December 26, 2014

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

The PJ Library rocks!

December 26, 2014 4 Tevet 5775 Vol. 95 | No. 15

This Week

Jeanne Shechet retires

by MARGIE GUTNIK Beth El Program Director Jeanne Shechet, longtime Beth El Synagogue school secretary, announced her retirement last month. After 23 years as the school’s secretary, her last day at the synagogue was Dec. 23.

Hanukkah celebrations Page 5

Shanghai lessons at Beth El Page 6

Ancient rock adds evidence of King David’s existence Page 12

It’s bubbles, bubbles and more bubbles with Shira Abraham and her helper, Miriam Ginsburg.

by MARY SUE GROSSMAN ham. Shira is the museum’s Manager see so many friends. Another parent Center for Jewish Life of Learning Experiences. The event, said having a Jewish event in a nonIt was a fabulous PJ Library night which also included dinner, was free Jewish location was a great experiat the Omaha Children’s Museum on of charge thanks to the generosity of ence for his children. Numerous Dec. 13. From the Imagination Play- the Special Donor-Advised Fund and parents expressed their thanks for the ground, to the Creative Arts Center, the Esther K. Newman Memorial event and said both they and their the Fantastic Future Me area, explor- Fund, both funds of the Jewish Fed- kids had a great time.

PJ Library is a program through ing the “Once Upon a Farm” exhibit eration of Omaha Foundation.

More than just a great evening of which Jewish children ages six or any of the other spaces at the museum, it was three hours of fun and fun for the kids, the event was a won- months through eight years receive play for the nearly 200 children, par- derful opportunity for parents to free age-appropriate Jewish-content ents and grandparents who attended. meet new people and schmooze with books every month. The program is A highlight of the evening was the old friends – all without the cost of a designed to strengthen the identities Amazing Bubble Show presented to babysitter. One parent commented of Jewish families and their relationa standing room only crowd by the that her kids love going to the mu- ship to the Jewish community. community’s very own Shira Abra- seum and it was such fun for her to Continued on page 2

Noah’s Ark Inside Point of view Synagogues In memoriam

Next Month The Food Guide See Front Page stories and more at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on Jewish Press

8 10 11

by OZZIE NOGG The JCC was the place to be this past Nov. 14, when Noah’s Ark: An Original Mini-Musical (complete with Noah’s family and singing animals) landed on the Theater stage.

The performance, written and produced by Deborah Greenblatt and David Seay, featured Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Residents and students from the Friedel Jewish Academy singing selections in a variety of styles, inducing blues, Cajun, calypso and Klezmer. The animals on the Ark were played by Friedel students Noah Blair, Jack Cohen, Oliver Lucoff, Sophia Mavropoulos, Doniven Polivka, Noah Shrago, Aviva Chana Shyken, Batsheva Shyken, Julian Witkowski and Maayan Zinman.

Simon, chorus; Danny Goodman, percussion; and Louise Abrahamson, program attendant.

“The show was very warmly received,” said Maggie Conti, Blumkin Home Director of Activities and Outreach Programs.

“The Blumkin Home staff is so proud of the Residents for learning their parts and embracing the whole experience. And the Residents enjoyed working towards their goal of creating something marvelous. We only had four working Friedel 4th-grader Noah Schrago, left, and Blumkin days to pull the show Home Resident Mitzie Monovitz. off, and Deborah and Blumkin Home Residents participat- David did a great job leading us ing in the production included Steve through the process. They are very Abrahamson, Annette Fettman, Art calming, so the performers felt very Jacobsen, Mitzie Monovitz, Betty little pressure.” Conti admitted that Muskin and Marvin Parilman who the music from Noah’s Ark is still in played Noah’s family; Jane Cohen, her head. “The songs grew on me. I narrator; Candy Bold, Bernice went to bed singing the songs and Green, Joan Raduziner and Joie Continued on page 3

Jeanne Shechet Jeanne began her career at Beth El with Rabbi Drazen after the kosher butcher shop, “The Kosher Pickle” at 132nd and Center that she owned with her husband closed. In between, she worked at the Jewish Press for a short time, with Editor Morris Maline and Assistant Editor Judy Marburg.

Jeanne’s office was in the original Beth El at 58th Street and Hamilton, when the school was called UTTO, United Talmud Torah Omaha, and was a combined school with Beth Israel Synagogue. “The students met at the JCC, so I never saw them,” she recalled. “After just a year, the school wing was built on 144th and Dodge and staff and students could be together in one place.”

Soon after, the school was renamed BESTT – Beth El Synagogue Talmud Torah.

Scott Littky, past Beth El education director and now program director at Temple Israel, remembered working with Jeanne. “I was always fortunate to have Jeanne right by my side to provide advice and guidance as I learned how to be an education director.”

Jeanne has worked alongside five school directors and always loved being around the kids. “In the beginning, school was in session every day, different days for different ages, so we had children running through the halls every afternoon. It was great and, of course, the thing I will miss the most are the kids running into the building and waving hello or stopping in to say hi,” she remarked.

Judy Bisman Rubin, Educational Director of BESTT from Continued on page 2

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Artist workshops in the Western Galilee

by MARK KIRCHHOFF Center for Jewish Life Article excerpted from materials prepared by The Arts & Community Task Force of PARTNERSHIP2GETHER The PARTNERSHIP2GETHER Program of the Jewish Agency and the Jewish Federations of North America will be conducting “Artist Workshops in the Western Galilee.” The program annually brings U.S. artists to the Western Galilee to make personal connections with community members through a wide range of artistic disciplines. The program encourages contemporary artistic creation and collaboration in hopes of generating new artistic discourse between participants and local residents. It is designed to encourage the exchange of ideas and enrichment for communities.

This year’s “Artists Workshops in the Western Galilee” will be held from May 14-22, 2015. Applications for participation are being accepted from artists working in all mediums, including, but not limited to: photography, music, glass, painting, theater, art therapy, writing, etc. This is a juried program with limited space available. 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.

Noa Epstein-Friedman, Israeli Arts and Regional Development Coordinator for the Partnership2GETHER says of the program, “This is truly a great opportunity for Americans to become a part of the art community in Western Galilee and meet a number of Israeli artists. We put a great deal of effort into matching people and disciplines to help ensure the best outcomes from the program.” Ms. Epstein-Friedman went on to explain that two special opportunities have been incorporated into the program for 2015.

The first is targeted for photographers, journalists and writers. A proposal has been accepted to document and illustrate the lives of various people who live in the Western Galilee.

The creative team selected for this endeavor will be tasked with bringing to life the stories and realities of the diverse people living in the region. The final results of their work will be compiled to create a touring exhibit for the P2G communities along with the creation of a book of their work.

The second special opportunity will be for glass artists utilizing the open studio of The Akko Art Glass Center. Artists are invited to create projects using multiple techniques

including blowing, fusion and lamp work. In the future, the center will also house a glass museum and gallery.

“We often talk of the opportunities for American artists to come to Akko, meet Israeli artists, and learn from them. It should also be remembered that the Israeli artists share an equal amount of enthusiasm in meeting their American counterparts and developing collaborative efforts in which

everyone benefits,” said Ms. Epstein-Friedman. To apply, the artist must provide a completed 2015 Artist Workshops Application, available by contacting Noa Epstein at noaep@jafi.org or noafe55@gmail.com, a resumé or CV, and 5 examples of current work. All work will be considered and reviewed by the selection committee. Application deadline is Feb. 2, 2015. Accepted applicants will be notified by Feb. 16, 2015.

The program is one of shared costs. The artist provides and is responsible for round trip flight costs, health insurance, private local transportation, and any additional private meals or activities. The artist is also responsible for a Posttrip Project Plan requiring a commitment to share the program experience and art with the local community in the United States, thus bringing the experience full-cycle.

PARTNERSHIP2GETHER provides lodging and transportation to art sites, breakfast, lunch, and home hospitality dinners. They will also cover the costs of scheduled local trips in the Western Galilee and art materials and equipment required.

Applicants are encouraged to contact Noa Epstein at noaep@jafi.org or noafe55@gmail.com very soon. Many applicants are anticipated with a limitation of eight available slots. Locally you may contact Mary Sue Grossman, mgross man@jewishomaha.org or 402.334.6445 for assistance.

The “Artist Workshops in the Western Galilee” is a program promoted by the Center for Jewish Life whose mission it is to maximize involvement of Omaha’s Jewish community in imaginative, compelling and meaningful Jewish experiences.

