November 23, 2018

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Dr. Ron Kronish to speak at UNO

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Jerusalem Grocery

URooSA JAweD Communications and Development Manager, Tri-Faith Initiative Tuesday, Dec 11, there will be two opportunities to hear Dr. Ron Kronish, author of The Other Peace Process and founding Director of the Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel (ICCI) speak on the topic of peace building be-

NJHS Annual Meeting Page 4

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Veteran’s Day at Friedel Page 6

Sakar Salman, co-owner of Jerusalem Grocery

GABBy BlAiR Staff Writer, Jewish Press ucked into an unassuming strip mall on the 120th street corridor between Center and Pacific Streets sits a hidden gem, Jerusalem Grocery. Opened in February 2018 by Sakar Salman and his brother-in-law, Gabriel Katealou, Jerusalem Grocery is a family affair. When entering the Middle Eastern store, visitors are cordially greeted by whichever family member happens to be working at the time- Salman,

A gem of Southeast Asia: India Page 11

Gabi, Dina or Samar.

The store has many of the usual trinkets and foods one might expect to find in a Middle Eastern market. What makes Jerusalem Grocery stand out is their dedication in supplying many Iraeli-produced food products, beyond what is typically available in local supermarkets. In addition, Jerusalem Grocery has gone above and beyond by supplying hard-to-find Kosher meat and dairy products for Omaha’s Jewish community.

See Jerusalem Grocery page 2

Aquatics Programming: What’s New for 2019

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RAChel MARTin The start of the new year brings renewed perspectives and exciting changes met with individuals’ desires to better themselves in a variety of ways, most notably, their health.

Healthy improvements can include changes in fitness, further education and increased safety techniques. The JCC Aquatics Department is gearing up to deliver programs that offer some of each.

Beginning in January, innovative programming will be available to all individuals as young as 6 months old.

“Swimming is a skill that can benefit everyone,” said Ben Novak, JCC Aquatics Manager. “Swim lessons are a measure parents can take to help keep their children drastically safer

JCC Sharks Swim Team members around the water. Many adults also use swimming as a great form of exercise. Our water aerobics classes are very popular among active older adults.”

Some of the new programs are returning favorites, and some are brand new to the JCC. One of the highly anticipated programs is the resurgence of Swim Around Israel. “I am personally very excited to see this program be revived at the JCC,” Novak said. “Members who register will try to complete

the fitness challenge of swimming the distance from Jerusalem to Haifa to Tel Aviv to Eilat.” Participants who swim from Jerusalem to Haifa, a distance of approximately 100 miles, will be awarded a t-shirt.Other programs beginning in January include: • Baby and Me Swim lessons: Infants and toddlers ages 6 months – 2.5 years are invited to join in water games with their parents to help become acclimated to the water.

See Aquatics Programming page 3

Dr. Ron Kronish

tween Israel and Palestine. The first of these events, hosted by Tri-Faith Initiative of Omaha, will be at noon at Temple Israel and part of Tri-Faith’s ongoing community lecture series, Faith Matters Talks; Rabbi Kronish will deliver his lecture on the topic of The Other Peace Process- Interreligious Dialogue as a Form of Peacebuilding in Israel and Palestine. On the evening of the 11th, Tri-Faith Initiative, in partnership with the Schwalb Center, UNO Religious Studies and SPHRS (Spirituality, Public Health And Religious Studies) will host another lecture in the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center at UNO at 7 p.m. The evening lecture will focus on Critical Issues Facing Israel Today: Peace, Religion And State, and Relations with Minorities. Both lectures are free and open to the public.

Kronish has lectured to a wide variety of groups in Israel, including synagogue groups, Jewish community missions and Jewish, Christian and interreligious groups. In addition, he has been a scholar-in-residence at universities, synagogues and communities in North America, Europe and in the Far East.

Educated at Brandeis University (BA), Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York (MHL, rabbinic ordination) and the Harvard Graduate School of Education (doctorate in philosophy and history of education), Rabbi Kronish has published articles and essays on Jewish politics, faith communities and the peace process, as well as education, culture and contemporary issues in America and Israel.

“Too many people in our part of the world – especially in Israel and the See Dr. Ron Kronish page 2

2 | The Jewish Press | November 23, 2018

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Beth El students greet Hanukkah with a Maccabiah

green or blue T-shirts) compete in relay races, music and art OzziE NOgg On Sunday, Dec. 2, and Wednesday, Dec. 5, students at challenges, Sufganiot filling, dreidel playing, a potato latke Beth El Talmud Torah (BESTT) will participate in their 7th cook-off plus stuffing sufganiot fried donuts. “In past years, the kids designed Annual Hanukkah MacHanukkah-themed billcabiah. “The event, of boards and greeting cards course, honors Judah and representing Pirsum the Maccabees who took HaNes — publicizing the back the Temple in miracle — wrote original Jerusalem from the Greeks, Hanukkah songs, and even cleansed and rededicated it, made their own flavored and returned it to the Jewolive oils,” Tsabari said. ish people,” said Eadie “This year, each team will Tsabari, Beth El Director of write and produce a TV Congregational Learning. commercial about the mir“We use the Maccabiah acle of the oil. Their crecompetition as an out-ofthe-box method to teach Beth El students and teen madrichim enjoying latkes at last year’s ativity is pretty amazing.”

The BESTT Maccabiah about the Festival of Lights. Hanukkah Maccabiah It’s sort of like a crazy color-war at camp, and the kids love it.” teams are coached and supervised by Beth El madrichim — Inspired by the World Maccabiah Games — Israel’s pre- teenage leaders.

“This approach to learning about Hanukkah continues with mier athletic event where Jewish athletes from around the world gather to compete in Olympic recognized sports — the Beth El tradition of not just learning about Jewish, but the BESTT Hanukkah Maccabiah sees students from 3rd doing Jewish,” Tsabari said. “Learning about the festival and through 7th grade divide into three teams (dressed in red, all things Jewish, helps to build a lasting memory.”

Jerusalem grocery

Continued from page 1 Yaakov Jeidel, who relocated to Omaha with his wife Faige last year from Jerusalem, took initiative to connect with Salman and Gabi shortly after they opened. “Given the store’s name and the proximity to the JCC and area shuls, I wanted to see what this store was about. When I walked in, they were playing Jewish Arabic music- I took this as a good sign. I greeted them with an ‘Asalamu Aleikem’ and from that moment on, we were friends. They are a really great family and I am heartened that they are not only willing to accommodate us, but go out of their way to do so.”

Jeidel explains that while relatively few Jews in Omaha keep 100% Kosher, more might do so if it was not quite so difficult. “I would argue there is a larger subset of people that appreciate being able to get nostalgic foods from Israel and would buy kosher meat and dairy more often if it were an option.”

The relationship between Jerusalem Grocery and the Jewish community is a symbiotic one and Jeidel hopes it will make Omaha more attractive to outsiders who are considering a move to Omaha for work. “Increased convenience and accessibility to a steady supply of Kosher goods can only help grow our community. We have shuls, a day school, a strong community. I think a steady kosher food supply is the missing piece! I have approached many of our large supermarkets with limited success. When I approached Salman and Gabi, they said, give us a list and we will try our best to help, and they really have!”

Salman’s family immigrated to Omaha from the village of

Dr. Ron Kronish

Continued from page 1 Palestinian Authority in recent years – have given up on the idea of seeking peace. They live with a mixture of denial and apathy; they live with perpetual despair and they have lost hope in their politicians,” he states in an article for the Times of Israel.

Rabbi Kronish finds hope in both historic reconciliations as well as current events. “The most important one is the great reconciliation between the Jewish people and the Catholic Church. (According to rabbinic thinking, the people of Israel were perceived as ‘Jacob’ and the Christian world was symbolized by ‘Esau’, who became Edom.) This is one of the great reconciliation processes in human history. The religious leaders of Christianity and Judaism actually embraced at Vatican II in the 1960s and since that time have been in genuine dialogue in a spirit of trust and mutual respect for more than 50 years.”

I’billin, halfway between Haifa and Nazareth, in 2005. They joined his in-laws who had made their home in Omaha years before. “In Israel I worked primarily as an electrician and also did videography and photography for special events like weddings. Once I came to Omaha, I worked as a hotel engineer before opening my first store, Holy Land Olive Art, in 2008. I attend many Catholic Church Parish bazaars and craft shows selling beautiful olive wood items around the region. I really liked owning my own business and wanted to try something new. As a family, we discussed the possibility of opening a grocery store, and decided to try it out.

It was a little slow and overwhelming at first, but slowly people began coming. Then one day in walks Yaakov! He is a great guy and we became friends. He wanted to know if we would be able to order more kosher foods, of course we said yes! Today we are pleased to offer many Kosher and Israeli options that cannot be found anywhere else in Omaha, like frozen bourekas, malawach, Israeli juices, packaged foods and confections, dairy products and meats. One day we hope to expand our offerings to include hot foods like falafel and shwarma, but that is still a dream for now.”

Salman goes on to add, “If there is something specific you are looking for, or if you would like a special order, please come in and talk to us and we will try our best to get it!”

Jerusalem Grocery is located at 2455 S. 120 Street. Business hours are Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Cash, credit and EBT welcome!

