Israel. It has been suggested that the etymological root of the word Israel (Yisra-el) comes from the Hebrew words “to wrestle (Lis-rot)” and “God (el).” Israel literally means “struggling with God.” Being named Israel communicates to us that struggling with the concept of what G-d is and what G-d expects from us is not only acceptable but expected. G-d understands the inherent shortcomings of a human’s capacity to understand the All-Mighty. Our religion emphasizes action over belief.

While each one of us may have our own struggle with G-d, there’s still work to be done. While coming to terms with our relationship with G-d, we are still expected to follow the rules. The Ten Commandments make no mention of belief or faith or intentionality. The Ten Commandments simply state that the LORD is the source of these commandments

(and don’t forget who brought you out of Egypt), the LORD is the only god of the people of Israel, and there are a bunch of really important things that one should and should not do, none of which prescribe how we are supposed to feel about G-d. It really seems to boil down to the basic notion of “you can’t control your feelNate ShapIro ings; you can control your behavior.” I am convinced that G-d, as described in our Torah, understands us. This is existentially comforting to me, even though I’m not a particularly faith-driven person.

This attitude reminds me of being a child and interacting with my parents. My mother would ask me to load the dishwasher and I would moan and complain, and she would not appreciate my “bellyaching.” My father, on the other hand, always told me that I didn’t have to like loading the dishwasher; I just had to do it. I always responded better to my father’s approach because there was not an implied desire for me to enjoy the chore. I didn’t enjoy doing chores. I was never going to enjoy doing chores, and it was unrealistic to even hope I would. My father didn’t care. He knew it would be better for everyone in the long run if I just loaded the damn dishwasher, so we had clean dishes and I didn’t become a spoiled little punk.

This is Judaism. Feed the hungry, visit the sick, clothe the naked, tithe your fields -- these are the rules. You don’t have to like the rules; you don’t even have to believe in the rules.

You just need to follow the rules because everyone is better off if we have a society that applies a little pressure on its people to think about others. Putting one’s faith in G-d is great, and it has provided me and countless other people with a sense of belonging and strength. But faith doesn’t inherently fill a hungry stomach. It’s this idea of action over belief that spurred me to enlist in the IDF, to teach Hebrew and Jewish studies to kids, and to work at the Federation.

Struggling with G-d is at the core of who we are as a people.

It makes us better. You don’t finish a marathon by accepting when your body tells you it’s tired. You finish a marathon by struggling against your own natural inclination. Israel is the very opposite of blind submission, and that is why on this Rosh Hashana, I as a fairly “secular” Jew, invite you, to let the spirit of Israel, our namesake, imbue you with the strength to overcome all the struggles you will face in the coming year.

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NINa BaDzIN KVELLER VIA JTA wo essential parts of preparing for Rosh Hashanah, our clean slate for the year, is asking forgiveness from anyone we wronged and making a list (mental or written) of the ways we fell short since the last time we heard the shofar.

Ideally that hard work of going to friends, family and anyone else deserving of our forgiveness happens in the weeks leading up to Rosh Hashanah.

By the time Yom Kippur rolls around 10 days later, we should be ready to confess our mistakes as a community, having already considered our personal paths to “teshuvah,” repentance, and how we will do better this year.

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Credit: iStock I find the exercise of writing down all my regrets before Rosh Hashanah rather easy. If, like me, you’re the kind of person with a high capacity for guilt, you probably find that task easy, too, since we already felt badly about it during the year. I regret contributing to any gossip. I regret listening to any gossip. I regret not helping individuals or organizations more. I regret not calling more. I regret not answering the phone. I regret resorting to texts and emails. I regret the rudeness of looking at my phone in the middle of a conversation. I regret all the times I rolled my eyes. I regret any time I spoke more than I listened, both in person and online.

See Focus on the positives page B7

Yellow Dates

Continued from page B4 Dates have a high sugar content, but as they are also a rich source of fiber, they attach themselves to harmful, oxygen-free radicals and remove them from the body. They also have an abundance of minerals such as potassium, zinc, magnesium and calcium.

The Haifa researchers recommend following a Mediterranean diet – with its variety of vegetables and fruit (including dates), fish, whole grains and olive oil -- rather than eating just one or two ingredients, so that a whole range of oxidative factors that cause atherosclerosis can be neutralized.

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The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016 | B7

The meaning of Kutler

ANNette vAN de kAmp-wright dam kutler’s grandparents, Benton and Harriett Kutler, were better known to their family as ‘Grandpa and Baba.’ According to Ben’s younger brother, Sol Kutler: “The original spelling of my last name, I believe, is Kotlyar. The Kutler family originated in Russia.

Sometime around the late 1700s or early 1800s, local people had to take a last name. Many last names from that time mimic the name of a town that people originated from. Our last name came from a town that made/manufactured cutlery (pots and pans).”

It’s interesting to know more about the origins of their last name, according to Adam and his wife, Abby. With two boys who will carry on that name, knowing the meaning behind it and some history about those who first brought that name to this country, is especially meaningful.

“When Sol and Grandpa Ben’s father, Harry Kutler, came over from Russia, Kotlyar was Americanized to Kutler,” Abby, says. “Harry was 20 or 21 years old in 1910 when The Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) helped him resettle to the United States. He landed in Galveston, Texas. The goal at that time was to bring more Jews to the Midwest, and that included Omaha. Harry eventually worked his way up to St. Joe, Missouri.

He worked in a meat packing plant and later became a carpenter for the railroad.

In 1913 he married Sarah. Harry and Sarah had two children, Adam’s grandfather- Benton Kutler and Sol Kutler. They moved to Council Bluffs to be near Harry’s brother who was living in Omaha.”

Ancestry.com says Kutler is a Jewish (Ashkenazic) name, and possibly a variant of Kotler. Kotler in turn is a possible variation of the German Kötter (or Koetter) and an occupational name for a coppersmith, “Kotler” in Yiddish. That means Sol’s claim that the town name indicated the fabrication of pots and pans is not that far off. When you search for Kotlyar, this is what you find: “An occupational name for a boiler maker or coppersmith, Ukrainian kotlyar.” I could not find evidence of a city by that name, but Kotlyar is the 469th popular surname in Ukraine today, according to locatemyname.com. That same website claims it’s very rare to find the ‘Kutler’ spelling in the Ukraine, as that spelling is decidedly American in origin, although Kutlers can be found in Russia, France, Mexico, Canada and Austria. And, of course, in Omaha, Nebraska.

A

Focus on the positives

Continued from B6 I find that my kids, perhaps through nature and nurture, also have no problem (OK, after some prodding) coming up with people deserving of apologies and ways they could have behaved better during the year. Surprisingly, the more challenging task for all of us is remembering the times we could have made the wrong choice but didn’t.

In Rabbi Joseph Telushkin’s book A Code of Jewish Ethics Volume I: You Shall By Holy, he suggests that in addition to focusing on our transgressions before Rosh Hashanah, we also make a list of the good we did this year. He provides a sample prayer modeled after the Al Chet (“For the sin I committed by...”) recited on Yom Kippur. Instead of “For the sin I committed,” he starts each line with “For the mitzvah we (or I) performed.” He ends the prayer with these encouraging words: “All these things, God, please remember and inspire us to do more acts like these in the year ahead.”

I find the “For the mitzvah I performed” exercise difficult because it feels like a brag sheet and encouraging our kids to similarly “brag” can be confusing for them, too. But the power of focusing on both the mistakes and the positive actions we performed this year is about as powerful of a Rosh Hashanah preparation that you can get.

By considering all the good I did in a year, I am reminded of my capacity to make the right choices, and it provides hope that I can do even more good in the year ahead. Perhaps one day the “mitzvah list” will look longer than the regret list, but I don’t believe God expects perfection. Think about the wisdom of the fact that the one major mitzvah (commandment, not “good deed”) for Rosh Hashanah is to hear the shofar. The shofar is our spiritual wake-up call. It would not be required every year if we were expected to have lived flawlessly.

I challenge everyone to make a list of all the good you

did this year, even if it’s something you only did one time and fell short every other time the situation presented itself.

That is the point of this prayer, to remind us that if we were able to avoid, for example, contributing to gossip during one conversation, then we have the capacity to make that same good choice again. I’ll give you a few sample ideas. Remember, even if I only made the right choice once, it counts!

For the mitzvah I performed by happily donating money to a friend’s race.

For the mitzvah I performed by consciously focusing on someone’s positive traits even when I was angry, or at least not exaggerating the incident that made me mad.

For the mitzvah I performed by not passing on information that was not mine to share.

For the mitzvah I performed by admitting to my spouse or my children that I was wrong.

For the mitzvah I performed by graciously hosting friends for Shabbat.

For the mitzvah I performed by introducing friends to each other and introducing professional contacts to each other rather than hoarding the people in my life.

For the mitzvah I performed by remembering not to “reply all,” thereby avoiding wasting everyone’s time.

For the mitzvah I performed by donating my time even when I would rather be watching something on Netflix.

To repeat Rabbi Telushkin’s concluding line, “For all these things, God, please remember and inspire us to do more acts like these in the year ahead.”

Nina Badzin is a Minneapolis-based freelance writer and mother of four. Her essays, short stories and book reviews have appeared on numerous sites and in literary magazines. She is the co-founder of The Twin Cities Writing Studio, blogs weekly at http://ninabadzin.com and tweets @NinaBadzin.

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B8 | The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016

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Easiest. Rosh hashanah dinner. Ever.

ShAnnon SARnA JTA ome 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.

S

APPLE PoMEGRAnATE 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 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 Credit: Shannon Sarna 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.

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

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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.

New ip! h w O ners

PUFF PASTRY BAKED APPLES

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 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. ginger Pinch fresh nutmeg Pinch fresh ground cloves 1/4 tsp. 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. 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, trimming excess pieces.

(Optional: Using extra puff pastry, carve decorative small leaves to place on top.) Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

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5

Choosing a name

Gabby blair remember how excited my husband and I were each time we realized we were expecting. So much care and thought went into everything we did to welcome our children into this world. As with most expectant parents, countless hours of research went into baby’s developmental stages, pregnancy symptoms, baby gear and choosing doctors. However, nothing was given more consideration, care, and time than choosing the names for our babies.

In the Talmud, (Bracot 7b; Arizal- Sha’ar HaGilgulim 24b), it is said that parents are gifted with a tiny fragment of prophetic insight as they choose a Hebrew name for their baby. In fact, it is said that the whispers of angels direct them towards the name that holds the essence of their child.

The Midrash also highlights the importance of names as a conduit for divine energy, expounding on the redemption of the Jews from Egypt hinging on four virtues; one of which was keeping their implicitly Jewish names. This act served to maintain their unique identity and differentiate them from the wider Egyptian population (Bamidbar Raba 20:21). The sages of the Midrash also recommend that “a child should be named after a righteous person, for sometimes the name influences the person’s behavior and destiny” (Midrash Tanchuma, Haazinu 7).

As with most aspects of Jewish life, baby naming is a custom steeped in tradition.

Both Sephardi and Ashkenazi Jews often aim to honor an admired and beloved person when naming a child. Ashkenazi Jews tend to name their children after the deceased, such as a grandparent, or another

I

The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016 | b9

positive influential person in their lives.

Naming a child for a respected loved one, who has passed, holds a twofold honor.

First, it is thought to elevate the soul and memory of the deceased. Second, it serves as an inspiration to the namesake child, who is tied to the history of their family by

Credit: Malene Thyssen via Wikimedia Commons the metaphysical bond created by the sharing of names. Sephardic Jews differ slightly in that they customarily name children in honor of the living, as well as the deceased.

Naming babies for the living in Judaism differs from the greater societal norm of adding a suffix after the shared name. For example, it is not particularly common to name a boy for his living father by adding a Jr. , II, or III etc. at the end. In Judaism, the child and the living person he or she is being named for, often share a common name root, name meaning, or first letter.

For example, naming a baby boy Leor (which means, “my light”), to honor his See Choosing a name page b10

roshhashanah A Yom Kippur memory

Sybil Kaplan ach week when I lead the shuk walks in the Jewish produce market, Machaneh Yehiudah, I pause by a café next to the pet shop.

Hanging there is a toy, presumably for dogs, of a chicken’s body.

Seeing that, I am always reminded of the year in the 1970s when I was living in Israel the first time.

Rosh Hashanah had passed, and the days of awe were almost over.

The morning before Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, I decided to go to Machaneh Yehudah, Jerusalem’s dynamic, colorful outdoor Jewish produce market. It was just a few blocks from the center of town, and I wanted to do my fruit and vegetable shopping as I always did each week.

As I entered the crowded, covered overhead pathway, my ears were suddenly shattered by loud, whirring sounds. A strange smell penetrated the air. Further into the narrow alleyway, which was known as the main, walk-through market street, I walked. Under my feet, there appeared to be a carpet of feathers.

Crate upon crate of live chickens were stacked in front of every tiny butcher shop. At each shop, the scene was the same.

Mobs of people stood anxiously next to the crates. A man, bearded and wearing the traditional black coat and hat, stood with a prayer book in one hand. One at a time, people pushed forward to be near him.

I listened as verses from Psalm 107, verses 17-20 were read in Hebrew: Crazed because of the way of their transgression, And afflicted because of their iniquities—

Credit: Barry Kaplan, Jerusalem Their soul abhorred all manner of food, And they drew near unto the gates death— They cried unto the Lord their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses; He sent His word, and healed them, And delivered them from their graves.”

See yom Kippur memory, pages b11

Congressman Brad Ashford Ranked the 6th Most Bipartisan Member of Congress Opposed the Iran Nuclear Deal Introduced legislation to cut his own pay

roshhashanah

What’s in our name?

Choosing a name

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B10 | The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016

continued from page B9 living grandmothers Leora (“my light”) and Orli (“Light of mine”) or perhaps his living grandfather, Leonard.

Other inspirations for Jewish names can also come from holidays or seasons of a baby’s birth. For example, Hallel and Esther are popular names for baby girls born around Hanukkah and Purim, respectively.

Moshe or Omer might be fitting for boys born around Passover, while Aviva may suit a child born in the spring. Names may also be inspired by Torah stories that resonate with the parents, feelings of gratitude or traits the parents hope to instill in their children. For example, the names “Matan” (gift), “Bracha” (blessing), Chaim (life), Eitan (strength), and Nava (beautiful/pleasant).

Today, Jewish parents frequently bestow both a Hebrew and a secular name upon their children. The former being used for synagogue, life cycle events, and perhaps, at home, while the latter is for use in general society. Often times there is a shared meaning, beginning letter or phonetic similarity between the two names. For example a daughter may be given the Hebrew name “Vered Hannah” and the secular name “Rose Anne” as they both share meaning.

It is important for a Jewish child to identify and be connected to their Hebrew name as it is a link to both their inner spirituality and past of their collective people. In modern times, there has been an increase in the popularity of classical Hebrew names such

as Jacob, David, Noah, Ethan, Sarah, Rachel, Miriam, Rebecca etc., amongst Jews and non-Jews alike. There is also a growing resurgence in the U.S. for Jewish parents to use Israeli names like Yael, Zev, and Asher, as a way to express the pride and heritage of their children’s Jewish identity. In a 2013 article published in the Forward, writer Jordana Horn shares her experience when strangers would inquire about her two son’s “unusual names”, Zev and Rami, and wonder aloud if they were Israeli. Horn writes that her typical response would be along the lines of: “No, my husband and I are both just Jewish.” However, she goes on to say that her “real answer,” had she felt comfortable enough to give it, would have been, “I never want my sons to be able to forget, even when they say their names, that they are Jews.” This quote alone reminds us, as Jewish parents, the important duty we have to provide a Hebrew name to our children.

A name is more than just what we call ourselves, it ties us to our past, can be a legacy for our collective future, and contains the very essence of our spiritual being. Our name is the singular gift of this world that we can actually take with us when we pass.

A name is a spiritual touchstone that is repeated by our progeny during kaddish for generations long after the bearer’s last breath is drawn and that can be passed into the future to our children’s children, allowing us to live on long after our time on Earth is finished.

ScoTT LITTky Program Director, Temple Israel ver the summer we showed the movie Avalon at Temple Israel. The movie tells the story of a Jewish family who came to America in 1914 and how they assimilated into American life in Baltimore, Maryland.

There is a scene in the movie where two of the first cousins tell one of the older members of their family that they have changed their last name to sound more American. The older member of the family becomes very angry and lectures the two men about what their family’s last name means and why it is so important to the fabric of their family. Our names represent our personal story, they represent our individual history and are a part of our personal make-up almost like our DNA. So then what is in our name, TEMPLE ISRAEL? The name Temple Israel represents a loving, caring and vibrant Jewish Community.

The name Temple Israel represents a community dedicated to prayer that held its first Rosh Hashanah service in 1867 with 20 people in attendance.

The name Temple Israel represents a congregation that officially established itself in 1871 with Reverend Alexander Rosenspitz serving the congregation for six months. Then, in 1873, Temple Israel officially filed Articles of Incorporation, thus becoming the first Jewish congregation in Nebraska and today serves as the longest continuous congregation that will celebrate 150 years in 2021.

The name Temple Israel represents dedication to the Jews of Omaha with three Rabbis, Cohn, Brooks and Azriel having served the congregation and community for a total of 91 years.

The name Temple Israel represents the mission of Tikkun Olam.

The name Temple Israel represents thousands of children participating in Tot programs, Religious

School, B’nai Mitzvah, Confirmation and Youth Groups since 1871.

The name Temple Israel represents a congregation of learners with scholars-in-residence, adult education classes, movie nights and topical discussions.

The name Temple Israel represents fun with such events as Game Night, annual Super Bowl parties,

Temple Israel, 1927

young adult events and so much more.

The name Temple Israel represents amazing clergy and meaningful Shabbat and Holiday services and study.

The name Temple Israel represents a dedication to the Tri-Faith Initiative, through which in the next two years three faiths will be neighbors, allowing for amazing programs and study together.

The name Temple Israel represents the future of Reform Judaism in Omaha. A future filled with laughter and love. A future of dedicated families and children filling the rooms and hallways of our stateof-the-art building.

If you have not had the opportunity to experience all that Temple Israel is and can be, please find time to join us during the High Holiday season and throughout the year for services and programs. For more information about activities at Temple Israel or to receive information on membership, please contact Scott Littky, Program Director at 402.556.6536.

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The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016 | B11

A Yom Kippur apology to France’s most famous anti-Semite

Cnaan LiPhshiz approaching, I began questioning my own JTA reporting and preconceptions about t kills me to say this, but Dieudonne. The discriminatory burkini ban I may owe a Yom Kipshook my confidence in the choices being pur apology to made by French authorities in the fight Dieudonne M’bala against radical Islam.

M’bala.

Was I too close to the subject to see that My extensive reporting about this French the crusade against Dieudonne was another comedian of Cameroonian descent consisdraconian measure that undermines not tently portrayed him as a fanatical, vulgar and racist provocateur whose acts serve as a thinly veiled pretext for venting a hatred for Jews so intense that it’s led him to partnerships with neo-Nazis who despise him for his race, too.

To be sure, I fully stand by this description of Dieudonne, who in May received his umpteenth sentence for incitement to hatred against Jews -- a two-month suspended jail term and a $11,000 fine. A Dieudonne M’bala M’bala leaving a Paris courthouse, Feb. 4, 2015. friend and partner of the Credit: Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images gay-hating skinhead Alain Soral, Dieudonne has been convicted aponly the fight against extremism, but also proximately a dozen times in at least three erodes sacred freedoms in one of the world’s countries of either incitement or of minimiz- most important democracies? ing the Holocaust, which is illegal in France.

The disproportionality of the burkini ban, Yet, as France engages in an acrimonious and the French authorities’ overreach, redebate over the attempts by 30 municipaliminded me that Dieudonne can be seen as a ties to ban the full-body swimwear for Mus- humorist who is persecuted for a taboolim women known as the burkini -- illegal breaking act that has triggered remarkably bans, a French high court ruled Friday -- I restrictive reactions from the government of was reminded that there’s another way of one of the world’s most powerful countries. looking at Dieudonne.

At 50, Dieudonne is penniless -- he see Yom Kippur apology page B12 And with the Jewish Day of Atonement

I

Yom Kippur memory

Continued from page B9 The man continued reading, now from Job 33, verses 23-24: If there be for him an angel, And intercessor, one among a thousand, To vouch for a man’s uprightness; Then He is gracious unto him, and saith: ‘Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom.’”

One at a time, the people would stand, while a live chicken (cock for a male and hen for a female) was held in the right hand of the black-coated man. The fowl was then waved around the head of the person standing there, three times, while the bearded man said: “This is in exchange for me; this is instead of me; this is a ransom for me.”

Within seconds of the verse being finished, in full view of the penitent, the bird was slaughtered and then thrust into the machine for de-feathering. The person paid for the bird and walked away holding the warm body, to give to the poor or to take home to make chicken soup for the pre-Yom-Kippur-fast meal.

This is the kapparot (expiation) ceremony whereby all sins of the individual are transferred to the fowl. The kapparot ceremony is derived from the time of the Temple in Jerusalem when a goat (scapegoat) was sent from the Temple into the desert to carry with it the sins of the people.

After the Romans destroyed the Second Temple, the practice of sacrificing animals came to an end, but, as a mean of substitution, the kapparot ceremony was introduced.

Interestingly enough, it is not mentioned in the Torah or the Talmud and is believed to have originated in the Jewish community of 9th century Babylon.

Throughout Jewish history, noted rabbis opposed the

practice and felt perhaps, people would not truly repent if they thought their sins were really transferred to a bird.

The 13th century Spanish sage, Nachmanides, and the 15th century scholar, Rabbi Yosef Karo, who lived in Spain and compiled the Shuchan Aruch, guide to Jewish law, both opposed the practice. Karo opposed the idea because it might have non-Jewish origins.

Forty years ago, in modern Israel, in Jerusalem, Israel’s ancient and modern capital, this ceremony took place.

Does it take place today? Not in Machaneh Yehudah. Today, the chickens have been replaced by a bag of money.

A couple of years ago (2013), several articles appeared about this practice. The Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi called for more humane treatment of the chickens used.

Animal rights group, “Let the Animals Live,” wrote him that the birds are mistreated; the rabbi responded that mistreatment would constitute a mitzvah performed through committing a sin. He reminded the people performing the tradition not to cause suffering to animals and to be strict in how they deal with the animals.

One has to ask whether the birds are kept crowded in baskets without food or water awaiting the ceremony.

An American professor emeritus and author of a book on Judaism and vegetarianism, wrote that there is an “inconsistency here because of Judaism’s strong teaching about compassion to animals and because the rite can be carried out in a rabbinically approved way without using and then slaughtering chickens.”

He concluded that the message of kapparot to those who take part and those who view it may be the opposite of rachamim (compassion) and instead impart a lesson of insensitivity to the feelings of living creatures.

Sybil Kaplan is a journalist, food writer, and leader of weekly walks in Machaneh Yehudah, which she still loves.

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Yom Kippur apology Continued from page B11 remains intentionally insolvent to dodge paying hate-speech fines -- and has been declared a public enemy by some of the republic’s strongest people. His wife and son are under constant surveillance and receive several death threats a week. Once a mildly successful comic with a Jewish partner and a clique of friends, he’s now a pariah who can barely travel as he’s banned from entering dozens of countries.

Shunned by just about every self-respecting venue, Dieudonne was evicted on trumped-up fire safety violations from the Paris theater he had rented for a decade, leaving him largely incapable of performing before audiences.

Before the burkini ban, I never even stopped to question the legitimacy or efficacy of what can objectively be described as the campaign of persecution against Dieudonne over his expression of his political beliefs. Nor did I consider how this turned him into a martyr in the eyes of millions, whose receptiveness to his bile only grew with every new measure introduced against him by a government they feel does not represent them.

