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The morning of October 7
Eric Shapiro plans your Future GABBY BLAIR Jewish Press Staff Writer Eric Shapiro has been dedicated to helping others and to good planning all of his life. He grew up in Wayne, Nebraska, after moving there at age two. As a Boy Scout, he loved the idea that planning and preparedness could enable one to find success and fulfillment both in present moment tasks and in the future. “I remember one time I didn’t pack correctly for a multi-day hike. It rained, and my sleeping bag and clothes got soaked! It was miserable, and it was my fault for not planning ahead. Lesson learned!”
Three snapshots from the Home Front Page 3
Saying thanks Page 4 Nancy and Charlie Coren
NANCY COREN n the morning of Oct. 7th in Israel, I was in Maui, Hawaii, where it was the evening of Oct. 6th. The alarm on my phone for the red alert app sounded and it was at that moment I knew that Jerusalem, my home, was under attack from rockets sent by Hamas. It wasn’t until later that Shabbat that the news of the brutal massacre that took place in the South of Israel reached us. For the next several days, my phone pinged every time a rocket headed anywhere near places that my family members were living. This allowed me to call and check on my husband and grandson who frequented our safe room together
O Opportunity knocks: The Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation Page 6
waiting to re-emerge. Originally, I was to have a United Airlines flight home on the 15th but the flight out of Chicago to Tel Aviv was cancelled when United pulled its flights out of Israel. Fifteen airlines completely pulled their flights out of Tel Aviv. A neighbor in Jerusalem spoke to me and advised me to try to get an El Al flight if I hoped to get home. El Al was able to accommodate me with a flight leaving Newark on Oct. 19th. Other flights that El Al had been sponsoring between the eighth and 18th were full of combat soldiers, reservists, medical personnel, and security forces many of whom flew at no cost due to contributions made by See The morning of October 7 page 3
Carl Frohm Foundation: Thank you
REGULARS7 Spotlight Voices Synagogues
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DIANE WALKER JFO Foundation Fund & Scholarship Administrator You know, our mothers were right – it is important to mind our manners, to say excuse me, please, and thank you. Especially thank you. As The Foundation’s Fund and Scholarship Administrator, I have the opportunity to be on both sides of the thank you – I thank donors for establishing the endowment and grant funds that make scholarships possible, I thank the Financial Aid Committee for their time and efforts, I thank the families that trust the process and
The Essay Contest is one cause the Frohm Foundation has generously supported.
apply for support. I also receive thank yous from children, teens and families and from community members that see the process working. Rather than providing you with a list of funds that contribute to the Federation and The Foundation’s grant and scholarship efforts, I’m going to share some detail about one fund – just one of many, all uniquely special. Carl Frohm arrived in America in 1928 with little to his name. He and his brother came to Omaha from
Lithuania to join relatives. Carl started a business called Union Packing Company, Inc. Union Packing Company grew into the largest independently-held meat packing company in the United States. Frohm was a very religious man who lived conservatively. When he passed in 1976, he left in his will the Carl Frohm Foundation, a private foundation created to support Omaha Jewish causes such as our synagogues, the Federation, and its agencies. See Carl Frohm Foundation page 2
Eric Shapiro
Growing up in a small rural town instilled an inherent sense of community, and the importance of it, into Eric. “People knew and helped each other. People showed up to celebrate, mourn and support each other. It didn’t matter that we were the only Jewish family in town. We were part of the community and shared the same core values.” Additionally, the Shapiros belonged to a nearby Jewish community that helped to shape and strengthen Eric’s values and character through faith. “We would go to Sioux City for Shabbat and other Holidays; I spent a couple of summers at camp with my Jewish friends from all over the country. Growing up in two separate but strong communities really taught me that people are more alike than different and most have similar hopes, dreams and struggles. Character, integrity, and hard work matter; active involvement and proper planning are essential to success, whether for an individual, a family, a community or a town.” As a young adult, Eric was interested in people and what made them unique. He attended the University of Minnesota and was about to declare a major in anthropology when a chance college internship in sales broadened his interests and ultimately led to studying business and finance. “I had a kind of negative stereotypical judgment of See Eric Shapiro page 4
2 | The Jewish Press | November 3, 2023
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Carl Frohm Foundation
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B’nai Israel presents the Bagel Boys
In 2001, five friends who grew up together in Omaha came together in the neighborhood nicknamed Bagel. These friends were brought together once again at the tragic funeral of their good friend Jay Parsow. After the funeral, noting that the group had a common interest in the mountains, the group tentatively decided to go skiing the next year. They met that next winter at Copper Mountain and began a tradition of skiing together, honoring the memory of their friend Jay and playing music together. This tradition has lasted over 21 years. Each year, the group continued to grow, at one point numbering over 30, including Margo and Jay’s sons Aaron and Charles. Each year those who played instruments began to bring them along, making music a part of the ski trip. One member wrote the song Bagel Boys over 50 and soon after, the group took on the name the Bagel Boys.
The Bagel Boy ski trip has now dwindled to just 3-4 who are still able to ski, but the group continues to play music in various Bagel Boys’ houses. The group first performed for an audience at the Bagel Boys Music Fest in 2012, which was a tribute to Jay. Donations from the event went to the Dr. Jay Parsow Youth Basketball Fund. The 16 Bagel Boys represent six states. Five Bagel Boys will be per-
forming at B’nai Israel Synagogue and Living History Museum on Friday night, Dec. 8 in a jam session after services. Bagel Boys include Michael Muskin, David Kutler, Mark Sanford, Bob Adler and Pat Aylward. We hope you can join us for a funfilled Hanukah Celebration and a night to remember. The Oneg is sponsored by Margo Parsow.
Trade scholarships available for the 2023-24 academic year
An anonymous donor in our community has created two trade school and/or cosmetology school scholarship opportunities, up to $5,000 each, to go towards the 2023-24 academic year. Not every student who advances into higher education signs up for a fouryear curriculum. Some high school
graduates seek job training that lasts a year or two and then places them in the workforce. Such opportunities include, but are not restricted to: Information Technology, Construction, Industrial, Transportation and Horticulture. It is not too late to apply for this upcoming school year!
Qualified students who have unmet needs regarding tuition for either a twoyear trade school program or a trade certificate program can contact the Jewish Press at avandekamp@jewishom aha.org or jpress@jewishomaha.org for more information.
Continued from page 1 Since 1982, the Frohm Foundation has given hundreds of thousands of dollars across the Omaha Jewish community. It is responsible for helping build both the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home and Beth Israel’s new location. It has supported cultural arts programs, the Jewish Press, the Teen Trip to Israel, the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society, BBYO conventions, college scholarships, the Kripke Library, IHE’s annual Tribute to the Rescuers Essay Contest, and scholarships to Carl Frohm the Pennie Z. Davis Early Learning Center. Even the funds to build the JCC Pavilion were provided by the Carl Frohm Foundation. Beginning in 1995, the Carl Frohm Foundation began providing scholarship awards through the Financial Aid Committee to help meet the ever-increasing costs of college. Nearly 30 years later, the foresight of the Carl Frohm Foundation Trustees continues to serve Jewish Omaha. Current Frohm Foundation Trustees include Harold and Linda Mann and Kathy McGauvran. I do so enjoy digging through The Foundation records and finding the history behind a fund. I am frequently amazed and always gratified to learn a little more about a fund’s origin. This is such a special community – wouldn’t our mothers be pleased?
