Issuu

thejewishpress AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA

this week

There will be NO Jewish Press next week. The next issue publishes on January 10.

The doors are open! Pages A4 & A5

The top Jewish stories of 2019 Page B1

Happy Birthday, Joe ANNETTE VAN DE KAmP-WRIGHT Editor, Jewish Press hile the Jewish Press Board of Directors and staff are busy discussing 100 years of Jewish Omaha history, one community treasure beat us to it: Dec. 27, 2019, Joe Kirshenbaum will celebrate his 100th birthday. He will do so in his true home, surrounded by family and friends: recently, Joe moved back to Omaha from Palm Springs. These days he hangs his hat in the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home; he moved in on the exact same day as his younger brother, Kevee. They are down the hall from each other, and rightfully so, Kevee says: “We spent the first 18 years together. Then Joe went off to college. He eventually joined the Army and I joined the Navy. We both got married, built a great life, and here we are, together again.” Joe was born in Kapul, Russia to Meyer and Dora. Accompanied by his parents and sister Rose, Joe came to America in 1921. “After my parents married, my father was sent to Siberia with the Russian army. He did not come back for about three years,” Joe told Mary Fellman in a 1992 interview. “When my father got out of the service, they still lived in their town, Kapul. They were very well accepted by the Gentiles of the town until the Pogroms really got pretty hectic. They would never have come to the United States if it See Joe Kirshenbaum page A3

Joe Kirshenbaum

A New Year brings new Ulven named to Nebraska Mainstreeters programs for 2020 Health Care Association Board

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B4 B5 B6 B7

mAGGIE CONTI Director of Activities and Volunteer Services, RBJH Put these dates on your calendar and join in the activities. A Free Afternoon at the Movies: Downton Abbey Friday, Jan. 10, at 1 p.m. in the JCC Community Engage-

ment room. No charge for the film or the bags of warm, delicious popcorn. No reservations are necessary. Invite a pal. Excitement is high at Downton Abbey when the Crawley family learns that King George V and Queen Mary are coming to visit. But trouble soon arises when Mrs. Patmore, Daisy, and the rest of the servants learn that the king and queen travel with their chefs and attendants -- setting the stage for an impromptu scheme and other shenanigans. This film runs 2 hours and 3 minutes long and is rated PG (for thematic elements, some suggestive material, and language). Don’t be late for the show! Bring a sweater. If you’d like to have lunch at the Star Deli in the Rose See mainstreeters page A2

velopment Program (LEAD), designed to OzzIE NOGG Chris Ulven, Rose Blumkin Home Exec- develop a workforce of leaders that can utive Director, has been named Omaha meet the health care needs of NeDistrict Chair of braska’s aging the Nebraska population. LEAD, Health Care Assowhich stands for ciation (NHCA) Lead, Excel, AdBoard of Directors. vance, and DeIn his new role on velop, equips the Board, Ulven professionals to will represent the positively shape 44 Nursing homes the future of in the Omaha Dishealth care in trict. This is the Nebraska. first time a repreUlven joined the sentative from the Rose Blumkin JewBlumkin Home has ish Home in 2012 been named to the as controller and NHCA Board. has served as ex“The RBJH ecutive director Board is thrilled since 2017. His exthat Chris has perience has Chris Ulven been selected as helped position the Rose Blumkin Home Executive Director Rose Blumkin Jewthe Omaha Chair of the NHCA Board of Directors,” said ish Home as a leader among Nebraska Jeff Kirshenbaum, Blumkin Home Board long term care providers. President. “This will allow Chris to stay “I had not really been that involved informed and help develop strategies to with NHCA until the opportunity to join address the ever-changing elder care inthe LEAD program presented itself,” dustry challenges.” Ulven said. “I jumped at the opportunity, Previous to this two-year appointhoping to get more involved in the future. ment, Ulven served an eighteen-month LEAD is a great program that I wish term in the Association’s Leadership DeSee Chris Ulven page A2

December 27, 2019