Endowed by the Benjamin and Anna E. Wiesman Family Fund AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA
For Every Generation
July 17, 2015 1 Av 5775 Vol. 95 | No. 44
This Week
by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMPWRIGHT Jewish Press Editor “The array of charitable institutions that have long existed in the Jewish community,” wrote Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, “bear testament to how seriously Jews have taken the mitzvah of Tzedakah. Giving to a charity to which we feel a particular connection elevates the mitzvah by making it heartfelt, so that we are giving with the right intentions.” Two community leaders who have long understood what Telushkin meant when he wrote those lines are Jan Goldstein and Howard Kooper. Together, they will spearhead the 2016 Annual Campaign for the Jewish Federation of Omaha. When Director of Community Impact and Special Projects Louri Sullivan and Jewish Federation of Omaha President Jay Noddle approached Jan Goldstein and Howard Kooper about leading the Campaign, they “wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer,” Goldstein said. They agreed on one condition: this campaign will be all about celebrating community. “Immediately,” Jan said, “we focused on the fact that this community belongs to the younger generation. They are our future. We definitely don’t want this campaign
14th Annual Omaha Jewish Film Festival Page 5
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to look like a throwback to the past. And we are excited! Howard and I have evolved from a strong professional/lay working relationship. That
volved in Campaign again; this time around as lay leaders.” Both Howard and Jan have strong roots in our community and have
Darlynn Fellman, left, Barbara Nogg and Patty Lee Nogg (1987) Credit: Nebraska Jewish Historical Society
relationship and our mutual respect empowered both of us to do what we do best. We are thrilled to be in-
done more than their share in the building and sustaining of it. They feel it’s time to pass on some of that
leadership. “When we look around in this community,” Howard said, “we see great young people; with potential, ability and the desire to carry on what we’ve all invested in for so many years.” Finding a balance between what has been accomplished in the past and inspiring a new generation means taking advantage of that investment and making it current. To Howard and Jan, that meant bringing back Campaign Cabaret. “Every community has certain events and programs in its history that define them,” they said, “and for us, at the time, Campaign Cabaret was a big part of building our Annual Campaign and so we thought it would be a great idea to do it again. When we think back to Campaign Cabaret, we remember how inspirational it was. You walked out of there feeling good.” “You can talk to Andee Scioli, who is helping to organize Campaign Cabaret,” Jan said, “and volunteer, even if you don’t want to be on stage. We’ll need costumes and production help, all kinds of support and people with many different talents to make this happen.” Howard added: “We should be able to bring together 600 people. Wait; Continued on page 2
Campaign Cabaret A Mission to Jewish Europe Amy Winehouse, through the lens Page 12
Inside Point of view Synagogues In memoriam
8 10 11 Ozzie Nogg and Joanie Jacobson Credit: Nebraska Jewish Historical Society
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by OZZIE NOGG The 2016 Annual Campaign begins its fundraising season with an event that’s been 30 years in the making. Campaign Cabaret, the Vegasstyle variety show that was, at one time, the peak of Campaign season, is back! “We’re thrilled to bring back Cam-
paign Cabaret, headed by Andee Scioli and Joanie Jacobson,” said Louri Sullivan, Director of Community Impact and Special Projects for The Jewish Federation of Omaha. “The last one was staged in 1987, but that magical, musical evening is still clear in people’s memories. Anytime I mention Campaign Cabaret to someone, they get a big smile and tell me about their favorite act. Now, 30 years later, we have a whole new generation of donors and members of our community who are excited to be a part of this fun and meaningful community event.” The entire community is invited to participate on stage, behind-thescenes, or as an enthusiastic audience member on Sunday, Oct. 11 at the Continued on page 3
by LOURI SULLIVAN Director of Community Impact and Special Projects, JFO Teen trips to Israel and Jewish Europe are established summer experiences that dozens of Omaha teens are fortunate to have participated in throughout the years. The Jewish Federation proudly supports these trips because it recognizes the value of Jewish identity-building these opportunities provide. Parents often report back to the Federation offices to describe the effect visiting overseas has on their children. At a recent lunch with friends, community member Kimberly Robinson recalls the group sharing memories of their children’s travels. “Several of our children have been to Eastern Europe on the March of the Living, and it’s obvious why it’s important. But at the same time, we realized, we haven’t really offered this to adults. We’ve all been to Israel, multiple times, but none of us had really experienced a trip that incorporates Eastern European Jew-
ish history. If it’s so important to teach our kids, shouldn’t we include the grownups as well?” That thought made a mission a reality. The Women’s Mission to Jewish Europe travels through four countries from Oct. 27–Nov. 4. The trip includes Warsaw, Prague, Vienna and Budapest. It’s an important way to bring community members together at the start of another Annual Campaign season. Robinson is the Mission Chair. “Sharing these types of meaningful experiences is important,” she says. “When we learn new things and visit places that have real meaning in our shared history, and we do so together, we become a better community. Our learning and our growing has to be multi-generational. We are all in this together, but we have to actively work on maintaining that togetherness. This Women’s Mission is one more element in that, and I hope many of our community members will decide to participate.” Continued on page 2