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10 to be honored as volunteers of the year
Lidiya
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Julia, George
By Morris Maline The Jewisli Federation of Omnha has announced [lal 10 volunteers will be honored at the anrlual leeting of the Federation, June 14 at 7:30 p.m. in he Jewish Community Center theater. The annual meeting also will elect and install offi-
Spencer
Eadie
' Sara
cers of the Federation and its agencies, and bestow the Community Service award, the Humanitarian of the Year, Young Leadership • and Teen' Leadership awards. Volunteers and their sponsors are as follows: Lidiya Linde and fteva Oruch, Bureau for the
Joyce
Joe
Mary
Aging; Julia and Ge6rge Schapiro, Jewish Press; Spencer Brookstein, Bureau of Jewish Education; Eadie Tsabari, Jewish Community .Center; Sara Jusler, ADL/CRC; Joyce Cohen. Jewish Federation Library; Joe Ginsberg, Jewish Family Service, and Mary Fcllman, Jewish Federation.
Religious pluralism in Israel...Is it time to break the silence? Rabbi Uri Regev will speak at a community •prum May 30 at 7:30 p.m. in the Jewish Jommunity Center auditorium. He is one of the founding members of the Israel leligious Action Center, also known as the Center br Jewish Pluralism. The nucleus of the Cente'r was formed in 1985 (round the case of Susan Miller, an American Jeform convert who was denied the right to make lliyah because Israeli authorities did not recognize ier as Jewish. Rabbi Regev and others petitioned the Supreme :6urt on her behalf and in the course of the proceedings, the Ministry of the Interior announced hat it would register her as Jewish. Since then, the Israel R^igious Action Center jias ought ways to promote human equality, social jusice and religious pluralism in Israel.
It has filed a number of petitions with the Supreme Court on cases ranging from nonOrthodox burial to the appointment of nonOrthodox candidates to local religious councils. ' Reform or Conservative conversions undertaken in Israel still are not accepted and weddings cannot be performed by Reform or Conservative rabbis in Israel. Rabbi Aryeh Azriel of Temple Israel said he was encouraged by Rabbi Regev to enter the rabbinate. "I resent the fact that as a Reform rabbi, I lack standing in Israel to officiate at weddings," said Rabbi Azriel. "It is my conviction that American Jewry, as a partner in the Zionist enterprise, must go forward in its effort to attain religious liberty in Israel. "We must support the Israel Religious Action Center in its efforts to sue in the Israeli courts for
the right to be Jewish in Israel, as we define it," Rabbi Azriel concluded. •Ordained as a Reform rabbi at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem in 1986, Rabbi Regev was the fifth native-born Israeli to complete HUC's rabbinical studies program. Earlier, he attended Tel Aviv University Law School, where he was graduated magna cum laude. He is also a foundt«t^t*$||t^ member of BTzelem, an organization that monitors"*.*^ human rights condition.s in the territories. He hopes to achieve his vision of an Israel open to all forms of Jewish expression. The forum is free and open to the public and is co-sponsored by Temple Israel, Beth El Synagogue. B'nai Israel Synagogue and the Jewish Cultural Arts Council. For more information, call Temple Israel at 5566536. •
Cq,mmunity applauds dedication of Dan and Esther Gordman Center for Jewish Learning
n left photo, from left, affixing a mczuzah, ire Dean Frankel, Rotio Schupack, Mary bellman, Robert Gisenbere, Joel Rich. In cenBy Morris Maline It took eight years from conception to completion^ lut nearly 20O members of the Jewish community Kpressed enough enthusiasm in one-half hour to rase the toil and reap the beneflts of the new Dan ind Esther Gordman Center for Jewish Learning. The children from the Friedel Jewish Academy pened the program with songs and Federation "resident Jerry Slusky introduced Mary Fellman I the "woman who made it happen." Mrs. Fellman, who spearheaded the fund-raising ampaign for the new building, thanked all of those Kho made this beautiful dream come true.' She paid special tribute to the Gordman family, Eiuy and Dorothy RiskM, CharlotU and G«ne
tcr photo, architect Marly Shukerl conveys his thanks to* II who helped with the project. At right, affixini; another mezuzah, are from
left, Steve Hickes, Jerry Gordman, Howard Kaslow, Jerry Slusky, Howard RIoum und Dorothy Riekes. (More on page 10)
Rich, Rose Schupack, Robert Eisenberg, Maurice and MadeUne Katzman, Julius and Bees Katzman, Mike and Carol Katzman, Richard and Julec Katzman, Steve and Patty Nogg and family, and an anonymous young family in Omaha, as well as the Herbert Goldsten Trust, the Carl Frohm Foundation, Howard Kaslow and Dean Frankel. An ovation was directed toward Marty Shukert, described by Mrs. Fellman as *a bleued architectdesigner." She referred to "this magnificent Center as the beautiful result of his creative dreams, his expertise, his determination, his flair for beauty and grace."
Jerry Gordman spoke of his family's long conimitmcnt to the Omaha Jewish community and the fact that four generations of thp Rirhmnn-Gordmnn families were present. He talked about a recent visit of Phyllis and Leonard Friedel to the Friedel Jewish Academy, describing the program that the children produced for their visit. Mr. Gordman then introduced Ariel Shukert and asked her to repeat the presentation she had made to him in the school's music room on the day the Friedels visited. Her comments appear on page 10.
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