October 29, 2021

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O C TO B E R 2 9, 2 02 1 | 2 3 CH E S H VA N 578 2 | VO L. 1 02 | NO. 3 | CANDLELIGHTING | FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 6: 05 P.M.

IHE Lunch and Learn Jewish Animal Advocacy Organization announces record participation in Synagogue Vegan Challenge Page 5

Additions to the Kripke Library’s collection Page 6

Central High Hall of Fame

Death and Mourning: Special circumstances Page 12

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Spotlight Voices Synagogues

Survivors’ & WWII Liberators’ ARIEL O’DONNELL Stories Through the Lens of the IHE Administrative Assistant The Institute for Holocaust Digital Humanities. In this presEducation is pleased to anentation, Dotan will speak nounce our upcoming Lunch about her extensive work in and Learn Series speakers and developing an educational web topics. Through the Lunch and portal that focuses on narraLearn Series, IHE works to entives of Holocaust survivors gage the community with maand Nazi camp liberators who terial and presenters that are lived or settled in Nebraska. Atpertinent to Holocaust educatendees will explore the Digital tion and history. These events Humanities tools that expand create environments for comthis site beyond an archival munity discussion and cultivacollection. This is a wonderful tion, ensuring the legacy of the opportunity for attendees to Holocaust is never forgotten. learn about the direct relationIn the interest of community ship between Holocaust memwell-being during the continory and the State of Nebraska. ued COVID-19 pandemic, all On Dec. 16, from noon-2 Third Thursday programming p.m. - IHE, in partnership with will be taking place by Zoom. the Jewish Federation of On Nov.18, 2021 from 11:30 Omaha’s Dorothy Kaplan Book a.m.-1 p.m. our Third ThursDiscussion Group, is excited to Beth Dotan day speaker will be Beth welcome author and law proDotan. Soon to be Beth Dotan, Ph.D - she served as the in- fessor Pam Jenoff to discuss her most recent book The augural Executive Director of the Institute for Holocaust Ed- Woman with the Blue Star during the first hour of her proucation for thirteen years. Dotan laid the foundation upon gram. Set in Krakow, Poland during WII and the Holocaust, which this organization stands, and our work would not be the book deals with themes of friendship, survival and the possible without her part in our history. experiences of European Jews throughout the Holocaust.

Dotan will be presenting, Looking at Nebraska Holocaust See IHE Lunch and Learn page 2

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ANNETTE VAN DE KAMPWRIGHT Jewish Press Editor The 22nd Annual Central High School Hall of Fame Dinner and Ceremony was held Thursday, Oct. 14 at the Holland Performing Arts Center.

The Central High School Alumni Association inducted 12 individuals whose paths from the halls of Central High School led them to the highest levels of achievement in business and community service.

MARLENE CHESNEAU BERNSTEIN went on to teach English at the school for more than two decades, mentoring its perennial state champion academic decathlon team and becoming the first of the school’s many winners of the Alice Buffett Outstanding Teacher Award.

After graduating from UNO, Bernstein became a beloved English

An Exploration of Sound

Marlene Chesneau Bernstein

teacher at her alma mater. As the longtime teacher of junior honors English, she introduced countless Central students to The Scarlet Letter and Moby Dick. She always held students to high standards, telling them to make their themes “sparkle.” In the early 1980s, she helped launch Central’s academic decathlon team. CHS won the state championship in each of her first six years as coach, and the 1989 team finished third in the nation – still the best finish ever by a Nebraska school. When Warren Buffett in 1988 launched the Alice Buffett teaching award to recognize the top See Central High page 3

Maya Dunietz and David Lemoine

JAMIE SKOGBURKE JFO Director of Community Outreach and Israel Engagement Join us for a behind-the-scenes experience at Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts with Israeli Artists-in-Residence Maya Dunietz and David Lemoine. Originally from Tel Aviv, Israel, the couple is spending the fall in Omaha participating in Bemis Center’s world-renowned

Artist-in-Residence program. The connection for this collaboration has been years in the making and started when Bemis Chief Curator and Director of Programs Rachel Adams, and Executive Director, Chris Cook, visited Israel through a program run by Artis. This organization is a contemporary art organization dedicated to supporting See Exploration of Sound page 3

2 | The Jewish Press | October 29, 2021

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IHE Lunch and Learn

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NJHS needs your family stories BEN JUSTMAN Nebraska Jewish Historical Society Board President The Nebraska Jewish Historical Society is collaborating with the Jewish Federation on the permanent exhibit that will be housed in the Milton Mendel and Marsha Kleinberg Jewish Omaha Heritage Center in the lobby of the Jewish Community Center. This exhibit will highlight the Omaha Jewish commitment to service and how it has built a better community in the heartland. Thematic exhibit topics include: migration and settlement, religion, education, civic service, contributions to arts and culture, refugee resettlement and the Holocaust. The vast majority of materials used to create this exhibit come from the NJHS archives.

This is a wonderful opportunity to make sure that your family’s materials are safely protected at NJHS. Pictures, letters, postcards, telegrams, school and professional documents and anything else that is important

to telling the story of your relatives and ancestors – are preserved at NJHS for exhibits and educational projects. A few example questions to consider: • Did a loved one serve in the military?

• Has your family been involved in or supported the Omaha arts community?

• Were there social organizations that your parents joined to help make Omaha a better place?

• Did a family member work in local government, education or the medical profession?

• Are there experiences that are unique or special to your family’s history?

We are thinking broadly and creatively to tell a story about Omaha’s Jewish community that will resonate for future generations. We would welcome your family history and stories to the NJHS archives and to consider for the exhibit space. Please contact the NJHS office via email njhsboard@jewishomaha. org or at 402.334.6441 to ensure that your family history is not forgotten.

Pam Jenoff

Kael Sagheer

Continued from page 1 According to Jenoff ’s personal website, during her time working at the U.S. Consulate in Krakow, Poland, she “developed her expertise in Polish-Jewish relations and the Holocaust. Working on matters such as preservation of Auschwitz and the restitution of Jewish property in Poland, Pam developed close relations with the surviving Jewish community.” Jenoff ’s background in these realities positions her to have a unique and nuanced lens in discussing these histories.

From 1-2 p.m., Jenoff will be discussing her book The Lost Girls of Paris. According to Lisa Wingate of the New York Times, “Fraught with danger, filled with mystery, and meticulously researched, The Lost Girls of Paris is a fascinating tale of the hidden women who helped to win the war.” IHE looks forward to this partnership program with the Dorothy Kaplan Book Discussion Group.

For the first Third Thursday event of 2022, IHE will host our very own Executive Director, Scott Littky, and our Education Coordinator,

Scott Littky

Kael Sagheer, on Jan. 20 from noon-1 p.m..

The presentation, titled What is Holocaust Education and What is the future of Holocaust Education? will delve into important discourse regarding what Holocaust education is and how IHE sees it evolving over time.

Presenters will discuss issues such as: what Holocaust mandates are, and the issues which arise as a result of mandating, the appropriateness of Holocaust analogies, and why Holocaust education is important for us now and in the future. Information will also detail what opportunities there are for us to educate the broader community about Holocaust education, what are the right ages to start teaching Holocaust material, and what standards are out there versus the curriculum being taught.

For more information regarding Third Thursday programming at IHE, to RSVP for a program, or if you have any ideas for future programs, please reach out to Scott Littky, Executive Director of IHE, at slittky@ ihene.org.

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

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Space reservation | 12.16.20

Contact our advertising executive to promote your business in this very special edition.

