December 25, 2015

Endowed by the Benjamin and Anna E. Wiesman Family Fund AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA

A New Year brings new Mainstreeters programs

December 25, 2015 13 Tevet 5776 Vol. 96 | No. 15

This Week

The Jewish Press will not publish next week, January 1, 2016.

Rabbi Zohn

by MARY SUE GROSSMAN Publicity Chair, Beth Israel Synagogue The Sacred Fellowship. The Holy Society. The Kindness and Truth Society. Performers of Kindness Society. Called a variety of names, the Chevra Kadisha is perhaps the most important group serving Jewish communities around the world. Chevra Kadisha members perform one of the highest levels of mitzvot, the kindness that can never be repaid.

The responsibility of the Chevra Kadisha is the sacred task of preparing the body for burial.

Top: Joe Taylor and above: Camille Metoyer Moten.

The JCC Theater’s Crazy For You Page 6

by OZZIE NOGG The weather outside may be frightful, but Mainstreeters’ January programs are delightful. Put these dates on your calendar and come join in the activities.

A Free Afternoon at the Movies: Beaches with Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey, Friday, Jan. 15 at 1 p.m. in the JCC Theater. No charge for the film or the bags of warm, delicious popcorn. No reservations necessary. Invite a pal. Beaches follows CC (Midler) and Hillary (Hershey) who meet as children vacationing in Atlantic City, N.J., and remain friends throughout the decades. As CC, a loud New Yorker, pursues a singing career, Hillary, a staid Californian, becomes a successful lawyer. Over the years, they often quarrel or compete, but, as other rela-

A luxurious JCC opens its doors in a Moscow suburb Page 12

2016 Artist Workshops in the Western Galilee

Inside Point of view Synagogues In memoriam

Next Month Health+Wellness See Front Page stories and more at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on Jewish Press

tionships flourish and die, the two women are always there for each other, traveling from coast to coast through the most tumultuous times of love and tragedy. The movie’s theme song -- Wind Beneath My Wings -- won Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the year in 1990. This moving 1988 film is worth another look. If you’d like to have lunch at the Star Deli in the Rose Blumkin Home Auditorium before the show, call Maggie Conti at 402.334.6521 to reserve a table. Lunch is on your own. The Star Deli starts serving at 11:30 a.m.

Luncheon with Joe Taylor – Mr. Memories: Monday, Jan. 18, at 12:30 p.m. in the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Auditorium. With a vocal delivery that’s been compared Continued on page 3

8 10 11

by MARY SUE GROSSMAN Center for Jewish Life Through Omaha’s Partnership2 GETHER program of the Jewish Agency for Israel, artists in the community are invited -- and encouraged -- to participate in the 2016 “Artist Workshops in the Western Galilee.”

Noa Friedman Epstein, Arts and Community Coordinator for P2G explained, “The AIR program is the flagship program of the Arts and Community Task Force. This is the 7th year that we invite artists from all disciplines to come to the Western Galilee and contribute their knowledge and talent with local artists to create meaningful community proj-

ects together.” Noa remarked that through this program “strong friendships have been formed between Israeli and American artists and many

One of last year’s participants was Mark Kirchhoff of the Jewish Federation of Omaha, Center for Jewish Life.

“This was the first time that the pro-

other people in the region.”

The 2016 program will be held from May 19-27. Applications for participation are being accepted from artists working in all mediums including, but not limited to: photography, music, painting, theater, art therapy, writing, etc. This is a juried program with limited space available.

Each artist accepted into the program will be matched with the appropriate/related groups and resources to make the most of their time and creative offering.

gram was organized with the majority of the delegation participating as one group with one objective,” he said.

“There were seven photographers from the United States and one photographer from Budapest, Hungary, using their skills to document through photographs and narratives the diversity that is present in the Western Galilee. Each photographer worked with four different individuals.”

Noa shared that “the 2015 AIR project has produced a remarkable Continued on page 3

Rabbi Elchonon Zohn The weekend of Jan. 8-10, the role of the Chevra Kadisha will be the focus of Beth Israel Synagogue’s next Scholar-in-Residence, welcoming Rabbi Elchonon Zohn.

The theme of the weekend will be Get an Afterlife and is sponsored

by Shirley and David Goodman.

Rabbi Zohn is the founder and president of the National Association of Chevra Kadisha and lectures nationally on matters pertaining to the work of the Chevra Kadisha. He is the Director of the Chevra Kadisha of the Vaad Harabonim of Queens, NY, and is considered to be one of the foremost experts on Halachic issues pertaining to end-of-life and the work of the Chevra Kadisha.

He has traveled around the world speaking about and strengthening the important work of the many regional Chevra Kadisha groups.

The Scholar-in-Residence weekend begins with Shabbat dinner on Friday, Jan. 8 beginning at 6 p.m. Rabbi Zohn will give a presentation, Bridge to Eternity: Get a Life and an Afterlife, following dinner. The dinner will include soup, chicken, vegetables and dessert.

Youth programming and babysitting will be available during the presentation. Dinner is $12 for adults, $6 for children four-12 and free for children three and under.

On Saturday morning, Jan. 9 Rabbi Zohn will give the Shabbat sermon. The sermon title will be The Power of Chessed (Kindness): The Greatest Investment. A reception will be held Saturday evening beginning at 7 p.m., followed by a talk by Rabbi Zohn, Not Yet Gone but Already Forgotten.

Completing the weekend, Rabbi Zohn will lead a Tahara Training Seminar on Sunday Continued on page 2

2 | The Jewish Press | December 25, 2015

Kinnus Convention for Beth El kids

by BETH EL PUBLICITY Beth El’s teen members attended the recent USY convention, Kinnus, over the Thanksgiving break.

Despite it’s taking place over the family-centered holiday, Kinnus is the largest and most well attended of all the USY conventions throughout the year. Eadie Tsabari said, “Our students are always ready and excited to show off their BILU chapter.”

This year the teens went to St. Louis, energizing EMTZA Region USY with sichot, music, and ruach.

They performed community service, observed Shabbat and visited some great St. Louis sites.

“Going to the City Museum and experiencing BILU USY teens attending 2015 Kinnus in St.Louis. artists at work was probably my favorite part of the weekend,” said have with regards to changing the world. I learned that life has an amazing way of Jacob Spivack.

Most of the teens were impressed with the maintaining chaos, which is astounding. size of other chapters attending the conven- People can actually control what they can tion. Ethan Spivack observed that “Other control and take responsibility for the deciUSY groups were a lot bigger than us.” sions they take. If more people follow that Emily Kutler said, “One of my biggest take- logic versus trying to make a decision based aways was to bring more people to our chap- on influences around them, less stress would ter - since we are one of the smallest. But at exist. That is what Jewish youth are learning the same time, we are so close as a chapter; I and re-teaching to repair the world.”

Kieran Smith was a bit more succinct. “We realized this at Kinnus.”

Jacob described his perspective on chapter talked about equality a lot, which was a good size at conventions, “Going to conventions thing to take away from the experience.”

Hannah Stein was attending a convention can be scary. The size of the other chapters put into perspective the scope those people for the first time and said the “First-timers”

Simchas

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club was fun. She enjoyed traveling on a plane and meeting new people. Once home, she commented that “We need to be more spiritual like the other groups.”

Kieran, Emily, Ethan and Jacob were all excited to be reconnecting with camp friends. As keenly observed by Emily, she summarized the weekend this way, “I was a little bit nervous because being on a plane with 15 teenagers might not be the best idea, but it all worked out.”

Yes, it definitely did. For more information on future USY conventions and getting your teen involved in youth group, please visit www.bethel-omaha.org or call 402.492.8550.

Get an afterlife with Rabbi Zohn Continued from page 1 morning, Jan. 10 beginning at 10 a.m.

Tahara is the process of washing the body, a ritual act of purification. Just as a baby is washed and enters the world clean and pure, so do we leave the world cleansed by the religious act of tahara.

The seminar is for both current members and anyone interested in joining the Chevra Kadisha. The session, Death in Jewish Life Cycle – Our Laws and Customs through a Tahara Procedures and Review will explain in detail the various aspects of Chevra Kadisha work and provide the opportunity to ask questions.

Everyone is encouraged to submit questions about Jewish burial or end of life practices which will be answered throughout the weekend. Questions should be submitted to the synagogue office or email them to rabbiweiss@ orthodoxomaha.org.

All events are open to the community.

Reservations for Shabbat dinner are needed by Jan. 4 on the synagogue website at www.orthodoxomaha.org, by calling the office at 402.556.6288 or emailing jnickels@orthodox omaha.org.

JEWISH PRESS NOTICES The Jewish Press will be closed on Friday, Dec. 31. There will be no Jewish Press on Jan. 1, 2016. Questions? Call 402.334.6448.

December 25, 2015 | The Jewish Press | 3

Habitat for Humanity of Omaha

by SCOTT LITTKY but were forced to flee to Thailand where they lived for 13 Program Director, Temple Israel years in a refugee camp. Nay Shaw supported the family Founded in 1984, Habitat for Humanity of Omaha is a through small-scale farming and working as a fisherman. grassroots organization that builds and renovates houses, They came to Omaha with their three daughters in 2010 and forges community parthave since been blessed nerships and breaks with another girl. down barriers. They Sha Wah says the older eliminate vacant lots three girls are all exceland abandoned homes lent artists. The oldest, in the blighted areas of Ah Lee Ga Htoo, often North and South pretends to be a doctor, Omaha while improvchecking up on her dad ing the overall appeardaily to make sure he is ance of our community. fit and healthy. Nay Habitat Omaha Partner Shaw is excited that the Families are required to girls will have more complete up to 350 room to play at their Rabbi Brown’s opening prayer at the dedication ceremony. hours of Sweat Equity new home. Up until before purchasing their homes through 25 or 30-year no- now, all four girls have shared a bedroom. In their new interest mortgages. house they will be able to have their own space.

