Announcing Jacobson Leadership Tomorrow
AMY BERNSTEIN SHIVVERS
JFO Foundation Executive Director
The Jacobson Leadership Tomorrow (JLT) internship program is designed to connect Jewish young adults with the Jewish Federation of Omaha and its Agencies. This 8-week program combines indepth learning, collaboration, and hands-on experiences with a meaningful stipend. Why JLT?
This program taps into the innovation, ambition, and energy of college students who are passionate about creating positive change. JLT offers more than a summer job—it’s an immersive experience in Jewish communal service, tailored to match an intern’s interests and strengths and professional direction.
Joanie and Richard Jacobson are the impetus behind this innovative program. Joanie shared, “We’ve been involved with the Federation and it’s agencies for over 45 years. Richard as president of the JCC, co-president of Jewish Family Service which included the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, a Federation Board member and a volunteer on a number of annual campaigns. I’ve served as co-chairman of the Women’s Division of the Annual Campaign, See Jacobson Leadership Tomorrow page 3
Goldstein Supporting Foundation
JEN
GOODMAN
JFO Foundation Administrator
The Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation is pleased to announce the Shirley and Leonard Goldstein Supporting Foundation Grants have been awarded for the Fall 2024 semiannual meeting. Since its establishment in 2003, the fund has contributed more than $3 million in charitable grants.
“We are honored to continue to support such remarkable organizations and individuals who are committed to making a real difference,” said Donald Goldstein, Goldstein Board President. “The work being
done by our recipients is truly inspiring, and we are proud to provide the resources they need to continue their transformative efforts.”
The Board of Directors of the Shirley and Leonard Goldstein Supporting Foundation agreed to support 25 grant requests that were submitted at their meeting last November. The See Goldstein Grants page 3
Mind. Body. Soul. returns to Beth Israel
MARY SUE GROSSMAN for Beth Israel Synagogue Mind. Body. Soul. again returns to Beth Israel, open to women of the community to treat themselves to a morning to focus on selfcare through physical exercise, healthy eating, and learning with friends. The event will take place Sunday,
March 23, 2025, 11 a.m.–1 p.m., at Beth Israel Synagogue. Registration is required to participate. Open to women ages 12 years and older, the $36 registration fee includes a choice of two workouts. Yoga, Tai Chi, Jazzercise, and cardio dance will be offered. Participants See Mind. Body. Soul. page 2
Joanie and Richard Jacobson
The Friedman family at the 2023 ELC Sukkot party
Langer’s Lunch Legend 2025
Pictured are: Yoshi Zweiback….former Omahan, lives in Encino, CA, Rabbi at Stephen Wise Temple, left; Murray Newman, Omaha, vacationing in Rancho Mirage, CA; Alan Rosen, former Omahan, lives in Sherman Oaks, CA; Steven Bloch, Omahan with home in Rancho Mirage, CA; Mort Glass, former Omahan, lives in Newport Beach, CA; Hugo Biggemann (spouse of Andrew Bernstein); Andrew Bernstein, former Omahan with homes in Rancho Mirage and Los Angeles, CA; Mike Erman, Omahan with home in Los Angeles, CA; Jacob Savage, Glendale, CA, son-in-law of Murray Newman; Mike Meyer, former Omahan, lives in Laguna Beach, CA; and Jim Krantz, former Omahan with home in Los Angeles, CA.
Mind. Body. Soul.
Continued from page 1 will also enjoy lunch and receive a gift bag. Everyone registered will also receive a t-shirt.
Instructors will be Laura Dembitzer, teaching flow yoga, Hila Aviva Hicks with cardio dance, Jazzercise by Caryn Scheer, and Beth Staenberg leading Tai Chi. Each person is an experienced instructor and looking forward to sharing their passion for their specialty with the group.
Renee Zacharia, a repeat participant, is enthusiastic about the program return. “This is a wonderful event that brings people in the community together for some relaxation, fun, and conversation.” She encourages everyone to plan to be a part of the event.
Laura Dembitzer, Mind, Body and Soul originator, shared her excitement saying “I’m thrilled to be part of this amazing event once again, bringing together an incredible group of women to connect, inspire, and empower each other. This year, we’re offering even more workout options. There is truly something for everyone. I can’t wait to see you there!”
The registration link is found on Beth Israel’s website at orthodoxomaha.org, in the weekly email, and on Facebook. Registration and inquiries can also be made to executiveasst@orthodoxomaha.org or 402.556 6288. Attire is workout casual.
Jacobson Leadership Tomorrow
Continued from page 1
president of the Jewish Press Board, writer/director of a number of Federation programs and events, and was on staff for two years as Federation Communications Director. Our combined years of experience taught us how very important — even essential it is to work with capable, responsible, innovative and devoted Jewish professionals if our community is to be successful.
“When we decided to start an endowment fund at The Foundation, an extensive internship to attract a future Jewish professional was a perfect fit for our passion. With Amy to guide us through the process, do the research and then produce this beautifully created program, it is a tremendous source of pride and gratitude to be able to do it. A perfect fit, indeed.” Program Highlights
terests of the intern, providing value for both participant and the agency of choice.
The program runs for eight weeks, with participants committing 32 hours per week. It takes place from June 15 to Aug.
15, though start and end dates are flexible. The application period is open from Feb. 1 to March 15
• Tailored Rotations: Interns will select Federation agencies that align with their professional goals to obtain tangible skills, leadership experience, and a deep understanding of non-profit work, the history and mission of campus agencies and the incredible opportunity to impact Jewish life from infants to seniors.
• Mentorship Opportunities: Interns will develop meaningful relationships with lay leaders and professionals across campus.
• Customizable Experiences: The program aligns with the in-
Goldstein Grants
Continued from page 1
key grant focus areas include:
• Local Projects and Programs of the Jewish Federation of Omaha and its agencies, synagogues or Jewish-service organizations where funding is unavailable through their respective annual operating budgets
• Programs benefiting Russian Jewry in Omaha, the United States, Israel or the former Soviet Union
• Local and National Jewish and Secular Charities in the areas of medicine and medical research, human rights, rescue and relief, education and current events of Jewish content
In this issue, we are highlighting one receiving organization and their project.
This program aims to inspire Jewish young adults to explore careers in Jewish communal service. It engages college freshmen and sophomores with the Federation, Foundation, and affiliated agencies, deepening their involvement in the Jewish community. Ultimately, it seeks to cultivate future Jewish leaders with strong connections to Omaha and the broader Jewish world.
Federation agencies will play a critical role in shaping this program by identifying goals, refining expectations, and assigning mentors. The selected intern will work with up to two agencies over eight weeks, with ongoing feedback to ensure mutual success and help strengthen this pilot program for future Jacobson Leadership Tomorrow interns.
Interested candidates can apply with QR Code.
For questions, contact Brad Abramson, Development Manager, JFO Foundation, 402.334.6485, babramson@jewish omaha.org
outdoor gathering space to enhance community connections and create a more inviting environment for social interactions, events and activities.
The center has an active school community that enjoys participating in various family events. Outdoor events have posed challenges in the past regarding sound and seating. Through the grant, the center will be able to install high-quality audio systems to create a lively and engaging atmosphere and ensure clarity and volume levels are suitable for diverse outdoor settings, accommodating both small gatherings and larger crowds. In addition, they will purchase additional adult seating options to enrich the comfort for all guests.
Housed on the Jewish Federation of Omaha campus, The Pennie Z. Davis Early Learning Center offers early childhood experiences for children ages six-weeks through five years. The center’s experienced staff, welcoming environment, outstanding facility and innovative programs provide an excellent introduction to a child’s learning experience.