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The Jewish Press | October 29, 2021 | 3

Central High

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Continued from page 1 teachers in OPS, Bernstein was among the first 15 selected out of more than 400 nominated districtwide. Just before her retirement in 1996, Bernstein was also runner-up for state teacher of the year.

RONALD AND IRV BLUMKIN formed an executive team that took the well-known furniture store founded by their grandmother to new heights, including opening up new Nebraska Furniture Mart locations in the Kansas City and Dallas markets. After graduating from Central, both went off in different directions, Ron joining the Air Force while Irv became a banker in Arizona. But both were ultimately called back to join the family business – Ron after leaving the Air Force in 1972; Irv after a 1975 tornado destroyed the Omaha store. With Irv eventually ascending to CEO and chairman, and Ron as chief operating officer and president, they have strategically led the company for decades, including establishing its first locations outside of Nebraska and Iowa and creating a strong online sales presence. Irv received Furniture Today’s Retail Innovator Award (2014) and the Furniture Industry Leadership Award (2016), and International Home Furnishing Representatives Association 2016 Retailer of the Year. Both Irv, Ron and their late father, Louis, were inducted into the Omaha Business Hall of Fame in 2014, and in 2020 Irv joined his grandmother and father in the American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame.

During the Holocaust, JOHN PEHLE ran a secret U.S. government program that saved tens of thousands of Jews from Nazi death camps. After graduating from Central and Yale law school, he went to work for the U.S Treasury Department, becoming a trusted adviser to the Treasury Secretary. When within U.S. intelligence circles there became rising knowledge of the Holocaust, Pehle decided to do something about it. In January 1944, he and his boss, Henry Morgenthau, convinced

John Pehle

Ray Somberg

President Roosevelt to create what became known as “the War Refugee Board.” With Pehle as its lead, the board worked covertly to whisk Jews out of Europe, funding evacuation efforts, creating false ID papers, issuing visas and even laundering money and paying bribes to Nazi sympathizers. He helped wake the world to the Nazi’s secret extermination program by issuing the first official public report on the systematic extermination of millions. He also established the first U.S. refugee program for European Jews. His largely anonymous efforts were only recently revealed by a book detailing the secret program. John passed away in 1999 at the age of 90.

Omaha businessman RAY SOMBERG has contributed much to public safety in Omaha by establishing a foundation aiding first responders. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, Somberg returned to Omaha to help run Natelson’s, a family-owned women’s clothing store, the business growing from a single store to a regional chain of ten. After leaving the business in 1991, he joined the Greater Omaha Chamber as vice president for Small Business. He ran the annual “Big O” show, showcasing small businesses, and launched its well-known “Buy the Big O” campaign. In 2008, Somberg co-founded the First Responders Foundation, with a mission to enhance public safety and promote respect for police officers, firefighters, and their families. With Somberg serving as president and executive, it has raised more than $2.5 million for such life-saving things as equipment that helps firefighters communicate while in burning buildings, body cameras for police officers, DNA test kits to help catch criminals and thousands of free smoke and carbon monoxide detectors for low- income homes.

Inductees were selected by the Central High School Alumni Association and the program was presented by the Central High School Foundation.

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An Exploration of Sound Continued from page 1 artists and contributing to the global conversation about art and culture. Artis works with artists from Israel whose work addresses aesthetic, social and political questions to inspire reflection and debate, exploring complex narratives in thoughtful new ways.

Dunietz and Lemoine are fascinated by the materiality of sound, its weight and its energy in space. During their time at Bemis, they plan to develop eight new site-specific, soundbased installations. The interplay between the sound colours and frequencies of the pieces will invite visitors to a brain refreshing multi-sensual active listening experience. These new pieces will be exhibited in Maya’s solo exhibition at Bemis Center May 5–Sept. 10, 2022. These installations will incorporate recycled pianos and other objects found on-site and use wood, metal, fabric, plastic, light, electronics and more. The machines will produce sound based on irrational numbers, choreograph frequencies and experiment with counter-phasing and other psychoacoustic phenomena.

Dunietz and Lemoine’s installations aim at gently reconnecting the spectators with their surroundings by focusing on the primal role of listening, inducing awareness and connection. In this spirit, they hope to listen to, learn from and collaborate on sound explorations with local Omaha communities and integrate these exchanges into their creative process. “There is a very special quality to this place because on one hand it feels like a small town but on the other hand it is the center of the continent, so people know a lot and in Omaha specifically there is a lot of music that passes

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through and a lot of bands who play so there is a feeling of “history” of sound here,” said Dunietz.

As the artists create the pieces for the solo exhibition, their family is also integrating themselves into what Jewish Omaha has to offer. Their oldest child is currently attending Friedel Jewish Academy and they have spent many Shabbat meals with community members. According to Dunietz, “The Jewish connection here is really strong and everyone here is so beautifully helpful. It feels like the community is a very open one. It seems cosmopolitan and is a very unique combination in having this small-town friendly vibe and this open-mindedness. It is definitely a unique place.”

Maya Dunietz and David Lemoine’s residency is supported by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation as part of Bemis Center’s Sound Art + Experimental Music Program.

Additional support for their residency and exhibition is provided by the Albert and Eleanor Feldman Family Israel Foundation and Artis.

Join us for the chance to meet the artists and get a sneak peek into their work on Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 10 a.m. The event will be held in Bemis Center’s Okada Sculpture & Ceramics Facility at 12th & Leavenworth Streets. To RSVP go to jewishomaha.org or email Jamie SkogBurke at jskog burke@jewishomaha.org.

Dunietz will perform live at LOW END, Bemis Center’s music venue, on Wednesday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m. The event includes a special live taping of Modern Art Notes podcast.

Admission is free. Details can be found at bemiscenter. org/low-end.

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 Gary Javitch at breadbreakersomaha@gmail.com or leave a message at the B’nai B’rith JCC office 402.334.6443.

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4 | The Jewish Press | October 29, 2021

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Friedel plans to add seventh and eighth grades SARA KOHEN Friedel Jewish Academy Director of Advancement Friedel Jewish Academy’s Board of Directors recently approved a plan to expand the school through eighth grade. This expansion will result in a lower school with kindergarten through fourth grade and a middle school with fifth through eighth grades. Enrollment in the middle school will be open to both current students and students who have attended elementary school elsewhere.

unfinished lower-level space in Friedel’s building, the Dan & Esther Gordman Center for Jewish Learning. Friedel’s Immediate past president, Jeff Zacharia, is part of the capital campaign team. Zacharia says, “We’re very lucky to have such generous community support. Donors already have committed more than a million dollars, which allows us to begin developing blueprints for the expansion.”

The total expansion campaign goal is $1.9 million. Zacharia explains that this capital campaign goal is in addition to

Friedel’s Head of School, Beth Cohen, explains that Friedel’s new middle school program is “designed to challenge students academically while also balancing the unique developmental needs of early adolescence. The curriculum will provide exceptional academic experiences, a robust schedule of electives and annual travel experiences.”

Cohen says that this expansion will also “remove the difficult transition for children moving to a new middle school.

The traditional, fully-departmentalized, ability-grouped, bellscheduled day is not compatible with what research says about young adolescent learning and need for relationshipbuilding.”

Students will be able to continue (or begin) Hebrew language learning and will have the opportunity to participate in a world language program. Friedel also plans to take advantage of on-campus resources, including the JCC Cultural Arts and Athletics programs and create community partnerships to offer our middle school students a wide range of new experiences.

Ari Kohen, the President of Friedel’s Board of Directors and father of three current Friedel students and one future Friedel student, is “particularly excited about the travel experiences Friedel has planned for the seventh and eighth graders.”

