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The Alan & Annie Fleishman Scholarship Fund
Global Day of Jewish Learning in Lincoln Page 5
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linDa PollaRD Endowment Assistant/Staff Writer, JFO Foundation t all started in a bowling alley many years ago. Dorothy Ann “Annie” Blair, born and raised in Webb, Iowa, first met Alan Fleishman, the Omaha native, when they both were bowling in invitational leagues. This shared hobby drew them together, but the love that developed is what
Beth El Adult Ed new semester Page 7
Leonard and Shirley Goldstein Center for Human Rights
Emerging Voices Page 12
inside Viewpoint Synagogues Life cycles
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Kathy Helm, Donald Goldstein and Gail Raznick
CHaRley ReeD Assoc. Director of Media Relations, University of Nebraska at Omaha The life and contributions of two Omahans to human rights causes were honored
at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) last week. On Oct. 20, representatives from UNO administration, University of Nebraska Foundation and College of Arts and Sciences joined members of the Omaha community to celebrate contributions made by Leonard and Shirley Goldstein and their family at the Thompson Alumni Center. The event was in recognition of the newly-created Goldstein Family Community Chair in Human Rights and recent approval by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents to create the Leonard and Shirley Goldstein Center for Human Rights. “We are incredibly honored and thankful See Goldstein Center page 2
kept them together until Alan’s death in 1985. Annie and Al were married in August of 1957, first in a civil ceremony, and then a day later in a Jewish wedding in Denver officiated by Rabbi Joseph Freedman. They shared 28 years of marriage. Al was a Central High School graduate, continuing on to the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. During and after high See The alan & annie Fleishman Scholarship Fund page 3
When catastrophe strikes, Chabad is there
Rabbi Katzman and Rochi distribute Rotella’s bread at an outreach center.
Gabby blaiR Staff Writer, Jewish Press Hurricane Harvey was the first major hurricane to make landfall on the mainland US in 12 years. The Category 4 hurricane sustained wind speeds of 130 mph and was the eighth named storm, and the third hurricane of the 2017 season. Harvey caused massive amounts of destruction and flooding, dumping over 40 inches in some parts of eastern Texas, making it one of the wettest hurricanes in U.S. History. Over 30,000 people had to be evacuated and many were displaced. After the trauma of the hurricane, countless
thousands were left to wring out the soggy mess left behind from the receding floodwaters. More than 300,000 people were without power, and property damage is estimated to be in the hundreds of billions of dollars. Nearly 100 people lost their lives, mostly due to drowning; and, in Houston, lowlying and densely-populated, the level of destruction was particularly challenging. Nationwide, people wanted to help alleviate the suffering in some way as they watched the destruction unfold. Disaster relief organizations were activated, and See Chabad is there page 2
Goldstein Center
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community
Chabad is there Continued from page 1 the public donated goods and money; But, what about spiritually? With any traumatic catastrophe comes anxiety and emotional distress. Sometimes what people need goes beyond the tangible, basic necessities. Once out of immediate danger, dry, fed and safe, the magnitude of surviving such an event can be overwhelming. In this place, outreach, such as that provided by Chabad, is of immeasurable importance. “When Chabad-Lubavitch Harvey Relief effort in Houston put out a call for rabbis to assist and counsel Houstonians, we were quick to sign up. “My father has been a clergy chaplain with the Omaha Police Department for over 20 years, in addition to being a member of the Governor’s Disaster Preparedness Committee. He has spent years offering mental health and grief counseling services in and around Nebraska and felt compelled to assist in Houston,� says Rochi Katzman. “We were part of ‘#1Mitzvah’, a Chabad relief worker organization created by Mr. Nate Dalton of Massachusetts, and Rabbi Yossi Lipsker of North Shore Chabad� explains Katzman. “We are just happy to be able to add our little bit to all the Americans pitching in to help our neighbors. Our organization was founded on the simple idea that one good deed or mitzvah leads to another,� says Nate Dalton, who sponsored 50 workers from all over the country. The Katzmans’ team included workers from Boca Raton, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Fairfax, VA, Little Rock, Long Island, Los Angeles, Miami, Nebraska, New York City, San Diego and St. Louis. Chabad-Lubavitch of Houston, with the aid of hundreds of volunteers, and working in conjunction with The American Red Cross, co-
The Katzmans help a family sort through water damaged belongings, finding a plaque dedicated to this man’s father, a former Algemeiner newspaperman, undamaged. ordinated rescue efforts and provided meals to thousands of families whose homes and businesses were flooded. “Chabad is here to help all who need it, regardless of religious affiliation,� explains Rabbi Yossi Lipsker, who jumped at the opportunity to organize a relief effort in Houston. Arriving in Houston with large donations of bread from Rotella’s bakery and durable goods from many community members in Omaha, the Katzmans spent time organizing packaging and distributing food, medical and cleaning supplies for all Houstonians. They also spent time searching out and accounting for Jewish families that survived the storm. “Many homes were abandoned and it was a little chaotic, but we found many people in need of assistance as we walked through neighborhoods,� explained Rochi. One woman, Sandyi Fertman, saw Rabbi and Rochi walking outside as they searched for an address and excitedly waved them over. Ms. Fertman had moved inland ahead of the storm, and was completely overwhelmed upon returning. She told the Katzmans that just before their arrival,
she had taken a moment to post her despair on social media, expressing her shock and voicing a need for emotional support. She truly felt as though a prayer had been answered by their sudden appearance. They spent time helping the woman and checked her mezuzahs for good measure. “Just knowing someone cared enough to check on her and listen to her story meant so much. It was really touching,� explains Rochi. Another day, the Katzmans happened upon Laurence Barris, a gentleman who was unnerved by his Harvey experience, yet grateful to be alive. Thankful for their presence, the man explained how he had stayed behind at home with his pets, while his wife had gone to care for her mother. After hours of sheltering in his home, he was forced to climb upon his kitchen counters as the flood waters began rapidly filling his home. “This poor man was badly shaken. He truly thought it was the end.� As he told the Katzmans his harrowing account of being trapped by the rising waters before his eventual See Chabad is there page 3
Retreat yourself...
Continued from page 1 to the Goldstein family for all they’ve done at UNO, but also for their incredible humanitarian contributions over their lifetimes,� Arts and Sciences Dean David Boocker said. On Thursday, Oct. 5, the Board of Regents approved the creation of the Leonard and Shirley Goldstein Center for Human Rights at UNO. The center, which still requires approval by the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education (CCPE), will be a nonpartisan, nonsectarian organization that promotes the understanding of human rights issues through teaching, research, creative activity, and community engagement. The center will be made possible and supported annually through a permanent $2 million endowment at the University of Nebraska Foundation by the late Shirley Goldstein, who died earlier this year. Her husband Leonard died in 2012. In July, the University of Nebraska Foundation announced the creation of the Goldstein Family Community Chair in Human Rights, made possible by support from Leonard and Shirley’s children: Donald Goldstein, Kathy Helm and Gail Raznick. The post will be filled by Assistant Professor of Religious Studies Laura Alexander. This is the first community chair for UNO in a humanities-related field. “We are happy Laura is here because the whole position will be interdisciplinary and she will be the hub on the wheel,� explained Donald Goldstein. “This is a community position that will extend academics and research into the community and region and lead to more involvement on issues [of human rights].� Alexander received her Ph.D. in Religious Ethics from the University of Virginia and has research expertise in areas of human rights, comparative religious ethics, religion and immigration, and the role of religion in war and national sovereignty. “The Goldstein family and UNO have built up an amazing structure for effective programming in human rights, including lectures, research, courses and interdisciplinary work on human rights,� Alexander said. “I’m honored to be part of these initiatives and to help build bridges at UNO, in the community, and beyond to promote understanding of and engagement with human rights.� The addition of the Goldstein Community Chair and proposed Goldstein Center is the latest in a decades-long relationship with UNO, beginning with the Shirley and Leonard Goldstein Lecture on Human Rights, which was founded in 1997 to focus attention on the plight of people from around the world who suffer from abuse. Past speakers have included international photographer Lisa Kristine, professor and autism advocate Temple Grandin, environmentalist and Native American activist Winona LaDuke, and Amnesty International Executive Director William Schulz. For more than 40 years, Leonard and Shirley Goldstein fought to resettle Jewish families in Omaha, beginning in the early 1970s with trips Shirley made to the Soviet Union to meet with and assist Jews fleeing the country. In 1996, Shirley Goldstein was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from UNO for her many contributions to the cause of human rights, and Leonard was recognized by several organizations including being named Humanitarian of the Year by the Jewish Federation of Omaha in 2011.
