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Change in leadership in the Livingston Foundation Board LINDA POLLARD JFO Endowment Assistant/ Staff Writer fter serving 38 years as a board member of the Milton S. and Corinne N. Livingston Foundation, with the last 30 years as chairman, Bob Kully has stepped down from his leadership position. Bob is one of only three people who served as chairman of the Livingston Foundation since its inception. Bob will remain on the Livingston Foundation board. Board member Susie Norton stated, “The Livingston Committee is so fortunate to have our almost 75-year history led by wise and thoughtful chairmen. Bob Kully, as a Livingston relative, has challenged us to think boldly and expansively in how we can best serve Omaha’s Jewish and secular communities, and also make a difference in organizations in Israel. I believe that Milt and Corinne Livingston would be proud of his leadership and his legacy of intentional philanthropy.” The Livingston Foundation was established by Milton and Corinne Liv-

Barbara Walters, groundbreaking Jewish TV host, dies at 93 Page 4

In Turkey, a festival revives a jewel of the Sephardic world and aims to break stereotypes Page 5

Oman, once thought to be the next Abraham Accords signer, criminalizes relations with Israel Page 12

REGULARS Spotlight Voices Synagogues Life cycles

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Bob Kully

Bob Belgrade

ingston in 1948 as a private charitable foundation. In 2012 the Livingston Foundation converted its status to a donor-advised fund at the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation. The Livingston Foundation’s primary goal is to support Jewish institutions and projects. Secondary to that goal is the support of health, education, cultural and social services in the Omaha metro area from Jewish institutions to

local food pantries, and other secular charities. During the last 50 years the Livingston Foundation awarded over $15 million to non-profit organizations in the Omaha area. Bob has a long history of commitment and dedication to volunteerism in the Omaha Jewish community, as well as the secular community. Bob has served on the boards of the Jewish See Livingston Foundation page 2

The Kaplan Book Group visits The Jew Store SHIRLY BANNER JFO Library Specialist On Jan. 19 at 1 p.m. the Dorothy Kaplan Book Discussion Group will gather for their monthly meeting. Group members have the choice of meeting either in person in the Benjamin & Anna Wiesman Reception Room in the Staenberg Jewish Community Center or via Zoom. This month they will be discussing

The Jew Store by Stella Suberman. New participants are always welcome. What, you may ask yourself, is a “Jew Store?” Quite simply, it was a term used in rural America in the early 1900’s to refer to the smalltown America universal dry goods and odds and ends stores owned by Jews. These stores were established by Jewish families who left the more populated Jewish cities in search of financial opportunities and business success. One such family was Stella Suberman’s who ventured to the small town of Concordia, Tennessee, in 1920. It was there that Aaron Bronson (Stella’s father) along with his wife and children established See Kaplan Book Group page 2

Mickey Stern: A Jewish life well-lived stood persecution at a young age. AMY BERNSTEIN SHIVVERS Her family was the only Jewish famJFO Foundation ily in Storm Lake. The youngest by Executive Director Born Aug. 21, 1934, in Sioux City, nine years of four sisters, she was the Iowa, to Mary (Kiser) and Harry Ra- first in her family to attend college. Mickey obtained biner, Mickey a degree in edu(Maxine Shirlee) cation from the lived with purUniversity of Nepose, enriching braska where she the lives of people was a member of she encountered Sigma Delta Tau and causes lucky sorority, serving enough to claim as its President. her devotion. In 1963 she setFashion-forward tled in Omaha, and magnetic, Nebraska, venshe was a leading turing into comlight, challenging people’s better munal work angels to follow where her deterher trailblazing, mination thrust making possible her into myriad the improbable. leadership roles Mickey Stern Though worldly and relationships and wise, she emerged from a sim- with influential people, including ple small-town background in then Nebraska Governor Bob Kerrey Storm Lake, Iowa, where she forged and Warren Buffett. childhood friendships and with- See Mickey Stern page 3