April 12, 2002

Vol. LXXXf

No. 31

Omaha, NE

30Nisan, 5762

April 12,2002

SERVING NEBRASKA AND WESTERN IOWA FOR 81 YEARS

Calendar of Israel Solidarity Events

by JEWISH PRESS News Service

Sunday, April 14, 1:45-2J30 (Jewish Community Center Social Hall) Panel discussion about current crisis in Israel during Yom Ha'Atzmaut (Israeli Independence Day celebrations, starting at 12:30 p.m.)

Panelists: Guy Matalon, Romi Avav, Michael Gershowitz.

Tuesday, April 16, 11:30 a.m.-12:3G p.m.

(Kripke Jewish Federation Library) Facilitated by Sara Juster, learn how to respond to media bias and inaccuracies. Contact Suzy Eubin at 334-8938, or shatzyyoga@aol.com.

Friday, April 19, 8 p.m.

Temple Israel Special Solidarity Shabbat Service: "We Stand With Israel," (For more information, call Temple, 556-6536)

Sunday, April 28, 3 p.m.

(Meet at the JCC) Community Israel Solidarity Walk and Rally Contact Pam Monsky, Jewish Federation of Omaha, at 334-6431, pmonsky<g>jewishomaha.org

ADL Supporter Jim Wolf Dies in Albion

by CAROL KATZMAN, Editor

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Cattle rancher, farmer and banker Jim Wolf died April 10, and was buried in his home town of Albion, NE, today. Wolf, along with the Newman family of Omaha, was instrumental in the establishment of a regional office of the Anti-Defamation League in Omaha. In addition to serving on ADL's local board, Wolf was also a member of its national board. He and his wife, Elaine, set up a $100,000 endowment in 2000 for the ADL and made a challenge to the community to raise another $100,000 by offering a like amount "to ensure the continuity of ADL." "His immeasurable contributions have changed our landscape," said Bob Wolfson, ADL's Executive Director. "His light will shine on the lives of those blessed to know him and the lives of those who benefit from his generous soul."

Wolf attributed much of his involvement with ADL to his father-in-law, Col. Melvin H. Schelsinger, a national director of ADL, who developed the system of regional offices to help promote the work of the organization.

In addition to his wife, Wolf is survived by sons and daughters-in-law, Jay and Susan of Albion, and David and Pam of Denver, CO; daughters and sons-in-law, Debra and Allen Parmet of Kansas City, MO, and Susan and Greg Becker of Corte Madera, CA; grandchildren, Aaron and Dan Parmet, Alana and Mareya Becker, Mitchell, Alex and Hilary Wolf, and Jonah, Ben, and Hannah Wolf; and sister-in-law, Hannie Wolf of Albion.

(Gary Javitch contributed to this article.)

Sharon Presses on with Campaign

by NAOMI SEGAL

JERUSALEM (JTA)-Israel is coming under intense U.S. pressure to end its military operation in the West Bank. In successive speeches and via intermediaries, President Bush is making it clear that the Israeli operation must be Despite the fighting, brought to a halt-- Prime Minister Sharon and soon, despite the spoke to Holocaust surfact that another avivors and their families eight Israelis were a tt iiie memorial ceremony killed in a suicide Y a d Vashem, Tuesday. bombing aboard a Photo by ISRANET. bus on its its way from Haifa to Tel Aviv Wednesday morning.

But Sharon and other Israeli officials are making it equally clear that the operation will proceed until its goals are achieved. The gap is leaving political observers wondering how long Sharon can withstand the pressure. On Monday night, Israeli officials said the army would withdraw within hours from two West Bank cities. Following the withdrawals from Kalkilya and Tulkarm, officials said, Israeli tanks would continue to surround the (Continued on page 2)

Cantors Coming 'Home' for Community Concert

by CLAUDIA SHERMAN, Temple Israel Communications Coordinator

Cantor Wendy Shermet Cantor Jennifer Blum Hazzan Erik Contzius Cantor Karen Webber-Gilat "Bringing together a decade of Temple Israel can- congregation after his investiture in 1995 at HUC- children in activities such as religious school, youth tors is not something that happens very often," said JIR. He served in Omaha from 1995 to 1998 and is groups, Jewish Community Center programs and Cantor Wendy Shermet. But that's exactly what now with Keneseth Israel in Elkins Park, PA. "It camps.

"I'm very excited to see former students, friends will happen on Saturday, April 20, when Cantors will be wonderful to be back amongst old friends," and colleagues," she commented.

Jennifer Blum, Karen Webber-Gilat, and Hazzan he said. "I'm looking forward to it."

Cantor Shermet was invested in 2001 at HUCA native of New Jersey, Hazzan Contzius perErik Contzius return to Omaha to join Cantor Shermet for a concert at Temple Israel. The 8 p.m. formed extensively in oratorios and musieal produc- JIR after serving as a student cantor at Temple tions while studying in York, England. He and his Sholom in Plainfield, NJ. She has also worked as a concert will be followed by a reception.

"It will be an eclectic mix of sacred and secular wife, Rachel, are now parents of a one-year-old son soloist in synagogues in Seattle and Everett, WA; Northridge and Studio City, CA; and in Los music," according to Cantor Shermet, and will fea- Jacob.

Cantor Karen Webber-Gilat, whose first cantorial Angeles. ture liturgical, classical, folk, as well as Broadway In addition, Cantor Shermet has performed as a position was also withTemple from 1990 to 1994, is musical numbers. Julie Sandene will accompany singer, actress, composer, arranger, pianist and returning to Omaha for the first time.

She now the four cantors on the piano. music director.

She has been with Temple Israel serves Temple Israel in Dayton, OH. She lives near Cantor Shermet's immediate predecessor at since June, 2001.

The cantor and her husband, Len Cincinnati with her husband, Ronen, and their two Temple, from 1998 to 2001, was Cantor Jennifer Burrell, have a son, Sam, 7.

Blum, who said she feels like she's coming home. children, Zeev, 8, and Ivy, 3.

(Continued on page 2) After leaving Omaha, Cantor Webber-Gilat Temple was Cantor Blum's first congregation after her investiture from Hebrew Union College-Jewish moved to Texas. In her quest to teach and lead Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR), School of Sacred prayer in unlikely places, she served as a contract INSIDE: chaplain at a men's prison in Ft. Worth. After four Music.

"It will be a wonderful reunion with my first con- years in Texas, the family relocated to the Pacific Dr. Kahn Speaks in Israel ......page 6 gregation," she said. Now associated with Mt. Zion Northwest, where she served as a guest cantor.

In addition to her work at the Temple in Dayton, Congregation in St. Paul, MN, Cantor Blum is page 8 "looking forward to seeing many wonderful friends Cantor Webber-Gilat tutors B'nai Mitzvah students Legacy Crossword Puzzle as well as making music with those who came in her home, organized a music minyan, and is ......page 9 involved in special programming as well as Kesher, Buying Israeli on the Web before me and with my successor Wendy."

Temple was also Hazzan Erik Contzius's first which coordinates the inclusion of special needs /Israel 101' , ....page 12

Page 2

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

April 12, 2002

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FRIDAY, APRIL 12 Temple Israel Grade 12 Class Trip to Washington, D.C., April 12-15 Ministers Institute on Judaism, 10 a.m., at Temple Scholar-in-Residenee with Dr.David Ellenson, (April 12-14), 8 p.m.

SATURDAY, APRIL 13 Out of Sight Saturday Night, 6 p.m.

SUNDAY, APRIL 14 First Aid and Adult CPR, 8 a.m.

Outreach Committee Meeting, 9 a.m., at Temple Kids' Snack and Learn, 11:30 a.m., Beth El Club 56, noon, at Temple Israel Yom Ha'Atzmaut Celebration, 12:30 p.m.

Deli Night, 5 p.m., at Beth El MONDAY, APRIL 15 YES Program, 10 a.m.

