Sponsored by the Benjamin and Anna E. Wiesman Family Endowment Fund AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA
Honoring Howard Kaslow
May 30, 2014 1 Sivan 5774 Vol. 94 | No. 37
This Week
by LIZ FELDSTERN and ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT What do we mean when we call someone successful? Often, we refer to financial success, being good at one’s job, climbing the ladder in one’s field until one can climb no more. But the true measure of success is the ability to do well, and subsequently spread good fortune to others. Not only working for one’s self and immediate family, but to truly make the world a better place. And when someone in our community is successful in that sense, we must recognize it. On Thursday, May 22, Inclusive Communities, formerly known as the National Conference of Christians and Jews, honored six people at their Humanitarian Dinner. Howard Kaslow received a Lifetime Achievement Award, the Deryl and Ramona Hamann family and Annette and Paul Smith were presented with the Humanitarian Award, and Marcia Bredar received the Otto Swanson Spirit of Service Award. Kevin Custard was given the Inclusive Communities’ Volunteer of the Year Award. Inclusive Communities also hosted Robert Edsel, author, founder and director of the Monuments Men Foundation, at the dinner.
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Howard Kaslow
June Mainstreeters
Ludwig Rosenberg’s trunk Page 7
Point of view Synagogues In memoriam
It comes as no surprise to the Omaha Jewish community that Howard Kaslow would be chosen for such a prestigious award – and as the inaugural recipient to boot! Howard grew up in Omaha and together with his wife, Gloria, has championed our community in more ways than we can write about. In the broader community he has generously given of his time and talents to organizations Boys Town, Fontenelle Forest, Bellevue University, the Omaha Community Foundation, Inclusive Communities and others. More specifically for the Jewish community, Howard has fulfilled many leadership positions over the years, including secretary, vice-president, and president of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. He has chaired JFO search committees and the task force that led to the establishment of the JFO Foundation, as well as one of the planning committees when the JCC was moved from downtown to its present location more than 30 years ago. Since then, nearly every agency has benefitted from his support, advice and trusteeship. He helped create and has served on the Continued on page 2
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by OZZIE NOGG Even in the summer, no grass grows under Mainstreeters’ feet. Upcoming June programs include: DeJa Blu USO Style Show with Pam Kragt and Diane Thomas: Monday, June 16, 12:30 p.m. Lunch in the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Auditorium. Pam and Diane are a delightful musical and comic duo, a female version of Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin, where one plays the zany person and the other is the voice of reason. Both Pam and Diane were members of the Omaha based WWII singing group, The AVI8ORS. You won’t want to miss their smooth, jazzy vocal blend as they sing the songs we all love to remember. For this event, we’re serving up a Pizza and Pasta Bar Buffet. Choose cheese and vegetable pizza or spaghetti with marinara sauce, plus garlic bread sticks, mixed lettuce salad with assorted dressings, chocolate cake and beverages. Cost is $10.00 a plate. Make checks payable to Jewish Social Services and send full payment to: Mainstreeters c/o Maggie Conti, 323 So. 132 Street, Omaha, NE 68154. Reservations are appreciated by Monday, June 9. For transportation,
call Maggie Conti at 402.334.6521. Join Us at the Movies: Philomena, Friday, June 27 at 1: p.m. in the JCC Theater. Free film and unlimited bags of warm, delicious popcorn. No reservations necessary. Invite a friend. Philomena, based on a pow-
June 16 DeJa Blu USO Style Show Luncheon with Pam Kragt and Diane Thomas promises songs and laughs.
erful true story, focuses on a worldweary political journalist who helps a woman search for her son, who was taken away from her decades ago after she became pregnant and was forced to live in a convent. Philomena offers a profoundly affecting drama for adult filmgoers of all ages. Continued on page 2
CJL wins award
Five Omaha rabbis, together with CEO Mike Silverman, take the stage. by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMPnecting Jews with Judaism and WRIGHT their Jewish community is not only a synagogue enterprise, it is a JewEditor of the Jewish Press The Center for Jewish Life is the ish community enterprise, and the 2014 recipient of the Jewish Feder- Federation does a remarkable job of ation of Omaha Community Serv- touching a lot of Jewish lives.” ice Award. The agency receives the When the Pew report, A Portrait honor as a result of the Pew panel, of Jewish Americans, was published which it organized in November of in October of 2013, it caused a 2013 at the newly built Temple Is- firestorm across the nation. The rael. Rabbis from all three syna- portrait that was painted was one of gogues and Chabad shared synagogues with dwindling memTemple’s bima, and discussed the bership and communities that were findings and implications of the na- slowly falling apart. Frankly, it didn’t tional Pew study in front of a sound much like Omaha, and the crowded sanctuary. decision was quickly made: let’s have The Pew panel, made up of Rab- our rabbis comment on these findbis Steven Abraham of Beth El, ings. How bad is it, really, and what Aryeh Azriel and Josh Brown of does it mean for our community? Temple Israel, Jonathan Gross of And if these are national trends, Beth Israel and Mendel Katzman of how do they affect Jewish Omaha? “American Jewry is clearly facing Chabad, was moderated by Joel Alperson. Mike Silverman, CEO of big issues that need to be adthe Jewish Federation of Omaha dressed,” said Center for Jewish also joined the panel, because, in Life’s Board President Bonnie Bloch at the time. “I’m so proud to be in the words of Joel Alperson: “I believe that the idea of con- Continued on page 2