Jeanne Shechet retires Continued from page 1 2004-2012, shared, “These four things come to mind when I think of Jeanne Shechet and BESTT: She is great with the students and parents, loyal, reliable and a dear friend. She was warm and open in greeting parents and comforting to students who were not feeling their best. Jeanne was a loyal employee of BESTT and previously UTTO and held the school’s institutional history. She once “rescued’ me when an opossum invaded my home and shared stories with me of her children and grandchildren. Best of luck to Jeanne in this next chapter of her life.”

Rabbi Steven Abraham went on to say, “Jeanne has been a valuable part of our synagogue and our school for over 20 years. Whether answering the phone or welcoming our students into the building, Jeanne has been a constant at Beth El. She will be sorely missed, and we thank her from the bottom of our hearts for all the love she has shown our synagogue, our congregants, and, most importantly, to our children.”

“I’ve seen so many kids grow up, it’s hard to believe they return to the school now as young adults and I recognize them as the toddlers who first ran through the school hallways,” Jeanne remarked.

She recalled one three-year-old who would come into the school office when her mom arrived for 5:30 p.m. minyan.

She would always sit at Jeanne’s desk and color pictures of fruit; and today, Jeanne says, she stops in when she’s home visiting from college. Jeanne still keeps an electric typewriter on her desk; she says, sometimes it’s handy for a quick envelope. With great amusement, she recalled that recently a curious eight year old asked what the machine was and if he could touch it!

Stories like these made Jeanne love her job, but, after so many years, she feels its time to finally make herself a priority.

“We are very grateful to Jeannie for her years of dedicated service to Beth El Synagogue, not only as the school’s secretary but as an integral member of the support staff,” said Beth El Executive Director Larry DeBruin. “Her knowledge of school operations over these past 23 years has provided

strong continuity for our Hebrew and Sunday schools as we’ve undergone transformation from UTTO to BESTT. We wish the very best in her future retirement endeavors.”

PJ Library

Face painting fun with Shalom, Eliyana and Stephanie Beneda.

Continued from page 1 Nationally the program is supported by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation through partnerships with philanthropists and local Jewish organizations. Omaha’s PJ Library program is generously supported by the Dorothy and Myer S. Kripke Institute for Jewish Family Literacy.

Enrollment in PJ Library is available at any time by visiting www.pjlibrary.org or by calling 402.334.6463. PJ Library is a program of the Center for Jewish Life whose mission it is to maximize involvement of Omaha’s Jewish community in imaginative, compelling and meaningful Jewish experiences.

December 26, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 3

NCJW presents: Wine and Conversation

by BECKY BRENNER NCJW Omaha Section, VP of Public Affairs and Education As we begin 2015, the Omaha Section of NCJW will present the first in our series of pertinent and thought provoking discussions on issues that impact our families and our community.

NCJW Omaha Section is proud to begin our series in collaboration with Courts Matter Coalition in Nebraska (CMCN). This is an organization sponsored by National NCJW and with members from various organizations focused on education and encouraging action regarding the importance of our judicial system and its impact on the direction of our legislative process. As the Congress ends its session in Washington, we are poised to enter the 114th session in January, with vacancies in our judicial system that will impact our ability to draft laws, protect our constitutional rights, and ensure fair and equitable access to the court system. We recognize that Federal judges hear cases that directly affect the lives of everyday Americans, including cases addressing clean air and water, immigration, bankruptcy, LGBT equality and violations of

the Constitution and federal law. The judiciary needs to be staffed in order to make sure that justice is served in a timely manner.

This isn’t about politics; it’s about good governance.

Courts Matter and so do judges.

Federal judges are nominated by the President, reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee and then confirmed by the Senate to lifetime seats on the federal bench. The decisions these judges make will then have enormous impact on the daily lives of all Americans. As the backbone of our judicial system, federal courts decide issues of health care, employment, the environment, voting rights, and separation of church and state; these courts are where citizens go to defend their constitutional rights.

While the Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S., in any given term they will hear just one to two percent of the cases submitted to them, while the federal courts below them will be the final stop for thousands of Americans seeking justice.

Please join us at our Wine and Conversation event Jan. 8,

Gross’s release, and changes in diplomatic ties, signals new day for Cuban Jews

by RON KAMPEAS restrictions.

Dina Siegel Vann, the director of the American Jewish WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Alan Gross was imprisoned while trying to connect Cuba’s isolated Jewish community to Committee’s Belfer Institute for Latino and Latin American Affairs, said Gross’s release the wider world. The deal that and the opening of ties with got him released five years Cuba is a twofer for the Jews: later may do just that and In addition to the benefits much more. accrued to all Cubans from Gross’s flight home to subopen relations, she said, urban Washington on Dec. 17 Cuban Jews “will have with his wife, Judy, was part of stronger ties to Jewish organa historic deal that overturns izations, they will be much over five decades of U.S. polimore in the open.” An esticy isolating the Communist mated 1,000 to 1,500 Jews live island nation helmed by the in Cuba.

Castro brothers.

Gross, who is now 65, was “We will end an outdated arrested in 2009 after setting approach that for decades has failed to advance our inter- Accompanied by his wife Judy, Alan Gross, freed from a up Internet access for the ests, and instead we will begin Cuban prison, waves after concluding his remarks at a news Cuban Jewish community to normalize relations conference in Washington shortly after arriving in the United while working as a contractor for the U.S. Agency for between our two countries,” States, Dec. 17. Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images International Development. Never formally charged with President Obama said.

U.S. officials outlined sweeping changes, including the espionage, Gross was convicted in 2009 for “crimes against resumption of full diplomatic relations, the opening of an the state.” embassy in Havana, and a loosening of trade and travel Continued on page 6

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2015 from 7-8:30 p.m. at Temple Israel and hear Carol Bloch, co-chair of Courts Matter Coalition in Nebraska, as well as Lisa Lewis, coalition representative from NCJW, speak about the structure of our Federal Court System and Why Federal Courts Matter.

If you would like more information on our event or have recommendations for future topics, please contact Becki Brenner, NCJW Omaha Section, VP of Public Affairs and Education at becki.brenner@cox.net.

Noah’s Ark

Deborah Greenblatt, left, rehearses Noah’s Ark with Friedel students: front row: Sophia Mavropoulos, left, Ollie Lucoff, Aviva Shyken and Doniven Polivka; back row: Noah Blair, left, Julian Witkowski, Jack Cohen and Maayan Zinman. Not pictured: Batsheva Shyken.

Continued from page 1 still wake up singing the songs. Noah’s Ark was extraordinary.”

According to Conti, “Collaborating on this mini-musical helped unify the diverse Jewish age groups who share the Jewish Federation of Omaha campus. Residents and students benefited from their interactions with each other and the professional artists. Intergenerational programs like Noah’s Ark serve as a gateway for more projects in the future that will allow the Jewish youth and elderly in our community to interact.”

The performance of Noah’s Ark was made possible with support of the Nebraska Arts Council, the Nebraska Cultural Endowment and the Esther K. Newman Memorial Fund of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation. Conti praised Activities Director Karen Menagh for securing the needed funds. “This was Karen’s first attempt at writing a grant, and she did a fabulous job.

Because of her efforts, Noah’s Ark came to fruition, and the entire community was able to enjoy it.”

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27 Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 30 Rabbi Weiss’ Weekly Class, 8 p.m. at Beth Israel WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31 JCC Closes at 6 p.m. for New Year’s Eve

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 1 JCC Health & Fitness Center open, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 18 Babies, Bigger Kids, and Bagels Parent/Child Playgroup, 9:45 a.m. at Beth El Weekly Torah Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El Beth El Social Action Committee Bowling for Babies (donations for JFS infant needs), 6:30 p.m. at Sempeck’s Bowling & Entertainment MONDAY, JANUARY 19 Hebrew 101 with Eadie Tsabari, 6:30 p.m.

Exploring Judaism, 7 p.m.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 3 Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel

TUESDAY, JANUARY 20 Adult Ed Class: The Wonderful World of Jewish Music, 11 a.m. at Beth El BBYO Night, 6 p.m.

Rabbi Weiss’ Weekly Class, 8 p.m. at Beth Israel

SUNDAY, JANUARY 4 Social Action Committee Blood Drive, 9 a.m. at Beth El BESTT Sunday Classes, 9:45 a.m. at Beth El Weekly Torah Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21 UNO Class With Assaf Gavron, 4 p.m.

BESTT Weekday Classes, 4:15 p.m. at Beth El BESTT Hebrew High School, 6:45 p.m. at Beth El

MONDAY, JANUARY 5 Hebrew 101 with Eadie Tsabari, 6:30 p.m.

