November 29, 2024

Jewish Author Event: Bob Yaffe

HEIDI HEILBRUN

PJ

Library Coordinator

Local author Bob Yaffe is a strong advocate for open adoptions. “A person has a right to know their origins,” he said. It’s a theme he promotes throughout his book, Relinquished, which he will present at the Staenberg Omaha JCC on Sunday, Dec. 15 at 2 p.m. A question-andanswer session will take place following Yaffe’s presentation at the Goldstein Community Engagement Venue.

Relinquished details Yaffe’s emotional 30year journey to find his biological parents following his adoption in 1950. Throughout the book, the author expresses deep gratitude to his parents, who adopted him, and his Jewish upbringing. Yaffe explains that in looking for one’s birth parents, “[adoptive] parents need to understand – it’s not a reflection of a lack of love or a lack of respect.”

Yaffe longed to know where he came from. The city of Omaha and its Jewish Community play a central role in his story, reflecting his upbringing and birth in the city. Yet, the author had many questions he wanted to answer including: Why do I live in Omaha? Why am I Jewish?

His biological mother, who was also Jewish, insisted her child be adopted to another

Jewish family. “My Jewish background has been exceedingly important,” said Yaffe. “It’s the best gift [my parents] ever gave me.” Yaffe said he leaned on his Jewish faith and values, which helped ground him through the difficult moments of his search.

Ultimately, he decided to accept whatever information he would find. While the author See Jewish Author Event page 3

Musical Shabbat with the Zohars

Beth El Synagogue

Rabbi Or and Feliza Zohar, internationally renowned singers, composers, and spiritual ambassadors recently came to America from the Upper Galilee region of Israel, and we are excited to announce that they will be joining the Beth El Community as musical scholars-in-residence Dec. 6 and 7, 2024. Their inspirational settings of our sacred texts show a high degree of empathy while at the same time being extremely engaging and accessible.

I met Or and Feliza a few years ago when they first visited Omaha at the tail end of the COVID pandemic, and when we were in the midst of doing a major renovation of our sanctuary. Despite these issues, all who attended were treated to a remarkable experience. The Zohar’s very deep love and affinity for Jewish music and liturgy is only matched by their warm and engaging personalities.

During the winter of 2023 when I was in Israel with the JFO teen trip, I had the opportunity to reconnect with Rabbi Or and Feliza. Not only did they give us a warm welcome to Israel, but we had the chance to visit the Galilee, where they spent several

Additions to the KripkeVeret Collection

SHIRLY BANNER

JFO Library Specialist

YOUNG ADULT:

Bird Brain by Joanne Levy

Arden Sachs has always wanted a pet: a purring kitten or an adorable puppy, or even a fuzzy guinea pig. But living in a cramped condo with her mom and siblings means she’s unhappily pet-free. Then her Uncle Eli, a professor and scientist, asks Arden to look after Ludwig, his African Grey parrot, while he’s away on sabbatical in Guinea. A little afraid of the bird, Arden reluctantly agrees to prove that she can handle pet ownership.

years as spiritual leaders. At that time, I had no clue that only a year later, Nahariya, the lovely city in which we met, would be the subject of merciless rocket attacks by Hezbollah terrorists.

In speaking to Rabbi Or, he commented on how impressed he has been with the warm and welcoming Beth El community during the two times he visited Omaha. “Feliza and I are so excited to reconnect with our Omaha friends, share some of our music, and help create a meaningful, spiritual, and uplifting worship experience while at the same time having a wonderful time with all who attend.”

We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome the Zohars back to the Omaha Jewish community. Please plan to join us at Beth El on Friday, Dec. 6 at 6 p.m., as we begin the weekend with a lively and spirited Kabbalat Shabbat Service. Feliza and Rabbi Or will combine a sampling of their outstanding original prayer settings together with some of our familiar melodies and be accompanied by an ensemble of our own Beth El musicians. Not only will the service be spiritually moving, but physically moving, too, as it is almost impossible

See Musical Shabbat page 2

But when Ludwig goes beyond his usual sounds and imitations to spout numbers and words that seem way too complex for a parrot, Arden wonders if there's more to this bird than meets the eye. As they get to know each other, Arden realizes Ludwig is not only super smart, he’s also fiercely loyal, helping her with everything from her school presentation to her bully problems, and her pursuit of a spot on the Science Bowl team. Ludwig may not be the pet Arden wanted, but he might turn out to be exactly the pet she needed.

ADULT:

Saying No to Hate: Overcoming Antisemitism in America by Norman Finkelstein

Saying No to Hate grounds readers contextually in the history of antisemitism in America by emphasizing the legal, political, educational, communal, and other strategies American Jews have used through the centuries to address high-profile threats.

Norman H. Finkelstein shows how antisemitism has long functioned in America in systemic, structural, and interpersonal ways, from missionaries, the KKK, and See Kripke-Veret page 2

HAZZAN MICHAEL KRAUSMAN

Bob Yaffe

Rabbi Or and Feliza Zohar

Musical Shabbat

Continued from page 1 to sit still when experiencing their wonderful music.

Kripke-Veret

Continued from page 1

American Nazis to employment discrimination, social media attacks, and QAnon. He explains how historic antisemitic events such as General Ulysses S. Grant’s General Order No. 11 (1862); the Massena, New York blood libel (1928); and the mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue (2018) galvanized the Jewish community. Finkelstein shines light on Jews such as Louis Brandeis and Admiral Hyman Rickover who succeeded despite discrimination and individuals and organizations that have tackled legal and security affairs, from the passage of Maryland’s Jew Bill (1826) to groups helping Jewish institutions better protect themselves from active shooter threats.

Far from a victim narrative, Saying No to Hate is as much about Jewish resilience and ingenuity as it is about hatred. Engaging high school students and adults with personal narratives, it prepares each of us to recognize, understand, and confront injustice and hatred in the Jewish community and beyond.

First Murder by Carol

Goodman Kaufman

When Mary Jane Bennett is found dead in her bed— alone, strangled by her own scarf, and with every door in the house locked — the medical examiner rules her death accidental, the result of a sex game gone horribly awry. State police decline to investigate further, but Queensbridge Police Chief Caleb Crane doesn’t buy for a minute that his good friend died this way, so he undertakes his own investigation. Facing town councilors afraid of bad publicity, an angry medical examiner, and his own personal demons, he labors to solve what he believes is the first-ever murder in his pastoral Berkshire Hills village. Complicating things: the list of suspects includes some of the people to whom he is closest — including his own wife.

Jacobs’s Ladders – A Shabbat Morning Journey, is the theme of our Shabbat morning service, starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7. We will enjoy another unforgettable, vibrant prayer and learning experience with the Zohars. During services, Rabbi Or and Feliza will skillfully interweave beautiful, dynamic, original and traditional music with an engaging dialogue focused on of the weekly Torah reading. Rabbi Or will draw on his extensive knowledge of Kabbalah— Jewish mysticism— to illuminate some of the sacred teachings of the Torah. Services will be followed by a Kiddush luncheon.

On Saturday evening, we will bid farewell to Shabbat as we transition into the new week with a magnificent Havdallah Coffee House Concert beginning at 7 p.m. This will be a fundraising event for a vital organization that provides support for families in the North of Israel who have been impacted by the war. We will once again be inspired and entertained by this diverse and extremely talented musical duo, accompanied by our local musicians. “Jo on the Go” will be on hand to provide crafted coffee drinks. Wine and light refreshments will also be served. While there is no charge to attend Shabbat services and lunch, on Saturday evening we ask for a voluntary donation from adults, students and children are free.

