November 22, 2024

GIVING TUESDAY

Mark your calendar for Tuesday, Dec. 3, when the Jewish Federation of Omaha takes part in Giving Tuesday. It’s a global celebration of grassroots philanthropy, with a 24-hour community-giving challenge to support our Annual Campaign. We’ll go midnight-to-midnight on Tuesday, Dec. 3. With the amazing sponsorship of Cresa, we’ve set a goal of $100,000 within the 24-hour time frame. In addition, Eric Rose, designated broker at Cresa has sponsored amazing prizes and matches.

Cresa is the world’s leading global commercial real estate advisory firm, and Eric is located right here in Omaha. The firm exclusively represents occupiers and specializes in the delivery of fully integrated real estate solutions. They believe

Courtroom 600: Behind the scenes at the Nuremberg

SCOTT LITTKY Institute for Holocaust Education Executive Director

On Dec. 19, 2024, Laurie Pasler, Project Director for Courtroom 600, will be our presenter for the IHE 3rd Thursday Lunch & Learn at 11:30 a.m. by ZOOM.

After inheriting her father’s hidden WWII memorabilia from working at the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials, Laurie discovered a need for education about this unexposed slice of history.

Trials

Laurie Pasler

The Courtroom 600 project was born out of Laurie’s frustration in researching the trials through available online resources—and hundreds of books. In 2016 she founded Descendants Media Group NFP to preserve the legacy of Nuremberg and teach its lessons to future generations in a new way.

Now, in partnership with educators, historians, and digital media experts, she is actively bringing the Courtroom 600 project to life.

For more information or to register for this program, please email, Scott Littky, IHE executive director at slitt ky@ ihene.org

occupiers deserve a better space to work, create, build, grow, a better outcome for their people and organizations, and a better partner who puts their needs first. In addition, they are supporting the Jewish community of Omaha by joining our Giving Tuesday and sponsoring every single prize, all day long. For instance, anyone who makes a pledge or gift to our Annual Campaign during that time frame, is entered into a drawing for a Cresa-sponsored Kindle Softcolor. What’s more: for every $100-plus gift or pledge made throughout the entire 24 hours, Cresa will match-up to $1,000 total. That means you’ll want to be one of the first ten $100+ donors! Are you one of those passionate early donors? Maybe you are not ready to go to sleep by midnight? The first 5 donors receive a $25 gift card to Spirit World, sponsored by Cresa. We’ve dubbed this the Midnight Challenge

See Giving Tuesday page 2

The power of a legacy gift

Executive Director, JFO Foundation

When we think about the ways we can give back, our minds often turn to the immediate impact of charitable donations—feeding a family, funding a scholarship, supporting a community project. While these contributions are vital, there’s another way to make a profound and enduring impact: establishing a legacy gift through an endowment.

A legacy gift is a forward-thinking act of generosity that goes beyond the here and now. It is an opportunity to ensure that the causes and or-

ganizations you care about continue to thrive for generations to come. Whether you are passionate about education, social services, cultural preservation, or community development, a legacy gift through an endowment can make your vision a reality far beyond your lifetime. See our Endowment Family Stories video by scanning the QR Code in this article.

MIKE ERMAN: “An endowment ensures that future generations will maintain a connection to their family history.”

See Legacy gift page 3

AMY BERNSTEIN SHIVVERS

RACHEL RING, JFO Director of Development and ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor

UNO Criss Library display

CLAIRE DU LANEY

UNO Criss Library Archives and Special Collections Outreach Archivist

UNO Criss Library Archives and Special Collections is curating monthly displays composed of books from the Kripke-Veret Collection of the Jewish Federation of Omaha throughout 2024. During November, we are highlighting topics central to UNO’s mission- community and students! Explore books on these two themes with the KVCJF collection on display on the first floor of Criss Library.

The Kripke-Veret Collection of the Jewish Federation of Omaha book collection has numerous titles about community engagement, student experiences, and the interconnected nature of both these themes. There are books about the Omaha and Midwest Jewish communities, religious and academic communities, the intersection of these, and the varied experiences of students within these communities. You’ll find oral histories, stories of college fraternities and sororities, and stories of survival during the Holocaust. This case was curated by Archives and Special Collections student worker, Haleigh.

The University of Nebraska at Omaha Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss Library became the home to the Kripke-Veret Collection in 2020. The books, donated by the Jewish Federation of Omaha (JFO), contain a hallmark selection of primarily scholarly Jewish works. With an estimated 36,500 volumes, the special collection is the largest donation of books ever to be received by UNO Criss Library Archives and Special Collections.

The cases are available to view on the first floor of Criss Library MondayThursday 7 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday 7 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday noon- 10 p.m. Archives

and Special Collections is open to the public Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

You can find KVCJF books in the library catalog. If you need help searching the catalog, watch this video guide.

BOOK LIST

• Unequal By Chance: Opportunity-Deprived, Disadvantaged Students in Higher Education in Israel.

• Where We Stand: Jewish Consciousness on Campus

• Listen Up, Tierre Kinderlach

• The Jewish Experience at Harvard and Radcliffe

• The Jews of Omaha: The First Sixty Years

• The Story of the Omaha Jews

• Jewish Community Center, Omaha, Nebraska

• Council Bluffs, Iowa: History & Stories

of the Jewish Midwest

• A Student’s Obligation: Advice from the Rebbe of the Warsaw Ghetto

• Here’s to Our Fraternity: One Hundred Years of Zeta Beta Tau 1898-1998

• And Prairie Dogs Weren’t Kosher: Jewish Women in the Upper Midwest since 1855

• Roots: The Jewish Immigrant Experience

• Memories of the Jewish Midwest: Founding a Neighborhood, Fostering a Community

• Our Story: Recollections of Omaha’s Early Jewish Community 1885-1925

• Joining the Club: A History of Jews and Yale

• Going Greek: Jewish College Fraternities in the United States 1895-1945

• American Studies in Israel

GIVING TUESDAY

Continued from page 1

From 1:30 a.m. until 5:59 a.m., we have our Night Owl Challenge, and two donors who give during that time will win a gift card to Brownie Bar Bakery for a “build a brownie” six-pack. You guessed it, sponsored by Cresa. Starting at 6 a.m., the Rise and Shine Challenge means the first five donors who make a donation of $60 or more receive a gift card for a half-dozen cruffins from Reis Bakery. This challenge ends at 8:59 a.m., because at 9 a.m. it is time for the Give a Boost Challenge. Let’s give the Annual Campaign a mid-morning boost between 9 and 9:59 a.m., all who give or pledge will be entered to win a $25 cash prize. This is followed by the Create a Buzz Challenge, from 10 to 11:59 a.m., when five donors who give $30 or more win a $10 gift card from Zen Coffee.

Lunchtime is crunch time: The donor who pledges or gifts the most to the JFO Annual Campaign between noon and 2 p.m. will receive lunch for 4 at Star Deli in the Power Hours Challenge. The Sugar Rush Challenge is next: Your donations or pledge will keep us going through the afternoon, and the first five donors to make a gift between 2:30 and 4:30 p.m. will receive a $20 gift card to Hollywood Candy.

At 6 p.m., it’s time for Happy Hour: the most generous gift or pledge between 6 and 8 p.m. will win an evening of craft cocktails at the Wicked Rabbit Speakeasy, worth $75.

The Late Night Snack Challenge runs from 9 p.m. to 10:59 p.m. and two donors who give $30 or more during that time will win a free jumbo pizza from Valentinos. That should curb your cravings! We finish the day with the End Strong Cinderella Challenge, because nobody wants to turn into a pumpkin. Don’t let the clock strike midnight without making a pledge or donation to the JFO Annual Campaign. The very last $100 donor of the day will receive a $50 VISA gift card. Again, every single one of the prizes is sponsored by Cresa, and the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board and staff is tremendously grateful for their support on Giving Tuesday and throughout the year. When we come together, great things happen!

Legacy gift

Continued from page 1

WHAT IS AN ENDOWMENT?

An endowment is a donation made to The Foundation to support an agency, religious institution, or scholarship where the principal amount is invested, and only the earnings from that investment are used for charitable purposes. This means your gift keeps giving year after year, creating a stable and continuous source of support.