Exploring Judaism, 7 p.m.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 22 Women’s Class, 9:30 a.m. at Beth Israel Women’s Rosh Hodesh Meeting: Tallit & Tefillin taught by Rabbi Abraham, 7 p.m. at Beth El

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 6 BBYO Night, 6 p.m.

Rabbi Weiss’ Weekly Class, 8 p.m. at Beth Israel WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7 BESTT Weekday Classes, 4:15 p.m. at Beth El BESTT Hebrew High School, 6:45 p.m. at Beth El THURSDAY, JANUARY 8 Women’s Class, 9:30 a.m. at Beth Israel Center for Jewish Life Board Meeting, noon FRIDAY, JANUARY 9 Star Deli, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH SATURDAY, JANUARY 10 Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel Beth El Havdalah Under the Stars/PJ Havdalah, 6:30 p.m. at UNO Planetarium SUNDAY, JANUARY 11 BESTT Sunday Classes, 9:45 a.m. at Beth El Weekly Torah Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El BESTT Torah Tots, 10:15 a.m. at Beth El Beginning Prayer Study with Elyce Azriel, 11 a.m. at Temple Israel MONDAY, JANUARY 12 Hebrew 101 with Eadie Tsabari, 6:30 p.m.

Exploring Judaism, 7 p.m.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 13 Rabbi Abraham’s Class, 10 a.m. at Beth El Eye on Israel with Eliad, noon BBYO Night, 6 p.m.

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Star Deli, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH Beth El USY Winter Shabbaton Convention, 3 p.m. in KC thru Jan. 25 Scholar-in-Residence Rabbi Rami Shapiro, 6 p.m. at Temple Israel SATURDAY, JANUARY 24 Torah Study with Scholar-in-Residence Rabbi Rami Shapiro, 9 a.m. at Temple Israel Scholar-in-Residence Rabbi Rami Shapiro, 10:30 a.m. at Temple Israel Family Learning for Experience Shabbat with Scholar-in-Residence Rabbi Rami Shapiro, 4 p.m. at Temple Israel SUNDAY, JANUARY 25 BESTT Sunday Classes, 9:45 a.m. at Beth El Weekly Torah Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El BESTT Torah Tots, 10:15 a.m. at Beth El Beth El Social Action Committee’s Community Volunteer Day, 1 p.m. at the Food Bank MONDAY, JANUARY 26 JFO Board of Directors Meeting, 11:30 a.m.

Hebrew 101 with Eadie Tsabari, 6:30 p.m.

Exploring Judaism, 7 p.m.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27 Rabbi Abraham’s Class, 10 a.m. at Beth El JSS Board of Directors Meeting, 11:30 a.m.

BBYO Night, 6 p.m.

JCC Board Meeting, 7 p.m.

Rabbi Weiss’ Weekly Class, 8 p.m. at Beth Israel

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14 UNO Class With Assaf Gavron, 4 p.m.

BESTT Weekday Classes, 4:15 p.m. at Beth El Board Meeting, 6:30 p.m. at Beth Israel BESTT Hebrew High School, 6:45 p.m. at Beth El

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28 UNO Class With Assaf Gavron, 4 p.m.

BESTT Weekday Classes, 4:15 p.m. at Beth El BESTT Hebrew High School, 6:45 p.m. at Beth El

THURSDAY, JANUARY 15 Women’s Class, 9:30 a.m. at Beth Israel

THURSDAY, JANUARY 29 Women’s Class, 9:30 a.m. at Beth Israel

FRIDAY, JANUARY 16 Friday Learning Series New Voices in the World of Israeli Cultural Arts, 11 a.m.

Star Deli, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH Beth El Our Shabbat Tables, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 30 Friday Learning Series New Voices in the World of Israeli Cultural Arts, 11 a.m.

Star Deli, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH

SATURDAY, JANUARY 17 Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel Have a Cup of Coffee with God Learner’s Service, 9:30 a.m. at Beth El Men’s Club Bourbon Tasting, 7 p.m. at Beth El

SATURDAY, JANUARY 31 Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel

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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 26, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 5

Hanukkah celebrations

The week of Dec. 15 was filled with a variety of Hanukkah celebrations in the community. Top: Mainstreeters Bea Karp, Ruth Oruch, Florence Brody, Tootie Simon and Jim Wax surround Andi Willensky after lighting the Menorah at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home; Campaign co-chair Suzie Sheldon with her granddaughters at the CDC Ice Cream Havdalah, Monday, Dec. 15.

Second row: Linda Abrams Tederman with Lucy Loo; Ron Budwig; Max and Chloe Ruback and Sam and Tyler Kutler

with the menorah at the CDC; Shira Abraham and Esther Katz brought their children to the Hanukkah Extravaganza at the JCC, Sunday, Dec. 14.

Third row: CDC students and Shaliach Eliad bring Hanukkah to the Blumkin Home; Rochi Katzman and Gabbi Blair with Noah, Moe and Ezra Blair celebrate Hanukkah at Boys Town; Feigy Katzman and Eva Cohen; Hazzan Krausman buys Sufganyot at the Friedel Jewish Academy latke lunch.

Fourth row: Steve Denenberg with children Sasha, Danny,

Michael, Sol and Sima at the Boys Town Hanukkah parade; Rabbi Katzman and Boys Town Executive Director Father Boes; Helen Kay and Marilyn Tipp help serve at the Friedel latke lunch.

Fifth row: Svetlana Goldin and Polina Karayeva attended the Russian Club/Livingston Hanukkah lunch; Bette deJong and Robert Rutten also attended; Lydia Linde enjoys her matzohball soup from Star Catering, which served the meal; former Friedel Principal Cookie Katskee enjoys her latkes.

6 | The Jewish Press | December 26, 2014

Shanghai lessons at Beth El

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by MARGIE GUTNIK Beth El Program Director Card players and newbies alike recently had a chance to learn the game of Shanghai during a relaxing afternoon at Beth El Synagogue.

Organized by Phyllis Wasserman at the urging of a few congregants. People in attendance soon found that the game of Shanghai is easy to learn and fun to play.

Phyllis provided a packet of simple rules, engaged seasoned Shanghai players as Phyllis Wasserman, standing, with one table of players. teachers, and even provided mechanical will be set up, rules and teachers will be available; all we need is YOU! RSVP online card shufflers at each table.

If you would like to learn to play, but at www.bethel-omaha.org or contact weren’t able to attend the first class, or if Phyllis at ppw130@aol.com so we know to you know how to play but would like a bit expect you. Then plan to enjoy a relaxing more practice, you’ll have another chance. afternoon of playing, practicing or learnLessons will again be offered on Thursday, ing. Soon you’ll be ready to play in a group Jan. 15 at Beth El. Snacks and card tables or start your own.

Temple students visit Washington D.C.

From Dec. 5 through 8, Temple Israel 10th Grade students attended the Bernard and Audre Rapoport L'Taken Social Justice Seminars, an intensive weekend program.

2015

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Gross’s release

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Saturday, January 10 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.

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Continued from page 3 Back in the United States Gross held a news conference, which he began with the greeting “Chag sameach,” noting that his release coincided with the first day of Hanukkah. He thanked political leaders, the Washington Jewish community, the local Jewish Community Relations Council and other faith groups that pressed for his release.

“But ultimately -- ultimately -- the decision to arrange for and secure my release was made in the Oval Office,” said Gross, reserving special praise for President Obama and his National Security Council.

Vann said improved U.S.-Cuba relations would have a rollover effect, removing

obstacles to U.S. ties with other Latin American countries -- and this in turn would remove tensions that have affected Jewish communities.

Daniel Mariaschin, who directs B’nai B’rith International, a group with a strong Latin American presence, said a new era of ties “will raise the profile of Latin American communities and interest in those communities.”

In a deal American officials said was technically separate from the Gross release, the United States and Cuba agreed to exchange the three remaining incarcerated members of the “Cuban Five,” a Florida-based spy ring, for an American spy held in Cuba for 20 years and whose identity remains a secret.

Engagement LEPP/MORA Kelsey Lepp, daughter of Robert and Karen Lepp, and Abraham Mora, son of Lorena Hazelton, announce their engagement.

The bride-to-be graduated Summa Cum Laude from University of MinnesotaTwin Cities with a BA in Child Psychology and Spanish. She is a Certified Child Life Specialist at Advocate Children’s Hospital in Park Ridge, IL.

She is the granddaughter of Eleanor Lepp of Boynton Beach, FL. Her fiancé earned his BA in Architectural Studies from University of Illinois at Chicago. He received his Master of Architecture from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL. He works as a Project Analyst at Brailsford and Dunlavey.

