April 21, 2023 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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Young Leadership Award Religious Renewal in Times of Crisis Page 4

Chabad’s Israeli Bistro is coming and you are invited! Page 6

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor onday, June 5, the Jewish Federation of Omaha’s Annual Meeting and Awards Night will celebrate two deserving volunteers. Ally Freeman will receive the Lois Jeanne Schrager Memorial Young Leadership Award and Geoff Silverstein has been named as the recipient of the Bruce Fellman Memorial Young Leadership Award. Both awards are given annually to honor a young woman and man under the age of 45, who have demonstrated personal commitment, dedicated involvement, and exemplary leadership qualities in rendering service to the Jewish and general community. The recipients are provided with a

stipend to participate in the Jewish Federation of North America General Assembly or Young Leadership Conference. What makes this year’s recipients even more exciting: Ally and Geoff are married. Geoff once ran with the bulls in Spain; Ally has been to 47 U.S. states (she’s missing Montana, North Dakota and Alaska). “Louri Sullivan called me and told me about the award,” Ally said, “and I was a little speechless. After I hung up, I tried to call Geoff to share the news, but he didn’t answer.” Geoff didn’t answer Ally’s call because he was on the phone with Louri, who shared he had also been selected for the Bruce Fellman Award. While talking to Louri, he sent Ally a text. “Frankly,” Ally said. “I thought he deserved See Young Leadership Award page 3

Mission to Israel

REGULARS Spotlight Voices Synagogues Life cycles

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Meet Eric Fingerhut ANNETTE VAN DE KAMPWRIGHT Jewish Press Editor Please join us Wednesday, May 10, at 6 p.m. as we welcome Eric Fingerhut to Omaha! We invite you to join us at Happy Hollow Country Club to meet Eric and hear about the impact Jewish Federations make locally and across the globe in supporting Jewish needs. After the presentation, we invite you to stay for discussion and dessert. Eric D. Fingerhut is the President and CEO of The Jewish Federations

Ally Freeman and Geoff Silverstein with Simon and Sophy

M Shalom, Artists! Page 12

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

PAM FELDMAN It was an exciting opportunity to go to Israel with the Jewish Federation of Omaha group, especially since it gave us a chance to meet the people and explore Israel in a way different from our first trip. Ron and I had previously gone to Israel with the St. Luke’s Methodist/Beth El Synagogue trip four years ago and saw many amazing sites. For me, this trip was more about understanding Israel and the deep spirituality embedded in the country through its history and its people. We had many unique experiences in different parts of the country, from

Pam and Ron Feldman

the Western Galilee in the north to the Negev Desert in the south. Several encounters will always stay very present in my mind: 1. The Old City souqs are a labyrinth of alleyways lined with shops and eateries. At a call for prayer, thousands of Muslims made their way past us to the Dome of the Rock, which has significance for all of the Abrahamic faiths. I was struck by the devotion of the Muslims, Jews, Ar-

menians and Christians who continue to live separately, but among one another in that very complicated, ancient city. 2. Our guide Arie told us, with his Israeli humor and a slight grin, that at the Western Wall there is a direct line to speak to G-d. So, as I put my hand on the wall, I rolled through the usual prayers-on-demand. For my family and friends, for our trip, etc. Then I just stopped and let myself be silent. I received a very clear message. Two words. No context. Just, “Safe Passages.” For me, these words have already come to have a relevance that I am only beginning to grasp and that I will, no doubt, spend much time contemplating. 3. Our time in the Western Galilee allowed us to encounter the people who are impacted directly by the work of the Partnership that Omaha’s Federation has with this region. From helping disabled young people become able to live independently to a See Mission to Israel page 2

Eric Fingerhut

of North America ( JFNA). Prior to his appointment at JFNA, Mr. Fingerhut served as the President and CEO of Hillel International from 2013-19. At Hillel, he led the organization’s Drive to Excellence, which resulted in doubling the number of students engaged by Hillel each year to over 130,000 and the total funds raised each year to nearly $200M. His emphasis on recruiting, training and retaining top talent for the system, and on building a data and performance driven organization, have become models for the nonprofit sector. Mr. Fingerhut has also had a varied and distinguished career in public service and higher education. He served as Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents from early 2007 to 2011, leading Ohio’s system of public universities and colleges; as Ohio state senator from 1997 to 2006; and represented Ohio’s 19th congressional district in the U.S. Congress from 1993 to 1994. In 2004, he was the Democratic Party’s candidate for U.S. Senate. Mr. Fingerhut received a juris doctorate from Stanford University Law School and a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University. He and his wife Amy have two sons, Sam and Charlie, and beagles Pedro and Lulu. The Jewish Federations of North America ( JFNA) represents 146 Jewish Federations and over 300 Network communities, which raise and distribute more than $3 billion See Eric Fingerhut page 2