Rabbi Or Zohar is the Senior Rabbi at Temple Sinai, a Reform Jewish congregation in Rochester, NY. Previously, Rabbi Zohar served as the Rabbi of the Misgav Region in the Galilee, the Rabbi of Congregation Maalot Tivon in Kiryat Tivon, and was the Founding

Rabbi of Congregation Kehilat Halev in Tel Aviv. He was also the founding director of the Spirit of the Galilee Association in Israel. He was ordained at the Jerusalem campus of Hebrew Union College in 2012 and holds a Master’s degree in Jewish Philosophy from Tel Aviv University, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Jewish Thought and Indian Religions from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Feliza Bascara-Zohar is a singer-songwriter, song leader, artist, and choreographer. She teaches a mindful holistic approach to worship, which she calls Embodied Prayer, and practices Voice Movement Therapy. She has an MA in Expressive Art Therapies from Tel Aviv University and a BA in Musicology and Literature from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Rabbi Steven Abraham remarked, “Welcoming Feliza and Or Zohar is a joy—they bring soulful, sacred music that connects deeply with our tradition and spirit. Their melodies carry the heart of Israel, weaving timeless teachings into moments of profound connection and joy.”

The entire family will want to take advantage of this rare opportunity to experience some wonderful new music from Israel, explore a slightly different approach to Shabbat services, and meet, sing with, and learn from Rabbi Or and Feliza. Our goal is to enrich our congregation and the entire Jewish community with meaningful connections to Israel and spirituality and we invite each participant to make deeper connections to their faith. We are appreciative of the generosity of the Borden family for sponsoring this incredible weekend.

For more information, please visit our website, www.bethel-omaha.org

BEYOND KUGEL

Beth Israel Fundraiser to benefit cemeteries

MARY SUE GROSSMAN

Walk through Golden Hill Cemetery, located at 5025 North 42nd Street, and one will see the names of countless family and friends plus decades of “who’s who” of Jewish Omaha. Some of the headstones date back to the late 1800s with many featuring huge, ornate monuments.

A walking history tour can continue at Fisher Farm, found at 8700 South 42nd Street, adding more well-known names. Located on the Douglas/Sarpy County lines, the serenity of the location seems the perfect place to remember loved ones.

The final stop of the cemetery tour is at Beth Israel Cemetery, located at 78th and Crown Point. While often confused with Mount Sinai Cemetery, located on the northeast portion of the area, Beth Israel is multiacre and is the youngest of the three cemeteries.

Caring for Golden Hill, Fisher Farm and Beth Israel Cemeteries is considered a sacred duty by the synagogue, wanting to show ongoing respect for the deceased. While each cemetery has an endowment fund, the income available is woefully inadequate to provide the financial resources needed for ongoing maintenance, let alone long overdue renovations. The shortfall must be covered by the synagogue’s limited budget and is placing an ever-increasing burden on the shul. Limited grant funding secured in recent years through the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation has allowed the completion of some smaller projects. However, juggling limited resources is a continual struggle.

ceive, particularly toward the end of each year. What is different about this fundraiser is that while we are asking for donations, just as important, we are asking everyone to share the fundraiser with those outside of Omaha.” She continued explaining, “Even if you don’t have a connection to any of the cemeteries, it is likely you have connections with others who have family at Golden Hill, Fisher Farm, or Beth Israel. By sharing the info with them, you can make a real difference in raising funds. Since the fundraiser is an online event, anyone, located anywhere, can help.”

Liora Herskovitz, Beth Israel’s Executive Director, commented that people sometimes question what expenses are involved with a cemetery. “Routine expenses include electricity, water, mowing, weed control, reseeding, normal sprinkler system repairs with seasonal turn on/turn off, snow removal, repair of animal related damage, storm cleanup, and tree removal. Considerable expense is incurred when dealing with resetting of headstones.”

On Giving Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, Beth Israel is launching a project hoped to ease the financial burden. With a goal of raising a minimum of $25,000 per cemetery, a 72-hour, online fundraising event will be held, coordinated by an organization called Cause Match.

Toba Cohen Dunning shared her thoughts on this project. “All of us feel inundated with the numerous ‘asks’ that we re-

She further explained that major renovations needed at Golden Hill include replacement of the large retaining wall on the east side of the cemetery, replacement of the sidewalks, and repairs to the storage building. At Fisher Farm, significant tree work and renovation to the maintenance shed are needed. Repair and expansion of walking paths at both Golden Hill and Fisher Farm are needed. While long overdue tree removal at Beth Israel Cemetery was completed over the past two years, much additional work is still needed. “I hope the community will strongly support this fundraising effort,” Liora said. “Donating or passing the information along to others will be a true mitzvah, enabling Beth Israel to continue the care for the deceased that they so well deserve.” Links for the fundraiser will be provided in the synagogues’ weekly email, on Facebook, What’s App, and at orthodoxom aha.org or in the synagogues’ weekly email. For additional information, please call the synagogue office at 402.556.6288.

B’nai B’rith plans its Annual Bible Quiz: Jeopardy! – The David Edition

MARTY SHUKERT

Monsky Lodge Bible Quiz Chair

The time is approaching for one of our community’s most anticipated annual events. Yes, it’s time for the Edward Zorinsky B’nai B’rith Bible Quiz. It’s an opportunity for students to test their knowledge of our texts and compete with each other for “fame and fortune.”

Those of you who attended last year’s event know that it was an exciting contest that went down to the wire. This year’s contest will present Jeopardy! – The David Edition, again adapting the format of television’s legendary Jeopardy! Show, where our contestants – students from 8th through 12th grades – will call on their knowledge and strategy to compete for fabulous prizes. Participants have been hard at work studying this year’s subject – the Second Book of Samuel.

The book begins where last year’s quiz left off, from David’s brilliant poetic eulogy through his kingship to his final words. The famed Biblical expert and translator Robert Alter of the University of California at Berkeley calls it “one of the most astounding pieces of narrative that has come down from the ancient world.” It is a story of power politics, heroism, war and peace, betrayal, love, and vengeance as we follow David through the tangled adventure of his life.

The Jeopardy! format gives parents and other spectators the chance to play along and cheer for their favorite contestants.

And like the iconic TV show, participants compete for high stakes: $1,000 for first place, $750 for second, $250 for third. In addition, each contestant who answers three questions correctly will walk away with $50 in cash, with the winner earning $100.

The Edward Zorinsky Bible Quiz will take place at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8 in the Goldstein Community Engagement Venue at the Jewish Community Center – a new space to accommodate last year’s standing room only crowd. Refreshments will be served. Be there and join the excitement!

Jewish Author Event

Continued from page 1 expressed that access to historical family information is “a natural right; almost a civil right,” he adds, “it doesn’t give a right to have a relationship. You have to be prepared to walk away.” Since writing the book, Yaffe revealed that sharing his story has been helpful to many who have gone through a journey with adoption and he has been very moved by others’ stories.

During the event at the JCC on Dec. 15, copies of Relinquished will be available for purchase. Following the presentation, Bob Yaffe will be available to sign copies of his book. Heavy refreshments will be served, so registration is encouraged. You can register online at https://fundraise.givesma rt.com/form/dWMJRQ? vid=18hhaa or scan the QR Code above.

Lightning Johnson

Ed. Note: This is part two of a twopart series. Part one ran in our 1122-24 edition.

There was one major group without its own building, but with a dominant influence through South Omaha. They were the African Americans, then called by names that are no longer either written or spoken. There were many in this group, recent arrivals from the American South, Texas and Oklahoma, from throughout pre-Civil War Dixie, all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.

to the vacuum and created a business, which was identical to the firms these days using private owners with their own cars. Customers called a specific number and were referred to a private driver. It was all outside the law and not regulated, but it was run efficiently and honestly. The entire jitney operation was supervised by Lightning’s Lady.

