December 23, 2022

RBJH wins Communities That Shine Award

The Communities That Shine Awards is an annual program that recognizes forward-thinking senior living communities using iN2L + LifeLoop’s solutions in creative ways to provide exceptional community experiences that

empower residents and staff to live life with meaning and purpose. This year, the organization evaluated over 200 submissions to identify 15 above-and-beyond communities. In addition to motivating organizations throughout the industry to achieve similar success, the awards program gives recipients a chance to win a donation to support the charity

See RBJH: Communities That Shine Award page 3

REGULARS

Hidden Pearl is an unforgettable true story about a “hidden child” and her family during WWII. It was the most desperate of times when people were facing many dangers on a daily basis. This story is about courage,

hope and resilience. Perfect for YA or Adult. Award-winning author J.E. Laufer of ChoicesThe True Story of One Family’s Daring Escape to Freedom ADULT: The Matchmaker’s Gift by Lynda

Cohen

Loigman

Even as a child in 1910, Sara Glikman knows her gift: she is a maker of matches and a seeker of soulmates. But among the pushcart-crowded streets of New York’s Lower East Side, Sara’s vocation is dominated by devout older men men who see a talented female matchmaker as a dangerous threat to their traditions and livelihood. After making matches in secret for more than a decade, Sara must fight to take her rightful place among her peers, and to demand the recognition she deserves.

See Kripke Library page 2

GABRIEL MALKA

Sixteen-year-old Judah Lopkin is not your average drummer. Last Sunday, Lopkin took to the crowded Omaha streets to perform the bucket drums with the goal of rais-

ing money for the food rescue organization Feeding America. The bucket drums, as the dictionary defines it, is a style of percussion that involves drumming on plastic See Judah Lopkin page 2

Shaanan Streett of Israel hip-hop band Hadag Nahash mixes music and activism

From My Kosher Jerusalem Kitchen: Special Chicken

SHIRLY BANNER JFO Library Specialist

YOUNG ADULT: Hidden Pearl by Judy Egett (J.E.) Laufer

MAGGIE CONTI

RBJH Director of Activities & Volunteer Services

RBJH Activity Team: Roinin Staunovo Polacco, left, Christina Caniglia, Jill Ohlmann, Maggie Conti, Sabine Strong, and Amy Anderson

Judah Lopkin

Continued from page 1

buckets and other objects to create beats and rhythms.

So how does a high school junior decide to do this? “As much as I enjoy drumming, I felt unfulfilled. I really wanted to use my passion for drumming to do something that mattered. I became tremendously inspired by the YouTuber and philanthropist MrBeast, who makes charity fun through entertaining fundraisers and donations. I wanted to combine my passion for drumming with charity in a fun way, and the idea of playing the bucket drums downtown took off from there.”

Lopkin explains that choosing Feeding America as the nonprofit to raise money for was a no-brainer. “Feeding America is an organization that provides meals for the over 40 million people living at, or below the poverty line, who can’t afford their next meal. Food insecurity is part of a massive challenge of course, and I wanted to help out as much as possible.” Lopkin adds that because the potential audience watching him would be so diverse, it was important that everyone walking by would be able to understand the cause. “Feeding America is something anyone on the street can recognize and appreciate.”

After formulating the plan, Lopkin began training to play for strangers in the city, although the method was a little different than the typical approach to practicing an instrument. “When you’re performing in a concert, the expectation is that everyone watching bought a ticket and traveled out to see you play,” Lopkin explains. “But when you’re playing on the street, people just happen by with no expectations. I wanted to prepare enough so that maybe someone would stop by, listen for a bit, and drop some change in the bucket for Feeding America. I practiced for months, putting together different beats and working to improve my hand speed and stamina.” The day of playing for strangers in public finally arrived. “With butterflies in my stomach, I set up my buckets, and

began playing my set. After a couple of minutes, people began watching, dancing, taking videos, and even donating money to Feeding America!”

Lopkin adds that the most important thing to him during this experience was that he was wearing a kippah.

“In light of the recent rise in antisemitism, I felt it was special to go out there while displaying my Jewish pride. It was really cold and windy outside but I made sure to be wearing the kippah the whole time. No one said anything about it.

Lopkin captured the experience in a video for his followers on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, @thedrumcell.

“I started posting drum videos in eighth grade after a friend suggested I do so and fell in love with the process. At first, I started off making videos drumming to my favorite songs and eventually I pivoted to making drum tutorials.” As Lopkin explains, however, creating content hasn’t been easy. “I spent hours every day writing, filming, and editing my drum videos, but my account stayed stagnant at 11.9k followers for 17 months in a row. I liked making them though, so I spent all of last summer figuring out how to make the videos as good as possible, and with some research and a bit of luck, the views and followers started to pick up. I was fortunate enough to even get a sponsorship.”

So what’s next?

“This experience was incredible. It was amazing seeing strangers help raise money for such a paramount cause. My goal is to continue these performances and make entertaining videos out of them to further help feed people in need. If I can help out at all, I see that as a win.”

Gabriel Malka is a sophomore at the University of Nebraska. In his free time, Malka enjoys playing the guitar and learning Japanese. Malka can be reached at gabrielmal ka01@gmail.com.

Kripke Library

Continued from page 1

Two generations later, Sara’s granddaughter, Abby, is a successful Manhattan divorce attorney, representing the city’s wealthiest clients. When her beloved Grandma Sara dies, Abby inherits her collection of handwritten journals recording the details of Sara’s matches. But among the faded volumes, Abby finds more questions than answers. Why did Abby’s grandmother leave this library to her and what did she hope Abby would discover within its pages? Why does the work Abby once found so compelling suddenly feel inconsequential and flawed? Is Abby willing to sacrifice the career she’s worked so hard for in order to keep her grandmother’s mysterious promise to a stranger? And is there really such a thing as love at first sight?

The Lost Book of Adana Moreau: A Novel by Michael Zapata

In 1929 in New Orleans, a Dominican immigrant named Adana Moreau writes a science fiction novel. The novel earns rave reviews, and Adana begins a sequel. Then she falls gravely ill. Just before she dies, she destroys the only copy of the manuscript.

The Old Avoca Schoolhouse in Avoca, Nebraska will be streaming three online “Swedish Tunes for Two Workshops” for recorder players, fiddlers, violists, cellists, bassists, and mandolinists. The Workshops will be on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 7 p.m., Central Time, Wedesday, Jan. 11, 10 a.m., Central Time, and Friday, Jan. 13, 7 p.m., Central Time. Different tunes will be played at each session.

Each participant will receive a copy of our Swedish Fiddle Tunes For Two book, arranged for the instrument of their choice.

Just as in all of the collections in the Tunes for Two series

these books contain the same tunes in the same keys making it easy for you to play with a friend playing another instrument.

During the Workshop, we will read, play, and discuss various survival skills for these kinds of pieces. A treble clef version of the sheet music for the tunes being played will be displayed on the screen during the workshop.

There is limited enrollment, and pre-registration is required. The fee for each “Swedish Tunes for Two Workshop” is $25.

For more information, and to register: https://www.greenblattandseay.com/workshops_swedish.shtml

Decades later in Chicago, Saul Drower is cleaning out his dead grandfather’s home when he discovers a mysterious manuscript written by none other than Adana Moreau. With the help of his friend Javier, Saul tracks down an address for Adana’s son in New Orleans, but as Hurricane Katrina strikes, they must head to the storm-ravaged city for answers. What results is a brilliantly layered masterpiece—an ode to home, storytelling and the possibility of parallel worlds.

