October 23, 2020

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Carole Greenberg Home is where the art is

ADL-CRC Voter’s Corner: Last chance to...

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The Cleopatra controversy Page A12

GABBY BLAIR Staff Writer, Jewish Press t was a joy to catch up with former Omaha artist Carole Greenberg a few weeks back. For many years Greenberg served as the Assistant Director and beloved artistic muse for the Pennie Z. Davis Child Development Center where she began working as a part-time employee in 1990.

Carole and husband Andy relocated to Florida in 2015, along with Carole’s mother. Carole has been keeping busy doing what she loves most; fostering a love for and creating art.

In spite of Covid-19, the Greenbergs, who live in a gated retirement community, are far from feeling shut in. “We rarely venture outside of our development right now due to the pandemic, but it has actually been lovely.

Testing is brought to us, we have many food delivery options available and we are fortunate to have a back yard and a wonderful community to hunker down in.”

See Carole Greenberg pageA3

I

Hidden Holocaust paintings Page B1

Be a part of it!

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Spotlight Voices Synagogues

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STEVEN W. LEVINGER JFO Chief Development Officer For severeal months now, too many of you have not been able to see the inside of our Staenberg-Kooper-Fellman Campus. But much has been happening here, and we are excited to share with you the progress that has

been made. From the Alan J. Levine Performing Arts Theater to the new locker rooms, from the planned learning commons to the Wiesman Family Reception and Classroom space, our building is coming to life at remarkable speed. When it’s all done, we will all be able to enjoy a crossroads of the Omaha JCC’s past, present and future that is rich with opportunity. Our Future is Now, and we invite you to be a part of it!

Our community is so fortunate that more than 120 donors have made contributions to the building project so far. This has allowed us to do construction work while we are out raising necessary capital. Most See Be a part of it page A2

Join Rabbi Ari Dembitzer for Ask the Rabbi sure if the venue in which they find MARY SUE GROSSMAN Having celebrated the High Holi- themselves is the proper place to days in a most unique fashion, it’s ask. I hear many questions prefaced time to look ahead and ponder the with ‘I suppose I should have next steps in this learned this in Heunique Jewish year of brew school.’ The 5781. With many goal of this session is people finding themto provide a comselves with more fortable venue for “thinking time,” no anyone to ask quesdoubt a number of tion.” questions are floatWhen asked if he ing around in the thinks anyone will Jewish realm. A new try to ‘stump the Beth Israel virtual rabbi,’ he responded: event will provide “No doubt I will rethe opportunity to ceive a number of pose those queries. challenging quesOn Sunday tions. The members evening, Nov. 1 at 7 of the Omaha comRabbi Ari Dembitzer p.m, Rabbi Ari will munity continually be live and ready for questions sub- impress me with the knowledge mitted by attendees. Questions can that is sought.” be asked on anything. Ever wonder “Ask the Rabbi” will be live on Beth why bad things happen to good Israel’s Zoom Room at tinyurl. people? How about a woman’s role com/bizoom in addition to Beth in Judaism? Is anti-Semitism or in- Israel’s Facebook page found at termarriage the bigger threat to the bethisraelsynagogueomaha.

Jewish people? What is the Jewish Questions should be submitted to belief in the hereafter? ydreyer@orthodoxomaha.org.

“Asking questions can be difficult,” For additional questions, please call says Rabbi Ari. “A person doesn’t 402.556.6288 or email bethisrael@ want to look foolish or may be un- orthodoxomaha.org.

A2 | The Jewish Press | October 23, 2020

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Be a part of it

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Thanks to YOU, JFS has holiday expenses covered KAREN M. GUSTAFSON, MS, NCC, LIMHP Jewish Family Services Executive Director For many years, JFS has called on families to help families during Project Dreidel (a gift program for children, ages 1-18 during Hanukkah). We wanted to take this opportunity to THANK YOU for all of the many years that you have answered this call, did the shopping, or provided needed funds.

With so many requests made for your donations at this time, we wanted to let you know that we have already raised enough money to cover our upcoming programs: Thanksgiving, Project Tzedakah for Hanukkah and Project Dreidel.

I would like to thank the following donors: The Ike & Roz Friedman Foundation Fund— Thanksgiving, The Murray H. & Sharee C. Newman Supporting Foundation—Project Tzedakah, The Ruth & Bernard Raskin Endowment Fund—Project Tzedakah, The Edith & Paul Goldstein Endowment Fund—

Project Tzedakah, The Kavich Family—Project Dreidel, and Anonymous Donors—Project Dreidel.

In addition, during our usual “Friends Campaign” time (spring), at the height of the pandemic, we chose to suspend this year’s campaign since so many of you were donat-

The elevator area overlooks both the JCC membership desk and the basketball court.

ing to the Jewish Federation and Jewish Foundation COVID Relief Funds. But what we did encounter were community members who made donations to JFS anyway, making sure that any financial losses incurred due to the pandemic did not impact our ability to serve the Jewish community.

On behalf of myself, JFS Staff and the community members we serve, thank you so much for being there for us. We could not provide these caring services without your generosity.

See full digital issues at https://issuu.com/jewishpress7

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Paid for by Friends of Rich Pahls, 15422 Holmes Plaza, Omaha, NE 68137

Continued from page A1 projects of this type require that a large percentage of the funds are secured before the shovel actually hits the ground.

We have now embarked on a communitywide fundraising campaign led by Donald Goldstein, David Gilinsky, John Glazer, Joanie Jacobson, and Mike Siegel, with the goal of raising an additional $4 million on top of the $29 million already secured.

We are excited to involve everyone who has formed a relationship with the JCC over the years, Jewish and non-Jewish alike.

This is a project that benefits all of us and ensures the sustainability of our facilities and community for generations to come.

The JCC website provides an overview of the project with a donation page for online giving. Postcards, brochures, on-site tours, and other plans are in place to allow every-

one an opportunity to participate in the dreams and vision of our future.

We are making some big changes that will enhance our JCC for the 21st century and allow us to continue impacting our community members’ lives now and in the years to come.

This is truly a community-wide effort.

Every gift to this project matters and is essential to complete the transformation, so we invite you all to join us.

So what are some of these changes?

Last week, you read in this paper about some of the art that has been added to the building. If you haven’t been here for a while, you will be blown away by the colorful additions. The lobby by the JCC membership elevator area hascomfortable and inviting seating arrangements. Many of our walls See Be a part of it page 4

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Paid for by Friends of Scott Petersen, 4121 S. 87th Street, Omaha, NE 68127

The Jewish Press | October 23, 2020 | A3

Carole Greenberg Continued from page A1 As a longtime educator, Carole is not a fan of schools reopening in Florida. “At this time I just don’t think it is a wise health decision. I understand the push to do so and the impact closed schools have on families and the work force, but Covid is real and will continue to spread. It isn’t going away anytime soon... I guess it is something we will all have to learn to live with, but overall we could be doing better with precautions to slow the spread, and reopening schools runs counter to logic.”

In spite of the pandemic, Greenberg shares that she and Andy “have been keeping surprisingly busy— more than ever before! Andy has been teaching Hebrew school remotely and lecturing on a variety of topics including Judaics and business.

He is a wonderful orator and teacher and really enjoys what he does. I have a dedicated art room in our home that I can broadcast from- not a day goes by where we are not offering some variety of Zoom classes.”

One of Greenberg’s favorite groups however, is one she has created specifically for her grandchildren in Kansas City.

“My daughter-in-law actually came up with the idea,” she shares. “Once the kids (ages 6, 8 and 13) went into homeschooling, we came up with a plan for their art curriculum.

My daughter-in-law introduces a new artist or style to them, and they spend a few weeks researching and learning about it. Every two weeks we hold a 30-45 minute Zoom class project that I have prepared for them. With the difference in ages, I always come up with something that they can do that is appropriately tailored to their age and skill levels because I don’t want them to become frustrated with the creative process. I can demonstrate the project step-by-step via a scanner and it is so much fun. It is a real highlight for all of us and we love this special time together, even though the physical distance between us is far. I take great pride and enjoyment in seeing children create art from their own perspective. There is no right or wrong in art and it is one of the most enjoyable parts of my week.”

When not holding art classes online, Greenberg is busy channeling her own artistic energy into new pieces, which cover the couple’s home. “When we left Omaha, I donated at least 75% of my supplies to the CDC. I didn’t think I would spend as much time doing art as I actually am! When we first moved to Belagio, I joined the art committee and served as a co-chair for three years, during which time I recruited many

of our residents to try their hand at art. There were many who feared they just didn’t have talent, which is ridiculous— everyone has talent! The art group grew by leaps and bounds and it was really fabulous!

“We held a yearly art show (by invite only) with work from over 70 artists from within our little gated community. We had upwards of 700 people come through each year and donated 20% of the total sales to charity. It was amazing.”

Another community endeavor of Greenberg’s was the creation of an art showcase where groups of 10 would tour other resident artists’ homes as a fundraiser. “It was really lovely.

We’d give our shpeil and enjoy each other’s creations— everyone felt our home was like a museum! It really helped get our community neighbors more interested and active in art.”

Before stepping down from the committee last year, Greenberg helped to begin a ‘size matters’ petition to expand the community art room and was very pleased with the number of residents who became more involved during her tenure.

“My dear mother passed away last year at the age of 96. She always said she wished to go quickly and painlessly at home, and she got her wish. After her passing, I turned her room into my art studio and spend much of my days in there creating... although these days I am trying to focus on smaller pieces, as wall space is a limited commodity in our home.”

Carole explains that she gets bored easily and is always interested in working with new mediums. “I work a lot with acrylics, clay, collage, watercolors, resin pouring to name a few, although a personal favorite is mosaic. I am also a huge Frieda Kahlo fan and she has been my muse for quite a while.

I have a whole corner of our home dedicated to pieces that have been inspired by her.”

The Greenbergs really loved Omaha, but have no regrets about moving to their Florida community.