Sensational

When we began campaigning in South Omaha, I was told that this group had a leader, and I was given instructions to meet him and deliver an envelope to him. He was Nathaniel “Lightning” Johnson. Nobody called him Nathaniel. I was to find Lightning, and if necessary. go to his home at Twentyninth and Q, half a block south of Q on a quiet and well-maintained street. It was not only his home, but also the headquarters of the “Seventh Ward Improvement Club,” which was run by Lightning.

Lightning Johnson was a striking Black man, tall and handsome. A gentleman at all times. His word was good, “golden,” those who did business with him said. He was a bookie, and ran every type of gambling game folks in those days enjoyed playing. All of these enterprises were totally illegal.

The Omaha World Herald reported that Lightning Johnson was arrested at least 38 times, but never served a day in jail. He paid small fines. His offenses included providing a gambling facility, procuring prostitution, selling liquor without a license, and keeping a disorderly house. In one instance, he had a disagreement with a gentleman, there was some gunfire, a man received minor wounds, and Lightning turned himself in. It was all over the newspaper, and Johnson received minor punishment, but no jail time.

There was one business Lightning Johnson ran, which was outside the law and unregulated, yet totally accepted by the authorities and that was his “jitney service.”

At that time, the taxi companies in Omaha refused to drive to North 24th Street at any time, day or night, because of the fear of being held up, robbed, or injured. Lightning stepped in

From the archives

From the Nov. 27, 1924 edition of the Jewish Press BREAK GROUND FOR NEW JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER BUILDING, 20TH AND DODGE

The first step towards the erection of the magnificent Jewish Community Center Building, at the Northeast corner of 20th and Dodge Sts., was taken Monday night at a meeting of the Building and Site Committee of the Jewish Community Center when contract was let to the Western Contractors for the wrecking of the old improvements that now stand on the lot and a contract was let to F. L. Busche for the grading and excavation, preliminary to the construction of the building. Plans and specifications are being rushed to completion by James T. Allen, Architect, and bids will shortly be received for the general contract.

The Building and Site Committee, consisting of Wm. L. Holzman, H. A. Wolf, Harry Lapidus, Henry Monsky, Harry Malashock, Joe L. Wolf, Jacob Slosberg, Jr., and Dr. Philip Sher, are arranging for a program to be held Sunday afternoon, November 30th, at 2:30 p.m., at the building site in connection with the breaking of ground ceremony, the details of which program are announced here.

The day we were campaigning at the Packing Houses in South Omaha, John Y told me to call Bernie Boyle, a well-established Omaha lawyer who was a close friend of Jimmy Green. Boyle was also the Nebraska Democratic Party’s National Committeeman, the top man in the state for organized Democrats. His primary job was raising funds for the party. He had tickets to a major expensive fundraising dinner, which he wanted Lightning and his Lady to attend, and he asked me to deliver them personally to Lightning Johnson at his home. I took the tickets in an envelope, personally addressed to “Nathaniel Johnson,” and left Q Street at 28th and walked a half block south on a short side street to a well-kept building. Grass was growing in a small front yard, and a few flowers were planted by the door.

I rang the doorbell and a tall Black woman came to the door. She spoke in an elegant manner and told me Lightning was out of town on business for a few days, and then asked me what I wanted. I told her I had some papers for Lightning that I was to give to him personally, and she said I could give them to her. I told her they were from Bernie Boyle. “Mr. Boyle is my friend,” she said. “I know he would approve if you give the papers to me.” She was commanding in a soft and firm manner. It was early afternoon. She was dressed as if she was going to a luncheon at the Omaha Club. (At the time the Omaha Club was the most exclusive social club in Omaha. It did not accept Jews as members, and it was rumored that they had quotas on Italians and all Catholics. African Americans could only wait tables or wash dishes in the Club’s kitchen.)

Lightning’s Lady was tall, with a light complexion, and graceful. Her clothing seemed to have been purchased in the French Room at Brandeis or Kilpatrick’s, two of the finest women’s departments in Omaha. It was perfectly coordinated and in the then-current colors and style. I believed her and handed her the envelope. Later that afternoon I told Bernie Boyle what had taken place.

“Isn’t she beautiful,” was all he said, and he thanked me.

ious and sundry meeting halls and classrooms to accommodate Americanization classes and other activities carried on by the Jewish Community Center, a fully equipped gymnasium, swimming pool and other facilities (illegible) to carry on and continue the work that is being done by the Young Men’s Hebrew Association, the Young Women’s Hebrew Asso-

Mrs. Bertha Levy, widow of Morris Levy, whose $50,000 pledge towards the building fund for the Jewish Community Center was immediately responsible for this movement, will break ground as part of the program on Sunday afternoon.

The building will cover a (illegible) on Dodge street by 112 feet on 20th street, will be three stories and basement, fireproof, and will include in addition to a large auditorium, var-

ciation and the Jewish Welfare Federation. Rabbi Frederick Cohn and Rabbi J. M. Charlop will partake in the program. Henry Monsky will make the principal address. All Omaha Jewry should attend this ceremony en masse. It is believed that all organizations in the city will attend in bodies. A capacity crowd is expected to attend.

RICHARD FELLMAN

The Jewish Federation in 1924

In our Nebraska Jewish Historical Society’s storage sit a number of books that contain treasure. Handtyped and bound, we can find the minutes of the Jewish Welfare Federation, before it became the Jewish Federation of Omaha.

DECEMBER 2, 1924

The following were present: Dr. Philip Sher, Presiding; Harry A. Wolf; Joe L. Wolf; S. Ravitz; Henry Monsky; Harry Malashock; Wm. L. Holzman; A. B. Alpirn and the Superintendent.

The meeting was called for the purpose of arranging the date and speaker for the Annual Meeting for the Federation.

Upon motion duly made carried, it was decided that the Annual Meeting take place either the last week in January or the first week in February. A motion was made and duly carried that the Superintendent communicate with Rabbi A. H. Silver of Cleveland, inviting him to address our Annual Meeting, giving him the choice of days between January 25 and February 8th.

A motion was duly made and carried that the next meeting of the Board of Directors take place on Monday evening, December 29th.

The Chairman of the Finance Committee. Mr. Joe L. Wolf, then reported on the condition of the finances of the Federation and urged the cooperation of the Executive Committee in the work of collecting pledges.

Mr. S. Ravitz, President of the Talmud Torah, reported that the Talmud Torah was facing a deficit of $300 per month and asked an increase in the allottment from the Federation for the ensuing year. Upon motion duly made and carried, a Committee of three was appointed to meet with the Committee of the Talmud Torah to discuss the matter. The following were appointed: Henry Monsky, Harry A. Wolf and Joe L. Wolf.

DECEMBER 23, 1924

Whereas certian statements contained in Father Flanagan’s Home literature concerning the number of Jewish boys taken care of by that institution was discussed, it was regularly moved and carried that the Superintendent visit the Home with the view of obtaining more definite information concerning the same.

Whereas a letter was read from Rabbi Silver of Cleveland, stating that he will be unable to address our Annual Meeting, due to other engagements, it was regularly moved and carried that Rabbi Goldman, Head of the Jewish Community Center of Cleveland, be invited, and informed that we prefer Sunday, February 1st if possible, otherwise any date between January 25 and February 5.

Whereas the President reported that he had made arrangements with Mr. Ruben H. Brown to install a new system of books in the office.

Jumping Jehoshaphat: 2 Chronicles 20

Quick question: Who was Jehoshaphat? Quick answer: A ninth century BCE king of Judah.

Follow-up question: Why has he often been described as jumping?

For a follow-up answer, we turn to London’s Daily Mail: “Around the middle of the 19th century, his name was used in the United States as a mild oath, a euphemism for Jehovah. The expression ‘Jumping Jehoshaphat’ is first recorded in 1866 in Headless Horseman, an adventure tale set in Texas by British author Mayne Reid— but it is probably older.”

