October 21, 2016

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thejewishpress AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA

this week

Beth El’s visits Vala’s Pumpkin Patch Page A6

the Klutznick Symposium

O CT O BER 2 1 , 2 0 1 6 | 1 9 T ISH REI 5 7 7 7 | V O L. 9 7 | NO . 3 | 3 SECT IO NS | C A nD LELI G H tI nG | FRID AY , O CT O BER 2 1 , 6 : 1 5 P. M.

Shlomo Abramovich

David Brodsky

Samuel Hayim Brody

Simcha Fishbane

Dr. Lenn Goodman

Meirav Jones

Joseph Isaac Lifshitz

David J. Peterson

Elliot Ratzman

Lawrence H. Schiffman

Ori Z. Soltes

Joshua I. Weinstein

LEOnARD GREEnSPOOn Klutznick Chair, Creighton University he Bible and democracy. The rabbis and democracy. Israel and democracy. These are some of the many topics that presenters will address at the 29th Annual Symposium on Jewish Civilization, Is Judaism Democratic? Reflections from Theory and Practice

Throughout the Ages. This year’s Symposium takes place on Sunday, Oct. 30, and Monday, Oct. 31. With three venues -- UNO on Sunday morning, the Omaha JCC on Sunday afternoon and evening, and Creighton University on Monday morning -- there are many opportunities for members of the Jewish community to hear and interact with scholars from throughout the

Community Study

New artwork installed at the JCC Page C3

inside Viewpoint Synagogues Life cycles

Baruch Alster

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Joan Latchaw

Nobel Prize winner Bob Dylan’s five most Jewish moments Page B5

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SPOnSORED By tHE BEnJAMIn AnD AnnA E. WIESMAn FAMILy EnDOWMEnt FunD

ALAn POtASH CEO, Jewish Federation of Omaha Several months ago, I introduced a new initiative for our community: the community study. A committee of community members met to help develop the survey questionnaire and to ensure the interests of the synagogues, as well as the Federation and its agencies are represented. This November, we will move forward with this project, and we are counting on you to become a part of it. There has not been a comprehensive study of Jewish Omaha done since the 1970s. It is time to gather important information about us. For that purpose, professional callers will contact thousands of households. This will enable us to identify which programs and services are most needed in our community. It is your chance to have a voice, and your answers will shape the future of our vibrant Jewish

community. We will be using the research firm of Ira M. Sheskin, PhD., who has worked on many similar studies for Jewish Federations throughout the U.S. A local Jewish community study is a research, community-building and policy-oriented project. It is designed to understand the demographic, social and Jewish characteristics and needs of the Jewish population. See Community Study page A2

world. (A complete program of Symposium activities will appear as an insert in next week’s Jewish Press.) Two of the presentations place considerable emphasis on the Hebrew Bible: Baruch Alster, Givat Washington University, Israel, The ‘Will of the People’ in anti-Monarchic Biblical Texts; and Joshua I. Weinstein, Herzl Institute, See Klutznick Symposium page A3

Visiting Ecuador

Quito volcano RICH JuRO Recently, Fran and I took our son Kevin and his family to the Galapagos Islands. This archipelago in the Pacific Ocean hundreds of miles off the coast of Ecuador was where Charles Darwin formed his theory of evolution almost 200 years ago. Long a national park, it is populated by a small Noah’s ark of unique animals who are completely unafraid of humans. Some of life’s greatest thrills are swimming with sea turtles, snorkeling with sea lions, lumbering alongside giant tortoises, staring at scary but harmless marine and land iguanas, and gawking at oddly named lava lizards. There are numerous vari-

Credit: Wikimedia eties of unusual birds: frigate birds, albatrosses, flamingos, penguins (the only ones north of the Equator), and, yes, boobies of all kinds (red-footed, blue-footed, and Nazca). There are also 14 species of finches who have physically changed over eons due to the different conditions on each island. Viewing these new species of finches with different beaks or other adaptations helped Darwin to see that “survival of the fittest” is the basis of natural selection. However, there are no signs of Jews on the Galapagos Islands. Some of the tourists are Jewish, but there’s no synagogue, no JCC, not even a Chabad. So when we See Visiting Ecuador page A2

Blumkin Home Carnival

A2 | The Jewish Press | October 21, 2016

community

Visiting Ecuador Continued from page A1 flew back to Quito’s new airport, and bade goodbye to Kevin and Michelle and the kids, we were determined to see if there were any Jews in the capital city of Ecuador. Quito is located almost directly on the Equator, but because it is situated 9,300 feet above sea level in the Andes foothills, it enjoys a lovely climate: 55 degrees every morning rising into the 70’s every afternoon. (You could kvell.) It is also the world’s highest capital city except La Paz, Bolivia (and La Paz is one of two capitals of Bolivia, with Sucre, so I deem Quito the highest). So is there a Jewish community in this city of 2 1/2 million people, or in any part of Ecuador? A little history first. During the occupation of Ecuador by Spain in the 1600’s, a number of Jews escaped the Inquisitions of Portugal and Spain by fleeing to far corners of the Spanish Empire. Ecuador was a remote part of both the Vice-Royalty of Peru and of Grand Colombia, so some Jews could hide there and secretly practice their religion. During the 60-year union of Spain and Portugal, to say that someone was Portuguese in that part of Latin America meant that they were a “converted Jew”. Unfortunately, over the next couple of centuries, by conversion and intermarriage, the number of

Jews in Ecuador dropped to a handful. In the 1880’s, a rubber boom developed in the headwaters of the Amazon River. The main town was Iquitos, lo-

View of Quito cated in the tropical jungle rain forest, and was then a part of Ecuador. About 200 Jewish men, fleeing poverty and anti-Semitism in Morocco, made the long journey to the rubber Mecca. They worked as traders and merchants, intermarried with the local Amerindians, but kept their Jewish faith and traditions alive. After the border war of 1941, Iquitos became part of the neighboring country of Peru. In recent years, many of the descendants of the original Moroccans

have moved to Israel, but only after undergoing ritual conversion by the Conservative rabbi in Lima, Peru. (A personal note: Fran and I flew to

Credit: Wikimedia Iquitos in 1978 to sail down the Amazon in a small converted WW II minesweeper, appropriately named the “Amazon Queen”. Forever etched in our memory is the sewage disposal system of Iquitos, Peru: all the garbage was piled in the center of the main street, then the pigs and vultures would feast on it. So you can see why the Moroccan Jews were eager to emigrate from there to Israel. Not surprisingly, Fran and I were also happy to See Visiting Ecuador page A5

Uncle Chuck was our Balloon Man for the Blumkin Carnival; he personally passed out over 50 balloons to residents. Residents had a wonderful time playing games, winning prizes, and enjoyed yummy treats. Everyone who attended had a great time!

Community Study

Continued from page A1 More specifically, a community study provides a solid foundation for communal planning and policymaking. A community study also typically includes data on non-Jews sharing households with Jews. When professional surveyors call your home, the caller I.D. on your landline will say “Count Me Omaha,” so you know what to expect. All telephone numbers are randomly selected and answers will be treated anonymously. Interviewers will not know your name or address and there will be no sollicitation of funds. These types of community studies tend to ask questions in three main areas. First, social and demographic characteristics such as age, geography, gender, presence of children, educational level and income. Second, Jewish connections like organizational membership, attitudes towards the Jewish community, donations to Jewish causes and travel to Israel. Finally, the study will point out our social and human service needs; for example, our community’s needs for counseling, employment training, transportation and financial assistance. If you would like to learn more about how community studies are conducted, check out this main resource, the Berman Jewish Data Bank, at www.jewishdatabank.org. Questions? Please contact us at communitystudy@jewish omaha.org.

The Jewish Press | October 21, 2016 | A3

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demonstrates, the resultant system resembled something close to anarchy -and this represented the original “constitution� of Judaism. Lifshitz begins by looking back at the medieval political concept of the Jews, which differs considerably from the modern democratic social contract. Within this framework, Lifshitz presents the political theory of modern Jewish philosophers like Martin Buber and Emmanuel Levinas as a possibility for modern Jewish democracy. The American Jewish experience is at the center of two other presentations. The first of these is titled Linking ‘Egypt with Texas’: Emma Lazarus’s Jewish Vision of American Democracy, by Joan Latchaw and David J. Peterson, both professors at UNO. As Latchaw and Peterson point out, Lazarus’s The New Colossus continues to beckon millions to the shores of America. At the same time, the bulk of her poetry has been largely forgotten. By closely examining some of this poetry, they show how Lazarus portrays America and American democracy as enabling Jews to flourish: democratic America offers both refuge and homeland. Elliot Ratzman, Swarthmore College, has titled his presentation Democracy After Alinsky: The Jewish Community Organizing Tradition. As he observes, many recent theorists and theologians tout community organizing as a model vehicle for democratic practice. Ratzman brings to the fore the prominence of ethnically Jewish founders and participants in this activity, notably the influential “father� of community organizing, Saul Alinsky. Lawrence H. Schiffman, New York University, and Ori Z. Soltes, Georgetown University, both take broad views encompassing many different time periods and approaches. Schiffman’s presentation is Monarchy and Polity: Systems of Government in Jewish Tradition. In his presentation, Schiffman brings forth a number of texts that offer parallel lines of debate concerning the political organization of the Jewish people. Both texts and practical experience come together to guarantee that by modern times democracy would be assumed by the Jewish community to be the ideal system and model. Soltes will speak on Democracy, Judaism, Israel, Art and Demagoguery. To the analyses of other presenters, Soltes adds considerations of art. As he illustrates, art has affirmed and challenged, defined and dissented from Israel’s political-spiritual self-conception: it has offered a consummate expression of democratic principles. No symposium on Judaism and

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The Klutznick Symposium

Continued from page A1 Jerusalem, If Not Democracy, Then What? Judaism in (and out of) the Space of Regimes. For Alster, the key biblical passage is Deuteronomy 17, which is critical of the excesses of any human king and demonstrates trust in the people to uphold the covenant with God. In Alster’s view, this is in keeping with a major theme of the Book of Deuteronomy, which sees the public as responsible for its leadership. In Weinstein’s analysis, classical Jewish sources, from the Hebrew Bible forward, highlight three central aims of the Jewish ideal: leaving “the house of bondage,� inheriting a land of “milk and honey,� and maintaining a covenant of divine intimacy. In this context, no system of governance can be viewed as successful if it loses its sense of dependence on the divine as established in Deuteronomy 8:11-18. David Brodsky, Brooklyn College, and Simcha Fishbane, Touro College and University System, take the opportunity to analyze classical rabbinic texts. Brodsky’s presentation is titled The Democratic Principle Underlying Jewish Law: Moving Beyond Whether It is So to Why It Is So. Here he establishes that the Mishnah lays out the principle that Jewish law is governed by the rules of democracy: when disputes arise, the majority rules. But, Brodsky continues, democracy is not the ultimate goal, but serves to promote other ends that he has discerned and will discuss. Fishbane will talk on Mipnei Darkei Shalom [in the interest of peace]: A Domestic Tranquility. For Fishbane, Judaism is not a democratic religion per se, but it does include many aspects that advocate democratic traditions, such as the principle of mipnei darkei shalom. The application of this principle creates an environment of peaceful and mutual respect between all people. Another two speakers will feature the works of several of the most distinguished modern Jewish philosophers: Samuel Hayim Brody, University of Kansas, Theocracy as Monarchy, Theocracy as Anarchy: Martin Buber’s Biblical Writings and the Foundations of Modern Jewish Democracy; and Joseph Isaac Lifshitz, Shalem College, Jerusalem, Jewish Democracy: From Medieval Community to Modern State. Brody points to Martin Buber as a religious Zionist who sought out the roots for radical political novelties in traditional Jewish texts like the Hebrew Bible. Buber focused on the premonarchic era of Israel, during which God ruled Israel directly. But, as Brody

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democracy would be complete without some reference to the modern State of Israel. For two speakers, the State of Israel is central: Shlomo Abramovich, Bar Ilan University and visiting scholar, Beth Israel Synagogue, Omaha, ‘The Will of the People’ or ‘The Will of the Rabbis’: Democracy and the Rabbis’ Authority; and Meirav Jones, University of Pennsylvania, The Jewish State and the End of Democratic Judaism. Abramovich looks with special interest at Orthodox communities of the twentieth century, where rabbis have very wide authority and their followers obey their decisions absolutely. He then explores differing explanations and diverse motives for such absolute obedience to the rabbis. As a result, Abramovich observes that a community led through obedience to rabbis should not necessarily be considered non-democratic. From her perspective, Jones explores some of the different democratic forms that have characterized Judaism in Eastern and Western Europe from medieval to modern times. She then contends that the presence of a Jewish state -- even a democratic Jewish state -- since 1948 has changed the nature of Jewish life such that Judaism is necessarily not democratic. The keynote speaker for this year’s event is Lenn Goodman, Vanderbilt University, who will talk about Torah and the Norms of Constitutional Democracy. His presentation, which begins at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 30, is in the Omaha Jewish Community Center. The co-hosts of the annual Symposium on Jewish Civilization are the Klutznick Chair in Jewish Civilization at Creighton University, the Kripke Center for the Study of Religion and Society at Creighton University, the Harris Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and the Schwalb Center for Israel & Jewish Studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Along with them are the Jewish Federation of Omaha and Creighton’s Committee on Lectures, Films, and Concerts. From within the Jewish community, the Ike and Roz Friedman Foundation, the Riekes Family, the Henry Monsky Lodge of B’nai B’rith, Gary and Karen Javitch, and the Drs. Bernard H. and Bruce S. Bloom Memorial Endowment are among those who also provide generous support. For further information, contact Colleen Hastings: 402.280.2303, ColleenHastings@creighton.edu. Additional information can be viewed at http://www.creighton.edu/klutznick.

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MARy SuE gROSSMAN Executive Director, Beth Israel eth Israel Synagogue’s first Scholar-in-Residence of the year will be Dr. Lawrence Schiffman, giving three presentations on Shabbat, Oct. 29. Dr. Schiffman is also a presenter at the 29th Annual Klutznick Symposium taking place in Omaha, Dr. Lawrence Schiffman Oct. 30 and 31. Lawrence H. Schiffman is the Judge Abraham Lieberman Professor of Hebrew and Judaic Studies at New York University and Director of the Global Institute for Advanced Research in Jewish Studies. He has served as the Chair of the Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies at New York University and Ethel and Irvin A. Edelman Professor of Hebrew and Judaic Studies. Between 2011 and 2014, he served as Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Professor of Judaic Studies at Yeshiva University. Dr. Schiffman’s talks at Beth Israel will include “Written Torah, Oral Torah and the Authority of the Rabbis” during Shabbat morning services; “The Dead Sea Scrolls & the Jewish Origins of Christianity”, following kiddush lunch; and at 5 p.m., “Judaism and Islam: Their Historical Relationship.” “It is a pleasure to welcome Dr. Schiffman back to Beth Israel,” reports Julee Katzman, Programming Committee Chair. “His talks in the past have been fascinating,” she says, “providing a great opportunity to learn about a vari-

ety of topics.” Dr. Schiffman received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees from the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies at Brandeis University. He has written several books and numerous publications. He has been a visiting professor at Yale University, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Duke University, the University of Toronto, the Johns Hopkins University, the Russian State University for the Humanities (Moscow), the University of Hartford, Queens College, Pontifical Gregorian University (Rome), Yeshiva University, and the University of Vienna. A kiddush lunch will follow morning services. The menu will include meat loaf, kugel, salad, fruit and dessert. Cost is $10 for adults, $5 for ages 4-12, free for 3 and under. Please make a reservation on-line, email bethisrael@orthodoxomaha.org or call 402.556.6288. Reservations are needed no later than Oct. 26. The next Beth Israel Scholar-in-Residence will Dec. 9-10, featuring Rabbi Yonah Weinrib, a renowned a scholar and artist. Rabbi Weinrib specializes in elaborate manuscript illumination, combining a wide array of art techniques and media in exacting calligraphy. His visit will include talks on Shabbat plus the opportunity to view and purchase his art on Saturday evening. The mission of Beth Israel Synagogue is to perpetuate the legacy of Torah Judaism in the modern world and provide a home for those who wish to learn about and observe halacha, Jewish law. Beth Israel Synagogue welcomes all persons of the Jewish faith to join, and accepts the diversity of practice and thought among its members. Beth Israel offers a variety of religious, cultural and social programs throughout the year. For more information, please contact the synagogue office.

