Sponsored by the Benjamin and Anna E. Wiesman Family Endowment Fund AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA
Partnership2GETHER Visionaries
December 19, 2014 27 Kislev 5775 Vol. 95 | No. 14
This Week
Friedel Hanukkah play Page 5
A time of rededication Page 7
by MARY SUE GROSSMAN Center for Jewish Life A picture of the wide diversity found in the Western Galilee was shared by four accomplished women from the Western Galilee Diana Bletter, Dr. Janan Farraj-Falah, Kineret Hadar and Galit AviramCohen, along with Noa FriedmanEpstein, visited Omaha on December 9yh through the Partnership2 GETHER program. Their day was packed with a combination of individual meetings and community presentations. Diana, an author, led a writer’s workshop for the Friedel 5th and 6th grade students, met with Dr. Leonard Greenspoon’s senior seminar class at Creighton University and talked to students in Ron Azoulay’s Hebrew class at UNO. Janan, the first Druze woman in Israel to earn a Ph.D., joined Eliad Eliyahu for “Eye on Israel.” Later in the day, Janan, along with Galit, both of whom work with various women’s groups, visited the Women’s Center for Advancement. Kineret, the legal advisor for the city of Akko, met with attorneys in the City of Omaha’s legal department and later visited the Omaha Small Business Network. In the evening, the four, were members
Visionaries Delegation members: Diana Bletter, left, Dr. Janan Farraj-Falah, Kineret Hadar, Galit Aviram-Cohen and Noa Friedman-Epstein. of a panel led a discussion titled “The Rich Tapestry of the Western Galilee.” Partnership2GETHER, a program of the Jewish Agency and the Jewish Federations of North America, is an extraordinary global platform con-
Polsky family donates Amud
necting some 550 communities around the world in 47 partnerships. Omaha is one of 12 U.S. Jewish communities partnering with the city of Akko and the Matte Asher area in the Western Galilee through cultural, ed-
ucational, social, medical and economic programs. Omaha’s Partnership2GETHER programs are coordinated by the Center for Jewish Life. For more information, call 402.334.6445.
Music and Memory
Knife attack at Chabad headquarters raises security questions Page 12
Inside Point of view Synagogues In memoriam
8 10 11
Next Month The Food Guide See Front Page stories and more at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on Jewish Press
Betty and Hyman Polsky by NANCY COREN, SUSAN BASS and ALAN POLSKY When Hyman Polsky was born in 1917, in Lincoln, Nebraska, the now
century old Tifereth Israel Synagogue, was only four years old. The new congregation became a very important place for young Hyman. He became a Bar Mitzvah at Tifereth Israel, was an active member of AZA, and joined the congregation on his own as a young adult. After Hyman returned from five and half years of serving in the army during World War II, he met his future bride, Betty Rosenberg of York, Nebraska, at a Yom Kippur “break-the-fast” Synagogue dinner/dance. The couple spent the next 64 years of their Continued on page 3
Blumkin Home resident Danny Goodman listens to a personal playlist of Mariachi music, Big Band and Barbra Streisand on his iPod Shuffle, courtesy of the Home’s new Music & Memory program. “Danny’s a drummer,” Maggie Conti said. “Music is in his blood. He didn’t miss a beat.” by OZZIE NOGG Home activity staff, neighborhood Music is a popular recreational clerks and Colin Heskin, RBJH Opactivity in long-term care facilities, erations Intern, recently completed and with good reason. Residents the MUSIC & MEMORY℠ Certifilove performances and sing-alongs. cation Program. “We received all Music uplifts the spirit. New re- the training and equipment at no search shows that personalized charge, thanks to Dan Cohen, the music playlists, delivered using founder and Executive Director of iPods or other digital audio devices, Music and Memory,” said Maggie can help even more, and transform Conti, Director of Activities and the quality of life for individuals Outreach Program at the RBJH. struggling with a wide range of “We were given thirty iPods, 30 physical and cognitive impair- headphones and $500 in iTunes. ments. With that goal in mind -- to Our interns downloaded an improvide therapeutic benefits to res- pressive music library of 650 CDs idents -- the Rose Blumkin Jewish Continued on page 3
2 | The Jewish Press | December 19, 2014
B’nai B’rith Bible Quiz Israeli group aims to help Arabs
Nine high school students from our community’s synagogues participated in the Annual Ed Zorinsky B’nai B’rith Bible Quiz. The event was held at the Jewish Community Center on Wednesday, Dec. 3. Top picture, front row: Sam Lieb, left, Ben Brodkey. Sam Kricsfeld (second place) and Zev Krausman (third place). Back row: Maddee Rauhauser, left, Kathleen Kirshenbaum, Josie Slovut (first place) and Jacob Spivack. Not pictured: Elissa Wiener; Middle picture: Leonard Greenspoon, Rabbi Yaakov Weiss and Moshe Gershovich were among the judges; Bottom picture: Rabbi Steven Abraham from Beth El, left, Rabbi Aryeh Azriel from Temple Israel and Rabbi Ari Dembitzer from Beth Israel came to show their support.
by BEN SALES Rubin says that if the state neglects to ensure a Jewish LOD, Israel (JTA) -- He says he’s a leader of a “Zionist set- majority in the South, it could create a power vacuum that tlement” movement, but Raz Sofer’s home is no West Bank will lead to Arab-Israelis insisting on independence from outpost. Israel. Sofer, 25, is the manager But Rubin also says he of a 100-member student is a defender of Arabvillage in this mixed Israeli rights and faults the Jewish-Arab city in central government for giving Israel. The village, comthem scant resources. posed of several apartment Though he deems them a complexes, offers students threat, Rubin believes his cheap rent in exchange for work is crucial to their volunteer work with Lod’s welfare. poor residents, many of “Even though we’re them Arab-Israelis. super Zionist, we’re really Sofer is fluent in Arabic not anti-Arab, antiand is proud of the stuBedouin,” Rubin said. dents who volunteer in “They have no less of a Arab kindergartens or run A student village built by the Israeli organization Ayalim in the right to this land. They extracurricular activities embattled southern town of Sderot will house 300 students next need to be here and have Credit: Ben Sales total equal rights.” for Arab youth. He loves year. when local Arabs come to the nonprofit bar he and other Activists say Ayalim can’t have it both ways. Improving the students founded on the ground floor of their apartment lot of Israel’s Arab communities should be done by direct building. investment, not treating them as a fifth column. But he also believes that despite their shared Israeli citi“Essentially they’re relating to a part of the population in zenship, “the conflict is not over.” Israel as a threat and not as citizens,” said Haia Noach, exec“They don’t see themselves as Israeli,” Sofer said. “If they utive director of the Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil see themselves in a certain way, and that conflicts unequiv- Equality. ocally with the values I have, we have a conflict.” Such criticism hasn’t stunted Ayalim’s growth. Founded in The Lod village is the largest of 13 such communities 2002 by two Israeli students in the southern town of across Israel, all of them located in the economically Ashalim, the group now houses more than 1,000 students in depressed areas that Israelis refer to as the “periphery.” They its 13 villages. A new village in the embattled southern borare run by Ayalim, an organization with a dual mission der town of Sderot will house an additional 300 students whose components might appear to be incompatible. next year. In exchange for reduced rent, students volunteer at least The group has received funding from several mainstream two hours each week in their communities, often serving Jewish and Israeli organizations, including the American their Arab neighbors. But their presence there is inspired by federation system and the Jewish Agency for Israel. Most of a belief that Arab-Israelis represent a demographic threat to its 2015 budget is coming directly from the Israeli governthe Jewish state -- a threat that can be countered by bring- ment, which has made assisting the South a priority. ing Jews to settle areas in which Arabs constitute a majority. Nor does the demographic mission deter Arab-Israeli Ayalim’s founders acknowledge the tension inherent in members from joining. Students appreciate the cheap rent that mission, but say it’s not a problem as long as Arabs - Sofer pays less than $150 a month for a room in a comaccept the idea of being a minority in a Jewish state. fortable, renovated apartment -- and they say the villages “There’s tension, and maybe you can live with it,” said foster a sense of community and do important work with Ayalim co-founder Effy Rubin. “Our state contains many underserved populations. conflicts, but the Zionist movement is very young. We want “I like the organization’s activism,” said Habeeb Hajaj, an Jewish industriousness in the land of Israel, and we also Arab resident of the Lod village who says he doesn’t enjoy know how to embrace the minorities who are here.” the occasional group lectures on Zionism but values his volAyalim’s founders employ the language of Israel’s West unteer work with Arab youth. “In general it does good Bank settlement movement, insisting that a physical Jewish because it gives so many solutions and responses to people presence -- what settlers often call “facts on the ground” -- around it, and it starts with the students.” is the best bulwark against threats to Jewish sovereignty. But Ayalim doesn’t expect to turn Arab-Israelis into Zionists, the threats they are countering are not from West Bank but the group does hope to demonstrate to them that Israel Palestinians clamoring for statehood but Arab citizens of is here to stay. Israel.