But was Jehoshaphat indeed known for his jumping ability? No, according to London’s Guardian per: The phrase was “used for alliterative effect, rather than because there is any record of his leaping about the place.”

Hold on. Not so fast. In a Washington Post story titled Leaps of Faith: Praise Dancing Gets Foothold in Area Churches, Reverend Betty Peebles, senior pastor at the Jericho City of Praise, is quoted as stating that “praise dancers originated in the Bible with King Jehoshaphat under attack.” According to Reverend Peebles, “God told Jehoshaphat, ‘Don’t carry any weapons into battle; just get yourself some praise dancers,’” citing a story about the king from 2 Chronicles 20.

in Avonlea, the Disney Channel’s popular Canadian import.” Even though it bemoans the fact that this series is available only on cable, the article reassuringly notes that “at least somebody’s willing to present a vision of life where the harshest words uttered are ‘dang it’ and ‘holy Jehoshaphat.’” In like manner, a reviewer for The New York Times opined that viewing an HBO-produced movie “probably left most fans of westerns longing for the days when the hero never even kissed the girl and when the raciest flight of language might be Walter Brennan shouting ‘jumpin’ Jehoshaphat!’”

That same “vision of life” is found in numerous road stories.

So the St. Petersburg Times published a correspondent’s travel memories from the early 1930s: “As we drove eastward across Pennsylvania’s old Route 30, we ran headlong into a winter storm. My parents debated whether to turn back.... Daddy sat hunched over the steering wheel, straining to see through swirling whiteness. ‘Jumping Jehoshaphat! What a storm!’ he exclaimed.” Lord knows, if that driver had been me, the exclamation would certainly have been somewhat different (and stronger). At other times, this biblically inspired phrase is combined with one or more others, as in “Jumpin’ Jehoshaphat, Land o’ Goshen and saints preserve us, they’ve done it again.”

No matter what its origin, for today’s readers there is something almost self-consciously quaint about the expression “Jumping Jehoshaphat.” It is therefore not surprising to find this phrase in newspaper features that harken back to earlier, seemingly simpler times. For example, some years ago, in lauding the return of family-friendly television, USA Today advised interested viewers to “make yourself at home

Whatever its origins and wherever its uses, the expression “Jumping Jehoshaphat” seems to inspire a certain excitedness: Notice how often it is followed by an exclamation point (!). As if to counter that, we’re ending on a quieter note. In a New York Times review of a book called The Real Animal House, Christopher Buckley noted that, in addition to much that was lurid and revolting, if also hilarious, the movie (of the same name as the book) also contained “a few relatively innocent terms, like the synonyms for breasts,” one of which was “jehoshaphats.” If that doesn’t stop us in our tracks, at least for a moment, I don’t know what will.

LEONARD GREENSPOON

Above: Sharon Brodkey, NE Sen. Jana Hughes, Pam Monsky, and Morgan Groniger, JCRC Communications and Program manager. Sen. Hughes toured the JCC campus and learned about the issues important to the Jewish Community.

Below: Each month Friedel Jewish Academy explores a different character trait (“middah” in Hebrew). This month’s middah is trust. Staff and students talked about trust in others, trust in themselves, and trust in God. Third and fourth graders led a call-and-repeat song about the power of trust.

below and bottom:

Above and below: The Lincoln Young Jewish Initiative (YJI) hosted a festive Friendsgiving event at South Street Temple. Young adults from the community enjoyed an evening of wonderful food and conversation. If you are between the ages of 25-45 and interested in more information on Lincoln’s YJI, email lincolnyji@gmail.com

SP O TLIGHT

PHOTOS FROM RECENT JEWISH COMMUNITY EVENTS

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

Above,

Young children learn through play, and that’s exactly what these Friedel Jewish Academy kindergartners are doing during center time!

Above, left and below: Jewish Federation of Omaha representation at the JFNA General Assembly.

Below: Julie Platt, Chair of Jewish Federations of North America at the General Assembly.

Showing in the Eisenberg Gallery at the J

LYNN BATTEN

JFO

Publicity Manager/Gallery Manager

Local artists Erin Sanders, Holly Cimino, and Amy Nelson will have pieces on display from Nov. 27 through Dec. 22

The public is invited to attend the opening reception on Thursday, Dec. 5 from 5 - 7 p.m. The Eisenberg Gallery at the J is located on the Staenberg Kooper Fellman Campus at 333 South 132nd Street.

Erin Sanders is an acrylic artist based in Omaha. Sanders is inspired by the kaleidoscope of colors that surrounds us on a daily basis and sees her art as a celebration of those moments.Her canvases are expressions of her joy and love for all things vibrant and whimsical.Sanders finds beauty in the unexpected—whether it’s the way sunlight dances on a dewdrop or the burst of colors in a landscape. These little sparks of life inspire her work, pushing her to capture that feeling of unadulterated joy and transform it into art that makes people smile. Sanders views painting as a journey into a colorful world where every brushstroke is a step towards a brighter moment. Her work seeks to evoke happiness and a sense of wonder. She invites viewers to pause and appreciate the playful side of life while appreciating the every day beauty that surrounds us all.

offer unique small group tours to Italy.

Mixed media artist, Amy Nelson, uses nature as a primary source of inspiration for her work. Natural elements, such as the sky, clouds, and landscapes offer a rich vocabulary of shapes, textures, and colors, all of which Nelson explores through representational and abstract forms. The use of mixed media, layers of acrylics, oils, inks, charcoal, and pastels, create depth and complexity in her work. Nelson works on diverse surfaces—canvas, paper, wood, and fabric—each chosen for its ability to interact with the materials in specific ways. The interplay between these layers of paint, graphite, and other materials mirrors the complexity of the natural world, where different elements constantly overlap, blend, and react with one another. By breaking down the familiar forms of nature and layering them with color, texture, and line, she captures the energy and beauty that exists in the world around us, and offers a new way of seeing and experiencing the landscapes we often take for granted.

Holly Cimino paints everyday scenes inspired by her time spent in Italy. Her interest in the Italian culture began in 1978 when she was a student in Florence. Since that time she has painted snapshots of Italian life in watercolor, oil and acrylic. Common themes in her paintings are shutters, clotheslines, fishing boats and the sea. As a native Nebraskan, far from the sea, Cimino finds herself intrigued by the water. In 2013 Cimino began a small business to share her passion for the traditions, customs, food and natural beauty of life in a small Italian fishing village. She, along with her daughter Caroline,

The Untested Cookbook

Ingredients:

1 lb. mushrooms, fresh and sliced

1/2 onion, chopped

In addition, local award-winning photographer, Marsha Senft, will display her work in the pop up gallery during the month of December. Patience and skill allow Senft to bring unique images alive through the lens. Beautiful vistas and travel photography, embellished with flora and fauna, are a staple of Senft’s portfolio. Through her photography Senft aims to capture the essence and beauty of nature at specific moments and unique perspectives. Her photography has evolved into a life-long passion earning her numerous awards from the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, the Audubon Society of Omaha, and the Bluff’s Art Council.

The Gallery is open Monday through Thursday, 5 a.m. to 9 p.m, Fridays from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday/ Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Holiday hours may differ. Please check www.jccomaha.org for updates.

HONEY CHICKEN WINGS

JUDY BRODSKY

Ingredients:

3 lb. chicken wings (tips removed)

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

salt and pepper

2 Tbsp. ketchup

1 cup honey

1 garlic clove, minced 1/2 cup soy sauce

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place wings on a baking sheet. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Mix all other ingredients together and pour over the wings. Bake for 2 hours or until very brown and caramelized. Turn after 30 minutes. Serve warm.

MUSHROOM CAVIAR

Marti Rosen-Atherton

2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

4 tsp. lemon juice

4 cloves garlic black pepper, to taste

4 tsp. thyme

Directions:

Brown mushrooms, onions and garlic with thyme. Chop in a food processor and add remaining ingredients. Refrigerate. Serve with crackers or bread rounds.

SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP SUZANNE POCRAS

1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts

1 10 oz. box frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup real grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup red pepper, chopped

3-4 slices Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup mayonnaise

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coarsely chop artichoke hearts and blend with Parmesan cheese. Combine pepper, mayonnaise, spinach and garlic. Cook for 20 minutes. Top with Monterey Jack or additional Parmesan cheese. Cook 2-3 minutes until the cheese is baked in.

Credit: JeffreyW, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

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A Weird Hobby

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT

Jewish Press Editor

Juan Melamed recently wrote a story for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency about yet another cache of Nazi memorabilia (does anyone else struggle with calling it that? It’s trash!) discovered by Argentinian authorities. In Quilmes, near Buenos Aires, “they seized over 60 firearms from a home, including 43 rifles with Nazi eagle markings, pistols, bayonets and machine guns, and arrested a man.”

It’s happened before: “In June 2016, a collector from Argentina paid $680,000 for Nazi underpants and other memorabilia. The following year, investigators announced the seizure of 75 items, including those seemingly used in medical experiments; most were later revealed to be forgeries. Last year, police raided and closed a publisher that was distributing Nazi literature.” Don’t think Argentina is alone in this, because finds like these happen in other countries, too. Anyone remember the Brazilian pool with the giant swastika mosaic on the bottom?

Never mind the Nazi underpants; people actually go through the trouble of falsifying this stuff. I mean, this is a career choice? Well.

We often tend to think about Holocaust denial and the simultaneous glorification as a verbal exercise. It involves discourse, arguments, a struggle fought online in creepy chatrooms. Every once in a while, it’s talk radio, it’s formerly-Twitter-now-X, it’s self-proclaimed historians who get their facts wrong. As it turns out, it’s more than words. Sometimes, it requires a workshop.

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.

Creating fake Holocaust artifacts to earn a living, it’s something I don’t think I ever considered. How does one end up doing that? Do the problematic politics come first, is it a weird hobby that got out of hand, do people commission this stuff?

It’s possible that I’m fascinated because some guy somewhere toiling away at fake Nazi tchotchkes does not scare me. In a way, it’s kind of old-fashioned; those who glorify the “good old days” of the Third Reich are not the same as the people who take to the streets and tear down hostage posters. And a collector who purchases Nazi underpants isn’t as intimidating as the bullhorn-wielding antisemites who attack our universities.

And so, stories like these elicit a less visceral reaction than the Anti-Defamation League’s daily “Antisemitism on Campus Report.”

Maybe I am wrong; it wouldn’t be the first time.

“The issue at hand,” Alec Tulkoff wrote in his 2000 book Counterfeiting the Holocaust, “is the callous disregard by those who profit from the Holocaust by manufacturing and selling counterfeit and fake items.”

I agree that it is problematic, insulting and of course painful. But it seems that nowadays, with riots and vandalism, outright violence against Jews in the aftermath of October 7, we are more concerned with the present than with the past. And those who keep denying and glorifying the Holocaust, not to mention those who profit from it, seem to live in the past, even if they walk among us. Perhaps there is a difference between people who are wrong, and people who are dangerous.

The real danger is that when Holocaust artifacts are falsified, and more and more stories come out about those who deal in these artifacts, people will start to think of the Holocaust itself as fake. I mean, even more than they already do. And that, we cannot allow to happen. We’ve seen people change the narrative on us since October 7, trying to gaslight, and that happened in real time. Imagine if that level of engagement and energy is directed at the Holocaust itself; is it really so far-fetched to think the current anti-Zionist and antisemitic crowd would see the benefit in total Holocaust denial?

I research disappearing small-town Jewish communities

AUSTIN REID

JTA

Growing up in Lancaster, Ohio, I remember discovering a book in the local library that ultimately helped to change how I viewed my hometown’s history. The book, Jewish Literacy by Joseph Telushkin, had a small sticker on the inside cover indicating it was purchased through the B’nai Israel Synagogue of Lancaster Jewish Book Fund. This was surprising, as there hadn’t been an organized Jewish community in Lancaster for years.

I later learned that the fund had been established by the remaining members of the synagogue after its sale in 1993, with the intention of ensuring that the tradition of Jewish education continued in Lancaster, even in the absence of a physical synagogue. This discovery, along with other signs like a Star of David engraved next to a cross on the town’s war memorial and the presence of the building that once housed the B’nai Israel synagogue downtown, hinted at Lancaster’s former Jewish community. During its nearly seven decades of existence, B’nai Israel not only served its congregants but also hosted groups — including church youth organizations and civic societies — to educate others about Judaism. As in many small towns across the United States, the synagogue provided the only accessible resources for learning about Jewish culture, history and theology.

I’ve dedicated myself to documenting the Jewish histories of small towns in both my home state of Ohio and my adopted state of New York. I am drawn in by the realization that many of these once-active communities, despite their contributions, were in danger of fading into obscurity. I have spent countless hours piecing together the stories of Jewish families, tracing their lives and legacies in over 20 small towns. In most of these places, the written record of their Jewish past was sparse, with local historical organizations often lacking the resources or staffing to fully explore these stories. These constraints also create opportunities for volunteers and community members to engage in uncovering stories still waiting to be told.

Small-town synagogues often function as unique centers for education and community engagement.

In Lancaster, the B’nai Israel synagogue opened its doors to various groups seeking to learn about Ju-

daism. Its book fund ensured that, even after the synagogue’s closure, locals could continue to conveniently access resources devoted to Jewish culture and history.

Eighty miles to the south, in Portsmouth, Ohio, the Jewish community was also engaged in interfaith efforts from its earliest days. When Beneh Abraham, the local synagogue, was consecrated in

1858, Christian residents of the town supported the construction, and the First Presbyterian Church choir even sang during the dedication. Such partnerships went both ways, with Jews contributing to the building funds for nearby churches.

The local rabbi, Judah Wechsler, taught in both English and German. Wechsler’s leadership helped Beneh Abraham function as more than a religious space — it became a center for community engagement in Portsmouth.

Portsmouth’s first synagogue, like many other historic religious structures in America, no longer stands today, but this early story from the town’s Jewish community reminds us of how intertwined religious groups in small towns can be. Beneh Abraham continues to exist in Portsmouth and is one of Ohio’s oldest Jewish congregations.

In Auburn, New York, the former B’nai Israel Synagogue played a crucial role in bringing neighbors together and fostering understanding. Throughout much of the 20th and early 21st centuries, B’nai Israel welcomed interfaith activities, particularly through its long-standing relationship with St.

Luke’s United Church of Christ. This engagement included an annual exchange of pulpits, novel when it began in 1939, where the rabbi of B’nai Israel and the minister at St. Luke’s would preach at each other’s congregations. This effort, undertaken each year during the national Brotherhood Week campaign, continued for over 30 years, helping strengthen ties between Jewish and Christian communities in Auburn.

In both Auburn, New York, and Lancaster, Ohio, the B’nai Israel synagogues’ efforts to educate nonJewish neighbors about Judaism often left lasting impressions, in keeping with studies showing that the more people know about Jews, the less they embrace antisemitic tropes.

With the closure of these small-town synagogues in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the physical presence of Jewish life in these towns has largely disappeared, raising questions about how this loss impacts interfaith understanding and broader cultural awareness.

As small-town Jewish communities across America continue to contract, preserving their histories becomes not just an act of remembrance, but also an essential part of understanding the broader American story. Though often small in numbers, small-town Jewish communities have played crucial roles in shaping the civic, cultural and economic landscapes of their communities.

