December 27, 2019 by Jewish Press

thejewishpress AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA

this week

There will be NO Jewish Press next week. The next issue publishes on January 10.

The doors are open! Pages A4 & A5

The top Jewish stories of 2019 Page B1

Happy Birthday, Joe ANNETTE VAN DE KAmP-WRIGHT Editor, Jewish Press hile the Jewish Press Board of Directors and staff are busy discussing 100 years of Jewish Omaha history, one community treasure beat us to it: Dec. 27, 2019, Joe Kirshenbaum will celebrate his 100th birthday. He will do so in his true home, surrounded by family and friends: recently, Joe moved back to Omaha from Palm Springs. These days he hangs his hat in the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home; he moved in on the exact same day as his younger brother, Kevee. They are down the hall from each other, and rightfully so, Kevee says: “We spent the first 18 years together. Then Joe went off to college. He eventually joined the Army and I joined the Navy. We both got married, built a great life, and here we are, together again.” Joe was born in Kapul, Russia to Meyer and Dora. Accompanied by his parents and sister Rose, Joe came to America in 1921. “After my parents married, my father was sent to Siberia with the Russian army. He did not come back for about three years,” Joe told Mary Fellman in a 1992 interview. “When my father got out of the service, they still lived in their town, Kapul. They were very well accepted by the Gentiles of the town until the Pogroms really got pretty hectic. They would never have come to the United States if it See Joe Kirshenbaum page A3

Joe Kirshenbaum

A New Year brings new Ulven named to Nebraska Mainstreeters programs for 2020 Health Care Association Board

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mAGGIE CONTI Director of Activities and Volunteer Services, RBJH Put these dates on your calendar and join in the activities. A Free Afternoon at the Movies: Downton Abbey Friday, Jan. 10, at 1 p.m. in the JCC Community Engage-

ment room. No charge for the film or the bags of warm, delicious popcorn. No reservations are necessary. Invite a pal. Excitement is high at Downton Abbey when the Crawley family learns that King George V and Queen Mary are coming to visit. But trouble soon arises when Mrs. Patmore, Daisy, and the rest of the servants learn that the king and queen travel with their chefs and attendants -- setting the stage for an impromptu scheme and other shenanigans. This film runs 2 hours and 3 minutes long and is rated PG (for thematic elements, some suggestive material, and language). Don’t be late for the show! Bring a sweater. If you’d like to have lunch at the Star Deli in the Rose See mainstreeters page A2

velopment Program (LEAD), designed to OzzIE NOGG Chris Ulven, Rose Blumkin Home Exec- develop a workforce of leaders that can utive Director, has been named Omaha meet the health care needs of NeDistrict Chair of braska’s aging the Nebraska population. LEAD, Health Care Assowhich stands for ciation (NHCA) Lead, Excel, AdBoard of Directors. vance, and DeIn his new role on velop, equips the Board, Ulven professionals to will represent the positively shape 44 Nursing homes the future of in the Omaha Dishealth care in trict. This is the Nebraska. first time a repreUlven joined the sentative from the Rose Blumkin JewBlumkin Home has ish Home in 2012 been named to the as controller and NHCA Board. has served as ex“The RBJH ecutive director Board is thrilled since 2017. His exthat Chris has perience has Chris Ulven been selected as helped position the Rose Blumkin Home Executive Director Rose Blumkin Jewthe Omaha Chair of the NHCA Board of Directors,” said ish Home as a leader among Nebraska Jeff Kirshenbaum, Blumkin Home Board long term care providers. President. “This will allow Chris to stay “I had not really been that involved informed and help develop strategies to with NHCA until the opportunity to join address the ever-changing elder care inthe LEAD program presented itself,” dustry challenges.” Ulven said. “I jumped at the opportunity, Previous to this two-year appointhoping to get more involved in the future. ment, Ulven served an eighteen-month LEAD is a great program that I wish term in the Association’s Leadership DeSee Chris Ulven page A2

A2 | The Jewish Press | December 27, 2019

community Continued from page A1 Blumkin Home Auditorium before the show, the Star Deli starts serving at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 17: Visit the Durham Museum to see the exhibit Louder Than Words- Rock, Power & Politics. The cost for transportation is $5 round trip. The admission to the Museum is FREE for Mainstreeters only. Have lunch at the STAR Deli at noon if you sign up for the tour, you will receive a $5 voucher to STAR Deli to use for Jan. 17 only. Louder Than Words: Rock, Power & Politics looks at some of the most important debates in our country through the lens of rock music. The exhibit includes exclusive video interviews with people such as Bono and Jimmy Carter and combines them with interactives, photography, and artifacts to examine how music has both shaped and reflected our cultural norms on eight topics. Depart from the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home by a small bus at 1:30 p.m. to return by approximately 4:15 p.m. Space is limited – first come first served! Sign up early because it might sell out! Please note: If you want to meet at the Durham Museum at 2 p.m., you MUST make a Reservation. Deadline for Reservations: Wednesday, Jan. 8 (if there is still room on the bus). Make check payable to Jewish Social Services. Send Reservation with full payment to Mainstreeters, c/o Maggie Conti, 323 S. 132nd Street, Omaha, NE 68154. Can you Dig it - A 70s Music Show with Robert Glaser and Gina Brazell on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 1:45 p.m. in the

Silverman Auditorium at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. No charge. Go back to yesteryear and enjoy a great decade of music from artists such as Linda Ronstadt, Neil Diamond, Barbra Streisand, Carole King and more. Robert Glaser has been entertaining in the Midwest since 1981. He leads his group The Sing, Sing, Swing Orchestra and has produced six original CDs. Gina Brazell has performed from Hollywood to Off-Broadway, this versatile singer-actress has entertained audiences across the U.S. and around the globe. Singing a wide variety of songs and styles, Brazell’s sparkling personality and crystalline voice deliver heart and soul, with a splash of fun! An Ice Cream Social will follow the performance. A Free Afternoon at the Movies: Hallmark Hall of Fame presents Loving Leah Friday, Jan. 31, at 1 p.m. in the JCC Community Engagement room. A handsome Jewish cardiologist and his late brother’s wife enter into a marriage of convenience while realizing that the harder they work to maintain their “pretend” union, the deeper their love for one another grows. Rated: This film is not rated, and the running time is one hour and 38 minutes. Free popcorn served, warm and delicious! Don’t be late for the show! Wear a sweater! Have lunch at the Star Deli (Rose Blumkin Jewish Home) before the show! The Star Deli is open for business at 11:30 a.m. 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. You’ll want to be part of the action in 2020.

Expert Care at Home

Chris Ulven Continued from page A1 everyone had the opportunity to be part of. Advocacy is something I’ve had to spend a lot of time on recently with the proposed Medicaid changes. We really had no choice but to fight for the Home’s reimbursement, and Nebraska Health Care Association is heavily involved in the work we’ve been doing with Medicaid. They have exceptional people working at NHCA and it is truly an honor to be asked to be on their Board.” With 205 facilities throughout the state, the Nebraska Health Care Association is the premiere source of information, collaboration and advocacy for a range of health-related professions and consumer services, including long-term care. Its programs are designed to meet the emotional, mental and physical needs of consumers in Nebraska by providing the best possible medical, nursing and personal care. The group works closely with the Nebraska State Legislature to promote sound legislation for the improvement and protection of the long term care services industry and the welfare of consumers. NHCA’s mission is to serve those who serve our most vulnerable Nebraskans. In commenting on Ulven’s appointment, Alan Potash, Jewish Federation of Omaha CEO said, “Being included in an organizational leadership role is confirmation of Chris’s skills as a leader and the importance of having representation by the Executive Director of JSS/RBJH to this board. During this transformational time in the long term care industry we are fortunate to have someone with Chris’s passion for caring for the elderly represent our community.”

Organizations

B’nAI B’RITH BREADBREAkERS

B’nai B’rith Breadbreakers meets weekly on Wednesdays at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home auditorium from noon to 1 p.m. For specific speaker information, please email Gary.Javitch@Gmail.com, Breadbreakers chairman. For more information or to be placed on the email list call 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@jewishomaha.org.