Rabbi Kronish believes it can happen between Israelis and Palestinians too. In his blog, he points to interfaith gatherings which were attended by thousands of people in towns and cities all over America in the wake of the shooting at Tree of Life synagogue. Many gatherings were organized in Reform and Conservative congregations, led by rabbis, priests, imams and leaders of other religions in compassionate and creative ceremonies, which mourned the loss of innocent Jews who were killed when praying. Kronish believes that in these spaces where empathy and dialogue are occurring, the seeds of reconciliation can occur.

Tri-Faith Initiative of Omaha fosters empathy, invites understanding, and advances common action between people of diverse faiths through the shared efforts of intentionally co-located congregations of the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths and an interfaith center on one campus.

aquatics Programming Continued from page 1 • Level 5 Swim Lesson Techniques: The JCC is reintroducing Level 5 to young swimmers who wish to truly master all the different swimming techniques. • Basic CPr/First aid Training: These classes will be offered to anyone who wishes to know what to do in the case of a medical emergency. Red Cross classes are open to the public. • JCC Sharks Swim Team: New in 2019, the year-round swim team will hold two practices after school hours, once in the afternoon, and once in the evening at 7 p.m. • adult Swim Lessons: Adults of all skill levels are invited to come practice/learn how to improve their swimming ability. “Many people who take Adult Swim Lessons feel a lot of pride because they are often tackling a fear,â€? Novak said. “Participants also feel more enabled to go try things such as whitewater rafting, snorkeling, or swimming in deep water, that most of their life they were not able to safely experience.

Lastly, many adults gain different, healthy ways to exercise late into their lives.�

Novak has been part of the JCC team since June. He has worked in aquatics for the past 15 years holding various roles including lifeguarding, coaching, teaching, and managing. “The JCC has an enormous amount of talent currently working in its Aquatics De-

The Jewish Press | November 23, 2018 | 3

partment,� Novak acknowledged. “When I first arrived at the JCC, I was baffled by how many years of experience the staff have been working here, and I was especially impressed at the tools the JCC has to bring in and grow new talent.�

Novak joked that he has worked at nearly every pool in the city.

For this reason, he is very familiar with which aquatic programs succeed and are esteemed by Omahans. Novak believes the resources are available to make these programs a reality at the JCC. “My most rewarding experience in aquatics has been adults thanking me for putting the time in to help teach them a skill they were often embarrassed not to know,� Novak said. “It is never too late to learn how to swim, and our staff has a strong amount of respect for anyone who takes adult swim lessons.�

The JCC has undergone a sundry of changes recently, and the Aquatics Department will continue to bring momentum into 2019. “I am expecting our current outreach efforts for Red Cross classes to bring several new individuals and businesses to our doors,� Novak said. “I am hoping the JCC becomes known for having a strong aquatics community that includes people of all ages.�

For more information about JCC Aquatics Programming, please contact bnovak@jcc omaha.org or 402.334.6473.

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Celebrate Hanukkah at Beth Israel

will also be available including falafel, humMary Sue GroSSMan Executive Director, Beth Israel mus, tahini, pita, pickles, and fresh veggies. eth Israel Synagogue will be Everyone is also asked to bring menorahs for brimming with special happen- a group candle lighting at 4:45 p.m. The carings in December to celebrate nival is open to the community, free of Hanukkah which begins the charge, and donations are welcome. evening of Dec. 2. • As you do your Hanukkah preparations, make the Beth Israel Sisterhood Gift Shop your first stop.

Its wide variety of Hanukkah decorations, books, games, menorahs, candles and more will make your holiday more festive. The gift shop is open Monday-Thursday 9 a.m.4 p.m. and Friday 9 a.m.-2 p.m. • On Sunday, Dec. 2 join Rabbi Ari Dembitzer for his class, The Secret Lights of Hanukkah, beginning at 10 a.m. “The true light of The serious business of choosing prizes at the 2017 Hanukkah is not superficialâ€? shares Hanukkah Carnival Rabbi Ari. “Join me and learn how you can find that true light.â€? The class is open to the community, free of charge and light refreshments will be served. • The popular Beth Israel Hanukkah Carnival will be held Sunday, Dec. 2 from 4-5:30 p.m. A part of the Jewish Youth Experience at Beth Israel – JYE BI - the carnival will have fun for kids of all ages including a bounce house, games, music, prizes, crafts and refreshments. New this year is a menorah making workshop, presented by Home Depot, offering kids the chance to build their own menorah from scratch. Light refreshments

• Beth Israel’s annual Hanukkah Lunch will be held Saturday, Dec. 8, immediately following Shabbat morning services. Enjoy a delicious Hanukkah lunch prepared by Nancy Mattly featuring brisket, potato kugel, tossed salad, cranberry relish, applesauce, and desserts. The cost is $14 for adults, $7 for children 3-12 years, and free for those under 3. The reservation deadline is Wednesday, Dec. 5. Register at orthodoxomaha.org or call 402.556.6288.

For additional information on Hanukkah happenings at Beth Israel, please call the synagogue office at 402.556.6288.

Dancin’ Horse Designs

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Hot Shops Art Center Winter Open House

Saturday, December 1 | Noon - 8 p.m.

Sunday, December 2 | Noon - 5 p.m.

1301 Nicholas Street

NJHS Annual Meeting

4 | The Jewish Press | November 23, 2018

community Carole deBuse: Dancin’ Horse Designs After teaching jewelry making and silversmithing for many years using primarily metals, I was more than ready to start working with color.

A friend took me to the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show and introduced me to semi-precious stones with incredible colors, textures and shapes. I was hooked! I decided to redirect my metal work to working with semi-precious stones and other treasures from exotic places like Bali, Tibet, Nepal, and Africa. I was absolutely amazed at what was available to me. I knew I could combine these materials to create beautiful, unique pieces of jewelry. I felt that if I loved the pieces I created, most likely someone else would too.

In the beginning I discovered I didn’t want to sell anything I made, I wanted to keep it all for myself. Thankfully I have only one neck, and I was accumulating more pieces than I could wear. Even-

tually I got out of the hoarding stage, and began to do shows. My goal from the beginning was to make unique pieces that my customers would absolutely love. I feel it is important to create pieces that are one-of-a-kind. That makes me feel that I am offering objects that are very special. Seeing an individual light up over a piece of my work is very rewarding.

As an artist/teacher, I had a lot of training in design. Stones combined have to have a certain amount of variety, yet they must complement one another to unify the design. Current styles must also be considered. In addition, personal taste has to be addressed. Some people like small dainty jewelry; others require a piece that is an immediate attention grabber. I try to have something that will delight a wide variety of tastes.

dori and Rhonda at the Holiday Market in Aksarben Village

Artists Dori Settles and Rhonda Bruggeman are heated tent, operating together as Bits of Glass. teaming up for their fifth year at the Holiday Mar- Admission to the Market is free, and there are ket in Aksarben Village. Dori Settles works with over 40 vendors, including local bakeries. You can sterling silver, glass and natural stones to create also find Rhonda’s glass at Passageway Gallery in one-of-a-kind fine jewelry. Rhonda Bruggeman is a the Old Market, and Dori’s jewelry through her fused glass artist, who creates functional glass website. We wish you a Happy Hanukah and Beauartwork. You’ll find Dori and Rhonda under the tiful 2019!

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On Sunday Oct. 28, volunteers transformed the Jewish Community Center Auditorium into a food court. It was an appropriate setting for the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society’s Annual Meeting, during which guests were treated to a video about food and the memories it helps us create. Michael Staenberg received the Mary Fellman Award for his generosity to the Society through the years and Rocky Lewis was presented with the Volunteer of the Year Award for her devotion and support to the NJHS. Top, from left: Bruce Friedlander, Jon Meyers and Bob Belgrade; Renee Corcoran and Michael Staenberg. Left: Ozzie Nogg.

Vocational Concierge offers work readiness LAuReN edgeCOMBe Vocational Concierge, Jewish Family Service College students are going to be coming home for the holidays soon. If you’re a parent of a college aged child and your child would benefit from a temporary job for the holidays, have them reach out to Lauren Edgecombe at Jewish Family Service.

Omaha has a high number of temporary positions for the holidays anywhere from Omaha Steaks to the Outlet Mall.

With there being such a push in college to have a job lined up early, your child should

start working on their work readiness. Lauren would be happy to help with resume building, career exploration, communication skills with employers, job application FAQs and building skills for interviews, i.e., what to wear, what to bring, and interview questions. Your child goes to college in a different city or state? No worries, email works great to send tips and tricks throughout the school year to help continue to build their employment skills.

If you’re interested in contacting me, reach out to me by email or phone at ledge combe@jfsomaha.com or 402.334.6495.

Handmade zipper pouches from Geneva, Iowa See our online store at etsy.com/shop/thezipperpouchpeople

The Jewish Press | November 23, 2018 | 5

Mainstreeters plan delightful December doings

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Maggie Conti Director of Activities and Volunteer Services, Rose Blumkin Jewish Home es, December brings eight nights of Hanukkah. But for participants in Mainstreeters events, the entire month will be a festival of fun. Come to join the activities. The days may be cold, but the atmosphere is always warm when you’re with friends.