Friedel already partners with other day schools across the country in a collaborative, cross-curricular learning program, in which sixth graders learn remotely with students in the other schools, culminating in an educational trip to Alabama in the spring. Thanks to the expansion, Friedel will be able to add the seventh and eighth grade components of this curriculum, which focus on advocacy and innovation and will include trips to Washington, D.C., and Israel, respectively.

Adding seventh and eighth grade will require renovating the

Friedel’s Annual Campaign fundraising, which helps cover operating expenses.

Ari Kohen says, “The expansion presents unique opportunities, not just for our students and their families, but for our entire community. A middle school will help attract new families to Omaha, retain the ones we have, and do even more to help develop our students into our community’s future leaders.”

To discuss making a gift to Friedel’s expansion campaign, please contact a member of the capital campaign team: Ari Kohen, President, at 402.770.5647 or ari.kohen@ gmail.com, Jeff Zacharia, Immediate Past President, at 402.669.8245 or jeff@jzillc.com, Ron Giller, Treasurer, at 402.536.0207 or ronaldgiller@hotmail.com, Beth Cohen, Head of School, at 402.334.0517 or bcohen@fjaomaha.com, Sara Kohen, Director of Advancement, at 402.301.1662 or sko hen@fjaomaha.com.

IN THE NEWS Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert has appointed Dustin Friedman to a fiveyear term as a regular member of the Zoning Board of Appeals. He previously served a term as an alternate member. Dustin is employed as a Senior Consultant at Cognizant.

He and his wife Candice have two children.

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With all that has occurred in this past year, it is not uncommon for me, as a Realtor, to be asked about the current state of the real estate industry. I love receiving this question as I can respond with an enthusiasm and optimism, much to the inquisitor’s surprise.

Their skepticism is within reason as we all experienced the ups and downs of this roller coaster of a year. Throughout the beginning of 2021, pandemic-related job uncertainty and working remotely led to unusually low inventory of homes for sale as well as unprecedented low interest rates, which incentivized buyers and fueled competition. A combination of factors that resulted in a “housing hysteria,” with buyers paying inflated prices and waiving contingencies to be competitive.

As noted by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), “economic recovery - propelled by favorable monetary and fiscal

policies - has created the hottest housing market in nearly 50 years... but the fast-paced recovery has contributed to historic home price growth.” However, the industry has since taken a turn for the better.

The market today is finally beginning to correct itself after the turbulence it has endured this year. In Nebraska, this is particularly due to decreasing unemployment rates, which have dropped to 2.2% according to the Nebraska Department of Labor, and slightly higher mortgage rates eliminating some buyers. Low unemployment, still relatively favorable interest rates, less competition and strong home values form an equation for a real estate market that is unusually advantageous for buyers and sellers alike.

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The Jewish Press | October 29, 2021 | 5

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RBJH is looking for volunteers SABINE STRONG RBJH Volunteer Coordinator At this time, the RBJH is looking for volunteers for the following areas: • Do you enjoy riding a bike? Take our Residents on a bike ride with our uniquely special bicycle from the Netherlands. Times available are Monday- Friday 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Must be 25 years old, physically fit. Training provided. Two volunteers are needed.

• Appointment Companions – accompany Residents to medical appointments.

Be a friendly face and companion to the Resident. Appointments are mornings or early afternoons Monday to Friday.

Three to four volunteers are needed on a regular basis.

• Visitation monitor and screeners needed for the in-person visitation schedule of our Residents. You will be screening visitors and be trained on doing antigen testing – MonSunday, at scheduled times. Two to three volunteers are needed on a regular basis.

• Mail delivery to the Residents – MondayFriday (possibly Saturday, but not a must) starting at 1 p.m., about an hour each time. One or two volunteers are needed that can split the days on a regular basis.

For more details, please contact Sabine Strong, RBJH volunteer coordinator.

Volunteers must complete an application, pass background checks and attend orientation. Volunteers must follow current COVID-19 prevention policies, must wear a mask at all times while in the home and will be antigen-tested on a regular basis.

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Jewish Animal Advocacy Organization announces record participation in Synagogue Vegan Challenge Shamayim: Jewish Animal Advocacy selects eleven synagogues to introduce vegan food and education to their communities.

This is the fifth year of the Synagogue Vegan Challenge, a program developed by Shamayim: Jewish Animal Advocacy, and with 11 synagogues, it is the largest cohort yet. Over the next year, selected synagogues will host monthly events within their communities that serve vegan food and provide education about the Jewish, ethical, environmental and health reasons for eating plant-based. This annual program, generously sponsored by VegFund, brings veganism to Jewish communities across the country through a friendly, food-based approach.

This year’s cohort includes the following communities: Adath Shalom in Parsippany New Jersey; Bais Abraham Congregation in St. Louis, Missouri; Beth El Fairfield in Fairfield, Connecticut; Beth El Synagogue in Omaha, Nebraska; Central Synagogue Beth Emeth in Rockville Centre, New York; Chadeish Yameinu - Jewish Renewal Congregation in Santa Cruz, California; Congregation Beth El in Norfolk, Virginia; Congregation Beth El-Keser Israel in New Haven, Connecticut; Mekor Habracha/Center City Synagogue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Temple Isaiah in Los Angeles, California; and Temple Sholom of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois.

“Veganism continues to be one of the fastestgrowing trends in the world aimed at improving people’s health, supporting the environment and reducing animal suffering”, said Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, founder and CEO of the

ing our very sustenance with a level of kedusha (holiness) we don’t normally achieve.”

To learn more about Shamayim’s vision or the Synagogue Vegan Challenge, go to www.shamayim.us.

Shamayim: Jewish Animal Advocacy, “These Jewish communities will learn how plant-based eating aligns with Jewish values and protects our planet for future generations.”

Current data shows that more people are trying vegan foods to help protect their health, the planet and the billions of animals that are killed for food each year. One study found that 57 percent of all U.S. households purchased plant-based foods in 2020. Sales have grown 43% in the past two years. This program will help spread vegan education and foods to thousands of Jewish people this year.

When asked what being a part of the Synagogue Vegan Challenge meant to them during the application process, a representative of Beth El Fairfield, one of this year’s participants, answered, “It will create a deeper connection between the spirituality of our worship and the spirituality of how we live our lives, infus-

SHAMAYIM: Jewish Animal Advocacy is a nonprofit organization that offers programs, campaigns and educational opportunities to teach the Jewish community about animal advocacy and veganism. Programs include the Synagogue Vegan Challenge, the Shamayim College Fellowship, the Egg-Free Challah Program and the Rabbi Reflection Circle, with more opportunities on the way. Shamayim hosts a yearly retreat creating a space for Jewish animal advocates to invigorate the connection between tradition, values, and compassion for animals over an uplifting Shabbat weekend.

We share online content, including blogs, podcast episodes and news for those in the Jewish community to stay informed about matters related to animals and veganism. Additionally, we partner with other Jewish and animal advocacy organizations to work towards the mission of reducing the suffering of all animals.

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Publishing date | 12.03.21

Space reservation | 11.23.21

Contact our advertising executive to promote your business in this very special edition.

SUSAN BERNARD | 402.334.6559 | sbernard@jewishomaha.org

6 | The Jewish Press | October 29, 2021

News

Rachel Levine is named an admiral

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

Additions to the Kripke Library’s collection

SHIRLY BANNER JFO Kripke Jewish Federation Library Library Specialist JUVENILE: BUBBIE’S MAGICAL HAIR

by ABBE ROLNICK Bubbie’s Magical Hair is a whimsical story of a grandmother playing with her grandchildren. Sparse in words, but deep in feeling, the illustrations convey a story of magic and fun as Bubbie grows older and the children mature.