I never even properly examined the possible political calculus undertaken by France’s Socialist government in going after Dieudonne. By nailing the darling of French Muslims and blacks, they scored points with an electorate that is veering rightward amid a major escalation of Islamist terrorist attacks, most recently in Nice, where 85 people were murdered last month. And by throwing the book at a collaborator with one of France’s most famous skinheads, the government was also pleasing anti-fascist left-wingers.

Of course, Dieudonne, the poster child of the new anti-Semitism, cannot be compared to the innocent Muslim sunbathers who were harassed in Nice for wearing a burkini. He is a dangerous enemy of France’s democracy and minorities. In a country where jihadists have killed at least eight people since 2012 in attacks on Jewish targets, his jokes nourish the hate that facilitates such murders.

In one of his most revolting attempts at humor, he invited an audience in 2014 to imagine him sodomizing a Jewish man, Ilan Halimi, who was murdered by anti-Semites in 2006. An inventor of popular anti-Semitic dog whistles, Dieudonne’s statement “Je suis Coulibali” was a show of admiration or solidarity, or both, with the mur-

derer of four Jews at a kosher supermarket in Paris in 2014.

Keenly aware of the effects of the Dieudonne phenomenon, I consulted Gideon Behar, Israel’s envoy on the fight against anti-Semitism, before writing this column. He advised me not to publish it because he found it an inappropriate defense of Dieudonne.

I can relate to Behar’s position.

Dieudonne is an enemy to me and most of my readers. Even as a journalist, feigning neutrality on him is inappropriate.

But the measures applied against him are a different matter that in light of the burkini bans must be properly examined.

Dieudonne’s professional classification in France as a performer should not be a carte blanche for spewing his brand of vile poison. But the extent of the efforts to silence him should trigger a warning signal, a reminder that France’s traumatic encounter with radical Islam is blurring the border between its desire to be a self-defending democracy and signs that it is becoming a self-oppressing one.

Western governments are not expected to intimidate bathers, but neither are they expected to send to prison comedians whose sense of humor is deemed offensive.

The persecution of funnymen is characteristic of tyrannies like the one that sent into exile the Czech writer Milan Kundera, whose first novel, The Joke, dealt with the humorlessness of communist totalitarianism. It’s not what one expects of France, the country where Kundera settled in 1975 and had always celebrated as an oasis of creative freedom.

Similarly, state guardians of appropriate garb and behavior are common in theocracies like Iran and Saudi Arabia, not France, where they are likely to affect not only Muslims but also haredi Orthodox Jewish women who dress according to their understanding of modesty.

I am a European who has already had to move out of one neighborhood due to Islamist anti-Semitism and sexist intimidation of my wife, so I understand both the desire to muzzle Dieudonne and to get rid of the burkini.

But precisely because of our collective commitment to and stake in the war on radical Islam and anti-Semitism, it is incumbent on us this coming Jewish year to think more critically about how to achieve these goals.

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roshhashanah Five feel-good stories from Israel that will echo into the Jewish New Year ANdrEw ToBIN TEL AVIV | JTA he Jewish state has nearly made it through another Jewish year and, as always, there was plenty to kvetch about in 5776.

But Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is a time to take stock and celebrate.

Before the shofar blowing begins, here are five Israeli stories from the past year worth trumpeting. Expect them to echo into 5777 and beyond.

The olympics gave Israelis reason to hope.

For Israel, the margin between Olympic disappointment and glory can be a single medal. The country came up empty in 2012, but two Israeli judokas grappled and leg-swept their way to bronze at the Rio games in August.

Their fellow citizens rejoiced: Waving flags and singing patriotic songs, hundreds thronged Ben Gurion Airport to give Yarden Gerbi and Or Sasson a hero’s welcome. The athletes were showered with flowers and hugs, and were immortalized by countless selfies. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later met with the judo team.

The Olympics have special meaning in Israel, where everyone remembers the 1972 Munich massacre of 11 athletes and coaches by Palestinian terrorists. The Rio games kicked off with Lebanese athletes refusing to share a bus to the opening ceremony with the Israeli delegation.

And days before Sasson won his medal, a defeated Egyptian adversary pointedly refused to shake his hand. Israelis booed along with the crowd at the stadium.

Israel’s new medals brought the country’s total to nine since 1952.

Hoped-for windsurfing and rhythmic gymnastics successes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and President proved elusive -- and, Mulatu Teshome of Ethiopia viewing lions at the presidential comas usual, some Israelis pound in Addis Ababa, July 7, 2016.

Credit: Kobi Gideon/Israeli Government Press Office bemoaned inadequate Israel and Turkey officially reconciled national investment in the Olympics. recently following a six-year falling-out Yet there were reasons to be buoyant. over the Mavi Marmara affair. While Seven Israelis made it to the finals in the deal, signed in June, may not make Rio, and the country competed in 17 sports, up from 10 in London, including the countries BFFs again, it should help them cooperate amid the chaos of the three newer ones: golf, triathlon and Middle East. Exporting Israel’s natural mountain biking. Israel Olympic Comgas bounty and rebuilding the Gaza mittee CEO Gili Lustig has promised to do “some thinking” about improving Is- Strip are potential joint projects.

Meanwhile, the shared threats of Israel’s showing at Tokyo in 2020.

Israel made new friends in a hostile world. lamic extremism and Iran have brought Israel closer to the region’s Sunni MusAs the Olympics reminded Israelis, their country is unlikely to win any inter- lim states, even if those states are loath to admit it. Weeks after a telling handnational popularity contests. But in the shake with Israel’s Foreign Ministry dipast year, Prime Minister Benjamin Nerector-general, Dore Gold, Saudi tanyahu’s government managed to find government adviser Anwar Eshki pubsome new friends and potential allies.

licly led a Saudi delegation to Jerusalem.

And Gold flew to Cairo to reopen the Israeli Embassy there -- four years after protesters stormed the building and forced its closure.

In an update of former Prime Minister Golda Meir’s Africa policy, Netanyahu toured the continent for four days in July.

Offering Israeli high-tech and security know-how and seeking diplomatic support, he was received in country after country like the leader of a world power.

Looking east, Gold has said Israel is building new relations with Asia, and Chinese investment in Israeli companies and venture capital funds has reached record highs. Spurred by the civil war in Syria, Netanyahu and Vladimir Putin are in regular contact, and the Russian president may be plotting an Israeli-Palestinian peace push of his own. Who isn’t?

Haredi orthodox men in Israel rolled up their sleeves.

A majority of haredi Orthodox men in Israel have jobs. That may not seem worth blowing the shofar about, but it’s a first. Since officials started keeping track, most of the demographic has been out of work.

In 2015, the workforce participation rate for haredi men was 52 percent, part of a 12-year rise since the figure was 36 percent in 2003, Israel’s Central Bureau See Five feel-good stories page B14

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B14 | The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016

roshhashanah Five feel-good stories Continued from page B13 of Statistics reported in February. Haredi men in Israel have long preferred Torah study to work or army service, living off yeshiva stipends, state benefits and, perhaps, their wives’ salaries.

Haredi women are even better represented in the workforce at a rate of 73 percent, according to the government -- more or less the same as among secular Israeli women. Israel’s overall workforce participation rate is 80 percent.

Many observers see a larger trend of haredi society opening up to the outside world due in part to public and private investment -- despite successful haredi reversal of political reforms aimed at integrating the community. Today, an estimated 11,000 haredi Jews are studying at institutes of higher education, 5,000 are in the army and most are said to have internet access.

On a seemingly related note, haredi birth rates have fallen. A surge in the relative size of haredi preschool enrollment during the first decade of the millennium provoked much handwringing about the growing economic and social burden. But the trend has quietly reversed, with haredi schools accounting for less than 23 percent of preschoolers in 2015, down from more than 25 percent in 2008, according to the Taub Center for Policy Studies in Israel.

The share of preschoolers in Arab-Israeli schools has fallen even further. But the government has some work to do to reach its

goal of putting more Arab women to work.

More women than ever were making Israel’s laws.

The 28 women elected to Israel’s parliament in 2015 set a record. Since then, political reshuffling has seen the number move a little higher.

When Avigdor Liberman became defense minister in June, his Knesset seat went to Yulia Malinovsky, a member of his hawkish Yisrael Beiteinu party -- sending the number of female lawmakers to 33. That’s right, more than a quarter of the 120 legislative seats are now occupied by women.

These lawmakers span the political spectrum. From left to right, there is the antiZionist firebrand Haneen Zoabi of the Arab Joint List; peacenik Zehava Galon, the chairwoman of Meretz; and self-described “religious right-winger” Tzipi Hotovely of the ruling Likud. Notably absent are any haredi Orthodox women, whose parties prohibit them from running.

Four of the 21 government ministers are also women: Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked of Jewish Home; Culture and Sport Minister Miri Regev and Minister for Social Equality Gila Gamliel, both of Likud; and Immigrant Absorption Minister Sofa Landver of Yisrael Beiteinu.

Despite the ideological diversity, the women lawmakers sometimes come together to tackle issues related to women, including in the Knesset’s Committee on the Status of Women and Gender Equality. Given law-

Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked speaking in Jerusalem at a swearing-in ceremony for judges, July 28, 2016. Shaked is one of four female government ministers in Israel.

Credit: Yossi Zamir/Flash90

Israelis enjoying the beach in Tel Aviv, May 16, 2016.

Credit: Miriam Alster/Flash90 makers’ personal experience, sexual harassment may well be on the agenda when the

Knesset starts its winter session in October.

The government backed adding Sunday to the Israeli weekend.

It’s not often that something happens with the potential to redefine how an entire country understands the relationship between time and space.

But that something happened in Israel in June, when ministers approved a bill that would give Israelis six three-day weekends a year starting in 2017 as a step toward making Sunday a day off. The legislation is to be reworked in committee before going to the full Knesset for voting.

Israeli weekends now run from Friday afternoon through Saturday to accommodate the Jewish Sabbath and Muslim Friday prayers. Many Israelis don’t work on Friday.

But for religiously observant Jews, Shabbat rules prevent them from driving or visiting most entertainment venues from Friday night until Saturday night, allowing precious little time for fun.

Economists are divided on the merits of adding Sunday to the weekend. Supporters argue the plan would boost the economy by syncing Israel with the rest of the world and promoting consumption by a wider swath of Israeli society. Opponents worry it would reduce productivity, with observant Jews and Muslims getting less done on Fridays, and everyone potentially struggling through longer days to compensate for the long weekend.

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The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016 | B15 Gourmet Baskets... for the holidays, home entertaining, gift giving or thank yous. The Winery will create that special basket of wine, spirits, food or cheese, designed for you.

Yom Kippur lessons from my quirky Jewish mother

ican Princess because she sensed, far earlier than most soDiana BleTTer Kveller via JTA cial commentators, that these caricatures of Jewish women y mother died on the morning right would push Jewish men away from Jewish women. Interbefore Yom Kippur two years ago, and marriage statistics proved her right. That Jewish men my sister and I were not at all sur- laughed at Jewish women, distancing themselves, outraged prised. Irreverent, quirky and eccentric, her. She taught me that words have power. my mother always kvetched about She wasn’t too thrilled, to put it mildly, when I picked up Yom Kippur and would have done any- and moved from New York to Israel, leaving her behind, even thing to miss it. Dying right before the though she was the one who sent me to Israel when I was fast day, the holiest day of the Jewish 16 in the first place. She ranted each time she called me, but year, meant my mother was up to her she still paid for my four kids and me to fly back to visit her old tricks until the very end. each summer. What was the lesson? You can -- you must -It wasn’t because she was anti-Jew- rail against what is bashert, or fated for you, and then you ish; she was fiercely Jewish, but she’d made up her own brand have to do whatever you can to make things better. of Judaism. She always said that Jews should never apologize The last conversation I had with her was right before she to God: God should apologize to the Jews. On Yom Kippur, in- slipped into unconsciousness, the night before I flew back to stead of following a traditional fast, she sat at the kitchen table New York to be with her. Cynthia -- who took care of her betall day as if on guard, manning the telephone, reading the news- ter than the best of caretakers in her house -- had set up paper and watching the news on TV in case something bad Skype for her and I got to see her in her favorite armchair, happened, primarily to her people.

A first-generation American, she rebelled against her Polishborn mother’s traditions because she viewed them as a blend of superstitions and limitations. Yet she was still my best teacher when it came to understanding what being a Jew was all about. To my sister, Cynthia, and me, she passed on an enormous sense of pride. Freud was Jewish! Ralph Lauren was Jewish! All the really talented people on Saturday Night Live were Jewish!

On Sunday mornings, armed with a cup of her strong, black coffee from her CorningWare percolator that seemed about as ancient as the Dead Sea Scrolls, a sesame bagel with the insides Credit: Diana Bletter pulled out and a cigarette burning, The author as a child with her mother. she’d comb the Style section of The New York Times, study- the whirl of her oxygen machine stopping only so that she ing the names and faces in every wedding announcement, could smoke another cigarette. making her own calculations. She counted how many Jews “I love you and I’ll always love you,” she told me into the she thought were lost (if the couple was married by an offi- camera. Then she shouted, “Cynthia! How do I shut this ciating minister), who was gained (if there was only a rabbi) damn thing off?” or if it was a tie (both a minister and a rabbi or a judge).

Rain pounded the roof, lightning flashed and the thunder When Yom Kippur rolled around each autumn, her anger at was louder than fireworks the night she died. It was the perGod was reignited. On a macro scale, God let Hitler get away fect theatrical exit for my subversive mother. In the morning, with the Holocaust. On a micro level, God caused her father to after her soul left for who knows where, after the rains die of a heart attack when she was 5, forcing my grandmother moved on and the sky went back to empty and blue, a rabbi to raise five children on her own in the Bronx. Despite her out- came to the house to make funeral arrangements. He stood rage, my mother still trooped into the kitchen and followed my at the foot of her bed, talking quietly to Cynthia and me. I grandmother’s recipes for brisket, stuffed cabbage, matzah ball said politely to the rabbi, “I don’t think my mother would soup with matzah balls so light they defied gravity, and kasha have wanted you seeing her when she’s dead.” And then I varnishkes. But she cooked while doing a dozen other things, heard my mother’s voice, and I could have sworn I heard her so Cynthia and I held contests each holiday about who found grumbling I didn’t want to see him when I was alive. the oddest item in her dishes: Besides the usual stray hairs, we So, nu, as she would have said, she didn’t instill in me how discovered cigarette ashes, a fake fingernail and a rubber band. to be a Jew in the conventional way. She didn’t teach me My mother claimed her belonging to a people who had lost how to believe, but she taught me how to question. And is so much to the world and who, despite it all, gave so much there anything more Jewish than that? back. She was convinced that a Jew’s inheritance was the Diana Bletter is the author of the novel a remarkable task of setting things right, and took Cynthia and me out of Kindness (HarperCollins), the intertwined stories of school to attend demonstrations and marches for civil rights four American women who are friends and members of and liberal causes. There’s a Jewish saying, “If you save one a burial circle in a small beach village in Israel. Her life, you save the world,” and my mother taught me that with writing has appeared in The new York Times, The Wall just your own life, you can try to at least improve something. Street Journal, Commentary, The Forward and other With her pulse on Jewish American culture, she offered publications. Diana lives with her husband and children her scathing critiques to anyone who happened to be within in a real beach village in Israel, where she is a member the circumference of her cigarette smoke. She railed against of a burial circle. She can be found at www.dianablet the stereotypes of the Jewish mother and the Jewish Amer- ter.com. Follow her @dianabletter.

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roshhashanah

Three new kids’ books for the Jewish New Year

PENNY SchWaRTz JTA et ready: 5777 is arriving soon.

And a new Jewish year means a fresh crop of top-notch Jewish books for kids.

This year, not one but two new Rosh Hashanah books are penned

by Eric A. Kimmel, the master storyteller whose popular awardwinning children’s classics include Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins and Simon and the Bear.

His latest entries, Little Red Rosie and Gabriel’s Horn, are among the new crop of lively and engaging Jewish children’s books for the High Holidays that reflect the wide range of today’s American Jewish families.

Typically, most of the ink is devoted to Rosh Hashanah, which begins this year on the evening of Oct. 2. But there are fresh reads about many of the forthcoming holidays -- one book, Maya Prays for Rain, is a charming story about the little-known holiday Shemini Atzeret that comes at the end of Sukkot.

Want to make the new year extra sweet for a little one in your life?

Check out the three books below.

Little Red Rosie: a Rosh hashanah Story Eric A. Kimmel; illustrated by Monica Gutierrez Apples & Honey Press; ages 3-7 A confident young girl enlists the help of her numerous feathered friends to bake challah for the neighborhood Rosh Hashanah dinner.

With an illustrated recipe in hand, Rosie gently leads a parrot, toucan and hornbill as they measure flour, add eggs, knead the dough and braid it into loaves. In one of Gutierrez’s illustrations -- sure to tickle young ones -- poppy seeds fly through the air and land all over the kitchen table and floor.

“Who will help me clean the kitchen?” Rosie asks.

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They all pitch in, and Rosie saves the day when she prevents the hornbill from toppling a teetering tower of dirty dishes. When the lovely loaves are baked, Rosie and her friends recite the blessing over the challah, and the neighbors who gather around the festive table all enjoy the bread.

Gabriel’s horn Eric A. Kimmel; illustrated by Maria Surducan Kar-Ben; ages 4-9 On the eve of Rosh Hashanah, a young African-American soldier knocks on the door of the apartment where a young boy, Gabriel, lives with his parents, who are struggling to hang on to their small antiques shop. The solider explains he is going overseas and has no one to care for his special horn that once belonged to his grandpa, a musician, and brings good luck. Gabriel convinces his reluctant mom they can care for the horn. The name on the soldier’s uniform says Tishbi -- the birthplace of the prophet Elijah, who is said to appear mysteriously on Earth, often disguised as a beggar who leaves behind him blessings of good fortune or health.

The theme of tzedakah -- the Jewish obligation for charitable giving -shines through Kimmel’s heartwarming tale as Gabriel’s family selflessly shares its sudden good fortune through acts of kindness and generosity. Page after page, kids will wonder along with Gabriel if their newfound luck is related to the soldier and his tarnished, mysterious horn.

In a phone conversation from his home in Portland, Oregon, Kimmel told JTA that this book is a modern version of an old folktale based on a biblical Midrash. (A wellknown version, The Seven Years, was penned

by I.L. Peretz.) Kimmel first retold the tale in

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his award-winning 1991 children’s book Days of Awe, and with “Gabriel’s Horn” he revisits and contemporizes the story.

Kimmel said he continues to return to folk traditions because he sees them as the roots of so many stories.

“I really don’t think kids today know them well, and often their parents and teachers don’t know them, either,” he said. “They are so powerful.”

Sky-high Sukkah Rachel Ornstein Packer; illustrated by Deborah Zemke Apples & Honey Press; ages 3-8 Poor Leah and Ari. The two friends dream of having a sukkah of their own ii but living in the city poses too many obstacles, their parents tell them. The kids reveal their sad predicament to Al, the neighborhood grocer, and explain that during the seven-day holiday, Jewish families build a hut that they decorate with fruits like the ones Al sells. But will Leah and Ari’s dreams be answered when Ari’s picture of a “Sky-High Sukkah” wins a Hebrew school drawing contest for a free sukkah?

This is an endearing story that concludes happily as Leah and Ari discover that building community is just as rewarding as building a beautiful sukkah. Zemke’s lively illustrations capture the bustling urban neighborhood and brings to life the harvest holiday with bright reds, greens, purples and oranges.

The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016 | C1

section3

ROSH HASHANAH

The making of a Moroccan Chenah Gabby blair ables of elaborate and traditional sweets, handmade by friends and family, line tables that are festively adorned with baskets of flowers, fruits, gifts, and ribbons. A low ornate couch sits surrounded by small round tables, awaiting the Hattan and Kallah-to-be. The attendees arrive, chatting amongst themselves, enjoying drinks and hors d’oeuvres.

Slowly, the steady beat of drums attracts everyone’s attention; suddenly, the blast of the shofar announces the anticipated entrance of the Hattan and Kallah. The groom is traditionally dressed in a silk d’jellabah with a velvety fez upon his head. His brideto-be appears in what will be one of many beautiful and elaborate costumes. First, a white caftan, ornate in detail, and a jeweled diadem upon her crown. What follows next includes much dancing and drumming, singing and the ululations of the women, late into the night. Large circles of dancers, each taking a turn in the center, to bless, dance and celebrate with the Kallah and Hattan, respectively. Throughout the evening, in between formal meal courses, numerous L’ chaims, and pleasantries, the bride reappears, each time in a dress more splendid than before. There are typically

three outfit changes, with the final one being more ancestral in nature

sleeved jacket (gombaz), separate long sleeves (kmam), a woven silk

This dress, known as Keswa Elkbira (The Grand Dress) is usually thick and velvety, skillfully embroidered with golden thread and adorned with beads or gems. It can be quite heavy and consists of eight parts: a skirt (zeltita), a bodice (ktef), a short-

belt (hzam), a silk scarf (panuelo or fechtul), embroidered shoes, and an elaborate headpiece. Historically, this heirloom dress was handed down from a mother to her daughters, specifically for their own Chenah.

So, what exactly IS a Chenah, and

what is it’s purpose?

The word Chenah is likely more familiar to many as ‘henna’. The henna plant, (Lawsonia inermis), has been used for centuries in many cultures as a means of beautifying one’s self through the dying of hair and the creation of temporary skin markings. Mentioned in the Song of Solomon (1:14: A cluster of hennaflowers is my beloved to me, in the vineyards of Ein-Gedi,) and referenced in the Talmud, the henna plant was thought to contain a certain level of blessedness and protection. Henna has long been used to ward off negative forces, energies and curses, with some going so far as to sprinkle Henna powder into the corners of a new home before moving in. It is both beautiful and fragrant, but dense and thorny, and often times, it was used as a hedgerow to protect crops. Various groups of Jews, particularly those from the Middle East and Northern Africa, where the Henna plant is indigenous, have developed customs over centuries that incorporate the use of Henna into ceremonial rights of passage. Of these, the most common use is the Chenah party, held a week or so before a wedding. This tradition, whichhas evolved over See Moroccan Chenah page C3

L’Shanah Tovah May you have a happy, sweet year, filled with many blessings.

This is more than just an education.

C2 | The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016

roshhashanah Chava’s story

RICHARD FELLMAN hava Fellman, pictured as an elderly woman in her native shtetl, which means a small village in Yiddish, never came to Omaha, but five of her eleven children did: a daughter, two sons, and two grandsons, and together the original Russian immigrants to Omaha had more than 30 children. The offspring of those children are too numerous to count.

Many are still named Fellman, but many were children of Chava’s oldest daughter, Tamea, who married Joe Riseman, and the Risemans in turn had large families in Omaha.

Chava and her husband, Eliezer, who everyone called Lazer, lived in the village of Lechovitz in Vohlynia Gerbernya, which means the province of Vohlynia. It is today located in Western Ukraine, about half way between Kiev, Ukraine’s capitol, and its western border with Poland. The Soviets changed the name of the village from Lechovitz to Bilohirya after WWII since they wanted to erase the memory of everything German and Polish.

Nobody knows for sure what the last name Fellman means. Some say it means ‘entering fields’ while others insist it has something to do with furs and hides. But it has always been spelled with one or two “L’s” and not with a “D” though there has always been confusion in the spelling. The same spelling occurs when Fellman is spelled in both Hebrew and Yiddish.

In 2009, Bev and I spent a half year living in Ukraine. We traveled a great deal through Eastern Europe and throughout Ukraine. While we were there, we met a woman who ran the Chesed, like our Jewish Federation, in the city of Zhytomyr, southwest of Kiev. Her maiden name was “Feldman,” and she explained that in the Cyrillic alphabet, which is still used in Ukraine, the letters “d” and “l” are written nearly alike, and so it “is possible,” she said, “that many families confused the spelling of their name.”

