We are thrilled to share some exciting news with you: we are close to officially announcing a groundbreaking on the expansion of the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. Thanks to two amazing community champions, Tom Fellman and Howard Kooper, we now have a dollar-for-dollar matching gift opportunity for up to $5 million for new pledges and gifts made during the 100 Days of Giving.
The RBJH is a crown jewel of our campus, serving the needs of Omaha’s older adult population. The Home belongs to all of us. We ask you to join Tom and Howard and double your impact.
“I was blessed to be born into a wonderful family and a wonderful community,” Enhancing the Quality of Life Campaign co-chair Bruce Friedlander said. “My family were experts at helping people. During the time I have spent giving back, I have had three rules: first; take care of yourself and those you love; second, do your job; third, take someone with you. I ask you to follow those rules, too, and join me.”
This milestone marks the beginning of a new chapter in our mission to provide compassionate, high-quality care for our residents. The expansion will allow us to meet the
ANNETTE VAN DE KAMPWRIGHT
Jewish Press Editor
The Jewish Federation of Omaha is pleased to announce Jessi Taylor as this year’s recipient of the Jody & Neal Malashock Award for Professional Excellence. This award is presented annually to a professional in the Omaha Jewish community who has demonstrated exemplary performance in advancing the mission of their organization. The honoree is selected by the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors.
“As a volunteer/lay leader,” JFO Board Chair Nancy Schlessinger said,
“I am constantly impressed with the professional teams that I have the great opportunity to work with. Jessi has earned this award; her kindness, dedication, and deep commitment to our mission make a real difference every day and I’m so pleased that the JFO Board is recognizing her contributions with this award.”
Since 2020, Jessi has worked as the Executive Assistant to the CEO, COO, and JFO Governing Board, becoming a reliable and indispensable member of the team. She is married to Chris and is a mom to a son and stepdaughter.
During her first weeks on the job, then-CEO Alan Potash (OBM) asked Jessi to keep an eye on a television show featuring his sons, musicians Ezra and Adeev. Would she please keep an eye out and let him know when it was time to come and watch, because he did not want to miss it.
future of community care by delivering privacy, dignity, and independence through private rooms for residents, which addresses a clear need from our community. Research shows private rooms are better for the physical and mental health of residents.
By updating our existing facility and transitioning to all private rooms, we can ensure that the RBJH remains the facility of choice for the Jewish community and that its financial viability is preserved.
The 100 Days of Giving and matching gift opportunity runs from now until the end of July. This is a huge kickstart to a final fundraising phase that allows everyone in the community to participate in a meaningful and significant way in this important project. Please see our ad on page 2 for more information. The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home is our safety net. Let’s take care of it together. As Bruce Friedlander said, When you save someone, G-d remembers your name
With heartfelt gratitude,
This request highlighted the importance of family within the organization. “Right then I knew this place was different,” Jessi said. “Alan’s request told me how important family
was, not just to Alan, but to the JFO as a whole. As one of my first experiences, it was very telling.”
She has gained friends, she said, and a community.
“I have been able to build strong relationships and connections here that I cannot imagine my life without,” she added. “This place has become a home. People here have a comfort level with each other that feels more like siblings, like family.”
Jessi manages one of the most important areas on our campus, the front desk, and is often called upon to work very late, very early, or on weekends. I’ve often seen her step in to cover front desk shifts when necessary and she is always pleasant and greets the campus guests so kindly.
Jessi goes the extra mile, assisting with various projects across departments and agencies. She even played a vital role on the Kleinberg Heritage Center Content Committee.
“Jessi serves as a role model for all staff and volunteers who have had See Malashock Award page 2
Mark Kirchhoff
Malashock Award
Continued from page 1
the chance to work with her,” Nancy Schlessinger said. “All of us have had the opportunity to witness her compassion and strong commitment to our community. Not only does she support the work of the Federation through her professional role but she also helps many of the lay leaders in various ways and is always happy to do so.”
Jessi shows up for programs outside of her regular office hours, including many weekend and late night events. While her primary role is Executive Assistant, she also chairs Team Shalom, a committee dedicated to empowering every voice and creating opportunities together. This staff-led and staff-focused committee provides enrichment opportunities that encourage JFO staff to step out of their comfort zones and grow. Through the guiding principles of Jewish values, Team Shalom aims to cultivate a vibrant staff community that fosters deep empathy and champions lifelong learning. Rooted in Jewish values. the committee advocates for the needs of all JFO staff, with the goal of fostering a workplace where everyone feels valued and supported.
“Jessi is one of the most dedicated people I know,” JFO CEO Bob Goldberg said. “She is a great resource because she is knowledgeable about a variety of different things on our campus, and many professionals look to her for guidance. She is always willing to help and give of herself, and is the epitome of a team player and trusted colleague.”
Jessi’s proficiency in her role has enabled JFO staff to perform their duties more professionally and efficiently. She provides essential and unwavering support to our highest leadership positions, significantly impacting the Federation’s leadership, staff, and lay leaders in carrying out their mission.
Reflecting on her growth, Jessi said, “In the past, I never saw myself as a leader, but COO Phil Malcom trusted me and encouraged me. Once given the chance, I discovered I could lead. I am learning to trust myself and embrace the leader he saw in me.”
Besides keeping a cool and collected head and being phenomenally organized, Jessi doesn’t hesitate to embrace unique opportunities when they present themselves. From planning staff parties to organizing community events, to playing pickleball at the Alan J. Levine Courts to participating in Goat Yoga, she is up for anything.
“I love being exposed to and learning about different cultures,” she said, “especially those that are often marginalized or misunderstood. What I didn’t expect was that by learning about the culture of the Omaha Jewish community, I would become part of that community. I am not an outside observer; I have found a home.”
And we are all better for it.
Please join us on Thursday, June 5 at 6:30 p.m. when the Jewish Federation of Omaha honors Jessi Taylor at the Jewish Federation of Omaha Annual Meeting & Awards Night.