A wedding is planned for Sept. 6th, 2015 in Arlington Heights, IL.

Organizations B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS There will not be a Breadbreakers session on Wednesday, Dec. 31. Speaker to be announced for Wednesday, Jan 7, noon.

For more information or to be placed on the email list call 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@ jewishomaha.org.

December 26, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 7

Hanukkah shopping

by OZZIE NOGG In the past weeks, residents of the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home went Hanukkah shopping at Target and Walmart.

The group included RBJH residents Vera Bernstein, Rita Biniamow, Annette Fettman, Chickie Gilinsky, Ethel Grossman, Lydia Linde, Marvin Parilman, Shelly Pichik, Joan Raduziner, Jerry Rosinsky, Joie Simon and Dr. Steve Skulsky. They were accompanied by Mary Heiman, Karen

People of the Book Project Dreidel, the JFS program that helps support families who need extra assistance to purchase holiday gifts. Joan was thrilled that her gifts would be enjoyed by Jewish children in Omaha who were celebrating Hanukkah. What a wonderful act of kindness by one of our Blumkin Home residents.”

The outing prompted keen observations by several Residents. “Lydia Linde, who emigrated to Omaha from Russia in the early 1990s, considered the visit to Target a display of capitalism at its finest,” explained Doug Smith. “Lydia told us she once stood in the rain for five hours to get a pair of boots back in Moscow, and here we have too much to choose from. We’re spoiled.” According to Activities Director Karen Menagh, “Chickie Gilinsky was mystified by the enormity of Target and speechless when she saw how large turkeys and ham have become.” Some residents chose to visit Target’s grocery department and enjoy a free sample of pie.

“An afternoon like this allows Blumkin Home residents to experience life outside the facility, like everybody else,” Doug Smith said. “These activities bring normalcy to their days. It’s our pleasure to offer these diversions.”

Beth El plans Starry, Starry night Volunteer Emily Leisher, left, with Blumkin Home Resident Joan Raduziner hit the Hanukkah shopping bull’s-eye.

Hook, Karen Menagh and Doug Smith of the Activities Department; along with C.N.A. Deb Simon and volunteers Amy Bluxome, Mark Kazor and Emily Leisher. Connie Coco chauffeured the shoppers in the RBJH bus.

Every resident received $10 to spend on gifts for others or for themselves. “Joan Raduziner bought two toys and she mentioned that she wanted to donate them to a family for Hanukkah,” said Shelly Fox, Director of Admissions and Community Outreach for Jewish Social Services. “So I connected Joan with Sandy Nogg, Jewish Family Service Assistance Coordinator. Sandy came over to the Home immediately, met Joan, and received the toys to use in

by MARGIE GUTNIK Beth El Program Director On Saturday, Jan. 10, Beth El promises a cosmic experience as it returns to UNO’s Mallory Kountze Planetarium for Havdallah Under the Stars. This stellar family event will be presented in two sessions: at 6:30 p.m., a brief Havdalah service will be followed by a special planetarium show, “The Little Star that Could” that is geared especially for families with babies and young children (kids are encouraged to wear their pajamas). After a dessert reception for the entire congregation, another Havdallah service and private planetarium show, More than Meets the Eye will take place for adults and older children. While there is no charge for the event, space is limited and reservations are required.

by SCOTT LITTKY Program Director, Temple Israel Almost any given day at Temple Israel, you will find people hanging around the Simon Community Court. The area is a wide open space with tables, chairs, couches, games and so much more. At least two afternoons a week the area is used for Maj Jongg games! Later in the afternoon, students use the space for a place to do homework; and during religious school, it is a place for parents to sit, have a cup of coffee and relax.

Beginning in January, the space will also be used to host our Temple Israel Book Club. Sunday, Jan. 11 at 11 a.m., there will be a meeting to help form the club. At this meeting we will decide on the format we will follow, what we will be reading and how often we will meet. All are welcome. For more information, please contact, Scott Littky, Program Director at 402.556.6536.

Also beginning in January are two new adult learning opportunities with Rabbi Azriel. Outside the Bible: Ancient Jewish Writings Related to Scripture will begin Wednesday, Jan. 7 and run through Jan. 28. The class will meet from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. This course will provide the participant the opportunity to take an entirely new look at a group of ancient, sometimes overlooked, Jewish writings. We will attempt to gain an understanding of their possible relevance and why they were left out of the Hebrew Bible. Dilemmas of Faith: God and Spirituality in the Modern World begins Thursday, Jan. 8 – March 5 at 10 a.m. In this discussion about faith and what it means to be Jewish in today’s modern society. Rabbi Azriel will question whether faith is an essential component of Jewish life, and ask what role faith and spirituality have in the modern world. There is a suggested $45 fee for this course.

For more information on Adult Learning Opportunities, please contact, Debbie Massarano, Director of Life Long Learning at 402.556.6536.

JEWISH PRESS NOTICES The Jewish Press office is closed Thursday, Jan. 1; the deadline for the Jan. 9 issue is Tuesday, Dec. 30, 9 a.m. There will be no Jewish Press on Jan. 2, 2015.

Questions? Call 402.334.6448.

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8 | The Jewish Press | December 26, 2014

Point of view

American Jewish Press Association Award Winner

Nebraska Press National Newspaper Association Association Award winner 2008

Happy New Year

by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor What you have in your hands is the final issue of this calendar year. Hanukkah is over, the year is winding down: it’s time to look at the year ahead and answer some specific questions I’ve been hearing.

1. What’s going on with the Press Club?

At the moment, nothing. We are in the middle of the Jewish Federation of Omaha’s Annual Campaign, and as an agency of that Federation, we don’t compete. It would kind of defeat the purpose, since we all benefit from campaign dollars. Your gift to Campaign actually benefits the entire community, from agencies to the day school, from the synagogues to scholarships, and we gladly step aside during campaign season.

When the Annual Campaign is over, we will bring the Press Club back, and you will read all about it right here. Until that time, please consider making your pledge to the Campaign; if you already have, thank you! It is only because of a strong effort by all of you that we have such a wonderfully thriving community.

2. Is there a new CEO yet?

At the Jewish Press, we don’t comment on personnel issues—ever. The members of the search committee are doing their job, and we need to let them. When they are ready to announce something, you’ll read about it; until then, all we can do is speculate. And since there’s only the smallest of differences between speculation and pure gossip, we don’t go there. We’re not that kind of paper, and you wouldn’t want us to be.

3. When is the Press going online?

Before we move forward with an online edition (and that should include back issues) there are many questions that need to be answered. Do we set up a pay wall? Will we lose subscribers to our print edition? What software do we use?

How will we pay for it? Needless to say, these aren’t questions I answer by myself; it involves my Board of Directors,

our web designer, and additional volunteers who help us come up with the answers. It’s a massive endeavor, and before we click that button, we need to make absolutely sure we do this right. The last thing we want is to put something out there that is not user-friendly. We are currently exploring different methods used by other papers around the country, and I am talking to other editors to learn from their

experiences. It’s a very exciting thought that someday soon we will all have access to those back issues anytime, anywhere, and it’s more important to be right, than to be fast.

4. My aunt/mother/niece just did something amazing.

Why didn’t you write about it?

First of all, Mazal tov! The most obvious reason we didn’t write about your mother/aunt/niece is that we didn’t know about it. If you have a great story, and you think we should publish it, contact us directly. Although we do hear certain things through the grapevine, that grapevine is utterly unreliable. Call us, or email us, and let us know what happened.

Get us some great pictures, and your story might even make it onto a color page. The truth is, most of our content comes from JFO agencies and departments, synagogues, or other Jewish organizations. To get our hands on individuals’ stories is exciting, and we will in most cases find room for it.

But, we have to know about it first. In case you’re worried about being a good enough writer, we can help with that. All we need from you is the facts, and we’ll take it from there.

Or, if you so want to write it yourself, we’d be happy with that too. A third option you have is to write a letter to the editor, and for details about how to do that, you can contact me directly at avandekamp@jewishomaha. org—I’ll walk you through it.

5. Why are some obituaries not printed?

While we aim to keep you informed as much as possible, sometimes it happens that we don’t receive permission to print an obituary. Permission needs to come from a family member or friend; the family can designate anyone to pass on that permission, but we do need to know this is what the family wants.

There are various reasons why certain families do not want a printed obituary in our paper; most often, those reasons are personal and we don’t ask. We also don’t call families while they are mourning--unless it is someone we have a very personal relationship with. Of course, it is also possible that people forget, and it is understandable. And yes, we do print obituaries months later if the family requests it.