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The Alan & Annie Fleishman Scholarship Fund Continued from page 1 school, Al sang in a quartet. He served in the Coast Guard for two years and was the Vice President and General Manager of all the Village Inn restaurants in Omaha, and Annie worked for a utility company for the first few years of their marriage. She was an American Red Cross volunteer, with 33 years of service to that organization. She performed various duties at the Red Cross, including working in human resources, scheduling blood donors, and delivering mail and flowers at St. Catherine’s and Bergan Mercy Hospitals. Annie was eager and willing to help wherever she was needed. Both Annie and Al were only children, and did not have children of their own. Nevertheless, they both loved children, and this would be evident in their estate planning. Al was sick for a long time before his death and during this time, he and Annie had discussions about what they would do with their estate. An endowment that helped young people was a natural choice for them. In October of 1994, nine years after Alan’s death, Annie established the Alan and Annie Fleishman Scholarship Fund. The fund awards scholarships to Omaha area Jewish students who have financial need to attend a college or university of their choice. The first scholarship was awarded in 1992, and the fund has continued helping students pursue higher education ever since. Marty Ricks, former Foundation Executive Director, recalled meeting Annie, “I met Annie for lunch probably 10 years ago. It was one of those ‘three martini’ lunches, with-
Chabad is there
out the martinis. She talked fondly about her late husband Al and the wonderful life they had. Although a mixed marriage, Annie embraced Judaism to the fullest. She told me her and Al’s plan was already in place to benefit the Jewish Federation of Omaha after her death, doing it through the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation. It was wonderful that they chose to help college kids with financial need. They were certainly cognizant of the exploding cost of college tuition over the last many decades.” Annie’s friend and neighbor, Virginia Busch, stated, “Annie was a very unique lady. She was very opinionated, but I could have my opinion also. I learned so much from her and met some wonderful people because of her.” Annie was not Jewish, but Virginia shared that Annie knew the religion well. Rabbi Brooks once told Alan that, “Annie was a better Jew than he was.” Annie thoughtfully planned for the time when she would no longer be here. She named the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation as beneficiary of a life insurance policy, with the money to be directed to her scholarship fund. Nine days before her 95th birthday, on Jan. 17, 2017, Annie passed away. The legacy of Annie and Al is, and will continue to be, the many students who have attended college or university due to the Fleishmans’ generosity. What a wonderful legacy for a hometown boy and a girl from Webb, Iowa. On behalf of all the students past, present and future, thank you, Annie and Al.
Contunued from page 2 man,” explains Rochi. “To help rescue, he lamented the destruchim clean up a little, to lend emotion of his home and most of his tional support, to listen to his household possessions, but was story and, of course that my father especially distraught over the loss was able to help him wrap tefillin of irreplaceable family history; old for the first time since the storm, photographs and generations of was really amazing.” Katzman family heirlooms that had made continues, “My father has always the trip over from Poland with his stressed the importance of being forefathers. He was also devasthere to lend support to those Rabbi Katzman helps Laurence Barris wrap tefillin who need it. People need people, tated when realizing his tefillin for first time after Harvey. Mr. Barris’ tefillin was they need to know that others had been lost to the floodwaters lost when flood waters swept through his home. that swept through his home. “I care, on an individual level, and am humbled and thankful to Hashem that we found this that is what we tried to do on our trip to Houston.”
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1. Registration (6:15 - 6:30 p.m.) 2. Intro - Rob Rohrbough, President (6:30 p.m.) 3. National Perspective - Scott Petersen 4. Why I support the FAIRtax - Kimberly Fletcher of HomeMakers for America 5. Wrap-up (8 p.m.) Kimberly Fletcher is an Air Force wife, mother of 8 children and president and founder of Homemakers for America (founded 2004). She is also author of the book WOMEN: America’s Last Best Hope, and a contributing writer with TheBlaze and Townhall.com.
Reservations are not necessary but are appreciated. You may register on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/NebraskansSupportingtheFairTax/ For more information: NEFAIRtax.org
4 | The Jewish Press | November 3, 2017
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On Oct. 18, 2017, the financial headlines screamed, The Dow Reaches All-Time High – Exceeds $23,000 for First Time Ever. For the past year, the stock market has been soaring, and most HOWARd EpStEiN stocks have appreciExecutive Director, ated considerably. JFO Foundation If you are an investor, what will you do? Buy more? Hold what you have? Sell, and take healthy profits? Won’t taxes eat into those profits?
bill leaves you with additional assets that could fund other charitable gifts or be put to other good uses! For taxpayers paying federal taxes at the highest marginal rates, the tax on long term capital gains is now 20%, and there is an added 3.8% Medicare surtax. As illustrated in the above example, if you gift appreciated rather than donating cash outright, your immediate, long-term capital gain tax savings would be $23,800 (23.8% of $100,000), and Omaha’s Jewish community would get full benefit of your $200,000 gift. Your gift can go towards an endowment fund at the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation. With such an endowment, the
Current Fair Market Value of Securities Cost of Securities Appreciation in Value (Capital gain) Capital gains tax plus Medicare surtax (23.8%) Amount available for Charitable Contribution income tax Savings (contribution x 39.6% tax rate) Tax laws encourage charitable gifts of appreciated assets. Consider gifting some of that stock directly to the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation. What a terrific way to express your philanthropy while alleviating some of the tax bite. Consider this illustration to see the potential tax benefits of donating appreciated stock instead of selling the stock, then later donating cash. Assume you purchased the stock for $100,000 and its current market value is $200,000: Gifting appreciated stock directly to a donor-advised fund or an endowment fund at the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation — rather than selling the stock and donating the after-tax cash proceeds — can significantly increase the amount of funds that you have available for charitable giving while providing you with a larger tax benefit. Charitable contributions of long-term appreciated securities (those held for more than one year), including stocks, bonds, and mutual fund shares, remain one of the most tax-efficient ways to benefit a charity such as the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation. You are entitled to a tax deduction for the full fair market value of such gifts, up to 30% of the your adjusted gross income in the current tax year, and you pay no capital gains tax on any appreciation. In effect, this tax savings goes directly to the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation in the form of a larger contribution and your lower tax
donate Stock $200,000 100,000 100,000 $0 $200,000 $79,200
Sell Stock and donate Cash $200,000 100,000 100,000 $23,800 $176,200 $69,775
charitable causes and organizations in Omaha’s Jewish community which are most meaningful to you will benefit for years to come. You might want to consider establishing or adding to an existing donor-advised fund (“DAF”) that can work in tandem with this financial and tax savings strategy. A DAF is a charitable planning tool that allows you to benefit from an up-front deduction for the contribution of assets to the account and allows you to recommend which qualifying charities receive distributions at a later date. Another gifting strategy to consider is the creation of a charitable remainder trust (“CRT”) funded by appreciated stock. In addition to avoiding the capital gains tax, the CRT could provide you with a current charitable deduction as well as an income stream for a period of years. For more information about gifts of appreciated property and other Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation giving opportunities including endowments, donor advised funds, and charitable remainder trusts, please contact me at the Foundation office, at 402.334.6466 or heps tein@jewishomaha.org. This article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, tax or financial advice. When considering gift planning strategies, you should always consult with your own legal, tax and financial planning advisors.
USCJ Scholar at Beth El
from Stanford University, and an OzziE NOgg M.B.A. from Ben Gurion UniverOn Wednesday evening, sity of the Negev. While living in Nov. 8, United Synagogue of San Francisco from 2005-2010, Conservative Judaism Scholar Andy served as Assistant Head Rabbi Andrew Shapiro Katz, will of School at the Jewish Commuvisit Beth El Synagogue to speak nity High School of the Bay and on Piety and The Modern Jew. was an active participant/leader The presentation begins at 7 of the Mission Minyan. He also p.m. and is open to the entire teaches pizza-making and cookcommunity at no charge. ing science, caters small events A community-builder, educaand hosts a periodic pop-up tor, and avid cook, Andy Shapiro restaurant at a local soupKatz moved to Beer Sheva, Israel, in 2010 with his family to start a Rabbi Andrew Shapiro Katz discusses kitchen. He and his wife Emily, new international pluralistic reli- Piety and The Modern Jew during his also a Jewish educator, have four children. gious community, Kehilat Be’erot. visit to Beth El on Nov. 8. Andy is an alumnus of Project Otzma, the Conservative “I’m very much looking forward to hosting Rabbi Yeshiva, and the Pardes Educators Programs and Kol- Katz in Omaha,” said Beth El Rabbi Steven Abraham. lel, receiving smicha in 2004. He holds a B.A. in Amer- “He’s a fantastic teacher and we’re fortunate to have ican Studies and M.A. in Educational Administration the opportunity to learn from him.”
All you need is L.O.V.E, and L.O.V.E. needs YOU!