Nature and imagination combine honoring the power of all grandparents and relationships that endure through life.

A visual delight of adventure, change, and a world united by love. A story to be read on many levels exploring feelings, science, international customs, and imagination.

ADULT: SARI AND CASS by our own local author JAN SCHNEIDER LUND Two girls from opposite backgrounds find themselves college roommates, and forge a deep friendship. This trilogy novel follows their coming of age and self-actualization amid the turbulent backdrop of the late 1960’s milieu of “sex, drugs and rock-and-roll,” romance and love, as it follows them from Iowa City to Paris and Chicago.

THE MATZO BALL by JEAN MELTZER Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt is a nice Jewish girl with a shameful secret: she loves Christmas. For a decade she’s hidden her career as a Christmas romance novelist from her family. Her talent has made her a bestseller even as her chronic illness has always kept the kind of love she writes about out of reach.

But when her diversity-conscious publisher insists she write a Hanukkah romance, her well of inspiration suddenly runs dry. Hanukkah’s not magical. It’s not merry. It’s not Christmas. Desperate not to lose her contract, Rachel’s determined to find her muse at the Matzah Ball, a Jewish music celebration on the last night of Hanukkah, even if it means working with her summer camp archenemy—Jacob Greenberg.

Though Rachel and Jacob haven’t seen each other since they were kids, their grudge still glows brighter than a menorah. But as they spend more time together, Rachel finds herself drawn to Hanukkah—and Jacob—in a way she never expected. Maybe this holiday of lights will be the spark she needed to set her heart ablaze.

TO SUBMIT ANNOUNCEMENTS Announcements may be e-mailed to the Press at jpress @jewishomaha.org; or mailed to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154. Readers can also submit announcements -- births, b’nai mitzvahs, engagements, marriages, commitment ceremonies or obituaries -- online at www.omahajewishpress. com/site/forms/. Deadlines are normally nine days prior to publication, on Wednesdays, 9 a.m. Please check the Jewish Press, for notices of early deadlines.

Assistant Secretary for Health, Rachel Levine, in uniform as an admiral, in Washington DC on the day of her swearing-in, Oct. 29, 2021. Credit: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health

RON KAMPEAS WASHINGTON | JTA Rachel Levine made history in March when she assumed the role of Assistant Secretary for Health, becoming the first known transgender person to be confirmed by the Senate.

Now Levine, who is Jewish, is the most senior transgender person in the uniformed services, after she was sworn in on Tuesday as the Admiral of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, one of two nonmilitary U.S. uniformed services. The other is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps.

The swearing-in also makes Levine the first known transgender four-star officer in U.S. history.

The Public Health Corps, established more than 200 years ago and numbering 6,000 workers, is deployed to assist in national health emergencies, most recently in helping to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Levine, in her previous position as the Health Secretary in Pennsylvania, earned accolades for stemming the spread of the virus in that state.

Levine told The Washington Post that she plans to wear the uniform immediately.

“This is a momentous occasion and I am honored to take this role for the impact that I can make and for the historic nature of what it symbolizes,” she said in a video message after the swearing-in. “I stand on the shoulders of those LGBTQ+ individuals who came before me, both those known and unknown.”

Levine, 63, was born and raised in Massachusetts. Speaking to the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle upon becoming Pennsylvania’ Physician General in 2015, Levine noted that though she grew up attending a Conservative synagogue, she became more inclined to Reform Judaism as an adult, in part because of the movement’s embrace of transgender people.

JOIN US FOR AN AFTERNOON OF BEAUTIFUL MUSIC

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Omaha Symphony Bassoonists James Compton and Nicholas Nelson share the spotlight in a double concerto; the program ends with Schubert’s “Mozartian” Symphony No. 5 in B flat Major.

TICKETS START AT

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Order online omahasymphony.org/schubert5 By phone 402.345.0606

Contact Howard Epstein, Executive Director 402-334-6466 hepstein@jewishomaha.org www.jfofoundation.org

Top, above, below and bottom: Go Huskers! Residents and staff of the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home celebrated Nebraska football with a tailgate party on a gorgeous fall day. Residents and staff got their fix of hotdogs grilled to perfection by Chris Ulven.

The Jewish Press | October 29, 2021 | 7

Above: A group from Omaha, coordinated by the ADL-CRC and IHE visited the exhibit Auschwitz: Not Too Far Away, Not Too Long Ago in Kansas City at Union Station recently. This groundbreaking exhibition brings together more than 700 original objects and 400 photographs from over 20 institutions and museums around the world. The exhibit is open until Jan. 30, 2022.

Above: Happy birthday Helen Sweet!

Right: New Ponchos made by the RBJH volunteer seamstress Diane Sim for the Residents. Modeled by the Therapy department: Jenny Brown and Sherry Judah and sponsored by L.O.V.E. (League of Volunteers for the Elderly)!

SP O TLIGHT

GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY

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: Friedel Jewish Academy students share their letters. What's your favorite letter?

Below: Our new JCC Dance Training Company members getting to know each other with some fun team building activities. We’re off to a great start!

8 | The Jewish Press | October 29, 2021

Voices

The Jewish Press (Founded in 1920)

Margie Gutnik President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Susan Bernard Advertising Executive Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Editor Gabby Blair Staff Writer Mary Bachteler Accounting Jewish Press Board Margie Gutnik, President; Abigail Kutler, Ex-Officio; Danni Christensen; David Finkelstein; Bracha Goldsweig; Mary Sue Grossman; Les Kay; Natasha Kraft; Chuck Lucoff; Joseph Pinson; Andy Shefsky and Amy Tipp.

The mission of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to build and sustain a strong and vibrant Omaha Jewish Community and to support Jews in Israel and around the world. Agencies of the Federation are: Community Relations Committee, Jewish Community Center, Center for Jewish Life, Jewish Social Services, and the Jewish Press.

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Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole. The Jewish Press reserves the right to edit signed letters and articles for space and content. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment.

Editorial The Jewish Press is an agency of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Deadline for copy, ads and photos is: Thursday, 9 a.m., eight days prior to publication.

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Letters should be no longer than 250 words and must be single-spaced typed, not hand-written. Published letters should be confined to opinions and comments on articles or events.

News items should not be submitted and printed as a “Letter to the Editor.”

The Editor may edit letters for content and space restrictions. Letters may be published without giving an opposing view. Information shall be verified before printing. All letters must be signed by the writer. The Jewish Press will not publish letters that appear to be part of an organized campaign, nor letters copied from the Internet. No letters should be published from candidates running for office, but others may write on their behalf.

Letters of thanks should be confined to commending an institution for a program, project or event, rather than personally thanking paid staff, unless the writer chooses to turn the “Letter to the Editor” into a paid personal ad or a news article about the event, project or program which the professional staff supervised. For information, contact Annette van de KampWright, Jewish Press Editor, 402.334.6450.

Postal The Jewish Press (USPS 275620) is published weekly (except for the first week of January and July) on Friday for $40 per calendar year U.S.; $80 foreign, by the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Phone: 402.334.6448; FAX: 402.334.5422.

Periodical postage paid at Omaha, NE. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198 or email to: jpress@jewishomaha.org.

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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.

Showing up

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor Jan Schneider Lund will be signing her novel Sari and Cass at the Council Bluffs Public Library's Fall Local Authors Fair on Sunday, November 14 at 1:00 pm at the library at 400 Willow Ave. Jan, who lives in Omaha, is a native of Council Bluffs. She is a retired Creighton University adjunct assistant professor of French and recently published her first novel, a sweeping trilogy of coming of age in the tumultuous '60's. The story follows two girls from disparate backgrounds whose deep friendship is formed during college days in Iowa City, Paris and beyond as it chronicles their loves, losses and triumphs (also see the story on P6).