Honoring the past, securing the future: Join Life & Legacy
“Becoming a Life & Legacy donor was an easy decision for me. I had the very good fortune of having been raised in the Omaha Jewish community. I have a strong interest in seeing this community continue to thrive and provide others with the same kinds of opportunities and experiences as I was able to enjoy.”
BOB RIFKIN
For Bob Rifkin, giving back to the Jewish community that shaped him was a natural choice. His deep connection to Omaha’s Jewish institutions, traditions, and values inspired him to ensure that future generations will have the same opportunities he did.
Through Life & Legacy, Bob is helping secure the future of Jewish Omaha — supporting the programs, services, and organizations that enrich Jewish life. From education and youth programs to cultural initiatives and senior care, a legacy gift ensures that the community continues to thrive for years to come.
You can make an impact, too. By joining Life & Legacy, you help preserve the strength of our Jewish community and create a lasting influence for future generations while
ORGANIZATIONS
B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS
sustaining your current assets.
To learn more about how you can participate in our after-lifetime initiative, contact Brad Abramson, Life & Legacy Coordinator, at babramson@jewishomaha.org or 402.334.6485.
The award-winning B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS speaker program currently meets Wednesdays via Zoom from noon to 1 p.m. Please watch our email for specific information concerning its thought-provoking, informative list of speakers. To be placed on the email list, contact Breadbreakers chair at gary.javitch@gmail.com
The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home (RBJH) is a crown jewel of our campus and it belongs to all of us. By updating our existing facility and transitioning to all private rooms, we can ensure that the RBJH remains the facility of choice for the Jewish community and that its financial viability is preserved.
Rose Blumkin
31, 2025!
Thanks to two amazing community champions, Tom Fellman and Howard Kooper, for this dollar-for-dollar matching gift opportunity!
Creighton Alumnus’ Gift Endows N2H Program
University Communications & Marketing Creighton University
A $2 million gift to Creighton University’s School of Law will endow a groundbreaking program and create a new center. Both will expose generations of law students to the realities of the Holocaust and the international criminal courts seeking justice for the victims of atrocities today.
The gift, made by Donna Gilbert and her children, Dave and Stacey Gilbert, endows the Howard A. Kaiman, JD'67, Nuremberg to the Hague (N2H) Program and establishes the Samuel & Ida Kaiman Center for International Criminal Justice & Holocaust Studies. Samuel and Ida, both born in Omaha, were Donna’s parents. Howard, a lifelong Omahan and attorney, was Donna’s brother.
In the 1960s, during a highly antisemitic period when Jews were denied by country clubs and colleges alike, Howard was able to attend Creighton, where he took night classes at the School of Law.
After graduation, Howard quickly established himself as a highly respected attorney, specializing in corporate law, estate planning, tax law and personal injury. His work took him to the highest levels of the profession, including appearances before the Nebraska Supreme Court.
Howard was a committed member of the Omaha Jewish community and was active in many organizations promoting Jewish culture and education. He was a member of the Board of the Jewish Federation of Omaha and worked closely with local Jewish schools to provide mentorship and guidance to young students interested in pursuing careers in law.
He also championed the causes of all disadvantaged Omahans. He helped create a more affordable “working man’s court” for those seeking small claims in Nebraska. He helped lower bus fares in the city. He fought against telephone company rate increases and price hikes that targeted senior citizens.
can happen again, very easily, if we don’t remember.”
With their endowment of the program and creation of the new center, Howard Kaiman and his family have “forever changed how we teach the Holocaust, genocide and international criminal justice at Creighton,” said Michael J. Kelly, JD, LLM, the Senator Allen A. Sekt Endowed Chair in Law, Professor and director of the N2H program.
Every summer for more than a decade, the School of Law’s N2H program has taken between 25 and 30 students to Germany, the Netherlands and Poland to learn firsthand about the Holocaust. The program immerses them in a series of historical and legal experiences, combining classroom instruction with trips to actual crime scenes, places of conspiracy and trials for crimes against humanity being litigated today.
Before he passed away in 2023 at the age of 93, Howard Kaiman asked his family to distribute his estate to worthy causes. They have also given $8 million to the Omaha Jewish Foundation for a donor-advised fund to support the Jewish community, in addition to the gift to Creighton.
“My parents and brother lived their lives doing good deeds and good work, both for our family and for our communities,” Donna Kaiman Gilbert said. “This program and center at Creighton will continue my family’s work. They will keep the memory of the Holocaust alive for a new generation. They will challenge them never to forget that this happened and that it
While the endowment of the N2H program will ensure its perpetuity, the new center will build upon and broaden its impact and influence.
“The Kaiman Center will help us continue to counter the rise in antisemitism by countering the rise in Holocaust denial,” Kelly said. “The center also provides us the invaluable opportunity to explore more deeply the international atrocities taking place today, and the courts tasked with litigating them.”
The Samuel & Ida Kaiman Center for International Criminal Justice & Holocaust Studies could, Kelly said, bring in worldrenowned attorneys to speak about genocide litigation, explore cases currently being tried in the International Criminal Court of Justice, examine the genocide of the Rohingya in Burma, the Kurds in Iraq and other repressed peoples throughout the world.
The center will present more opportunities to more students, at Creighton and elsewhere, as well as alumni and community members. This summer, 25 to 30 individuals from the Jewish Community Center of Omaha are expected to join students on the N2H trip.
“It’s one thing to read about the Holocaust, but it’s another thing entirely to be in Dachau, talking with someone with specific ties to the Holocaust,” said Cassandra Harper, a secondyear Creighton law student who participated in the N2H program. “The program makes experiences like this possible. It gives you the kind of knowledge you don’t just know but can feel, deeply.”
Each summer, a few dozen N2H students like Harper see See Creighton Endowment page 4
MICAH MERTES
Top: Howard A. Kaiman
Above: Samuel and Ida Kaiman on their wedding day
COLLEYVILLE
STEFANIE BAGUIAN
Temple Israel Director of Communications
Temple Israel is inviting the community to a special screening of Colleyville, Sunday, May 4, 6 p.m. Colleyville is a powerful documentary chronicling the 2022 hostage crisis at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas.