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December 19, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 3
Polsky family donates Amud
Continued from page 1 married life freely contributing their time and energy supporting the Synagogue and its activities. During their lifetimes, Hyman and Betty assumed numerous leadership roles at Tifereth Israel. Hyman served as president of the congregation and B’nai Brith. Betty served as
president of the Sisterhood group and Hadassah. Both served multiple times as the chair of the Lincoln Jewish Federation. They were deeply devoted to the continued presence of Conservative Judaism in Lincoln. Hyman passed away in July 2013, and Betty followed just six months later. When Betty and Hyman’s children, Alan Polsky of Los Angeles and Susan Bass of Cleveland, Ohio, chose to honor the memory of their parents’ lives, contributing to Tifereth Israel’s future was a natural choice. Identifying a need at the synagogue that could be addressed by the contribution was not difficult. Betty and Hyman had regularly attended Shabbat services, but as they got older, they and their contemporaries found that it was physically harder to negotiate the steps leading from the congregants’ seats up to the bima to participate in services. With this in mind, using the Polsky
contribution as a way to enhance the ease of use of the sanctuary for all congregants became the goal -- and then was met. The sanctuary’s enhancement centered on the creation of a beautiful amud (Torah reading table), which was custom built by a local craftsman, Dave Hergenrader of Classic Wood. To accommodate the amud, a grouping of congregant seats located in front of the elevated bima were removed and replaced by the amud. As a result, individuals in wheelchairs or using walkers no longer had to physically climb stairs to the bima in order to have full access to the Torah or recite an aliyah. The redesign of the sanctuary was completed before High Holiday services this past fall. The advantage of the change was immediately and happily realized. Participation in the service by all congregants was no longer hindered by physical challenges. People had only to come to the amud to join in the readings and prayers. The sense of inclusiveness for all members has positively enhanced the sense of community for the congregation. The amud’s design also blended with other sanctuary décor as the facing of the new table includes a carved menorah with its roots in the heartland-- the same design as found on a wall-hanging within the sanctuary that was donated by the Polsky family years ago. With the creation of the amud, the Hyman and Betty Polsky contribution lovingly promotes participation in services for all congregants. It is truly a lasting and wonderful legacy from a couple who devoted so much to life at Tifereth Israel Synagogue.
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Music and Memory Continued from page 1 of various genres, and our Activity Department learned how to set up and manage a personalized playlist for any resident who might benefit. Our plan is to launch a successful program that can be expanded over time.” In Alive Inside, a documentary about the Music & Memory program, filmmaker Michael Rossato-Bennett chronicles the astonishing experiences of individuals around the country who have been revitalized through the simple experience of listening to music. Both Karen Hook and Karen Menagh, Activities Directors at the Blumkin Home, have watched the film. “The movie is so uplifting and inspirational, you can’t help but hum along,” Hook said. “It really touched our hearts.” Alive Inside won the Audience Award at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. The movie is out on Netflix, and a trailer is available for viewing at http://www.aliveinside.us/#trailer. According to the Music & Memory website, (www.musicandmemory.org), musical memory is profoundly linked to emotions. These memories are stored deep in the brain. While Alzheimer’s damages the ability to recall facts and
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details, it does not destroy these lasting connections between a favorite song and memory of an important life event, no matter how long ago. When individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia hear a melody connected with a meaningful memory, they can re-awaken. Many people who have not spoken in years find words and sing lyrics. They often regain the ability to converse and connect to those around them. “The key,” Conti said, “is a personalized playlist. Listening to jazz may stir memories in one Resident. Classical music, klezmer, country western, may trigger memories for others. Long-term care facilities around the country are using this system with wonderful results, and care professionals describe the Music & Memory program as life-changing for everyone involved. When Residents listen to their personal playlists, they can experience a mood shift and feel less agitation. Families are excited about how some of their loved ones are more engaged in conversation and in better moods throughout the day. We hope to see the same results at the Blumkin Home.”
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What will New Republic exodus mean for American Jewish thought? by ANTHONY WEISS (JTA) -- Last week’s departure of most of the editorial team at The New Republic -including Franklin Foer, Leon Wieseltier, J u d i t h Shulevitz and Julia Ioffe -didn’t just blow a hole in the landscape of American journalism. It also threw into doubt the future of what has long been a primary address for American Leon Wieseltier J e w i s h Credit: Moshe Shai/Flash90 thought. The New Republic celebrated its 100th anniversary last month, and for much of the magazine’s history -- particularly since Martin Peretz took over in 1974 -- it has been one of the elite American media outlets with a strong focus on Zionism and Jewish intellectual life. Now in the wake of the decision by owner Chris Hughes to replace Foer, the executive editor, with Gabriel Snyder of Bloomberg Media -- and formerly of Gawker and The Atlantic Wire -- The New Republic’s identity is now in doubt. Many of the magazine’s former mainstays worry that its DNA, including its engagement with Jewish life, is in question, with nothing on the secular landscape to replace it. “It does leave a void,” said David Greenberg, a former acting editor at the magazine who surrendered his contributing editor title on Friday, and an associate professor of history and of journalism and media studies at Rutgers University. “It’s hard to imagine without Marty [Peretz] and Leon [Wieseltier, the former literary editor] and Frank [Foer] there, that the new regime will give much thought to these issues at all. Evidence of The New Republic’s Jewish DNA could be seen in the lists that have circulated on the Internet of the approximately 60 percent of the masthead who quit. Easily half are Jewish -- including Foer and Wieseltier, whose resignations on Thursday under pressure from management triggered the general exodus -- and many have written about their own Jewish lives. A number of prominent Jewish staffers at the New Republic have gone on to greater prominence at other publications. Michael Kinsley, an editor under Peretz, was the founding editor of Slate, one of the first influential online magazines. Peter Beinart, who also led the magazine under Peretz, became a prominent voice on American Jewish criticism of Israel with the publication of his book The Crisis of Zionism in 2012. Jonathan Chait, a longtime New Republic writer, now writes on politics at New York magazine. Hanna Rosin, a former staff writer, went on to co-found Slate’s women’s issues vertical, Double X, and to write the 2012 book The End of Men. But the Jewish identity of the New Republic runs much deeper. One of its cofounders was Walter Lippmann, a German Jew, albeit a secular one. Peretz noted in an interview that one of the magazine’s early intellectual patrons was Louis Brandeis, a Jewish Supreme Court justice and a leading Zionist, and one of its early editors, Horace Kallen, was part of a circle of New York Jewish intellectuals. It was a group that included Morris Raphael Cohen and Marvin Lowenthal, who flourished in the 1910s and ‘20s and published in the New Republic. The magazine subsequently continued to engage with Jewish concerns -- in December 1942, for example, Varian Fry wrote one of