Unlike one-time donations from a donor-advised fund or a personal check which are spent quickly. An endowment fund is carefully managed to grow over time, ensuring that your contribution has a perpetual impact. It’s a gift that doesn’t just respond to the needs of today but is designed to address the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.

WHY ESTABLISH A LEGACY GIFT?

1. Sustainability for the Causes You Care About Establishing an endowment helps sustain the organizations you’re passionate about, allowing them to plan for the future with confidence. Nonprofits often face financial uncertainties, but having a steady stream of income from an endowment enables them to continue their vital work even during economic downturns.

2. Perpetual Impact By establishing a legacy gift, you are planting a seed that will bear fruit for years to come. It is a powerful way to leave a lasting mark and ensure your values live on. Whether it’s providing scholarships for students, supporting programs for underprivileged families, or funding cultural initiatives, your endowment will make a difference long after you are gone.

3. A Personal Legacy A legacy gift reflects who you are, what you believe in, and what you hope to leave behind. It’s a meaningful way to ensure your story and values or in memory of a loved one, continue to inspire future generations. For families, it can also serve as a powerful teaching moment, instilling the value of philanthropy in children and grandchildren.

4. Tax Benefits and Financial Flexibility Establishing an endowment can also provide significant tax advantages. Donors can often receive deductions for their contributions, reducing their taxable estate. Additionally, gifts can be made in various forms, including cash, stock, IRA, real estate, or even life insurance policies, offering flexibility in how you choose to give.

MAKING THE MOST OF MATCHING INCENTIVES

At the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation, we understand the power of legacy gifts and are committed to helping donors maximize their impact. That’s why, for a limited time, we’re offering a 25% matching incentive on new endowments established before the end of the year. This means that for every dollar you contribute, we will add 25 cents, significantly increasing the value of your gift.

For those with existing endowments, we also offer a 25% match on contributions of $1,000 or more. This is a wonderful opportunity to grow your fund and extend your legacy’s reach. Whether you are just beginning your philanthropic journey

To Be a Jewish State

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT

Jewish Press Editor

In one of the first books to ask headon what it means for Israel to be a Jewish state, Oxford University scholar

Yaacov Yadgar delves into what the designation “Jewish” amounts to in the context of the sovereign nation-state, and what it means for the politics of the state to be identified as Jewish. The volume interrogates the tension between the notion of Israel as a Jewish state—one whose very character is informed by Judaism—and the notion of Israel as a “state of the Jews,” with the sole criterion the maintenance of a demographically Jewish majority, whatever the character of that majority’s Jewishness might or might not be.

The volume also examines Zionism’s relationship to Judaism. It provocatively questions whether the Christian notion of supersessionism, the idea that the Christian Church has superseded the nation of Israel in God’s eyes and that Christians are now the true People of God, may now be applied to Zionism, with Zionism under-

or looking to enhance your current giving, this incentive is a powerful way to make the most of your contributions. HOW TO ESTABLISH A LEGACY GIFT

Creating an endowment is easier than you might think. It can be established during your lifetime or as part of your estate planning. Here’s how you can get started:

1. Choose Your Cause: Reflect on what matters most to you or to a loved one. Is it supporting education, our elderly, social justice, or another cause close to your heart?

GARY EPSTEIN: “The motivation behind establishing the Etta and Harold Epstein Security Fund was the rise of anti-Semitism. It’s important, and I know my parents would appreciate knowing this is being taken care of.”

2. Select the Type of Gift: You can establish an endowment with cash, stock, real estate, or a transfer from your donor-advised fund.

3. Work with Experts: Our team at The Foundation is here to guide you through the process, ensuring your gift aligns with your vision and provides maximum impact. The steps are simple and painless.

SUSIE NORTON: “Mike and I were initially intimidated by the endowment process, but we quickly discovered it was easy—and you don’t need to be wealthy to create a legacy gift.”

THE LEGACY YOU LEAVE BEHIND

We all want to leave our community a better place than we found it. Establishing a forever gift through an endowment is one of the most meaningful ways to do just that. It allows you to support the cause you cherish, make a long-term difference, and inspire others to carry on your commitment to giving.

As you consider your legacy, think about the impact you want to make—not just today, but for the generations that will follow. With thoughtful planning, your gift can become a beacon of hope, providing a lifeline to agencies, institutions, and individual Jews in need.

MIKE MILLER: “Families should sit down and reflect on what matters most to them. Often, these conversations naturally lead to ways to benefit the community in the long term.”

For more information on how to establish your legacy gift and take advantage of our matching incentive, please contact me at 402.334.6466 or ashivvers@jew ishomaha.org. Together, we can ensure a brighter future for our community and beyond.

stood by some to have taken over the place of traditional Judaism, rendering the actual Jewish religion superfluous.

To Be a Jewish State deeply informs the democratic crisis in Israel, discussing whether Jewish laws put into effect by the state or political moves made to ensure a Jewish majority can be seen as undermining democracy. In our current era, with nationalism resurging, To Be a Jewish State urges a critical re-assessment of the very meaning of modern Jewish identity.

About the Author: Yaacov Yadgar is the Stanley Lewis Professor of Israel Studies at the University of Oxford and the author of several books including Israel’s Jewish Identity Crisis: State and Politics in the

more information, call 1-800-521-0600, ext. 2888 (US) or 01-734-761-4700 (International) www.il.proquest.com

Retirees are in a mental health crisis: These are the states where seniors are most at risk

Every generation views their health and wellness differently. For older Americans, mental health diagnoses are becoming more prevalent. Between 2019 and 2023, the 65+ age group collectively experienced a 57.4% increase, according to a study by FAIR Health. The number one diagnosis? Major depressive disorder.

Not only do depression and other mental health disorders lower the quality of life, they can also complicate chronic health conditions in older individuals. While it’s helpful to know that seniors are getting diagnosed more frequently than in the past, there are a number of issues that may impact outcomes—including location.

The Hers organization looked at all 50 states to determine where seniors are getting the best mental health care and where they may be more at risk, using four data points to rank.

• Mental health provider ratio: Transportation and geographic location are two of the biggest barriers to mental health care access for older adults.

• Suicide rate among seniors: Suicide rates are on the rise among seniors, particularly those who are 75 and older. This analysis looked at suicide rates for those 65+.

• Size of the senior population that frequently reports mental health as “not good”: We looked at the percentage of seniors who report 14 or more poor mental health days each month, which likely points to severe mental health issues.

• State mental health authority’s penetration rate: The penetration rate indicates how much of that population receives care. KEY FINDINGS

• West Virginia ranks last for senior mental health care.

• Minnesota and New York are the two best states for seniors and mental health.

• The South dominates the list of at-risk states, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina, and Arkansas.

• Four out of the 10 best states are located in the Northeast, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. WHICH STATES HAVE THE HIGHEST AMOUNT OF

SENIORS EXPERIENCING POOR MENTAL HEALTH DAYS?

• This factor looks at how the percentage of seniors in each state that describe at least 14 days a month as “not good.” States with the highest amount of seniors experiencing poor mental health days

1. West Virginia

2. Arkansas

3. Tennessee

States with the lowest amount of seniors experiencing poor mental health days

1. Hawaii

2. Nebraska

3. South Dakota

WHICH STATES HAVE THE LOWEST MENTAL HEALTH AUTHORITY PENETRATION RATES FOR SENIORS?

When states identify individuals with a mental health need, the penetration rate indicates how much of that population receives care.

States with the lowest mental health authority penetration rates for seniors

1. Nevada

2. Illinois

3. Florida States with the highest mental health authority penetration rates for seniors

1. New Jersey

2. New Mexico

3. Iowa

SENIOR MENTAL HEALTH CARE: 50 STATES RANKED FROM MOST AT-RISK TO LEAST

44. Nebraska

45. Iowa and South Dakota (tied)

This story was produced by Hers and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media.

This series is sponsored by the Jewish Press and the Jennifer Beth Kay Memorial Fund.

CIA official charged with leaking documents revealing Israel’s plans to attack Iran

JACOB GURVIS

JTA

A CIA official was charged with violating the Espionage Act after the FBI found him responsible for a recent leak of classified documents revealing Israeli plans to attack Iran.