As the physical reminders of small-town Jewish life — such as synagogues, social centers and long standing family-owned businesses — fade, there is a danger that their stories will disappear, a loss not only for Jewish history but American history. They remind us that America’s heartland is not as monolithic as it is often portrayed, and that diversity has long been part of the stories of many communities.

In a time when debates about national identity dominate our public discourse, preserving the histories of small-town Jewish communities offers a crucial reminder: that the American story is, and always has been, one of diversity and change.

Austin Reid is a historian and writer based in Rochester, New

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

York.

The Junior Congregation of B’nai Israel of Auburn, New York, in a photo from the Golden Jubilee Journal created by members to mark the synagogue's 50th anniversary in May 1953. Credit: Austin Reid

Argentine police show off what they said were Nazi guns and memorabilia seized in a November 2024 raid. Credit: Screenshot

My survivor parents taught me to loathe Germany. Was I ready to forgive?

STEWART FLORSHEIM

JTA

My mother was a Holocaust survivor and my father left Germany in the mid-1930s, when Hitler was coming into power. I grew up in Washington Heights — a Manhattan neighborhood that became known as “Frankfurt on the Hudson” for its large German-Jewish population.

Most of my friends were children of survivors or children of refugees from Hitler’s Europe. Most of our parents did not talk very much about the Holocaust, but we grew up in the shadows of the trauma: the ghosts of family members who did not survive, the ongoing fears of persecution, the pressures to succeed, a contempt for all things German.

Even though I grew up speaking German, I was taught to identify the dialect spoken by non-Jews. When we heard it on our very occasional visits to the Yorktown section of Manhattan, we would discreetly cross the street. My parents also boycotted German products.

When I was first invited in 2023 to participate in the Frankfurt Visit Program — a week-long event for children of survivors whose parents lived in Frankfurt before and during the Holocaust — I wasn’t sure I wanted to attend. The program, organized and sponsored by the city, is designed to show what Jewish life was like in Frankfurt and what it’s like now, with a vibrant Jewish culture and several active synagogues.

Having grown up with antipathy to all things German, I did not want to support any programs that would even begin to relieve the Germans of their accountability.

But I had started on a journey — reading more and more about the progress of German accountability for the Holocaust, and speaking to individual Germans about their roles in remembrance and reconciliation. Perhaps it was time to come to terms with the past and confront the ghosts that inhabited my childhood.

My grandfather had a very successful kosher meat market in Frankfurt. On Kristallnacht, in 1938, everything changed. During that two-day Nazi pogrom, the butcher shop was vandalized and shut down. The Gestapo stormed my family’s apartment above the shop and deported my grandfather to Dachau. When he left, he told my grandmother not to worry, and not to go to the Gestapo to try to get him released. After all, he said, he defended Germany in World War I. Whatever is going on now, he insisted, will blow over.

My grandmother had sisters living in New York City and, as a result, was able to get a visa for the family to move to America. Contrary to my grandfather’s wishes, she apparently went to the Gestapo every day to try to get him released.

My mother used to tell this story: “Six weeks after my father was taken, I woke up at 2 a.m. because I had a premonition that he was coming home. I ran down to the train station and there he was, on his way home, crying. He cried for weeks. He

A Black

was never the same.”

The reunited family left everything behind and set sail for New York City in March 1939 to rebuild their lives.

I was surprised when my parents decided to participate in a program called “Wiedergutmachung” (literally, “to make good again”) over 20 years ago, when the local German government invited survivors and refugees back to their hometowns to express their remorse. I was against the visit, but my parents prevailed. My father often spoke about his idyllic village and he had a sudden interest in seeing it again. When he went back, he was treated like a VIP. It turned out to be a beautiful closure to his life, because he passed away a few months after he returned.

I started to have a change of heart when a few of my friends told me about their positive experiences with the Stolpersteine program: Starting in 1992, small brass plaques, or “stumbling blocks,” were placed in front of the places where the Nazis’ victims had lived, worked and studied. My friends were pleased to have the opportunity to memorialize their families and attend the installations. I decided to participate in the program with that simple aspiration in mind. I traveled to Frankfurt in 2022 for the installation of four Stolpersteine in front of my mom’s original residence–one each for my grandfather, grandmother, mother and uncle.

The next step in my journey was a bit more complicated: becoming a German citizen.

I never thought I would want to live in Germany, but, motivated in part by the current political situation in the U.S., I was attracted by the idea of having access to the EU. Now, after a few recent trips to the country, I began to fantasize about what it might be like to live in international centers like Berlin or Frankfurt. I applied in March 2022 and received my naturalization certificate in October of the same year.

Having become a German citizen, and learning about how Germans were teaching about the Holocaust, supporting refugees and fighting right-wing ideology, I couldn’t see a reason not to participate in the Frankfurt Visit Program this past September.

During the week of the program, we met with local students to tell them about our experiences as the children of survivors, a program organized by Project Jewish Life. I asked them when and what they learned about the Holocaust, and if they felt any remorse. Most of them agreed they were too far removed, but they wanted to learn about it, partly to make sure it doesn’t happen again. By way of comparison, one of the teachers, a woman in her 40s, said her grandparents never spoke about the Holocaust, and she was too ashamed to acknowledge that she was German when she traveled around Europe in her teens. The conversations moved to current times; for example, the students wanted to know about antisemitism in the U.S. given the crisis in the Middle East. I told them how impressed I was that Germany has been accepting accountability for the Holocaust, as witnessed by so many actions, including the acceptance of refugees fleeing persecution, climate change and other disasters.

Since I write poetry, I also met with a group of students at the University of Frankfurt who are studying poetry. They wanted me to read poems about my experiences growing up as a child of a survivor. The class included native Germans as well as refugees, and they asked me questions about my writing process, and whether or not it helps me come to terms with the past.

I told them it does, as represented by the last few stanzas of one of the poems I read called “Mother’s Favorite Drawing.”

The poem is based on a drawing by Käthe Kollwitz called Mother and Child:

Mother wants to hang it over her bed in a spot framed now by the shadow of the fire escape, the steps and ladder imposed over mother and child bracing them forever in flight.

I told them my writing helps me grapple with the ghosts of the Holocaust, but I will always be aware of the horrors of persecution and genocide, and one step away from understanding that, at any point in time, I might need to flee.

My mother used to say the Holocaust affected me more than it affected her — partly because I never stopped asking questions and reading about it. I felt like I was living in two worlds: a world inhabited by the ghosts, and our comfortable middle-class American life. I was always trying to reconcile the two worlds, which later extended into an activism against contemporary genocide.

On my journey from Washington Heights to Frankfurt, I discovered that reconciliation is well under way.

Stewart Florsheim is the editor of Ghosts of the Holocaust, an anthology of poetry by children of Holocaust survivors (Wayne State University Press, 1989). He lives in the Bay Area.

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

artist and a Jewish artist mock the KKK in a new Jewish Museum show

ANDREW SILOW-CARROLL

Mel Brooks, who mocked Adolf Hitler in his 1967 black comedy The Producers, has always made the case for satire as a weapon against tyranny.

“You have to bring him down with ridicule,” he told 60 Minutes in 2001. “It’s been one of my lifelong jobs — to make the world laugh at Adolf Hitler.”

Of course, Hitler was long dead and there were six million fewer Jews on the planet when The Producers came out. Before and during World War II, satire proved a futile weapon against the Fuhrer: Charlie Chaplin made The Great Dictator in 1940, similarly reducing Hitler to a buffoon. But by the time the movie premiered that October, nearly three million German troops had smashed into France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

The futility of satire was on my mind when I toured a new exhibit at the Jewish Museum on the Upper East Side in Manhattan. Draw Them In, Paint Them Out: Trenton Doyle Hancock Confronts Philip Guston features two artists, one Jewish, one African-American, whose work wrestles with racism, white supremacy and antisemitism.