Gabby blair Staff Writer, Jewish Press For the past 46 years, the League Of Volunteers for the Elderly has been spreading L.O.V.E. around the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. This important volunteer group is dedicated to making RBJH the best facility it can be and works tirelessly to improve the quality of life for all residents. L.O.V.E. volunteers help plan, staff and run events for residents such as game days, holiday parties, and Shabbat and holiday services. Additionally, L.O.V.E. undertakes one large donation project to RBJH every year. Did you know... just in recent years, L.O.V.E. has donated: • 3 vehicles for residents’ transportation needs • Patio furniture • Sewing and quilting machines • High Holy Day Books • Nurse Rosies (specialized medical equipment carts that chart vitals for residents and stores them electronically) • The Esther Wax Sensory Room The list of improvements L.O.V.E. has contributed to the RBJH goes on, and on... This year, L.O.V.E. is working on another large and exciting project that is guaranteed to enhance the resident experience, and they will be announcing their latest effort soon. L.O.V.E cannot help residents without help from YOU! There are many ways to support L.O.V.E.; financially or through the giving of your time. Consider sharing a little L.O.V.E. today. Interested in volunteering? Want to make a donation? Contact Sabine Strong, RBJH Volunteer Coordinator at 402.334.6519 or via email at: sstrong@rbjh.com. Background checks are required of all volunteers as the safety of our residents is our number one priority. L.O.V.E. is a 501c3; all donations made to L.O.V.E. are 100% tax deductible.
World Without Hate Shabbat
NaNcy coreN Congregation Tifereth Israel is holding its 3rd annual World Without Hate Shabbat service on Friday evening, Nov. 3. This year’s guest speaker is Plains State Director of the Anti-Defamation League, MaryBeth Muskin. Ms. Muskin will give the sermon at this interfaith gathering about the ways in which hatred hurts us all. She will discuss ways we can combat hatred in our community. The service, led by spiritual lay-leader, Nancy Coren, will provide explanations about the Shabbat liturgy for Mary-beth Muskin non-Jewish guests in attendance and focus on prayers of actively bringing light into the world together.
The Jewish Press | November 3, 2017 | 5
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A new chapter for Temple Israel WeNDy GolDberG emple Israel will install Brian Stoller as the Congregation’s 18th Senior Rabbi during Shabbat services with the theme Jewish Meaning in a World of Choice: Visions of Synagogue Life in 21st-Century America on Friday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. Rabbi Stoller’s installation promises to be reflective, inspiring and fun as Dr. David ellenson we celebrate the congregation’s past and lay out a vision for its future. “We have turned the page into the next chapter of Temple Israel,” Presidential Appointee to the Board of Trustees, Justin Cooper remarked. “We finished Rabbi Azriel’s tenure with high energy and the belief we had honored the past with dignity and appreciation. The interim year was one of trepidation and uncertainty as we sought to articulate what Temple Israel was and what we wanted it to be as a congregation.” During the weekend scholar-in-residence, Dr. David Ellenson, Chancellor Emeritus of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, will join Rabbi Stoller and Rabbi Azriel to offer insights as to why the synagogue is more important today than ever as a place where we can discover meaning and purpose through the brilliance of Jewish tradition. “Rabbi Stoller has outstanding ideas about how to increase engagement in our congregation,” Andie Gordman, President-Elect shared. “He is warm, caring, very knowledgeable about Judaism and passionate about all aspects of congregational life. As I have worked with Rabbi Stoller
over the last several months, I am energized by his ideas and his vision of the next chapter in Temple Israel’s history.” A celebratory Shabbat dinner to raise funds to help Rabbi Stoller and the Temple Israel lay leadership and professional team create initiatives, will kick off the weekend. “Your attendance and contribution to the installation celebration is a reaffirmation and a vote of rabbi brian Stoller confidence that Rabbi Stoller is now “Our Rabbi,” Justin Cooper suggests. “This is a big moment. It is truly a generation-to-generation event.” At Saturday morning Torah study, Rabbi Ellenson will explore the theme “Do Not Separate Yourself from the Community: A Study in Principled Rabbinic Leadership” as he examines Rabbi Horovitz’s 19th-century German writings as an example of principled rabbinic leadership in the face of intense political pressure. That afternoon Rabbi Stoller will join his teacher in exploring responses to this dramatic innovation and lead us in conversation about what the great organ controversy can teach us about managing inevitable change in Jewish worship practices in an adult study session titled, “Reform, Resistance and Change Management: The Great Organ-Music Controversy.” Religious School families will celebrate Rabbi Stoller’s installation on Sunday morning at an all-school family t’filah, story and song session at 10 a.m. Rabbi Ellenson’s visit to Omaha was made possible by the generous support of the Hermene Zweiback Center for Lifelong Jewish Learning.
On Nov. 12, Jews around the world will share a day of Jewish learning, dialogue and exploration, joining in celebration of all that unites us. This year’s theme is Beauty and Ugliness. In performing mitzvot (commandments) one can abide by the letter of the law or act in a way that shows special reverence to God. The Talmud urges us to do mitzvot the latter way — beautifully, even if simply. This is known as hiddur mitzvah: beautifying the mitzvah. Join the Lincoln Jewish community for Text Study and a Hiddur Mitzvah Project: we will make beautiful ritual objects, through Gary Rosenthal’s Hiddur Mitzvah Project, and send them to Jew-
ish communities impacted by recent natural disasters. In addition, please bring a ritual object from home and a short explanation of why it is meaningful to you. This free event will take place at Tifereth Israel from 9:30 a.m. to noon and is facilitated by Nancy Coren and Rabbi Teri Appleby. It is open to the entire community. The Global Day of Jewish Learning is sponsored by Congregation B’nai Jeshurun--The South Street Temple, Congregation Tifereth Israel, and the Lincoln Jewish Federation. For more information, please visit: www.theglob alday.org.
Global Day of Jewish Learning in Lincoln
6 | The Jewish Press | November 3, 2017
community Blessing of the animals
NANCy COReN Tifereth Israel’s “Bless the Animals” evening on Oct. 21 was a great success with its tour of the Lincoln Children’s Zoo, dinner, and Havdallah service. Tifereth Israel members, ages 2-94, enjoyed the setting, the opportunity to be with one another, and the hospitality of John Chapo, zoo CeO, who made the zoo accessible to Tifereth Israel members although it was closed to others. It was indeed a fun evening!
Pink Out Day at RBJH
The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home staff wore pink for Pink Out Day, Oct. 25, marking Breast Cancer Awareness.
Organizations
B’NAI B’RITH BReADBReAkeRs
B’nai B’rith Breadbreakers meets weekly on Wednesdays at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home auditorium from noon to 1 p.m. For specific speaker information, please email Gary.Javitch@gmail.com, Breadbreakers chairman. For more information or to be placed on the email list call 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@jewishomaha.org.