Since 1984, Habitat Omaha has partnered with more than Nay shaw has made quite the impression on the Habitat 800 families in our community to help address their housing Omaha construction staff during his time in the program. issues through home ownership, repairs and community- Dressed in his trademark camouflage pants, he always came building activities. ready to work and eager to learn. Nic Riechen, Habitat On Saturday, Dec. 12, the Carpenter’s Crew Coalition of Omaha Construction Supervisor, was happy to share how he Habitat for Humanity, of which Temple Israel was a part, felt about Nay Shaw: handed over the keys to a new home to Nay Shaw and Sha “He is by far my favorite Family Partner. He is always Wah’s family. The moving dedication ceremony was attend- happy, always smiling. Despite the language barrier, we were ed by many volunteers from Temple who worked on this able to work together and he always did a good job.” When year’s project. During the ceremony, Rabbi Josh Brown the keys to their new house were handed over, there was not offered both the opening prayer and the prayer of dedica- a dry eye in the room. tion. Dan Gilbert from Temple Israel’s Carpenter Crew To learn more about Temple Israel’s work with Habitat for Coalition offered the tithe presentation.

Humanity, or to volunteer for future projects, please call Nay Shaw and Sha Wah were originally from Myanmar, Program Director Scott Littky at 402.556.6536.

Continued from page 1 to Tony Bennett, Dean Martin, Perry Como and Frank Sinatra, Joe Taylor’s show will entertain you in the style of “Ol’ Blue Eyes” himself. With over 4,100 shows in 19 years and seven CDs to his credit, Joe is still going strong. (Not bad for a guy in his late seventies.) Be here for this afternoon of joyous memories when Joe performs tunes from the Great American Songbook. For lunch, choose either 1/2 corned beef sandwich or 1/2 egg salad sandwich, both served with matzah ball soup, coleslaw, pickle, chips, challah roll, cookies for dessert and beverage of your choice.

Cost is $10 a plate. Reservations are appreciated by Monday Jan. 11.

Make check payable to Jewish Social Services and send reservation with full payment to: Mainstreeters c/o Maggie Conti, 323 South 132 Street, Omaha, NE 68154. For transportation, call Maggie at 402.334.6521.

Free Community Concert with George & the Jrs: Sunday Jan. 24, 1:30 p.m. in the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Auditorium. Using piano, guitar, bass, flute and slide, George & the Jrs. play a mix of Elvis, 50s and 60s pop and rockin’ country. The concert, presented by Jewish Social Services, is

open to the entire community. This is live music at its finest.

Join us after the performance for ice cream sundaes.

Camille Metoyer Moten: Getting Your Sexy Back.

Friday, Jan. 29, 1:30 p.m. in the JCC Auditorium. Free and open to the community. Presented by Jewish Social Services. Camille Metoyer Moten, vocalist and actress, has been performing in Omaha for 30 years. During this presentation, Camille will speak about aging with grace and purpose while sharing her inspiring personal journey. As an added treat, Camille will also offer some delightful musical numbers. This uplifting, motivational event promises to be truly special. Ms. Metoyer Moten’s appearance is sponsored by the Ruth Riekes Richards Fund of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation.

Mainstreeters welcomes all Jewish residents of the Omaha area age 60-plus. The group offers a mixed-bag of social events, speakers, musical entertainment and learning opportunities. “No dues are required to be part of Mainstreeters,” said Maggie Conti, Director of Activities and Outreach Programs at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, “but a communication fee of $5 per person, $10 per couple, is appreciated to cover the cost of printing and postage. To ensure your name is on the mailing list for January 2016 to December 2016, please make your check payable to Jewish Social Services and send it to Mainstreeters, c/o Dr. Jim Wax, 1103 N. 93 Street, #350, Omaha, NE 68114. And thanks very much to everyone who has already paid.”

Mainstreeters programs are supported in part by grants from the United Way of the Midlands and the Jewish Federation of Omaha.

2016 Artist Workshops in the Western Galilee

Continued from page 1 exhibit titled Faces and Names in the Western Galilee showcasing 40 photographs of residents, along with their life stories.” The exhibit will have its debut showing at the P2G Steering Committee Meeting at Fort Worth in January. The official opening will be at the Okashi Museum in Akko, Israel on July 8 and will be available for viewing through Sept. 3. The exhibit will then travel throughout the Partnership communities.

“The 2015 AIR project was an experience beyond that of being a casual tourist,” said Mark. “I felt like I was not only experiencing the lives of these people now, but also a sense of history and a perspective on Israel that each person held.”

Mark also related that the hospitality of the Partnership staff, the effort they put forth in arranging tours of the area, and the warmth of sharing Shabbat in a private home and dinner in another home later in the week added depth and meaning to the program. “In some ways, the work as an artist was secondary. The connection with people will be for a lifetime,” Mark concluded.

Each artist is responsible for round trip flight costs, health insurance, private local transportation, and any additional

private meals or activities. Partnership2GETHER provides lodging and transportation to art sites; breakfast, lunch, and home hospitality dinners; local trips in the Western Galilee, and art materials/equipment as determined for each participant. Participants are required to share the AIR program experience and art with the local community in the US -bringing the connection full circle.

Interested artists must complete a 2016 Artist Workshops application and the deadline is Feb. 1. Applications may be obtained by calling 402.334.6463, emailing mkirchhoff@ jewishomaha.org, or on the Center for Jewish Life/ Partnership2GETHER page at www.jewishomaha.org.

Applicants must also submit a résumé or CV, and five examples of their work. Applications are also available by contacting Noa Friedman Epstein at noaep@jafi.org or Dena Eber at debger@bgsu.edu.

The Center for Jewish Life, through the Jewish Federation of Omaha, participates in the Partnership2GETHER program as part of its mission to maximize involvement of Omaha’s Jewish community in imaginative, compelling and meaningful Jewish experiences. For additional information, please call 402.334.6445.

A DECEMBER TO REMEMBER Starts Now Michael J. Cohn office: 402.333.6400 cell: 402.650.8046

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402/496-6090 Back & Neck Pain Headache Arm & Leg Pain Auto & Work Related Injuries Sports Injuries Mon & Wed: 8 a.m.-Noon & 2-6 p.m.

Tues: 2-6:30 p.m. Thurs: 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

Fri: 9 a.m.-Noon & 2-5 p.m. Sat: 9-11 a.m.

January Community Calendar FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25 Chinese Friday Night Dinner, 6 p.m. at Beth Israel Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. at Temple Israel Shabbat Chinese Dinner, 7 p.m. at Beth El Chinese Food and A Movie, 7 p.m. at Temple Israel SATURDAY, DECEMBER 26 Shabbat, 9 a.m. at Beth Israel Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel Mini-Minyannaires, 10:45 a.m. at Beth El A Celebration of PJ Library Fun! 6 p.m. at the Omaha Children’s Musuem SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27 Yachad Bowling, 9 a.m.

Bagels & Beit Medrash, 9:45 a.m. at Beth Israel Torah Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29 BBYO Meeting, 6 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30 Musical Theater Rehearsal, 6:30 p.m.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31 Women’s Class, 9:30 a.m. at Beth Israel Rabbi Dembitzer w/Friedel kids, 3:30 p.m.

Avot U-Banim, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel Talmud Learning, 8 p.m. at Beth Israel SATURDAY, JANUARY 2 Shabbat, 9 a.m. at Beth Israel Mini-Minyannaires, 10:45 a.m. at Beth El SUNDAY, JANUARY 3 Bagels & Beit Medrash, 9:45 a.m. at Beth Israel Torah Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El MONDAY, JANUARY 4 Exploring Judaism Class with Scott Littky, 7 p.m.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 5 Adult Ed Lunch & Learn, noon at Beth El BBYO Meeting, 6 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6 Breadbreakers, noon at RBJH BESTT Weekday Classes, 4:15 p.m. at Beth El BESTT Hebrew High & Dinner, 6 p.m. at Beth El Adult Ed Evening Series, 6:15 p.m. at Beth El Musical Theater Rehearsals, 6:30 p.m.

All the News, 6:30 p.m. at Temple Israel THURSDAY, JANUARY 7 Women’s Class, 9:30 a.m. at Beth Israel All the News, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel Rabbi Dembitzer w/Friedel kids, 3:30 p.m.

Avot U-Banim, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel Talmud Learning, 8 p.m. at Beth Israel FRIDAY, JANUARY 8 Alzheimer’s Support Group, 11 a.m. at RBJH Star Deli, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH Temple Israel Shabbat Comes to You at Remington 4 p.m.

Scholar-In-Residence Rabbi Elchonon Zohn, 6 p.m. at Beth Israel SATURDAY, JANUARY 9 Shabbat, 9 a.m. at Beth Israel Scholar-In-Residence Rabbi Elchonon Zohn, 9 a.m. at Beth Israel Shabbat’s Cool Gr. 3-7, 10 a.m. at Beth El Mini-Minyannaires, 10:45 a.m. at Beth El Spend Shabbat afternoon at Shul, 12:30 p.m. at Beth El PJ Havdalah, 5 p.m. at Beth El

SUNDAY, JANUARY 10 BESTT Sunday Classes, 9:45 a.m. at Beth El Bagels & Beit Medrash, 9:45 a.m. at Beth Israel Torah Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El Scholar-In-Residence Rabbi Elchonon Zohn, 10 a.m. at Beth Israel Torah Tots, 10:30 a.m. at Beth El Sunday Speakers Series, 11 a.m. at Beth El Book Club with Scott Littky, 11 a.m. at Temple Israel Beth El Kibbutz Chaverim, 12:15 p.m.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 22 Alzheimer’s Support Group, 11 a.m. at RBJH Beth El Serves Lunch at NE AIDS Coalition, 11:30 a.m.