Chava Fellman lived into her late 80’s, but Lazer died in his early 50’s. Their two sons, Gershon and Samuel, and their two grandsons, Gershon and Sucher, were all within a

few years of each other. When they left Russia, they came to Omaha, since their older sister Tamea and her husband Joseph Riesman were there. Tamea and Joseph had a small business, and were starting to do well.

One Gershon Fellman became Harry Fellman, because the family in Omaha told him that Gershon was not a good name in America. Likewise, the second Gershon Fellman became Jake for the same reason. But Samuel and Sucher kept their original names.

If you look at the family genealogy which one of our distant cousins prepared, you find someone named after Lazer with the English name of Louis, Leo, Leon, Leonard, and more recently Lawrence in every family. There are countless men with names of George, Gary, and many with the middle name of Gershon. Likewise, there are many women named after Tamea.

Chava Fellman Today the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren of these five immigrants, many who no longer have the Fellman or Riseman name, live all over America. If you ask those with different names if one of their ancestors was named Riseman or Fellman, they all acknowledge they are cousins and direct descendants of Chava Fellman. Chava ran an Inn in Lechovitz, which served the 1500 Jews in the shtetl as well as the traveling peddlers who came to Lechovitz on market days. It is said in the family that Lazer studied Talmud while his wife ran the Inn. Chava was also the mid-wife of Lechovitz.

The building that was her Inn still stands in Bilohirya, a small white building that I saw when I was there. There are still about 3000 residents of the village, though none of them are Jewish since the Nazis murdered all the Jews who remained in Lechovitz.

But the residents of Bilohirya still call the building “the Jews’ Inn.”

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What’s in a name: Javitch

ANNEttE vAN DE kAMp-WRIGHt hen asked what he knows about his last name, Gary Javitch started with a caveat: “I am unsure about the accuracy of these answers,” he said. He then recalled being told it means “the son of Ja,” but he couldn’t remember who told him.

“I do know my father said our family originated in Byelorussia (today known as Belarus) around the city of Vitebsk.” Vitebsk, in the northernmost part of Belarus, is the country’s fourth largest city, and the capital of the Vitebsk region.

Time for a little research. Amazon claims there is a Kindle edition of The Javitch Name in History, published by Ancestry.com, but it is not currently available for purchase, so that’s a dead end.

W

Gary Javitch, pictured here with Eliad Ben Shushan in 2015.

Gary is at least partially right: A Slavic name suffix is a common way of forming patronymics, family names, and pet names in the Slavic languages (also called the Slavonic languages). Many, if not most, Slavic last names are formed by adding possessive and other suffixes to given names and other words. Most Slavic surnames have suffixes which are found in varying degrees over the different nations.

-ić -vić -ović -ič -vič -ovič -ich, -vich, -vych, -ovich, -owicz/-ewicz: Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine, Russia, Republic of Macedonia (rare), occasionally Bulgaria. Yugoslav ex.: Petrović, means Petar’s son. In Russia, where patronyms are used, a person may have two -(ov)ich names in a row; first the patronym, then the family name (see Shostakovich).(Wikipedia) I find a few websites that assign meanings to names, and although scientific they are not, it is important to note the meaning of the prefix See Javitch page C4

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Happy New Year

Moroccan Chenah

Continued from page C1 for Niddah (duty of maintaining famtime, has become shorter in duration, ily purity); and Hay, for Hadlakat Naylasting just one night instead of multirot (lighting the candles for shabbat). ple evenings. Henna designs for the Typically smaller and more intimate Moroccan-Jewish bride have also become less elaborate, today a mere staining of the palm rather than the multiple layers of designs that were commonplace up until the late 19th century. Still, the modern day Chenah consists of many ancient and unique customs and superstitions of Sephardic Jews. Both Moroccan and Yemenite Jews have very well documented and similar customs in regards to this pre-wedding party. The popularity of the Chenah has grown so much, that many Israelis, even those of Ashkenazi heritage, have begun to adopt it as part of their own pre-wedding festivities.

Henna was described by Rashi in 11th century France as a sign of Hashem’s absolution and forgiveness of the Israelites when they tested Him in the wilderness, and is a symbolic analogy of a bride and groom Marzipan, one of many pre-wedding treats starting their new life together, with a than the upcoming wedding, Chenah clean slate. Metaphorically speaking, guests are usually comprised of close henna is considered as a protector by friends and family with the festivities nature but also lovely and full of deaimed at bestowing blessings of fertillight to those inside its boughs. Acity, health, wisdom and good fortune cording to some folklore, henna is also to the the young couple. After the believed to be the plant of the Angel of bride completes her third costume Luck, yet another reason it was tradichange and the festive meal is drawing tionally used to adorn those taking to a close, the couple, and their respecpart in important life events. In Hetive parents, are ushered to the low brew, the word Chenah also forms an bench by the crowd who then encircles acronym for the three mitzvot rethem. At this point, two white candles quired of married women, and adds in are lit and stuck into an ornate bowl the name of G-d; a reminder of the containing the specially prepared essence of the covenant between henna paste and it is held aloft for all Hashem and the bride made on the to see. The henna paste used in a Mowedding night: Het, for Challah (to roccan Chenah, is carefully concocted make and separate the Challah); Yod, using age old recipes passed down (for the Hakodosh Baruch Hu); Nun, amongst the women in a family. Dried

crushed henna leaf powder is often mixed with sugar or honey, for sweetness, and liquids including orange blossom water, essential oils, and myrrh cologne and cooked down until it becomes a thick paste. The honor of making the henna paste is an important duty and is usually completed by an older female relative such as an aunt or grandmother, who is healthy, happily married, and has bore children, as these attributes are desired for the bride. The Chenah woman smudges a bit of paste into the palms of the bride, the groom and their parents. The paste is held in place by decorative ribbons which bind the henna onto their hands. As the Kallah and Hattan are being showered with blessings and gifts by well wishers, thick henna paste is distributed into the palms of the guests along with all of the positive blessings and attributes believed to be inherent to henna, and tied on tightly with a ribbon.

Similar to the ‘eye’ of a Hamsa, an amulet used to ward off the ‘ayin hara’ or ‘evil eye’, the henna paste leaves behind a round mark on the center of the palms of all who attended the ceremony. The orange-tinged mark can last up to a few weeks, and can range from light orange to a dark brownishred, depending on how long the paste was left on. It is customary that the bride is recused from any normal household duties as long as her henna mark is visible on her hand. Receiving the henna and the blessings that come with being part of this special simcha, is something that is cherished by all who received it as a mark of good fortune for our futures, while paying homage to the rich traditions of our past.

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C4 | The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016

What’s in a name: Donald Gerber

Annette vAn De kAmp-WriGht o the best of my knowledge,” Donald Gerber said, “my last name is German and means “leather preparer or leather worker.” I really don’t know who told me that but various people have mentioned that to me over the years. It may be related to the name “Garber” as a close spelling. I really have never been told anything by my family on this subject. I have looked it up online and it seems to verify the same thing.”

He’s right: the name is Swiss and German in origin as well as Ahkenazi Jewish, and means tanner or leather preparer (Gerwer in Middle High German, Garawo in Old German and Gerber in modern German). The name also shows up as Garver or Garwer.

Donald has some famous namesakes: Daniel Frank Gerber founded the Gerber Products Company, well known for giving us the Gerber Baby. Steve Gerber cocreated Howard the Duck, and someone named Rande Gerber is married to Supermodel Cindy Crawford. When looking for Gerbers, one can also find Ron “Boogiemonster” Gerber, who apparently is known for hosting the radio show Crap from the Past.

But I digress.

For someone as musically inclined as Donald, it may be interesting to note he is not the only Gerber who has a thing for music: Ernst Ludwig Gerber who was born Sept. 29, 1746, in Sondershausen, Germany, and died June 30, 1819. This Gerber was a German composer and author of a famous dictionary of musicians. His father, Heinrich Nicolas Gerber (1702-1775), a pupil of J. S. Bach, was an Don Gerber organist and composer of some distinction, and under his direction Ernst Ludwig at an early age made great progress in his musical studies. In 1765 he went to Leipzig to study law, but the claims of music, which had gained additional strength from his acquaintanceship with Johann Adam Hiller, soon came to occupy almost his sole attention. On his return to Sondershausen he was appointed music teacher to the children of the prince, and in 1775 he succeeded his father as court organist. (Encyclopedia Brittanica) There was also a Swiss composer by the name of Mich Gerber, but not much is known about him besides the fact that he was born in 1957.

In 1855, an English convict from London by the name of Arnold Gerber was transported on the ship “Adelaide” and forced to settle in Australia. No relation.

“The name Gerber is associated with a trade and is most common in Switzerland and Alsace,” Geni.com tells us. “It is also found in Germany and Austria. In Austria it is most commonly a Jewish surname and the person circumcising young boys is called a ‘Gerber’. In all the countries colonized by Europeans, especially South Africa and the USA, Gerbers are found.”

Wait; what? Gerber means Mohel in Austria? I tried to verify that little bit of news, but find no evidence. ‘Circumcision’ is beschneidung in German, and Mohel just translates as Mohel. Even reading endless articles about the political fight over Circumcision in modern day Austria does not give me anything, so we’ll call this one a myth. Which is the problem when researching last names online. Sorry about that, Don. Then, purely by accident, I find something interesting about the non-Jewish Gerbers: “Many families with this surname in Europe were members of the Anabaptist peace sects who immigrated to America to escape the widespread persecutions which followed the Reformation. Upon arrival to America as early as the beginning of the 18th century, the original form of the Gerber surname changed spelling in some families to Kerwer, Kerper, Kerwar, Gerver and Carver.” (Behind thename.com) While focusing on Jewish names, it never occurred to me there might be groups of non-Jews who also changed their last names. But that is a story for a different day.

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Continued from page C2 ‘Ja’ comes up as “Individual, Masculine, Logic, Self, Active, Leadership, Initiative, Assertive.” Just to make it more fun: ‘Gary’ comes from “an English surname which was derived from a Norman given name, which was itself originally a short form of names beginning with the Germanic element ger meaning “spear”. This name was popularized in the late 1920s by the American actor Gary Cooper (1901-1961), who took his stage name from the city of Gary in Indiana where his agent was born.” (www.behindthename.com) I also find out Javitch is the 1,399,286th most

common surname in the world, and there are 78 people in the world with the last name Javitch. Of those, 62 can be found in the United States (as of 2014) and 16 in Canada. That’s not a very high number, but then there are many variations of the name: there’s Javish, Javisha and Javesch. You can spell it as Javits, Javitz, Yahvitch, or Yavich.

It is possible and even likely the original name was somewhat longer. After all, ‘Ja’ is not a very common name. Maybe it was ‘Jacobovitch,’ or something like that. However, without actual birth records to prove it, that remains pure speculation.

A Sephardic seder, of sorts, for Rosh Hashanah

The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016 | C5

roshhashanah

edmon J. rodman After all, much like apples and honey, the LOS ANGELES | JTA symbolic foods eaten for yehi ratzones -or rosh Hashanah, including, yes, the aforementioned fish many of us eat an heads, as well as the likes of black-eyed apple dipped in peas and dates -- taken as a group also rephoney as an auspiresent the hope for a good coming year. cious sign for a Who wouldn’t want to say amen to that? sweet new year. The But I should have known, like any other symbolism is clear, change in family custom -- Talmudically and the ritual as easy to pull off as sanctioned or not -- negotiation would be squeezing a bear-shaped plastic involved. bottle of honey.

But what kind of a year could you expect from eating leeks, spinach and a fish head? A year of being a contestant on Chopped?

Many Sephardic Jews practice a custom at Rosh Hashanah dinner called “yehi ratzones” -- “may it be God’s will” -- which calls for a kind of mini-seder in which a special blessing is said before eating certain ceremonial foods.

Though it’s a custom practiced mainly by Sephardim whose Fish heads are commonly included in the Sephardic custom of “yehi ratzones.”

Credit: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images forebears lived in the Ottoman Empire, the idea of eating these speWhen I brought up the idea to Brenda, cial foods at this time of year can be found she told me she had never heard of the cusin the Babylonian Talmud, which mentions tom. Not only that, but some of the yehi that certain fruits and vegetables should be ratzones foods -- notably spinach, tradiseen on our Rosh Hashanah tables. tionally served in her family in the form of My wife, Brenda, is half Sephardic -- her a cheese-free “quajado” (a kind of spinach father’s family came to the United States kugel) and fried leek patties, were found from the Greek island of Rhodes -- and “on the family’s seder table, not at Rosh since she invites her entire extended family Hashanah,” she told her completely Ashkeover for dinner the first night of Rosh nazi husband. (Meanwhile, I suddenly realHashanah, I thought that we could include ized that after decades of marriage, I had See Sephardic seder, of sorts page C6 the custom this year.

camping

From my kosher kitchen... and two more kitchens SybiL kapLan

few years ago I wrote a column in which I interviewed chefs and found it quite fascinating. For Rosh Hashanah, I am including recipes of two chefs, Chef Nir Elkayam of the Inbal Hotel in Jerusalem whom we have met and inter-

A

viewed and Chef Alon Hirtenstein from the InterContinental David, Tel Aviv.

I also include a Rosh Hashanah favorite.

Sybil Kaplan is a journalist, book reviewer, food writer and cookbook author who lives in Jerusalem.

See From my kosher kitchen page C6

Two Layer appLe-Honey Cake

Cake: 2 cups flour 2 tsp. baking soda 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg 1/4 tsp. ground cloves 3/4 cup sugar or sugar substitute 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 2 large eggs 3/4 cup canola oil 1/3 non-dairy creamer 1/2 cup honey or honey substitute* 3 cups grated apples Frosting: 2 cups tofu cream cheese 1/2 cup unsalted pareve margarine 1 tsp. grated orange peel 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 2 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 cup honey or honey substitute*

Prepare: 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. 2. Spray vegetable spray on 2 9-inch cake pans.

3. Place flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and sugar or sugar substitute in a large bowl and mix.

4. Add vanilla, eggs, oil, non-dairy creamer and honey. Mix, then add apples. Place half of the batter in each baking pan. Bake in preheated 325 F. oven about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool.

5. Beat cream cheese and margarine in a bowl until fluffy.

6. Add orange peel, confectioners' sugar and vanilla and blend. Add honey. Chill until firm enough to spread.

7. Place one cake on a serving dish. Spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with second cake and spread remaining frosting on top and sides. *To make cake diabetic, use sugar substitute and sugar-free imitation honey.

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c6 | The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016

roshhashanah Sephardic seder, of sorts

continued from page c5 been living in a multicultural home.)

Looking for cover, I called Brenda’s Uncle Lou, who didn’t remember practicing the custom, either. But he did recall growing up with dates and pomegranates -- two of the foods used in yehi ratzones -- always on his mother’s Rosh Hashanah table here.

“You see? Your family practiced part of the tradition,” I said, hoping that would settle it.

“But how do you do it?” Lou asked, warming slightly to the idea.

I didn’t know, but looking for an answer, I called Ty Alhadeff, the coordinator of the Sephardic studies program at the University of Washington. A third-generation Rhodesli -- as descendants of the Sephardim from Rhodes are called -- and a member of Seattle’s Congregation Ezra Bessaroth, which practices the customs of the Rhodes traditions, I thought he could explain the ins and outs of yehi ratzones.

Within the first minute of our conversation Alhadeff said, “From generations back, I’m related to the Hassons” -- my wife’s family. I knew immediately I had found the right guy.

Alhadeff helped me understand that the pairing of blessings and foods during yehi ratzones is, at its heart, Hebrew and Aramaic wordplay. Puns, really, that rely on certain words for foods sounding similar to certain Hebrew verb forms.

“It’s like saying ‘May our enemies be mashed like these mashed potatoes,’” Alhadeff explained.

For instance, the Aramaic word “squash” is “karah,” he explained. The Hebrew word connecting it to the blessing is “karah,” a form of the verb meaning “to tear.” Therefore, when we eat squash during the seder, the accompanying blessing is “May it be Thy will... You should tear up our evil decree, and let there be read before You, our merits.”

A bit more of a stretch is the Aramaic word for leek, “karati,” and the Hebrew word “Yikaretu,” cut off, as found in the blessing: “May it be Thy will... to cut off our enemies.”

As for the fish head -- Alhadeff said he uses fish cheek instead -- it’s because the word for head, “rosh” (as in Rosh Hashanah, literally “head of the year”) figures into the yehi ratzones blessing “May it be Thy will … that we may be on the forefront as the head and not in the background as the tail.”

Alhadeff told me there have been some attempts at reinterpretations of the yehi ratzones blessings, which shift the meaning while staying true to the specific foods.

“It’s not about the evil decrees being cut,” he said. see sphardic seder, of sorts page c7

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

From my kosher kitchen continued from page c5

Festive holiday laMb

Submitted by: Chef Nir Elkayam, Executive Chef, The Inbal Jerusalem Hotel Ingredients: lamb, then add the remainder of the marinade over the 1 lamb shoulder on the bone lamb.

2 tbsp. olive oil Wrap the pot tightly in parchment paper and then in Marinade ingredients: aluminum foil.

20 small red onions Place in the refrigerator for about 12 hours.

20 garlic cloves Pre-heat the oven to 280 degrees F. 30 pitted dates Remove 2/3 of the liquid and pour into a stock pot, 1 bottle of semi-sweet red wine simmer until the sauce is reduced to a thick consistency 1 ginger root (thick enough to coat the lamb and not too runny).

1 pod of cardamom Remove foil and parchment paper and place the pot 1 stem of thyme in oven for about 1 hour or until the lamb is soft and 1 cup of olive oil nearly falling off the bone.

Preparation: Raise the temperature to 325 degrees F until the lamb turns a golden Sear all sides of the lamb with the olive oil. brown.

In a stockpot, pour the marinade ingredients into the pot and bring Once the sauce has reached the correct consistency, using a hand to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool. blender, blend the marinade with the dates, onion and garlic from the In a large deep roasting pan, pour half of the marinade in, add the lamb pot to create the sauce for the lamb.

Quinoa and roasted acorn sQuash salad

Submitted by: Chef Alon Hirtenstein, Aubergine Restaurant at the InterContinental David Tel Aviv

Ingredients 1 cup quinoa 1 acorn squash, roasted and sliced into thin half-moon shapes 1 tbsp. chopped cranberries 1 tbsp. diced fresh fruit (persimmon, kiwi, nectarine or any other fruit you like) 1 tbsp. chopped caramelized hazelnuts 1 tbsp. parsley 1 tbsp. coriander 2 tbsp. pomegranate seeds 1 tsp. honey 1/2 crushed garlic clove thyme Ground dried “shata” chili pepper 1 tbsp. lemon juice 1 tbsp. olive oil salt Ground black pepper apple ‘fan’ for garnish Mint leaves in ice water Acorn Squash Preparation Pre-heat oven to 345 degrees F. Peel and cut the acorn squash in half, clean out the seeds and slice into thin half-moon shapes.

Mix the olive oil, honey, garlic, thyme, salt and ground black pepper in a bowl.

Once marinade is ready, place the acorn squash slices in the bowl and let sit for a few minutes.

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The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016 | C7

Marty Ricks and Jan Ricks Schneiderman

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Annette vAn de kAMp-wRight communities of the Middle Ages. The surname may also dearty Ricks and his sister Jan Schneiderman rive from the medieval given name “Rick”, a pet form of may have one of the most puzzling last Richard, from a Germanic personal name composed of the names we’ve run into for this issue. elements “ric”, power, with “hard”, hardy, brave, strong.

Most databases Richard Coeur-de-Lion’s fame as a want to share facts crusader gave the name great popularabout ‘Rick” as a ity, which was only slightly subdued first name (completely ignoring the ‘s’ by the bad reputations of the second at the end), and the fact that, as a first and third English kings of the name.” name, is so obviously a derivative of On Avotaynu.com, where so many Richard makes finding out anything Jewish surnames are collected, it is about the Ricks’ name a bit like looklikely you’ll become dizzy within ing for a needle in a haystack. minutes, some alternative spellings “Back in Lithuania, where my father are included: there is a Riches, a is from, the name was spelled ‘Rik,” Richic and a Rickji. You can even find Marty says. “Our dad Morris (origia Ricketts (does Pete know?). nally Mote) came from Lithuania in “Rike” (without surname) was a witabout 1922 with his sister Rose. When ness in the Assize Court Rolls of they were being processed in Ellis IsCheshire (1260). The surname is first land, the officer says “two Riks” and recorded in the latter half of the 13th their papers came out with a new Century (see below), and can also be Marty Ricks and Jan Schneiderman spelling, “Ricks”. But many family found as Rick and Rix. Ralph Rixe is

M

members immigrated to South Africa where the common spelling is “Rick.”

Morris Ricks, previously Rik, was the son of Sholom Rik and Sore Tauba Rik. Besides Rose, he had three other sisters: Shtire Leva Rik, Beile Rik and Libby Kaplan.

In English and German, the name is patronymic and a short form of Richard. It can also be a topographic name for someone who lived where rushes grew, which are called rexe or rixe in Middle English, or ‘rix’ in Old English. (Ancestry.com) The surname database on www.surnamedb.com also treats it as a purely English name: “This interesting surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and has two possible sources. Firstly, the surname may be a topographical name for a “dweller by the rushes”, deriving from the Olde English pre 7th Century “risc, rysc”, rush. Topographical surnames were among the earliest created, since both natural and man-made features in the landscape provided easily recognizable distinguishing names in the small

noted in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire (1279), and David Rickes is listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk (1327).”

All very interesting, but it has nothing to do with Marty and Jan’s family name.

There is, however, a Rick as well as a Rik in the “Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia,” also on Avotaynu.com. And when you search the name Rik exclusively, without included spelling variants, you’ll find that the name appears on the New York Passenger List from 1890. Eight of them came to America from Germany, two from Prussia, and two from Russia. None from Lithuania, although that can simply be a consequence of nobody uploading any records. Most of these genealogical websites and databases rely heavily on participation of the public.

Whether Rik was originally an abbreviation of a longer name in Lithuania, or what it meant, I was unable to find out. As is the case with many stories from the Lithuanian Jewish community, much is lost and/or forgotten.

Continued from page C6 For example, Alhadeff said he found a blessing for squash that says “May the coming year grow as a gourd in the fullness of blessing.”

I was inspired. But getting back to the more mundane issues of how exactly we’d get this stuff ready for a group of 30, I asked him how the Alhadeff family gets it done.

“There is a division of labor,” Alhadeff said, noting that he makes the leek patties and his wife the pumpkin (squash) bourekas. The two share the shopping.

As my wife and I discussed the coming dinner, we decided that for our first yehi ratzones, we would take our cue from the Alhadeffs: sharing the work would be the added blessing to our observance. Also, knowing that some variation was OK, we decided to pick just a few foods that would

be familiar to the family.

Brenda agreed to cook the spinach quajado. I called her sister, Holly, and though she also reminded me her family only ate these foods on Passover -- they are sisters, after all - she said she would make the the leek patties using her grandmother’s recipe.

Not wanting to fill everyone up on pumpkin-filled anything, I settled on buying shelled pumpkin seeds, pepitas, to pass around. I figured everyone could benefit from the “fullness of blessing” concept before sitting down to our triedand-true dinner of turkey, okra, Persian rice and salad.

Of course, having our evil decrees cut wouldn’t hurt, either.

Edmon J. Rodman is a JTA columnist who writes on Jewish life from Los Angeles. Contact him at edmojace@gmail.com.

Sephardic seder, of sorts

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Cooper is a Jewish name

Annette vAn de KAmp-wriGht loria Cooper Kaslow’s original last name, as her father Abraham told her, would have been Kuptzan.