external disability vs Internal strength: An amazing group set to visit Beth Israel
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MARy sue GROssMAN ext weekend, Beth Israel welcomes an amazing group of young men and women who are challenged daily with significant physical disabilities or are fighting cancer. Called Project Dreamland, it is the brainchild of Beth Israel’s Rabbi Ari Dembitzer and has grown from his many years of work at Camp Simcha, a program of Chai Lifeline. Held first February 2016, the weekend provides an opportunity for the group participants to share their amazing stories and to experience Omaha’s warm hospitality and a unique Shabbat experience. Racheli Herzfeld is a 17-year old from Teaneck, New Jersey, who is challenged daily since birth by muscular dystrophy, a degenerative muscle disease. Her siblings also have the disease and her father, who has diabetic issues, has been home-bound for the past year-and-a-half. Racheli’s mother is the provider of the family. “My house can be very overwhelming with everyone’s different needs” shares Racheli, “It sometimes becomes too suffocating.” While she is very excited about the upcoming weekend which she reports is known in the Camp Simcha world as “an epic Shabbaton/weekend”, she adds this is an opportunity for her to be “less of a burden on my parents for a couple of days.” Racheli also shares, “My Camp Simcha friends make me feel good about myself. They also make me feel strong, despite needing help and being weak. I can always count on them during the tough times.” Camp Simcha is for children with cancer and different chronic illness, under the umbrella organization called Chai Lifeline. Camp Simcha provides a happy and magical environment for children so they can confront their challenges with increased strength and willpower. Rabbi Dembitzer has worked with Camp Simcha since 1997. Another visitor – a repeat visitor - will be Ben Taplin. Ben, who has since returned to Omaha for other visits, was diagnosed at the age of 20 with a disease called ARDS - acute respiratory distress syndrome. “I was in a coma for two-and-half months,” reports Ben. He then spent seven weeks in ECMO, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Today Ben is on oxygen and deals with bronchitis. “I love meeting new people, engaging in conversation and going to social events” he reports. Ben particularly likes sports games which he says help him push through the rough times. Looking to the future, he hopes to be a physiologist, helping young adults deal with life’s challenges. He will speak on Shabbat. Oshry Moyal, age 21, is an English major at Temple University. Oshry is confined to a wheelchair due to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a life threatening, degen-
erative muscle wasting disease. He was also in Omaha in 2016. “I am beyond excited to once again join this incredible community,” shares Oshry. “I want to show them just how important their ideals of family and togetherness are to not only the Jewish community but to the disabled community. Omaha unites. Omaha supports. I am thankful for Omaha.” Oshry will be speaking at Friedel on Friday and Friday night following Shabbat dinner. The youngest 2017 Project Dreamland member will be Arianna Dougan from St. Louis. In June 2009 she was diagnosed with stage IV high risk neuroblastoma. “I am so excited to come to Omaha” reports Ari. “It will be my first time and I can’t wait to share my story with people, especially the students of Friedel. I am so honored to be invited. I am also very excited to get to see some of the Camp Simcha staff whom I call friends, who have helped me get to where I am today.” The visitors arrive on Thursday, Nov. 9 and will be hosted by Beth Israel families. Thursday evening, 7th-12th JYE BI teens will have a “Chill and Grill” with the group. Friday will include davening, a Bagel Bin breakfast, learning sessions, a visit to Friedel Jewish Academy, the Star Deli experience and a trip to the Old Market. Shabbat will begin with dinner Friday, Nov. 10 beginning at 6 p.m. prepared by guest chef Ben Shapiro. The dinner is open to the community. Pricing and reservations are available by calling 402.556.6288 or online at orthodoxomaha.org. Reservations are needed by Monday, Nov. 6. On Saturday morning, Nov. 11, members of the group will help lead services, speak during services and, following kiddush, and be a part of special JYE BI activities. Saturday evening will feature a special Seudah Shlishit and a musical Havdalah. It’s more JYE BI activities on Sunday morning followed by a trip to the zoo before departing Omaha. “I cannot stress enough the impact this extraordinary group will have on everyone who meets them” states Rabbi Dembitzer. “This is an experience not to be missed. Please join us and feel the impact these young men and women can make for you.” The Project Dreamland 2017 Planning Committee includes Yaakov Jeidel, Julee Katzman, Sharon Kirshenbaum, Karen Cohen, Katherine Pawlowski, Helene Shrago and Bette Kozlen. Funding for Project Dreamland 2017 is being provided through the Staenberg Family Foundation Anything Grants program with additional funding from Shirley and David Goodman and Michael and Karen Cohen. Also providing funding is Mort Glass, doing so in loving memory of his wife Janet. To be a volunteer or for other questions, please contact Beth Israel at 402.556.6288.
seniorliving coming in december
Passover We’re Happy In The Neighborhood! There’s something for everyone KHULWDJH FRPPXQLWLHV FRP 402-504-3111 | WK 3DFL¿F LQ 2PDKD
publishing date | 12.22.17 | space reservation | 12.13.17
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The Jewish Press | November 3, 2017 | 7
Beth El Adult Ed: New semester will focus on My Jewish Year
20. The Nov. 8 session begins at 6 p.m. and will lead into the 7 p.m. presentation — Piety and The Modern Jew — given by visiting United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism Scholar Rabbi Andrew Shapiro Katz. All other Wednesday evening classes run from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. In addition to My Jewish Year, Abigail Pogrebin authored the 2005 book Stars of David: Prominent Jews Talk About Being Jewish. Formerly an Emmy-nominated producer for Mike Wallace and Ed Bradley at 60 Minutes, and for Charlie Rose, Bill Moyers, MacNeil/Lehrer, and Fred W. Friendly at PBS, she co-authored the Most Influential 50 Rabbis list for Newsweek, and has written for New York Magazine, Salon, Tablet, Harper’s Bazaar, The Forward and the Daily Beast. My Jewish Year sessions require online registration, available on the synagogue website, as is a link to Amazon for book purchases. Please go to: www.bethelomaha.org. Students are responsible for purchasing their own copy of the book. Along with Rabbi Abraham’s classes on My Jewish Year, Beth El’s Adult Education has scheduled these learning opportunities: Sunday Speaker Series 11 a.m. Musical Midrash with Marty Shukert on Nov. 12 and 19. Prophets and the Cities with Rami Arav on Dec. 3, 10 and 17. The Secret Siddur of the Shaliach Tzibour. Wednesdays at 6 p.m. This look at the Shabbat service from the Hazzan’s point of view with Hazzan Michael Krausman meets on Oct. 25, Nov. 1, 15, 29 and Dec. 6. Minor Prophets. Wednesdays at 6 p.m. Led by Leonard Greenspoon, the classes meet on Jan. 10, 17 and 24 (Amos); Feb. 7, 14 and 21 (Hosea); March 7, 14, 21 (Micah).
The IDF is not the issue for the Haredim
MARk kiRchhoff the various groups came about, the princiCommunity Engagement and Education, JFO ples upon which they are organized, and If you were the proverbial visitor from the wide diversity of groups and subanother planet dropping in on the state of groups that have emerged over time. With Israel, one of the observathis foundation, he will take tions you would likely make a closer look at some of the is that the “how,” “why” and subgroups and discuss how “if ” of Haredim serving in each distinguishes itself the Israeli Defense Force is from the others. a core issue of the society. The Friday Learning SeAnd you would be wrong. ries is open free of charge to “The IDF is not the issue for the community and funded through the Ann Goldstein the Haredim in Israel,” says Education Programming Rabbi Shlomo Abramovich. And for those who have beEndowment Fund. It is presented through the cooperacome followers of the rabbi’s tive effort of the Commuclasses, he followed up with, nity Engagement and Edu“It’s complicated.” On two Rabbi Shlomo Abramovich cation arm of the Jewish consecutive Fridays, Nov. Federation of Omaha and Beth Israel Syn10 and 17 beginning at 11:15 a.m. in the agogue. You are encouraged to attend both Kripke Jewish Federation Library, Rabbi sessions of the series, but Rabbi Shlomo Shlomo will present, The Haredim in Isprepares the material in such a way that rael. you may obtain full value from any one The primary focus of this two-part series will be on present day society. In order session without relying on another. You may also save Dec. 1, 8, and 15 for a to fully appreciate today’s society, Rabbi Shlomo will first present the history of the three-part Friday Learning Series focusing on Hanukkah. Haredim. He will explain how and why
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celebrating hanukkah
ozzie Nogg Beginning on Tuesday, Oct. 31 and running through Wednesday, Dec. 20, Rabbi Steven Abraham of Beth El Synagogue will offer a series of adult education classes — My Jewish Year: 18 Holidays, One Wondering Jew — based on topics covered in the book of the same name by journalist Abigail Pogrebin. Participants may choose either a luncheon class at Whole Foods on Tuesdays from noon to 1 p.m., or a Wednesday evening session at Beth El that runs from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. The subject on both meeting days will be the same, and the entire community is invited to attend at no charge. In My Jewish Year, Ms. Pogrebin embarks on an entire year of intensive research, observation and writing about all of the holidays on the Jewish calendar, even the ones she’s never heard of. The text travels through this calendar’s signposts with candor, humor and a trove of information, capturing the arc of Jewish observance through the eyes of a relatable, wandering — and wondering — Jew. “This book,” said Rabbi Abraham, “uncovers the origins and current relevance of the Jewish holidays and helps explain what has kept these observances alive and vibrant, in some cases for thousands of years. Pogrebin’s journey through My Jewish Year is accessible, entertaining and inspirational.” The Tuesday classes are scheduled for Oct, 31, Nov. 7, 21, 28 and Dec. 12, 19 at Whole Foods, 10020 Regency Circle. The store provides a private room for the study sessions that run from noon to 1 p.m. There is no charge to attend the class, and participants purchase lunch on their own. The Wednesday evening classes are set for Beth El on Nov. 1, 8, 22, 29 and Dec. 13,
snowbirds
coming in december
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Pickling workshop
8 | The Jewish Press | November 3, 2017
Second year, two energized teens, and two new programs Danielle S GorDman Program director Young Jewish Giving Young Jewish Giving, YJG, is off to a great second year with a new name, a new vision and a new mission, to empower teens and college-aged students to make the world a better place, by donating money to worthy causes engaged in meaningful work. In addition to a full year of programming, this year we added two exciting programs: a Teen Foundation and a Volunteer Council, thanks to the hard work of Emily Kutler and Harper Gordman. Last winter both teens expressed an interest in adding to the programming of YJG. “I was motivated to get more involved with YJG because I knew that the program was kind of being remodeled and I was excited for the opportunities it would give me,” said Emily, a junior at Westside high school. The Teen Foundation was added after extensive research showed that collective giving is a successful trend among the teen population. It helps further enforce the ideas of tzedakah and tikkun olam, as well as offering teens handson experience with grant making, site visits, cost-benefit analysis and consensus building. Participation in the Teen Foundation is for high school students who have a YJG account. The other requirement is to attend three of the six meetings between November and April. Meetings will be Sundays from 12:30-2 p.m. at the JCC. The kick-off meeting will be Sunday, Nov. 12, which is also the Global Day of Jewish Learning. Thanks to a very generous grant from the Fred Simon Memorial Fund, the teens will be charged with allocating $5,000. We are still accepting applications, so make sure your high schooler sends theirs in today. The Volunteer Council was created when Emily and Harper expressed an interest in YJG offering more handson volunteer experiences, as well as opportunities to learn from local non-profit professionals. “We learned that phi-
lanthropy means giving your time, treasure, talents and network. Adding the Volunteer Council gives us another outlet to be philanthropists,” said Harper Gordman, a sophomore at Westside High School. Any Jewish teen in grades 7-12 can participate in the Volunteer Council, regardless of having a YJG account. Applications are available at tinyurl. com/jawgp9c. “I’m looking forward to becoming more active in the Jewish community and hope other teens will join me,” said Gordman. Kutler, the recipient of the 2017 Robert and Ellen Gordman Jewish Teen Leadership Award added, “Both new programs will be a lot of fun, but hard work. Harper and I are recruiting and hope to get a great turnout for both.” The addition of these programs offers our Jewish teens another ‘touch point’ to socialize and mature within a Jewish setting. As our community study showed, more engagement and programming is needed for this age group. These two new programs hope to help fill that need. Now with three facets of YJG, the calendar is full of options for our community’s teens. The first YJG educational program, open to all high school students, will be held in the JCC Auditorium on Tuesday, Nov. 7 from 6-7:30 p.m. It was scheduled in collaboration with BBYO and will replace the regular chapter meeting. Members of BBYO who do not have a YJG account are welcome. A free kosher dinner will be provided. RSVPs would be greatly appreciated by Nov. 3. The middle school event will be Sunday, Nov. 19 from 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. at Beth El. Again, all middle school students are invited to attend, regardless of YJG status. It will be a fun morning with juice, doughnuts and learning more about Tzedakah and Tikkun Olam. To open a YJG account creating a donor-advised fund, to apply for either the Teen Foundation or Volunteer Council, please contact me 402.334.6446 or dgordman@jewishoma ha.org.