the first reports on the Holocaust, titled The Massacre of the Jews. But Peretz said that by the time he took over in the 1970s, the magazine’s engagement with Jewish issues had faded significantly. “There was nothing inherent and, in fact, some of the staff was, I would say, from hostile to utterly indifferent” to Jewish concerns, Peretz told JTA. Peretz, a former Harvard lecturer who purchased the magazine and installed himself as both its publisher and editor in chief, brought to it a passionate interest in Yiddish, as well as an intense, often hawkish, Zionism. The magazine’s Jewish focus intensified in 1982 when Peretz hired Wieseltier, himself a scholar of Jewish history and mysticism, to edit the arts and culture section. “I think that it made a specialty of certain Jewish questions,” said Paul Berman, who resigned his contributing editor post last week. “All editors come in and endow their magazine with some specialty that’s theirs. Marty has a specialty in the Middle East, and Leon has a specialty in Jewish history.” Under their leadership, The New Republic flourished as a center for Jewish writers on Jewish subjects. Authors such as Primo Levi, Robert Alter and Ruth Wisse wrote on topics ranging from the Holocaust to biblical scholarship, from Yiddish literature in translation to the State of Israel from perspectives across the political spectrum. It also published a number of Israeli writers, including Benny Morris, Moshe Halbertal and Anita Shapira. The magazine also came to serve as a sort of successor to the mid-century journals, like The Partisan Review and Commentary, that had served as homes to Jewish public intellectuals. Wieseltier famously joked that The New Republic saw itself as “a sort of Jewish Commentary” -- the joke being that Commentary, which was founded by the American Jewish Committee and continues to publish, is explicitly Jewish. The New Republic was never explicitly or exclusively Jewish, either in its staffing or its focus, and it was defined as much, if not more, by its self-declared (albeit idiosyncratic) liberalism. Still, it retained what Berman described as a “Jewish sensibility,” and became a center for young Jewish writers and journalists. Writers who were on staff until last week and primarily wrote on other subjects have published articles, and even books, about their own Jewish experiences. They include science editor Judith Shulevitz, whose book The Sabbath World explores her relationship with the Jewish Sabbath; senior editor and economics correspondent Noam Scheiber, who published an article about speaking Hebrew with his daughter; and Foer, who co-wrote Jewish Jocks with Marc Tracy, a former staff writer and an alumnus of the online magazine Tablet. At the same time, other writers have seen The New Republic as a narrow and at times blinkered, even bigoted, institution. In an essay published this week in The Atlantic, Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote, “If one were to attempt to capture the ‘spirit’ of TNR, it would be impossible to avoid the conclusion that black lives don’t matter much at all.” He added, “TNR might have been helped by having more -- or merely any -- black people on its staff.” Coates reported that he was only able to identify two black staffers who worked on the magazine in recent decades. In 2012, following years of financial instability, as well as controversial comments by Peretz widely regarded as bigoted against Arabs, Peretz and his fellow investors sold the magazine to Hughes, a co-founder of Facebook. Although Hughes rehired Foer and retained Wieseltier, observers noted a shift in its focus on Jewish issues. Continued on page 6
December 19, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 5
Friedel Hanukkah play
Thursday, Dec. 11, the students of Friedel Jewish Academy once again delighted a packed JCC theater with their annual Hanukkah play. They sang, they danced, they told the story of the eight nights; and from Kindergarteners to the sixth graders, they did it all in perfect Hebrew. Clockwise, from top: All grades joined together at the end for the finale; Becca Denenberg and Evelyn Smith both portrayed Antiochus; fifth graders Shmuel Shyken and Brad Berman; Mendel Wright, Jack Cohen and Noah Shrago; Sophia Mavropoulos; Becca Denenberg; Sima Denenberg and Sidney Zacharia; the second graders portrayed the fighting Maccabees during their part of the show (including swords): portrayed here are Darby Smith, Liora Shapiro, Shevy Shyken, Sasha Denenberg, Gali Gavron, Ollie Lucoff and Mo Blair; Monty Smith in his sufganya costume. After the play, students, teachers and guests enjoyed sufganyot in the JCC auditorium. Friedel Jewish Academy provides a quality Jewish and general education to students from a variety of Jewish backgrounds; for more information about the school or to get a tour of the facility, please contact Principal Ron Giller at rgiller@fjaomaha.com.
6 | The Jewish Press | December 19, 2014
Award-winning, Jewish culinary expert Gil Marks nourished food lovers by HILLEL KUTTLER “For weeks before starting the marijuana, I was unable to BALTIMORE (JTA) -- Gil Marks baked. He cooked. He eat or function. Overnight -- with a single drop -- my condiauthoritatively discussed culinary traditions -- traditions, tion changed and subsequently I have been able to eat and period -- of Jews from seemingly every culture. Trained as a actually enjoy food. ... The improvements in my life since I rabbi and social worker, he earned prestigious awards for was introduced to marijuana cannot be overstated,” he wrote. writing cookbooks yet remained supremely humble. He had An ailing foodie appreciating taste once more, dayenu -a slightly high-pitched voice. that would’ve sufficed. But Gil couldn’t resist shifting to culiI knew none of this five years ago when I came upon his nary-educator mode. name, overwhelmed like a pinch of salt in a bowlful of ingre“By the way, for those of you who asked about marijuana dients, amid the prodigious clan produced by Harold and brownies, here is the story” -- he began in a fascinating paraBeverly Marks. “Gilbert Stanley Marks, born in 1952 in graph covering Alice Toklas and a Peter Sellers film involvCharleston, W.Va., unmarried, no children” was his one-line ing pot brownies. entry on a 19-page family tree prepared by our cousin in Washington state. His brother, a Baltimorean, referred me to Gil, a resident of Manhattan’s Upper West Side, when I sought information for research on our extended family. That led to our long conversation that night, two meetings when Gil visited Baltimore, occasional phone calls, periodic emails and multiple Facebook messages. Many people consider fourth cousins -- our common great-great-great-grandfather, Zeev Alkovitzky of Lithuania, was born in about the 1830s -- distant relatives. But Gil and I connected immediately. We reveled in genealogy and Jewish history. We emailed our articles to each other. We both enjoyed cooking, I deign to state in the manner of someone painting by numbers proclaiming that he, like Monet, is an artist. Gil won the Gil Marks demonstrating how to make Chanukah sufganyot at the bat mitzJames Beard Foundation Award, for goodness vah party of his grand-niece Meira Schorr in Israel, December 2013. Credit: Nathalie Van Der Aa sake, for authoring Olive Trees and Honey: A Treasury of Vegetarian Recipes from Jewish Communities About the only thing missing was the baking temperature. Around the World, and contended for a second with The Gil enthralled, too, during a weekend’s scholar-in-resiEncyclopedia of Jewish Food, a masterpiece. dence stint at my synagogue in June 2012, highlighted by a “There were so many books in him and a lot more he Saturday-night tasting that paired chocolates and wines. could’ve contributed to the world,” said Rita Rosenkranz, his Los Angeles-based food writer Tori Avey, whose website agent of more than a decade. includes recipes inspired by the past, enticed Gil to conGil’s death on Dec. 5 at 62 hardly shocked those who knew tribute monthly columns. He wrote on American cakes and him, given his three-year fight with lung cancer and his pub- their background -- the subject of his last book, which lic sharing of the ordeal. While not a smoker, he didn’t Rosenkranz is shopping to publishers. bemoan his affliction, just presented it matter-of-factly. “I thought it was a fantastic idea, and my readers agreed,” Numerous Facebook posts on his medical treatment or phar- Avey said of Gil’s cake columns, the last two of which (on maceutical regimen all began thus: “The Saga Continues.” Black Forest Cherry Cake and on Molten Chocolate Cake) will Far more posts kvelled over his beloved nieces and run in January. “They brought up a lot of nostalgic feelings for nephews regularly visiting Alon Shvut, where Gil lived in an people who have grown up cooking and eating these treats.” apartment at his parents’ home during extended stays in Somehow, Gil performed his culinary magic on a tiny Israel. So many more posts covered food: the Shabbat dinner stove in a small kitchen “where you couldn’t sit down,” said menu he’d just prepared, Passover desserts he baked, maga- Barry List, a longtime friend, who saw pots stored in the livzine articles, cooking lessons given as bat mitzvah presents. ing room and platters cooling on the couch in Gil’s Last summer, as Gil’s condition worsened, some posts Manhattan apartment. overlapped. On Sept. 1, he began taking medical marijuana: In a telephone conversation last spring, Gil told me he’d dissolved in olive oil in the afternoon, in a capsule at bedtime. begun giving away choice cookware to New York-area nieces
and nephews. He understood that experimental drugs were a long shot and said, convincingly, “I’m not afraid of dying.” He seemed gratified that loved ones desired the tools of his trade. A friend visited Gil at a Jerusalem hospice and had him autograph her Olive and Encyclopedia books. She posted a photo showing Gil signing while in bed wearing a hospital gown and a skull-encompassing kipah. The autograph request pleased him, she wrote. As I penned this article, a pot of soup bubbled on my stove. There was no recipe -- just flanken bones, chopped carrots, green beans, onions and potatoes; and lentils, barley, peas and beans, a winter’s staple my mom used to make. I lowered the flame, and as it simmered I discovered some old emails from Gil. One carried the subject line “Hillel’s soup question” -- about this very soup. I’d asked what spices would provide richer flavor. Gil offered a paragraph each of suggestions for Italian mixed-herb, Yemenite, basic and sweet-spiced flavors. “I hope,” he wrote, “this has been of help.” The soup, Gil, is comfort food.