JEWISH PRESS NOTICES

The Jewish Press office is closed Monday, Dec. 26, for Christmas; the deadline for the Dec. 30 issue is Monday, Dec. 19, noon Questions? Call 402.334.6448.

JAY KATELMAN

Life & Legacy and OJAA Coordinator

Wednesday, Dec. 7 David Jacobson of blessed memory was honored by Jewish Business Leaders (JBL) for his contributions to the business community in Omaha, as well as around the country. David worked for Kutak Rock LLP for 41 years, and was the chairman for over half of that time. He grew the firm from over 200 lawyers in 9 cities to over 500 lawyers in 18 cities. However, David’s “secret sauce,” other than being an incredibly smart lawyer himself, was hiring the very best people to fit Kutak’s culture. He was very passionate about diversity and inclusion. At one-point, Kutak Rock had the second-most women in partner positions among law firms of their size. David was influential in the movement for creating a diverse workplace and empowering women.

David was a large presence, not just in size, but in personality. He loved his family --his wife Nancy and his children Rachel, Sara, Justin, and Ben-- deeply. He always made sure to make time for them and their passions, whether it was Ben and his basketball career or Rachel building Film Streams. He loved to play basketball in his free time and would tell anyone who would listen that he was the best Jewish basketball player in his era. Stories were told about how David had a nickname for everyone, a love for music, how he challenged and beat people in the IT department at Kutak in gaming and his undeniable love for Film Streams.

David’s wife Nancy, daughters Rachel and Sara, Richard Jacobson and former colleague and friend Margot Wickman all spoke at the event (Margot came from Minneapolis to be here). Others traveled from Denver and Florida so they could attend. David was truly one of a kind, and it was an honor to induct him into the Jewish Business Leaders Hall of Fame. Rachel spoke about how impactful it was to have David’s influence as she founded Film Streams and expanded it to two locations and now continuing to change Omaha’s landscape being the President of the Heritage Omaha. Sara spoke how David’s entrepreneurial spirit inspired her to create a storefront called Family of Things located at 1234 S 13th St and how proud he would be of her graphic design work for the National Basketball Association. David was a leader of the community in so many ways and Omaha and it clearly transcended to the next generation of Jacobson’s continuing to make a difference in Omaha’s community.

Alex Epstein, founder of JBL said, “David was a legend in so many ways. His impact on the Jewish, Legal, Arts and Omaha communities was unparalleled. I was fortunate to know David like a second dad to me growing up and I learned a lot from him in every way. He treated everyone like family and every moment was a special mo-

ment. I’m influenced to this day by seeing his passion and love for fatherhood and how he pushed his children to follow their passions. David believed in dreams and in everyone’s full potential. He’s dearly missed, but the memories and impact live on forever. It is truly an honor to celebrate David’s memory with the Jacobson family and induct him in the Jewish Business Leaders Hall of Fame.”

Thank you to all those who made it out and give a special thank you to our Platinum Sponsors Bridges Trust & OMNE Partners and our Event Sponsors: Kutak Rock LLP & Alex Epstein.

Our next event will be held at the Shirley and Leonard Goldstein Community Engagement Venue at the Staenberg Omaha Jewish Community Center on April 19, from 7:30 to 9 a.m. We are proud to announce our next speaker will be Steve Kaniewski, the Chief Executive Officer for Valmont Industries, Inc. We are excited to learn more about Steve and Valmont. Marketing for this event will be sent out in the next few months, so keep an eye out.

Finally, it is renewal time. Please visit the website below to renew your JBL membership, or contact Jay Katelman at 402.334.6461 or jkatelman@jewishomaha.org

RBJH: Communities That Shine Award

Continued from page 1 or cause of their choice.

In 2016 Brian Nogg reached out to me about a new Omaha company called LifeLoop; I quickly reached out to Amy Johnson, the founder, and have been sold on the company since. First, our department depends on Lifeloop for charting attendance and shudder to think of returning to the pioneer days of having one attendance book. Since charting attendance on Lifeloop, we can capture more of what a Resident does during the day, not just scheduled activities. Programs include beauty shop appointments, family/friends/volunteer visits, pet visits, personal television preferences, one-toone visits, outings with family, and off-hour activities; they were never charted before Lifeloop. Families are amazed at all the varied activities Residents attend, and the reporting functions save countless hours during the care plan process. Deleting a program or adding a spontaneous activity to the calendar takes seconds. We also use Lifeloop for our electronic calendar displays, which ties everything together and rescues staff from creating four different calendars by hand. We so enjoy posting photos immediately to the calendars so that Residents can enjoy seeing themselves instantly. At

RBJH, we have in-house television stations to view the Lifeloop calendar and daily activities, which markets our monthly programs. Residents can turn to that station any time of day to check out the Lifeloop calendar.

In 2022 iN2L(It’s Never Too Late) purchased Lifeloop, for which we have two systems; for a perfect match.

We look forward to when Lifeloop and iN2L expand into a super duo by integrating all the data seamlessly.

Together they can do more, and we look forward to a platform to impact staff efficiently and improve our Residents with meaningful engagement. Chris Ulven, Executive Director, stated, “We are honored and humbled to be named one of the winners of the 2022 iN2L + LifeLoop Communities That Shine Awards! Several years ago, we immediately became subscribers when we first saw what LifeLoop could do. Our Activities staff and our families LOVE it! Once we saw iN2L’s capabilities, we were equally enamored with it and became subscribers to it as well. These programs have added so much to an already robust activities calendar; our residents have thousands of options daily. Best money we have ever spent!”

For more information on this award, check out: https:// in2l.com/communities-that-shine-award-winners/

SNOWBIRDS

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

Above: Jay Katelman, left, Sara Jacobson, Nancy Jacobson, Rachel Jacobson, and Alex Epstein. Below: Steve Nogg, left, Patty Nogg and Karen Javitch.

HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS

Shaanan Streett of Israeli hip-hop band Hadag Nahash mixes music and activism

HOWARD LOVY

Shaanan Streett, one-sixth of the Israeli hip-hop/funk group Hadag Nahash, says that it’s all well and good for musicians to advocate for social-justice causes, but that doesn’t mean the music can’t also be fun. Streett seems to have accomplished both goals, as his band’s songs are featured in protests for various causes while remaining catchy and danceable. As long as you “keep it real,” Streett says, audiences will pick up on your authenticity.

In our interview, Streett talks about what music can do to bring people together and about his hometown of Jerusalem. First, tell us where you grew up and how you came to the music world.

I was born in 1971 in Jerusalem. I still live on the outskirts of Jerusalem. After the army, I, like many Israelis, traveled the world. When I was in the US, I started hearing a lot of hip-hop, and like a true traveler, I had a pad and a pen, and I started writing down rhymes in Hebrew. And when I came back to Israel, I recorded one song. I handed it out in CD stores. And one of the employees at one of the CD stores turned out to be a guy with an instrumental funk band. And that’s how we started.

Before we go more into your music, tell me about Jerusalem. There’s the Jerusalem of everybody’s imagination around the world, and there’s the real Jerusalem in which real people live.

Yeah, nobody lives in the Jerusalem of the imagination, not a single person. But oddly enough, nobody lives in the Jerusalem of the real world, either. We all live somewhere in between. Doesn’t matter what religion you belong to, if any; if you’re in this city, you won’t only live on what’s happening on the floor, you’re going to live thousands of years of history, millions and millions of hopes and shattered hopes. It’s all circulating around you at any given moment. And, in that sense, it’s super artistic.