JFS Board of Directors Meeting, 11:30 a.m.

Boy Scouts, 7 p.m.

TUESDAY, APRIL 16 Beth El Yom Hazikaron, 7 a.m.

ADIVCRC Board Meeting, noon BBYO Night, 6 p.m.

Talmud Class with Rabbi Kutner, 7 p.m., Beth Israel Board of Trustees Meeting, 7:30 p.m., at Temple WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17 Yom Ha'atzmaut, 7 a.m., at Beth El Federation Newcomers Committee Mtng., 9:30 a.m.

Friedel Brownie Troop, 4-5:30 p.m.

Social Justice Club (Gr. 7-12), 5 p.m., at Temple Israel NCJW Meeting, 7 p.m.

THURSDAY, APRIL 18 OTYG Spring Conclave, April 18-21 NCSY Latte & Learning with Cantor Fettman, 7:30 p.m., at Border's, 72nd & Dodge Adult Education, 9 a.m., at Temple ISerael Yiddish Group, 1 p.m.

JFS Becoming a Love & Logic Parent, 6 p.m.

Nebraska Jewish Historical Society Meeting, 7 p.m.

Federation Budget & Allocations Meeting, 7 p.m.

NCJW Meeting, 7 p.m.

All events held at the JCC unless otherwise indicated. Tho Jewish Press is not responsible for the accuracy of events. To keep calendar accurate or for questions, call Marlene Hart at 334-6437.

FOR A COMPLETE LISTING, VISIT THE FEDERATION'S WEBSITE: www.JewishOtnaha.org (click on calendar)

Ancient Medicine

by RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE —

-

—

—

Parashiyyot Tazria-Metzorah When I was a small boy, I hurt my shoulder playing football. As I look back, I can't see how it was that the doctor did not insist on an X-ray, to see if there was a broken bone. Fortunately, the thing healed by itself, and I was no worse than before.

How new modern medicine is! I could not help thinking of this when I read again the two Sidrot which are before us. I should imagine that dermatologists would react with some sense of horror at the ideas which come from our reading of the fungi, which are hinted at in these two Sidrot.

English translations, more or less regularly, following the King James, use the word "leprosy" for the skin swellings and discolorations which are discussed in our text. Surely, it was not the leprosy that modern medicine knows as Hansen's Disease.

But it was, of course, a fungus of some kind. It could appear in the skin, or in clothing, or in furniture, or even in wood or stone. And the treatment was a kind of poultice made from water, the ashes of some red stuff and hyssop (a plant). We have no conception at all of what our ancestors called "pure" and "impure". It had nothing to do with physical cleanliness. It was simply a category of ritual cleanness or uncleanness, repeat ritual, which had to do with whether or not one could approach the sanctuary. And the rules, rather complicated to be sure, made it possible to pass this impurity from person to person, depending on what the new person touched or avoided. These rules, which our ancient ancestors apparently took very seriously, are nothing but an interesting puzzle to us.

Incidentally, the medical officer was the priest! It was he who examined the fungus and determined whether or not it had to be isolated for a period of 7 or 14 days, and whether it had finally become *pure" again.

All of this is certainly astonishing in the face of the fact that from medieval times on, Jews are known to have favored the medical profession. It was now not that priests were medical officers, but that very often rabbis and other scholars were medical men, relying on Greek science, passed to Jews through the medium of Arab scholars and physicians.

Times change, but the pursuit of cures for what ails us never cease!

Community Concert (Continued from page 1) ————«-«-—-—=—*.

Cantor Shermet said, "Congregants will be delighted to see their former cantors who worked so closely with them and their children, and I am looking forward to seeing colleagues and singing with the other cantors."

Proceeds from the concert will benefit Temple's Music Fund, and help fund future programs such as bringing in outside musical groups. Tickets are $18 for adults, and $9 for youth. There are also tickets for benefactors ($100 for two), patrons ($200 for four), and sponsors ($300 for four). Tickets can be reserved by calling the Temple office at 5566536. Mail checks, payable to Temple Israel's Cantors Concert, to Temple Israel, 7023 Cass, Omaha, NE 68132.

WANTED: FIT CREATIVE DIRECTOR The Jewish Press is looking for an experienced graphic designer, familiar with Quark XPress, Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator and Acrobat Reader, to design ads, scan photos and compose pages.

Salary $26K+, depending on experience, plus benefits. Call 334-6450, or fax resume to 334-5422.

JEAN WALLACE Former Omahan Jean Wells Rubenstein Wallace died March 28. A family gathering was held at her home in Connecticut on April 2, to be followed by a community gathering on April 21.

She is survived by her husband, Emmett Wallace of Easton, CT.; sister, Prances Burton of New York City; former husband Arnold Wells; children, Jon, Tom, Alice and David Wells; and 15 grandchildren.

Memorials to Alpha Home, 647 Clinton Ave., Bridgeport, CT 06605, or Aspetuck Land Trust, 18 Cold Spring Rd., Eston, CT.

Sharon Presses on with Campaign (Continued from page 1) ——•—— U.S. pressure came from another direction Monday, when Secretary of State Colin Powell said after meeting with Morocco's King Mohammed VI that he was demanding "a clear statement from Israel that they are beginning to withdraw" from Palestinian territories and "to do it now."

Powell met with Morocco's king during the first stop of a peacemaking tour that was to bring him to Israel by today. He also met with European leaders in Madrid on Tuesday. The question now is whether stepped-up American involvement in the conflict can have any effect on Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Hours before meeting with Zinni, Sharon said in an address before a special session of the Knesset that the Israeli military operation would continue until its goals are achieved. And in Washington, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, David Ivry, sounded a similar note, saying the military operation cannot be turned around on a dime.

"We cannot stop this kind of operation just by an order," Ivry told JTA on Monday. "It's going to make it even more chaotic over there. We need very much to respond to the United States, but the situation is such that you cannot just respond sunply in saying, 'Let's withdraw.'"

In his Knesset speech, Sharon said that Once Israel's objectives are reached, troops will pull back to defined buffer zones. Israel is not interested in reoccupying Palestinian cities, he added.

Sharon also said he was prepared to hold a summit with "moderate" Arab leaders to talk peace.

He added that Israel welcomes the U.S. effort to help resolve the ongoing crisis, and said he would discuss his initiative with Powell today. In the speech, Sharon accused Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat of leading a "terrorist regime" and urged Palestinians to put forward a responsible leadership.

Sharon waved documents confiscated by Israeli troops from Arafat's Ramallah headquarters that Sharon said were proof of Arafat's links to terrorist activity.

"We conceded our demand for seven days of quiet, and we did not even get seven hours of quiet," Sharon said in a speech interrupted by protests from both right- and left-leaning legislators. Sharon's speech came amid reports that the United States expects Israel to agree to concrete gestures that would give tangible meaning to the U.S. efforts to help resolve the conflict.

Thirteen more Israeli soldiers were killed and four others wounded in an ambush Monday in the Jenin refugee camp. Before daybreak on Wednesday, military helicopters fired rockets at Palestinian positions until, finally, more than 180 gunmen and civilians surrendered. Israeli officials said the operation in the West Bank city had turned up at least 13 bomb-making laboratories.

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April 12, 2002

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 3

CandleSIghting Friday, April 12

Scholar-in-Residence, Rabbi David Ellenson Topic for this weekend: "Judaism Resurgent" FRIDAY: Shabbat evening service, 8 pan. Rabbi Aryeh Azriel, Rabbi Debbie Stiel and Cantor Wendy Shermet will officiate. Scholar-in-Residence Rabbi David Ellenson will speak on "One Rabbi's Perspective on Judaism--A Personal Response to Jewish Faith in the Modern World." The Oneg Shabbat is sponsored by the family of Brandon Thomas in honor of his Bar Mitzvah, and by the Women of Reform Judaism.

