Vol. LXXXV No. 20 Omaha, NE
Celebrating 85 Years of Service to Nebraska and Western Iowa
Friedel Jewish Academy Celebrates 40 Years with Major Events in Spring anniversary in such a big by GARY JAVITCH way. We also want to A little-known jewel in communicate the joy of the Omaha Jewish combeing a child at Friedel.” munity crown is about to The third-year board get some well-deserved member talked about the recognition. That will school, noting, “Our happen over the next four principal is Cookie months in a series of artiKatskee, a former Omaha cles and activities that will Public School teacher, culminate in a communiprincipal and administraty-wide dinner celebrattor. She has brought great ing 40 years of the Jewish leadership to our school. Day School in Omaha on Her great contacts within Wednesday, May 31. the Omaha education Friedel Jewish Academy community have greatly board member, Yaffa benefited the students. Podbilewicz-Schuller, Schuller cited for who is chairing the comexample, Pam Cohn, a mittee that is overseeing current OPS principal, all the activities, spoke who has made expert proudly about a few of the school’s many accom- Longtime teacher Denise Bennett works with Samantha Wiener on contributions to Freidel’s curriculum guidelines. plishments. “We have a a project for the fourth-sixth-grade classroom at Friedel. spectacular record of Credit: David Radler Other community volunteers include Tuffy achievement,” she said. “Our kids are scoring very high on the nationwide tests, Epstein (band) and Julie Phillips (art). In addition, and at the same time, they are getting a great Jewish Katskee has developed a partnership program with UNO for library services and physical education instruceducation.” The kindergarten through sixth-grade students get tion, and with Creighton University and OPS for science more than that. “We use lots of high tech, especially training and support. “The professional faculty and staff is great, too,” she computers, and a great library. The kids also go swimming every week, participate in speech competitions and added. It consists of two full-time Judaic studies teachscience fairs, and get music, art, and band lessons,” she ers and three full-time general studies instructors. Moreover, the school is fully accredited by the state of stated. The school serves a hot kosher lunch everyday. “Our enrollment in recent years,” she added, “has Nebraska Department of Education. An administrative gone from 19 to 33 youngsters, and we have commit- assistant helps Katskee. The principal is well served by an ments from more than 40 new students over the next outstanding board, led by Lloyd Roitstein. “A vibrant four years. Because we operate on a smaller scale, we can Jewish Day School strengthens our community. And we provide incredible attention to the kids. Those are just a want the community to be rightfully proud that we have few of the reasons we want to celebrate this important Continued on page 3
27 Tevet, 5766 January 27, 2006
Omaha Steaks Scion Steve Simon Dies at 66 by CAROL KATZMAN Editor of the Jewish Press The youngest of the fourth-generation owners of Omaha Steaks, Stephen H. Simon, died Sunday at the age of 66. were held Services Tuesday at Temple Israel. Known for his wry sense of humor and his spontaneous generosity, Simon was most recently honored in November by Stephen H. Simon the Jewish Federation of Omaha. He and his older brothers, Alan and Fred, were named Humanitarians of the Year. It was, in fact, the Jewish Press staff and committee who submitted the nomination, stating, “the Simons don’t just write a check and walk away; they’re at your side, giving advice, coming up with new programs, and problem solving in their unique, inimitable style.” A week earlier, the three were inducted into Central High School’s Hall of Fame. The list of awards are almost too numerous to mention--among them recognition from the National Conference of Community and Justice in 1997, the Nebraska Arts Council in 1998, and the State of Nebraska in 2000 for “lifetime achievement” as Food Company of the Year. In 2004, the Nebraska National Guard honored Omaha Steaks for supporting its troops overseas. The Simon family has been generous with their personal service to the community as well as their contributions. Steve Simon has served as a member of the Federation’s Executive Board, as Chairman of the Pacesetter’s Division and then as Co-chairman with Paul Epstein of the overall Annual Federation Campaign. He has served on the board of the Jewish Press since 1998 and was Treasurer at the time of his death. A graduate of Indiana University, he held the position Continued on page 11
New Orleans Transplant Makes Omaha Her ‘Big Easy’ by RITA SHELLEY For Jewish Senior Services New Orleans’ citizens continue to struggle through the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Facing their future with grim determination, many remain unsure whether to move on or re-build the lives they had before their neighborhoods and homes were washed away. Betty Arons also faces the future with determination, but she is anything but grim. Thanks to a combination of her adaptability, her family’s help, and the Omaha Jewish community’s ability to provide the support she needed when it was most critical, Arons is at home in a west Omaha condo. The condo was located by her niece and furnished comfortably by the landlady before Arons arrived, complete with clean sheets on the bed. The clean sheets were especially welcome after Arons’ odyssey-like journey from New Orleans. Nephew David Marshall had flown to New Orleans to assist his aunt, but by the time he arrived at the airport, no one was being allowed into the city. Leaving everything except photos she emptied from albums into a box and her two dogs, Betty asked a neighbor to drive her to the airport to retrieve Marshall.
Inside Opinion Page see page 8
“My neighbor had just been released from the hospital and didn’t have any way to evacuate. I invited him to drive my car to the airport,” Arons said. “So actually, I saved his life and he saved mine.” The 25-mile drive to the airport took six hours, but there were more adventures to follow. The first 55 miles of the three-day drive to Omaha took 10 hours. Because hotel rooms en route were full, Marshall, Arons, her two dogs and the neighbor drove day and night, stopping occasionally to nap in the car. Arons left behind the home she had shared for 40 years with her husband of 60 years. Mark Arons died six years ago. Somewhere in the flood debris are Mark’s stamp collections, the plants Betty lovingly tended, the Former New Orleans resident Betty Arons is finally beginning accumulations of rare to enjoy life again in her Omaha condo.
This Week: Monthly Calendar: Pages 6-7 Super Sunday Draws Repeat Volunteers Each Year: Page 2
Rabbi Emanuel Addresses Congregation at Annual Meeting: Page 3
seashells they had collected together, and all the thank you notes Mark received from grateful clients and students in his work as a much-loved counselor at the University of New Orleans. But Arons doesn’t look back. Compared to learning to live without the love of her life as a companion and as manager of their financial affairs, making a new life at 87 in a new town doesn’t seem so insurmountable, Arons said. Amazingly, Arons is even a bit relieved that the hurricane saved her from facing some difficult decisions. She’d had wanted for some time to move to Omaha to be near her family. But the prospect of deciding what to keep, what to sell, what to give away and what to throw away seemed daunting, even to Arons. “God just took a hand. This absolutely was meant to be,” she said. When she first arrived in Omaha, Arons got in touch with Jewish Family Services, which was able to connect her with a nationwide relief network that provided emergency funds to Jewish hurricane evacuees. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) also provided cash assistance for rent and food until Arons could get a new bank account set up. Continued on page 12
Next Month: Simchas & Celebrations on Feb. 10 Op-ed on The Jewish Blogging Rage Page 8
Community-wide TuB’Shevat Celebration at Lautizen: Page 12