The screening will be followed by a presentation and discussion featuring the film’s director, Dani Menkin, and Jeff Cohen, one of the four hostages held during the eleven-hour standoff.
The documentary offers a harrowing account of the day an armed intruder entered the synagogue during Shabbat services, holding Rabbi Charlie CytronWalker and three congregants hostage. Through firsthand interviews, news footage, and behindthe-scenes storytelling, Colleyville sheds light on the trauma, courage, and faith that shaped the survivors’ experience.
“I, like so many, watched in horror, on January 15, 2022, when an assailant entered into Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, TX, and held my friend and colleague Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker and several congregants hostage for nearly 12 hours,” said Rabbi Benjamin Sharff. “I kept thinking about Charlie and his wife and daughters and congregants, and praying for their safe release.”
“I am so grateful everyone made it out safe and sound,” said Sharff. “At the same time, it made us all realize once again, since Tree of Life in Pittsburgh, just how vulnerable we can be, and how much we need the support not just of law enforcement, but also of each other.”
Jeff Cohen, who was president of Congregation Beth Israel at the time of the attack, brings a deeply personal perspective to the conversation. His presence, alongside filmmaker Dani Menkin, will offer attendees a rare opportunity to hear directly from those who lived through this unprecedented event.
Dani Menkin is the twice IsraeliAcademy-Award-Winning filmmaker of 39 Pounds of Love and IS THAT YOU? 39 Pounds of Love was sold to HBO Documentary Films and shortlisted for the American Oscar Awards. Menkin’s awardwinning film Dolphin Boy (co-directed with Yonatan Nir) was sold to over 20 countries around the globe and was bought by Walt Disney Pictures for adaptation. His documentary ON THE MAP is being distributed by Lionsgate in North America. Dani Menkin is a speaker and film juror at International Festivals around the world, as well as a film professor in universities in the U.S.
In an era of rising antisemitism across the country and around the world, Colleyville is both timely and essential. The film not only tells the story of survival but also calls communities to confront the persistence of hate and recommit to building a world rooted in understanding and justice.
This is more than just a film screening. It is a moment for our community to gather, to learn, and to stand together against antisemitism in all its forms. The event is free and open to the public. All are welcome to attend. Thank you to Speedy and Debbi Zweiback & Kris and Matt Faier for their generous sponsorship of this event.
Creighton Endowment
Continued from page 3 the traces of Germany’s Nazi past by visiting former concentration camps, such as Dachau and Auschwitz, as well as Hitler’s “Eagle’s Nest” retreat in the Alps.
They go to The Hague, Netherlands; Nuremberg, the Bavarian city that hosted the Nazi war crimes trials after World War II and is considered the birthplace of modern international criminal law. They visit Poland, where war criminals are being prosecuted in the International Criminal Court, the Special Chambers of the Special Court for Kosovo and the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.
“We think highly of Creighton,” Dave Gilbert said. “They were inclusive of Jews when a lot of other people weren’t. Creighton gave my uncle his dignity.”
N2H is open to all Creighton students. Students throughout the U.S. and Germany are also welcome to apply. When each Creighton cohort of N2H students returns to Omaha, they share their experiences with local high schools.
“My brother’s passion was not just to make a better world for Jews in his own small way,” said Donna Gilbert, “but to make a better world for everyone. That is our family’s passion today. And it’s a passion that, we believe, will carry on in this wonderful program and center in the School of Law.”
An N2H delegation in front of the Frauenkirche church in Nuremberg, Germany.
BEST AND EASY BROWNIES
Fran Milder
Ingredients:
½ cup butter
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 cup sugar
Powdered sugar
½ cup flour
2 eggs
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter and chocolate in a saucepan. Remove from the stove and stir in sugar, flour and eggs, one at a time. Mix well after each addition. Pour into a greased and floured 8” square pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar. To double the recipe, bake in a 13 by 9 by 2 inch pan for 25-30 minutes.
Passover brownies: substitute ½ cup matzo meal for ½ cup flour.
The Untested Cookbook
COORS COUNTRY STEAK SANDWICH
Ingredients:
Suzie Somberg
Horseradish Sauce:
1 ¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sour cream
¼ cup prepared horseradish sauce 1
tsp. lemon juice ¼ tsp. tabasco
Directions:
Combine beer, oil, garlic, pepper and salt. Marinate steak overnight. Prepare Horseradish sauce and refrigerate. In a large skillet sauté onion rings in butter and paprika until tender. Keep warm. Drain marinade from steak. Grill 5 minutes per side. Slice meat diagonally into ¼” slices. Spread bread with horseradish sauce. Top with meat, onions and remaining sauce if you want.
EGGPLANT PARMESAN
Susan Rothholz
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup bread crumbs
¾ cup olive oil
½ cup grated parmesan
2 tsp. dried oregano
½ lb. sliced mozzarella
½ cup tomato sauce
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pare eggplant. Cut in slices. First, dip each slice in egg then into crumbs. Sauté in oil until brown on both sides. Place slices in a baking dish. Sprinkle with parmesan and oregano. Cover well with tomato sauce. Repeat until all eggplant is used. Top last layer with mozzarella. Bake for 30 minutes. Serves 6 to 8.
New life for a Rabbi’s Atarah
ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT
Jewish Press Editor
Friday, April 25, Rabbi Maximo Shechet visited the Staenberg Kooper Fellman Campus, and he brought a gift. A piece of metal art, depicting an image reminiscent of the tablets containing G-d’s commandments. The art, he explained, was created by metal artist Ian Ward with pieces from the rabbi’s atarah.
Most of us are familiar with the tallit, the four-cornered sheet that was commonly used as a simple garment in the times of the Torah and the Talmud. Torah commands us to affix fringes onto each of the four corners of our garments. When the fringed tallit is worn, the wearer fulfills a mitzvah. In the Talmud, we find it mentioned in a variety of contexts, such as tossing it over an object you want to claim as your own, lending it to a friend, sleeping under it, or finding it in the marketplace.
But what about the atarah?