However, on her father’s naturalization papers, it was changed to Cooper.

Not a very Jewishsounding name, and yet not uncommon either for members of the tribe. “My father arrived in this country from Russia via Poland,� Gloria says. “ He was only 15 years old, and after escaping with his family he was put to work in a factory in Hartford, Ct., immediately upon arrival. After a 12 hour work day, he would attend night school to learn English, never again having the opportunity for any more formal education. In addition to all the various jobs he held as a young man, he was also a handsome actor on the Yiddish stage. He ended up in the women's shoe business in New Haven where I grew up, owning several stores and kvelling over the fact that each of his three children had two advanced degrees.�

While the name Kuptzan has left no apparent online trace, much has been written about Cooper as a Jewish name.

The name itself is English in origin and means “a maker and repairer of wooden vessels such as barrels, tubs, buckets, casks, and vats.� In Middle English it would have been “couper, cowper (apparently from Middle Dutch kuper, a derivative of kup ‘tub’, ‘container’, which was borrowed independently into English as coop).� (Ancestry.com) “The prevalence of the surname,� Ancestry also tells us, “its cognates, and equivalents bear witness to the fact that this was one of the chief specialist trades in the Middle Ages throughout Europe. In America, the English name has absorbed some cases of likesounding cognates and words with similar meaning in other European languages, for example, Dutch Kuiper, and the Jewish (Ashkenazic) Americanized form of Kupfer and Kupper (see Kuper). In Dutch this was also an occupational name for a buyer or merchant, the Middle Dutch coper.�

The name is ubiquitous enough that people far and wide have wondered about its origins. A quick search on the shared site Blurtit.com, where people can crowdsearch their questions, offers several answers about how Jewish the last name Cooper really is.

Not all answers sound equally sympathetic: “Cooper is actually an English name,� an anonymous person offers on the website, “but Jews have taken it, as they have so many other names when they try to “hide� in a nation when they are no longer wanted.

Look at all the Russian Jewish names versus German Jewish names, versus Polish and English Jewish names etc. Cooper is actually English, but the person of that surname may indeed be Jewish (or not).�

That’s not very nicely worded. However, “Cooper is often an Ashkenazi Jewish surname,� says Bennett Evan Cooper, “but its derivation has nothing to do with barrels, English or Scottish people, or trying to pass in a hostile land. The overwhelming majority of European Jews took their surnames from the late 1700s to the mid-1800s in response to government acts requiring them to adopt hereditary names instead of patronymics. Because the vernacular lan-

guage was Yiddish, most of the new surnames were based on German words, including names of flora, fauna, colors, metals, stones, foods, adjectives, and occupations. Color names include Roth (red), Schwarz (black), Weiss (white), Braun (brown), and Grun (green). Most pertinent here, metal names, which are considered a kind of “ornamental� surname, include Gold (gold), Silber (silver), Eisen (iron), and Kupfer/Kuper (copper). My great-greatgrandfather sold bolt cloth in Ekaterinaslav in the Ukraine; the family later changed the spelling, but the name was pronounced “Cooper� in Russia.�

Gloria Cooper Kaslow Another anonymous person added this answer: “Its most common derivation is from Norman French and Ashkenazi Jewish cuopar, meaning ‘one who works in copper’ (which may or may not have had to do with barrel bindings). The German form is Kuepfer. Coopers occur in Russia, Lithuania and the Ukraine because Ashkenazi Jews started out as a small population in northern France (overlapping with Normans) and a lot of Scotsmen went to Poland and Russia in the 16th and 17th century. My mother’s family was Cooper and they were Jewish, originally Anglo-Norman.� (blurtit.com) On his blog Conservative Tendency, Mark English wrote an article titled English Jewish surnames revisited. “Unfortunately,� he writes, “Jewish naming practices make it very difficult for researchers. In many parts of Europe, Jews maintained their traditional practice of assigning patronymics and were slow to adopt the practice of giving permanent family names. For this and other reasons (such as the lack of a homeland, persecution and discrimination), Jews have been more inclined to adopt new or modified surnames than most other peoples. “Of course, in English-speaking countries, certain surnames (often German or Hebraic) are well-known as indicating Jewish origins. But Jewish immigrants often modified foreign-sounding names or chose English surnames, and some names were favored over others.�

The fact remains that Gloria’s father didn’t change his name until he became a naturalized citizen. At that point, he would probably not have been the first Jewish immigrant named Cooper. When English writes that some names were favored over others, he might as well be talking about Cooper.

Fun fact: famous Jewish namesake Martin Cooper (b. 1928), nicknamed the “father of the cellphone,� made the first cellular phone call in New York on April 3, 1973 and is credited with its invention. (Jewoftheweek.net)

Why I’m going to High Holiday services for the first time in 25 years

ance is part of the reason why people walk away. We’re told that JupAuL goLIn NEW YORK | JTA daism encourages questioning and debate, but in practice there are longjust bought rosh standing barriers telling us who’s in and who’s out, and far too many hashanah tickets for self-appointed border guards. the first time ever. The How can you still be Jewish if you don’t believe in God? That’s the last time I attended first false binary I had to overcome to maintain my Jewish identity. I services for the High knew by age 11 that I didn’t believe. And I felt isolated in that knowledge Holidays was on my par- because growing up I never heard a rabbi or teacher suggest that while ents’ dime. That was not all Jews believe in God, they can still derive meaning and community back before the World from being Jewish.

Wide Web, when Ross Surveys regularly show that half of American Jewry doubts there is Perot heard a giant a God who answers personal prayers. That’s an existential crisis. When sucking sound and the the liturgy says God punishes the wicked and rewards the good, but voice of a generation was named Sir Mix-a-Lot. Jewish history suggested otherwise, our communal sermonizing turned My reasons for fleeing synagogue services are in many ways typical elsewhere, to blame disaffiliation on a lack of Jewish education or the among so-called unaffiliated Jews, “scourge” of intermarriage. including the interminable length and The second false binary I had to inaccessible liturgy of the cereovercome was that to stay Jewish monies. Some of my reasons for reor have Jewish children, I must turn are also similar to others, such only marry a fellow Jew. as becoming a parent.

It was much later in life that I Yet I may be the only such Jew heard of Secular Humanistic Juwho, during the decades in between, daism, a small but spirited denomspent countless hours consulting ination creating space for Jews with hundreds of synagogues and like me who define Judaism as the other Jewish organizations, from all cultural and historic experience of streams of Judaism, to help them the Jewish people. It understands understand why they are not reachthat diversity is an opportunity for ing Jews like me. sharing and learning, and that all Credit: clockwise from top left, John Picken/Flickr, CC BY 2.0; marriages -- including intermarSuggesting I am “unaffiliated” because I don’t belong to a synagogue zeevveez/Flickr, CC BY 2.0; Dimitris Kamaras/Flickr, CC BY 2.0; riages and gay marriages -- are Renaud Camus/Flickr, CC BY 2.0 fully equal celebrations of love. is part of the problem. In my group of friends, I am the “super Jew.” I’m the Jewish communal professional After recently joining this movement’s leadership, it would be poor and the Israeli history buff. I donate to Jewish causes and grapple with form for me not to attend my nearest affiliated congregation during the my Jewishness almost every day.

High Holidays. Yet that’s not the only motivating factor. I want to chalThat’s why when it comes to identity, yes-no binary descriptions lenge the potentially false binaries within my own thinking, like for exdon’t work anymore, if they ever did. We are all somewhere along a ample that my connection to Judaism will never be through ritual practice. spectrum in so many aspects of our lives.

Still, I continue to struggle with the denominational and congregaIt may be easier for institutions to work with simple binaries (“Are tional models, both of which are under siege by broader societal forces. you a member or not?” “Are you Jewish or not?”), but that lack of nu- See high holiday services page C10

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L’shanah Tovah!

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The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016 | C9

roshhashanah What’s in a name: Leonard Greenspoon

A

Annette vAn de kAmp-WrIght sk Leonard greenspoon what his last name means, and he’ll tell you he doesn’t really know. It’s actually not a very common name (only 118 people in the U.S. in the year 2000, according to Mooseroots.com), even among American Jews: Ancestry.com draws a blank, and several other genealogical sites won’t give up any secrets.

Copper(II) acetate Approximately three percent of people who have the name Greenspoon use it as a first name, according to Namespedia.com. As a surname, it’s found in five different countries-- but that doesn’t really tell us anything since the website chooses not to share which countries they are. The same source also tells See greenspoon page C11

C10 | The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016

roshhashanah High Holiday services

Continued from page C9 As a communal insider, I fully understand why tickets to take my family to Rosh Hashanah services cost as much as a Broadway play. As an outsider, I’m really tempted just to take my family to a Broadway play.

With incredible talent and resources poured into each show, Broadway is the pinnacle of American theater, so it’s really unfair to compare it to High Holiday services at a midsize congregation. Yet this is the calculus that Jewish families undertake, in countless ways. The competition is not between synagogues in one denomination versus another, it’s between Hebrew school and soccer practice, Shabbat services and HBO Go. How does your synagogue bulletin compare to your local yoga studio’s handouts?

Even more challenging is that I am genuinely moved by almost every Broadway play I attend. Will I be moved during High Holiday services?

In the past there have been moments, but obviously not enough to keep me coming back.

Ultimately, as a “consumer” of anything, I want a clear understanding of how participation will improve my life, improve the lives of my family members or help me improve the world. I believe it is through these criteria that most people determine how to spend their time. And crafting clear answers is how Jewish organizations can articulate meaning to their constituents.

From what I’m already sensing among the amazing folks in our movement, they are ready to dig in on this challenge. I believe when we do articulate those answers, it can help grow not only our own congregations but offer models for the larger Jewish community as well.

Paul Golin is the executive director of the Society for Humanistic Judaism, www.SHJ.org, the congregational arm for Humanistic Judaism in North America.

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ps://www.facebook.com/ShalomahaPress

One place swing-state voters won’t see Clinton and Trump this season: The rabbi’s pulpit Ben SaleS NEW YORK | JTA

hen Rosh Hashanah came around last year, Rabbi Aaron Gaber wanted to grapple with an issue roiling the country. So he decided to focus his sermon on racism.

But several members of Brothers of Israel, a 120-family Conservative synagogue in suburban Philadelphia, weren’t pleased.

“Some of the feedback from some of my congregants has caused us some consternation,” Gaber said.

Congregants accused the rabbi of calling them racists, he recalled, “which I didn’t do.”

This year, with the presidential election looming just one month after Yom Kippur, Gaber will pick a much more pareve topic for his High Holidays sermons: how congregants can be respectful to one another. He won’t directly address the election. Instead he will relate to some of the rhetoric around the campaign.

“One piece that I’m looking to share with my congregation is a spirituality checkup, and to do quite a bit of reflection on who we are and what we represent as Jews and human beings,” Gaber said. “What does it mean

W

to treat one another with respect?”

Gaber’s congregation is in Pennsylvania’s Bucks County, a politically divided area in a swing state. In 2012, President Barack Obama won the county over Mitt Romney by just 1 percentage point.

In skirting direct election talk on the High Holidays, Gaber will be

joining rabbis in “swing counties” across America preferring instead to touch on the vote by speaking about values or personal conduct.

Spiritual leaders from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Florida noted that synagogues are legally prohibited from endorsing candidates.

Anyway, they say, political talk should not come from the pulpit. Instead, when the rabbis address hundreds or thousands of congregants on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, they will encourage them to have compassionate conversations. Or they will talk about how the winner -- Republican

or Democrat -- can be a moral leader after Election Day. “How possible is it to govern and to do so with honesty and with sensitivity?” asked Rabbi Richard Birnholz of the Reform Congregation Schaarai Zedek in Tampa, Florida, floating a potential sermon topic. “I need to be a rabbi to my people. It’s very easy to have politics or ideology -- side taking -get in the way of that, and then I can’t really fulfill my real role, which isn’t as a political or social activist, but as a rabbi.”

The rabbis’ plans track with survey data of sermons at churches across the country. An August survey by the Pew Research Center found that 64 percent of churchgoers heard their pastor discuss election issues from the pulpit, but only 14 percent heard their pastor endorse or speak out against a candidate.

Rabbis in all four states said their synagogues had significant populations of voters for both parties. Some said political discourse had made the atmosphere at synagogue tense, while others don’t feel the pressure. Assistant Rabbi Michael Danziger of the Reform Isaac M. Wise Temple in Cincinnati said the constant stream of campaign ads doesn’t help.

See Swing-state voters page C12

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The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016 | C11

A Yom Kippur break-fast with just a bit of bling

Shannon Sarna JTA or many families, the Yom Kippur break-fast is a bagels and schmearfilled inevitability -- just add some lox, maybe some slices of tomato and orange juice, and everyone is happy.

For other families, the break-fast is one of the most important meals of the year -- almost sacred. Expectations can run high with such a special meal, and I know many people who anticipate the same dishes year after year after year.

But what if you want to serve something a little more than just bagels, or veer a little off course from your usual blintz soufflé? These three newish dishes are just different enough to be exciting, yet they are similar enough to satisfy your family’s biggest critic.

Simple banana bread is hard to improve upon, but when you add chocolate chips and moist (and healthy) canned pumpkin, you have a crowd-pleasing quick bread you can bake one or two days ahead of time.

Quiche is one of the easiest make-ahead comfort foods, and this version is brightened with fresh herbs, feta cheese and lemon zest.

Fresh fruit is also standard at break-fast meals. But by adding some cinnamon and candied walnuts to autumn fruit, you can take something simple and traditional and make it extraordinary.

See Yom Kippur break-fast pages C12 and C13 for more recipes.

aUTUMn FrUIT SaLaD

If apples and pears aren’t your fruit of choice, you can add these flavors to any fruit you like: pineapple, berries, grapes, etc. To sweeten the salad even further, you can add a tablespoon of honey or, for a more sophisticated Middle Eastern twist, add a tablespoon of pomegranate molasses.

Ingredients: 3 apples, diced 3 pears, diced 3/4 cup candied walnuts, roughly chopped 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1 tbsp. orange zest Juice of 1/2 lemon Directions: Whisk together cinnamon, orange zest and lemon juice. Add apples, pears and walnuts to bowl and toss. Place in fridge until ready to serve, up to 3 hours.

Greenspoon

Continued from page C9 us Greenspoon backwards is noopsneerg, as if we can’t figure that one out for ourselves.

Then it goes on to explain that it rhymes with harpoon, making this officially the most bizarre research result ever. Luckily, Leonard has a sense of humor.

Time to move on to more useful resources.

On Houseofnames.com, there is a little more information.

“The surname Greenspoon is etymologically derived from “gruen” meaning “green.”

It is thought that the name may have been of occupational origin for a chemist who specialized in working with verdigris, a basic acetate of copper used as a green pigment.

Alternatively, Greenspoon may have been a nickname. It would then likely indicate someone who liked to wear green clothes.

Finally, the name may derive from the Middle Low German “gruen” or “groen” meaning “greedy for.”

The name was first found in the southwest corner of Germany where it shows up in 13th century records. Spelling variations include Gruen, Gruenauer, Gruenbacher, Gruenhut, Gruenspan and Gruenmann. `Finally, I decide to look into the alternate spelling, and key in Greenspan.

“Greenspan is an English surname popular among Jewish Americans. It is the Angli-

cized form of the German/Yiddish surname Grünspan (“greenswarf ”, “green patina”, “verdigris”, “copper (II) acetate”). Cognate are the surnames Grynszpan and Grinshpan (Poland, Romania, Hungary).”

(Wikipedia.com) Grynszpan jumps out at me, probably because it’s a very famous name, ever since Herschel Feibel Grynszpan assassinated Nazi German diplomat Ernst vom Rath in 1938, and unwittingly provided the Nazis with the pretext for Kristallnacht.

I digress.

Knowing now it most likely means ‘verdigris,’ I’m still wondering where Leonard’s name came from, but since I can’t find any evidence of Greenspoon, I’ll have to stick with Greenspan. The New York Passenger list between 1820 and 1957 contains a number of Greenspans; some of these have had family members enter their names in the online database. There are 38 from Russia, 15 from Austria, eight from Germany, eight from Hungary, four from Poland and finally one from a place called Abang, which is a region on the island of Bali, Indonesia.

That’s as close as I get without additional records. I’ll leave you with a colorful picture of copper (II) acetate, and the next time you see Leonard, remember that his last name originated from a beautiful shade of green.

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Yom Kippur break-fast Continued from page C11

HERB, SPINACH AND FETA QUICHE

Quiche is the perfect make-ahead dish. It can keep in the fridge for two to three days, and then be reheated in the oven at 300 F for 20 to 30 minutes. It can also be served at room temperature. While homemade crust is flaky and delicious, you can also use a storebought crust in this recipe.

For the crust: 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1 tsp. salt 6 oz. butter (1 1/2 sticks), chilled and cut into cubes 4 tbsp. vegetable shortening, chilled Scant 1/2 cup ice water For the filling: 3 large eggs 1 1/2 cups heavy cream or half and half 6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled 8 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and excess liquid squeezed out 1/4 cup fresh chopped dill 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley a few sprigs of fresh oregano, leaves removed and chopped 1 tsp. lemon zest 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper Directions: To make the dough: In a food processor fitted with a blade, add all crust ingredients except for water.

Pulse a few times to mix. Begin adding water just until a ball of dough begins to form. Do not over-pulse.

Remove dough and work on a lightly floured surface until you can shape the dough into a flat disk.

Wrap in plastic and place in fridge for 1 to 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Roll out crust on a lightly floured surface until 1/4-inch thick. Carefully roll the crust onto your rolling pin and lay on top of springform pan. Gently

Credit: Shannon Sarna

push the crust into the pan using tips of fingers and thumbs. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork all over. Bake for 7-9 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

Reduce oven temperature to 375.

Whisk together eggs, cream or half and half, feta, salt and pepper.

Add spinach and herbs to egg mixture. Pour into prepared quiche crust, taking care to try and evenly distribute the cheese and veggies.

Bake for 30-35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

See Yom Kippur break-fast page C13 for another recipe.

Swing-state voters

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Continued from page C10 “I do think all of the tools to make conversation go off the rails are present here,” said Danziger, who graduated rabbinical school this year. “So much advertising, so much attention from the campaigns. I think it happens everywhere, but I think any rhetoric that might fuel the elements behind that stuff will certainly be present here, and at a fever pitch by November.”

When they aren’t at the pulpit, rabbis from swing states have been politically active. Rabbi Sissy Coran of the Rockdale Temple, another Cincinnati Reform synagogue, touted a voter registration drive that the Union for Reform Judaism will be conducting in North Carolina. Birnholz teaches classes at his synagogue about biblical prophets using current events as context.

Gaber wants to work with the Philadelphia Jewish Community Relations Council to educate congregants about election issues. In December, he and Rabbi Anna Boswell-Levy of the nearby Reconstructionist Congregation Kol Emet signed a statement by the Bucks County Rabbis’ Council denouncing Republican nominee Donald Trump’s proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States.

“It’s worse than it’s ever been in my lifetime,” Boswell-Levy said of the national political climate. “I think that the way Trump speaks is incredibly troubling, and people react to it in very strong ways -- whether

they’re appalled or disgusted by him, or whether they feel that their views are validated by him.”

And rabbis have also discussed politics throughout the year in smaller prayer services. Boswell-Levy feels she can address sensitive issues such as the global refugee crisis or protests in Ferguson, Missouri, at Friday night services, which draw a smaller crowd than the High Holidays.

Rabbi Yechiel Morris of the Young Israel of Southfield, an Orthodox congregation in suburban Detroit, criticized Trump earlier in the campaign and drew backlash. Sermonizing against Trump again during the High Holidays would be pointless, he said, as “you don’t need to repeat yourself.”

“I didn’t focus so much on his politics, policies and things of that nature, but more on the character and language he uses, and how upsetting that is,” Morris said. “There were some members who felt I should not have highlighted that one particular candidate.”

Rabbi Steven Rubenstein of the Conservative Congregation Beth Ahm, also in suburban Detroit, also thinks that politics from the pulpit serves little purpose. Involved congregants know their rabbis’ political leanings, no matter the sermon topic.

“People are listening, and they don’t need to be hit over the head, told what to do,” he said. “A very high percentage of the congregants would know who their rabbi would vote for without them saying it.”

5776: The year in review BEN HARRIS JTA stabbing and car-ramming epidemic in Israel that some called a third intifada was among the most dominant Jewish stories of the past year. But 5776 was also notable for the release of spy Jonathan Pollard after 30 years in prison, the com-

september

A

The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016 | C13

munal fallout from the Iran nuclear deal, a historic (and unfinished) agreement on egalitarian worship at the Western Wall and continuing clashes between pro-Israel students and the BDS movement on college campuses.

Below is a timeline of the Jewish year’s major events -- the good, the bad and, in the case of the deaths of some Jewish giants, the very sad.

2015

Some 53 major American Jewish groups issue a call for unity and recommitment to American and Israeli security following the Sept. 17 deadline for Congress to reject the Iran nuclear deal. Overall, 19 of 28 Jewish members of Congress support the deal, which is vigorously opposed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College reverses a longstanding ban on accepting rabbinical students with non-Jewish partners. The move proves to be controversial, leading seven rabbis and one Florida synagogue to quit the movement in January in response.

The Palestinian flag is raised at U.N. headquarters in New York for the first time. The move follows a 119-8 vote of the General Assembly on Sept. 10 to allow the flag at the headquarters. Israel and the United States are among the dissenters, along with Canada and Australia.

The Jewish Council for Public Affairs calls on Jewish groups to lobby for official American recognition of the Armenian genocide. Though most historians say the killing or deportation of 1.5 million Armenians

by Turkish forces during World War I constitutes a genocide, many American Jewish groups – including the Anti-Defamation League and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee – had previously declined to do so for fear of harming Israel’s alliance with Turkey. In May, the ADL’s new chief, Jonathan Greenblatt, writes in a blog post that the massacre of Armenians was “unequivocally genocide.”

An Israeli couple is killed in the West Bank while driving with four of their six children. Eitam and Naama Henkin, both in their 30s, are killed while returning to their home settlement of Neria. Their children are unharmed. In June, four Palestinians are sentenced to life in prison for the killings.

Pope Francis meets Jewish leaders in Rome to mark the 50th anniversary of the Nostra Aetate, the land-

october

mark declaration that rejected collective Jewish guilt for the killing of Christ and paved the way for improved Jewish-Catholic relations. In the meeting in St. Peter’s Square, Francis declares: “Yes to the rediscovery of the Jewish roots of Christianity. No to anti-Semitism.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu draws fire for claiming the mufti of Jerusalem gave Hitler the idea to exterminate the Jews at a 1941 meeting.

“Hitler didn’t want to exterminate the Jews at the time; he wanted to expel the Jews. And Haj Amin alHusseini went to Hitler and said, ‘If you expel them, they’ll all come here,’” Netanyahu said. Amid an outcry, Netanyahu modifies his statement, emphasizing that Hitler bore responsibility for the Holocaust.

Palestinian rioters set fire to Joseph’s Tomb, a Jewish holy site in the West Bank, amid continuing IsraeliSee 5776: The year in review page C14.

Michael Halsted, MD

Peter Whitted, MD, JD Jeffery Hottman, MD Kathryn Hodges, MD Mark Emig, MD David Hanks, DO Teri Geist, OD Martin Mizener, MD Scott Greder, OD Matt Appenzeller, MD

Courtney Hellman, MD Mondy Dickinson, OD David Ingvoldstad, MD Jill Grennan, MD Jerry Damme, OD Abigail Jackson, OD Michael Feilmeier, MD Krystal Wells, OD Matthew Willis, OD

roshhashanah Yom Kippur break-fast Continued from page C12

PUMPKIN BANANA CHOCOLATE BREAD

This quick bread is so moist you don’t need anything to go with it.