Hanukkah Party:

warming live-action adventure, Christopher Robin, the young boy who loved embarking on adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood with a band of spirited and loveable stuffed animals, has grown up and lost his way. Now it is up to his childhood friends to venture into our world and help Christopher Robin remember the loving and playful boy who is still inside. The running time is 1 hour and 43 minutes and it is rated PG (for some action). Have lunch at the Star Deli

Wednesday, Dec. 5, 1:45 p.m. in the Silverman Auditorium at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. No charge. Anna Mosenkis, at the piano, will provide musical inspiration for this joyous Hanukkah sing-aalong. There will be sizzling latkes and ice cream sundaes! Everyone is invited, so invite a friend. If you have questions or if you need transportation, call Maggie Conti at 402.334.6521 before Monday, Dec. 3.

The JCC Musical: Peter Pan on Sunday, Dec. 16, 2 p.m. in the Jewish Community Center Theater. Cost: $5 per person, a saving of 50% to Mainstreeters only. Note: we have only a limited number of tickets. First come, first served. Pick up your tickets the day of the show at Will Call. Make check payable to Jewish Social Services and send reservation with full payment to JSS, c/o Maggie Conti, 323 S. 132nd Street, Omaha NE 68154 by Monday, Dec. 10.

A Free Afternoon at the Movies: Disney’s Christopher Robin, Friday, Dec. 28, 1 p.m. in the JCC Theater. Complimentary popcorn, warm and delicious, will be served. No reservations necessary. Bring a pal. In the heart-

(Rose Blumkin Jewish Home) before the show!

The Star Deli is open for business at 11:30 a.m.

New Year’s Eve Party: Monday, Dec. 31, 1:30 p.m. in the Silverman Auditorium at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

No charge. Join us for the soulful band 37 Years.

Omaha music veterans Tyler Smith and Sandy Cunningham Smith have reunited after 37 years (hence the name), and these days they play most often with their dear friends, Kyle Knapp--playing music that takes you back--how far? Maybe... 37 Years! The band specializes in uplifting, familiar songs from the 60s and 70s. There is no charge and the concert is open to the community. Come ring in the New Year together! A reception will follow the performance. Everyone is invited, so invite a friend. If you have questions or if you need transportation, call Maggie Conti before Friday, Dec. 28 at 402.334.6521.

Mainstreeters welcomes all Jewish residents of the Omaha area age 60 plus. The group offers a mixed-bag of social events and learning opportunities that give participants the chance to meet new people, exercise their brains, take part in new activities and continue enjoying life to the fullest. For information call Maggie Conti, Director of Activities and Volunteer Services at 402.334.6521 or email at mconti@rbjh.com.

6 | The Jewish Press | November 23, 2018

Veteran’s Day at Friedel

snowbirds Please let the Jewish Press know in advance when you are leaving and when you are returning. Sometimes several papers are sent to your “old” address before we are notified by the Post Office. Every time they return a paper to us, you miss the Jewish Press and we are charged! Please call us at 402.334.6448 or email us at jpress@jewishomaha.org.

Aly Rose Designs

Now taking custom orders for the Holidays

Thomas Friedman 402.493.6668 www.AlyRoseDesigns.com

sara kohen Director of Advancement, Friedel Jewish Academy Friedel’s thirrd and fourth grade General studies teacher Mr. Bob Goetschkes, who served in the U.s.

Coast Guard, poses with students on Veterans Day.

Thomas D. Friedman: Aly Rose Designs

Tom Friedman is a glass artist born, raised and years of experience in ‘soft’ glass. living in Omaha, Nebraska. Tom is a life-long memDuring the summer of 2010, Tom’s pendants ber of Temple Israel. He has been creating glass were among only 10 artists internationally whose since 2001. Tom has studied with many of the works were chosen for a juried show sponsored world’s best torch work artists from around the by the International Society of Glass Beadmakers world. With these experiences he has created his (ISGB). With customers as far away as Italy, New own techniques and style of wearable glass art Zealand, Israel, Hawaii and Japan, AlyRose Deand custom collectable marbles. Some call his art, signs have spanned the globe. They have had ‘lampworking,’ based on the ancient and time-hon- works for sale in fine galleries and museums in ored glass workers from ancient Egypt to the isDallas, Winter Park, Colorado, Rochester, New York, Woodstock, New York and Joslyn Art Muland of Murano outside of Venice. He refers to his seum, Lauritzen Gardens and The HotShops in modern work as ‘torch-worked glass.’ The pendants created are uniquely original. They are made Omaha. Tom, along with his wife Sue and daughfrom Borosilicate Glass with a torch using temper- ter Alyson Roberts, creates unique and original necklaces as wearable glass art through their atures between 2,500 and 3,000 F°. After the company, AlyRose Designs. pendant is created, it is annealed at a cooler temperature of 1,050 degrees F° for several hours to Please visit our website at www.alyrose ensure its hardness and wearability. Tom also has Designs.com.

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

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

Kathol’s favorite time to observe nature is early morning and evenings, when the light is softer and bends around the objects. The changes of Nebraska weather and seasons also make for constant sources of inspirations.

Also available are close-ups of flowers and contemporary art. An expansive background in art history is noticeably influential. Regardless of the subject matter, it is the element of color that most intrigues her and unifies her work.

Kathol possesses a BA degree in Fine Arts.

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

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The Jewish Press | November 23, 2018 | 7

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community

ADL calls on leaders to redouble efforts he Anti-Defamation League said more must be done to address the divisive climate of hate in America after newly released FBI data showed hate crimes in the U.S. jumped 17 percent in 2017 with a 37 percent spike in crimes targeting Jews and Jewish institutions. The increase reported by the FBI mirrors the surge ADL found in its annual audit of anti-Semitic incidents.

In its annual Hate Crime Statistics Act (HCSA) report, the FBI said there were 7,175 hate crimes in 2017. The 17 percent jump was three times more than the 5 percent increase the agency reported in 2016.

“Two weeks ago, we witnessed the most deadly anti-Semitic hate crime in American history. Today, we have another FBI study showing a big jump in hate crimes against Americans because of their race, religion, ethnicity, and sexual orientation,” said ADL CEO and National Director Jonathan A. Greenblatt.

“This report provides further evidence that more must be done to address the divisive climate of hate in America. That begins with leaders from all walks of life and from all sectors of society forcefully condemning anti-Semitism, bigotry, and hate whenever it occurs.”

For 2017, the FBI reported: • A 23 percent increase in religion-based hate crimes. The 1,564 crimes reported in 2017 was the second highest number of religion-based crimes ever, surpassed only in 2001 during the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

• Attacks on Jews accounted for 60 percent of

all religion-based hate crimes, the highest of any targeted religious group. There were 938 crimes against Jews in 2017, up from 684 in 2016.

• An 18 percent increase in race-based crimes, accounting for 58 percent of all hate crimes last year. Crimes against African-Americans were the plurality of these and accounted for 28 percent of all reported hate crimes.

• A 24 percent increase in hate crimes against Latinos. There were also significant increases in the number of hate crimes directed against Arab Americans (100 percent), Asian-Pacific Americans (20 percent), and Native Americans (63 percent).

• A 5 percent rise in crimes directed against LGBT individuals, rising from 1,076 crimes in 2016 to 1,130 in 2017.

The FBI data is based on local law enforcement reporting to the Bureau. This year, that came from 16,149 law enforcement agencies, the highest level of participation since the Hate Crime Statistics Act’s enactment in 1990 and 6 percent more than the number that participated in 2016.

However, as with past FBI reports, there remains a serious gap in reporting. At least 92 cities with populations exceeding 100,000 people either did not report any data to the FBI or affirmatively reported zero hate crimes.

“You can’t move what you can’t measure; without accurate reporting we don’t have a real sense of how widespread hate crimes are and what needs to be done to address bias in society,” Greenblatt said. “It is incumbent on police departments, mayors, governors, and

county officials across the country to tally hate crimes data and report it to the FBI. The FBI can only report what data they receive.

We must do more to make sure that cities report credible data.”

ADL also called on federal and state officials to redouble efforts to track and disrupt escalating community tensions – including more comprehensive hate crime laws and better training of police officials. After the August 2017 Charlottesville white supremacist rally and violence, ADL and a coalition of more than 80 civil rights, religious, education, and professional organizations sent a letter to the Department of Justice, recommending a series of federal, state, and local hate crime prevention training, funding, research and outreach programs.

ADL has updated its interactive hate crime map with the latest FBI data. The map includes links to every hate crime law on the books in the U.S. and FBI hate crime data from 2004-2017 for states and cities with more than 100,000 residents. It gives users the ability to navigate hate crimes data and laws at the national, statewide and city level, and breaks out information on crimes against a broad spectrum of targeted populations.

ADL’s own annual Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents for 2017, which includes both criminal and non-criminal acts, found that anti-Semitic incidents rose 57 percent in 2017, the largest single year increase on record and the second highest reported since ADL started to keep track in 1979.

senior living bible quiz sunday, december 2, 2018 33RD Annual Edward Zorinsky B’nai B’rith

1:00 P.M. $700 1st Prize

•

JCC AUDITORIUM

$400

2nd Prize

$300

$150

3rd Prize

4th Prize

quiz questions are based on:

GENESIS & JONAH 1st - 4th prizes are applicable to college tuition, an approved trip to Israel or an approved camp or educational program sponsored by a Jewish organization.

publishing date | 12.21.18 | space reservation | 12.12.18

Contact our advertising executive to advertise in this very special edition.