The word refers to the embroidered strip of material, situated where the tallit is placed on the head. Since the tallit is a simple
rectangle, it is possible to accidentally wear it upside down. To help avoid this, many have a decorative strip of cloth sewn onto the upper hem. That part of the tallit is known as atarah, which literally means “crown.”
The atarah can be embroidered with the name of the tallit owner, the tallit blessing, or other texts. And in some communities, especially Sephardic ones, the atarah is made of silver plates, which clink whenever the tallit is adjusted.
Over time, Rabbi Maximo explained, those silver pieces
See Rabbi’s Atarah page 7
CONGRATULATE YOUR GRADUATE
Survivors embrace
DEBORAH DANAN
JTA | Oswiecim, Poland
At Auschwitz for the annual March of the Living, Maggie Megidish and her daughter, released hostage Ori, stood among a delegation of survivors of both the Holocaust and Oct. 7. The visit stirred memories of their own ordeal. When a Holocaust survivor spoke of the hunger she endured in the camp, Maggie said was transported back to the weeks she barely ate, tormented by thoughts of her daughter in captivity.
With every bite, or every sip of water, I wondered if she, too, was getting any food,” she recalled.
Eighty Holocaust survivors were set to take part in this year’s March of the Living, some for the first time, marking 80 years since the liberation of the concentration camps.
But on Wednesday evening, just hours before she was meant to depart for Auschwitz, 94-year-old survivor, Eve Kugler, died in her London home, bringing the number down to 79.
Draped in Israeli flags by the infamous Auschwitz gate bearing the words “Work will set you free,” Ori Megidish and fellow IDF observer Agam Berger, who were both abducted by Hamas and later freed — the first in a rescue operation within weeks and the second in a hostage deal after nearly 16 months — stood for several minutes embracing Holocaust survivors Irene Shashar and Gita Kaufman.
“We beat the enemy, didn’t we, girls?” Shashar said through tears. “We went through horrors, but despite everything, we are here, standing firm in the face of such evil.”
Read more at www.omahajewishpress.com
The annual Graduation Issue will publish this year on May 23, 2025. Senior photos will run in that issue and we know you’ll want to highlight the achievements of your high school graduate! Congratulatory ads are available in two sizes. Limit of 25 words.
are so proud of your achievements –membership in NHS, varsity letter in tennis and a Merit Award from the Band.
Photohere
Left: Rabbi’s atarah; above: Ian Ward’s artwork during the process.
Right: Irene Shashar, left; Ori Magdish, back; Gita Kaufman and Agam Berger. Credit: Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images
Rabbi’s Atarah
Continued from page 6 become damaged from wear. What does one do with a worn tallit that can no longer be used for its intended purpose? The fabric portion itself can be disposed of, after wrapping it in paper or plastic. The fringes, the tzitzit, must be buried, and until that moment they can be kept safe in a genizah. But what about the silver pieces on the atarah?
Cue Ian Ward, who has been creating art from metal scrap for years. Rabbi Maximo explained to him what an atarah was, showed him the metal, and asked if he could make anything with it. It just so happens that Ian calls Rabbi Maximo one of his favorite people, so he jumped at the chance to be part of this.
“I built the commandments by hand,” Ian said. “I welded the frames first, then I cut and shaped the tablets. Then I shaped and attached the individual tiles. I cut the steel backings and attached them to the frames, painted them, then attached the tablets to the backings. Finally, I put 3 coats of clear lacquer on them and left them to dry. It was a lengthy, but extremely
“I hadn’t done any Jewish related artwork before,” Ian said, “so this process was quite a journey. We came up with a design, and then it was up to me to gather all the necessary components.”
The steel generously donated by David, owner of State Steel. Everything else is recycled/repurposed metal, including the silver tiles from the atarah.
gratifying process!”
When all was said and done, Ian and Rabbi ended up with six pieces of artwork, allowing the atarah to have a new life and purpose. One of the finished pieces will be displayed at the Jewish Press office and the others are gifted elsewhere. Come and see it when you’re in the building!
www.rockbrookvillage.com
Left: finished artwork; right: Ian Ward and Rabbi Maximo
RBJH
What a beautiful evening at RBJH! A huge thank you to James Polack for leading the Seder and engaging our residents and guests in reading the Haggadah—it made the night extra special. We’re also incredibly grateful to STAR Catering for the delicious meal and for helping create a lovely and festive atmosphere filled with tradition and connection. Thank you to everyone who helped make this night one to remember!
The recent Lincoln Jewish Community Seder. There were over 100 attendees gathered at Tifereth Israel Synagogue for the
SP O TLIGHT
PHOTOS FROM RECENT JEWISH COMMUNITY EVENTS
SUBMIT A PHOTO: Have a photo of a recent Jewish Community event you would like to submit? Email the image and a suggested caption to: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org
LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY
Seder, which was led by Rabbi Alex Felch.
TEMPLE ISRAEL
Temple Israel’s Cantor Joanna Alexander, Rabbi Deanna Berezin and Rabbi Benjamin Sharffduring Temple’s second night seder.
BETH EL
A great way to spend a Passover day at Beth El.
Voices
The Jewish Press
(Founded in 1920)
David Finkelstein
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Will Fischer
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The mission of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to build and sustain a strong and vibrant Omaha Jewish Community and to support Jews in Israel and around the world. Agencies of the JFO are: Institute for Holocaust Education, Jewish Community Relations Council, Jewish Community Center, Jewish Social Services, Nebraska Jewish Historical Society and the Jewish Press Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page stories and announcements, can be found online at: www.jewishomaha.org; click on ‘Jewish Press.’ Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole. The Jewish Press reserves the right to edit signed letters and articles for space and content. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment.
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The Jewish Press welcomes Letters to the Editor. They may be sent via regular mail to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154; via fax: 1.402.334.5422 or via e-mail to the Editor at: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org.
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The Editor may edit letters for content and space restrictions. Letters may be published without giving an opposing view. Information shall be verified before printing. All letters must be signed by the writer. The Jewish Press will not publish letters that appear to be part of an organized campaign, nor letters copied from the Internet. No letters should be published from candidates running for office, but others may write on their behalf.