(Still, that shouldn’t stop you from serving it with some good quality Irish butter, if you’d like.) It’s a delicious sweet treat that’s perfect for ending a fast, celebrating the season and kicking off a sweet new year.

Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 ripe bananas, mashed well 3/4 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 3/4 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. ginger 1/4 tsp. nutmeg Pinch ground cloves 1/2 tsp. salt 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus extra Sanding sugar (optional) Directions: Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a large loaf pan and then coat inside with around 1 tablespoon sugar, tapping out an excess (this is instead of flour).

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together.

Credit: Shannon Sarna

Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla. Add mashed banana and pumpkin puree.

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in 2 or 3 batches. Fold in chocolate chips using a spatula.

Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Add a handful of additional chocolate chips on top and sanding sugar if desired.

Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean. Allow to cool 10 minutes, then gently remove from pan.

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5776: The year in review

october

Continued from page C13 Palestinian unrest. The violence began in September following an Israeli raid on the Temple Mount that uncovered a cache of weapons, which led to clashes that spread to the West Bank.

Portuguese officials approve the naturalization of a Panamanian descendant of Sephardic Jews, the first individual to receive Portuguese citizenship under a 2013 law that entitled such individuals to repatriation. Days earlier, Spain approved the granting of citizenship to 4,302 descendants of Spanish Jews exiled during the Spanish Inquisition under a similar law.

Israel arrests several suspects in connection with a July firebombing in the West Bank town of Duma that killed three members of a Palestinian family, including an 18-month-old baby. The suspects later allege they were tortured by the Israeli security agency Shin Bet, which denies the claim.

Weeks later, video emerges showing friends of the suspects celebrating the killings at a wedding in Jerusalem, drawing condemnations from across the political spectrum.

The United Nations recognizes Yom Kippur as an official holiday. Starting in 2016, no official meetings will take place on the Jewish Day of Atonement at the international bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New York headquarters, and Jewish employees there will be able to miss work without using vacation hours. Other religious holidays that enjoy the same status are Christmas, Good Friday, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

An Orthodox gay conversion group is ordered by a New Jersey court to cease operations. Jews Offering New Alternatives for Healing, or JONAH, must cease operations within 30 days, the state Superior Court rules. In a lawsuit filed in 2012, the group, which claims to be able to eliminate homosexual urges, was found to be in violation of New Jerseyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Consumer Fraud Act. Violinist Itzhak Perlman is named the third recipient of the Genesis Prize.

The annual $1 million prize, dubbed the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jewish Nobel,â&#x20AC;? is funded by a group of Russian philanthropists to honor individuals who have achieved international renown in their professional fields and serve as role models through their commitment to Jewish values.

Brazil refuses to confirm Dani Dayan, a former West Bank settler leader, as Israeli ambassador to the country because of his support for the settlements. Following a months-long standoff Dayan, a native of Argentina, is reassigned as consul general in New York.

Samuel â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sandyâ&#x20AC;? Berger, who served as President Bill Clintonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s national security adviser, dies at 70, succumbing to cancer. Berger was a prominent player at the 2000 Camp David summit.

december

Jonathan Pollard, the former American Naval intelligence analyst convicted of spying for Israel, is freed from federal prison after 30 years.

Under the terms of his parole, Pollard is prohibited from traveling to Israel, though he offers to renounce his American citizenship in order to live there.

New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is found guilty of corruption.

An Orthodox Jew who wielded vast power as one of the New York state governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proverbial â&#x20AC;&#x153;three men in a room,â&#x20AC;? Silver was convicted of using his position to win millions through various kickback schemes and noshow jobs. Silver is sentenced to 12 years in jail in May. Two Jewish teens are found guilty of the murder of Mohammad Abu Khdeir, a Palestinian teenager who was abducted and burned to death in the Jerusalem Forest in 2014. The teens are not identified because they were minors at the time of the crime.

American yeshiva student Ezra

january

roshhashanah

november

C14 | The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016

Friends of Ezra Schwartz grieving over the coffin of the American terror victim at a service at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel before the body was repatriated to Boston for his funeral the following day, Nov. 21, 2015. Credit: Ben Sales Schwartz, 18, is killed in a shooting in the West Bank. Schwartz, of Sharon, Massachusetts, is memorialized by the New England Patriots, his favorite team, with a moment of silence prior to their Nov. 23 game against the Buffalo Bills.

F. Glenn Miller Jr., the white supremacist found guilty of killing three people at two suburban Kansas City Jewish institutions, is sentenced to death. Miller was convicted of capital murder in September.

The Anti-Defamation League reports

In response to unspecified complaints that products produced in the West Bank are mislabeled as originating in Israel, the U.S. customs agency reiterates its policy that any goods originating in the West Bank or Gaza Strip be labeled as such.

After decades of squabbling, the Israeli government approves a compromise to expand the non-Orthodox Jewish prayer section of the Western Wall. Under terms of the deal, the size of the non-Orthodox section of the Western Wall will double to nearly 10,000 square feet and both areas will be accessible by a single entrance.

The Brown University chapter of the historically Jewish fraternity Alpha Epsilon Pi separates from the international organization over biases against non-Jewish members as well as its handling of sexual assault. In an op-ed in the Brown student newspaper, chapter president Ben Owens says the group objected to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;demeaning way that some representatives of AEPi National treated our non-Jewish brothers.â&#x20AC;?

The Cleveland Cavaliers fire Israeli-American head coach David Blatt, who led the team to the NBA Finals in 2015. Blatt releases a statement saying he was â&#x20AC;&#x153;gratefulâ&#x20AC;? for the chance to serve as coach. Led by LeBron James, the Cavaliers go on to win their first NBA championship under Blattâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s successor, Tyronn Lue.

a 30 percent jump in anti-Israel activity on American college campuses. According to the report, over 150 â&#x20AC;&#x153;explicitly anti-Israel programsâ&#x20AC;? have either taken place or are scheduled to take place on American campuses, an increase from 105 the year before.

The Rabbinical Council of America adopts a policy prohibiting the ordination or hiring of women rabbis. The policy, the result of a vote of the main Orthodox rabbinical groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s membership, proscribes the usage of any title implying rabbinic status, specifically naming â&#x20AC;&#x153;maharatâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an acronym meaning â&#x20AC;&#x153;female spiritual, legal and Torah leaderâ&#x20AC;? used by Yeshivat Maharat, a New York school ordaining Orthodox women as clergy.

Six men are sentenced for their roles in a plot to violently coerce a man to grant his wife a religious divorce; most are given prison terms. In December, two rabbis involved in the scheme are sentenced to jail time, including 70year-old Mendel Epstein, who receives a 10-year term. In all, 10 people, three of them rabbis, are convicted for their roles in kidnapping and torturing recalcitrant husbands for a fee.

2016

Rabbi Eugene Borowitz, an influential thinker in Reform Judaism, dies at 91. A longtime faculty member at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Borowitz was the author of 19 books and hundreds of articles on Jewish thought.

Hundreds of protesters at a gay conference in Chicago, charging â&#x20AC;&#x153;pinkwashingâ&#x20AC;? of Israeli misdeeds, disrupt a reception for Israeli LGBT activists, forcing the event to shut down. The disruption is strongly condemned days later by several leading gay activists, including former Rep. Barney Frank and Edie Windsor, the plaintiff in the Supreme Court case that led to the legalization of gay marriage.

Sen. Bernie Sanders wins the New Hampshire primary, becoming the first Jewish candidate in American history to win a presidential primary. The Vermont Independent, seeking the Democratic nomination, handily defeats former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, commanding 60 percent of the vote to Clintonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 38 percent.

See 5776: The year in review page C15

february

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The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016 | C15

5776: The year in review

The Jewish Theological SemContinued from page C14 inary announces the sale of $96 The Hungarian Holocaust million worth of real estate asdrama Son of Saul wins an Oscar sets and its intention to use the for best foreign language film. funds to upgrade its New York Other Jewish winners at the facility. The seminary, consid2016 Academy Awards are Amy, ered the flagship institution of the documentary about the late the Conservative movement, Jewish singer-songwriter Amy says it intends to build a stateWinehouse, and Michael Sugar, of-the-art library, auditorium who wins for best picture as coand conference facilities, and a producer of Spotlight, the story new 150-bed residence hall on of the Boston Globe investigative team led by Jewish editor Marty Sen. Bernie Sanders speaking at the its main campus.

Baron that exposed sex scandals Iowa Democratic Wing Ding in Clear Republican presidential hopeful Lake, Aug. 14, 2015.

Donald Trump disavows the in the Catholic Church.

The Canadian Parliament for- Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images support of David Duke after mally condemns the Boycott, Divestment and Sanc- earlier claiming he knew nothing about the former tions movement, saying it “promotes the Ku Klux Klan leader’s views. In response, the Antidemonization and delegitimization of the State of Is- Defamation League announces it will be providing all rael.” Passed by a vote of 229-51, the motion was in- presidential candidates with information about hate troduced by the opposition Conservative Party but groups so they can better determine which endorsements to accept and reject. won support from the ruling Liberal Party as well.

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march

Jewish comedian Garry Shandling dies in Los Angeles at 66. Shandling wrote for several sitcoms before starring in his own shows, including The Larry Sanders Show, which aired on HBO in the 1990s and earned Shandling 18 Emmy Award nominations.

Venice launches a yearlong commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the world’s first official Jewish ghetto. Among the many events scheduled for the anniversary is an appearance by Jewish U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who presides over a mock trial of Shylock, the Jewish moneylender character from Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice.

Microsoft pulls its artificial intelligence tweeting robot after it posts several anti-Semitic comments.

The software company had launched the so-called chatbot as an experiment but quickly paused the endeavor after the controversial tweets, several of which expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler.

A Pew study of Israelis finds that 48 percent of the country’s Jews agree that Arabs should be “expelled or transferred” out of the country. The finding, the most shocking in a wide-ranging study of Israeli attitudes, is based on interviews with 5,600 Israelis conducted between October 2014 and May 2015.

Israeli leaders condemn the actions of a solider caught on video shooting an apparently incapacitated Palestinian lying on the ground. “What happened today in Hebron does not represent the values of the IDF,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says following the release of the video, shot by the human rights group B’Tselem. The soldier is charged with manslaughter in May and later goes on trial.

Thousands of delegates attend the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s annual policy conference in Washington featuring appearances by most contenders for the presidency -- most controversially Donald Trump, who sparks much talk of protests and walkouts in the days leading up to the conclave. Speaking the morning after Trump’s address to the gathering, AIPAC President Lillian Pinkus issues a rare apology for Trump’s attacks on President Barack Obama, saying the group is “deeply disappointed that so many people applauded a sentiment that we neither agree with or condone.” Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz and John Kasich also address the conference, while Bernie Sanders issues a written statement to the group from the campaign trail.

Merrick Garland, the chief of the U.S. Court of Days ahead of the New York primary, Bernie Appeals for the District of Columbia, is nominated Sanders and Hillary Clinton engage in a heated to replace Antonin Scalia, who died in February, on exchange over Israel at a debate in Brooklyn, the Supreme Court. In his acceptance speech, Garwith the Vermont senator land emotionally recalls his grandparents who had accusing the former secrefled anti-Semitism for better lives in the United tary of state of neglecting States. Republicans vow not to consider his nomithe Palestinians and reiternation during President Obama’s last year in office. ating his charge that Israel used disproportionMark Zuckerberg, the co-founder and CEO of ate force in Gaza in 2014. Clinton says she Facebook, is the world’s richest Jew, according to worked hard to bring peace to the region as Forbes. The magazine’s annual list of the world’s secretary of state. Clinton won the primary in billionaires shows Zuckerberg surpassing Oracle CEO New York, home to the country’s largest Jewish Larry Ellison to claim the top spot among Jews. population, 58-42 percent.

A majority of professors at Oberlin College Bernie Sanders sign a letter condemning the “anti-Semitic names three promiFacebook posts” by a fellow faculty member. nent critics of Israel The letter, signed by 174 professors, does not to the committee charged with formuname Joy Karega, the rhetoric and composition lating the Democratic Party platform: professor whose posts, including one accusing Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., the first Israel and “Rothschild-led bankers” of responMuslim elected to Congress; James sibility for downing an airliner over Ukraine in Zogby, the president of the Arab Ameri2014, drew widespread attention. can Institute; and Cornel West, a Bernie Sanders suspends his Jewish outreach philosopher and supporter of the BDS director after revelations of social media posts movement. Days later, Sanders releases that used profanity to describe Israeli Prime a statement emphasizing that while he Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Simone Zimsupports Israel’s right to live in peace, merman, a former activist with J Street, reportlasting peace will not come without “fair edly called Netanyahu a “manipulative asshole,” and respectful treatment of the Palestinthough she later changed the expletive to ian people.” “politician.”

In an announcement timed to the anThe first same-sex Jewish wedding ceremony nual independence celebrations in Isin Latin America is held at a synagogue in Arrael, the nation’s Central Bureau of gentina. Some 300 guests attend the wedding of Statistics reports the population has Victoria Escobar and Romina Charur at the risen to 8.52 million residents, a tenfold NCI Emanu El Temple in Buenos Aires.

See 5776: The year in review page C16

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roshhashanah

5776: The year in review

G L A S S

Rabbi Maurice Lamm, the author of The Jewish Way in Death and Mourning and several other notable Jewish books, dies. First issued in 1969, the book is considered a seminal work on the topic of Jewish death and mourning rituals.

British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, already under fire over allegations of rampant anti-Semitism in his party, draws more criticism for seeming to compare Israel and the Islamic State terrorist group. “Our Jewish friends are no more responsible for the actions of Israel or the Netanyahu government than our Muslim friends are for those of various self-styled Islamic states or organizations,” Corbyn said in remarks following the release of a report on anti-Semitism within Labour. The report found the party is not overrun by antiSemitism but that there is “an occasionally toxic atmosphere.”

Hallel Yaffa Ariel, 13, is stabbed to death while sleeping in her bed in the West Bank settlement of Kiryat Arba by a Palestinian teenager. The attacker, Muhammad Nasser Tarayrah, had jumped the settlement fence and entered the sleeping girl’s bedroom. He later is shot and killed by civilian guards.

Israel and Turkey sign a reconciliation agreement six years after relations were cut off following an Israeli raid on the Mavi Marmara, a Turkish ship attempting to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza.

Nine Turkish citizens were killed in the raid. Under the agreement, Israel will create a $20 million humanitarian fund as compensation to the families of the Mavi Marmara victims, which would not be released until Turkey passes legislation closing claims against the Israeli military for the deaths.

june

may

Aly Raisman posing after winning a silver medal in the women’s individual all-around competition at the Rio Olympics, Aug. 11, 2016.

Credit: Getty Images

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B R ON Z E

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Esther Jungreis, a pioneer in the Jewish outreach movement and founder of the organization Hineni, dies at 80.

American gymnast Aly Raisman wins three medals at the Rio Olympics, a gold for the overall U.S. women’s team and two individual silvers. Israel takes home two medals at the games, both bronze in judo, while American Jewish swimmer Anthony Ervin at 35 becomes the oldest person to win a gold medal in an individual swimming event. The Rio games also pay tribute to the 11 Israelis killed at the Munich Olympics in 1972.

Fyvush Finkel, an Emmy Award-winning actor who began his career performing in the Yiddish

S I L V E R

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august

Continued from page C15 increase over the 806,000 in 1948 at the time of Israel’s founding.

Morley Safer, a 46-year veteran of the CBS newsmagazine 60 Minutes, dies at 84 a week after retiring from the show. Safer, the winner of 12 Emmy Awards, helped turn American public opinion against the Vietnam War with his coverage of U.S. atrocities.

Sheldon Adelson, the casino magnate and major backer of Republican candidates, endorses Donald Trump for the presidency. In an op-ed in The Washington Post, Adelson cites Trump’s executive experience and the threat of a “third term” for President Obama if Hillary Clinton is elected. Adelson plans to spend more than ever on the 2016 presidential election, even in excess of $100 million, The New York Times reports.

Julia Ioffe, a reporter who wrote a critical profile of Donald Trump’s wife, Melania, is deluged with anti-Semitic phone calls and messages on social media, including a cartoon of a Jew being executed. Ioffe files a police complaint about the threats.

An 11-minute video showing what appears to be a Hasidic school principal sexually abusing a young boy refocuses attention on sex abuse in the haredi Orthodox community. The video, which prompts an investigation by state police, was filmed secretly from an overhead camera and posted on social media before being removed.

Pope Francis visits Auschwitz, where he prays in silent contemplation and meets with Holocaust survivors. Francis also visits the cell of Polish priest and saint Maximilian Kolbe, who died at Auschwitz after taking the place of a condemned man. Francis is the third pope to visit the camp, following the Polish-born John Paul II in 1979 and Pope Benedict XVI in 2006.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz steps down as leader of the Democratic National Committee following the emergence of emails showing senior DNC staffers sought to undercut the campaign of Jewish presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders. One email, from Chief Financial Officer Brad Marshall, alleges that Sanders is an atheist and that it could be used against him. Marshall resigns in August.

Bernie Sanders, the first Jew to win a major party presidential primary, endorses Hillary Clinton for president. At a rally in New Hampshire, Sanders said he would work with Clinton to keep Donald Trump from being elected.

Goldie Michelson of Worcester, Massachusetts, the oldest living American, dies at home at the age of 113 and 11 months. Michelson, the daughter of Russian Jewish parents, immigrated with her family to Worcester when she was two.

Jared Kushner defends his father-in-law, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, from charges of anti-Semitism following the elder Trump’s tweeting of an image of Hillary Clinton with a sixpointed star reminiscent of a Star of David over a background of dollar bills. The tweet is later deleted. “I know that Donald does not at all subscribe to any racist or anti-Semitic thinking,” Kushner said.

Elie Wiesel, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, author, activist and Holocaust survivor, dies at 87 of natural causes. Wiesel, who wrote Night and The Jews of Silence, was well-known internationally for his books and as a leading voice of conscience. theater, dies at 93.

The Movement for Black Lives adopts a platform describing Israel as an “apartheid state” and claims it perpetrates “genocide” against the Palestinian people. The group, a coalition of 50 organizations that emerged from the Black Lives Matter movement, is harshly criticized by Jewish organizations.

Gene Wilder, a comedic actor who played the title characters in the films Young Frankenstein and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, and also starred in the Mel Brooks’ Western spoof Blazing Saddles, dies at 83.

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section4

ROSH HASHANAH

Compassion, understanding, tolerance and grace f asked to pick my favorite month on the Jewish calendar, I would choose Elul. In preparing for the High Holy Days, one needs time for both physical and spiritual reflection. The month of Elul helps us to do this.

The name of the month means “search” in Aramaic which is appropriate as this is the time we search our hearts. Elul (spelled Alef-LamedVav-Lamed) is also said to be an acronym of “Ani l’dodi v’dodi li,” “I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine,” a quote from Song of Songs 6:3. Imagine an entire month of contemplation and reflection on love and relationships. Asking for forgiveness should follow easily, yet this is not always the case. It is hard to ask for forgiveness and sometimes, even harder to forgive - especially those closest to us.

And how do we prepare to give and receive compassion, understanding, tolerance and grace? Except on Shabbat, the custom is to blow the shofar daily. Is this practice for becoming a better shofar player? Not when most of us observe the mitzvah of listening to the blasts on Rosh Hashanah. No, in my opinion, blowing the shofar accomplishes two things.

First, the spiritual waking of the soul each morning and second, the conditioning of our breath and neshama (soul) to find the strength and courage to ask those you have harmed for forgiveness.

Why is it more difficult to seek forgiveness from those to whom we are closest? The mystery is even more reason to reflect on “Ani l’dodi v’dodi li,” “I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine,” as our lungs are strengthened. In Kabbalistic

I

thought, the reference to my Beloved is our connection to G-d.

And according to Jewish tradition, we cannot atone to G-d for sins committed against another person until we have first made amends to the person we have wronged.

We contemplate our relationships and interactions, whether with family, friends, co-workers, or just alan Potash Chief Executive Officer, those we come in contact with each day. We want the power of JFO love and respect to be on our tongues as every breath flows over it, empowering us to be the best we can be. This, at times, is hard for me. I credit the guiding month of Elul with continuing to shrink the number of those from whom I need compassion while remaining grateful to those who willingly give it.

B’nai Israel, the children of Israel, the modern Jewish people are referred to in the Torah as a stiff-necked or stubborn people – not a particularly positive stereotype. This language is used several times throughout the Torah. I prefer to view this language as an indication or desire for conversation. If one is stuck on their opinion while in conversation, they are stubborn, but if they are able to listen to the other person’s opinion, then they are in dialogue. I believe Judaism has thrived for so many years because we are people who can disagree with one another and still have respect and love for each other.

Blow the shofar, strengthen your breath/soul, hear the blasts, seek and grant forgiveness, share dialogues and respect as we move forward and celebrate 5777.

Shannah Tovah v’Metukah.

Gezunteh tzuris

I

would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone in our Jewish community a happy and healthy New Year. Our community has a very busy year ahead. I view the busy year as gezunteh tzuris (so many good problems), a phrase Rabbi Paul Drazen used during the building of bruCe the new Beth El Synagogue.

I am on our campus almost every friedlander President, JFO day. My choice. Everyone during this year will face something that may seem insurmountable. You, at that moment, have choices. You can surrender or you can, as our first Lady says, you can “go high.” I, too, choose to go high.

The Omaha Jewish community is the community that others model themselves after. This year again our path is to ensure Jewish life for our children.

Our campus was built over a long period of time and I believe, like our past president Jay Noddle said, “We have now reached a moment in time.” The time is now for the next steps to enhance our infrastructure. The Board of Directors will study the architectural master plan. This plan will ensure the financial and physical improvements to our campus to enable our community to remain strong for the next generation.

I pray that G-d will shine his light on you and that we are able to enjoy and celebrate our wonderful campus together.

Happy New Year!

D2 | The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016

roshhashanah MESSAGES

Judaism 5777

have never thought of myself as an optimist, yet the more one reads about the state of affairs relating to Jewish continuity many cannot help themselves from becoming depressed. I have always taken solace from the conclusion of Dr. Jonathan Sarnas’ epic book American Judaism where he writes “that Judaism in America is doomed, that assimilation and intermarriage are inevitable...

But history, as we have seen, also suggests another possibility: that today, as so often before, American Jews will find creative ways to maintain and revitalize American Judaism.” (American Judaism, Sarna. 374) This is why I am optimistic as we turn the page into 5777. At no time in the history of the world has the Jewish learning become more flat, more accessible to anyone who wants it. A few weeks ago a congregant told me, slightly embarrassed, that they had

never been to a shiva house; they wanted to go pay their respects but were unsure of what to expect. I sent the individual a video from a site called bimrabbi STeVeN bam (www.bim abraham bam.com) that Beth El Synagogue has content from videos on the weekly Torah reading, raising Jewish children, Jewish mourning practices and so much more. Twenty years ago, the idea of such content, from a liberal Jewish creator, would never have existed. Yet today, it is a reality.

In Omaha we are gearing up to start a program called Moishe House without Walls. A Program that began in 2006 in Northern California, where Moishe House offered Jews between the ages of 22-32 financial assistance in finding a place to live in exchange for them hosting Jewish programming

throughout the year. Today there are 83 Moishe Houses in 20 countries, from the United States to China. Here in Omaha, the idea will not be to have a house, but to work with Moishe House on allowing our 22-32 year olds to create programing that speaks to their Jewish needs.

One other notable program that has caught my attention is that of “Hello Mazel” (www.hellomazel.com), the greatest box of Jewishness ever created. Hello Mazel was created in San Francisco and built around the premise that more people than ever before are doing Jewish at home, and need the tools and resources to do so.

