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NJHS to host community-wide 40th anniversary celebration

Ken Burns’ PBS documentary The U.S. And The Holocaust asks hard questions Page 4

JILL KUSHNER BELMONT s the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society marks its 40th anniversary this year, the entire community is invited to raise a glass to the organization during a special celebration on Sunday, Oct. 16. The 2 p.m. event will be held at the Jewish Community Center. During the festivities, memorabilia from NJHS’s archival collections -- including newly digitized videos -- will be showcased, awards will be presented to dedicated supporters and sweets and refreshments will be served. The afternoon will be highlighted by featured speaker Oliver Pollak, PhD, who co-founded the historical society in 1982, along with the late Mary Fellman. Pollak is Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Nebraska Omaha, where he taught from 1974 to 2012. He practiced bankruptcy law in Nebraska and Iowa for 33 years and is also a noted author. He and his wife, Karen, currently reside in California. In addition to offering personal remarks, Pollak will speak about “The Amazing Ella Fleishman Auerbach, Nebraska Journalist and Historian.” Auerbach was an author and early chronicler of Jewish history in Nebraska from the early to mid-1900s. While NJHS’s past will be fêted during the afternoon, the future direction of the organization will also be celebrated,

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said Robby Erlich, who is coordinating the anniversary event along with committee members Rocky Stern, Ducky Milder, Kate Kirshenbaum, Kelly Kirk, Seth Schuchman and Ben Justman. “The historical society is in the midst of undergoing some See NJHS 40th anniversary celebration page 2

Summer fun at the ELC Page 7

JCRC presents reproductive Introducing James rights in Nebraska Donahue

REGULARS8 Spotlight Voices Synagogues

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PAM MONSKY JCRC Assistant Director On Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m, in the Alan J. Levine Theater at the Staenberg Omaha JCC, please join the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) for Community Conversations, a series of programs on compelling, current topics impacting the Jewish community of Omaha. This inaugural program, Reproductive Rights in Nebraska—Where Do We Go From Here features a panel of local and national experts in a moderated discussion about protecting reproductive rights

in Nebraska. Our goal is to equip attendees with tools to advocate for reproductive freedom, learn how to build coalitions, and the best ways to

communicate with local law makers. Co-sponsors of the program include The Women’s Fund, Planned Parenthood of the Heartland and the ACLU of Nebraska. Our panel of experts include Carol Bloch, moderator and JCRC Civil Rights Committee chairperson and Rabbi Steven Abraham to give the Jewish perspective on abortion. Gilda Sedgh, Principal Advisor, Research and Policy Integration at the Guttmacher Institute, who will focus on levels and trends in unmet need for contraception in developing countries, women’s reasons for conSee JCRC presents page 3

GABBY BLAIR Jewish Press Staff Writer Jewish communities take security seriously. It has become the standard for synagogues, day schools and community centers around the country to employ 24-hour surveillance, work closely with law enforcement agencies, host staff trainings and update their own security measures and plans frequently to ensure the safety of the people - from all backgrounds and religions- who work, play or pray inside of these buildings. At the Jewish Federation of Omaha, safety and security come first and we are proud to be a law enforcement/first responder friendly campus inside and out. JFO Security works tirelessly to build strategic relationships, assess safety and implement security improvements. Leading security at the JFO is James Donahue. A former U.S. Marine, Donahue has years of experience having also worked as a security contractor in Afghanistan and in law enforcement. In his short time as Campus Safety and Security Manager, he has improved lines of

James Donahue

communication between many institutions and agencies in the area with the focus on improving our community’s security. “Every day I come to work, I try to bridge the gap between law enforcement and our community. I aim to be the intelligence hub within our community, working with the synagogues and community members to monitor potential threats and gather intelligence on threats within our community. I then work See Introducing James page 3