NE HIST SOCIETY 1500 R ST LINCOLN NK 68508-1651
Celebrating More Than 75 Years VoLLXXV
No. 3
Omaha, NE
9Tishri,5758
'Judaicafhon' features by Gloriann Levy, Jewish Cultural Arts Council Director Dr. Rami Aray and his wife, Naomi, will be fea- " Naomi Arav is a teacher in Israel and is currenttured presenters at the Judaicathon (formerly ly studying International.Polk Dance. She will' known as Class-O-Rama) on Sunday, Oct. 26, at teach Modern Israeli Folk Dance. the Jewish Community Center from 7-9:30 p.m. In addition, there will be courses on "Jewish The Judaicathon is an evening of Jewish mini Meditation and Yoga," courses featuring local talent as well as music by with Miriam Ben YaInspirations, followed by socializing arid a dessert acov; "Magic and Superbuffet.-: stition" with Mark Levy; 'Jewish Views on Dr. Rami Arav will present a mini course on Christianity" with Dr. "Biblical Archaeology." Dr. Arav is the Visiting Richard Freund; and Distinguished Professor of Philosophy and "The Dead Sea.Scrolls Religions, Geography arid'Geology; at. the Controversy" with Dr. University of Nebraska at Omaha. He is the Chief Sidnie White Crawford, Archaeologist of the Bethsaida Excavations Project Associate Professor of housed at UNO and is a rioted Israeli lecturer and Hebrew Bible and Chair archaeologist. Dr. Rami and Naomi Arav o f t h e Department of : Dr. Arav has been the Chief Archaeologist and Director of Excavations of the Bethsaida Project, Glassies at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. one of the "lost" cities of Ancient Israel, since idenThere will also be courses on the Jewish Mafia, tifying the site in 1987. He holds a Ph.D. from New Hate Groups, Jewish Web Sites and Connecting for York University in Near Eastern Languages and ' Jewish Singles. Literature, and an M.A. and Bachelor's from Tel Cost for the evening is $7 for adults and $5 for Aviv University. . students and seniors. He has taught: and lectured at institutions in the The program is sponsored by the Lifelong Jewish United States, Europe and Israel, including Learning Committee in conjunction with the Hebrew Union College in New York.and the Jewish Education and Library Services and is University of Munich in Germany. His latest books underwritten by the Philip M. and Ethel Klutznick are: Bethsaida: A City[by the NorthShore of the Sea ICkair in Jewish--Civilization at Creightori of Galilee; Bethsaida Excavations Project Tacts and U n i v e r s i t y / . ^ .•••.'.-:•'.••• •• • ' \ .•'..••:• • ' , ' • • . . • " • • ; ' . • • •':' Studies, Volume I and II, and Jesus and His. World. For more information, call 334-6403. :
Singer Memorial Fund allocates its first grants by Claudia Sherman, Foundation Public Relations Coordinator In September, members of the Lazier L. Singer Memorial Fund for Youth met for the first time since the fund was established in November, 1996. Two prograriis out of seven requests, were allocated grants at this initial meeting. Those two programs
guest speaker at numerous Omaha Public School and Westside School "familyness" programs, will be the keynote speaker on Nov. 12 for Rebuilding Our Families at Temple Israel -•'.'• . ; Sandy Kutler (LPC), Associated Counseling are Rebuilding Our Families, submitted by Professionals, and Kathie Larimer (LCSW), Temple Israel High School, and Developing Anderegg, Larimer & Kuhl, will follow up with a Leadership Through Community Service and group for "Women Only." YMCA Ropes Course, presented by BBYO and Facilitator for the "Men Only" group will be Rabbi Alan Bregman, Regional Director, Great Jewish Family Service. Established to provide funding for programs Lakes Region, < Unipn of American Hebrew dealing with problems and issues facing Jewish Congregations. Developing Leadership Through Community youth in the Omaha metropolitan area, the Singer Memorial Fund will subsidize programs dealing Service and the YMCA Ropes Course offers a with problems of alcohol and drug use, sexuality, unique opportunity for youth to engage in a long eating disorders, intra-family relations, violence term, on-going community service project. For arid gangs, suicide and depression, and Jewish example, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Omaha have identity. Programs may be both preventive and indicated a need for volunteers to assist with a remedial and serve both individual youth and variety, ofprograms for their youth including tutors, arts and crafts facilitators, coaches and reftheir'families.' ; ;. • . " ,/;• At t h e Septeiriber meeting, t h e Grants. erees for athletic leagues. A leadership activity will also be offered as an