The Judaism of 100 CE, looked nothing like that of the year 2500, nor will it resemble in many ways the Judaism we practice and teach in 5777.

As we sit down to celebrate Rosh Hashanah this year, let us take a moment to appreciate our history, where we came from, where we are, and most importantly where we hope to go.

L’Shanah Tovah.

ears ago, when my father died, there was some discussion amongst my brothers and myself about his name. My two older brothers knew my father as Yehuda Leib. My younger brother and I knew my father as Ariyeh Lev. When we finally settled on the name we would use at his funeral and on his monument it was based on the name actually given by his parents rather than by a Rabbi who attempted to give him an updated version of his name at a later time in life.

The name Yehudah has significance beyond being my father’s name, however.

It was the name given by the matriarch, Leah, to her fourth son. Our sages taught that each matriarch was to give birth to NaNcy coreN three sons, so when a Spiritual Lay Leader, fourth son was born, Congregation Tifereth Leah said, “This time Israel let me gratefully praise God.” And she called his name Yehudah.

Perhaps you recognize that we Jews call ourselves Yehudim, after Yehudah. This name expresses our essence of having gratitude for the bounty which G-d has given us, which is indeed more than our rightful share. When we say, “Ani Yehudi, I am a Jew,” we convey the message that we know how to be thankful and how to say thank you.

As we reflect upon the new year, may we continue to live up to our name as Yehudim. May we carry on our age old passion for freedom and human dignity. May we pursue peace in our families, communities, and in the world. May we honor HaShem through the ways in which we live See The name yehudah page D3

I

The name Yehudah

Happy New Year!

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Seven days for renewal

A

student at a small school of Jewish learning was asked to lead services for Rosh Hashanah. The student spent hours preparing. One morning the young person, walking with head buried in the prayer book and without watching the path, bumped into the rabbi.

The rabbi said, “What are you doing?” The rabbi Darryl student replied, “I am reviewing every word crySTal of the prayer book.” The rabbi smiled and Temple Israel said, “The prayer book has not changed since last year, if you want to grow take time and review yourself.”

The High Holydays represent our time for renewal as individuals and as a community. We take stock of our lives, work to repair relationships, and seek ways to bring wholeness to the world. In Jewish tradition, Rosh Hashanah is called, “Yom HaRaat HaOlam – The Day of the World’s Creation.” In the Torah God created light on the first day, and spiritual teachers believe there is a spark of Divine light in every soul.

Jewish communities begin spiritual preparation for the Holydays as early as a month before Rosh Hashanah. Based on teachings about Divine light, I would like to offer a guide for renewal based on the Seven Days of Creation: • “Let there be light.” What is the unique light of my soul? What are my talents, insights about life, and joys, I cherish for myself and give to others?

• “Let there be a division amidst the waters.” What are barriers that I have created or that have developed that conceal the light of my spirit? From whom do I need to seek forgiveness and whom do I need to forgive?

• “Let the earth sprout seed bearing plants.” What are the seeds of new beginning I can take to restore the light of my heart?

• “Let there be lights in the space of the sky.” A Hasidic sage said that the mightiest person who is in prison cannot release him or herself.

Even a child with a key can open the strongest of locks. Who are the people that help restore the light to my life?

• “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and birds that fly above the earth.” What are my dolphins and my eagles? What are my dreams I once imagined or things I have always wanted to do?

• “Let us make humans in the Divine image.” The value of Tikkun Olam says the world is broken and humanity must work with God for healing. What will I do to fulfill my responsibilities to the world and other children of God? • Shabbat: God blessed the seventh day and called it holy. What will I do each week to renew my body, restore relationships with those I love, and reaffirm my spiritual being?

May you, your family, friends, and our world be blessed with a year of renewal, health, happiness, and peace. Shana Tova

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ARE YOU A SNOW BIRD AND READY TO MIGRATE?

Hope

omeone recently asked me why â&#x20AC;&#x153;hopeâ&#x20AC;? was not a central theme in Judaism. At first, I accepted the question on its face, and started to consider my answer. It is not a word that we often encounter in our liturgy, nor does it appear much in Torah. It seemed, indeed, vis-a-vis some other religions, that hope was relatively absent.

I did not like this conclusion one bit. rabbi Craig lewis Congregation Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;nai I felt like something important was missing, or at least there was a percep- Jeshurun/The South Street Temple tion that something was missing. So I began looking for hope in our Jewish tradition.

The first, most obvious, place I found it was in Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s national anthem Hatikvah. The songâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very title is The Hope, hope which is â&#x20AC;&#x153;bat shâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;not alpayim,â&#x20AC;? 2,000 years old. Hope is very much part of the Jewish State, and by extension, part of Jewish life.

The number 2,000 refers to the Diaspora, extending hope beyond the borders of Israel to encompass all the people Israel wherever we reside. When Naftali Herz Imber penned the anthem (his original text actually described the ageless â&#x20AC;&#x153;ancient hope to return to the land,â&#x20AC;? a change which was made to accommodate the meter of the melody with Sephardic pronunciation of Hebrew), he specifically wrote about the hope for a Jewish return to our own nation in Israel, but the broader theme implied hope for bettering the condition of world Jewry which having our own land would signal. This line of thinking led me to realize, not only is hope an important theme in Judaism, it is really the only theme.

History has taught us not to confuse hope with certainty.

From oppression to redemption, from expulsion to return, from near destruction to improbable survival, we have experienced numerous cycles when hope has been our most valuable commodity.

We have never quite known what the future held. At any point, we might have succumbed to the pressures which challenged our existence. But the Jewish heart has continued to beat, driven by hope. Without it, we would simply cease to be, so ours is derived from a steadfast belief that Judaism has an essential role to play in perfecting the world. Thus hope is the essence of our theology.

We pray for goodness, health, bountiful harvests, and peace. Still we witness the reality that prayers even from the most innocent or most pious can go unanswered. Yet we pray with hope that God will listen. We cannot know Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mind or predict the natural cycles of the Earth, but we pray and act in a way, that if God chose to intervene, God would effect change for blessing and not for curse.

This is very core of the Jewish New Year. We humbly confess our lack of certainty about the future. All we know for sure are our own transgressions, the mitzvoth we have performed, and the possibility for us to become better people.

We do not know what will be written in the Book of Life. We will never read what has been sealed, but through â&#x20AC;&#x153;Repentance, prayer, and charity,â&#x20AC;? we hope, at each new year, to improve the decree, for ourselves and for all the inhabitants of the world.

May we all enter this New Year of 5777 driven by our undying hope of becoming even better people sharing in the work of creating an even better world.

The name Yehudah

Continued from page D2 our lives. May we never take each day for granted. May we recognize that good fortune is not a measure of who we are but a measure of what we must do to help others. And may we always attempt to bring light to this world and make it a better place for all.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in a name? Everything. It is a description of who we are and who we strive to be Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;shanah Tovah Tikateyvu vâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; tichateymu.

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D4 | The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016

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What’s in a Name?

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efore i was engaged, I never gave much thought to my name beyond explaining how to pronounce it. My name wasn’t an option; it wasn’t a decision that I ever consciously made. It was just my name. But in recent months, I have devoted quite a bit of time and energy to this subject. As I approached the chuppah (wedding canopy) and in the weeks after, I found myself with a decision to make: should I change my name?

This seemingly simple question was the catalyst for many, many questions as I contemplated my name.

Should I keep my maiden name? I’ve enjoyed that name for many years at this point.

It is the name that I see when I look at my smicha (rabbinic ordination) hanging on the wall. There were many arguments for keeping it. Should I change it and take my husband’s name? Certainly that has been a common practice for many years, and one that my mom and my grandma and my great-grandma before her adopted. There were many arguments for changing it.

But as the days and weeks passed, I realized that I needed to ponder more than just the surface questions in making this major life choice. I had to dive deeper and explore the meaning of my name before I could decide whether or not to change it.

Names are powerful. They take on meaning and are imbued with life from the people they represent. In Jewish tradition, God is known by many names other than the four letter tetragrammaton, many of which attempt to help us understand God. We call God El Shaddai (the Almighty God), Adonai (my Lord), Adonai Tz’vaot (God of Hosts), Shechinah (the feminine presence of God) – the list goes on and on. We describe God with the thirteen attributes to help us to further understand those names. Our prayers place us into a relationship with God where we seek to understand God, and be understood by God.

The names of God that we find in our liturgy serve as aids in this quest to know and to begin to understand. We say “El rachum v’chanun” to appeal to the compassionate and merciful Rabbi DeaNa God. We say Adonai SuSSmaN beReziN Tz’vaot when we apTemple Israel peal to God as our Protector. We say “Avinu Malkeinu” on the High Holidays when we appeal to our Parent, our Sovereign, to help us forge new pathways in the year to come and to forgive us for the iniquities of the past year. We plead with God to write our names into the Book of Life for a good year.

In this plea, we are not only asking God to grant us a good life in this new year. We are asking that God understand us. In writing down our names, we are asking God to see past our transgressions and our faults and see the soul and the goodness that dwells deep within. We are asking God to know us.

Names are powerful. My name is my calling card. It is my reputation; it is how I am seen in the world. Does changing my name change me? If I take on a new name, do I take on new attributes? What piece of me is connected to my last name, to my family name? Can I still retain that piece of myself even with a new name?

In truth, we all have many names. We have the names our parents gave, the names we give ourselves, and the names that others give to us. Each of these names holds meaning, and not one of them is the sole definition of who we are or what we stand for.

Each is an important piece of us and our history. May we embrace these many attributes of ourselves as we approach the chagim.

In this new year, may all of our many names be written in the Book of Life.

L’Shana Tova.

t

Jewish guilt is not Jewish

he High Holidays are upon us.

Many of us come back to shul for the first time in a while, perhaps even for the first time since Yom Kippur. Many different reasons keep a Jew away from his or her synagogue.

One reason I would like to suggest is the lack of connection. A symphony of beautiful instruments, or my living room with surround sound, seems like a much better way to spend a few Rabbi aRi hours than coming to a synagogue service to DembitzeR which it is difficult to relate. For example, at the Beth Israel Synagogue high point of the service, we blow noises through an animal horn. We are told that we are praiseworthy because we know the sound of the shofar. To many, however, it may seem like an archaic form of tribal call to war. Traditions have little value when we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand their significance.

The only way to address this disconnection is to connect through learning.

All of the traditions and prayers have incredible significance and value. Learning is exciting and impactful, and I am always open to discuss and share.

I think there is an even deeper cause for minimal attendance, however.

That cause is the infamous â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jewish guiltâ&#x20AC;?. Jewish guilt can cause a person to resent the synagogue. Coming to synagogue and feeling the guilt triggered by parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and grandparentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; disdain of not continuing their level of observance. This causes more resentment and more disconnect. So instead, one choses the less painful route. Pay oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dues, go a few times a year and simply not confront that awful Jewish guilt.

Jewish guilt is not Jewish. It creates more self, which is the opposite of returning to God if not followed by action. Instead, vulnerability should replace oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jewish guilt. As we become deeper and more self-aware, we realize the more vulnerable we are in our intimate relationships, the more whole we become. The synagogue is about vulnerability. We need to connect to God, to each other, and most importantly to ourselves. This is the synagogue on the High Holidays. We own the responsibility of our distance which enables us, through vulnerability, to connect to God at the highest level.

This High Holiday season, as we listen to the shofar, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s look each other in the eyes, own our wrongdoings, and express the need for one another.

This will create freedom. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ashrei Haam yodei truahâ&#x20AC;?- Praiseworthy is the nation that knows the sound of the shofar or the power of vulnerability. This power will then lead to the greatest freedom.

Blessings for a new year that connect us on the deepest level to God, each other, and ourselves.

The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016 | D5

roshhashanah MESSAGES

Blessed be the Name aruch Hashem, translated loosely, means Thank G-d.

The Baal Shem Tov popularized this phrase which peppers Jewish greetings and conversations. He taught that these words uttered sincerely cause Divine joy and pleasure.

Literally, Baruch Hashem means Blessed be THE Name. Which name?

The One with the capital N. The Name of all names. The ineffable, unknowable name of G-d.

A name is an interesting character.

Theoretically, a person living alone on an island has no need for a name, perhaps just a social security number. A name arbitrarily serves to identify and differentiate one amongst others: Brian from Bruce or Moshe from Mendel.

Conversely, a name is bound with the essence of oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soul and describes it. The hebrew letters of the Jewish name enliven the person and offer a peek at his or her intrinsic nature. Like the joke about the litigation attorney who names his daughter Sue. The human mind can never fathom G-d or His name. But His various

names provide insight into how He chooses to interact with us at given times.

As â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the beginning, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Elokimâ&#x20AC;? (the way He appears in Nature), Rabbi menDel created heaven katzman and earth. (GenChabad Center esis 1:1) But He and his name remain always hidden from us and unknown. Hence we call and refer to Him as Hashem, The Name.

The names of the Holidays and Festivals tell us of their essence, too.

One of names for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Hazikaron, the Day of Remembrance, alludes to G-dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recall of our behavior of the bygone year. The liturgy describes how G-d remembers all manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deeds and brings them into focus. With Him there is no forgetting.

Now we all have our shining moments, the good stuff we have accomplished, which we are eager for G-d and people to remember. The brownie points weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve amassed, ready to be cashed in for blessings. But if we each poke around in our past, we might find something here and there that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make us look our best. That may even incriminate.

The good news is that while we and G-d scan last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deeds for imperfections, we also search deep within.

We recall who we are regardless of what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done. We tap in to our communal selves and history. We review and remember the deep love between our Patriarchs and G-d and this sacred relationship that we, their children, inherited. The names of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob invoked often and with meaning draw attention to the greater story of Jewish existence.

To be sure, these names and their livesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; narratives â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;jog G-dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s memoryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; on this Day of Remembrance.

But mostly, the memories serve, together with the Shofar blasts, to arouse us from our slumber. To remind us of our Jewish essence and what we have yet to accomplish.

It behooves us to recall our glorious past on Rosh Hashana, the Day of Remembrance. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s use memoryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s momentum to catapult ourselves forward into an even more spectacular Jewish future here in Omaha and around the world.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve heard it said that instead of calling ourselves the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Husker Nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, we may want to name ourselves, Omaha, oomah Ha (shem) - the Nation of Hashem.

May we all be inscribed in the Book of Life with blessing and success for all.

Shana Tova.

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From the Consul General

D6 | The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016

roshhashanah

Dear Friends,

MESSAGES

Everyone is welcome at B’nai Israel

he summer season has ended.

Now we begin to look forward to the New Year.

At this writing, it is not just that we have completed another year and can reflect back on what has been accomplished for the institution and congregation of B’nai Israel, but we also note the fifteenth anniversary of an event which has tested the mettle of our country and our people. We are all still here; not just maintaining our vitality but determined to purposefully add to it.

Last year, in this note, we talked about “meaningful measures” and by that barometer we noted a successful past year.

This year has similarly been one of not simply sustenance but one of continuing progress in the development of the entire environment of B’nai Israel Synagogue.

The ongoing congregational practice of once a month Shabbat services went very well continuing our recent expansion for several extra months beyond what had been undertaken in prior years. We again had a great group of speakers, who each seem to help satisfy the congregation’s interests as well as drawing new folks into the group.

We expect to maintain the same format for 2016/2017 having begun in September with Oliver Pollak speaking before his and Karen’s move to California. Oliver was at his best, and we will sorely miss him.

We also again have been privileged to have the leadership of Larry Blass who continues to make the effort to develop and lead the Shabbat service experience for us in a very worthwhile way (we also thank Larry’s wife Claire for helping to keep him on the straight and narrow in this endeavor).

We continue to add new members. Some are old friends within the larger community and some are altogether new.

We are very happy to welcome them as well as any others

rick Katelman, Carole Lainof, Marty ricks, Sissy Silber, Nancy Wolf and Phil Wolf The B’nai Israel Board of Directors

from the community who just want to come by for a service and check it out.

We strive to provide a warm friendly experience in a traditional Jewish setting. Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel.

For those who have not been to the building in recent months, some physical plant improvements will be noticeable, including new exterior doors and fresh carpeting in the entrance ways and the main sanctuary. Progress continues.

We have a nice lineup of speakers set for the High Holidays which includes Jan Lund, Nate Shapiro, Leonard Greenspoon and Jeannette Gabriel. Our Service leader will once again be Jeff Taxman who brings great heart, warmth and energy to the task. Watch announcements in the Jewish Press for particulars.

There have been significant contributions by many supporters throughout the year as we have continued to sustain B’nai Israel’s contribution to Jewish life in the metropolitan area. It has truly been a Community effort. Thank you to each and every one who has helped.

Here we use the phrase “by what are the most meaningful measures” when describing the Synagogue’s success, because those measures we concede are most meaningful have to do with the people, the sense of community environment, those things which bring us together, things which give us a sense of purpose in sustaining the Synagogue and Jewish life. While the building is a continuing visible manifestation of the Synagogue’s existence, our central anchor of purpose is really embodied in the Jewish life within and its impact on the participants.

Again, by the most meaningful measures... it has been another good year.

L’Shana Tovah.

s the new Consul General of israel to the Midwest, allow me to extend a heartfelt Shana Tova, and my warmest wishes to you and yours for a happy, healthy and joyous new year. On a personal note, I would like to thank the Jewish communities throughout the Midwest, as well as the consulate staff for Aviv EzrA their gracious and warm welcome. I am Consul General grateful to have found an exceptionally of Israel to the Midwest warm and supportive reception. I am confident that together we will collaborate to deepen the connection to our beloved State of Israel.

The High Holidays are a time for introspection and reflection. They also serve as an opportunity to assess what we have accomplished in the previous year and what we strive to achieve in the time ahead.

For me, this Rosh Hashana brings a new post as Consul General, with its unique set of challenges and opportunities.

Chicago and the Midwest are home to some of the strongest and most vibrant Jewish communities in the United States. You are among the most strategic partners to the State of Israel. As Consul General I will work tirelessly to help maintain and strengthen the inexorable and unshakable bond between the United States and the Jewish homeland. This will take place in the form of continued cooperation in several key areas: joint economic projects, cultural collaboration, as well as continued technological partnerships, especially in the realm of innovation.

I will also work to promote Jewish identity and continuity throughout the Midwest vis-à-vis the State of Israel, and to support and strengthen these exemplary communities. Referred to as America’s heartland, this region is truly the beating heart of America; its very core. It is, therefore, hardly surprising that the Jewish leadership therein represent some of the strongest and most vibrant individuals in the United States. Chicago alone, boasts a Jewish population of an estimated 300,000 – and while other Midwest Jewish communities may not be as large, they are equally as tenacious in maintaining their identity and creating a thriving communal life. We must continue to work together to maintain and enhance this passion for our shared roots and heritage, as well as our joint concern for the State of Israel, which serves as the very embodiment of Jewish continuity.

See Consul General page D7

A

The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016 | D7

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Five awesome books for the Days of awe (and after)

H

Victor Wishna JTA ere we are in September/ Elul, preparing to welcome a new Jewish year and a new fall season of Jewishy books, including the first novel since 5766 (by now almost 40-yearold) wunderkind Jonathan Safran Foer -perhaps you’ve heard the buzz.

Presented below is JSF’s latest, plus nine other volumes, from the humorous to the humbling, that you’ll want on your reading list to help heighten the holidays. here i am: a novel Jonathan Safran Foer (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) Here he is! Foer’s latest effort, his first novel in more than a decade, is (as expected) both extremely long and incredibly complex. Inspired by Abraham’s concise claim of fatherly responsibility in the Book of Genesis, the 592-page narrative follows a Jewish American family as it fractures over a tumultuous four weeks during which the world itself literally splits apart when a devastating earthquake in the Middle East leads to a

Consul General

major military escalation in Israel. The stakes are high -- but the questions raised by Foer are personal and get to the fundamental duties of being an American, a Jew, a parent and a spouse.

Between Life and Death Yoram Kaniuk, translated by Barbara Harshav (Restless Books) In the highly regarded Israeli writer’s final work -- he died in 2013 -- Kaniuk has crafted a dreamlike, autobiographical novel describing the four months he spent comatose in a Tel Aviv hospital, somewhere between the worlds of the living and the dead. A mix of memory, illusion and imagination, the writing shifts from recollection of a childhood spent among Holocaust survivors to a retelling of the 1948 War of Independence to a reflection on what it means to die. Originally published in Israel in 2007, Between Life and Death now has a chance to entrance American readers thanks to Harshav’s faithful and lyrical English translation. see Five awesome books page D8

continued from page D6 I seek your help as Israel faces a myriad of challenges, including security threats to its very existence.

The Middle East is experiencing turbulent winds of change, with an as yet to be determined outcome. But this much is clear, the region’s radical forces are not getting weaker: Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza and al-Qaida in Sinai are all working tirelessly to destroy the Jewish State. Iran continues to support terrorist organizations financially and militarily, causing havoc throughout the Muslim world. And in the United States, the BDS movement continues to undermine Israel’s very legitimacy and tarnish its international standing.

We are only strong when we stand shoulder to shoulder. Together we can extend our deep roots, and continue to foster thriving communities. If there is something Israelis and Midwesterners share, it is a proud sense of tenacity and dogged determination. And the State of Israel is living proof that resolve and hard work will indeed get you far.

I wish you and your families good health, joy and happiness for the upcoming year and look forward to a productive year together ahead!

Shana Tova.

Researchers connected with Johns Hopkins and Harvard’s teaching hospital published research showing remarkable improvements in autistic individuals using a single simple and extremely safe over-the-counter supplement. With a recent Study in Omaha, the non-profit Therapeutics Research Institute (TRI) repeated the results of this break-through treatment. These results have also been published in a medical journal.

TRI’s plan is to now expand this Study to up to 300 families. To learn more about this Study and TRI and how to enroll, go to the Study’s site ControlAutismNow.org. Nothing is being sold and there are no costs at all to participate. For a copy of TRI’s recently published Study, email sevans@gsm-usa.com and put Autism Paper in the subject heading.

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D8 | The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016

snowbirds Please let the Jewish Press know in advance when you are leaving and when you are returning. Sometimes several papers are sent to your “old” address before we are notified by the Post Office. Every time they return a paper to us, you miss the Jewish Press and we are charged! Please call us at 402.334.6448 or email us at jpress@jewishomaha.org.

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Ev Evnen comes to Tifereth

T

ifereth Israel Synagogue in Lincoln is truly delighted to announce that Ev Evnen will be joining us on the bimah this year for the High Holy Days. Ev is the child of Richard Evnen and Susan Dinsmore and the grandchild of Everett and Elaine Evnen. Ev is following the tradition of having home grown Tifereth Israel talent join us on the bimah for our Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur services. Years ago, Gary (Chesnin) Tahar-Lev (now of Jerusalem) and Daniel Neiden (now of New York) led our congregation in davening. Ev, who currently lives in Boston, has been studying with a rabbinical student at Boston Hebrew College in preparation for joining Tifereth Israel.

Ev Evnen is a senior partner of MaeBright, who heads their data and evaluation activities. MaeBright

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Shanah Tovah from our family to yours!

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Continued from page D7 Searching for John Hughes: Or Everything I Thought I Needed to Know about Life I Learned from Watching ‘80s Movies Jason Diamond (William Morrow) Millions of American children of the 1980s grew up obsessed with the films of John Hughes -- from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off to Pretty in Pink to The Breakfast Club -- but perhaps only Diamond became convinced he must find Hughes and write the icon’s biography (despite lacking any experience or connections). In recounting the hilarious and hopeless quest, Diamond’s memoir tells the story of a Jewish kid from a broken home in suburban Chicago who found inspiration in Hughes’ similarly broken characters. Diamond moved to New York on a leap of faith, failed, persisted and did, indeed, become a successful writer. So even if Diamond never did write Hughes’ life story, he found richness in his own.

Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love, and Writing Jennifer Weiner (Atria Books) The best-selling author behind the plussize heroine-driven novels like Good in Bed and In Her Shoes puts herself in the protagonist’s role with this honest and entertaining collection of first-person essays. From her earliest days as the daughter of bookish Jewish parents in suburban New England --

Group, LLC works with state agencies, service-providing non-profits, businesses, schools, and communities that want to evaluate and improve the services they provide to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) people.

Ev holds an MPP and MBA from the Heller School of Social Policy and Management at Brandeis.

Throughout graduate school, Ev was involved in a number of diversity and inclusion initiatives, including work on the Heller Diversity Steering Committee. Ev has also worked with GLSEN as a Research Fellow, conducting research on outcomes from LGBTQ high school athletes. Ev holds a BA from Wesleyan University in Connecticut. Ev’s policy and research background now enhances the work done by MaeBright.

she learned to read at four and had her first poem published at eight -- Weiner’s memoir takes readers through ups and downs such as her first publisher’s advance, marriage, motherhood and weight issues, as well as divorce and the trials of miscarriage (then there’s the part where her beloved father abandons his four kids and their late-in-life lesbian mother).

You’ll also find some insightful parenting tips and plenty of examples from her uproarious Twitter feed.

Mischling Affinity Konar (Lee Boudreaux Books) Here’s another dramatic, beautifully rendered tale that begins at Auschwitz in 1944.

Pearl and Stasha Zagorski are identical twins -- part of the experimental population of siblings known as Mengele’s Zoo who were subjected to horrors that would be unimaginable if Konar didn’t imagine them so vividly in her debut novel. After Pearl disappears and the camp is soon liberated by the Red Army, Stasha pairs up with a boy, also a twin, who is driven by vengeance and the hope that his lost sibling is also still alive. In their quest through devastated Poland and a world forever changed, the story manages to go beyond the expected in Holocaust fiction.

Jewish FederatiOn OF Omaha

anti-deFamatiOn leagUe/cOmmUnity relatiOns cOmmittee

executive Board members: co-chairs: Rich Juro and Jeff Gordman; Past-President, Patrick Jensen; David Gilinsky, Carol Bloch, Tom Vann and Aaron Weiner; Board members: Andrea Olson, Ellie Batt, Bob Bleicher, Becki Brenner, Arthur “Bobby” Brumfield, Shirley Cemaj, Richard Evnen, Katherine Finnegan, Ted Friedland, Herb Friedman, Ron Giller, Bruce Goldberg, Danielle Gordman, Steve Hogan, Jeff Kirshenbaum, Michael Levine, Gary Nachman, Bob Nefsky, Brian Nogg, Alan Parsow, David Radler, Jan Schneiderman, Mark Singer and Nancy Wolf.

institUte FOr hOlOcaUst edUcatiOn

Stacey Atlas, Robert Cohen, Eunie Denenberg, Ian (Shami) Jacobs, Bea Karp, Gloria Kaslow, Howard Kaslow, Ari Kohen, Paula Lenz, Lori Miller, Teresa Ruback, Jama Samiev, Jill Sideris, Paul Smith and Janice Woolley.

Jewish cOmmUnity center

President, Jason Epstein; treasurer, Penny Endelman; secretary, Scott Simon; Board members: Shira Abraham, Stacey Atlas, Alex Epstein, Dan Epstein, Chuck Lucoff, Jamie Meyerson, Bruce Muskin, Wendy Raffel, Ari Riekes, Dorothy Spizman, and immediate Past President, Michael Siegel.

Jewish FederatiOn OF Omaha

President, Bruce Friedlander; Budget and Financial review chair, Mike Siegel; crc Board President, Richard Juro; Foundation Presi-

The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016 | d9 dent, Carl Riekes; Jcc President, Jason Epstein; Jewish Press President, Eric Dunning; Jss Board co-President, Toba Cohen-Dunning; members at large: Bruce Goldberg, Richard Heyman, Dana Kaufman, Jon Meyers, Scott Meyerson, Mike Norton; ex-Officio, immdediate Past President, Jay Noddle.

Jewish FederatiOn OF Omaha FOUndatiOn

President, Carl Riekes; Vice President, Donald Goldstein; crc Board President, Steven Bloch; Board members: Paul Epstein; Michael M. Erman; Ted Friedland; David Gilinsky; Gloria Kaslow; Joseph Kirshenbaum; Howard M. Kooper; Jody Malashock; Murray H. Newman; Steve Nogg; Andrew Robinson, Harley D. Schrager; Jeffrey Schrager; emeritus, Ted M. Seldin; Norman Veitzer; ex-Officio, Bruce Friedlander and Mike Siegel.

Jewish Press

President, Eric Dunning; Past President, Andy Ruback; Board members: Andrew Boehm, Sandy Friedman, Paul Gerber, Alex Grossman, Jill Idelman, Michael Kaufman, David Kotok, Debbie Kricsfeld, Abby Kutler, Pam Monsky, Paul Rabinovitz and Barry Zoob.

Jewish sOcial serVices

co-Presidents, Toba Cohen-Dunning; Joanie Bernstein, Justin Cooper, exOfficio, immdediate Past President, James A. Farber, and Past coPresident, Richard Jacobson.

Jewish OrganizatiOns

B’nai B’rith henry mOnsky lOdge

natiOnal cOUncil OF Jewish wOmenPresident, Ari Riekes; President emeritus, Gary Javitch; Board mem- Omaha sectiOn bers: Alvin Abramson, Mike Abramson, Marty Ricks, Steve Riekes, Howard Shandell, and Aaron Weiner.

Friedel Jewish academy

President, Jeff Zacharia; Vice President, Ari Kohen; secretary, Liz Feldstern; treasurer, David Finkelstein; members at large: Joel Alperson, Pam Friedlander, Amy Friedman, Ron Giller, Avrum Hoffman, Jody Malashock, Zoë Riekes, Helene Shrago, Gary Shyken and Jeremy Wright; ex-Officio, immdediate Past President, Lloyd Roitstein; rabbis, exOfficio: Steven Abraham and Ari Dembitzer; ex-Officio, head of school, Beth Cohen.

l.O.V.e

co-Presidents, Michael Shrago and Mark Kazor; treasurer, Les Kay; secretary, Ricki Skog; membership, Dora Goldstrom; Board: Gabby Blair, Gretchen Radler, Vicki Perlmeter, Dottie Rosenblum, Crystal Smith, Shelley Stern, Jim Wax and Lois Wine; staff, Linda Cogen.

mainstreeters

committee chairs: advisor, Harry Alloy; luncheon chair, Shelley Stern; menu chair, Tootie Simon; recording secretary, Dottie Rosenblum; communications, Jim Wax; education, Rocky Stern; and staff director, Maggie Conti.

President, Alice Klein; Vice President of community service, Becki Brenner; Vice President of Fundraising, Jenny Meyerson; Vice President of membership, Linda Cogen; Vice President of Public affairs, Deb Marburg; Vice President of communication, OPEN; treasurer, Marlen Frost; corresponding secretary, Robyn Belgrade; Financial secretary, Tippi Denenberg; recording secretary, Darlene Golbitz; Parliamentarians: Carol Bloch, Debbie Friedman and Andee Scioli; directors: Linda Fischer, Pam Friedlander, Melinda Graham, Kelly Kirk, Jen Koom and Emily Milder; immediate Past President, Holly Weill; awards committee chair, OPEN; Bylaws Committee Chair, OPEN; Finance committee chair, Roxanne Kahn; P&e committee chair, Kim Noddle; sPa, Becki Brenner; ncJw representative, Jan Schneiderman.

neBraska Jewish histOrical sOciety

President, Bob Belgrade; Vice President, Beth Staenberg; secretary, Rocky Stern; treasurer, Nan Katz; Past President, Sue Millward; Founders: Mary Fellman and Oliver Pollak; Board members: Ellie Batt, Jill Belmont, Judy Brookstein, Michael Gendler, Dora Goldstrom, Janie Kulakofsky, Rocky Lewis, Vicki Perlmeter; ex Officio: Joanie Bernstein, Midge Bowers, Helen Epstein, Debbi Josephson, Ira Nathan, Helen Rifkin; honorary member, Max Neiden; Board advisory on archives & exhibits, Doug Hartman; Office staff: executive director, Renee Ratner Corcoran and assistant, Kathy Weiner.

roshhashanah BOARDS

synagOgUes

B’nai israel

Board of directors: Rick Katelman, Carole Lainof, Marty Ricks, Sissy Silber, Nancy Wolf and Phil Wolf

Beth el synagOgUe

President, Jim Zipursky; Vice Presidents: Adam Kutler, Ari Riekes, Bob Yaffe; treasurer, Jay Gordman; secretary, Caryn Scheer; Bestt chair, Lisa Marcus; religious life chair, Ari Kohen; sisterhood President, Linda Fischer; Past President, Joel Rich; Rabbi, Steven Abraham; Hazzan, Michael Krausman; executive director, Allison Newfeld; Board members: Bob Belgrade, Karla Cohen, Danny Cohn, David Finkelstein, Linda Fischer, Miriam Gottlieb, Leonard Greenspoon, David Kotok, Bruce Kutler, Allan Murow, Amy Nachman, Kevin Saltzman, David Weill, Susan Witkowski and Barry Zoob.

Usy: social action tikkun Olam, Emily Kutler; communications, Lauren Kirk and Amanda Simon; israel affairs, Gabby Witkowski; religious education, Zach Krausman; membership and kadima, Rae Cherry; leadership training, Jake Spivack.

Beth israel synagOgUe

President, Toba Cohen-Dunning; treasurer, Jeff Kirshenbaum; secretary, Julee Katzman; Vice President administration, Debbie Kricsfeld; Vice President Financial Planning, Bruce Goldberg; Vice President membership, Bruce Potash; Board members: Joel Alperson, Jason Kaplan, Zoë Riekes, Stacey Rockman, Lynne Saltzman, Michael Shrago, Helene Shrago, Sherry Taxman and Harry Weiner.

cOngregatiOn B’nai JeshUrUn (sOUth street temPle)

President, David Weisser; Vice President, Nathaniel Kaup; secretary, Julie Moore; treasurer, Leslie Delserone; Board members: Michael Boekstal, Vicki Edwards, Pam Ganz, John Mosow, Anne Rickover, Dottie Shapiro and Art Zygielbaum.

temPle israel

President, Rosie Zweiback; Presidential appointees, Brent Bloom and Paul Rabinovitz; President elect, Andie Gordman; Vice Presidents, Dan Gilbert and Susie Norton; secretary, Troy Meyerson; treasurer, Gary Kaplan; Past President, Michael Halsted; Board members: Justin Cooper, Marlen Frost, Danielle Gordman, Dani Howell, Stan Krieger, Traci Kugler, Lisa Lewis, Dan Marburg, Jeff Platt, Ellie Reiss, Jane Rips and Louri Sullivan.

Omaha temple youth group: President, Ellie Reiss; Programming Vice President, Ben Leathers-Arnold; membership Vice President, Leo see synagogue Boards page d11

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D10 | The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016

roshhashanah LIFE CYCLES 5776

birThS

Austin Jacob, son of Marissa and Brad Abramson; eli mickey, son of Lisa and Ian Abramson; maya rose Adeline, daughter of Megan Adams and Jeffrey Bennett; Ayala rose, daughter of Adrianna and Jay Benton; Theodore harold, son of Nina and Alex Bloom; edie rose, daughter of Anne Rose Muskin Brower and Matthew Brower; mara Lauren, daughter of Jessica and Shane Cohn; oscar Zachary, son of Kathleen and Sam Dubrow; miriam cowan, daughter of Sara Cowan and Brian Fahey; nadav Gedaliah, son of Liz and Yonatan Feldstern; Samuel David, son of Jamie and Ted Friedland; Lily Ann, daughter of Molly and Corey Gauthier; nolan rodegheri, son of Julie and Eryk Gilinsky; conley David, son of Brooke and Ben Gordon; Jonah, son of Katie and Adam Graham; elizabeth Audrey, daughter of Dr. Jesica and Greg Herrick; Lily Pearl and miriam Adele, twin daughters of Amy and Andy Issacson; emily harper, daughter of Annie and Todd Jason; Samuel Leif Kaplan, son of Elizabeth Kaplan and Steven Christensen; ethan Solomon and Jonah benjamin, twin sons of Andi and Jason Kaufman; Paxton nicholas, son of Deborah and Eddie Kenkel; ella michal, daughter of Rebecca and Josh Klein; ibrahim Asif, son of Mehreen Qureshi and Steve Kotok; nolan michael, son of Sarah and Tim Lake; Tzvi eliyahu, son of Michelle and David London; willa mae, daughter of Allison and Kevin McCart; Avri, son of Gal and Josh Moss; henry Thomas and rachel claire, son and daughter of Laura and Joshua Needelman; Jonah Stanley, son of Laurie and Jeremy Passer; Jenna Potash, daughter of Sarah Potash; oak whitaket, son of Kate and Brian Rabinovitz-Higgins; Devorah hannah, daughter of Jessica and Adam Rich; caleb Philip, son of Elisa and Marc Ricks; Leah bea, daughter of Jen and Rob Roth; ian william, son of Courtneay and David Saylan; Talia nicole, daughter of Brittany and Michael Schackman; Shalva, daughter of Ayala and Ezra Shapiro; connor Joseph, son of Marissa and Rob Solls; elyssa miriam, daughter of Jeffrey and Dasha Stein; Greyson Asher, son of Sari and Cory Stoffa; eli Joseph and nathan Samuel, twin sons of Ariel and Jeff Taraday; colton Jay, son of Kori and Josh Wees; mia Grace, daughter of Leora and Matthew Werner; Jackson Steven, son of Diana and Jason Williams; and nathan Judah, son of Tiffany and Morley Yankovich.

b’nAi miTZvAh

Sophie Ambrose; Jon-Aron Josef, son of Mona Jones and the late Ron Beach; Abby rose vann-cohn, daughter of Leslie Vann and Barry Cohn; isabella erica, daughter of Julie and Jeff Cooper; Daniel oscar, son of Tippi and Steve Denenberg; Lev, son of Deborah Denenberg; hannah rose, daughter of Rachel and Gilbert Dysico; mason charles, son of November and Steve Eisenberg; nina, daughter of Nancy and Charley Friedman; Daisy James, daughter of Joey Hoffman and Josh Friedman; ruben Kalervo Furst, son of Wendy Furst and Jukka Savolainen; micah Samuel, son of Sarah and Daniel Gilbert; Samuel wallace, son of Jennifer and Larry Gittelman; Zalmen Katzman, son of Rabbi Mendel and Shani Katzman; David Joseph, son of Jennifer Kay; emily, daughter of Kelly and Thomas Kirk; Laura Tompkins, daughter of Jenn and Matt Kirshenbaum; Lauren Sarah, daughter of Traci and Lance Kugler; Sydney reese, daughter of

Denise and Tim Kully; Leora bethany, daughter of Aviva Segall and Patrick McNamara; clara remily, daughter of Kate and Joe Murphy; isabella Delrogh, daughter of Cynthia and Joshua Persky; ruby rakayla, daughter of Ellen and Jeff Platt; Lily elle, daughter of Suzanne and Hap Pocras; Jordan Daniel, son of Wendy and Adam Raffel; michael David, son of Amy Tipp and Andrew Raffel; Leo Truman, son of Shayna and Matt Ray; emilie Grayce, adaughter of Jamie and Scott Sacks; melanie Danielle, daughter of Lori Kooper-Schwarz and Wayne Schwarz; chaeli Abigail, daughter of Marcie and Brent Spivack; Daniel, son of of Jeffrey and Dasha Stein; hunter, son of Lauren and Tommy Tam; Alice weiss; brandon randall, son of Tereza Wigodsky and Andrew Wigodsky; benjamin Louis, son of Allyson and Christopher Wilczewski; Almog Zinman, son of Sarit Hovav and Roni Mor; and max menolascino, son of Amy and Tim Zweiback

Katie Williss and Jordan Bremer; Nancy McCormick and Peter Brodkey; Laura Klibanow and Rabbi Ari Denmbitzer; Andi Willensky and Donald Goldstein; Dacia Jabenis and Michael Goldstein; Jack Becker and Lester Katz; Shaye Sisneros and Daniel Klein; Lisa Lieb and Howard Marcus; Karen Klingberg and Max Menkov; Megan Hoover and Jeremy Parker; Dr. Sonia Step

and Dr. Joel Passer; Anna Goldberg and Joshua Priluck; Lauren Calli Freeman and Matthew Sculnick; Melissa Josephson and Bill Sloan; Kate Josephson and Justin Talesnick; Kelsey Weeks and John Williss; Rachael Monsky and Logan Wilson; and Natalie Duque and Josef Wees.

Leon Alexander, Bette Ruth Alloy, Sally Arenson, Sonya Pradell Baker, Elliott Banner, Jane Patricia Batt, Ronald Joseph Beach, Harold M. Becker, Ann Belmont, Barbara Blankenstein, Fannie F. Bohbot, Geraldine Ann Burstein, Candace Caleb, Ellen Chapelle, Keith Dalton, Charles Davidson, Teresa Dolezal, Sheila Lewis Dworak, Canto Leah Elstein, Jenda Etta Garelick Epstein, Mira Malyna Etus, Mikhail “Mike” Etus, Beverly B. Fellman, Sam Fried, Lois Novitsky Friedman, William M. Friedman, Vivian Gerstein, LeRoy Gilmore, Helen Levin Glazer, Phyllis Bernstein Glazer, Kayce Kynn Goldberg, Roger Dean Gorham, Donald L. Hoberman, Joseph S. Hornston (Hornstein), Patrick Idler, Emma Wilion Josin (Nanny), Beth Ann Kahn, Heni Kamil, Lily Kay, Rifka Keilson, Dr. Lawerence R. Kipperman, Kevee (Cal Kirshen) Kirshenbaum, Charlotte Mayer Kopp, Beverly Kravitz, Cherie Kutler, Pauline Landman, Susan Clare Larkin, Corinne K. Levin, Lou Leviticus, Dennis P. “Denny” Lewis, Michael E. Litt, Harvey Lipsman, Thelma Lustgarten, Golda Mandell, Charlene Mason, Helen Mell, Pete “Carl” Milder, Rhoda Milder, Harriet Rosen Miller, Stuart Edward Muskin, Erika Neumann, Ruth Oruch, Ramona Slosburg Pepper, Bonnie Pike, Phyllis Peterson, Letha L. Pitlor, Claribel (Claire) Placzek, David Plotkin, Ruth Pollak, Corinne Polsky, James Rice, Seth Conrad Rich, Ida D. Richards, Marilee Rimerman, Harlan C. Rimmerman, Paula Jean Robinson (Jaksich),

William Rosenblatt, Jerry Rosinsky, Mary Siref Saferstein, Sarah Janette Salkin, David K. Scheer, Carol Schneider, Leonard (Les) Schneiderman, Ben Schwartz, Phyllis Schwartz, Susan Jane Sanford Scott, Marc R. Sherman, Sandy Shimmin, Connie “Alice” Shook, Susan Shore, Stanley C. Silverman, Frederick J. Simon, Sandra Sindt, Sheldon Arthur Siporin, Stephen Mark Skulsky, Ph.D., Harold Walter (Bus) Slosburg, Jack Smith, Linda Sue (Priesman) Smith, Betty Kaplan Schwartz Sutej, Beatrice Sommer, Louise Springer, Lorraine Stapleton, Dorothy Suvalsky, John Tidball, Raimond I. “Ray” Tomps, Shirley Ann Trachtenbarg, Robert Uhley, Joodi Gay Veitzer, Esther Wax, Elizabeth Bodek Wees, Elaine Weitzman, Thomas E. Wisniewski, Elaine Wolf, Stanley J. “Jerry” Wolpa, Dorothy Anne Yaffe, and Helen G. Zuegner.

mArriAGeS

in memoriAm

thearts coming in october

publishing date | 10.21.16 space reservation | 10.10.16 camera ready deadline | 10.12.16

Contact our advertising executive to advertise in this very special edition.

Susan Bernard | 402.334.6559 | sbernard@jewishomaha.org

To SubmiT AnnouncemenTS To The JewiSh PreSS:

Email the Press at jpress@jewishomaha.org; mail to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154; or online at the Jewish Federation of Omaha website: www.jewishomaha.org. Click on Jewish Press and go to Submit Announcements.

The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016 | D11

Happy New Year To All Our Friends & Customers

Celebrity chefs share their Rosh Hashanah recipes

BETh KISSIlEFF JTA osh hashanah, the Jewish New Year, gives Jews a sense of change and new beginnings. One of the ways to signal that renewal and optimism is to engage our senses: We listen to the shofar, the clarion call of the season, and we eat symbolic foods, such as round challah (representing the cyclical nature of life) and enjoy the sweetness of apples dipped in honey.

But beyond those basics, what are the foods that make Rosh Hashanah special? JTA queried a number of high-profile Jewish chefs about which dishes and recipes are a must on their holiday tables.

Many of the dishes the chefs shared with us are family recipes, from mothers and grandmothers; a homage to those who fed and nourished us in the past. Many have offered a fresh twist on their mishpucha’s must-haves -- meaning that, in addition to straightforward ingredients lists and directions, embedded within each heirloom recipe is the hope that, by making these traditional foods, cooks today will build bridges to future generations.

Whether you’re looking to add some sugar or some spice to your Rosh Hashanah meal, read on for some fresh twists on Jewish classics from some well-known names: Andrew Zimmern, Joan Nathan, Jeffrey Yoskowitz, Alon Shaya, Rabbi Hanoch Hecht, Nir Mesika, Itta Werdiger Roth and Lior Lev Sercarz.

See Celebrity chefs share recipes page D12

DESSERT TZIMMES

by Rabbi Hanoch Hecht

Ingredients: 1 bunch rainbow carrots Simple syrup Fresh figs Margarine Brown sugar Preparation: 1. Peel carrots and boil in simple syrup until tender.

2. Slice figs in half and caramelize in a pan 4 minutes on medium heat.

3. Once tender, add the carrots to the figs.

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Kurt Harte | Physical Therapist 402-990-8458 | fax: 402-426-3553 | jccptharte@cox.net 4. Add butter and sprinkle a teaspoon of brown sugar.

5. Candy the carrots for about 4 minutes and you are ready to serve.

Rabbi Hanoch Hecht, a competitor on Chopped, is a Chabad rabbi in Rhinebeck, New York.

Hecht chose tzimmes, a traditional sweet stew made of carrots, explaining that carrots are called “merren” in Yiddish, which also means “increase.”

“The very fact that its name connotes increase makes it auspicious to eat carrots during the New Year,” he said, “as it represents an increase in good things for the coming year.”

SYNagoguE BoaRDS

Continued from page D9 Norton; Social action Vice President, Maddee Rauhauser; Religious and Cultural Vice President, Elijah Marburg; Communications and Visual Vice Presidents, Olivia Nogg and Aaron Norton; Special Projects Coordinator, Aleia Budwig; Ruach Chair, Mikayla Langdon; JYg liaison, Alex Kraft.

TIFERETh ISRaEl

President, Marcia Kushner; Vice President, Seth Harris; Treasurer, Howard Feldman; Secretary, Ken Bloom; Immediate Past President, Brenda Ingraham; Membership Chair, Dan Friedman; Dues Chair, David Brockman; Members at large: Joyce Davidson, Robert Evnen, Gary Hill, Max Neiden and Cindi Weiss; Trustees: Kirk Bowers and Marlon Weiss; lay leader, Nancy Coren; administrator, Nava Halpern.