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The Jewish Press | December 27, 2019 | A3

Joe Kirshenbaum

Kevee and Joe Kirshenbaum Continued from page A1 went around collecting bottles, rags and old hadn’t been for the Pogroms.” clothes and then he would turn around and The family settled in Omaha, where Joe sell them. He had a long beard and he graduated from Central High School and the smelled, I remember that.” University of Nebraska. From January 1942 Of course, no story about Joe is complete until his honorable discharge in December without including Wolf Brothers Western 1945, Joe served as Captain in the 82nd Or- Store. It was 1924 when Samuel Wolf first dinance Group, which supplied all ammuni- opened his men’s fine clothing store in downtion for General Patton’s Third Army from town Omaha. The location was 14th and the Normandy Invasion through the end of Dodge. In 1950, after graduating from college WW II. He was awarded the French Legion and marrying Audrey, Samuel’s daughter, Joe Medal of Honor in June of this year. borrowed $12,500 and bought the store. He Joe was married to Audrey Wolf for 53 relocated the business to the Hill Hotel on S. years until her death in 2001. They had four 16th St. children together: Tom (Kate), Bill (Linda), From a story in New Horizons, 2012: Kim (Todd) and Dick. Joe also has seven “During those days, ranchers from grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Wyoming, Montana, the Dakotas, Idaho and He also has a sister, Phyllis. His companion other outposts stayed in and around the Hill Virginia was with him from 2002 until her Hotel when they brought their cattle to the death earlier this year. Omaha Stockyards. Because of the ranchers’ “It makes me feel so good to be with my growing demand for Western wear, Joe alfamily,” Joe said. “Occasionally I will run into tered his store’s inventory and changed the someone I’ve known for decades and the name to Wolf Bros. Western Store. service as well as the food here is great. Except “After buying the clothing store from his fafor the deli—the portions are always too big.” ther-in-law and shifting its focus, Joe proHe remembers every detail about growing moted the business and its special line of up in Omaha and living near the synagogue; products by attending rodeos, horse shows, in fact, he’s written for this newspaper on sev- horse races and square dances. During his caeral occasions about the old neighborhood reer, he’s outfitted celebrities like Johnny Carand even gave a tour of the North 24th Street son, Arthur Godfrey, Roy Rogers, Patsy Cline area during the Omaha reunion in 2014. and Johnny Cash.” “I’ll never forget living in that particular Nowadays Tom, Dick and Matt Kirshenarea,” he said. “We were a block from 24th baum continue the business on Dodge, as Street. It was like a city in itself. All the Jewish well as ‘Boots for Less’ on West Center. shops, shoe stores, barber shops, drug stores, Joe will celebrate at the Broadmoor, at the fish markets, bakeries, all of those were Rose Blumkin Jewish Home and people can owned by Jewish people. As you walked stop at the Wolf Bros. store Dec. 27 from down the street, everybody knew everybody. 12:30-4 p.m. and wish Joe a happy birthday. I remember the peddlers that used to roam After all, it’s not every day one turns 100 years the area. One, in particular, was a man named old. Happy Birthday, Joe! May you celebrate Issac. He used to have a push cart and he it in good health.

Ron Lugasy to speak at B’nai Israel CARoLE LAInoF her IDF 3 year service as a Welfare Ron Lugasy, Omaha Community Officer responsible for the social Shlicha, will be the guest speaker needs of Israeli soldiers and those at B’nai Israel Synagogue on Friday serving from other countries. She evening Jan. 10, 2020 at 7:30 describes her position as Shlicha p.m. The topic of her presentation like spreading “Fairy Dust,” the will be How Do We Tell Our Story... voice of Israel, to the Jewish ComThe Zionist Narrative Compared to munity and Omaha at large. With the Diaspora Narrative. The focus Ron already known for her excelof Ron’s talk tells the difference belent spoken and written presentatween the stories of those living in tions, this is an evening not to be Eretz Israel compared to how the missed. story is related in the Diaspora. Services are held the second Ron Lugasy This should be a fascinating topic Friday of the month at 7:30 followed by a short Q and A. p.m.at 618 Mynster St. in Council Bluffs. At B’nai Ron Lugasy is 25 years old and has completed Israel Everyone is Welcome!

A4 | The Jewish Press | December 27, 2019

community

Hanukkah Extravaganza

J Library Omaha teamed up with the Jewish Federation of Omaha Annual Kids Campaign to throw a fun preHanukkah bash at the Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Museum Dec. 8 for a crowd of 350! Each family was gifted a special JFO Moonjar (thanks to our partnership with Lutz) to help teach financial literacy at a level they understand. Young Jewish Giving even gave each child $1 in pennies so they could visualize how to split their change between the Save, Spend or Donate (Tzedakah) boxes. Many thanks go out to the host families, staff and volunteers that made the night a success â&#x20AC;&#x201C; as well as funds from the Murray H. and Sharee C. Newman Supporting Foundation and the Special Donor-Advised Fund of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation, making the event affordable for all.

The Jewish Press | December 27, 2019 | A5

A6 | The Jewish Press | December 27, 2019

calendar JAnUARY 2020

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 events.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28 Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29 Torah Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El THURSDAY, JANUARY 2 Baby Playgroup, 9:30 a.m. at Temple Israel FRIDAY, JANUARY 3 Star Deli, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 5 Torah Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El MONDAY, JANUARY 6 Eye on Israel, noon Exploring Judaism with Scott Littky, 7 p.m. TUESDAY, JANUARY 7 The Book of Jewish Values Class, 11:30 a.m. at Beth El WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8 Breadbreakers and Speaker, noon at RBJH THURSDAY, JANUARY 9 Baby Playgroup, 9:30 a.m. at Temple Israel Jewish Memoir Writing Class, 6 p.m. at Beth El FRIDAY, JANUARY 10 Star Deli, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH Temple Israel Shabbat Comes to You at Remington Heights, 4 p.m. USY/Kadima Shabbat Services and Dinner with Steve Kerbel, 5:30 p.m. at Beth El Monthly Shabbat Speaker Series, 7:30 p.m. at B’nai Israel, Council Bluffs, IA. SATURDAY, JANUARY 11 Shabbat Services with Steve Kerbel, 9:30 a.m. at Beth El Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel Israeli Wine Tasting with Steve Kerbel, 7-9 p.m. SUNDAY, JANUARY 12 Torah Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El Sunday Speaker Steve Kerbel, 11 a.m. at Beth El Torah Tots/PJ Libray/Friedel Little Hands Big Hearts: Family Day of Caring, 10 a.m. at FJA MONDAY, JANUARY 13 IHE Governance Council, 11:15 a.m. Exploring Judaism with Scott Littky, 7 p.m. Friedel Board Meeting, 7 p.m. at FJA TUESDAY, JANUARY 14 The Book of Jewish Values Class, 11:30 a.m. at Beth El WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15 Breadbreakers and Speaker, noon at RBJH

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16 Baby Playgroup, 9:30 a.m. at Temple Israel Jewish Memoir Writing Class, 6 p.m. at Beth El Beth El Men's Group: Whiskey Tasting, 7 p.m at Beth El FRIDAY, JANUARY 17 JBL Bagels and Business, 7:30 a.m. Star Deli, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH SATURDAY, JANUARY 18 Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel SUNDAY, JANUARY 19 Torah Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El Israeli Movie Night, 6 p.m. MONDAY, JANUARY 20 Jewish Press Board Meeting, 5:30 p.m. TUESDAY, JANUARY 21 The Book of Jewish Values Class, 11:30 a.m. at Beth El WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22 Breadbreakers and Speaker, noon at RBJH THURSDAY, JANUARY 23 Baby Playgroup, 9:30 a.m. at Temple Israel Jewish Memoir Writing Class, 6 p.m. at Beth El FRIDAY, JANUARY 24 Star Deli, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH Tot Shabbat, 5:30 p.m. at Beth El Yoel Sykes of Navah Tehila, Musician-inResidence at Beth El SATURDAY, JANUARY 25 Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel Yoel Sykes of Navah Tehila, Musician-inResidence at Beth El SUNDAY, JANUARY 26 Torah Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El From My Mothers Kitchen, 10:30 a.m. at Beth El Israeli Cooking Workshop with Ron Lugasy, Community Shlichah, 4:30 p.m. at Beth Israel MONDAY, JANUARY 27 Exploring Judaism with Scott Littky, 7 p.m. TUESDAY, JANUARY 28 The Book of Jewish Values Class, 11:30 a.m. at Beth El WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29 Breadbreakers and Speaker, noon at RBJH THURSDAY, JANUARY 30 Friedel Community Open House, 9 a.m. at FJA Baby Playgroup, 9:30 a.m. at Temple Israel Jewish Memoir Writing Class, 6 p.m. at Beth El FRIDAY, JANUARY 31 Star Deli, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH

The Jewish Press | December 27, 2019 | A7

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Beth El offers Jewish Memoir Writing class with Dr. Jeanette Gabriel

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r. Jeannette Gabriel, Director of the Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies, will facilitate a Jewish Memoir Writing class at Beth El Synagogue on Thursday nights, Jan. 9, 16, 23 and 30. Sessions run from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and include dinner. Cost is $36 for all four sessions and meals. Class size is limited to fifteen participants. “Memoirs are a powerful way for people to make meaning of their lives outside of the confines of community and social mores,” Dr. Gabriel said. “This is particularly important for the Jewish community, where we have often felt curtailed from revealing difficult or negative experiences based on concerns of anti-Semitic scrutiny. This class will provide an opportunity for students to read and analyze excerpts from various Jewish memoirs, examine memoir writing techniques, and consider how they might construct their own narratives.” As part of her role in the Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies, Jeannette Gabriel has taught courses in Judaic Studies that have been cross

Dr. Jeanette Gabriel

‘For who will testify, who will accurately describe our lives if we do not do it ourselves?’ Faye Moskowitz, author of A Leak in the Heart

listed with Women’s Studies, History and Black Studies. She also teaches academic classes within the Jewish community and sits on the board of the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society. Dr. Gabriel’s research work focuses on American Jewish history and religion with an emphasis on issues of race and gender. Her current research work examines collaboration and conflict between the African-American and Jewish community in Omaha. She is also working on a project about the late Shirley Goldstein, an international leader of the Operation Exodus movement who was based in Omaha. “Students who sign up for the January classes will have an opportunity to share their writing with the group for feedback and discussion,” Dr. Gabriel said. “In any case, if you enjoy reading memoirs, are thinking about writing or have already started a personal narrative, please join us.” To register for the Jewish Memoir Writing class with Dr. Jeanette Gabriel, please access the Beth El website: bethelomaha.org or call Robby Erlich, Engagement Coordinator, at 402.492.8550.

Opening Minds through Art Gallery Show MAGGIE ConTI Director of Activities and Volunteer Services, RBJH The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Opening Minds through Art Gallery Art Show was a huge success thanks to the leadership of Cheryl Poulin and Emily Clement. A group of ten Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Residents and their UNO student volunteer partners exhibited their artwork on Sunday, Dec. 15 in the Silverman Auditorium at the Home. The event included a short program with music provided by Julie Ashton on the dulcimer. Hors d’oeuvres and drinks were served. The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home has received a grant from The Association of Jewish Aging Services (AJAS) for the program Opening Minds through Art (OMA). Pictured are the RBJH activities coordinators: Jill Ohlmann, left, Emily Clement, Cheryl Poulin, and Chrissy Canigli-Nelson.

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community Tish builds community, relationships CASSAnDRA WEISEnBURGER Director of Communications, Temple Israel hat is Tish? Launched in 2018, Tish, led by Rabbi Deana Sussman Berezin, Ally Freeman, and Leora Werner, is a group for Temple-ish people who are 30-ish and 40-ish, single-ish or married-ish, Jewish and Jew-ish. “Judaism puts a strong emphasis on community and relationships,” explained Rabbi Berezin. “Tish offers the opportunity to build connections with each other and engage in these meaningful aspects of Jewish life in a non-traditional way. In today’s world where we’re constantly running in different directions, Tish helps bring our community together in fun, social settings.” “When I moved back to Omaha and joined Temple Israel three years ago, I recognized a gap in high-quality programming for my peers beyond just family programming and was happy to help join with other committed volunteers (Leora Werner, Rabbi Berezin) to help set a vision and launch some exciting programming options for this group,” said Ally Freeman. The goal? To plan meaningful and fun experiences for the young adults at Temple Israel. Ally continued: “I’m often at Temple Israel with my young kids, or for a meeting and see people, but don’t have the space to really engage. We want to create that space for people to really get to know each other and feel like they are connecting with other young adult members, while also connecting to their Judaism in maybe different and less formal ways.”

Eric Shapiro and Corey Green On Oct. 25, Tish held a Pop-Up Shabbat dinner event at Mayne Street Market featuring a festive Shabbat meal, wine, fun signature cocktail Fig Smash, dessert, and plenty of fun conversation. “People remarked that we created a really special Shabbat atmosphere; I think they enjoyed getting to know other young adults or connect with friends in a relaxed setting – and our take-home bagel party favors for the next

morning were a fun surprise.” So if you are 30-ish and 40-ish, mark your calendars for Tish’s Havdalah and dinner event on Saturday, May 28. “We are just in the early stages of planning – so stay tuned,” said Ally. “But again – we’re looking to create an inviting and fun atmosphere for people to connect and have an informal Havdalah experience with great food and drinks.”

Camp Sabra celebrates 50 years with Alumni Reunion

For 50 years, Camp Sabra, a premier, Jewish co-ed resident camp in Rocky Mount, Missouri, has been the site where more than 10,000 children have learned new skills, met lifelong friends, fostered their Jewish roots and created experiences that will fill their hearts forever. In celebration of its semicentennial milestone, Camp Sabra will be hosting an alumni reunion August 28-30. All former campers and staff ages 21 and up are invited back to camp for an unforgettable weekend of water and land activities, song sessions, campfires, and reconnecting with bunkmates, counselors and camp directors from summers past. “When summer is over, you leave camp, but camp never leaves you,” says Terri Grossman, Director of Camp Sabra. “That’s why we wanted to mark our 50th birthday by celebrating with the campers and staff who made Sabra such a special place.” More than 200 alumni from coast to coast and from around the world have already registered for the August 2020 event. Cabins are filling up (duplexes sold out in four minutes!), so alumni who haven’t registered for the event are encouraged to do so soon. “Many of our counselors, senior staff and parents of current campers were Sabra campers themselves,” added Grossman. “That says a lot about our camp and the lifelong, connected community it creates.” If you are a Camp Sabra alum age 21 or older, don’t miss this opportunity to reconnect with camp friends and memories. In addition to going back to your favorite camp spots like Inspiration Point, the SCT Bench or the Masada pavilion, you will also see some of the remarkable enhancements that have taken place at camp, including the new health center, drama pavilion, new cabins and more. For more information about the Camp Sabra 50th Birthday Bash and to register for the weekend’s events, go to https://www.campsabra.com/alumni/camp-sabra-50thbirthday-bash/.

The Jewish Press | December 27, 2019 | B1

section2

COMMUNITY

The top Jewish stories of 2019 JTA STAFF or many Jews around the world, there’s probably no love lost for 2019. As the year draws to a close, the Jewish community continues to grapple with the continued rise of global antiSemitism — one major community in Europe is facing the possible election as prime minister of a man who many Jews consider an anti-Semite. And Israel is caught in the grip of political paralysis following two fruitless elections (with a prime minister facing prosecution for corruption). Meanwhile, with a U.S. presidential election looming next year that is sure to be bitterly contested, there’s little reason to think we’re in for a smoother ride in 2020. These are the Jewish stories that most captured our attention in 2019 and whose reverberations are likely to be felt well into the next ride around the sun. The Poway synagogue shooting In April, on the last day of Passover, a gunman opened fire at a Chabad synagogue in the San Diego suburb of Poway, killing one person and injuring three. The accused gunman told a 911 dispatcher that he did it because “Jewish people are destroying the

Police vehicles gather around the synagogue where a shooting took place in Poway, Calif., April 27, 2019. Credit: Xinhua/ via Getty Images white race.” The Poway attack shook the American Jewish community, which was still reeling from the shooting attack at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh that killed 11 worshippers at Shabbat services. As the one-year anniversary of the shooting approached in October, the community held a number of memorial events that made it clear the aftershocks were still being felt. “I live with Oct. 27 every minute of every hour of every day, and I will for the rest of my life,” Rabbi Jeffrey Myers said. Two killed in Yom Kippur attack on German synagogue As 51 people gathered for Yom Kippur services in the German city of Halle, Stephan Balliet, clad in combat gear and wearing a head-mounted camera, tried to blast his way inside.

