May 22, 2015

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Sponsored by the Benjamin and Anna E. Wiesman Family Endowment Fund AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA

Humanitarian of the Year

May 22, 2015 4 Sivan 5775 Vol. 95 | No. 36

This Week

The Ted Seldin Family

June is abloom with Mainstreeters events Page 5

Salute to High School graduates Pages 6 & 7

Open pulpit: The Mitzvah of Shemita Page 12

by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMPWRIGHT Jewish Press Editor Sarah and Ted Seldin and their family will be honored as Humanitarian of the year at the Jewish Federation of Omaha’s 2015 Annual meeting, to be held on June 1 at 7 p.m. Ted and Sarah have been married for 58 years and have been blessed withtwo daughters and are the proud grandparents of four grandchildren. Stephanie and husband Rodger have two sons, Adam and Alex; Beth and husband Amnon Dotan have a daughter, Liatte and a son, Yonatan. “Sarah and I, we’re practically newlyweds,” says Ted, who credits his family for what he has accomplished during his career. Those accomplishments are many; yet, when asked, he quickly changes the topic to his wife and daughters of whom he’s incredibly proud. “All three have done so much for this community,” he says, “and it’s an honor to share this award with the whole family.” Sarah is known for her ability to see the potential in previously abandoned spaces; in fact, she’s made a ca-

The Ted Seldin Family. Not pictured: Liatte Dotan (who was serving in the IDF when the picture was taken) reer of it. She is the President of restorers Inc., and in that role has revamped many buildings that had been terribly neglected. “I like to take something filthy and dirty and turn it into something

beautiful,” she told the Omaha World-Herald. Ted can’t praise her enough: “She was with the girls as they were growing up, constantly, and volunteered for Temple Israel and for the

Heart Association and other community activities. She also found time to travel with me, and so we were together when I became chairman of the National Association of HomeContinued on page 3

Gen Z? Yes, they are Young Leadership Leaders too. award winners

Inside Point of view Synagogues In memoriam

Next Month Father’s Day See Front Page stories and more at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on Jewish Press

9 10 11 Elissa Wiener

Max Gendler

Dana Kaufman

Jason Epstein

by SHERRIE SAAG Communications, Jewish Federation of Omaha Forget the buzzword “millennials”. It’s so yesterday. Enter Generation Z, defined as those born after 1994. They are digital natives; scooting, crawling and traveling in car seats with iPads, iPhones and Kindles in

their hands. They are technologically savvy, view the world through a global lens and assume unlimited access to information that automatically makes things move very fast. According to Forester Research, Generation Z is the second largest demographic owning an iPhone. Being constantly “plugged in” makes them global information gatherers, and, hopefully, this gives today’s young people opportunities to better effect social change. That is what’s happening locally, as Jewish Omaha teens use social media exclusively to meet, gather, plan events, and engage with each other on their own terms and in their own unique Jewish way. Continued on page 2

by SHERRIE SAAG Communications, Jewish Federation of Omaha Our community’s young leaders exemplify L’Dor v’Dor, From Generation to Generation. Their generous gift of time and resources are essential to our mission. They serve to support our programs, services and ability to help Jews all around the world. Their work sets an important example for participation from their peers, and their continued involvement is critical to sustaining our community into the future. Dana Kaufman will be honored this year with the Lois Jeanne Schrager Memorial Young Leadership Award, and Jason Epstein will be honored with the Bruce Fellman

Memorial Young Leadership Award at the June 1 Federation Annual Meeting and Awards Night. In their own ways, Dana and Jason are helping to ensure the success of the Omaha Jewish community. By leading now, they are laying the groundwork for our next generation of communal lay leaders, a big undertaking, but one crucial to Jewish Omaha. Dana Kaufman is an active and integral part of our community and a generous donor to the Annual Campaign and is a leadership example, first as a Ben Gurion Society donor and recently ascending to a Pomegranate level. Along with being in these Campaign leadership Continued on page 4


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May 22, 2015 by Jewish Press - Issuu