SATURDAY: Bagels and Sacred Books, 9 a.m. in the Milder Center. Scholar-inResidence Rabbi David Ellenson will speak on "The Origins of Modern Jewish Religious Movements: A Look at the Sources." Services in the Sanctuary, 10:30 a.m.

Brandon Thomas, son of Andrea Gordman and Paul Thomas, will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah.

SUNDAY, April 14, 10 a.m.: Rabbi David Ellensen will speak in the Social Hall on "American Judaism Today: Where We Are, Where We Are Heading."

SITTER SERVICE Available for Shabbat evening, 8 p.m. service, Saturday mornings when there is a Bar or Bat Mitzvah as well as Sunday mornings, when there is Religious School. Make a reservation with the office.

No facilities for infants. Cost is $2 per family.

ADULT EDUCATION TUESDAY, April 16, Conversations with Rabbi Azriel, noon-1 p.m. An informal BYO Brown Bag lunch and discussion of current events and issues that effect the Jewish community.

WEDNESDAY, April 17, Conversations with Judaism II-History and Sources, 6:45-8:15 p.m., with Prof. Guy Matalon. " THURSDAY, April 18, Beyond Basic Hebrew, 9:15-10 a.m., Elyce Azriel is the instructor; Adult Study with Cantor Wendy Shermet, 10-11:30 aan.

The focus is on "The Jewish Year Through Music" which will include Shabbat and holiday songs.

FOUR CANTORS CONCERT Saturday, April 20, 8 p.m. Tickets can be ordered by calling the Temple office.

See front page article for more information.

Office hours (make note of the change): Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; Fridays, 8:30 a.m.-noon. Services conducted by Rabbi Howard Kutner.

FRTOAY: Kaballat Shabbat, 7 pan. The West Minyan is at the home of Dennis and Susan Paley, 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shacharit, 8:45 a.m.; free babysitting begins at 10 sum.; Junior Congregation, 10:30 a.m., Kiddush sponsored by Yale and Ida Halperin in honor of their 62nd wedding anniversary; Shabbos House, 3-5 p.m. at the home of Maggie and Donald Gerber. All school-age children are invited to schmooze and learn. P a r e n t s a r e encouraged to attend with their children; Mincha, 7:35 p . m . , followed by Shalosh Suedot and Ma'ariv; Havdallah, 8:46 p.m.

SUNDAY: Morning services, 9 a.m.; evening services, 7:50 p.m.

WEEKDAYS: Morning services, 7 a.m.; evening services, 7:50 p.m.

TUESDAY, April 16: Talmud class with Rabbi Kutner, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, April 17: Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Kutner, noon, at the office of Joe Kirshenbaum. Please make a lunch reservation with the synagogue office.

THURSDAY, April 18: NCSY Latte & Learning, 7:30 p.m., at Border's Cafe, 72nd and Dodge.

Cantor Leo Fettman will speak on "Surviving the Holocaust."

7:43p.m

Office Hours: Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. Services are conducted

by Rabbi Paul Drazen and Cantor Emil Berkovits.

FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat fArvit I'shabbat, 6 pan.

SATURDAY: P'sukei D'Zimrah, followed by Shabbat Shacharit, 9:30 a.m.; Rebecca Salkin, daughter of Cindy and Rich Salkin, will celebrate her B a t Mitzvah, TSS (grades 3-7), 10 a.m.; ICTantan (K-3), 10:45 a.m.; Shabbat Story Time (pre-K & under), 11 aan.; Kiddush sponsored by Cindy and Rich Salkin in honor of their daughter, Rebecca; Humash Class with Rabbi Drazen, 6:15 p.m.; Minha-Ma'ar'w and Havdalah services, 6:45 p.m., in the Chapel.

SUNDAY: Shaharit, 9 a.m.; Minha-Ma'ariv, 5:30 pan. Perek Yomi meets following morning services, discussion leader is Dr. Leonard Greenspoon.

ADULT EDUCATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17: Adult B'nai Mitzvah Class, 7:30 p . m . Rabbi Drazen teaches Jewish Thought; Cantor Berkovits teaches Hebrew.

KTOS SNACK AND LEARN SUNDAY, April 14, 11:30 a.m.-noon , for preschoolers and their parents to celebrate Israeli Independence Day. HAEVHSHE DELI SUNDAY, April 14, 6 pan., following the USY Talent Show. A totally kosher, delicious and fun deli night. Call Beth El to make your reservations.

p||9^ Services conducted by Rabbi Stanley M. Rosenbaum. Minyan on Monday & Thursday, SATURDAY: Congregation will lead services at 7:15 a.m.

FRIDAY: First Friday of the Month Family the Rose Blumkin Home, 9 a.m.

Shabbat Service, 8 p . m . , followed by Oneg SUNDAY: Religious School, 9:45 a.m. at the Shabbat.

JCC. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9:30 a.m. *?|if||||i|^^

SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m., led by Beyt Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation in the RBJH Herbert Goldsten Chapel.

*||$i!$g3^^ FREDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m. Discussion topic will be "What Makes a Good Prayer Book?"

FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m

®$g|g$|£^^ Kelsey Lynn Lepp, daughter of Bob and Karen Lepp, will celebrate her • Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, April 20, at Temple Services officiated by Cantor Michael Weisser.

Israel.

FRDDAY: Sabbath Eve service, 7:45 p.m.

A seventh-grade superiSATURDAY:" Services, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, or honor s t u d e n t at 10:30 a.m.-noon Kiewit Middle School, WEDNESDAY: Confirmation Class, 3 p.m.; she enjoys dance, basketBoard Meeting, 7-9 p.m. ball and gymnastics.

THURSDAY: Rabbi Milder's Hebrew Class, 7For her mitzvah pro8:30 p.m. l ject, Kelsey volunteered I at the CDC. Kelsey has a sister, Allie, and a brother, Dustin.

Affiliate of the Wprldwidt'Chabad-Lubaviteh Hovoment f&lSee- So. 120th St., OmahaVNE;<38144-164<>;' • h Grandparents are Harry and Eleanor Lepp, and Phone: 336-1806 E-MAIL--chabad@aol.Cbm LaVerna Anderson. fWEBSITE: www.chabadcenters^cpm7omaha Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman.

Unless otherwise noted, Monday-Friday, services at 7 a.m.

SATURDAY: Services, 9:30 a.m.

SUNDAY: Services, 8:30 a.m.

MONDAY: Women of Worth Series, 11:45-1 pan.

TUESDAY: The Womenly Art of Prayer, 9:45 a.m.

Bradley Frank, son of Marsha and Ron Frank, • will celebrate h i s B a r ' Mitzvah on S a t u r d a y , April 20, at Beth El. A seventh-grade honor student at Kiewit Middle School, he enjoys basketball, music, and spending time with his friends.

P>rad will participate in the 2002 Maccabi Games \ in Omaha as a member ) of the Omaha JCC's basketball team. t Brad has a brother, Adam, and a sister, Robyn.

Grandparents are Abe Schloff and the late Annette Schloff, and the late Cissy Liberman.

PERSONAL 1 would especially like to thank Rabbi Paul Drazen & Cantor Ernile Berkowitz who visited me at the hospital during my recent surgery and all those who were king enough to send cards or call.

Alan (Buddy) Goodman

Page 4

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

April 12, 2002

Dry Bones

Unveiling theWeb of Lies As of press time, Palestinian gunmen in Nablus and Jenin had surrendering to the Israeli Defense Forces. Guess maybe Sharon was right after all.

You can't fight terrorism with words; you can't negotiate with terrorists and the only way to stop it is by standing your ground, firmly.

Lies continue coming from the P.A. and include such fanciful statements as these: Palestinian television claimed on April 2 that a priest named Jack Amateis was killed and dozens of monks were injured in an IDF operation in Bethlehem.