6. Why is there no paper the first week of January?

The Jewish Press publishes 50 weeks each year; we skip the first week of the calendar year, and the first week of the budget year (which starts July 1). It allows us to update our software without interfering with our tight production schedule, and also gives our staff the opportunity to enjoy some down time. At the Press, we are on this constant merry-go-round of deadlines. Ask any of us what the date is, and chances are we have to count back from next Friday.

Having two times a year where we can temporarily clear our calendars (and our heads!) is nice. So when next week, on Jan. 2, there is no Press in your mailbox, don’t panic: nothing is wrong, we’ll be back the following week, refreshed and ready to go. May it be a fantastic 2015, full of good news and interesting stories!

Visiting Ferguson

Focus on issues COURTNEY BIERMAN It has been more than four months since Michael Brown was shot by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, MO. Life since then has been anything but peaceful for Ferguson residents. Protests have been raging more-or-less continuously since Brown was shot on the afternoon of August 9.

The intensity of the protests has fluctuated with public opinion and various releases of information to the general public. They peaked on the evening of and days following November 24 upon the announcement that a grand jury had decided not to indict Darren Wilson. Media coverage of the events in Ferguson has been overwhelmingly grim, with footage of burned-out business (many of them familyowned), shouting protestors, and disheartened Ferguson residents making up much of the footage shown on network news stations.

The Ferguson I saw when I visited the morning of Nov. 29 stood in stark contrast to my previously held vision of the town. We saw the charred ruins of buildings and a forest’s worth of plywood boards over windows, but there were no protestors marching in the streets. It was unseasonably warm, and residents were outside enjoying the weather. A skateboarder rolled down the sidewalk past parents pushing strollers and holding the hands of their small children.

People wearing “I Love Ferguson” T-shirts ran errands and returned smiles. Everything was calm. Peaceful, even.

A volunteer whose name tag read “Gussie” handed out ribbons to passersby on which they could write hopeful messages such as “End Racism” and draw peace signs.

Hundreds of the ribbons were tied to a wrought iron fence that bordered the business district. Gussie told me that she had moved away from Ferguson a few years ago after having lived there for more than four decades. I asked her what she thought of the grand jury ruling.

“They saw all the evidence,” she said.

Dozens of other volunteers, black and white, lined the sidewalks to paint murals over the boarded up windows. All were there with the Ferguson Youth Initiative, a volunteer-

run nonprofit organization that supports and serves the youth of Ferguson. Volunteer Katlyn Moore worked on the window of a trashed craft store across the street from Gussie and her ribbons. She described the Initiative’s efforts as “healing with art.” She was one of many who had come down from St. Louis to lend support. Like many in the St. Louis-Ferguson area, Moore is unhappy with the image many Americans have of Ferguson.

her the same question.

“I try to stay neutral,” she told me. “A lot of people have a stake in this.”

Not everyone was in favor of neutrality. The corner of a major street was blackened where a fire had been set several nights earlier. Things like “RIP Mike Brown” and “Black Lives Matter” were spray painted on boards in areas the volunteers hadn’t been to.

At the site where Michael Brown was shot, a man wearing a T-shirt bearing Brown’s face paced up and down a line of commemorative flowers and teddy bears placed in the street. He spoke about Brown and racism in the Ferguson police force. Reporters stood on the sidewalk with expensive looking cameras and booms. They all advanced when a woman approached the man in the street to embrace him.

She claimed to be the mother of a man who was killed by a police officer in Denver last year.

I eventually got the courage to approach a Ferguson police officer. I asked him if I could speak to him about everything that had been going on.

“Maybe,” he said, unsmiling. “What do you got?” I asked if he’d seen any positives come out of the situation. “Not yet.

Maybe -- I hope in the future.”

Courtney Bierman was the 2013 Jewish Press intern. She is currently a senior at Millard South High School.

To submit announcements: “The news media is sensationalizing news stories,” she said. “You don’t see the sense of community.”

A team of high school students painted down the street from Moore. Freshman Cynthia Nathan, who wore a name tag reading “Artist in Training”, shared Moore’s feelings that news outlets had not been treating Ferguson fairly.

“Everyone wants to turn on the news and see how crazy Ferguson is. But this is good to me,” she said as she gestured toward the mural.

One painter, who preferred not to give me her name, told me she teaches at Ferguson’s McCleur High School. I asked

Announcements may be e-mailed to the Press at jpress@jewishomaha.org; faxed to 402.334.5422, or mailed to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154.

Readers can also submit announcements -- births, b’nai mitzvahs, engagements, marriages, commitment ceremonies or obituaries -- online at the Jewish Federation of Omaha website: www.jewishomaha.org. Click on “Jewish Press” and go to Submit Announcements.

Deadlines are normally eight days prior to publication, on Thursdays, 9 a.m. Please check the Jewish Press, for notices of early deadlines.

December 26, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 9

To end Palestinian incitement, first define it

Focus on issues STEPHEN FLATOW (JTA) -- A former Clinton administration envoy has let the cat out of the bag on the issue of Palestinian incitement, putting him squarely at odds with Secretary of State John Kerry.

Shibley Telhami was one of the Clinton administration’s representatives to the Trilateral U.S.-Israeli-Palestinian Anti-Incitement Committee. Never heard of it? That’s because after meeting a few times in 1999-2000, the committee stopped functioning. Now we know why.

In a Washington Post Op-Ed on Dec. 6, Telhami revealed that the committee hit an impasse because the Israeli and Palestinian representatives “could not agree how to define incitement.” The Israelis “would present, for instance, a statement by a Muslim religious figure against Israel, and Palestinians would respond by citing settlement construction or episodes of Palestinian humiliation.”

Not quite. The problem is not an occasional statement “by a Muslim religious figure.” Everyone understands that the Palestinian Authority cannot be held responsible for every opinion expressed by some individual Palestinian. The problem is that those Muslim religious figures are sometimes paid officials of the Palestinian Authority and their statements are sometimes broadcast by authority-funded news media. The Palestinian Authority must be held accountable for statements made by its own officials or disseminated by its media outlets.

The Palestinian position is, of course, absurd. “Settlement

construction” and “humiliation” are not incitement. Just because the Palestinians don’t like Jews building homes in Jerusalem (“settlement construction”) or Palestinians being checked for weapons at security checkpoints (“humiliation”) doesn’t make it incitement.

The American representatives to the committee, as rational people, should have been able to distinguish between the reasonable Israeli position and the unreasonable Palestinian one. It is not “taking sides” for U.S. envoys to acknowledge obvious facts. If a delegate to a scientific committee said the earth was round and another delegate said the earth was flat, the U.S. representative should not have a problem acknowledging that the earth is round.

Telhami and his colleagues obviously did have such a problem. They never defined incitement and as a result the committee served no purpose.

The main point of Telhami’s Op-Ed was to minimize the significance of incitement. This gets him and the Palestinian leadership off the hook: Telhami for his miserable performance on the Trilateral Committee, and the Palestinian leaders for their vicious incitement against Jews and Israel.

“Incitement can make matters worse, but it is rarely a primary cause of violence and often is its outcome,” Telhami asserted.

Kerry disagrees.

“To have this kind of act, which is a pure result of incitement, of calls for ‘days of rage,’ of just irresponsibility, is unacceptable,” Kerry said last month following the terrorist attack that killed five Israelis in a Jerusalem synagogue.

Kerry appeared to be referring to the fact that on Oct. 30, the Fatah movement -- chaired by Palestinian Authority

President Mahmoud Abbas -- called on the Palestinian public to stage “days of rage” against Israelis. Abbas himself vowed to prevent the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem from being “contaminated” by Jews. Official Palestinian websites featured political cartoons showing Palestinians running over Jews with their cars. One cartoon showed an Israeli soldier about to rape a Muslim woman who was labeled “Al Aqsa.”

Obviously Kerry was right. Palestinian leaders and media called for violence, and violence followed. Telhami can’t see it because he doesn’t want to.

The Trilateral Committee on Incitement needs to be revived, but this time with a clear definition of what constitutes “incitement.” It wouldn’t be difficult to do. Many precedents in international law enable us to accurately define incitement.

At the Nuremberg Trials, Julius Streicher, publisher of the anti-Semitic newspaper Der Sturmer, was convicted of incitement to mass murder. In 2003, a Rwandan newspaper editor and two radio broadcasters were convicted by the International Criminal Court of incitement to genocide because they used dehumanizing language and encouraged violence.