mark kirchhoff Community Engagement and Education, JFO The third of five films in the Omaha Jewish film festival is There are Jews Here, a US documentary released in 2016. The movie is in English and runs 90 minutes. This documentary presents the previously untold stories of four once-thriving American Jewish communities that are now barely holding on. Many American Jews live in large cities where they are free to define themselves in any way they wish. But almost invisible to most of the country are roughly one million Jews scattered across far-flung communities. Producer and director Brad Lichtenstein said, “I didn’t know 1 million Jews live in small American communities. I discovered a new world in making this film. A Jew myself, what I knew was my experience growing up in Atlanta and living in New York and Milwaukee — large cities where we are free to define ourselves Jewishly in any way we wish. But for Jews living in small communities, identity is a daily urgent challenge; if they don’t personally uphold their communities and live affirmative Jewish lives, they and their legacies could fade away forever.” A synopsis of this year’s films in the series may be found on the home page of jewishomaha.org by navigating from
the “Upcoming Events” section on the left side of the page. The additional films in the series are: Nov. 12, Dirty Wolves, a Spanish drama released in 2015 in French/German/Spanish with English subtitles, 105 min. Nov. 19, Rock in the Red Zone, an Israeli documentary released in 2015 in English/ Hebrew with English subtitles, 87 min. We extend our thanks to the generous sponsors of this year’s film festival. They are the Henry Monsky Lodge of B’nai B’rith, and the following Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation funds: Klutznick/Creighton Custodial Fund, Frederick J. Simon Memorial Endowment Fund, Samuel & Bess Rothenberg Memorial Endowment Fund, Lois Jeanne Schrager Memorial Fund, Kenneth Ray Tretiak Memorial Fund, Ruth Frisch & Oscar S. Belzer Endowment Fund and the Avy L. & Roberta L. Miller Film Fund. Because of the generosity of the sponsors, tickets for films screened in the JCC Theater are only $5 per show. There are Jews Here will be shown in the theater of the Jewish Community Center at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 5. Tickets may be purchased online in advance at www.jewishomaha. org as well as at the door for $5. Snacks will be available.
There are Jews Here to screen Nov. 5
Yoni Doron Community Shaliach This past Sunday, Oct. 22, we held a very fun and interesting Israeli pickling workshop, as tribute to the opening movie of the Jewish Film Festival – The Pickle Recipe! More than 25 people from our community joined me to learn about pickling history, its place in Jewish and Israeli society, and how to actually pickle. After the brief presentation, each participant added ingredients to their own pickle jar. While some of the ingredients, like dill and cucumbers, were well known; some ingredients were more surprising and secretive (mustard seeds!).
Israel is a very diverse country, with each Aliyah (Jewish immigration) wave bringing with it a different kind of pickling recipe. The pickling recipe we used reflected that aspect. Our recipe was created by a famous Israeli chef (Gil Hovav) whose roots go back to very different countries such as Yemen on one side and Russia on the other. The participants took their jars home, put them on the ledge of their windows, and had to wait three days for the pickling process to come to a finish. Go ahead and ask them how the pickles turned out. This is a very simple process, and I encourage you all to try it out in your homes. I want to thank everyone who came and participated in the workshop. I had an amazing time, and I am certainly hoping to see you at our next event! Here is the basic pickling recipe for your enjoyment: Sterilize a pickling jar, then insert the following products 1 Tbsp. peppercorns 1/2 Tbsp. mustard seeds (some crushed – use the bottom of the spoon) 4-6 small cucumbers (as many as you can squeeze in the jar) 3-4 dried chili peppers, one of them broken in half 4-7 garlic cloves (if you’re a garlic lover – go crazy) 2-4 wedges of lemon 2-3 bay leaves (optional) 1 Tbsp. coriander seeds (optional) Big chunk of dill to seal it all up For saline solution, the ratio are as follows: For every 1 cup of boiling water = 1 Tbsp. of salt Mix together until the salt dissolves in the water Pour solution into the jar until it fills it to the brim and spills over a bit. Close the jar tightly Place jar on the window sill/ a place exposed to the sun with paper towels underneath (some water may leak during this time – it’s ok, that’s natural) Wait 3-4 days Open up and enjoy your fresh pickles! After opening, store in fridge (do not drain fluids)
in the news
Playing in Florida at Lake Nona and the new USTA National Tennis Center, former Omahan, Dan Grossman, and his partner from Australia, Andrew Rae, won the Men’s 65’s World Title in the Senior International Tennis Federation World Championships. They dominated their opponents from the Ukraine, 6-2,6-1. Dan and Andrew were the top seeds and only dropped one set on their way to the World Championship. Dan played for Omaha Central winning both singles and doubles at the Nebraska State Championships in the 1967-69 era. After Central, Dan played in the number one spot for Yale University. Dan currently lives in Tiburon, California.