Visitors at the synagogue in Halle the day after a gunman targeted the house of worship in eastern Germany, Oct. 10, 2019. Credit: Jens Schlueter/Getty Images

Blue and White party chairmen Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid during a faction meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, in Jerusalem, Nov. 18, 2019. Credit: Hadas Parush/Flash90

When the synagogue’s fortified doors kept him out, he turned and shot Jana Lange, who had reprimanded him for making too much noise. Then Balliet proceeded to a nearby kebab shop, where he shot and killed a man identified only as Kevin S. Balliet later told police he was motivated by antiSemitism. Worshippers remained in the synagogue for hours before they were evacuated by police to a nearby hospital, where they continued their holiday services. “It was intense and emotional,” one participant said. The shooting sent shock waves through the tiny Jewish community of Halle, which numbers about 500 people. It also sparked outrage from leaders of German Jewry, who demanded to know why the synagogue

was left unguarded on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. Josef Schuster, head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, called the failure “scandalous,” and said if police had been present they could have disarmed the gunman before he harmed anyone. Israelis vote twice and still don’t have a prime minister Israeli politics are a hot mess right now. In April, national elections resulted in a tie between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party and his principal challenger, the Blue and White party led by former general Benny Gantz. Netanyahu failed to form a government, so Israelis went back to the polls in September and again delivered no clear winner: 33 seats for Blue and White, 32 for See Top Jewish stories page B2

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B2 | The Jewish Press | December 27, 2019

community Top Jewish stories

Orthodox Jewish men walk past security vehicles in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Crown Heights, Feb. 27, 2019. Credit: Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images Continued from B1 Likud. First Netanyahu tried to form a government, then Gantz. Neither succeeded. Israel has now entered uncharted territory: It appears headed for a third election, likely to take place in early March. The only thing Israelis probably agree on right now is how unpalatable another election will be. Hate crimes against Jews are spiking Around the world, law enforcement and community organizations found that hate crimes continued to rise, with Jews often the most common targets. In April, the Anti-Defamation League reported that 1,879 anti-Semitic incidents occurred in 2018, the third-highest tally in the four decades the ADL has been conducting annual audits. In July, the Canadian government reported that Jews were the most targeted minority group for the third straight year, even as hate crimes against other groups fell. And in August, the British Jewish community’s anti-Semitism watchdog reported the highest number of anti-Semitic incidents ever in the first six months of 2019. In Brooklyn, a series of violent attacks against visibly Jewish victims caused particular alarm. Three were reported in one week in August alone. The situation led the city to create a new Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes and install Devorah Lauter, a former ADL official, at its helm. British Jews unnerved by Corbyn candidacy With the United Kingdom facing an enormously consequential election that

British labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn speaks at the University of lancaster, nov. 15, 2019. Credit: Anthony Devlin/Getty Images could well determine the future of its membership in the European Union, British Jews were facing a momentous choice of their own. The Labour Party, long the political home of a majority of Britain’s Jews, is led by Jeremy Corbyn, who has been long been dogged by accusations of anti-Semitism. Concern over Corbyn reached a fever pitch in the months prior to the Dec. 12 vote. In early November, Britain’s oldest Jewish newspaper, the Jewish Chronicle, published a front-page editorial pleading with Britons not to support Corbyn, noting a recent poll suggesting that approximately half of Jews would consider emigrating if he were elected. Weeks later, in an unprecedented intervention, British Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis wrote of British Jewry’s justified anxiety at the prospect of a Corbyn premiership in a Times of London op-ed, warning that “the very soul of our nation is at stake.” Corbyn’s record of actions that unnerved British Jews is long and welldocumented. He once defended a London mural showing bankers playing monopoly on the backs of dark-skinned people that was widely seen as anti-Semitic, said Zionists have “no sense of irony” and described the militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah as “friends. He has passionately argued that there is no place for anti-Semitism in his party, but recently apologized for “everything that’s happened” in Labour over the past few years. Israel becomes a wedge issue This year saw serious cracks in what

Rep. Ilhan Omar speaks at a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., July 25, 2019. Credit: Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images has long been a cherished feature of the U.S.-Israel relationship: bipartisanship. In February, Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., came under fire for a series of controversial tweets, including one charging — falsely — that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee pays politicians to be pro-Israel. Omar drew quick rebukes from leading Democrats and subsequently apologized. The following month, President Donald Trump piled on, calling the Democrats the “anti-Jewish” party. In August, Trump upped the ante, saying that anyone who voted for a Democrat was guilty of “disloyalty,” a comment that drew condemnation from critics who said it evoked classic anti-Semitic tropes. Meanwhile, Democratic politicians were trending leftward on Israel, with several of the leading candidates for the presidential nomination saying they were prepared to use American aid as leverage to pressure Israel. The shifting center of gravity on Israel prompted pushback from the party’s so-called moderate wing and prompted the creation of a new organization, the Democratic Majority for Israel, dedicated to cultivating support for the Jewish state in the party. With a sure-to-be-nasty presidential election looming in 2020, both sides were preparing to spend heavily on the Israel issue. The Republican Jewish Coalition announced a $10 million ad campaign painting the Democrats as a “shanda” — Yiddish for “disgrace” — in part because of their position on Israel. Democratic groups pushed back with an ad blitz of their own.

Happy Hanukkah!

lthough it is known as the festival of lights, Hanukkah is also an occasion for special music. The daily kindling of Hanukkah candles is surrounded by a marvelous collection of songs. While there are many traditions regarding the melodies associated with the Hanukkah songs, the themes remain consistent: the joy brought on by Hanukkah lights; the pleasure HAzzAn MICHAEl of eating latkes (potato pancakes) and dough- KRAUSMAn nuts; celebration of the miracle vessel of oil Beth El Synagogue which lasted eight days and the heroic nature of the Maccabees who defeated the minions of evil king Antiochus. Perhaps the best known of the Hanukkah songs is Maoz Tzur (O Mighty Rock of My Salvation). Maoz Tzur is unique to the Hanukkah repertoire in that it recognizes and praises God, as opposed to the Maccabees, for being the source of strength and salvation. The text was composed in the thirteenth century by a ‘Pytan’ (Liturgical poet) named Mordechai. In fact, the first five stanzas form acrostic of the author’s name. Past tribulations from which God has saved us such as Egyptian Slavery, the Babylonian exile and even the treachery of Haman are depicted by the poem as being preparatory incidents for ultimate redemption and the rededication of the Holy Jerusalem Temple. This, according to the poet, is to come in a future time which will be heralded by thef coming of the messiah. Several melodies exist for this stirring hymn, including a beautiful setting composed by Marcello, which appeared in Venice in the early seventeenth century. Our most popular Ashkenazic setting of Maoz Tzur is often erroneously portrayed as an adaptation of a German Folk song. However, the eminent Jewish Musicologist A. Z Idelsohn describes our melody as the result of the combined influence of an old German folk tune called So Weis ich eins was mich erfreut with that of a battle hymn called the Benzenauer on the cognizance of some 17th Century Jewish folk singer. Whatever its origin, the stirring melody of Maoz Tzur has served as an anthem for the Festival of Hanukkah for generations. As we recall the heroic acts of the Maccabees who fought for our religious and cultural freedom, may the delightful music of Hanukkah together with the warm glow of the candles and the sweet Hanukkah delicacies be a source of source of light and joy to all. Chag Urim Samayach - Happy Hanukkah.

Nebraska Jewish War Veterans The Nebraska Jewish War Veterans (Epstein-Morgan Post 260) will have its next meeting Sunday Jan. 12 from 10 to 11 a.m. in the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Boardroom. Jewish Veterans and spouses are welcome to attend. JWV holds monthly meetings for veterans to connect, support each other and do volunteer work. Nationally, JWV is the longest-running veterans’ organization. It was founded in 1896 by a group of 63 Jewish veterans from the Civil War after a series of anti-Semitic comments about the lack of Jewish service in the Civil War. Since then, JWV has been working hard to be the voice of American Jewry in the veteran community. For more information, please contact Jay Benton at jay.benton @gmail.com.