Star Deli, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH BESTT Family Shabbat/Tot Shabbat & Dinner, 6 p.m. at Beth El

MONDAY, JANUARY 11 Exploring Judaism Class with Scott Littky, 7 p.m.

Friedel Board Meeting, 7 p.m.

Jewish Press Board Meeting, 7 p.m.

NCJW Board Meeting, 7 p.m.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24 Mitzvah Fair for Omaha 3rd & 4th Graders, 9:30 a.m. at Beth El BESTT Sunday Classes, 9:45 a.m. at Beth El Bagels & Beit Medrash, 9:45 a.m. at Beth Israel Torah Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El Torah Tots, 10:30 a.m. at Beth El Sunday Speakers Series, 11 a.m. at Beth El TED Talk, 11 a.m. at Temple Israel CJL Teacher In-Service, 12:30 p.m.

Performing Arts Academy Class, 2 p.m.

Sunday Night Dinner: Tu B’Shevat, 6 p.m. at Beth Israel

TUESDAY, JANUARY 12 Eye on Israel with Eliad Eliyahu, noon BBYO Meeting, 6 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13 Friedel Jewish Academy Community Open House Tours at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Breadbreakers, noon at RBJH BESTT Weekday Classes, 4:15 p.m. at Beth El Board Meeting, 6:30 p.m. at Beth Israel Musical Theater Rehearsal, 6:30 p.m.

All the News, 6:30 p.m. at Temple Israel BESTT Hebrew High, 6:45 p.m. at Beth El THURSDAY, JANUARY 14 Women’s Class, 9:30 a.m. at Beth Israel All the News, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel Center for Jewish Life Board Meeting, noon Shanghai Lessons, 1 p.m. at Beth El Rabbi Dembitzer w/Friedel kids, 3:30 p.m.

Avot U-Banim, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel Talmud Learning, 8 p.m. at Beth Israel FRIDAY, JANUARY 15 Star Deli, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH Mainstreeters Movie, noon SATURDAY, JANUARY 16 Shabbat, 9 a.m. at Beth Israel Mini-Minyannaires, 10:45 a.m. at Beth El Kids Night Out, 5:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 17 Bagels & Beit Medrash, 9:45 a.m. at Beth Israel Torah Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El MONDAY, JANUARY 18 Mainstreeters Lunch, 11 a.m. at RBJH Exploring Judaism Class with Scott Littky, 7 p.m.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 19 Adult Ed Lunch & Learn, noon at Beth El BBYO Meeting, 6 p.m.

Board of Trustees Meeting, 7 p.m. at Temple Israel WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20 International Intergenerational Tu B’Shevat Seder, 9 a.m.

Breadbreakers, noon at RBJH BESTT Weekday Classes, 4:15 p.m. at Beth El Adult Ed Evening Series, 6:15 p.m. at Beth El Musical Theater Rehearsal, 6:30 p.m.

All the News, 6:30 p.m. at Temple Israel BESTT Hebrew High, 6:45 p.m. at Beth El THURSDAY, JANUARY 21 Women’s Class, 9:30 a.m. at Beth Israel All the News, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel Dorothy Kaplan Book Discussion Group, 1 p.m.

Rabbi Dembitzer w/Friedel kids, 3:30 p.m.

Planning & Community Engagement Committee, 4:30 p.m.

Avot U-Banim, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel Talmud Learning, 8 p.m. at Beth Israel

SATURDAY, JANUARY 23 Shabbat, 9 a.m. at Beth Israel Mini-Minyannaires, 10:45 a.m. at Beth El

MONDAY, JANUARY 25 JFO Board of Directors, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH Exploring Judaism Class with Scott Littky, 7 p.m.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 26 JSS Board of Directors Meeting, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH Adult Ed Lunch & Learn, noon at Beth El BBYO Meeting, 6 p.m.

Poker Tournament, 6 p.m. at Temple Israel JCC Board of Directors Meeting, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27 Breadbreakers, noon at RBJH BESTT Weekday Classes, 4:15 p.m. at Beth El Adult Ed Evening Series, 6:15 p.m. at Beth El Musical Theater Rehearsal, 6:30 p.m.

All the News, 6:30 p.m. at Temple Israel BESTT Hebrew High, 6:45 p.m. at Beth El THURSDAY, JANUARY 28 Women’s Class, 9:30 a.m. at Beth Israel All the News, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel Rabbi Dembitzer w/Friedel kids, 3:30 p.m.

Avot U-Banim, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel Budget and Financial Review Meeting, 7 p.m.

Talmud Learning, 8 p.m. at Beth Israel FRIDAY, JANUARY 29 Scholar-in-residence, Rabbi Bradley Artson at Beth El Star Deli, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 Scholar-in-residence, Rabbi Bradley Artson at Beth El Shabbat, 9 a.m. at Beth Israel Mini-Minyannaires, 10:45 a.m. at Beth El SUNDAY, JANUARY 31 Scholar-in-residence, Rabbi Bradley Artson at Beth El BESTT Sunday Classes, 9:45 a.m. at Beth El Bagels & Beit Medrash, 9:45 a.m. at Beth Israel Torah Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El Sunday Speakers Series, 11 a.m. at Beth El Performing Arts Academy Class, 2 p.m.

Beth El Cooking/Serving at Stephen Center, 5:30 p.m. at Stephen Center

All events held at the Jewish Community Center unless otherwise noted. This calendar does not include all community events. For a complete listing, visit the Federation’s website: www.jewishomaha.org (click on calendar). To keep calendar accurate, call Pat Anson at 402.334.8200. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the accuracy of the above events.

December 25, 2015 | The Jewish Press | 5

Israeli officials condemn Breaking the Silence

by BEN SALES ference hosted by the liberal Israeli daily Haaretz in New TEL AVIV (JTA) -- They’ve been banned from Israel’s York on Sunday. schools and forbidden from speaking to Israeli soldiers.

That day, Israeli TV Channel 20 called Rivlin’s appearance Israel’s prime minister denounced them from the floor of at a conference that also featured Breaking the Silence “a the Knesset. A right-wing group has accused them of being total loss of shame” and said he didn’t represent the country. foreign moles.

Knesset Opposition Leader Isaac Herzog called on Prime The Israeli veterans’ group Breaking the Silence has been Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday to denounce the controversial since it was founded in 2004 by soldiers who channel’s comments. had served in Hebron during the Second Intifada. The group’s Instead, Netanyahu criticized Breaking the Silence. goal is to give soldiers a forum to speak out about their serv“Come to the podium and vocally denounce the Breaking ice in the West Bank and Gaza, and to advocate against Israel’s the Silence organization, which slanders soldiers worldwide occupation of the West Bank. It publishes soldiers’ testi- and works to tie the hands of the state of Israel when it monies of alleged abuses during conflict, such as indiscrimi- defends itself, which defames the state of Israel,” Netanyahu nate firing on civilians. It also runs tours of Hebron. said from the Knesset podium.

Figures on Israel’s political Opposition to the group isn’t right and center have accused universal. On Wednesday, the group of taking testileft-wing Meretz party monies out of context and Chairwoman Zahava Galon distorting the truth. It’s drawn criticized Bennett’s decision as particular ire for publishing a politically motivated move. many testimonies anony“Breaking the Silence is a mously, for releasing its patriotic organization that reports in English and for helps the IDF keep its moral taking veterans on speaking character,” Galon wrote on tours in Europe and the Facebook. “They help us United States. guard the human image as a This week, Israel’s governsociety and army.”

Israeli settlers record a video and argue with a member of ment mounted an unpreceBreaking the Silence has Breaking the Silence group on Al-Shuhada Street in the West dented campaign against the been embroiled in controverBank city of Hebron, July 10, 2015. group. Senior Israeli politisy before, drawing criticism Credit: Garrett Mills/Flash90 from Israelis seen as modercians have accused the group of slandering the IDF. Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon ate. In 2013, the University of Pennsylvania Hillel initially banned the group from speaking to active-duty soldiers, barred the group from holding an event in its building, but calling the group’s work “hypocrisy and false propaganda” in allowed the event following backlash from students. a Facebook post Sunday. Two days later, Education Minister After Breaking the Silence released a collection of negative Naftali Bennett barred the group from appearing at schools. testimonies in May from soldiers who fought in last year’s “Breaking the Silence doesn’t care for the IDF’s morality,” war in Gaza, centrist Yesh Atid party Chairman Yair Lapid Bennett wrote on Facebook Thursday. “It’s focused on formed a group of soldiers called “My Truth” to counter the defaming IDF soldiers across the world: In Belgium, in allegations with positive accounts of IDF service. He called Sweden, in the U.N., in the European Union. Since when Breaking the Silence “anti-Zionist” and “radical.” does someone who cares for the IDF go around the world On Wednesday, the right-wing organization Im Tirtzu spreading blood libels about our soldiers?” took the condemnations a step further, publishing a video Breaking the Silence has called the recent moves against it accusing the heads of Breaking the Silence and other leftan unjust and undemocratic attempt at curtailing speech. wing NGOs of being foreign “plants” and supporting terror “This is a worrying and violent incitement campaign from against Israelis. the same forces calling to close [Israel’s] Supreme Court, But even Breaking the Silence’s critics condemned the Im who call the country’s president a traitor, and who work to Tirzu campaign as a step too far. shut down human rights organizations in Israel,” Breaking “The name-calling from left and right -- using terms like the Silence wrote in an email to supporters Wednesday. ‘traitors,’ ‘fascists,’ ‘agents’ or ‘McCarthyism,’ -- and demoBennett’s and Ya’alon’s decisions to bar the group from nization campaigns or personal attacks do not contribute to schools and from contact with active-duty soldiers come as a healthy public debate,” read a statement by Gerald the Knesset is considering a bill to require NGOs like Steinberg, president of NGO Monitor, a right-wing organiBreaking the Silence to declare their foreign funding zation that opposes Breaking the Silence’s activity and invessources. Ya’alon’s move also came the same day as Israeli tigates its funding. “This uncivil discourse is antithetical to President Reuven Rivlin spoke ahead of the group at a con- Israel’s democratic values.”