“Life has been really great here and the weather cannot be beat. I was a little apprehensive about moving because it seems that as you age, it becomes harder to meet people and develop those deep connections and friendships, but that has not been the case for us. There was so much in the way of clubs to join, entertainment, places to visit and we have met so many wonderful people. Everyone needs something that sparks their passion and for me, art is that spark. Since moving here I have been able to nurture that for myself and share it with so many others, which is a real gift.”

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A4 | The Jewish Press | October 23, 2020

Be a part of it Continued from page 3 are getting a makeover, including the now much more colorful ones in the connecting hallway between Friedel Jewish Academy and Membership. The entire outside of the building has been painted in an attractive sand-color and there are new sculptures by the Sokolof entrance, as well as by the parking lot near 132nd street.

High-end finishes have been utilized in the new Men’s Locker Room and Health Spa while construction has begun in the Women’s Locker Room and Health Spa. For the time being, all female members are using the Men’s Locker Room while all male members are in the Men’s Health Spa. The new Baker Family Leisure Pool has been completed and is already being enjoyed by Friedel and Pennie Z Davis Early Childhood Center students, as well as the general membership. Popular features include a water slide, lazy river, fitness vortex, kids’ slide for younger children, zero depth entry wading pool, and an area for swim lessons and water aerobics.

The Learning Commons will Front Door,” is undergoing a signifiinclude a Hall of History that cant overhaul and modernization, as will tell a comprehensive narwell. Floor-to-ceiling windows have rative of the history of Jewish been uncovered and the space will Omaha. We believe this will be much more airy and inviting. become a destination for area There will also be a Donor Recognition wall that will pay tribute to our schools and the general public, community of supporters over the as well. In addition, there will past many decades. It will be funcbe a co-work space that can be tional, artistic and interactive and a accessed to office remotely, host small business meetings, beautiful exhibit to visit and learn and allow parents who are more about Jewish Omaha’s leaders dropping their kids off at who have been so vital to the school, dance classes or other strength of this community. activities to have a place to For more information and to “plug in” and access email or schedule a tour of the building, Grass is put in place around the newest sculpture make some phone calls. please contact Steve Levinger at The lobby area, or what some people refer to as the “JCC’s slevinger@jewishomaha.org or call 402.334.6433.

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The health and well-being of our JCC Members and guests have always been of the utmost importance. To continue our commitment to cleanliness and to the community, we are following all state and local guidelines. We request that everyone within our facility carefully follows the guidelines to help keep our community as safe and healthy as possible.

INDOOR AQUATIC CENTER All members MUST bring their Membership ID card to gain access to the facility. Reservations are required for weekend Leisure Pool use. Guests are allowed. Please visit jccomaha.org for additional policies.

THE PHIL SOKOLOF FITNESS CENTER Only Members, ages 16+ can use the Fitness Center. Patrons of the Fitness Center must enter the facility through the main Member Services Entrance (east side). All members must bring their Membership ID cards to gain access to the facility.

Full locker room use is now available. Group Exercise classes now require a reservation. Online classes can also be found on the Virtual J. Limited morning hours of Fit & Sit are available. Reservations are required. All high-touch surfaces will be cleaned frequently, but we still ask that you wipe down all equipment before and after use. Please try to limit the amount of personal items you bring into the Fitness Center.

We will no longer hold personal items at the Member Services Desk. Please plan accordingly. Towel service will be available in the Fitness Center. Small hand towels will be provided. The drinking fountains will not be available, but the bottle fillers will be.

Masks must be worn at all times before and after your workout. You do not have to wear a mask during your workout.

We have several hand sanitizer stations throughout the facility. Please use them! For additional information, please visit jccomaha.org.

ORGANIZATIONS B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS The Monsky Lodge of B’nai B’rith is pleased to announce the resumption of its award-winning speaker program via ZOOM. Although the Home auditorium remains temporarily closed, we’ll continue presenting an outstanding lineup of thought-provoking keynoters. For specific speaker information and/or to be placed on the email list, please contact Breadbreakers chair at gary.javitch@gmail.com or leave a message at the BB JCC office 402.334.6443.

The Jewish Press | October 23, 2020 | A5

ADL-CRC Voter’s Corner: Last chance to...

8 p.m. on Election Day (Nov. 3).

ELLIE BATT, CAROL BLOCH AND • Drop Boxes (no postage required); MURPHY WULFGAR Friday, Oct. 23 is your last chance to reg• The most direct, safe, secure and effective ister to Vote (in-person at the Election Com- way to return your ballot. mission Office and to • You must use a drop request a Mail-In Ballot (inbox in the county where person at the Election you live.

Commission Office.)

• Make sure you signed the envelope before you PLAN YOUR VOTE: • Vote Early at Election drop it.

Commission Office (Oct. • Your county locations 5–Nov. 2) are on the yellow sheet • Review your ballot prior sent with your ballot to voting.

• Drop boxes are avail• Find What’s On Your Balable 24/7 and there are 13 lot at www.vote411.org. in Douglas County and 4 • If you are going to the in Sarpy County. polls, have a plan (and a • U.S. Mail ($0.55 postage); backup)!

• Plan time for your ballot to travel by mail.

MAIL-IN VOTING: • Filling Out Your Ballot; • Ballots must be received • Follow the instruction at Election Commission sheet (yellow paper) sent office by Nov. 3! with your ballot.

• If you are cutting it • Make sure you sign the close, hand-deliver your Credit: Murphy Wulfgar back of the envelope!! ballot or drop it in a drop • The Voter’s Oath on the back of your re- box on Election Day. turn envelope must be signed or your ballot • Track Your Ballot by visiting www.vote will NOT be counted. douglascounty.com for confirmation your • Returning Your Early Ballot; ballot has been accepted. (This site can be • Voters cannot take early ballots to polling used for any county in Nebraska.) places on Election Day. If you encounter any problems prior to (or • Ballots must be returned to your county’s on) Election Day please call Civic Nebraska’s drop boxes or Election Commission Office by Election Protection Hotline at 402.890.5291.

News LOCA L | NAT IO NAL | WORLD

New program for Jews of color

American Jewish community are people of JOSEFIN DOLSTEN color, though definitions of who is included JTA Two Jewish organizations have launched a under that term vary. Though Jewish organicareer development program for Jews of color zations have begun paying attention to diverin an effort to diversify the Jewish organiza- sity in their ranks, particularly in the tional landscape.

The Jews of Color Initiative, a San Francisco-based organization formerly known as the Jews of Color Field Building Initiative, and UpStart, an Oaklandbased group that works with Jewish entrepreneurs and leaders, announced the launch of the program on Monday with an inaugural class of eight young Jews of The first cohort of the Jews of Color Career Development Procolor.

As part of a six-week pro- gram. Credit: Jews of Color Initiative gram, participants aged 18-25 are paired with aftermath of the Black Lives Matter protests Jewish organizations and will participate in this summer, Jews of color continue to be few leadership development programs. and far between in Jewish organizations, es“Leadership of Jewish community organiza- pecially in leadership roles. In June, three Jewtions today simply does not reflect the diver- ish activists of color organized an open letter sity of the Jewish community itself,” Angel calling on Jewish organizations to endorse the Alvarez-Mapp, director of program and oper- Black Lives Matter movement and set specific ations at the Jews of Color Initiative, said in a benchmarks to increase diversity. statement. “To change this, we need to sup“Our vision of Jewish communities as thrivport people and nurture their professional ing hubs of innovation relies on bold leadergrowth at the earliest stages of their careers. ship on a systemic level–and we see that We are excited to work with UpStart to pur- leadership falling short of empowering the full sue this vision.” diversity of our communities,” said Danielle Studies suggest that 6-15 percent of the Natelson, a design strategist at UpStart.

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The County Clerk for all of Douglas County.

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Paid for by Jo Giles for Douglas County Commission 15113 Laurel Ave. Omaha, NE 68116

A6 | The Jewish Press | October 23, 2020

News LOC AL | N AT I O N A L | WO R L D

Israel and Lebanon are negotiating a non-security issue about the attempt to solve a technical-ecoGABE FRIEDMAN nomic problem that for a decade has been JTA Israeli and Lebanese officials began direct preventing us from developing natural renegotiations over their maritime border in sources in the sea for the benefit of the people the Mediterranean Sea, marking the first time of the region,” Israeli Energy Minister Yuval the two nations have consulted over a non-security issue in decades.

Officials from both sides, who met Wednesday in the Lebanese border town of Naquora, stressed that the discussions were not a step towards a normalization of relations, The New York Times reported. Two of Israel’s Arab neighbors, A United Nations ship is pictured in the southernmost area of the United Arab Emi- Naquora, Lebanon, by its maritime border with Israel, Oct. 14, 2020. rates and Bahrain, have Credit: Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP via Getty Images recently signed peace deals with Israel, open- Steinitz said Monday, according to The Times ing the door for full diplomatic relations and of Israel. increased trade and tourism.

At stake in the talks, which are being mediLebanon and Israel are technically still at ated by the United Nations and the United war, having never signed an official peace States, is a zone of over 300 square miles full treaty after decades of conflict beginning of natural gas that is claimed by both counright after Israel’s founding. The Lebanese tries. Lebanon hopes an agreement could militant group Hezbollah is one of the region’s help its ailing economy, which has one of the main violent aggressors against Israel. highest GDP-to-debt ratios in the world.

“We’re not talking about peace talks or neThe next meeting in the process is schedgotiations over normalization, but rather uled for Oct. 28.

VOTE FOR

ADAM GOTSCHALL Metropolitan Community College Board District 3

Paid for by Gotschall for Metropolitan Community College Board

Building a family

gious communities.