The Jewish Press | November 3, 2017 | 9
viewpoint thejewishpress
(Founded in 1920) Eric Dunning President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Susan Bernard Advertising Executive Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Editor Gabby Blair Staff Writer Thierry Ndjike Accounting Jewish Press Board Eric Dunning, President; Andy Ruback, Past-President; Sandy Friedman, Treasurer; Alex Grossman; Jill Idelman; Andy Isaacson, Mike Kaufman; David Kotok; Debbie Kricsfeld; Abby Kutler; Pam Monsky; Eric Shapiro and Barry Zoob. 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. Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page stories and announcements, can be found online at: wwwjewishomaha.org; click on ‘Jewish Press.’ Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole. The Jewish Press reserves the right to edit signed letters and articles for space and content. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment. Editorial 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. E-mail editorial material and photos to: avandekamp@jew ishomaha.org; send ads (in TIF or PDF format) to: rbusse@jewishom aha.org. Letters to the Editor Guidelines The Jewish Press welcomes Letters to the Editor. They may be sent via regular mail to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154; via fax: 1.402.334.5422 or via e-mail to the Editor at: avandekamp@jew ishomaha.org. 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, but the name can be withheld at the writer’s request. 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 Kamp-Wright, 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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D
Breathe
ANNETTE vAN DE KAMP Editor, Jewish Press uring the almost eight years I’ve been working in the Jewish Press office, I’ve seen hundreds of B’nai Mitzvah announcements printed on these pages. Each represents a milestone, achieved through years of religious school, hours of hard work on behalf of the students as well as the numerous people who help them along the way. This month, for the second time, I get to be in the thick of it as my youngest will be on the bima at Temple Israel in about one week (two from when I’m writing this, but who’s counting). As parents, we sometimes go a little crazy. Reminding our kids to practice, driving them to their appointments, remembering the clothes, the invitiations, the food, the centerpieces and tallis and yad and who-sits-where. I suspect I am not the only one who feels tempted to complain about how much work it all is. In addition, I would really like his school to cancel any and all work during the last few weeks. How dare they schedule homework while my son is prepping to become a man? There’s a sneaking suspicion I’m becoming a helicopter parent. Yikes. Someone smarter than me reminded me the other day to simply breathe. I think that’s good advice; we’re not helping our kids if we give voice to our stress, whether real or imagined. We can, after all, embrace the busy work a little too enthusiastically. So: No More Complaining. Got it. Besides, it’s about him, not me. A good reminder for any parent. The beauty of a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, besides the meaning of the ritual itself, is in the co-ownership that occurs. Look
around in the synagogue, any synagogue, and notice how many people are involved. I don’t know why I am still surprised at the many helping hands, but I’m kind of glad I don’t
take it for granted. Imagine: not a single person in this community, outside of my own children, is related to me by blood. Yet when help is needed, it is usually offered before
Israel and Africa need each other YoSEf I. ABRAMoWITz JERUSALEM | JTA The Jewish month that began last week, Cheshvan, has traditionally been dubbed “mar,” or bitter, because it alone among the months is devoid of any holidays. Yet, it is blessed with one of the most remarkable and sweetest Jewish holidays: Sigd. At the end of Cheshvan for well over a thousand years, the Jewish community of Ethiopia would dress in white, climb Mount Ambover in Gondar and pray for their redemption and aliyah to Jerusalem. The miraculous airlifts and rescue of Ethiopian Jewry, and the subsequent aliyah of tens of thousands more, stands as one of the proudest moments in Jewish history and a shining example of what Jewish peoplehood can accomplish against great odds. Now the Ethiopian community celebrates Sigd en masse on the Haas Promenade, overlooking the Old City, with prayer, music and speeches. Israeli schools are starting to celebrate Sigd, as should Jewish schools worldwide. Africa has gifted to the Jewish people sweetness and hope on Cheshvan, which is also Jewish Social Action Month, when we turn outward as a community. I have accompanied Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders to Africa over the past several years. Israeli water, agricultural, medical and green energy technology and investments can play a transformative role by uplifting the dignity of people. And with a quarter of the votes in the U.N. General Assembly belonging to Africa, as well as two swing votes on the Security Council, there are diplomatic benefits to Israel as well. The push into Africa has deep roots in the Zionist narrative. In Theodor Herzl’s day, Africa was ruled and exploited by European empires. “There is still one other question arising out of the disaster of nations which remains unsolved to this day, and whose profound tragedy only a Jew can comprehend. This is the African question,” Herzl wrote in his diary in 1901. “Once I have witnessed the redemption of the Jews, my people, I wish also to assist in the redemption of the Africans.”
While Herzl himself didn’t witness the creation of the State of Israel, Golda Meir did. And when she became foreign minister, she set out in 1958 on an African tour that led to the creation of Israel’s famed international agency for international development, Mashav. When Netanyahu declares that “Israel is coming back to Africa,” he is channeling Golda. And when he says that “Africa is coming back to Israel,” he’s channeling Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie, the “Lion of Judah,” who claimed King Solomon as an ancestor.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greeting Liberians upon arriving at the airport in Monrovia, June 4, 2017. Credit: Prime Ministry of Israel/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images The challenges facing Africa, and the potential for African-Israeli partnerships to address them, are staggering. There are 600 million Africans without access to electricity and 300 million without access to clean water. A famine sweeping East Africa affects 16 million people, including the hungry 2,000-member Abayudaya Jewish community in eastern Uganda. At the same time, Africa boasts 11 out of the 20 fastest-growing economies on the planet, according to the World Bank, and its billion-plus population will double by 2050. For this economic and humanitarian potential to be unleashed, at least two obstacles have to be overcome -- one-self-inflicted, the other political. The self-inflicted thorn in the side of IsraeliAfrican relations has been the treatment of African asylum seekers in Israel. The Israeli High Court has consistently ruled against the government’s treatment of the 46,000 people considered “infiltrators,” as if those fleeing Eritrea and
I even get my act together enough to ask. People don’t just ask if you need help; they help you figure out what kind of help you need. That is a phenomenal thing. I can’t say it enough: in our community, people show up and come through, every single time. I hope our son will remember that, long after he’s forgotten his hours of practice. It’s a gift, this family that is not technically a family and yet so much more; unbeknownst to him he’s benefited from it since the moment he arrived. Along with being a recipient of all this care and attention comes a responsibility. We talk a lot about the concept of becoming an adult; we joke about the lack of a driving license, we emphasize the new and improved responsibilities. Fasting on Yom Kippur, giving Tzedakah, the prayers you say, the fact that religious school does not suddenly become optional when you’re done with your Bar Mitzvah. The biggest responsibility, however, the one we really need him to know, is what it means to be a member of a community. How to act, how to show gratitude, how to reciprocate and what it means to take care of each other. It’s not an easy lesson to teach, so we are very fortunate we are not teaching him that lesson alone. Instead, he experiences it every day. As long as he pays attention to what’s happening around him, to the people who surround him, he’ll continue this wild and crazy ride towards adulthood and hopefully someday pass it forward in ways we can only imagine. In the meantime, I’ll do my very best to keep breathing, pause every once in a while, and enjoy the ride.
Sudan – both cruel dictatorships – are simply economic refugees. A new strategy is needed: turning over to Mashav the Holot Detention Center to train Africans in the latest Israeli water, agricultural and green energy technologies. Those who would graduate and leave voluntarily could be emissaries from Israel on how to transform Africa, and they would have the skills to begin their lives anew and prosper. Mostly political threats led to the postponement of an Africa Israel Summit with African heads of state and Israeli leaders that was supposed to take place in Lome, Togo, at the end of October. The postponement was due to a toxic combination of political unrest in the West African state, a concerted effort by South Africa and Morocco to undermine it, and the mounting political and legal challenges that the Israeli prime minister faces at home. Even so, the pace of African-Israel engagement on many levels continues to increase, especially with Christian heads of state. The best answer to the diplomatic pressure that caused the postponement of the Africa Israel Summit would be for Netanyahu to appoint Knesset member Avraham Neguise as Israel’s foreign minister. Dr. Neguise, a Likud member, is the only Ethiopian member of the 20th Knesset and was seated strategically next to Sara Netanyahu when her husband wowed the Ethiopian parliament last year. Netanyahu currently holds the foreign minister portfolio. Sixty years after Golda Meir’s historic mission to Africa, it is time for Israel to have an African foreign minister. This will be met joyfully by world Jewry and the world at large, sealing Cheshvan’s transformed sweet status and elevating the Israeli-African story into our mainstream consciousness. Yosef I. Abramowitz serves as CEO of Energiya Global Capital, a Jerusalem-based impact investment platform, and is a founding partner of the U.S. Power Africa program. He is co-author with Sharon Udasin of the forthcoming Shine on! A Solar Superhero’s Journey to Save the World. Follow Abramowitz @KaptainSunshine.
10 | The Jewish Press | November 3, 2017
synagogues 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
rose BlumkIn JewIsh home
323 South 132 Street Omaha, NE 68154
Temple Israel
Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive Omaha, NE 68144-1206 402.556.6536 templeisraelomaha.com
TIfereTh Israel
Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Boulevard Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 402.423.8569 tiferethisraellincoln.org
B’naI Israel sYnagogue
Please join us for our upcoming events: Join us for our monthly Shabbat Speakers Series on nov. 10, at 7:30 p.m. with guest speaker Yonaton Doron, Omaha Community Shaliach. Our service leader is Larry Blass, and as always, an oneg to follow service. Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel! For information on our historic synagogue, please contact any of our board members: Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Carole Lainof, Marty Ricks, Sissy Silber, Nancy Wolf and Phil Wolf.
BeTh el sYnagogue
Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman. frIDaY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. Bat mitzvah of Julia weill. saTurDaY: Shabbat Morning Services, 9:30 a.m. Bat mitzvah of Julia weill; Junior Congregation, 10 a.m.; MiniMinyannaires, 10:45 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6:15 p.m. weekDaY serVICes: Sundays, 9:30 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. sunDaY: Baking Day, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; BESTT Classes, 9:30 a.m.-noon; Torah Study, 10 a.m.; Torah Tots, 10:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.; Kibbutz Chaverim (Grades 3-4), noon-2 p.m. monDaY: Baking Day, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. TuesDaY: Book Club with Rabbi Abraham, My Jewish Year by Abigail Pogrebin, noon at Whole Foods. weDnesDaY: BESTT Hebrew School, 4:15-6:15 p.m.; Book Club with Rabbi Abraham, My Jewish Year by Abigail Pogrebin, 6-7 p.m.; BESTT Hebrew High, 6:30-8 p.m.; USCJ Scholar Rabbi Andrew Katz, Piety and Modernity, 7-8 p.m. ThursDaY: Shanghai, 1-4 p.m. Shabbat Morning Services, Cup of Coffee with God and Shabbat honoring Veterans, saturday, nov. 11, 9:30 a.m. Shabbat’s Cool (Grades 3-7), saturday, nov. 11, 10 a.m. All classes and programs are open to everyone in the Jewish community.
