Vol. LXXXVII No. 3 Omaha, NE
Celebrating 86 Years of Service to Nebraska and Western Iowa
16 Tishrei, 5768 September 28, 2007
Federation announces leadership for 2008 Campaign
For A.G. post, Bush taps Orthodox Jew best known for work on terrorism
by LISA LIEB First on the Pitlors’ toFederation Communications do list: to put together Director their campaign leadership When Marcia and Steve team. They chose John Pitlor were asked to serve Lehr to lead the Men’s as chairmen of the Jewish Campaign and Sandy Federation of Omaha’s Friedman as Chairman of 2008 Annual Leadership Pacesetters; Brett Atlas Campaign, two key facwas named Chairman of tors made them eager to Young Leadership. agree -- the chance to “This year in particular bring everybody together we have recruited people for a community event, who have been involved and the tremendous genin past campaigns but not erosity of the Omaha in the top leadership levJewish community. els,” Steve said. “We’ve “When you take on a seen some great enthusirole like this in Omaha asm and new ideas as a you know it’s not going result.” to be a hard job,” Marcia In the Women’s said. “We really walk the Campaign, Nancy Rips walk here and have a Marcia and Steve Pitlor, Chairmen of Omaha’s 2008 Federation has been named great history of giving Annual Campaign. Chairman for this year generously.” and Jan Schneiderman is Chairman of the Lion of Judah The Pitlors have been active volunteers throughout Division. Marcia expressed great confidence in Nancy the years, bringing a wealth of experience and knowl- and Jan. “These women bring a tremendous energy and edge to the table. Marcia has served as Federation ability to get things done,” she said. Women’s Campaign Co-Chairman and Co-Chairman of Pam and Bruce Friedlander and Andee and Anthony the Omaha Maccabi Games. Marcia and Steve were JCC Scioli have been named Co-Chairmen of the community Capital Campaign Co-Chairman (with Patty and Steve event. “Putting together a community event has been Nogg), and Steve is a past president of the Federation. one of our top priorities, and we are thrilled to have the “I’m thrilled to have Marcia and Steve as this year’s Friedlanders and Sciolis spearhead this effort,” Steve said. Campaign Chairmen,” said Federation President Norman “One of the most important things we can do as Sheldon. “Rarely do we have an opportunity to call upon Campaign Chairs is surround ourselves with wonderful people who not only exhibit strong leadership, but have people, and Steve and I couldn’t be more pleased with such an in-depth understanding of how Campaign money this year’s leadership team,” Marcia added. Continued on page 3 is raised and allocated in our community.”
by RON KAMPEAS WASHINGTON (JTA) -- In the aftermath of her son Ari's murder by an Arab gunman on the Brooklyn Bridge in 1994, Devorah Halberstam was introduced to a federal judge for the Southern District of New York with a longstanding interest in terrorism-related issues. In the years since, Judge Michael Mukasey became a fixture in the life of Ari's family, keeping a photo of the slain teenager on the mantle in his chambers, meeting regularly with his mother and in March, receiving the memorial award established in Ari's memory. Mukasey even attended the weddings of Ari's siblings, one of which required him to endure torrential rainstorms during the outdoor ceremony. But he stayed until its conclusion, Halberstam said, even though he was drenched. Continued on page 2
President George W. Bush listens to remarks by Judge Michael Mukasey after announcing his nomination Sept. 17, in the White House Rose Garden, to be the 81st Attorney General of the United States. Credit: U.S. White House
Omaha native establishes endowment fund to benefit L.O.V.E. by PJ WIESNER Foundation Communications Coordinator You can take the girl out of Omaha, but you can’t take Omaha out of the girl. Miriam Simon, who lived in Dundee for nearly 80 years, still reads Omaha’s Jewish Press from her home in Palm Coast, Florida, although she admits that fewer and fewer of the names in the paper are familiar. For most of her adult life, Simon, 86, was an active member of both the Jewish and secular communities in Omaha, volunteering for multiple organizations. One of the organizations for which Simon might have initiated the most change was the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. In 1971, Simon was invited to join the board of the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, which was then the Dr. Philip Sher Home. Once a month the board members met for lunch at the Sher Home, and Simon couldn’t help but notice how quiet the nursing home was. “When I went out there, it was so dead. There were no signs of life, really I felt bad for the people who had nothing to do except wait for their next meal -- or wait to die. So I said that something should be done,” Simon said. Taking matters into her own hands, Simon formed the League Offering Volunteers for the Elderly, or L.O.V.E.
Inside
With the help of her volunteers, Simon entertained the residents with bingo, daily exercise classes, and weekly sing-alongs. Even her late husband, Ervin Simon, was one of her L.O.V.E volunteers. “He was very supportive of the volunteer things I did,” she recalled. “He started coming in the evening once a week. It was very rewarding.” Thirty-five years later, in October 2006, Simon met with Marty Ricks, executive director of the Jewish Federation Foundation, to establish an endowment fund in her name and her husband’s that would benefit the Home. “It was a great pleasure for me to meet Miriam last October. What a wonderful conversation we had!” said Ricks. “I knew about Miriam through Shirley Goldstein. They were basically partners in creating the Omaha Committee on Soviet Jewry, the organization that sponsored several hundred families to relocate from the former Soviet Union to Omaha.” Taking into account her and her husband’s love of music and the performing arts, Simon decided that the Ervin and Miriam Simon Endowment Fund would provide L.O.V.E. with funding to take the residents to plays, musical perform-
Miriam and Ervin Smon ances, and other shows at venues outside of the Blumkin Home. “Life is so much more enjoyable when you can go to some of these cultural events, so I wanted to enable L.O.V.E. to see that people could go,” said Simon. At the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, Simon majored in music; the violin was her primary instrument. She had a certificate to teach high school music but decided against trying to get a
This Week: Monthly Calendar for October: Pages 8 & 9
See Front Page Stories & More at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on ‘Jewish Press’ Opinion Page see page 16
Next Generation in Business features three generations: Page 5
job in a small, rural town. “In those days you just didn’t get a job in a big city like Omaha,” Simon explained. When she got married in 1945, none of the women Simon knew worked. “It was just a different time,” she said. “We stayed home and raised our kids.” She and Ervin Simon started their family in Dundee, the same neighborhood where she grew up. When her three children were young, Simon dedicated much of her time to volunteering. Being the president of the Dundee School PTA, Hadassah, and Beth El Synagogue Sisterhood, among other organizations, were “full-time jobs” to Simon. “These were all things I was interested in,” she explained. “If you’re interested in something, you’re usually willing to do something for that organization.” For fun, the Simons would go to concerts or to the theater. They had season tickets to the Omaha Symphony Orchestra, the Omaha Opera, and the Omaha Community Playhouse. In fact, Simon was a charter member of the Omaha Symphony Guild and on the board of the Omaha Opera Guild. Simon loved classical music, but her husband preferred jazz, which, she laughed, “I could take or leave!” Continued on page 2
Coming Next Month: Arts & Entertainment on Oct. 12 Sukkot recipes highlight dairy and fish alternatives: Pages 6-7
America Decides 2008: Guiliani’s doubts on talks: Page 13