Jan’s book is sitting on my coffee table at home and I’ve been making my way through it. It’s 118 chapters and although it is extremely engaging, it will take me a while. Because I am forever reading multiple books at a time, I am also finishing Brett Atlas’ Three Things Matter Most. Brett’s book is not a novel, it instead talks directly to the reader, sharing essential life lessons and truths. More about that in a future issue-- I have to finish reading it.

I love books. Reading what is written by local authors is its own pleasure, though—and I find I’m eager to share it with others. And why not? We should support our community, we should support each other, for a variety of reasons. Especially now, we need each other’s arms around us.

In 2022, Community Engagement Director Jennie Gates Beckman and the Jewish Press will unite to bring our community a new local author series.

These are your family, friends and neighbors; we hope you’ll all show up.

Yes, we are still in a pandemic, so the term ‘show up’ means something a little different, but hear me out. When we bring these authors in to discuss their writing, we aim to stream the event. The community can join in from home—regardless of where that home is. We will send the streaming link to other communities around the country, from Chicago to Des Moines, from New York to LA, and see how many people we can include. It is still a big advantage of doing things virtually, even if we are all a little Zoomed out. In addition, we will record it and put the video on our website so even if you miss it, you can check it out later. The best part? There will be no cost (although we will provide you with a link ahead of time in case you want to purchase the books—but that’s totally your choice).

It’s been a weird year and-a-half. I have run out of ways to describe how I feel from day to day and I suspect you all feel somewhat the same. But what’s become very clear is that we need excuses to celebrate anything and everything.

As long as we can identify the silver lining, I think

we’re going to be all right in the end. Maybe, hopefully. Coming together with others in our Omaha Jewish community (and beyond) is one of the things that I think always provides that silver lining.

If you want to find positivity, you can’t really do it by yourself. You need others.

The JFO staff is busy planning and scheduling a wide variety of programs. Our synagogues are no different. As long as we have the optimism to fill up the community calendar, we trust you will have the energy to show up. That is, after all, what this community has always been very good at accommodating.

In the meantime, let me give you one more plug for our Annual Campaign, because we are in the middle of it. The only way we can keep doing what we are doing, the way we make it past this challenge, is if we are supportive of each other. One real easy way to show your support is to pledge to the Annual Campaign. Visit www.jewishomaha.org, or wait until next week, when we will tell you all about our upcoming Super Monday (previously known as Super Sunday), scheduled for Nov. 15. Exciting things are happening, and we need you all to be here with us.

Here’s how we remain family.

RACHEL HARTMAN JTA My sister and I grew up in a small settlement surrounded by Arab villages in the disputed West Bank.

We have ended up, however, in very different places.

I am currently pursuing a PhD in social psychology, studying the science of moral understanding and how it can be leveraged to bridge divides. My sister is an activist and full-time employee at an Israeli organization that strictly opposes personal relationships, especially romantic ones, between Jews and non-Jews.

My research focuses on bridging divides, but I am somewhat at a loss for how to traverse the widening gulf between my sister and me. She faces a similar dilemma — she is becoming increasingly (in)famous in Israel for her rhetoric against intermarriage while her own sister is … marrying someone who is not Jewish.

Conflict, of one form or another, has defined our entire lives. Our family moved from the United States to a settlement in the West Bank when I was five. We used to stop by Palestinian watermelon stands on our way back from Jerusalem. My brother became friends with the Arab workers who built our home.

At the turn of the millennium, everything changed and this sense of peaceful coexistence was gone. Riots broke out in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. My father bought bullet-proof vests for us to wear when we had to travel that same road to Jerusalem. The watermelon stands were gone. In their place, children threw rocks at cars that drove by. Two teenagers from our town went for a hike and never returned. Their bodies were found in a cave, mutilated beyond recognition. We grieved, then grew angry. I was keenly aware of the Jewish side of the conflict: We were the rightful occupants of the land; they were our enemy.

We were righteous; they were evil.

As a child I was unschooled. My mother was your typical “hippie liberal all-natural health nut” when we lived in the United States. Over time, however, my mother, and the rest of my family, became less and less liberal.

At 15, I enrolled myself into a Jerusalem high school. The narratives in my classes conflicted with my political and religious upbringing. I began to understand there were two sides to the story. After high school, I worked at a store where my closest

friend was Palestinian. We shared lunches and gossiped about our co-workers, and through our interactions I realized how prejudiced I had been.

Months later, in the military, I led an intelligence team, gathering data to inform the peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Aspects of intelligence-gathering may be morally

Credit: Grace Yagel for JTA

questionable, but it gave me the unique opportunity to come as close as possible to reading another person’s mind. We spent long hours learning everything about the “enemy” only to discover that they ate, slept, fought and loved just like we did. There was a wide gap between my family’s beliefs about the enemy’s thoughts and their actual thoughts.

My experiences growing up in the midst of an ongoing conflict fraught with violence and political volatility motivated me to work on bringing people together. Whether the conflict is between Israelis and Palestinians, Black and white people, or liberals and conservatives, I’m looking for ways to move beyond dehumanization and toward empathy and compassion.

My youngest sister, who was born a few months before the second intifada broke out and has known nothing but conflict her entire life, has chosen a different path. Rather than resolving to bring people together, she is working hard to keep them apart. She works for Lehava, which means “flame” in Hebrew, but in this case is also an acronym for the Hebrew phrase “For the Prevention of Assimilation in the Holy Land.” Lehava fights to prevent “relationships between Jewish girls and Arabs, nonJews, and foreign workers.” Lehava has been described on several occasions as a far-right and Jewish supremacist group, and elected officials in

Israel have embarked on the process of declaring it a terrorist organization.

Given my sister’s chosen career path, telling her that my non-Jewish partner had proposed was … difficult. She had previously told me (on national television) that she would be happy if he broke up with me, since then there would be a chance of me marrying a Jewish guy. Needless to say, she refuses to come to the wedding.

The only solution I have is to try and pull her in, rather than push her away. As painful as it is to hear her talk about how my actions are a threat to the Jewish nation, I know that hating her for saying hateful things will result in nothing but more hate.

Instead, I’ve chosen to focus on loving her. I love her for being passionate about her values. I love her for stepping outside her comfort zone. I love her for reasons unrelated to her zealousness — she’s smart, funny, caring and beautiful, inside and out.

During my latest trip to Israel, my sister and I didn’t shy away from tough discussions. We talked about our conflicting values and beliefs. She expressed sadness about the sinful life she thinks I live; I expressed similar sorrow at hearing her talk about Palestinians. We agreed to disagree, then disagreed some more. But we also talked about other things. She took time off work to be my personal chauffeur for the week because I’d gotten too used to American roads and driving in Israel terrified me. I beat her at multiple games of Scrabble. We prepared meals together. I teased her about being too picky in her search for a husband, but also gave her some stern sisterly advice about not settling for someone she doesn’t like.

In his excellent book, The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World, Jamil Zaki tells the story of Tony, a Canadian ex-neo-Nazi. One of the pivotal moments in Tony’s transformation is when he confesses his deeds to his (Jewish) therapist Dov, who accepts him with open arms: “Here was this man who loved me and wanted to heal me, and here was I, a person who had once advocated for the annihilation of his people.”