According to Reuters, sources related to the church in Israel denied the above: Reuters announced that tt A Selesian official told Reuters that Amateis later phoned the Vatican embassy in the Holy Land to say he was safe. There was fighting, but there were no victims among the Selesians. We can confirm that Amateis is alive, said the official."

In an interview with Al-Jazeera Television on April 3, Arafat claimed that Israeli forces were attacking Saint Mary's church and encircling the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. According to

Arafat: "They burned the mosque that was located in the Church of Nativity and ruined many churches and mosques."

The facts: There is no truth in the Palestinian claims according to which a mosque in front of the Church of the Nativity was burned. No other mosques or churches in Bethlehem were ruined by the IDF in the recent operations.

The WAFA (Palestinian Press Agency) internet site claimed on April 2 that IDF forces bombed the new mosque in Tulkarem following the muazzin's call for the mid-day prayer. Such an event never occurred. This is total fabrication.

Apparently, the school Arafat attended was the same one Hitler's Minister of Propaganda did, who said if one repeats a lie often enough, people will believe it. Unfortunately, some of these lies, fabrications and distortions do find their way into the media. It's up to you to spot these glaring errors and write or call with a correction. For more of the truth, check out the Independent Media Review and Analysis' website at: www.imra.org.il.

The Bonds of Freedom

by MAJORITY WHIP TOM DELAY

•

When Churchill came to Westminster, he termed our shared values and democratic principles the "Title Deeds of Freedom". The Iron Curtain he warned about has been buried beneath the sands of history. But the essence of his warning has not been diminished. And on the basis of our shared principles and democratic values, America has an undeniable obligation to stand squarely with our democratic ally against those attempting to end the State of Israel.

Early in life, I saw the consequences of tyranny firsthand. There were t h r e e revolutions in Venezuela during our years in South America. It was my introduction to the horrendous acts human beings are capable of committing when they operate with no regard for life. And it was the source of my passion for freedom and my hostility to unaccountable power.

I carried two great lessons home with me from Venezuela and they have stayed with me ever since.

First, every human life is sacred and precious. Second, power unconstrained by principle and unchecked by accountability is an awful and evil force.

We must begin by acknowledging that tyranny is inherently evil. There can be no moral equivalence between those seeking to protect freedom and those seeking to deny freedom. We must not let our foreign policy be crippled by the false fear that speaking explicitly about our commitment to freedom and democratic ideals will complicate rather than

On Sept. 11, we saw the visible hand of evil. In clarify the conflict.

Israel, they are seeing it almost every day.

And so, from America's commitment to these The defense of freedom demands more from us timeless truths flow the concepts that we define as democratic values: A free press; free speech; free than a value-neutral brokerage. It is time for us to elections; the right to petition the government; stand squarely against the terrorist organizations freedom of worship; the rule of law. And an ability which systematically attack Israel. to change the government through peaceful means.

I commend the President for his principled and For that reason, America has a binding duty to determined leadership. Specifically, he is guiding stand with nations that share our universal values us firmly in two important ways. He is standing and commitment to democracy. We must continu- solidly with Israel. And he is resisting the constant ously export freedom to the world. calls to force Israel back to the negotiating table In Asia, the world's most populous nation holds where they will be pressured to grant concessions its people hostage beneath a brutal blanket of to terrorists.

During four decades of terrorism, Yasser Arafat oppression. But just across the Taiwan Straits, stands a harbor of freedom. In Beijing, t h e has proven his total contempt for human life. So, Communist apparatchiks are angered and confused we should support Israel as they dismantle the by the blinding light of freedom that beckons Palestinian leadership that foments violence and beyond the Straits. fosters hate. Arafat and his Authority have been Within our own hemisphere, just 90 miles off our an impediment to peace and a threat to the emercoast, the Cuban people are enslaved by a brutal gence of moderate Palestinian voices. tyrant. Fidel Castro has dragged his people We are a land and a people acclimated to difficulthrough hardships, despair and servitude to satisfy ty and attuned to grand purpose. If we summon the his own depraved interests. will to stand firmly for freedom and strive boldly to The strongest collision between liberty and terror spread our democratic principles, we can, once is occurring in the Middle East. On the eastern again, liberate millions of men and women from the edge of the Mediterranean sits an oasis of freedom grip of tyranny. and democracy surrounded by mobilized hostility.

Republican Tom DeLay is a member of the Freedom is alive in Israel today. We can't allow House of Representatives from Texas; this the-lone light of democracy to be extinguished by a speech was given at the 51st Green Lecture at wave of hatred.

Westminster College in Fulton, MO.

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Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Committee, the Jewish Federation of Omaha 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.

April 12, 2002

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE Page 5

WUSBKBSH/BBSSKKBK Alter All, Tomorrow Is Another Yom by by ESTHER D. KUSTANOWITZ —

In April, the Jews have three "Yoms" (days). Not in the literal sense; Jewish months have 29-30 days each month. But this month, the days merit their own special names Yom HaSkoah (Holocaust Memorial Day), Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day) and Yom Ha'atzmaut (Israel Independence Day).

All three are late additions to Jewish observance, having been instituted over the last half-century to commemorate events since World War Two. But, the latter two "Yoms" are observed consecutively and constitute a swing across the emotional divide between extreme sadness and extreme happiness.

This April 16 is Yom Hazikaron, the memorial day for those who have died in Israel's wars.

Throughout the country, a siren sounds; wherever they are, Israel's citizens stand quietly for the duration of the siren. Everything stops.

Local synagogues and cultural centers hold memorial services. Radio broadcasts center on ceremonies all over town in memory of the fallen. They were all someone's children, and died so that Israel could be free and peaceful.

The very next day, April 17, is Yom Ha'atzmaut, a day of celebration. Israel Independence Day is marked as an official holiday; there is no school, and jubilant students take the day to frolic in the parks of their country, participating in barbeques, dancing and enjoying their day off.

What are we to make of such a rapid emotional switch over a two-day period?

The Talmud tells a story of four rabbis who are walking in Jerusalem. They happen upon the ruined heaps of the Holy Temple, which are desolate, and the three of them begin to cry. The fourth, Rabbi Akiva, laughs instead. The other three ask, "Why are you laughing when the Temple has been destroyed, as God had promised it would be?"

Rabbi Akiva explains that if the first part of God's promise, that the Temple is in ruins, has

come true, then assuredly the second part of God's promise, that the Temple will be restored to its former glory, will also come to pass.

Just last month, Americans were reminded again of the power of remembrance. On March 11, six months after the day that changed everything, Americans scrambled to remember the grandeur of the World Trade Center towers, the people who died and the valiant police officers and fire fighters who tried to save them.

There were memorial services, publications and events throughout New York City and across the country. The Towers of light illuminated the night, a reminder of the Manhattan skyline we miss, and a memorial to those people, just like us, who lost their lives in a silent war none of us realized had been declared. .

Today, Israel still suffers daily casualties. In this newest war, young children, nursing mothers, elderly immigrants, tourists, residents and visitors are all uniformed, unprepared silent soldiers, who don't even know they've enlisted until they're wounded...or worse.

A lot can happen in six months. Even more can happen year to year. But the future can turn on a dime, in an instant, in a heartbeat.

The transition from Yom Hazikaron, Memorial Day, to Yom Ha'atzmaut, Independence Day, teaches us that although the pages of our history, whether tragic or joyous, bind together in chronological order, the book always has room for more pages. If there is tragedy and suffering one day, we have to trust there will be joy and redemption another.

As Scarlett O'Hara might have said, "After all, tomorrow is another Yom." Esther D. Kustanowitz is director of publications at the Jewish Theological Seminary and a freelance writer who lives in Manhattan.

To the Editor: I am very concerned about the future of Israel and the level of support the Jewish state is receiving from the government and the media.

