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NE HIST SOCIETY 1500 R ST LINCOLN NE 68508
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No. 22
Omaha, NE
Women: How and why by Claudia Sherman Foundation Public Relations Coordinator "The requirement that both males and females should engage in charitable behavior and good deeds was recognized by Jewish leaders from medieval times," according to Barry A. Kosmin and: Paul Ritterband, editors of Contemporary Jewish Philanthropy in America. The editors go on to relate that "a woman's activ'_ Jty was confined to the private realm of home and family since she spent a good part of her adult life raising children." In addition, the authors found, rabbinic literature credits women with more compassion and concern than men for the unfortunate. Today, women still feeJLthe" need to be nurturing and to reach out to those in need, observed Jan Schneiderman, Jewish Federation Board member ,-,..«and national board member of the National Council of Jewish Women, an organization in which she has been active and held leadership positions for almost 30 years. • Just as a worthy woman "is prepared to work day and night," according to a 1622 edition of a relig%is guide book, "to maintain her home, and to givi charity to the poor from what she has produced or earned," Schneiderman believes that contemporary Jewish women "take care of their families first and then look to help those who cah't help themselves or who have experienced misfortune in their lives. Women have a need to reach out." "The relationship between women and voluntarism has been a strong one since modernphilanthropy's early days,"" observed Kosmin and Ritterband. "The united Jewish community campaign came into its own in the late 1930s and by the late 1940s women's divisions were common." "Suburban Jewish women formed structures such as Women's Division, the authors added, "and they (women) were financially successful in their endeavor." "Many working women today who have their own discretionary income want to give their own contributions," Schneiderman, who is vice president of KB Foods Inc., said. "Even some women who are not in the work force have the ability to give on their own." Regardless, "it's a mitzvah to donate money, time, or both," she said. "One is as important as the other." (Continued in Tax Tips Section, page 6)
30 Shevat, 5757
February7,1997
JFS brings immigration specialists to address naturalization process
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Michael Wehdt, Deputy Director of the Immigration and Naturalization office, and Angela Kriejjer, a local immigration attorney, address a crowd of legal immigrants from the former SovietUnion, as Maya Wertheimertranslates. (See related story on page 16)
For the first time in Omaha— Anne Frank and Me by Lynda J. Mirvish This week, Marcia Lipsman, Chairman of the production to the Omaha community. JCG Theater committee, announced that the next • In speaking about the play, Lipsman said, "There Theatre at the 'J* production will be a new, original is a subtle balance between the universal humor of play, Anne Frank and Me. adolescent struggles and the horror of the The play, which has never before been seen in Holocaust. This contrast allows the play to bring Omaha, is scheduled to run March 16, 17, 18, 19 home the importance of memory without losing its 'entertainment appeal to audiences both young and andl67 / "V ' ' ;V.-'f , ' The beloved story of the 13-year-old German- old. 'Anne Frank and Me' has been playing to Jewish girl, told in the diary she kept during two packed audiences and has met with critical acclaim years, of hiding in Holland, has been seen on stage, in cities all over the country. screen and through exhibitions. But this new inter"We hope that area high schools avail themselves pretation brings a fresh immediacy to the poignant of the opportunity to allow their students to experiand moving document of the Holocaust ence this engrossing piece of theatre;" she continCreated by Cherie Bennett, the play takes a ued. modern, Christian American teenager back to "In this last decade of the twentieth century, Nazi-occupied Paris where she lives out the occu- Anne Frank remains a symbol of the tragedy of the pation as a Jew. In 1996, Nicole, who, like her par- Jews in Nazi-occupied Europe; A reminder not only ents, .doubts that the Holocaust actually occurred, of truth of what occurred during the Holocaust, but becomes a time traveler when she is taken back to a warning to all to remember and learn about a 1942 as a Jewish teen living in hiding with her history that must never be repeated." family in Nazi-occupied Paris. The production is made possible by support from Anne Frank and Me was specially written to be the Nebraska Arts Council, Nebraska Humanities performed by young people and will be directed by Council, United Artists of Omaha, the Esther K. Susan Guthrie. Guthrie will be working with the Newman Fund and the Murray H. and Sharee C. Newman Foundation. B'nai B'rith Youth Organization to bring this
'Organ transplants" do work"
Conservative rabbis support organ donation to save Ijves
by Ken Wciner by Linda Tishlcr Levinson In 1965, when my liver disease was discovered, Editor's note: Ken Weiner is a practicing Connecticut Jewish Ledger attorney and a past president of the Omaha my brother-in-law told me, "Ken, medical science WEST HARTFORD, CT (JTA) - When it can Bar Association. This article was written for will come up with a cure." He was right. Organ the organization's newsletter in the fall of transplants did not exist at that time. But how for- save a life, organ donation is required by Jewish 1994 and is partially reprinted here, with per- tunate for me (and others'in the end stage of a dis- law. That was the conclusion of a 1995 study done by ease) that medical progress in surgical technique • mission from the author. Two years ago, at about this time, friends, and anti-rejection drugs have made possible suc- Rabbi Joseph Prouser of Congregation B'nai aquaintances and even people I did not know greet- cessful transplants of kidneys, hearts, lungs, livers, Sholom in Newington, Conn., for the Committee on JewiBh Law and Standards of the Rabbinical ed me enthusiastically, "Glad to see you, Ken." I pancreas and corneal tissue. Assembly. responded frequently, "Glad to be seen." In 1991, more than 16,000 "Organ donation ia mot mnsply permissible but The explanation' of the above is that the folks people received transmandatory" if it tan saxrijTa life, Prouser aaiu, greeting me knew I underwent a liver transplant in stressing that Uiia is the salo rase for ergaa Venaplants. Another 28,000 in"September, 1932, In fact, I underwent two liver tion after death. transplants, a second one a week later, when my the end'stage of or gun disAs a rffis^l^n^iH^srcs body agressively rejected the first liver, ' ' ease did not Assembly, which xspzz&znts , •, ' The number one purpose for -writing this article Many have died waiting for on organ tsaasplsat -zaisbis international^, is asjaiigl$3 l:5sa|UiSais to motivate you to provide organ donation infor. xnation and an opportunity ty make an organ dona- which could have saved their lives. Tbz?_&idl, rat saeaisre to sign donor cibis fgraaagfe>giva i&sir tion decision au a regular part of your eatato plan- because transplants don't work, but bsesisa ihms ergana and tissues •ssrtisn Eoofisasrjrta h&pns&a a ning process. Organ transplants do work. I am liv- is a shortage of organs and tissue being dsn&taL . • life. ing proof of that' • _ • - (Continued in Tax Tips Scstitea, ^sga IS), ,