The man, Asif W. Rahman, was indicted last week in federal court in Virginia on two counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information, according to The New York Times, felony charges that could carry significant prison sentences. (Former U.S. Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira, who had recorded himself delivering an antisemitic rant, was sentenced to 15 years on Tuesday for similar charges.) Rahman, who worked overseas, was arrested in Cambodia on Tuesday and brought to Guam, where he will appear in court Thursday.

The documents stemmed from the National Geospatial-In-

telligence Agency, which aids in clandestine and military operations, and the National Security Agency, and appeared on the Telegram messaging app in October. The documents revealed that Israel was preparing to conduct a military strike in retaliation to Iran’s Oct. 1 missile barrage on Israel. Rahman reportedly held a top-secret security clearance.

Israel conducted strikes on military targets in Iran in late October.

The FBI had acknowledged the leak last month and had said, according to the Times, that it was “working closely with our partners in the Department of Defense and intelligence community” to identify the source of the leak.

Rahman’s arrest also follows separate leaks in Israel that roiled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war cabinet and contributed to his decision to fire Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Trump taps Mike Huckabee

RON

KAMPEAS

WASHINGTON | JTA

President-elect Donald Trump named Mike Huckabee as his ambassador to Israel, picking an evangelical Christian who favors Jewish sovereignty in parts of the West Bank and who, if confirmed, would be the first non-Jew to fill the role in 13 years.

“I am pleased to announce that the Highly Respected former Governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, has been nominated to be The United States Ambassador to Israel,” Trump said. “Mike has been a great public servant, Governor, and Leader in Faith for many years. He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East!”

The nomination may be seen in Israel as a boost for long-delayed plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to annex parts of the West Bank. In 2008, Huckabee said, “There’s really no such thing as a Palestinian.” In his run for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, Huckabee had said he saw the West Bank as an “integral part” of Israel and vowed to back settlement expansion there.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s far-right national security minister, tweeted Huckabee’s name alongside images of the American and Israeli flags with a heart emoji between them. Bezalel Smotrich, the far-right Israeli finance minister whose portfolio includes West Bank settlements, has in the wake of Trump’s election victory launched plans to annex parts of the territory, though former Trump administration officials have reportedly warned that the in-

coming president may not support annexation.

Christians United for Israel, the preeminent evangelical pro-Israel movement, welcomed J Street, the liberal Jewish Middle East policy lobby, said the pick portended a turn away from peacemaking. “The mask is off,” its president, Jeremy Ben-Ami, said in a statement. “This announcement is further proof that ‘pro-Israel’ for Trump is totally disconnected from any concern for Jewish values, safety or self-determination.”

Ben-Ami urged the outgoing Biden administration to take actions in its lame duck session to mitigate the changes coming.

A pastor by training who frequently leads evangelical Christian tours of the country, Huckabee once described his relationship to the country as “not so much political as it is visceral, personal.”

Trump has repeatedly said that his actions on Israel in his first term, such as moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, were better appreciated by evangelicals than Jews. Huckabee would be the first ambassador since 2011 who is not Jewish. The most recent was James B. Cunningham.

The decision will put an end to speculation that Trump planned to once again tap David Friedman, his first-term ambassador and likewise a supporter of Israeli settlements, to the role. “I am thrilled by President Trump’s nomination of Governor Mike Huckabee as the next Ambassador to Israel,” Friedman said in a tweet. “He is a dear friend and he will have my full support. Congrats Mike on getting the best job in the world!”

Huckabee’s appointment also consolidates the emerging impression that Trump is planning to sideline his entire national security team from his first term, even those who have remained on good terms with him, including Mike Pompeo, the former secretary of State.

Hanuk-kits return for second year

HEIDI HEILBRUN

PJ Library Coordinator

PJ Library’s Hanuk-kit program for public school children in Omaha’s Jewish community is available again. Families with children in grades K through 3rd grade can sign up for a complimentary kit to give to their child’s teacher or school library.

Due to overwhelming interest from families for the 50 Hanuk-kits available last year, PJ Library is expanding its offering to 75 kits this year. The ready-to-go kit provides an explanation of the Festival of Lights and offers ways to incorporate Jewish children’s traditions and heritage alongside school Christmas celebrations. The kit also includes a book for the school to keep.

Families who are also interested in speaking to their child’s classroom or reading the provided story, can reach out to Heidi Heilbrunn Needleman at hheilbrunn@jewish omaha.org for an easy-to-use script.

The first 75 families to register using the registration link igfn.us/form/p_3-kw or QR code will receive kits and a waiting list will be created. Pick up will begin Monday, Dec. 2 at the JFO front desk and continue through Dec. 13

HANUKKAH BEYOND KUGEL

Mike Huckabee Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Above and below: Students at Friedel Jewish Academy voted in November as well... on whether students would prefer an all-school recess with special activities or free-sit (instead of assigned seating) at lunch. We’re learning about why and how we have elections and focusing on voting as a civic duty. Here, students are signing in to get their ballots.

SP O TLIGHT

PHOTOS FROM RECENT JEWISH COMMUNITY EVENTS

SUBMIT A PHOTO: Have a photo of a recent Jewish Community event you would like to submit? Email the image and a suggested caption to: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org

and below: The

Below left and right: Every day, Friedel’s first and second graders work with Miss Coffin in small groups for math and/or reading. This ensures that each student receives individualized instruction. Here, first graders were using colored counters to discover all the ways to add to ten.

Above, left and below: Beth El’s BILU youth enjoyed an outing to the skating rink.

Above

RBJH Men’s Club enjoyed an Outing at the Longhorn Steakhouse. The Shelly Nogg Pichik Field Trip Fund of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation makes this generous trip possible.

Below: Ethan Finkelstein, son of Becca and David Finkelstein, at his IDF swearing-in ceremony.

Above: Nancy Biniamow prepared the squash soup, while below: Elly Gordman put the finishing touches on her chocolate chip-pumpkin muffin tops.

Above: Happy Veterans Day! Retired Major Ian Yellin, Air Force navigator, spoke to Friedel students about Veterans Day and the work he did in his 20-year career.

Below: Scott Littky, Executive Director of the Institute for Holocaust Education, led a great session on bystanders for Beth El’s eighth graders.

The Odor of South Omaha: Part 1

We were campaigning in the heart of South Omaha hoping to get votes to elect James F. Green Mayor of Omaha.

I was then a 26-year-old single Jewish lawyer who loved politics and wanted to learn everything there was about how actual politics took place in the real world.

It was 1961. Jimmy Green’s campaign manager, John Y. McCollister, who years later was himself elected to Congress, had given me the job without pay to pick Jimmy Green up every day at whatever time the evening events on the schedule began and drive him from place to place. I was to stay next to Green, hand out campaign literature, and listen to what Green said and what the prospective voter had to say. I followed those instructions day after day. And it turned out to be a graduate course in real politics, just what I wanted. Jim Green was a magnificent teacher.

During one three-day period we concentrated in South Omaha, then one of the largest sections with an identity of its own in Omaha. It began on Vinton Street and ran south to the Harrison Street Sarpy County line, then ran on the east from the Missouri River west to about 60th Street.

South Omaha had at least 20 identifiable individual ethnic groups, almost totally Catholic and all nearly 100 per cent Democratic. The livestock industry dominated South Omaha and defined its most unique quality.

That quality was the odor.

The odor of South Omaha was never forgotten once it was experienced.

The odor of cattle in pens waiting to be slaughtered and the heavy smells escaping from the floors of open windows in the Big Four packing houses and the many smaller similar plants, created fumes that together seemed to manufacture a ceiling that hung over all of South Omaha.

The effect of the fumes was always remembered. But almost magically it all seemed to vanish once you left the confines of South Omaha.

There were three main sections to South Omaha in those days. There was 24th Street itself and the few blocks on both sides that made up the main commercial area. There were the livestock pens running south of L Street to Q Street to the four major packing houses, Armour, Cudehay, Swift and Wilson.

This was where the cattle were held, auctioned off, and slaughtered. Across Q Street on its south side stood like soldiers at attention tavern after tavern, each with its own ethnic or national identity. In the midst of all this stood the Livestock Exchange Building, a large multi-story office building where nearly all the business of South Omaha was transacted.