— On the one hand, the government is saying, "Terrorism is the cause of the breakdown in the peace process" and that "Israel has the right to defend itself." On the other hand, when Israel does flex its muscle, the government says they need to show restraint. Thankfully, the White House is supporting Israel, but are sending mixed messages. . The press is another story. When they report the news, it seems that they focus on the Palestinian leaders saying how bad the Israelis are for retaliating after a suicide bombing. They show Palestinian pain and suffering out of context: "Look at all the innocent people the Israelis are hurting."

There is no moral equivalence between a suicide bomber killing innocent civilians and a retaliatory response by the Israeli government against military or political targets.

I urge you all to write letters to our elected representatives and to the World-Herald. Please do not sit idly by while the future of Israel is at stake.

Figure out some constructive action to take and take it! The World-Herald only publishes one letter per individual per month. It's important that all of us take the initiative to stand together and support Israel.

Gary Javitch To the Editor: I am involved in a research project documenting the scope and impact of secular Yiddish schools and camps in the U.S. and Canada from the 1920s to the '60s. In Omaha, there was one such school sponsored by the Farband. There may have been individuals who also attended regional summer camps in your area. Personal knowledge would be a great help to me in putting together this story.

Please contact me via e-mail at: fradlef@aol.com.

Fradle Freidemreich 9 Harzfeld St. Herzlia Pituach, 46661, Israel

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April 12, 2002

Technion t o Study Role of Physicians During the HolocaustDr. Guinter Kahn Featured Speaker

by MARTHA MOLNAR — — Technion: Israel Institute of Technology

HAIFA, Israel and NEW YORK, live on my kibbutz, Lohemaei N.Y.-The Technion-Israel Institute of Haghetaot, and are my patients, so Technology has established, a pro- I've found it vital to be sensitive to gram for the Study of Medicine and the emotional needs of survivors, the Holocaust, a unique curriculum which can have a great impact on devoted to addressing issues connect- their physical well-being. This is an ed with physicians, medicine and the issue many Israeli doctors should be familiar with."

Holocaust.

The program already has drawn The Ghetto Fighters House (Lohamei Hagetaot), Beit Terezin and praise from the medical community, Yad Vashem are partners with the including Professor Emeritus William Technion Faculty of Medicine in the Seidelman of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto, an interprogram.

(Editor's note: Programs of the nationally noted authority on the hisGhetto Fighters House are supported tory of medicine in the Third Reich.

by Omaha's Partnership 2000 project; "Despite the crucial role played by a related program, The Book Reading medicine and medical science in the Project, is coordinated here in Omaha evolution and implementation of the

by The Holocaust Institute for Holocaust, no single medical school in Education of the Great Plains Anti- the world has established a formal Defamation League.) academic program addressing the The doctors organizing the program questions raised by that terrible legaalso hope to establish a center-to be cy. The Technion's would be the first," an official part of the Technion said Prof. Seidelman, also the acadeFaculty of Medicine-that will include mic medical advisor to the Holocaust a library and archive devoted to the Resource Project at the Baycrest subject of medicine and the Holo- Center for Geriatric Care in Toronto. caust, and will sponsor workshops for "It goes without saying that the promedical students and physicians. gram will serve as a model for other "The subject of Shoah (Hebrew for medical schools in Israel and beyond," Holocaust) is a constant in my.life," he added. said Dr. Shmuel Reis, acting head of Former Omahan Dr. Guinter Kahn, the Department of Medical Education a Florida dermatologist originally at the Technion Faculty of Medicine, from Germany who lectures worldand the son of Holocaust survivors. wide on the subject of Nazi physi"Approximately 100 ghetto survivors cians, spoke at the program's April 10

'*•

Dr. Guinter Kahn workshop in Israel (which coincided with Holocaust Remembrance Day).

"The center will serve as a reminder of the causes of evil in everyone of any profession, and will prevent patients from seeing the doctor's white coat as representing purity," Dr. Kahn said. He added that approximately 50 percent of German physicians joined the Nazi party, a much larger percentage than any other profession.

The program will focus on the medical and ethical issues that physicians confronted during the Holocaust, such as having to oversee forbidden births, ration medications, and choose how, if at all, they would treat

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patients while facing death themselves. Participating medical students and physicians also will explore human resilience—why some survivors were able to conduct healthy, successful lives after the war, while others languished and sank into depression.

Questions 'surrounding the debates on euthanasia, abortion and human clinical trials will be addressed through the prism of Holocaust-era medicine, as will the behavior of Nazi physicians, including the academic and research establishment.

The program will teach medical students and physicians the history of doctors' positive and negative behavior during the Nazi era and its relevance to ethical issues in modern medicine. It also aims to heighten doctors' awareness of and sensitivity to the health and emotional needs of Holocaust survivors and their families.

The roots of the program are in a 1997 training session called "Caring for Survivors," developed for residents of the Technion Family Medicine Department. The session included a report on the study of the dreams of survivors and a play about a survivor. Dr. Reis says the participants were spellbound by the training session and asked to pursue more such activities.

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April 12,2002

The newest poetry collection by Susan Aizenberg, Muse, a Crab Orchard Review prize winner, will soon be published by the Southern Illinois University Press. She'll read from this collection on Wednesday, April 17, 7:30 p.m., as part of the Missouri Valley Reading Series, sponsored by the Writer's Workshop Program at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

She has been named a Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Nebraska by the College of Fine Arts, for Distinguished Achievement in the Field of Poetry and is currently an Assistant Professor in English at Creighton University.

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 7

You Know What You've Always Wanted, Why Not Get It?

Conservative Judaism's Council of Regional Presidents. Goldstein, who lives in Rochester, MN, is a pastpresident of Beth El Synagogue of Omaha, and sits on the board of MERCAZ, the Zionist organization of the Conservative Movement.

Samuel M. Cohen, M.D., PhD, professor and chairman of the University of Nebraska Medical Center's department of pathology and microbiology, has been appointed to the National Toxicology Program Board of Scientific Counselors, announced Tommy G. Thompson, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Jack Moscovitz has published his Former Omahan Dr. Raymond B. latest novel, Satan & Son, available Goldstein has been elected Chair- as a free download from www.freeman of the United Synagogue of fiction.com.

liililiiiiili Jerusalem Diaries: in Tense Times

by JUDY LASH BALINT Jerusalem: Gefen Publishing House, 2001.182 pp. $16.95 Reviewed by AARON LEIBEL, Arts Editor Washington Jewish Week - — —•————

WASHINGTON-In November, I was having coffee with two old friends at Ne'eman's cafe in Jerusalem's Ramat Eshkol quarter.

As we got up to leave, we heard sirens and soon learned that a Palestinian gunman had fired an automatic rifle at a bus in French Hill about a half mile away. The bus was the number 25, which I had taken literally thousands of times when I lived in Jerusalem's Neve YaTakov neighborhood.

The attack took place at 4 p.m., when the most vulnerable people, youngsters and the elderly, would be riding the bus. Two teenagers were killed in the attack (as was the murderer who was killed by alert Israeli security forces) and dozens of people were wounded.

Israeli TV and radio, of course, gave great coverage to the terrorist outrage.

But on CNN International that evening, the shooting was barely mentioned. I was horrified by yet another cold-blooded murder of innocents by Palestinian terrorists, but was furious at the indifference shown by international media to Israeli suffering.

That kind of horror and fury wells up from the pages of this book.

In a series of letters, author Judy Lash Balint tells what it has been like living in Israel for the past several years. For example, she recalls an incident in November, 1998, well before the current Intifada began, when a crowd of Palestinian students from Beir Zeit University, shouting Yahoodi, Yahoodi (Jew, Jew), attacked a car near the Ramallah junction not far from the Israeli West Bank community

of Beit El, beating the soldier in the car over the head with rocks and then burning the vehicle after the soldier had run away.

It's not only the attack but who carried it out that bothers the author.

No one mentions the fact that the Ramallah attackers are students, the privileged among Palestinian and Arab society. It is completely beyond the imagination to conceive of Israeli students from the Technion or Ben Gurion University going out to the streets looking for Arab victims, yelling, "Get the Arab..."

