Vol. LXXXVI No. 3 Omaha, NE
Celebrating 85 Years of Service to Nebraska and Western Iowa
7 Tishrei, 5767 September 29, 2006
Behind the Scenes in Israel with Omaha’s Warren Buffett by DAVID BEDEIN Special to the Jewish Press When Israelis think of business people from the United States, they often conjure up images of fast talking ambitious go-getters from New York or Los Angeles. Indeed, during this reporter’s 36 years in Israel, it has been hard to find Israelis with any exposure whatsoever to a successful, soft spoken American Midwest businessman, let alone an entrepreneur who has turned over billions of dollars. Ofer Petersberg, economics correspondent for the most widely read Israeli newspaper, Yediot Aharonot, was one of the first Israeli reporters to meet Warren Buffett when he was flown to Omaha last May, shortly after the deal was made for Buffett to buy the controlling 80% interest in the ISCAR conglomerate in the Galilee region which had been pioneered by Stef Wertheimer in 1952. ISCAR, based in the Tefen Industrial Park in the Western Galilee (coincindentally Omaha’s Partership with Israel region), a few miles from the border with Lebanon, exports technological products to no less than 60 nations, not all of whom are on the best of terms with Israel. However, business is business. Petersberg remarked that when the
Charlie Munger, left, Eitan Wertheimer, Warren Buffett and Stef Wertheimer meet outside Iscar after touring the factory in the Tefen Industrial Zone in the Upper Galilee. During Buffett’s 36-hour visit earlier this month, he met with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and toured Iscar--in which he bought an 80% share for $4 billion dollars earlier this year. He also visited Rambam Hospital in Haifa, where Eitan Wertheimer has set up a global biotechnology center. Buffet was quoted as saying that he was more than satisfied with his investment in Iscar. Stef Wertheimer, Iscar’s founder, met Buffett for the first time as all the negotiations for the sale of Iscar were carried out by Wertheimer’s son, Eitan. Buffett also met with Noam Copyright: ISRANET Shalit, the father of abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.
Groundbreaking Kicks-Off New Beginning for Blumkin Home
Jewish Music Subject of Multiple Lectures During Annual Klutznick-Harris Symposium documentary, Zamir: Jewish by LEONARD GREENSPOON Holder of the Klutznick Chair Voices Return to Poland. in Jewish Civilization Dr. Jacobson, who is also Creighton University Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities “I Will Sing and Make at Northeastern University, Music,” declared the biblical received his degrees from Psalmist, one of the earliest Harvard College, the New Jewish musicians. Jewish England Conservatory, and music and musicians--from the University of Cincinnati. the Book of Psalms to hipHe has guest conducted for hop--is the topic of the 19th a number of prestigious annual Klutznick-Harris orchestras, such as the Symposium, which will take Boston Pops, the New place on Sunday, Oct. 29, England Conservatory, and and Monday, Oct. 30. the Boston Lyric Opera. In It is especially fitting that addition, he has lectured and Dr. Joshua Jacobson, one of the foremost Jewish musiled workshops throughout cians and music scholars of the world. His arrangements of our generation, will deliver Jewish music are well known the keynote presentation and have been used by both “Jewish Music: What is Cantor Shermet, of Temple That?” at the Jewish Israel, and Cantor Community Center theater, Sunday, Oct. 29, 7:30 Keynote speaker Dr. Joshua Jacobson leads Boston’s Zamir Bogomolni, of Beth El. Chorale. p.m. Donald Gerber, who has Dr. Jacobson is best known to the general public as the met and worked with Jacobson on a number of occafounding director of the Zamir Chorale of Boston, a 50- sions, remarked that “We in Omaha are fortunate to member adult chorale that has been described as have a musician of Dr. Jacobson’s caliber at the “America’s foremost Jewish choral ensemble.” Under Symposium. Everyone who attends is in for a wonderJacobson’s leadership, Zamir has appeared throughout ful experience.” the world and has a wide repertoire of music, ranging As part of Jacobson’s presentation, a chorus, comfrom traditional liturgical pieces to newly commissioned posed primarily of local singers, will perform. compositions by contemporary Jewish composers. The Jacobson’s presentation will be followed by a dessert Chorale, founded in 1969, made an historic tour to reception, also featuring musician accompaniment. Eastern Europe in 1999 that was the subject of a PBS Continued on page 11
Inside Opinion Page see page 12
This Week: Monthly Calendar for October: Pages 8-9 See Front Page Stories & More at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on ‘Jewish Press’
Lions Roar in Nation’s Capital: Page 2
other four Israeli reporters knew that they were flying to the U.S. on a private plane to witness a major business deal, the details of which were kept secret from them, they imagined that they would be landing in some kind of Rockefeller Center or Wall Street, “So imagine the surprise that we had in store for us when we looked out the windows of the plane and saw the cornfields of Nebraska!” What Petersberg did see was an investment of billions of dollars, yet something which he described as “simple, clear and businesslike”--How a businessman who had never stepped foot in Israel would give the Israeli economy an unexpected vote of confidence by evaluating the profitability and the potential of a leading Israeli enterprise, which would lead him to invest $4 billion and an 80% controlling shares of the company. Petersberg and the other Israeli reporters wanted to understand why Buffett would invest in Israel; they were impressed by the fact that he paid attention and gave them even more time than he paid to the U.S. reporters. During his short visit in Israel, Buffett spent a few hours with the media, reviewing his principles with the Israeli Continued on page 11
Special Care Unit Top Priority on Construction Schedule by OZZIE NOGG To ensure that the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home evolves into a dramatically transformed, totally new living environment for seniors in the Omaha Jewish community, the celebration of a “New Beginning” for the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home is planned for Thursday, Oct. 19, 7 p.m., at the Jewish Community Center. The event marks the construction kickoff for the building project, and will take a loving look back--and a proud look forward--as work proceeds. The evening is sponsored by Jewish Senior Services, and the entire community is invited to attend. The initial building phase will see the addition of a 25-bed Special Care Unit--SCU--dedicated to those with early to mid-stage dementia and Alzheimer’s. Continued on page 3
The committee planning the Oct. 19 ‘New Beginning’ celebration for the Blumkin Home includes: Carol Bloch, left, Nancy Noddle, Maxine Kirshenbaum, Ozzie Nogg and Joanie Bernstein. Not pictured: Suzanne Singer.
Coming This Month: Arts & Entertainment Issue Gubernatorial Candidate Hahn Seeks to Be Bold: Page 4
Service to Visually Impaired Continues 50-year Tradition: Page 16