Tony felt he didn’t deserve a shred of compassion from Dov, but Dov extended it nonetheless. This cracked Tony open. He’d created a surface of hatred See How we remain family page 9

The Jewish Press | October 29, 2021 | 9

What the Tree of Life shooting revealed about American Jewry ANDREW SILOW-CARROLL New York Jewish Week via JTA A few years ago a colleague called to interview me for a book he was writing about journalists who worked for Jewish publications. I told him that it would be the first book in history whose readership would overlap 100% with the people being interviewed.

That’s a little bit how I feel about books that look deeply into the ins and outs of Jewish communal affairs: the admittedly small genre of synagogue tell-alls, studies of Jewish philanthropy, scholarly work on how Americans “do” Judaism. Of course, I eat these books up – it’s my job and passion. But I suspect I am a distinct minority within a minority.

I also suspected Mark Oppenheimer’s new book, Squirrel Hill: The Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting and the Soul of a Neighborhood, might be similarly narrow in its scope and audience.

In some ways it is, but that is also its strength: In describing the Oct. 27, 2018 massacre of 11 Jewish worshipers in Pittsburgh and how individuals and institutions responded, he covers board meetings, interviews clergy, takes notes on sermons and reads demographic studies by Jewish federations.

The result is a biopsy – or really, a stress test – of American Jewry in the early 21st century, the good and the bad.

And as a result it tells a bigger story about and for all Americans in an age of mass shootings, political polarization and spiritual malaise.

First the good: The Squirrel Hill in Oppenheimer’s book is a model of Jewish community building – home to the rare American Jewish population that stuck close to its urban roots instead of fleeing to the far suburbs. The neighborhood boasts walkable streets, a wide array of Jewish institutions, a diverse public high school and local hangouts that serve as the “third places” so elusive in suburbia. Oppenheimer credits a federation leader, Howard Rieger, who in 1993 spearheaded a capital project that kept the community’s infrastructure — “from preschool to assisted living” — in place and intact.

The universal outpouring of support after the shooting also showed American Jewish life at its best. Offers to help flooded in from Jews around the country and the world. Non-Jews rushed to assure Jews that they were not alone. Barriers fell between Jewish denominations, and people put politics and religion aside to focus on the qualities and threats that unite them.

The downside is a photo negative of all that’s right about Squirrel Hill and American Jewry. The diversity and demographics of Squirrel Hill are a reminder of the more typically segregated way of American Jewish life — religiously, racially and economically. Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jews spin in separate orbits. Many white Jews rarely interact with people of color who aren’t cleaning their homes or taking care of their kids.

As for the support that flowed in: Oppenheimer also describes the ways the offers of help could feel both patronizing and self-serving, as outside Jewish groups and “trauma tourists” rushed in without considering the needs or feelings of the locals. One New York-based burial society sent “experts” to help the provincials tend to the bodies of victims; they were not-so-politely told that the locals had it under control.

There’s a sad and hilarious profile of an Israeli medical clown who, like so many clowns, ends up sowing more confusion than comfort.

Oppenheimer also complicates the rosy portraits of Pittsburgh’s “Stronger Than Hate” response to the shootings. While the Jewish community remains mostly grateful for the shows of solidarity, there were missteps and miscommunications along the way. Even one of the most iconic images of the

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shooting – the Kaddish prayer written in Hebrew characters on the front page of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – has a complicated backstory that ended with the departure of the newspaper’s editor.

Internal divisions are on display as well: Jewish progressives who protested President Trump’s visit to Squirrel Hill after the shooting argued with “alrightniks” who either supported Trump or felt his office should be respected. Victims’ families reacted angrily after a local rabbi dared bring up gun control during an event on the one-year anniversary of the shootings.

The rabbi later apologized for appearing to break an agreement that his speech would not be “political.”

the synagogue cease to exist in 30 years.

That’s not just a Pittsburgh, or Jewish, thing. As Myers puts it, “low attendance at regular worship services was not a Jewish problem but an American problem.”

Oppenheimer does bring more hopeful stories, starting with the bustling Orthodox synagogues and including people and congregations offering spiritual, political and cultural alternatives for a generation of disenchanted seekers. How “sticky” these alternatives will be — to borrow a term from Silicon Valley — remains to be seen.

Squirrel Hill is both inspiring and deflating. It’s a reminder of the persistence of one of the world’s oldest hatreds and of the

Children attend a rally for peace and unity in Point State Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to remember victims of the Tree of Life synagogue shooting, Nov. 9, 2018. Credit: Flickr Commons/Gov. Tom Wolf

Visitors view items left by well-wishers along the fence at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh on the first anniversary of the attack there, Oct. 27, 2019. Credit: Jeff Swensen/Getty Images

Perhaps most of all, Squirrel Hill describes American Jewry at a crossroads, with Tree of Life as a potent symbol of its present demise and future possibilities. The synagogues that shared space in the building drew and still draw relatively few worshippers on a typical Shabbat, and those who come tend to be older. While the Tree of Life shooting galvanized a discussion about whether Jews could ever feel safe in America, America’s embrace of Jews has left non-Orthodox synagogues empty or emptying.

Tree of Life will apparently be rebuilt as a complex that will be “part synagogue, part Holocaust museum, part 10/27 memorial.” Whether anyone will come is another story. In his High Holiday sermon a year after the attack, Jeffrey Myers, Tree of Life’s rabbi, offered “a brutally candid assessment of the state of the synagogue, a plea for help, a challenge” for twice-a-year Jews to show up for programs and services, lest

resilience of its targets. It’s a celebration of an American Jewish community, and a lament for fading Jewish connections.

And it is also a useful corrective for me, someone who is paid to cover these issues. After the one-year anniversary event, a local Jewish leader tells Oppenheimer that “she felt that the narrative of strength and unity had obscured how much people were still hurting.” Her words and Oppenheimer’s book are a reminder that there is always more to the story.

Andrew Silow-Carroll is the editor in chief of The New York Jewish Week and senior editor of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (@SilowCarroll).

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.

How we remain family Continued from page 8 to cover his shame and loneliness. Once someone accepted him warts and all, he no longer needed it.

I don’t live in fantasyland. I don’t think my sister will drop her beliefs on intermarriage just because I love her and treat her kindly. But I do think that by responding with love, I might be able to prevent her extremism from getting worse.

Perhaps by regularly exposing her to the fact that I’m in a relationship that makes me happier than I’ve ever been, she will soften her views, even just a little. Or at least, maybe she will continue talking to me rather than cutting me off entirely, as some family members do in such cases.

Though it is (arguably) easier to love someone if they’re related to you, this approach might be helpful in other contexts. Many people would rather shut down or at least dis-

engage from discussion with people whom they view as intolerant, whether the intolerance comes from their religiosity, political ideology, or some other driving force. But they should consider how counterproductive this approach is. It does nothing to change the intolerant person, and may even motivate them to become even more intolerant. Instead, approaching them with kindness, accepting them, and, yes, even loving them, may have a more positive effect.

Rachel Hartman is a Doctoral Student in Social Psychology at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Writing Fellow at Heterodox Academy. Visit her website or follow her on Twitter @RachelXHartman.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.

Synagogues

10 | The Jewish Press | October 29, 2021

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

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN

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

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE

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

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME

323 South 132 Street Omaha, NE 68154 rbjh.com

TEMPLE ISRAEL

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

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: TIFERETH ISRAEL

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

B’NAI ISRAEL Join us via Zoom on Friday, Nov. 12, 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, Debbie Salomon and Sissy Silber.

Handicap Accessible.

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

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

FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m. at Beth El & Live Stream; Jr. Congregation (Grades 3-7), 10 a.m.; Havdalah, 6:55 p.m. Zoom only.