Susan Bernard | 402.334.6559 | sbernard@jewishomaha.org

EXTRA

CA$H PRIZES

Participants can prepare on their own, (i.e. read the book) OR Contact a synagogue or religious educator to join a study group

$ 50

FIRST PLACE $ 20 to contestants answering 3 questions correctly

TO REGISTER, email your contact info to bnaibrith@jewishomaha.org by November 28, 2018

Sponsored by Henry Monsky Lodge B’nai B’rith Questions? Call Steven Riekes at (402) 333-8498 or the B’nai B’rith office at (402) 334-6443 or email bnaibrith@jewishomaha.org

Winter open HouSe

8 | The Jewish Press | November 23, 2018

A C R Y L I C

F I N E

G L A S S

A R T

G L A S S

The Jewish Press | November 23, 2018 | 9

Saturday, december 1 | 10 a.m. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 8 p.m.

Sunday, december 2 | noon â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 7 p.m.

B R O N Z E

G L A S S

S I L V E R G L A S S F I N E 2610 North Main St. Elkhorn, NE 68022 | 402.452.3088 | email: mainstreetstudios2610@gmail.com | www.mainstreetstudios2610.com

A R T

10 | The Jewish Press | November 23, 2018

UNO students study history of Omaha’s North 24th Street

Jeannette GaBriel A special event, Collecting Unfinished Stories: AfricanAmerican & Jewish Collaboration and Conflict in Omaha will take place at the Community Engagement Center at University of Nebraska-Omaha (UNO) on Thursday, Dec. 13 from 7-9 p.m. The event will feature students giving presentations on oral histories they conducted with Jewish and AfricanAmerican and community members in Omaha. Free parking is available at at the CEC parking lot.

Emmaline Sabin, who is a double women’s studies and black studies major and attended Central High School said: “It was amazing to get the opportunity to speak with A’Jamal Byndon whose mother was part of a lawsuit to desegregate OPS. It humanizes the long struggle for equality here in Omaha.”

Each student will give a presentation analyzing the interview they conducted. Kendall Panas, a gerontology major said: “I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to get to know Dick Fellman. He graciously welcomed us into his home, took our coats and hung them up in the closet, then made us a pot of coffee and showed us around his office and library. He shared invaluable stories about his careers and community involvement here in Omaha. These are treasured narratives that are otherwise lost in the generation gap. I am so proud and thankful to be part of this learning experience.”

The presentations will be followed by a Question-and-answer session with the community. The interviews will become part of a permanent collection on African-American and Jewish Collaboration and Conflict at the UNO Criss Library.

They will be accessible to the public through the Criss Library website.

The event is cosponsored by the Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies, Criss Library Archives, Service Learning Academy, the Black Studies Department and the History Department - all at UNO. Refreshments will be provided. For more information, contact jgabriel@unomaha.edu.

Organizations

B’nai B’rith BreadBreakers

dr. Mark Celinscak, Blumkin Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies and Executive Director, Fried Holocaust and Genocide Academy at UNO will tell us, What do you say to a Holocaust denier? on Wednesday, nov. 28, noon. For more information or to be placed on the email list call 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@jew ishomaha.org.

handcrafted jewelry with a european touch

health+ wellness

publishing date | 01.18.19 space reservation | 01.09.19

Contact our advertising executive to advertise in this very special edition.

Susan Bernard

402.334.6559 | sbernard@jewishomaha.org

Welcome to Silver of Oz, a handcrafted silver jewelry workshop placed inside the beautiful art gallery Mainstream Studios in Elkhorn Old Town.

Oz’s personal story is dramatic and intricate, much like the antique silver cigarette cases, pill boxes, decorative rings, and dangling necklaces and earrings on display.

Oz, who was born in Istanbul, Turkey, and lived in Vienna, Austria, before moving to the United States in 1998, has been influenced by a combination of Ottoman court jewelry and European modern style.

The son of a Turkish museum supervisor, Oz had the chance to study the impressive court jewelry collection not accessible to most visitors. His awareness of, and contact with, classic silver pieces -such as Irish and Spanish swords designed with Nioello silver patterning and with Armenian black metal (which is tricky to work with and can shatter easily) -- helped influence Oz’s silver-crafting style, fusing old and new, east and west.

Oz’s own jewelry designs play with the surface of the metal. He creates unique pieces which embrace precious and semi-precious stones.

His creations are made in a rectangular workshop at the back of the Main Street Galleries.

Something else is going on in this workshop: Silversmithing classes!

You can learn silversmithing directly from Levent Oz. Students end up with professional grade pieces even after the beginner classes.

Now to the fun part: How about having some wine and cheese and making hammered earrings. Then join the Girls Night Out. Levent’s other specialty is creating custom pieces integrating your vision with his artistic expertise. Is your jewelry collection incomplete?

Looking to bring new life to an old piece? If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, your next custom piece of jewelry is more attain-

able than you might think!

For more information you can contact Oz at silver ofoz@silverof oz.com, 402.558.1307 or visit his website at www.silverofoz.com.

I work primarily in oils and acrylics for painting and charcoal for drawing. I enjoy mixing the paint on the canvas when creating non-objective abstract art, animals, female figures, landscapes, people, etc...

I have been a self-employed artist since graduating from Doane College in 2008. I then traveled to Florence, Italy, and studied painting and drawing at SACI. I am the illustrator of the children’s water safety book, Josh the Baby Otter, partnering with the Michael Phelp’s foundation, Rotary International and many more.

Recently, I have been doing live painting for events, including the past two years at the Cattlemen’s Ball of Nebraska, with them auctioning off my painting at the evening’s events. I will be painting again at this year’s Ball in Hebron. I am also painting live at the Teammates Gala, with Peyton Manning as the speaker Nov. 3 and at the Lied Center Gala on Feb. 3, 2019. I painted a picture of Tom Osborne and Brook Berringer at a Teammates event and am in the process of getting licensed through the university to sell prints of it, as many of Brooks friends and family have asked about it. Recently, my parents and I gave a large print to Jan Berringer, Brook’s mom, after she messaged me about how much she liked it.

I’ve been told that I capture the essence of a person or animal in my paintings. I make sure that if I’m painting a person or animal, the features and what makes them, them, are exactly right. I can paint fairly quickly, so it has given me the opportunities of painting in front of

large groups of people at events, where people can see the complete process of a painting or drawing, helping them to appreciate what goes in to each piece of art.

dave Biehl, dVM: Bronze artist

Dave grew up on a small farm/ranch near Lexington, Nebraska.

Growing up, he spent every waking moment he could outside riding horses, working cows, caring for pets and helping his dad on the farm. In 1976, Dave graduated from Kansas State University with a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. Although the sciences were his main concentration, art was always something he found intriguing. In 2003, Dave attended Sculpture in the Park in Loveland, Colorado. From that point on he was hooked on sculpture. A local sculptor gave him a bag of used modeling clay and from there he taught himself to sculpt.

In 2015, Dave retired from his veterinary business and moved to Elkhorn.

He is currently a resident artist at Main Street Studios and Gallery in Olde Town Elkhorn. Dr. Biehl has created over 30 miniature bronze pieces and has completed three life-sized sculptures.

He has life-sized sculptures at Stuhr Museum in Grand Island, the Hastings Museum and the Archway in Central Nebraska. He also has bronze pieces on permanent display at Adams Central High School, Lexington High School, Hastings College and downtown Hastings, Nebraska.

Currently most of Dave’s life-sized and miniature sculptures are commissions and requests from individuals or corporations.

ashley spitsnogle: Painting and drawing

ty Curnes Creations

Tyler Curnes began Main Street Studios and Art Gallery in the heart of Olde Town Elkhorn. He repurposed the building after acquiring it at auction for the express purpose of opening an artist’s gallery and studio space.

Over a two-year period, Tyler and his family demolished, designed, reconstructed and built on the proud bones of the historical building. The business has recently had its second anniversary and is happy to be so widely accepted within the Elkhorn community.

The family is excited to see the downtown Elkhorn community flourish in the two years they have been in business. Since the opening of Main Street Studios, more and more properties surrounding them now house lively businesses, helping the continued growth of the area. It also makes our area a great location for multiple stops. There is enormous potential in Elkhorn and Main Street Studios and Art Gallery endeavors to continue to make Olde Town Elkhorn an even better place.

PAID ADVERTISEMENTS

Stand Up. Speak Out. Never is Now

PaM MoNSky Community Development Liaison, ADL-CRC The Anti-Defamation League-Community Relations Council (ADL-CRC) and the Tri-Faith Initiative are hosting a community call-to-action program following the horrific shootings in Pittsburgh and Thousand Oaks.

The event is Tuesday, Nov. 27 from 7-9 p.m. at Temple Israel. The program is free and open to the public.

As we prepare to end Shloshim (30 days of mourning) for the victims of the Tree of Life shooting, we take on the seemingly daunting task of healing, growing and finding a way to change things…a way to transform our energy and our outrage into positive action.

Please join us for in-depth discussions and a sharing of ideas focused on practical solutions to combat the rise of anti-Semitism and hate that we currently face as a nation and a community. Meet with community leaders, law enforcement officials and social justice activists and learn how they are fighting this epidemic and how you can get involved and make a difference.

For more information and to register, please visit Omaha.adl/events or email skurz@adl.org.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) was founded in 1913 “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.” Now the nation’s premier civil rights/human relations agency, the ADL fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, defends democratic ideals and protects civil rights for all Locally, the ADL-CRC office was established in 1950. In a unique relationship, the ADL also serves as the Community Relations Committee (CRC) and is the central resource for information on social issues and problems affecting the local Jewish community in Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas. The ADL-CRC attempts to foster conditions conducive to creative Jewish living in a free society.