You’re involved in art, films, and music. What can these things do to foster Jewish pride or bring people together?

It’s really hard for me to put baggage on art. If it happens, it happens because the art did it, not the artist. It’s hard to explain. My only advice would be a classic hip-hop phrase: keep it real, do it as real as you can. Even when it seems like it’s the wrong thing to do, still speak your mind. And that’s the only way, at least for me and my band, to connect. What, to you, is keeping it real? I know that you founded a number of community activities, including the One Shekel Festival, that help to strengthen marginalized communities. Is that an important part of what you do?

I think that involvement in social issues in Israel is kind of like a privilege or a benefit that artists can choose. Because people do want to hear what we have to say, and it’s up to us to decide if we want to say it or not. So yeah, when I was speaking earlier about keeping it real, it’s not to shy away from the issues, it’s to talk about the issues. And if people can act — perfect. If we can hold a festival in a place that never had one—amazing. If we can volunteer in a cancer ward — amazing. If we can perform in a forest that they want to tear down

to turn into a neighborhood—even though all of the green movements think that it’s a disaster—we’ll do it. So, we try to stay close not only to the art but also to what’s happening. But that does get very, very tiring because we aren’t politicians, and we aren’t activists. We’re artists with our hearts in the right place.

Do you feel like you need to balance writing about social issues and just writing something that’s fun? Or can you accomplish both?

We demand the freedom to write whatever we want at any given time, and that can be about, for example, marijuana or just having a good time, as well as social injustice. It’s not one or the other. Our lives contain both. And when we want to keep it real, we have to speak about both. If I can give you an example from our latest album that we’re still recording, actually. But our first single that was released is a real good vibe, fun kind of tune with funny rhyming and funny references for Israelis. The single that we’re releasing tomorrow is called the City of God, and it’s about Jerusalem and what it does to its inhabitants over time. So, totally different topics, but music from the same band, and we’re always trying to keep it funky and fun. Having fun is super important to us. Because even if you’re saying important stuff, but it’s not fun, who wants to join? Right? There’s a saying that is something like, “If you can’t dance to it, it’s not my revolution.”

Who are some of your hip-hop influences?

I just did my top-five artists on Spotify. The first one this year was Lil Wayne. And the second one was a female rapper here in Israel called Eden Dersso. Number three was Kendrick Lamar. Number four was Eminem. And then number five was an Israeli rapper called Peled. So, actually, the top five were all hip-hop. But I’m influenced by various things — anywhere from jazz to rock and roll, reggae, electronic music, funk, of course, and a bunch of hip-hop from all over the world.

One theme of the Z3 conference is achieving Jewish unity and pride. What kind of advice do you have for younger people who may be reluctant to show their Jewish pride?

I think the best method would be to find something on Judaism that you connect with. Find certain elements and be proud of that. Narrow it down. You’re not holding 5,000 years of Jewry on your shoulders. You don’t need to feel that way. Judaism, and for that matter, Diaspora Jews, have so much to be proud of. Diaspora Jews have achieved so much that there’s plenty to be proud of inside that enormous umbrella. So just find the things you connect with and be proud of that. I think that’s a good way to start.

This series is sponsored by the 2022 Annual Z3 Conference. The Z3 Project is an initiative of the Oshman Family JCC of Palo Alto, dedicated to modeling how Zionism can evolve, and how communities can come together for meaningful discussions about the Diaspora and Israel. Since 2015, it has gathered leading voices from across the political spectrum for a day of debate and conversation, aimed at creating a new model of Jewish engagement in the 21st century.

Turkey arrests 44, claiming Mossad ties

HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS AND PARENTS

We will be publishing our annual High School Graduation Class pages on May 26, 2023. To be included, fill out the form below with a photo and send it to us or you can email the information and photo to: jpress@jewishomaha.org by May 9, 2023.

Name Parent(s)’ Name(s)

Current High School

College you plan to attend

Send by May 9, 2023 to: The Jewish Press | 333 So. 132 St. | Omaha, NE 68154

DAVID I. KLEIN JTA

Turkey arrested 44 people on Wednesday, Dec. 14, for what officials claimed was their involvement with Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service, Turkish media reported.

Those arrested appear to be largely Turkish citizens, and the group includes several private detectives, as well as the director of a private detective firm named Ismail Yetimoglu. No Israelis were arrested.

According to Turkish media, those arrested have been accused of shadowing Palestinians and pro-Palestinian organizations in Turkey. As of this writing Israel has not publicly addressed the arrests.

The arrests come at a warm point in Turkish-Israeli relations, as the two countries recently exchanged ambassadors for the first time in years. This past spring, Mossad’s collaboration with MIT, the Turkish intelligence service, was touted as essential in ending a plot by an Iranian-backed terror cell targeting Israeli tourists in Istanbul. Still, Turkey has continued to work closely with leadership of Hamas and others that Israel considers terror groups.

“This is a very clear message to Israel, that normalization does not mean that you can act against Palestinians inside Turkish territory,” Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak, a Turkey scholar at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, told the Times of Israel.

Turkey has used the claim of Mossad involvement to arrest others before.

Last year, an Israeli couple spent eight days in Turkish prison for taking pictures of Istanbul’s Dolmabahce palace. The palace, which housed the final sultans of the Ottoman Empire from 1856 until its dissolution in 1922, is largely a tourist site, but it does also include the Istanbul offices of the Turkish president. The two Israelis were charged with political and military espionage.

Their release was ultimately secured through discussions between Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The latter credited his discussion with Herzog as kicking off the thaw in Turkish-Israeli relations which had been frigid since 2010’s Mavi Marmara incident, when Israeli security forces raided a humanitarian fleet headed to Gaza, killing 10 Turkish activists.

Shaanan Streett’s band pushes social causes. Credit: Z3 Project

Save the Date

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor

On Jan. 26, 2023, Suzanne Horwich will visit the Jewish Federation of Omaha to talk about her work with refugees, and how she helps them create hope through art. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the artist and Omaha-native has traveled to Krakow, Poland, several times. The Krakow Jewish Community Center, a place much like ours under normal circumstances, has dedicated all its staff and resources to assisting refugees from neighboring Ukraine.

Bob Goldberg will interview Suzanne in front of a live audience; Michael Staenberg will speak and we will present a slide show about Suzanne’s experiences in Poland. And we’ll serve kosher desserts from the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home — so don’t miss it!

Suzanne is a mother of two daughters, is an educator and has lived and worked as an artist all over the world. She is also the former Director of Curatorial Affairs for the Aspen JCC. ‘Artists Giving Back’ will be an ongoing project with plans to invite other artists to join Suzanne in the future to teach art in Poland and elevate the spirit of the Ukrainian refugees. If you would like to contact Suzanne or contribute to her program, please contact her at suzanne@artistsgiv ingback.com or visit https://www.spotfund.com/story/ 2cc4cb75-7096-4f7c-9497-64487cb355a8

Bob’s Jam

The Jewish Federation of Omaha is counting down until we can welcome Bob Goldberg as our new CEO. While some of us, and some of you, have known Bob for many years, others have not yet had the pleasure. So, for the coming months, Bob will share short insights into who he is. This way, we can all get (re-)acquainted. If you have specific questions for Bob, feel free to email them to avandekamp @jewishomaha.org. This week, we’re going to find out what music he likes.

Music has always been my go-to hobby and source of inspiration. What is better than music? I remember being young, around 1974 or ‘75, and listening to my transistor radio that my Bubby Syl had gifted to me, a radio that she had been given by the bank when she opened a new account. I listened to Roger W. Morgan on KOIL radio. He had a great radio voice and played the popular songs of the day. Many were what we call today part of the Yacht Rock genre. These were 70’s soft rock songs.