JOSEFIN DOLSTEN Lau is affiliated with Israel’s Religious ZionJTA A prominent Israeli Orthodox rabbi said ist camp, an Orthodox movement that is that Jewish law does not forbid LGBTQ peo- more integrated into Israeli society than the ple from building a family. haredi Orthodox community. In the the past, Rabbi Benny Lau made the statement as he has drawn ire from some in his commupart of a set of guidelines for observant nity for his progressive positions on a range LGBTQ Jews and their families released Sat- of issues, including LGBTQ acceptance. urday evening under the heading It is Not Like the Modern Orthodox community in Good for Man to be the United States, IsAlone. The guidelines, rael’s Religious Zionpublished on Lau’s ist community has Facebook page, seek struggled in recent to reconcile a desire years with the tension to welcome LGBTQ between the Torah’s Jews into Jewish comprohibition on homomunities within the sexual relationships constraints of reliand the increased acgious law. ceptance of LGBTQ According to Lau, Israelis take part in the Jerusalem Pride Pa- people in the secular Jewish law “does not rade, June 25, 2009. Credit: Nati Shohat/ world. The guidelines forbid members of the Flash90 are significant beLGBTQ community from raising children cause of Lau’s prominence and because few and building a family,” though he acknowl- Orthodox rabbis have been willing to speak edges that Jewish legal issues may arise for out in favor of LGBTQ acceptance. couples who use surrogacy or a sperm donor Lau’s guidelines address the issue of samein order to have children. sex weddings, for which he says there is “no Lau also discouraged family members of acceptable solution” with a Jewish religious LGBTQ Jews from encouraging conversion framework. Still, he said the impulse to marry therapy, a debunked practice that seeks to and have one’s relationship publicly affirmed change someone’s sexual orientation. is “understandable” and should not be igThe rabbi said those attracted to members nored. Creating an alternative ceremony that of the same sex should not attempt to enter does not attempt to “imitate” a traditional Jewheterosexual marriage if they are repulsed by ish wedding may reduce the reluctance of retheir partner. And he affirmed that LGBTQ ligious family members to participate, he said. couples and their children should be full Lau was previously the rabbi of the Rammembers of the community and that their ban synagogue, a prominent Orthodox condignity should not be harmed. gregation in Jerusalem. He is the nephew of He emphasized that the guidelines are not former Israeli Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau meant as a ruling on matters of Jewish law, and the cousin of David Lau, the current but are aimed at finding ways for LGBTQ chief rabbi. His brother, Amichai Lau-Lavie, Jews to manage their family lives within reli- is an openly gay rabbi living in New York.

The Jewish Press | October 23, 2020 | A7

From the Archive: Jews welcome the stranger JTA In the United States, Jews have been both the subject of exclusionary immigration policies as well as the leaders to liberalize those laws.

In the 1920s, after decades of relatively loose immigration laws had enabled more than 2 million Eastern European Jews to settle in the U.S., Jews fought an effort to close the gates to the “goldene medina.” The Immigration Act of 1924, a bill advanced by a notoriously racist Republican congressman named Albert Johnson, enacted a quota system that would severely limit Jewish immigration and totally exclude immigrants from Asia.

Jewish leaders staunchly opposed the bill, with JTA reporting “militant action against” it. The United Hebrew Trades, an association of Jewish labor unions in New York, brought together 136 Jewish organizations in order to “wage a nationwide campaign to defeat” the bill.

Jewish efforts concerned Johnson, who responding to an inquiry by a JTA correspondent replied coldly: “If the Jewish people combine to defeat the immigration bill as reported by the [Immigration Committee of the House of Representatives], their children will regret it.”

Nonetheless, the bill passed with ease, and its devastating effects — reducing Jewish immigration from hundreds of thousands annually to less than 15,000 per year — were fully on display in 1939 when refugees, most notably a group of 907 German Jews aboard the S.S. St. Louis, were refused entry.

The law remained largely intact until the 1952 McCarran-Walter Act, which sought to uphold the previous quota system. The meas-

ure was deemed racist and exclusionary.

Jewish groups condemned the bill. JTA reported that “all major Jewish groups” spoke out against the act, warning that it would “abandon our country’s finest traditions by dropping an iron curtain around our shores.”

Despite an executive veto from President Harry Truman, the measure passed overwhelmingly in Congress.

In 1965, an immigration bill arrived that Jewish groups could support. The Hart-Cellar Act sought to dismantle the quota system in place since 1924 and finally opened the doors to Asian, African and Middle Eastern populations. Although Jews, with Israel available, no longer needed the open doors, major Jewish groups still rushed to support the bill. In a joint statement, seven national Jewish groups, including the American Jewish Congress and the Conservative movement’s United Synagogue of America, called the bill a “long overdue” change to the quota system that had “defaced our immigration policy and mocked our national protestations of equality.”

Perhaps the most impassioned plea, however, came from a Jewish New York congressman named Leonard Farbstein, who told the House that the act would come too late for the Jews “buried in mass graves at Auschwitz, Dachau and Bergen-Belsen” who were denied U.S. visas.

But, Farbstein said, the new law would allow those murdered Jews to “rest easier in their graves” because America may now provide an easier haven to refugees.

The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008.

Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.

Vote Maureen Boyle MD Democrat for Douglas County Commission District 5

Mental and physical health • Whole-heartedly support robust • public health • Commit to tackle mental health in a • big way

Criminal justice reform • Rework the current juvenile justice • center project. It should not be • downtown.

• Eliminate cash bail. The current system • unfairly favors the privileged.

Budget • Analyze expenses, look for cost savings, • carve out waste with my scalpel • Hold property taxes at bay!

“I fully endorse Maureen Boyle. You will not find anyone more prepared and more dedicated.”

Marc Kraft, Current District 5 Douglas County Commissioner

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DEMOCRAT FOR LEGISLATURE DISTRICT 31 AWARD WINNING TEACHER PROVEN LEADER We need to strengthen our great community for this generation and the next by: Giving our schools the resources they need.

Reforming Nebraska’s tax system.

Implementing programs to retain our talent and grow our local businesses.

MaureenBoyleMD.com Paid for by Maureen Boyle for Douglas County Board, 2032 N. 55 St., Omaha, NE 68104

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A8 | The Jewish Press | October 23, 2020

Above and left: JFO employees took advantage of the beautiful fall weather to participate in goat yoga.

Below: The beautiful weather allowed for coming together at Chabad while still staying safe. Chaya Blotner with her and Rabbi Duni Blotner’s daughter and below left: are Chani Katzman, left, Debbie and Lloyd Roitstein.

Above, below and bottom: Mazal tov to Elaine Jabenis, who recently celebrated her 100th birthday!

SP O TLIGHT PHOTOS FROM RECENT JEWISH COMMUNITY EVENTS SUBMIT A PHOTO: Have a photo of a recent Jewish Community event you would like to submit? Email the image and a suggested caption to: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org.

Above, below and right: Residents of the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home enjoying the Sukkah on a gorgeous autumn day.

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The Jewish Press | October 23, 2020 | A9

Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole.

How to alienate your neighbors ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor Let’s face it: we’re not all so very nice to each other these days. After several years of hearing the word “partisan” a few times too often, we just can’t figure out how to get along anymore. And that pesky neighbor just put a political sign in his front yard for a candidate you don’t agree with—and it’s really close to the property line. What if your friends drive by and think it’s yours?

Perhaps we need a reminder of how things could be worse, so here goes.

Back in 2014, a police helicopter was flying around Santa Caterina, Brazil, as part of a kidnapping investigation. Suddenly, they spotted a private swimming pool with, tiled in the bottom, a large swastika.

The owner of the property wasn’t charged; according to local authorities, he had not broken any laws. All that happened was that the image made the rounds online. And these days, when something lands online, it lives there forever. Those Brazilian authorities may have decided there was no crime, but in the court of public opinion, whoever built that pool was a Nazi sympathizer. How could he not be? What possible other reason could one have to create a pool like that?

That pool owner’s name was Wandercy Pugliesi and he is a history professor. That in and of itself is terrifying. Now, he’s making headlines once again: this year, Pugliesi decided to try for a seat on the local city council. He did so as a member of the Liberal Party, but they weren’t so enthusiastic: they kicked him out for ‘ideological differences.’

How different Pugliesi’s ideology is remains to be seen; the area he calls home has traditionally been

a safe haven for Nazis (real ones and the Neo-types) and were he to run for office, some voters may not think having a swastika in your pool is necessarily a deal-breaker. I for one feel grateful he’s not my neighbor. Of course, the fact that this man lives far away should not make us feel better. We have sim-

is nothing they can do because technically, Burnside isn’t breaking any laws (Wait, we’ve heard that before).

Also in 2018: “A flag bearing a swastika flying outside a house in a small Colorado community was taken down after dozens of residents showed up outside the home in protest.”

And the flag of Nazi Germany was sighted atop a flagpole in a public park in Laramie, Wyoming.

“The US flag that usually flies from the pole lay crumpled on the ground when police arrived on the scene Monday morning, according to Lieutenant Gwen Smith of the Laramie Police Department.”

How is this for a headline: “Nazi flag seen hanging in classroom window at Maryland public high school.”

(Foxnews.com) I did not make this up: A view of the infamous swastika pool in Santa CateDuring a political rally in rina, Brazil. Credit: Santa Catarina Civil Police March of this year, Bernie ilar meshugas right here in the USA. Sanders was horrified when a protester brought a “What do you do when your neighbor is a neo- Nazi flag with a swastika to the event. He subseNazi?” Sarah Sidner asked for CNN in a 2018 article. quently told journalists he never imagined someThe neo-Nazi in question was Daniel Burnside, thing like that would happen. who “painted a huge swastika on his home. His I don’t know how I would feel if someone close woodshop dons Nazi carvings and a Nazi flag. A by would wave a swastika around, let alone decoscarecrow made to resemble Adolf Hitler keeps rate his pool with it. By comparison, those signs in watch in his yard.” my neighborhood aren’t so bad. You know what For the article, Sidner talked to the neighbors, else? Pretty soon, they will all be gone. but received no satisfying answer. Apparently, there Until the next election, that is.