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The Jewish Press | December 27, 2019 | B3

January 1 in Israel

Until I made aliyah in 1997, I was under the impression that secular Israelis celebrate January 1 as their New Year. In hindsight I am astonished at my ignorance. I had received a stellar Jewish education at Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier TEDDY (then) modern-Ortho- WEINBERGER dox day school: The Yeshivah of Flatbush. My problem was that although I had spent many months in Israel over the course of two separate trips, until I made aliyah I had not been here on a Jan. 1. In order to understand how January 1 is not the New Year in Israel, it helps to be here then and see all the kids going to school and all the businesses open as usual. There may be parties on Dec. 31 to usher in the new calendar year, and some of those partygoers might struggle in late to work the next morning, but as far as a new beginning, new resolutions, and new leaves to turn over, there is no cultural resonance in Israel for that on Jan. 1â&#x20AC;&#x201C;only on Rosh Hashanah. In the weeks before Rosh Hashanah there is a national consciousness that one year is ending and another is beginning (helped of course by a myriad of advertisements tied to the New Year). Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a consciousness based on the Jewish calendar but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s national and secularâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;one partakes of it whether or not one goes to the synagogue. Interestingly enough, this consciousness takes place in the face of the one disadvantage that Rosh Hashanah has when compared with Jan. 1: Whereas on Jan. 1 everyone knows the number of the year that has begun, only the most religiously knowledgeable Jews can tell you the same about the new Jewish year. This just goes to show you how newness is tied more to social construction than to an objective number. Speaking of my parochial school days, I was always taught that since Jews celebrate the New Year on Rosh Hashanah, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s im-

proper to wish another Jewish person â&#x20AC;&#x153;Happy New Yearâ&#x20AC;? on Jan. 1. Of course, if someone else wishes me â&#x20AC;&#x153;Happy New Yearâ&#x20AC;? at the end of December, I was taught that it is only polite (even without ascertaining whether or not that person is Jewish) to wish them â&#x20AC;&#x153;Happy New Yearâ&#x20AC;? back. But to take the initiative myself and recklessly offer a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Happy New Yearâ&#x20AC;? to someone? God forbid. Over the years I have developed a compromise concerning January 1 that works especially well in print. If you receive an email from me toward the end of December, you will find me closing it with a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Happy 2020.â&#x20AC;? With just this one little change, that I assume goes unremarked (except perhaps by other Orthodox day-school graduates), I am able to convey my good wishes to a person without acknowledging the â&#x20AC;&#x153;New Year.â&#x20AC;? A funny thing has happened to me in Israel, though, concerning wintry â&#x20AC;&#x153;Happy New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;sâ&#x20AC;?: I have grown less reluctant to say them. Since it is obvious to every Israeli that Jan. 1 is in fact not the New Year here, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Happy New Yearâ&#x20AC;? just seems like a tongue-in-cheek friendly greeting. In Israel, in other words, there is less reason to have theological reservations concerning December wishes of New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happiness. Whereas in America there was some reason to be vigilantâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;because the majority culture celebrates its New Year on Jan. 1--when there is no competition one can afford to be generous. And especially where I live now, smack in the secular center of the country, where few were educated to be cautious around this time of year, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Happy New Yearsâ&#x20AC;? abound. And so, my friends, I would like to wish you all a very Happy umm, umm 2020 (no need to take chances). Teddy Weinberger, Ph.D., made aliyah in 1997 with his wife, former Omahan Sarah Jane Ross, and their five children, Nathan, Rebecca, Ruthie, Ezra, and Elie, all of whom are veterans of the Israel Defense Forces; Weinberger can be reached at weinross@ netvision.net.il.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unfinished about the Six Day War?

fast. In this session of the Friday Learning SeMARK KIRCHHoFF Community Engagement and Education, JFO ries, Steve will challenge you to think otherOn Friday, Jan. 10, 2020 from 11:15 a.m. wise. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Most of what we consider the source until noon in the Kripke Jewish Federation of the current Arab-Israel conflict, short of Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very existence, flows Library, we welcome Mr. Steve from the unintended results of Kerbel as he presents a Friday the 1967 war: the status of Learning Series session titled, Jerusalem, what to do with Unfinished Business of the Six Judea and Samaria (the West Day War. Kerbel is an indeBank territories) and defining pendent education consultant in the Greater Washington DC Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bordersâ&#x20AC;? said Steve. He area, and has been involved in went on to explain that while Jewish education, formal and Israel didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ask for war in informal, youth group, camp, 1967, and saw the conflict as day school and congregational an existential threat, mostly school for the last 30 years. from Egypt, it had no plan at the beginning of the war to Steve currently serves as a take East Jerusalem or the consultant and project direcSteve Kerbel West Bank. That lack of plantor for the Center for Israel Education at Emory University in Atlanta. ning for what could happen (and did) are still Steve earned a law degree and was in the pri- among the most serious issues Israel faces vate practice of law for eight years. He is an nearly 53 years after the last shot was fired. alum of University of Maryland, College The Friday Learning Series is open to the Park, where he met his wife, Judy, and they community free of charge and is presented have two adult daughters, Abby and Michelle. through the Community Engagement and Among Steveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s avocations, he facilitates wine Education arm of the Jewish Federation of tastings featuring Israeli wines and teaches Omaha. Contact Mark Kirchhoff at mkirch about the geography. hoff@jewishomaha.org or 402.334.6463 Perhaps you think that nothing is unfin- with questions. ished from the Six Day War, it was over so

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B4 | The Jewish Press | December 27, 2019

Above and right: The wedding of Mushka, daughter of Rabbi Mendel and Shani Katzman, took place in New York.

Above: Millie Altman recently turned 107 years old. Mazal tov, Millie! Below: Amy Cassman Friedman with all her girls: daughter Andrea Friedman, daughter-in-law Candice Friedman and granddaughter Frankie.

Above: Sara and Daniel Kohen at the JCC’s Challah bake.

SP O TLIGHT

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

Above: Another successful Hanukkah play by the students and staff of Friedel Jewish Academy. Left: Beth Israel’s Minyan is happening every day, rain or shine! Below: Beth Israel’S NCSY Jr. members went ice skating.

Above: Marilyn Tipp, middle, with daughter Amy and granddaughter Julia recently celebrated her birthday. Mazal tov to Marilyn!

The Jewish Press | December 27, 2019 | B5

viewpoint thejewishpress (Founded in 1920) Abby Kutler President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Susan Bernard Advertising Executive lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Editor Gabby Blair Staff Writer

Jewish Press Board Abby Kutler, President; Eric Dunning, Ex-Officio; Danni Christensen, Candice Friedman, Bracha Goldsweig, Jill Idelman, Andy Isaacson, Natasha Kraft, Andrew Miller, Eric Shapiro, Shoshy Susman and Amy Tipp. The mission of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to build and sustain a strong and vibrant Omaha Jewish Community and to support Jews in Israel and around the world. Agencies of the Federation are: Community Relations Committee, Jewish Community Center, Center for Jewish Life, Jewish Social Services, and the Jewish Press. Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page stories and announcements, can be found online at: wwwjewishomaha.org; click on ‘Jewish Press.’ Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole. The Jewish Press reserves the right to edit signed letters and articles for space and content. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment. Editorial The Jewish Press is an agency of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Deadline for copy, ads and photos is: Thursday, 9 a.m., eight days prior to publication. E-mail editorial material and photos to: avandekamp@jew ishomaha.org; send ads (in TIF or PDF format) to: rbusse@jewishom aha.org. letters to the Editor Guidelines The Jewish Press welcomes Letters to the Editor. They may be sent via regular mail to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154; via fax: 1.402.334.5422 or via e-mail to the Editor at: avandekamp@jew ishomaha.org. Letters should be no longer than 250 words and must be single-spaced typed, not hand-written. Published letters should be confined to opinions and comments on articles or events. News items should not be submitted and printed as a “Letter to the Editor.” The Editor may edit letters for content and space restrictions. Letters may be published without giving an opposing view. Information shall be verified before printing. All letters must be signed by the writer. The Jewish Press will not publish letters that appear to be part of an organized campaign, nor letters copied from the Internet. No letters should be published from candidates running for office, but others may write on their behalf. Letters of thanks should be confined to commending an institution for a program, project or event, rather than personally thanking paid staff, unless the writer chooses to turn the “Letter to the Editor” into a paid personal ad or a news article about the event, project or program which the professional staff supervised. For information, contact Annette van de Kamp-Wright, Jewish Press Editor, 402.334.6450. Postal The Jewish Press (USPS 275620) is published weekly (except for the first week of January and July) on Friday for $40 per calendar year U.S.; $80 foreign, by the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Phone: 402.334.6448; FAX: 402.334.5422. Periodical postage paid at Omaha, NE. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198 or email to: jpress@jewishomaha.org.