So I thank Shibley Telhami for being unintentionally upfront about the reasons for the failure of the anti-incitement committee. Now that we know what went wrong and why, we can fix it, guided by Kerry’s powerful words about the incitement that led to the Jerusalem massacre.

Stephen Flatow is a lawyer in New Jersey. He is the father of Alisa Flatow, who was killed in a terrorist attack in 1995 while studying in Israel.

The White House Hanukkah party

by RON KAMPEAS WASHINGTON (JTA) -- I’ve been JTA’s Washington bureau chief for 11 years, but this was the first time I scored a coveted invitation to the annual White House Hanukkah party.

A Washington tradition started by President George W. Bush, the party has actually expanded (to meet demand) to two: one in the afternoon and one in the evening.

This year’s mood was particularly festive, given that the parties were on Wednesday, the same day that Alan Gross was released from five years in a Cuban prison.

President Obama, who earned enthusiastic cheers at both parties, is still a smart enough pol to have played that to the hilt.

“I’m told that in the Jewish tradition, one of the great mitzvahs is ‘pidyon shvuyim,’ “ he said to applause at the afternoon party. “My Hebrew is not perfect, but I get points for trying. But it describes the redemption, the freeing, of captives. And that’s what we’re celebrating today, because after being unjustly held in Cuba for more than five years, American Alan Gross is free.”

That got laudatory whoops.

Obama also emphasized another Jewish tradition: food.

“I spoke to [Gross] on his flight. He said he was willing to interrupt his corned beef sandwich to talk to me. I told him he had mustard in his mustache; I couldn’t actually see it,” the president said.

Then it was back to the theme of freedom, with a deft pivot to his controversial reversal Wednesday of decades of U.S. policy isolating Cuba: “He’s back where he belongs -- in America, with his family, home for Hanukkah,” Obama said. “And I can’t think of a better way to mark this holiday, with its message that freedom is possible, than with the historic changes that I announced today in our Cuba policy.”

And back to food: “So what brings us together is not just lox and latkes, although I have heard the latkes here are outstanding.” (The latkes, like Gross and the president, got applause.) “Am I wrong? Not as good as your mom’s, but they’re good. We’re here to celebrate a story that took place more than 2,000 years ago, when a small group of Maccabees rose up to defeat their far more powerful oppressors.”

Partygoers – over 500 for each celebration -- were jubilant, and not just because of the season and the good news. The hourlong line through security, winding from outside the adjacent Treasury building, was made pleasant by sunny, unseasonably warm weather.

Invitees enter the East Wing and may tour the rooms decked out in Christmas decorations, which attract the attention of even the most Yuletide averse – who could resist the robotic version of the Obama family pooches, Bo and Sunny? And then there is the massive gingerbread White House – presumably not certified kosher, but who would dare take a bite? (Besides, there was plenty of kosher food to be had, including latkes, tender lamb chops with cranberry sauce and aromatic smoked salmon.)

There was some visual and aural relief from Christmas

themes, including Tizmoret, a vocal group from the City University of New York’s Queens College Hillel. The group serenaded the guests as they entered an alcove on the way to the main reception, where the four Hanukkah menorahs were on display – three made by Israeli children.

My fellow guests at the afternoon included numerous

President Obama speaking at the first of two White House Hanukkah parties in Washington, Dec. 17, 2014.

Credit: Steve Sheffey journalists and Jewish Democratic cognoscenti, among them Ann Lewis, an adviser to Hillary Rodham Clinton; Reva Price, an adviser to Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the House minority leader; and Rabbi Jack Moline, who just ended a stint as director of the National Jewish Democratic Council.

Also in attendance was Rabbi David Saperstein, finishing up four decades of service with the Reform movement’s Religious Action Center (making him, incidentally, the longest serving faith-based lobbyist in town) now that the Senate confirmed him last week as a special envoy for religious freedom.

I asked Saperstein where he was first headed in his new role.

“Burma,” he said, to discuss the Mohingar.

Turning to my 16-year-old son, my date for the party, I explained: “That’s a Jewish rabbi who is headed to a Buddhist nation to tell them not to persecute its Muslim minority.”

The other message of this year’s Hanukkah season is that, well, everyone is Jewish. We wrote Tuesday that Vice President Joe Biden told celebrants at Chabad’s annual National Menorah lighting on the Ellipse that “Jewish heritage is American heritage.” The Los Angeles Jewish Journal’s David Suissa captured this gem from the evening White House party: “Mr President,” [a man standing next to Suissa] said in his booming voice, “when I told my Christian friend I was coming to a Hanukkah party at the White House, he told me, ‘I didn’t know the president was Jewish!’

“The president let out a serious belly laugh. But in all the commotion of people asking other questions and everyone clicking their smartphone cameras, it was easy to lose sight of the president to see if he had anything to say.

“I kept my eyes straight on him. It was clear that the “president was Jewish” idea had intrigued him. After about three or four seconds, as he was walking away, and looking at no one in particular, the president just said, ‘I am, in my soul.’ “

Israeli schools figured in the candle lighting at both parties: Hand in Hand, the Arab-Jewish school that was the target of a recent arson attack, was represented by two of its ninth-graders at the first reception, and Yemin Orde, Israel’s school for recent olim, sent a student to light a candle at the second party. Also lighting a candle at the second party was Adam Levine, a professor of emergency medicine at Brown who recently returned from Liberia, where he was treating Ebola patients.

“Now I just want to be clear, this is not Adam Levine, People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive,” Obama helpfully explained.

Seekers of Hollywood glitter at the second party at least got a glimpse of Gwyneth Paltrow – invited, perhaps, because of her recently announced conversion plans.

“Oh, she’s from ‘Iron Man,’ “ one youngster present noted, according to his dad, Nathan Diament, the Orthodox Union’s Washington director.

Letter TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor, I am writing to express my gratitude for the incredible dedication and commitment that Sandy Nogg, an Assistance Coordinator for the Jewish Family Service in Omaha, has shown in helping my mother, Alexandra (“Shura”) Astor, in her relocation to Florida.

Our family had emigrated to Lincoln, Nebraska from USSR in 1974 and moved to Omaha in 1978. My parents greatly enjoyed Omaha and were JCC members and active within the Russian-Jewish community there for over thirty years. As years passed, I and my brother have moved out of the state and ended up in Florida. My father died in 2008.

My mother’s friends died or moved away. My mother stayed in her house in Omaha as long as she could but this year, at the age of 79, lonely and very short of hearing, she had decided to move to the Assisted Living facility here in Florida. Too frail to handle the stress of relocation alone, she had approached Ms. Nogg for assistance and Sandy's help was far above and beyond any expectation. She was my mother's hands and ears, guiding her through the sale of her house, packing her belongings, shipping her car and even driving her to the airport. Sandy had spent an inordinate amount of time helping even during Thanksgiving holiday, and on the weekend, at times staying with my mother from early morning to well past 9 p.m. When Sandy had learned that my mother was all alone during the Thanksgiving holiday, she and her husband came over and cooked my mother dinner.

Sandy did not know my mother before. My mother was not a relative or a personal friend. She was just a stranger that needed help and Sandy wholeheartedly extended a helping hand with absolutely remarkable commitment and dedication. Ms. Nogg exemplifies everything that Jewish Family Service stands for and we are very grateful.

With Gratitude, Michael Astor

10 | The Jewish Press | December 26, 2014

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 Feb. 13, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. with guest speaker, Ben Justman, Executive Director of the Sarpy County Museum on A History of Sarpy County. Larry Blass will lead the service.

Oneg to follow service. Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel!

For information on our historic synagogue, please contact any of our board members: Mark Eveloff, Rick Katelman, Carole Lainof, Marty Ricks, Sissy Silber, Nancy Wolf and Phil Wolf.

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California | Omaha, NE 68154-1980 | 402.492.8550 www.bethel-omaha.org Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman.

FRIDAY: Lunch at Nebraska AIDS Coalition, 11:30 a.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Services, 9:30 a.m. followed by Shabbat Mimosas for the New Year; Mini Minyannaires, 10:45 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:45 p.m.

WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.

SUNDAY: BESTT and Junior Congregation on winter break through Jan. 3; Torah Study Group, 10 a.m.

THURSDAY: Synagogue Office Closed; Morning Service, 9 a.m.

FRIDAY, Jan. 2: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY, Jan. 3: Shabbat Services, 9:30 a.m.; Mini Minyannaires, 10:45 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5 p.m.

WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.

SUNDAY: BESTT Classes, 9:45 a.m.; Torah Study Group, 10 a.m.