Or she notes the attacks on Jerusalem's Gilo neighborhood in October, 2000, by Palestinian gunmen in the nearby town of Beit Jalla, and the Israel Defense Forces' retaliation, which was preceded by warnings to town residents to leave their homes. I'm almost certain this item will be left out of the BBC and CNN news, she writes.

But the letters are not only about terrorism but about life in the Jewish state as well. For instance, Balint notes the rigors of winters in Jerusalem when there is heat only a few hours every evening.

Balint apparently would oppose the Oslo Accords ideologically, regardless of Palestinian actions. But politics apart, her anger at what is going on in her country is shared by most Israelis.

To understand the depth of that feeling, Marine Cmdr. Anthony Zinni, America's envoy to the Middle East, would do well to read this book. (So should Secretary of State Colin Powell.)

The book has been ordered by the Eripke Jewish Federation Library.

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

April 12, 2002

ORGANIZATIONS Y.E.S. Members will meet Monday at the JCC. Come play bingo at I(hl5 a.m. with. Eileen Remer, or exercise with Stacey Paskert at 10:30 a.m. Bring articles to share for the "YES Talk" discussion group at 11 aan. Following, lunch at noon, Dr. Khalid Kamal from Methodist Hospital will talk on Brain "Attacks: Signs of a Stroke."

For transportation call 330-4272. Call Maggie Conti for reservations at 3346521. Deadline is April 15 for Trish Place Puppetry on April 22; deadline is April 18 for Bluffs Run Casino on April 25.

WALK-IN, DROP-IN

Members will meet Thursday. For those going on the day trip to the Henry Doorly Zoo to see the Desert Dome, please meet at the JCC by 10 a.m. For transportation, call Maggie Conti at 334-6521.

YIDDISH GROUP Lomir Redn Yiddish: Let Us Speak Yiddish Conversation Group will meet at the JCC, Thursday, 1-3 pja.

Call Anne Skolkin for information at 343-1638.

VISIONS Discover the Desert Dome at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Wednesday, May 1,10 a.m. Cost is $7 per person, and free for zoo members. Join us at the Treetop Restaurant following the tour (on your own). Send reservations to Maggie Conti, 323 S. 132nd St. Omaha, NE 68154. Deadline is April 20.

Something Wonderful: Richard Eodgers' Centennial of Songs, sponsored by the Brownville Concert Series, is Sunday, J u n e 2. Cost is $36 per person, and includes coach transportation, admission to the show and dinner at Farmer Brown's Steak House. Depart from the JCC at 1 p.m and return at approximately 8 p.m.

Send reservations to: Elaine Feldman, 770 No. 93rd St., #2D5, Omaha, NE 68114.

Send reservations for the Mississippi MESSER/FISHER Cruise on July 22-25 to Betty Marine Messer, daughter of Ruth Sanford, 9205 Western St., #127, Messer of Hollywood, FL, and the late Omaha, NE 68114.

Isadore Messer, and Bradly Fisher, son of Harriet Fisher of Vancouver, B'NAIB'RTTH D.B., and Errol Fisher of Mayne BREADBREAEERS Island, B.C, were married Jan. 19 in Rabbi Aryeh Azriel of Temple Miami Beach, FL. Israel will speak at Breadbreakers on The bride is a graduate of McGill Wednesday, April 17, noon, at the University and is currently completPark Inn Regency, according to ing her Master's in psychology at the Chairman Gary Javitch. Rabbi Azriel University of Victoria. She is also a recently returned from Israel, and singer and composer. will relate his observations. Cost for Her grandparents are Rose Messer lunch is $9; beverage service only, $2. of Pompano Beach, FL, and the late The program is open to the communi- Malik Messer, and the late Bertha and Meyer Sands. tyThe groom attended Humber OMAHA CENTER College Music Conservatory and FOR TORAH LEARNING graduated from Red Wing Technical Join OCTL for Lunch'n Learn on College in instrument music repair; Wednesday, April 17, noon, at the he also earned a degree in business Kripke Federation Library. A discus- and real estate from the British sion on the weekly Torah portion, led Columbia Institute of Technology.

by Bob Oberman, begins at 12:15 p.m.

For more information about OCTL, call Allan Gonsher, 558-2767.

His grandparents are Abe Sehloff of Omaha and the late Ellabelle Sehloff, Annette Frank Sehloff, and the late Moda and Herb Fisher.

The couple lives in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

SHRADAR/PATTON

Marcy J. Shradar, daughter of Delores and Dan Graves of Scottsdale, AZ, and Joel B. Patton, son of Muriel and Charles Kamp of Pam Beach, FL, were married March 23 in Las Vegas.

The bride is a graduate of the University of Nebraska Medical Center and is currently Director of the emergency department of tmmanuel Hospital.

The groom is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma and is manager of Stan Olsen Nissan Hyundai.

Following a wedding trip to Las Vegas, the couple resides in Omaha.

WSMKBRRBKSffi

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN NCJW, Omaha Section, will hold its annual election meeting Tuesday, April 23, 7 p.m., in the Community Room at the JCC. (This is a change in date from the regularly scheduled Board meeting.) This Board meeting is open to the general membership.

We will vote on the 2002-2003 slate of officers and Board members. Nominations from the floor may be made at this meeting. For more information, contact Kim Noddle at 391-7022.

AMIT WOMEN Allan Gonsher is the featured speaker at the upcoming AMIT Women luncheon on Sunday, April 28, noon, at the Livingston Plaza Club Room. He will share his impressions of his trip to Israel and his visit to AMITs projects.

RSVP to Marion Strauss, 558-2646.

To send cards, call Ruth Babendure at 391-7410.

PENNER/HERMAN Stephen and Elinore Penner of Her grandparents are Rosialia Tucson, AZ, announce the engagement Penner of Youngstown, OH, the late of their daughter, Myron Penner, and Miki, to Gregg the late Mr. and Herman, son of Dr. Mrs. Samuel Feldand Mrs. Edwin man.

Herman of Overland ^ . .s ',^1 % Her fiance earned Park, KS. i "*"-!. a B.B.A. from the University of Texas The bride-to-be at Austin, an received a B.A. from M.B.A. from the Emory University in University of Atlanta, GA, and an J Kansas, and a J.D. M.S. from the ,,,% from Washington University of KanUniversity in St. sas in Lawrence.

Louis, MO. He is She is also a currently managing Certified Reading director for C3 Specialist and a docHoldings, LLC, a toral candidate at private equity firm, K.U., and is curin Kansas City. rently employed by the Kansas City, Kansas, Public A May 25 wedding is planned at Schools, where she is a member of Congregation Beth Torah in Literacy Resource Team.

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iiiiiiiilllliliiil

by MARK MIETKIEWICZ»

—

Buying Israeli on the Web _

Israel's economy is hurting. Between the worldwide meltdown of high-tech stocks and the huge decrease in the tourism industry, the country's retailers and exporters are looking for business.

The Internet gives you the opportunity to window shop and purchase some of Israel's best exports from almost anywhere in the world. (And if you are an investor, the web is an excellent first step for investigating business opportunities in Israel.)

Please note that shopping via the Internet can be quick, easy and enjoyable.. But you should always take a few precautions. Any page asking for a credit card or other private information should be "secure"~that is, it should have a web address that begins with "https://".

If you are still nervous about ordering through the Internet, try fax, phone or mail. Always note duty and shipping costs and the website's privacy and return policies. And if you still have any doubts, ask for references. Don't be afraid to comparison shop.

That same book or coin or CD may be offered by several online retailers at different prices.

I have not had commercial dealings with the websites mentioned in this column, so my mention of a site should not be interpreted as an endorsement.