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NCJW welcomed Danielle Conrad

by BECKI BRENNER AND DEB MARBURG Co-Vice-Presidents of Public Affairs & Education, NCJW-Omaha Section

Nebraska’s Unicameral is unique, to say the least, and having the opportunity to learn a little about it and the legislative process from former State Senator and current Executive Director of the Nebraska ACLU, Danielle Conrad, was a real treat for a diverse group of NCJW, Omaha Section members and guests.

In lieu of charging for the event, attendees were asked to bring a donation of “cold weather accessories” for our adopted school, Jackson Elementary. With wine and noshes from Spirit World, the evening’s conversation and generous donations brought a little education and a little warmth to a rainy November night.

Watch for our next ‘Wine & Conversation’ event in January.

In the news Jeremy Yampolsky of Scottsdale, AZ, was honored by Desert Mountain High School. He was awarded Outstanding Male Student of the Year, Class of 2016. Jeremy has had several years of experience in leading roles with Scottsdale’s Desert Stage productions and is a member of the varsity football team at Desert Mountain High School.

He is the son of Stephanie and Brian Yampolsky of Scottsdale and the grandson of Judi and Larry Yampolsky of Omaha.

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6 | The Jewish Press | December 25, 2015

Lincoln latkes

Crazy for You

This festive photo from Tifereth came in after the paper went to print last week, so we’re including it this week.

Credit: Andrea Halpern

Playland Park, old and new On Jan. 8, Ted Zetzman of Noddle Development will describe the company’s plan to develop the old Playland Park land into an exciting mixed-use project.

Services will begin at 7:30 p.m. at B’nai Israel Synagogue in Council Bluffs.

It was showtime on Dec. 19 and 20 for the JCC’s Musical Theater Community Acting Group. The performance of Crazy for You gave the audience a chance to enjoy classic Gershwin tunes. You can see more photos at https://www. facebook.com/ShalomahaPress.

The next show will be Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Auditions will be held Jan. 10, 2016. Visit http:// www.jewishomaha.org/jcc/arts-and-culture/view/ musical-theater/ for more information.

A New Choice in Senior Living

Organizations B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Breadbreakers is taking a winter holiday break and will reconvene on Jan. 6, 2016. Speaker to be announced for Wednesday, Jan. 6, noon. For more information or to be placed on the email list call 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@ jewishomaha.org.

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December 25, 2015 | The Jewish Press | 7

Voices of Beth El: Linda Saltzman

by BETH EL PUBLICITY School and was a Bar Mitzvah in November, The Voices of Beth El Series continues this 2014, and their daughter is in the 6th grade, week introducing congregants’ personal sto- not too far from her Bat Mitzvah. ries as a way to highlight everything that is She remembers Program Director Margie so enjoyed and treasured about Beth El Gutnik as being especially kind and sensiSynagogue. Its members are its best cheer- tive to the needs of her son, who had leaders and their stories numerous food allergies. are contagious!

“I remember she always For Linda Saltzman, made sure he had someBeth El is “almost like a thing to eat for dinner second home. It is warm after Tot Shabbat. I was at and welcoming and really ease and completely comcares about its congregants. fortable; it really meant Our Rabbi and Hazzan are something.” truly dynamic individuals Linda says there are many who constantly think of Beth El events the family innovative ideas to keep enjoys, with Simchat the synagogue experience Torah coming quickly to fresh and meaningful,” she mind. “It’s one of my went on, “The education at favorites. I enjoy seeing Beth El is outstanding, as the entire Torah unravLinda Saltzman anyone can attest who has eled. I had never seen that witnessed a Bar or Bat Mitzvah of a BESTT before joining Beth El.” student. The kids’ knowledge of Hebrew and When asked for a favorite Beth El memounderstanding of Jewish principles is noth- ry, Linda had this to say, “My favorite meming short of exceptional.” ory of Beth El is my son’s Bar Mitzvah. Rabbi Linda is a native of the Washington, D.C. Abraham and Hazaan Krausman put many area; a 5th-generation Washingtonian. After hours into helping Ari prepare and study for working in radio and television in D.C. for his big day. In the end, it was a day of enorten years, she moved to Omaha in 1996 to mous joy and pride for Ari and our family.” be with husband-to-be Kevin.

She finished by commenting on Omaha as For Linda and Kevin, education and being a very family-friendly place. “Comlearning was a priority in choosing a syna- pared to where I came from, there are so gogue. Linda explained, “We joined Beth El many opportunities for kids to participate in Synagogue because we knew the education a wide variety of activities and to have posiwas excellent and provided in an intimate tive interaction with other kids. The public environment. We joined when our oldest schools are excellent and there is no need for child started kindergarten, but prior to that silly endeavors like applying to preschools we had attended several Tot Shabbats before (like in big cities). For adults, the theaters becoming members. We found a communi- and restaurants are extremely accessible and ty that was very warm and inviting.” the real estate market can’t be beat.”

The Saltzmans’ kids are still at BESTT. Look out for more Voices of Beth El stoTheir oldest son attends Hebrew High ries in upcoming editions of the Jewish Press.

BDS awareness

by HOWARD EPSTEIN Executive Director, Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation Jewish college students are increasingly encountering anti-Israel and anti-Jewish sentiment on campuses around North America, especially at universities and cities with medium to large Jewish populations.

This includes the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (“BDS”) movement, supported by pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel students and faculty, which the Anti-Defamation League describes as the dominant anti-Israel activity on American college campuses. It is essential that Jewish students be fully aware of the extent and depth of BDS and other movements, how to respond when they encounter such bias, and how to advocate against the bigotry and hatred that accompany them.

The boards of two Supporting Foundations of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation, the Phillip and Terri Schrager Supporting Foundation and the Murray H. and Sharee C. Newman Supporting Foundation, have generously stepped forward to fund BDS awareness programs and an ADL sponsored program,

“Words to Action,” which are geared to college students, high school juniors and seniors, and their parents, and are intended to empower Jewish students to act against anti-Semitism and anti-Israel activity on campuses and online.

Jewish college students, high school juniors and seniors, and their parents will be invited to participate in these essential learning opportunities this coming spring and summer. It is gratifying to know that the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation and its supporters play a significant role in providing our Jewish youth with the education and tools they need to successfully deal with situations they are likely to encounter during their college years.

It is not too late to establish a new endowment fund or add to an existing endowment this calendar year. When you contribute $10,000 or more to such an endowment at the Foundation, an anonymous donor has agreed to contribute $1,000 to your endowment. For more information, contact Howard N. Epstein, Executive Director at 402.334.6466 or hep stein@jewishomaha.org.

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Accepting the award from Nick Burhman, AAA Field Manager, and Elizabeth Johnson, AAA Sales & Service Representative, are Friedel’s 3rd and 4th graders along with their teacher, Mr. Paul Maudlin, and Beth Cohen, Head of School. The grant will support a book-sharing project with Mr. Maudlin’s class and the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

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8 | The Jewish Press | December 25, 2015

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What we accomplish together

by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor This past weekend, it was show time for the Jewish Community’s Musical Theater Community Acting Group.

It’s one of the many times this community comes together; in addition to watching the many different actors entertain us, you can find a Human Resource officer helping out back stage, the marketing department and Jewish Press taking photographs, staff from the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home making sure our residents can come and watch during dress rehearsal when things are not so busy, and maintenance people who make sure the lights stay on. As is often the case, cooperation is the backbone of success. When we collaborate, we all get better at what we do.

In May of 2016, this community will once again mark Yom HaShoah. The first committee meeting just took place this month, and it is incredibly inspiring to see the faces around the table. People from different departments and different synagogues working together for one common goal means no detail is overlooked, and different perspectives are integrated.

Then, there’s the Teen Trip. When all three Omaha synagogues work together with our Jewish Federation, good things happen. When we add passionate and generous donors to the mix, those good things become positively magical.

That is how, during the early morning of Dec. 20, it became possible for 35 Omaha teens to board a plane and travel to Israel. Accompanied by Rabbi Abraham from Beth El, Rabbi Ari Dembitzer from Beth Israel and Cantor Wendy Shermet from Temple Israel, they joined the Partnership2

GETHER Mega Teen Mission.

They will visit the Mahane Yehudah, float in the Dead Sea and visit Yad Vashem. They will see the Kotel, ride ATVs in northern Israel and ride bikes in Tel Aviv. They wil tour the old city of Akko, enjoy a BBQ dinner with Israeli teens and see the Western Galilee Medical Center up close and personal.