The Pennie Z. Davis Early Learning Center received a grant in Fall 2024 for their ELC Outdoor Community Engagement Project. With this funding, the center will upgrade its
Lisa Cooper, Director of The Pennie Z. Davis Early Learning
Center, is grateful for the support from the Goldstein Supporting Foundation. “We are excited to see the lasting effect of this project, thanks to the generosity of the Goldstein Supporting Foundation,” states Lisa. “Our family events bring together many people, and with this new sound system, we’ll be able to enhance the experience for all attendees. We look forward to many future events where we can celebrate and unite with our community.”
Applications for Bucky & Caryl Greenberg Scholarship
PAM MONSKY
JCRC Assistant Director
Two $500 college scholarships will be awarded to eligible graduating high school seniors in the Omaha metro area who have demonstrated a passion for building inclusivity, respect and equity in thier school and community.
The completed application is due May 22, 2025, and can be accessed at https://www.jccoma ha.org/bucky-caryl-greenbergscholarship/
The Omaha Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) is offering this scholarship in memory of Barton (Bucky) & Caryl Greenberg, whose desire for ensuring civil rights and equality extended not only to the Jewish community, but to all people.
For more information or any questions, please contact Pam Monsky, JCRC Assistant Director, 402.334.6572, pmonsky@jewish omaha.org
Bucky and Caryl Greenberg
The 2024 ELC Sukkot party
A Thank You to Bob Nelson
AMY BERNSTEIN SHIVVERS
JFO Foundation Executive Director
In September 2012, Bob Nelson and Mike Murphy joined forces to establish Nelson Murphy Insurance & Investments. Their shared vision was to create a locally-owned, independent practice dedicated to simplifying the often-complex worlds of insurance, investments, and financial planning. This vision became the cornerstone of their firm, and over the past decade, they have built a reputation for their commitment to transparency, reliability, and client-focused service.
Bob Nelson’s connection to the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation predates his partnership with Mike Murphy. Bob began supporting The Foundation during the tenure of our first executive director, Jerry Rosen, in the early 1980s. As an expert in insurance, Bob quickly became a trusted resource for The Foundation, leveraging his extensive knowledge to help guide its insurance strategies donor by donor. Over the years, his unwavering commitment to the Jewish community has been a defining feature of his career.
Now, Bob is preparing to embark on his next chapter—a transition that isn’t a traditional retirement. His passion for his work and the fulfillment he derives from supporting families and multi-generational insurance needs remain as strong as ever. Bob will continue to provide guidance and counsel to The Foundation at no charge, ensuring the continuation of his invaluable contributions to the community. The Foundation’s gratitude for Bob’s dedication is immeasurable.
The Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation has greatly benefited from Bob’s expertise. Currently, the Foundation is the beneficiary of nearly 20 life insurance policies. Life insurance is an excellent vehicle for creating an after-lifetime gift, particularly for individuals under the age of 65. Here are some reasons why life insurance is a compelling option for charitable giving:
1. LEVERAGE FOR GREATER IMPACT: Life insurance allows donors to create a substantial legacy with relatively
UNO-JFO Book Display
CLAIRE DU LANEY
Criss Library Archives and Special Collections Outreach Archivist
UNO Criss Library Archives and Special Collections continues to curate periodic displays composed of books from the Kripke-Veret Collection of the Jewish Federation of Omaha throughout 2025. During February, explore books about Black History within a Jewish context on display on the first floor of Criss Library. These books contain stories, scholarly analysis, and historical and cultural intersections between Jewish communities and the Black experience in the United States and around the world. Find items about art, literature, civil rights, neighborhoods and growing up, political events, and much more. During Black History month, examine the many ways in which Black History is shared, amplified, and is unique from Jewish history.
The University of Nebraska at Omaha Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss Library became the home to the Kripke-Veret Collection in 2020. The books, donated by the Jewish Federation of Omaha (JFO), contains a hallmark selection of primarily scholarly Jewish works. With an estimated 36,500 volumes, the special collection is the largest donation of books ever to be received by UNO Criss Library Archives and Special Collections.
The collection items on display are listed below. There are many more books in the collection than can be displayed in a single case, and we invite you to visit the Archives and Special Collections department to learn more.
The cases are available to view on the first floor of Criss Library Monday - Thursday 7 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday 7 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday noon-10 p.m. Archives and Special Collections is open to the public Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. You can find KVCJF books in the library catalog.
modest premium payments. The death benefit can far exceed the total premiums paid, making it an efficient way to maximize charitable impact.
2. AFFORDABILITY: For younger donors, life insurance premiums are often quite affordable. This makes it possible to secure a significant after-lifetime gift without requiring a large upfront contribution.
3. TAX BENEFITS: Depending on the structure of the policy, donors may be able to receive income tax deductions for premium payments if the policy is owned by the charitable organization.
4. FLEXIBILITY: Life insurance policies can be tailored to fit the donor’s financial situation and philanthropic goals. Whether the donor transfers an existing policy or establishes a new one, the process is straightforward and customizable.
5. CERTAINTY: Unlike other forms of planned giving, life insurance provides a guaranteed benefit to the charitable organization upon the donor’s passing, offering peace of mind that their legacy will be realized.
Bob’s longstanding relationship with The Foundation serves as a reminder of the profound impact one individual can have on a community. Bob has also shown his appreciation to the Jewish community with a gift of life insurance to establish the Bob and Betsy Nelson Scholarship Fund for Jewish students of families attending the Pennie Z. Davis Child Early Learning Center preschool. Betsy has been Bob’s lifetime partner in everything and she started teaching at Montessori in 1985. Today, we salute Bob Nelson for his remarkable career and steadfast loyalty to the Jewish community. As Bob continues to support The Foundation in his next chapter, we are reminded of the power of dedication and the profound difference one person can make. Congratulations, Bob, on a career and life so richly defined by care, commitment, and community.
BOOK LIST
• Black Judaism: Story of an American Movement
• Jews and Blacks in the Early Modern World
• Dramatic Encounters: The Jewish Presence in Twentieth-Century American drama, poetry, and humor and the Black-Jewish literary relationship
• The Match: Althea Gibson and Angela Buxton: how two outsiders – one Black, the other Jewish – forged a friendship and made sports history
• The Image of the Black in Jewish Culture: a history of the other
• Diaspora and visual culture: representing Africans and Jews
• The Black Jews of Ethiopia: the last exodus
• Brownsville, Brooklyn: Blacks, Jews, and the changing face of the ghetto
• Black Harlem and the Jewish Lower East Side
• Jewish Roots and Southern Soil: A New History
• Chosen People: The Rise of American Black Israelite religion
• Blacks and Jews: Alliances and Arguments
• What Went Wrong? The Creation and Collapse of the BlackJewish Alliance
• In the Almost Promised Land
• The Black Jews of Harlem
• We Jews and Blacks: Memoirs with Poems
• No Monopoly on Suffering
Throwing bacon during antisemitic hate crime
PHILISSA CRAMER JTA
Police in the Melbourne, Australia, area have arrested a man who they say threw a “packet of bacon” at someone who interrupted his attempts at antisemitic graffiti. The arres is the latest in a string as police crack down on antisemitic incidents in Melbourne and Sydney, home to Australia’s two largest Jewish communities.
The incident took place in a park on Jan. 31. A 68-year-old man was seen allegedly scrawling “prejudice motivated graffiti” on a fence when “a passerby approached the male offender and was spat on and had a packet of bacon thrown at him,”
the statement said. He was charged with three crimes including “offensive graffiti.”
“There is absolutely no place at all in our society for antisemitic or hate-based symbols and behaviour,” the police statement said. “Police will always treat reports of such crime seriously.”
The mayor of the suburb where the incident took place said it was a “cowardly” attack meant to stir fear in local Jews who are already reeling from the arson of a prominent synagogue in December. Officials in Sydney say they believe actors paid by foreign governments are behind many of the recent antisemitic incidents there.
Anne Frank’s best friend dies
JTA
On June 15, 1942, days after receiving a diary for her 13th birthday, Anne Frank wrote that a classmate she had only recently met “is now my best friend.”
She and that friend, Jacqueline van Maarsen, promised to write each other goodbye letters if they were forced apart — which came to pass just weeks later. Frank went into hiding in Amsterdam in July, and wrote van Maarsen her farewell letter in the diary in September, wishing that “until we see each other again, we will always remain ‘best’ friends.”
“In her books and during school visits, Jacqueline spoke not only about her friendship with Anne but also about the dangers of antiSemitism and racism, and where they can lead.”
Van Maarsen was the daughter of a Jewish father and a mother who was raised Christian and converted to Judaism. Her mother managed to get her and her sister declared nonJewish in 1942, which enabled them to survive
That meeting never took place, as Frank was murdered by the Nazis in 1945. But beginning in 1986, van Maarsen began lecturing on the Holocaust and hate, and writing about her friendship with Frank.
On Feb. 14, the Anne Frank House announced that van Maarsen had died on Feb. 13, at age 96.
“Jacqueline was a classmate of Anne Frank at the Jewish Lyceum and shared her memories of their friendship throughout her life,” the institution, which is the official custodian of Frank’s legacy, said in a statement that included details about the friendship.
the war and Holocaust. Most of van Maarsen’s father’s family was killed by the Nazis.
After the war, she got married, had three children and worked as an acclaimed bookbinder. Later in life, she wrote multiple books about Frank, including 2008’s “My Name is Anne, She Said, Anne Frank.”
Van Maarsen stayed in touch with Frank’s father, Otto, and with the Anne Frank House.
In 2020, she laid the first stone of a Holocaust monument in Amsterdam. Last year, she donated a book of poetry from her youth to the institution. It included a poem written by her friend Anne.
HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS
PARENTS & SENIORS
We will be publishing our annual High School Graduation Class pages on May 23, 2025.To be included, email student and parents’ names, current high school and college you will attend with a photo to: jpress@jewishomaha.org by May 5, 2025.
New art on campus
ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press editor
Reaching for the stars Stars appear ever present above us and always beyond our grasp. And yet at times, we surrender our earthly concerns and aspire to the hope and strength of these heavens.
Larry Roots 2025
On Wednesday, February 5, a beautiful new sculpture was installed in the front walkway of the Staenberg Kooper Fellman Campus. In spite of the cold weather, it has considerably brightened our entrance.
Donated by Michael Staenberg, the piece title Reach for the Stars was created by artist Larry Roots.
“It perfectly encapsulates the work we do every day,” JFO CEO Bob Goldberg said, “and the concept of ‘reaching for the stars’ inspires us to always do more, each time we walk past it. I really think it encapsulates how I feel every day walking into this building wanting to be better than the day before, wanting to do more to impact the individuals we serve. I am so grateful to Michael for this
special gift. It will certainly inspire much thinking and conversation from all who enter our sacred space, which is exactly the purpose of art.”
The purpose, Michael Staenberg said, “is to remind everyone who sees it, to always reach as high as possible. When you aim for the stars, nothing is out of reach.”
Larry Roots is a full-time painter and sculptor who resides in Omaha. He earned his B.A. in painting from the Univesity of Northern Colorado where he was named Alumni of the Year in 2005 in the visual arts. He is also the owner and director of the Modern Arts Midtown Fine Art Gallery. Roots calls himself “an interdisciplinary artist working at will in a wide scope of visual interests, moving within nonobjective and figurative content.” He is also the creator behind the Three in Flight sculpture, located just to the right of our front entrance. Please come check out the new sculpture next time you visit our campus! Thank you again, Michael, for this amazing and inspiring gift.
Jacqueline van Maarsen smiles as she examines the first memorial brick in the Names Monument of Amsterdam, the Netherlands on Sept. 23. Credit: Holocaust Names Monument Netherlands.
Left and above: Dave Beecham has been a part of the Jewish Community Center’s campus for over 20 years as he worked on remodeling projects with Hawkins Construction for the Pennie Z. Davis Early Learning Center and took a full-time maintenance job at RBJH following the completion of the remodel in 2011. His attention to detail and exceptional carpentry skills can’t be beat. Let’s face it-the guy can fix or build anything. The campus will miss his hardworking skilled talent; his dedication and contributions are invaluable. Dave, may your new path be filled with opportunities and fulfillment.
SP O TLIGHT
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, left and below: Friedel Jewish Academy celebrated the 100th day of school! Kindergarten, first-grade, and second-grade students have been counting the days all school year and are celebrating throughout the day. Teachers dressed up for the occasion as something that turns
Above and below: Beth El youth spent a weekend at Gesher Kinnus in St. Paul, MN with 5th to 8th graders from EMTZA region and our amazing kids!
Top, above, below and bottom: Super Science Sunday with PJ Library Omaha was a blast! After the Omaha Children’s Museum’s Amazing Bubble Show, kids and their grownups painted with bubbles, had a bubble dance party with Hebrew music, and made bubble wands with their name in Hebrew.
100 years old in 2025.
Conversations for Change
ANG BENNETT
Senior Communications Manager
Please join Inclusive Communities for its third installment of The Jane H. and Rabbi Sidney H. Brooks Conversations for Change Series on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, from 10:3011:30 a.m. at the Holland Performing Arts Center in downtown Omaha.
The event features a onehour conversation between our featured guest, Emmy award winning actress and producer Storm Reid (Euphoria, The Last of Us, A Wrinkle in Time, Missing) and Inclusive Communities Executive Director, Cammy Watkins.
Jane H. and Rabbi Sidney H. Brooks were pillars of faith and unity; their belief in doing what is morally right led them into a life of advocacy, serving the Jewish and Omaha communities for over 50 years.
Jane H. Brooks worked effortlessly towards mental health awareness, equal housing, education, employment, and civil rights. Her leadership is reflected in the decades of board services that she dedicated to several area organizations and through the founding of the Eastern Nebraska Mental Health Association.
being released on Netflix where it quickly rose to #1 in the film category in many countries. She can be seen in a standout episode of the record-breaking HBO series The Last of Us, opposite Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal. Her performance on the show earned her an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. Reid also stars in Warner Bros’ The Nun 2. She can additionally be seen in the Emmy-winning Sam Levinson and MAX series Euphoria opposite Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney.
Reid and her mother, Robyn Simpson, launched A Seed & Wings Productions, an independent multimedia production house rooted in narratives that forge multi-cultural conversations, entertain, educate, and uplift. Their desire is to create authentic storytelling that is impactful, honest, and reflects the perspectives of all people.
The Jane H. & Rabbi Sidney H. Brooks Conversations for Change series brings thought leaders from around the world to Omaha to share their experiences around confronting prejudice, bigotry, and discrimination to build and strengthen the bridges between differing communities.
Sidney H. Brooks served as the rabbi of Temple Israel for thirty-three years until his retirement in 1985. His interfaith dialogues encouraged Jewish and non-Jewish people to connect and better understand each other. In addition, he used the teachings of the Torah to address contemporary social issues. Rabbi Brooks’ steadfast commitment to diversity and inclusion through interfaith dialogue earned him the Humanitarian of the Year Award in 1981 from the National Coalition of Christians and Jews, Midlands Chapter, now known to many as Inclusive Communities.
Emmy award-winning actress and producer Storm Reid starred in the Sony thriller Missing, released theatrically before
Israeli Chef visit
JAY KATELMAN
Director of Community Development
Please mark your calendars, and sign up for two wonderful cooking experiences from Israeli chef Uri Arnold. Uri is the chef and co-owner of two restaurants in the Western Galilee, including ‘Roots’ in the Old City of Akko, and ‘Arnold’s’ in Moshav Netiv HaShayara. In addition, he is one of the founders of “The Tourism Association in the Western Galilee.”
Uri will be traveling from Israel to Omaha through our Western Galilee Partnership2 Gether program. We will be hosting two kosher events in the Shirley and Leonard Goldstein Community Engagement Venue at the Staenberg Omaha Jewish Community Center on March 10 and 11. On March 10, Uri will be cooking a threecourse buffet-style meal. The meal will consist of a first course of challah, salad, hummus, and hot and fresh falafel. For the main course, he will serve lamb stew on rice and chicken stew with sumac and onion on laffa. For dessert, there is malaby and a halva parfait. A vegetarian option of whole eggplant in tahini with shawarma mushrooms on top is also available. “I have always been involved in multicultural culinary initiatives,” Uri said, “such as hosting Arab chefs in my kitchen,
Established in 2022 through a gift from Miriam Brooks honoring her parents, Jane H. and Rabbi Sidney H. Brooks, Conversations for Change debuted in 2023 with actor Kal Penn at Omaha’s Holland Center and amplifies voices in the Arts and Humanities who challenge prejudice, bigotry, and discrimination through their work, fostering dialogue to bridge diverse communities.
Conversations for Change is held mid-day on weekdays to accommodate schools and employers bringing groups from communities up to three hours from Omaha.
The event is free and open to the public. Attendees may park in nearby parking structures or on the street.
For more information, please visit inclusive-communities.org
accompanying, and advising Druze businesses, the Roots restaurant which I opened together with two local chefs- a Christian chef and a Muslim chef, and many others.”
This event is open to the entire Jewish community, and we
encourage those interested to go to jewishomaha.org or email jkatelman@jewishomaha.org to sign up. We will start with a beer and wine reception at 6 p.m., with dinner from 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. Get your tickets for only $36 per person before they sell out. This event is limited to the first 60 people. On March 11, Uri will hold a food demonstration featuring Galilee cuisine from noon to 1:30 p.m. Registration is free and RSVPs are required. Please visit jewishomaha.org or email jkatelman@jewishomaha.org to sign up. Spots are limited, so sign up today. We look forward to seeing you at one or both amazing events.
Jane and Rabbi Sidney Brooks
Uri Arnold
Voices
The Jewish Press
(Founded in 1920)
David Finkelstein
President
Annette van de Kamp-Wright
Editor
Richard Busse
Creative Director
Claire Endelman
Sales Director
Lori Kooper-Schwarz
Assistant Editor
Sam Kricsfeld
Digital support
Mary Bachteler
Accounting
Jewish Press Board
David Finkelstein, President; Margie Gutnik, Ex-Officio; Helen Epstein, Andrea Erlich, Ally Freeman, Dana Gonzales, Mary Sue Grossman, Hailey Krueger, Chuck Lucoff, Larry Ring, Melissa Schrago, Suzy Sheldon and Stewart Winograd.
The mission of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to build and sustain a strong and vibrant Omaha Jewish Community and to support Jews in Israel and around the world. Agencies of the JFO are: Institute for Holocaust Education, Jewish Community Relations Council, Jewish Community Center, Jewish Social Services, Nebraska Jewish Historical Society and the Jewish Press Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page stories and announcements, can be found online at: www.jewishomaha.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.
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No Excuses
ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT
Jewish Press Editor
In the USA, if you want to make the news, you can still do so by making outrageous antisemitic comments. Kanye West is an example; he once again tweeted (I refuse to call it ‘X’) a bunch of hatefilled nonsense, praised Hitler and apparently was selling swastika t-shirts on his website, for which he bought a Super Bowl ad.
Let it sink in. While we still don’t have all our hostages back, while Israel is still being treated like dirt by most of the world’s governments, Kanye West was allowed to purchase a Super Bowl ad for swastika T-shirts. And that ad was shown on one of the nation’s biggest platforms.
“Yet this week announced that he had been diagnosed with autism,” Philissa Cramer wrote for the JTA, “following a rocky appearance at the Grammys. He had previously blamed a bipolar disorder diagnosis for his antisemitic comments, which people who have worked with him say he has also made in person.”
That’s insulting to people who actually have either of these diagnoses, and also, being on the spectrum or suffering from bipolar disorder does not make one antisemitic.
But back to the part where this makes the news. Sure, most of this is because of Kanye’s past behavior. He is the kind of famous trainwreck most media know draws readers and viewers. Remember when Britney shaved her head, remember when Michael Jackson died, remember Anna Nicole Smith? So, there’s that. Scandal, rubbernecking, bad behavior
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.
that reminds us we are delightfully normal ourselves—it’s never going away. If it did, there would be no more need for that magazine stand in the supermarket checkout lane. Or over half of the social media content.
Here’s the key: it’s Kanye who draws attantion, not the antisemitism he displays. It’s not because people are horrified by what he says, it’s because they are entertained by what he says.
However, we would be ill-advised to think of this as just another example of some celebrity going off the rails. When his account (it’s no longer there) was still active over Super Bowl weekend, he had 32 million followers. Kanye is just one man. His followers on the other hand, that’s a lot of hate. And you can tell me they might not all agree with the things he spouts, but I am not so sure. Why would you follow him to begin with if you didn’t share his views? It’s not like he just came up with this yesterday. On the other hand, if there are 32 million people here and perhaps a few other countries who hate us, that’s a bit of a lowball figure, isn’t it?
What really bothers me is that, looking at people like Kanye West, I am reminded of a time when we all thought antisemites were just dumb. They were drunk (hello, Mel Gibson), or on drugs, and it allowed them to show their true colors. The main reason to show antisemitism was because your life was off the rails. No one in their right mind would think this way about us, let alone say it out loud. And we were incredibly naïve in thinking so. We have to stop categorizing antisemites. We can no longer ask whether we should take certain people seriously when they say they hate us. We should take all of it seriously. I don’t care if it’s someone famous or the neighbor, if it’s a so-called momentary lapse in judgment or a deep-seated belief, or if it “wasn’t meant that way.” It doesn’t matter if it’s born of ignorance or if they have a “Jewish friend.” I am done. Hate is hate, no matter how you dress it up, and we no longer have the luxury of seeing any of it as “antisemitism light.”
My Jewish family was forced out of our homeland. We must not let Gazans suffer the same fate.
HEN MAZZIG
JTA
I grew up on stories of exile. My family was forced out of Iraq and Tunisia for being Jewish — homes stolen, communities erased and history rewritten. To this day, too many people insist it was “voluntary migration,” as if nearly a million Jews in Arab lands simply woke up one morning and decided to leave behind centuries of roots, culture and history.
I’ve spent years pushing back against that erasure, making it clear that my family and so many others were forced to leave. And yet, today, I see a disturbing echo of that same denial. The same people who overlooked Mizrahi Jews’ suffering are now casually advocating for the forced displacement of Palestinians as “the only option” to deal with Hamas’s terror. Reactions to President Donald Trump’s statement about removing Palestinians from Gaza ranged from some voices applauding it as a necessary step — one online commentator even told me it was time to “try something new to solve this conflict” — to anti-Israel activists using it as “evidence” of Israeli intentions, to extremists on both sides seizing it to justify their absolutist solutions for this conflict. I see things differently, because I don’t have to imagine what forced displacement does to a people. I see it in my own family, even 75 years later. My grandmother still speaks of Baghdad — not just as a city, but as her other homeland that was taken from her. The trauma of being uprooted never left her, nor did the deep pain of knowing that an entire world of Jewish life in Iraq was erased in a single generation. Yes, we rebuilt. Yes, Israel gave my family refuge. But what was lost can never be fully regained. This is what’s missing from the argument that Palestinians would be “better off” leaving Gaza — that they would have safer, more comfortable lives if they were resettled elsewhere. It’s the same logic that was used to justify the expulsion of Jews from Arab lands. And while my family may have found security in Israel, that doesn’t mean the original trauma was justified. Nor does it account for the cultural and communal annihilation that came with it. The destruction of Gaza under Hamas’s rule is
undeniable. But forced displacement doesn’t solve that problem — it only ensures that the pain and resentment of this war will last for generations. I am not blind to the fact that anti-Zionists today demand the ethnic cleansing of Jews from Israel. Not only is that hateful, but it fundamentally denies the Jewish people’s historic connection to the land of Israel. That’s racism. And it’s unacceptable.
Indeed, the loudest voices in the “Free Palestine” movement aren’t calling for a two-state solution. They’re not talking about peace. They want Israel gone. They want Jewish sovereignty erased. They don’t see Oct. 7 as an atrocity, they see it as a model.
But you don’t fight anti-Zionist eliminationism with eliminationist rhetoric of your own. You don’t counter the fantasy of erasing Israel by proposing the same for Gaza.
That’s not strength. That’s surrender — to the idea that this is a zero-sum war where one side must be erased for the other to survive.
— especially online — think it’s real. And that’s a serious threat to us.
Because when these extreme ideas enter the mainstream, they don’t just fade away. They stick. They fuel conspiracies. They get used to paint all Jews as complicit in a plan that doesn’t even exist. And once again, we become the scapegoat.
I am not talking about efforts — if they exist — to give Gazans who wish to seek refuge elsewhere the ability to do so. That is their right. I am talking about the fantasy that all Palestinians in Gaza will be wiped out or relocated to some as-yet-undetermined place, as if that were a serious solution.
Of course, the plan to displace Gazans is unlikely to end up getting carried out.
Let’s be honest: Relocating Palestinians from Gaza is never going to happen. No Arab country will get on board. Saudi Arabia rushed to release a statement making it clear they won’t normalize relations with Israel without a Palestinian state. Egypt and Jordan have always said they won’t take in Palestinians from Gaza. No American administration — least of all one that ran on ending wars and tightening borders — will commit troops to enforce it or open the gates to Palestinian refugees.
This is political theater.
But here’s the real danger: While world leaders understand this is just bluster, the people watching
Political leaders pushing these ideas aren’t protecting Jews. They’re making us targets.
Jews deserve better than to be associated with unrealistic, cruel proposals that will almost certainly never happen but will absolutely be used against us.
And if there’s one thing I know from my family’s history, it’s that displacement only creates new wounds; it does not heal old ones.
The more we entertain the idea that one side must be erased for the other to live, the further we get from any future that isn’t defined by endless war.
There are no magic wands here. No shortcuts. And no amount of forced migration — of Jews or Palestinians — will bring the peace we all deserve.
The only way forward is to dismantle Hamas, empower Palestinian leaders who reject extremism and invest in a long-term solution where both peoples can live with security, dignity and self-determination.
and the
of
a non-profit dedicated to combating hate and misinformation
Hen Mazzig is an Israeli author
founder
TLVi.org,
online.
At left, an Iraqi Jewish family in Baghdad in 1910 Credit: Jewish Chronicle/Heritage Images/Getty Images. At right: Hen Mazzig in Israel with his mother, Cami, and his grandmother Hela, a Jewish refugee from Iraq who was forced to leave her home in Baghdad in 1951. Credit: Reli Abrahami
Jeff Hostetler in Super Bowl 1984. We thought it was better than a photo of Kanye.
Was the Jewish Bronx the ‘paradise’ that it seemed?
ANDREW SILOW-CARROLL
JTA
In 1930, the Bronx was 50% Jewish. It’s a statistic that always surprises me, partly because the intense Jewish nostalgia over the Lower East Side and Brooklyn overshadows the Bronx, and partly because, unlike the Lower East Side and Brooklyn, there are many fewer Jews still living there or active remnants of the borough’s Jewish heyday.
In Paradise Bronx, Ian Frazier’s new and moving history of the borough, that heyday fell “approximately between the arrival of paving in the 1910s and the completion of the Cross Bronx Expressway in 1963,” which carved a canyon through the heart of the Bronx’s vibrant if by-then struggling ethnic communities. A building boom in the 1910s and ’20s held down rents and boosted more than half a million Jews up another rung on the ladder. If they didn’t have jobs in the Garment District they opened small businesses in the ground floors of the new buildings. They built “splendid synagogues,” writes Frazier, “in architectural styles previously never seen in these regions.”
This was the era of “the front-stoop Bronx,” where “neighbors sat outside in the evenings and kids played games in the street.” Families paraded on the Grand Concourse, the borough’s Champs-Élysées, catching a movie at Loew’s Paradise Theater or the Ascot, sipping sodas at Krum’s, or gathering outside the synagogues on Shabbat and holidays.
The Jewish communities he describes are almost unrecognizable from the ones we know today. Many of the Bronx’s Jews were not just liberals but leftists, leading rent strikes against greedy landlords. There were machers, of course, but most of the Jews were working- and middle-class, and it was their kids who would go on to become professionals and writers, academics and money managers.
Frazier is my favorite New Yorker writer, and journalism’s greatest enthusiast. He seems to have walked every block of the borough in the decade he wrote the book, and talked to nearly all of its 1.4 million residents. Jews play only a small part in the book, which traces the Bronx’s history from the Colonial era through its decline and recovery over the past 60 years. The book is a celebration of what cities can be, and an indictment of the political and economic actors who too often aid and abet their demise.
And it is a gentle reminder to cool it with the nostalgia. At least in the memories of the second- and third-generation Jewish children who grew up there, it was a place to leave behind — a reminder that a parent’s “paradise” can be a child’s purgatory. “It was the bleakness of expectation, the stultified vision and resented courage, that dragged us — the children — down, and made us hate the place,” the writer Vivian Gornick
wrote in a 2001 New York Times essay about growing up in the West Farms area:
Our longing to get out of the Bronx was intense, and it induced, paradoxically, a solidarity that many were to carry well into other lives: the inevitable mixed legacy of the ghetto. For that’s what the Bronx was for us: a working-class ghetto destined to be deserted by its young. By the time I graduated from college, nearly everyone I’d grown up with was gone, and the neighborhood itself was on its way down into the kind of urban defeat that has, over the last three decades, made headlines.
The cartoonist, screenwriter and playwright Jules Feiffer, who died last month at 95, grew up in the Soundview area. He also spoke about his reasons for leaving what he called a “prison,” from the bland food his mother overcooked to the conformist lessons imparted by his public school teachers. “All the kids I grew up with, everybody I knew, as poor as we were, all of us assumed we’d do well,” he told the Yiddish Book Center in 2017. “All of us assumed this was temporary and we’re going to find our way out of here [the Bronx] and we’re going to be an American, and we’ll be successful Americans and we’ll be part of that American dream, which was very important to us.”
And while Feiffer says he got a lot more out of the public library than the synagogue, he didn’t see leaving as an escape from being Jewish – but rather, from the insular, “oppressive” Jewishness he knew at home to the “smart-ass, funny, wiseguy” Jewishness he found in Manhattan. Leaving “was not at odds with being Jewish,” he said, but a rejection of “the notion of being a Bronx Jew.”
The Bronx, like its Jewish community, didn’t disappear, but became something new, first for the worse, then for the better. “The borough’s population is more than 85 percent Black and
brown today,” writes Frazier. Thousands of buildings burned during the violence and municipal neglect of the 1960s and ’70s; heroic neighborhood associations and local activists led efforts to restore many of those burned-out blocks as havens for immigrants and the working class. Now when buildings are razed the culprit is less likely to be an arsonist or faulty wiring than a luxury developer.
The Jews, meanwhile, did well indeed, building new communities in the suburbs, or modern-day “front-stoop” neighborhoods like the Upper West Side and Park Slope in Brooklyn. (Most big cities have a similar story to tell.) New kinds of Jewish neighborhoods include tight-knit Modern Orthodox enclaves like the Bronx’s Riverdale section (which, oddly, Frazier doesn’t mention) and Teaneck, New Jersey, and intensely inward-looking (and ever-growing) shtetls like Brooklyn’s Borough Park and exurban New York’s Kiryas Joel. Russian Jews in Brighton Beach and Persian Jews in Los Angeles made something new. South Florida is quickly becoming its own kind of Jewish paradise.
And if non-Orthodox Jews are no longer living in “ghettos,” they find each other not because they are bunching as Jews but as members of the college-educated class.
I grew up in a white suburb where Jews were plentiful but a minority. As an adult I gravitated toward more intensely Jewish neighborhoods, including Riverdale; most of the kids I grew up with did not. That’s a Jewish trend, too: A minority of Jews are making more “Jewish” choices, while the majority do not prioritize Jewish neighborhoods or institutions. The new “ghettos” are hotbeds of Jewish growth: The percentage of American Jews who identify as Orthodox is expected to swell from 12% today to an estimated 29% in 2063, while the percentage of Reform, Conservative and unaffiliated Jews is expected to decline. It will be seen whether today’s concerns over Jewish safety and belonging alter this trend.
Paradise Bronx recalls a different, even short-lived era, when economics, familiarity, discrimination and expanding opportunity drew Jews to create a vast ethnic enclave, no matter their religious choices. For my money, the book’s greatest gift is its reminder that cities and communities are fluid, everchanging things — which is either a warning to enjoy them while you can, to stop wallowing in nostalgia or, occasionally, to get out while the getting is good.
Andrew Silow-Carroll is editor at large of the New York Jewish Week and managing editor for Ideas for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.
I was raised on Peter Yarrow’s songs but don’t think Jewish communities should sing them
MARY ZAMORE
JTA
Like many Americans of my age, I was raised on Peter, Paul, and Mary’s music.
Puff The Magic Dragon Leaving on a Jet Plane, and Lemon Tree were as much a part of my childhood as Mr. Rogers and sugary breakfast cereals. As I got older, and more involved in the Jewish community, I learned about Peter, Paul, and Mary’s activism, their support of civil rights and of the Soviet Jewry movement. I learned new songs, written by Peter (Yarrow) that touched on his Jewish background both explicitly (Light One Candle) or more implicitly (Day is Done). I saw Yarrow sing for Jewish audiences, and I appreciated it.
And somewhere along the way, I learned that Yarrow was convicted in 1970 of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl when he was over 30.
Yarrow died earlier this year at age 86. This week would mark the end of shloshim, Judaism’s 30-day mourning period, for Yarrow, and as his family and friends transition from their most intensive stage of mourning, it is a fitting time to examine his complex legacy and to view it in the context of others whose music is often used in our synagogues and public spaces.
The question of how we reconcile artists’ abhorrent actions with their artistic legacy is not unique to Yarrow. Within the Jewish community alone, we have and are wrestling with the same issue concerning the music of Shlomo Carlebach, and of Bonia Shur, one of the Reform Movement’s foremost liturgical composers. Specifically, there is an ongoing debate about the appropriateness of using their music. That decision is difficult for many individuals; it is even harder for organizations.
The three situations are far from identical. Yarrow was convicted, served time in jail, received a presidential pardon and explicitly acknowledged and apologized, albeit weakly, for his actions. (Another woman has alleged a similar assault.) Neither Carlebach nor Shur was publicly accused of sexual misconduct in their lifetimes, and neither was convicted of sexual abuse, but there is unassailable evidence that they both imposed themselves physically on women — multiple women — against their will.
Many members of the community cannot imagine themselves without the music or charismatic leadership of these perpetrators, even in death. And so they prioritize the perpetrator over the victims, over the communal standards of safety for our communities.
Although different, all three cases raise related, and complex, questions. Different organizations will likely answer them differently, and, therefore, reach different conclusions. But what is critical is that our institutions take the process of wrestling with them seriously. It would be piling victimization upon vic-
timization if we were to conclude that the analysis is too difficult, throwing up our hands and walking away. Ignoring the abusive conduct would be the greatest insult to the victims. Rather we can and must recognize that our Jewish values — such as tzedek (justice), rachamim (compassion) and emet (truth) — as well as our practical experience in too many cases — point to at least four fundamental principles for organizations, including synagogues, to uphold.
First, our approach must put the victims of abuse at the center of our concern. As a community grounded in justice, we cannot allow our love for some music, or affection for its composers, to outweigh the harm which was inflicted. By using their music, we signal that we value the music more than we value the victim, or that we do not believe the victim.
Second, no abuser should ever be given a “pass” because of
their position, the absence of legal adjudication, or how much they have otherwise contributed to the community. Abuse cannot be blinked away by reference to “eccentricities”; “We were physically close to him, and he did NOT try anything on us” is not an adequate response. At a bare minimum we must ensure that the victims are not forgotten, which means talking openly about the abusive conduct.
Third, we must weigh the very real costs of using this music — the continuing harm being done to victims, and the appearance of organizational approval of the conduct — against the benefit. Some of the music is beautiful, powerful and evocative. But surely there are other melodies our congregations can choose that will have similar impact.
Fourth, we must be mindful that those accused of abusive behavior are entitled to organizational due process. While I believe victims who come forward, I also believe it is appropriate to have accusations considered by independent external investigations. Such investigations are especially important since, so often, abusers have actually been protected by Jewish institutions. Once an independent investigation has shared its report publicly, we, the greater Jewish community, must accept and uphold the findings.
Let me conclude by sharing where I land on the specific issue of music. There may come a time when it would feel appropriate to use the music of abusive composers in our institutions — perhaps after their direct victims have passed away. But not now. Not today. To lend an institutional heksher (seal of approval) now is premature and disrespectful to those who suffered. Let us instead honor the core values of our tradition and keep those harmed at the center of our decisions, not sidelined in favor of a legacy they cannot separate from their pain — no matter how moving it might feel to sing “Light One Candle” at Hanukkah.
Mary Zamore is the executive director of the Women’s Rabbinic Network, the organization of Reform female, nonbinary, and genderfluid rabbis, supporting and advocating its members and their values.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.
The J. S. Krum soda fountain and candy store at 2468 Grand Concourse in the Bronx, shown here circa 1935, was a mainstay of the borough when its population was 50 percent Jewish. Credit: Jay Florian Mitchell/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Peter Yarrow holds a guitar with a set list taped to it during a performance at City Vineyard in New York City, Jan. 9, 2018. Credit: Al Pereira/Getty Images
B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE
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BETH EL SYNAGOGUE
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BETH ISRAEL
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Monthly Speaker Series Service, Friday, March 14, 7:30 p.m. with our guest speaker. Our service leader is Larry Blass. Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel!
For information about our historic synagogue, please visit our website at www.cblhs.org or contact any of our other board members: Renee Corcoran, Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Janie Kulakofsky, Howard Kutler, Carole and Wayne Lainof, Ann Moshman, MaryBeth Muskin, Debbie Salomon and Sissy Silber. Handicap Accessible.
Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman.
IN-PERSON AND ZOOM MINYAN SCHEDULE:
Mornings on Sundays, 9:30 a.m.; Mondays and Thursdays, 7 a.m.; Evenings on Sunday-Thursday, 5:30 p.m.
FRIDAY: Pre-Neg & Tot Shabbat, 5:30 p.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream.
SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Services and Bat Mitzvah of Hannah Whyte 10 a.m. at Beth El and Live Stream; Jr. Congregation (Grades K-12), 10 a.m.; Joe’s Karting (Grades 8-12), 6:30 p.m.; Havdalah, 6:40 p.m. Beth El and Zoom.
SUNDAY: Hamantaschen Bake, 9:30 a.m.; BESTT (Grades K-7), 9:30 a.m.; Hands-On Judaism, 10:30 a.m. with Hazzan Krausman.
TUESDAY: Mishneh Torah, 10:30 a.m. with Rabbi Abraham
WEDNESDAY: BESTT (Grades 3-7), 4 p.m.; Hebrew High (Grades 8-12), 6 p.m.; Gesher Lounge Night (Grades 6-8), 6 p.m.
FRIDAY-Feb. 28: Nebraska AIDS Project Lunch, 11:30 a.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream.
SATURDAY-Mar. 1: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m. at Beth El and Live Stream; Jr. Congregation (Grades K-12), 10 a.m.; Havdalah, 6:50 p.m. Beth El and Zoom. Please visit bethel-omaha.org for additional information and service links.
FRIDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat/Candlelighting, 5:48 p.m.
SATURDAY: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat 10:30 a.m.; Youth Class 10:45 a.m.; Soulful Torah, 4:55 p.m.; Mincha, 5:40 p.m.; Kids Activity/Laws of Shabbos 6:10 p.m.; Havdalah, 6:49 p.m.
SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:50 p.m.
MONDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Monday Mind Builders, 4 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:50 p.m.
TUESDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv 5:50 p.m.
WEDNESDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:40 p.m.; Board of Directors Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
THURSDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Character Development, 9:30 a.m.; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 5:50 p.m.
FRIDAY-Feb. 28: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat/Candlelighting, 5:56 p.m.
SATURDAY-Mar. 1: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:30 a.m.; Youth Class, 10:45 a.m.; Soulful Torah, 5:05 p.m. with Rabbi Geiger; Mincha 5:50 p.m.; Kids Activity/Laws of Shabbos, 6:20 p.m.; Havdalah, 6:57 p.m. Please visit orthodoxomaha.org for additional information and Zoom service links.
All services are in-person. All classes are being offered in-person and via Zoom (ochabad.com/academy). For more information or to request help, please visit www.ochabad.com or call the office at 402.330.1800.
FRIDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Lechayim, 5 p.m. go to ochabad.com/Lechayim to join; Candlelighting, 5:48 p.m.
SATURDAY: Shacharit, 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 6:48 p.m.; Ladies’ Night Out, 8 p.m., contact Mushka at mushka@ochabad. com for further details.
SUNDAY: Sunday Morning Wraps, 9 a.m.
MONDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Personal Parsha, 9:30 a.m. with Shani Katzman; Intermediate Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Parsha Reading, 6 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Translating Words of Prayer, 7 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen.
TUESDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Translating Words of Prayer, 11 a.m. with David Cohen; Intermediate Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 6 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Introductory Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 7 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen.
WEDNESDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Mystical Thinking (Tanya), 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Katzman; Introductory Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Parsha Reading, 11:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen.
THURSDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Introduction to Alphabet, Vowels & Reading Hebrew, 10 a.m.; Advanced Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 11 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Talmud Study, noon-1 p.m. with Rabbi Katzman; Introduction to Alphabet, Vowels & Reading Hebrew, 6 p.m.; Code of Jewish Law Class, 7 p.m.
FRIDAY-Feb. 28: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Lechayim, 5 p.m. go to ochabad.com/Lechayim to join; Candlelighting, 5:39 p.m.; Cteen International Shabbaton, contact Mushka at mushka@ochabad.com for further details.
SATURDAY-Mar. 1: Shacharit, 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Cteen International Shabbaton; Shabbat Ends, 6:56 p.m.
LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN & TIFERETH ISRAEL
Services facilitated by Rabbi Alex Felch. All services offered in-person with live-stream or teleconferencing options.
FRIDAY: Shabbat Candlelighting, 5:42 p.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6:30-7:30 p.m. led by Rabbi Alex at SST.
SATURDAY: Shabbat Service, 9:30-11 a.m. led by Rabbi Alex at TI; Torah Study, noon on Parshat Mishpatim led by TBD via Zoom; Havdalah, 6:51 p.m.
SUNDAY: LJCS Classes, 9:30-11:30 a.m. at TI; Men’s Bike/Coffee Group, 10:30 a.m. at The Mill on the Innovation Campus. For more information or questions please email Al Weiss at albertw801@gmail.com; Adult Ed: Intro to Judaism Class, noon at TI. Please
contact Rabbi Alex to register or to ask any questions you may have.
TUESDAY: Ladies' Lunch, 1 p.m. at Afghan Village Cuisine, 3111 O St. If you'd like more information or be added to the group please contact at oohhmmm. barb@gmail.com; Lecture: Hitler's Children: Germa ny's Reckoning with its Nazi Past, 5–7 p.m. at UNL Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center, 1505 S St, Lincoln.
WEDNESDAY: LJCS Hebrew School, 4:30-6 p.m. at TI; Jewish Themes Through Jewish Films Movie Night, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at SST.
FRIDAY-Feb. 28: Shabbat Candlelighting, 5:59 p.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6:30-7:30 p.m. led by Rabbi Alex at SST.
SATURDAY-Mar. 1: Shabbat Service, 9:30-11 a.m. led by Rabbi Alex at TI; Torah Study, noon on Parshat Terumah led by TBD via Zoom; Havdalah, 6:59 p.m.
FRIDAYS: Virtual Shabbat Service, 7:30 p.m. every first and third of the month at Capehart Chapel. Contact TSgt Jason Rife at OAFBJSLL@icloud.com for more information.
In-person and virtual services conducted by Rabbi Benjamin Sharff, Rabbi Deana Sussman Berezin, and Cantor Joanna Alexander.
FRIDAY: Drop-In Mah Jongg, 9 a.m. In-Person; Tot Shabbat, 5:45 p.m. In-Person; Classic Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. In-Person & Zoom.
SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. In-Person; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. In-Person & Zoom.
SUNDAY: Grades PreK-7, 9:30 a.m. In-Person; Coffee & Conversations with Board Members, 10 a.m. InPerson; Temple Tots, 10 a.m. In-Person; Prayer Preparation: Chanting & Reading Prayer, 1 p.m. InPerson; Rosh Chodesh Event, 1 p.m. at Joslyn Art Museum. RSVP Required. In-Person.
TUESDAY: Gender Dynamics of the Israel-Hamas War, 7 p.m. In-Person.
WEDNESDAY: Yarn It, 9 a.m. In-Person; Grades 36, 4:30 p.m. In-Person; Hebrew High: Grades 8-12, 6 p.m. In-Person; How the Israelites Became The Jews, 6:30 p.m. In-Person & Zoom.
THURSDAY: The Zohar: Thursday Morning Class 11 a.m. with Rabbi Sharff and Rabbi Azriel — In-Person & Zoom; Hamantaschen Bake, 4 p.m. In-Person.
FRIDAY-Feb. 28: Drop-In Mah Jongg, 9 a.m. InPerson; Rock Shabbat featuring Shul of Rock Band, 6 p.m. In-Person & Zoom.
SATURDAY-Mar. 1: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. In-Person; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. In-Person & Zoom. Please visit templeisraelomaha.com for additional information and Zoom service links.
OBITUARY CHANGES
As of January 1, 2025, the Jewish Press will charge $180 for the inclusion of standard obituaries, up to 400 words. Photos may be included if the family so wishes. For many years, we have held off on making this decision. However, it is no longer financially responsible for us to include obituaries at no charge. For questions, please email avandekamp@ jewishomaha.org. Obituaries in the Jewish Press are included in our print edition as well as our website at www.omahajewishpress.com
Nature reveals the unseen effects of Israel’s wars
DEBORAH DANAN
JTA | HULA VALLEY, Israel
The trees abutting the road leading to Biriya Forest, a nature preserve in northern Israel, at first resemble spruces turning autumnal shades of red, a sight reminiscent of landscapes in America or Europe but rare in Israel.
A closer look, however, reveals that the trees are only charred remnants — the devastating result of rocket-induced wildfires that destroyed thousands of acres of forest while Israel battled Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Fires break out every year in this forest, which like many others across Israel was planted by the Jewish National Fund, known today as KKL-JNF — but they are usually brought under control quickly. This year, with the local population evacuated and weather conditions unusually extreme, things played out differently.
Starting around May, as temperatures rose, nearly every rocket fired from Lebanon was likely to ignite a fire. And it wasn’t just the rockets themselves: Israeli interceptors exploded overhead, scattering fragments that ignited at multiple points within the forest. The combination of unusual winds, scorching heat and low humidity created a perfect storm that has disrupted entire ecosystems, affected wildlife habitats and undone years of work by foresters aimed at increasing biodiversity.
“We literally witnessed their life’s work go up in smoke,” said Eli Hafuta, director of the Upper Galilee and Golan Region at KKL-JNF, which was founded in 1901 to cultivate Jewish-owned land in the region and today owns 13% of all land in Israel.
“It’s a devastating sight to watch trees that have stood for 70 or 80 years go up in flames,” Hafuta said. “Even younger trees can be reduced to ashes in just 15 minutes.”
The scorched earth in Biriya Forest reflects just one of many environmental effects of nearly a year and a half of war for Israel. Less visible than the lives lost, injuries sustained and homes destroyed has been devastation to flora and fauna in both Israel’s north and south.
The cascading effects continued this week as the splashy kickoff for a new forest in the western Negev to honor war victims, timed to the Jewish environmental holiday of Tu Bishvat on Thursday, was canceled amid rising security threats in the region. A handful of Israeli officials are instead holding a smaller planting ceremony in the western Negev, at a site named for an officer killed on Oct. 7, 2023. But perhaps nowhere has the war’s effect on Israeli ecosystems been more pronounced than at the Agamon Hula Valley Nature Reserve, famed for its mesmerizing bird migrations.
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B’NAI ISRAEL
BETH EL
BETH ISRAEL
CHABAD HOUSE
Life cycles
Rabbi Geiger’s Weekly Torah Expedition
PARSHAT MISHPATIM
After a near-fatal horseback riding accident, Christopher Reeve wakes up paralyzed in the hospital. He turns to his wife and says, “I understand.” “What do you mean?” she asks. “I understand if you want to divorce me.” “What in the world are you talking about”? With tears in his eyes, Christopher says, “I’m not Superman anymore.” She said, “I didn’t marry you because you are Superman.”
RABBI MORDECHAI GEIGER
Beth Israel
While this may seem a beautifully romantic story, it encapsulates the essence of the authentic Jewish perspective. We do not see things on
CADEN DAVID SMOLINSKY
Caden David Smolinsky, son of Jessica and Cliff Smolinsky of Snoqualmie, WA, will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at Temple de Hirsch Sinai in Bellevue, WA.
Caden is in seventh grade and is active in karate, acting, piano, and playing trombone in his middle school band. In his spare time, he can be found playing Fortnite and other video games.
For his mitzvah project, Caden is collecting stuffed animals to take to patients at Seattle Children's Hospital.
He has a sister, Aria, 10.
Grandparents are Jill and Mark Belmont of Omaha, and Ken Smolinsky and Gail Zemble of Prescott Valley, AZ. Great-grandparents are Barbara and Marshall Kushner of Omaha.
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the surface but rather look deeper into their essence. In fact, in this week's Parsha, when we receive the Torah, we are told that “the nation saw the sounds” (Exodus 20-15). How are we to understand that the Jewish people saw sounds? Rabbi Chiam of Veloshin explains we are creatures of sight. As the famous saying goes, seeing is believing. The Jewish people believed in the words of G-d as though they had seen them. It is our mission not just to take things at face value, but to listen for deeper meaning. Our appreciation of each other must be more than skin deep. We must hear the soul that emanates from deep within each of us. The sounds of this world must be as valuable as the sights. For in truth, the real me is not the super cool Nissan Altima I drive, nor my hairstyle. The real me is not something you see but rather something you hear, my soul.
Shabbat Shalom.
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BAT MITZVAH
Key priorities unveiled in 2024 JCRC Community Survey
PAM MONSKY
JCRC Assistant Director
The Jewish Community Relations Council’s (JCRC) recent Community Survey revealed unity and diversity within the Omaha Jewish community. Over 200 respondents from the Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and other streams of Jewish affiliation completed the brief survey, which was composed and analyzed by Tracie Reding, Director of Research at the University of Nebraska-Omaha’s STEM TRAIL center.
Eighty-five % of survey respondents were 40 years old or older, reflecting diverse perspectives and experiences. More than half of the participants were women, and 36.6% were men. Reform and Conservative responses were a near-tie at 39 and 40 percent, with Orthodox responses at nine percent.
When asked to select the top seven areas of advocacy and civic engagement, responses varied. Advocacy areas focused on antisemitism, religious freedom, and advocating for the separation of religion and government. Additionally, feedback highlighted opportunities to tackle emerging issues, such as misinformation, and to further promote inclusivity within JCRC’s initiatives.
“The Jewish community of Omaha is very closely aligned with Jewish communities across the country,” said JCRC Executive Director Sharon Brodkey. “Most states are dealing with the same legislative issues that we are watching – prayer and displaying the Ten commandments in schools, attempts to regulate school districts’ and boards’ policies with intended
consequences to ban access to books in curriculum and libraries – issues that infringe on the Establishment and Free Exercise clauses of the Constitution.”
Because antisemitism and Israel advocacy are priority areas of work of the JCRC and our community’s top-of-mind concerns, we would like to remind you of the importance of reporting antisemitic incidents to the Jewish Community Relations Council by calling 402.334.6572, emailing JCRCreporting@jewishomaha.org, or visiting jewishomaha.org. No incident is too small or insignificant. If necessary, our office can contact law enforcement and log incidents with Secure Communities Network and the ADL. Incidents that occur in schools should always be reported to your school administration, but we are here to serve as liaisons and mediators with schools if necessary.
Brodkey added, “JCRCs exist to be the bridge that connects the Jewish community to our greater community, and almost every single issue that impacts us can be linked to concerns that impact our non-Jewish neighbors and friends. We are reminded in Pirkei Avot that Rabbi Tarfon said, ‘It is not up to you to finish the task, but you are not free to avoid it.’ We are conscious of that in everything we do.” If you would like to view the detailed survey data, you can contact our office at
402.334.6572 to make an appointment. Thank you to everyone who participated in our second Community Survey, and we value your continued engagement moving forward.
LOCAL PRIMARY ELECTION