The Untested Cookbook

ARTICHOKE DIP PAM MONSKY

Ingredients:

2 cans marinated artichoke hearts, chopped and drained

1 cup low fat mayonnaise 1 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together. Layer in a greased, uncovered casserole and bake for 45 to 60 minutes. Serve hot with crackers.

And then, there was the rest of South Omaha... small retailers of all types, shops, schools, residences occupied almost entirely by immigrants and blue-collar workers. There were at least a dozen Catholic parishes, nearly all of them identified by a specific nationality. Some even had their own cemetery on the parish grounds. There were a few, but not too many, Protestant Churches, and there was one Jewish synagogue a few blocks north of L Street on 28th Street.

In South Omaha, families were important and dominant. Most were large with many children, uncles and aunts, nieces and nephews, and many cousins. Each extended family seemed to dominate one or another of the Catholic parishes.

Families were proud if one of their children became a priest or nun. Many immigrant families had one bright son, or maybe two or even three, who went to Creighton Prep and then on to medical or law school. Daughters in those days could (if they were unusually bright) become teachers or nurses, nothing more advanced. Most of the children went to South High School in those days. There were also large families affiliated with a single business. And in every family, there were many who worked in the Packing Houses where the labor unions were large and dominant.

The Fitzgerald family ran one of the major banks. The Munnelly family dominated the Irish Catholic Democratic club. Red Munnelly became the Postmaster, and owned a popular bar on west Q Street that was a major political haunt. A few Jews ran sizeable enterprises. Herman Cohen, considered one of the wealthiest men in Nebraska, owned Greater Omaha Packing. The Greenberg family owned Phillips Department store, which was led by Sam and Henry Greenberg. The Epstien family had the movie theatre on 24th Street. The largest medical institution, the Prairie Clinic, was owned by Dr. Jerome Bleicher, and David Krantz had a furniture store on 24th Street.

Ingredients:

15 oz. can tomato sauce

1 large onion

6 oz. can tomato paste

1/2 tsp. salt

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 tsp. oregano

1 large bay leaf

1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions:

Sauté beef with chopped onions, breaking up beef. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 2 hours. Stir occasionally. Serve over cooked spaghetti with Parmesan topping.

RICHARD FELLMAN

South Omaha Stockyards

SPAGHETTI SAUCE

JUDY STERN

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The Jewish Press

(Founded in 1920)

David Finkelstein

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Annette van de Kamp-Wright

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Creative Director

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Digital support

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David Finkelstein, President; Margie Gutnik, Ex-Officio; Helen Epstein, Andrea Erlich, Ally Freeman, Dana Gonzales, Mary Sue Grossman, Hailey Krueger, Chuck Lucoff, Larry Ring, Melissa Schrago, Suzy Sheldon and Stewart Winograd.

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 JFO are: Institute for Holocaust Education, Jewish Community Relations Council, Jewish Community Center, Jewish Social Services, Nebraska Jewish Historical Society and the Jewish Press Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page stories and announcements, can be found online at: www.jewishomaha.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.

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No surprise

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT

Jewish Press Editor

The National Monument on Dam Square is a cenotaph in Amsterdam, finished in 1956. Every year on the evening of May 4, two minutes of silence are observed across the country. Officials hold a televised ceremony on the Dam to commemorate the casualties of World War II and subsequent armed conflicts. The following day, the country celebrates liberation from the Nazis. It all looks kosher on paper.

I used to love Amsterdam. That square? I have a lot of footsteps there. The Hotel Krasnapolsky behind it, it’s where my husband and I stayed after our wedding. To the left, not pictured, is the Bijenkorf, possibly the most famous department store in the country. I did not grow up in the city, but Holland is small, and Amsterdam and all it had to offer was only ever a train ride away. The shopping was better, the restaurants were more international, the nightlife more adventurous. It was always a slightly dirty city, especially before the government cracked down on dog poop and yes, it has always had a drug- and prostitution problem. But we were happy to let the tourists worry about that; to us, Amsterdam was alive, never boring, and always felt welcoming. I felt like I belonged.

And yet, there’s that other side. The heavy awareness of what is no longer there, who is missing. Over here, there used to be a butcher shop. That museum? It used to be a synagogue. The family soand-so lived on that corner; they never came back. Here is a theater where they rounded up Jews. Here is where the Jodenraad held office.

There is an Amsterdam now, and an Amsterdam

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.

before the war. The two have little in common. What happened in Amsterdam on Nov. 7 was no surprise. Most Dutch newspapers would like you to believe that the Maccabi supporters had it coming, that it was really a fight between soccer fans that got out of hand, a common occurrence in Europe. Simultaneously, the politicians acted appropriately horrified and ashamed, deeming the violence unacceptable.

Two things. There is a large Muslim population, and some of them hate Jews. But there is also a traditional, white, born-and-raised Dutch homegrown antisemitism. Its proponents sometimes wear kefiyahs and paste Palestinian flag stickers on their bicycles. They vote for the Green Party and call themselves agnostic. They diligently pay their Amnesty International memberships and think there is nothing wrong at the United Nations. They know their own privilege. They feel slightly guilty about it, and they need a cause. Fighting for the perceived underdog makes them feel better about themselves, and if that fight is accompanied by blaming the Jews, even better. Because those Jews, you know, there is just something about them that makes everyone uncomfortable.

Antisemitism in the Netherlands is not a new phenomenon. It actually grew worse after liberation from the Nazis, my relatives used to tell me. I

imagine that is caused by a mixture of guilt (the Nazis didn’t kill all those Jews by themselves. The Dutch population helped quite a bit), knowing deep down that they were wrong, but also by the fact that some Jews survived and came back. The official number of survivors was 20,000 (out of 140,000), and over half left the country for the U.S., Australia and Israel. Nowadays, it’s about 45,000. Both the Portuguese synagogue and the Orthodox Great Synagogue still hold services. The Portuguese shul, in fact, was completely restored and in 2010, a new Reform shul was built. There is a Chabad House in The Hague, and a fairly sizable community in Amstelveen, just on the outskirts of Amsterdam. There is a community in places like Rotterdam, Tilburg, Arnhem and Utrecht. Jews are in politics, on television; they make music and write books. You can hear Hebrew in the streets. I sometimes think if we were just all gone, completely wiped out, just a memory, people would be less hateful. I know; it’s such a tiresome cliché, that they only love us when we’re dead. But today, I really feel that way. And I still have family there, and I will visit them in December of this year. I am, for the first time, really hesitant. Because that place is not home anymore, and admitting that makes me wonder if it ever was.

Jewish leaders comment on their priorities under a second Trump term

ANDREW SILOW-CARROLL JTA

The leader of one Jewish nonprofit described Donald Trump’s return to the presidency as “terrifying.” Another called it a “serious setback.” And yet another welcomed the news, calling the presidentelect “a proven ally in the White House.”

The range of reactions reflects the ideological diversity among Jewish nonprofits that largely focus on a distinct policy area. Most U.S. Jewish organizations tend to be liberal, and their domestic agendas reflect that. A vocal minority leans right. Even on “consensus” issues, like combating antisemitism or defending the U.S.-Israel alliance, their approaches can vary widely.

In a political moment that stunned many and left few without strong feelings, we asked leaders of a range of Jewish groups, each associated with a signature issue or specific community, to describe their top priority under a new administration that in myriad and perhaps radical ways will represent a break with the Biden administration. On immigration, climate change, LGBT issues, abortion, antisemitism, fighting extremism and protecting religious freedoms, their answers reflect a Jewish policy community bracing for difficult battles and anticipating new opportunities under a historic changing of the guard.

Extremism: “Our communities’ futures are intertwined”

Amy Spitalnick is CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs.

President Trump’s agenda — from mass deportations and immigration bans, to rollbacks of voting and other civil rights — is often rooted in dangerous conspiracy theories that pit communities against one another, sow distrust in our democratic institutions, and fuel extremist violence targeting Jews, Latinos, Black Americans and others.

This should be a reminder: Our communities’ futures are intertwined. Countering anti-immigrant, white supremacist, anti-LGBTQ, and other forms of hate requires countering the antisemitic conspiracy theories often at their core. And so too as communities are dehumanized and democratic norms erode, antisemitism worsens.

