June 8, 2012

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Sponsored by the Benjamin and Anna E. Wiesman Family Endowment Fund AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA June 8, 2012 18 Sivan 5772 Vol. 92 | No. 38

CJE reimagined: The Center for Jewish Life

This Week

by SHERRIE SAAG Communications Specialist, Jewish Federation of Omaha The goal, to celebrate Judaism, at first seems lofty yet logical for the newly expanded and re-envisioned Center for Jewish Life. Formerly the Center for Jewish Education, an agency of the Jewish Federation of Omaha, the Center for Jewish Life is under the leadership of Agency President Bonnie Bloch and a professional staff including Executive Director Beth Cohen and Mary Sue Mission Statement Grossman, Associate Execu- The Center for Jewish Life strives to maximize involvement of tive Director. Omaha’s Jewish community in imaginative, compelling and In January 2012, a task force was charged with conceptual- meaningful Jewish experiences. izing changes for the agency. Cohen explained, “We were Bonnie Bloch, Board President; Beth Cohen, Executive Director; and Mary Sue asked to look beyond the Grossman, Associate Executive Director. Center for Jewish Education’s pri- exactly what we had the opportunity talked a lot about ‘experiences,’ mary function of ‘traditional’ educa- to do and it was so exciting to be a about getting community members tion; to re-imagine what services part of it,” said Agency President together, not just for Jewish content programming, but also just for the and programming we could provide Bonnie Bloch. That is the reasoning behind the sake of Jews being together. We disthat would reinvigorate and engage as many members of our communi- name change. “Of course Jewish cussed how to make gateways for ty as possible. We always kept in education remains at the core of people to become involved in the mind that education happens at any what we do, but the re-direction of Jewish community and ways to furage, at any time, in any situation, so the agency means we can put our ther engage those who are already energies into many new and exciting involved,” added Cohen. every idea was on the table.” Bloch went further, saying, “Too “To say we were ‘thinking outside things,” Cohen said. “At the task force meetings, we often, our community invests the box’ sounds so cliché but it is

Lloyd Roitstein becomes Beth El’s new president Page 3

Gentleman, start your ovens! Page 7

resources in a program that doesn’t touch as many people as we’d like. We want to build program coalitions, to capitalize on campus activities and to maximize our community’s resources. We will regularly participate in the Federation’s monthly meetings of synagogue rabbis and presidents. The Center for Jewish Life will help make the communal slate of programming more robust and successful.” While change can be unpredictable, Bloch assures everyone that many of the great programs and services the agency is known for will remain the same. For example, the Kripke Jewish Federation Library, the Annual Jewish Omaha Film Festival, Jewish Book Month, adult education classes and Partnership 2Gether will remain the foundation of the newly named agency. “Our renewed efforts will focus on expanding what is already successful and collaborating with other agencies and Jewish organizations in Omaha to ensure that we are all as successful as possible in reaching as many people as possible,” Bloch said. Task force members included Joel Alperson, Bonnie Bloch, Rabbi Jonathan Gross, Jody Malashock, Julie Phillips, Mike Schop and Stacey Rockman. Also included Continued on page 2

RBJH’s week-long party Mystery, Murder, and Mitzvahs by OZZIE NOGG This past May 13-19 marked National Nursing Home Week, and the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home celebrated with activities based on

themed sing-a-long,” explained Maggie Conti, RBJH Director of Activities and Outreach Programs. “We also held a Name that Tune Theme Song and an Old

Jewish and Navajo spiritual leaders speak of sacred lands Page 12

by MARK KIRCHHOFF The Kripke Jewish Federation Library continually updates its collection, responding to the wishes of its patrons in providing interesting and informative material that embraces Jewish culture and heritage. Consider these three recent additions:

of them making the New York Times bestseller list. There are now over 20 million copies of her works distributed around the world. Her latest, Gun Games, was published on Jan. 3, 2011, and is available in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library – not to sit on the shelf, but to be checked out and enjoyed by

MYSTERY. If you had earned a BA in mathematics, a doctorate in dentistry from UCLA, and had conducted research in oral biology, would the next logical step in your career be to write a series of mystery novels? For Faye Kellerman it has been. Beginning in 1986 with her groundbreaking first novel, The Ritual Bath that won the Macavity “Best First Novel” Award from the Mystery Readers of America, Kellerman has crafted equally intriguing, gripping novels – twenty-seven in all, with twenty

you. We believe that without this book, only 19,999,999 Kellerman works would have been distributed. Kellerman was born in St. Louis, MO, and grew up in Sherman Oaks, CA. When she began her writing career, she held with the sage advice of “writing what you know about.” To this, she added her own axiom, “Write what is important to you.” For her, what was important was very clear: family, children, and Judaism. Kellerman is a practicing Continued on page 2

Inside Point of view Synagogues In memoriam

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This Month Food and Restaurants See Front Page stories and more at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on Jewish Press

Darlene Golbitz, left, Charge Nurse in the Blumkin Home SW unit, and Marcy Jones, Director of Medical Records, were recognized for their thirty years of service to the RBJH. popular television shows. “We offered TV themed bingo and a TV

Commercial Contest plus a Fashion Show with staff dressed up as characters from TV programs. At each of these events we recognized and gave gifts to staff who had reached special milestones at the Blumkin Home. It was all great fun.” The RBJH staff honorees included: Mike Aparo, Vickie Bruno, Kwadjo Djondo, Alain Gunubu, Josh Gurock, Ann Hansen, Bonnie Johnson, Victoria Mihinto, Cherita Nyamedi and Saira Zuniga: five Continued on page 2


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