Expressions of Jewish being Jews do not speak in a political monologue. Like so many misconceptions, putting Jews, a broad, cultural or religious identity, into a political box is wrong and approaching bigotry.

Jews have many differing political persuasions. The tent under which Jewish GARY NACHMAN identity survives, and has for Regional Director, millennia, includes people of ADL-Plains States different socioeconomic ad- Region vantages and disadvantages, color, sexual orientation, education, religiosity and, of course, experiences. This large tent has withstood the weight of time by accepting diverse identities to coexist, while sharing a common “cultural DNA.” Like strands of DNA, it is made up of many genes that influence the expressions of the Jewish being.

Unlike DNA however, there is no “Jewish gene.”

Jews identify themselves by religion, history or heritage, culture, ethnicity, gastronomy, and many other ingredients that go into making this complex stew. There is not one “Jewish look” or behavior that labels a person “a Jew.” Because of this wonderful diversity, the spectrum of political beliefs will naturally find views worthy of debate. Jews have debated throughout history – with each other, with themselves and with G-d. It’s one of the reasons post-biblical texts are so rich with life lessons.

Morals and laws were often argued and interpreted over centuries and have multiple answers in many cases. In religious schools, Jews are taught to question and challenge. There is a reason you hear the adage that if you ask two Jews their opinion, you will receive three answers.

Political danger arises in two forms; generalizations made about Jews from the outside and internal discordance among Jews. The first is easier to recognize, albeit, perhaps more difficult to resolve, when ignorance leads to assumptions based upon hearsay, misunderstandings, or, more insidiously, anti-Semitic tropes. Conflating Israel’s right to exist

with disagreements of the politicians or policies of the country, is veiled anti-Semitism. To say American Jews should vote a certain way out of loyalty to Israel is as wrong as any single-issue voter who ignores what may be best for the country in favor of self-interest. I feel most Republicans and Democrats would be challenged to admit they agree with the entire platform of their party.

Internal discordance creates a greater challenge.

Jews fall on the entire political spectrum from extreme conservatives to extreme liberals. However, like most large population studies show, a bell curve better represents the political views with most falling within normal standard deviations from both sides of the middle. The clear message is that there isn’t a Jewish monologue voice.

This also obligates us to look at things from a broad perspective and learn lessons from history. I believe we are honor-bound to “repair the world,” meaning we are on an evolutionary quest to make the world and all its inhabitants better in all ways possible. All non-indigenous people living in this country came from somewhere else. We were all immigrants. We received an opportunity by coming to this country and we owe that same opportunity to those seeking a better life here, to say nothing of acknowledging the complicated debt owed to those indigenous peoples living here before us.

While individual rights are precious, our country flourishes when we embrace collective responsibility. Not socialism or communism and certainly not fascism, but simply collective decency and responsibility. We have laws for the individual, but most are for society and the greater good. Our democratic elections require participation from the individual, but serve the whole. Social Security, Medicare, our national road system, law enforcement and first responders are all part of the social fabric that extends beyond the individual.

It is important that we have dialogue and yes, even heated debate. Opposition to our ideas is an opportunity to broaden our perspectives. But just as we inspect what we consume, so must we challenge our sources of information. Civil discourse is

not possible when we base our opinion on hearsay, and not fact. We cannot allow bigotry and hate, any daylight, into our national conversation. Just as it is undeniable that Jews have varied political views, it is also inescapable that those views are what make the “Jewish tent,” a shelter for all.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Dear Editor, George Burns said, “Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.”

Council Bluffs, Iowa mishpocha (families in Yiddish) were an exception.

How do I know? The Nebraska Jewish Historical Society hired me to chronicle the virtually vanished Jewish community, culminating in a book, Council Bluffs, Iowa: History & Stories of the Jewish Midwest.

I met with and profiled Council Bluffians ages 6096 years old in their kitchens and living rooms, creating deep connections and dear friendships.

Whether their ancestors shared DNA or became acquainted while elbowing for lean corned beef at Diamond Butcher, Eastern European immigrants created a kinship which has lasted five generations.

I’m struck by descendants’ fierce love of community and tradition. It strengthens my faith in humanity, and in Judaism. Since 1857, Jewish Council Bluffians have channeled their love, time and resources into a sacred stretch of earth where those who once sat side-by-side in shul are together laid to rest: Bikhor Cholim/Oak Hill cemetery. Surely, their loved ones who’ve passed are grateful for this mitzvah.

The cemetery, and its caretakers, are aging. Patty Nogg’s piece in the September 18th issue, asking readers to make a charitable contribution to the cemetery’s Perpetual Care Endowment Fund, prompted me to donate. My mom, Gail, followed suit.

“She cares just because YOU care?” asked Patty.

Yes. My mom, and I, also understand the importance of preserving the history of our fellow Jewish family.

Tikkun Olam.

Please, join us?

Thank you, JOEY HOFFMAN

Synagogues

A10 | The Jewish Press | October 23, 2020

B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

618 Mynster Street Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 712.322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE

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

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

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

CHABAD HOUSE

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

CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN

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

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE

Capehart Chapel 2500 Capehart Road Offutt AFB, NE 68123 402.294.6244 email: oafbjsll@icloud.com

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME

323 South 132 Street Omaha, NE 68154

TEMPLE ISRAEL

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

TIFERETH ISRAEL

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

B’NAI ISRAEL Join us via Zoom on Friday, Nov. 13, 7:30 p.m. for evening services. Our service leader is Larry Blass.

Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel!

For information on our historic synagogue, please contact Howard Kutler at hkutler@hotmail.com or any of our other board members: Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Janie Kulakofsky, Carole and Wayne Lainof, Mary-Beth Muskin and Sissy Silber.

Handicap Accessible.

BETH EL Virtual services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman.

VIRTUAL MINYAN SCHEDULE: Mornings on Sundays, 9 a.m. and Mondays and Thursdays, 8 a.m.; Evenings on Sunday-Thursday, 5:30 p.m.

FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m.; Havdalah, 7:19 p.m.

SUNDAY: Torah Study, 10 a.m.; BESTT (Grades K7), 10:30 a.m.

MONDAY: Women’s Book Group, 7 p.m.; Jewish Law with Rabbi Abraham, 8 p.m.

TUESDAY: Biblical Literacy with Rabbi Abraham, 11:30 a.m.; Women & Religion with Jeannette Gabriel, 2 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Coffee and Conversations with Rabbi Abraham, 2 p.m.; BESTT (Grades 3-7) Online, 4:30 p.m.; Comic Books & Judaism with Barry Grossman, 6 p.m.; Hebrew High (Grades 8-12), 7 p.m.; Beit Midrash — The Jewish Vote, 7 p.m.

THURSDAY: Shul Music with Hazzan Krausman, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY-Oct. 30: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY-Oct. 31: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m.; Havdalah, 7:10 p.m.

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

BETH ISRAEL Virtual services conducted by Rabbi Ari Dembitzer.

Classes, Kabbalat Shabbat and Havdalah on Zoom, Whatsapp or Facebook Live. On site services held outside in Sukkah, weather permitting. Physical distancing and masks required.

FRIDAY: Shacharit, 9 am.; Mincha/Candlelighting, 6:13 p.m.

SATURDAY: Open Beit Midrash, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Mincha, 6:10 p.m.; Havdalah, 7:11 p.m.

SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6:10 p.m.; Intimacy from a Jewish Perspective, 8 p.m.

MONDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (What’s App); Shacharit, 7 am.; Deepening Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Laws of Shabbos, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6:10 p.m.

TUESDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (What’s App); Shacharit, 7 am.; Deepening Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Laws of Shabbos, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp);

Art at Home An eight-week session of Opening Minds Through Art (OMA) inspires the Rose Blumkin Home Residents. The Home is blessed to receive a three-year grant from The Association of Jewish Aging Services (AJAS) for the programming. Last year and the spring semester, we paired student volunteers from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and RBJH residents to participate in this award-winning intergenerational program. Unfortunately, with the pandemic, we cannot have the students, so the activities staff is working side by side with Residents.

Activity Coordinators Cheryl Poulin and Emily Clement attended a training sponsored by Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in May of 2019 to become OMA Facilitators. They were trained by OMA’s creator, Elizabeth Lokon, who combined her love of art and geriatrics to develop a program that benefits both the elders with dementia and the student volunteers. The Rose Blumkin Home plans to have additional Activities staff trained to be OMA facilitators in the future and hopes to continue implementing the program for years to come.

RBJH is proud to be the only skilled nursing facility in Nebraska’s participating in Opening Minds through Art (OMA).

Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6:10 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (What’s App); Shacharit, 7 am.; Deepening Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Laws of Shabbos, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6:10 p.m.

THURSDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 am.; Deeping Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Laws of Shabbos, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Whats App); Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6:10 p.m.

FRIDAY-Oct. 30: Shacharit, 9 am.; Mincha/Candlelighting, 6:03 p.m.

SATURDAY-Oct. 31: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Mincha, 5:45 p.m.; Havdalah, 7:03 p.m.

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

CHABAD HOUSE Virtual services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Due to Coronavirus, all services and classes have moved online. For schedules and more information or to request help, please visit www.ochabad.org or call the office at 402.330.1800 FRIDAY: Candlelighting, 6:12 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Ends, 7:11 p.m.

MONDAY: Personal Parsha class, 9:30 a.m. with Shani; Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m.

WEDNESDAY: Mystical Thinking, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Katzman; Introduction to Reading Hebrew, 10:30 a.m.

THURSDAY: Intermediate Hebrew Reading & Prayer, 11 a.m.; Talmud Class, noon with Rabbi Katzman.

FRIDAY-Oct. 30: Candlelighting, 6:03 p.m.

SATURDAY-Oct. 31: Shabbat Ends, 7:02 p.m.

B’NAI JESHURUN The Temple office is on reduced hours until further notice and all services and activities are being offered via livestream or teleconferencing. Please call 402.435.8004 or email office@southstreettemple. org for further information or to make an appointment for a visit, if necessary. You may also email board president Nicholette Seigfreid at president@south streettemple.org. South Street Temple’s events can be found at https://south streettemple.org/calendar/.