I remember playing catch with my brother in our front yard, when it came over the radio that Elvis had died. In the late 1970’, those transistor radios morphed into small boom boxes. I loved listening to R&B acts like the Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, The Commodores, Earth, Wind and Fire, Ray Charles, and the like.

I was exposed to classic rock and punk rock as Z-92 came into being. As a young person, I thought I would make a great radio DJ, because what could be more fun than to get paid to play all of your favorite music? It worked for Wolfman Jack! I still can remember hearing certain songs for the first time and running up to Homer’s Records to look at the album and read the notes on the back cover.

I used to walk up to Homer’s on 132nd Street a lot, with any money I’d earn mowing yards or doing chores and spend it on buying records. I would sit and listen to records for hours. I built up quite a nice album collection during my teenage years.

I am always listening to music, in the

HEALTH+ WELLNESS

car, in my office, at home. My standards are Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead, Bruce Springsteen, REM, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, Elton John. I listen to a lot of the blues. I seem to really get into something and immerse myself in it for an extended period of time.

When I got into Leonard Cohen, I think I listened to only Leonard Cohen for almost a year. Same with classical. When I got into classical, I listened only to classical (primarily JS Bach) for months and months.

Different people you share time with in life expose you to things that they love. My AZA#1 buddies exposed me to Springsteen when I was in middle school, my college friends exposed me to The Grateful Dead and Led Zeppelin. Kim exposed me to her punk rock favorites.

We were fortunate to have places like the Howard Street Tavern, the Chicago Bar, the Ranch Bowl, the Capital, places where you could go see live music for a few bucks most nights of the week. We are lucky that Omaha continues to provide great opportunities to see live music. Shout out to Marc Leibowitz. I love talking about and listening to music with my daughter, Lily. She has grown up listening to the music that Kim and I love, and today she is out there seeing bands and exposing us to new sounds that she discovers.

I carried my boom box on my shoulder walking around the neighborhood listening to music, strutting like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever

From My Kosher Jerusalem Kitchen: Special Chicken Latkes

SYBIL KAPLAN

By the time I have served potato latkes and some potatoveggie versions, and the week continues, a chicken version makes a nice change for company or family.

CRISPY CHICKEN AND VEGETABLE CROQUETTES

This recipe from Food & Wine was created by Ismael Prados, a chef at a Barcelona tapas bar, Although not specifically called latkes or meant for Hanukkah, and adapted with some of my changes, they make a wonderful Hanukkah meal.

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

1 small coarsely-chopped onion white and light green parts of a leek in 1-inch lengths

1 carrot cut into 1-inch chunks

1 mashed garlic clove

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. curry powder salt and pepper to taste

2 cups non-dairy milk

1 4-ounce stick unsalted pareve margarine

3/4 cup flour oil for deep frying

2 eggs

1 cup Panko bread crumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a roasting pan, toss chicken thighs, onion, leek, carrot and garlic.

Add olive oil and 1 1/2 tsp. curry powder. Season with salt and pepper. Roast 17 minutes, turn and continue roasting 18 minutes or until thighs and vegetables are tender. Cool.

In a saucepan, bring non-dairy milk and 1 1/2 tsp. curry powder to simmer. Remove from heat and cool.

In food processor, pulse chicken with vegetables until puree forms. Melt margarine in a large frying pan. Add flour and cook, stirring continually, until lightly browned. Stir in chicken and non-dairy milk. Cook and stir 15 minutes.

Heat oil in a saucepan. Roll latke mixture into 3/4-inch ropes. Cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces.

Beat eggs in a bowl. Spread Panko in another bowl. Dip latkes in egg then in Panko. Add to hot oil in batches and fry until golden brown, about 1 minute. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Serve piping hot.

Makes 35 ‘Latkes’.

CHICKEN “LEVIVOT”

This Food &Wine

Ingredients:

1 4 1/2 pound chicken

2 cinnamon sticks

1 Tbsp. fennel seeds

1 Tbsp. dry sage

3 bay leaves

1 Tbsp. allspice salt to taste

2 big bunches finely-chopped parsley

1 big bunch finely-chopped cilantro

1 cup mashed potatoes

5 eggs oil

Directions:

In a big pot, combine chicken, cinnamon sticks, fennel seeds, sage, bay leaves, allspice and salt. Add cold water to cover. Bring to a boil. Simmer 45 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked. Let chicken cool in broth.

Remove chicken and strain broth. Finely shred chicken in a large bowl. Discard skin and bones. Reserve broth.

Add parsley, cilantro, and mashed potatoes. Season with salt and mix well. Stir in eggs.

Form into patties about 2 inches round and 1/2-inch thick. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Fry the patties in batches until browned.

Serve warm. Makes 25-30 latkes.

Come play, learn, visit with friends, have dinner* and make your very own Tzedakah box! Start saving your Tzedakah now – bring it to the Winter Carnival and put it through our coin counter!

Scan QR code to RSVP or visit jewishomaha.org

Chaired by Ally Freeman and Geoff Silverstein

recipe comes from an Israeli-born chef and creator of New York Shuk, pantry staples of the Middle East.

Sybil Kaplan is a Jerusalem-based journalist, author

and compiler/editor of nine kosher cookbooks. She is a food writer for North American Jewish publications, and she leads walks of the Jewish food market, Machaneh Yehudah, in English.

Credit: Tablet Magazine

Credit: shwetainthekitchen.com

SP O TLIGHT

PHOTOS FROM RECENT JEWISH COMMUNITY EVENTS

GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY

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, right and below: Beth Israel Synagogue had a beautiful weekend with MTI Yeshiva.

Above: At Friedel Jewish Academy, chilly days are perfect for reading in a cozy corner!

Below: Friedel hosted their first Challah Tots since 2019! Along with PJ Library Omaha, our preschool friends, and their grownups, we braided and baked challah, read a story, and decorated our own challah covers. Fun!

Above: Thank you to our amazing helpers, who helped get ALL the books back on shelves in the new Beth El library.

Left and above: Learning the laws of Tzitzits at Beth Israel. During the workshop, everyone got to make their own to take home.

The Jewish Press

(Founded in 1920)

Margie Gutnik President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Editor Gabby Blair Staff Writer Sam Kricsfeld Digital support Mary Bachteler Accounting

Jewish Press Board

Margie Gutnik, President; Abigail Kutler, Ex-Officio; Seth Feldman; David Finkelstein; Ally Freeman; Mary Sue Grossman; Les Kay; Natasha Kraft; Chuck Lucoff; David Phillips; and Joseph Pinson.

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

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Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole. The Jewish Press reserves the right to edit signed letters and articles for space and content. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment.

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We must remember Ukraine

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor

Please mark your calendar for Jan. 26, 2022 when from 7-9 p.m. we will host Suzanne Horwich. You have read about her in this paper several times, but to refresh your memory: Suzanne travels back and forth to the Jewish Community Center in Krakow, Poland to do art therapy with Ukrainian refugees. On Jan. 26, our new almost-CEO Bob Goldberg will interview her about her work with refugees. In addition, Michael Staenberg will speak, and we will serve kosher dessert from the RBJH. You can join us in the Shirley and Leonard Goldstein Community Engagement Venue; the link to RSVP is on our website at Omahajewishpress.

com

Every time I walk into our building, I have to think about what Suzanne is doing. As of this writing, she is there with both her daughters; they are getting a front row seat to how important it is to not forget about this war and its terrible consequences. Yet here I am, and I complain about the temperature in the office (either too hot or too cold) and how much work is left before I can go on vacation. I complain about the diswasher not being emptied, someone using up all the eggs (=my husband) and the cat throwing up. They are small and inconsequential headaches that should remind me how good we have it. So what if the dishwasher isn’t emptied. At least we have a dishwasher, in a house that is not under fire, that we don’t have to leave.