This challenge also presents an opportunity to

build broad coalitions that recognize this fundamental truth: We can’t protect democracy or any community’s rights and safety unless we confront antisemitism and we cannot protect Jewish safety unless we advance inclusive democracy that protects all communities.

That is precisely what we’ll be focused on at JCPA, through our Action Networks, work with Jewish Community Relations Councils and other partners, and broader public engagement. The only path forward is one in which Jews mobilize to protect democracy and counter hate in deep partnership with others, and can do so without checking our Jewish identity at the door — because our partners understand Jewish safety is inherent to their own.

Immigration: “We are deeply concerned”

Rabbi Abba Cohen is vice president for government affairs and Washington director and counsel at Agudath Israel of America, a voice for haredi Orthodox Jewry.

We are living at a moment when the existential

Naomi Steinberg is vice president, U.S. Policy and Advocacy, for HIAS, a humanitarian aid and advocacy organization for refugees and asylum seekers.

HIAS’ top priority under the next Trump administration will be to do everything we can to uphold the U.S. legacy as a country that welcomes refugees, and that values the contributions of immigrants.

The first Trump administration gutted the U.S. refugee resettlement program and also made it nearly impossible for desperate people seeking safety to exercise their legal right to seek asylum. We are deeply concerned that this will happen again, in a moment that there are very high numbers of global displacement due to conflict and violence. The Trump campaign stated their intention to “temporarily” suspend refugee arrivals and then drastically reduce refugee admissions to the lowest level in the decades-long history of the program.

HIAS will fight to keep the resettlement program alive; oppose draconian policies at the border as well as mass deportations that will tear our communities and economy apart; and advocate for an overhaul of the U.S. asylum system that balances security as well as ensuring that people can access a system that is humane and effective.

Religious freedom: “The jewel in the American crown”

threat against Israel and virulent antisemitism have opened our eyes to a terrifying reality. A reality that demands action from the incoming administration and Congress.

We will encourage the strengthening of Israel’s defenses and the provision of strategic assistance, without conditions. And continue to call for the president and legislature to do all they can to get the hostages in Gaza released, and to dismantle and defund Iranian-backed terror networks. No pay-toslay. No U.N. deceptions. No tolerance for BDS. And we will encourage expansion of the historic Abraham Accords.

As to Jew-hatred at home, federal security grants funding must meet the needs of our at-risk institutions. We will press the Departments of Justice and Education to provide the resources needed to effectively prosecute hate crimes and Title VI violations. Universities that tolerate antisemitic intimidation must face stiffer penalties. And we will advocate for expanding the federal effort to counter antisemitism and for passage of the Antisemitism Awareness Act.

Religious freedom is the jewel in the American crown. We must reject the hostility toward religion and faith communities that has crept into our national discourse, and work for proper accommodation of religious rights in both the law and society. See Jewish leaders comment page 9

Credit: Getty Images; JTA illustration

Amsterdam can’t call itself mokum anymore

RABBI MICHAËL BOEKSTAL

I was born and raised in Amsterdam, and 25 years ago I immigrated to the Midwest of the USA.

Over the years, I’ve given many presentations on the Jewish inspiration and influence on the culture of Amsterdam, including how Amsterdam slang was fed and fertilized by Yiddish (for my American friends, there’s even a Yiddish word for the ladies in the red light district).

A prime example of the influence of Hebrew and Yiddish is Amsterdam’s nickname, Mokum. I’m not an Amsterdammer, I’m a Mokummer. Mokum derives from the Hebrew word for place, Makom. Amsterdam was known by its sizable Jewish population as Mokum Aleph, the first place, the capitol of the country. Yet, Paris, London or Berlin, all capitols with Jews, don’t have the nickname Mokum. Because Makom Aleph meant something more to the Spanish and Portuguese Jews, who fled the Auto da Fé’s of the late 16th and early 17th century, and gave Amsterdam its Golden Age. For them, Amsterdam was also the first place where they were allowed to live without fear of religious persecution. Mokum stands for free-

dom, safety, protection. After what is now widely labeled as a pogrom, it would be chutzpah if Amsterdam called itself Mokum ever again.

You can have the discussion about rotten apples and excep-

tions, but I remind you that all it takes for evil to prevail, is for good people to do nothing.

This incident didn’t happen in a vacuum; it grew in an environment of misinformation, misguided tolerance and condoning euphemisms. Earlier this week, in a newspaper article on security concerns around the commemoration of Kristallnacht, the Dutch Secretary Justice was quoted, “It is painful Jews can’t wear yarmulkas in public anymore.”

Painful? Seriously? You know what’s painful? Stubbing your little toe. Allowing the curtailing of freedom of religious expression of a minority by social and now violent pressure, is criminal, intolerable, illegal, amoral, unethical. Today I heard that people with typical Jewish names don’t use Uber, don’t have pizzas delivered, or anything else for that matter, since they don’t know how that information is handled.

Not too fond of the political climate here in the US and retiring, I’ve toyed with the idea of returning home. After this pogrom in my own city, I feel safer as an immigrant in Trump’s America than as a Jew in Amsterdam.

Jewish leaders comment on their priorities under a second Trump term

Continued from page 8

Abortion access: “Reproductive freedom is a Jewish value”

Sheila Katz is the CEO of National Council of Jewish Women.

These are fraught times. For women, children, and families everywhere – our rights and our lives are on the line.

While we celebrate expanded protections for abortion access in seven states, we reel from setbacks that continue to bar our mothers, sisters, and daughters from their right to reproductive health care.

On the most human level, we fear for our right to live. Bans don’t only impact those seeking to terminate a pregnancy, they affect all facets of contraception, pregnancy and miscarriage care. Families, friends and partners will be forced to sit idly by while their loved ones suffer because they are unable to access the care they desperately need. We don’t need to look further than the senseless deaths of Amber Nicole Thurman, Candi Miller, Josseli Barnica and Nevaeh Crain due to these egregious bans.

This fear is our fuel: fuel for a world in which women are treated with respect and autonomy.

Reproductive freedom is a Jewish value, and we will not stop advocating for it. We will come together in community after inauguration for our national Repro Shabbat to teach about Judaism and reproductive freedom. And we will work in partnership with Jewish organizations and civil rights organizations to build a better world. We will not be deterred. Antisemitism: Protecting “Jewish security and democratic values”

Jonathan Jacoby is the national director of the Nexus Project, an organization that aims to combat antisemitism while “striving to prevent the misuse of antisemitism as a political weapon.”

We expect the incoming Trump administration to aggressively exploit real concerns about Jewish safety for political gain. The administration and its Republican congressional allies will use last month’s House Education Committee report on campus antisemitism as a platform to target federal funding for higher education and academic freedom. The Nexus Project will continue to advocate for robust funding for the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. The Nexus Task Force will differentiate between antisemitic behavior and legitimate political activity, and demonstrate how using existing civil rights laws is the best way to protect Jewish students. The focus on campuses is part of an effort to codify the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition as the sole definition of antisemitism through legislation and executive action. This strategy creates divisions among Democrats and Jewish Americans, while suppressing legitimate criticism of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. We will mount an education campaign to prevent Congressional action on IHRA, highlighting both the constitutional vulnerabilities — as demonstrated by a recent Texas court decision on the First Amendment rights of pro-Palsetinian groups — and the dangers of elevating any single definition of antisemitism. We will emphasize how this approach impedes effective enforcement while threatening academic freedom and protected speech. We’ll advance bipartisan support for approaches that protect both Jewish security and democratic values.

Hunger: “Support those living with food insecurity”

Abby J. Leibman is president and CEO at MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger.

More than 47 million Americans currently live with hunger, and MAZON has very real reason to be concerned that the policies of the next administration and leaders in the incoming Congress will greatly increase that number.

MAZON and our partners in the anti-hunger movement will fight to protect access to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and other nutrition safety net programs, and to make sure that benefit levels can adequately address the needs of people of all faiths and backgrounds. As the first Trump administration did, there is a strong likelihood that the White House will try to restrict access to SNAP benefits wherever possible and to cap support at inadequate levels, plunging more working Americans into poverty. We are and will be prepared to meet this challenge, just as we have done for four decades.