Omaha Teens at Independence Hall in Tel Aviv As wonderful as it is to go to Israel, and as important it is for all our kids to visit and see the land for themselves, let’s be honest: it is cost-prohibitive. It’s not something any of us like to talk about, but it is by no means a given that any parents can just shell out thousands of dollars.

And that’s where that collaboration is so tremendously important. We have donors, whose generosity continues to

be remarkable. The Shirley and Leonard Goldstein Supporting Foundation, the Herbert Goldsten Foundation, the Lois Jeanne Schrager Memorial Fund, the Phillip and Terri Schrager Supporting Foundation, the Carl Frohm Memorial Foundation and the Jewish Federation of Omaha all came through in underwriting this endeavor. All three synagogues joined participating families in making additional funds available, and because of that cooperation, 35 high school students were able to go to Israel.

It’s incredibly essential for our teens to visit Israel. Not only because it is important for them to see the country and the people first hand, but because they are experiencing this together.

“The priority of this trip,” it said on the early fliers, “is relationship building, with each other as Jewish Omaha teens, with Israeli peers, and in cultivating a personal relationship with the land and history of Israel.”

We all know that traveling together can be a great bonding experience. How fabulous is it to experience that type of bonding with teens from different synagogues, and step outside your immediate environment? In Israel?! What’s more, the trip will allow all those teens to spend quality time with clergy from all three synagogues, and that is a priceless experience. It is further proof that what makes this community strong is collaboration and the notion that when we combine forces rather than act territorial, we accomplish more and better things. While the kids are building relationships with the clergy, with many Israelis and with each other, they will also come home to a community that knows how to maintain those relationships.

Why Conservative Judaism should accept patrilineal Jews

by CHARLES SIMON NEW YORK (JTA) -- There’s a lot to celebrate in the Conservative movement, despite the news about our shrinking numbers. Our rabbis are finding new ways to connect with congregants. Our movement remains committed to kashrut, daily prayer, Shabbat and holiday observance. Our synagogues have become vibrant places that welcome people of color, people of different sexual orientations and people who may not even count themselves as Jews.

Conservative institutions, however, are not as effective as they could be. While our movement’s three central organizations -- the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, the Rabbinical Assembly and the Jewish Theological Seminary - are attempting to provide guidance, resources and support to help communities cope with dramatic demographic changes, they remain hampered by their traditional understanding of Jewish law and the culture that has shaped it.

It’s not easy to change institutional culture, and our movement’s central institutions are trying. Until they successfully complete that process, the distance between our institutions and what is happening in our communities is growing. This gap is forcing Conservative rabbis to address the momentous generational challenges facing our communities more or less on their own.

This is especially the case when it comes to so-called patrilineal Jews -- those born to Jewish fathers and non-Jewish mothers who have been raised as Jews.

Many communities have come to believe that the Conservative movement’s longstanding rule defining Jewish status as wholly dependent on the mother’s religion is an impediment to Jewish growth. They understand that the demographic wave of intermarriage cannot be reversed.

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They believe that the guidelines established for Conservative rabbis and their congregations more than 40 years ago are outdated, and that new and different strategies are required to address today’s challenges.

For now, these rabbis must determine how much flexibility exists within the legal system that governs us or whether, in order to meet the needs of current and future generations, they will ignore Conservative rules.

These are difficult decisions, though some parts are easier than others. When a child born to a Jewish father and nonJewish mother registers for religious school, our synagogues usually make clear at the outset that after a certain number of years, the parents will have to decide whether or not the child will undergo conversion. If not, the child cannot have a bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah.

Things are more difficult when it comes to weddings.

How should a Conservative rabbi respond when a woman the rabbi has known her entire life wants to wed a partner who was raised as a Reform Jew but does not qualify as Jewish because his mother was not Jewish?

Many of my colleagues urge these patrilineal Jews to undergo formal conversion, including mikvah and ritual circumcision, or, if necessary, actual circumcision, to obviate problems down the road. In the event that the person in question is insulted or put off, there’s not much we rabbis can do. We are not allowed to officiate at weddings involving patrilineal Jews.

These are not rare cases. They are becoming more and more frequent. We need solutions. The irony about the Conservative Jewish debate on patrilineal descent is that, for the most part, the matter already has been decided. I can’t think of any Conservative synagogue that is turning away members.

When it comes to weddings, however, the problem cannot be avoided. When that couple gets married, do we want a Conservative rabbi standing with them under the huppah, a rabbi from a more liberal movement or no rabbi at all?

My colleagues grieve about this because they are prohibited even from attending a wedding where one partner is not considered Jewish by our definition. Do we really have to draw that line? There must be a better way.

I see two possible future scenarios.

One, the leaders of the movement and its institutions affirm the values that unite us but cease to impose rules that restrict what rabbis can do in their own communities regarding matters of personal status. This could result in significant growth for our movement.

Two, congregations continue to engage people in innovative ways without worrying about their affiliation with Conservative umbrella institutions that might censure their behavior or even expel them as members. This will strengthen congregations while weakening the influence of the movement.

I have had the privilege to visit 30 to 50 Conservative and Masorti congregations in North America and all over the world every year during my three decades as executive director of the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs. Their work continues to encourage me. Despite everything, we’re still doing many things that are very right. I think we can do this better.

Rabbi Charles Simon is executive director of the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs, the male volunteer arm of the Conservative movement, and the author of Intermarriage: Concepts and Strategies for Families and Synagogue Leaders.

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December 25, 2015 | The Jewish Press | 9

What Americans had to say about Jewish war refugees

by URIEL HEILMAN NEW YORK (JTA) -- They were called “so-called” refugees, told they were alien to American culture and warned against as potential enemies of the United States.

This anti-refugee rhetoric in America was directed against Jews trying to flee Europe, not Mexicans or Syrians.

Back in the 1930s and ‘40s, the fear was of Nazi and Communist infiltrators sneaking in along with the refugees rather than the Islamic militants or Mexican criminals that some fear today.

In 1938, when Hitler’s threat to Jews in Germany already was apparent, America still was emerging from the Great Depression, and xenophobia and anti-Semitism were commonplace. In a July 1938 poll, 67 percent of Americans told Fortune magazine that America should try to keep out altogether German, Austrian and other political refugees, and another 18 percent said America should allow them in but without increasing immigration quotas. In another 1938 poll, cited in the book “Jews in the Mind of America,” some 75 percent of respondents said they opposed increasing the number of German Jews allowed to resettle in the United States.

In January 1939, 61 percent of Americans told Gallup they opposed the settlement of 10,000 refugee children, “most of them Jewish,” in the United States.

In May that year, 12 percent of Americans said they would support a widespread campaign against Jews in the United States and another 8 percent said they would be sympathetic to one, according to the book FDR and the Jews. By June 1944, the number had risen to 43 percent of Americans who said they would support a campaign against the Jews or would be sympathetic to one. Polls cited in “Jews in the Mind of America” showed 24 percent of Americans believed Jews were “a menace to America.”

At the same time, 70 percent of Americans said in an April 1944 poll commissioned by the White House that they supported creating temporary safe haven camps in the United States where war refugees could stay until the war’s end. Only one such camp was set up, in Oswego, New York; 982 refugees were placed there in August 1944.

Rep. Jacob Thorkelson, a Montana Republican, said Jewish migrants are part of an “invisible government” tied to the “communistic Jew” and to “Jewish international financiers.”

Sen. Robert Reynolds, a North Carolina Democrat, said Jews are “systematically building a Jewish empire in this country.”

“Let Europe take care of its own people,” he said.

Reynolds told Life magazine he merely wanted “our own

fine boys and lovely girls to have all the jobs in this wonderful country,” according to TheIntercept.com.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt himself warned that Jewish refugees might be Nazi spies, coerced to do the Reich’s bidding with threats against relatives back home. At a news conference, Roosevelt explained how refugees -“especially Jewish refugees” -- might be forced into service for the Nazis with the threat that if they declined, they would be told, “We are frightfully sorry, but your old father and

Jewish refugees aboard the German liner St. Louis, June 29, 1939.

Credit: Planet News Archive/SSPL/Getty Images mother will be taken out and shot.”

Similar warnings against Nazis disguised as refugees appeared in the Saturday Evening Post, Reader’s Digest and American Magazine, according to Reason.com.

America did not take specific action to help Jewish refugees until January 1944, when Roosevelt, conceding to pressure from members of his own government and American Jews, established the War Refugee Board to help rescue Jews in Europe.

Until then, several thousand Jewish refugees had gained admittance into the United States under the German-Austrian quota from 1938 to 1941, which wasn’t limited to Jews. But for most of Roosevelt’s presidency, the U.S. quota for immigrants from Germany went less than 25 percent filled, according to the David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies. In all, more than 190,000 quota places from Germany and Axisoccupied countries sat unused during the Holocaust.

In 1938, just two weeks after the Kristallnacht pogrom, the U.S. Interior Secretary floated the idea of settling refugees in Alaska, and soon his office began researching the possibility. In March 1940, Sen. Robert Wagner of New York and

Why I take personally chief rabbi’s criticism of non-Orthodox school visit

by JERRY SILVERMAN NEW YORK (JTA) -- At the Jewish Federations of North America General Assembly this year, it was made clear that a healthy Jewish community does not have to have unanimity on all issues, but we do need to be unified and, above all else, have civility in our discourse.

Israel’s Ashkenazi chief rabbi, David Lau, missed the message. It wasn’t that long ago that Rav Lau met with federation leaders and rabbinic leadership from across the denominations in JFNA’s New York offices. Calling himself “your brother in Israel,” the rabbi was extremely warm and welcoming. Given the frustration and anger that many nonOrthodox Jews feel when it comes to the myriad ways Israel’s religious establishment treats them as second-class Jews, we took his visit as a positive step forward.