Philip Guston, born Phillip Goldstein in Montreal in 1913, was inspired by the ferment of the 1960s to create a series of cartoonish paintings featuring hooded members of the Ku Klux Klan. In these almost cheerful paintings, the frightening avatars of white supremacy look like costumed children out of a Charlie Brown comic (or, more accurately, from Krazy Kat, a popular comic strip in Guston’s youth).

About a third of the gallery is given over to Guston’s Klan paintings, as well as some of his earlier work. The rest features riotous paintings, cartoons and a film by Hancock, a Texasborn artist who was a child when Guston died in 1980 in upstate Woodstock, New York. Many of Hancock’s paintings directly quote Guston’s Klansmen: They are in painting after painting featuring Torpedoboy, a sort of Black superhero who Hancock considers his alter ego. The Klansmen try to lynch Torpedoboy; he fights back with what looks like a watermelon. In one painting, Torpedoboy appears to drive a spike

through a Klansman’s head.

In the exhibition catalog, Hancock describes what attracted him to Guston’s Klan paintings. “I fell in love with the forms, and how he used comedy to take the wind out of the sails of the KKK,” says Hancock. “He helped me understand where I could take” my own characters.”

Whether audiences appreciate the comedy depends on their sensibility; remember, it was decades before The Producers lost its “notorious” label and became a beloved institution, at least in its adaptation as a Broadway musical. For some, the Klan paintings by both artists could be triggering. In 2020, at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, four major museums certainly thought so, and postponed a comprehensive survey of Guston’s work. They explained that “the powerful message of social and racial justice that is at the center of Philip Guston’s work can be more clearly interpreted.”

When the exhibition did open at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in 2022, the museum offered a pamphlet from a trauma specialist and a detour allowing visitors to skip the Klan-themed works.

The Jewish Museum seems unfazed by that controversy. . The only suggestion that images might be controversial is a sign outside the gallery, warning that the exhibit contains “explicit language” and “depictions of violence and lynchings.”

James Snyder, director of the Jewish Museum, also said the exhibit is right for the political moment.

“We don’t do politics,” he said at the press preview, “but if you think about what happened the other day in the election, and where we actually really need to go, this show could not be more timely.”

What happened, of course, was the election of Donald Trump

to a second, non-consecutive term. And if ever there was a rebuke to the power of satire, it is Trump. Trump was a nightly target of nearly all the late-night talk shows, where he was mocked as a racist, a would-be authoritarian, a grifter and a vulgarian. With just a week to go before the election, Jimmy Kimmel made a direct appeal to Republicans to reject Trump, calling him “the exact meeting point between QAnon and QVC.” For years Stephen Colbert wouldn’t even say his name.

Deserved or not, the jokes about Trump didn’t make a dent in his popularity — and perhaps they only added to it. In a recent episode of his podcast, Revisionist History, Malcolm Gladwell talks about the “satire paradox”: the idea that satire, by making the targets entertaining, actually makes them more sympathetic. He quotes Jonathan Coe, a British writer who argued in 2023 that “laughter is not just ineffectual as a form of protest, but that it actually replaces protest.”

“Laughter, in a way, is a kind of last resort,” Coe tells Gladwell. “If you’re up against a situation for which there is no human solution and never will be, then OK, let’s laugh about it.”

Not that Guston and Hancock are not deadly serious in their aims. The art is provocative and appropriately disturbing. The exhibit suggests that Guston, who changed his name from the identifiably Jewish “Goldstein” in 1935, later felt guilty about abdicating his identity — and as a result felt complicit with the Klansmen who sought to erase both Jews and Black people.

Draw Them In, Paint Them Out: Trenton Doyle Hancock Confronts Philip Guston is on view at The Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Ave., through March 30, 2025. This article was edited for length.

The author’s grandfather ran a kosher meat market in Frankfurt, Germany before it was destroyed on Kristallnacht. Credit: Stewart Florsheim

Cigar (1969) by Philip Guston, on view at The Jewish Museum, features the Ku Klux Klan figure found in several of his paintings from the period. Credit: JTA

B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

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BETH EL SYNAGOGUE

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BETH ISRAEL

SYNAGOGUE

Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street Omaha, NE. 68154

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CHABAD HOUSE

An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street Omaha, NE 68144-1646

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LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY:

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Union for Reform Judaism 2061 South 20th Street Lincoln, NE 68502-2797

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OFFUTT AIR

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TIFERETH ISRAEL

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

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

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

Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman.

IN-PERSON AND ZOOM MINYAN SCHEDULE:

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

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

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

SUNDAY: Morning Minyan, 9 a.m. Zoom Only; Operation Grateful Goodies with PJ Library, 3 p.m. at the JCC.

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

WEDNESDAY: BESTT (Grades 3-7), 4:15 p.m.; Hebrew High (Grades 8-12), 6 p.m.

FRIDAY-Dec. 6: Pre-Neg & Tot Shabbat, 5:30 p.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat with the Zohars, 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream

SATURDAY-Dec. 7: Shabbat Morning Services with the Zohars, 10 a.m. at Beth El and Live Stream; Jr. Congregation (Grades K-12) 10 a.m.; Havdalah, 5:35 p.m. Zoom Only; Coffeehouse Havdalah Concert with the Zohars, 7 p.m. Please visit bethel-omaha.org for additional information and service links.

FRIDAY: Office Closed; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Mincha/ Kabbalat Shabbat/Candlelighting, 4:39 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:30 a.m.; Youth Class, 10:45 a.m.; Soulful Torah, 3:45 p.m. with Rabbi Geiger; Mincha 4:30 p.m.; Kids Activity/Laws of Shabbos 5 p.m.; Havdalah, 5:42 p.m.

SUNDAY: Shacharit 9 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv 4:40 p.m.

MONDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 6:45 a.m.; Monday Mind Builders, 4 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv 4:40 p.m.

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

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

At

THURSDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Character Development, 9:30 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:40 p.m.; Kinyan, 5:15 p.m.

FRIDAY-Dec. 6: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat/Candlelighting, 4:37 p.m.

SATURDAY-Dec. 7: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:30 a.m.; Youth Class 10:45 a.m.; Soulful Torah, 3:45 p.m. with Rabbi Geiger; Mincha, 4:30 p.m.; Kids Activity/Laws of Shabbos, 5 p.m.; Havdalah, 5:41 p.m.

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

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

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

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

SUNDAY: Sunday Morning Wraps, 9 a.m.

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

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

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

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

FRIDAY-Dec. 6: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Lechayim, 4:30 p.m., go to ochabad.com/Lechayim to join; Candlelighting, 4:36 p.m.

SATURDAY-Dec. 7: Shacharit, 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 5:40 p.m.

LINCOLN JEWISH

COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN & TIFERETH ISRAEL

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

FRIDAY: Offices Closed; Shabbat Candlelighting, 4:42 p.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

led by Rabbi Alex at SST.

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

SUNDAY: No LJCS Classes this week; Men’s Bike/ Coffee Group, 10:30 a.m. at The Mill on the Innovation Campus. For more information or questions please email Al Weiss at albertw801@gmail.com

WEDNESDAY: Adult Ed Movie Night: Munich, 6:308:30 p.m. at SST.

FRIDAY-Dec. 6: Shabbat Candlelighting, 4:41 p.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6:30-7:30 p.m. led by Rabbi Alex at SST.

SATURDAY-Dec. 7: Shabbat Service, 9:30-11 a.m. led by Rabbi Alex at TI; Torah Study, noon on Parshat Vayetze led by TBD via Zoom; Havdalah, 5:44 p.m.

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

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

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

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

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

WEDNESDAY: Yarn It, 9 a.m.; Grades 3-6, 4:30 p.m. In-Person; Hebrew High: Grades 8-12, 6 p.m. InPerson.