New Republic exodus Continued from page 4 “Chris Hughes really has a different sensibility than Marty Peretz,” said Shulevitz, who just stepped down from The New Republic. “He didn’t have the lightninglike focus on Israel and foreign policy that Marty did.” It is unclear what the editorial voice of the magazine will be going forward. The New Republic hasn’t announced any significant hires and said recently that it was postponing the December issue until February. A request for comment directed to the magazine’s media department was not returned. JTA also emailed Snyder requesting an interview but did not immediately receive a response. Unclear also -- at least on Jewish issues -- is whether any other publication can fill the void, though several writers, such as Shulevitz and Greenberg, have pointed to Tablet as a burgeoning center for Jewish thought. Meanwhile, former New Republic devotees worry that it will be an intellectual shell of its previous self. Said Greenberg, “It’s hard to think it’s going to have any impact on anybody, let alone Jewish life.”
Organizations B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS There will not be a Breadbreakers session on Wednesday, Dec. 24, noon. For more information or to be placed on the email list call 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@jewishomaha. org.
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Hebrew 101: Your cultural heritage by MARK KIRCHHOFF Center for Jewish Education It is the language of the Jewish people in Israel and it is the language of your cultural heritage -- Hebrew. The word seems to both stimulate and intimidate would-be learners. The Center for Jewish Life is providing you with the opportunity to add a positive valence to your thoughts about learnEadie Tsabari ing the language. Annually the agency has offered Hebrew 101 to all who are interested in learning, or improving, their skills with Hebrew. On Jan. 5, 2015 the first of eight Hebrew language classes will begin in the Center for Jewish Life classroom. Classes will take place from 6:30-7:45 p.m. and are being taught by Eadie Tsabari. Eadie has taught at Beth El Synagogue for over 20 years and has served as Beth El’s Director of Congregational Learning since 2012. She taught at Friedel Jewish Academy for six years in the Hebrew immersion program and is a past recipient of the Sokolof Teacher of the Year award. The course curriculum begins with learn-
ing the Hebrew alef-bet and quickly progresses to the beginnings of conversational Hebrew. No previous experience with Hebrew is required. Learning a language is more than learning a new way of reading, writing, and speaking. Language is a window to the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs of a people, a culture. What you see, how you interact with others, how you view the world is reflected in how you express yourself. Language conveys the richness and depth of a culture. Keeping a language alive helps keep a culture alive. Challenge yourself and keep in touch with your heritage. Be proud of what will be your new-found ability to greet Israeli visitors to Omaha with the customary expressions such as “Shalom,” “Boker Tov,” and “Mazel Tov.” You can do this! The fee for the classes is $70, discounted to $54 for those who have contributed to the Jewish Federation of Omaha’s Annual Campaign. Participants are encouraged to register with a friend or relative so you may help and challenge each other throughout the classes. To take advantage of this eight week language-learning opportunity, call 402.334.6463 or email mkirchhoff@jewishomaha.org. Limited slots are available, so sign up right away. Hebrew 101 is presented through the Center for Jewish Life whose mission is to maximize involvement of Omaha's Jewish community in imaginative, compelling and meaningful Jewish experiences.
Women’s Guide
December 19, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 7
The
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by SCOTT LITTKY Program Director, Temple Israel So we are now in the middle of Hanukkah. By now we have had our share of latkes and sufganiyot. Many years ago when I first lived in Omaha and was working as a Judaic teacher, I learned from one of my students a beautiful custom that they practiced during Hanukkah. Each year the family would pick a night of Hanukkah and, instead of receiving gifts, they would pick a Tzedakah organization and donate to that organization. I remember being very impressed by this and when my children were younger attempting to make this a custom in our family. Now moving ahead many years and looking at what we as a community can do for those who need our help during this time of year, I am reminded of two programs that Temple Israel is involved in. First, we are now collecting toiletry items for the Jewish Family Service Pantry. We are collecting non-food items such as laundry detergent, dishwashing detergent, deodorant, shaving cream, razors, sham-
HOUSES
located by the office at Temple. Second, for many years we have been involved in preparing and serving a Christmas meal for the residents at the Stephen Center. We will be serving up to 85 people this year, and it is our honor and privilege to help enrich their Christmas experience. If you would like to volunteer to help on Dec. 25 at 5:30 p.m., please contact Scott Littky, Program Director at 402.556.6536.
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urious, lifestyle. Keep in mind the average social security recipient receives $1200 a month. Think about it, could anyone realistically live on that amount per month, taking into account your medical costs, food, utilities and more? Retirement is not for everyone, and if you love what you do, keep on working as long it’s enjoyable. If you are able to and do decide to retire keep in mind there will be a gap of about 40 hours per week that need to be filled. With all that extra time available it is important to keep your body and mind active. Consider joining a gym, or get involved with volunteering and/or joining some fine organizations out there such as the Jewish Federation or the Rotary.
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The path of least resistance by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor Most of us can give examples of strange situations related to our Jewish identity where we felt a bit out of sorts. Those times when people respond in ways that leave us puzzled. Here’s one of mine: I’m at the store, checking out, when the woman behind the counter looks at my Star-of-David necklace, does a double take, and asks: “Are you Jewish?” I dutifully smile at her and answer in the positive. “Oh.” She says. There’s a pregnant pause. Then she adds: “That’s nice.” Never mind that I don’t have a clue how to respond to that. What’s with that pause? What goes through her head while she inserts that pause? What, she has to think about her answer? Was she thinking about saying something else? Something maybe not-so-nice? And when did I become this paranoid? She’s not anti-Jewish. She’s just awkward. Something that becomes clear when she admits: “I’ve never met a Jew before.” It’s not true, I know. She works in a West Omaha store, for goodness sake. There are three synagogues, Chabad and the J practically within walking distance. There is no way I’m the first Jew to walk up to her counter. But she thinks I am, which leaves me to wonder: what does she think Jews look like? Would she have wondered about me if I had not worn that necklace? Is she taken aback and acting awkward because I am not what she expected? It’s simple when we see examples of outright antiSemitism. When vandals knock over graves in a Jewish cemetery or spray paint swastikas on the walls of a synagogue we don’t have to second-guess what they think of us. When others call us names, when they mask their hate in anti-Zionist rhetoric, when they use violence, we know what’s going on. But when others don’t understand us, when they are ignorant of our customs and dietary habits, of how and when we pray and what we celebrate and what we
believe in, it becomes a little tricky. Ignorance breeds contempt, we know. And since we are all too familiar with contempt, we have the tendency to feel a little paranoid when we are confronted with that ignorance. And if we need a reminder, all we have to do is look at what happened during the past year: “Protests against Israel ignited violent attacks against Jews around the globe,” it states in the Anti Defamation League’s winter edition of On the Frontline. “From South Africa to
met a Jew,” that is concerning. Actually, I find it frightening. We, as a people, are not that isolated. We are not that hard to find, we are not that hard to know, or understand. And that’s where the real nasty truth hides: to remain ignorant, and to fear what one doesn’t understand is easy, and it is lazy. The hate that often follows takes no effort; it is the path of least resistance, masking as righteous indignation. Then there are the times when ignorance takes an absurd turn; when misunderstanding and stereotypes become so ridiculous we don’t even know how to respond. Take the story about that Thai propaganda film on the opposing page, for instance. What do you mean, you “accidentally” inserted a picture of Hitler? Are you kidding? Or the anti-Semite who left a comment online and called us “Joos.” You’d think, if you hate us that much, you’d get the name right. Too tempting to mock people for that level of anti-Semitism, and yet, we must be careful. When recently the website Buzzfeed published two videos, one of Jews explaining Christmas, and one of Christians explaining Hanukkah, the first one made people angry, while the second one was considered amusing. To be fair, it was meant to be amusing (a dreidel is a spoon to serve matzohballs with, people who celebrate Christmas eat a lot of ham) but many of the comCredit: picture-alliance/AP menters did not get the joke. Apparently, for a Turkey, Europe and South America, anger at Israel quickly non-Jew to get it wrong when he or she talks about turned into hate speech and violence against Israel, Jewish Hanukkah is acceptable and understandable, and “not that institutions, homes, businesses and Jews themselves.” big a deal.” For a Jew to misunderstand Christmas is just ADL Director Abraham Foxman calls it “the worst mani- plain wrong. Funny, how that works. festation of anti-Semitism since World War II.” What do we do about it? We stubbornly continue to Particularly when we consider what has been happening inform and educate. We continue to tell the story of toleron college campuses, including here in the United States, it ance, of peace, of understanding, and we don’t give up. We becomes obvious how ignorance is a necessary stepping- don’t let it go, we don’t “get over it.” And when we face disstone towards hatred. College campuses are perfect breeding appointment, and are confronted with the fact that hate grounds for post adolescent idealism to turn extreme. That seems so impossible to stamp out, we straighten our shoulis especially true when there is a lack of education, which is ders, take a deep breath, and try again. If not for ourselves, ironic for colleges. But then, it is possible to earn a degree then for our children, and their children after them. If hate and yet know very little. And so, when a random woman in doesn’t disappear, neither should our resolve to make this a West Omaha store expresses the notion that “she has never world a better place.