Letters of thanks should be confined to commending an institution for a program, project or event, rather than personally thanking paid staff, unless the writer chooses to turn the “Letter to the Editor” into a paid personal ad or a news article about the event, project or program which the professional staff supervised. For information, contact Annette van de Kamp-Wright, Jewish Press Editor, 402.334.6450.
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Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole.
A Continuing Narrative
ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT
Jewish Press Editor
The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, known as the Claims Conference, came out with a report about life-expectancy of remaining Shoah survivors. Considering the Holocaust was over 80 years ago, we should not be surprised at the data. We have all known for a while now, as difficult as it is to acknowledge, there will come a time we will have no survivors left.
I have a few thoughts about the report’s findings, and about how it was processed in some media.
For starters, there was one paragraph Zev Stub wrote for the Times of Israel that should give everyone pause.
“The advancing ages of the living survivors,” he wrote, “mean that many require expanded long-term care, funding and specialized services. During 2025, the Claims Conference will distribute approximately $530 million in compensation and $960 million toward survivor welfare needs like home care, food and medicine, it said. Despite this, many are struggling to get by financially, with approximately 25% of Holocaust survivors in Israel living below the poverty line, according to the National Insurance Institute.”
What about here in America? In March of 2021, the Washington Post reported that 33% of US Holocaust survivors at that time lived in poverty. According to the Blue Card Foundation, an organization that provides financial assistance to survivors, that percentage is much higher than among the US population overall (12%). There are countless stories to be found about survivors who
have to choose between buying medicine or paying rent, between fixing the heating or buying food.
The notion that anyone could survive the Shoah, only to end up decades later struggling to buy groceries, is unimaginable.
I’m familiar with stories about hunger from family members. But those stories all have to do with the war itself, with stealing food, with fighting to stay alive while the Nazis were in charge. Maybe a little longer, after the war ended, when life in Europe didn’t magically get better right away. But by the early 1950s, there was food. By the time I was born, nobody went without.
imagine ourselves in Egypt, we have to acknowledge that we are more than bystanders in this story.
But what’s really bothering me about all the reporting regarding the Claims Conference report are
I feel extremely lucky that my mother lived. Obviously; otherwise, I wouldn’t be here. But I have come to realize I am also lucky in how she lived. Merely surviving isn’t enough, there is also the question of what that survival looks like.
Second: I get it; the majority of the articles processing the data will conclude we have limited time to hear the remaining first-hand accounts, and we must figure out how we will continue to tell the story. That story, though, cannot end in 1945, especially if we want the world to pay attention. Life in the Displaced Persons camps, the antisemitism in the years since, the mental health- and financial struggles: it all has to be part of the narrative. Just like we are asked to
the headlines.
“Half of Holocaust survivors alive today will be dead in six years, new analysis finds,” the JTA stated on their page. Excuse me, what? Who writes headlines like that? I’m sorry, but “will be dead” means “alive today,” correct? I imagine a survivor reading that headline. I imagine family and friends reading that headline. I want to email the author and ask them if they have lost their mind.
We know that when our parents and grandparents get to a certain age, our time together is limited. But rather than asking what we can get out of them before the end comes, we should ask what we can give instead. Rather than focusing on how many of them will die and when, we should think about what to do for them while they are still here.
How small-town Jewish teens like me stay connected in the Bible Belt
EMILY FLORSHEIM
JTA
This article was produced as part of JTA’s Teen Journalism Fellowship, a program that works with Jewish teens around the world to report on issues that affect their lives.
I am Jewish, but Christianity has filled my life. The earliest memory I have going to school in Arkansas involves reciting a prayer about Jesus before and after every meal. We would walk in the lunchroom in our school-issued uniforms, sit down with our food, and be told to rise again to bless our food.
Because my dad’s job includes moving to various small towns across the south to grow their economic development, moving has been a constant in my family. Currently I’m a senior in high school and I have attended four different high schools in Texas. Although moving has so many benefits, like going out of your comfort zone and meeting all kinds of people from different backgrounds, each move also has its own struggles. The challenge I found most constant was the lack of a Jewish community.
I was 3 years old the day we moved to Arkansas from Louisiana. My mom’s cousin’s wife, who grew up near where we had just moved, told us to never tell anyone we were Jewish. She claimed there was an active Ku Klux Klan organization just outside of our town and warned us of the dangers.
For the three years we lived there, we hid our identity as much as we could. My siblings and I went to a private Christian school and our family celebrated Christian holidays, hoping to fit in. Each year, my siblings and I would go to sleep early on Christmas Eve excited for Santa to come. We never celebrated the Jesus aspect of these holidays. But we also never celebrated any Jewish holiday. I never really knew what it meant to be Jewish. All I had known was that I was supposed to hide it. It turns out, these experiences helped me to embrace my Judaism today.
A few years later, when we moved to Texas, the only quality middle school in town was, again, a private Christian school. So there I was, again, a hiding Jewish teen in another small town. This new school had weekly chapel services, mandatory Bible classes, and imposed strict beliefs – the main tenet being that if you did not believe in Jesus, then you would go to Hell.
At this same time my mom discovered a synagogue in Fort Worth that had a strong youth community. We committed to the four hour round trip every Sunday. It was at this synagogue where I met other kids just like me.
Throughout 6th grade, however, I did not come out of my shell. I attended chapel services, participated in Bible class, and let my Judaism become fully hidden. I didn’t really believe in what my school taught, and I became even more introverted. Even though I attended synagogue every weekend, I felt like I was hiding the most important thing to me at school.
When seventh grade rolled around and we began reading the Book of Ruth in Bible class, Purim showed up on the lesson plans. My mom, being good friends with my Bible teacher, agreed with her that this would be a good time to introduce our religion to my classmates. My mom convinced me to bring hamentashen to class and talk a little about Purim. It was the first time I can remember truly feeling Jewish outside of my home. Some people, adults and students, told me they had never met a Jewish person before, and it felt kind of cool that I could be their first.