SUNDAY: BESTT (Grades K-7), 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10 a.m.; Siddur 101 with Hazzan Krausman following morning minyan; Dinner at Stephen Center, 5p.m.

TUESDAY: Mussar, 11:30 a.m. with Rabbi Abraham at Beth El & Zoom.

WEDNESDAY: BESTT (Grades 3-7), 4:15 p.m.; Hebrew High (Grades 8-10), 6 p.m. at Beth El; Hebrew High (Grades 11-12), 6 p.m. at the JCC; Singing in the Reign, 6 p.m. with Dr. Leonard Greenspoon via Zoom only; Community Beit Midrash, 7 p.m. via In-person at the JCC or on Zoom.

THURSDAY: Revisiting the Classics, 7 p.m. with Hazzan Krausman.

FRIDAY-Nov. 5: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream.

SATURDAY-Nov. 6: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m. at Beth El & Live Stream followed by Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands Speeches; Jr. Congregation (Grades 3-7), 10 a.m.; BESTT Lock-in Shabbat, noon; Havdalah, 6:45 p.m. Zoom only.

Please visit bethel-omaha.org for additional information and 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 pergola, weather permitting. Physical distancing and masks required.

FRIDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Deeping Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbos/Candlelighting, 6:06 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:45 a.m. with Shiran Dreyer; Daf Yomi, 5:20 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6 p.m.; Laws of Shabbos, 6:20 p.m. with Rabbi Ari; Havdalah, 7:05 p.m.

SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Daf Yomi, 5:20 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6 p.m.

MONDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Deeping Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Hanukkah Candle Orders Due, 3 p.m. Daf Yomi, 5:20 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6 p.m.

TUESDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m.

with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Deeping Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Daf Yomi, 5:20 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Deeping Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Daf Yomi, 5:20 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6 p.m.

THURSDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Deeping Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Character Development, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Daf Yomi, 5:20 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6 p.m.

FRIDAY-Nov. 5: Shacharit, 6:45 a.m.; Deeping Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Rosh Chodesh Supper and Learning, 5 p.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbos/Candlelighting, 5:57 p.m.

SATURDAY-Nov. 6: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:45 a.m. with Shiran Dreyer; Daf Yomi, 5:10 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 5:50 p.m.; Laws of Shabbos, 6:10 p.m. with Rabbi Ari; Havdalah, 6:57 p.m.

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

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

FRIDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Inspirational Lechayim, 6 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: ochabad.com/Lecha yim; Candlelighting, 6:04 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shacharit, 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 7:03 p.m.

SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Parsha and Coffee, 9:45 a.m.

MONDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Personal Parsha Class, 9:30 a.m. with Shani Katzman; Advanced Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen.

TUESDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Virtual Pirkei Avot Women’s Class, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Mystical Thinking (Tanya), 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Katzman; Introductory Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Introduction to Hebrew Reading, 11:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen.

THURSDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Advanced Hebrew Class, 11 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Talmud Study (Sanhedrin 18 — No advance experience necessary), noon with Rabbi Katzman.

FRIDAY-Nov. 5: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Inspirational Lechayim, 6 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: ochabad. com/Lechayim; Candlelighting, 5:56 p.m.

SATURDAY-Nov. 6: Shacharit, 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 6:56 p.m.

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN & TIFERETH ISRAEL Services facilitated by Rabbi Alex Felch.

Note: Some of our services, but not all, are now being offered in person.

FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat Service, service leaders/music: Rabbi Alex and Elaine Monnier, 6:30 p.m. at SST; Candlelighting, 6:08 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.

with Rabbi Alex at TI; Torah Study on Parashat Chayei Sara, noon; Havdalah, 7:05 p.m.

SUNDAY: LJCS Classes, 9:30 a.m.; Men's Jewish Bike Group of Lincoln meets Sundays at 10 a.m. rain or shine to ride to one of The Mill locations from Hanson Ct. (except we drive if its too wet, cold, cloudy, windy, hot or humid) followed by coffee and spirited discussions. No fee to join, no dues, no president, no board or minutes taken. If Interested please email Al Weiss at albertw801@gmail.com to find out where to meet each week; SST Board of Trustees Meeting, 1:30 p.m. via Zoom; Come learn and play Pickleball, 7-9 p.m. at Peterson Park. Everyone is welcome; just wear comfortable clothes and tennis or gym shoes.

If you need a paddle, contact Miriam Wallick by email at Miriam57@aol.com or by text at 402.470.2393 before Sunday.

WEDNESDAY: LJCS Classes, 4 p.m.

FRIDAY-Nov. 5: Kabbalat Shabbat Service, service leaders/music: Rabbi Alex, Steve and Nathaniel Kaup,, 6:30 p.m. at SST; Candlelighting, 5:59 p.m.

SATURDAY-Nov. 6: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Alex at TI; Torah Study on Parashat Chayei Toldot, noon; Havdalah, 7:05 p.m.

SST Annual Meeting, Sunday, Nov. 7, 3:30 p.m. at South Street Temple (with Zoom option).

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE

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

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME

The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home‘s service is currently closed to visitors.

TEMPLE ISRAEL

In-person and virtual services conducted by Rabbi Brian Stoller, Rabbi Deana Sussman Berezin and Cantor Joanna Alexander.

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

FRIDAY: Shabbat B’yachad: Jewish Lessons in Leadership, 6 p.m. via Zoom or In-Person.

SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. via Zoom or InPerson.

SUNDAY: Fifth Sunday Breakfast Service, 9 a.m. at the Stephen Center; Youth Learning Programs — Grades PreK-6, 9:30 a.m.; Purim Practice for Children, 4-6 p.m. In-Person.

MONDAY: Jewish Law & the Quest for Meaning, 11 a.m. via Zoom.

WEDNESDAY: Youth Learning Programs: Grades 36, 4-6 p.m.; T’filah, 4:45 p.m.; Community Dinner, 6 p.m.; Grades 7-10, 6:30-8 p.m.; Israel Election for Grades 11-12, 6:30-8 p.m. at the JCC; Community Beit Midrash, 7 p.m. via In-person at the JCC or on Zoom.

THURSDAY: Thursday Morning Class, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Azriel via Zoom or In-Person.

FRIDAY-Nov. 5: Shabbat B’yachad: Voices of the Congregation with OTYG, 6 p.m. via Zoom or In-Person; OTYG Lock-in.

SATURDAY-Nov. 6: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. via Zoom or In-Person.

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

Come celebrate Feigy and Menachem!

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT For all our friends and family who were unable to join us in New York, the celebration continues!, Feigy and Menachem Wilhelm were married Oct. 4, but on Sunday, Nov. 7 at 5 p.m., the Omaha part of the celebration will take place at Chabad, 1866 S. 120th Street. Bring your friends, bring your family and help us celebrate this simcha!

Please join us to meet the couple, see pictures and get the inside story from some of us who were there.

According to Chabad.com, “participating in the wedding feast and rejoicing with the bride and groom, to cheer them and gladden their hearts on this special day, is a great mitzvah. The Talmud relates that the greatest of our sages set aside their diligent non-interrupted Torah study for the sake of entertaining the new couple with song and

dance.

“Every Jewish person is a part of the larger Jewish body — a body which includes every Jewish soul throughout the generations. A Jewish marriage creates a link between all the past generations and all the future generations. Thus, every Jewish marriage is a historic and momentous event, not only for the couple and their families, but also for the community at large. This is evidenced by the participation of all the invited guests in the dancing and singing — every individual rightfully feeling him or herself to be very much a part of this momentous occasion.”