Lincoln Interfaith service

Members of Lincoln’s diverse faith communities gathered together to celebrate the annual Lincoln Interfaith Thanksgiving Service at Tifereth Israel on Sunday, Nov. 18. Participants from over a dozen faith communities joined in readings, songs, and prayers that celebrated the theme of gratitude.

Credit: Eva Bloom

The Jewish Press | November 23, 2018 | 11

community

F

a gem of Southeast asia: India Jack ScIoLI rom Oct. 12 until Oct. 22, I had the privilege of visiting one of the most beautiful and most densely populated countries in the world, India! Going to India was an amazing experience and one that I will never forget. The country has incredible historic landmarks with markings of peace and hope.

When talking about landmarks and the country of India, it is simply unfair to start with anything other than one of the modern seven wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal. The Taj

Mahal is truly the most beautiful building in the world. I was overwhelmed by its beauty! It has such a clean and pristine look. Although the Taj Mahal is very hyped up around the world, it is for good reason. After visiting the Taj Mahal, I realize why it is so highly regarded as it was the highlight of my trip. If you are fortunate enough to have the opportunity, the Taj Mahal is something you need to see in your lifetime. The Taj Mahal was constructed from 1632 until 1653 in the city of Agra, and it is made out of ivory-white marble. The building was constructed because Mumtaz Mahal, the wife of the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, wanted a grand tomb. Needless to say, Shah Jahan delivered when he built a tomb that would cost roughly 827 million dollars to create today.

Another incredible landmark in India is Humayun’s tomb.

Located in the capital city of Delhi, the tomb is older than the Taj Mahal. The tomb was built from 1565-1572. Humayun’s first wife and chief consort, Empress Bega Begum, came up with the idea to construct the tomb while Persian architect, Mirak Mirza Ghiyas, and his son, Sayyed Muhammad, followed through with designing and creating the beautiful structure. The tomb is the first building to use mass quantities of sandstone.

Another place to visit in India is Amer Fort. Located in Jaipur, Amer Fort was originally built by the Meena tribe (a tribe found mainly in the Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh regions of India) in 1592. Within the fort lies a palace chiseled in between the Rajasthan hills. The outside of the palace con-

tains beautiful, intricate designs made of all natural colors.

The fort is surrounded by one of the largest walls in the world, the City Wall of Jaipur. The wall, which encircles the old city of Jaipur, was built in 1727 and is six meters high and three meters thick.

The last place that I would consider a must visit is the small city of Udaipur. Udaipur is known as the city of lakes and is situated on the man-made Lake Pichola. There are many hotels, palaces and restaurants lakeside where you can see picturesque views of the lake and the surrounding Aravali Mountains. Udaipur is a beautiful paradise and a fun place to visit.

India was a once-in-a-lifetime trip. I have incredible memories of my time there. The country is absolutely amazing and filled with both architectural marvels and natural wonders. I highly recommend visiting India.

12 | The Jewish Press | November 23, 2018

Life After Vision Loss

Visual impairment affects

15,000 metro residents

— and that number is growing Like most people living with visual impairment, Kenny Blackman was not born blind. He experienced the gradual loss of vision from diabetes — one of the leading causes, along with aging, for vision loss. Through his job at Outlook Nebraska, Kenny has retained his confidence and independence. He has also avoided the plight of many blind Americans: 70 percent are unemployed and 30 percent live in poverty.

Outlook Nebraska relies on donor support to fund its enrichment, recreation and adaptive technology training programs for those living with vision loss.

Support our mission of positively impacting everyone who is blind or visually impaired.

Reminder: Hanukkah competition

YaakoV Jeidel While our Sukkah competition was successful, our Hanukkah will be even bigger and better!

I’m happy to announce that anonymous donors have contacted me about underwriting the cost of a more significant prize, and that the competition will be expanded to include both Facebook and Instagram and once again be open to the entire Jewish community of Omaha. Anyone with an account can partake, even if they’re already in someone else’s post.

Here’s how it will work: Participants must, A- post a picture between the first night and fifth night of Hanukkah (Sunday evening, Dec. 2–Friday, Dec. 7 any time before sundown) with them by the lit Menorah. B- Include in the post why Hanukkah is meaningful to them (and not just the Jewish version of Christmas). And, C- use the hashtag #Oma haIs Lit18 when posting. Participants will have until the 8th day to acquire likes on their post.

The one who receives the most likes on an individual post on their personal page wins.

The winner will be announced on the 8th day at 11 a.m. CST on Beth Israel’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

May we all merit to light the Menorah this year with extra meaning and pass onto our children and grandchildren the passion to continue to do Mitzvas no matter what the circumstances. I hope both you and your family members (together or separate) will join in this year’s Hanukkah competition. Maybe they’ll even win a nice prize!

Goldmith Silversmith

Goldsmith Silversmith has been creating wearable works of art for over 45 years! Our shop is located down in the Old Market at 1019 Howard St. in Omaha. We specialize in custom designed and hand-crafted jewelry, made right here in our shop. Our talented staff of jewelers and designers can help you create that perfect piece of jewelry or help you with a design of your own.

We have a large collection of loose gemstones to choose from. If you’ve got some broken jewelry, we do most repairs on silver, gold, platinum and other jewelry. Or maybe you’ve got some old jewelry lying around the house? Bring your items in; we can recycle your metal and stones to create something new. We also change watch batteries and shorten watch bands.

The owner, Dwaine Ferguson, was born and raised right here in Nebraska. Dwaine is a Vietnam veteran, so we are proud to offer a military dis-

count. Dwaine designs jewelry, hand makes his own pieces, and has the largest pearl collection in the Midwest. Jim is our main bench jeweler and has been a jeweler for over 30 years. Jim also creates his own line of one-of-a-kind Mokume Gane rings. Elizabeth has been at the Goldsmith for seven years and is one of our jewelry designers.

Lynn is another one of our jewelry designers and makes her own jewelry on occasion too. Danielle has worked at the Goldsmith for over 11 years.

She designs and repairs jewelry, but she also has her own collection of jewelry that she sells at the shop. Sam is a beading artist who does our restringing repairs and sells her own hand-made jewelry. Sam also runs our social media and designed our website, www.goldsmithsilversmith.com.

Copper, our shop cat, is the most important employee though. He will greet you at the door with a meow!

Severe vision loss affects 15,000 metro residents — triple the number of homeless individuals in our area.

Like most people living with visual impairment, Kenny Blackman was not born blind. He experienced the gradual loss of vision from diabetes — one of the leading causes, along with aging, for vision loss. Through his job at Outlook Nebraska, Kenny has retained his confidence and independence. He has also avoided the plight of many blind Americans: 70 percent are unemployed and 30 percent live in poverty.

One in four adults in the U.S. is at high risk for serious visual impairment, a severe reduction in vision that cannot be corrected with standard glasses or contact lenses and reduces a person's ability to function at certain or all tasks. What would vision loss mean to quality of life for you, a family member or a friend? Could you still enjoy recreational activities, hold a job or navigate your way around the city?

Outlook Nebraska provides free education and training for our visually impaired community mem-

bers and their families, helping them navigate the challenges of vision loss and understand the resources available to them. Whether learning to use a computer to check email, enjoying a theater performance with audio description, or biking with a guide as their eyes -- those living with visual impairment gain confidence and independence through Outlook Nebraska enrichment programs.

We also provide meaningful employment that improves self-sufficiency for those with vision loss. Outlook Nebraska is the only agency of its kind in a seven-state area, through production of paper products and our business support center, Outlook Business Solutions.

Private insurers and Medicaid do not cover the costs of services, tools and technology that help those experiencing vision loss connect with their communities and enjoy life to the fullest. Outlook Nebraska relies on donor support to fund its enrichment, recreation and adaptive technology training programs. Visit www.outlookne.org/donate to quickly and easily support those in our community living with vision loss.

living life to the fullest after vision loss

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The Jewish Press | November 23, 2018 | 13

viewpoint thejewishpress

(Founded in 1920) Abby Kutler 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 Abby Kutler, President; Eric Dunning, Ex Officio; Laura Dembitzer; Candice Friedman; Jill Idelman; Andy Isaacson; Michael Kaufman; David Kotok; Natasha Kraft; Debbie Kricsfeld; Eric Shapiro and Amy Tipp.

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

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. 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.

American Jewish Press Association Award Winner

Nebraska Press As- National Newspaper sociation Association Award winner 2008

I

Say ‘cheese’

ANNETTE vAN dE KAMP-WRIGHT Editor, Jewish Press t must have been routine for the photographer: before Junior Prom, take a nice picture of the class of 2019. Everyone dressed nice, look this way, smile and done. Take as many shots as possible while they're all more or less standing still. When you get to your computer, you upload everything and choose the nicest ones to send to whoever hired you. In case there's any confusion: the "nicest ones" are the photos where everyone is more or less looking ahead and nobody is goofing off or making a weird face. It's really not that complicated.

Yet when those boys of Wisconsin's Baraboo High School posted the final product online with the caption "We even got the black kid to throw it up," it showed the majority of students holding up their arms in a Sieg Heil salute.