Eric Garner’s death does not make me feel safer
Focus on issues RABBI AYELET COHEN NEW YORK (JTA) -- The words of Leviticus (19:16) admonish us not to “stand idly by while the blood of your neighbor is shed.” These words should sting our ears and shock our conscience in the wake of a Staten Island grand jury’s decision not to indict a New York City police officer who killed Eric Garner after using a chokehold, a long-prohibited technique, in attempting to arrest him for a simple misdemeanor – selling single, untaxed cigarettes. Garner’s fatal encounter with police, including his cries for help, were documented on video. The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide. Can we imagine the likelihood of a similar outcome had Eric Garner been white? If he had been Jewish? As a New Yorker and a rabbi, I believe the unfolding of these tragic events should disturb us on three levels. First, for the failure of justice in the grand jury decision. Second, for the discriminatory application of the system of “broken windows” policing, which led to the altercation that ended Eric Garner’s life. Third, because as Jews, we know what it means to walk in fear because of who we are, and we must empathize with anyone who faces discrimination today. Broken windows policing is based on a theory that punishing minor quality-of-life infractions may help prevent more serious crimes. But whatever its merits, the policy is enforced with dramatic inconsistency in white neighborhoods and neighborhoods of color. “There shall be one law for all of you,” insists Leviticus (24:22). Yet as applied by the NYPD, broken windows policing endangers many New Yorkers of color in the name of protecting others. Longtime residents of my gentrified Manhattan block like to reminisce about when drug sales happened frequently on our corner and their kids’ friends weren’t allowed to come over because the neighborhood was so dangerous. Broken windows policing is intended to protect people who look like me, so we can safely walk home from the subway at night and feel good about our neighborhoods. But the poli-
cy led to the death of Eric Garner, a father of six, and has not made safer the lives of the many New Yorkers of color who have been victims of police violence and discriminatory police policies. I love raising my children in New York City. My kids ask big questions about the complexity of their city every day and play happily on the sidewalk in front of our building. I
Demonstrators walk together during a protest Dec. 3, 2014 in New York. Protests began after a Grand Jury decided to not indict officer Daniel Pantaleo. Eric Garner died after being put in a chokehold by Pantaleo on July 17, 2014. Credit: Yana Paskova/Getty Images have never been stopped and questioned by police while simply walking down the street or taking the subway. But is our illusion of safety coming at the price of the lives of people like Eric Garner? According to a Quinnipiac poll in August, 72 percent of all New Yorkers and 96 percent of black New Yorkers believe police brutality is a serious problem. Yet 56 percent support enforcement of quality-of-life crimes. This case should open our eyes to the reality that this enforcement comes at a high cost in human dignity and human life, mostly to AfricanAmerican men. Will those of us who benefit from this system stand idly by? Will we tolerate a dual system of justice?
Most white American Jews know both privilege and oppression. We experience the societal benefits of skin color and class, but also the fear of historical and rising antiSemitism. We must not be complicit in a system that criminalizes people of color like Eric Garner but not the police officer who killed him. Broken windows policing is actually deeply broken policing. We have a moral responsibility to oppose this injustice in solidarity with those who are most harmed by this policy -- people of color, transgendered women, homeless people -- both within and without the Jewish community. Passing the Right to Know Act, which is currently before the New York City Council, will strengthen police accountability and transparency, an important step toward ending broken windows policing and police brutality. As I teach my children to be proud Jewish New Yorkers, I do so with the words of Deuteronomy (4:9) in mind: “Do not forget the things that you saw with your own eyes and so that they do not fade from your mind as long as you live. And make them known to your children and to your children’s children.” Rabbi Ayelet S. Cohen is the director of the Center for Jewish Living at JCC Manhattan; co-chair of T’ruah, the Rabbinic Call for Human Rights; and a member of the Rabbinic Cabinet of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice.
To submit announcements: Announcements may be e-mailed to the Press at jpress@jewishomaha.org; faxed to 402.334.5422, or mailed to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154. Readers can also submit announcements -- births, b’nai mitzvahs, engagements, marriages, commitment ceremonies or obituaries -- online at the Jewish Federation of Omaha website: www.jewishomaha.org. Click on “Jewish Press” and go to Submit Announcements. Deadlines are normally eight days prior to publication, on Thursdays, 9 a.m. Please check the Jewish Press, for notices of early deadlines.
December 19, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 9
Thai propaganda film (literally) paints Hitler in a virtuous light by RAFFI WINEBURG (JTA) -- In Thailand, a new video promoting the 12 “core values” that all Thai children should learn extols virtues that transcend nationality: friendship, honesty and respect. The film relays important messages for all children, except, of course, for the part about Hitler.
The short propaganda video commissioned by the country’s military rulers follows two children through a day as they learn about life and loyalty. But in a confounding scene less than a minute in, one of the boys stands proudly in front of a painting of Hitler while his friend steps back admiringly and gives him a round of applause. The video had been screened in major Thai cinemas since Saturday and has prompted backlash from a variety of sources. Simon Roded, Israel’s ambassador to Thailand said he was “deeply saddened” by the “trivialization and misuse of Nazi symbols in an official Thai movie.” Recently, Panadda Diskul, a senior official in the prime minister’s office, told The Associated Press that the whole thing was a “misunderstanding,” and that in the scene, the boy shown painting Hitler was actually comparing his mother to the dictator -- a type of adolescent mockery. Diskul’s explanation falls somewhere between nonsense and balderdash. The film doesn’t have subtitles for foreign language viewers, but then, it doesn’t have dialogue either. Even the most astute movie critic can’t pick up on a nonexistent theme. Moreover, what kind of value does comparing your mother to Hitler promote? Nevertheless, Diskul has vowed to have the scene removed. “The film is good, but it has caused a slight misunderstanding in our society,” he told the AP. “We won’t stop the project, but we will replace that problematic picture with another, more proper one.”