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The Jewish Press | November 3, 2023 | 3
Three snapshots from the Home Front
Though my son Elie is a Commander of a Reserves Infantry Company, and he and his men have been stationed in the area of Shilo on the West Bank since the war began, that didn’t stop his daughter Ayala from turning three on the first day of Heshvan (which this year began on Sunday night Oct. 15). Not to celebrate Ayala’s birthday would have been unthinkable, even in the absence of TEDDY Elie. And so, Hadar’s family celebrated WEINBERGER with Ayala on that Sunday night, and our family gathered for a mangal (bbq) Wednesday afternoon Oct. 18. As the last of us arrived, Hadar said: “I have a surprise for all of you,” and out came Elie from the back of the apartment. The army had given him leave to celebrate his daughter’s birthday. Perhaps the happiest person to see Elie was his brother Ezra, who was manning the grill. Ezra had been in a funk until then, muttering to himself that it didn’t feel right to be grilling while we were at war; but once Elie appeared Ezra’s mood changed completely. He said, “Elie’s being here makes all the difference”; i.e., our bbq had gone from a frivolous leisure activity to being part of the national war effort. Besides celebrating birthdays, life goes on in Israel in many of the other regular ways, such as addressing health-care needs. Having fallen on my bike two days into the war (afterward I told Sarah: “Please when I am 80, don’t let me get clipon bicycle shoes”; she answered: “Do yourself a favor and hang them up right now”), I got around to seeing Boaz my physical therapist on Oct. 16. I was astonished when Boaz, unprompted (except of course for my thick American accent), said: “Biden saved us”--and this was even before Biden’s historic war-time visit here. In addition to Biden’s mentioning in his wonderful Oct. 10 speech that an American aircraft-carrier Strike Group had been moved into the Eastern Mediterranean (thankfully, it would intercept a missile barrage launched by Yemen’s Iranbacked Houthi rebels on Oct. 19), Israelis were deeply grateful to hear, from the leader of the Free World, “We must be crystal clear: We stand with Israel.” And for Biden to say: “Our hearts may be broken, but our resolve is clear”? Wow, what a leader, what words of comfort!! We all feel that Biden is absolutely the best American President that Israel could hope for at this time of need. In fact, I believe that the vast majority of Israelis, if they had their druthers, would want Biden to take over the war-effort from our side as well, since there has been a total loss of confidence in Prime Minister Netanyahu. Nathan and his family were coming for Friday night Shabbat dinner on Oct. 20, and Nathan asked if we could also invite his friend Sharon and his family (yes, the name, accent over the second syllable, is also used for boys here). Sharon, his wife Mira, and their two little girls were staying nearby in a hotel in Herzliya, having been evacuated from their home in Ashkelon (along with two-thirds of the city’s 150,000 residents). Something that Sharon said during dinner brought me up short. Both he and his wife grew up in Ashkelon, they had
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A picture of Elie and the birthday girl. The three bars on his epaulette indicate a rank of Captain.
lived for fuve years in Givatayim (adjacent to Tel Aviv), and had moved back to the city six years ago to be near their families. He said that the frequent missile alerts had completely worn him down. But he was not speaking about the previous few days. He was speaking about the previous few decades (since Israel’s disengagement from Gaza in 2005, there have been more than half a dozen major military operations in Gaza, often in response to Hamas missiles). Only then did I remember how close Ashkelon is to Gaza: 13 miles. Only then did I hear, in the back of my mind, the occasional news reports concerning missiles being fired into Ashkelon. Somehow those of us living in the center and north of the country had managed to put these missiles out of our consciousness. How tragically wrong we were to do so. The warnings about Oct. 7 were there, as every citizen of Ashkelon (let alone the communities surrounding Gaza) could have told policy makers. Had missiles been fired upon Tel Aviv or Jerusalem at the rate that they were fired upon Ashkelon over the past 18 years, Israel would have done better to address the problem. Now, because we did not sufficiently feel our brothers and sisters’ distress and anxiety at having to frequently run for shelter, we are mourning the lives of 1600 people. If we want “Am Yisrael Chai” to be more than a slogan, we need to care for each other more than we did for the people of Ashkelon. Teddy Weinberger, Ph.D., made aliyah with his wife, former Omahan Sarah Jane Ross, and their five children, Nathan, Rebecca, Ruthie, Ezra, and Elie, all of whom are veterans of the Israeli Defense Forces; Weinberger can be reached at weinross@gmail.com.
The morning of October 7 Continued from page 1 donors. El Al unlike other airlines serves the nation. As of the 20th it had transported 100,000 individuals back to Israel, transported combat equipment and comfort supplies, and helped another 100,000 return to their homes in other countries. El Al is not done helping Israelis wherever they are located. My flight was full of individuals my age, young families with infants and children, and teens traveling alone. We were all intent on going home and it seemed as if those of us waiting in the gate area were also somewhat anxious. Basically, there were no conversations going on between the passengers. On the plane, the first words spoken by the captain of the flight were that he knew many of us were upset and anxious about the situation in Israel and that he and the crew would do their best to ensure that our journey home was safe and comfortable. He did mention that because they had added extra flights to transport those of us wanting to return home, that they had to contract with a caterer who could only provide us with one option for food but we should be patient. I will tell you, there was no grumbling, only gratitude. The flight back to Tel Aviv was eerily quiet. Individuals did not converse; they followed all directions given by the crew and basically stayed in their seats. At one point over Turkey our plane seemed to drop rapidly in elevation and the crew was instructed in Hebrew to take their seats and not move. I am not sure what happened there, but I do know that you could feel a palpable sense of concern among the travelers who did not utter a word! When we arrived at Ben Gurion Airport, there was the traditional applause for having arrived safely, passengers helped one another get their luggage from the overhead bins, and we all proceeded to the biometric
kiosks to process our passports. Once again, there was a pindrop silence during the entire deboarding and process of leaving the airport. Since I arrived on a Friday afternoon, I knew I had to hurry to the attached train station to catch the last train scheduled to Jerusalem that day. The Israel Railways however, was going to continue operating on Shabbat without charging a fee to places like Haifa, Tel Aviv, and Beersheva. The signage for shelters was very noticeable in the airport and on the train platform, a welcome sight for those of us thinking about where we would go if there was a rocket barrage near the airport. I have taken the train to Jerusalem many times, but I have never seen the platform so empty, nor heard it so quiet. Many employees of the railroad were calling out instructions to ensure that travelers knew exactly which train to enter. On the Jerusalem train itself there were many soldiers carrying their weapons who appeared to be going home for Shabbat. Even on the train, individuals were subdued. I was met outside the train station in Jerusalem by two grandsons and Charlie who walked to meet me because the light rail had already stopped running prior to Shabbat. When we arrived home, the melodic sounds of Kabbalat Shabbat were beginning to float through the air up into our apartment. My younger grandson who met me at the train station asked why I didn’t stay in Maui rather than come home when there was a war going on. I had thought about that question a lot before I worked on getting a ticket home. It is hard to articulate, but I chose to make Israel my home after 50 years of dreaming about doing so! I chose to make my destiny part of the Jewish people in times of joy and sorrow while being hopeful for a brighter future. I chose to do outSee The morning of October 7 page 5
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Saying thanks HEIDI HEILBRUNN PJ Library Omaha and Friedel Jewish Academy will host a new and exciting program celebrating community helpers called “Thank You, Helpers” on Sunday, Nov. 12 from 1011:30 a.m. Families with children ages six and under in the Jewish community as well as students of The Pennie Z. Davis Early Learning Center are invited to say thanks to the helpers in our community. Children and their grownups will read a PJ Library book about the Jewish mitzvot, pikuach nefesh or saving a life, and craft a special card to be gifted to Omaha’s own first responders, who will be in attendance.
Then, children will head outside to “touch-a-truck” with representatives of the Omaha Fire Department and Douglas County Sheriff ’s Office. While the event is free to attend, PJ Library Omaha and Friedel Jewish Academy ask that you please pre-register so enough supplies are on hand for everyone. This program is supported in part by generous donors, including the: The Murray H. and Sharee C. Newman Supporting Foundation, Esther K. Newman Memorial Fund, Foundation Impact Grant, Anything Grants Staenberg Family Foundation and Kiewit Companies Foundation.