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Happy 2020!

ANNETTE VAN DE KAmP-WRIGHT Editor, Jewish Press ere it is, the last paper of this calendar year. Soon, it will be 2020- can you believe it? Remember when we entered the Millennium, remember the news stories about people panicking because all computers would crash and there would be pandemonium? And here we are, 20 years later. This is going to be a big year for The Jewish Press. It was Dec. 16, 1920 that the first Jewish Press appeared here in Omaha. Annual subscriptions were $1.50 and Sol A. Rosenblatt had his picture on the front page because he had been elected captain of the Junior debating team at Harvard University. We will talk more about that first edition come next Passover, because we are celebrating this milestone in three parts. First, we are preparing a front-page exhibit for March of 2020. Of course, with all the exciting renovations, we managed to schedule that exactly during the time that our trusted JCC gallery is under construction, so we will have to come up with a way around that. Don’t worry, we will. Second, for Passover next year we will publish a special commemorative issue. It will not focus on the paper itself so much as on what it has meant for the past century: a way to tell the story of the Omaha Jewish community. It’s a story that has always been worth telling and the current staff and Board of Directors are excited to be a small part of that work. Third, we will have a party. No, not a party: a Soiree. Because the Press made its debut in 1920, we’ve decided to go with a 1920s themed party. There will be ostrich feathers and flapper dresses, tasty appetizers, cake and (faux) champagne and, of course, live Jazz by some very capable musicians. The date is Sunday, march 15. Invitations will be sent out soon, so watch your mailbox—we are really excited to celebrate with you and hope you’ll purchase your tickets right away.

I admit to being a little bit of a data-addict. I keep track of lots of things in this office, one of which is the number of stories we publish each year, for each department, synagogue, agency, organization, etc. For 2028-19, the total

there are years when 4 pages was the norm) and some years there was much more international news, especially during the 1930s-60s. Still, at 1,235 stories in one year, just imagine how many stories these pages have told in a century? In the age of the Internet, people often say that print is passé, no longer viable or necessary and to a certain extend that’s true. However, it has at the same time liberated us from having to keep our readers informed on national and international stories. You get those elsewhere, and much faster. Instead, we have been able to really focus on local news these past years- news about your niece’s bat Mitzvah and your brother’s Israel trip and what is happening with your Sisterhood or at your synagogue—news you won’t find on CNN or Fox. The reason this paper was originally established, a century ago, is still here and it is as vibrant as ever: the Omaha Jewish community. That community looks, speaks and listens differently these days, in many ways, but at its heart it is the same. No wonder that, unlike so many other Jewish newspapers, this one still exists. Because without it, who will tell our story? For now, that story enters a whole new calendar year. As usual, we don’t publish the first week of January so I will see you all back here the second Friday-Jan. 10, 2020. In the meantime, put march 15 on your calendar and start thinking about what you’re going to wear (period dress is not required, but it is encouraged!). The Jewish Press Board and Staff wish you all a Happy New Year—may it bring much happiness and good health! Credit Niels Noordhoek, https://en.wikipedia.org/ Editorials express the view of the writer and are wiki/Creative_Commons not necessarily representative of the views of the number of local stories was 1,235. Let that sink in for a Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of second. Of course, the paper hasn’t always been 12-16 Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish commupages, which is what it is most weeks these days (in fact, nity as a whole.

We need to thank the unsung heroes keeping American synagogues safe JASoN D. GREENBlATT WASHINGTON | JTA When I was about 19 years old, I took my first trip to Europe. I marveled at its beauty, its culture, its history and its architecture. On this trip and many others that followed, I shed many tears as I visited the numerous synagogues, Jewish museums and areas of historical importance which commemorated the horrors and evil that were perpetrated upon the Jewish people in so many parts of the continent during the Holocaust. That initial trip to Europe and each of my many subsequent trips — first with friends, then my wife, and then with my wife and six children — mostly were wonderful experiences. Each was full of fun, learning, excitement and entertainment. Each journey brought new sights, senses, ideas and friends into my world. Yet it was inevitable that each trip had its dark, gloomy and mournful parts, as I would walk around absorbing the unfathomable decimation of European Jewry. I was also disconcerted by the police or private security presence at so many of the synagogues I visited. I was sad, confounded and upset to see that such a presence was needed on a continent on which 6 million Jews were brutally slaughtered. How is it possible, I wondered, that in cities and countries where the land is so stained with Jewish blood after a targeted, systematic attempted annihilation of the Jewish people that European synagogues would need such protection? Was there no guilt or shame? Were there no lessons learned? I took comfort, naively it would appear, that in my own country, there was no need for such security measures. I grew up in New York City, and other than the occasional rough anti-Semitic comment here or there, I was fortunate to have personally experienced virtually no anti-Semitism. The synagogues I attended had little to no visible security protocols in place. The large and extremely se-

rious security challenges and danger we face today We can spend countless hours speaking about did not exist. hate and anti-Semitism, and we should. We must Of course we are not alone in experiencing these expose this pernicious hatred and fight it with all challenges and danger. In the last number of years, our might. But as important, we should spend time churches, mosques and synagogues around the thanking our brave and wonderful law enforceworld — including in our great country — have been attacked. Men, women and children have been murdered in cold blood while reciting their holy prayers. An analysis of why this is happening would take volumes. My purpose in writing is instead to express deep appreciation. Thank you to the men and women of our law Security cameras hang across the street from the Park East Synagogue in New enforcement, who each York City. Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images day put their lives at risk to protect us in our homes, our schools, our ment and the volunteers from our own communicommunities and, as has been the case in Europe ties who have taken this holy task upon themselves for many years, our synagogues. And of course, we to protect us, our loved ones and our synagogues must all express our deep gratitude to our friends from harm and danger. Now more than ever they and neighbors who volunteer for the Community deserve our gratitude, respect and prayers for their Security Service and Secure Community Network, safety and well-being. organizations that train and watch over us in our To my friends and neighbors who volunteer for synagogues so that we can pray safely and connect CSS, and to all CSS and SCN volunteers across the with God. country, may God keep you and your families safe Last Shabbat when I arrived at my synagogue, I and healthy, and may God bless you for your efforts. greeted our CSS volunteers and one of them Thank you for your service. You are all heroes! pointed out that in the wake of the horrific attack Jason D. Greenblatt is a former assistant to the in Jersey City days earlier, they were now wearing president and special representative for internabulletproof vests. tional negotiations for the Trump administration. Let that sink in a moment. These volunteers not Follow him at @GreenblattJD only watch over us, but the risk to them has grown The views and opinions expressed in this article are so much that they must now wear bulletproof vests those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the to protect themselves while they protect us. views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.

B6 | The Jewish Press | December 27, 2019

synagogues B’nAI ISRAEl SYnAGOGUE

B’nAI ISRAEl SYnAGOGUE

618 Mynster Street Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 712.322.4705

BETH El SYnAGOGUE

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

BETH ISRAEl SYnAGOGUE

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

CHABAD HOUSE

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

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

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

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TEmPlE ISRAEl

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

TIFERETH ISRAEl

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

Join us for our monthly Shabbat Speakers Series on Friday, Jan. 10, 7:30 p.m. with guest speaker Ron Lugasy, Omaha Community Shlicha. Our service leader is Larry Blass, and as always, an Oneg wil follow service. Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel! For information on our historic synagogue, contact any of our board members: Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Howard Kutler, Carole Lainof, Wayne Lainof, Sissy Silber, Nancy Wolf, or email nancywolf16620@gmail.com. Handicap Accessible.