We are committed to doing everything in our power to support those living with food insecurity. Every person deserves the right to feed themselves and their loved ones in dignity, and we will defend that right.

Education: “Support parents in making the best choices for their children”

Nathan Diament is executive director for public policy at the Orthodox Union.

We see a number of critical opportunities to work with the incoming Trump Administration, as well as allies in the next Congress to advance the values and interests of our community. First and foremost is the opportunity to mount a more effective response to the surge of antisemitism in the United States. Clearly, the efforts of the Biden Administration were insufficient as we saw on too many university campuses and city streets. A new effort to combat antisemitism must include imposing actual penalties (ie: withholding federal funds) upon universities that fail to protect the rights of their Jewish students, and federal prosecutions of perpetrators of antisemitic acts — including the obstruction of Jews at our synagogues (as the “FACE Act” provides).

Second, we need a more robust U.S. policy to confront Iran and its proxies and bring security and stability to Israel and the Mideast. If a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia is not struck in the waning days of the Biden Administration, it should be a high priority for President Trump.

Third, next year the Administration and Congress will be working on major revisions to federal tax laws. The OU has successfully worked in many states — both “blue” and “red” — to enact education tax credits and other programs that support parents in making the best K-12 education choices for their children. Some measures supporting school choice were included in the 2017 tax legislation, at the beginning of President Trump’s first term. His second term will be a critical opportunity to expand this policy at the federal level. Climate change: “Raising our voice for our communities and collective future”

Rabbi Jennie Rosenn is founder and CEO of Dayenu: A Jewish Call to Climate Action

Together with partners across the climate movement and the American Jewish community, Dayenu will fight attempts to gut the Inflation Reduction Act, the hard-earned climate legislation passed in 2022. The law has delivered historic investments, created over 330,000 jobs, saved families over $8 billion on energy upgrades, and moved our country towards a livable future. Notably, it grants nonprofits, including faithbased groups, a reimbursement of up to 30% of the cost of a clean energy or transportation project.

We’ll challenge efforts to expedite giveaways to the fossil fuel industry, dismantle environmental protections, and strip the American people of our rights to raise our voice for our communities and collective future. Everyone — regardless of their race, income or zip code — deserves clean air and water, and a safe environment in which to live, learn, work, play and pray. We will advance real climate solutions on the state and local level, prioritizing resourcing underserved communities. We

will show up in strength with our allies — in solidarity for genuine democracy, justice, and equity. And through this all, we will stay rooted in our wisdom, history, spirit and song — sustaining ourselves in hard times.

LGBTQ+ rights: “We will fight”

Idit Klein is president and CEO of Keshet, a national organization that works for LGBTQ+ equality in Jewish life.

At Keshet, we know that our freedoms, as LGBTQ+ people and as Jews, are in jeopardy, along with the rights of so many other Americans.

The new administration has clearly outlined its plans: a country where only some people are entitled to rights, and everyone else is vulnerable — including LGBTQ+ people, including Jews. Keshet is concerned about escalated attacks on transgender people, especially trans youth. We will fight prohibitions on gender-affirming care and “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” bills. These challenges are not new to Keshet; indeed they are why we exist. We will continue to mobilize the Jewish community and invest in cross-communal and multi-faith partnerships. We will continue to train Jewish leaders to protect against hateful rhetoric and policies and to foster places of affirmation and belonging for all Jews.

As LGBTQ+ people and Jews, we have been here before. Our people’s long history of survival and resilience has taught us that choosing hope is the only way forward. Keshet’s community members will do what we have done for generations: care for one another, build coalitions and stay focused on making possible the just and equitable world we all deserve.

College campuses: “The pivotal role played by faculty” Tammi Rossman-Benjamin is director of AMCHA Initiative, a non-profit that combats campus antisemitism, and a faculty member at the University of California for nearly two decades.

In the 10 months following Oct. 7, our database shows there were 77 physical assaults on Jewish students and 129 incidents of violent threats, representing surges of 2,500% and and 900%, respectively, over the same period the prior year.

While attention has focused on students and student-led groups such as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), it is faculty who are, on many campuses, at the root of the Jew-hatred, fomenting anti-Israel activity and escalating antisemitic incidents. AMCHA Initiative just completed research that found at schools with Faculty for Justice in Palestine (FJP) chapters, whose members are committed to academic boycotts of Israel, Jewish students were more likely to be subjected to physical assault and to be targeted with violent threats; on these campuses, anti-Israel protests and encampments lasted longer.

The recent report of the House Committee on Education & the Workforce about antisemitism on college campuses focused on the antisemitic behavior of anti-Zionist students and student groups and the woefully inadequate administrative responses to their behavior. This was hugely valuable and important work. The next step is for Congress and the administration to turn their attention to the pivotal role of faculty. We would like to see more Congressional hearings focused squarely on faculty and their contribution to campus antisemitism. We would also like to see the new administration tackle the problem of academic boycotts of Israel both through legislation and DOE policy. While students are transient and administrators can be fired, tenured faculty abuse has lasting implications.

Andrew Silow-Carroll is editor at large of the New York Jewish Week and managing editor for Ideas for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

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.

Credit: Basile Morin, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

Synagogues

B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

618 Mynster Street Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766

712.322.4705 www.cblhs.org

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

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

Monthly Speaker Series Service, Friday, Dec. 13, 7:30 p.m. with our guest speaker. Our service leader is Larry Blass. Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel!

For information about our historic synagogue, please visit our website at www.cblhs.org or contact any of our other board members: Renee Corcoran, Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Janie Kulakofsky, Howard Kutler, Carole and Wayne Lainof, Ann Moshman, MaryBeth Muskin, Debbie Salomon and Sissy Silber. Handicap Accessible.

Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman.

IN-PERSON AND ZOOM MINYAN SCHEDULE:

Mornings on Sundays, 9:30 a.m.; Mondays and Thursdays, 7 a.m.; Evenings on Sunday-Thursday, 5:30 p.m.

FRIDAY: Nebraska AIDS Project Lunch, 11:30 a.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m. at Beth El and Live Stream; Jr. Congregation (Grades K12), 10 a.m.; Havdalah, 5:35 p.m. at Beth El & Zoom.

SUNDAY: BESTT (Grades K-7), 9:30 a.m.; A Journey Through The Shabbat Siddur, 10:30 a.m. with Hazzan Krausman; Hands-On Judaism, 11:15 a.m. with Hazzan Krausman; Thanksgiving wtih St. Luke, 6 p.m.

TUESDAY: Mishneh Torah, 10:30 a.m. with Rabbi Abraham.

THURSDAY: Beth El Office Closed; Morning Minyan, 9 a.m. Zoom Only.

FRIDAY-Nov 29: Beth El Office Closed; Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream

SATURDAY-Nov. 30: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m. at Beth El and Live Stream; Havdalah, 5:35 p.m. at Beth El & Zoom.

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

FRIDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat/Candlelighting, 4:42 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit 9

a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:30 a.m.; Youth Class, 10:45 a.m.; Soulful Torah, 3:45 p.m. with Rabbi Geiger; Mincha, 4:30 p.m.; Kids Activity/Laws of Shabbos, 5 p.m.; Havdalah, 5:44 p.m.

SUNDAY: Shacharit 9 a.m.; Kinyan 9:40 a.m.; Thriving with Anxiety Book Club, 11 a.m. at the JCC; Mincha/Ma’ariv 4:40 p.m.

MONDAY: Nach Yomi 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit 7 a.m.; Monday Mind Builders, 4 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:40 p.m.

TUESDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:40 p.m.; Kinyan, 5:15 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:40 p.m.

THURSDAY: Office Closed; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Min-

cha/ Ma’ariv, 4:40 p.m.

FRIDAY-Nov 29: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat/Candlelighting, 4:39 p.m.

SATURDAY-Nov. 30: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:30 a.m.; Youth Class 10:45 a.m.; Soulful Torah, 3:45 p.m. with Rabbi Geiger; Mincha 4:30 p.m.; Kids Activity/Laws of Shabbos, 5 p.m.; Havdalah, 5:42 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 and via Zoom (ochabad.com/academy). For more information or to request help, please visit www.ochabad.com or call the office at 402.330.1800.