WEDNESDAY: BESTT Classes, 4:15 p.m.; Hebrew High Dinner, 6 p.m.; Hebrew High, 6:45 p.m.

Shabbat’s Cool (for grades K-7), Saturday, Jan. 10, 10 a.m., followed by lunch and BESTT Shul-in (for grades 3-7) overnight through Sunday at 9:45 a.m.

All classes and programs are open to everyone in the Jewish community.

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street | Omaha, NE. 68154 | 402.556.6288 www.orthodoxomaha.org Office hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Friday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

FRIDAY: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat, 4:43 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m. Mincha/Seudah Shlishit, 4:25 p.m.; Havdalah, 5:49 p.m.

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

WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m.

MONDAY: Ma’ariv, 7 p.m. followed by Teen Class TUESDAY: Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 8 p.m.

THURSDAY: Office Closed; Shacharit, 9 a.m.

FRIDAY, Jan. 2: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat, 4:43 p.m.

SATURDAY, Jan. 3: Shacharit, 9 a.m. Mincha/Seudah Shlishit, 4:35 p.m.; Havdalah, 6:31 p.m.

SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Bagels and Beit Midrash: Understanding Our Prayers, 9:45 a.m.

WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m.

MONDAY: Scholar’s Club with Boys, 3:30 p.m.; Ma’ariv, 7 p.m. followed by Teen Class TUESDAY: Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 8 p.m.

THURSDAY: Women’s Class: Deepening our connection with God, 9:30 a.m.; Med Center Chaburah, 1 p.m.; Scholar’s Club for girls, 3:30 p.m.

CHABAD HOUSE An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street | Omaha, NE 68144-1646 | 402.330.1800 www.OChabad.com | email: chabad@aol.com Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

FRIDAY: Shacharit, 7 a.m.

SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9:30 a.m.

SUNDAY: Shacharit, 8:30 a.m.

WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 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. 2: Shacharit, 7 a.m.

SATURDAY, Jan. 3: Shacharit, 9:30 a.m.

SUNDAY: Shacharit, 8:30 a.m.

WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 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.

Friday, December 26, 4:43 p.m.

Friday, January 2, 4:48 p.m.

Cantor Shermet.

SATURDAY: Tot Shabbat, 9 a.m.; Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m.

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

THURSDAY: No Adult Study with the Clergy.

FRIDAY, Jan. 2: January First Friday wtih College Students, 5:30 p.m. candlelighting and Kiddush, Service, 6 p.m. followed by dinner. Cost is $5/person, max of $20 per family. Please RSVP to Temple Israel, 402.556.6536 or templeisrael@templeisraelomaha.com, by Wednesday, Dec. 31.

SATURDAY, Jan. 3: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m.

SUNDAY: No Religious School WEDNESDAY: Grades 3-6, 4 p.m.; Family Night, 6 p.m.; School Dinner, 6 p.m.; Grades 7-12, 6 p.m.; Outside the Bible: Ancient Jewish Writings Related to Scripture, 6:30 p.m. with Rabbi Azriel.

THURSDAY: Dilemmas of Faith: God and Spirituality in the Modern World, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Azriel; OTYG Lounge Night, 6 p.m.

Non-Jews Raising Jewish Children, Sundays, Jan. 11, Feb. 1, 8 & 22, March 1, 8 & 22, April 12-26, and May 3, 10 - 11 a.m. with Rabbi Azriel.

TIFERETH ISRAEL 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 Penny Berger.

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

SUNDAY: No LJCS classes.

WEDNESDAY: No LJCS Hebrew classes.

THURSDAY: Temple Office Closed FRIDAY, Jan. 2: Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m. with oneg following.

SATURDAY, Jan. 3: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. on Parashat Vayechi.

SUNDAY: No LJCS Classes.

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

ADULT EDUCATION TUESDAY: Intro to Judaism, 6:30 p.m. led by Rabbi Lewis.

THURSDAY: Beginning Hebrew, 6 p.m.; Adult B’nai Mitzvah Class, 7 p.m.

Bakers Needed as part of the Temple’s celebration of its 130th anniversary as a congregation and the 90th anniversary of our beautiful building, we are having monthly events culminating in the anniversary gala in May. For many of these events, we would like to serve cookies or other easy to handle dessert items. We are looking to volunteers to supply home-baked goodies. If you are willing to contribute in this way, please let Alan Frank know at afrank2@unl.edu. We’ll have you bring your treats to the Temple and store them in the freezer.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast on Friday, Jan. 16, 2015, 7 a.m. at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 1040 P Street. Keynote Speaker: Mr. Amir Azimi, Administrator, Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE Capehart Chapel 2500 Capehart Road | Offutt AFB, NE 68123 | 402.294.6244 FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m. every first and third of the month.

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME 323 South 132 Street | Omaha, NE 68154 FRIDAY: Shabbat Comes to the Blumkin Home, 2:30 p.m. led by Temple Israel.

SATURDAY: Services, 9:15 a.m. led by Jim Polack.

SATURDAY, Jan. 3: Services, 9:15 a.m. led by Alan Shulewitz.

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

TEMPLE ISRAEL Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive | Omaha, NE 68144-1206 | 402.556.6536 http://templeisraelomaha.com FRIDAY: Shabbat Comes to You at Rose Blumkin Home, 2:30 p.m. led by Rabbi Brown; Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. led by

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: Services, 6:30 p.m.

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

SUNDAY: No LJCS classes.

WEDNESDAY: No LJCS Hebrew classes.

THURSDAY: Tifereth Israel Office Closed FRIDAY, Jan. 2: Services, 6:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, Jan. 3: Morning service, 10 a.m. followed by a Kiddush luncheon; Havdalah Havurah Group, 6 p.m. and the location is TBD. Please let Nancy Coren know if you plan to attend.

SUNDAY: No LJCS Classes; Reading Haftorah Trope class begins at 11-11:50 a.m. Please let Nancy Coren know if you would like to join this class, so she can have materials ready for your participation.

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

Tot Shabbat with Ms. Jennifer and special Oneg, Friday, Jan. 9, 5:45 p.m. at Tifereth Israel.

Tifereth Israel Board Meeting, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2 p.m. at the synagogue.

22nd Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast on Friday, Jan. 16, 2015, 7 a.m. at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 1040 P Street. Keynote Speaker: Mr. Amir Azimi, Administrator, Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services.

ADL: Killing of N.Y. police officers ‘heinous’

by JTA NEWS STAFF (JTA) -- The Anti-Defamation League called the killing of two New York Police Department officers a “heinous, senseless and shocking assault.”

The officers, Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos, were shot in the head through the window of their patrol car in Brooklyn on Saturday afternoon.

Shortly before the killings, the gunman, identified as Ismaaiyl Brinsley, 28, threatened to shoot two “pigs” in retaliation for death of Eric Garner at the hands of police officers in July. Brinsley had traveled to New York from Baltimore, where he shot and wounded his girlfriend.

Brinsley killed himself after shooting the officers.

“This was a heinous, senseless and shocking assault on two New York City Police officers whose only crime was in reporting for duty. It is hard to find words to explain why anyone would think it appropriate to kill police officers in cold blood,” Evan Bernstein, ADL’s New York regional director, said in a statement on Dec. 20.

“Violence, particularly violence borne of racism or hatred, is never the appropriate response in a civil society. When those sworn to serve and protect the public are targeted for senseless acts of barbarism, our democracy suffers and society breaks down into lawlessness.”

Pulverent e

December 26, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 11

In memoriam LEON N. WINTROUB Leon N. Wintroub passed away on Dec. 20 at age 86.

Services were held on Dec. 22 at Mount Sinai Cemetery.

He was preceded in death by parents, William and Anita Wintroub, sisters, Estelle Harris and Lois Bernstien.

He is survived by Sally, daughter and son-in-law, Diane and Louis Calmenson, and son, David H. Wintroub; grandchildren: Nina and Benjamin Calmenson; brother-in-laws, Sam and Hymie Gendler; and many nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be made to Beth Israel Synagogue, Rose Blumkin Jewish Home or the organization of your choice.

Gal Mekel released

by New Orleans Pelicans

by JTA NEWS STAFF (JTA) Gal Mekel, the second Israeli to play in the NBA, was released by the New Orleans Pelicans after two weeks.

Mekel, a point guard, had been acquired by the Pelicans on Dec. 5 and appeared in four games, according to NBA.com.

During his four games for New Orleans he averaged 1.5 points and 3.3 assists. The Pelicans activated a clause in Mekel's two-year, non-guaranteed contract which allowed them to release him without compensation before Jan. 10.

