Endowed by the Benjamin and Anna E. Wiesman Family Fund AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA February 5, 2016 26 Shevat 5776 Vol. 96 | No. 21
JCC improves membership experience
This Week
2016 Annual Campaign totals
Jewish Family Service needs Page 2
by JASON EPSTEIN The JCC is currently undergoing both facility and programming upgrades designed to enhance the membership experience. According to JCC Executive Director Mark Martin, “To further our mission of providing Jewish Omaha with a positive environment to gather for a wide
range of activities, the leadership of the JCC has made a commitment to upgrade the programming being offered along with improvements to the building and amenities. Our goal is to continue to offer our members the best experience in Omaha by focusing on a new way of doing business and outside the box thinking.”
Beginning in December, the entire fitness center received new paint and carpet to refresh and brighten the facility. Work is currently underway to paint the gym and lighting for the entire facility is scheduled for replacement with brighter, more energy efficient fixtures being installed. Continued on page 2
Klutznick Learning Series Kindergarten by MARK KIRCHHOFF Center for Jewish Life The 2016 Klutznick Learning Series kicks off this Monday, Feb. 8 from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Social Hall at
Meet the Israeli composer of Indian Muslim music Page 12
Wisdom in the Modern World. Additional sessions will be held Feb. 15 and 22 also beginning at 7 p.m. Each evening will feature two topics from Pirkei Avot. Each topic will
Round-Up at Friedel
Inside Point of view Synagogues
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This Month Judah Kohen and Aliza Shyken in the Kindergarten Hebrew class.
The Men’s Issue See Front Page stories and more at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on Jewish Press
the JCC. This year’s series, sponsored by the fund of the Klutznick Chair of Jewish Civilization at Creighton University, is titled Pirkei Avot: Ancient
include two 15-minute discussions: a clergy member will lead the first section, followed by a discussion on the same topic by a lay member of the community. A Q & A time will follow. The sessions will be unique, hopefully a bit entertaining, and will definitely make you consider new ideas. Unable to attend each week? Not a problem as each session is stand alone. Rabbi Steven Abraham of Beth El Synagogue will lead the first session on Feb. 8 by discussing Pirkei Avot 1.2 -- “Simeon the Righteous was one of the last survivors of the great Continued on page 3
by CLAUDIA SHERMAN for Friedel Jewish Academy We moved to Omaha last summer from Birmingham, Alabama, explained Avram Hoffman. He and his wife, Arika, sent their daughter, Alivia, to a Jewish day school in Birmingham and wanted to make the transition as easy as possible for her upon moving here. They were delighted to see that Alivia, a first grader, would benefit from small class sizes and receive the same individual attention at Friedel Jewish Academy that she had had in Birmingham. Alivia is happy at Friedel
and will be welcoming her younger sister, Alana, to the next kindergarten class. For David and Becca Finkelstein, a lot of research into schools preceded their decision about where to send their children. David attended public schools when he was a student. But after visiting a public school and Friedel, “It wasn’t that difficult a decision,” he acknowledged. Their sons Ari and Ethan are currently sixth graders at Friedel, and Asher is in kindergarten. The family is pleased with Continued on page 3