Growing up with survivors, as a child I was always painfully aware I “didn’t know how good I had it.” I heard that so often growing up, it’s part of my DNA. Guilt grows from being told to pay attention and to remember, and being told you’ll never understand. I felt that then, and I feel it now.

The rest of the world has a short attention span, and that is disastrous for those who find themselves far away from a home that may not even be there if and when they return. The stories may not generate the biggest headlines anymore, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t happening.

“Mariupol, which I visited in late January of this year, it's a horror show,” journalist Luke Harding wrote. “I mean, it's hard to be definitive about what's happened, because obviously, this is now under Russian control. But we know from people who are there, from eyewitnesses, from people who've subsequently escaped, that thousands of civilians were killed by it, by Russian bombing, by Russian aviation, by an airstrike on a theater where 600 women and children were sheltering. I talked to one of them who escaped, who said she was in one half of the building and the other half was obliterated, including the wing where pregnant women were living. So it's

Hanukkah merch market

PHILISSA CRAMER JTA

It was early November when Nicholas Wymer-Santiago walked into his local Target in Austin, Texas, and realized it was beginning to feel a lot like Hanukkah.

Instead of an endcap with a limited array of Hanukkah basics, as he had seen in past years, there stretched out a whole aisle of holiday products: pillows; dreidel-shaped pet toys; window decals; menorahs in the shape of lions, corgis and whales; and so much more. Even the $5-and-under impulse-buys section filled with seasonal products had a supply of Hanukkah goods, including a Star of David-shaped bowl and a set of dishes labeled “sour cream” and “applesauce.”

“In a good way, it was overwhelming at first, because there’s so much and I kind of want to buy it all,” Wymer-Santiago recalled feeling as he stood in the holiday section, looking up at a large photograph of a Hanukkah celebration alongside others showcasing Christmas.

The higher education administrator at the University of Texas decided to limit himself, at first taking home just a tea towel and a matching mug printed with a Hanukkah motif.

“And then I came back twice, maybe three times and each time I bought more and more items that I know I probably don’t need,” he said. “I think I’ve just had so much excitement about the novelty of it all, and having the ability to purchase these items, many of which I’ve never seen before.”

Wymer-Santiago is hardly alone in loading his cart with Hanukkah merchandise. Across the United States, big-box stores appear to be stocking more Hanukkah products than ever and while offcolor items such as Hanukkah gnomes and “Oy to the World” dish towels have raised eyebrows, the real story might be that American retailers have decked their shelves with menorahs, tableware and other items that are appropriate, affordable and often downright tasteful.

For many American Jews, the result is a sense of inclusion at a time of unease — although some are wrestling with what it means to have access to a fast-fashion form of Judaica.

“It is very exciting to go into Target or Michaels

or a Walmart and to see Hanukkah merchandise,” said Ariel Stein, an influencer who shares crafting and holiday content for Jewish families on Instagram, where she has more than 20,000 followers.

“The feeling is almost like pride and like we’re being seen and represented,” Stein added. “In a sea of Christmas... it feels really great, even if it’s a much smaller representation, that the Jewish holiday is there also and the Jewish community is being acknowledged and represented.”

absolutely awful. Some bodies were buried in school playgrounds, in front yards, by the side of the road. Others were taken to a mass grave site outside town. Some people, I think, are still entombed under the rubble.”

The idea that retailers have stocked up on Hanukkah goods to make Jews feel represented is tempting, but it’s probably not the only reason for a shift in the market, according to Russell Winer, deputy chair of the marketing department at New York University’s Stern School of Business. He said that while an endcap — the small set of shelves at the end of an aisle — might sometimes be given over for symbolic purposes, the devotion of an entire aisle at the busiest time of the year is purely a business decision.

“These stores are very sophisticated in what they put in them,” Winer said. “They’re not going to put stuff on the shelves, especially at the holidays, if they don’t think they’re going to sell.”

There are signs that the Hanukkah market might be much wider than the proportion of Americans who identify as Jewish, 2.5%, would suggest. Numerator, a respected consumer trends polling firm, found in a survey of 11,000 consumers conducted in January 2022 that 14% of respondents said they were “definitely” or “probably” celebrating Hanukkah this

This will only sink in if we allow others to tell us the stories, and if we agree to listen. Our community sent supplies, two of our own went along with the Jewish Federation mission to the border several months ago, and that was great, but our community can do more. And doing more starts with opening our eyes, paying attention, showing up. So sign up, be there, come listen to Suzanne’s stories and see the photographs.

year, compared to 96% for Christmas. More than half of the Hanukkah celebrants said they expected to spend more than $50 on the holiday — suggesting that retailers can expect hundreds of millions of dollars in Hanukkah spending this year.

Part of that marketplace is the growing number of families in which Hanukkah is celebrated alongside other holidays, usually Christmas. Most American Jews who have married in the last decade have done so to people who are not Jewish, according to the 2020 Pew study of American Jews; most of them say they are raising their children exclusively or partly as Jews. They may want to have products that allow Hanukkah to share the stage equitably with the other celebrations in their family.

“I’m not terribly surprised from a cultural standpoint that there’s more merchandise,” said Winer, who is Jewish. He said he and his wife had purchased Hanukkah stockings for their grandchildren, who are being raised in two faith traditions.

(Evangelical Christians and Messianics, those who adopt Jewish practices while believing in the divinity of Jesus, also represent an emerging market for Jewish ritual objects.)

Stein offered another theory to explain the uptick in interest in Hanukkah products: the fact that social media and Zoom meetings have made home lives more transparent than ever.

“The communal sharing of lives, whether you’re an influencer or even my friends on Facebook showing what their display is this year or taking a picture of a recipe they were really proud of, making latkes from scratch — there’s just more visibility than there has been in the past,” she said. “And that’s probably a factor.”

Whatever the reasons, shoppers are noticing. Like Stein and countless other Jewish influencers, Rabbi Yael Buechler, a devoted observer of Jewish consumer trends, has offered tours of Hanukkah merchandise to her social media followers. Wearing Hanukkah pajamas that she designed and sells, Buechler has posted 15 videos to TikTok showcasing the Hanukkah collections of national retailers and assigns each store a “yay” or “nay” based on several metrics, including whether items display

See The Hanukkah merch market page 9

Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole.

The

has exploded. But are Jews feeling more represented?

Target’s array of Hanukkah mugs represent just a small swath of the national retailer's 2022 Hanukkah collection. Credit: Philissa Cramer

Continued from page 8 accurate Hebrew or appear to be generic blue-and-white items being passed off as made for the holiday. The videos, which have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times, have given her a broad view of what’s available to the Hanukkah consumer. @midrashmanicures: Welcome to the second installment of Hanukkah merch: YAY or NAY? @target edition . Items were rated by:If the product was beyond blue & white Correct Hebrew Whether the Hanukkiyah was kosher Hanukkah pun was goodWhether animal was Hanukkah punnable (i.e. Menorasaurus) .#hanukkahiscoming #hanukkahfails #hanukkahcountdown #hanukkahyayornay #yayornay #hanukkah2022 #targetfinds #hanu kkahpresents #hanukkahpjs #hanukkahgifts #hanukkahcheck #chanukah2022 ♬ Oh Hanukkah – Maccabeats

“I see a lot more products this year than any other year,” said Buechler, who works at a Jewish school outside New York City. “I see a lot of new prints. I see more creativity in the market. I see more humor in the market.”