That’s why it was so stunning and frustrating to see Rav Lau publicly criticize Education Minister Naftali Bennett for visiting the Solomon Schechter School of Manhattan, a New York City day school affiliated with the Conservative movement.

“You cannot go to a place where the education distances Jews not only from the tradition, but also from the past, and therefore from the future of the Jewish people,” Rav Lau said, terming the visit “unacceptable.”

What makes those remarks all the more dismaying and perplexing is the double standard. He also recently visited a non-Orthodox school, one that originally held classes in a Conservative synagogue in Washington, D.C. During his October visit to the pluralist Jewish Primary Day School of the Nation’s Capital, Rav Lau reportedly spoke of the “connectedness of all Jewish people” and told the children: “You are Jewish life in this city.”

It’s difficult to understand how Bennett’s visit to Schechter is any different. Instead of criticizing Bennett, who also serves as Israel’s minister of Diaspora affairs, Rav Lau should be praising him for reaching out to the non-Orthodox Jewish community, for recognizing that there is more than one way to be Jewish, for understanding that we are all part of the community of Israel. Isolating and denying recogni-

tion to non-Orthodox Jews will not inspire people to move toward the tradition, as Rav Lau would like.

I encourage Rav Lau to listen to the speech Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave at our General Assembly, when he said that he was committed to ensuring that all Jews -regardless of denomination -- feel at home in Israel.

Just as all Jews should feel at home in Israel, so should all Israeli leaders feel comfortable getting to know Diaspora Jewry at any institution without fear of reprimand.

It is difficult for me to reconcile Rav Lau’s disparaging comments about Bennett’s visit with the rabbi I met a year ago, who talked about reaching and connecting with the Jewish community. And I take such disparagement personally.

While my wife and I belong to and attend an Orthodox synagogue, we sent our five children to the Solomon Schechter school in Boston. We found our children’s education to be Jewishly inspiring and enriching, and it helped them build a strong foundation for their ongoing Jewish identity and love for Israel.

As an observant Jew myself, I take no issue with Rav Lau encouraging Jews to become more observant and follow Jewish law more closely. I do take issue with his saying that anyone on a different path is “on the wrong path.” Such comments are alienating and serve only to exacerbate tensions between non-Orthodox Jews, both in Israel and in the Diaspora, and the Israeli religious establishment.

Bennett’s interest in learning about Jewish education modalities was absolutely appropriate, and visiting a school that promotes Jewish education, Jewish learning and Jewish living is in line with his ministerial responsibilities. Rav Lau should follow suit. He would see, as Bennett tweeted after his visit to the school, “so much love of Israel and so much love of Judaism.”

We are hopeful that these comments criticizing leaders who believe in Am Echad, One People, will end, and we will move toward unity with civility.

Jerry Silverman is president and chief executive officer of the Jewish Federations of North America.

Rep. Frank Havenner of California proposed bills to resettle 10,000 war refugees in the remote territory who wouldn’t count toward America’s immigration quotas. But the idea ran into opponents in Congress who expressed concerns that “these foreigners cannot be assimilated in Alaska, and will constitute a threat to our American civilization.”

In one of the most infamous incidents the SS St. Louis sailed to the waters off of Florida in 1939, its passengers begging Roosevelt to enter the country. But Roosevelt said no, and the ship -- close enough for passengers to see the lights of Miami -- returned to Europe. Nearly half its passengers would perish at the hands of the Nazis.

Even after World War II, Jewish refugees and displaced persons who wanted to resettle to the United States faced tight restrictions. Overall immigration to the U.S. did not increase after the Holocaust, but in an effort to bypass congressional inaction and help war refugees, President Harry Truman ordered existing immigration quotas filled by displaced persons. Under the Truman Directive, some 22,950 DPs came to the United States between late 1945 and 1947; two-thirds were Jewish.

In 1948, Congress loosened immigration restrictions to allow 400,000 DPs into the United States. Most of those spots went to Christians, however; only about 20 percent, or 80,000, were Jews.

In all, 137,450 Jewish refugees had settled in the United States by 1952, according to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. By comparison, more than four years into Syria’s civil war, America has accepted about 1,500 Syrian refugees.

Letters TO THE EDITOR A Remedy for Jewish Guilt G-d in the beginning developed a remedy for “Jewish Guilt”, known as Teshuva. According to the Talmud, Hashem created Teshuva before the world.

The almighty already had angels to do his will. They would do as he commanded.

From the beginning, the creator had in mind a being that would obey as an act of choice. The being was known as... man. Man was given a decision to follow G-d’s way or express his own free will.

The ability of choice that man had over the angel was anew and led man to not always choose the will of G-d.

Knowing this, G-d created a remedy in order to give man a chance to realign with G-d’s plan.

It only takes two things to make a Teshuva happen. One is to accept personal responsibility for the act and possess a sincere intent not to do it again. Man is known to be a fallible being in this process. G-d has given man a chance to reinstate himself with G-d’s plan. The process includes forgiving those you’ve trespassed against and those who trespassed against you. Teshuva is from the heart; G-d forgives your transgressions and pardons the act.

Anyone wishing to know more about Teshuva... ask your Rabbi.

Humbly Human, Rick Eirenberg Echoes of an ugly past I am 83 years old, and I was born in Germany. As a young child, I was ripped from my home, sent to a concentration camp, deprived of basic human necessities and orphaned by the Nazis.

I am exceptionally troubled by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s recent proposal to ban all Muslim travel to the U.S. I remember what happened when Adolf Hitler sowed fear and misinformation about my religious group -- the Jews.

Trump is campaigning for the highest office in our country. If elected, he would become one of the most influential people on Earth. Even if his quest fails, he already exerts a great deal of influence -- his words are dispersed to millions of people, both within the United States and abroad. And his words have consequences.

My granddaughter called me earlier this week to tell me a disturbing story about a friend -- her friend, an observant Muslim, was recently accosted on the subway while carrying a laptop bag. Strangers demanded to see the contents of her bag.

All the laptop bag contained was a laptop. No one apologized to or stood up for the young woman. This story is not unique.

As a community, I would ask each and every one of us to stand up for people like my granddaughter’s friend. Political rhetoric that singles out ethnic or religious groups for special discrimination is dangerous and it undermines the linchpins of our country’s greatness.

Sincerely, Bea Karp

10 | The Jewish Press | December 25, 2015

Candlelighting

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 Jan. 8, at 7:30 p.m. with guest speaker, Ted Zetzman of Noddle Development. He will describe the company’s plan to develop the old Playland Park land into an exciting and new mixed-use project. Oneg to follow service. Please join us!

Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel!

Larry Blass will officiate the Speaker Series Service.

For information on our historic synagogue, or to arrange a visit, please contact any of our board members: Mark Eveloff, Rick Katelman, Carole Lainof, Marty Ricks, Sissy Silber, Nancy Wolf and Phil Wolf. Tribute cards for any occasion are available. Contact Sissy at 311 Oak Ridge Ct., Bellevue, NE 68005 or 402.292.8062.

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: Synagogue Office Closed; Morning Service, 9 a.m.; Switch Day at the Rose Blumkin Home, Friday, Dec. 25, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m.; Chinese Buffet Shabbat Dinner, 7 p.m.

SATURDAY: Morning Services, 9:30 a.m.; MiniMinyannaires, 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: No BESTT Classes; No Torah Study WEDNESDAY: No BESTT Classes.

FRIDAY, Jan. 1: Synagogue Office Closed; Morning Service, 9 a.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY, Jan. 2: Shabbat Services, 9:30 a.m. followed

by New Year’s Mimosas; 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: No BESTT Classes; Torah Study, 10 a.m.

TUESDAY: Who Wrote the Bible? Lunch and Learn, noon with Rabbi Abraham.

WEDNESDAY: BESTT Classes, 4:15 p.m.; Hebrew High Dinner, 6 p.m.; Who Wrote the Bible? Minyan & More, 6:15 with Rabbi Abraham; Hebrew High Classes, 6:45 p.m.

Shabbat Services/Have a Cup of Coffee with God, Saturday, Jan. 9, 9:30 a.m.

Shabbat’s Cool (Grades 3-7), Saturday, Jan. 9, 10 a.m. followed by lunch.

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. Services conducted by Rabbi Ari Dembitzer.

FRIDAY: Synagogue Office Closed; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv & Kabbalat Shabbat, 4:43 p.m.; Chinese Friday Night Shabbat Dinner, 6 p.m. ($12 Adults, $6 children 4-12 and children 3 and under are free). Reservations required.

SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Torah Parade and Shabbat Classes, 9:45 a.m.; 15 mins after Kiddush -- Mishna L’Neshamah and Teen Class; Insights into Weekly Torah Portion, 3:55 p.m.; Mincha/Seudah Shlishit, 4:25 p.m.; Havdalah, 5:48 p.m.

SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Bagels and Beit Medrash, 9:45 a.m.

WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m.

FRIDAY, Jan. 1: Synagogue Office Closed; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv & Kabbalat Shabbat, 4:48 p.m.

SATURDAY, Jan. 2: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Torah Parade and Shabbat Classes, 9:45 a.m.; 15 mins after Kiddush -- Mishna L’Neshamah and Teen Class; Insights into Weekly Torah Portion, 4 p.m.; Mincha/Seudah Shlishit, 4:30 p.m.; Havdalah, 5:53 p.m.

SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Bagels and Beit Medrash, 9:45 a.m.

WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m.

WEDNESDAY: Monthly Kids Learning Chabura (Grades K-2), 3:30 p.m.

THURSDAY: Women’s Class, 9:30 a.m.; Scholar’s Club for 6th Grade, 3:30 p.m.; Avot U-Banim, 7 p.m.; Talmud Learning, 8 p.m.

Friday Night Shabbat Dinner, Friday, Jan 8, 6 p.m. followed by presentation by Rabbi Zohn, Bridge to Eternity: Get a Life and Afterlife and concurrent kids program and babysitting. ($12 Adults, $6 children 4-12 and children 3 and under are free). Reservation deadline is Tuesday, Jan. 5.

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: Minyan and Meditation, 7 a.m SATURDAY: Minyan and Meditation, 9:30 a.m.

SUNDAY: Minyan, 8:30 a.m.

WEEKDAYS: Minyan and Meditation, 7 a.m.

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.

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.

FRIDAY, Jan. 1 : Minyan and Meditation, 7 a.m SATURDAY, Jan. 2: Minyan and Meditation, 9:30 a.m.

SUNDAY: Minyan, 8:30 a.m.

WEEKDAYS: Minyan and Meditation, 7 a.m.

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.

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: Temple Office Closed; Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m. with oneg following hosted by Paslawski Family.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. on Parashat Veyechi.

SUNDAY: No LJCS Classes WEDNESDAY: No Hebrew classes; Memorial Service for Lou Leviticus, 2 pm. at the Grand Lodge at the Preserve, 4400 S. 80th Street.

THURSDAY: Temple Office Closed FRIDAY, Jan. 1: Temple Office Closed; Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m. with oneg following hosted by Alex Clark and Sarah Beringer.

SATURDAY, Jan. 2: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. on Parashat Shemot.

SUNDAY: No LJCS Classes; Jewish Book Club, 1:30 p.m. at the home of Marcia Kushner.

WEDNESDAY: LJCS classes (grades 3-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel.

THURSDAY: Torah on Tap, 8 p.m. at Longwell’s in the Haymarket, 350 Canopy Street #100.

ADULT EDUCATION TUESDAY: Intro to Judaism, Session #7, 6:30 p.m.

23rd Annual MLK “Freedom Fund Breakfast” Honoring Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Friday, Jan. 15, 2016 at 7 a.m. at Embassy Suites Hotel, 1040 “P” Street. The Keynote Speaker: Dr. Marilyn Moore, President, Bryan College of Health Sciences. Tickets are $20 each.

President’s Office Hours, Sunday Mornings, 10 a.m.–noon at SST. If you have any Temple business you would like to bring before the Board of Trustees, potential programs, or new ideas, please let us know! Call for an appointment at the Temple or just to chat any time at 402.513.7697. Or if you prefer, just email David Weisser at president@southstreettemple.org.

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.

Friday, December 25, 4:39 p.m.

Friday, January 1, 4:48 p.m.

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME 323 South 132 Street | Omaha, NE 68154 FRIDAY: Shabbat Comes to the Blumkin Home, 2:30 p.m. with Beth El. SATURDAY: Services, 9:15 a.m. led by Alan Shulewitz.

SATURDAY, Jan. 2: Services, 9:15 a.m. led by Jim Polack and David Herzog.

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: Stephen Center Christmas Dinner, 5 p.m. We are looking for volunteers to help serve dinner and donate food: brisket, turkey or chicken, mashed potatoes and a hot vegetable dish. We will be serving 150 people. Please contact Program Director Scott Littky, 402.556.6536, if you can help; Celebrate Shabbat with Chinese Food & A Movie, 6 p.m.

Services followed by a catered Chinese dinner and a family movie. The cost is $8 and children under 13 are free.

Reservations are required.

SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. Torah and Haftarah Reader: Miles Remer.

SUNDAY: No Religious School WEDNESDAY: No Grades 3-6; No Grades 7-12 or Family Night.

THURSDAY: No Adult Ed Class with the Clergy.

FRIDAY, Jan. 1: Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. led by Rabbi Brown.

SATURDAY, Jan. 2: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. Torah and Haftarah Reader: Miles Remer.

SUNDAY: No Religious School TUESDAY: College & Coffee - take a break with some laughs and jo!, 5:30 p.m. at Aroma's, 1033 Jones Street.

Come hang out and enjoy some great coffee and friends before going back to classes and work! Please RSVP to Director of Youth and Young Adult Engagement Aliyah Lasky, 720.347.5064.

WEDNESDAY: Grades 3-6, 4 p.m.; Chapel for School Service, 4:30 p.m. with Rabbi Azriel; Grades 7-12, 6 p.m.; School Dinner, 6 p.m.; All the News that is Fit for the Jews, 6:30 p.m. with Scott Littky.

THURSDAY: All the News that is Fit for the Jews, 10 a.m. with Scott Littky.

January First Friday, Friday, Jan. 8. Candle lighting and Kiddush in the Community Court, 5:30 p.m. and Service, 6 p.m. led by Rabbi Azriel and Cantor Shermet, and dinner immediately following. The First Friday Band will be participating in services. Menu: Beef & Noodles, Green Salad, Roasted Vegetables and Apple Pie. Cost is $5/person, max of $20 per family. Please RSVP by Wednesday, Jan. 6.

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: Office Closed; Services, 6:30 p.m.

SATURDAY: Morning service, 10 a.m. followed by a Kiddush luncheon.

SUNDAY: No LJCS Classes WEDNESDAY: No Hebrew classes.

FRIDAY, Jan. 1: Office Closed; Services, 6:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, Jan. 2: Morning service, 10 a.m. followed by a Kiddush luncheon and champagne toast sponsored by the Evnen family.

SUNDAY: No LJCS Classes; Jewish Book Club, 1:30 p.m. at the home of Marcia Kushner and will be discussing Guide for the Perplexed by Dara Horn. Please contact Stephanie Dohner with any questions.

WEDNESDAY: LJCS classes (grades 3-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel.

23rd Annual MLK “Freedom Fund Breakfast” Honoring Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Friday, Jan. 15, 2016 at 7 a.m. at Embassy Suites Hotel, 1040 “P” Street. The Keynote Speaker: Dr. Marilyn Moore, President, Bryan College of Health Sciences.

JEWISH PRESS NOTICES The deadline for the Jan. 8 issue is Monday, Dec. 28, 4 p.m. The Jewish Press will be closed on Friday, Dec. 31.

There will be no Jewish Press on Jan. 1, 2016. Questions?

Call 402.334.6448.

Pulverent e

December 25, 2015 | The Jewish Press | 11

In memoriam LOU LEVITICUS Lou Leviticus passed away on Dec. 12 at age 84. Services were held Dec. 22 at the South Street Temple and will be held Dec. 30 at the Grand Lodge at the Preserve.

He was preceded in death by parents Max Leviticus and Sara Leviticus-ten Bosch, who both perished in Auschwitz.

He is survived by his wife, Rose Gould; daughter and sonin-law, Melanie and Alan Cohen and daughter, Joanna Brown; grandchildren: Chen, Talia, Lauren, Libby (all living in Israel), Amy of New York; and great-granddaughter Ellia of Israel.

Lou was rescued by Karel Brouwer, a young civil servant and his wife. Risking his life to help many Jews, Brouwer and his wife Rita treated Lou as their own son.

After the war, Lou immigrated to Israel, earned an engineering degree at the Israel Institute of Technology and traveled to the U.S. to earn a Ph.D. at Purdue University. Lou served in the Israeli military during the 1967 and 1973 wars.

In 1974, he immigrated to the U.S. A year later, he became professor of Agricultural Engineering at UNL. Until his 1998 retirement, Lou was director of the Nebraska Tractor Test Laboratory. Thereafter, he volunteered as a curator at the Larsen Tractor Museum on the UNL campus.

Lou was known far and wide for his ability to speak to people and open their eyes to the events and the meaning of the Holocaust. He translated his feelings and his observations into vibrant images that captured the minds and the hearts of those in the audience. His survival, the years of misery, gave Lou a wisdom that helped many, especially troubled children, see that despite the pain, life is worth living. Lou told people that they have more resources within themselves than

Be a role model; they are aware of. Lou said, “There is always a way out.”

Memorials may be made to the University of Nebraska Foundation.

JOSEPH S. HORNSTON (HORNSTEIN) Joseph S Hornston (Hornstein) passed away on Dec. 13 in Somerset, KY. The family will hold a graveside service in Atlanta at a later time when Joe’s ashes will be laid to rest beside his wife who preceeded him in death.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret; parents, Sam & Fanny Hornstein; older brother, Julius Hornstein; sister, Helen (Hornstein) Mason; step-sister, Dorothy (Blau) Strauss, and step-brother, Fred Blau.

He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Grant and Sherry Hornston of Somerset, KY, son, Neal Hornston of Atlanta, GA, and daughter and son-in-law, Faye and Harold Chaney of North Carolina; eleven grandchildren; a greatgrandson; and half-brother, Marvin Hornstein.

Joe was state wrestling champion while in Central High School. After graduation, he moved to Georgia to attend Georgia Tech to study Chemical Engineering. He graduated in 1942 and served as an Ordinance Officer in the Army during World War II. Joe married his life-long sweetheart, Margaret Burton and were married 64 years. They raised their family in the Atlanta area where Joe was sole proprietor of a small retail paint store. Joe came back frequently to meet family and share the holidays. Joe cared faithfully and lovingly for his wife during her final eighteen years after an illness caused her to become bedridden. Joe will be missed by his family and friends.