FRIDAY: Temple Office Closed; Candlelighting, 6:15 p.m.; Erev Shabbat Service, service leaders/music: Rabbi Alex, Steve and Nathaniel Kaup, 6:30 p.m. via Zoom.

SATURDAY: Temple Office Closed; Shabbat Morning Service, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Alex via Zoom; Torah Study on Parashat Noach, 11:30 a.m. with Rabbi Alex participating; Havdalah (72 minutes), 7:14 p.m.

SUNDAY: Temple Office Closed; Garden day at SST, 9 a.m. All in the Lincoln Jewish Community are welcome to join in; we need your help! We will trim and weed in all the garden beds as well as edging the lawn. We hope you will join in with us. It usually takes about an hour and we have great conversations and fellowship. Bring your hand tools for trimming and weeding, rakes, lawn/leaf bags, etc. Plan to wear a

mask and maintain safe social distance; LJCS GanGesher, 10-11:30 a.m. All classes meet via Zoom.

TUESDAY: Synagogue Staff Meeting, 10 a.m.; Tea & Coffee Time with Temple Pals, 1:30 p.m. via Zoom.

WEDNESDAY: LJCS Hebrew School: Grades 3-7, 4:30-5:30 p.m. via Zoom.

FRIDAY-Oct. 30: Candlelighting, 6:06 p.m.; Erev Shabbat Service, service leaders/music: Rabbi Alex and Elaine Monnier, 6:30 p.m. via livestream.

SATURDAY-Oct. 31: Shabbat Morning Service, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Alex via Zoom; Torah Study on Parashat Lech Leacha, 11:30 a.m. leader: TBD; Havdalah (72 minutes), 7:05 p.m.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE All services canceled until further notice.

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME

The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home is currently closed to visitors.

TEMPLE ISRAEL

Virtual services conducted by Rabbi Brian Stoller, Rabbi Deana Sussman Berezin and Cantor Joanna Alexander.

DAILY VIRTUAL MINYAN: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.

FRIDAY: Shabbat Service, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; OTYG Movie Night, 4 p.m.

SUNDAY: Youth Learning Programs for Grades PreK-6.

WEDNESDAY: Mindful Meditation with Margot, 9 a.m.; Youth Learing Programs: Grades 3-6, 4-6 p.m.; and Grades 7-12, 6:30-8 p.m.; Community Beit Midrash, 7 p.m.

THURSDAY: Thursday Morning Discussion, 9:30 a.m.

Please visit templeisraelomaha.com for additional information and Zoom service links.

TIFERETH ISRAEL

FRIDAY: Candlelighting, 6:15 p.m.; Livestream Service, 6:30 p.m. from SST. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 10 a.m. via Zoom at TI; Torah Study on Parashat Noach, 11:30 a.m. with Rabbi Alex; Havdalah (72 minutes), 7:13 p.m.

SUNDAY: LJCS Gan-Gesher, 10-11:30 a.m. All classes meet via Zoom.

WEDNESDAY: LJCS Hebrew School: Grades 3-7, 4:30-5:30 p.m. via Zoom.

FRIDAY-Oct. 30: Candlelighting, 6:05 p.m.; Livestream Service, 6:30 p.m. from SST. SATURDAY-Oct. 31: Shabbat Morning Service, 10 a.m. via Zoom at TI; Torah Study on Parashat Lech Leacha, 11:30 a.m. leader: TBD; Havdalah (72 minutes), 7:04 p.m.

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

News

The Jewish Press | October 23, 2020 | A11

Pulverente MONUMENT CO. 60 Years Experience With Jewish Lettering and Memorials

1439 So. 13th 402-341-2452 Frank L. Ciciulla, Jr.

LOC AL | N AT I O N A L | WO R L D

Foundation update Trump denounces white supremacy, but not QAnon

This is National Estate Planning Awareness Week, 7 days devoted to awareness of estate planning. A recent Caring.com survey revealed that only 32% of all adults, and less than 50% of those over age 55, have a will.

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the uncertainty of life and the corresponding need to have an estate plan.

Now is an excellent time to start planning, and if you already have a will and estate HOWARD EPSTEIN plan, it is a good time to review it to make Executive Director, sure it is up-to-date.

JFO Foundation Estate planning is much more than writing a will. It is about taking care of your family and loved ones and the charitable organizations you have supported throughout your lifetime. It is about making advance plans for your finances and your health care and protecting those you love.

Every estate plan should have at least four basic written documents. The first is a will, sometimes supplemented with a trust. In a will, you define how and to whom your assets should be distributed after your death.

If you do not have a will, the laws of the state in which you reside will define how and to whom your assets will be distributed. Isn’t it better for you to have that final say? And remember, your life insurance, retirement plans and investment and bank accounts are all integral to your estate planning. Make sure your beneficiaries are all up to date.

You can include the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation in your estate plan. We welcome the opportunity to explore with you and your professional advisors the best ways for you to leave assets from your estate to permanently benefit Omaha’s Jewish community.

Called planned giving or legacy giving, use this opportunity to leave your imprint, your financial legacy, for future generations of Jewish Omahans. Other written documents you will want to prepare to complete your estate planning include: · Durable Power of Attorney for Finances. Name someone to make financial decisions on your behalf when you are incapacitated. · Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare. Name someone to make decisions about your health care when you are incapacitated. · Living Will (Advance Directive). You define the terms of your own medical treatment and care should the time come when you are no longer able to make those decisions on your own. Please contact me at 402.334.6466 or by email at hepstein@jewishomaha.org. We will be happy to help you achieve your charitable legacy. Always consult your own advisors for tax, legal, and financial advice.

Visit us on facebook: ps://www.facebook.com/ShalomahaPress

RON KAMPEAS JTA Under fire for his past equivocations on white supremacy, President Donald Trump denounced the phenomenon in a town hall but claimed to be ignorant of QAnon.

Trump showed exasperation at the question, saying he has denounced the phenomenon multiple times. Guthrie said he had in the past “hesitated,” noting that in his debate two weeks ago with Democratic nominee Joe Biden, he told an extremist right-wing group, the Proud Boys, to “stand back and stand by” when he was asked to denounce white supremacists.

“You always start off with that question, you didn’t ask Joe Biden whether or not he denounces Antifa,” Trump said. He declined to denounce QAnon, a movement that peddles a conspiracy theory that accuses Democrats of running pedophile rings and sees Trump as a secret savior. In some iterations, QAnon enthusiasts advance anti-Semitic slanders.

“I hate to say that I know nothing about it,” Trump said. “I do know they are very much against pedophilia.”

Trump was to have debated Biden, but pulled out when the debate commission changed the format to a virtual debate after Trump contracted the coronavirus. Instead, NBC broadcast a Trump town hall from Miami, and ABC broadcast a Biden town hall from Philadelphia. One of Biden’s questioners asked Biden why he would not praise Trump’s foreign policy successes, including the recent normalization agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

Biden said Trump’s foreign policy was diminishing America’s profile. “We’re more isolated in the world than we have ever been,” he said. He added: “I do compliment the President on the deal with Israel recently.”

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A12 | The Jewish Press | October 23, 2020

News LOC AL | N AT I O N A L | WO R L D

Gal Gadot, Elizabeth Taylor: The Cleopatra controversy GABE FRIEDMAN JTA After Israeli actress Gal Gadot announced this weekend that she would play the legendary Egyptian queen in a blockbuster movie, it didn’t take long for the calls of cultural appropriation to start on social media.

One tweet in particular, which said Gadot is “stealing” the role from Arab actresses, started a robust debate. Some users pointed out that Cleopatra wasn’t Egyptian — as a Ptolemaic ruler, she was descended from a Macedonian father, and historians don’t know the ethnicity of her mother.

This is hardly the first time in recent memory when the ability of Jews to play non-Jewish roles has come into question. It’s also not the first time that a Jewish movie star playing the Egyptian ruler has caused controversy.

The most famous Cleopatra film was released in 1963 and starred Elizabeth Taylor.

The film was hugely expensive for the time — Taylor was reportedly the first actress to get paid $1 million for a role — and hugely successful, even though it was plagued by rumors of Taylor’s affair with co-star Richard Burton and all kinds of other on-set drama.

Taylor had converted to Judaism a few years earlier, before her marriage to singer Eddie Fisher, and had become outspokenly supportive of Israel. At the time, Egypt saw Israel as its enemy and banned any kind of relations with Jews and Israelis. So when the film first came out, Egypt banned it.

But the ordeal, which Cleopatra ended up doing just has a happy ending of fine — it was released in 1963, besorts, actually started came the most financially sucbefore the film was recessful movie of the year and leased, as the Jewish won four Academy Awards in Telegraphic Agency’s 1964. Furthermore, Egyptian offiarchives show. Here’s a cials enjoyed it so much that they quick timeline of Tayremoved Taylor from the travel lor’s Jewish Cleopatra blacklist. As JTA reported: “The story. officials decided the film was In 1959, Taylor made good publicity for Egypt which is her Zionist support mentioned 122 times in the public in a big way, buymovie.” ing $100,000 of Israel She and Burton, who became Bonds at a fundraiser one of her several husbands, dinner in Los Angeles helped raise close to a million with her new husband dollars for Israel at a 1967 Fisher (who bought fundraiser; later in 1967, she can$10,000 himself ). She celed a trip to a film festival in had already finished her Moscow in “opposition to the Soconversion with a big viet diplomatic offensive against ceremony at Holly- Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra in the 1963 film on the Egyptian queen. Credit: Uni- Israel”; Taylor and Burton made wood’s Temple Israel versal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images headlines by visiting Israel in Filming for Cleopatra took place in 1962, 1975; Taylor joined in a telegram defending and spoken to the press about her love of Judaism. She was not converting for her hus- mostly in Rome, but the crew planned to film Israel that was sent by 60 prominent women, band, she made clear — she claimed she had some shots in Egypt, for authenticity’s sake. including Betty Friedan, Bella Abzug and GloBut Taylor was banned from even entering ria Steinem, to the head of the U.N. in 1975; admired the religion “for a long time.”