FRIDAY-Dec. 6: Drop-In Mah Jongg, 9 a.m. In-Person; Village Walking Group, 10 a.m. In-Person; Tot Shabbat, 5:45 p.m. In-Person; Shabbat Shira Service with Scholar-in-Residence Rabbi Leah Berkowitz, 6 p.m. In-Person & Zoom.

SATURDAY-Dec. 7: Torah Study with Scholar-inResidence Rabbi Leah Berkowitz, 9:15 a.m. In-Person; Shabbat Morning Service Scholar-in-Residence Rabbi Leah Berkowitz, 10:30 a.m. In-Person & Zoom; Program with Scholar-in-Residence Rabbi Leah Berkowitz, 6:30 p.m. In-Person. Please visit templeisraelomaha.com for additional information and Zoom service links.

JEWISH PRESS NOTICE

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

ADL’s ‘Concert against Hate,’ the Focus is on Israel

RON KAMPEAS

WASHINGTON | JTA

At an annual event meant to honor people who champion its agenda, the Anti-Defamation League spotlighted a roster of Israelis and Americans whose stories reflected the fears and small triumphs Jews have experienced following more than a year of war in Israel and antipathy at home.

There were three college students who fought campus antisemitism; survivors of Hamas’ Nova music festival massacre on Oct. 7, 2023; a Holocaust survivor and several others whose examples were meant to inspire the crowd that gathered at Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center on Monday.

Almost unmentioned at the Concert Against Hate, was another more recent development: the return to office of former President Donald Trump.

The near omission — Ben Stiller, the emcee, did crack a joke about the incoming administration — was especially notable because the last time Trump was the president-elect, eight years ago, the concert focused on domestic terror and extremism, phenomena that, according to the ADL and other Trump critics, he had egged on. Then, the concert’s honorees were all victims of extremist violence in the United States — and none of them was Jewish. This time, the focus was on Israel and the spike

in antisemitism that has come alongside its multifront war.

“The past 12 months have been filled with terror, death and destruction, and I would say that it’s been one the most precarious in the long history of the Jewish people,” the ADL’s CEO, Jonathan Greenblatt, said.

The ADL is one of many Jewish groups that have centered their end-of-year events on Israel and campus antisemitism 13 months after the Oct. 7 attack. But the focus also represents a broader shift the group has undergone since 2016, when it frequently took on Trump.

This time, the group has not been as outspoken, and dating back to before Oct. 7, has emphasized the danger of hate from anti-Zionists. In the weeks before the election, the ADL drew flak for waiting to criticize Trump and his acolytes after the inflammatory rally in Madison Square Garden, and for qualifying the criticism it did express. The shift also comes as public figures and groups have in many cases toned down their criticism of Trump in the wake of his repeated pledges of “retribution.”

The point of the evening was to honor individuals who further the fight against bigotry and the protection of the vulnerable, said the official, who spoke anonymously to be candid. The tone is one

of optimism and of finding people who inspire.

Aside from the students, Nova survivors and Holocaust survivor, the honorees this year included Mehnaz Afridi, a Muslim religious studies professor who includes antisemitism in her curriculum; and Charles Chavis Jr., a historian of the Black-Jewish alliance (which, Stiller joked, culminated in Lenny Kravitz).

Israeli singer Eden Golan, who competed amid protest at last year’s Eurovision contest, performed October Rain, her tribute to the survivors and victims of Oct. 7, which the Eurovision Song Contest insisted she alter — to Hurricane — to avoid violating the contest’s ban on political speech.

The singer Sia, backed by the National Symphony Orchestra, performed Titanium, her 2011 hit recorded with David Guetta, after being introduced by survivors of the Nova festival, including one of her fans, Danielle Gelbaum. The singer did not change the lyrics, which are about how one becomes “bulletproof” to endure the pitfalls of a romance gone wrong. The words took on additional meaning as she was hugged close afterward by the survivors, who had lived through a shooting massacre.

Read more at www.omahajewishpress.com.

B’NAI ISRAEL

BETH EL

BETH ISRAEL

CHABAD HOUSE

Life cycles

IN MEMORIAM

LYNDA J MARVISH

Lynda J Marvish passed away on Nov. 23, 2024 in Omaha. Services were held on Nov. 26, 2024 at Beth Israel Cemetery. She was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Sidney Mirvish and her parents Ruby and Jack.

She is survived by her daughter, Leora Mirvish; son, Daniel Mirvish; daughter-in-law, Rachel Mirvish; and grandchildren, Rebecca, Jonathan, and Miriam Mirvish.

Lynda was born in South Africa. She also lived in Israel before settling in Omaha. Lynda had a long and varied career in advertising, journalism, public relations, public radio, and as baker extraordinaire. Some of the places she worked in Omaha included

The Jewish Press, The Sun newspaper, Brandeis Department Store, Mutual of Omaha, KIOS, Creighton University, and Tasty Pizza. A graduate of the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg with a BFA, she was a life-long learner taking many history and art history classes at UNO. Friends and family savor her cookbook, and she is credited on many films as a “cookie grip.” She enjoyed her rose garden, Memorial Park, and volunteer work.

Memorials may be made in her memory to Food Bank of Omaha, New Hearts Transplant Support Group, Live On Nebraska, and the New Israel Fund.

Rabbi Zvi Kogan OBM, HYD

RABBI MENDEL KATZMAN

Chabad of Nebraska

Thank you for the outpouring of love and outrage and the sharing of the pain in response to the horrific murder of our fellow Chabad rabbi, Rabbi Zvi Kogan OBM, HYD.

My heart is broken, and my mind feels numb. This brutal slaughter in Abu Dhabi has left us all shaken. The pain and shock run unimaginably deep.

This atrocity is a deliberate attack on all of us and everything moral, sacred, and just.

Rabbi Zvi was just 28 years old. A young man full of life and potential snatched out of this world by the epitome of evil and darkness. Zvi was a source of light, a person who brought joy and warmth to everyone he met. Everywhere he went, he left behind smiles, laughter, and inspiration. He was a friend, a powerhouse of energy, and a force for good in a world that desperately needs it. His impact was HUGE in the short time he served the community in Abu Dhabi.

makes it shine brighter.

This is not a time to stand by.

As the Rebbe taught, the way to respond to such darkness is by connecting to our G-d given sources of light and strength, and spreading that light through Torah and Mitzvot. Our light dispels the darkness, and this is what we must do now.

We cannot remain silent. When you see Jew-hatred—in schools, in communities, or wherever you have influence— you must stand up to it firmly and without hesitation. Shine your inner light! Stand up to say: “I am my brother’s keeper, and I will do something about it.”

Rabbi Zvi Kogan is pictured in an undated photo distributed by Chabad. In background: The Jewish Community Center of the UAE hosts Yom Kippur prayers in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sept. 15, 2021. Credit: Andrea DiCenzo/Getty Images

We send heartfelt condolences to his young widow, Rivky and his extended family.

Does darkness win? It feels that way sometimes. But it doesn’t have to. History shows us the resilience of light. Evil tries to extinguish the light, but with the proper response it only

Now is a time to strengthen ourselves and commit to Jewish unity. Please take the time this week to do an additional mitzvah. Strengthen your Jewish connection and education in Zvi's holy memory. Because darkness doesn’t win. Not as long as we refuse to let it.

We seek peace for all and look forward to a time very soon when there will be goodness and kindness for all mankind.

May the memory of Rabbi Zvi be a blessing, and may we honor his legacy by spreading light and standing firm in the face of hatred.

Please commit to doing a Mitzvah in the merit and memory of Rabbi Zvi Kogan by visiting https://onemitzvah.org/tzvi.

For more information call: 1-800-648-4444 http://www.prevlink.org

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Pledge or donate at any time on Dec. 3rd to the Jewish Federation of Omaha Annual Campaign, and you'll be entered into a drawing for a Kindle Softcolor!

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