The most famous hummus purveyors in the Netherlands

by CNAAN LIPHSHIZ West Bank and Gaza to support farmers who “suffer from THE HAGUE, Netherlands (JTA) -- Like many Israelis in the various Israeli policies that put their land and property Europe, Yuval Gal and Muawi Shehadeh decided to market under the threat of confiscation,” according to its website. their hummus restaurant specifically to health-minded “This restaurant is an attempt to deal with this label, a vegetarians. therapeutic way of dealing A Jew from Tel Aviv and an with your identity,” Gal said, Arab-Israeli from Nazareth, adding: “What’s important for the duo this year began pedme is not to whitewash the dling their native country’s occupation.” signature chickpea paste at an Love & Peas sells no foods eatery in this city called Love originating from Israel -- a & Peas, which Gal, 36, says policy Gal declined to conspecializes in “green, healthy firm was an ideological one. foods.”

He also said Israel was not a In this respect, Love & Peas real democracy and that leavis little different from dozens ing felt as though he was of Israeli-owned hummus being exiled for his views. joints that have sought in Shehadeh, whose father is recent years to capitalize on Yuval Gal at his hummus restaurant in The Hague.

Muslim and mother is Dutch, Credit: Love & Peas says the restaurant is interestEurope’s growing demand for exotic health foods. Many of these businesses feature ed in “solving, not complicating, the conflict.” The media Hebrew names, like Miznon in Paris and Pilpel in London. interest in the restaurant’s political dimension was “totally But Love & Peas is no typical Israeli hummus bar. For one unexpected,” according to Gal, and not part of any strategy. thing, its Israeli owners decline to identify their food as Nevertheless, six months after its launch, Love & Peas is Israeli, describing it instead as “Palestinian green cuisine.” the best-known hummus restaurant in the Netherlands and For another, their open endorsement of the Palestinian nar- a huge financial success. rative has helped generate phenomenal media exposure in “We surpassed all the projections of our business plan,” Holland and back home in Israel.

Gal said.

Since opening this summer, Love & Peas -- which has Divon said he regretted the restaurant’s political orientaeight tables, a 1970s retro design and a play corner for chil- tion, which he said was “misguided and unfortunate.” But no dren -- has been celebrated as a victory for coexistence by matter how the restaurant is packaged, “it serves to underthe Dutch media, with pieces about the eatery running on line the actual reality on the ground in Israel, where Jews three television stations and in six major newspapers. and Arabs interact on personal and economic levels, where Love & Peas offers much material for journalists seeking they co-own and jointly operate businesses, till they often the political angle. gravitate to doing so also abroad.”

On its wall hangs a large map of Israeli territory labeled “Palestine.” (There used to be a doctored poster of Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin stroking a curvy young woman, but it was taken down after patrons complained it was offensive.) Its falafel balls are made in the “Qudsi” style, a referEmilie Sacks, daughter of Jamie and Scott Sacks, will ence to Jerusalem’s Arabic name. And on a counter, a stack of fliers advertises the local branch of the Plant an Olive Tree become a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, Jan. 9, at Temple Israel.

Emilie is a seventh-grade student initiative, a project of the Palestinian YMCA, which supat LaVista Junior High School. She is ports boycotting Israel.

“Hummus is Palestinian,” Gal said. “Let’s be honest with a member of the River City Jrs. Club Volleyball team and part of the S&J ourselves.”

Gal, a father of two who left Israel five years ago, says his Studios “Center Stage” show choir restaurant has no anti-Israeli agenda and is open to anyone. group.

For her mitzvah project, Emilie He notes that Israel’s ambassador to the Netherlands, Haim Divon, dined at Love & Peas with his wife, Linda, shortly volunteered at Children’s Respite after its opening and praised it in an interview with the Care helping with the Infants and Toddlers. She is also hosting two Israeli daily Yediot Acharonot.

But Gal concedes that he feels uneasy with being labeled bake sales to help raise money for much needed supplies for an Israeli and was none too happy about the ambassador’s the facility.

She has a brother, Gregory. appearance. After the visit, in a bid to make their political Grandparents are Monica Sacks of Richmond, Texas, and views better known, Gal and Shehadeh hosted a benefit concert for the olive tree initiative, which plants trees in the Mike Dean of Omaha.

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In an ultra-wealthy Moscow suburb, a luxurious JCC opens its doors

by CNAAN LIPHSHIZ Oleg Babinski, a retired army officer and business owner in mental in obtaining land and some funding for opening ZHUKOVKA, Russia (JTA) -- On the only road connect- his 50s who worships with the Zhukovka Jewish communi- dozens of Jewish institutions across Russia, though the ing this affluent village on Moscow’s western outskirts, ty, though he does not live in the village.

Zhukovka center became a reality without such aid. The Russian secret service agents are blocking all inbound traf“I am not a rich man, but it still fills me with pride to see decision to build a Jewish center in Zhukovka came at the fic. Drivers bound for Zhukovka pull over and step out to request of wealthy area Jews, according to Boroda. smoke while chatting with other motorists as a line of lux“My friends asked for a synagogue near their home, and ury cars grows on the shoulder of a two-lane road.

I wanted to open a Chabad house somewhere, so that’s why The closures are a frequent occurrence because it happened there,” said Boroda, a former Red Army solZhukovka and the adjacent riverside village of Barvikha dier who began exploring his Jewish identity after his disare home to some of Russia’s richest and most powerful charge from the military in the 1980s. people. Among the combined 5,500 residents living in the Still, there is symbolism in the center’s opening in villages are Ukraine’s ousted president, Viktor Zhukovka. The village, after all, used to be the resort desYanukovych, who has a $52 million mansion in the area, tination of Russian Communist government leaders -- the and the Russian Jewish construction magnates Boris and Soviet statesman Vyacheslav Molotov and Joseph Stalin’s Arkady Rotenberg. All three are associates of Russian daughter used to live here -- who persecuted Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Jewry and effectively drove it underground.

“Ordinary” millionaires who live here must wait patientThe new center’s future is by no means certain. Built with ly as VIPs travel in motorcades to and from Moscow, or funds collected over years, it opened at the height of a finanreceive visits by senior officials. So do the tourists who cial crisis that since August 2014 has halved the ruble’s value An exterior view of the Zhokuvka Jewish Community Center. come here to catch a glimpse of the village’s sprawling vilagainst the dollar amid dropping oil prices and Western Credit: The Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia las, with their private tennis courts and hedge mazes. sanctions over Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian territory.

But this month Muscovites, and Jews especially, received a that our community can achieve something like this,” Although many Jews are assured by Putin’s pro-Jewish more accessible attraction in Zhukovka: A $20 million Babinski said. policies, others are jittery over his overt nationalism and Jewish community center and synagogue opened on Dec. 6 Such a building would stand out almost anywhere else in expansionism, as well as his government’s xenophobia in the presence of 400 guests, including Israel’s chief Russia, but it’s par for the course in Zhukovka, where the toward gays and Muslims. The combination has already Ashkenazi rabbi, David Lau. And while the new JCC is seen shopping malls have Gucci and Prada stores, and there are a generated a 31 percent year-over-year increase in Jewish as a demonstration of this community’s robustness, it host of luxury car dealerships immigration to Israel from Russia, which is home to about nonetheless comes amid growing Jewish emigration that is No one knows exactly how many Jews live in and around 260,000 Jews. In 2014, some 5,921 Russian Jews made aliyah, widely attributed to the financial crisis in Russia and concern Zhukovka. But it’s doubtful there are enough to fill the syn- compared to 4,094 the previous year. over its government’s nationalist agenda. agogue.

According to Natan Sharansky, the chairman of the Jewish From the international design firm Gensler, the Zhukovka “Granted, this place is a little big for the community’s Agency for Israel, which facilitates aliyah, there’s been a rise JCC is a doughnut-shaped structure with a granite facade, needs right now, but it’s with an eye to the future needs of a in the number of Jews moving to Israel from Moscow and St. 54,000 square feet of floor space, a small cinema and 24 lux- growing community,” said Velvel Krichevsky, a Chabad Petersburg, where Russian Jewry’s intellectual and financial ury guest rooms that are intended to be used free of charge rabbi from Israel who will be working at Zhukovka. elites tend to live, and where Jews used to be more resistant

by Shabbat overnighters.

The head rabbi at Zhukovka is Alexander Boroda, the to leaving than their coreligionists in poorer areas.

At the heart of the building is a synagogue with a capacity of president of the Chabad-affiliated Federation of Jewish These developments already are affecting the fundraising 400 worshippers. The basement has still-unfinished, warm- Communities of Russia, a vast network whose rabbis have ability of Jewish groups. In Zhukovka, the congregants who water mikvah ritual baths. The building is under the watchful formed a main engine for the renewal of Jewish life in Russia asked Boroda to build the center “have all left, some to eye of 24/7 security guards, who operate airport-grade body after the fall of communism. Among those rabbis is Berel Europe, others elsewhere,” the Zhukovka rabbi said. and luggage scanners. The basement of the center has a gour- Lazar, one of two chief rabbis in Russia. Lazar is known for Still, Boroda insists that others have replaced those who met kosher restaurant. Its kitchen is overseen by two Italian his close ties to Putin -- the two men lit Hanukkah candles have departed and his community will continue to raise chefs, including the renowned restaurateur Uilliam Lamberti. together at the Kremlin on Dec. 9. enough money to maintain its infrastructure, including the Among the first-time visitors to the center last week was Federation ties with Russian politicians have been instru- high-maintenance center in Zhukovka.

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