BETH El SYnAGOGUE Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman. FRIDAY: NE AIDS Coaltion Lunch, Friday, Dec. 27, 11:30 a.m. — Offsite; Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; New Year’s Toast following services. WEEkDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9:30 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. SUnDAY: Torah Study, 10 a.m. WEDnESDAY: Office Closed; Morning Minyan, 9 a.m. THURSDAY: Brachot and Breakfast, 7 a.m.; Chesed Committee Visits the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, 2:30-3:30 p.m. FRIDAY-Jan. 3: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. SATURDAY-Jan. 4: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Second Bar Mitzvah of Marty Shukert. WEEkDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9:30 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. SUnDAY: Torah Study, 10 a.m.; Yiddish Class, 11 a.m. with Hazzan Krausman. TUESDAY: Mahjong, 1 p.m. WEDnESDAY: BESTT (Grades 3-7), 4:15 p.m.; USY Italian Night, 5:15 p.m.; Hebrew High Dinner & Classes (Grades 8-12), 6:15 p.m.; Women’s Book Group, 6:30 p.m. at the home of Debi Kutler. THURSDAY: Brachot and Breakfast, 7 a.m.; Shanghai, 1 p.m.; Jewish Memoir Writing Class, 6 p.m. with Dr. Gabriel. USY/Kadima Shabbat Service & Dinner with Steve Kerbel, Friday, Jan. 10, 5:30 p.m. Shabbat’s Cool (Grades K-7), Saturday, Jan. 11, 10 a.m. Kamp KEF Blowout, Saturday, Jan. 11, 5:30 p.m. Israeli Wine Tasting with Steve Kerbel, Saturday, Jan. 11, 7 p.m. Chesed Committee Visits the Remington Heights, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Join members of the Chesed Committee as we visit with residents of Remington Heights on the second Tuesday of the month. Whiskey Tasting Event, Thursday, Jan. 16, 7 p.m. Cost is $30 per person. RSVP by Jan. 8 to www.bethel-omaha.org.

BETH ISRAEl SYnAGOGUE Services conducted by Rabbi Ari Dembitzer FRIDAY: Laws of Shabbos, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 7:40 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Lights of Teshuva, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Moshe; Mincha/Candle Lighting, 4:44 p.m. SATURDAY: Open Beit Midrash — All welcome to learn the Torah and Dance, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Torah Tot Shabbat, 10:50 a.m.; Insights into the Weekly Torah Portion, 3:40 p.m.; Mincha/Seudah Shlishit, 4:25 p.m.; Havdalah, 5:49 p.m.; Candle Lighting, 6 p.m. at Sterling Ridge. SUnDAY: Shacharit, 9 am.; Works of Maimondies, 9:45 am.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:50 p.m. at RBJH. mOnDAY: Laws of Shabbos, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 7:40 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Lights of Teshuva, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Moshe; Tasty Torah: Learning Torah through the Palate, noon with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:50 p.m. at RBJH. TUESDAY: Laws of Shabbos, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 7:40 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Lights of Teshuva, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Moshe; Torah Tuesday, 1 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:50 p.m. at RBJH. WEDnESDAY: Office Closed — New Years Day; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:50 p.m. at RBJH. THURSDAY: Laws of Shabbos, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 7:40 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Lights of Teshuva, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Moshe; Character Development, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:50 p.m. at RBJH. FRIDAY-Jan. 3: Laws of Shabbos, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 7:40

a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Lights of Teshuva, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Moshe; Mincha/Candle Lighting, 4:50 p.m. SATURDAY-Jan. 4: Open Beit Midrash — All welcome to learn the Torah and Dance, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Torah Tot Shabbat, 10:50 a.m.; Kiddush Sponsored by Yosef Seigel; Insights into the Weekly Torah Portion, 3:50 p.m.; Mincha/Seudah Shlishit, 4:35 p.m.; Havdalah, 5:55 p.m.. SUnDAY: Shacharit, 9 am.; Works of Maimondies, 9:45 am.; JYE BI, 10 am.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:55 p.m. at RBJH. mOnDAY: Laws of Shabbos, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 7:40 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Lights of Teshuva, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Moshe; Tasty Torah: Learning Torah through the Palate, noon with Rabbi Yoni; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:55 p.m. at RBJH. TUESDAY: Laws of Shabbos, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 7:40 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Lights of Teshuva, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Moshe; Torah Tuesday, 1 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:55 p.m. at RBJH; Tasty Torah: Learning Torah through the Palate, 7 p.m. with Rabbi Yoni. WEDnESDAY: Laws of Shabbos, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 7:40 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Lights of Teshuva, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Moshe; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:55 p.m. at RBJH. THURSDAY: Laws of Shabbos, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 7:40 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Lights of Teshuva, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Moshe; Character Development, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Ari; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:55 p.m. at RBJH.

CHABAD HOUSE Office hours: Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and Friday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. FRIDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m. followed by coffee, treats, study and shmoozing. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. WEEkDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m. followed by coffee, treats, study and shmoozing. SUnDAY: Service, 8:30 a.m.; Sunday Secrets, 9:15 p.m. following Minyan. FRIDAY-Jan. 3: Shacharit, 8 a.m. followed by coffee, treats, study and shmoozing. SATURDAY-Jan. 4: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. WEEkDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m. followed by coffee, treats, study and shmoozing. SUnDAY: Service, 8:30 a.m.; Sunday Secrets, 9:15 p.m. following Minyan. All programs are open to the entire community. For more information call 402.330.1800 or visit www.Ochabad.com.

COnGREGATIOn B’nAI JESHURUn Services conducted by Rabbi Teri Appleby. FRIDAY: Hanukkah Celebration with the Star City Kochavim and Dinner, 6:30 p.m.; Candlelighting for Hanukkah — 6 Candles, 4:46 p.m.; Candlelighting for Shabbat, 4:47 p.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:45 a.m. on Parashat Miketz; Movie Night, 6:30 p.m.; Havdalah (72 minutes), 6:18 p.m..; Candlelighting for Hanukkah — 7 Candles, 6:19 p.m. SUnDAY: No LJCS Classes; Candlelighting for Hanukkah — 8 Candle, 6:16 p.m. WEDnESDAY: New Year’s Day — Office Closed; No LJCS Classes. FRIDAY-Jan. 3: Erev Shabbat Service, 6:30 p.m.; Oneg, 7:30 p.m.; Candlelighting, 4:54 p.m. SATURDAY-Jan. 4: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:45 a.m. on Parashat Vayigash; Havdalah (72 minutes), 6:24 p.m. SUnDAY: No LJCS Classes. TUESDAY: Board of Trustees Meeting, 6:30 p.m. WEDnESDAY: LJCS Hebrew School, 4 p.m. at TI. Our next Pop-up Shabbat is Friday, Jan. 10 at 6:30

p.m. Note: No Erev Shabbat Services at the Temple.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m. every first and third of the month.

ROSE BlUmkIn JEWISH HOmE SATURDAY: Services, 9:15 a.m. led by Stan Edelstein. SATURDAY-Jan. 4: Services, 9:15 a.m. led by Jim Polack. Services will be held in the Chapel. Members of the community are invited to attend.

TEmPlE ISRAEl FRIDAY: Candle lighting and Kiddush in the Simon Community Court, 5:30 p.m. Hanukkah Services, 6 p.m., Dinner immediately following. Join us for a special, family-friendly, interactive Hanukkah service followed by dinner and games for all ages. Bring your dreidels and your favorite family menorah to decorate your holiday table! RSVPs required for dinner. SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. SUnDAY: No Youth Learning Programs WEDnESDAY: No Youth Learning Programs FRIDAY-Jan. 3: Shabbat Evening Service, 6 p.m. SATURDAY-Jan. 4: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. SUnDAY: No Youth Learning Programs WEDnESDAY: Grades 3-6, 4-6 p.m.; Community Dinner, 6 p.m. Menu: pizza bagels, roasted veggies, enhanced salad bar, dessert. RSVP to Temple Israel, 402-556-6536.; Grades 7-12, 6-8 p.m. THURSDAY: The Israel Forum, 10 a.m. Book Club: The First Love Story by Bruce Feiler, Sunday, Jan. 12, 10:30 a.m. Holidays @ Home: Shabbat, Sunday, Jan. 12, 10:30 a.m. Holidays @ Home Parent Workshops Jewish experiences should happen just as much in the home as in the synagogue, and we want to give parents the tools and skills to feel comfortable leading these experiences at home. These workshops will happen a few weeks ahead of holidays to help parents prepare and ask questions to feel comfortable doing the rituals at home. Holidays @ Home is open to all parents with children in our Youth Learning Programs.

