October 9, 2015

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Endowed by the Benjamin and Anna E. Wiesman Family Fund AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA

Remembering Fred Simon

October 9, 2015 25 Tishrei 5776 Vol. 96 | No. 4

This Week

by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMPWRIGHT Jewish Press Editor Frederick J. Simon passed away on Sept. 28. He was preceded in death by his parents Lester and Trudy and his brother, Stephen. He leaves behind his wife Eve, son Todd and daughter-in-law Betiana Simon; daughter Venus Simon French; stepson Richard and his wife Sheila Ortega; step-daughter Marisa and her husband Michael Mayhan; brother Alan and sister-in-law Anne Simon; eight grandchildren: Susannah, Sarah, Aaron, Adam, Shemaya, Mia, Nico and Julian. At Temple Israel’s memorial service Sept. 30, Rabbi Aryeh Azriel highlighted Fred Simon’s character. Fred, Azriel noted, could be understood perfectly through the four ingredients of Sukkot: Palm, Willow, Myrtle and Citrus. The Palm represents Fred’s spine, his integrity, honesty and high moral code. The willow stands for eyes; in Fred’s case, they always sparkled with interest. He was interested in people, in the beauty of art, of landscapes and paintings. They were wise, loving and generous eyes. Myrtle represents lips, and Fred never used his speech to create barriers between him and people from other walks of life. He was up front,

Celebrating Sukkot Page 5

Campaign Cabaret: Last Call! Page 6

but rarely spoke of his many achievements. Finally, we have the Etrog, which symbolizes the heart. Fred’s heart was big, and giving; it’s evident in the legacy he leaves behind. “Fred was a special man,” said longtime friend Steve Bloch. “His spirit was charitable; his love for his family, the arts, his synagogue and our community were passionate and his willingness and ability to show the way to others was exemplary.” He was, of course, best known for the family business, Omaha Steaks, where he was Executive Vice-President. Started by his greatgrandfather and father in 1917, Fred was instrumental in building his family’s business into the nation’s largest direct marketer of premium beef and gourmet foods. In a 2000 interview with the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society, Fred said: “Really, it was my grandfather’s decision. In 1917 he bought a car-

Holiday Boutique returns to Beth El Tuesday evenings at Temple Israel Page 7

Inside Point of view Synagogues In memoriam

This Month Sports+Recreation See Front Page stories and more at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on Jewish Press

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by BETH EL PUBLICITY The Boutique is Back! The popular shopping extravaganza returns after a multi-year hiatus and takes place at Beth El Synagogue on Sunday, Nov. 15 from 10 a.m to 3 p.m. An array of vendors selling handcrafted jewelry, housewares, Judaica, embroidered baby clothes, painted shoes, glass and metal decor and candles will be on display including Lilla Rose, Hazel Eyed Jewelry, Nye Ave. Accessories and Jamberry nails, to name just a few. Joni Brooks, chair of the boutique,

already has over 30 vendors signed up. “We made the cost of booth space really attractive to local artisans and crafters, and most committed very early, which helped a great deal in the space planning at Beth El,” Brooks said. “We offered five ‘premier’ vendor spots in a prime location right inside the main entranceway and those sold out immediately.” “It’s going to be a ‘unique boutique’,” she added. Brooks has just a few vendor spots left and urges anyone who might be interested in participating to contact her prior to the deadline on Oct. 14. Then, the entire synagogue will be filled with wares waiting for everyone to shop ‘til they drop! “The booth space is 10’x10’, so we can accommodate 40 vendors. We started planning for this over a year ago and we are in really great shape. I’ve contacted our vendors on a weekly basis, creating an excitement and encouraging them to get their inventory Continued on page 2

Frederick J. Simon pentry shop called Table Supply Company at 17th and Douglas. He put a freezer and a cooler in the building and it was a retail and wholesale meat market. As the business grew, he didn’t have enough room. There was more room on lower Howard Street, so that’s why he moved there. That was in 1924.” When Fred was in his teens, he

“had to get up pretty early in the morning because the sales people would be out on the street at 6 in the morning. By 7 a.m., we would be loading trucks to make deliveries to restaurants in downtown Omaha. I did that kind of work in the summer.” In 1959, after completing a Liberal Arts degree at the University of Pennsylvania, Fred joined the company full-time; he became its 20th employee. During his time at Omaha Steaks, he helped revolutionize the marketing component of the business. In 1976, he opened the first Omaha Steaks retail store; today, there are more than 70 stores in 14 states. He innovated the company’s customer service system, and under his direction, Omaha Steaks became the nation’s largest direct response marketer of gourmet steaks and frozen foods, and a leader in all facets of direct marketing. The skills that served him so well in business landed him a position on the Board of Directors for the Direct Marketing Association and the Direct Marketing Education Foundation. He was inducted into the DMA Hall of Fame in 2003, the Hospitality Hall of Fame in 2005, the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce’s Business Hall of Fame in 2006, and Continued on page 11

The Foundation’s Incentive Match Program

by LINDA POLLARD Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation Now is the time to create a permanent legacy to support the programs and services in Omaha’s Jewish community that mean the most to you. Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, you have the opportunity to make your dollars go further when you establish an endowment fund, or add to an existing endowment fund, between now and Dec. 31, 2015, at the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation. The first 20 endowments that are funded with a gift of $10,000 or more will each receive an Incentive Match of $1,000. “This is a terrific time to take that step and establish an endowment fund at the Foundation,” said Howard Epstein, Foundation Executive Director. “Imagine the benefits of leaving a permanent legacy to

ensure that the programs you enjoy are supported in the future, so that your children and grandchildren, and their friends, will be able to enjoy the benefits. This ties into our LIFE & LEGACY initiative. We’re extremely grateful to the anonymous donor who wants to encourage others to invest in the future of Omaha’s Jewish community.” Through the Incentive Match Program, when you donate $10,000 or more to establish an endowment fund, or if you contribute a minimum of $10,000 to an existing endowment fund, the anonymous donor will deposit the $1,000 incentive match into your endowment fund. This promotion is limited to the first 20 donors who contribute a minimum of $10,000 to establish or add to an endowment fund at the Jewish Federation of Omaha Continued on page 3


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