NE HIST SOCIETX 1500 R ST LINCOLN NE 6 8 5 0 8 - 1 6 5 1
Look for the Hanukkah Gift Guide in this issue VoLLXXV
No. 12
13 Kislev, 5758
Omaha, NE
Omaha 'makes impact on Partnership by Carol Katzman
Prom tentative steps two years, UJA/Federation's Partnership 2000, or P2K as it's called by supporters, is now cementing solid relationships between the Western Galilee and Midwest Consortium, of which Omaha is part.
Local "P2K" chairman Jan Schneidorman reviews plans and architectural drawings for the $50 million restoration plan for the city of Acco with designer Ori Abramson. The group, including P2K-Chairman Bobbie .;Ejpst€iipi;,;r,4nev^ed the fnendships made last sum-, meir between Omaha and five doctors who visited' here. from the .Westerii Galijee, Hospital,Epstein, was in Israel to attend the annual allocation meeting of the consortium. Along with Interim Federation Director Jan Perelman, Omaha waB represented as was Dayton, Akron, Indianapolis, Des Moines and Louisville. . • One surprise connection was made when Epstein and Perelman discovered that former Omahan Beth Seldin-Dotan, daughter of Sarah and Ted Seldin, was now education director at the children's museum of the Ghetto Fighter's'Museum. The institution is located within the Western Galilee P2K region and will receive the largest sum of the $600,000 annual allocation. The funds for P2K come directly.from the UJA allocations made by each of the Midwest Consortium cities. Although P2K has been established by UJA, the Israeli regions and the U.S. Jewish Federations, it bypasses regular UJA chan- nels and the money flows directly to its recipients. "It creates a'people-to-people' connection," commented Bobbie Epstein, "as donors can see how their funds are directly benefitting people in this area of Israel as well as in Midwest communities." "We're very excited about the kinds of projects , P2K is now funding,".she added, "like the computerization projects at the Ghetto Fighters Museum
which will soon hook up our kids in Omaha and the other Midwest cities with Israeli youngsters." This Virtual Knowledge Center will receive $180,000 of the $600,000 for the, Western Galilee Re-| gion. The computerization project has creat- Omaha's own Bobbie ed internet links Epstein conducted the among the museum, recent PK2 meeting. the Western Galilee College and Hospital and the region's libraries. Websites are in development in both Hebrew and English and educational curricula have been created. Other recipients include: $90,000 for MATI, the business development authority which has already assisted 200 new businesses and involved 45 young entrepreneurs. Next year, MATI hopes to establish an Artists Colony in Gesher Haziv and propose specific funding for at-risk populations. Funds of $53,000 have also been set aside to bring Israelis from the region to the United States for the Young Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. next March as well as a college delegation to visit the Midwest communities, among other projects planned by the region. Another,: $35,Ood' .ivill v-fund Leadership Development projects such as building bridges between* Jewish and Arab leadership in Acco and improving the status of women. Two projects aimed at the Ethiopian communities in the region include $40,000 to fund "Anu Lamaanenu" and the immigrants at Hazerot Yosef, the only remaining Ethiopian absorption center. The English-language camps, to which Omaha sent three teens last summer, will receive $22,000 to continue their work. And special events in the region will get a $40,000 boost to help increase attendance and bring needed dollars into this area considered ripe for development in tourism. . Three projects will benefit Acco: the theater, budgeted for $40,000, and the Tourism Development Center, budgeted for $50,000, are also aimed at raising the area's image. Another $40,000 will fund the region's Youth Council and the culture club in Acco, among others. As Acco is more than 50% • Israeli Arab, one of the project's aims is to improve their financial status as well. Only $10,000 was set aside for the cost of staffing the Consortium's needs in Israel. This includes the part-time Israeli liaison, former Daytonian Beth Zuriel, as well as the expenses of the meetings between the Midwest delegates and Israelis.
December 12,1997
Newman Committee awards new grants by Claudia Sherman ' : v Foundation Public Relations Coordinator '.
Four beneficiaries have been announced by members of the Grants Committee of the Esther K. Newman/Carolyn Kully Newman Funds. The Grants Committee met last month and considered several requests for subsidization for programs serving children, teenagers, and young adults under the age of 23. •. .. "••' Friedel Jewish Academy was allocated a grant for a program that enables parents to share interactive learning by computer with their children. Two computer programs, "Who Stole Hanukkah?" and "The Interactive Haggadah," both in CD ROM format, are intended to give parents and children the opportunity and ability to discover more about their-Jewish heritage and traditions, together while having fun. '•-•-=—--p--:-.,..-.. The Academy -yjilj. keep some of theVcbmpiqt.v -. disks and give some of them to Beth El Synagogue, Beth Israel Synagogue, Beyt Shalom, Temple Israel and the Jewish Federation Library. A grant was also awarded to the Jewish Cultural Arts Council to subvent the cost of curriculum development, program'and transportation expenses for area Sunday School students in preparation for attending Omaha's Yom Ha'Atzmaut 50, the celebration of Israel's 50th anniversary.' ' .'; -••.'<•. • ' , . - . . A distribution was also made to the Jewish Cultural Arts Council to help defray the cost of creating The'Shuk, a marketplace in ancient Jerusalem. The Shuk will be built for the Omaha Yom Ha'Atzmaut 50 celebration. . ' . . . • An allocation of funds was also made to the Jewish Education and Library Services Center for Excellence for the Bureau of Jewish Education. ' The grant will be used for scholarships for.-Jewish.'."'. camping experiences, trips to Israel, and xlajr ; school education. *'=> Myra Oberman is chairman of the Newman Grants Committee. Other members who attended the meeting were Dani Shrago, Pam DePorte, Rosalie Saltzman, Mary Rich, Sherri Green, Jeff Shyken and Jill Belmont. The Esther K.'Newman and Carolyn Kully Newman Funds are administered by The Foundation of the Jeyrish Federation.
YJO to deliver gifts this Sunday Members of Young Jewish Omaha.will deliver new gifts to Boys and Girls Club of Omaha this Sunday at 12:40 p.m. To volunteer, call YJO Director Sharon Kirshenbaum, 334-6485.
JCC Cultural Arts Department presents Hanukkah specials Magen Davids to be displayed
. Jewish youth to perform on Sunday .3
by Glorlann Levy Jewish Cultural Arts Council Director
Milton Marcus, retired warehouse manager and well-known Omaha musician, will display three-dimenis i o n a 1 wooden Magen Davids (Jewish I stars) in the • Jewish I Community I Center Gallery, now {through
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The pieces are each carved from a single piece of wood, which is an extremely difficult task and one which he has mastered. Marcus is a former trumpet player with the San Carlo Opera Company, the U,S. Air Force Band and the Omaha Symphony Orchestra. His woodcarving efforts have escalated since his retirement in 1994. Gallery hours are: MondayThursday, 8 a.m.-lO p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 1-7 p.m.; and Sunday, 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m. For more information, call 334-
Some of the cast members for Sunday's 2 p.m. Hanukkah play include, back rote: Marty Kaplan, Stephanie Simon, Jessica Danon, Debra Flax, Seth Rich, Jon Gates,
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Second row: William Friedman, Andrea Holmberg, Rachel Monsky, Anna Munzesheimer, Ryan King, and, in front, Lana Kirnarskaya. Tickets are available at the door: $5 •'•fttMttdtJlta;<$8 for" children' tinderia;'-•'• • - o