Mekel followed Omri Casspi as only the second Israeli to play in the National Basketball Association.

For Cuban Jews in U.S., rapprochement with Castro regime cause for concern

by URIEL HEILMAN the relationships between Cuba and the U.S., because the most (JTA) – For many Cuban Jews – the majority of whom horrifying things happened before they were born. now live in the United States – it has been a bittersweet week.

That generational divide is evident within Grobler’s own famLike countless Jews around the world, they cheered the ily. Grobler says his son has talked to him about wanting to release of Alan Gross, the American Jewish telecommunica- visit Cuba; visits by Americans have been permitted to the tions contractor who had been held in a Cuban prison for island nation for some time, so long as they take place under the last five years. certain conditions, such as But then there’s the matter under religious or journalistic of reestablishment of diploauspices. Grobler says he has matic relations between no problem with his son going Washington and Havana. to see the place his father grew For those old enough to up and visiting the local Jewish remember the most brutal community, but he himself years of the Castro regime, the won’t go until the Communist idea of rapprochement with a dictatorship has been country still ruled by the removed.

Castro family (Fidel’s brother, “I refuse to go to Cuba,” Raul, is now president) is Grobler said. “I refuse to do more cause for concern than business with them. I will go celebration. And while there’s the day prior to the day there some acknowledgment that will elections in Cuba.”

People stand outside the Little Havana restaurant Versailles, ending the embargo may In the Perelis family, too, the as they absorb the news that Alan Gross was released from bring some benefits for the generational divide is evident. a Cuban prison and that U.S. President Barack Obama Cuban people, it is surpassed “In general, younger Cubanwants to change the United States Cuba policy, Dec. 17, by abiding concern that the Americans (myself included) Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images 2014 in Miami. deal President Obama see the embargo as a stupid announced on Wednesday will extend the life of a brutal dic- policy which only gives the Castro regime an enemy to blame tatorship whose crimes can be neither forgotten nor forgiven. and excuses for their incompetence and absence of human “Castro is being saved today by Obama!” bemoaned rights,” said Joseph Perelis’ son, Ronnie Perelis, who is a proJoseph Perelis, who came to the United States in 1961, two fessor of Sephardic studies at Yeshiva University and was born years after Fidel Castro took power in Cuba. “In the terms I in the United States. “Nixon went to China. We have had diplosee, this will allow Castro to maintain his grip on power.” matic and military relationships with dastardly regimes from The newly announced deal with Washington, he said, likely the Saudis to [the late Chilean dictator Augusto] Pinochet.” would enable Cuba to adopt the Chinese model: a Communist Yet Ronnie Perelis acknowledges some ambivalence about regime where the army and the party are enriched by capital- this week’s announced changes. ist enterprise while the cheap labor of the people is exploited “Clearly the embargo has been a failure and perhaps openfor the benefit of the regime and its trading partners. ness can open a new way forward,” he said. “The chance of “The old 1959 political refugees want a democratic regime person-to-person contact changing things in small ways in change: free press, free elections, free Internet, a real the island is not insignificant.” improvement for the Cuban people,” Perelis said.

But, he added, the change may also “simply leave the Nancy Brook, who left Cuba in 1961 when she was 12, regime in a stronger position to continue their control of the expressed similar concerns, even as she acknowledged the population without any democratic change.” failure of America’s Cuba policy to dislodge the Cuban regime.

Marcos Kerbel, a past president and now chair of the finance “It is obvious that the so-called embargo has not worked,” committee at the Cuban Hebrew Congregation in Miami, says she said. “But will these new measures bring benefits and the community is taking a wait-and-see attitude for now. freedom to the Cuban people or just benefit the Cuban gov“We’re all extremely happy about the release of the Alan ernment and their bunch of thugs?”

Gross,” Kerbel said. “I don’t take political sides. We see in Brook has not been back to Cuba since she left. Her par- Congress there are some debates about the new policy. My ents came to the United States three years later, after the two attitude right now is wait and see what’s going to happen.” stores and eight-story building they owned were confiscated

by Castro’s Communist regime.

There is something of a generational divide among Cuban Americans when it comes to the question of the embargo.

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12 | The Jewish Press | December 26, 2014

‘Homely’ ancient rock adds evidence of King David’s existence

by MENACHEM WECKER century BCE “Annals of Sennacherib” that tells of a siege of “aahs” when he showed an oil lamp from the First Temple NEW YORK (JTA) -- Dimly lit, the stone slab, or stele, Jerusalem mentioned in the Bible, and a 10th-century BCE period. doesn’t look particularly noteworthy, especially when com- “Taanach Cult Stand” that may feature a depiction of the “Why? Because they heard about King David,” he said. pared to the more lavish sphinxes, jewelry and cauldrons Jewish God, have been “curiously” ignored in reviews of the “People care about this stuff. They don’t care about the one encounters en route to the room where it is installed.

Met’s exhibit, notes the Biblical Archaeology Society web- Middle Ages that much. They care about biblical history...

Indeed, in a Twitter post this fall, art journalist Lee site. and it’s part of the grappling with secularization that makes Rosenbaum described the nearly 13-by-16 inch c. this so important to some people.”

830 BCE rock, which resembles an aardvark or eleEven without this latest piece of evidence, Rabbi phant, as “homely.”

David Wolpe, author of the 2014 book David: The What’s significant about this stone -- on view at Divided Heart, said in an interview that there was the Metropolitan Museum of Art as part of its near-unanimous consensus among scholars that Assyria to Iberia at the Dawn of the Classical Age David existed. But Wolpe, of the Conservative Sinai exhibit running through Jan. 4 -- is its inscription: Temple in Los Angeles, added that “the size and “the earliest extra-biblical reference to the House of scope of his kingdom were probably far less than David.” was once thought.”

“There is no doubt that the inscription is one of In the catalog for the Assyria to Iberia exhibit, the the most important artifacts ever found in relation Israel Museum’s Arie wrote that the inscription’s to the Bible,” Eran Arie, curator of Israelite and matter-of-fact invocation of David’s name just some Persian periods at the Israel Museum, wrote in the 150 years after his reign amounts to a “clear indicaexhibit catalog. tion that the ‘House of David’ was known throughAs is to be expected with a rock nearly three milout the region and that the king’s reputation was not lennia old, the slab is missing considerable portions, a literary invention of a much later period.” This, he and Arie’s translation of the remaining 13 lines of adds, “clearly validates the biblical description of a text is full of ellipses and bracketed additions. What figure named David becoming the founder of the is clear is that the Aram-Damascene king Hazael dynasty of Judahite kings in Jerusalem.” brags of having killed 70 kings, including of Israel Fine also thinks that most scholars accept a hisand of the “House of David.” (The round number, torical David, but he notes that some -- those who scholars agree, is probably exaggerated, although align themselves with what is known as the Hazael did have a reputation for being ruthless and Copenhagen School of biblical interpretation -successful.) don’t agree that David is a historical shoo-in.

House of David inscription, part of the “Assyria to Iberia at the Dawn of the The breaks in the stone neither obstruct nor “These things go in a range,” he said.

Classical Age” exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. obscure the “bytdvd,” or House of David, inscripAlthough archaeologists tend broadly to be Credit: Meidad Suchowolski tion, which remains “absolutely intact and clear,” uncomfortable with text, Fine says, some might say said Ira Spar, professor of history and ancient studies at Steven Fine, a professor of Jewish history and director of that if there is a King David, he is “just a name” about whom Ramapo College in New Jersey and a research Assyriologist the Center for Israel Studies at Yeshiva University, agrees we don’t know anything, while others would view David at the Metropolitan Museum. that the lack of attention is curious. through the “eyes of Jewish history” and law.

Epigraphers and biblical historians agree almost unani“It’s astonishing how little the Jewish press has noticed it,” Fine says public interest in biblical-era artifacts is good mously that the letters “bytdvd” refer to the House of King he said. for the field, even if it is sometimes oversimplified on popDavid, according to Spar.

Although the inscription has received scant attention, ular television programs.

“While it is clear that David was king of Israel, the archae- Fine says he has observed widespread public interest in bib“There wouldn’t be a field if it wasn’t for all this interest,” ological evidence for the extent of his kingdom remains lical-era artifacts. When he led tours as curator of the he said. “All of us started as little kids with that kind of unclear,” he said.

University of Southern California’s archaeological collec- stuff.”

Despite its “extraordinary inscription,” the rock, a seventh tions in the 1980s, Fine reported hearing many “oohs” and

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