Covid precautions will be in place. RSVP at katzmanomaha@gmail.com.

For more information, please contact Chabad at 402.330.1800. We really hope you can join us!

Menachem and Feigy Wilhelm

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

A young, gay Russian Jew navigates ’80s New York in Minyan are both frequently invoked), David finally discovers a little ANDREW LAPIN piece of himself. His neighbors in the synagogue are two eldJTA A gay Russian Jewish teenager comes of age in Brighton erly men who live together; they have a storyline that explains Beach in the touching new independent film Minyan, a subtle their arrangement, which the community accepts, but it’s and sensitive drama that tells an unexpected story about the clear they find more comfort in this open secret than they ever Brooklyn neighborhood’s large immigrant Jewish community. could have in the USSR. Soon after meeting them, David beBased on a short story by David Bezmozgis, an author who gins to explore a local gay bar, and loses his virginity to a has long grappled with Russian Jewish identity in meticulous brooding bartender (Alex Hurt) who, at the height of the AIDS epidemic, seems shocked and probing ways, Eric by his new lover’s youth and Steel’s film finds a unique ignorance of the disease — way to highlight its queer and how David, having althemes through the prism ready avoided one life of of an Orthodox Jewish culmisery at the grace of his ture that heavily prizes parents, is unaware he may manhood, and strength in now be dooming himself to numbers. If 10 men gatheranother. ing in prayer is a holy act, As David quietly, tentathe film posits, then surely tively tries to navigate his two men gathering in love environment (partially with must have some degree of the help of James Baldwin’s holiness to it, as well.

Ron Rifkin, Samuel H. Levine and Christopher McCann in Minyan. books, which are invoked as Samuel H. Levine, who Credit: Strand Releasing holy texts on par with anyriveted Broadway audiences in The Inheritance, turns in a fully lived-in lead performance as thing in the Talmud), Minyan finds meaningful ways to frame David, the only son to a family of Soviet Jewish immigrants in his maturity alongside his growth in Jewish thought. Aided by 1986. David, whom Levine plays with a quiet, subdued curios- David Krakauer and Kathleen Tagg’s klezmer score, the film ity, feels little affection for his parents: His mother (Brooke spotlights the moments when its hero comes into his own: Bloom), insistent on sending him to a yeshiva where he is rou- leading a Mourner’s Kaddish prayer, advocating for a fellow tinely bullied, seems blind to his true needs, while his abusive, Jew’s living conditions or simply listening to his mother dephilandering father seems to be imparting the wrong ideas scribe her relief that she could give him a new life where he about masculinity. To discipline his son for getting into a fight wouldn’t be targeted for his Judaism.

Little in Steel’s prior filmography — his most notable previwith another yeshiva student who mocks him for being Russous directing credit was the controversial 2006 documentary ian, David’s father sucker-punches him in the face.

The Bridge, which secretly filmed a year’s worth of suicides off Instead, David gravitates to his grandfather Josef (Ron the Golden Gate Bridge — indicated that he aimed to tackle Rifkin), whose calm, matter-of-fact rituals bring him comfort. a story as delicate and human as Minyan. But Steel himself As the film opens, Josef has decided to seek out a new apartgrew up gay and Jewish in the 1980s, and he’s smartly fused ment for himself after the death of his wife. Here we see why Bezmozgis’ source material with his own memories to create the film is called Minyan: Josef is only able to secure a fixeda film with a personal touch.

The movie even feels in league income apartment in a synagogue building once David agrees with works by Ira Sachs and Andrew Haigh, the reigning kings to join him, because together they give the congregation the of layered, nuanced stories about gay communities, while also requisite 10 men it needs to pray. being deeply Jewish.

Minyan is an intimate story of outcasts In all these buildings full of Jews dealing with repressed genin many forms. erational trauma (the Holocaust and the Soviet Jewish purges

The Jewish Press | October 29, 2021 | 11

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

Death and Mourning: Special circumstances ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP AND SAM KRICSFELD While writing these articles, we’ve noticed there are many rules and regulations surrounding death. Judaism holds our hands and tells us what to do during a time when we feel fairly unmoored. Having said that, there are always exceptions. This month, we’ll share some special circumstances, and what to do when they occur. As always, would you run into any of these scenarios, please contact your clergy. This article is for informational purposes only.

“The Bible,” Maurice Lamm wrote, “in its mature wisdom, required burial to take place as soon as possible following death. It established this requirement by both a positive and a negative command. Positively, it stated, “Thou shalt surely bury him the same day.” Negatively, it warned, “His body shall not remain all night” (Deuteronomy 21:23). Jewish law, therefore, demands that we bury the deceased within 24 hours following death.”

But what if, due to circumstances out of our control, we cannot? The rabbis tell us we can only delay if this is done for the honor of the dead (you won’t rush on Friday afternoon, you wait for the arrival of a prominent rabbi if that rabbi is coming to bring honor to the deceased) or because there are legal reasons, government paperwork regarding transportation of the body, foreign governments who refuse to hand over the body or if a post-mortem is required by law.

In addition, if there is a delay in the delivery of necessery items, such as shrouds or caskets, it is permissable to wait. Finally, we delay if death occurs on a Jewish holiday.

An interesting note from Jewish Virtual Library: “if two deaths occur simultaneously, a woman is always buried before a man, and a scholar is always buried before an average citizen.”

Ever wondered why kohanim are not allowed to become ritually impure? In Leviticus, we read: “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: Let none defile himself for a dead person.”

“In the times of the Holy Temple,” Ronald Eisenberg wrote, “a person who was tamei (ritually impure) was not permitted to enter the Temple or partake of various holy foods. Today, while this state of ritual impurity has no relevance for most Jews, it is forbidden for a kohen (priestly descendent of Aaron) to contract this ritual impurity.” That includes touching or being in the same room as the dead. Sometimes it means even being under the same roof (it depends on which room you are in and whether the doors stay closed and a few other things).

A Kohen cannot enter a cemetery, or even walk underneath a tree whose branches extend over a grave. A Kohen becomes tamei from flying in a plane that is transporting a dead body, from visiting a museum that displays human remains, no mat-

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ter how old or from entering a hospital that also houses a morgue.

However, “A kohen is obligated to attend, and become tamei for, the funerals of close relatives.These are: His father and mother, son or daughter, wife, paternal brother, and nevermarried paternal sister.”

Perhaps the most Jewish of all exceptions is that of the Met Mitzvah, also known as the ‘mitzvah corpse.’

“This is the unfortunate case of an unidentified, unclaimed dead body. With no one else to tend to its burial, any Kohen— even the High Priest—must ritually defile himself to ensure that the body is properly buried.”

The source for this exception can be found in parsha Emor.

“Our Torah insists that giving such a corpse the dignity of a proper burial is a mitzvah, one which takes priority over almost any other good deed. This is the meaning of the phrase in the very first verse of our parsha, “... he shall not defile himself for any dead person among his people...” (Leviticus 21:1).

Paraphrasing Rashi’s words here: “When the dead man is among his people, the kohen cannot defile himself, but when the dead man is not among his people, i.e., there is no one else to bury him, then the prohibition does not apply.” (NJJN-Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb) The final special circumstance has to do with the commandment to bury our dead in the earth. In some parts of the US, and one imagines there are other locations in the world where this is the case, the earth is unstable and shifting, and government authorities require caskets to be enclosed in concrete vaults. In such cases, vaults are acceptable. In other instances, where the motive is solely to preserve the remains, it is preferable not to use the vault. Clearly, the concrete vault is not in the spirit of the tradition, and should be avoided where possible. However, theoretically it is permitted. (Maurice Lamm)

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