FRIDAY: Chabad on Campus International Shabbaton; Shacharit 8 a.m.; Lechayim, 4:30 p.m., go to och abad.com/Lechayim to join; Candlelighting, 4:41 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shacharit 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 5:43 p.m.

SUNDAY: Sunday Morning Wraps, 9 a.m.

MONDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Peronal Parsha, 9:30 a.m.; Intermediate Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Parsha Reading, 6 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Translating Words of Prayer, 7 p.m. with David Cohen.

TUESDAY: Shacharit 8 a.m.; Translating Words of Prayer, 11 a.m. with David Cohen; Intermediate Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 6 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Introductory Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 7 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen.

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

THURSDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Introduction to Alphabet, Vowels & Reading Hebrew, 10 a.m.; Advanced Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 11 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Talmud Study, noon; Introduction to Alphabet, Vowels & Reading Hebrew, 6 p.m.; Code of Jewish Law Class, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY-Nov 29: Shacharit 8 a.m.; Lechayim, 4:30 p.m., go to ochabad.com/Lechayim to join; Candlelighting, 4:38 p.m.

SATURDAY-Nov. 30: Shacharit 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 5:41 p.m.

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN & TIFERETH ISRAEL

Services facilitated by Rabbi Alex Felch. All services offered in-person with live-stream or teleconferencing options.

FRIDAY: Shabbat Candlelighting, 4:45 p.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6:30-7:30 p.m. led by Rabbi Alex at SST.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Service, 9:30-11 a.m. led by

From the Archives: November 20, 1924

Women’s Auxiliary to Give Thanksgiving Day Dance

The Women’s Auxiliary of the B’nai B’rith will give its annual dance Thanksgiving Day, November 27, at the Fontenelle Hotel. Special arrangements are being made to make this affair even more entertaining than previous dances given by this organization, according to members of the committee who are in charge of this affair.

A large orchestra, under the direction of Hugo Heyn, has been engaged to play for this dance. Special feature stunts will be held for the amusement of all.

Father-Son Program at City Sunday School

A Father-Sons Program will be given by the City School Sunday School Sunday morning, November 22, at 10:30 at B’nai Israel Synagogue, 18th and Chicago Sts.

Milton Frohm will act as chairman of the pro-

gram. Sydney Epstein will talk on “Boys,” followed by Mr. Harry Lapidus who will speak on “fathers.”

A piano solo will be given by Jack Epstein. Howard Kaplan will give a recitation. The Dolgoff Brothers will play a duet. Cantor Joseph Milek will sing a group of songs, and Rabbi Charlop will then deliver an address.

Notes from the Jewish Welfare Federation Old People’s Home

Our Home for the Aged, popularly known as the Old People’s Home, is at present engaged in making extensive repairs in its annex. It is gratifying to note that the Home is in immaculate condition, and that the old folks are given not only necessities and conveniences, but that they are also provided with comfort in their declining years.

Our Talmud Torahs

Our City Talmud Torahs have started the new

Rabbi Alex at TI; Torah Study, noon on Parshat Chayei Sarah led by TBD via Zoom; Havdalah, 5:47 p.m.

SUNDAY: LJCS Classes, 9:30-11:30 a.m. at TI; Men’s Bike/Coffee Group, 10:30 a.m. at The Mill on the Innovation Campus. For more information or questions please email Al Weiss at albertw801@gmail.com; SST Board Meeting, 10:30 a.m.–noon; Interfaith Thanksgiving, 3-5 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church. WEDNESDAY: Men’s Lunch Group, 12:15 p.m. at HoriSun, 8055 O St. We meet every other Wednesday. Please contact albertw801@gmail.com to get on the mailing list. As plans can change the last minute and it is necessary to contact everyone. Bring lunch, a drink and a chair; No LJCS Classes this week.

FRIDAY-Nov 29: Shabbat Candlelighting, 4:42 p.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6:30-7:30 p.m. led by Rabbi Alex at SST.

SATURDAY-Nov. 30: Shabbat Service, 9:30-11 a.m. led by Rabbi Alex at TI; Torah Study, noon on Parshat Toldot led by TBD via Zoom; Havdalah, 5:45 p.m.

FRIDAYS: 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.

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

FRIDAY: Drop in Mah Jongg, 9-11 a.m. In-Person; Village Walking Group, 10 a.m. In-Person; Shabbat B’yachad Service, 6 p.m. In-Person & Zoom.

SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. In-Person; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. In-Person & Zoom.

SUNDAY: Grades PreK-7, 9:30 a.m. In-Person; Temple Tots, 10 a.m. In-Person; Coffee and Conversations with the Board Members, 10 a.m. In-Person; Interfatih Thanksgiving Service, 6 p.m. at Kountze Memorial Lutheran Church.

TUESDAY: Exploring Jewish Prayer, 6 p.m. In-Person.

WEDNESDAY: Yarn It, 9 a.m.

FRIDAY-Nov 29: Village Walking Group, 10 a.m. InPerson; Shabbat B’yachad Service, 6 p.m. In-Person & Zoom.

SATURDAY-Nov. 30: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. In-Person; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. In-Person & Zoom.

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

JEWISH PRESS NOTICE

The Jewish Press will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 28 for Thanksgiving. The deadline for the Dec. 6 issue is Monday, Nov. 25, noon; for the Dec. 13 Hanukkah issue is Friday, Nov. 22, noon. There will be no Jewish Press on Jan. 3, 2025 Questions? Call 402.334.6448.

season under favorable auspices, with an apparent increase in energy, with enthusiastic teaching staffs and with a goodly number of pupils. We may look forward to another successful Talmud Torah Year.

Relief Problems

This is the season of the year when our relief problems are at their highest peak. This is the season when the load is the heaviest. This is the time when there is great demand for coal, coal, more coal; for winter clothing, for more food and for shelter. We are meeting the demands from deserving people as best we know how. In most instances we are sending pauperizing effect of that method; we loan money in order that the recipients may obtain coal themselves.

The Free Loan Department

Although of our Free Loan work a good deal has been said, too much cannot be said. It is our highest and most constructive piece of work in philanthropy. The funds are ably administered and the Free Loan Society sets as a buffer state between the community and our Relief Department. In last week’s Jewish Press, I took occasion to restate the eight degrees of Jewish Charity as given by Maimonides.

B’NAI ISRAEL

BETH EL

BETH ISRAEL

LOCAL | NATIONAL | WORLD

Matzah balls get a glow-up

RACHEL RINGLER

JTA

For most of Jewish culinary history, anyone seeking to make matzah balls faced one major choice: sinkers or floaters?

In the 20th century, with the advent of home-cooking conveniences, another decision joined the one about density: from scratch or from a box?

Now, in an era of niche food products, home cooks have a new set of matzah ball options: freeze-dried, flash-frozen, and flecked with furikake, the Japanese seasoning mix including seaweed and sesame seeds.

As soup season descends, a growing number of new efforts are underway to remake Jewish culture’s most iconic comfort food for the harried home cook. Both legacy brands and new startups are getting into the matzah ball game, aiming to simplify production so that a bowl of steaming, tasty soup can always be just minutes away.

Nooish, which hit shelves in September, is a just-add-hot-water option that comes in a paper ramen container, emblazoned with iconography and lettering that its designer says subtly reflects American Jewish visual culture.

own furikake.)

“That dish is the dish people think of the most when they think of our restaurant,” said Aaron Israel, Shalom Japan’s cofounder with his wife Sawako Okochi. “It helps define us.”

Sarah Nathan, the creator of Nooish, meanwhile, touts the “clean” ingredients in her product — no MSG, less salt than other instant soups on the market, and high-end flavorings from Burlap and Barrel, the Jewish spice startup.

As a busy executive at food brands such as Chobani and Just Date, Nathan, 37, often found herself turning to instant soup

Companies like Nooish, left, and Manischewitz, right, are offering products that allow customers to make instant matzah ball soup with just one added ingredient: hot water. Courtesy

Shalom Japan, the Brooklyn JewishJapanese fusion restaurant, has recently launched a mail-order matzah ball ramen kit that allows home cooks to replicate its signature dish.