Eric Shapiro
ROOFING
SIDING
GUTTERS
Continued from page 1 what a ‘salesman’ was and while I had no initial interest in pursuing business or sales, I had expenses and needed more income than fast food could provide so I gave it a try. This opportunity opened my eyes to what both business and relationships require to be successful; authenticity, consistency, great service, ethical practices, great product, and empathy. This is in addition to the in-depth understanding of financials and investing that clients expect. It was a wonderful and invaluable multi-year journey that changed my perspective on business and broadened my financial literacy as well as allowed me to pay for expenses and keep student loans down. I learned that done the right way, helping people and good business are linked.” Even so, he was more inspired by his educator parents than a direct path to business, so he took a job as a college admissions advisor serving non-traditional students. Pursuing his desire to meaningfully help others and drawing from his business internship experiences, Eric earned an MBA while working full-time and ultimately served as the director of Admissions for Culinary Institute of Virginia before pursuing his ultimate dream as a personal financial planner. “The admissions process can be very overwhelming; even more so for those whose parents never graduated college or high school. Working as an admissions counselor was very fulfilling because I was able to help map out a plan and guide my students toward attaining their educational goals.” His personable nature, ability to explain, guide and support prospective students through the admissions and financial aid processes helped increase enrollment numbers. His coworkers often sought his guidance for their own financial questions regarding benefits, 401ks and planning for their futures. Nearly a decade in college admissions gave Shapiro insight into innumerable personal situations that held people back from their goals. Most of them were connected to money. In 2015, Shapiro crossed paths with the company he’d interned for in college. They presented him with an opportunity as a comprehensive planner, if he would consider relocating... to Omaha. He jumped at the chance. “I had observed the anxiety and questions about investing and finances among even the affluent and knew I could help them plan their future, just as I did my students. It was a natural fit,” he explains. “My brother, Nate, was here and my parents, Charles and Joan, were only two hours away in Wayne at the time (they have since moved to Omaha). I decided it was a sign that it was time to come home to Nebraska.” Eric and his wife, Dr. Hillary Rubesin have now put down deep roots and are actively engaged with Temple Israel, the Tri-Faith Initiative, the Jewish Federation of Omaha and The JFO Foundation. Hillary is an Expressive Arts Therapist and a Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner with Jewish Family Service and enjoys working with Residents at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home; their son Max attends the ELC. Eric has served on The Jewish Press Board as treasurer and was a 2021 JFO Volunteer of the Year Award recipient. Professionally, Eric is Vice President of SageSpring Wealth Partners and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. He holds Series 7, Series 66, Insurance, Annuity, Long
Term Care, and Disability licenses in several states. SageSpring prides itself on developing relationships with clients and taking a holistic approach to financial advice. “By prioritizing clients’ wellbeing, SageSpring gets to know what matters to clients in order to tailor counsel, helping clients reach their financial goals. SageSpring’s comprehensive money-management strategies help clients build a life of wealth and long-lasting financial independence.” Acting as a Fiduciary for advisory relationships, Eric’s goal is to partner with clients for the long haul as a trusted point of contact and manager. As independent financial advisors, SageSpring Wealth Partners is not tied to specific products or investment companies. Shapiro explains: “Our role is to guide clients through investment, tax, and legacy planning options to help them make informed decisions for their future. We work for our clients, not the companies who create investment products. We aim to use the right tool for the job, regardless of brand or marketing. Clients work with us to make it easier and simpler to get on and stay on a rewarding path with their money and we take that role very seriously.” Shapiro shares, “Through nearly two decades of professionally helping people plan for their futures, I believe that improving financial literacy and careful management is key. People work too hard for what they have to not have a long-term plan or the right investment vehicles. Hope to retire at a certain age? If so, what can be done now to make that happen and what does ‘retirement’ look like? Perhaps the goal is to buy a home or save for college; maybe a baby is on the way… Life is dynamic, and each client is unique. It is important to understand what clients’ priorities are to help identify steps and options available to best plan for the future they envision.” He continues, reflecting on how his faith helps guide him in his work. “In Pirke Avot, Rabbi Tarfon reflects on Micah 6:8 by saying, ‘Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.’ To me this means living by an ethical and moral code to help others and do right by them, even if you are not sure of the result. Judaism teaches great appreciation for valuing and creating meaning out of time and relationships and that is what I strive for each day. To best serve a client in navigating their financial realities, a financial planner must be honest, ethical and work to empower and educate the client. I believe that listening to an individual and meeting them where they are is just as important to providing good financial advice as technical knowledge or quality investment analysis and selection. We must have a “why” that powers the “how.” Money is a tool that, when used to its full potential, can enable a lifestyle that allows meaning, joy and fulfillment for our own future and for generations to come.” SageSpring is invested in more than just your finances. We Invest in you. Connect with us today, and discover how our unique, holistic approach to financial planning and investing can guide you to long-lasting peace and prosperity. Visit us online at www.shapirowealth.com or call 402.884.7463 to start a conversation.
AMIT Children launches critical campaign In direct response to the Hamas terrorist attacks, AMIT launches “Help Heal the Children of Sderot,” a relief campaign aimed to support one of the central communities AMIT has served for more than 40 years. This emergency initiative focuses on the epicenter of the recent attacks and is an urgent call to support Sderot’s children in their greatest time of need. The southern city of Sderot and its children have suffered unimaginable psychological trauma. AMIT is committing to providing immediate, free counseling and PTSD therapy to
the 4,333 AMIT children and educators who reside in Sderot. AMIT is the major provider of education to Sderot. AMIT’s 257 educators in the area and in-school teams have established bonds with each of the students and families, which makes them uniquely qualified to provide individualized support. AMIT is partnering with PTSD experts at the Arbel Institute and other top mental health service organizations to carry out this critical mission. Read more at www.omahajewishpress.com.
The Jewish Press | November 3, 2023 | 5
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Life and Legacy Notes: Howard Kutler
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STACIE METZ JFO Foundation Program and Stewardship Administrator The importance of having LIFE & LEGACY and participating is simple for me. When my daughter, Sarah, returns to visit in the future, I want her to be able to experience a connection to the Kutler family past. B’nai Israel Synagogue in Council Bluffs is where her great grandparents Harry and Sarah Kutler were members. Her grandfather, Ben Kutler, celebrated his Bar Mitzvah at B’nai Israel. And it is the synagogue where I celebrate Shabbos and High Holiday services today.
Supporting a loved one who has lost someone to suicide
The morning of October 7 Continued from page 3 reach to individuals needing help here and there certainly is a need here now even if I can just help with my own grandchildren. And last, but not least, Charlie and I have been together for 52 years through better and through worse... I needed to be by his side now as well. Here are a few learnings from being here: Israelis are amazing individuals. They can show great unity, great caring for one another, and a great desire to protect one another from harm’s way. Preserving life is of supreme value here. The Masorti congregation in the center of town which has a hostel has opened it to house families from the South who were displaced this past week. It has a children’s play time being held in the sanctuary replete with storytellers and puppeteers. It is offering parents who have been stressed a chance to have some respite time. The schools here in Jerusalem have calculated how many students can attend at one time in proportion to the size of their bomb shelters. Some children attend on selected days for part of the day, other children have
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zoom school. Many teachers have been called to duty so other teachers are covering their classrooms. If a school does not have a security guard, school is not held in person. People here are busy volunteering, serving, being concerned about the safety of our IDF members, and hoping for the return of the 200 individuals being held as captives of Hamas. In synagogues, the services reflect our concern for the fate of this nation, for the captives, for the wounded, and those fighting to protect us as well as for the lives lost. What it boils down to (as Daniel Gordis wrote) is that we Israelis care a lot more about each other than we had realized and the outside world cares a lot less about us than we had hoped. Seeing people gathered at shul today was heartening. To be with the family this evening for the third meal of Shabbat and Havdalah was comforting. May the news in the days ahead have a cessation of suffering for all innocent individuals and all families. May there be strength to meet the challenges ahead and a sense that fear will be dispelled as peace takes hold.
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AFSP Watching a loved one struggle with the pain and devastation of losing someone to suicide can make you feel utterly helpless. You might want to reach out, but hesitate because you don’t know what to say or do, and perhaps worry you might somehow make them feel worse. Here are 10 ways we recommend to support a loved one who has lost someone to suicide: Refrain from saying “I know how you feel” unless you are also a suicide loss survivor. Instead, something like, “I don’t know what to say: I have no idea what you’re going through, but I care about you and I want to be here for you,” will be more honest and meaningful. Read about suicide loss. You’ll better understand what your loved one is experiencing, and in the process might discover helpful information you can share with them. Don’t wait for your loved one to ask you for help; they may be too deep in their grief to realize what they need. Rather than saying, “Let me know if I can help,” do something specific for them, like shop for groceries, offer to babysit, bring dinner to their home, etc. Help connect your loved one with other suicide loss survivors through International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day, AFSP’s Healing Conversations program, and bereavement support groups. (When appropriate, consider offering to accompany them to an event so that they don’t feel so alone.) Many people find that professional counseling helps them deal with their grief in a healthy way. Help your loved one search for a therapist, schedule appointments, etc.
Don’t be afraid to speak the name of the person who died. Your loved one will be grateful for the opportunity to reminisce. Knowing what to expect and learning from someone else’s experience can help both you and your loved one get through the more difficult times. Just be there. Sit with them. Watch TV or a movie. Listen to music. Go for a walk together. Be patient. This experience has changed your loved one’s life forever. The weeks and months following the funeral, when the initial shock wears off and the full reality of what has happened sinks in, may be the toughest for them. Continue to check in, and let them know you are thinking of them, that you’re there for them, and that you want to listen. Most importantly, be sure to remind your friend of their self-care needs: get plenty of rest, eat nutritiously, etc. This series is sponsored by the Jewish Press and the Jennifer Beth Kay memorial fund.
ORGANIZATIONS B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS The award-winning B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS speaker program currently meets Wednesdays via Zoom from noon to 1 p.m. Please watch our email for specific information concerning its thoughtprovoking, informative list of speakers. To be placed on the email list, contact Breadbreakers chair at gary.javitch@gmail.com.
PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS ADVERTISE IN THE JEWISH PRESS Reach the Jewish communities in the Omaha, Lincoln, Council Bluffs and surrounding areas. Contact Howard Kutler 402.334.6559 | hkutler@jewishomaha.org
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The Jewish Press
6 | The Jewish Press | November 3, 2023
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2023 Aksarben Court announced
LOC AL | N AT I O N A L | WO R L D
Opportunity knocks
AMY BERNSTEIN SHIVVERS JFO Foundation Executive Director Philanthropy is good for the soul and the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation is good for philanthropy. It’s a fact. Acts of generosity can boost our own well-being, make us feel more connected to others and more optimistic about life in general. So, if you’re looking for a way to help those who need it most — and feel good about it – and receive a tax benefit, The Foundation has a variety of funding opportunities to achieve any charitable goal. Read on: PAY IT FORWARD COMMUNITY FUND This fund is for everyone who would like to show gratitude for the quality of Jewish life we all enjoy. Make a monthly credit or debit card payment starting with a minimum gift of $18 or make a one-time gift in any amount or pledge an after-lifetime gift. Pay It Forward funds are dedicated to benefiting Omaha Jewish youth. TZEDEK TEEN FUND Here’s a great opportunity to introduce your teenager to charitable giving in a creative and meaningful way. Establish a Tzedek Teen Fund with a one-time contribution of $125 and The Foundation will add another $375. Once a year, the teen may donate 10% of his or her fund ($50) to a Jewish non-profit organization. This fund empowers Jewish teens in 6th –12th grade to make an impact on our community by giving tzedakah and supporting causes important to them. Family and friends can donate to the fund at any time and in any amount. Currently, The Foundation manages 120 teen funds. DONOR-ADVISED FUND These are simple, tax-smart investment opportunities for charitable giving while your money grows tax-free. You can contribute cash, securities or other
appreciated assets; you may be eligible for a current year deduction and become more strategic about your giving decisions. You recommend all distributions during your lifetime and can leave the remainder to your children, grandchildren or The Foundation as part of your legacy. PLUS, if you open a donoradvised fund for $2,500 (minimum) be-
Currently, The Foundation manages 40 of these endowments and has 35 signed agreements to be funded in the future. ENDOWMENT FUND These allow you to give a gift of cash or appreciated assets (e.g., securities and real estate) to establish an endowment at The Foundation, usually in the name of the donor, the donor’s family or in
fore the end of 2023, The Foundation will match 20% of your opening balance (capped at $2,000) to support a Jewish nonprofit of your choice in your name! Currently, The Foundation manages over 130 donor-advised funds. LIFE & LEGACY PROGRAM This program is a partnership of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation. These funds promote after lifetime giving to benefit the Omaha Jewish community and its partner organizations, listed on the back page. You can select one or more organizations to support and sign a letter of intent with no minimum gift required. FOREVER ANNUAL CAMPAIGN GIFT These are permanent funds established during or after your lifetime and dedicated to endowing your Jewish Federation of Omaha Annual Campaign gift in perpetuity. There are two kinds of Forever Annual Campaign Gifts: The PACE (Perpetual Annual Campaign Gift) and LOJE (Lion of Judah Endowment). The required amount for both endowments is 25x the amount you intend to give every year, after lifetime. The Foundation invests the funds and the income grows tax-free with both endowments.
memory of a loved one. You can open an endowment fund with a minimum gift of $10,000. The principal is held in perpetuity while the earnings from the invested assets are distributed per the donor’s specifications. You may designate the Federation, a favorite Omaha-area Jewish nonprofit or program to receive annual distributions. Currently, The Foundation manages 370 endowments. SUPPORTING FOUNDATION These are separate legal entities with a separate board created by you and your family. A Supporting Foundation partners with The Foundation to invest the funds, manage the operations and make disbursements as directed by the Supporting Board. Currently, The Foundation manages five Supporting Foundations. Your priorities become our priorities. It’s easy and hassle-free. Join The Foundation Family with a charitable fund or gift and you’ll activate those “good feelings.” The Foundation’s professional staff will take it from there, and together, we’ll assure a solid future for the Omaha Jewish community. Please refer to the fullpage illustration on the back cover of this week’s Jewish Press for more information and contact me at ashivvers@ jewishomaha.org or 402.334.6466.
The Aksarben Foundation™ was pleased to announce the Aksarben Ball Royal Court to honor the citizens of Nebraska and western Iowa for volunteerism and philanthropy. The celebration kicked off on July 29, 2023, at Champions Run to introduce Pages and Standard Bearers in the morning during the Royal Court Brunch. Princesses, Escorts and Court of Honor members were formally announced in the evening at the Royal Court Welcome Dinner. All court members were formally presented at the 2023 Aksarben Ball on Saturday, Oct. 28 at the CHI Health Center. “We are thrilled to recognize these exceptional Heartland families for their valuable contributions and significant involvement across Nebraska,” said Kathryn Anderson, Women’s Ball Committee Chair (WBC). “Aksarben consistently celebrates the powerful involvement of families across the state who have ongoing vision, impact, leadership, scale and most importantly, Nebraska, at the forefront of their efforts.” For 128 years, Aksarben has continued to focus on the sustainability and prosperity of the great state of Nebraska. The efforts focus on workforce development, commitment to the Scholarship program, community grants and support of those who embody the Spirit of Aksarben in their daily lives through ongoing volunteerism and civic projects. The 2023 Pages included: Andi Grace Blumkin, daughter of Amanda and Ryan Blumkin; Chloe Evans Epstein, daughter of Carrie and Cory Epstein; Amelia Quinn Graham, daughter of Katherine Hug and Benjamin Taxman, and Nathan Graham; Sophy Reed Silverstein, daughter of Allyson Freeman and Geoffrey Silverstein; Samuel David Friedland, son of Jamie and Ted Friedland; Benjamin Robert Lopez, son of Sarah and David Lopez; Everett Dean Schrager, son of Carissa and Tony Schrager; Samuel Becker Stoller, son of Sara and Asher Stoller. The 2023 Escorts included: Alexander Henry Goldstein, son of Jill and Joseph Goldstein; Joseph Aaron Kirshenbaum, son of Nikki and Adam Kirshenbaum; Spencer K. Schneiderman (Escort Chair), son of Heidi and Scott Schneiderman; Lance Corporal Charles Thomas Sullivan, son of Louri Sullivan and Charles Sullivan. The 2023 Princesses included: Harper Mattie Gordman, daughter of Danielle and Jeff Gordman.
INFORMATION ANTISEMITIC/HATE INCIDENTS If you encounter an antisemitic or other hate incident, you are not alone. Your first call should be to the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) in Omaha at 402.334.6572, or email JCRCreporting@ jewishomaha.org. If you perceive an imminent threat, call 911, and text Safety & Security Manager James Donahue at 402.213.1658.
HANUKKAH
Publishing date | 11.24.23 Space reservation | 11.07.23 Contact our advertising executive to promote your business in this very special edition.
Howard Kutler | 402.334.6559 | hkutler@jewishomaha.org
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The Jewish Press | November 3, 2023 | 7
Above: The Finkelstein pups take a stand. Below: Friedel students have been Zooming with our friends in Israel.
Above: Simchat Torah at Temple Israel. Below and right: There was a wild amount of learning happening at Beth El, and it wasn’t only the kids!
SP O TLIGHT
GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY
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, below and bottom: Friedel Jewish Academy’s seventh-graders learned CPR and basic first aid—you never know when someone might need help!
Left, above and below: The ELC enthusiastically celebrated the Sukkot festival.
8 | The Jewish Press | November 3, 2023
Voices
The Jewish Press (Founded in 1920)
Margie Gutnik President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Howard Kutler Advertising Executive Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Editor Gabby Blair Staff Writer Sam Kricsfeld Digital support Mary Bachteler Accounting Jewish Press Board Margie Gutnik, President; Abigail Kutler, Ex-Officio; Helen Epstein; Seth Feldman; David Finkelstein; Ally Freeman; Mary Sue Grossman; Chuck Lucoff; Patricia Newman; Joseph Pinson and Larry Ring. 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. Editorial The Jewish Press is an agency of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Deadline for copy, ads and photos is: Thursday, 9 a.m., eight days prior to publication. E-mail editorial material and photos to: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org; send ads (in TIF or PDF format) to: rbusse@jewishomaha.org. Letters to the Editor Guidelines The Jewish Press welcomes Letters to the Editor. They may be sent via regular mail to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154; via fax: 1.402.334.5422 or via e-mail to the Editor at: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org. Letters should be no longer than 250 words and must be single-spaced typed, not hand-written. Published letters should be confined to opinions and comments on articles or events. News items should not be submitted and printed as a “Letter to the Editor.” The Editor may edit letters for content and space restrictions. Letters may be published without giving an opposing view. Information shall be verified before printing. All letters must be signed by the writer. The Jewish Press will not publish letters that appear to be part of an organized campaign, nor letters copied from the Internet. No letters should be published from candidates running for office, but others may write on their behalf. Letters of thanks should be confined to commending an institution for a program, project or event, rather than personally thanking paid staff, unless the writer chooses to turn the “Letter to the Editor” into a paid personal ad or a news article about the event, project or program which the professional staff supervised. For information, contact Annette van de Kamp-Wright, Jewish Press Editor, 402.334.6450. Postal The Jewish Press (USPS 275620) is published weekly (except for the first week of January and July) on Friday for $40 per calendar year U.S.; $80 foreign, by the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Phone: 402.334.6448; FAX: 402.334.5422. Periodical postage paid at Omaha, NE. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198 or email to: jpress@jewishomaha.org.
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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.
Am Yisrael Chai: We Are Here ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor “A top lawyer in Illinois’ state government” Andrew Lapin wrote for the JTA, “told a Jewish person, ‘Hitler should have eradicated all of you.’ An Israeli student was assaulted at Columbia University. And Jewish schools and synagogues in at least three different states have been subjected to violent threats.” Following the atrocities committed by Hamas in Israel, there are endless stories about threats to Jewish persons and institutions all over the world; meanwhile, we’re being told not to panic. “Yet there has indeed been a string of violent incidents and threats against Jews in cities across the country,” Lapin continued. “In New York City, police say a man told a woman that he was punching her because she was Jewish. On Oct. 17, in Charlotte, North Carolina, the FBI announced it had arrested a man who had sent a threatening email to an area synagogue in which he vowed “public execution”; the threat came weeks after a rash of other emailed and phoned threats to synagogues across the country. That same day, police in Miami Beach, Florida, arrested a homeless man who approached a local Jewish day school security guard, said “I’m with Hamas,” and falsely claimed he was carrying explosives.” One thing is obvious: these types of threats and attacks are individual, personal, one-on-one, rather than organized from the top down. They feel spontaneous, unplanned; bullying that occurs when opportunity presents itself. And it’s somehow scarier
than if there were an organized effort behind every too hard to convice others? To make them believe single incident. Because all these incidents are so us, to make them get it, see what is really going on? spontaneous, so random, it confirms what most of Why, when so much of the world flat-out refuses us have secretly suspected all along: there are many to see the truth, must we keep fighting this addipeople in this world who hate us. Why? We have tional battle? never been able to answer that question, and I don’t think we ever will. It leaves me paranoid. It’s hard to leave your house and go, say, to the grocery store and not wonder about the other shoppers. Or the cashiers. Or the driver on the road, the mailman, your neighbor, the woman who always In Times Square, thousands of Israel supporters demand the release of hostages walks her dogs past held by Hamas on Oct. 19, 2023. Credit: Luke Tress your house. If only they would all wear their symLate at night, after a full day of trying to spread pathies on their sleeves—so we can easily tell truth and facts and not getting run down by nayfriend from foe. sayers, I sometimes feel so tired. I think: one more But we don’t have that luxury. And if we can learn comment villifying Israel and I might just crack. anything from the backlash after what Hamas did, And I exist in an unapologetically Jewish and proit’s this: we should assume people are not on our Israel space. How are the rest of you holding up? side, unless they specifically and clearly say so. How Seriously, how? sad is that? Here’s the thing: right now, we are on our own Why, though, do we keep trying to get people on side. And we do not give up; we double down in our our side? Hear me out; I may be going out on a limb Jewishness instead. We live, we pray, we exist and here, but doesn’t it sometimes seem we are trying celebrate and we make our stand. We are here.
As Israelis await a ground war in Gaza, normal life has ground to a halt URIEL HEILMAN MODIIN, Israel | JTA Living in Israel these days feels like existing in a state of suspended animation. We’re caught in an uneasy in-between moment: after the shocking events of Oct. 7 and before the uncharted territory of a dangerous ground war of uncertain duration and scope. We know how it started, but we don’t know how it will end. Everything feels different from before the Hamas attack. With 360,000 Israeli reservists mobilized, a huge swath of Israelis aged 20 to 50-something have disappeared from homes, families, workplaces and communities. My son’s homeroom teacher has been called off to war. My neighbor’s son. My brother. In the central Israeli city where I live, located alongside the West Bank security fence, armed volunteers staff makeshift checkpoints at city entrances. Unarmed residents like me have been deputized for neighborhood watch duty, cruising around in siren-bearing vehicles equipped with walkie-talkies and instructions to report any suspicious characters or activity. Businesses are operating with skeletal staffs, if at all. Major Israeli employers have announced furloughs. Traffic is light because so few people are commuting to work. Non-essential services are being cut or reduced, from recycling to library hours. Schools that had been shuttered since before the war are starting to reopen, but on reduced schedules because they can’t have more students than can fit into their bomb shelters. Universities are closed until December — at least. With shipping traffic to Israel disrupted and international flights sharply reduced, Israelis are experiencing shortages. Some local food manufacturers can’t staff their factories or pick the produce in their fields because they depend on Palestinian day laborers who are now barred entry into Israel, or Thai farmworkers who left after at least 24 of their countrymen were killed in Hamas’ attack. The first week of the war, supermarkets ran out of tomatoes and cucumbers. Last week it was eggs. Tourists have disappeared, entertainment venues and many restaurants remain closed, and shuttered museums are moving important holdings to
safe places. Israel’s hotels are bursting at the seams, however, filled with many of the 200,000 or so Israelis who have been evacuated from their homes near the front lines. This already small country roughly the size of New Jersey feels even smaller with areas near Gaza and Israel’s northern border now closed military zones. Every day the authorities announce more evacuations.
An entrance to a hotel housing evacuees from Israel's southern war zone in Modiin, Israel. Credit: Uriel Heilman
What little activity there is in this country of nearly 10 million is focused on the war effort. Volunteers are sending toiletries, cigarettes and fresh underwear to soldiers at the front. Psychologists and social workers are counseling the newly bereaved. In my neighborhood, friends are providing meals to an evacuee family whose father was gravely wounded in Hamas’ initial attack (more than 5,000 Israelis have been wounded since the fighting began). Teenagers are helping farmers harvest their unpicked produce before it rots. Tech-savvy entrepreneurs are operating a civilian-run “war room” in Tel Aviv to try to help with the more than 200 Israeli hostages. Behind everything looms the great unknown of where this war will lead and whether it will engulf all of Israel. Hamas shocked Israelis two weeks ago with its brutal attack; one can only guess what surprises it’s planning for Israeli ground troops once they roll into Gaza. Hezbollah has been testing Israel along the country’s northern border with Lebanon with daily artillery attacks and attempted infiltrations; Israel has fired back. If the militia’s Shiite backers in Tehran press Hezbollah to mount a major attack,
a hard-pressed Israel could find itself fighting a two-front war with an adversary far more potent than Hamas. Several days ago, Houthi militiamen in Yemen fired missiles toward Israel. U.S. warships in the Red Sea intercepted them. Clashes between Palestinians in the West Bank and the Israeli military are growing daily. Israeli authorities say they’ve thwarted numerous attempted terrorist attacks and have arrested more than 800 Palestinians. Israel has fast-tracked firearms permits for settlers in the West Bank, and settlements there are rushing to bolster their perimeter security. Every day brings news of additional Israeli deaths — from fighting in the West Bank, rocket fire from Gaza, anti-tank fire from Lebanon. Three weeks ago, a single deadly incident might have dominated a full day of the news cycle; today it’s swallowed by a torrent of new developments and fatalities. Israel is still finding corpses, identifying bodies and burying the dead from Hamas’ surprise attack, and the airwaves are filled with heroic tales of Israeli soldiers and ordinary citizens who rushed southward on that terrible Saturday to try to save loved ones and strangers. The scenes of death and destruction caused by Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip get limited attention here; Israeli media are more focused on the fight ahead and Israeli suffering. The main news from overseas, aside from President Joe Biden’s interventions on Gaza, are the demonstrations and condemnations of Israel coming from protesters in Europe, American college campuses and Arab capitals. Now Israel appears to be in a lull — the quiet before the storm. The incessant rocket attacks from Gaza have become more sporadic and shorter in range; Hamas may be conserving what remains of its arsenal for the next stage of fighting. The hundreds of thousands of Israeli soldiers massed along the country’s borders are in a holding pattern, ready and waiting for orders from above. Along with them, all of Israel is holding its breath. Uri Heilman is JTA's former managing editor. He is now director of business development at JTA's parent company, 70 Faces Media. 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 Jewish Press | November 3, 2023 | 9
Israeli novelist David Grossman: ‘Who will we be when we rise from the ashes?’ DAVID GROSSMAN JTA Some 1,000 killed, more than 3,000 injured, scores of people taken hostage. Every survivor is a miraculous story of resourcefulness and bravery. Countless miracles, countless acts of heroism and sacrifice by soldiers and civilians. I look at people’s faces and see shock. Numbness. Our hearts are weighed down by constant burden. Over and over again we say to each other: it’s a nightmare. A nightmare beyond comparison. No words to describe it. No words to contain it. I also see a deep sense of betrayal. The betrayal of citizens by their government — by the prime minister and his destructive coalition. A betrayal of all we hold precious as citizens, and in particular as citizens of this state. A betrayal of its formative, and binding, idea. Of the most precious deposit of all — the Jewish people’s national home — which has been handed to its leaders to safeguard, and which they should have treated with reverence. But instead, what have we seen? What have we grown accustomed to seeing, as though it were inevitable? What we’ve seen is the utter abandonment of the state in favor of petty, greedy agendas and cynical, narrow-minded, delirious politics. What is happening now is the concrete price Israel is paying for having been seduced for years by a corrupt leadership which drove it downhill from bad to worse; which eroded its institutions of law and justice, its military, its education system; which was willing to place it in existential danger in order to keep its prime minister out of prison. Just think now of what we collaborated with for years. Think of all the energy, thought and money we wasted on watching Netanyahu and his family play out their Ceaușescu-style dramas. Think of the grotesque illusions they produced for our disbelieving eyes. In the past nine months, millions of Israelis took to the streets every week to protest against the government and the man at its head. It was a movement of huge significance, an attempt to get Israel back on course, back to the lofty notion at the roots of its existence: creating a home for the Jewish people. And not just any home. Millions of Israelis wanted to build a liberal, democratic, peace-loving state that respects the faith of all people. But instead of listening to what the protest movement had to offer, Netanyahu chose to discredit it, to depict it as traitorous, to incite against it, to deepen the hatred among its factors. Yet he took every opportunity to declare how powerful Israel was, how determined, and above all — how well-prepared it was to face any threat. Tell that to the parents driven mad with grief, to the baby thrown on the side of the road. Tell that to the hostages. Tell that to the people who voted for you. Tell it to the 80 breaches
in the most advanced border fence in the world. But make no mistake, and do not be confused: With all the fury at Netanyahu and his people and his policies, the horror of these past few days was not caused by Israel. It was effected by Hamas. The occupation is a crime, but to shoot hundreds of civilians — children and parents, elderly and sick in cold blood — that is a worse crime. Even in the hierarchy of evil, there is a “ranking.” There is a scale of severity that common
A view of a ripped Israeli flag following the deadly attack by Islamist Hamas militants on Kibbutz Nir Oz, Oct. 19, 2023. Credit: Ilia Yefimovich/picture alliance via Getty Images
sense and natural instincts can identify. And when you see the killing fields of the music festival site, when you see Hamas terrorists on motorcycles chasing young partiers, some of whom are still dancing without realizing what’s going on … I do not know whether Hamas operatives should be called “animals,” but they have undoubtedly lost their humanity. We move through these nights and days like sleepwalkers. Trying to resist the temptation to watch the horrific clips and listen to the rumors. Feeling the fear seep in among those who, for the first time in 50 years — since the Yom Kippur war — are experiencing the terrifying prospect of defeat. Who will we be when we rise from the ashes and re-enter our lives? When we viscerally feel the pain of author Haim Gouri’s words, written during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, “How numerous are those no longer with us.” Who will we be and what kind of human beings will we be after seeing what we’ve seen? Where will we start after the destruction and loss of so many things we believed in and trusted? If I may hazard a guess: Israel after the war will be much more right-wing, militant, and racist. The war forced on it will have cemented the most extreme, hateful stereotypes and prejudices that frame and will continue to frame all the more robustly — Israeli identity. And that identity will from now on also embody the trauma of October 2023, as well as the polarization, the internal rift. Is it possible that what was lost or indefinitely suspended on Oct. 7 was the minuscule chance for real dialogue, for each nation’s true acceptance of the other’s existence? And what
do those who brandished the absurd notion of a “binational state” say now? Israel and Palestine, two nations distorted and corrupted by endless war, cannot even be cousins to each other — does anyone still believe they can be conjoined twins? Many warless years will have to pass before acceptance and healing can even be considered. In the meantime, we can only imagine the magnitude of fear and hatred that will now rise to the surface. I hope, I pray, that there will be Palestinians on the West Bank who, despite their hatred of Israel — their occupier — will set themselves apart, whether through action or words, from what their compatriots have done. As an Israeli, I have no right to preach to them or tell them what to do. But as a human being, I have a right and an obligation to demand of them humane and moral conduct. Towards the end of last month, the leaders of the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia spoke enthusiastically of a peace accord between Israel and the Saudis, which would build on Israel’s normalization agreements with Morocco and the United Arab Emirates. The Palestinians are barely present in these agreements. Netanyahu, arrogant and exuding selfconfidence, managed in his words to sever the connection between the Palestinian problem and Israel’s relations with Arab states. The Israeli-Saudi accord is not unrelated to the events of “Black Saturday” between Gaza and Israel. The peace it would have created is a peace of the wealthy. It is an attempt to skip over the heart of the conflict. These past few days have proved that it is impossible to begin resolving the Middle Eastern tragedy without offering a solution that alleviates the Palestinians’ suffering. Are we capable of shaking off the well-worn formulas and understanding that what has occurred here is too immense and too terrible to be viewed through stale paradigms? Even Israel’s conduct and its crimes in the occupied territories for 56 years cannot justify or soften what has been laid bare: the depth of hatred towards Israel, the painful understanding that we Israelis will always have to live here in heightened alertness and constant preparedness for war. In an unceasing effort to be both Athens and Sparta at once. And a fundamental doubt that we might ever be able to lead a normal, free life, unfettered by threats and anxieties. A stable, secure life. A life that is home. This article originally ran in the Financial Times, and appears here courtesy of the author. Translated by Jessica Cohen. David Grossman is author of More Than I Love My Life and winner of the 2017 Man Booker International Prize and the 2018 Israel Prize. 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 thought the law school where I teach had my back. Then Hamas attacked Israel. ROBERTA ROSENTHAL KWALL CHICAGO | JTA I have been a law professor at DePaul University College of Law for several decades. DePaul is an urban, Vincentian, Catholic university that has long been a school of choice for FirstGen students, including law students. As a First-Gen college and law school graduate, I identify with the mission of the school and have always taken great pride in my professional affiliation. In recent years, people often ask me about the climate at DePaul, specifically in the context of antisemitism facing Jewish students. Personally, I have not encountered any negativity or hostility from any of my students or colleagues, despite being openly Jewish and observant. In fact, several of my Muslim students have talked to me about Judaism and my faith. We have compared notes and shared perspectives. Still, like almost all universities, DePaul has hopped onto the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion train and that ride often is tone-deaf to antisemitism. At my law school, despite a multitude of DEI trainings over the past several years, not one faculty program dealt with antisemitism or the challenges facing Jewish individuals in our current reality (despite my suggesting we make this a focus of one program). This past summer, another research assistant who was helping me edit a law review article about the Holocaust and “ghetto art” told me that of all the programs required for students focusing on tolerance and inclusivity, not one even touched upon Jews or antisemitism. Thankfully, however, my law school has been spared the type of ugly incidents that have plagued other law schools such as Berkeley, where student groups pledged to block speakers who held pro-Israel views, and CUNY, where a law student used her graduation speech to denounce Israel and its supporters. But at DePaul’s undergraduate campus several miles north, things are different. Last December, an article in the Wall Street Journal reported that students at DePaul University “ejected Jewish students who support Israel from clubs and study groups,” citing affected students. When the president of our
university communicated to us about this article, he emphasized his desire to fight antisemitism in our community and asked for our input. I wrote to him emphasizing that if schools are funding clubs that exclude students simply because they are pro-Israel, that is a cause for concern unaddressed by his community letter. To my surprise, he never responded to me, even when I sent the letter again a month later. I took note but still wanted to give the benefit of the doubt.
The DePaul University College of Law in Chicago. Credit: Wikipedia
But the university’s communication to us on the Monday after Israel was attacked by Hamas was a wake-up call. Our president and three other high-level administrators opened their message to the DePaul community with the following words: “Our hearts ache to see the horrific violence and tragic loss of life taking place right now in Israel and Gaza. We pray for peace.” Later on, it called for “an immediate de-escalation of the current situation.” I sat with this grossly inadequate and maddening communication overnight, and the following day I once again reached out to our president to express my deep disappointment with the letter’s failure to call out, and explicitly condemn, the barbaric terrorism perpetrated upon Israel. I pointed out that, by comparison, the university spared no effort in the past in calling out other bad actors in connection with racial and other injustices. In contrast, the university’s pleas for de-escalation in this context not only diminished the suffering of those who were so brutally attacked, but also compounded the pain for Jewish students, staff and faculty, all of whom were already
feeling isolated and fragile. Again, no response. And to the best of my knowledge, none of the other faculty I know who wrote to the president received a response. It is almost as though the entire DePaul Jewish community had become invisible in the academic home I had cherished for so long. In recent years, higher education in the United States has become the target of well-deserved criticism regarding not only an absence of educational rigor but also a troubling lack of viewpoint diversity in most universities. Too many vitally important conversations on matters involving hotly contested political and cultural issues can only be held behind closed doors rather than in classrooms or at faculty meetings. But when terrorists kill over 1,400 Jews, the choice to refrain from explicitly condemning those who perpetrated these unimaginable atrocities cannot be justified. I have no clue as to why DePaul, and so many other universities, failed to condemn explicitly the terrorism. Some might attribute it to the academy’s love-affair with the concept of “intersectionality,” which almost always results in a negative stance toward Israel, even if not Jews as a whole. Or could it be just plain old antisemitism dressed up in a more “intellectually respectable” exterior? Whatever the reason, by making this choice in the wake of Oct. 7, DePaul University has sent a clear message to its Jewish students, faculty, staff and alumni. I can no longer give the benefit of the doubt. Roberta Rosenthal Kwall is the Raymond P. Niro Professor at DePaul University College of Law. She is the author of Remix Judaism: Transmitting Tradition in a Diverse World, The Myth of the Cultural Jew: Culture and Law in Jewish Tradition and The Soul of Creativity. She is also a co-editor of the forthcoming Oxford Handbook of Jewish Law. 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.
Synagogues
10 | The Jewish Press | November 3, 2023
B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE
618 Mynster Street Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 712.322.4705 www.cblhs.org email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com
BETH EL SYNAGOGUE
Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California Street Omaha, NE 68154-1980 402.492.8550 bethel-omaha.org
BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE
Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street Omaha, NE. 68154 402.556.6288 BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org
CHABAD HOUSE
An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street Omaha, NE 68144-1646 402.330.1800 OChabad.com email: chabad@aol.com
LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN South Street Temple Union for Reform Judaism 2061 South 20th Street Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE
Capehart Chapel 2500 Capehart Road Offutt AFB, NE 68123 402.294.6244 email: oafbjsll@icloud.com
ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME 323 South 132 Street Omaha, NE 68154
TEMPLE ISRAEL
Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive Omaha, NE 68144-1206 402.556.6536 templeisraelomaha.com
LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: TIFERETH ISRAEL Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Boulevard Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 402.423.8569 tiferethisraellincoln.org
B’NAI ISRAEL Monthly Speaker Series Service, Friday, Nov. 10, 7:30 p.m. with guest speaker, Rita Paskowitz. Our service leader is Larry Blass. Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel! For information about our historic synagogue, please contact Howard Kutler at hkutler@hotmail. com or any of our other board members: Renee Corcoran, Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Janie Kulakofsky, Howard Kutler, Carole and Wayne Lainof, Ann Moshman, Mary-Beth Muskin, Debbie Salomon and Sissy Silber. Handicap Accessible.
BETH EL 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: Six String Shabbat with Scholar-in-Residence Joel Chasnoff, 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 10 a.m. followed by Lunch and Learn with Joel Chasnoff at Beth El & Live Stream; Junior Congregation (Grades K-12), 10 a.m.; Havdalah and Comedy Show with Joel Chasnoff, 6:45 p.m. SUNDAY: BESTT (Grades K-7), 9:30 a.m.; Torah Tots (Ages 3-5 with parents), 10 a.m.; Hebrew Reading for Adults, 10:30 a.m. with Hazzan; Adult B’nai Mitzvah, 11:15 a.m. with Hazzan. TUESDAY: Pirkei Avot, 10:30 a.m. with Rabbi Abraham. WEDNESDAY: BESTT (Grades 3-7), 4:15 p.m.; Hebrew High (Grades 8-12), 6 p.m. FRIDAY-Nov. 10: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. SATURDAY-Nov. 11: Shabbat Morning Service, 10 a.m.; Junior Congregation (Grades K-12), 10 a.m.; Havdalah, 5:45 p.m. Zoom Only. Please visit bethel-omaha.org for additional information and service links.
BETH ISRAEL FRIDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat/Candlelighting, 6 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.; Shtiegers, 3:57 p.m. at the Geigers; Tehillim Youth Class, 4:11 p.m. with Rabbi Tal; Soulful Torah: Unpacking the Or HaChayim’s Teachings, 4:56 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:50 p.m.; Laws of Shabbos/Kids Activity, 6:20 p.m.; Havdalah, 7 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6:10 p.m. MONDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Monday Mind Builders, 4 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5 p.m. TUESDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5 p.m. THURSDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7
a.m.; Character Development, 9:30 a.m.; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 5 p.m.; Parsha Class, 5:20 p.m. FRIDAY-Nov. 10: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat/Candlelighting, 4:52 p.m. SATURDAY-Nov. 11: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:30 a.m.; Youth Class, 10:45 a.m.; Shtiegers, 2:49 p.m. at the Geigers; Tehillim Youth Class, 3:04 p.m. with Rabbi Tal; Soulful Torah: Unpacking the Or HaChayim’s Teachings, 3:49 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:40 p.m.; Laws of Shabbos/ Kids Activity, 5:10 p.m.; Havdalah, 5:53 p.m. Please visit orthodoxomaha.org for additional information and Zoom service links.
CHABAD HOUSE 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.; Inspirational Lechayim, 5:45 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: ochabad.com/ Lechayim; Candlelighting, 5:59 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 6:58 p.m. SUNDAY: Sunday Morning Wraps: Shacharit, 99:30 a.m., Video Presentation, 9:30 a.m. and Breakfast, 9:45 a.m. MONDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Personal Parsha, 9:30 a.m.; Intermediate Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Introduction to Writing Hebrew Script and Vocabulary Practice, 5 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Parsha Reading, 6 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen. TUESDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; 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.; 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.; Parsha Reading, 10 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Advanced Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 11 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Talmud Study (Sanhedrin 34), noon; Introduction to Alphabet, Vowels & Reading Hebrew, 6 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law) Class, 7 p.m. FRIDAY-Nov. 10: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Inspirational Lechayim, 5:45 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: ocha bad.com/Lechayim; Candlelighting, 4:51 p.m. SATURDAY-Nov. 4: Shacharit, 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 5:51 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: Erev Shabbat Service with Rabbi Alex, 6:30 p.m. followed by Oneg Shabbat at SST; Shabbat Candlelighting, 6:02 p.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. at TI; Torah Study, noon on Parashat Vayeira; Havdalah, 5:55 p.m. SUNDAY: LJCS Classes, 9:30 a.m.-noon; Men’s Bike/Coffee Group, 10:30 a.m. in the Conference Room at Rock 'n Joe (5025 Lindbergh St.). For more information or questions please email Al Weiss at albertw801@gmail.com; Pickleball, 3-5 p.m. Anyone interested in playing or learning how to play can text Miriam at 402.470.2393. If there are enough interested people; we will play in the Social Hall at TI. MONDAY: Mutual Review Committee Meeting, 7 p.m. at SST. WEDNESDAY: LJCS Hebrew School, 4:30-6 p.m.; No Adult Ed Movie Night this week. FRIDAY-Nov. 10: Erev Shabbat Service with Rabbi Alex, 6:30 p.m. followed by Oneg Shabbat at SST; Shabbat Candlelighting, 4:55 p.m. SATURDAY-Nov. 11: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. at TI; Torah Study, noon on Parashat Chayei Sarah; Havdalah, 5:55 p.m.
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE
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.
ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home’s service is currently closed to visitors.
TEMPLE ISRAEL
In-person and virtual services conducted by Rabbi Benjamin Sharff, Rabbi Deana Sussman Berezin, and Cantor Joanna Alexander FRIDAY: Drop in Mah Jongg, 9-11 a.m. In-Person; Shabbat Shira Service with Bar Mitzvah Blessing for Leo Poulos, 6 p.m. In-Person & Zoom. SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. In-Person & Zoom. SUNDAY: Grades PreK-7, 9:30 a.m.; Temple Tots Sunday, 10 a.m.; Grade 6 Parent Meeting, 10:15 a.m. WEDNESDAY: Yarn It, 9 a.m. In-Person.; Grades 36, 4:30-6 p.m.; Grades 8-12 Mitzvah Corps, 6-8 p.m. at Beth El. THURSDAY: Conversations in Difficult Times, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Azriel via Zoom. FRIDAY-Nov. 10: Drop in Mah Jongg, 9-11 a.m. InPerson; Classic Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. In-Person & Zoom. SATURDAY-Nov. 11: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. In-Person & Zoom; Shabbat Morning Service with with Bat Mitzvah of Isabel Vik, 10:30 a.m. Please visit templeisraelomaha.com for additional information and Zoom service links.
Calls for a ceasefire are loud, but not persuasive RON KAMPEAS WASHINGTON | JTA At about 11 a.m. Oct. 25, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Biden administration favored “humanitarian pauses” so that assistance could reach Gaza Palestinians caught in Israel’s war with Hamas. Left-wing social media lit up: Until Blinken’s comments, made to the United Nations Security Council, the Biden administration had rejected calls for a ceasefire. “The tide is turning — the Biden administration is beginning to recognize that this war will only bring more death and suffering for Palestinians and Israelis,” IfNotNow, a left-wing Jewish group that accuses Israel of “genocide” and has led protests for a ceasefire, said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Blinken’s comments were a reversal of sorts. Just last week the United States vetoed a Security Council resolution calling for a “humanitarian pause.” But shortly after Blinken spoke, John Kirby, the National Security Council spokesman, threw cold water on any notion of U.S. support for a ceasefire. “We’re going to continue to make sure Israel has the tools and the capabilities that they need to defend themselves,” he said just after 1 p.m., when
asked at the daily White House press briefing about well as a large majority of Congress that opposes a the prospects of a ceasefire. “A ceasefire right now ceasefire. Halie Soifer, the CEO of the Jewreally only benefits Hamas.” ish Democratic Council of AmerGiven Kirby’s statement, it ica, said she has counted 23 appeared Blinken’s support for Democrats in the House and “humanitarian pauses” meant Senate who have called for a just that — short breaks in the ceasefire, out of 263 overall. Confighting so food, water and gressional Republicans are opmedical assistance could reach posed almost wall-to-wall to a people in need, nothing more. ceasefire. “We want to see all measure of “The overwhelming majority — protection for civilians. Pauses more than 90% of all Democrats in operation [are] a tool and a tactic that can do that for temin the Senate and the House — porary periods of time,” Kirby stand with the president on the said. “That is not the same as issue of a ceasefire,” Soifer said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying a ceasefire.” Hamas broke a 2021 ceasefire Calls for a ceasefire from some progressives, in- when it launched its attack on Israel Oct. 7, killing cluding Jewish groups, have been loud and insis- more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, wounding tent. They are backed by nearly two dozen thousands and abducting more than 200. Israel’s progressive members of Congress, including Ver- ensuing war on Hamas has killed more than 5,000 mont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is Jewish. people, Gaza’s Hamas-controlled health ministry But Kirby’s forceful rejection shows how ineffec- says. It is not clear how many of those casualties are tive those demands have been in the face of a Biden civilians, though a significant number are children. administration steadfast in its support for Israel, as Read more at www.omahajewishpress.com.
News
The Jewish Press | November 3, 2023 | 11
Pulverente MONUMENT CO. Over 60 Years Experience With Jewish Lettering and Memorials
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Faces of the Israeli war hostages
NEBRASKA STATEWIDE CLASSIFIEDS
Close to 200 faces are displayed in the front lobby of the Staenberg Kooper Fellman JCC to remind us of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas since Oct. 7. If you are here, please take a moment to look and think about them.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor, Recently, before the Israel War on Hamas broke out, I resumed an old hobby of researching my childhood in Omaha. I was born in Omaha in 1960 and lived in Omaha until 1977, when I left before my senior year of high school to enroll and attend Ida Crown Hebrew Academy in Chicago. When Covid first hit, I started this research project by searching the Omaha World Herald and found this article written in 1959 about my grandmother, a Holocaust Survivor, being reunited with her brother, another Holocaust Survivor who had settled in Omaha years after the Holocaust. This is the story about how my family came to Omaha. My twin sister and I were born in Omaha in August 1960. Recently I resumed this hobby by researching articles about my family and friends in the Omaha Jewish Press. There were not that many articles about my family so my next project was researching Omaha Jewish history starting in 1920. That was the year when the first issue was published. I learned so many fascinating facts about Nebraska History and how the Omaha Jewish community formed and how the pioneers were still recognized, and how the city was built. Nebraska was granted statehood in 1867 so the state was still relatively new to the union and Native Americans were still living in their own communities. I also learned about the culture of life back then and how the Jewish community of Omaha was very prosperous, and assimilated yet maintained a strong, organized community and a small Orthodox Jewish population. What captured my interest was how and why the Jewish community was formed and strategically set for growth. Jews were
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being persecuted all over Europe and immigration was rampant before the Holocaust and anti-Semitism was prevalent all over the world, including United States. Supporting Palestine was an important cause to contribute to, and there were many Jewish organizations forming to help combat Anti-Semitism, resettle refugees who had experienced Pogroms, and protect the Jews in Palestine while sending funds and support to build a Jewish Statehood. The Jewish community was engaged in rampant fundraising and their first goal was to build the Jewish Community Center in downtown Omaha. It was in that building that I attended kindergarten at the Jewish Day School, Omaha Hebrew Academy which moved to West Omaha a year later. I remember learning how to swim in that pool and my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Sanders and her husband, the principal, Rabbi Sanders. I recently met their great grandchildren at a Lechayim in Lakewood a few years ago. Having gone through many of the Omaha Jewish Press issues from 1921-1935, I could attest that history is repeating itself. Although I had not reached the era of the Holocaust yet, (I plan to continue the reading but I am too glued to Fox Network and social media reports on the war in Israel against Hamas.) There is no question in my mind that we are living in dangerous times again. We are simply not safe anymore. Too many people hate the Jews. Thank you for making your archives public and I urge all your readers to review the editions from 1920. EMMA LEBOWITZ FAIR LAWN, NJ
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12 | The Jewish Press | November 3, 2023
The Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation assures a solid future for the Omaha Jewish Community. This is possible because members of our community establish and participate in a varied array of funding opportunities at The Foundation. Please join us.
HERE IS A HANDY COMPARISON OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES AT THE FOUNDATION: FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
MINIMUM FINANCIAL COMMITTMENT
TIME TO FUND
BENEFICIARY
FUNDING SOURCE
LIFE & LEGACY PROGRAM
NO MINIMUM
DURING OR AFTER LIFETIME
*PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS
Cash, securities, other appreciated assets, life insurance, will, trust, IRA/qualified retirement plan
(permanently benefits your selected Jewish organization(s))
FOREVER ANNUAL CAMPAIGN GIFT
(LISTED BELOW)
25X YOUR INTENDED ANNUAL CAMPAIGN GIFT, AFTER YOUR LIFETIME
DURING OR AFTER LIFETIME
FEDERATION ANNUAL CAMPAIGN
Cash, securities, other appreciated assets, life insurance, will, trust, IRA/qualified retirement plan
DURING OR AFTER LIFETIME
FEDERATION, ITS AGENCIES, LOCAL JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS AND ANY OTHER 501C(3)
Cash, securities, other appreciated assets, life insurance, will, trust, IRA/qualified retirement plan
FEDERATION, ITS AGENCIES, LOCAL JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS AND ANY OTHER 501C(3)
Cash, securities, other appreciated assets, life insurance, will, trust, IRA/qualified retirement plan
ENDOWMENT (to support any cause)
SUPPORTING FOUNDATION
$10,000
INVESTED FOR GROWTH
FOREVER
YES
FOREVER
YES
FOREVER
YES
FOREVER OR TERM OF YEARS
YES
$500,000+
DURING LIFETIME
$2,500
DURING LIFETIME
ANY 501C(3) CHARITY
Cash, securities, or other appreciated assets
TEMPORARY
YES
DURING LIFETIME
ANY 501C(3) CHARITY
Cash
TEMPORARY
YES
Cash, securities, or other appreciated assets
FOREVER
YES
(separate legal entity with a separate board created by the family)
DONOR-ADVISED FUND
INTENDED LIFESPAN
(Donor recommends distributions)
TZEDEK TEEN FUND (once a year, teen donates 10% to a Jewish nonprofit)
PAY IT FORWARD COMMUNITY FUND (Donor can set-up a monthly, quarterly or annual gift in any amount or a one-time gift)
$125 (FOUNDATION ADDS $375)
$18
DURING LIFETIME
FUNDS PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS FOR JEWISH OMAHA KIDS TO ATTEND SCHOOL & CAMP
* LIFE & LEGACY partner organizations: Beth El Synagogue Beth Israel Synagogue B’nai Israel Synagogue Chabad of Nebraska Friedel Jewish Academy Temple Israel
Jewish Federation of Omaha Jewish Federation of Omaha Agencies: Institute for Holocaust Education Jewish Community Relations Council Jewish Family Service Jewish Press Jewish Senior Outreach Nebraska Jewish Historical Society Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Staenberg Omaha JCC
Your priorities become our priorities and together we can make what’s important to you last forever, while enriching the Omaha Jewish Community! Please reach out to Amy Bernstein Shivvers at ashivvers@jewishomaha.org or 402-334-6466.
This information is not intended as tax, legal or financial advice. Please consult your advisor for giving strategies that will meet your specific circumstance.