Let's shop! In the real world, shopping usually means going to the mall. Things aren't very different online. These virtual malls are actually huge sites that carry many products from several retailers. At Isra-Mall, for example, you'll find a selection of Steimatzky Books, CDs from Hed-Arzi Music and selections from the Israel Government Coin and Medals: www.isra-mall.com.

At Israeli Wishes, you'll find an assortment of Elite Chocolate, kosher spices, children's videos: www.israeliwishes.com/_private/store/, while the Judaica webstore carries etrog boxes, computer software and, for a relaxing bath, AHAVA Dead Sea products: www judaicawebstore.com/.

If you are crazy about Israeli soccer, you can show your loyalty by sporting a Beitar Jerusalem knapsack available from the IsraeliScent website.

Don't worry. They also carry Maccabi Tel Aviv and

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 9

fining

Hapoel Haifa souvenirs, too, plus a huge selection of books, videos and Judaica: www.israeliscent.com.

When you're done with the malls, don't forget to visit some of the smaller sites run by local businesses. The Parkash Gallery is a lovely art gallery located in the old city of Jaffa. In addition to works bylsraeli artists, Parkash carries rare Judaica and LAFATA'S wonderful old photographs of Israel. You can marCAFFE ITALIANO & BAKERY vel at their online exhibit of historic Israeli politiIs Something Different cal, military and tourism posters. They will give a taste of Israel's early years that youil never see in Full Menu any history textbook: http://www.farkashLunch & Dinner gallery.com/exihibitionPosterIndex.htm.

Cakes, Pastries, Cannoli For more large and small retailers, check out the Gelato & Grantta links at Maven Shopping and Gifts: 2304 No. 72nd St. 397-1347 www.maven.co.il/subjects.asp?S=204, Google: OPEN TUES. thru SAT http://shlk.com/51 and Yahoo: http://sblk.coin/52.

Lunch: 11-2; Dinner: 5-9 If you are considering investing in Israel, take a look at the Ministry of Industry and Trade's English ' language website: www.moit.gov.il/tamas_en.asp. This large site has information about business development in Israel, the country's economy, R&D, the Israel Export Institute, and many ministry publications.

Investors will also be interested in reading Israel's i Greek Specials Daily Greek Beer & Wine Business Arena, the English on-line version of Homemade Pastries Dine In/Carry Out Israeli financial daily Globes: www.globes.co.il.

• Party Room We Cater Too! And finally, let's visit one last mall. Israel Direct ' Full Service Bar will sell you everything from hand-painted ceramic \ Mon.-Thurs., 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 11 a.mMO p.m; tiles to goose liver pate: Sun., 11 a.m.-8p.m. www.israeldirect.co.il/shop.htm. But if you -a ever lived in Israel or if you are an Israeli living Is abroad, you'll appreciate their Israeli Care Package. Who could say no to a gift package of Elite Halva, Osem Bomba Peanut Puffs, Za'atar Spice, Telma Falafel Mix, Osem Soup Almonds and, of course, half a kilo of chocolate spread?

Happy shopping.

THE GREEK ISLANDS

Mark Mietkiewicz is a television producer in Toronto with an interest in the Internet. He can he reached at highway@rogers.com.

L NOW OPEN! Enjoy our Southwest atmosphere!

by BERT LEWIS

So how were your seders? By now, of course, they're just a memory, but if you had kids or other visitors home for the occasion, you must be glad it's all done for another year. (I mean all the extra commotion, not the visitors!)

We're getting closer to winding up our winter stay here in the Southwest, and we're almost ready to come home. It's always the same—we hate to leave and we can't wait to get home. And Omaha is still home, of course. It isn't just that we were both born and raised in the "Big O", though I'm not sure exactly what makes us feel it will always be home.

Of course, we still have some family in town, even though none of our kids are there. And we have dear friends, whose company we miss terribly when we're away. We have a routine and schedules which keep us on an orderly track. I guess most people could say the same thing, although when I said that to a 50year-old recently, this was his answer: "Not me. I wouldn't miss going to work and maintaining a schedule. I could find tons of things to do!"

I guess when I was his age I would have said the same thing, but it's different now. Naturally, I'm grateful for the luxury of free time, but I like know-

ing that on certain days (when we're in Omaha), I have certain things I like to do, or even some obligations. I have people to see and "check on", the kind of shopping that housekeeping requires, Mends to meet for lunch and, of course, there are always "chores" to do in the house.

Which is not to say there isn't time for books to be read, or phone calls to help keep in touch with people not often seen. I'm busier at home, and busy is good. I can decide exactly how busy I want to be, which is something that comes with maturity.

Fm getting anxious to see what's going on in my yard, cheek on some new shrubs planted last season, and start poking around in my flower pots. I guess, too, there are just too many reasons I'm looking forward to returning, to list here. One big reason for getting antsy about going home is friends. I miss them and look forward to seeing them.

Having said all that, ^Are you looking when you start to see foranhonest, freckles on your arms, it's dependable time to go home! Besides, cleaning lady?

I miss everybody.

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 10

April 12, 2002

Spring Visit to Israel's South

by R. BERNARD MANN, © 2002 ' ACROSS 1. Step, in Strasbourg 4. British skater Humphreys 10. Short for "and others" 14. High note 15. Futures, in Hebrew 16. I saw, in Latin 17. For each 18. SLOGAN FOR AN ISRAELI CITY? 20. Famed rebbe 22. Surface quality 23. Tribal member, time of Moses 26. Asphalt 27. A son of Noah 28. Bennet, the humorist 30. A cousin of buts 33. • Georgia city 36. Hebrew prophet 39. ANCIENTS WHO SAILED FROM SOUTH 43. Hebrew for expert in fiscal, monetary matters 44. Jots 45. Upper Mississippian tribe 46. Expansion area of David's city 48. Dian's sharp, hard preceder 52. My people, in Hebrew 55. YOU ARRIVE HERE, THEN TRAVEL TO THE SOUTH 58. California valley 61. German legislators would meet 62. WILDFLOWERS BLOOM HERE

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 11

Temple Schoiar-in-Resiclence Dr. Ronald Brauner to Discuss Being Jewish in a Gentile World

Temple's yitzvah D« is Just the Beginning

by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator

by CLAUDIA SHERMAN — — , Temple Israel Communications Coordinator

_

"Pour Thousand Years and Still Going Strong: Jews and Judaism in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave," will be addressed by Dr. Ronald Brauner, President of The Foundation for Jewish Studies, Inc., and Professor of Judaic Studies at the Cleveland College of Jewish Studies.

He is also a member of the faculty of The Wexner Heritage Foundation and a lecturer for United Jewish Communities and Israel Bonds.

Dr. Brauner will be in Omaha as a Temple Israel Scholar-in-Residence the weekend of May 3-5.

Sponsored by the Ida and Samuel Kaiman Memorial Fund, the Scholar-in-Residence events are open to anyone who is interested in hearing and meeting Dr. Brauner.

He will speak at Shabbat services, Friday, May 3, 8 p.m., at Temple, on the subject, "Why Be Jewish?" On Saturday, May 4, 5 p.m., at a fruit and cheese reception in the Milder Center at Temple, he will speak on "Making Love at Sinai," followed by Havdalah. His last discussion will be on "English is a Christian Language," Sunday, May 6, 10 a.m., in the Friedman Social Hall at a bagel brunch at Temple.

"America is the single, greatest sustained experience in the entirety of Jewish history," Dr. Brauner remarked. "Yet there are dangers—not because of repression or anti-semitism, but precisely because we live in a free, pluralistic, democratic society.

American Jews increasingly tend to think in nonJewish categories," he continued. Thinking of Judaism as a religion and then seeing themselves as being non-worthy, because they're not religious, is one of the dangers, according to Dr. Brauner.

However, he contends that "religiosity has nothing to do with being Jewish."

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Dr. Brauner graduated from that city's Temple University College of Education. He earned a teacher's certificate from Greenberg College in Jerusalem and completed his doctoral work in Semitics at Dropsie College, which is now associated with the University of Pennsylvania.