Taylor’s big Israel Bonds purchase made the country, so the crew didn’t travel to Egypt. in 1983, Taylor attempted a “one-woman waves in the Arab world, and not long after, Still, JTA noted at the time: “Officially, Miss peace effort,” as JTA wrote at the time, visitJTA reported that the U.S. State Department Taylor’s movies have been on the Egyptian ing both Israeli Prime Minister Menachem had received some startling news: The United blacklist for a long time. However, some of Begin in Jerusalem and Lebanon President Arab Republic — what was then a unified her films are shown occasionally in Egypt, Amin Gemayel in Beirut as the countries state consisting of Egypt and Syria — “officially and receive enthusiastic support from Egypt- tried to strike a peace treaty after the previbanned all motion pictures” featuring Taylor. ian audiences.” ous year’s war.

B1 | The Jewish Press | October 23, 2020

The Arts S EC T I ON 2

A Jewish artist hid hundreds of her paintings during the Holocaust. Now the works need a home.

TOBY AXELROD JTA Plans are under way to find a home for a huge trove of works by a nearly forgotten Jewish artist that was uncovered 78 years after her death in a Nazi concentration camp.

The works of Czech artist Gertrud Kauders (18831942) were found during the demolition of an old house near Prague in 2018, when 30 paintings tumbled onto the head of a worker. Hundreds more canvases were found in the walls and under floorboards of the home where the artist had stashed them to keep them out of Nazi hands.

Only this summer did the dimensions of the collection become clear, after photojournalist Amos Chapple and his colleague Dana Katharina Vaskova tracked down Jakub Sedlacek, the owner of the demolished house, on behalf of relatives of the artist living in New Zealand.

What they thought would be a small collection turned out to be “enormous,” said Chapple, himself a New Zealander, who works in Prague for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. They reported the find on the news organization’s website.

“It was breathtaking,” recalled his colleague Vaskova, who was born in Prague and grew up in Munich, Germany.

Gertud Kauders had studied with the well-known Czech artist Otakar Nejedlý (1883-1957) and painted many impressionist portraits and scenes from nature. In 1939, the year that the Nazis in-

vaded the Czech provinces of Bohemia and Moravia, Kauders asked her classmate, the Russianborn Natalie Jahudkova, to hide her life’s work. Since Jahudkova’s house was under construction, it was

Gertrud Kauders hid about 700 of her paintings in a classmate’s house during WWII. Credit: Amos Chapple/RFE/RL

relatively easy to slip the paintings into the walls.

The Nazis deported Kauders from Prague in 1942 to the nearby Theresienstadt concentration camp, and from there to the Majdanek concentration camp in Poland, where she was murdered.

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Her artwork survived, hidden.

But the secret died with Natalie Jahudkova in 1977. In 2018, Jakub Sedlacek, whose grandmother was informally adopted in the 1920s by Jahudkova,

had the derelict house torn down. It was then that the collection came to light.

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The Arts Hidden Holocaust paintings Continued from page B1 on the foreman’s head. The story slept for another year.

Then, in 2019, descendants of Kauders’ nephew, Cornelius – who had fled to New Zealand in 1939 – saw the story and reached out to Chapple through his father, a friend.

“They said, ‘Hey, we are at dead ends wherever we go when we try to find out what happened to the art,’” Chapple told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

Chapple teamed up with Vaskova, who tracked down Sedlacek. He eventually invited the two to visit.

“I had come with the intention to photograph 30 paintings for the Jewish Museum of Prague,” recalled Chapple. “Then Mr. Sedlacek said, ‘Now I will show you the real collection.’”

“I will remember the moment for the rest of my life,” said Chapple, who was standing behind Vaskova. “We came around a corner, and there was an enormous expanse of what was instantly recognizable as serious art. My mouth was hanging open.”

“There were stacks and stacks, in perfect condition, torn hastily out of their frames and hidden,” Chapple said. There were about 700 works in all. “To see these things was incredible, unforgettable.”

Vaskova said she was “amazed” by the artwork, which date from the 1910s to 1930s, and moved by the stories Sedlacek told about Jahudkova’s friendship with Kauders.

Sedlacek, who himself had not seen all the

works, invited them to return to photograph the collection. They did so last month.

“He left us alone with the paintings,” said Vaskova. “He made coffee for us and gave us food and drink. It took us five-six hours.”

was Gertrud and her nephew [Cornelius], the sole survivor from the family.”

The paintings made the past – and Kauders’ fate “at the hands of the worst evil that modern history has ever known” – seem very

about the “whole intense process” and give a “concrete result as soon as possible” as to whether or not the museum could house some of the paintings.

Vaskova has since learned that Kauders

Above left: The house near Prague contained several hundred of Kauders’ works. Above right: “There were stacks and stacks, in perfect condition, torn hastily out of their frames and hidden,” photographer Amos Chapple said. Credit: Amos Chapple/RFE/RL

Chapple described the scene as one of “frantic activity.” They photographed one after another, largely without lingering.

But “there was one sketch that made us both stop,” Chapple said. “It was a... beautiful image of a boy being comforted by an older girl, and the caption said, ‘Were you frightened, little one?’ It looks like the little boy had a nightmare. We are fairly certain that this

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J O H N & K AT H Y W I N T E R B U R N

close, said Chapple. “Those people had the same feelings and fragility as we do.”

Sedlacek told Chapple and Vaskova he wants to see the works housed together in the Czech Republic, with family portraits going to the Kauders family in New Zealand.

Meanwhile, Kristýna Ríhová, a spokesperson for the Jewish Museum in Prague, said in an email to JTA that she would get informed

was “well-regarded” though not famous; reviews of exhibitions in the 1930s “mention her as one of the better artists of the time.”

“It would be nice for her to get the credit,” she added. “Not only because she was Jewish, and died where she died — but as a woman.

Women did not get all that much credit at the time... She should not be forgotten, since she was just found again.”

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The Jewish Press | October 23, 2020 | B3

When Christian is Jewish: Living a Jewish life with a non-Jewish name

JOSEFIN DOLSTEN JTA Christian Goldenbaum is used to people doing a double take after he introduces himself. Almost every single day while living abroad in New York, London and Jerusalem, the 28-year-old São Paulo native was asked “How come a guy named Goldenbaum gets a name like Christian?”

Several times, religious Jews have expressed discomfort with his name — an Orthodox rabbi once insisted on calling him by his Hebrew name, Avraham, and his grandmother’s second husband would call him “the boy” growing up to avoid saying his first name. Another time, an elderly Israeli man demanded he change his name.

“He was very obviously very aggressive. He was basically saying, ‘You’re not one of us with this name,’” Goldenbaum recalled.

Many who meet Goldenbaum are reacting to the apparent conflict in his full name — while his last name is stereotypically Jewish, his first name contains the name of the Christian messiah. That combination is rare, but he’s not alone.

Fox News host Chris Wallace is perhaps the most famous example of a Jew with a traditionally Christian name. Wallace’s Jewish parents decided to name their son Christopher after he was born on Columbus Day, according to a New York Times profile of him, which in its first sentence describes him as “a child of two Jews who keeps a rosary by his bed-

side.” (The rosary is a gift from his Catholic wife whom Wallace accompanies to church on Christmas and Easter.)

Wallace, born in 1947, was named at a time when American Jewish naming practices

prominent American leaders.

With time, Jews started increasingly gravitating towards more general American names.

“They might give their kid a name like James or Isidore, which is more Americanized

Religion in Cincinnati.

This trend continued until the middle of the 20th century, when names seen as further from the tradition started entering the community. In some cases, non-religious Jews

Christian Goldenbaum says he gets plenty of questions about his name when he is outside his native Brazil. Credit: Ana Elisa Trude

Although it is still relatively rare, it has become more common in recent decades for Jews to have traditionally Christian names.

Credit: Illustration by Grace Yagel

Jewish journalist Chris Wallace, seen here during the first 2020 presidential debate in Cleveland, was named after Christopher Columbus. Credit: Olivier Douliery/Pool/Getty Images

were undergoing a shift. Though the earliest American Jews were likely to give their children biblical names, it wasn’t long before Jews started trying to fit into American naming conventions, according to historian Gary Zola, who said that in the 19th century it wasn’t rare to find Jews named after George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and other

instead of Israel. ...Instead of Shalom or Shmuel, you become Seymour or Sy, and then you use your Hebrew name that you’re given in the synagogue,” said Zola, who is the executive director of the Jacob Rader Center of the American Jewish Archives and a professor at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of

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“That kind of thing is rare, but it does happen in the post-World War II period,” Zola See When Christian is Jewish page B4

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B4 | The Jewish Press | October 23, 2020

When Christian is Jewish

Continued from page B3 said. “They like the name and therefore they’ll give it to their children.”

Intermarriage or conversions also mean that a Jewish convention — honoring deceased relatives when naming children — can cause names that originated in other religions to be passed down.

Hannah Christianson, a 20-year-old student at Barnard College in New York, got her last name from her non-Jewish father, who has Norwegian roots. At times, she said, she feels

she has to “overcompensate” for people to know that she is Jewish.

At the end of her first year of college, she met a friend who worked as a recruiter for Birthright Israel through a Hillel event. The friend didn’t try to get Christianson to sign up for an Israel trip, which Birthright makes free for Jews ages 18-26, because she assumed based on Christianson’s name that she was not Jewish.

At times, Christianson feels self-conscious talking about Judaism because she worries how her comments will be per-

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ceived by those who assume she is not Jewish. That is the case in a course she is taking this semester about Judaism.

“I would sometimes speak in it and it has the name pop up in the corner because it’s on Zoom, and I just remembered after talking feeling really weird because I realized that the people in the class don’t know I’m Jewish, so it kind of sounds like I’m making assumptions about the Jewish community that I’m not qualified to make,” she said.

In certain contexts, she has found that it offers some benefit to be able to pass as not Jewish.

“In very leftist and anti-Zionist spaces, I would feel a little bit uncomfortable talking about my Judaism, and so I don’t say anything,” Christianson said. “The assumptions that go along with being Jewish can make it a little uncomfortable to disclose that sometimes, and I feel like I do have a privilege in that I’m able to not disclose it in certain spaces.”

The story behind Goldenbaum’s name is a little different.

His maternal grandparents are Jews from Germany who fled to Brazil before World War II and wanted their grandchild to have a German-sounding name as a nod to their heritage.

His paternal grandparents, on the other hand, came from Egypt and fled their home country in the 1950s, when tens of thousands of Jews were driven out. (His paternal grandfather’s family was originally from Europe, hence the name Goldenbaum.) That trauma left his father especially wanting his son to have a name that would allow him to pass as a non-Jew. Thus, the family settled on Christian. Goldenbaum says the name has less overtly Christian connotations in his native Brazil — in Portuguese the word for a Christian person is “cristão.”

“Here when I say my name people don’t usually think about, ‘This guy is a Jewish person named Christian.’ They don’t even realize that,” he said.

In Canada, Justin Christopher Tobin’s name has “certainly raised some eyebrows,” he said. Though he doesn’t usually introduce himself with his middle name, the 23-year-old student at the Memorial University of Newfoundland faced challenges when he tried entering Israel as a participant and later staffer on Birthright trips a few years ago. At the airport he was questioned by El Al agents about how a Jew could be named Christopher.

“It almost hurt to hear that I wasn’t Jewish enough or somehow I was an impostor, even though I knew that I wasn’t and I knew I had every — literally — birthright to be there. It can be intimidating,” recalled Tobin, who is named after his Irish Catholic father.

He has also been met with confusion in synagogue while called to read from the Torah, and in giving his father’s name when being asked about his parents’ names. But the experiences haven’t mitigated Tobin’s pride in his name and his heritage — his family includes people with Jewish, Irish Catholic and indigenous Canadian roots.

“I’m pretty proud of my name,” he said. “It’s one of those things that I don’t like when it comes up and someone makes a deal of it, but at the same time it’s a chance to educate and it’s a chance to share with someone, ‘Hey, just because you’re from a fully Jewish background, I’m not, and that’s OK.'”

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The Jewish Press | October 23, 2020 | B5

The Arts

Anti-Semitism, white supremacy and swords EMILY BURACK This piece originally appeared in Alma.

After over a year of immersing herself into the darkest depths of white supremacy on the internet, Talia Lavin remains hopeful. Lavin, a Jewish reporter, went undercover into some of the most toxic chatrooms the “alt-right” has to offer — and is now telling her story, and the story of the rise of white supremacy in America, in Culture Warlords: My Journey Into the Dark Web of White Supremacy.

“When I became the target of the far right, I felt my identity sort of burning inside of me,” Lavin explained to me one afternoon in late August. “As a Jewish woman, I was the brunt of all this anti-Semitism and misogyny. The misogyny is very overt — the threats and abuses are incredibly sexualized. It’s very keyed to my appearance. It’s really hard to disentangle these things, but because of my identity, I was targeted with a viciousness. And because of that viciousness, I decided to turn around and dive in. Not to disengage, but rather to turn towards the darkness — and to fight it.”

Lavin, who previously worked for Alma’s parent company 70 Faces Media, credits her experience at the Jewish Telegraphic Agency as something that made her “re-conceive of antiSemitism as something that was alive and present, and particularly thriving, on the internet.”

We discussed going undercover, social media platforms, bringing white supremacists into “the light” and collecting swords, among many other things.

This conversation has been lightly con- net and social media? How do you deal mostly use them for selfies. But I know a few densed and edited for clarity. with your trolls? basic moves, and it gives me probably a false I love how, in the intro of your book, you Well, I collect swords and I have a crippling sense of security, but at least a sense of like, if write that to describe white supremacists panic disorder. someone comes at me, I will grab my blade is deprive them of the power to organize in No, but seriously. I got my first sword cour- and have something to parry with. total darkness — that writing about them tesy of my dad at a Lord of the Rings convention And then, I have a lot of panic attacks. I’m is bringing them into the light. Can you at age 14. And then on my 30th birthday, I went very outwardly bold and fearless, [but] on the talk about this concept? inside, I’m a writhing mass of One of the things that the neurosis held together by tape people who are attracted to far and glue. But I think if I had to right extremism crave is indecide whether to dive into spiring fear — being the this world again, knowing the boogeyman. And I [do] think internal chaos it has provoked, they are quite dangerous. But I would do it again. to give them this mystique, In the book you write about and to say it’s this insurmountgoing undercover into white able problem — that it’s not supremacist chat rooms. even worth understanding the How did you keep yourself details — gives them the calm and sane while spendpower that they haven’t ing time in these really terriearned, and shouldn’t have. ble forums?

When you really delve into I would say saying that I the details, when you look at the Talia Lavin and the cover of her new book, Culture Warlords. Credit: Talia Lavin was calm and sane is a bold roots, when you expose where these sentiments to Medieval Times. I started researching this assumption on your part. But I had comrades. are coming from, what they’re rooted in, who is book and I said, I want to get a sword. I was That was the biggest thing. There’s a group of expressing them and why, you get a better sense starting to encounter these stories of anti-fas- women who I partially dedicated the book to, of the threat, and you also rob it of this sense of cists and journalists who’d had their families who are women who cover the far right. And mystery. That is so crucial. So much of far right threatened — even people coming to their we’ve all faced — some people much more extremist imagery is the skull mask, the shields, houses, and my parents had received a threat grotesque extremes than me — the sexualand these sort of elements of disguise. When — and I just said, I would like a blade. And ized violence of covering this stuff. Having you pull off that skull mask, and you show the then over the course of the past year, I’ve ac- that camaraderie, having those people who face beneath, I think that you rob them of the quired two more. So I now have three swords, understood, was vital. I have the full support power of that sort of vicious Cheshire grin. and a dagger, that I keep with me, wherever I of my parents, who would let me just treat How do you personally navigate the inter- live. I’m not like a sword wielding expert — I See Anti-Semitism page B6

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B6 | The Jewish Press | October 23, 2020

The Arts

Anti-Semitism, white supremacy and swords Continued from page B5 myself on their couch and shake.

What about the logistics of going undercover?

Keeping track of the different identities was sometimes a challenge. There are several personas that didn’t make it into the book — entire personas with back stories — just because the research didn’t go far enough. I had a whole “alt-right” woman Facebook profile where I was trying to get into the women of the “alt-right,” and that proved a little more difficult because they are simply less stupid than their compatriots — or have a little less recklessness, typically. At times, I had to consciously remind myself, okay, who am I today? And, what’s my story today? That was definitely interesting. At the same time, so much of my socializing is online, so I was like, Okay, and now I’m Talia again.

It was this sort of interestingly fractured consciousness.

At a certain point, as I mentioned in the book, I did have an acrid pleasure in the duplicity of saying, I am exactly who you consider your worst enemy and the type of person that would provoke the most disgust and here I am, having these intimate conversations with you and entering into your hideous circle of camaraderie. That was almost satisfying.

This is gonna sound like a weird question, but did you get any joy — joy might be the wrong word — out of researching this? Were there any moments over the course of researching and writing the book that you were like, ‘hell yeah’?

That moment when the culmination of a five-month operation — when I seduced this Ukrainian neo-Nazi — and he gave me a picture of his face with a license plate of his car, where he lived. He was just totally open to me, and my story was ridiculous! I was like, I’m blonde, I’ve learned Russian. We did these voice notes; I would put on this fake voice that was an octave higher and a little more eloquent than mine, and I would record them in Russian and Ukrainian for him. I said that I learned Russian and Ukrainian in order to go to Donbass,

Ukraine; and meet white supremacists who were fighting on the front lines. It was the most absurd backstory in the world and this guy was just so horny or whatever that he fell for it.

He really bared his soul to me, and then I gave it right to bellingcat. He totally had an implosion. He tried to bribe the journalists. He deleted all his profile pictures. The chat that he had co-moderated, for a time, collapsed and started putting out all these messages like, don’t be dumb, avoid women.

That really gave me a sense of satisfaction, because I feel it is a part of anti-fascist work to sow dissension and prevent coherence in these groups that encourage terror.

The man that I spoke to was constantly sending me photos of guns, of violent video game screenshots where he named his AK-47 “Die Muslims,” talking about how to assemble Pythons.

It wasn’t an edge case, where I was like, oh, this is just some kid. He had directly organized to the translation and dissemination of [Christchurch mosque shooter Brenton] Tarrant’s manifesto into Russian and Ukrainian, which was being distributed and featured in photos with extremist groups around Eastern Europe. So, I didn’t feel bad. That was a triumph; it worked. And that moment where I said to him, “Hey, I have something I need to tell you. I’m an anti-fascist and you’re about to be exposed, you mother—”... that was pretty good.

On the flip side of that, what did you find to be the hardest moment throughout this process?

A lot of it was hard. One was that moment where I opened up one of the most violent chats on Telegram and found that it was an entire discussion about whether I was too ugly to rape. That was not a great day.

I was really struck by the idea you expand on in the book, that “no hate is an island.” You write, “radicalized misogyny had led users straight into the arms of white supremacy, with its anti-Semitism...” Can you speak more on this idea — on how all these hatreds are inextricably linked?

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One of the things I learned — and this I personally learned when I was an extremism researcher at Media Matters — was how to recognize a hate site. For that job, every single day, I went through an array of different extremist news sites and forums and wrote up a newsletter of basically “what is the far right talking about today.” Is there a persistent featuring and foregrounding of news stories about a group that you’re demonizing? I noticed that on the incel sites, there was always, every time I visited, reporting [on] crimes by women. And so I said, this is very similar to the hate sites I visited, it’s just directed towards women — half of humanity. In other words, the techniques of dehumanization were very similar. And then I started delving deeper into those sites themselves, and realized white supremacists are actively recruiting here, even though it’s pretty evenly divided between white and non-white. Yet, because these are communities organized around radicalization, organized around hatred, everything is all lined up.

Anti-feminism is very often an entrée to the broader “alt-right” and far right. It’s a very soft sell to men who might feel alienated, and even some women who might feel like, we still get a pretty raw deal in this world. So blaming everything that’s wrong on feminism — like, “oh, they’re putting too many women in action movies” or “I don’t like that video games are covering up boobies” — that process is basically saying: question social orthodoxy, question these narratives that are supposed to lead to social justice, and here are the ways they’re hurting you, the downtrodden man.

If you start from there, there are many other orthodoxies that seem ripe for questioning: Is racism really bad? Are the Jews controlling the world? Once you start someone down a journey of “here’s how you’ve been harmed by these purported socially just ideologies, the reason for your malaise and dissatisfaction,” it’s a long, greasy slope with plenty of people See White supremacy and swords page B7

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The Jewish Press | October 23, 2020 | B7

White supremacy and swords Continued from page B6 ready to oil the way for you, straight down into the pit.

Do you think social media platforms and internet providers should be doing more about Nazis and white supremacists and the “alt-right”? And if so, what should they be doing?

Yes, is the long and short of it.

Just to bring it up to the present day, the events that directly led to the shooting of two protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, was reported 455 times to Facebook and was not removed. I think Facebook in particular has made peace with far right extremism on its platform. And that is a very dangerous thing that they’re doing. It’s a deal with the devil they’ve made: It maximizes their profit, but it is very harmful to the body politic.

Twitter has been better, they’ve worked harder, but there are many, many, many Nazis flourishing on their platform as well.

ISPs [internet service providers] in general — I mean every single hate site that I go to has service providers. To me, if you’re enabling Nazi speech, you are more of an ideological fellow traveler than you might claim to be. Nazis were using the internet very early on. In the ’80s, the Klan had a website.

They very quickly realized it was a way to propagandize and to recruit with relative anonymity.

In creating these social media platforms, it’s not as if this problem couldn’t have been anticipated. The Silicon Valley mentality of “grow fast and break things,” well, a lot of people have been broken by doxxing, harassment, swatting, by racial abuse, by misogynistic abuse. A lot of people self censor, a lot of people leave, a lot of people face the experience of having the roof torn off your life where you’re suddenly a star on the far right for usually something relatively innocuous.

I am not a gajillionaire tech executive, but I think content moderation has to be taken more seriously and given more resources — and not given out to contractors who get pennies on the dollar and no mental health support. It has to be as integral as UI, as the other aspects of the social media experience that get so much money and attention.

How does it feel to release Culture Warlords at this particular moment in time, in this sort of heightened atmosphere of hate?

The regretful part of publishing a book about current events is that there’s inevitably a months-long lag between when you finish and when you publish. As I was putting the very finishing touches on the book, it was about maybe a week, or just after, the George Floyd protests had begun. So in a way, it felt like I am writing a book for a world that has already changed.

The book is already obsolete.

But, some of the underlying narratives that I talk about — particularly in the ways white nationalist rhetoric inevitably leads to violence, and the ways in which accelerationism has taken over and edged out electoralism on the far right — I think that holds true, and I think that can hopefully provide some valuable insight to readers as to why this radicalization keeps amping up and why these violent incidents keep happening.

We’ve had 500 separate attacks on protesters since the George Floyd protests began — car attacks, maceings, beatings,

shootings — and three deaths, [caused] by paramilitary and armed far right activists. That is just going to keep accelerating, particularly with the explicit encouragement of the Republican political establishment, including the president. While I inevitably have been outpaced by the news, what I lay out are some of the fundamental dynamics that are driving these headlines. To my regret, the book will only become more true.

With regards to the anti-fascist chapter, I felt a bit of hope, like, wow, there’s people really out there fighting for better.

Do you have any hope for where this country is headed?

It’s okay if the answer is no.

I would say that any hope I have is from camaraderie. From knowing that there are people who have done this work before I was born, who will keep doing it after I die. To feel like you’re part of a link in a chain of people who stand up and say, no, I won’t allow this. Who say that with their bodies, who say that with their actions, and who say that with their words. I am awed by the bravery of the people I encountered researching this book and beyond it.

The hope is in the people.

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Jane Kathol Fine Art Jane Kathol Fine Art has international collectors in Ontario, Canada and London, England. Since 2013, her work has been in four solo shows in SD and NE, and exhibited at Hot Shops (Omaha), Soup ‘R Art (Norfolk), the NE Dept. of Tourism (Lincoln), Cattlemen’s Ball, and Rockbrook Art Fair.

Kathol’s landscapes encompass the beauty of Nebraska: Tightly rolling hills, abundant groves of trees and wide open skies, the twists and turns of creeks all speak of the incredible scenery of our diverse state. Her works are original compositions and one of a kind.

Smaller works tend to be plein air: crossing barbed wire fences around her farm and sitting amongst the cows in the meadows, painting truly pastoral scenes. For larger pieces, she utilizes her own photography as a basis for compositions and color. Even driving down a dirt road or a highway requires constant attention to the views left and right, off the beaten path.

Kathol’s 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. An expansive background in art history is noticeably influential. Regardless of the subject matter, it is the element of color that most intrigues her and unifies her work.

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B8 | The Jewish Press | October 23, 2020

The Arts

This iconic Italian market has an unexpected Jewish history LEAH SIESFELD This piece originally appeared in The Nosher.

JTA Teitel Brothers, the 105-year-old Italian provisions store on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, is not Italian at all. In fact, Teitels is the only existing store in the Bronx’s Little Italy — the real Little Italy — with Jewish roots.

Arthur Avenue is a gem in New York City’s cultural and culinary crown. It’s authentically Italian with your selection of paneterie, pasticcerie, salumerie and pescherie — food stores that specialize in one type of product: bread, pastry, meat and fish. As customers bustle through stores you can even hear the Italian “Buona giornata!” Have a good day!

At the corner of Arthur Avenue and 186th Street, also named Teitel Brothers Avenue, is the eponymous store. Outside is an eye-catching, colorful display of pastas, olive oils and the best-priced Rao’s tomato sauce in all of New York City. If you don’t look down, which is easy to do when taking in the hanging prosciutto di Parma above and the olive bar to your right, you will miss the Jewish history right below your feet.

At the entrance to the store is a Star of David mosaic.

I sat down with Eddie Teitel, one of three brothers who runs the family owned shop with their father, Gilbert, to find out how Jewish immigrants from Austria built a successful Italian grocery store.

Unlike most Jewish immigrants who assimilated to New York’s Lower East Side in the early 20th century, Jacob and Morris Teitel, tailors from Austria, arrived in 1912 and headed north to the Italian neighborhood of Arthur Avenue. In 1915, they opened Teitel Brothers, importing high quality provisions from a country they had never visited. Jacob and Morris learned to speak Italian before they spoke English.

In the 1930s, as fascism and anti-Semitism continued to rise in Europe, the Teitel Brothers’ landlord warned them, “If peo-

ple knew you were Jews, nobody would shop here.” A week later, they installed the Star of David mosaic so everyone who crossed the threshold knew they were Jews. “It took a lot of courage to do something like that,” Eddie remarked.

visit Italy. Every other year, he attends the Food Show in Modena, takes tours of olive oil factories in Spoleto and sees where their Romano cheese is made in Nepi.

Before Eddie traveled to Italy, one way Teitels would find new products was through salesmen. Eddie tells a story of a persistent salesman whose cousin from Sicily made a delicious olive oil. Eddie and his brothers liked the olive oil so much that when their uncle passed away, they bought the exclusive rights and named it “Don Luigi” in his honor. In 2001, The New York Times praised the Don Luigi extra virgin olive oil as being “the perfect expression” of Sicilian olives and “a bargain worth seeking out.” After the article was published, Teitels sold out in three days.

When Eddie travels to Italy, he brings back the best of Italian provisions, and also the European hospitality, which he describes as “second to none.” It helps that Eddie has known many of his customers since he was 10 At the entrance to the iconic Italian store is a Star of David mosaic. years old, when he started helping his father in the shop.

Credit: Teitel Brothers Each generation of Teitels have brought something new.

While Teitel Brothers was not the only Jewish merchant on The first generation opened the store. The second opened the Arthur Avenue, it is the only Jewish store in the neighborhood wholesale business. When the third generation took over, that exists today. Why did Teitel outlive the other Jewish there was one truck and now there are eight. Jean, the oldest stores? According to Eddie, “We’re the first ones here in the brother who was a merchant marine, applies his discipline to morning. We start at a quarter to five and we work hard. We’re keep their warehouse across the street in order. Michael, the one of the last stores to close up and we have a great product.” middle brother and a chef of 35 years, loves to share recipes It’s true. Teitels is the Wonka factory of Italian provisions. with people who come in.

Two thousand products mask the walls of the 900-square foot As for the next generation? Eddie’s son, who was recently corner store. In Teitels’ 105 year history, much of their inven- bar mitzvahed, helps in the store on the weekends. Before he tory has remained constant, but if their customers want joins the family business full-time, his father will make sure something they don’t have, they will order it. For example, as he has a college education. more immigrants from Albania and Yugoslavia have moved Teitel Brothers is more than a store. It is a glimpse into the to the neighborhood, Teitels has added feta and phyllo dough history of Jewish New Yorkers, the discrimination they faced, to their shelves. and their resistance to such hate — all preserved in cans of Eddie is the first Teitel in the third-generation business to tomato sauce, aged salami, and an almost century-old mosaic.