Nevertheless, later on in the semester, a newly hired teacher said to me, “You are going to hell.” I didn’t know how to react. Sure, some of the things I was taught in Bible class hinted at this belief, but I was never told this directly before.
I’m not the only Jew who lives in a small town. According to one study, Jews who live in communities with 5,000 Jews or fewer comprise 4.4% of the country’s Jewish population.
One of them is Lila Katz, a senior at the University of Texas at Austin who hails from the town of Tyler in East Texas.
Katz didn’t have the option to hide from her Judaism. Her father, Neal Katz, is a rabbi of Beth El Congregation in Tyler, a 137-year-old synagogue with a few hundred members. Two miles away is the conservative congregation Ahavath Achim. The rabbi said it is about 10 years younger and has about 100 or so members.
“It’s difficult because you’re very visible,” said Katz. “Everyone knows who you are, especially in a small town and around the Jewish community.”
For Katz, the challenge was about navigating the complexities of her faith in a town where being Jewish could sometimes feel isolating. Growing up in the public eye, trying to maintain her own sense of self in a place that, at times, seemed to offer little space for personal exploration was difficult.
She recommends young people use the disconnection from others as a push toward the Jewish community. “If you feel disconnected because of antisemitism, don’t let it don’t let it dissuade you from being connected to your Jewish community,” Katz said. “Being connected to your Jewish community will help you find strength in the face of antisemitism.”
Throughout the past few years, my connection to Judaism has grown immensely. If you had told me freshman year that one day I would have tons of Jewish friends from across the globe, I would not have believed you. And since Oct. 7, my Jewish identity has only grown. Especially after going to Israel in the summer of 2023 with BBYO, a Jewish youth organization, Israel forever has a piece engraved within me. As I finish up high school and continue my educational journey, finding a Jewish community wherever I go will be important to me.
After I attend college at Texas A&M, I plan to live in a much larger city — not just to have a bigger Jewish community around me, but to feel like I can truly celebrate my identity. I want to do exactly as Katz said, finding strength in my community. Now that I don’t have to hide it, I want to celebrate my Jewishness with other Jews.
The views and opinions expressed in
are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.
this article
Emily Florsheim on the bimah at her bat mitzvah in 2020 at Beth-El Congregation in Fort Worth, Texas. Credit: Emily Florsheim
Holocaust survivors Guenter Pappenheim, left, Eva Fahidi-Pusztai and Heinrich Rotmensch sit in wheelchairs at a ceremony at the Buchenwald concentration camp on Jan. 27, 2020, the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. All three died before the 80th anniversary. Credit: Jens Schlueter/AFP via Getty Images
B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE
Synagogues
618 Mynster Street Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766
712.322.4705 www.cblhs.org
BETH EL SYNAGOGUE
Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California Street Omaha, NE 68154-1980
402.492.8550 bethel-omaha.org
BETH ISRAEL
SYNAGOGUE
Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street Omaha, NE. 68154
402.556.6288 BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org
CHABAD HOUSE
An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street Omaha, NE 68144-1646
402.330.1800 OChabad.com email: chabad@aol.com
LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY:
B’NAI JESHURUN
South Street Temple
Union for Reform Judaism 2061 South 20th Street Lincoln, NE 68502-2797
402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org
OFFUTT AIR
FORCE BASE
Capehart Chapel 2500 Capehart Road Offutt AFB, NE 68123
402.294.6244 email: oafbjsll@icloud.com
TEMPLE ISRAEL
Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive Omaha, NE 68144-1206
402.556.6536 templeisraelomaha.com
LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY:
TIFERETH ISRAEL
Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Boulevard Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 402.423.8569 tiferethisraellincoln.org
Monthly Speaker Series Service, Friday, May 9, 7:30 p.m. with our guest speaker. Our service leader is Jim Fried. Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel! For information about our historic synagogue, please visit our website at www.cblhs.org or contact any of our other board members: Renee Corcoran, Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Janie Kulakofsky, Howard Kutler, Carole and Wayne Lainof, Ann Moshman, MaryBeth Muskin, Debbie Salomon and Sissy Silber. Handicap Accessible.
Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman.
IN-PERSON AND ZOOM MINYAN SCHEDULE:
Mornings on Sundays, 9:30 a.m.; Mondays and Thursdays 7 a.m.; Evenings on Sunday-Thursday 5:30 p.m.
FRIDAY: Pre-Neg & Kabbalat Shabbat with guest speaker Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer, 5:30 p.m.
SATURDAY: Simcha Shabbat with guest speaker Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer, 10 a.m. at Beth El and Live Stream; Shabbat’s Cool Outdoor Adventure 10 a.m.; Kiddush sponsored by Jeff & Sandy Passer following services; Learning and Havdalah with Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer, 7:45 p.m.; Havdalah, 8:50 p.m.
SATURDAY-May 10: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m. at Beth El and Live Stream; Jr. Congregation 10 a.m.; Havdalah, 9:10 p.m. Zoom Only. Please visit bethel-omaha.org for additional information and service links.
Class 10:45 a.m.; Tapestry: Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer: Why Do American Jews “Need” Israel, 11:30 a.m.; Soulful Torah, 7:15 p.m.; Mincha, 8 p.m.; Kids Activity/Laws of Shabbos 8:30 p.m.; Havdalah, 9:18 p.m.
Please visit orthodoxomaha.org for additional information and Zoom service links.
All services are in-person. All classes are being offered in-person and via Zoom (ochabad.com/academy). For more information or to request help, please visit www.ochabad.com or call the office at 402.330.1800.
FRIDAY: Shacharit 8 a.m.; Lechayim, 5:30 p.m., go to ochabad.com/lechayim to join; Omaha Young Jewish Professionals Shabbat Dinner, RSVP at ocha bad.com/cyp; Inspirational Shabbat — Omaha, hosting Berkshire Hathaway guests from around the world with Omaha hospitality (If you can host please contact Rabbi Eli at rabbieli@ochabad.com); Candlelighting, 8:05 p.m.
SATURDAY: Shacharit 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Inspirational Shabbat; Shabbat Ends, 9:09 p.m.
SUNDAY: Sunday Morning Wraps, 9 a.m.
MONDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Personal Parsha, 9:30 a.m. with Shani Katzman; Intermediate Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Parsha Reading, 6 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Translating Words of Prayer, 7 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen.
TUESDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Aramaic Grammar, 10 a.m. with David Cohen; Translating Words of Prayer, 11 a.m. with David Cohen; Intermediate Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 6 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Introductory Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 7 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen
WEDNESDAY: Shacharit 8 a.m.; Mystical Thinking (Tanya) 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Katzman; Introductory Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Parsha Reading, 11:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen.
THURSDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Introduction to Alphabet, Vowels & Reading Hebrew, 10 a.m.; Advanced Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 11 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Talmud Study, noon-1 p.m.; Introduction to Alphabet, Vowels & Reading Hebrew, 6 p.m.; Code of Jewish Law Class, 7 p.m.
FRIDAY-May 9: Shacharit 8 a.m.; Lechayim, 5:30 p.m., go to ochabad.com/lechayim to join; Candlelighting, 8:12 p.m.
SATURDAY-May 10: Shacharit 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 9:18 p.m.
LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN & TIFERETH ISRAEL
Services facilitated by Rabbi Alex Felch. All services offered in-person with live-stream or teleconferencing options.
FRIDAY: Hillel Shabbat, 6 p.m. led by Rabbi Alex at Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center, 1505 S St, Lincoln; Shabbat Candlelighting, 8:06 p.m.
SATURDAY: habbat Service, 9:30-11 a.m. led by Rabbi Alex at TI; Torah Study, noon on Parashat Tazria-Metzora via Zoom; Havdalah, 9:11 p.m.
SUNDAY: LJCS Classes, 9:30-11:30 a.m. at TI; Men’s
Bike/Coffee Group, 10:30 a.m. at The Mill on the Innovation Campus. For more information or questions please email Al Weiss at albertw801@gmail.com; Yom Ha'Atzmaut Community Dinner, noon WEDNESDAY: LJCS Hebrew School, 4:30-6 p.m. at TI
FRIDAY-May 9: Kabbalat and LCJS Shabbat, 6 p.m. led by Rabbi Alex at SST; Shabbat Candlelighting, 8:13 p.m.
SATURDAY-May 10: Shabbat Service, 9:30-11 a.m. led by Rabbi Alex at TI; Torah Study, noon on Parashat Acharei-Kedoshim via Zoom; Havdalah, 9:19 p.m.
FRIDAYS: Virtual Shabbat Service, 7:30 p.m. every first and third of the month at Capehart Chapel. Contact TSgt Jason Rife at OAFBJSLL@icloud.com for more information.
In-person and virtual services conducted by Rabbi Benjamin Sharff, Rabbi Deana Sussman Berezin, and Cantor Joanna Alexander.
FRIDAY: Drop-In Mah Jongg, 9 a.m. In-Person; Village Walking Group, 10 a.m. In-Person; Shabbat B’yachad Service with Grade One, 6 p.m. In-Person & Zoom.
SUNDAY: Grades PreK-7, 9:30 a.m. In-Person; Book Club, 10 a.m. In-Person; Colleyville: A Screening and Presentation, 6 p.m. In-Person.
WEDNESDAY: Yarn It, 9 a.m. In-Person; Grades 36, 4:30 p.m. In-Person; Hebrew High (Grades 8-12), 6 p.m. In-Person at Beth El
THURSDAY: The Zohar: Thursday Morning Class, 11 a.m. with Rabbi Sharff — In-Person & Zoom
FRIDAY-May 9: Drop-In Mah Jongg, 9 a.m. In-Person; Village Walking Group, 10 a.m. In-Person; Shabbat Service: Dr. Kurtzer-Loving Your Friends, Your Neighbors and Your Enemies: On Community and Conflict, 6 p.m. In-Person & Zoom.
Please visit templeisraelomaha.com for additional information and Zoom service links.
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From the Archives: Suspension of Immigration is Stirring Jews
The following story is reprinted from the May 29, 1930 issue of the Jewish Press Jerusalem
The temporary suspension of immigration to Palestine by the British Colonial Office, pending the inquiry into land problems by Sir Simpson has aroused the feelings of the Jews throughout the world to a high pitch. Protests have been pouring in from every nook of the world at what many Jews term the severest blow ever dealt to the Jewish aspirations for a National Homeland.
The feature protest was the strike last Thursday of all the Jewish people in Palestine, who deserted their work at the appointed time to a man.
In an official commique of the Palestine government issued with the approval of the British Colonial Office, the suspension of immigration to Palestine is characterized as only a temporary measure invoked to protect the interest of the nonJewish communities by making sure that during the period intervening between the time when Sir John Simpson starts on his survey and the time
when his report is completed immigration will not be such as to endanger the future of the country.
No political demonstration in Palestine so overwhelmingly carried out was ever conducted in so dignified, orderly and peaceful a fashion as the just concluded general strike of the Jews in protest against the suspension of immigration. This is the conclusion being drawn here in reports from unbiased observers and the police who in many cases were frankly bored at the uncanny quiet that prevailed.
Dark streets, sepulchral silence in the old city, deserted shops justified the characterization of the stoppage by a member of the faculty of Hebrew University as not merely a cessation of work but of life itself. Even the restaurants, which had been permitted to stay open during certain hours by a dispensation from the Jewish National Council, declined to avail themselves of this opportunity.
The most heartening feature of the day, according to the Jewish leaders, was the fact that the Agudath Israel, world Orthodox organization, joined in
the strike. With the orthodox Jews participating, the Old City took on an eerie quiet.
Thuringia Jews Frightened as Excesses go on
From the June 30, 1930 edition: Berlin (JTA)
Alarming reports have reached Berlin from Thuringia where incitement against the Jews since the National Socialist anti-Semitic government asuumed power has reached an intense degree. Public propaganda to beat, annihilate and kill the Jews, is being carried out throughout the entire province, a pogrom athmosphere prevailing even in the Weimar where only a hundred Jews live among a total population of 150,000. The percentage of Jews in Thuringia is very small, there being but two out of a thousand inhabitants.