Beth El offers adult education classes in Jewish ethics and values

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OzziE NOgg Beginning Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016 and running through Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017, Rabbi Steven Abraham will offer an adult education class - Ethics and Values – A Jewish Guide to Life’s Most Difficult Questions - based on topics covered in A Code of Jewish Ethics, Volume 2: Love Your Neighbor as Yourself by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin. Participants are invited to attend either a luncheon class at Whole Foods on Tuesdays from Noon to 1 p.m., or a dinner session at Beth El on Wednesday evenings from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m., following minyan at the synagogue. The subject on both meeting days will be the same. Rabbi Steven Abraham Writing with great clarity and simplicity as well as with deep wisdom, Telushkin’s work offers hundreds of practical examples from the Torah, the Talmud, the Midrash, and both ancient and modern rabbinic commentaries - as well as contemporary anecdotes - all teaching us how to care for one another each and every day. “Judaism is the lens through which we look to understand and approach the world,” Rabbi Abraham said. “Rabbi Telushkin’s Love Your Neighbor as Yourself will guide us toward understanding how Ju-

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daism views such topics as our obligation to be a good host, how to visit the sick, comfort the bereaved, how and when to give tzedakah.” Other class topics include: Non-Jews and Jewish law; Judaism’s attitude to animals; matters of life and death; justice and tolerance. “By the end of the sessions, each of us will have a better grasp on how to be a kinder, more compassionate, more loving person,” Rabbi Abraham said. The Tuesday classes - Noon to 1 p.m. - are scheduled for Nov. 1, 8, 15, 22; Dec. 6, 13, 20, 27; and Jan. 3, 10, 17, 24 at Whole Foods, 10020 Regency Circle. “The store is providing us with a private room,” said Eadie Tsabari, Beth El Director of Congregational Learning, “so the discussions can be as free-wheeling as you want. There is no charge to attend the class, and participants will purchase lunch on their own.” The Wednesday evening classes are set for Nov. 2, 9, 16, 30; Dec. 7, 14, 21, 28; and Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25. “The Wednesday evening sessions run from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m., and cost $54 which includes the price of dinner,” Tsabari said. “All Beth El adult education classes are open to the community, and we invite you to attend.” Ethics and Values – A Jewish Guide to Life’s Most Difficult Questions sessions require online registration. Students are responsible for purchasing their own copy of A Code of Jewish Ethics, Volume 2: Love Your Neighbor as Yourself. “Please note that the book we’re using is different from the book mentioned in the KOL,” said Margie Gutnik, Beth El Synagogue Program Director. Class registration is available on the synagogue website, as is a link to Amazon for book purchases. Please go to: www.bethel-omaha.org.

Visiting Ecuador

The Jewish Press | October 21, 2016 | a5

community Haunted Havdalah

aMy dWOrin The Jewish teens of Omaha brought in 5777 with collaboration in mind. On Oct. 8, 36Jewish teens from BBYO, Beth Israel, Temple Israel and Beth El youth groups came together to celebrate the first Havdalah of the new year with a night of fall fun at Bellevue Berry Farm. This is the first time that all Jewish youth groups in Omaha have come together for a youth event. To make sure that teens from all denominations would feel comfortable participating, a kosher dinner was served at Beth El and the buses were not boarded until after dark. At Bellevue Berry Farm, the teens had the choice of a Haunted Hayride or a Haunted House. We reconvened at the campfire for a fireside Havdalah ceremony complete with guitar playing, music and s’mores, as well as the company of old and new friends. Communitywide collaborative events like the Haunted Havdalah provide Omaha Jewish teens with the chance to meet new peers and interact with other Jewish teens in their city, which is especially important given the size of the young Jewish community in Omaha. The teens had a great time. Rae Cherry, a member of Beth Israel who is active in both BBYO and USY, loved the chance to be a part of this event, and said: “It’s crucial we as teens keep connections with each other, and work to keep our people alive and thriving, and our community better than ever - and there is no better way than spending the first Havdalah of the new year together!” Teens from Beth El USY, Temple Israel OTYG and BBYO worked together to plan the ice breakers and Havdalah. This event could not have been a success without the hard work of Benjamin Brodkey, Raelyn Cherry, Lauren Kirk, Elijah Marburg, Olivia Nogg, Robert Osborne, Julia Raffel, Ellie Reiss and Amanda Simon. The youth directors feel that this type of collaboration is important both for the teens and for the Omaha Jewish community as a whole and hope that this is the first of many events of this type.

Organizations

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Marc kraft, the current Douglas County Commissioner for district 5, will explain why he should be retained as our County Commissioner on Wednesday, Oct. 26, noon. For more information or to be placed on the email list call 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@jewish omaha.org.

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Continued from page a2 nity of Ecuador in Spanish). They called the CJE, and then leave Iquitos to go camping in the Amazon rain forest, e-mailed us that we had to transmit photo ID’s, state where Fran quickly learned from the Jivaro Indians how to whether we were Jewish and answer several other personal use a blowgun with poison tip arrows. We were not alquestions. We did, and an appointment was set for late lowed to bring the blowgun on the plane (Braniff Airlines morning one day. considered it a weapon), but shipped it. So you are all foreThat morning Angela and Jamie first took us to Mitad del warned, don’t mess with Fran (by the way, the “Amazon Mundo (Middle of the World), just north of Quito. It’s a Queen” sunk the following year, but I don’t think the Jilarge complex with an art exhibit, ethnographic museum of varos or Fran were to blame). the indigenous people, There were very few Jews in shops, restaurants, and statEcuador in the early 20th ues of the scientists who led century. The Sephardic Jews the French Geodesic Misfrom colonial Spain had insion in 1736. The scientists’ termarried or converted, and goal was to conduct experithose from Morocco in Iquiments to test the flattening tos became citizens of Peru of the North and South after the border war. But with Poles compared to the Equathe rise to power of the Nazis tor on which they were in the 1930’s in Germany, standing. Trivia factoid: the several hundred German highest mountain in Jews came to Ecuador. It was Ecuador is Mount Chimbothe only South American narazo, 20,600 feet above sea tion, besides Bolivia, that had level, about 9,000 feet less an open-immigration policy. than Mt. Everest in Asia. But In 1939, there were 165 JewChimborazo’s location on ish refugees from Germany the equatorial bulge makes aboard the ship “Koenigits summit the farthest point stein”; Ecuador was the only on the Earth’s surface from country that would grant the Earth’s core center. them entry permits. The main attraction at But the government wanted Mitad del Mundo now is a these new immigrants to go 100-foot-tall monument into agriculture. They were presumably built right on Quito synagogue given acreages; international the Equator. So thousands Jewish charities set a few up as chicken farmers. But all atof tourists, including yours truly, take pictures while standtempts were to no avail. The immigrants gradually drifted ing with one foot in the Northern Hemisphere and the into the cities of their new country to become businessother in the Southern. Unfortunately, the French scientists men, doctors, merchants, etc. The first archaeologist and 280 years ago sited the Equator about 800 feet from where psychologist in Ecuador were Jews. The legislature even it is really located. While there are some other things to passed a law that any Jew not farming would have to leave see at the nearby “real Equator”, we chose not to walk over. Ecuador. Luckily it was never enforced, and by 1950, there Instead, our guides drove us on winding roads over the were about 4,000 Jews, most of whom were refugees from foothills of the Andes back towards Quito. Eventually, we Germany. Some became prominent in journalism, pharpulled up in front of a big black solid gate connected to a maceuticals and metal industries. 12- feet high wall. Two burly security people appeared and What about the Jewish community today? To find out Angela handed over the passports or government photo was a story in itself. Before leaving the USA, I found the ID’s of the four of us. The guards went through a small door websites of the JCCs of both Quito and Asuncion, into the complex, returned five minutes later, and swung Paraguay, where we were to head next. However, e-mails the gate open so we could drive the vehicle inside. We were went unanswered, perhaps going to their spam. Luckily, I then warmly welcomed by Senor Sebastian Medina, the adalso used the Internet to hire a couple to take us around ministrator of the CJE. Quito. Angela Hally was a native of Quito who spoke perThe CJE complex consists of a beautiful two-story synafect English. Her husband, Jamie, was Canadian, so his gogue, an administration/event building, sports fields, and English was also pretty good. They had lived in Toronto, a plaza open to a scenic view of the nearby Andes Mounthen “semi-retired” to Quito, and worked as tour guides. I tains. The synagogue is only 10 years old. The former one See Visiting ecuador page a7 gave them the phone number of the CJE (Jewish Commu-

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community Beth El visits Vala’s Pumpkin Patch

OzziE NOgg On Sunday, Oct. 30, Beth El Synagogue’s Young Adult Committee (YAC) will sponsor an outing to Vala’s Pumpkin Patch for families with kids of all ages. “Come to Vala’s early and have fun at their more than 40 attractions,” said Abby Kutler, who - along with her husband Adam - heads up the YAC group. “At 5 p.m., head over to Campsite no. 20 for dinner. We’ll get the fire going.” The Young Adult Committee offers programs throughout the year, some for adults only and others for young families with kids. “Our definition of ‘young’ is semiloose,” Abby Kutler said. “We like to include everyone in the fun, so if you feel ‘young’ Beth El’s Young Adult Committee provides family fun at Vala's Pumpkin Patch and want to attend our programs, that’s great. The Oct. 30 evening at Vala’s, and all our other programs, are open to the entire Jewish community.” The Vala’s Fall FunFest is an annual, and very popular, event. “Nothing tastes better than hot dogs and s’mores cooked over a campfire,” Abby said. “We’ll provide chips, veggie assortment, fruit and drinks. Everything is totally kosher. Dinner costs $5 per person, with a max of $18 per family. Children five and under are free.” Participants are responsible for their own general admission fee to Vala’s. In the works is a YAC event on Jan. 28, 2017. Attendees will enjoy cocktails and appetizers at Brix in Village Pointe, followed by a comedy show at the Funny Bone. “The BrixFunny Bone event has always been a great night of fun for the adults while the kids stay home,” Adam Kutler said. “Stay tuned for details.” Sam Kutler, son of Adam and Talia Kohen, daughter of Ari For more information on the Vala’s event or updates on Abigail Kutler, gets a bit sticky and Sara Kohen, enjoys s’upcoming YAC programs, contact Abby Kutler at aerpeld at Vala’s Pumpkin Patch during mores at the YAC annual geting@gmail.com. last year’s YAC outing. together at Vala’s.

Let’s do lunch – In style

JANET KOhll for Beth Israel Synagogue If you’re tired of what’s hanging in your closet or just want to have a fun afternoon with friends, then do lunch in style Sunday, Nov. 13 at Beth Israel’s Sisterhood Luncheon. A silent auction begins at 11:30 a.m. with luncheon and style show to follow at Noon. Fashions from Christopher and Banks will be featured to give you a glimpse of new fall looks. The event will be held at Beth Israel, 12604 Pacific Street. As this luncheon will be coming on the heels of the election, Bette Kozlen, co-chair, jokes that if “your candidate loses (or wins), come to us. It will be nice to see friends from the community.” Helene Shrago is serving as co-

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Temple Tots Program

A6 | The Jewish Press | October 21, 2016

chair of the event. Beverages and appetizers will be served during the silent auction, which will feature many items including an American Girl doll. Kozlen also promises “a wonderful and delicious lunch menu as usual!” All members of the community are welcome, as well as their friends and neighbors. The Beth Israel Sisterhood Donor event takes place each fall to raise funds for Sisterhood’s projects. Attendees are encouraged to be donors at categories from $36 to $108, and each of those include one lunch. A reservation for lunch itself is $20. Reservations are needed by Nov. 7, and can be made by calling the synagogue office at 402.556.6288.

SCOTT liTTKY Program Director, Temple Israel ver the course of the last two months, our new and improved Temple Tots Program at Temple Israel has really taken off! Under the direction of Dani Howell and Rabbi Deana Berezin, and with the assistance of Sharon Comisar-Langdon, our Temple Tots Program has developed a new and welcoming approach to reaching out to those in our community with children who are four years and younger.

Both the Temple Tots Sunday Mornings program which meets from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, Dec., 11, Jan. 8, Feb. 5, March 12, April 2 and May 7 and the Temple Tots Shabbat program which meets from 9 to 10 a.m. on Nov. 5, Dec. 3, Jan. 28, Feb. 25, March 25 and April 22 are designed to allow for lots of group interaction. During each session, participants will hear Jewish stories, learn new Jewish songs and have an opportunity to take part in crafts and other special activities that relate to Jewish holidays. An added benefit of the Temple Tots Program is the opportunity for those families who are involved to bond and get to know each other better. When asked about this year’s Temple Tots Program, Rabbi Deana Berezin said, “Having Dani Howell leading each session is a real treat. Her level of creativity and love of teaching shines each week. She is a master teacher with an amazing background in working with this age group.” Dani received both her B.A. and her Master’s Degree from the University of Florida and is a certified Nebraska teacher. She has worked both as a curriculum director, teacher and private tutor. In her role as a curriculum director, Dani has been responsible for training and leading a staff of 40+ teachers at a private preschool with 150+ students from 6 weeks to 6 years of age. She was involved in planning and implementing staff trainings and in-service days on a variety of topics, including child development, emergent literacy, classroom management, positive guidance, effective communication, physical development and health. In her role as director she performs daily and monthly classroom and teacher observations and provides feedback and coaching to teachers. A highlight of her work is the direct and enhanced learning curriculum for infants up to children 12 years of age. For more information on Temple Israel’s Temple Tot Program, please contact Dani Howell at dhowell912@ gmail.com or 402.680.4363.

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The Jewish Press | October 21, 2016 | A7

ADL-CRC Promoting Empowerment in our World (PEW) AyAnnA Boykins Education Project Director of ADL-CRC The Anti-Defamation League’s annual PEW event was held on Sept. 22, at Temple Israel. This year marked the 30th anniversary of assembling high school students of different school districts, backgrounds, religions, ethnicities, races and cultures together for an intensive and interactive one-day, workshop. Nearly two hundred students representing nineteen schools attended the one-day conference empowering students to take a stand against bias in their schools and communities. Thirty-five volunteers including ADL board members, IHE staff members, educators, and community members contributed to making this day possible by carrying out programming in the small group discussions, helping with set up/tear down and to serve lunch. To honor the thirtieth year of existence, ADL-CRC staff recognized Patricia Newman for her foresight to bring PEW to fruition, and making it a staple in the Omaha community for three decades. Also during the lunchtime ceremony, cast members of RESPECT presented a production of their play “Standing Up.” A number of notable changes were also made for this year’s PEW programming. The biggest change was in the name. Since coming into existence, PEW

Visiting Ecuador

Continued from page A5 was in downtown Quito, but most of the 300 families (about 600 congregants) live in this area. There is a mikveh and kosher food is available. Interestingly, the Bima is in the center of the synagogue, in the Sephardic (Southern Europe) style, but the rest of the building is set up in the Ashkenazic (Northern/Eastern European) tradition. “Most of our congregants are descended from German immigrants,” explained Sebastian, “but some are not. For example, my surname, Medina, is Sephardic, because my father’s ancestors went from Spain to Turkey to here, but my mother’s family came from northeastern Russia.” “What are the services like?”, I asked. “Our rabbi is from Brazil, and the prayer books are in Spanish and Hebrew, with some transliteration for those unfamiliar with Hebrew,” continued Sebastian. “The services are Modern Orthodox, and are held on Monday and Tuesday morning in addition to Friday night and Saturday.” Not surprisingly, calls have to be made on Monday and Tuesday mornings to get the required 10 participants for the minyon so the service can be held. The CJE also runs a large private school a few blocks away. Called Einstein College, it offers kindergarten through twelfth grade. Most of the 600 students are not Jewish, yet Hebrew and other Jewish-oriented classes are mandatory for all. The non-Jews attend because Einstein College is considered among the finest university prep educations in Quito. “Is the congregation growing?”, I asked. “Not really,” Sr. Medina replied. “We have two major problems. There are many Jews in Quito who are unaffiliated with the CJE, either because of intermarriage or disinterest. A second issue is that many Jewish young people go to study in the USA or Europe, and never return to live here. Others move to Israel.” “Is security an issue?”, I asked, remembering the security guards, and that there are

has always stood for Prejudice Elimination Workshop. Now known as Promoting Empowerment in our World, PEW will emphasize the responsibility of student engagement and action to tackle prejudice, bullying and intergroup conflict in their schools and communities. There was also a philosophical shift to trademark PEW as the kickoff for the year-long No Place For Hate® programming for each participating school. PEW has always been a stand-alone program component of the ADL-CRC. This year, we modified the program to better align with the national ADL No Place For Hate® campaign. This change ensures that student are putting their newly found knowledge from PEW to work by having authentic conversations about the current climate and culture of their school, and action planning school-wide strategies to address bias and bullying throughout that academic school year. Additionally, the ADL-CRC is shifting to host high school sophomores rather than juniors in order to create a more engaged cohort of students that will extend from a student’s tenth grade through twelfth grade years. PEW is a free training for students and school staff made possible – thanks to the generous support of The Murray H. and Sharee C. Newman Supporting Foundation and The Shirley and Leonard Goldstein Supporting Foundation.