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D12 | The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016

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Celebrity chefs share recipes Continued from page D11

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from My Jewish Learning Ingredients: 1 whole chicken 1 pomegranate 2 cups Pom (or similar) pomegranate juice 2 tbsp. corn or potato starch 1 large bunch leeks, cleaned well and sliced into rounds 1-2 heads heads fennel, sliced into wedges (reserve fronds/tops and roughly chop) 1/4 bunch bunch tarragon, chopped salt pepper 3/4 cup honey 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar 2 tbsp. olive oil Preparation: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Remove the pomegranate seeds and discard the skin.

Place the chicken in a roasting pan and sprinkle the leeks, fennel and 1/3 of the pomegranate seeds around, over it and inside the crevice.

Combine the salt, pepper, olive oil and most of the tarragon and fennel fronds in a bowl and rub it all over the chicken.

Mix the remaining wet ingredients in the same bowl, then whisk in the corn or potato starch until smooth.

Pour over the chicken and vegetables and roast for about an hour and a half or until the skin is crispy and, when pierced with a knife, the juices of the chicken run clear.

Use the rest of the pomegranates seeds as a gorgeous colorful garnish together with the extra tarragon and fennel fronds.

Itta Werdiger Roth, â&#x20AC;&#x153;supper-club impresario,â&#x20AC;? is the founder of the Brooklyn pop-up restaurant The Hester. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pomegranates are not only in season but they are also one of the symbols of Rosh Hashanah,â&#x20AC;? Roth said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a win-win situation!â&#x20AC;?

Wishing You a Happy New Year!

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by Shaya Ingredients: 1/8 cup instant yeast 1 tsp. sugar 2 cups warm water 1 cup sugar 2 tbsp. salt 1 cup extra virgin olive oil 4 eggs 9 cups bread flour Sea salt or sesame seeds to garnish Egg wash (see below) For the egg wash: 2 eggs 1 yolk 3 tbsp. water Preparation: 1. In mixing bowl, whisk together yeast, sugar and warm water.

Let rest or â&#x20AC;&#x153;bloomâ&#x20AC;? until the mixture appears foamy (5 minutes).

2. Once foamy, add the flour, salt, remaining sugar, eggs and extra virgin olive oil to the bowl.

3. With an electric mixerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dough hook attachment, mix on low for 4 minutes. Scrape the bowl, increase the speed to medium and continue to mix until the dough comes together, is smooth and pulls away from the bowl (approximately another 4 minutes).

4. Place the dough in a big greased bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and proof until doubled (about 2 hours).

5. Once the dough is proofed, divide the dough into 12 pieces.

Set pieces aside; cover with plastic wrap to avoid the dough from drying and cracking.

6. To shape the dough: take one 7-ounce piece. Roll into a rectangle (approximately 6 inches by 4 inches), fold in the left and right sides by a half-inch and roll up the dough from top to bottom.

Seal the dough by pressing the seams with the base of your palm.

From here, begin to roll the dough back and forth with your hands, creating an even rope that is 14 inches long. Spiral the dough tightly, forming a coil. Tuck the end of the coil underneath the roll to ensure the roll does not unravel.

7. Once the rolls are shaped, place on a sheet tray. Cover with plastic wrap and let double in size for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Preheat oven to 325 F. 8. Once proofed, egg wash (see below) each roll and sprinkle with sea salt or sesame seeds. Bake for 10 minutes. Rotate pan and continue to bake until golden brown (5 to 10 minutes).

For the egg wash: 1. Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth and well combined. Store in fridge until ready to use.

Yield: 12 seven-ounce rolls.

Alon Shaya is executive chef and partner at the New Orleans restaurants Domenica, Pizza Domenica and Shaya, and was named best chef in the South by the James Beard Foundation.

For Shaya, challah is central to the Rosh Hashanah festivities. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I love keeping our traditions alive,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Challah is such a key part of the celebration -- both as a symbol of the yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cycle, and because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just so delicious.â&#x20AC;?

The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016 | d13

roshhashanah On Yom Kippur, atoning for our online sins

I

EdmOn J. ROdman JTA f you’re like me, you blog, read and share a lot of political stuff. But who really reads these posts and articles all the way through? Especially with the longer stories, who has time to look up the sources, or check if that odd photo was first posted on some sketchy

partisan website?

Instead, we click and we skim; we copy and we paste.

But then comes Yom Kippur.

If we accept the accounting in the Talmud that says “Evil gossip kills three: the one who says it, the one who listens and the subject of the gossip,” we may need to ante up for an awful lot of headstones come Atonement Day. The heart of the Yom Kippur liturgy is the Viddui, the two-part confessional composed of the shorter Ashamnu, an alphabetical acrostic of our wrongdoings, and the longer Al Chet, which explores, at length, the areas where we have fallen short.

When the Day of Atonement arrives, we will confess to both “unwillingly and willingly” acting out of arrogance, speaking ill of others and rashly judging others and gossiping. And in this year of extreme partisanship, that has me thinking: Has the season of politics gerrymandered our personal boundaries, reshaping the areas of shortcomings for which we need to ask forgiveness? Have we wittingly or unwittingly emailed unchecked “truths” -- and sometimes checkered -- to family, friends and people we don’t even know?

This summer, the problem hit home when a friend forwarded me an email breathlessly purporting to show that by comparison to previous first ladies, Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton each had an unprece-

dented high number of paid White House staff. Not passing my sniff test, I looked it up on Snopes.com, a fact-checking website. I discovered the story was filled with false comparisons and easily researchable errors.

Yet it was forwarded to me as if the truth.

Nothing to beat our chests over, you say? Or is it? When we wittingly or otherwise pass along something that damages the reputation of another -- not that you have done it, but, um, somebody like you -- is this something that we should confess, or make amends for, on Yom Kippur?

Many of us blindly (or with one eye open) resend or post links to all kinds of things. It seems harmless, makes us feel like we are with it, and our hearts (mine included) go all aflutter when our “friends” praise us even for the most outrageous stuff.

Posting or forwarding unchecked or unread articles may seem innocuous, but it’s not.

“The speed and ease with which utter personal destruction and irreparable social division -- whether the result of malice, misinformation, or well-

intentioned miscalculation -- can be brought about through the transmission of words is staggering,” wrote Rabbi Daniel Z. Feldman in his book False Facts and True Rumors: Lashon HaRa in Contemporary Culture.

Speaking ill of others is known in Judaism as “lashon hara” -- evil speech or, simply, gossip. It represents the understanding that words can do real damage -- quite unlike the “but words will never hurt me” maxim we learned as children.

And once that damage is done, how do you repair it? The classic example is of breaking open a feather pillow in the wind and then trying to recover all the feathers. Now imagine the wind as the internet, spreading the “feathers” to an almost infinite number of unknown destinations. There is no way to get them all back.

Sometimes lashon hara is permitted -- for instance, when it is necessary to give information to someone whom you feel will be harmed without it. However, people who are concerned about lashon hara are scrupulous with their speech about others. In places where traditional Jews do business, it’s not unusual to see a sign that says “No Lashon Hara.”

While I don’t expect to see campaign signs dotting lawns with a similar message, perhaps a computer graphic saying “Stick to the Facts” would be useful at this time of year.

Being passive listeners or readers of gossip isn’t an excuse, either. According to Feldman, a person “who is on the receiving end of lashon hara must be careful not to act in a way that endorses or supports the offending speech. As such, we must evaluate to what degree clicking on websites, and all the more so linking to a website or distributing a link, acts as an extension and facilitation of the original message,” he wrote.

So how should we respond if we have fallen short online? Feldman observes that lashon hara “causes greater spiritual corruption to the offender than a standard transgression causes,” since it registers “a dual effect” -- harming the subject and the speaker at once.

In addition “to the appeal for forgiveness from the victim,” he offers that the three “basic steps of general repentance are called for: confession, See atoning for our online sins page d15

d14 | The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016

synagogues b’nai israel synagogue

618 Mynster Street Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 402.322.4705 email: BnaiIsraelCouncilBluffs@ gmail.com

beth el synagogue

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

beth israel synagogue

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

chabad house

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

congregation b’nai Jeshurun

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

offutt air force base

Capehart Chapel 2500 Capehart Road Offutt AFB, NE 68123 402.294.6244

rose bluMkin Jewish hoMe

323 South 132 Street Omaha, NE 68154

teMple israel

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

tifereth israel

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

b’nai israel synagogue

rosh hashanah sunday: Services, 7:30 p.m., Jan Lund, Retired French Instructor/Professor Brownell-Talbot, Raltson and Creighton Univeristy will speak on The French Connection.

Monday: Services, 10:30 a.m., Nate Shapiro, Jewish Federation of Omaha and Former Israeli Defense Forces Lone Solider will speak on Reveille on Shofar.

Break-the-Fast Potluck will follow the concluding service on wednesday, oct. 12. Please call Carole Lainof, 402.293.0321, for more information.

All services led by Jeffrey Taxman.

For information on our historic synagogue, please contact any of our board members: Rick Katelman, Carole Lainof, Marty Ricks, Sissy Silber, Nancy Wolf and Phil Wolf.

Join us for our monthly Shabbat Speakers Series on oct.

21, at 7:30 p.m. led by Larry Blass with guest speaker Maynard Telpner on the 75 years he spent living in Council Bluffs.

beth el synagogue

Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman. friday: Tot Shabbat Picnic & Family Shabbat, 6 p.m.

Shabbat Dinner for the entire congregation following services by reservation only. saturday: Shabbat Services, 9:30 a.m.; Junior Congregation, 10 a.m.; Mini-Minyannaires, 10:45 a.m.; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 7 p.m. weekday services: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. sunday: No BESTT Classes; Torah Study, 10 a.m.; Erev Rosh Hashanah Ma’ariv, 6 p.m. rosh hashanah Monday: Synagogue office closed; Morning Service, 10 a.m.; Babysitting,10 a.m.; Youth Service Grades K-2, 10 a.m.; Youth Fun Hour Grades 3-7, 10 a.m.; Tot Service, 10:30 a.m.; Torah Service, 10:30 a.m.; Youth Fun Hour Grades K-2, 11 a.m.; Junior Congregation Grades 3-7, 11 a.m.; Shofar Service, 11:15 a.m.; Sermon, 11:30 a.m.; Musaf, 11:45 a.m.; Final Shofar Blasts, 12:30 p.m.; Tashlich, 4:45 p.m.; MinchaMa’ariv, 6 p.m. tuesday: Synagogue office closed; Morning Service, 9 a.m.; Babysitting, 9 a.m.; Chofesh Grades K-2, 9 a.m.; Torah Service, 9:45 a.m.; Rosh Hashanah Story Time, 10 a.m.; Chofesh Grades 3-7, 10 a.m.; Shofar Service, 10:30 a.m.; Sermon, 10:45 a.m.; Junior Congregation, 11 a.m.; Musaf, 11 a.m.; Final Shofar Blasts, 12:30 p.m.; Lunch (by RSVP only), 12:45 p.m.; Mincha-Ma’ariv, 7:15 p.m.; Havdallah, 7:41 p.m. wednesday: BESTT Classes, 4:15 p.m.; USY Board Meeting, 5 p.m.; BESTT Hebrew High Dinner, 6 p.m.; BESTT Hebrew High, 6:45 p.m.

USY Haunted Havdallah, saturday, oct. 7, 7 p.m.

All classes and programs are open to everyone in the Jewish community.

beth israel synagogue

Office hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Friday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Ari Dembitzer. friday: Shacharit, 6:45 a.m.; Beth Israel Youth Shabbaton for 5th-12th Grades -- Call office for details; Mincha/Ma’ariv & Kabbalat Shabbat, 6:49 p.m.; Candle Lighting, 6:49 p.m. saturday: Beth Israel Youth Shabbaton for 5th-12th Grades -- Call office for details; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Torah Parade and Kids Classes, 9:45 a.m.; Insights into the Torah Reading, 5:45 p.m.; Mincha/Seudah Shlishit, 6:30 p.m.; Musical Havdalah, 7:46 p.m. sunday: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Bagels and Beit Midrash, 9:45 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv/Candle Lighting, 6:45 p.m. rosh hashanah Monday: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv/Earliest Candle Lighting, 7:44 p.m. tuesday: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6:30 p.m.; Havdallah, 7:41 p.m. wednesday: Fast of Gedalia Begins, 6:03 a.m.;

MeMorial services

sunday, october 9 Oak Hills/Bikhor Cholim, Council Bluffs, 11 a.m.

Beth El Cemetery, 84th and ‘L’ Sts., 11 a.m.

Temple Israel Cemetery, 6412 No. 42 St., 1 p.m.

Wyuka Cemetery in Lincoln, 3 p.m.

Shacharit, 6:45 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6:30 p.m.; Fast Ends, 7:40 p.m. thursday: Shacharit, 6:45 a.m.; Women’s Class, 9:30 a.m.; Lunch & Learn, noon at UNMC; Scholars Club, 4:15 p.m. at JCC; Avot U-Banim, 7 p.m.; Talmud Learning, 8:30 p.m.

chabad house

Office hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Friday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. friday: Shacharit, 7 a.m. followed by coffee, treats, study and shmoozing. saturday: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. followed by a kiddush luncheon. sunday: Shacharit, 8:30 a.m. followed by Sunday Secrets: Jewish Fun Facts class at 9:15 a.m. weekdays: Shacharit, 7 a.m. followed by coffee, treats, study and shmoozing. rosh hashanah Monday: Shacharit, 9:30 a.m.; Shofar Service, 11 a.m.; Tashlich Mystery, 5 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7 p.m.; Light Candles after 7:42 p.m. tuesday: Shacharit, 9:30 a.m.; Shofar Service, 11 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7 p.m.; Holiday ends at 7:41 p.m. wednesday: New Tanya Series -- The Anatomy of Your Soul: Who Are You?, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Mendel Katzman; Chai Elul Farbrengen, 7 p.m., Learn the significance of this birthday of two heroic and trailblazing leaders. thursday: Advanced Talmud Class, noon with Rabbi Mendel Katzman; Women’s Workshop: G-d on the Campaign Trail, 7-8 p.m. with Shani Katzman. This workshop is for women in advance of Rosh Hashana.

Women’s Mega Challah Bake, thursday, oct. 13, 7 p.m. at JCC. Soup in the Sukkah, thursday, oct. 20, 7 p.m. Ladies’ Sukkot Celebration.

Kids Zone Hakafot, sunday, oct. 23, 6 p.m. Fun Hakafot Celebration for kids and adults too with Dinner and Dance.

All programs are open to the entire community.

congregation b’nai Jeshurun

Services conducted by Rabbi Craig Lewis. friday: Sha-ba-ba-bat, 6 p.m.; Pre-neg, 6 p.m. hosted by Laura French and Philip Cantú; Shabbat Evening Service, 6:30 p.m.; Candlelighting, 6:50 p.m. saturday: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. on Parashat Nitzavim; Havdalah (72 minutes), 8:18 p.m. rosh hashanah sunday: No LCJS Classes; Candlelighting, 6:47 p.m.; Rosh Hashanah Evening Services, 8 p.m. with oneg following hosted by the Board of Trustees.

Monday: Rosh Hashanah Family Service, 9 a.m. (Parents, please accompany your children); Morning Service, 10 a.m.

(Childcare available); Tashlich service, 3 p.m. at Wilderness Park; Candlelighting, 8:15 p.m. tuesday: Havdalah (72 minutes), 8:14 p.m. wednesday: LJCS Hebrew School, 4 p.m. at TI. thursday: High Holiday Choir Rehearsal, 7:30 p.m.

It’s a mitzvah! The Temple is seeking volunteers willing to provide occasional transportation to services and events for members who are in need of a ride. Please contact the Temple office for details and to sign up by phone at 402.435.8004 or email at office@southstreettemple.org.

Nebraska Market-to-Market Relay, sunday, oct. 8. At least 10 Temple Youth Group volunteers are needed to help out with this amazing event. Contact Nicole Taege at 402.326.7450 or ntaege@gmail.com to volunteer!

Break-the-fast Potluck, wednesday, oct. 12, 6 p.m.

Please join the congregation after Yom Kippur concluding services for a Break-the-Fast Potluck in the Social Hall.

President’s Office Hours, sunday Mornings, 10 a.m.– noon at SST. If you have any Temple business you would like to bring before the Board of Trustees, potential programs, or new ideas, please let us know! Call for an appointment at the Temple or just to chat any time at 402.513.7697. Or if you prefer, email David Weisser at president@southstreettemple.org. please let us know! Call for an appointment at the Temple or just to chat any time at 402.513.7697. Or if you prefer, just email David Weisser at president@southstreet temple.org.

offutt air force base

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

rose bluMkin Jewish hoMe

saturday: Services, 9:15 a.m. led by Alan Shulewitz. rosh hashanah sunday: Erev Evening Service, 6:45 p.m., led by Joan Kripke and Marti Nerenstone.

Monday: Morning Service, 9:15 a.m., led by Joan Kripke and Marti Nerenstone. tuesday: Morning service, 9:15 a.m., led by Joan Kripke and Miles Remer.

Services will be held in the Chapel. Members of the community are invited to attend.

teMple israel

friday: Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. led by Rabbi Berezin and Cantor Shermet. saturday: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m.; sunday: No Religious School; Erev Rosh Hashanah Evening Service, 7:30 p.m. Remember to pick-up a grocery bag for the High Holiday Food Drive: Fill a Bag, Feed a Family. rosh hashanah Monday: Tot Service (preschool-age to Kindergarten children), 9 a.m. with Rabbi (Sussman) Berezin; Rosh Hashanah Morning Service (Grades 1-4), 9 a.m. led by Rabbi Crystal and Cantor Shermet; Rosh Hashanah Morning Service, 10:15 a.m.; Rosh Hashanah Programming (Grades 1-4), 10 :15 a.m. Children in 1st-4th Grade will meet Director of Youth and Young Adult Engagement Aliyah Lasky in the Simon Community Court at 10:15 a.m. for Rosh Hashanah Programming led by our Religious School Madrichim; Tashlich, 12:30 p.m. Following our Rosh Hashanah service we will gather at the Amphitheatre for Tashlich, which means “cast away.” We will throw our transgressions into the creek behind our building and begin the new year cleansed of our sins and misdeeds. wednesday: Grades 3-6, 4 p.m.; Chapel for School, 4:30 p.m.; School Dinner, 6 p.m.; Grades 7-12, 6:30 p.m.; Family School, 6:30 p.m.; The Lost Art of Jewish Cooking, 6:30 p.m. Each week we will learn and cook a Jewish recipe with different members of Temple Israel. thursday: What’s It All About God: An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Crystal.

Shabbat Shuva, friday, oct. 7, 6 p.m. and on saturday, oct. 8, 10:30 a.m.

Break The Fast, wednesday, oct. 12, 6:45 p.m. following afternoon services. EARLY BIRD Reservations are needed by friday, oct. 7. Adults and 13 and older are $9, Children 6-12 years old are $5, Children 5 and younger are no charge. Your payment is your reservation. Reservations made AFTER Friday, Oct. 7: Adults and 13 and older are $12, Children 6-12 years old are $8, Children 5 and younger are no charge. Menu: matzah ball soup, egg salad, tuna salad, fruit, vegetable salad, sweet kugel, plain kugel, bagels and cream cheese, desserts, root beer floats, Kid friendly food (pizza, chicken nuggets, etc.)

tifereth israel

Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: Monday-friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. friday: Annual UNL Hillel and Tifereth Israel Potluck Dinner and Services, 6:30 p.m. A main dish will be provided by Tifereth Israel. The potluck is at the Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center followed by evening Shabbat services. saturday: Shabbat Morning service, 10 a.m. followed by a Kiddish luncheon. rosh hashanah sunday: No LCJS Classes; Ma’ariv, 8 p.m.

Monday: Synagogue office closed; Services, 9 a.m.; Youth Service, 11 a.m.; Tashlich, 5 p.m. at Antelope Park. tuesday: Synagogue office closed; Services, 9 a.m.; Youth Service, 11 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:30 p.m. wednesday: LJCS Hebrew School, 4 p.m. at TI. Annual Congregation Break-the-fast at the end of Yom Kippur. Havdalah service and meal, 7:31 p.m.

We will have a uniformed officer present and babysitting available during Rosh Hashanah Services/Activities.

Information Meeting about Tifereth Israel’s Israel Tour, thursday, oct. 6, 7:15 p.m. The trip will take place on June 5-15, 2017. Brochures to be given out, questions to be answered. Come find out about this amazing opportunity being offered to Tifereth Israel members and alumni of Tifereth Israel.

It will be a trip of a lifetime! If you cannot attend this informational meetings, please let Nancy Coren know and she will provide you with the information.

The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016 | D15

roshhashanah Atoning for our online sins

Continued from page D13 regret and commitment to better behavior in the future.” In other words, Feldman contends that the traditional response to lashon hara is equally applicable in the digital world.

But how exactly are online amends accomplished? Once these digital “feathers” are released, how do we get them back?

When someone needs to make amends for something they have said, most experts suggest a face-to-face apology, where responsibility is taken with no excuses. For those who we know that we have hurt online, I believe a face-to-face “please forgive me” -- or at least a phone call -is very much in order.

Though a similar apology to our online minions seems a physical impossibility, I am wondering if, taking apologies into the digital age, amends could be made by posting a correction. And not just an “oops,” but a link to an analysis of the offending post that reveals its factual flaws, along with several sites useful for fact checking.

As election frenzy reaches its peak during the High Holidays, chances are the shoddily sourced story you forwarded won’t cause personal dam-

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age to a candidate; some big-time politician is probably not going to be affected by your post. But what about your reputation, and your relationship with your community? Attitudes, and possibly votes, may have changed as a result of your untrue post. An online apology won’t get all the feathers back, but it is a start in sewing up the pillow. And providing your list with the tools to fact-check in the future would be a move toward a more aware online community.

For some, confessing our online mistakes to our friends may be the hardest part. For others, it is acknowledging our shortcomings as part of Yom Kippur’s acts of atonement. On the Day of Atonement, it is custom that with each word or phrase of the Ashamnu we strike our chests.

And this year, in particular, I am also going to apply the words from my prayer book to my own keyboard behavior: We transgress, we quarrel, we mock, we neglect, we gossip.

Indeed, in this new year, amid the heat of an election battle, we are probably all candidates for a keyboard confession.

Edmon J. Rodman is a JTA columnist who writes on Jewish life from Los Angeles. Contact him at edmojace@gmail.com.

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Have a sweet New Year!

D16 | The Jewish Press | September 30, 2016

Best wishes for a Happy, Healthy New Year Beth Israel Synagogue | Beth Israel Sisterhood Beth Israel Youth Group (BIYG)

With Your Help We’ll Have A Great Past Ahead Of Us

Best Wishes for a Happy New Year

Henry Monsky Lodge B’nai B’rith

Happy & Healthy New Year Benefactor $1,000 • Platinum $500 Gold $250 • Patron-1 Year $100 Sponsor $50 • Regular $25

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

B’nai Israel Synagogue National Council of Jewish Women Omaha Section

OTYG

NCJW extends its warmest wishes to the Jewish community for a Joyous New Year.

A Century of Tradition 618 Mynster Street, Council Bluffs 51503 Best wishes for a Happy, Healthy New Year!

You’re always welcome at B’nai Israel!

National Register of Historic Places

Omaha Temple IsraelYouth Group

wishes everyone a Peaceful and Prosperous New Year!

JEWISH WAR VETERANS of AMERICA Epstein Morgan Post 260

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

FREE membership to all active-duty personnel Contact: Jay Benton, Commander 402-250-6133 We welcome any and all new members

League Offering Volunteers for the Elderly The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Auxiliary

L’Shana Tovah

Best wishes to our wonderful community for a sweet, healthy, happy year.

May this year bring the fulfillment of our most fervent wishes and dreams.

Rabbi Mendel and Shani Katzman and Family Chabad Board Members and Volunteers