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Letter TO THE COMMUNITY Dear Community, Who is a Jew? Who is not a Jew? Who can belong? Who can not belong? Who can celebrate what holidays and who will be “ruined” by them? Several months ago there were a number of articles in the Press concerning “mixed” families and how they should be “treated.” And now, of course, it is December and we have the Hannukah/Christmas “conflict.” Every year, since my children were small, I have been thinking about all of the anger, fear, angst, and controversy it arouses in people from many communities of belief. In one line of one of these articles, there was one comment that included the concept of welcoming these families, embracing these families and children and considering them a gift, these families who choose Judaism. A smile spread across my face and I thought, “FINALLY! Finally in print, someone who does not want to ostracize my family.” I grew up with a very strong sense of my Jewish heritage and family, made infinitely stronger through the temple youth group. Over time and life I became less involved in an organized way, but Jewishness stayed always strong and deep in my heart. When my husband and I began discussing marriage, I was concerned. Our beliefs about life and the world were very compatible but he was not Jewish, and was not interested in converting. When, in the course of one of our discussions I asked him, “What if, at some point in the future, I want to be very active in temple again? What will we do?” He looked at me quizzically and replied, “Well, then you will go, of course.” Well, of course! Eight years later when we had children, I worried about how confused they would be with half of an extended family sending Hannukah presents and the other half sending Christmas presents because, certainly, it’s a confusing and terrible thing according to all the writers, right: a betrayal? Well, guess what? My kids were never confused. They thought it was great. They got the best of both holidays and learned about both families. Neither family put any guilt on anyone for believing differently and were accepting of our choices out of the love in their hearts for us all. The children (and our families) knew we were a Jewish family religiously, and they also knew that Dad came from a
different background than Mom, with different traditions that were very fun! We knew many people who were horrified: Jews who said we were dreadful to participate in anything Christmas-like even though it was secular and Christians who were equally horrified that we were participating in anything Christmas-like in a secular way. Our attitude was that we wanted our children to know and enjoy their heritage from both sides of their family. When it became time to join a temple as the children were ready for religious school, I called the larger of the two temples in the city nearest to our town. They refused to allow us to participate as members unless we were both Jewish parents. I understood in one way... and I was also furious at the automatic judgment that we did not deserve to be a part of their community without even knowing us! But... We were welcomed with open arms by the other temple. Approximately half of our children’s classes were populated by families of “mixed” marriages who had CHOSEN JUDAISM! I have never understood how this is a bad thing. To me, Judaism is a beautiful thing to choose. Many are concerned that we are “losing” Jews and, yet, many Jews are being chased away: there are many families willing and wanting to participate and yet are rejected. My husband has not converted but he has been with his children and me, his wife, every step of the way for 37 years. Were there times I thought it might be easier if we were both Jewish? Sure. But he is here at all the important times, as we both are. I know that we are a lucky family. We have wonderful children and a good life and our hearts have always been open enough to allow our children to have awareness of more than one culture in their lives, and they have NEVER been confused about who they are, because they know. Nancy Kaplan was born and grew up in Omaha, attended Temple Israel, moved to Boston for college and work, then moved to Colorado where she has taught special education and literacy for a variety of ages and programs and schools. She still has family in Omaha. Nancy Kaplan Marshall 230 S. Valley Rd PO Box 771 Palmer Lake, CO 80133 719-661-3192
JEWISH PRESS NOTICES The Jewish Press office is closed Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 24 and 25, and Thursday, Jan. 1; the deadline for the Jan. 9 issue is Tuesday, Dec. 30, 9 a.m. There will be no Jewish Press on Jan. 2, 2015. Questions? Call 402.334.6448.
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Synagogues B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE 618 Mynster Street | Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 |712.322.4705 email: BnaiIsraelCouncilBluffs@gmail.com Join us for our monthly Shabbat Speakers Series on Feb. 13, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. with guest speaker, Ben Justman, Executive Director of the Sarpy County Museum on A History of Sarpy County. Larry Blass will lead the service. Oneg to follow service. Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel! For information on our historic synagogue, please contact any of our board members: Mark Eveloff, Rick Katelman, Carole Lainof, Marty Ricks, Sissy Silber, Nancy Wolf and Phil Wolf.
BETH EL SYNAGOGUE Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California | Omaha, NE 68154-1980 | 402.492.8550 www.bethel-omaha.org Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman. FRIDAY: Chef ’s Demo, 1:30 p.m. at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home; Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Services, 9:30 a.m. Bar Mitzvah of Ethan Spivack, son of Marcie and Brent Spivack; Junior Congregation, 10 a.m.; Mini Minyannaires, 10:45 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:45 p.m. WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. SUNDAY: BESTT and Junior Congregation on winter break through Jan. 3; Babies, Bigger Kids & Bagels, 9:45 a.m.; Torah Study Group, 10 a.m. MONDAY: Women’s Rosh Hodesh Olive Oil Tasting, 6:30 p.m. at Old World Olive Oil in Rockbrook. TUESDAY: Wrestling with Rabbis of the Talmud, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Abraham; Men’s Club prep night for Dec. 25 dinner, 6 p.m. THURSDAY: Synagogue Office Closed; Morning Service, 9 a.m.; Switch Day at the Rose Blumkin Home, 9 a.m.; Men’s Club Annual Chinese Dinner, 6 p.m. Lunch at Nebraska AIDS Coalition, Friday, Dec. 26, 11:30 a.m. All classes and programs are open to everyone in the Jewish community.
BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street | Omaha, NE. 68154 | 402.556.6288 www.orthodoxomaha.org Office hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Friday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. FRIDAY: Shacharit, 6:45 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat, 4:39 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m. Mincha/Seudah Shlishit, 4:20 p.m.; Havdalah, 5:45 p.m.; Hanukkah Carnival -- Fun, Food, Games and Prizes, 6:30 p.m. SUNDAY: Talmud Brachot, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Bagels and Beit Midrash: All about Hanukkah, 9:45 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 6:45 a.m. MONDAY: Principles of Jewish Thought, 7:45 a.m. TUESDAY: Principles of Jewish Thought, 7:45 a.m.; Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 8 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Principles of Jewish Thought, 7:45 a.m.; Chinese Dinner, 6 p.m. RSVP to the synagogue office. THURSDAY: Office Closed; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Beth Israel Football Game, 11 a.m.; Father and Son Learning, 7 p.m.
CHABAD HOUSE An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street | Omaha, NE 68144-1646 | 402.330.1800 www.OChabad.com | email: chabad@aol.com Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. FRIDAY: Shacharit, 7 a.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9:30 a.m.; Menorah Lighting, 7
Bar Mitzvah Samuel Ari Novak, son of Kim and Larry Novak, will become a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, Dec. 27, at Young Israel of Oak Park in Oak Park, Michigan. Samuel is a seventh-grade student at Yeshivat Akiva in Southfield, Michigan. His interests include reading, learning, computers and sports. He has a sister, Rebecca. Grandparents are Rita and the late Harold Novak, and Toby and Bob Rivkin and the late Rae Rivkin.
p.m. at Oakview Mall. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 8:30 a.m.; Menorah Lighting & Musical Presentation, 6 p.m. at Von Maur in Westroads Mall. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m. MONDAY: Menorah Lighting for Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Residents, 2:30 p.m.; Menorah Lighting, 6 p.m. at Midtown Crossing. TUESDAY: Dynamic Discovery with Shani Katzman, 10:15 a.m. A class for women based on traditional texts with practical insights and application. RSVP by calling the office; Menorah Lighting, 6 p.m. at Stinson Park in Aksarben Village. WEDNESDAY: Personal Parsha class, 9:30 a.m. with Rochi Katzman. RSVP by calling the office; The Development of the Oral Tradition, 7 p.m. with Rabbi Katzman. RSVP by calling the office. In memory of Forrest Krutter -- Efrayim Menachem Ben Avraham Yitzchak. THURSDAY: Women’s Study at UNMC with Shani Katzman, noon. RSVP by emailing Marlene Cohen at mzcohen@unmc.edu. All programs are open to the entire community.
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 Services conducted by Rabbi Craig Lewis. FRIDAY: Hanukkah Potluck Dinner and Celebration, 6 p.m., Service with the Star City Kochavim, 7 p.m., Oneg, 8 p.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. on Parashat Miketz; Game Night/Potluck, 6 p.m. All ages welcome. SUNDAY: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Hallah High Lite, 9:45 a.m.-noon at South Street Temple; Hallah High, 9:45 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel. WEDNESDAY: No LJCS Hebrew classes. THURSDAY: Temple Office Closed Bakers Needed as part of the Temple’s celebration of its 130th anniversary as a congregation and the 90th anniversary of our beautiful building, we are having monthly events culminating in the anniversary gala in May. For many of these events, we would like to serve cookies or other easy to handle dessert items. We are looking to volunteers to supply home-baked goodies. If you are willing to contribute in this way, please let Alan Frank know at afrank2@unl.edu. We’ll have you bring your treats to the Temple and store them in the freezer. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast on Friday, Jan. 16, 2015, 7 a.m. at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 1040 P Street. Keynote Speaker: Mr. Amir Azimi, Administrator, Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services.
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE Capehart Chapel 2500 Capehart Road | Offutt AFB, NE 68123 | 402.294.6244 FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m. every first and third of the month.
Candlelighting Friday, December 19, 4:39 p.m.
ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME 323 South 132 Street | Omaha, NE 68154 FRIDAY: Chef ’s Demo, 1:30 p.m. with Beth El. SATURDAY: Services, 9:15 a.m. led by Marty Shukert. MONDAY: Menorah Lighting for RBJH Residents, 2:30 p.m. with Chabad. Services will be held in the Chapel. Members of the community are invited to attend.
