Sponsored by the Benjamin and Anna E. Wiesman Family Endowment Fund AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA
Dr. Larry Roffman Humanitarian of the Year
May 31, 2013 22 Sivan 5773 Vol. 93 | No. 37
This Week
by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMPWRIGHT Editor of the Jewish Press Being Jewish, according to Dr. Larry Roffman, “is not about sitting on the sidelines of life. It is life. You reach out, you welcome newcomers, you volunteer, you study, you vote, care, support Israel, and you add your voice to public discussions.” Larry Roffman is this year’s Humanitarian of the Year, and will be honored by the Jewish Federation of Omaha at the Annual Meeting on June 3. Originally from Council Bluffs, IA, Larry attended Abraham Lincoln High School, after which he studied at the State University of Iowa, earning a combined B.A. and medical degree. He and his wife Silvia (Sivi) have two daughters. Susie is married to Mike Norton, Julie is married to Thor Rosenquist. They’ve also been blessed with grandchildren: Justin, Seth, Aaron and Leo Norton, and Asher and Eitan Rosenquist. “My father Sam told me once that
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Dr. Larry Roffman everybody has to have a job and earn a living,” Larry says. He’s tried to follow that advice (and then some) ever since. His primary hospital was Clarkson
Hospital, and he served several terms as Chairman of the OB/GYN department. In fact, the comment frequently heard around the community is: “Larry Roffman? Oh, he delivered me/my siblings/my children!” Case in point: “Dr. Larry Roffman has given a lifetime of commitment and devotion to the Jewish Community of Omaha,” says Jody Malashock, Jewish Federation of Omaha President. “I congratulate Larry on receiving the highest honor of our Jewish Federation. On a personal note, Dr. Roffman will always be special to me – he delivered both of my children.” It’s one way to have an impact on many, but Larry didn’t stop there. He’s acted as a volunteer clinical instructor for OB/GYN medical students at the former Nebraska College of Medicine,
which is now the Nebraska Medical Center. His colleagues honored him as a “Clarkson legend.” Since his retirement, he has continued to work with the Nebraska Medical Center on a variety of projects. Larry is a Past President of Temple Israel, and a former member of the Investment Committee. He continues to serve on the Jewish Federation Foundation Board of Directors, and has served on the Jewish Social Services Board, where he was named an Honorary Trustee for Life. He continues his membership on the Douglas County Hospital Foundation Board, and was a board member for the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society, due to his interest in the history of Iowa and Nebraska, and Council Bluffs and Omaha in particular. Maybe that interest in history is partially responsible for the fact that Larry doesn’t easily forget where he comes from, or who helped him along the way. Continued on page 2
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Next Week Father’s Day See Front Page stories and more at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on Jewish Press
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Corey Kirshenbaum --and all ‘his’ kids-- have much to be excited about by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMPThen there’s the actual kids’ space. WRIGHT The teen lounge, aftercare: it’s been hidden from view for weeks, and it’s Editor of the Jewish Press You may have noticed: something impossible to see what’s going on. has been brewing in the canteen area. Youth Director Corey Kirshenbaum Space has been blocked off, Friedel and BBYO Director Leora Azriel Jewish Academy has a new donor have temporarily moved their offices wall and a nice set of double doors, to the CJL’s Kripke Library, and afterwhile the canteen itself has actual fur- care has taken up residence in the niture. As in: comfy couches and new Community Room. We’ve heard sustables and chairs and art on the wall. picious noises, smelled all sorts of things, and wondered about the end result of all that hard work. What, exactly, is it that Mike Silverman means when he uses the word “update?” “The project is generously funded by the Ann Goldstein JCC Endowment fund,” says Mike, “and we are looking forward to its completion at the end of May. The new enhanced space will provide more room for our teens to socialize, and upgraded Continued on page 3
Ryan Haney and Jen Freeman by JEN FREEMAN JCC Personal Trainer JCC member Ryan Haney is a 39year-old husband to Jen Naughton and proud father of two wonderful sons. When I first met Ryan, however, I knew him only as a participant in my Group Exercise classes. I would think to myself, “Wow, that guy is a real blast to have in class…a little ‘sassy’ and opinionated, but truly a delight otherwise.” Little did I know the accomplishments he would achieve within the span of a year. Ryan started attending my Boot Camp and Strength classes in early
2012. He also started training with JCC Personal Trainer Beth Cutsor. By June of 2012, he became extremely focused on his fitness routine, because he had entered into a “Biggest Loser” type competition with his peers. During this time period, I weighed and measured Ryan on four occasions. He became leaner and stronger every time we met for these measurements. In September 2012, Ryan weighed 245 lbs His body fat percentage was 25.5% and his waist measured 46.25 inches. He scheduled another body Continued on page 2