Photographer Pete Gust said he had asked the boys to "give me a high sign, a wave that you're saying goodbye to your parents."

"Gust said the boys were in different stages of waving goodbye when the photo was snapped. As far as he knows, none of the boys intended to do a Nazi salute. He said people are wrong for interpreting it as something inappropriate.

“If you want to interpret that way then I guess go ahead and interpret that way,” Gust said. “For society to now turn it around and blame these kids is absolutely wrong.” (WKOW.com) But dig a little deeper, and you'll find countless responses from students who allege the photographer was the one suggesting the Nazi salute. Besides, it was on the photographer's website for months--if he didn't approve, why process the photo to begin with? Why post and share it? It's not as if you don't notice countless right arms raised while you are taking the picture. I think the more likely explanation is that sometimes people get away with

things--until they don't.

“This photo isn’t new. Why didn’t you act on it prior to it being splashed across Twitter? It seems you had to be shamed into actually labeling it as troubling,” one Twitter user commented. Another said: "They are complicit. From the top down. Husband of the photographer works in the local education system. Kids from that school have many, many reports of being told to just ignore things... " The photo is chilling for the joy on the students' faces. But what is even more chilling is the question: what chance do they have of learning to do better, be better, when they have adults teaching them this is acceptable, at least until you hit national news?

Gust himself doesn't appear all that sorry.

He took all Prom photos off his website, but left the following statement: "Due to malevolent behavior on the part of some in society; this page has been modified. It is too bad that there are those in society who can and do take the time to be jerks; knowingly and willingly to be jerks! The internet can be a wonderful tool but for some there is an overwhelming urge to destroy. The destruction may not be physical but instead, it can be bullying that is intellectual or emotional. To anyone that was hurt I sincerely apologize. To those who have harmed them, we as society often ignore them. I have chosen not to do that. YOU ARE

ARIE KAPLAN JTA When Stan Lee died on Nov. 12 at 95, he left behind a vast legacy. Between 1961 and 1969, his greatest sustained burst of creative activity, he co-created a vast array of iconic characters, including Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Avengers, the Incredible Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, Black Panther, Daredevil, Nick Fury, Doctor Strange and Falcon.

Lee raised the bar for superhero storytelling. He created characters who had godlike powers, but who were painfully human nonetheless. They were relatable because of their flaws and foibles. They squabbled and gave in to petty jealousies, a rarity at the time. Lee’s skill at writing clever dialogue and witty one-liners ensured that his characters came off as charming and lovable, if also plagued by self-doubt. By setting many of his stories in New York City rather than a fictional venue like Metropolis, he kept his tall tales grounded in the real world. Or if not the real world, something very much like it.

Lee injected something very unique into the Spiderman character’s DNA: Jewish humor. Did Lee purposefully intend to put Borscht Belt-style jokes in Spider-Man’s mouth? Not likely. However, there was an interesting thing happening to American comedy in the 1960s. Television shows like The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show would frequently book comedians who cut their teeth at the Catskills resorts, like Henny Youngman, Jackie Mason or Jack E. Leonard. All of America was being exposed to their distinct brand of Jewish humor. American humor was, in effect, becoming more Jewish.

And Stan Lee, born Stanley Martin Lieber, the son of Romanian Jewish immigrants, grew up in New York City in the 1920s and 1930s. He must have been familiar with Borscht Belt humor.

But why did he include those kinds of jokes in Spidey’s dialogue? Perhaps he couldn’t help it. Maybe it’s the sort of comedic voice he was most comfortable using. But there’s definitely a sense of Yiddishkeit that comes through in the webslinger’s one-liners. And since Lee stopped writing SpiderMan comics in 1972, no other Spidey writer has deviated from this template. These types of jokes have always been a popular part of the character’s repertoire. And no matter how

dark a Spider-Man story is, Peter Parker never loses his sense of humor.

But Lee’s stories were more than just yarns about earnest (yet conflicted) do-gooders. Thanks to visionary artists like Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, the 1960s Marvel titles were stunningly delineated dramas bursting with emotional angst and stuffed to the gills with pulse-pounding action sequences.

Thanks to Lee, sometimes they also had a layer of sharp social commentary baked in.

JERKS! Grow up!"

I have many, many questions about that statement. He took a photo of high school kids making the Nazi salute and subsequently spread it around. Who is doing the bullying? He claims they were just "waving" to their parents.

To be clear, my own kids have waved at me many times but never with a Sieg Heil. Again, who is doing the bully-

Credit: Jules Suzdaltsev/Twitter

ing? I look at the faces of the kids who didn't participate and I wonder: what did they feel like? What about the one lonely African American kid who stands to the side? What is his life like at that school?

It's tempting to become defensive when you do something wrong. However, when whatever you do or say ends in a photograph of a group of young people, any young people, giving the Nazi salute, there is no excuse. None. So a simple "I'm sorry" would have been much better than that strange rambling statement on the photographer's website.

Which, if I had to guess, will be taken down soon as well.

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.

Stan Lee gave comic books permission to be more Jewish

ways feared – a witch hunt for mutants!” The newspaper features an artist’s interpretation of a mutant in a chariot being ferried around by human slaves. The caption above the drawing reads, “Dr. Trask warns that the superior abilities and supernatural powers of the hidden mutants will enable them to enslave the human race, replacing our civilization with their own.”

By today’s standards, this dialogue is more than a bit cheesy. But for a comic book designed for children in the 1960s, this was heady stuff; a superhero tale designed to warn kids about the dangers of prejudice. In the story, mutants are clearly a substitute for any oppressed minority. Even the newspaper caption might sound eerily familiar with the line about mutants “replacing our civilization with their own.” It’s the sort of thing that bigots in 1963 would say about Jews, African-Americans or other minority groups. It’s exactly the thing white nationalists in Charlottesville, Virginia, said last year, while they marched. After floundering during the late 1960s, the X-Men title was rebooted in the mid-1970s under the stewardship of writers like Len Wein and Chris Claremont, Stan Lee poses with a book of “Spider-Man” comics in 1991. Along who teamed with artists like Dave Cockrum. with Spider-Man, Lee created characters as Iron Man, Thor and the For the first time, people of color such as Incredible Hulk.

Storm (who hailed from Kenya) were a part Credit: Gerald Martineau/The Washington Post via Getty Images of the group. So were Jewish characters, like Take for example the X-Men as initially created by Lee and Chicago teenager Kitty Pryde. The backstory of the X-Men’s Kirby in 1963. The titular supergroup was a band of mutants, archfoe Magneto was even tweaked, revealing that he was a people who were more than people, their bodies having Jewish Holocaust survivor. evolved to contain a superhuman ability. One mutant boasted Whereas Stan Lee’s X-Men was a Rod Serling-style allegory animal-like strength and agility. Another had sprouted wings for anti-Semitism, the later incarnation of the group featured and could fly. Their mutant powers were triggered during actual Jews as superheroes. This was unthinkable when Lee their teenage years, just as their readers’ bodies “mutated” was the primary scripter on the title. In the 1960s, he did coduring adolescence. However, in 1965, Lee and Kirby discreate a Jewish character: Izzy Cohen, one of Sgt. Nick Fury’s carded that rather obvious metaphor in favor of another, multicultural group of soldiers known as the Howling Commore socially relevant one — that of the mutant as a persemandos. But Cohen is a mere supporting character in somecuted minority. Toward the beginning of the story, the Xone else’s story. It would take another decade for Jewish Men’s leader, Professor Charles Xavier, worriedly scans a characters to become more prominent in comics, and even newspaper article. then it would be under someone else’s direction. But it took “So, it has finally begun,” he frowns. “The one thing I alStan Lee to carve the path that his successors would follow.

14 | The Jewish Press | November 23, 2018

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 email: oafbjsll@icloud.com

Rose Blumkin JeWisH Home

323 South 132 Street Omaha, NE 68154

temple isRael

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

tifeRetH isRael

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

B’nai isRael synagogue

Join us for our monthly Shabbat Speakers Series on dec.

14, at 7:30 p.m. with guest speaker Jeremy Wright. 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, contact any of our board members: Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Carole Lainof, Wayne Lainof, Marty Ricks, Sissy Silber, Nancy Wolf, or email nancywolf16620@gmail.com.

BetH el synagogue

Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman. fRiday: Office Closed; Morning Minyan, 9 a.m.; NE AIDS Coaltion Lunch, 11:30 a.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. satuRday: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Mincha following Shabbat Morning Services.

Weekday seRViCes: Sundays, 9:30 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. sunday: Morning Minyan, 9:30 a.m.; Evening Minyan, 5:30 p.m. tuesday: Talmudic Arguments Class, 11:30 a.m. with Rabbi Abraham.

Wednesday: BESTT Classes, 4:15 p.m.; USY Netflix and Chill Program, 5:15 p.m.; BESTT Hebrew High Classes, 6:30 p.m.; Talmudic Arguments Class, 7:15 p.m. with Rabbi Steve Abraham. tHuRsday: Interfaith Tacky Holiday Sweater Party, 6:30 p.m. at Urban Abbey.

Beth El Shbbat at the Blumkin Home, friday, nov. 30, 6 p.m.

B’nai B’rith Bible Quiz, sunday, dec. 2, 1-3 p.m. at the JCC. Pop Up Chanukah Workshop, sunday, dec. 2, 2-5 p.m. at Westroads Women’s Book Group, tuesday, dec. 4, 7-8:30 p.m. at the home of Debi Kutler for our discussion of Sister of Mine by Sabra Waldfogel. We will have the opportunity to hear from the author that evening. Newcomers are always welcome to join us. For more information, contact Darlene Golbitz.