TEMPLE ISRAEL Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive | Omaha, NE 68144-1206 | 402.556.6536 http://templeisraelomaha.com FRIDAY: L’Dor Va’Dor Link Dedication, 5:30 p.m. at the Temple Israel entrance; Hanukkah Service and Dinner, 6 p.m. Shabbat Service followed immediately by dinner. The cost of the meal is $10 for adults, $5 for children in 2nd-6th grade and no charge for kids under 2nd grade. Reservations are required for dinner. SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. SUNDAY: No Religious School TUESDAY: 7th-12th Grade Community Service Program, 1 p.m. at Foodbank for the Heartland, 10525 J Street. Take a break on your winter break to help others! Meet at the Foodbank at 1 p.m. and parents can pick your kids up at the Foodbank at 3:30 p.m. WEDNESDAY: No Religious School; No Family Night; No Grades 7-12. THURSDAY: No Adult Study with the Clergy.
TIFERETH ISRAEL Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Boulevard | Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 | 402.423.8569 www.tiferethisraellincoln.org Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. FRIDAY: Home Shabbat service and Hanukkah potluck dinner, 6 p.m. at the home of Marlon and Cindi Weiss. SATURDAY: Morning service, 9:30 a.m. followed by a Kiddush luncheon sponsored by the Bloom/Kelen family. Please note the service time change. SUNDAY: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Hallah High Lite, 9:45 a.m.-noon at South Street Temple; Hallah High, 9:45 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Annual Hanukkah/Latke Party, 12:15 p.m. TI has talent will be returning for a second year as well! WEDNESDAY: No LJCS Hebrew classes. THURSDAY: Tifereth Israel Office Closed Reading Haftorah Trope class begins Sunday, Jan. 4, 2015, 11-11:50 a.m. Please let Nancy Coren know if you would like to join this class, so she can have materials ready for your participation. 22nd Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast on Friday, Jan. 16, 2015, 7 a.m. at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 1040 P Street. Keynote Speaker: Mr. Amir Azimi, Administrator, Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services.
Israeli film nominated for Golden Globe by JTA NEWS STAFF LOS ANGELES (JTA) -- An Israeli film that scrutinizes Israel’s divorce laws was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for best foreign language film. The selection of Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem, by the brother and sister team of Ronit and Shlomi Elkabetz, was announced Dec. 11 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The film, which stars Ronit Elkabetz in the title role, follows an Israeli woman in her five-year quest to obtain a Jewish legal divorce, or get, from her husband through the Israeli rabbinical court system. The husband’s persistent refusal leaves her stranded in legal limbo, since Jewish law dictates that he must consent to release her from the marriage. The film is the third in a trilogy by the sibling writers and directors following the 2004 film To Take a Wife and 2008’s Shiva, which focused on the same protagonists. According to Variety, the movie’s success has spurred a movement to change the divorce laws depicted in the movie, which can leave women at the mercy of uncooperative husbands. Variety reported that the administration of rabbinical courts in Israel planned to screen the movie at the annual
meeting of the country’s rabbinical judges in February. “We wrote Vivian’s story based on the very simple fact that still today in Israel a woman must get her husband’s consent if she wants a divorce,” said Ronit Elkabetz in response to the nomination, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “I am happy and proud that we have brought Vivian’s voice and struggle for freedom to the world. The film asks that women be allowed to live their lives with dignity and basic human rights.” Also nominated in the category and getting early critical acclaim is Russia’s Leviathan, which draws on the Book of Job to depict a simple Russian worker who struggles against the repression of a corrupt regime. The two other films nominated are Sweden’s Force Majeure and Estonia’s Tangerines. The winner will be announced on Jan. 11. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will not announce its Oscar nominees until Jan. 15, but it has already released a preliminary list of 10 short films selected from among 141 entries in the category. Included is the Israeli film Aya, in which a young Israeli woman poses as a driver to pick up a Danish businessman at Ben-Gurion Airport.
Pulverente MONUMENT CO.
December 19, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 11
In memoriam PHYLLIS E. ANGRISANE Phyllis E. Angrisane passed away at age 78. Services were held on Dec. 15 at the West Center Chapel. She is survived by her children, Dr. Michael Goldstein of Omaha and Dr. Beth Bernstein of Scarsdale, NY; grandchildren: Max, Blair, Sydney, Gayle, and Grant; brother and sister-in-law, Maynard and Terri Rosen of Los Angeles; niece and nephew, Jeff Rosen and Stephanie Dumpert, also of Los Angeles; and many friends. Phyllis was born in Sioux Falls, SD, to Lucille and Al Rosen. She spent most of her adult life in Omaha, although she lived in southern California and Las Vegas for several years before returning to Omaha in 2001. She was preceded in death by her parents and her second husband, Genarro Angrisane. She loved playing cards, working jigsaw puzzles, cooking, and most of all, her children and grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Ted E. Bear Hollow, 7811 Farnam Drive, Omaha 68114.
Birthday Celebration Betty Goldstrom is celebrating her 95th birthday! Betty will be honored by family and friends this Sunday, Dec. 21 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. during an open house in the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home’s board room. Refreshments will be served. Please come share in our simcha!
Cynthia Schneider by MARGARET KIRKEBY Cynthia Schneider passed away on Dec. 7 at age 91 from complications due to a fall. Services were held Dec. 11 at Temple Israel, 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive. She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles Schneider; daughter, Margy Schneider; grandson, Nigel Schneider; sister Frances Batt; brother, Louis “Louie” Blumkin. She is suvived by son, Jerry Schneider and son and daughter-in-law, Bruce Schneider and Jeanne Reichstadt; son-inlaw, Greg Searson; grandchildren: Michael Schneider, David Schneider, Cole Schneider and Maggie Doherty, Jay Searson, and Todd Searson; two great-grandchildren; sister, Sylvia “Babe” Cohn; sister-in-law, Frances Blumkin; and many nieces and nephews. Born March 31, 1923, Cynthia was the daughter of Rose and Isadore Blumkin, founder of Nebraska Furniture Mart. Cynthia attended Lake School from kindergarten through eighth grade and graduated from Omaha Central High School in 1940. She studied at the University of Texas at Austin, returned to Omaha one year later and graduated from Omaha University in May of 1944, with a Bachelor of Arts degree, the first in her family to do so. Cynthia received a Masters degree in history in 1971, and she taught Latin American Studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Cynthia turned down a scholarship for a Masters degree from Stanford University in order to stay in Omaha and marry her husband, Charlie; they were married on June 29, 1944, during WWII. When telling that story about rejecting that scholarship, she often threw her head back with her inimitable laugh and exclaimed, “Was I nuts in turning it down?” Always followed by the firm answer, “No, I made the right decision in marrying Charlie.” During their marriage, she worked a number of years designing high-end furniture at his company, Charles Schneider, Inc., a manufacturer of upholstered goods. They traveled extensively to Europe and Asia where Cynthia used her her keen eye in helping select fabrics for the couches and chairs constructed at the company. In addition, she used her business acumen to assist Rose Blumkin in establishing Mrs. B’s Warehouse. Cynthia’s son, Jerry Schneider, said his mother “was a big star in her own right.” Cynthia was an avid reader, always a member of a Great Books Discussion Group. Cynthia was also a member of the Willa Cather Society, the Neihardt Society, the Mari Sandoz Society, the League of Women Voters, and The Landmarks Commission. In addition, she was a lifetime member of both the Omaha Section, National Council of Jewish Women and the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society. Cynthia was philanthropic, donating to the Jewish Federation of Omaha, as well as many local, national, and
international causes that were dear to her heart. An enthusiastic advocate of the arts, Cynthia served on the Opera Omaha Council and traveled around the world with Charlie to hear great opera. She was also a supporter of the Omaha Symphony, missing Friday night performances only when she was out of town. Cynthia’s passion for politics and activism kept her involved in the Nebraska Democratic Party, and she worked on several campaigns for Democratic candidates over the decades. She introduced politics to her children, nieces, and nephews. Her niece, Ellie Batt, recalls Cynthia inviting her to work on the Eugene C. McCarthy presidential primary campaign in 1968, the inspiration for Ellie’s own political interest and activism. Cynthia and Charlie loved to dance, and as her sister Babe Cohn remembers, “They traveled to Buenos Aires (when they were in their eighties) to brush up on the tango.” Additionally, they relished their regular Saturday night dinner and dancing date for most of their married years. Cynthia was fluent in Spanish and served as president for many years of Las Casas, a local Latin American social club. She threw an annual party for the group at their home. It was always a lively evening: the guests savored delicious food prepared by Cynthia, sipped on margaritas prepared by Charlie, and danced well into the night to Latin music. Cynthia and Charlie especially loved summertime in Omaha. On many evenings they could be found enjoying their beautiful yard and flower gardens from the back patio of their home. Cynthia’s green thumb produced a sizeable and abundant vegetable garden; everyone in her family, extended family, and friends were the eager and happy recipients of that rich and plentiful bounty. Moreover, one of Cynthia’s greatest joys was cooking, and she and Charlie entertained friends and family in their home throughout the year, and with great flair. Cynthia was very devoted to her family; she especially enjoyed her grandsons and great-grandchildren. She will be greatly missed by her immediate and extended family, and dear friends. Memorials may be made in Cynthia’s memory to the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, Jewish Family Services, Temple Israel, Opera Omaha, the Omaha Symphony, or the organization of your choice.