Committee decided it would generally award funds to new projects as opposed to established ones and extra incentive for youth who participate in the provide meaningful experiences rather than lec- community service project. The YMCA Camp of ture-style programs. The focus will be primarily Elkhorn offers a ropes course which is designed to build leadership skills, open communication, family oriented. : .._'.. . . Goals of Rebuilding; Our Families include look- enhance self-esteem, encourage risk taking, ing at how the roles of men and women change explore problem solving,' arid teach participants to from being a child, a spouse, a parent'arid pursu- ;nuinage conflict. Activities range from simple trust ing-work durlri'g a lifetime: The program will exercises to physically challenging, opportunities Btress the importance of planning, including emo- such as the high ropes activities. A maximum of 40 tional planning, looking ahead to see where paths Jewish teenagers will be selected to participate in " ' • are"leading; constantly evaluating and adjusting.; this project. Another goal is tii;share the importance of honor. Members 1 of the Singer Memorial Fund ing grandparents, parents, sibling connections, Committee attending the meeting were Harriet and'to enjoy present bonds'and envision future Singer, Sandy Kutler, Mark Singer, Gloria Kaslow, Frances Blumkin, and Irv Veitzer. This fund is intergerierational links. , Nancy Thompson (MS, LCSW), a local therapist administered by The Foundation of the Jewish Federation. specializing in family counseling who has boon a '.W,\
October 10,1997
NJHS to present two new exhibits The Nebraska Jewish Historical Society will host a presentation of two new permanent exhibits Sunday, Oct. 19, from 2-4 p.m., during its 15th annual meeting to be held in the JCC auditorium. Honoring Our Mothers and Fathers, a photo display of 50th Anniversary couples, was created by Roger Reeves, Curator of History for the Douglas County Historical Society. This exhibit was endowed by the children of Maxine and Milton Simons and the children of Lee Jane and Sol Parsow. The second new exhibit is entitled The person who works is truly blessed: This sculptural mural of business people and imagery related to Jewishowned businesses in Nebraska was created by Milt Heinrich, Chair of the Art Department at Dana College in Blair. The sculpture covers two walls leading to the Riekes Museum in the Gordman Center arid was endowed by the Kirshenbaum family: Joe and Maxine, Joe and Audrey, Kevee and Myrna, in memory and in honor of their parents. A short business meeting and introduction of the artists and the donors of the new exhibits is part of the event. . . A reception will follow.
City of Hastings! merges public, JeWISh
i
David Rosenberg, councilman for the city of Hastings, NE, and trustee for the Mount Sinai Jewish Cemetery, reported that Hastings has agreed to merge its public with Mount Sinai Jewish Cemetery. The group also gave its perpetur al care fund to the city. ;.': . ' In exchange for the land and the funds, Hastings will designate the area as Parkview Cemetery's historic Mount Sinai Section. The one developed acre, in use by the Jewish cemetery association since 1886, will, still be used for "adherents of Judaism," according to the Hastings Tribune: It ' will allow future burials for Hastings' remaining Jewish population. According to Rosenberg, "We had this little cemetery and we don't have a large Jewish population to maintain it." Cantor Michael Weisser of Lincoln's B'nai Jeshurun Temple, drives from Lincoln to Hastings . each year to perform memorial services between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. "Ifs been difficult to raise enough funds to maintain the cemetery," noted Rosenberg. "The city originally couldn't accept the donation of cemetery land since the association was incorporated as a religious non-profit organization. "However, Hastings created a charitable trust in order to accept the land adjacent to its.-own Parkview Cemetery, without violating Mount Sinai's original incorporation or the .First Amendment" (clause separating religion and state). Rosenberg noted that in the early part of this century. Hastings boasted a much larger Jewish population. Many of the early residents were mer-' chants and left after the stock market crash of 1929 and subsequent depression. Pioneer names associated with Hastings include: Emanual Steinau, Jacob Wolbach, Aaron May, Emanuel Fist, Abraham Loeb, Samuel Hirsch, Leopold Stone, Moses Stern, A.J. Unna, J.C. Rosonfold, Max Lustig. Also Mark Levy, Louis Kully, Max Jacks.H.B, Wiseman, Herman Zubor.