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SERVING NEBRASKA AND WESTERN IOWA FOR NEARLY 80 YEARS ' VoL LXXVmi
No. 18
Omaha, NE
29Tevet,5760
Marburgs tO chair 'Super Sunday 2000'
Hunger Relief donations top $30,000
January 7,2000
Community breakfast launches College of Jewish Learning
by Pam Monsky, Federation Communications Director
Deb and Dan Marburg will be heading Super Sunday 2000, which takes place on Feb. 6. Omaha Steaks has generously agreed to again open their telemarketing facility for this well-loved community event, which also includes a return of Kids' Super Sunday on Jan. 30.
Dim and Deb Marburg "Super Sunday is Important in 'a-.small Jewish community like Omaha because everyone is responsible for the success of the community," said Dan Marburg. "We hope to reach every Jew in the community, and encourage everyone to contribute what they can: There is no greater satisfaction than knowing you have helped someone in need, and the Annual Campaign is the best vehicle we have to reach out to others." Deb agreed* adding, "Everycontribution is .important,.no matter the size. Just the fact that you have contributed makes all the difference. We have : been working very hard to ensure that this is the best year ever!" .Traditionally, Super Sunday reaches 1,800 donors and raises over $45,000. "Everyone looks forward to Super Sunday," said Jan" Perelman, -Federation Executive Director. "The community involvement is unparalleled for a one-day, event, and the continuation of Kids' Super Sunday helps reinforce a valuable lesson to our children: I would also like to thank the generous businesses who donate goods and services for Super Sunday, especially the Simon family for the use of their facility. Their generosity to the community is really overwhelming," she added. Rounding out the Super Sunday committee are Susan and Greg Bramhall, Kevin and Patty Gilinsky, Steve and Patty Goldstein, Mark and Kim Schwartz and Jim and Sally Zipursky. For more information, please contact me at 3346431.
The Omaha Jewish community's Hunger Relief Initiative has reached contributions totaling $30,000, but Omaha is still far from our goal of $110,000. The Omaha Jewish community has joined with other communities around the country to raise emergency funds for elderly Jews in the former Soviet Union who are starving and in dire need of life's most basic necessities. 2000 Campaign Chairman Joel Alperson has seen the needs first hand and stressed the importance of raising funds for the relief effort. "Jews must take care of each other. There is no one else willing to step up and help these people, many of whom are alone and have lived through the horrors of the Holocaust," he said. "Every person in our Jewish community needs to contribute to this important cause. We are in the business of saving lives," he added. The money raised for Hunger Relief is in addition to the regular Annual Campaign. The contributions will be sent directly to the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) for disbursement to the most needy of the elderly Jews. JDC estimates that there are 200,000 to .300,000 starving elderly Jews in the Former Soviet Union. Due to lack of funds, they are only reaching 175,000. The following points illustrate the situation.intheBormef Soviet.Union: ^-.-'-..:"'........ , • 32% of the Jews in the region are over 65. • Most have no relatives and live on an average of $20 per month. • JDC provides food, medical and home care to the 175,000 most needy. • Approximately 200,000 to 300,000 of those in need receive no help at all due to lack of funds. • A majority of those in need are Holocaust survivors who are trying to live out their lives with dignity. • • The Jewish Federation of Omaha is joining with Jewish communities across America to raise $21,000,000 to fight the hunger crisis in the Former Soviet Union. • 100% of the dollars raised will go directly to those who need it the most. If you would like to contribute, or need more information, please contact me.
Religious pluralism will be the topic for a community breakfast on Wednesday, Jan. 19, 7:30 a-m., in the Jewish Community Center auditorium. ; Guest speaker is Avraham Infeld, founder and president of the Melitz Centers for Zionist Education in Jerusalem. The breakfast is sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Omaha and the newly formed College of Jewish Learning Committee (formerly known as the Jewish Education and Library Services Adult Education Committee), headed by Leonard Greenspoon and Steve Riekes. Greenspoon holds the Klutznick Chair, for Judaic Studies at Creighton University. Riekes is a long-standing community leader and advocate for Jewish education. • . "Jewish education for adults, in my view, is prob-
Leonard Greenspoon S^evc Riekes ably the single most important priority for Jews throughout the world, as well as here in Omaha," said Riekes. "We can't perpetuate our Jewish heritage without a body of Jewish adults who have knowledge about their heritage and why it should continue." . The College of Jewish Learning Committee, which is funded by the Jewish Federation of Omaha, is involved in a number of upcoming projects including Esther 2000, a joint program with Creighton's Klutznick Chair and University of Nebraska's Harris Chair, according to Dr. Greenspoon. Federation Executive Director Jan Perelman said, "We are proud to have Steve and Leonard involved in Jewish education. These two men have made considerable contributions to the community. The Federation is committed to offering Jewish education opportunities to community members of all interest levels." • . (Continued on page 7) .'. : . '
Hoberman: Eyes wide shut, then opened by Gary Javitch
decades, he grew sucWe saw him often on TV as the businessman who cessfully, eventually would "not be undersold." So, we felt like we knew expanding his operahim. . tion to 14 service cenHowever, last month, Jerry Hoberman, former ters. In 1992, however, owner of a chain of auto service centers, revealed a he recorded his second picture of his life with which we were not familiar. straight year of red Speaking before the weekly Wednesday meeting of ink. His deteriorating the B'nai B'rith Breadbreakers, Hoberman economic situation described "How North Omaha Opened My Eyes forced him to reexamand Then My Heart" after he relocated his corpoine his entire organizarate headquarters to a predominantly black area of tion and operation. town. • ~ The heavy financial Uncharacteristically silent on this topic, pressures upon him Hoberman had not talked on the record before or were enormous and not since to anyone about his north Omaha experience, without consequence. nor had he given an interview to any reporters. I At an economic Until that Wednesday. Jerry Hoberman precipice, the service The B'nai B'rith guest presenter began with a brief history of the company he launched in 1969 center executive suffered both psychologically— with his first Tires, Jnc. store. For more than two becoming depressed-and physically, manifesting a
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number of symptoms. Relocating • '•;, After reviewing m a n y retrenchment options, Hoberman sought a new, less expensive base of
operations and decided to relocate to North Omaha. "It was a no brainer," he concluded. The space was just too cheap to pass up. For his decision, many of the City leaders hailed him as a hero. While Jerry didn't quite view himself in that category, he was certainly the man of the hour. To commemorate the start of operations at his new 60th and Ames location, Hoberman held a grand opening event. A number of dignitaries joined Mayor Hal Daub and Jerry in an elaborate ribbon-cutting ceremony. The big turnout also included the chamber of commerce president, city council members, many area residents, and quite a few of Jerry's friends. Area redevelopment was in full swing. (Continued on page 6)