Like Wymer-Santiago, Buechler said Target, which has 2,000 locations across the United States, stood out as offering the widest array of products and the lowest proportion of “fails,” or products that miss the mark religiously, culturally or aesthetically.

“They have really stepped it up,” Buechler said. “Target also carries the Nickelodeon Rugrats Hanukkah sweatshirts that are just brilliant. ... I would definitely say they get the biggest ‘yay’ for this year.”

Target, which has a track record of using inclusive imagery in its advertisements and in-store promotions, declined to answer questions about its offerings, including how much bigger its Hanukkah collection is this year than in the past and how widely the products for Jewish buyers have been distributed. But a spokesperson said the feeling Wymer-Santiago and Stein described after visiting their local stores is exactly what the company is trying to cultivate.

“Target is committed to creating an inclusive guest experience in which all guests feel represented,” the spokesperson wrote in an email. The spokesperson noted that Target’s Hanukkah assortment “was developed in collaboration with Jewish team members and input from our Jewish employee resource group” and crosses several of the retailer’s in-house brands.

One of those lines, Opalhouse by Jungalow, was created by

a Jewish artist, Justina Blakeney. Last year, Blakeney’s first Hanukkah collection included plates and pillows, as well as a gold menorah shaped like a dove. This year, Blakeney added new pillow designs and a clay menorah.

“If I could go back in time and tell elementary-school-aged Justina (or ‘Tina’ as I was called back then) that I would have a chance to design a Hanukkah collection for Target, I would have lost my mind,” she wrote in an October blog post revealing the collection.

mas has caused Jews to focus too much on a minor holiday, while leaving holidays with more religious significance relatively uncelebrated.

“I think: What would it feel like to see a giant Shavuot display?” Wymer-Santiago said.

The fast-fashion aspect of the big-box retailers’ offerings, many of which are imported from China, also raises concerns about whether easy access to trendy Judaica comes at environmental and cultural costs.

“How about we don’t extract fossil fuels to make crap that no one needs and that makes Jewish communities less distinctive?” asked Dan Friedman, a writer and longtime climate activist, though he emphasized that systemic change, rather than tweaks to purchasing decisions by Jewish consumers, is needed to avert climate catastrophe.

For Buechler and others, the benefits of a mass-market Hanukkah merchandise boom outweigh any possible drawbacks.

“As a rabbi, I am all for anything that will make Hanukkah celebrations more engaging and potentially lengthen a family celebration,” said Buechler, who said her own collection had outgrown the four tubs it occupied several months ago, and that one of her favorite purchases was of a Hanukkah sweater for lizards that she bought for a friend’s guinea pig.

Hanukkah goods have always been widely available through Jewish merchandisers and at synagogue bazaars but those products have been available only to people who already engaged in Jewish communities. Amazon and other online retailers have increased access, but only for people who are hunting for Hanukkah supplies. A Hanukkah aisle at Target, in contrast, reaches the many Jews who may not already have robust holiday traditions. Stein, who said she particularly regretted not snapping up a marble dreidel sculpture that quickly sold out at Target, said she saw only benefits in promoting major retailers’ Hanukkah offerings, even if doing so has made her something of an unpaid advertiser at times.

“Right now, especially with the rise of antisemitism, if there are ways that we can spur Jewish joy and for me, that’s by sharing and inspiring people with different kinds of Hanukkah merch and home decor and jewelry — I think that’s great,” she said.

Not everyone is thrilled by the shift in the marketplace. The sweeping Hanukkah displays are drawing criticism from those who have long lamented that the American primacy of Christ-

“I really do believe that owning different kinds of Hanukkah merch, whether apparel or otherwise, will increase the likelihood that a family will celebrate with friends and family for more nights than they would have last year,” she added.

Wymer-Santiago plans to celebrate the holiday with his family in Ohio, meaning that he will be leaving behind much of this year’s Target haul in his Austin apartment: the device that makes dreidel-shaped waffles, the window decals that advertise the holiday to passersby, the giant dreidel-shaped jar that he has filled with, well, dreidels. He said he planned to make room in his suitcase for at least one item: a $5 menorah that reminds him of his dog.

Wymer-Santiago said a piece of him worried that Target was taking advantage of his excitement about Jewish representation, the way it has been criticized for doing around LGBTQ Pride celebrations, to sell him stuff he doesn’t need.

“Every time I buy something from Target in general, but definitely for Hanukkah, I think about this,” he said. “But then I think: This thing is so cute. And I just need it.”

WOMEN

Annette van de Kamp | avandekamp@jewishomaha.org

Social media influencers in Miami, New York City and Denver respond to the flood of Hanukkah products at their local Target shops in 2022. Credit: Instagram/@jamwithjamie/@cupofjo

Synagogues

B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

618 Mynster Street Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 712.322.4705 www.cblhs.orb email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE

Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California Street Omaha, NE 68154-1980 402.492.8550 bethel-omaha.org

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street Omaha, NE. 68154 402.556.6288 BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org

CHABAD HOUSE

An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street Omaha, NE 68144-1646 402.330.1800 OChabad.com email: chabad@aol.com

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY:

B’NAI JESHURUN

South Street Temple Union for Reform Judaism 2061 South 20th Street Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE

Capehart Chapel 2500 Capehart Road Offutt AFB, NE 68123 402.294.6244 email: oafbjsll@icloud.com

ROSE BLUMKIN

JEWISH HOME

323 South 132 Street Omaha, NE 68154 rbjh.com

TEMPLE ISRAEL

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

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: TIFERETH ISRAEL

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

Monthly Speaker Series Service, Friday, Jan. 13, 7:30 p.m. with our guest speaker, Dr. Rami Arav, Chief archaeologist at UNL. Our service leader is Larry Blass. Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel! For information on COVID-related closures and about our historic synagogue, please contact Howard Kutler at hkutler@hotmail.com or any of our other board members: Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Janie Kulakofsky, Howard Kutler, Carole and Wayne Lainof, Mary-Beth Muskin, Debbie Salomon and Sissy Silber. Handicap Accessible.

Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman.

VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON MINYAN SCHEDULE: Mornings on Sundays, 9:30 a.m.; Mondays and Thursdays, 7 a.m.; Evenings on Sunday-Thursday, 5:30 p.m.

FRIDAY: Operation Grateful Goodies Sorting, noon at Temple Israel; Kabbalat Shabbat 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m. at Beth El & Live Stream; Havdalah, 5:40 p.m. Zoom Only.

SUNDAY: Operation Grateful Goodies Delivery.

TUESDAY: Pirkei Avot, 11:30 a.m. with Rabbi Abraham at Beth El & Live Stream.

FRIDAY-Dec. 30: Kabbalat Shabbat 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream.

SATURDAY-Dec. 31: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m. at Beth El & Live Stream followed by New Years’s Toast and Kiddush Lunch sponsored by the Shukerts in honor of teh 60th anniversary of Marty’s Bar Mitzvah; Havdalah, 5:45 p.m. Zoom Only. Please visit bethel-omaha.org for additional information and service links.

BETH ISRAEL

FRIDAY-Hanukkah Day 5: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat/ Candlelighting, 4:42 p.m.