Semitics is the study of the language, literature and culture of the ancient near East, Dr. Brauner explained.

Dr. Brauner's professional career has been devoted entirely to Jewish education. He has been a religious school principal, a researcher-writer and teacher-trainer for the Melton Research Center of the Jewish Theological Seminary, and associate professor of Bible and History at Gratz College in Philadelphia.

A teacher at Temple University and Beaver

College, also in Pennsylvania, Dr. Brauner was on the staff of Camp Ramah in the Pocono Mountains, and served as assistant principal of Akiba Hebrew Academy and as consultant to several boards of Jewish education. In addition, he was dean and director of the Rabbinic Civilization program at the -Reconstructionist College from 197283. He directed the Brandeis-BarDr. Ronald Brauner din Institute in Southern California and the Hebrew Institute of Pittsburgh.

Also an author, Dr. Brauner has written numerous articles on Bible, religion, education and Semitic studies. He has written and edited six books of essays dealing with all aspects of Jewish civilization through the centuries. His newest book, Thinking Jewish: The Art of Living in Two Civilizations, was just published in January. He has lectured to groups in some 100 cities throughout the United States and Canada.

According to Dr. Brauner, The Foundation for Jewish Studies, Inc., which is based in Pittsburgh, where he lives, "provides Jewish programming for communities throughout the United States and Canada" including a broad spectrum of educational services designed to enhance the programming needs of synagogues, schools, volunteer organizations, and professional agencies. The Foundation also publishes Straightalk, a Jewish affairs newsletter, and produces a variety of books, pamphlets, manuals and learning aids through Mirkov Publications.

Many of Dr. Brauner's essays, publications and other Jewish learning resources can be accessed at www.Torah.com, his internet site. The purpose of the site is to serve the world-wide Jewish community in learning and living the Jewish tradition with particular emphasis on being Jewish in a gentile world.

Dr. Brauner's wife, Marcia F. Brauner, will accompany her husband to Omaha. Marcia Brauner works in the field of publishing and editing.

• - * • ' ! ,

_

It has become a tradition at Temple Israel to spend a day, as a congregation, performing mitzvot throughout the community. This year, Mitzvah Day will be on Sunday, April 21.

Flyers mailed to congregants' homes list the places and organizations that are in need of volunteers, time and help. They will be able to choose their first and second choices and then are asked to return the forms to Temple. Some of the choices are helping homeless families; volunteering at the Humane Society; beautifying the grounds of Temple Israel's Cemetery; spending time at a retirement home or at Quality Living, a home for physically disabled persons; and repairing and refurbishing low-income homes., Maria Neesman, chairman of the Mitzvah Day Committee, promised to try to honor as many firstchoice selections as possible.

Mitzvah Day is for everybody—all ages, families and individuals can participate, Neesman added.

In addition, Neesman's committee is collecting toys, books and magazines for children, tape players, personal hygiene items, linens, cleaning products, cat litter, dog chew bones, pet toys, trash bags, socks, small boxes of crayons, and video store gift certificates, among other things, to be distributed on Mitzvah Day. A project of Temple's Social Justice Committee, Mitzvah Day is "a way to get our congregation to perform mitzvot together," Neesman explained.

She hopes that Mitzvah Day will be just the beginning. "The long-term goal is to encourage everyone to continue to do mitzvot throughout the year."

Toby Feliman and Magda Peck have been working with Neesman to organize Mitzvah Day. Anyone else who would like to help them is encouraged to call Neesman at 496-9143.

There will be a family prayer service at 11:30 a.m. at Temple to begin the Mitzvah Day activities, which are expected to last until approximately 4 p.m. Women of Reform Judaism will, provide lunch for everyone at Temple before they take off for their mitzvot destinations. Congregants are asked to provide their own transportation.

Participating on Mitzvah Day, Neesman remarked, "is a great feeling of accomplishment, of unity, and of community."

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For more information on this free service, call OPPD's Customer Care Services at 536-4131. Outside the metro area call toll-free 1-800-648-2658.

Omaha Public Power District (ss) www.oppd.com •

Page 12

Jewish. Press, Omaha, NE

April 12, 2002 THE place for the Omaha Jewish community to come for concise, clear and factual information about the increasingly complex issues in Israel and the Middle East.

by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator.

With prayers, songs and words.

Temple Israel will try to deal with the current state of life in Israel at Shabbat services on Friday, April 19. The theme of the service, "We Stand With Israel Now and Forever," reflects Rabbi Aryeh AzriePs emphasis on "creating a real relationship between Israel and the congregation."

"We need to bring back the state of Israel to the forefront of the Jewish American agenda," Rabbi Azriel said.

Part of the worship service will be devoted to examining "a more authentic partnership than the one we have now," Rabbi Azriel explained. "At this critical time, there is a great need and urgency to be fully committed as Jews to the existence and survival of the Jewish state."

Four members of the community have been invited to participate in the service. They are Joel Alperson, Larry Raful, Stephanie DePorte and Guy Matalon.

Alperson, an Omaha businessman who is a member of the United Jewish Communities Board of Trustees and Campaign Cabinet, recently returned from a "vacationsolidarity trip" to Israel. He commented on "the heightened importance of supporting and visiting Israel. It's always important, but now more than ever."

DePorte, a student at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of

Religion, just returned at the end of March from Jerusalem where she has been studying for the past nine months.

"We needed to be in the land of Israel to experience it and to really know what Israeli life is and how life there is affected by war," she said.

Her classes in Israel formerly ended, but she recalled the sounds of artillery, missiles, and F16s in the background interrupting her studying and making it hard to concentrate.

"It's not inappropriate to have my own vision of Israel," commented Raful, Professor of Law at Creighton University. He visited Israel in December.

"We can have our own opinions," he said, "but we still need to support Israel in many ways. He stated that it's "our responsibility to be informed" about what's happening in Israel, and indicated it takes more than reading and watching the American media.

A native Israeli who has been in Omaha since 1999, Matalon reiterated Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's words "that this is a war about the survival of the state of Israel." A Professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Matalon stated, "It's important to do our part."

Services begin at 8 p.m., and the entire community is welcome to attend. For more information, call the Temple office at 556-6536.

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(Editor's note: Last week, the thought into an organized political Jewish Press introduced a column, movement, advocating for internationIsrael 101, prepared by the Jewish al recognition of a "Jewish state" and Federation of Omaha and the Anti- encouraging Jewish immigration to Defamation League. The following is build the land. the first installment, featuring histor- Today, Zionism continues to be the ical events connected to the founding guiding nationalist movement of the majority of Jews around the world who of the State of Israel.) believe in, support Zionism is the and identify with the Jewish national moveState of Israel. ment of rebirth and renewal in the land of On Nov. 29, 1947, Israel and has been the General Assembly the cornerstone of of the United Nations Jewish religious life voted to divide the since the Jewish exile British Mandate-confrom the land two trolled area of Palethousand years ago. stine into two states, Israeli flag drapes a 1948 Modern Zionism Photo by Jack Hazut. emerged in the late tank.

According to the 19th century in response to the vio- plan, the two states, roughly equal in lent persecution of Jews in Eastern size and natural resources, would Europe and anti-Semitism in West- cooperate on major economic issues, sharing currency, roads and governern Europe.

Modern Zionism fused the ancient ment services. The Jews reluctantly Jewish biblical and historical ties to accepted the partition plan, as it the ancestral homeland with the offered at least two of their requiremodern concept of nationalism into a ments, sovereignty and control over vision of establishing a modern immigration. The Palestinian Arabs and the surrounding Arab nations Jewish state in the land of Israel.

The "father" of modern Zionism, rejected it outright, refusing to accept Austrian journalist Theodor Herzl, the establishment of a Jewish state in consolidated various strands of Zionist the region.

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