Vol. LXXXII
No. 14
Omaha, NE
1 Tevet, 5763
December 6,2002
SERVING NEBRASKA AND WESTERN IOWA FOR 81 YEARS
lntroducing»ayicliael Silverman by CAROL KATZMAN, Editor —
Position: Executive Director Jewish Senior Services Education: BS in business administration from the State University of New York (SUNY), Oneonta, NY; Master's in Public Administration from C.W. Post, Long Island University. Experience: Vice-president of Operations, Jewish Home for the Elderly, Fairfield, CT; licensed nursing Mimi and Michael Silverman home administrator in CT; member of American College of And, of course, my mom was rightHealth Care Executives, American It is very rewarding. College of Health Care JP: When your mother described Administrators, and Connecticut your rnanagement skills, what did she Association of Not-for-Profit Providers mean by that? Didn't you enter the for the Aged. nursing home field right after college? Personal: MS: Actually, no. I worked in retail Married to Mimi Silverman, two sons: after getting my degree in business Adam and Jeremy. administration from SUNY-Oneonta. After working my way up the corpoJewish Press: What attracted you rate ladder, I realized that personal to the field of providing long term care and professional growth in retail would be limiting, and I did not find for the elderly? Michael Silverman: I give all the many challenges in the field. I decided to make a career change and dedicredit to my mom! She asked me, like most mothers, cated my free time towards the goal of "What do you want to do when you obtaining my master's and focusing grow up?" but she also help me see the on my future. While I was working answer. She suggested that a nursing 50-60 hours a week, I met Mimi and home administrator is a fulfilling job; obtained my master's in public adminit's a position that gives back to the istration at CW Post at night. Managing employees and the cusJewish community. And she added that, with my management skills, it's tomer service component are both applicable to nursing homes. So when a great fit! My brother, who's a pulmonologist in an internship at the Fairfield Home Connecticut, also serves on the staff of opened up, it was a perfect fit! (Continued on page 10) a nursing home.
Book Event to Feature Fried on The New Rabbi by DIANE AXLER BAUM
Stephen Fried, a n ; investigative journalist whose new book h a s made national impact, will highlight this year's Jewish Book Fair with a lecture on Sunday, D e c . 15, 7 p.m., in the JCC auditorium. The program is free and open to t h e community. The New Rabbi: A _ Congregation'"' Stephen Searches for Its Leader is a triple memoir that simultaneously records the career of a legendary rabbi, the evolution of a powerful synagogue, and Fried's personal return to his Jewish roots. On one level, this non-fiction work is a "juicy" behind-the-scenes peek at synagogue life. On other levels, the book is a statement on leadership and a commentary on organized religion, particularly Judaism, in America today. Fried's religious journey began in Philadelphia in February, 1997, when he decided to say kaddish after the untimely death of his father. In a recent interview, he said daily minyan showed him the comfort and power of the mourner's prayer. "It opened my eyes, as a journalist and a Jew, to what shul can mean," he recalled. The following autumn, Rabbi Gerald
I Wolpe announced his • planned resignation • after 30 years as. chief \ rabbi of a large, influ• j ential synagogue on j Philadelphia's wealthy '"Main Line." Fried, who, as a boy, was a member of Wolpe's conn in 'approached the rabbi ! about an idea for a •« book. '• "I'm a persuasive J guy," explained Fried, Fried who managed to gain access to Wolpe's final four years as a pulpit rabbi. He became privy to Wolpe's inner reflections, reconnected with the rabbi's wife, and watched, first hand, the eventful unfolding of the search for a replacement. In the pages of The New Rabbi he shares numerous theological and spiritual debates, complex inner workings of the search process, and issues relating to what Rabbi Gerald Wolpe calls "the retail business of religion." While The New Rabbi is "fun" and reads like a fast-paced novel, it is "true in every detail," he noted. It pleases him that the Reform movement's Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati has added his book to its Spring, 2003, curriculum. He expects other Jewish and Christian seminaries to follow suit. (Continued on Page 7)
The Project Dreidel Chronicles
The Season of Miracles by PAM MONSKY, Federation Communications Director
(Editor's note: The story you are about to read is true, and used with permission. The names have been changed to respect individuals' privacy.) Welcome to the last installment of "The 2002 Project Dreidel Chronicles." Each person depicted in these stories has graciously agreed to share his or her story with the community to increase public awareness of Jewish Family Service's programs and services that have made such a tremendous difference in their lives. Through Project Dreidel, JFS provides Hanukkah gifts and Jewish holiday meals to families in our area who cannot afford them. But sometimes, families and individuals have unexpected emergencies that require immediate intervention. JFS is there to provide the financial and emotional support needed to get back to normal, and that support costs money year round. Your gift to the Jewish Federation's 2003 Centennial Campaign, along with donations to Jewish Family Service tzedakah fund, is what allows us to take care of each other. Despite our best efforts, our community's needs continue to outpace the increase in gifts to the Annual Campaign. Your increased campaign gift ensures that every Omaha Jewish community member will have access to professional and compassionate help in a Jewish environment. To find out how you can help make a difference in the lives of others, please contact JFS at 330-2024, or the Jewish Federation at 334-6431.
For Sarah and Hugh, celebrating Thanksgiving and V: Hanukkah this year was not even on their radar screen. They'd only been married for a year and already life was handing them one \\V blow after another. Sarah was raised in Omaha's Jewish community and met Hugh while they were attending college here. Soon after they were married, they moved to Minneapolis where Hugh landed his first big job. They were thrilled when they found out Sarah was pregnant a short time later. But right after their son was born, Hugh lost his job. Tragically, almost simultaneously, their beautiful baby boy Noah was diagnosed with paralyzed vocal chords and a bi-cusped aortic valve in his heart. But it's the paralyzed vocal chords that are the most serious condition. It makes it impossible for the baby to be outside or around other people because of his severe susceptibility of serious infection. Any kind of infection or virus that could cause swelling could constrict the opening of the baby's throat, cutting off his breath. They need to be careful with feedings, too, because
the opening to Noah's throat is so -.mall that he CM n easily choke. If he wouldn't breathe, the only option was a tracheotomy. Noah was receiving medical treatment at the nearby Mayo Clinic. But with Hugh out of a job, it didn't look like they'd be able to keep paying for their son's lifesavi ng medical care. Sarah's only option was to quit her job and care for Noah, further compounding their financial situation. While it was difficult staying in the apartment all the time, (Sarah could only manage one quick trip to the mailbox per day), it was a sacrifice she was willing to make. - While Hugh was job-hunting, Sarah spent every day alone in their two-room apartment, in a new city where she knew no one, and cared for her son. After two months, when they (Continued on Page 9)
INSIDE: Friedel Teen
Notebook Age
Last House Party.
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