BeTh Israel sYnagogue
Services conducted by Rabbi Ari Dembitzer. frIDaY: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Candle Lighting and Mincha, 6 p.m. saTurDaY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Insights into the Weekly Torah, 4:55 p.m.; Mincha/Seudah Shlishit, 5:40 p.m.; Havdalah, 7 p.m. sunDaY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Bagels and Beit Medrash, 9:45 a.m.; JYE BI for K-6th, 10 a.m.; Sisterhood Donor Luncheon, 11:30 a.m. monDaY: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; JYE BI, 5 p.m. at Sky Zone TuesDaY-weDnesDaY: Shacharit, 7 a.m. ThursDaY: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Woman’s Class, 9:30 a.m.
ChaBaD house
Office hours: Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and Friday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. frIDaY: Shacharit, 7 a.m. followed by coffee, treats, study and shmoozing. saTurDaY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. followed by a festive Kiddush luncheon. weekDaYs: Shacharit, 7 a.m. followed by coffee, treats, study and shmoozing. monDaY: Personal Parsha class, 9:30 a.m. with Shani. weDnesDaY: Mystical Thinking with Rabbi, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Mendel Katzman. ThursDaY: Talmud Class, noon with Rabbi Mendel Katzman. All programs are open to the entire community.
CongregaTIon B’naI Jeshurun
Services conducted by Rabbi Teri Appleby. frIDaY: Candlelighting, 6:01 p.m.; Shabbat Evening Service: Special Shorter Edition, 6:30 p.m.; World Without Hate Shabbat, 7:30 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. saTurDaY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study on Parashat Vayera, 10:30 a.m.; Havdalah (72 Minutes), 7:30 p.m. sunDaY: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m. at Tifereth Israel; LJCS Gesher, 10 a.m. at Tifereth Israel; South Street Annual Meeting, 3 p.m. TuesDaY: Star City Kochavim Rehearsal, 6:45 p.m. weDnesDaY: LJCS Hebrew School, 4 p.m. at TI.
Global Day of Jewish Learning, sunday, nov. 12, 9:30 a.m.-noon. Lincoln Jewish Community School Shabbat Family Service and Meal, friday, nov. 17, 6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. Note: There will be no services at the Temple on the 17th. Jewish Book Club, nov. 19, 1:30 p.m. at Gere Library and will discuss The Yiddush Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon. All are invited to Jews in the Midwest: 1850-1950, a oneday symposium, free and open to the public on sunday, nov. 12, from 9 a.m.–6:30 p.m. at the Oread Hotel on the University of Kansas campus.
offuTT aIr forCe Base
frIDaY: Services, 7:30 p.m. every first and third of the month.
rose BlumkIn JewIsh home
saTurDaY: Services, 9:15 a.m. led by Jim Polack. Services will be held in the Chapel. Members of the community are invited to attend.
Temple Israel
frIDaY: Celebratory Shabbat Dinner, 5:30 p.m. RSVP required; Scholar-in-Residence Rabbi Ellenson and Shabbat Installation Service, 7 p.m. Jewish Meaning in a World of Choice: Visions of Synagogue Life in 21st-Century America. Judaism and Jewish institutions are changing rapidly as America’s open and accepting society offers American Jews countless opportunities for engagement in cultural, social, and civic life. Rabbi Ellenson, Rabbi Stoller, and Rabbi Azriel will offer insights. saTurDaY: Morning Adult Study With Rabbi Ellenson, 9:15 a.m. Do Not Separate Yourself from the Community: A Study in Principled Rabbinic Leadership. As some Orthodox leaders argued for hostile resistance and complete separation from the new Reform Jewish movement in 19th-century Germany, one Orthodox rabbi stood firmly for reconciliation; Shabbat Service, 10:30 a.m. Bar mitzvah of gregory sacks, son of Jamie and scott sacks; Afternoon Study with Rabbi David Ellenson and Rabbi Brian Stoller, 1-2:30 p.m. Reform, Resistance & Change Management: The Great Organ-Music Controversy. Organ music, one of the most radical and controversial innovations that early Reform Jews introduced into the synagogue, sparked both outrage and intrigue in its time. sunDaY: Madrichim Meeting, 9:30 a.m.; All School Family T’filah, 10 a.m.; Grades K-6, 10 a.m.; Grade 5 B’nai Mitzvah Parent Meeting, 10:30 a.m.; Caring Committee Meeting, 10:30 a.m.; Social Justice Committee Meeting, 10:30 a.m.; Tri-Faith Committee Meeting, noon; OTYG Board Meeting, noon; Mission Impossible with YJG, 2 p.m. Join JYG at The Escape Room in Omaha! An hour session where we will work together and strategize a mountain of puzzles and mysteries in a room. RSVP to alasky@templeisraelomaha.com by monday, oct. 30. weDnesDaY: Grades 3-6, 4 p.m.; T’filah for School, 4:30 p.m.; School Dinner, 6 p.m.; Grades 7-12, 6 p.m.; Family School, 6 p.m.; Guiding Principles for the Synagogue Community: K’dushah: Embody Jewish Values in Everything We Do,
6:30 p.m. with Rabbi Deana Sussman Berezin. ThursDaY: Jewish Heroes, Heroines, and Personalities: David Ellenson by by Imam Mohamad Jamal Daoudi, American Muslim Institute, 10-11:30 a.m. Camp OSRUI Events: Camp-Style Friday Night Services with OSRUI, friday, nov. 10, 6 p.m. Join us and new Camp Director, Solly Kane, as we kick off our OSRUI weekend with a true camp-style Shabbat service! OSRUI Song Leader Max Gendler will lead an authentic camp Shabbat complete with all of your favorite camp tunes! Lunch Parlor Meeting with OSRUI, saturday, nov. 11, 12:30 p.m. Temple families, join us and OSRUI Director, Solly Kane for a lunch parlor meeting at Rabbi Stoller’s house. If you have a child in 1st-5th grade and want to learn more about OSRUI and all that it has to offer, join us for a more personal conversation about camp. RSVP to Temple Israel, 402.556.6536, by monday, nov. 10. OSRUI Alumni Event, saturday, nov. 11, 7:30 p.m. All current OSRUI campers/counselors and alumni members join Solly Kane at Rabbi Azriel’s home for Havdallah and desserts. RSVP to Temple Israel, 402.556.6536, by monday, nov. 10. OSRUI at Temple Israel’s Religious School, sunday, nov. 12, 10 a.m. Camp Director Solly Kane will speak with Religious School students about what OSRUI is all about! Families are welcome to join. There will be a $1,000 scholarship drawing for OSRUI. Parents may register their child(ren) for the scholarship drawing by contacting Temple Israel, 402.556.6536 before Monday, Oct. 23.
TIfereTh Israel
Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: monday-friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. frIDaY: World Without Hate Shabbat, 7:30 p.m. featuring guest speaker, Mary Beth Muskin, Regional Director of the Plains States Region of the Anti-Defamation League. She will be speaking on “Hate Hurts Us All — Combatting Hatred in our Community.” The service will be followed by an oneg. saTurDaY: Shabbat Morning service, 10 a.m.; Junior Congregation, 11 a.m.; Please join us after services for a light Kiddush lunch. sunDaY: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m. at Tifereth Israel; LJCS Gesher, 10 a.m. at Tifereth Israel; Tifereth Israel Board Meeting, 1 p.m. monDaY: Second Half of the DVD Course Beginnings of Judaism, 7:30-9 p.m. If you are interested in participating in this course, please contact Nava. If you have any questions about this course, please contact Al Weiss at albertw801@ gmail.com. weDnesDaY: LJCS Hebrew School, 4 p.m. at TI. ThursDaY: Hebrew classes for adults, 6:30-7:30 p.m., with Esti Sheinberg. The classes continues until mid-December, and then resumes in mid-January, depending on demand. Each meeting will include listening, speaking and a little reading. Conversational Hebrew will be our starting point. If you are interested please RSVP to Esti at esti sheinberg@gmail.com. Global Day of Learning, sunday, nov. 12, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel. This Year's Theme is Beauty and Ugliness. Lincoln Jewish Community School Shabbat Family Service and Meal, friday, nov. 17, 6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. Services will be followed by a meal prepared by the LJCS students.