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no signs indicating what’s inside the big black wall surrounding the complex. “Anti-Semitism has been virtually nonexistent in Ecuador. However, we are conscious of the bombing of the JCC in Buenos

In November, professional callers will contact thousands of households so we can learn what programs and services are most needed. Your answers will shape the future of our vibrant Jewish community. So when you see “Count Me Omaha” * on your phone, please… • Answer the call and stay on the line. • Or ask to reschedule, and we will call back at your convenience.

Quito synagogue Aires, Argentina.” Also, while Ecuador has traditionally been friendly to Israel, the present Socialist government is aligned with Venezuela and Cuba. “That means there has been a growth of anti-Israel sentiment,” Medina continued, “which really promotes anti-Semitism as well.” Another potential problem he worries about is that there are a good number of Saudi Arabians and other Muslims moving to Ecuador. Nowadays there are at least three mosques in Quito, which even surprised our Christian guides. Are there other Jewish communities in Ecuador? There is a Chabad Center in Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city and main port. It’s also possible there is a Chabad in Quito or Cuenca, a third city. A few years ago there was also a Sephardic community in Quito which may or may not have been Messianic (Jewish-Christian) in character. I couldn’t find out definite answers. So whether you are planning a tour to the top sightseeing places in Ecuador – Galapagos Islands, the Equator, the Andes Mountains, the Amazon jungle – or thinking about a destination wedding, I’d suggest you consider visiting the CJE, the Jewish Community Center in Quito. If you notify them first, you’ll receive a warm welcome in a beautiful setting.

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What is a holy place?

Annette vAn de KAMp-WrIGht Editor of the Jewish Press hen the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO for short, decided the Temple Mount has no connection to Jews, I was taken aback. I’m not sure I fully understand the purpose of these types of resolutions anyway; they are irritating, sure, but are they relevant? How is this UNESCO’s business? The resolution on ‘Occupied Palestine’ was approved on Oct. 13, with 24 votes to six, with 26 abstentions. As of the printing of this paper, it is scheduled to be approved by the executive committee later this week. Among other items, it states (under subparagraph no. 5): “Deeply deplores the failure of Israel, the occupying Power, to cease the persistent excavations and works in east Jerusalem particularly in and around the Old City, and reiterates its request to Israel, the occupying Power, to prohibit all such works in conformity with its obligations under the provisions of the relevant UNESCO conventions, resolutions and decisions.” The resolution considers the area in question a holy site to Muslims, referring to it as al-Aksa Mosque/al Haram al Sharif, never acknowledging that the site is also holy to Jews and Christians. Reading the entire resolution leaves one feeling a little sick. Full disclosure: I have never been impressed with UNESCO or its parent, the United Nations, because its members so often speak from a moral high ground that is anything but. Its purpose is “to contribute to peace and security by promoting international collaboration through edu-

cational, scientific and cultural reforms in order to increase universal respect for justice, the rule of law and human rights.” Yet when one takes a closer look at the actual resolutions passed, it quickly becomes obvious we’re dealing with old-fashioned Israel bashing. In 2010, UNESCO forcefully spoke out against Israel’s planned restoration work to the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hevron. In 2011, UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee, at Jordan’s insistence, censured Israel’s decision to demolish and rebuild the Mughrabi Gate Bridge for safety reasons. Then,

Credit: Oleg Moro via Wikimedia Commons

in 2014, UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova indefinitely postponed an exhibit created by the Simon Wiesenthal Center titled The People, the Book, the Land: The 3,500 year relationship between the Jewish People and the Land of Israel, which was scheduled to be on display in Paris. The cancellation came days before it was scheduled to open, but UNESCO caved to complaints made by representatives of Arab states that it would

harm the peace process. What peace process? It’s not so difficult to walk into Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral and get a sense of holiness. Over the centuries, Christians have left millions of prayers there, attended services, sang, baptized and married and it’s left its mark. You don’t need to be a Roman Catholic to respect and acknowledge it is, to them, much more than a historical stop on a tourist’s tour. The same can be said for many other places of worship, whether they are Muslim, Christian, Hindu or Buddhist: we respect how and where others pray. How is it that UNESCO keeps singling out Israel and denying Jewish ties to the land? What horrible things would happen were its member states to acknowledge Jews have the right to live here and pray here? Besides, the minute the resolution came out, Binyamin Netanyahu cut ties with the organization, so now what have they achieved, exactly? Bullies in the playground -- it’s all they are. Something that even Bokova herself must have realized when she, on Friday, Oct. 14, spoke out against her very own Executive Board and said: “The Al Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif is also the Har Habayit, or Temple Mount, whose Western Wall is the holiest place in Judaism.” And: “In the Torah, Jerusalem is the capital of King David, where Solomon built the Temple and placed the Ark of the Covenant.” So, UNESCO, even your own Director can’t quite get on board with your ridiculous resolution, so I ask again: what have you accomplished? There are plenty of areas in Israel, not to mention the rest of the world, where a body like UNESCO could do a world of good. To expend this much energy on picking on Israel, instead of actually, passionately, promoting peace seems the biggest insult of all.

We need dialogue, not demagoguery, when it comes to Israel

Jon A. LevISohn and MIrIAM heLLer Stern JTA A Jewish educator who works on behalf of the Jewish people every single day recently received a letter that began with harsh words about her support for the anti-occupation group Breaking the Silence. Before long it took a startling turn. “I regretfully must express my utmost hope,” the author wrote, “that you are hit by a car to put a stop to the injury you will cause the children that I love.” This was not an anonymous comment hiding in the murky depths of a blog post somewhere. It was a signed letter fervently praying for the violent demise of a leader in the community. In another recent case, a letter to the board of directors of a synagogue described its rabbi as “rabidly anti-Israel” and “pro-terror” before rising to the heights of eloquence by calling him a “KAPO (sic) piece of ****.” Again, this was a signed letter. We live in an age of political polarization. We get our news from selected, homogeneous sources. Within our own little echo chambers, we hear only opinions that conform to what we already believe and reject those we do not. This is not a phenomenon of the right or the left. Voices on the left accuse those on the political right of being racists and warmongers who refuse to listen to principled concerns about the flaws in the peace processes of the past or those imagined for the future. But the vehemence of the attacks on these Jewish professionals is still startling. It hardly needs to be said that critique of Breaking the Silence, or T’ruah, or Encounter, or J Street, or any other organization – whether on the left on Israel, as these organizations are, or on the right – is perfectly legitimate. Their policies, their curricula, their strategies, their communications are all fair game for open and critical discussion. Indeed, as educators, we encourage our students to have such critical discussions in our classrooms. But that is not what we are witnessing. Instead, we see around us horrific demonization and the outrageous imputation of worst motives. We see guilt by association, often based on the most tenuous and speculative association. It doesn’t matter if you have been a card-carrying Zionist your entire life. It doesn’t matter if you have positively influenced hundreds or thou-

sands of people to deepen their connection to the Jewish community and Jewish life, and indeed to the land and state of Israel. It doesn’t matter if you repeatedly and articulately defend Israel against the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement or others who deny its legitimacy. No, if you are interested in understanding the com-

A protester against Israel’s military operations in the Gaza Strip speaking into a megaphone as pro-Israel counterprotesters wave Israeli flags in Los Angeles, Aug. 2, 2014. Credit: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images plicated dynamics of the conflict with greater nuance, if you are talking to Palestinians, if you display compassion or concern for those who are suffering as a result of the occupation, you are fair game for the most vicious attacks. When did listening and learning from others become so offensive to Jews? When did we lose the capacity to be “dan le-kaf zechut,” to trust in the virtuous intentions of people who demonstrate their commitment to the Jewish people every day? We are not the only ones who are concerned. Gary Rosenblatt, editor of The Jewish Week of New York, expressed his unease recently about the same lamentable phenomenon. “Publicly vilifying a rabbi, communal leader and lover of Israel... is unseemly, unethical and fosters Jewish enmity, not unity,” he wrote. A few days later Yehuda Kurtzer, president of the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, did so as well. “Our community is doing violence precisely to those people who are stepping forward to serve us, at a time in which our institutions most need their passion and commitment,” Kurtzer wrote. The issue is not only about how we treat those

who are working on behalf of the community. There is also a fundamental educational issue at stake. We are both educators who believe in and are committed to the growth and learning of our students, and since we are teachers of teachers, of their students as well. We know that such growth can only come when we open ourselves up to new experiences and new ideas. This never means simply accepting those ideas. On the contrary, the greatest growth happens when in confronting something new and challenging, we are able to articulate exactly why we disagree. In Experience and Nature, the great 20th-century American philosopher John Dewey observed that “we cannot permanently divest ourselves of the intellectual habits we take on and wear when we assimilate the culture of our own time and place.” We are creatures of our environment. We have our basic assumptions about what is right and good and true, assumptions that are shaped by that environment. This is inevitable. However, he continued, “intelligent furthering of culture demands that we take some of them off, that we inspect them critically to see what they are made of and what wearing them does to us.” In other words, we are not bound forever by our assumptions. We can examine them and critique them. We can reevaluate our positions. And we must do so, if we want to act responsibly in the world. But there is no way to practice this kind of responsible reflection, to see “what wearing [our intellectual habits] does to us,” unless we create a culture that encourages the practice of empathy. There is no way to “further our culture” if we demonize and dehumanize not just our opponents but even the people within our own community who are trying to listen and learn. Within some Arab and Palestinian circles, there is a debate about “normalization,” with one camp arguing that any conversation with a Jew or Israeli is contaminating and therefore prohibited. How ironic that some members of the Jewish community have arrived at a similar position – a position that erodes the values of empathy and respect, and undermines our capacity to learn. See We need dialogue page A9

The Jewish Press | October 21, 2016 | A9

The Abbas approach explains the failure to make peace JoNAThAN GreeNblATT NEW YORK | JTA Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ statement before the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday revived old hatreds more than it broke new ground. It was little more than a rote diatribe against Israel and a call for international pressure to coerce the Jewish state in place of the hard give and take that happens at the negotiating table. It shed light on why the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has endured so long through so many failed final status negotiations – and, consequently, why the Palestinians continue to live under such difficult circumstances. As usual, Abbas simply blamed Israel for all Palestinian problems. Reaching back into history to call out the Balfour Declaration or the U.N. Partition Plan may satisfy a narrative, but it does nothing to bring about an end to the current stalemate, in which there is no Palestinian state or an agreement for a secure and lasting peace. It’s true that unlike in past U.N. speeches, Abbas did not fill his address with some of the most outlandish and defamatory allegations against Israel. However, he revived a set of basic themes that have prevented the Palestinians from coming to grips with reality and stood in the way of Palestinian recognition of the legitimacy of a Jewish state in any part of historic Palestine. By taking aim at the Balfour Declaration, whose 100th anniversary will be observed next year, Abbas reiterated the longstanding Palestinian claim that has been at the root of the conflict: that Jews have no connection to the land of Israel. The Balfour Declaration was made by His Majesty’s Government, a maritime power. However, it commanded power and legitimacy precisely because it recognized the historic, unbroken connection of the Jewish people to the land of Israel, a people who were in search not of colonial domination but of the most basic human freedom to self-determination. This theme was confirmed the following year by President Woodrow Wilson’s 14 Points, whose principle of na-

tional self-determination brought freedom to small nations dominated by larger powers -- including, for the first time in millennia, to the Jewish people. The refusal of the Palestinians to recognize this basic idea prevents them from making the leap that could lead to acceptance of Israel as a Jewish state. This is a critical point on the map to achieving the two-state solution that both peo-

Mahmoud Abbas addressing the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, Sept. 22, 2016. Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images ple so desperately need. Similarly, Abbas talks of the war that broke out following the decision by the United Nations in 1947 to partition Palestine into two states -- one Jewish, one Arab -- and the “nakba.” However, he failed to mention Palestinian and Arab rejection of the plan, a hostility that spawned war and ignited the Palestinian refugee problem. This is not merely an issue of rewriting history. The essential challenge is the underlying notion that the Palestinians bear no responsibility whatsoever for their predicament because the very concept of a Jewish state in Israel remains the original sin. The refugee problem has been on the table as part of a final-status agreement for decades. All who study the details

know that the solution largely must come through their absorption by a Palestinian state, which would be the homeland for Palestinian refugees and their descendants just as Israel absorbed Jewish refugees and serves as home to the Jewish people. In another symptom of this malady, Abbas referenced the pain of the Israeli occupation but refused to acknowledge that Israel made three separate offers to the Palestinians, any one of which would have led to a Palestinian state. He offers no consideration of the complicated history and tangled reality of the region. Instead, he prefers an oversimplified fiction. Simply put, Israel is always the bad guy, guilty simply based on its existence. Abbas’ call on the international community is to pressure and isolate Israel. His remarks are predicated on the notion that the Palestinians have no responsibility for the situation, despite decades of rejectionist rhetoric, terrorism and incitement. He exonerates them of the need to take any hard steps down the path of a two-state solution -- starting with direct, bilateral negotiations. The Abbas approach should be rejected by the international community, not merely because of its bias against Israel, but also because it recycled the same-old ideas that have pushed Palestinians down the pointless loop of delegitimizing Israel rather than the hard climb of reaching compromise. The goal of all interested parties should be a true twostate solution, one in which the Palestinians finally accept the legitimacy of a Jewish state and Israel accepts the legitimacy of a Palestinian state, a resolution that addresses the needs of both parties in that context. Indeed, shortly after Abbas’ speech, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for direct negotiations on all issues, including Jerusalem. It might not be easy, and Abbas might not like to hear it, but this is the path forward that ultimately will benefit both sides. Jonathan A. Greenblatt is CEO and national director of the Anti-Defamation League.