Operation Grateful Goodies Baking Days, monday, dec.

10, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and Wednesday, dec. 12, 3-8 p.m. To sign-up or for more information please visit www.bethelomaha.org.

Become a Soulful Parent, sundays, Jan. 27, feb. 24 and march 31 at 10 a.m. Join us for an exploration of parenting challenges against the backdrop of Jewish ideas and texts.

BetH isRael synagogue

Services conducted by Rabbi Ari Dembitzer. fRiday: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Candle Lighting, 4:42 p.m. satuRday: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Insights into the Weekly Torah Portion, 3:40 p.m.; Mincha/Seudah Shlishit, 4:25 p.m.; Havdalah, 5:44 p.m. sunday: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Jewish Time and Calendar, 10 a.m. with Yosef Siegel; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:45 p.m. at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. monday: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Jewish History — Your History, noon with Rabbi Shlomo; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:45 p.m. at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. tuesday: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:45 p.m. at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

Wednesday: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:45 p.m. at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home; A Taste of Conversational Hebrew, 7 p.m. tHuRsday: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Connecting with Our Faith, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Jewish Ethics wtih Rabbi Shlomo, noon at UNMC; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:45 p.m. at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

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.

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, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Katzman. tHuRsday: Talmud Class, noon with Rabbi Katzman.

All programs are open to the entire community. For more information call 402.330.1800 or visit www.ochabad.com.

CongRegation B’nai JesHuRun

Services conducted by Rabbi Teri Appleby. fRiday: Candlelighting, 4:44 p.m.; Erev Shabbat Service, 6:30 p.m.; Oneg, 7:30 p.m. hosted by Sue Schreiber. satuRday: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:45 a.m. on Parashat Vayishlach; Havdalah (72 minutes), 6:14 p.m. sunday: No LJCS Classes; Adult Hebrew Class 2, 11:30 a.m.; Board of Trustees Meeting, 1:30 p.m.; Latkes and Suyganiyot with Chef Nathaniel, 3:30 p.m.; Come learn and play Pickleball, 7-9 p.m. All equipment furnished. Wear comfortable clothing. For questions, call or text Miriam Wallick at miriam57@aol.com. tuesday: Star City Kochavim Rehearsal, 6:45 p.m.

Wednesday: LJCS Hebrew School, 4 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. tHuRsday: Choir Rehearsal, 7 p.m.

Annual Hanukkah Dinner, friday, dec. 7, immediately following the 6 p.m. service. Reservation deadline is dec. 1.

Seating is limited to the first 85 who RSVP. Call the Temple Office (402.435.8004) or e-mail office@southstreettemp le.org to sign up. Cost for Adults (age 13 and up) is $5, and no charge for active military, college students, and children 12 and under.

Scholar-in-Residence: Prof. Margaret Gurewitz and Dr. Zachary B. Smith, saturday, dec. 15, 10:45 a.m. on From Estminster to Westboro: American Religious Fundamentalisms.

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 Alan Shulewitz.

Services will be held in the Chapel. Members of the community are invited to attend.

temple isRael

fRiday: Shabbat Evening Service, 6 p.m. satuRday: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Service, 10:30 a.m. sunday: No Religious School. tuesday: Stand Up, Speak Out: Never Again is Now, 79 p.m. Please join the Tri-Faith Initiative and our partner congregations Temple Israel, Countryside Community Church, and the American Muslim Institute, along with the AntiDefamation League, for this call to action workshop, 30 days after the tragedy at Tree of Life synagogue.

Wednesday: Religious School Grades 3-6, 4 p.m.; School Dinner, 6 p.m.; Grades 7-12, 6:30 p.m.; Family School, 6:30 p.m.; More Than a Joke Panel for Teens, 6:30 p.m. with Rabbi Azriel, Imam Jamal, and Rev. Howel; One People, Many Voices: Exploring the Different Streams of Judaism: Orthodox Judaism, 6:30 p.m. with Rabbi Ari Dembitzer of Beth Israel Synagogue. tHuRsday: The History of the Jewish People: The Age of the Mishnah and Talmud, 10 a.m. wtih Rabbi Stoller.

URJ Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute Camp Weekend, fri-

day, nov. 30-sunday, dec. 2. OSRUI Alumni Shabbat and Rabbi Stoller Birthday Celebration, friday, nov. 30, 6 p.m.

OSRUI alumni are invited to the bima to light Shabbat candles at services followed by a camp-style oneg afterwards where we’ll also celebrate Rabbi Stoller’s birthday! OSRUI Havdalah at Rabbi Stoller’s, saturday, dec. 1, 5-7 p.m. OSRUI alumni, current campers, and interested potential campers are invited to join Rabbi Stoller and Dylan Singer, Assistant Director of OSRUI, for a ukulele Havdalah at the home of Karen and Rabbi Stoller. OSRUI day at Religious School, sunday, dec. 2, 10 a.m. K-6 students will meet Dylan Singer and learn about camp fun! At 11:30 a.m. parents are invited to meet Dylan to learn about opportunities for OSRUI campers and get important summer information.

Cantor’s Hanukkah Gift to You, Wednesday, dec. 5, 6:30 p.m. The Omaha Chamber Music Society will play traditional Hanukkah music as well as holiday music from around the world in celebration of the Festival of Lights! This event is open to everyone and all ages are welcome.

Hanukkah Lighting at The Heritage at Sterling Ridge, thursday, dec. 6, 5-7 p.m. Come play games, craft, and light Hanukkah candles with our neighbors at the Heritage as well celebrate the festival of lights! Hot cocoa and other warm treats will be provided! Open to 6th through 12th grade young people. Cost to participate is $10. RSVP to Jacob Kahn, jkahn @templeisraelomaha.com.

Hanukkah Service & Dinner, friday, dec. 7 Candlelighting and Kiddush in the Simon Community Court, 5:30 p.m., Services, 6 p.m., Dinner immediately following. Join us for a family-friendly Hanukkah service featuring the First Friday band, followed by dinner and games for all ages. Bring your dreidels! Bring your family menorah to decorate your holiday table! Menu: Brisket, Vegetables, Latkes with Applesauce & Sour Cream, and Dessert. Cost is $11 for adults; $6 for children in 2nd-6th grade; and no charge for children under 2nd grade. Please RSVP to Temple Israel, 402.556.6536 or rsvp@templeisraelomaha.com, by monday, dec. 3.

tifeRetH isRael

Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: monday-friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. fRiday: Syngaogue office closed; No Services; Candlelighting, 4:44 p.m. satuRday: Shabbat Morning service, 10 a.m. followed by a light Kiddush luncheon; Got Shabbat, 11 a.m.; Havdalah (72 minutes), 5:44 p.m. sunday: No LJCS Classes; Come learn and play Pickleball, 7-9 p.m. All equipment furnished. Wear comfortable clothing. For questions, call or text Miriam Wallick at miriam57@aol.com.

Wednesday: LJCS Hebrew School, 4 p.m. at Tifereth Israel.

Tifereth Israel Board Meeting, sunday dec. 2 at 1 p.m.

LJCS Annual Hanukkah “Wrap” on sunday dec. 2. Please send your student with a new, unwrapped gift for the children at Center for People in Need. Parents, please join your students at 11:30 a.m. at Tifereth Israel for a Hanukkah sing along with John and Hanukkah snacks!

Tifereth Israel's Annual Hanukkah/latke party, sunday dec. 9 at 12:15 p.m. TI has Talent will return this year!

Acts should be 3-5 minutes in length (maximum). Performers can be ages 3-100! Solo or group acts, you choose! Just email Nancy Coren to let her know you're going to participate and what you plan to do!

Jewish Community Center Hanukkah Walk/Run Join us for the annual Hanukkah 5K Run or 1mile Family Fun Run/Walk, which is open to JCC members of all ages. Check-in will begin at 8 a.m. The 5K will be held outside at 8:30 a.m.

The 1-mile Family Fun Run/Walk will begin at 8:45 a.m. and will be indoors.

(Strollers permitted. No pets.)

In case of inclement weather, both events will be held indoors. A Kosher breakfast and t-shirts will be handed out at the conclusion of the event.

Cost for this event is $15 for adults ages 16 and older; $5 for children ages 5-15. Under 5, participation is free. To register, please call the JCC reg-

istrar at 402.334.6419 or stop by or call Member Services at 402.334.6426. For additional information about this event, please contact Fitness Cen-

ter Director Breann Lundblad at 402.334.6580 or email blundblad@jccomaha.org.

The Jewish Press | November 23, 2018 | 15

Be a role model;

lifecycles eNgagemeNT

Craemer/KurlaNd

Sarah rae Craemer and mendel Kurland announce their engagement.

Sarah is the daughter of Julie and Ray Craemer of Los Angeles, Califormia. She earned a Bachelor of Arts — cum laude from UCLA, an MBA from the University of Southern California, and a Master’s degree in Jewish Non-profit Management from Hebrew Union College. Sarah is the Assistant Community Director at UDR. Mendel is the the son of Sandra and Allen Kurland of Council Bluffs.