SATURDAY-Hanukkah Day 6: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat 10:45 a.m.; Shabbat Brisket Kiddush, 11:30 a.m.; Mincha, 4:30 p.m.; Laws of Shabbos/Kids Activity 5 p.m.; Havdalah, 5:47 p.m.

SUNDAY-Hanukkah Day 7: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv 4:40 p.m.

MONDAY-Hanukkah Day 8: Office Closed; Nach Yomi, 8:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.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.

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

THURSDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7

a.m.; Character Development 9:30 a.m.; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 4:40 p.m.; Parsha Class, 5:10 p.m.

FRIDAY-Dec. 30: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat, 4:45 p.m.; Candlelighting, 4:46 p.m.

SATURDAY-Dec. 31: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat 10:45 a.m.; Shabbat Brisket Kiddush, 11:30 a.m.; Mincha, 4:30 p.m.; Laws of Shabbos, 5 p.m.; Kids Activity 5:10 p.m.; Havdalah, 5:51 p.m.

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

CHABAD HOUSE

All services are in-person. All classes are being offered in-person/Zoom hybrid (Ochabad.com/classroom). 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.; Inspirational Lechayim, 4:30 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: ochabad.com/Le chayim; Candlelighting, 4:41 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 5:45 p.m.

SUNDAY: Sunday Morning Wraps: Video Presentation, 9-9:30 a.m. and Breakfast, 9:45 a.m.

MONDAY: Shacharit 8 a.m.; Personal Parsha, 9:30 a.m.; Parsha Reading, 6 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen.

TUESDAY: Shacharit 8 a.m.; Hebrew Grammar, 6 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen.

WEDNESDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Tanya Class, 9:30 a.m.; Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Hebrew Reading, 11:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen.

THURSDAY: Shacharit 8 a.m.; Hebrew Reading, 11 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Talmud Study (Sanhedrin 18 — No advance experience necessary), noon; Hebrew Reading, 6 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Jewish Law Class, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY-Dec. 30: Shacharit 8 a.m.; Inspirational Lechayim, 4:30 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: ochab ad.com/Lechayim; Candlelighting, 4:46 p.m.

SATURDAY-Dec. 31: Shacharit 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 5:50 p.m.

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN & TIFERETH ISRAEL

Services facilitated by Rabbi Alex Felch.

Note: Some of our services, but not all, are now being offered in person.

FRIDAY: Shabbat Candlelighting, 4:45 p.m.; Candlelighting for Hanukkah - six candles, 4:45 p.m.; Community Hanukkah Candle Lighting, 5 p.m. via Zoom; Kabbalat Shabbat Service with Rabbi Alex and music by the Star City Kochavim, 6:30 p.m. at SST; Oneg hosts: Julie Moore, Jayne Draper, Ave DraperMoore and Maria Cadwallader.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Alex at TI; Torah Study, noon on Parashat Miketz; Candlelighting for Hanukkah - seven candles, 5:50 p.m.; Havdalah 5:50 p.m.; Community Hanukkah Candle Lighting, 6:30 p.m. via Zoom.

SUNDAY: No LJCS Classes; Men's Bike/Coffee Group continues to meet during the winter months, 10:30 a.m. at Rock-N-Joe, just off of 84th and Glynoaks. For more informatoin or question please email Al Weiss at albertw801@gmail.com; Candlelighting for Hanukkah - Eight candles, 5:36 p.m.; Community Hanukkah Candle Lighting, 6:30 p.m. via Zoom; Pickleball, 3 p.m. at TI. For more information please contact Miriam Wallick by text message 402.470.2393 or email at Miriam57@aol.com

MONDAY: Eighth Day of Hanukkah

WEDNESDAY: No LJCS Classes

FRIDAY-Dec. 30: Shabbat Candlelighting, 4:50 p.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat Service with Rabbi Alex and music by Nathaniel and Steve Kaup, 6:30 p.m. at SST; Oneg host: TBD.

SATURDAY-Dec. 31: Shabbat Morning Service 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Alex at TI; Torah Study, noon on Parashat Vayigash; Havdalah, 5:54 p.m.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE

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.

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME

The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home’s service is currently closed to visitors.

TEMPLE ISRAEL

In-person and virtual services conducted by Rabbi Batsheva Appel, Rabbi Deana Sussmam Berezin, and Cantor Joanna Alexander

FRIDAY: Drop in Mah Jongg, 9-11 a.m.; Operation Grateful Goodies Sorting Shift #1, noon-1 p.m. Please Register; Operation Grateful Goodies Sorting Shift #2, 1-2 p.m. Please Register; Shabbat B’yachad/Bring your Menorahs to Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. In-Person & Zoom.

SATURDAY: Torah Study 9:15 a.m. Zoom Only.

SUNDAY: Operation Grateful Goodies: Pick up boxes for delivery, noon-1 p.m. at Temple Israel. Please Register.

FRIDAY-Dec. 30: Shabbat B’yachad Service, 6 p.m. In-Person & Zoom.

SATURDAY-Dec. 31: Torah Study 9:15 a.m. Zoom Only.

Please note: Temple Israel Office is closed from Dec. 26, 2022 through Jan. 2, 2023. Please visit templeisraelomaha.com for additional information and Zoom service links.

Sunday Night Football features Hanukkah menorah lighting

JACOB GURVIS

JTA

When the New York Giants and Washington Commanders faced off on Sunday Night Football last weekend, there were two extra lights inside the stadium.

Sunday was the first night of Hanukkah, and for the first time ever, the National Football League’s marquee game featured a menorah lighting.

Organized by Chabad’s teen network, CTeen International, and Chabad of Maryland, the lighting took place after the game’s first quarter in Washington. It was displayed on FedExField’s jumbotrons.

According to Chabad, East Coast chapters of the teen movement attended the game, while local rabbis led a menorah parade and tailgate party outside the stadium, where they distributed menorahs, latkes and sufganiyot, or Hanukkah doughnuts, to Jewish fans.

“With eighty thousand fans watching from the stands and upwards of eighteen million tuning in from home, the prime-time game’s first public menorah lighting spreads Hanukkah’s light at a time when popular culture reels from antisemitism,” Chabad said in a statement to the Jerusalem Post

According to NBC data, Sunday Night Football has owned primetime’s top slot for 11 straight

years, averaging 19.3 million viewers in 2021. FedExField, located just east of Washington, D.C., fits 82,000 fans.

“It’s a truly unprecedented opportunity to share the warmth and light of Hanukkah,” Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky of CTeen International told the Post

The public display comes at a time of increased antisemitism, including in the sports world.

Last month, an Australian Jewish teen was drafted into the country’s leading football league, only to face a barrage of online hate, while the antisemitism controversy surrounding Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving made headlines for much of the fall.

Neither the Giants nor the Commanders have any Jewish players — there are only a handful in the entire league. Washington owner Dan Snyder, who is under multiple investigations for alleged financial and sexual misconduct in his organization, is Jewish and is a member of the Greater Washington Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. He is considering sell-

ing the franchise.

John Mara, president and co-owner of the Giants, is not Jewish but has previously expressed frustra-

tion when his team’s schedule has overlapped with Jewish holidays. He voiced his displeasure earlier this season when the Giants played on Rosh Hashanah, saying, “We have always requested the league take the Jewish High Holy Days into consideration when formulating our schedule.” (Mara’s coowner, decorated film producer and team chairman Steve Tisch, is Jewish.)

