April 9, 2021 by Jewish Press

A N AG E N C Y O F T H E J E W I S H F E D E R AT I O N O F O M A H A

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RBJH: Reunited and it feels so good

The story of the machinist, 33072, and a ring Page 3

GABBY BLAIR Jewish Press Staff Writer hen the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home closed its doors to the public on March 8, 2020, no one could have anticipated how long it would be before Residents could be physically reunited with their families. It was with great care and emotion that visitations for RBJH Resident family members were able to resume on March 24, 2021. Visitors will be screened prior to entry and are asked to please be respectful, patient and compliant with all RBJH regulations and protocols in order to ensure the safety of all staff and Residents. Everyone entering will have their temperatures taken and will be required to answer a series of screening questions. All ‘social visits’ will take place in common areas and will be supervised to ensure adherence to protocols. Visitors will be provided with fresh masks upon entering the RBJH. Residents and visitors will be required to sanitize hands before visiting. While all protocols are subject to change, Chris Ulven, RBJH Executive Director, explains what to expect:“We are allowing two family members for indoor/outdoor ‘social visits’ at one time. ‘Social visits’ are scheduled

W The Kaplan Book Group Page 5

A Singing and Swinging Celebration of Summer Page 6

REGULARS

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In memory of Alan Levine ANNETTE VAN DE KAMPWRIGHT Jewish Press Editor Alan J. Levine passed away Thursday, March 18 in Malibu, California, at the age of 83. He was preceded in death by his parents, Hyman and Ruth Levine. Alan leaves behind a sister, Judy Hurd, and a strong bond of extended family and friends.

Shari Eades visits her mother Faye Ruback with her two dogs

every 30 minutes with a 20 minute visit and time to sanitize between visits. Each Resident may have up to three ‘social visits’ per week in order to allow all Residents an equal opportunity to receive visitors.” Ulven continues. “This past year has been unimaginably hard on all of us, but none more so than on our Residents. While we have definitely adapted to and appreciate See RBJH: Reunited page 2

Schwalb Center’s Sokolof Lecture features Dr. Rabinovitch

Spotlight Voices Synagogues Life cycles

SPONSORED BY THE BENJAMIN AND ANNA E. WIESMAN FAMILY ENDOWMENT FUND

DR. JEANNETTE GABRIEL Director, Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies The University of NebraskaOmaha’s Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies is pleased to announce its 2021 Sokolof Lecture featuring Dr. Simon Rabinovitch from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Rabinovitch will be presenting a lecture, What’s Jewish About the Jewish State?: Examining Israel’s Fierce Debate on the Nation-State Law during an online event Thursday, April 29 at 7 p.m. He will also be presenting a lecture on his forthDr. Simon Rabinovitch

coming book, Religious Freedom and the Jews: Collective Rights and Modern States during an online event Wednesday, April 28 at noon. Registration is required for both events and links can be found on the Schwalb Center website. These lectures will examine issues of Jewish

identity and religious freedom within Israel and throughout the world. Dr. Simon Rabinovitch is an Associate Professor of History at Northeastern University. He received his PhD from Brandeis University in Comparative History. Before coming to Northeastern, he was based out of Boston University as the Associate Director of the Arts and Sciences Core Curriculum with an appointment at the Elie Wiesel Center for Jewish Studies. Dr. Rabinovitch has held visiting professor positions at Tel Aviv University, the University of Helsinki and Hebrew College, Boston. His publications include Jewish Rites, National Rights: Nationalism and Autonomy in Late Imperial and Revolutionary Russia (Stanford University Press, 2014) and he edited Jews and Diaspora Nationalism: Writings on Jewish Peoplehood in Europe and the United States (Brandeis University Press, 2012) and Defining Israel: The Jewish State, Democracy, and the Law (Hebrew Union College Press, 2018). See Sokolof Lecture page 2

Alan J. Levine

Burial was Wednesday, March 31 at the Pleasant Hill section of Temple Israel Cemetery. Rabbi Brian Stoller officiated. Alan was born in Omaha and although he lived in California for over 60 years, he had warm memories of his hometown. In 2020, he said: “Going to Central High was fantastic. There were so many Jewish students and we all knew each other. There were countless ways to come together and reasons to connect.” “Alan had a huge heart and loved life, family and friends deeply and devotedly,” his cousin, David Harris, said. “His connection to Omaha survived his many years in California. He will be sorely missed.” Several years ago Alan began thinking about his legacy. He felt that he wanted to be part of something that would benefit as many community members as possible in the most positive way. “I came back to Omaha and met with some of the people involved in the campus renovation,” He said. “I remember Marty Ricks was there and he asked: ‘What do you really want?’ That’s when it dawned on me: I want something that makes people happy. The theater fits the bill, it’s a living space, it’s vibrant and it allows many different community members, young and old, to stand shoulder to shoulder and connect. In a theater, whether you are a performer or an audience member or otherwise involved with a production, you build relationships with people you might not otherwise meet.” Marty Ricks knew Alan for over 20 years and visited him often in California. See Alan J. Levine page 11