And even Manischewitz, the vaunted kosher brand that launched in 1888 as a matzah producer, has innovated on its longstanding line of box mixes. Now, Manischewitz matzah balls can be found in many supermarkets’ freezer sections.

“I don’t know if everyone is ready to make a matzah ball or is able to, especially the younger demographic,” said Shani Seidman, chief marketing officer of Kayco, the owner and distributor of Manischewitz. “But if you have it readily available in the freezer, you can plop it into any soup.”

The trend has prompted debate among Jewish food icons, many of whom have their own recipes and traditions for the soup that is a mainstay of Shabbat and holiday tables from the onset of cozy season until Passover in the spring.

Calling matzah balls “the supreme Jewish comfort food,” Joan Nathan, the matriarch of the Jewish food world, said she believed the readymade options are unnecessary and likely subpar. (Her own recipe calls for fresh ginger and nutmeg and results in balls that are neither overly dense nor especially light.)

“Matzah balls are so easy to make. They don’t take any time at all,” she said. “It probably takes less time to make them than to buy them.”

But Adeena Sussman, author of the cookbooks Sababa and Shabbat, said she understands why some cooks would turn to readymade options. Her own family is divided: Her mom, Steffi, was firmly planted in the box-mix camp as she prepared food for 60 people at two Passover seders every year. As an adult, Sussman has taken to making her own family’s matzah balls from scratch, sharing a recipe in her collaborator Chrissy Teigen’s cookbook that calls for seltzer and black pepper.

“Not everyone has a great matzah ball recipe or the wherewithal to make matzah balls,” Sussman said. “It’s a hard time to be a Jew. Even a little Jewish comfort, by adding hot water to a matzah ball mix, I am all for it. I think it’s great.”

Some of the new products offer a spin on the classic dish. Shalom Japan’s mail-order kit includes two soup packets that come with matzah balls, packets of noodles, scallions, soup mandels and a spicy sauce. Consumers need only to boil water, stick in the packets of soup to heat them, remove the packets and put the noodles into the same boiling water to generate their own version of matzah ball ramen. (Add your

when she didn’t have time to cook from scratch. But after helping plan a virtual Jewish food festival during the pandemic, she realized that none of her go-to brands reflected her own culture.

“Why can’t I get matzah ball soup instantly? Why does it have to take over an hour?” Nathan recalls thinking. “It’s so hard to make, hard to get and it’s expensive. But it is also a love language.”

This fall, after years of testing and product development, she brought Nooish to the market. The vegetarian, certified kosher soups come in packages of four for $40 or 18 for $125. Its name is a mashup of “new,” “Jewish” and a dose of advice from a successful entrepreneur.

“Gwyneth Paltrow said brands with two o’s — like Goop — sell better,” said Nathan, who worked at American Jewish University early in her career and now lives in Chicago.

Sussman sampled the soup and said she was initially skeptical because of its appearance — until she added hot water.

“They are like space food, freeze dried. When you look at it, it is dry and powdery with flecks of dried herbs. Until it is rehydrated you have no idea what is going to happen,” she said. “I was pleasantly surprised with the matzah ball. It was better than I thought it would be.”

In the first week after Nooish launched, Nathan said she sold mostly to friends and family. In the second, she said, orders poured in from around the world, including from places where cooking is impractical or impossible — including on a naval ship. Now, she’s touting its utility for organizations that want to send soup to their constituents but want to avoid ordering pricey restaurant delivery or setting up temporary distribution centers from their own kitchens.

The company’s social media is highlighting a comment from a Hillel employee who wrote, “Our Hillel sends soup to students who are not feeling well. Nooish has revolutionized how we do it — no more freezers, no more defrosting, no more complicated requests from campus dining.”

For Sussman, that type of experience is perhaps the greatest appeal of at-home matzah innovations such as Nooish.

“A convenience food that ties into super great comfort food memories and associations can fill a hole for people,” Sussman said. “Can’t you see every mom sending it to their kid in their college dorms? I would want to.”

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Jews are reeling from the Amsterdam attacks

SHIRA LI BARTOV

JTA

Late on the night of Thursday Nov. 7, Esther Voet heard explosions from her home in the center of Amsterdam. Voet, who is the editor in chief of a Dutch Jewish weekly newspaper, quickly learned that she was hearing heavy fireworks — set off in anger, not celebration. Panicked messages began pouring into her phone from a group chat of Jews across the country who described street beatings. Then came calls from parents who said their children had left a soccer match between the Dutch team Ajax and the Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv that night.

“Parents started to phone, saying, ‘Oh my God, my son is being chased, he’s being attacked,’” Voet told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. At least five people were hospitalized in the assaults after the game, and police reported that 20 to 30 more sustained minor injuries. The police arrested 62 people prior to and during the soccer game on Thursday — before the wave of assaults occurred in the late hours after the game.

About 40 of those people were suspected of disturbing the peace, and subsequently fined and released. Others were suspected of insult, vandalism, possession of illegal fireworks, resisting police and other minor offenses.

Four people who remain in custody, including two minors, were suspected of “public violence” on Thursday. A 26-yearold man was arrested on Friday on suspicion of assault after the police recognized him from footage of the attacks. Meanwhile, Israel sent planes to fly its citizens home.

Tensions in Amsterdam remained high on Sunday: Dutch police moved in and detained dozens of people after hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters defied a three-day ban on demonstrations in the city. The demonstrators, who gathered in the capital’s Dam Square, chanted “Free Palestine” and “Amsterdam says no to genocide.” Police have since extended the ban to Thursday.

Now, the local Jewish community is shaken from attacks that

Dutch, Israeli, European and U.S. leaders have denounced as antisemitic, with some calling them a “pogrom” or making direct comparisons to the Holocaust. And police are still struggling to contain the fallout from a clash they say they saw coming, and that has provoked debate in the Netherlands and beyond.

“The Jewish community is a very small club,” Voet tweeted the day after the attacks, estimating the community’s size at a maximum of 45,000. “And we don’t always agree with each other, but when it really has to be, we can move mountains in a very short time.” She added, “We had to learn that, because governments (I won’t mention any names) have proven to be unreliable more than once.”

The Dutch Union of Jewish Students called the incident “a painful reminder of the challenges faced by our Jewish and Israeli community in Amsterdam.”

On Friday Nov. 8, Dutch King WIllem-Alexander told Israeli President Isaac Herzog, “We failed the Jewish community of the Netherlands during World War II, and last night we failed again.” But locally, politicians are sparring over which side started the fight. Geert Wilders, the leader of the Party for

Freedom — a far-right, anti-Muslim party and the largest in the Dutch parliament called authorities to “arrest and deport the multicultural scum that attacked Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters in our streets.” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar traveled to Amsterdam to meet with Wilders.

Meanwhile, Stephan van Baarle, the head of a small pro-immigrant party called DENK, rebuked his colleagues in government for “hypocritical reactions” and said that violence could have been prevented if Maccabi supporters were not allowed to “go about their hatred and provocations with impunity.”

That echoed users on social media who accused the Israelis of “losing a fight they started.”

Jazie Veldhuyzen, a left-wing Amsterdam city council member, was among the protesters arrested and released on Sunday. He said that unrest should have been expected when Maccabi was invited to the city, based on a history of racist incidents among a subset of the team’s supporters. He cited reports of violence committed by Maccabi fans in Greece and in Israel, and argued that just by coming to Amsterdam, the team provoked attacks.

Voet rejected the idea that Israeli fans were to blame for Thursday’s violence against them, calling it an excuse for premeditated attacks on Jews.

“I think that those clashes are being emphasized now to say those Maccabi fans weren’t the loveliest people either. In other words, they deserved it,” she said. “I really object to that.”

She also said the small community of Jews in the Netherlands were feeling isolated and keenly aware of vulnerabilities in the systems meant to protect them. When the police left holes in their security last week, she said, “we filled them up.”

“We showed what we can do as a Jewish community,” said Voet. “Within two hours, we had a complete organization standing — people were standing up for each other, people could hide. We did great. But we’re too small.”

See full article at www.omahajewishpress.com

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Dutch Police stand guard after attacks on Israeli fans following the soccer game between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam on Nov. 8, 2024. Credit: VLN Niews / ANP / AFP