How Jacob Neusner brought Jewish studies into the mainstream AlAN J. AverY-PeCk WORCESTER, MA | JTA Jacob Neusner, the famed scholar and almost mythically prolific author who died Oct. 8 at age 84, almost singlehandedly created the modern study of Judaism, and in doing so he revolutionized our understanding of the history of Judaism and our perception of what Judaism can mean to Jews today. His career, which spanned more than 50 years and famously included the publication of hundreds of books, brought him national and international recognition. But most important, it created a model of Jewish life and learning that both adheres to the heritage of Torah and tradition, and with intellectual and historical honesty is at home in 21st century America. By the early 1960s, when Neusner was first beginning to publish, Bible scholars had long questioned and sought methods of analyzing everything from the Hebrew Bible’s account of the history of early Israel to the New Testament’s claims regarding what Jesus had said and done. But it remained routine in Jewish history simply to accept as fact what Jewish texts, written hundreds of years aer the events they reported, said had happened or claimed what certain rabbis or other figures had said. Instead, Neusner insisted that ancient Jewish writings be examined according to the same norms of analysis that were routinely applied to the Bible and New Testament. In his earliest writings, Neusner showed conclusively that rabbinic books — the Mishnah, the two Talmuds, collections of Midrash — expressed distinctive ideologies uniquely suited to the time and place of their authors and editors. is meant that Jewish history, just like Israelite and early Christian history, could not be expressed in terms of what had actually happened, but only as the history of the ideas and ideologies of those who compiled and edited the later literary evidence. A first implication of this discovery was that we could no longer speak simply of some single and monolithic “Judaism.” Individual rabbinic books, rather, needed to be understood in the context of the specific and diverse Judaic systems in which they arose. Second, Talmudic texts could not be studied as they always had been, with every text, early or late, being used to

illuminate every other text. And third, accurately interpreting this literature required academic methods. is meant that the Talmud, to be truly understood and for it to take its rightful place among the world’s great literatures, could no longer be in the sole purview of the yeshiva and yeshiva-trained scholars. e last point is perhaps the most significant. rough critical examination, massive projects of translation and

Jacob Neusner won national and international recognition in a scholarly career that spanned more than half a century. Credit: Emily Darrow/Bard College commentary, and his application of disciplines ranging from literary study to anthropology, Neusner brought the study of Judaism — and the university-trained scholar of Judaism — into dialogue with scholarship throughout the academy. Talmudic literature, previously viewed as neither accessible nor, because of its superficially arcane content, as worth accessing, would now contribute to the work of humanists and social scientists throughout the academy. is had another important implication. Even as Jews and Judaism came of age and became increasingly at home in the America of the 1960s and beyond, Jacob Neusner assured that Jewish history, literature and tradition would take their rightful place within the academy, benefiting from critical study while also demonstrating how Jews and their literary and intellectual legacy contribute to human learning overall. In this work, Neusner defied entrenched religious and academic monopolies, whose approach to these texts and

commitment to a traditional reading of Jewish history and religion was now challenged exactly as, a century before, academic study had challenged regnant, fundamentalist readings of the Hebrew Bible. Strikingly, today, just as a critical approach to the Hebrew Bible has begun to enter even the world of Jewish Orthodoxy, Neusner’s critical methodology is standard, even among scholars who no longer are conscious of where these approaches came from and who take issue with Neusner’s specific conclusions. Whether he wins or loses on the details, Neusner won the battle over how Talmudic texts would be studied and how they would be regarded in the contemporary academy. Alan J. Avery-Peck is the Kra-Hiatt Professor in Judaic Studies in the Department of Religious Studies at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. He is the co-editor of “A Legacy of Learning: Essays in Honor of Jacob Neusner” [Brill, 2014].

We need dialogue

Continued from page A8 Instead, we ought to be encouraging an openness to reflecting on divergent voices and views, especially on Israel and the conflict, whether from the right or the left. Israel is too important to the future of Jews and Judaism to leave in the hands of the demagogues and demonizers. We have to learn to talk together, and most importantly, to listen and hear one another. Those leaders who are helping us to do that, whether in synagogues or college campuses or on Israel trips, deserve our respect. Jon A. Levisohn holds the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Chair in Jewish educational thought at Brandeis University, where he directs the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education. Miriam Heller Stern is the national director of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion’s School of Education. They both hold doctorates from Stanford University and are alumni of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship Program.

A10 | The Jewish Press | October 21, 2016

synagogues b’nAi iSrAel SynAgogue

618 Mynster Street Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 402.322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com

beTh el SynAgogue

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

beTh iSrAel SynAgogue

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

chAbAd houSe

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

congregATion b’nAi JeShurun

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

offuTT Air force bASe

Capehart Chapel 2500 Capehart Road Offutt AFB, NE 68123 402.294.6244

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

The monthly Shabbat Speakers Series in october is cancelled. Our services are led by lay leader Larry Blass. 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.

beTh el SynAgogue

Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman. fridAy: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m.; Our Shabbat Tables in congregants’ homes. SATurdAy: Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Junior Congregation, 10 a.m.; Mini-Minyannaires, 10:45 a.m.; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 6:15 p.m.; Havdalah, 7:14 p.m. weekdAy SerViceS: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. SundAy: Hoshanna Rabbah/Morning Service, 9 a.m.; BESTT Classes, 9:45 a.m.; Torah Study, 10 a.m.; Torah Tots, 10:30 a.m.; Rabbi Abraham’s Class, “The Bible Now,” 11 a.m.; Kadima Program, 12:15 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:30 p.m. mondAy: Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. Yizkor following the Torah Service; Soup-er Lunch in the Sukkah, noon; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 5:30 p.m. TueSdAy: Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6:45 p.m.; Havdalah, 7:10 p.m. wedneSdAy: BESTT Classes, 4:15 p.m.; USY Lounge Night, 5 p.m.; Kadima Meeting, 5:30 p.m.; Hebrew High, 6:45 p.m. Lunch at Nebraska AIDS Coalition, friday, oct. 28, 11:30 a.m. Family Kabbalat Shabbat led by USY, friday, oct. 28, 6 p.m. followed by Congregational Shabbat dinner. YAC Goes to Vala’s Pumpkin Patch, Sunday, oct. 30, 4 p.m. Meet at campsite #20 at 5 p.m. for dinner. All classes and programs are open to everyone in the Jewish community.

beTh iSrAel SynAgogue

Office hours: Monday-Tuesday, closed, Wednesday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Friday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Ari Dembitzer. fridAy-chol hamoed Sukkot: Shacharit, 6:45 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv & Kabbalat Shabbat, 6:15 p.m.; Candle Lighting, 6:15 p.m. SATurdAy-chol hamoed Sukkot: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Torah Parade and Kids Classes, 9:45 a.m.; Insights into the Weekly Portion, 5:10 p.m.; Mincha/Seudah Shlishit, 5:55 p.m.; Havdalah, 7:14 p.m. SundAy-erev Shemini Atzeret: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Bagels and Beit Medrash, 9:45 a.m.; Candle Lighting, 6:13 p.m. weekdAyS: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Orot Hateshuva with Rabbi Ari, 7:45-8:15 a.m. mondAy-Shemini Atzeret: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Class with Rabbi Ari, 5:45 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6:15 p.m.; Hakafot, 6:45 p.m.; Earliest Candle Lighting, 7:11 p.m.; Simchat Torah Dairy Dinner, following Hakafot. Cost is $12 for Adults, $6 for 4-12 and free for 3 and under. TueSdAy-Simchat Torah: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 6:20 p.m.; Havdalah, 7:10 p.m. ThurSdAy: Women’s Class, 9:30 a.m.; Lunch & Learn, noon at UNMC; Scholars Club, 4:30 p.m. at JCC; Avot UBanim, 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 festive kiddush luncheon. SundAy: Shacharit, 8:30 a.m. followed by Sunday Secrets: Jewish Fun Facts class at 9:15 a.m.; Kids Zone Hakafot, 6 p.m. Fun Hakafot Celebration for kids and adults too with Dinner and Dance. weekdAyS: Shacharit, 7 a.m. followed by coffee, treats, study and shmoozing. mondAy: Shacharit, 9:30 a.m. followed by a festive Holiday Kiddush; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6:40 p.m.; Light candles after 7:20 p.m. from a pre-existing flame.

TueSdAy: Shacharit, 9:30 a.m. followed by a festive Holiday Kiddush. wedneSdAy: Shacharit, 7 a.m. followed by coffee, treats, study and shmoozing; New Tanya Series -- The Anatomy of Your Soul: Who Are You?, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Mendel Katzman. ThurSdAy: Advanced Talmud Class, noon with Rabbi Mendel Katzman. All programs are open to the entire community.

congregATion b’nAi JeShurun

Services conducted by Rabbi Craig Lewis. fridAy: Pre-neg, 6 p.m. hosted by Alan Frank; Candlelighting, 6:17 p.m.; Shabbat Evening Service, 6:30 p.m. SATurdAy: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m.; Havdalah (72 minutes), 7:46 p.m. SundAy-hoshanah rabbah: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m. at Tifereth Israel; LJCS Gesher, 10 a.m. at South Street Temple; Sukkot Celebration/Potluck Dinner, 4 p.m. at the home of Rabbi Craig and Jen Lewis, 6420 Blackstone Road; Candlelighting, 6:15 p.m. mondAy-Shemini Atzeret: WHAT’S THE SCOOP!: A PJLibrary Simchat Torah Celebration, 6:30 p.m. at Tifereth Israel, 3219 Sheridan Boulevard. Bring your families…Open to all Tifereth Israel and South Street Temple children ages 3-12; Candlelighting, 7:43 p.m. wedneSdAy: LJCS Hebrew classes, 4 p.m. at Tifereth Israel; Federation Board Meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. AdulT educATion wedneSdAy: Intro to Prayer Hebrew, Session #2, 6 p.m. ThurSdAy: Beginning Conversational Hebrew, Session #2, 6:30 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. 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.

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

roSe blumkin JewiSh home

fridAy: Chef’s Demo, 1:30 p.m. with Beth El. SATurdAy: Services, 9:15 a.m. led by Scott Weiler. mondAy: Shemini Atzeret Services, 9:15 a.m. led by Scott Weiler. TueSdAy: Simchat Torah Services, 9:15 a.m. led by Scott Weiler. 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 Crystal and Cantor Shermet; Sukkot with JYG, 7:30 p.m. Join our 7th and 8th graders at Temple Israel as we celebrate the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. We will have dinner in the Sukkah (with a great discussion), followed by snacks and movies! RSVPs required. SATurdAy: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Services, 10:30 a.m. Bat Mitzvah of emma fingold, daughter of Carrie and Steven Fingold. SundAy: Simchat Torah Services and Consecration, 4:30 p.m. Join us as we celebrate our kindergarteners as they begin their Religious School education. The children will receive a blessing from clergy and then will join in parading the Torah scrolls around the Sanctuary. Music provided by Tuffy Epstein along with an opportunity to dance with our Torah scrolls. Hors d’oeuvres and Ice Cream will be served at the end of our celebration. mondAy: Simchat Torah Morning Service and Yizkor, 10:30 a.m. wedneSdAy: Grades 3-6, 4 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.; What’s It All About God: An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism, 6:30 p.m. with Rabbi Crystal. ThurSdAy: What’s It All About God: An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Crystal.

TifereTh iSrAel

Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: monday-friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. fridAy: Services, 6:30 p.m. SATurdAy: Shabbat Morning service, 10 a.m. followed by a Kiddish luncheon. SundAy: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m. at Tifereth Israel; LJCS Gesher, 10 a.m. at South Street Temple. mondAy: Synagogue office closed; Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Yizkor, 11 a.m.; WHAT’S THE SCOOP!: A PJLibrary Simchat Torah Celebration, 6:30 p.m. at Tifereth Israel, 3219 Sheridan Boulevard. Bring your families…Open to all Tifereth Israel and South Street Temple children ages 3-12. TueSdAy: Synagogue office closed; Services, 9:30 a.m. wedneSdAy: LJCS Hebrew classes, 4 p.m. at Tifereth Israel; Federation Board Meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Tifereth Israel.

To SubmiT AnnouncemenTS

Announcements may be e-mailed to the Press with attached photos in .jpg or .tif files to jpress@jewishomaha.org; faxed to 402.334.5422, or mailed to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154. Forms are available through Omaha and Lincoln synagogues, by contacting The Jewish Press at 402.334.6448, by e-mailing the editor at: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org or online at: www.jewish omaha.org, click on ‘Jewish Press’ and go to Submit Announcements. Submit other announcements -- births engagements, marriages, commitment ceremonies or obituaries -- online at the Federation website: www.jewishomaha.org, click on ‘Jewish Press,’ scroll down to ‘Submit Announcements, complete form and click on “submit” twice.

israeli chief rabbi: Syria’s ‘small holocaust’

JTA NEWS STAFF Israel’s Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef said “a small holocaust” was taking place in Syria. At an interreligious meeting with Palestinian Muslim clerics hosted by President Reuven Rivlin omn ursday, Oct. 13, Yosef said the world must not be silent in the face of the atrocities taking place in the country that has been consumed by civil war since 2011, e Times of Israel reported. “Every day not far from here, as we sit here, men, women and children are murdered in Syria, and particularly in Aleppo,” Yosef said at the meeting. “Millions of refugees are homeless, hundreds of thousands of others are starved and under siege. ey are not our friends, but they are human beings who are suffering a small holocaust.”

Yosef said that particularly Jews, who endured the Holocaust and the murder of 6 million people as “the world looked on and remained silent,” must not do so now. In describing the civil war in Syria, Yosef used the Hebrew-language word for the Holocaust, “shoah.” Depending on how it is used in a sentence, the word can mean the Jewish genocide perpetrated by the Nazis or an unspecified calamity or major catastrophe. “As Jews we must not stay silent,” the chief rabbi said. “e call must be heard from here: A genocide will not be allowed to go by quietly -- not in Syria and not anywhere else, and not against any people.” At the meeting last week, Israeli and Palestinian religious leaders issued a call against religiously inspired violence.

The Jewish Press | October 21, 2016 | A11

lifecycles bAT mITzvAh

mckENNA blAkE

McKenna Blake, daughter of Denise and Chris Blake, will become a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, Oct. 29 at Temple Israel. McKenna is an eighth-grade Honor Roll student at Bennington Jr/Sr High School. She enjoys dance, she plays the tenor saxophone in band and is on the track team and plays soccer for Bennington United. For her mitzvah project, McKenna volunteered at the Stephen Center serving meals and volunteered at HETRA. At HETRA, she worked with horse trainers who offer therapeutic riding to people with disabilities. She has a sister, Peyton. Grandparents are Marian and Max Grossman of Anaheim Hills, CA, Bonnie and Gary Blake of Hesperia, CA, and Michelle Hamilton of San Jacinto, CA.

IN mEmorIAm

JAmES l. lIPSEy

James L. Lipsey passed away Oct. 7 in Tucson, AZ. A private service will be held at a future date. He is survived by his wife, Shirley; son, Bob and son and daughter-in-law, Joe and Heather, and daughter, Sally Scott, all of Tucson; five grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. Born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1921, he was a graduate of Omaha Central High School and the University of Nebraska. He enlisted in the Air Force two weeks after Pearl Harbor and served for five years, stateside and in the Pacific Theater of Operations. He was recalled to active duty for 1-1/2 years during the Korean Conflict. He and his dear wife, Shirley, were married in Omaha in 1947. He was founder and president of J. Lipsey and Associates, an Omaha-based advertising and public relations firm, and was its chairman and president until his retirement in 1977. Over the course of his long life, he served his profession and community in many ways. He was a founder of Boys Clubs of Omaha and was president of its Board of Governors in 1969. He was a member of the Omaha Advertising Club, Omaha Press Club, Omaha Rotary Club, YMCA Committee of Management and the UCS Funding Committee. He was a board member of the Meyer Therapy Center, Planned Parenthood of Nebraska, Beth El Synagogue, and Omaha Sales and Marketing Executives, and was organizer and chairman of Boy Scout Troop 17. He and his wife moved to Tucson in 1975. He was a member and president of the Saguaro Horsemen’s Association. He was a member of the Arizona Jewish Post Advisory Board, and served as its chairman for five years. He was a board member of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona and a member of the Tucson Jewish Community Relations Council executive committee, and the Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona investment committee. He was a member of Temple Emanu-El, Congregation Or Chadash. He served on the City of Tucson Human Relations Commission, the University of Arizona Humanities Seminars Advisory Board, the College of Humanities Advisory Board, and was a board member of Tucson Centers for Women and Children and its successor, Emerge! Center Against Domestic Abuse. Memorials may be made to Emerge! Center Against Domestic Abuse in Tucson.

To SubmIT obITuArIES 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.

Terrorist attacks in Israel drop to lowest tally in over a year

JTA NEWS STAFF e number of terrorist attacks perpetrated in Israel dropped in August to 93 -- the lowest monthly tally on record since March 2015 and the first dip since then below the 100-incident mark. In Jerusalem, the number of incidents in August dropped by nearly half, to 13 from the 24 in July, the Shin Bet security agency said in its latest monthly report, which was published this week. Overall, the number of terrorist attacks dropped in August by 8 percent from the 101 incidents recorded in July. Seven Israelis were injured in the August attacks -- three of them were stabbed. Another two were wounded by firebombs. e remaining victims were injured by an explosive charge and the hurling of stones. ree of the terrorist incidents were mortar round launchings from the Gaza Strip, which did not result in injury. August saw no fatalities from terrorist attacks. In July, Rabbi Michael Mark was murdered in a terrorist attack in the West Bank settlement of Otniel that also injured three others. In Israel, the West Bank and Gaza attacks began increasing in August 2015, when 171 were documented, and rose sharply in September and October of that year, with 223 and 620 attacks recorded in those months, respectively. e overall number of attacks decreased to 326 in November, 246 in December, 169 in January, 155 in February and 123 in March. On Oct. 9, two people were killed and at least six injured when a Palestinian terrorist opened fire on a light rail stop in Jerusalem. On Wednesday, Oct. 5, a Palestinian child was killed in the southern Gaza Strip in an incident that a Palestinian medical source blamed on Israeli troops, but which Israel said was not the action of any of its forces. Abdullah Nasser Atwa Abu Mdeif was shot in the back by a bullet on the eveningof Oct. 4 in the al-Qarrara area east of Khan Yunis, Gaza Ministry of Health spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidra told the Maan news agency, adding his death was from Israel Defense Forces fire. Yoav Mordechai, the IDF coordinator of government activities in the territories, wrote in a statement that the boy likely had died from a stray bullet shot during a wedding in the area. Hundreds of Palestinians have died in clashes with security forces following the escalation in terrorist attacks last year. Many of them were killed while perpetrating terrorist attacks. At least 30 Palestinians have died in the Gaza Strip over the past two weeks in border clashes with Israeli troops or in retaliatory strikes for the launching of projectiles into Israel, Maan reported.

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A12 | The Jewish Press | October 21, 2016

worldnews

Israel suspending ties with UNESCO following vote that denies Jewish connection to Jerusalem JTA NEWS STAFF Israeli Education Minister Naali Bennett said Israel would suspend its cooperation with UNESCO because of the U.N. agency’s decision to ignore Jewish ties to holy sites in Jerusalem. Bennett’s statement on Friday followed passionate condemnations by Israel as well as international Jewish groups and communities of a vote the previous day in Paris by the executive board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. rough a majority of 24 to 6 votes, the board passed a preliminary version of a resolution that calls several sites holy to Judaism only by their Islamic names without mentioning its Jewish names in Hebrew or English. e sites include the Temple Mount, referred to as Al- aram Al-Sharif. Israeli officials will neither meet UNESCO representatives nor engage in cooperation in international conferences or professional cooperation with the organization, Bennett said in a statement that followed the outpouring of condemnations – including by a U.S. official who called the vote “one-sided and unhelpful.” Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump called the move by UNESCO a “one-sided attempt to ignore Israel’s 3,000-year bond to its capital city” and “further evidence of the enormous anti-Israel bias” at the United Nations. Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s foreign policy adviser, Laura Rosenberer, condemned the resolution. “It’s outrageous that UNESCO would deny the deep, historic connection between Judaism and the Temple Mount,” she said. Irina Bokova, UNESCO’s director-general, on Friday issued a statement that was deemed critical of the vote. “To

deny, conceal or erase any of the Jewish, Christian or Muslim traditions undermines the integrity of the site, and runs counter to the reasons that justified its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage list,” she said. “When these divisions carry over into UNESCO, an organization dedicated to dialogue and peace, they prevent us from carrying out our mission.”

The Temple Mount compound in Jerusalem Credit: Hadas Parush/Flash90 Bennett in his statement said of the UNESCO countries, “Your decision denies history and encourages terror. ose who give prizes to the supporters of Jihad in Jerusalem the same week that two Jews are murdered in the city could God forbid encourage more victims.” e United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Lithuania and Estonia voted against the resolution and 26 countries abstained. Israel’s ambassador to UNESCO called the voting an improvement to previous

votes by the U.N. agency, saying Western countries had supported previous measures with similar language on Jerusalem. Russia and China were among those that backed the resolution. “is vote was certainly unpleasant, but I’m very pleased with the result,” Ambassador Carmel Shama-Hacohen told Army Radio Friday morning. “Our goal was to bring back France and our friends in Europe to not support the Palestinian resolution.” He noted that Sweden, whose government is a harsh critic of Israel and the only EU Cabinet member that recognizes the Palestinian Authority as a state, also sat out the vote, as did India, which historically has supported anti-Israel resolutions in U.N. forums. France and Sweden both abstained from the Oct. 13 vote aer supporting a UNESCO resolution in April that also ignored the site’s Jewish ties. e April vote saw 33 votes in favor, 6 against and 17 abstentions. Classified as pertaining to “Occupied Palestine,” the UNESCO resolution passed ursday was submitted by Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar and Sudan. While it affirms “the importance of the Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls for the three monotheistic religions,” it contains two references to Judaism: One in describing holy sites in Hebron and the other in decrying “the enforced creation of a new Jewish prayer platform south of the Mughrabi Ascent in Al-Buraq Plaza.” e so-called al-Buraq Plaza is better known as the Western Wall Plaza – possibly Judaism’s holiest site. e use of the Arabic-language name is a recent development lied from Hamas literature, according to the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

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

Paid for by Brad Ashford for Congress

B

The Jewish Press | October 21, 2016 | B1

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C O M M U N I T Y

on sukkot, use King solomon’s wisdom to endure the election season edMoN j. rodMaN JTA uilding up to Sukkot, with its temporary, shaky sukkah, it’s easy to forget that the holiday comes with something more substantial: its own book, Ecclesiastes -- Kohelet in Hebrew -- which is read during the festival and gives us a solid sampling of earthly wisdom. “A season is set for everything, a time for every experience under heaven,” Kohelet famously tells us, which this year brings to mind the campaign season. And though in the last few months we do seem to have experienced “everything,” I think we can all agree that not much of it has been heavenly. Coming soon after solemn Yom Kippur, Sukkot represents a change in season and mood. The “season of our rejoicing,” as Sukkot is known, is happier and longer than the Day of Atonement -- this year it begins on the evening of Oct. 16 and ends on the evening of Oct. 23. So I’ve been looking for a way to relieve the tension of electoral politics and enjoy the more relaxed spirit of the sukkah. The word “sukkot” means “booths,” referring to the temporary dwellings that the Torah commands us to live in during the holiday, thus commemorating our wandering in the desert. This year, in particular, the sukkah also reminded me of an even more pressing commandment: to spend a few thoughtful minutes in a voting booth on Election Day. But before that day arrives, we must endure the final weeks of a heated campaign. “All such things are wearisome,” concludes Kohelet. While that reference is about the commonness of life, like the sun rising and setting, it just as well describes my feelings about being overwhelmed by partisan talking heads and political robocalls that interrupt our Shabbat dinner. As it happens, however, I have also found that Kohelet -- which, thanks to its tell-it-like-it-is tone, often reads more like a world-weary TV pundit than a giver of spiritual advice -- can provide a way to take a deeper, more analytic view of the election season, or at least give me something to ponder before I yell at my TV. After watching the first presidential debate, which was especially

wearisome, I realized that some of Kohelet’s wisdom could be applied to the flux and flummox of our current political discourse. And with one of the debates falling in the middle of Sukkot, I could even use the book as a primer on how to gauge the candidates. I could also find within it advice for the debaters, as well as some suggestions for taking my reactions down a notch.

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The Book of Kohelet is traditionally ascribed to King Solomon. The word “kohelet,” according to H.L. Ginsberg’s The Five Megilloth and Jonah, can be translated as “the assembler.” But whoever the authors of this book, they have compiled a series of maxims and sayings (like a Jewish Shakespeare) such as “Utter futility! All is futile!” which like the sukkah brings us to consider the fragility and uncertainty of our existence. Continuing in a skeptical tone, Kohelet teaches that “there is nothing new beneath the sun.” (Admittedly, with a woman and a billionaire running against each other for president, that assumption may be challengeable.) Still, Kohelet correctly sums up the state of our current po-

litical battlefields: “The race is not won by the swift, nor the battle by the valiant.” Kohelet’s knack for calling our election goes deeper, such as “don’t pay attention to everything that is said” -- a mantra I will intone as I watch the debates. Another maxim: “Don’t let your spirit be quickly vexed,” which will sustain me when, like you, I hear one fact-check fail after another. As for the debaters themselves, Kohelet advises, “there is a time for silence and a time for speaking,” which if followed, I hoped, could keep the two from talking over each other. For any candidate who would listen: “Don’t let your mouth bring you into disfavor” and a “good name is better than fragrant oil.” Kohelet also has much to say about the candidates’ positions. In matters of defense, Kohelet would favor experience: “Wisdom is more valuable than war.” On matters of equality, a candidate should observe “all the oppression that goes on under the sun.” In matters of personal gain, Kohelet urges us to be suspicious of “a lover of money,” grimly reminding that a “rich man’s abundance doesn’t let him sleep.” Will Trump or Clinton heed King Solomon’s advice in these final weeks before Election Day? We’ll have to see. Regardless of the outcome, from now on I’ll be reading the news and watching the debates more calmly with my copy of Kohelet nearby. Having the book as my guide, I won’t need the commentators to know whose efforts have been futile and who has played the fool. 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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Reflections from The Wall: A child’s prayer to the wall on the women’s side which, in trips past, had been crammed full of visitors, tourists, mourners, and celebrants. Today, we had no problem finding space to pray and touch the stones, smooth and oiled from the hands of the women before us who poured their prayers, their hearts, their tears, into the wall before us. As I prayed, my child too, prayed. We had spoken about the Wall. We had read stories about kids like him, visiting the wall and we put prayers from friends, written on tiny scraps of paper into the cracks. As I finished my prayers, I backed up a few paces, watching my tiny son, oblivious to those around him, in deep thought, forehead pressed against the stone, gently caressing the surface, quietly murmuring to himself. What does he pray for, I wonder. I hope his prayers are answered. I snap a few shots of him, before he realizes I am no longer next to him and then, together, we back away from the wall, without turning our backs to it. Aî‚?er returning to the nearly deserted plaza to await the rest of our menfolk, he happily chases pigeons, delighting in the game. î ˘e sounds of song fill the air, we look over the railing and see a small group of hasidic men, holding hands dancing in a whirling circle, their joyful song’s volume amplified by the wall. I see a father walking up to the wall with his small children, a boy and a girl, and recall pictures of myself as a small girl in a red dress wearing a white kippah on my head, standing with my father in

almost the same place. I make a mental note to dig through the albums when I get home to find it. î ˘en, I see two Arab men, in full robes and keďŹƒyahs, wearing backpacks, approach the entrance of the tunnels, next to where the Hasids are dancing and singing, and I have to admit a tingle of fear passed though my spine. I scan to the wall and still do not see my family; they are still inside. I look at the guard station, and they do not seem concerned in the least. My child has resumed his game with the pigeons, and so I continue to watch. î ˘e men look into the tunnels, walk around the wall, take a few ‘selfies’ and then come back up to the plaza. No one says anything to them. No one stops or interrogates them. î ˘ey are free to visit the wall, just as anyone else is. I take comfort in this and feel slightly uncomfortable with myself for perhaps making too harsh a judgment, here in this holy place. As I wait, a large tour group of Muslims, both men and women, in traditional dress, wearing veils and hijabs, are led into the plaza by their guide. I watch as they chat in English, snap pictures and observe the wall, all while standing under the flag of Israel, which waves, unbiasedly, in the light breeze above them; and I am struck by the moment. In my recollection, I have never seen large groups of Muslims visiting to the wall, and contrary to what the news says, I have just witnessed the exact opposite of ‘apartheid’ here, at Judaism’s most Holy site. See Reflections from The Wall page B3

senior living

GaBBy BlaiR rom the time I was an infant, I made the trek to Israel to spend time with family for various holidays and school breaks, both with my parents and alone. As life oî‚?en works, I find myself completing this circle by now traveling there with my own children for the same reasons, and so they can deepen their own relationships with their grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles, just as I did before them. î ˘ese trips also serve the purpose to enhance their identity as Jews, their ties to the land in which their forefathers are buried, and to the places that are holy to our people. î ˘e Kotel, also known as the Western Wall or Wailing Wall, is the holiest site that Jews have access to. I have been blessed to have visited the ancient stone wall more times that I can count, as a tiny child, a youth, and now as a parent myself. A visit to the Kotel oî‚?en sticks with you long aî‚?er departure. Most people I know have some special story, moment, or epiphany from their visit there, making each and every visit a unique personal moment. My most recent reflection or epiphany moment came last summer. We visited late one beautiful summer aî‚?ernoon. î ˘e Kotel was uncharacteristically quiet. It was almost time for Mincha, so my father, my husband, and my older boys split o to pray in the tunnels to the side of the wall. My four-year-old son and I walked leisurely in the late aî‚?ernoon sunshine

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Reflections from The Wall

Continued fron page B2 Anyone of any religion, color, and gender can come in peace to visit this place, respectfully, all under the blue and white flag of Israel. I stand there taking in this truth and consider the news leading up to our visit that day. I heard of violence in Jerusalem. I heard of clashes at Al-Aqsa, whose golden dome shines brightly in the sun above our tiny scrap of Holy Wall. But what I saw that day is rarely reported in the news. It wasn’t remarkable enough, perhaps, for the international community. ere was no conflict, or divisive incident, thank G-d , because certainly there are many such moments like that. Today, it was peaceful and serene, and that is not news worthy. e tour group begins to dri away, being led to their next stop and my little one, who has tired of chasing pigeons, asks if next we can walk up the big bridge to look at the ‘shiny castle’. I stop, crouch down, and look into my beautiful son’s big blue eyes and realize that the moment of peace, goodwill and epiphany I had been quietly

reveling in is perhaps false. I am unsure of the proper words to say. I tell him that we cannot. “Why, Mama?” I tell him that we are not allowed to go there now; “But why, Mama?” I tell him, reluctantly, because it is not safe for us. I do not tell him it is because we are Jews. I do not tell him of the Temple, or the Waqf, or the status quo, although it is all in my mind. I think about the stark contrast and bias we would likely face on the other side of the wall. He is too young to understand these things. I am not sure that I can even understand them fully. As I see the rest of our family approaching, I stand and wave to them, conflicted and anxious. As I turn away from him, I hear my four year old quietly say to himself, “One day, when I am bigger, I will go up there.” e pigeons in the square take flight suddenly, this time on their own accord, climbing higher into the blue and disappear over the wall. And for the second time in under half an hour, I hope his prayers are answered.

B4 | The Jewish Press | October 21, 2016

Here’s a super-easy Sukkot holiday meal

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ONE POT CHICKEN AND RICE WITH SWEET POTATOES

enjoying harvest-inspired dishes with friends and family. Even so, I understand how slaving away in the kitchen can get tiresome -- especially when there are so many dishes to wash. at’s when it’s time to employ cooking shortcuts. Tricks like store-bought puff pastry, frozen veggies and onepot dishes will save you time on Sukkot without sacrificing a stitch of flavor. See Sukkot holiday meal for dessert recipe page B6

is one-pot wonder can be made one to two days ahead of time and reheated for guests. If you don’t like sweet potato, you can substitute carrots, butternut squash or even pumpkin. For more spice, add spicy paprika or red pepper flakes. Because the chicken and veggies are all cooked in the same pot, the rice is super flavorful and will feed a crowd.

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Credit: Shannon Sarna

SPICED SQUASH AND LAMB BOUREKAS

Ingredients: 6-8 chicken thighs, skin left on 1 tbsp. paprika 1 tsp. dried oregano 1 tsp. dried thyme 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 1-2 tbsp. olive oil 1 sweet potato, peeled and diced 1 large onion 2 celery ribs, diced 3 garlic cloves, minced 3 cups white or brown rice 2 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock 2 cups water 8-10 ounces mixed frozen vegetables

Credit: Shannon Sarna

Directions: Combine paprika, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper. Rub spice mixture onto the skin and underside of each chicken thigh. Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Sear chicken, skin side down, for 5 minutes, until chicken has browned slightly. Remove chicken from pan. Add another tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté sweet potato 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Add onion and celery and cook another 5 minutes, stirring and scraping brown bits off bottom of pan. Add garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Add rice to pan and stir with veggies and oil to coat. Add stock and water and bring to a boil. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place chicken back into pan. Cover pot and reduce heat to low. Cook 25 minutes, then add frozen veggies to pot. Cook another 5-7 minutes, until rice is cooked and all liquid has evaporated. Fluff rice and serve. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

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Bourekas are an easy appetizer to throw together using store-bought puff pastry. If you don’t like ground lamb, substitute ground beef. You can also make a vegetarian version by using tofu or feta cheese with the squash. Ingredients: 2 sheets store-bought puff pastry, left to thaw at room temperature for around 30 minutes 1/2 pound ground lamb 2 cups cooked pureed or mashed butternut squash (can also use sweet potato or frozen butternut squash) 1 tbsp. olive oil 1 small onion 1/2 tsp. ground cumin 1/2 tsp. ground coriander 1/4 tsp. cinnamon Pinch red pepper flakes 1/4 tsp. salt 1 egg beaten for glaze Sesame seeds, nigella seeds or poppy seeds (optional)

Directions: Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté onion until translucent. Add spices to pan and cook until toasted, around 1 minute. Add ground lamb and cook until no longer pink, breaking up into small pieces with a wooden spoon as you cook. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Combine butternut squash and lamb mixture in a medium bowl. Preheat oven to 375 F. Roll out each sheet of puff pastry. Cut each sheet into 9 even squares. Using a rolling pin, roll out each square slightly. Scoop 1 heaping tablespoon of the lamb/squash mixture into the corner of each square. Fold puff pastry over filling, forming a triangle. Using the tines of a fork, crimp the edges. Repeat with second sheet of puff pastry. Brush each boureka with beaten egg. Top with sesame seeds, nigella seeds or poppy seeds, if desired. Bake 18-22 minutes, until golden on top. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

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The Jewish Press | October 21, 2016 | B5

usnews

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Nobel Prize winner Bob Dylan’s five most Jewish moments GABe FrieDMAn JTA aybe the times are a changin’? Bob Dylan became the first person considered primarily a musician to win the Nobel Prize in Literature when he was bestowed the prestigious honor on Oct. 13. e Bard -- as he is known affectionately by fans, underscoring how he is oen seen equally as a poet and musician -- became the fieenth Jew to win the literature prize, joining the ranks of Saul Bellow, Isaac Bashevis Singer and Patrick Modiano. He even beat out fellow Jew Philip Roth, who has for years been seen as a favorite to win the Nobel (and at age 83, may feel the opportunity is fast slipping away). Dylan’s religious trajectory has been interesting, to say the least. Born Robert Zimmerman and raised in a tight Jewish community in Hibbing, Minnesota (he spent summers at Herzl Camp, a Zionist camp in Webster, Wisconsin), Dylan became a born again Christian in the 1970s. Aer releasing a couple of polarizing gospel music albums, he returned to his Jewish roots in the ‘80s. In recent decades he has even participated in holiday services at Orthodox Chabad synagogues. So in honor of Dylan’s historic achievement, we give you his five most Jewish moments. Holding his son’s bar mitzvah at the Western Wall Not too long aer releasing the last of his Christian music albums in the early ‘80s, Dylan made an extremely Jewish statement: he held his eldest son Jesse’s bar mitzvah at the Western Wall. Jesse, born to Dylan’s first wife Sara (née Shirley Marlin Noznisky), went on to become a music video director and founded the media production company Wondros. Playing Hava Nagila at a Chabad telethon Aer his mysterious “return” to Judaism, Dylan studied

with Chabad rabbis in the 1980s. His appearance on the borhood bully, he’s just one man/His enemies say he’s on their Chabad telethon fundraiser in 1989 wasn’t his first endorse- land/ey got him outnumbered a million to one/He got no ment of the movement (or his first telethon cameo) -- but it place to escape to, no place to run/He’s the neighborhood bully.” might have been his Jewiest. A yarmulke-clad Dylan accompanied songwriter Peter Himmelman (his Jewish son-in-law) and Harry Dean Stanton on harmonica as the group played Hava Nagila. Holding a seder with Marlon Brando By 1975, Dylan had released many of his seminal albums, such as e Times ey Are A’Changin’, Highway 61 Revisited and Blood on the Tracks. Marlon Brando had already starred in most of his iconic films, from On the Waterfront to e Godfather. So the 1975 congregational seder at Hollywood’s Temple Israel -- which Brando crashed, and where Dylan played his anti-war anthem Blowin’ in the Wind -- was not your grandmother’s festive meal. According to the JTA story on the event, Rabbi Haskell Bernat, the senior rabbi of the congregation, said that Brando, Dylan Bob Dylan onstage during the 17th Annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards at The and a third guest -- Dennis Banks, a leader of Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, California, on Jan. 12, 2012. Credit Christopher Polk/Getty Images for VH1 the American Indian Movement (misidentified in the story as “Kenneth” Banks) -- “had contributed to endorsing Like a Rolling Stone music video by an israeli director the sense of justice and social awareness of the American Like a Rolling Stone, one of Dylan’s most popular songs, people.” was released in July 1965. Nearly 50 years later, in 2013, IsThe pro-israel anthem Neighborhood Bully raeli director Vania Heymann -- a graduate of the Bezalel Just aer his son’s bar mitzvah at the Kotel -- and a year Academy of Art and Design -- created an interactive music aer Israel’s controversial first Lebanon War -- Dylan revideo for the song. e video allowed viewers to change leased the song Neighborhood Bully on his 1983 album Infi“channels” and choose from an array of celebrities singing dels. In what is arguably one of the most pro-Jewish rock the song’s lyrics. Dylan unexpectedly endorsed the project songs ever recorded, Dylan describes Israel as an “exiled and promoted it on his official website. Heymann, born to man” who is unfairly labeled a bully for fending off constant an Orthodox family in Jerusalem, has since directed the acattacks from his neighbors. One verse goes: “Well the neighclaimed music video for Coldplay’s song Up & Up.

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Meet Harlem’s African-American rugelach king

B6 | The Jewish Press | October 21, 2016

usnews

W BEN SALES JTA

Sukkot holiday meal

APPLE AND PEAR STREUSEL CRUMBLE

is crumble is delicious all year, but it’s especially tasty when apples and pears are in season. By adding dried cherries, you get a pop of color and bright tartness. e addictive crumble topping is perfect whether you make it pareve or dairy. Ingredients: For the fruit: 4 medium apples, peeled and diced 3 pears, peeled and diced 1/3 cup dried cherries (can also substitute dried cranberries or raisins) 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup sugar 1 tbsp. flour 1 tsp. cinnamon Pinch salt For the streusel: 1/4 cup sugar 1/3 cup brown sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. nutmeg 1/4 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine or unsalted butter, melted

Credit: foodnetwork.com

1 1/3 cups all-purpose unbleached flour

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8-by-8-inch square pan. Place apples and pears in a large bowl. Add cherries, lemon juice, sugar and flour. Mix well and set aside. In another medium bowl, combine the white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and vanilla. Stir in the melted butter and then flour. Mix until resembles coarse crumbs that stick together slightly. Pour fruit mixture into prepared pan. Crumble streusel topping all over the fruit in an even layer. Bake 45-50 minutes, until topping is golden brown. Can be made 1 or 2 days ahead of time. Serve warm if desired. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

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Continued from page B4

His secret is butter. In the long-standing debate between dairy and pareve -- non-dairy -- rugelach, Smalls ith a JCC down the block and a Chabad comes down firmly, and moistly, on the side of dairy. on the next street corner over, it’s not Smalls shuns the standard vegetable oil for a rich, dairy surprising that this New York City bak- dough. To keep the rugelach moist, he wraps the crust ery sells rugelach. around raisins covered in honey. But look around the small oneSmalls’ apricot and raspberry room shop, and you won’t see the rugelach come covered in cinnamon usual Jewish kitsch or stylized Hewith walnuts inside, while the brew writing adorning the walls. chocolate variety is imbued with alTwo certifications from the City of monds. A dozen of the small, dense New York, and a picture of the Obarectangles costs $15, though newmas, hang where the kosher certificomers to the bakery get their first cate might be. On the opposite wall, taste for free. The store also sells instead of recommendations from pies, muffins and bread pudding local rabbis, frames enclose a letter and even rugelach ice cream. from Rep. Charlie Rangel, the long- Smalls’ “rugelach by a brother” Harlemites are so familiar with time local congressman retiring next come in apricot, raspberry and Smalls’ rugelach that when he had year, and pictures of other dignitaries chocolate, pictured here. to shut the store down in 2010 beCredit: Instagram cause of a budget shortfall, local here in Harlem. And instead of advertising an Ashkenazi name, the blogs sent enough customers over to allow him to refront window of Lee Lee’s Baked Goods on 118th St. in open. Manhattan displays a picture of Alvin Lee Smalls, the But Smalls jokes that just because the store’s Africanstore’s African-American proprietor. Below Smalls’ photo American neighbors like his pastries doesn’t mean they is his slogan -- “Rugelach by a brother.” know how to pronounce them. Smalls, 75, has turned his unlikely business into a “They call it all kinds of different names,” he said. Harlem institution. For half a century, he’s had two mis- “Jewish people, when they say it, have a little click in sions: to introduce rugelach to his Harlem neighbors, the back [of the throat].” and to keep the craft of artisanal, handmade rugelachSmalls still makes his rugelach with his own hands, baking alive. something he says is a dying art. This week, as he “It’s something I learned to bake, and people love it,” stepped out of the kitchen in a white plastic apron to he said. “So they make me want to keep baking it.” meet me, he turned around every couple of minutes to Smalls was working as a chef in a hospital in 1964 when shout instructions to his fellow bakers. he found a recipe for rugelach in the newspaper. He isn’t He laments that most of the rugelach bakeries he enJewish and hadn’t grown up with the pastry as a child in joyed in the 1960s and ‘70s aren’t around anymore. But South Carolina, but decided to try it out. When he didn’t with Harlem’s Jewish population booming, he hopes to like the finished product, he started experimenting, altering stay in business for a while longer. the recipe for a few months. His new and improved for“Most of them either retired or passed away,” he said mula yielded a crispier, sturdier, tastier version of the Jew- of his rivals. “Today’s rugelach are now made in the facish staple sometimes described as a mini Yiddishe croissant. tory, not like the old-time rugelach.”

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The Jewish Press | October 21, 2016 | b7

at un security council, human rights groups slam israeli occupation, settlement expansion JTA NEWS STAFF NEW YORK | JTA At a U.N. Security Council forum debate on Israeli settlements, human rights groups slammed Israel’s expansion in the West Bank and called on the international community to take action against what they called the occupation of Palestinian lands. e three speakers at the Friday meeting in New York on the topic of “Illegal Israeli

end the occupation. Francois Dubuisson, an expert in international law at the Free University, called for an international boycott of Israel’s settlements and the implementation of measures against foreign companies that invest in them. Following the three speakers, representatives from the Security Council member states spoke. U.S. envoy David Pressman said Washington was “deeply concerned about

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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. members of the united nations security council in new York city, sept. 27, 2011. Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images Settlements: Obstacles to Peace and the Two-State Solution” were representatives of the le-wing group Americans for Peace Now and the Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem, as well as a law professor from the Free University of Brussels. Malaysia, Egypt, Senegal, Angola and Venezuela organized the meeting. Lara Friedman, director of policy and government relations of Americans for Peace Now, said actions by Israel threatened its character as a democracy and criticized settlement expansion, a significant portion of which she called “illegal growth.” Friedman criticized campaigns “by reactionary groups in Israel and by the Israeli government itself ” against human rights groups, such as her group’s Israeli sister organization, Peace Now. “ese groups are being targeted because their work reveals facts that some prefer to hide — facts that challenge the official Israeli government narrative,” she said. On Israel’s settlement expansion, Friedman said some was illegally granted government authorization under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. She added that the expansion “will lead inevitably to permanent occupation.” Hagai El-Ad, executive director of B’Tselem, criticized the international community’s failure to stop Israel’s occupation, which he called “a legal guise for organized state violence.” He said the Security Council has “a moral responsibility” to take action to

To submiT announcemenTs

continued settlement activity,” which he called “corrosive to the cause of peace.” Pressman also condemned Palestinian incitement to terrorism, citing a shooting attack last week in Jerusalem that killed two Israelis. e event came a day aer Israeli and U.S. politicians, along with Jewish groups, slammed a UNESCO resolution that ignored Jewish ties to Jerusalem’s Old City. Israel’s education minister, Naali Bennett, said Israel would suspend its cooperation with UNESCO over the decision, which he said “denies history and encourages terror.” UNESCO’s director-general, Irina Bokova, seemed to express a different view from the resolution on Friday. “To deny, conceal or erase any of the Jewish, Christian or Muslim traditions undermines the integrity of the site, and runs counter to the reasons that justified its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage list [in 1981],” Bokova said. While the UNESCO resolution affirms “the importance of the Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls for the three monotheistic religions,” it refers to the Temple Mount several times only as Al-Ḥaram Al-Sharif, the Islamic term for the Temple Mount, without mentioning its Jewish names in Hebrew or English. It also uses the term Buraq Plaza, placing “Western Wall Plaza” in quotes, appearing to deny a Jewish connection to the site, where the Jewish Temple stood until the middle of the first century C.E.

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‫תקון עולם‬

TIKKUN OLAM REPAIRING THE WORLD Make our community and the world a better place.

335 South 132nd Street Omaha, Nebraska 68154

Friedel Jewish Academy is a private school that provides the educational foundation to develop inquisitive learners who confidently engage with the world through Jewish values.

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

B8 | The Jewish Press | October 21, 2016

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A rabbi’s High Holidays at Guantanamo Bay are cut short by Hurricane Matthew

GaBe FRiedman JTA

hen Rabbi Abbi Sharofsky arrived last Friday at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay -home to one of the world’s most controversial detention centers -- the atmosphere was more relaxed than she expected. “You land, and the sea is blue, the sky was really blue and there are lots of palm trees and scrub all around,” Sharofsky said. “It’s very clearly military, but it also has this island feel, and everyone moves a little slower.” at mood quickly dissipated last weekend as Hurricane Matthew closed in on the Cuban coast. Within 48 hours of her arrival, Sharosy -- along with all other “non-essential” personnel on the U.S. naval base -- was evacuated to another base in nearby Pensacola, Florida. It was (almost literally) a whirlwind experience for Sharofsky, who was dispatched to Gitmo as the deputy director for programming of the JWB Jewish Chaplains Council, an affiliate of the Jewish Community Centers Association that supports Jewish communities in the armed forces. e Jewish community on Guantanamo Bay -- composed of about 25 people, including family members of Jewish sailors, military police, doctors and other joint task force operatives who work on the base -- requested help for the High Holidays. ey are traditionally led by a “lay leader” named Elissa Anderson throughout the year, but they were craving a rabbinic presence. Sharofsky’s goal was to help lead a Rosh Hashanah service, help the other non-Jewish chaplains on the base understand Jewish traditions, offer suggestions for Jewish learning programs and prepare the lay leader to run a Yom Kippur service by herself. Sharofsky said a core group of ten people meet each week for a Friday night Shabbat dinner and other occasional Jewish programming.

She planned to alter the Unetaneh Tokef prayer, which describes various grim fates that could befall people in the year ahead, for her military audience. “ey could be put in a situation where their lives could be taken in any of the ways described in that prayer, and it’s a little too dark,” she said. When Sharofsky arrived on the island with a portable

Residents of the Cuban community of Cecilia, in Guantanamo Province, being evacuated on Oct. 3, 2016. Credit: Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Images JWB Torah -- secured in a heavy-duty armored case -- Anderson and even the non-Jewish chaplains were impressed. “e commanding chaplain said, ‘I’m going to stand at attention for this,’” Sharofsky said. Unfortunately, Sharofsky didn’t get a chance to use the scroll in a service. As Hurricane Matthew ambled towards Cuba on Friday and Saturday, the base’s COR -- or condition of readiness -- was down to level three, meaning that outdoor movement around the base became limited. In addition to the detention center, where some 61 suspected

enemy combatants are being held, the 45-square-mile base includes two airfields, a hospital, schools and logistical hubs serving the Navy’s Fourth Fleet, counter-narcotics operations and disaster relief efforts. Sharofsky said the Jews on base were disappointed that they wouldn’t get to celebrate Rosh Hashanah with a rabbi aer all. “ey’re there with a sense of duty and mission... e tone Friday night was sort of ‘We’re proud to be Jewish, we’re proud to be sailors, we’re proud to be soldiers, and we’re just going to need to make it work the best we can,’” Sharofsky said. “I felt for them, I really did.” Very early on Sunday morning, Sharofsky was evacuated off the island along with approximately 700 spouses and children. She le a High Holidays prayer book behind and even made it The portable JWB torah accompanied back home to New York Sharofsky throughout her travels. City in time for Rosh Credit: Abbi Sharofsky Hashanah services there on Monday morning. Guantanamo Bay experienced some flooding but was not hit as hard as predicted. In the end, despite her short stay, Sharofsky believes she had an impact. “ey were so amazed that there was someone who would just drop Rosh Hashanah with their family and go support them,” she said. “I was there for 48 hours but I became part of their lives.”

The Jewish Press | October 21, 2016 | C1

section3 T H E

A R T S

JCC staff member, Carl Dumicich to take part in new public art project

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Lynn Batten Jewish Federation of Omaha Publicity and Gallery Manager his winter, local artist Carl Dumicich will temporarily use the basement of the Pennie Z. Davis Child Development Center to paint five large, six-foot fiberglass hearts. The hearts, to be delivered in January, are part of NEBRASKA BY HEART, a new public art project sponsored by Boys Hope Girls Hope and the Sadie Dog Fund. This new public art project will generate 93 fiberglass hearts, one for each of the counties of Nebraska, decorated with creative representations of the heartland. The sculptures will be displayed from May through October of 2017, primarily on the University of Nebraska – Lincoln’s East Campus. Dumicich, who has been an artist over 36 years, needed a decent sized open space to work on these larger than life pieces, so he approached the JCC. Dumicich is a familiar face at the J. He is the set designer for the JCC Musical Theater Community Acting Group and also the instructor of the new unWINEd & Create evenings. Over 224 artist proposals were submitted for this project. Judges Wally Mason, Director of the Sheldon Museum of Art, and Robert C. Ripley, FAIA, Nebraska Capitol Administrator, Office of the Capitol Commission, reviewed and selected pieces. Dumicich was pleased to learn that all five of

his proposed designs were selected by the jury. Once approved, selected proposals become available for sponsorship. Sponsorship for Dumicich’s pieces are yet to be established and are available for $3000 per proposed design, with the sponsors acting as the artist’s benefactor. Sponsorship fees cover the cost of manufacturing the sculpture, provide the artist with a materials stipend, and assist Boys Hope Girls Hope and the Sadie Dog Fund with project expenses. Sponsors receive recognition on the sculpture’s plaque and will be noted in all written materials about the project. Dumicich anticipates it will take approximately one week to complete each heart. His designs, which all feature silhouettes against a vivid sunset, represent the people and practices that shape the typical Nebraskan way of life. “I approach projects in three different ways. I create art based upon my interests

Come in and be inspired!

and ideas. I look for challenging art projects and use my theatrical experience to explore new areas like public art projects,” he said. Dumicich received an AAS degree from Suffolk County Community College in Selden, NY. He attended CUNY Brooklyn College where he received a BFA in Theatre Production and an MFA in Design. In 2004

he and his family moved to Omaha. He has worked as the Technical Director of the Omaha Theater for Young People at the Rose Theater, and as the Technical Director, Program Chair and Associate Professor of Theater at Iowa Western Community College. Currently, Dumicich works as a freelance designer. He has been designing and constructing sets for the JCC Musical Theater Community Acting Group for the past three years. He is excited to be a part of this new public art project and grateful to the JCC for lending him the space. “I appreciate the donation of the working area by the JCC,” he said. Full information will become available as the start date gets closer. For details, visit www.nebraskabyheart.org. Boys Hope Girls Hope is an international organization whose mission is focused on helping academically capable and motivated childrenin-need to meet their full potential by providing foundations for scholastic success, opportunities to explore their interests, and support to enter into and graduate from college. The Sadie Dog Fund is a Lincoln organization that celebrates the human-animal bond. Through education, prevention and veterinary grants, it works statewide with Nebraska veterinarians to provide the necessary funds to keep dogs, in emergency medical situations or with special needs, alive and in their homes with the families that love them. This offers an alternative to neglect, euthanasia or surrender.

No. 5 enjoy House of Style

Handcrafted with style and wh imsy

Beth Mavelle Chief Designer

303 888 2807 emavelle@comcast.net website coming soon! www.No5Enjoy.com

8600 Cass Street | 402-391-7733 | Open Mon.-Fri. 9-6, Sat. 9-3

C2 | The Jewish Press | October 21, 2016

thearts “Wow” without the “ow”

No 5 enjoy brings fun and affordable fashion to Omaha and the world No 5 enjoy is a new and emerging fashion brand with deep roots in Omaha. The company, founded by Beth Barna Mavelle, sells designer bracelets and jewelry “handcrafted with style and whimsy”. The No 5 enjoy brand proves that even though your taste is expensive your jewelry doesn’t have to be. The company’s unique name, No 5 enjoy, speaks to its ambition, adding fun and fresh air to fashion. Beth Mavelle’s late mother, Patti Barna, is the inspiration. A woman with a zest for life and fondness for making “to do” lists, Patti ended her lists with the same “to do”, enjoy! On your list of things to do, never forget to make the most of the moment. The Company carries on that philosophy with designs that please the eye and soul. Previously, No 5 enjoy was known as ButterBracelets, both online and at art shows in Omaha

and Denver. The company’s booth was popular, often two and three people deep! So full of energy that the bracelets sold two and three at a time! The brand reinvention enables the Company to grow from a bracelet line to a life style brand. No 5 enjoy bracelets look and wear like an expensive piece of jewelry but are priced affordably, from $58 to $98. Our line of bracelets include: Nebraska, Creighton, and UNO Bracelets, Mom, Grandma and Cancer Tribute Bracelets, and even quantity orders for weddings, events, and corporate gift giving. No 5 enjoy bracelets make great gifts for holidays and birthdays. They will be available for purchase soon at www.No5enjoy.com. To order now, contact Beth Mavelle at emavelle@comcast.net or call her at 303.888.2807.

There’s an old saying: “The first generation has a great idea, the second generation carries it to greater heights.” That couldn’t be truer than with Julie Wynn, who owns and operates the Midwest’s largest retail art gallery, the Lewis Art Gallery. Julie continued the family tradition when her Mother, Carolyn Lewis passed away in early 2004. She had been working in and around the gallery since its founding in 1971, officially coming to work with her mother in 1983. It wasn’t long before her mother decided that Julie could capably run the art gallery, and give Carolyn the opportunity to start her other passion, Personal Threads Boutique. Under Julie’s guiding hand, today Lewis Art Gallery proudly has the widest selection of art from Chicago to Denver. Also, the gallery has an enormous selection of lamps-currently over 400-tables, accessories, and gifts in addition to art of every style and price. There are pieces to satisfy contemporary tastes as well as those which have a more traditional flavor. New customers are always surprised and delighted at the wide selection, returning customers consistently comment on the fresh selection, with new inventory arriving daily. The Lewis Art Gallery and its sister company, the Personal Threads Boutique – both located at 8600 Cass Street – have been destination shopping, but are also consistently voted best of Omaha. Julie makes sure that Lewis Art Gallery provides affordable custom framing with over 700 moldings in stock. Having all the moldings readily available means custom frames can be completed within a week, something no other shop in Omaha can say. Most readers are familiar with the Lewis Art Gallery, but if they haven’t been in for awhile, it’s worth coming back for a visit. Skip the mall hassle and park at the door. Lewis Art Gallery is open Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. For more inforamtion call 402.391.7733.

John C Durr: Artist

Sondra Gerber: Artist and owner of Blue Pom Metal sculptor Sondra Gerber’s sculptures have an intimate interaction between shape and shadow, depth and movement. Sondra’s hand brushed aluminum artwork is lightweight and can be displayed indoors or out. Recently, Sondra has been adding color to select works with the use of metal dyes. Sondra’s contemporary style reflects her love of mid-century modern design with a touch of the whimsical. Sondra was featured on HGTV’s That’s

Lewis Art Gallery

Clever! and has done several large scale commissions including Habitat for Humanity in L.A. and Child Saving Institute in Omaha. Most recently, Sondra has been commissioned to create Board of Director gifts and Awards for local charitable organizations. See Sondra’s work at Blue Pomegranate Gallery in Village Pointe located at 17305 Davenport St., Suite 103. You can contact Sondra at 402.502.9901 or emali her at info@bluepom.com.

John C Durr has been painting and cooking since he was a child. He considers both to be great outlets for creative expression. Durr has painted a wide variety of subjects over the years, from private homes and farmland to golf courses and caricatures. His sense of humor and his love of cuisine are paramount in several paintings that reference French food and culture. Durr uses texture, color and sometimes, spices, in many of his paintings to allow the viewer a more intimate experience of his art.

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Original acrylic paintings can be found at Blue Pomegranate in Village Pointe. Call John for a custom painting of your home or property.

402.590.7341 | johnnydee58@cox.net Follow John on Facebook at John C Durr Art

John’s preferred medium is acrylic, but he is fluent in oil, watercolor, charcoal and pastel as well. His paintings are in private collections nationwide. Call John for a custom painting of your home or property. Installation service: If you’ve recently moved and need your art hung, give John a call at 402.590.7341, email johnnydee58@cox.net, or John C Durr Art on Facebook. John’s original paintings can be found at Blue Pomegranate in Village Pointe.

New artwork installed at the Jewish Community Center

Lynn Batten Jewish Federation of Omaha Publicity and Gallery Manager n late August a new sculpture was installed near the front entrance of the JCC. The piece, Slowly, But Surely by local artist Talia Tene was made as part of her graduation showcase. Tene received a Bachelors’ of Studio Art in Sculpture from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in December of 2014. The piece

I

Tene’s process of finding and reaffirming her identity was a key element in her creation of this piece. Her family lived in both California and Israel before landing in Omaha. Living in different locations provided Tene with the ability to compare experiences and served as inspiration for the piece. “I grew up in Omaha. My mother was raised in California where there always seems to be a high Jewish population and

her to examine the identity she had never before questioned. “I still am confronted with questions about what it’s like to be Jewish or Israeli. I remind myself that some people truly are never taught about what is appropriate to ask another person. Many of these ignorant questions, I felt, needed to be addressed. All of these questions really made me contemplate who I was and what I was trying to defend,” she said.

was purchased with generous support from the Trachtenbarg Family Endowment Fund of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation. The sculpture, composed of a series of bricks, is the artist’s response to what it is like to be a Jewish, American-Israeli woman living in contemporary society. Each brick is inscribed with a different phrase or symbol that references elements that the artist personally identifies with or has encountered. The bricks are made from concrete, rock, and stain - materials and colors specifically chosen by Tene to reference concentration camps while also evoking a sense of emotion and permanence.

my father grew up in Israel. I knew that Judaism was a very important part of my parents’ lives, which they wanted to share Jewish values with my sister and I. For six and a half years of my life, I was lucky enough to be well traveled and cultured about my American/Israeli roots,” she said. “After beginning my journey through public school, I began to have many eye opening experiences, most of which dealt with my identity as a Jewish, American-Israeli girl. Many of these rough encounters became the roots of what I later found myself inscribing onto my bricks.” Tene said some of these experiences ultimately made her feel awkward and caused

“When I created this piece I was ready for others to have a glimpse into my private journal, but only though my experiences, no one else’s,” she said. Even though the piece directly deals with Tene’s personal experience, she hopes to evoke a broader sense of hope and connection. She wants each viewer to reflect on their own journey and the shared parallels that connect all of us. “I want my viewers to reflect on themselves. Are you trying to be the person that others see you as? Who do you want to be? We all go similar paths,” she said. “Slowly but surely you will figure it out – even if it is one brick at a time.”

The Jewish Press | October 21, 2016 | C3

On the Rocks

John and Kathy Winterburn, owners of J&K On The Rocks, personally dig some of the stones used in their one-of-a-kind jewelry. Kathy grew up in Omaha and graduated from Burke High School and John is a native of Elkhorn. They moved to the O’Neill area in the early 1970s and continued to farm and ranch until 2008. At that time they moved into O’Neill and started on the road to their present work. Kathy is a lapidary artist that cuts, grinds and polishes the stones using diamond grade wheels. She designs each stone following the lead of where the stone’s natural color and movement shows. This past winter, Kathy worked with a master opal cutter learning the art of working with opals. No templates are used; she free-hands the design of the stone. John is the metal smith who wire wraps each piece in solid silver and 14k gold wire. He also uses silver, copper, bronze and brass in the pieces. He and Kathy also do commission work designing pieces for their customers who sometimes bring them rocks and minerals that they have collected themselves. Some of these stones have come from Scotland, Greece and Australia. All pieces are unique and made with a personal touch. Their winters include time in the Southwest collecting rocks and minerals, and connecting with other rock lovers while they build their collection of rare and unique stones. The couple travels through 17 states, selling and showing at art shows. They cut rocks from around the world including Africa, South America, Australia and the United States. What rocks they don’t dig themselves they trade or purchase from mine owners and geologists. PAID ADVERTISEMENT

J&K On The Rocks John & Kathy Winterburn

Hand-cut, beautifully designed rare natural colored stones from all over the world Always one of a kind pieces

1-402-336-8409 jkontherocks.com

I use a variety of methods to make and fire unique functional and decorative pottery including vases, dinnerware, mugs, and wall hangings. Tom Hubbell | Potter | Omaha, NE 402-943-8941 | fjguy@cox.net

C4 | The Jewish Press | October 21, 2016

Denise Dendinger: Art of Nature

Janna M. Harsch: Horse painter I am a figurative painter whose figure of choice is horses. Early childhood on a Sandhills Nebraska ranch might be to blame. I do have a BFA from Concordia University and have attended numerous art workshops. Since I have a subject I know well (AKA: an obsession), I can play with a variety of techniques, media and styles. I do mixed media/collage paintings, but have been developing a different media; painting on machined metal surfaces. By first drawing with a grinder on the metal I create a reflective pattern that glows through thin layers of oil paint and changes with the lighting and angle of view.

This changeability in the image can be seen as movement. I love making movement and change a part of each painting. This is especially appropriate to my subject since horses were how we all got around until relatively recently! I do paint other subjects (trees, flowers, people) but, love the challenge of merging my favorite subject with them somehow/sometimes! My art can be found at Noyes Art Gallery in Lincoln NE, where I am a long time Coop member I also take the horse-art to the horse people by displaying at several national/regional horse fairs. I am a member of Impact Artist Nebraska, which promotes Nebraska art and artists with traveling themed shows.

Carole DeBuse: Dancin’ Horse Designs After teaching jewelry making and silversmithing for many years using primarily metals, I was more than ready to start working with color. A friend took me to the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show and introduced me to semi-precious stones with incredible colors, textures and shapes. I was hooked! I decided to redirect my metal work to working with semi-precious stones and other treasures from exotic places like Bali, Tibet, Nepal, and Africa. I was absolutely amazed at what was available to me. I knew I could combine these materials to create beautiful, unique pieces of jewelry. I felt that if I loved the pieces I created, most likely someone else would too. In the beginning I discovered I didn’t want to sell anything I made, I wanted to keep it all for myself. Thankfully I have only one neck, and I was accumulating more pieces than I could wear. Eventually I

got out of the hoarding stage, and began to do shows. My goal from the beginning was to make unique pieces that my customers would absolutely love. I feel it is important to create pieces that are one-of-a-kind. That makes me feel that I am offering objects that are very special. Seeing an individual light up over a piece of my work is very rewarding. As an artist/teacher, I had a lot of training in design. Stones combined have to have a certain amount of variety, yet they must compliment one another to unify the design. Current styles must also be considered. In addition, personal taste has to be addressed. Some people like small dainty jewelry; others require a piece that is an immediate attention grabber. I try to have something that will delight a wide variety of tastes.

Two years ago, I remember feeling sad that winter would be fast approaching and the life of my plants and flowers would soon be taken from me with the upcoming frost warning. A friend suggested I try to preserve them in concrete for a lifetime. Not sure how to accomplish this, I began experimenting and after a year or so I felt as though I was ready for the world to see my concrete leaves. I feel as though these leaves are so unique because each one is completely different from the next leaf, they are a fingerprint for our future. I have tried many different leaves, from Rhubarb to Hostas, Elephant Ears, Banana Leafs, Castor Beans, Burdock, Big Red Cannas, Horseradish, Swiss Chard, and anything that catches my eye. I have made many items that can be used for indoor or outdoor use, such as birdbaths, waterfalls, benches, end tables, tables, decorations, bowls, or-

namentals for your yard or flowerbeds, and much more, if you have an imagination the ideas are endless. I use every color, stain one can imagine, and when I finish a piece, I know it would be difficult to reproduce that same leaf in that same color. People tell me thats how artist work, its kind of funny to hear that as I didn’t know I was an artist! I’ve always had a passion for life, and love of plants, animals and all living things, its so fascinating to watch things grow and blossom into beautiful works of art. And I feel very blessed to have found this passion in art, for making concrete leaves out of a real living plant and then painting them back to its original beauty. I am excited that my leaves will be around for many years for people to enjoy. You can contact me at artofnatureleaves@ gmail.com or call 402.841.8097.

