•I
.. V-r" ,:' ..'I'l,''
ewish Press
Serving Hebraska and Iowa Since 1920 VoL LXXni No. IS Onuha
a, IMS
Dorothy Kripke Children's Collection to be dedicated By Claudia Sherman, Foundation public relations director Dorothy Kripke's books have been read to hundreds of thousands of children since her first books, "Rhymes to Play" and "Rhymes to Pray* were published in 1952. On Sunday, Dec. 17, Mrs. Kripke's own three children and their spouses will host the dedication of The Dorothy K. Kripke Childreji's Book Collection of the Omaha Jewish Federation Library. Saul and Margaret Gilbert Kripke, Madeline F. Kripke, and Yossi and Netta Kripke Stern have endowed the children's collection of books in the Federation Library in honor of their mother, wife of Rabbi Myer S. Kripke, Rabbi Emeritus of Beth El Synagogue. President of the Library Board Nancy Rips announced that along with the Dr. Morris and Dale Deborah Brodkey Memorial Fund, The children's book collection is now sufficiently endowed to permit the purchase of almost al) the children's books we need." After the publication of her first two books, Mrs. Kripke followed with "Let's Talk About God," which sold more than 100,000 copies. Rooted in Jewish beliefs, the book was praised and used by parents of various faiths to Mrs. Kripke's gratification. ' The New York Times book review, which rarely reviews children's books, especially Jewish children's books, wrote: "Publishers and authors of children's books ought to study this one to see what it has that their's don't." Seven more books followed ("Let's Talk About
Super Sunday is here!
The books have reached virtually every American Jewish community and Israel as well as English and French speaking areas around the world. After meeting in 1932 as students at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York City, the Kripkes were married in 1937. Mrs. Kripke holds degrees from Hunter College and Columbia University as well as a Bachelor of Hebrew Literature firom the Seminary. A naUve of Highland Falls, N.Y., Mrs. Kripke accompanied her husband to Wisconsin, Long Island, and Connecticut where they lived before coming to Omaha in 1946. Rabbi Kripke served as the leader of Beth El Synagogue until 1975 when he became Rabbi Emeritus. Mrs. Kripke served as national vice-president of the National Women's League of the United Synagogue of America. She was a speaker for the Women's League and for Hadassah from coast to coast. She taught high school English when she lived in New York City as well as Hebrew in vari( OUB religious schools including Omaha's Hebrew High School. Rabbi and Mrs. Kripke set up an endowment fund with The Foundation of the Jewish Dorothy and Rabbi Myer S. Kripke Federation in 1991 to purchase large print books for the Library. Right and Wrong," "Let's Talk About Judaism," Unfortunately, illness that has impaired her eye'Debbie in Dreamland," God and the Story of sight suspended Mrs. Kripke's writing career after Judaism," Let's Talk About the Jewish Holidays," her tenth book in 1981. However, Rabbi Kripke "Let's Talk About Loving," and in 1981, "Let's Talk recently sent one of Mrs. Kripke's unpublished About Being J[ewish"). (Continued oa page 10)
By Barbara Chandler Federation communications director More than 40 volunteers will make calls this Along with the dozens and dozens of coats, hats, Sunday, Dec. 10, to ask members of the Super gloves and mittens that have been donated by the Sunday Division to make their pledges to the 1996 Omaha Jewish community. Project WARM-UP UJA/Federation Campaign. received a special package last week. Former The Super Sunday steering committee has been Omahan Mort Richards, who now lives in Laguna working for several weeks, recruiting volunteer Hills, Calif, sent a coat, gloves and some sweaters. callers and contacting Super Sunday sponsors who In a letter to Trenton Magid and Tom Vann, have donated goods and services to help make the Super Sunday Co-chairmen, Mr. Richards wrote, "I phon-a-thon a success. Once again, Idelman Telemarketing has made its was excited to see in the Jewish Press that offices available for the phon-a-thon, and Sheri Omaha continues to come up with leadership. I Idelman and Barry Siff have volunteered to train saved this coat for trips back to Omaha winters, but III send it back this time to help you put it to a the callers. Other sponsors this year are Bagel Bin, Bagel better use. Best wishes for a heartrwarming effort." Bistro, Bags & Baggage, Baker's Supermarkets, Responding to a letter of acknowledgement fivm Bruegger's Bagel Bakery, Garbo's Greenberg Fruit, Trenton Magid, Mr. Richards added, *You make Horizon Dental, Ideal Pure Water, Julio's, K-B efTorta of service worthwhile. Just as you seek to Foods, Keystone Pharmacy, Larry Herman, provide warmth for others, you will ei\joy a warmth McKenna's, No Frills Supermarkets, Omaha in your heart" Compound, Omaha Racers, Omaha Steaks Donations of coats, hats, gloves and mittens in International and Zio't Pizza. "like new" condition can be dropped off at the JCC this Sunday, Dec. 10, from 9 a.m. to noon. Volunteers will be sorting and packing the clothing for shipment to the former Soviet Union in cooperation with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.
Super Sunday Steering Committee, back row from left: Jon Broder, Steve Levinger, Jenny Meyerson, Kip Gordman, Tom Vann, co-chairman. Front row from left: Karen Kaior, Scott Meyerion, Trenton Magid, co-chairman, and Lori Rabb, Federation attiitant director. Not gietured: Stacie Chesen, Bridget Gordman, onnie Levlngor, Heidi and Soott Bchnelderman, Kim and Jim Simon and Brian Siff. '••i_-';iii:.. •iiiCaiaBWt^iJaiiiSS&as.ea*;.-
Award-winning writer to speak here l\/londay
Project WARM-UP reaches California
HANUKKAH EDITION (Gift-Guide supplement starting on page 13)
By Diane Axler Baum, Book Fair publicist Award-winning writer Paul Wilkes, whose numerous works explore the private and public role of spirituality and religious belief, will lecture on his new book, "Ajid They Shall Be My People: An American Rabbi and His Congregation," at the Jewish Community Center this Monday at 7:30 p.m. Paul Wilkea The lecture, including a reception for the author immediately following, is a feature of the 1995 Jewish Book Fair. Co-sponsors of the event, which is free and open to the public, are the Jewish Federation Library and the Jewish Cultural Arts Council. Jean Ann Krupinsky, vice-president of the Ubrary board, is chairman of the program. In preparing to write his latest book, Wilkes spent a full year with Rabbi Jay Rosenbaum, religious leader of a Conservative congregation in Worcester, Massachusetts. Wilkes accompanied the rabbi on his every duty—from offidating at funerals, baby namings, and Bar and Bat Mitzvah services, to holding meetings on plans for a congregational trip to Israel. The result, according to The Cleveland Plain Dealer, is 'a mirror of organized Jewish life," which the Chicago Tribune praised as *A wonderful book...Lucid, compassionate, inspiring, touching, affecting, extraordinarily well-written and well reported." Wilkes, a Catholic, ia the author of numerous nonfiction books, including "In Mysterious Ways: The Death and Life of a Parish Priest," which (Continued on page 9)
_