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
The Jewish Press WWW.O M A H A J E W I S H P R E SS .CO M
INSIDE
|
WWW. J E W I S H O M A H A .O R G
SPONSORED BY THE BENJAMIN AND ANNA E. WIESMAN FAMILY ENDOWMENT FUND
AUGUST 4 , 202 3 | 1 7 AV 578 3 | VO L. 1 03 | NO. 4 0 | CANDLELIGHTING | FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 8:19 P.M.
The Foundation presents
Family Portraits of Giving A Jewish guide to the Women’s World Cup Page 5
AMY BERNSTEIN SHIVVERS JFO Foundation Executive Director Are you interested in honoring family members who have inspired your giving practices? Would you like to develop a more targeted plan for giving in the future? Do you like making art with friends, family, and community members? If so, please come to The Foundation’s Living Legacy Workshop: Family Portraits of Giving, led by husband-and-wife duo, Eric Shapiro and Hillary Rubesin. Hillary will lead attendees in a family-friendly collage project, where participants will create artistic reminders of family members who have inspired their giving practices. Families will create their own collages to take home and will also participate in a larger group collage that will remain on campus to inspire others to give. Good news - no arts-based experience is necessary-- just the desire to create! As we collage, families will have the chance to share stories of their family members with the wider group. The workshop will conclude with a talk from Eric about how we can honor our Jewish values by developing financial plans for ongoing family giving practices. This event is free for families (3rd grade or older). Bubbe and Zayde, bring the kids! Art materials will be provided. Participants need to bring in four photocopies of each family member you want to See Family Portraits of Giving page 2
Meet Thomas Poretsky Page 6
The US Jewish response to the judicial reform vote Page 12
Needed: Shomerim and Chevrah Kadisha members
REGULARS7 Spotlight Voices Synagogues
8 10
MARY SUE GROSSMAN Providing burial in accordance with Jewish law is essential to providing the proper rest for one’s loved ones. Omaha’s Jewish community is fortunate to have the services of the Jewish Funeral Home and the associated Chevra Kadisha to assure one’s loved ones are laid to rest with the appropriate rites and respect. Key to the providing of a proper Jewish burial are two sets of individuals. The first are shomerim and the second are members of the Chevrah Kadisha. The Shomer - A shomer/shomeret is a ceremonial guard over the body of the deceased. This serves to com-
Partnership2Gether Medical delegation visit
fort the soul, or neshama, of the deceased by having another Jew remain with the deceased during the time
following their passing until the burial. A shomer is present whenever a deceased is on the premises of the Jewish Funeral Home. Both men and women can serve as a shomer. In commenting on the role of a shomer, Rabbi Steven Abraham said “the task of being a shomer or guard is an incredible way to honor members of our community while at the same time taking part in deeply holy work. Judaism teaches that the See Jewish Funeral Home page 3
JAY KATELMAN JFO Director of Community Development From July 14 until July 17, the Omaha Jewish Community had the privilege of hosting Dr. Waffa Bellan, Aya Kagade, and Noya Haimovich. Partnership2Gether (P2G) connects Israeli doctors with local communities. They arrived on Friday and spent the first night with their host families, JFO Board President Mike Siegel and his wife Andrea as well as incoming JFO Board President Nancy Schlessinger and her hus-
band Dr. Joel Schlessinger. Saturday, our visitors attended Beth El Synagogue, where Dr. Bellan spoke about peace and coexistence at the Western Galilee Medical Center. She also shared her personal story. After services, lunch was sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Omaha, and Dr. Joel Schlessinger gave our guests a tour of his practice and Lovely Skin retail store. Then our guests had some time to relax at their host families. On Saturday night, we took our guests See Medical delegation page 3