Thomas D. Friedman: Aly Rose Designs Tom Friedman is a glass artist born, raised and lives in Omaha, Nebraska. Tom is a lifelong member of Temple Israel. He has been creating glass since 2001. Tom has studied with many of the world’s best torch work artists from around the world. With these experiences he has created his own techniques and style of wearable glass art and custom collectable marbles. Some call his art, “lampworking”, based upon the ancient and timehonored glass workers from ancient Egypt to the island of Murano outside of Venice. He refers to his modern work as “torch-worked glass”. The pendants created are uniquely original. They are made from Borosilicate Glass with a torch using temperatures between 2,500 and 3,000 F°. After it is created, it is annealed at a cooler temperature of 1,050 degrees F° for several hours to insure its hardness and wearability. Tom also has

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years of experience in “soft” glass. During the summer of 2010, Tom’s pendants were among only 10 artists internationally whose works were chosen for a juried show sponsored by the International Society of Glass Beadmakers (ISGB). With customers as far away as Italy, New Zealand, Israel, Hawaii and Japan, AlyRose Designs have spanned the globe. They have had their works for sale in fine galleries and museums in Dallas, Winter Park, Colorado, Rochester, New York, Woodstock, New York and Joslyn Art Museum, Lauritzen Gardens and The HotShops in Omaha. Tom along with his wife, Sue, and daughter, Alyson Roberts, create unique and original necklaces as wearable glass art through their company, AlyRose Designs. Please visit our website at www.AlyRose Designs.com.

Escape | 12x16 | Alkyd on copper

Janna M. Harsch 402-525-7248 horsepainter1@charter.net

Anderson O.Brien Fine Art

Anderson O’Brien Fine Art has been an integral part of the Omaha art community for over 30 years. The gallery features work by some of Nebraska and the Midwest’s most renowned artists. Anderson O’Brien Fine Art provides clients with limitless options by carrying work from a variety of types of media. We feature work by painters, ceramicists, sculptors, jewelers, glass artists and crafters. We also offer a variety of different styles of work, from traditional landscape paintings to contemporary art. We have helped to build numerous corporate and private collections including the extensive collections of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, National Indemnity, Farmer’s Mutual Insurance Company, Union Pacific, ConAgra and Farm Credit Services of America. In addition to providing beautiful artwork to our clients we also provide a range of other services. Anderson O’Brien Fine Art conducts free design consultations. You can rely on our practiced eyes and extensive knowledge of art to help you find the best piece for your space! Do you need artwork installed? We will deliver from Anderson O’Brien to your home and install it to your specifications. Have you ever wondered what the value of your collection is? Give us a call and we can provide an appraisal for you! Anderson O’Brien Fine Art works with an accredited appraiser who has been invested in the art world for decades. Do you have an upcoming weddings, holiday party or event to plan? Anderson O’Brien Fine art is the perfect backdrop for any occasion. We can fit up to 150 guests for a seated event. Anderson O’Brien Fine Art is open seven days a week. Our hours are Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Stop by and see what we can do for you today! We are located at 1108 Jackson Street, Omaha NE 68102. For more information contact us at 402.884.0911, gallery@ aobfineart.com or visit our website at aobfineart.com.

The Jewish Press | October 21, 2016 | C5

thearts

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

Aly Rose Designs

Art of Nature

Now taking custom orders for the Holidays

Thomas Friedman 402.493.6668 www.AlyRoseDesigns.com

Denise Dendinger 402.841.8097 artofnatureleaves@gmail.com

C6 | The Jewish Press | October 21, 2016

thearts Deb Kubik: Glass artist

I am a native of Nebraska and recently moved back to Omaha area, after spending many years in rural Nebraska. In 2011 I began my career as a contemporary warm glass artist, combining my interior design degree and art educational teaching experiences. My artwork has a balance of function and aesthetics that reflect my interests of nature and environmental influences that surround me daily. These include flowers, our land, the clouds in the sky, the birds, butterflies, vegetables all things that are common and normal in my life. I create them in glass because I want to share their beauty. Each piece has a beginning in my life. The tack fused woven glass plates represent the bird’s nests or the creek that flows through the edge of the yard, just beyond the trees. I wanted to create a range of artwork that runs from jewelry, functional plates, and object d’art to large wall pieces, encompassing a full range of ideas and creativity in my artwork. Because feel it is important to share my artwork with as many possible people, I try to keep the artwork affordable. My prices range from a pendant for $20.00 to a large wall piece for $400.00. My plate collections run from $35.00 to $175.00. I carry a multitude of sizes of plates and bowls in these collections. Recent commissions include a large platter representing Nebraska landscapes to be given to the Chinese government when Gov. Pete Ricketts goes on the Trade Mission to China in Nov. 2016. Angels Among Us selected me to make their 2017 ornament. Last spring, ASHRA International began giving landscape plates representing Nebraska to 108 countries around the world. Please contact me at dm.kubik1@gmail.com to see my recent works or call 402.297.6755 to set up an appointment to visit my studio. PAID ADVERTISEMENT

New unWINEd & Create evenings offered at the JCC

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Lynn Batten Jewish Federation of Omaha Publicity and Gallery Manager ainting and wine combine for new unWINEd & Create evenings at the Jewish Community Center of Omaha. The program is designed to provide a fun and relaxing night out for JCC Members and Non Members, ages 21+. Participants will enjoy wine and appetizers while completing a painting they can take with them at the end of the evening. Local artist Carl Dumicich will lead the group. The first unWINEd & Create evening will be held on Saturday, nov. 19. “All of us have the ability to learn and create,” Dumicich said. “Sometimes life has us doing other things and we forget the talents we had as children,” he said. “Plus, creative outlets help people relax, expand people’s minds, create social environments that enable new friendships and help bolster one's self-esteem.” Dumicich has been teaching these type of classes for three years. He enjoys working with students and is excited to share his passion and creativity through his teaching methods. “These classes combine my love of art with my love of teaching. I got hooked when a friend of mine in New York asked me to teach a class for her employees. It was very successful. I had the participants work on their own paintings then added a twist which would help reinforce the team environment... I had them switch paintings and to continue where the other person left off,” he said. “A good teacher not only helps reinvigorate creative talents but also helps to nurture them and support the individual. Learning goes both ways. Not only do students learn from their teachers, but teachers learn from their students as well,” he said. “After all, what good are learned skills and knowledge to a person unless they pass it on to others?” unWINEd & Create is offered at $30 for JCC Members and $38 for Non Members. Registration fees cover the cost of instruction, supplies, wine, and appetizers. All participants will leave with a completed painting. For those needing childcare, the JCC will also be offering a Saturday Night Dance Party at the same time. Kids, ages 3-12,

can join the JCC dance staff for an evening of fun, dancing, and entertainment. JCC Members and Non Members can register for Saturday Night Dance Parties. Pricing per child is $20 for Members and $25 for Non Members. Multiple children/family discounts are available to those registering more than one child. Dinner is included. Advanced registration is required for both the unWINEd & Create evening and the Saturday Night Dance

Party. Registrations are due the Wednesday before the event. Registration can be done online at jccomaha.org, by calling Laura Wine, Registrar, at 402.334.6419,or in person at the JCC Member Services Desk. For more information on this program, contact Esther Katz, JCC Dance & Cultural Arts Director, at 402.334.6406 or at ekatz@jccomaha.org.

The art is set with rich vibrant colors and evolves with multiple layers of texture and patterns. A wash in color, depth and a collage of mixed media is used in my abstracts to bring life to each piece. Buried personal meanings help some of the paintings take on visibility and understanding by the viewer. I consider myself an abstract expressionist trying to touch the observer with visual language. Being influenced with action painting and the spontaneous or smeared flow of color helps me focus on the actual brush stroke and use of canvas. The work often

emphasizes the physical act of painting unconsciously, creating a powerful arena of raw action and emotion in the moment. Abstract art is very much the expression of ideas, concerning the spiritual, the unconscious and the mind. I think of my work and look at the paintings as a process rather than a product. I try and keep all my work very affordable so people can enjoy having artwork in their home. For more information visit my website at rjc mindworks.com or call 636.357.0397.

Robert Cornman: Mind Works

Dave Biehl, DVM: Bronze artist

Dave grew up on a small farm/ranch near Lexington, Nebraska. Growing up, he spent every waking moment he could outside; riding horses, working cows, caring for pets and helping his dad farm. In 1976, Dave graduated from Kansas State University with a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. Although the sciences were his main concentration, art was always something he found intriguing. In 2003, Dave attended Sculpture in the Park in Loveland, Colorado. From that point on he was hooked on sculpture. A local sculptor gave him a bag of used modeling clay and from there he taught himself to sculpt. In 2015, Dave retired from his Veterinary business and moved to Elkhorn. He is currently a resident artist at Main Street Studios and Gallery in Olde Town Elkhorn. Dr. Biehl has created over 30 miniature bronze pieces and has completed three life-sized sculptures. He has life-sized sculptures at Stuhr Museum in Grand Island, the Hastings Museum and the Archway in Central Nebraska. He also has bronze pieces on permanent display at Adams Central High School, Lexington High School, Hastings College and downtown Hastings, Nebraska. Currently most of Dave’s life-sized and miniature sculptures are commissions and requests from individuals or corporations. PAID ADVERTISEMENTS

Custom Designs Fused Glass

Mind Works Robert Cornman

636.357.0397 | rjcmindworks.com

deb kubik designs LLC 402-297-6755 | dm.kubik1@gmail.com

The Jewish Press | October 21, 2016 | C7

MarieODJ: Original Design Jewelry by Marie and Bruce Andersen We have a combined 20+ years of experience making jewelry. We make a full line of traditional beaded jewelry, unique watches and cuffs, upcycled jewelry pieces made from vintage and antique jewelry, jewelry pieces made from vintage/antique silver plate and sterling silver silverware, and flamed painted cuffs. All our jewelry is made with high quality sterling silver, gold, brass, and copper connections as we believe how jewelry is connected/constructed is as important as the other components in your jewelry! Our jewelry is made of sterling silver, gold, copper, and brass, precious and semi precious gemstones including rare American turquoise, a large variety of leather and skins, vintage/antique silver plate and sterling silver silverware, and vintage/antique jewelry upcycled into new jewelry. We make bracelets, cuffs, earrings, rings, pendants, necklaces, and watches. Unique designs and we do welcome special orders.

Jane Kathol: Acrylic fine art

For more information see our website at www.marieodj.etsy.com. You can contact us at marieodj@cox.net, 712.323.8290 or 402.981.0709. 2016 fall show schedule: Sat., Oct. 22, 9 a.m.-3:30p.m., St Wenceslaus Fall Bowtique, 153 & Pacific St., Omaha, NE. Spaces 120-122 in the Social Hall. Sat., Oct. 29, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Lewis Central High School, Henry Langdon Blvd., Council Bluffs, IA. Thurs., Nov. 3 and Fri., Nov. 4, 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Sat., Nov. 5, 9 a.m.-7 p.m., and Sun., Nov. 6, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Huffman Spring Festival, Ralston Arena, Ralston, NE. Space 163 (in the white tent). Sat., Nov. 26, 9a.m.-4 p.m., Millard South High School 149 & Q St, Omaha, NE. Sat., Dec. 3, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sun., Dec. 4, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Callahan Christmas Show, Mid America Center, Council Bluffs, IA.

A country girl at heart, my landscapes encompass the beauty of Nebraska. Tightly rolling hills, abundant groves of trees, twists and turns of creeks all speak of incredible scenery of our diverse state. My works are original compositions and one of a kind. Having grown up in Northeast Nebraska, most of my scenery generates from Cedar and Knox counties. Smaller works tend to be plein air. I cross the barbed wire fences around our farm and sit amongst the cows in the meadows, painting truly pastoral scenes. For larger pieces, I utilize my own photography as a basis for compositions and color. Even driving down a dirt road or a highway requires my constant attention to the views to my left and right, off the beaten path. My favorite time to observe nature is early morning and evenings, when the light is softer and bends around the objects. The changes of Nebraska weather and seasons also make for constant sources of inspirations. Also available are close ups of flowers and contemporary art. Once I have completed a landscape, I need to rebel a bit and do a different style to keep my art fresh. Some of these are a result of being an art teacher and having tons of ideas and styles begging to be explored. Regardless of the subject matter, it is the element of color that most intrigues me and unifies my work. I have a BA in Fine Arts from Creighton University. Since 2013, I have had four solo shows in Yankton, SD and Hartington, NE, and also exhibited at Hot Shops in Omaha, NE. I have participated in Soup ‘R Art in Norfolk, NE and displayed at the NE Dept. of Tourism in Lincoln, NE. Commissions available. You can contact me at jlkathol@cox.net., call 402.289.2131 or on facebook at Jane Kathol Fine Art.

Main Street Studios

Elkhorn native and creative mind behind Curnes Creations, Tyler Curnes, invites the public to join him for a Winter Open House, Dec. 2 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Main Street Studios. The gallery is located on North Main Street in historic downtown Elkhorn in a 104 year old building that once serviced automobiles on the Lincoln Highway between Omaha and Lincoln. The current owner of the building, Tyler Curnes, purchased the building in Oc-

tober 2014 and has spent the last two years restoring the building. The four in house artists are Tyler Curnes (glass artist), Levent Oz (silver smith), David Biehl (bronze sculptor), and Jane Kathol (painter). The gallery has been open to the public since June. For more information visit the studio’s website at www.mainstreetstudios2610.com, or stop in and see the collection of fine art, watch while new pieces are being created, and learn more from the artists themselves. Main Street Studios is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Handcrafted jewelry with a European touch Welcome to Silver of Oz, a handcrafted silver jewelry workshop placed inside the beautiful art gallery Mainstream Studios in Elkhorn Old Town. Oz’s personal story is dramatic and intricate, much like the antique silver cigarette cases, pill boxes, decorative rings, and dangling necklaces and earrings on display. Oz, who was born in Istanbul, Turkey, and lived in Vienna, Austria, before moving to the United States in 1998, has been influenced by a combination of Ottoman court jewelry and European modern style. The son of a Turkish museum supervisor, Oz had the chance to study the impressive court jewelry collection not accessible to most visitors. His awareness of and contact with classic silver pieces -- such as Irish and Spanish swords designed with Nioello silver patterning and with Armenian black metal (which is tricky to work with and can shatter easily) -- helped influence Oz’s silver-crafting style, fusing old and new, east and west. Oz’s own jewelry designs play with the surface

of the metal. He creates unique pieces which embrace precious and semi-precious stones. His creations are made in a rectangular workshop at the back of the Main Street Galleries. Something else is going on in this workshop: Silversmithing classes! You can learn silversmithing directly from Levent Oz. Students end up with professional grade pieces even after the beginner classes. Now to the fun part: How about having some wine and cheese and making hammered earrings. Then join the Girls Night Out... Levent’s other specialty is creating custom pieces integrating your vision with his artistic expertise. Is your jewelry collection incomplete? Looking to bring new life to an old piece? If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, your next custom piece of jewelry is more attainable than you might think! For more information you can contact Oz at silverofoz@silverofoz.com, 402.558.1307 or visit his website at www.silverofoz.com.

PAID ADVERTISEMENTS

MarieODJ ORIGINAL DESIGN JEWELRY

MARIE AND BRUCE ANDERSEN www.marieodj.etsy.com | marieodj@cox.net 712.323.8290 | 402.981.0709

C8 | The Jewish Press | October 21, 2016

A C R Y L I C

F I N E

G L A S S

A R T

B R O N Z E

S I L V E R

2610 North Main St. Elkhorn, NE 68022 | 402.452.3088 | email: mainstreetstudios2610@gmail.com | www.mainstreetstudios2610.com

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