B’NAI ISRAEL

BETH EL

The Washington Commanders and New York Giants matched up on Dec. 4, 2022 at MetLife Stadium. Credit: Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Life cycles

ALLEN A. KURLAND

Allen A. Kurland passed away on Dec. 17, 2022, in Council Bluffs. Services were held on Dec. 20, 2022, at Beth El Cemetery and were officiated by Rabbi Abraham.

He is survived by his wife, Sandra, of 52 years; sons and daughters-in-law, Ruvane and Naomi Kurland, and Mendel and Sarah Kurland; daughter and son-in-law, Shayna Kurland and Ben Cohen; grandchildren: Lyric, Aria, Talia, and Solomon; and brothers and sisters-in-law, Jack and Annette Nabedrick and Ross and Lisa Kurland.

He graduated from Burlington High School in Iowa, and received an AA Degree from Anoka-Ramsey State Junior College in Minnesota, BSE and MA Degrees from Truman University in Kirksville, Missouri, and Specialist and Doctor Degrees from the University of Missouri in Columbia.

He was an educator for 30 years, serving as a school administrator for 27 years, 18 in Council Bluffs elementary schools. Prior to his death, he was Chief Executive Officer of Kohll’s Rx before retiring in 2022.

Memorials may be made to Beth El Synagogue, 14506 California St, Omaha, NE 68154 (bethel-omaha.org), or B’nai Israel Synagogue, 618 Mynster St, Council Bluffs, IA 51503 (cblhs.org).

JEANNE BLACKER LIPSEY ROSENBLUM

Jeanne Blacker Lipsey Rosenblum passed away on Nov. 29, 2022, in California. Services were held on Dec. 5, 2022, at Beth El Cemetery and were officiated by Rabbi Abraham.

She was preceded in death by her husbands, Stanford Lipsey and Hubert Rosenblum; parents, David and Marie Blacker;

brother, Dr. Martin Blacker; sister-in-law, Marcia Blacker; nephew, Rabbi Daniel Kamesar; and brother-in-law, Armon Kamesar.

She is survived by daughter, Janet Lipsey; son, Daniel Lipsey; son-in-law, John Harkin; daughter-in-law, Chelan Harkin; grandsons, Noah and Jesse Harkin; great-grandchildren, Amari and Nahanni Harkin; sister, Barbara Kamesar; and numerous loving nieces, nephews and friends.

Jeanne was born in Omaha, NE on Jan. 19, 1928. She attended Central High School and later Northwestern University and UCLA. She married Stanford Lipsey from Omaha and they had two children, Janet and Daniel. Her first love was her family and friends. Her roots in Omaha and the Jewish community were deep, strong and close to her heart. She was an active participant at Beth El Synagogue as a youth and later joined a discussion group called “Coffee with the Rabbi.” She and Stan were part of a Jewish/Christian Dialogue Group, and they co-chaired a campaign to raise funds for multiple sclerosis. Jeanne chaired an Omaha Jewish Federation Annual Fundraising campaign. She continued her passion for philanthropy and volunteering throughout most of her life. After divorcing and moving to San Francisco, she volunteered with the Shanti Project, worked for a culinary company and always remained close with her friends from Omaha. She married Hub Rosenblum in 1980, and they created a warm and welcoming home in San Francisco for many friends and family over the years.

Memorials may be made to Beth El Synagogue, 14506 California St, Omaha, NE 68154, or By the Bay Health (bythebayhealth. org) or the organization of your choice.

In Ukraine, Hanukkah candles are a lifeline

STEVE LIPMAN JTA

In the days before Hanukkah, a few men and women from two Conservative institutions in Israel traveled to the small Jewish community in Chernivtsi, Ukraine, with a supply of needed items.

Amid the power outages stemming from Russian attacks, the volunteers had blankets and sweatshirts for the cold, as well as menorahs and kippahs for religious observance purposes. The 300 boxes of Hanukkah candles will do double duty.

These days, the power in Chernivtsi, a city of around 250,000 (before the war) in western Ukraine, is more off than on. So the candles will do more than allude to the story of the Maccabees — they will help light Jewish homes across the city.

“This year it’s really important” to have and use Hanukkah candles, said Lev Kleiman, leader of the city’s Conservative Jewish community, in a recent Zoom interview.

Although the need is urgent, “We will hold onto the candles until Hanukkah,” Kleiman added, his words in Russian interpreted by Rabbi Irina Gritsevskaya, the Russian-born and Jerusalem-based “circuit rabbi” of the Conservative movement’s Schechter Institutes and executive director of its Midreshet Schechter Ukraine. The organizations are coordinating the transport of holiday supplies to Chernivtsi.

Among a few “couriers” bringing needed items to Jewish communities in Ukraine, Gritsevskaya has made several trips there over the last 10 months. At the start of the war, she urged Jews in other cities to make their way to Chernivtsi, which was far from the intense fighting on the eastern border.

Chernivtsi, which served as a place of refuge for thousands of displaced people from elsewhere in parts of the Soviet Union threatened by the Nazi army during World War II, is again attracting refugees from throughout the country. Earlier in the current war, Kleiman turned his synagogue into a refugee center for some of the millions of Ukrainians fleeing their homeland. The city also became a gathering site for worldwide faith leaders who have denounced the violence and expressed solidarity with the embattled Ukrainians.

Located on the Prut River, Chernivtsi (known at one time as “Jerusalem upon the Prut” for the strength of its Jewish community) is 25 miles north of the Romanian border and home to one of the country’s most active Conservative com-

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munities. The city’s Jewish population before the war began was estimated at 2,000, including many Holocaust survivors. And today, following the invasion? The number could be larger or smaller, no one is counting — but some western cities have experienced population growth due to all of the migration.

“No one knows,” Kleiman said. “Many left, but many came.” As in other Ukrainian cities, many Jews in Chernivtsi — especially women, senior citizens and children, everyone except draft-age males — have migrated. But uncounted other ones have come to a place of relative safety, either renting apartments or staying in ones under the auspices of the Jewish community. Most of the Jews in Chernivtsi now are those exempt from military service, Kleiman said. Others stayed in order to be with their husbands and fathers who joined the Ukrainian army after the war began, or to care for their aged parents.

Despite signs of war — rifle-carrying soldiers and policemen on the streets, empty shelves in stores because of shortages, people hurrying to safety when they hear sirens — Jewish life there has continued, according to Kleiman. The most active organizations in the city are the local outpost of the Hasidic Chabad-Lubavitch movement, the JDC-supported Hesed Shoshana Welfare Center and Kleiman’s Kehillat Aviv Synagogue (his official title is coordinator), which sponsors daily Jewish activities.

The synagogue — located near the Chabad center, with which it cooperates on relief activities — is housed in a small, two-story building that contains an office, a kitchen and a large multi-function hall. Kleiman says Hanukkah in 2022 will be more important than in past years because in addition to its ability to bring people together,the holiday also asserts Jewish survival.

“There are a lot of parallels,” Kleiman said of the holiday and his community’s current situation.

Electricity in Chernivtsi flows only a few hours each day, and at night, no street lights are on, thanks to incessant Russian bombing of Ukraine’s infrastructure, and to government-imposed restrictions designed to conserve the little available resources.

A holiday of lights sans lights? “We’ve never done it before,” Kleiman said, adding that the Jews in his city understand the holiday’s symbolism.

Read more at www.omahajewishpress.com

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Donor list as of Dec. 14, 2022. A final acknowledgment ad will follow at the close of the 2023 Annual Campaign. Every effort was made to ensure accuracy. We apologize if your name was incorrectly printed or inadvertently omitted.

Anonymous (67)

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