Vol. LXXXIV No. 40 Omaha, NE
Omahan Elected to Rotary International Board of Directors by JOAN K. MARCUS Frank N. Goldberg has been elected as a member of the Board of Directors of Rotary International. Goldberg, 62 and a CPA, will serve the international organization from July 1 through June 30, 2007. A member of Rotary since 1973, he will to represent North Central United States Zones 27 and 28 . Goldberg will be one of 17 board members that help to make up a complete board of 20 people. Other board members come from all over the world. He will be one of only two Jews and six Frank Goldberg Americans serving on this prestigious international board. “I don’t think that there is any other humanitarian organization in the world that has the ability to cross religious and political boundaries better than Rotary,” Goldberg said proudly. “We represent every race, culture and religion and we work together.” Rotary International is a working board that discusses programs, policies and international issues. Goldberg served as President of his own club, Suburban Rotary, from 1986-87 and was district governor in 1992-93. He is the recipient of Rotary’s “Service Above Self award and the Rotary Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service. Goldberg looks upon himself as a facilitator. “I speak and try to get people motivated to work under the four avenues of service. Club service is what you do in your club. Community service is what is done in your own community and international service--and what you do within your own profession. The basic idea is to have someone from each profession who uses skills to serve. Therefore, meetings would rotate from offices each week and that’s how we got our name.” Rotary is a 100 year-old humanitarian service organization that was the first of its kind. It was founded in 1905 in Chicago and quickly grew. Today, there are over 32 thousand clubs in 166 countries around the world, with more than 1,200,000 members. Both men and women belong to the organization that is broken up so that each club is able to create its own service projects in each community. In the greater Omaha area, there are probably 12 or 13 clubs, according to Goldberg. Some of the projects pursued by the Rotarians include the scholarship program for eighth graders, the bicycle ride across Nebraska and providing scholarships for high school seniors with disabilities. “These are kids who may not otherwise qualify for scholarships because they may not have the grade point average,” Goldberg explained. My club tries to have a different service project every month,” he added. “We help out with books for school or Christmas tree recycling. Right now, as a centennial project, the Omaha-metro clubs have been marking the trail system in the area. Every single club does its own thing when it comes to educational and humanitarian projects. We help youth, the aged, people with disabilities and participate in community activities.” Continued on page 4
Inside Opinion Page see page 20
Celebrating 84 Years of Service to Nebraska and Western Iowa
Peace of Mind is Mission of Federation Committee by RITA SHELLEY for Jewish Senior Services What medical decisions do you want made at the end of your life? If you’re too sick or hurt to communicate your wishes, whom do you want speaking and making decisions on your behalf? Make your wishes known. Write them down. Not “later.” Now. Doing so will Joan Kaiman give you peace of mind. This is the message of the “Peace of Mind” project, organized by a group of Jewish Federation volunteersJoanie Jacobson, Joan Kaiman, Nancy Noddle and Susan Rothholz, as well as Jewish Family Service and Jewish Senior Services staff, as part of a campaign of public education and support. “We organized this committee because we wanted to provide our community in Omaha with information they could use to become informed and prepared in case of unforeseen medical conditions,” Shelly Fox, Jewish Senior Services, said. “Each person on this committee has either a life experience or other compelling reason to want to be part of this project.” “Peace of Mind” volunteers want you to think about your wishes in advance, discuss your options with your family, friends, and health care professionals, and make plans for your future health care needs. Goals of the project include: • Encouraging family communication regarding individual desires and health care wishes before crises occur; • Educating the Omaha Jewish community about the types of decisions that need to be considered and the resources available within the community, including: • clergy, to help guide decision-making. Formal launching of Peace of Mind will be during the weekend of June 11-12 when committee members make brief presentations during synagogue services. The fol-
The Image of Abraham
Inspired by a common heritage of the patriarch Abraham, more than 480 Arab and Jewish children, between the ages of nine and 11 have come together at the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem. The children are pupils at local Jerusalem area schools. The “Image of Abraham Project” is now entering its eighth year and aims to create understanding and respect between Arabs and Jews in Israel by understanding shared history and heritage. The program encourages interaction in small groups so that all the children will have a mutual understanding and respect for one another. The programs are all held at the museum and include guided tours, creative workshops and games. Copyright: ISRANET
This Week: Father’s Day/Graduation Issue Shavuot Now a ‘Hip’ Holiday, List of Celebrations: Page 2
3 Sivan, 5765 June 10, 2005
Omahans Report on Study Programs in Israel: Pages 7-9
Nancy Noddle Susan Rothholz lowing week, Beth Israel will host Robert Berman, founder of the Halachic Organ Donor Society, a worldwide organization that educates communities on end-oflife issues, including organ donation and living wills. Berman will speak during June 18 services and again that afternoon. (See story below.) Jewish Senior Services also has agreed to serve as a confidential central storage facility for advance directive and “living will” documents once they are prepared. Personal documents can be stored, at no cost, in a locked and secure location that will be accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “It doesn’t do any good to get your wishes recorded if you’re the only one who knows about them,” Rothholz said. “Placing a copy in the care of another responsible party in this way helps you and your family know they have access to information they need, when they need it.” In future issues of the Jewish Press, look for more information on advance directives and living wills. “We want to remind people to get their wishes written down while they can think clearly and make well thought-out decisions,” Noddle added. “Don’t wait until you’re in a crisis or put your family in the position of having to guess what you would want. “We can’t control the future, but we can take steps to make our wishes known for our own and our families’ peace of mind.”
Halachic Organ Donor Society Founder to Speak at Beth Israel by MARY BORT for Beth Israel Synagogue One hundred people die needlessly in Israel every year--not from terrorism or wars, but because there are not enough organs available for transplant. That statistic intrigued Robby Berman, who was working as a journalist in Israel at the time. The deaths are needless, he says, because “there is a cure for organ failure. It’s just that people don’t donate the organs needed.” Berman, the founder and director of the Halachic Organ Donor Society (HOD Society) will be a special guest at Beth Israel Robby Berman Synagogue on Saturday, June 18. He’ll speak during Shabbat morning services and also make a presentation at 4:30 p.m. Shabbat afternoon that will include a question-and-answer session. Mincha will follow Berman’s presentation. Berman founded the HOD Society in December, 2001. According to its website, the organization “educates Jews about different Halachic opinions concerning organ donation and offers people a unique organ donor card.” Continued on page 2
Coming Next Month: Health and Wellness on July 15 Salute to Graduating High School Seniors: Pages 12-13
Crossword Puzzle: Jewish Time Travel: Page 19