Jewish traders according to report received here, do not dare to visit the villages where teachers have formed Hitler groups for the purpose of inciting hatred against the Jews. A prayer of inciting nature is recited daily by the school children.
B’NAI ISRAEL
BETH EL
BETH ISRAEL
CHABAD HOUSE
It’s Never Too Late to Dream: George’s Rockies Adventure
MAGGIE CONTI
Director of Activities and Volunteer Services
Meet George McHendry — a man with a heart full of Rockies pride and a dream that wouldn’t quit. George had one wish: to see his beloved Rockies play again. He didn't waste a second when he saw they’d be in Kansas City. He told the RBJH therapy team, who told Chrissy Caniglia (Assistant Activities Director), and that’s when the magic started.
Let’s start by explaining George’s pure passion for the Rockies. He has been a season ticket holder for over twenty-five years, along with his wife Helene. The whole team and the owner, Richard Monfort, adored the couple. George's late wife Helene was Jewish, and George, an ordained Presbyterian minister, was the paster for the team for a few years. George moved to Omaha to be closer to his son and family following the death of his wife. Now living at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home in Omaha, George lives by the motto: “If you don’t ask, you’ll never receive.”
to the Dreamweaver Foundation, the plan was in motion, and funding was secured. George reached out to his friend, the owner of the Rockies, who supplied the tickets for George and the RBJH team. Dreamweaver supplied the van, $600 for food and merchandise, and lots of Rockies’ swag. It was a miracle how it all played out.
Even a quick hospital visit couldn’t stop George — he was determined. Starting, the weather looked dicey, but rain or shine, we were on a mission. With Rockies gear in hand, snacks in the van, and hearts full of excitement, nothing would stop George from seeing his team.
And oh boy, did he ask — and the universe answered!
Chrissy got the ball rolling fast, with support from Executive Director Chris Ulven (“He’s going with or without funding!”). Jill Ohlmann, Activities Coordinator, mentioned the Dreamweaver Foundation to Chrissy. After a quick application
Chrissy, Laurie Pearson (LPN), Brian Miles (CNA), and I were on the road with George. Laurie said the best part was seeing George grinning ear to ear. Brian joked, “We started in the rain, ended in the rain — and it was perfect at Kauffman Stadium.”
Thank you to Dreamweaver Foundation (especially
Kelly Jacobs) for helping us achieve a dream. From Rockies’ hats to heartfelt hugs, it was a trip none of us will ever forget. Here’s to George. To baseball. To big dreams. And to prove that it’s NEVER too late to dream big!
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GoldFord performs in Omaha
ANNETTE
VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT
Jewish Press Editor
Every once in a while, an artist drops in your lap and you wonder: how did I not know about this? Thanks to Patty Nogg and Craig Goldford, who were kind enough to reach out and educate me, I went down a beautiful rabbit hole.
Jeffrey Goldford, professionally known as GoldFord, is a Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter and producer known for his soul-drenched vocals, emotionally honest songwriting, and cinematic production style. He also happens to be Jaime Nogg’s brother, which makes his upcoming performance in Omaha extra special. GoldFord will be on stage at Barnato on May 9 at 7 p.m. Great for his parents, who moved to Omaha two years ago in order to be closer to Jaime and her family. GoldFord’s music is a blend between indie soul, gospel roots, and heartfelt lyricism, and invites listeners into deep feeling and genuine connection. His work is grounded in the belief that vulnerability is a superpower. The best way to get a sense of what he’s all about is to simply listen.
Try Shine Through, as one example of the power of GoldFord’s voice. It’s chill, relaxing, and then it pulls you in. Or listen to Ride the Storm (my personal favorite): “I can’t keep you safe/ but I can keep you warm/ I can’t stop the rain/ but we can ride the storm.”
Then, there’s Rise, a collaboration with DJ Lost Frequencies, which is impossible not to like from the first notes. There’s so much more, but you should find out for yourself. Seriously, listen — and then get your tickets for his live performance on May 9
His full name is Jeffrey David Goldford; he was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and didn’t discover his voice until he was 20. His journey began with a national debut on American Idol where he was a Season 4 finalist. Rather than chase a fast rise to fame, he chose a more meaningful path — writing for oth-
ers, then slowly reclaiming his own artistic voice through personal transformation and spiritual growth.
In 2014, he released his breakout full-length album Shed A
Little Light, a powerful collection centered on hope, healing, and social unity. This culminated in Walk With Me — an anthem of compassion that resonated around the world during
the pandemic. The gospel-infused single received widespread acclaim and media placements across Grey’s Anatomy, Apple Music, CNN, and national campaigns for ABC, CBS, and NBC.
“I wrote Walk With Me just as the world was coming undone,” GoldFord said. “If I could talk to myself right now, all that I would want to hear is that it’s going to be OK. It was one of those rare moments where you caught the emotion and the song wrote itself.”
In 2023, GoldFord released Orange Blossoms, a deeply personal EP born from the ashes of heartbreak and healing. The title track, Orange Blossoms, struck a global nerve — amassing over 60 million streams and becoming a viral success on platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Spotify. The song’s universal resonance with grief, tenderness, and hope introduced a new generation of fans to GoldFord’s signature emotional depth.
Following the EP’s release, he embarked on the Orange Blossoms Tour — a series of sold-out intimate U.S. performances praised for their magnetic vulnerability and raw presence. This fall, GoldFord will bring his music to several notable festival stages such as Evolution Fest in St. Louis followed by a European tour continuing the journey of sharing songs that heal, connect, and transform.
“Whether performing solo or with a live band,” Goldford said, “I aim for my shows to create sacred spaces where people feel seen, heard, and held.”
GoldFord continues to write and release music that turns personal stories into universally resonant soundtracks for the human condition.
You can check out his music at goldfordmusic.com, find him on Instagram (@goldfordmusic) and Spotify as well as YouTube. Barnato Lounge & Bar is located at 225 N. 179th St., Suite 95. Tickets can be purchased through bandsintown.com, among other online ticketsellers.