TIFERETH ISRAEl Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. FRIDAY: No Shabbat Service; Candlelighting, 4:46 p.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Service, 10 a.m. followed by a light kiddush lunch; Junior Congregation, 11 a.m. followed by a snack; Ugly Sweater Havdalah with snacks, 5:45 p.m. at the home of Lucy and Kirk Bowers. Bring your own menorah (if you have one) and Hanukkah candles to light for the 7th night of Hanukkah. Bring a dairy or pareve appetizer to share with the group. Sweet treats will be provided; Havdalah (72 minutes), 5:47 p.m. SUnDAY: No LJCS Classes; Come learn and play Pickleball, 7-9 p.m. WEDnESDAY: Office Closed; No LJCS Classes. FRIDAY-Jan. 3: No Shabbat Service; Candlelighting, 4:49 p.m. SATURDAY-Jan. 4: Shabbat Service, 10 a.m. followed by a light kiddush lunch; Junior Congregation, 11 a.m. followed by a snack; Havdalah (72 minutes), 5:50 p.m. SUnDAY: No LJCS Classes; Come learn and play Pickleball, 7-9 p.m. WEDnESDAY: LJCS Hebrew School, 4 p.m. at TI.

Arsonist sets Yeshiva University dorm on fire JTA A man who works as a software engineer broke into a Yeshiva University dormitory in Manhattan and set three separate fires using matches intended to light Hanukkah candles. Students were asleep in the building when the incident occurred after 3 a.m. on Friday Dec. 20, New York City Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro announced. Peter Weyand, 33, was arrested on Friday for breaking

into the Yeshiva University Schottenstein Residence, in an incident partially captured on security camera. He is charged with arson, burglary with criminal intent, reckless endangerment of property, criminal mischief, criminal trespass and aggravated harassment. Weyand is believed to have been under the influence of drugs at the time of the incident, the New York Times reported.

The Jewish Press | December 27, 2019 | B7

Pulverente MONUMENT CO.

lifecycles In mEmoRIAm Ann G. moSkoVITS

60 Years Experience With Jewish Lettering and Memorials

1439 So. 13th 402-341-2452 Frank L. Ciciulla, Jr.

Veteran’s Day at RBJH

Ann G. Moskovits passed away on Dec. 3 at age 83. She was preceded in death by her husband, Samuel Moskovits, and parents, Josef and Chuma Weinroth. She is survived by daughter, Brenda Moskovits; son and daughter-inlaw, Steven Moskovits and Connie Kozeny-Moskovits; granddaughter, Allison Kozeny; sister and brother-in-law, Phyllis and Joseph Bernt. Memorials may be made to Beth Israel Synagogue or Outlook Nebraska. No flowers, please.

Sanders and Buttigieg sidestep aid to Israel question Ron kAmPEAS WASHINGTON | JTA Just weeks after saying they would leverage aid to pressure Israel, Democratic candidates Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg sidestepped the question in a nationally televised debate. Meanwhile, former Vice President Joe Biden went out of his way to affirm that he would not touch defense assistance to Israel, while saying he disagreed with its current policies. Yamiche Alcindor, a PBS correspondent, directly asked Sanders, a Vermont senator, and Buttigieg, the South Bend, Indiana mayor, whether settlement expansion in the West Bank would lead them to reconsider assistance to Israel. Israel currently receives $3.8 billion each year in U.S. defense assistance. Both candidates had said in October at the annual conference of J Street — a Jewish group that recently decided to back leveraging aid to pressure Israel — that they would consider the gambit. But in the PBS-Politico debate in Los Angeles on Thursday night, both candidates did not say in their answers whether they would leverage aid. Sanders said that as someone who lived for a period in Israel in the 1960s and who is “proudly Jewish” he believes Israel has a right to exist in security. He also said that one can be pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian and called for a “level playing field,” noting the dire poverty in the Gaza Strip. “What U.S. policy is about, we must not be just pro-Israel but proPalestinian as well,” he said. Sanders said once again that he believed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was a “racist.” Sanders delivered similar views at a debate in Atlanta last month; in that instance, he went out of his way to talk about Israel and the Palestinians. Buttigieg focused his ire on President Donald Trump, saying that Trump’s pro-Israel nods were made to “effectively interfere in Israeli domestic politics.” Multiple times in the last year, the Trump administration has made Netanyahu-friendly announcements prior to elections or while Netanyahu was trying to form a government. Trump is “acting as though that somehow makes him pro-Israel and pro-Jewish while welcoming white nationalists,” Buttigieg said, referring to accusations that Trump gives succor to racists with his policies and rhetoric. The other candidates Biden, Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Elizabeth Warren of Minnesota, billionaire Tom Steyer and entrepreneur Andrew Yang — were not asked the question. Biden, however, went out of his way to answer, repeating an assurance he has made several times recently that he would not touch defense assistance.

nEBRASkA STATEWIDE ClASSIFIEDS Celebrating the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Veteran’s with allday festivities with Burke High School Color Guard, USo style entertainment by Fremont Tritones and a special Veteran program honoring the RBJH Veterans and the spouses of Veterans. A visit from lieutenant Colonel mike Stevens, and major matt Cohen (with his children who made cards for our Veterans) from offutt Air Force Base and a special visit from students from millard north High School. The students also made Veteran's Day cards for the Residents that served. Pictured are marvin Richards and Joe kirshenbaum.

German parliament urges government to ban Hezbollah SAm Sokol JTA Germany’s parliament voted to urge the government to ban Hezbollah from operating on the country’s soil and to push other European countries to likewise prohibit the group. Hezbollah is designated a terrorist organization by the United States and Israel. Members of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition led the Bundestag push on a measure that is likely to be enacted in the coming months, according to The Wall Street Journal. “Hezbollah denies Israel’s right to exist, it threatens with violence and terror, and it continues to massively expand its missile arsenal,” the newspaper quoted Foreign Minister Heiko Maas telling journalists. Earlier this year, several American lawmakers called on Merkel to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist group, writing that “taking the step to designate the political wing of Hezbollah will have a significant impact on Hezbollah’s activity in Europe and around the globe.” A number of governments, including in Israel, the United States, Britain and some Sunni Arab states, see no distinction between Hezbollah’s civilian and military wings and have asked other Western countries to adopt the same policy. Britain banned the group’s political wing in April, more than a decade after prohibiting its armed wing in 2008. Hezbollah is both a military organization with considerable numbers of weapons and troops at its disposal and a political party that is an integral part of Lebanese politics. Even as members of Merkel’s Christian Democrat Union were pushing to ban Hezbollah, the party also was working to expose and purge extremists from its own ranks after it was reported that it had failed to take action against a suspected neo-Nazi member.

Jewish Funeral Home, Inc. 12604 Pacific Street | Omaha NE 68154 | (402) 556-6288 | Fax (402) 556-5759 Nate Shapiro, Executive Director | nshapiro@orthodoxomaha.org

The Jewish Funeral Home (JFH) is hiring Shomrim (guards). Shomrim participate in the mitzvah of “watching” or “guarding” the body of a deceased person from the time of death until burial. Requirements of Shomrim: 1. Be Jewish 2. Ability to lift 50lbs 3. Have reliable transportation Benefits for being a Shomer for JFH: 1. Payment ($10 an hour for day shift, $9 an hour for overnight 1. shift) 2. Participating in Chesed Shel Emet (a good deed of truth). Shift availability is dependent on deaths in the community and is inconsistent. If you, or someone you know, might be willing and able to serve as a Shomer/Shomeret, please be in contact with Nate Shapiro, nshapiro@orthodoxomaha.org, (402) 556-6288.

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B8 | The Jewish Press | December 27, 2019

Save the date FOR THE

roaring twenties soirée IN CELEBRATION OF THE

JEWISH PRESS CENTENNIAL SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2020 4–7 PM INVITATION TO FOLLOW