Mendel graduated from Mount Mercy University with a Bachelor of Science — magna cum laude in Management Information Systems and is a senior manager in corporate communicaitons for GoDaddy. He is the grandson of Josephine Berg Simes of St. Paul, Minnesota.

A winter wedding is planned.

Going to new elections is ‘irresponsible,’ Netanyahu says

STeveN Jay FeldmaN

meet the JCC dietician

Lori Gigantelli is a registered dietitian who earned her B.S. from Colorado State University in Nutrition and Food Science, and completed her dietetic internship at St. Paul Ramsey Medical Center in Minnesota. Following her culinary curiosity of the South, she provided nutritional consulting for adult and child weight management while residing in Louisiana.

She later relocated to Columbia, Missouri where she lead Trim Within™, an adult weight loss program, while working in a Lipid Clinic providing individual nutrition counseling.

Locally Lori has worked as a consultant for Alegent Health, piloting the Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAP SACC) program and as a coach for the Dairy Council’s, Fuel Up to Play 60 program. She has spent the past 20 years raising 4 children while keeping health and wellness at the forefront of family life. She has been engaged in a variety of volunteer organizations including Live Well Omaha Kids Nutrition Plank and Programming Committee and the Nebraska Academy of Nutrition and DieteticsOmaha District while continuing her education in the area of public health. Her wellness philosophy embraces that life requires a personalized balance of nutrition, physical activity and spiritual health. For more information and to contact Lori, please contact her at 402.334.6403 or email dietician@ jccomaha.org.

Good nutrition doesn't have to be boring. Visit our website at http://www.jewishomaha.org/jcc/fitness-center/view/ healthy-recipes/ for some balanced recipes that are packed full of flavor (try the Curry Kuri Squash Soup or the Spinach Pesto!) and are recommended by Lori. ere is even a recipe for “Unthinkable Chocolate Spread.”

To SubmiT obiTuarieS To The JewiSh PreSS:

Email the Press at jpress@jewishomaha.org; mail to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154; or online at the Jewish Federation of Omaha website: www.jewishomaha.org. Click on Jewish Press and go to Submit Announcements.

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Frank L. Ciciulla Jr.

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JERUSALEM | JTA Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu named himself defense minister and said that going to snap elections would be “irresponsible.”

“We are in a particularly complex security situation, and in moments like these, we do not go to elections,” Netanyahu said Nov. 18 in Tel Aviv in a nationally televised address.

iN memoriam

Steven Jay Feldman pased away on Nov. 11 in St. Louis, Missouri.

Services were held Nov 15 at Berger Memorial Chapel in St. Louis MO and were officiated by Rabbi Jim Bennett.

He was preceded in death by his father, Aaron Feldman and father-inlaw, Marvin Appel.

He is survived by his wife, Sherry Feldman; mother, Lillian Feldman; son and daughter-in-law, David and Ashley Siegel, son, Zachary Feldman; daughter, Katie Feldman; brothers and sisters-in-law, Pam and Ron Feldman and Howard and Lori Feldman; sister, Marla Feldman; mother-in-law, Margaret Appel and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Memorials may be made to the National Kidney Foundation, 30 East 33rd Street, New York, NY 10016.

the person you want your kid to be.

NebraSKa STaTewide ClaSSiFiedS

Prime minister benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference at the Kirya defense headquarters in Tel aviv, on Nov. 18, 2018.

Credit: Tomer Neuberg/Flash90 “In times like these, you do not overthrow a government.

It’s irresponsible. We have another full year until elections.

We are in an intensifying battle, and in the middle of a battle we don’t abandon our posts. In the middle of a battle we do not play politics. e security of the nation is beyond politics, and the security of the nation is also beyond personal concerns,” Netanyahu said. e statement came aer he wrapped up a meeting with Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, head of the Kulanu Party, which holds 10 seats in the current government. Kahlon last week called on Netanyahu to hold early elections aer the resignation of Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman in part over his objection to the cease-fire agreement with terror groups in Gaza. Liberman and his Yisrael Beiteinu Party’s exit from the government leaves Netanyahu with the narrowest of majorities in the 120-member Knesset with 61 seats.

According to reports earlier on Sunday, Netanyahu is planning to appoint a Foreign Minister, a portfolio he currently holds. Jewish Home Party head Naali Bennett, who serves as Education Minister, threatened to leave the coalition and bring down the government if he is not named Defense Minister.

Netanyahu said that if the government falls with a year le on its terms and goes to early elections it could lead to the same type of government that arose aer the fall of his Likud government in 1999 “that gave us the disastrous Oslo Accords.”

“I hope that all the partners will discover their own responsibility and refrain from dissolving the government. I believe that we must continue together for the good of the state of Israel, and for the security of the state of Israel,” Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu asserted that he has a security plan and that he sees the big picture. “I understand the citizens of Israel, a large part of the criticism stems from the fact that it is not possible to present the full details and therefore you see a partial picture of a large-scale campaign that we are still in the process of bringing to the residents of the south and the residents of Israel,” he said. “I will not say when we will act and how. I have a clear plan. I know what to do and when to do it. And we will do it.”

“I risked my life time aer time to safeguard our lives here in the Land of Israel,” he also said.

Netanyahu and Kahlon are scheduled to meet again later this week. Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked also of the Jewish Home Party, have scheduled a statement to the press from the Knesset tomorrow morning. It is rumored that they will announce their resignations from the government.

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16 | The Jewish Press | November 23, 2018

worldnews

In Israel, missile alert apps save lives -- and spreads anxiety Sam Sokol JERUSALEM | JTA Four years ago, on the eve of the Israeli military's Gaza operation known as Protective Edge, a private developer created the Red Alert app providing real-time notification when missiles or rockets were fired into Israel.

Since then, Red Alert and smartphone apps like it have become tools for saving lives, social media sites in their own right -- and a portable source of anxiety for Israelis already living in a state of high alert.

Earlier this week, as Hamas and other terrorist groups again fired hundreds of rockets at cities and towns in Israel’s south, alert apps were again pinging and buzzing their way into the Israeli psyche. When a reporter asked on Facebook if they made users anxious, Israelis were quick to agree.

“I had to turn it off,” Izzy Berkson said. “It was stressing me out a lot more than it should’ve.”

Aviva Adler said she had turned off notifications because “it was just too nerve-wracking.”

Inside the areas most likely to be targeted, the apps have become essential. But even those living at a distance from Gaza say they want to know when the missiles are incoming, oen as a way of showing solidarity with their fellow Israelis.

“I use it, so that each time there is a siren anywhere, I pray for the people there to have strength and be safe,” said Chana Shields Rosenfelder of Beit Shemesh, a central Israeli city located between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Barbara Freedman of Jerusalem echoed that feeling.

“I put on an app so that I am aware of the suffering of our brothers and sisters in the south, and so my life is not ‘business as usual,’” she said. at impulse is felt even thousands of miles away.

Shmuel Katz, an American immigrant living in Beit Shemesh, recalled how his son, who had moved back to the United States, had gotten in trouble at work because his phone

wouldn't stop buzzing. e son had to explain to a stunned supervisor that dozens of rockets were being launched at Israeli citizens, and that he had installed Red Alert in order to “keep up and make sure that his family here was safe.”

Paul Frosh, a professor of communications at Hebrew University, says the apps are in a tradition of more humble technologies, including church bells and sirens, that have been used

Smoke rises from a fallen rocket fired from Gaza in a field in southern Israel near the border, Nov. 13, 2018.

Credit: Hadas Parush/Flash90 not only to signal specific events but to “connect people to each other across space and time.” Like the Muslim call to prayer or the Shabbat siren that sounds in Jerusalem, he said they enable people to “feel part of the community at the same time.”

However, unlike those previous methods, users of the modern-day alert apps opt in and are “deliberately making themselves the subject of an emergency broadcast,” Frosh said. “at’s a very powerful opt-in medium of social solidarity and cohesion.”

Asked if he believes that the use of such apps contributes to the spread of anxiety among the population, Frosh replied

that it very well might do so. But what he finds even more interesting is why people would choose to subject themselves to that.

“It’s almost as if people are saying ‘I should be anxious, I live in a community with these people, even if they are strangers,’ and it's almost as if I have a moral [imperative] to experience their anxiety,” he said. “ey may not benefit from their anxiety, but my being part of this emergency system is a sign of solidarity and makes me feel closer to them.”

For other users, the apps fill a more practical need, even if the government and military don't always approve.

During the Israel-Hamas conflict in 2014, Daniel Tal-Or, who lives in Efrat, near Jerusalem, was having issues with Israel’s official air raid notification system.

“My wife is hearing impaired, and we had problems with the sirens not reaching everyone” in our town, he recalled.

“In situations like this, it’s very important that you have a backup.”

With missiles from Gaza again raining down on Israel, TalOr created his own take on Red Alert. Sitting in front of his computer, he cobbled together a bot that would warn members of his family’s chat channel on the communications app Discord when a rocket threatened their location.

According to Jameel, the pseudonymous author of the popular Muqata blog, who also included rocket alert capabilities in his app, “not only is the Homefront Command not helpful, but the apps go against what [it] wants. ey do NOT want precision reports because Hamas uses it to align and improve their rockets against us.” is, however, has not stopped programmers from developing these apps or users from installing them.

Yedidya Kennard, who developed one of the first such apps on Android during Operation Protective Edge, said even those who are not under fire want to “keep in touch and feel connected.”