To Submit obituaries to the Jewish Press: Email to the Press at jpress@jewishomaha.org; fax to 402.334.5422, or mailed 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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Nebraska STATEWIDE CLASSIFIEDS ATTENTION ADVERTISERS! For $225/25 word classified you can advertise in over 170 Nebraska newspapers. For more information contact the Jewish Press at 402-334-6449 or call 1-800-369-2850. SOCIAL SECURITY Disability Benefits. Unable to work? Denied benefits? We can help! Win or Pay Nothing! Contact Bill Gordon & Associates at 1-800-279-8741 to start your application today! BANKRUPTCY: FREE initial consultation. Fast relief from creditors. Low rates. Statewide filing. No office appointment necessary. Call Steffens Law Office, 308872-8327. steffensbankruptcylaw.com. We are a debt relief agency, which helps people file bankruptcy under the bankruptcy code. AFFORDABLE PRESS Release service. Send your message to 175 newspapers across Nebraska for one low price! Call 1-800-369-2850 or www.nebpress.com for more details. ATTENTION: VIAGRA or Cialis users! A cheaper alternative to high drugstore prices! 50 Pill Special - $99 Free Shipping! 100 Percent Guaranteed. Call Now: 1800-294-8137. THE CITY of Central City is accepting applications for a Full-Time Police Officer. Prior law enforcement experience preferred, but not required. Salary is dependent on qualifications and experience. Highly competitive benefit package. Application forms available from City Hall, PO Box 418, Central City, NE 68826 or call 308946-3806. EOE WATER/SEWER Superintendent: The City of Central City is anticipating the retirement of the Water and Sewer Superintendent and is seeking a candidate to train with the Superintendent to then take over the position. Starting salary DOEQ, is projected between $20.00 and $28.00 per hour. The City provides a highly competitive benefits package. A City Application must be completed, which may be supplemented with a resume. Call 308-946-3806 for an application. EOE. www.ccne.com. FARM/FEED Lot looking for help. Located near Anselmo. FT or PT positions available. Experience preferred but willing to train. Contact Jason Lamb, 308-8703601. HAVE A disability and want to work? Prepare for, find, and keep a job at Nebraska VR. Learn more at vr.nebraska.gov or call 877-637-3422. BUTLER TRANSPORT Your Partner in Excellence. CDL Class A drivers needed. Sign on bonus! All miles paid. 1-800-528-7825 or www.butlertransport.com. CDL-A TRUCK Drivers-Dedicated. Hogan is Hiring! Up to $75,000 annually, $4,000 sign on bonus? Home weekly guaranteed, Roundtrip Miles, Great Benefits. Call 866-307-7866.
12 | The Jewish Press | December 19, 2014
Knife attack at Chabad headquarters in New York raises security questions by STEVE LIPMAN The Jewish Week NEW YORK (The Jewish Week via JTA) -- Just three weeks after terrorists killed four worshippers in a Jerusalem synagogue, a man entered a Brooklyn shul and stabbed a 22year-old Israeli student. New York police officers fatally shot the 49-year-old assailant, who reportedly shouted “Kill the Jews.” At a press conference, New York City Police Commissioner William Bratton said there is “no indication” the assailant, identified as Calvin Peters, was connected to a terrorist group. The Tuesday morning attack is being investigated as a hate crime. The stabbing, at the headquarters of the ChabadLubavitch movement in Crown Heights, highlighted the vulnerability of many large yeshivas and synagogues, particularly haredi Orthodox ones, which are often open 24 hours a day to accommodate students who end their learning or worship late at night or begin early in the morning. The attack has prompted calls by security officials for an easing of these open-door policies, which can make schools and shuls inviting targets. While no one is suggesting airport-style searches at Jewish buildings, security experts are pointing to the need for more oversight over who comes in. “Our goal is not to turn Jewish institutions into armed camps. Our goal is to ensure that people are trained to respond to a crisis, to be able to identify suspicious behavior,” said Paul Goldenberg, the national director of Secure Community Network, a national organization that helps coordinate security measures for the Jewish community. Within hours of the attack, he said, his organization received requests for security briefings from several schools and synagogues. Rabbi Chaim Landa, a Chabad spokesperson, said “ongoing” discussions are taking place with the New York Police Department. The Lubavitch headquarters building, at 770 Eastern Parkway, houses administrative offices, a large sanctuary and a yeshiva that is usually open around the clock. Landa declined to discuss specific security measures or likely changes at the building, but said, “It’s something we’re
going to look at. If it is necessary, it’s something we will improve.” Goldenberg said representatives of local Jewish organizations that deal with security matters declined to name other yeshivas or synagogues with problematic open-door policies, for fear of identifying possible future targets, but said they will encourage these institutions to strengthen their security measures in the wake of this week’s attack.
Chabad-Lubavitch Jewish men during prayer at 770 Eastern Parkway, the headquarters of Chabad in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, Sept. 24, 2013. Credit: Mendy Hechtman/FLASH90 He said the Lubavitch headquarters has “a very, very comprehensive [security] program,” but could not explain how the assailant gained access to the building. Because of the building’s prominence, NYPD officers are usually stationed near the entrance. The victim, Levi Rosenblat, from the West Bank settlement of Beitar Ilit, was taken by ambulance to Kings County Hospital. As of Tuesday afternoon, he was in an induced coma because of bleeding in the brain, according to a local news website. At the time of the attack, he was sitting at a table studying, according to Chabad sources. While most major Jewish institutions have strengthened their security procedures in recent decades, as threats to and
attacks on Jewish sites in the New York area have increased, some large haredi Orthodox institutions have maintained open-door policies. Goldenberg said he has encouraged Orthodox institutions to increase their security profile. Houses of worship and schools, once considered off-limits for attacks, “are now considered soft targets … places of opportunity” by Islamic terrorists, neo-Nazis and others, Goldenberg said. In the aftermath of Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza this summer, attacks on American Jewish institutions are likely to increase, Goldenberg said. “We have seen the institutions become lightning rods for those who want to voice negative opinions about the State of Israel,” he said. “The shuls and yeshivos I’m familiar with have at least some security devices (e.g. cameras, alarms) and are locked at night,” Rabbi Avi Shafran, a spokesman for Agudath Israel of America, said in an email. “But the nature of such attacks is that they can’t really be prevented entirely by any such means. Even during daylight, an intruder bent on violence can walk into a shul or yeshiva no less than into a supermarket or school or church or mosque. And there have been attacks in schools even where there were guards present.” Allen Fagin, executive vice president of the Orthodox Union, said his organization will recommend that Jewish institutions apply for funding from the Department of Homeland Security Nonprofit Security Grant Program. Evan Bernstein, the Anti-Defamation League’s New York regional director, called the attack “a call to action for Jewish institutions across the United States to realize that these kinds of incidents can be prevented” with proper security training. David Pollock, associate executive director of New York’s Jewish Community Relations Council, said, “Our general advice is that no unauthorized person should enter the premises -- there are bad people out there. We’ve been telling [Jewish institutions] that for years.” “We are very grateful to the police for their quick response and are working closely with the authorities in their ongoing investigation,” Rabbi Motti Seligson, a Chabad spokesman, said in a statement. “We continue to pray for the young man.”
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