B’nai Israel speaker: Yoni Doron
nanCY wolf hills of the Galilee. Yoni, age 28, finished his Army service in 2011, If you have already met Yoni and recently completed his BacheDoron, Omaha’s new Shaliach, lor’s Degree program in Haifa then you know that he is an enUniversity, studying Psychology thusiastic, energetic young man! and Developmental Education. If you haven’t met Yoni yet, it’s Yoni has been involved with time that you have! And a perfect JAFI programming since high opportunity will be at B’nai Israel school, when he participated in a Synagogue in Council Bluffs on teen delegation to Pittsburgh, the Friday, Nov. 10 at 7:30 p.m. Yoni twin partnership city of his will be the next guest for our hometown. In his own words, Shabbat Speakers’ Series, sure to delight us with his presentation “that encounter with American “Israel Society Through the Eyes teens changed my life forever, of Comics and Animation”! and made me passionate for the Yoni Doron Yoni Doron arrived in Omaha Jewish communities of the world, this past summer to serve as the new Shaliach to whom I feel a strong connection, even for the greater Jewish Community of Omaha, a though we live a world away from each other.” program of the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI). We hope you can join us on Nov. 10 -- you Yoni was born in Jerusalem, the ninth generation will experience Yoni’s passion first hand! Our of his family to have been born there. He grew service leader will be Larry Blass, and a deliup in the northern part of Israel, near the green cious oneg will follow the service.
The Jewish Press | November 3, 2017 | 11
Be a role model;
lifecycles birth
wiLLiAm (wiLL) johN osborNe
Claire and Robert Osborne of Omaha announce the July 5 birth of their son, William (Will) John. Grandparents are Sally Fredricks of Omaha and the late Terry L. Fredricks, Roger and Pam Osborne of Winthrop, MN, and the late Wanda Osborne. Great Grandparents are Arlene Fredricks of Omaha and the late David Fredricks, the late Dr. Harry Henderson Jr. and Irma Henderson, the late C. Bernard (Bernie) and Dorothy Osborne, the late Oliver and Hazel Olson, the late Don Fladmark, and LaVonne Fladmark of Colton, SD.
bAr mitzVAh
meNDeL sALomoN wright
Mendel Salomon Wright, son of Annette van de Kamp and Jeremy Wright will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, Nov. 11, at Temple Israel. He is a seventh grade student at Millard North Middle School and a graduate of Friedel Jewish Academy. Mendel loves drawing, going on road trips, learning about deep ocean life and spending time with his cats. He has a green belt in karate. For his Mitzvah project, Mendel learned how to cook and hosted Shabbat meals for LGBTQ youth. He has an older sister, Isabella Eva. Grandparents are Pietertje and Aalt van de Kamp and Patty and Vincent Wright.
mArriAge
kurLAND/coheN
Shayna Kurland and Ben Cohen were married Sept. 3 at Beth El Synagogue, Omaha, followed by a reception at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs. The ceremony was officiated by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Rabbi Bernard Gerson. Shayna is the daughter of Sandra and Allen Kurland of Council Bluffs. She is a senior data analyst for the Service Employees International Union. She is the granddaughter of Josephine Berg Simes of Saint Paul, Minnesota. Her attendents were sisters-in-law Naomi Kurland and Rebecca Hunt, and friends Courtney Taylor and Claire Zautke. Ring Bearers were Aria Kurland, niece of the bride, and Lyric Kurland, nephew of the bride. Ben is the son of Fran and Harvey Cohen of Denver, CO. He is a product development engineer at Oakley with its headquarters in California. His best man was friend Lee Strickland and groomsmen were brothers-in-law Aiden Hunt, Ruvane Kurland and Mendel Kurland. Following the wedding, the couple will honeymoon in Italy, Greece and Israel. They will reside in Orange, California.
parshat Vayera: Why do we need to be tested?
This week we read about the biggest test of all in the Torah. The rabbis tell us that the word “test” in Hebrew is “nisayon,” which has as its root, “nes.” The word ”nes” essentially means to raise up or to lift. In Judaism, the “test” raises us up to where we need to be. It expresses rAbbi Ari and actualizes our true potential. Dembitzer May it be the will of G-d that we are Beth Israel Synagogue able to express the best part of us without needing a “test” to do so. Shabbat Shalom
the person you want your kid to be.
iN memoriAm
bArtoN (bucky) greeNberg
Barton (Bucky) Greenberg passed away on Oct. 24 at age 93. He was preceded in death by his wife Caryl, his parents, and sister Lee Jane Parsow. He is survived by daughter and son-in-law, Beth Greenberg and Jim Wright of New York City, son and daughter-in-law, Joseph and Terri Greenberg of Sherman Oaks, CA; grandchildren: Lauren and Kevin Greenberg of Sherman Oaks, CA. Bucky was born in Omaha on July 1, 1924, to Viola and Joseph Greenberg. He followed in his beloved father’s footsteps, sharing a deep belief in doing good for others. He served in the US Air Force 1943 to 1946, as President of Beth-El Synagogue 1977-1978, and took other leadership roles at the Synagogue and the Jewish Federation. He was a longtime Dundee Kiwanian, and held the bronze medal as the oldest member of his Covert Masonic Lodge. He began his career in his father’s insurance firm, later on his own and at larger insurance agencies. With Caryl, his deepest love and wife of 64 years, he created a successful hair salon business at an age when many consider retirement. Bucky’s passions included swimming and fly fishing. A dedicated competitive masters swimmer until age 90, he held three world breast stroke records, and coached many youngsters along the way. Bucky was outwardly focused, concerned most about family, friends and community. A perennial optimist with an off-hand sense of humor, he delighted in hearing about others’ accomplishments as well as enjoying his own. Memorials may be made in Bucky’s memory to the Caryl Greenberg Synagogue Beautification or other Beth El Fund or the organization of your choice.
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jewish press Notices
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The need for kindness and respect
emergingvoices
12 | The Jewish Press | November 3, 2017
Dr. Deborah lipstadt spoke at the annual Jewish Federation of Omaha campaign event. She is an American historian who is most famous for her book, Denying the Holocaust, History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier. Dr. Lipstadt grew up in Far Rockaway, Queens, New York. In her book, Dr. Lipstadt called Mr. David Irving a holocaust denier and a liar because he said that the gas chambers that killed millions of Jews were not in fact gas chambers to kill the Jews. For this, Mr. Irving sued Dr. Lipstadt for libel in England. Although English libel law places the burden of proof on the defendant rather than the plaintiff, Dr. Lipstadt won the trial using the justification defense, namely by demonstrating in court that Dr. Lipstadt’s accusations against Mr. Irving were substantially true and therefore not libelous. Dr. Lipstadt proved that there were holes in the top of the gas chambers through which poisonous pellets were dropped to make the chambers at Auschwitz toxic to kill the Jews. The court ruled that Mr. Irving was in fact a liar when he stated that no Jews had ever been killed in the gas chambers of the concentration camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau. The court stated there is a difference between fact and opinion, and there is proven evidence that the Holocaust did in fact happen. Given her strong background in Jewish studies and Holocaust education, Dr. Lipstadt must have been disgusted with Mr. Irving’s claims. Dr. Lipstadt received her undergraduate degree in Ameri-
can History at the City College of New York in 1969. She spent her junior year of college in Israel where she studied as an exchange student at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Dr. Lipstadt enrolled at Brandeis University where she comJack Scioli pleted her Masters and then Ph.D. in Jewish History in 1976. After finishing her college studies, she began teaching at the University of Washington in Seattle where she was the first Jew-
ish Studies faculty member. In 1997, Dr. Lipstadt was given the Emory Williams teaching award for excellence in education. Dr. Lipstadt is currently the Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies at Emory University in Georgia. To believe that an event as impactful as the Holocaust never happened makes me question the
sanity of Mr. Irving. For Mr. Irving to say that the Holocaust did not happen is an extremely arrogant statement. It is in essence denying one of the most catastrophic and evil events of the world. Mr. Irving disregarded undeniable evidence such as the diary of Anne Frank, all survivor stories, the deaths of 13 million innocent people, news articles and the accounts of numerous witnesses. Further evidence of the Holocaust shows that the Nazi party invaded countries, imprisoned the Jews of these countries and sent them to death camps. There is absolutely no way the Nazis would have banned Jewish business and marked all Jewish people if they were not going to hurt them! There are also photographs of Jews wasting away and suffering at death camps that leave no doubt that the Holocaust did in fact happen. In conclusion, I was shocked to learn that there are Holocaust deniers. It is important to learn about our past so we may work hard to stop future tragedies and injustices. When I listened to survivor Kitty Williams speak, she powerfully stated that we are all the same, we are all human beings and we must treat each other with kindness and respect. If all of us could live by these words, the world would be a better and safer place. Jack Scioli is a student at Westside Middle School. He shares his story as part of the Emerging Voices series. Emerging Voices invites Jewish writers between the ages of 13 and 25 to share their thoughts and opinions about any topic they choose. If you are interested in writing for this series, please email the editor at avandekamp@ jewishomaha.org. Emerging Voices is supported by the Joanie Jacobson Jewish Cultural Arts Fund at the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation.