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"DES MOINES-Larry Pidgeon, 13; son of Harold and Shirley Pidgeon, will be celebrating his Bar Mltzvah with family and relatives in EretzYisrael, Harold and Shirley Pidgeon have been to Israel twice before, most recently when the couple participated on a UJA mission to assess Israel's needs as part of their task in becoming informed campaign leaders. Harold Pidgeon Is Des Molnes' general chairman of the "All-in-One campaign. Shirley is cochairman of the Women's Campaign. They expect this journey to be a family simcha they, their sons, and their relatives will long cherish and remember. The Pidgeons will leave Des (Continued on Page 8)
SERVING DES MOINES
3 COUNCIL
BLUFFS. LINCOLN, OMAHA
Omaha, Neb., Fri., March 19,1976
Vol. LV No. 19
JDC's Feder to Speak at Lincoln Meeting LINCOLN-Members of the Lincoln community will have an opportunity to hear Theodore Feder, associate director-general of the Joint Distribution Committee Overseas Staff, at the annual meeting of the Lincoln Jewish Welfare, Inc., Sunday, March 21, 7:30 p.m. at the RadissonCornhusker Hotel. Feder has been a member of the JDC overseas staff for 23 years joining in 1946 as deputy director for Germany. He was instrumental in establishing a variety of programs aimed at the rehabilitation of Jewish refugees who. after, release from concentration camps, waited for help in Displaced Persons Camps.
Theodore Feder
for Austria. 1952-1959. Feder helped close the last DP camps in Austria as well as Camp Foehrenwald, the last Jewish DP camp in Germany. He was awarded a medal of While he was JDC director
honor by the dty of Vienna for his work with its Jewish community. He also received a gold medal from the Austrian government for his work with Jewish refugees during the Hungarian revolt in 1956. Since 1960 Feder has directed JDC operations in Iran, then Israel, until becoming associate directorgeneral of JDC in Geneva, Switzerland. The results of- the 1975-76 campaign will be announced at the meeting which will be preceded by a 6 p.m. dinner. Reservations for the $6 per person prime rib dinner may be with Mrs. Max Neiden, 4886131, or Mrs. L. Sommerhauser, 423-6936.
Shirley Goldstein at Brussels II:
Top Short for Some, An Ego Trip for Others >•,
OMAHA - Shirley Gold- made three trips to Russia to stein expressed both pleasure offer help and support to the and disappointment in the activists there/lamented the Second World Conference" for fact that Brussels II "was an Soviety Jewry last month in ego trip for some. Brussels, Belgium. "The National Conference Mrs. Goldstein, who at- for Soviet Jewry sent out tended as co-chairman of the letters to all the major Jewish Omaha Committee for Soviet organizations" to sent a Jewry, said she thought the representative to Brussels. conference "in itself was Unfortunately, said Shirley, a a great show to the Soviet lot of people who went had government of the strong little involvement with Soviet feeling of solidarity of all Jewry and, she said, seemed Jewry for the Jews of the to be there more for the glory USSR. and prestige than out of a "I think that was the desire to dig in and contribute. strongest thing that came out It was, • she indicated, of the conference. But as an something of a showpiece for activist, I didn't feel enough some people. was accomplished to let the "It was not a working Refusnlks of the Soviet Union conference to see what could know how strongly we feel be done," she said. that their position in life be Another problem was lack eased, especially by our of time. "The workshops were government. v tremendous. The knowledge "America should put more that was available was pressure on the Soviets. There tremendous. I felt the has to be a way to let their (the workshops could have gone on Refusnlks') government know longer. I would hav|fUked to that those that went to live attend more of them," She there as Jews have to have' said some of the workshops certain things. were on such as "Jewish "They should have their Consciousness in the Soviet own newspapers, their own Union" and "Public Action schools, and their mall should and Public Relations" in not be opened, They should dealing with working on the have the right to visit other problem in America and other countries - even to call other countries. countries by telephone. And There was much discussion, they should have the right to she said, of whether help leave (Russia). should be given to all "Their own government has ' dissidents in the Soviet Union. made this (the condition of its "It's a Jewish problem only Jewish citizens) an in- because Jewish people want to ternational issue. It (the return to the Jewish handling of the situation in a homeland. But it's basically a manner agreeable to Jews) human rights problem," she could be done very, very said. quietly." Shirley said highlights for Mrs. Goldstein, who has her at Brussels included
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<JoMa (Meir) three fiffiesTlrihree days" and meeting a lot of activists face to face. . . "They had been only names or voices on the phone" before, she said—people such as Viktor Polsky; Vladimir Markman, a political prisoner; Sasha and Yvgeny Levlch, who had been in a Siberian prison camp; and Irma Cherniack, one of the many who had gained freedom since Mrs. Goldstein visited Russia last year. She also got to meet famed Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal. • She said that Glenn Rlchter, leader of the Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry, was "one of the most respected" leaders at Brussels. He's married to native Omahan Lenore Wolfson. And also present were the London 35's, ah activist group of women whom even.Mrs. Melr mentioned by name.
"They, man the Soviet Embassy in London. They are activists . . . They happen to be good-looking gals and they use their sex to advantage" to get publicity and to appeal to Soviet Embassy officials on behalf of Russian Jews, said Shirley. The Belgian government "couldn't have been nicer and I think the Jewish people owe a debt to their government. There wasn't another government in the world that would allow us to congregate as they did," she said. Mrs. Goldstein said that, considering the size of Jewish population of Omaha, this city had very good representation — three — as opposed to larger cities,like Dallas and Denver who each sent only one representative. In addition to Mrs. Goldstein, the Omahans were college student Gary Kinstlinger and columnist Wally Provost.
Older Adults Invited to 'Speak Out' At Threa Town Hall Meetings OM AHA-Three town hall meetings will be sponsored . by the Jewish Federation's Coordinating Committee on Aging on March 28.29 and 30. The meetings will enable Omaha's older adult Jewish population to speak out about their needs and the services they wish to have provided In the general as well as the Jewish community. The Sunday, March 28 meeting will be held at Beth El Synagogue at 2 p.m. followed by refreshments. The Monday, March 29, and Tuesday March 30, meetings will be held at the Jewish Community Center, coinciding with the Senior Citizens and Old Timers programs. • Older adults needing rides to the Sunday Town Hall meeting at Beth El are asked to call Sam Lauber or MoUie Delman at 334-8200.
Morris C. Fellman
Mel Bornstein
Veteran And 'Newcomer' Will Lead Initial Gifts O M A H A - A v e t e r a n Education. Professionally, campaigner in the Omaha Fellman is the retired resident Jewish community and a manager and' corporation relative newcomer have been officer of a national yjfacturing firm formerly named co-chairmen of the ] in Omaha. Ihitlal Gifts Division for the 1976 Philanthropies Campaign . Although be has worked in here. Morris C. Fellman, whose numerous • previous Philancommunity activities have thropies campaigns, this is his been numerous in both f i r s t d i v i s i o n c o synagogue and Jewish chairmanship. Federation areas, and Mel For Bornstein, working as a Bornstein, who became a Division ^OKhairman is a permanent Omaha resident humbling"' experience and only seven years ago, will being invited to work with head the division responsible Felhnan is "a compliment to for contributions of between me." $500and$999. He said his reasons for Announcement of their, becoming were, first, appointment was made by "that Leoinvolved and. Dick thought Philanthropies Co-Chairmen enough of me to even ask me; Richard H. Hiller and Leo I. second, vpjj,Want to" get iiiMeyerson, who expressed volved (fnJewish community great satisfaction In the activities) but you don't "combining of forces" of a always know how; and third, longtime community worker the that Omaha showed a n d a " c o n c e r n e d me fact what it could do by . newcomer." building the Community "This combination of Center — it shows thisv is an Morrie and Mel shows both the active, vibrant Jewish comstability of our Jewish com- munity. munity down through the "And fourth, many times years and our potential for strong continuity," said the you hear the names of men co-chairmen in a statement. like Morley Zipursky and Joe "Morrie Fellman has worked Upton, men whom you Just for many years in our Jewish know have to be very busy. So community and knows it well. you figure, if the cause is Mel Bornstein has the interest ' important enough for them to give their time, then you feel and desire to serve It." maybe you should, too." . Fellman, a past president Bornstein personally is and board member of Beth El finding it a busy time. He is in Synagogue, underscored the the process of changing his need for "new blood" in business from being a francommunity activities. , chise of Parttime, Inc.. a "If everyone would national supplier of office and volunteer to work, the job-, plant workers, to being a. any job—would be very easy," locally owned operation, he said. He feels the greatest Omaha Temporaries, Inc. need in the Omaha Jewish He said it is his wife's in-! community today is for terest in Israel - she is: volunteers for the various Omaha...native Qenevieve projects necessary to its Stein Bornstein — plus the fact continued functioning. That he will be associated with includes, of course, workers in Fellman — he cited Fellnian's the Initial Gifts Division. "experience and enthusiasm" Fellman is serving on the — that led him to accept the Coordinating Committee for co-chairmanshlp. Aging, and is a member of the "I did some soul-searching Federation's Personnel because I was afraid I wasn't Practices Committee. up to it. The thing with me wasHe is a former Federation a desire to get- Invovled board member and previously because this is a good Jewish has served on such as the community and also because Federation Scholarship it's, always the same people,' : Committee. He is a past time and again, who have to; chairman of the Bureau (now take and dp the necessary: Department) of Jewish •things'; 1 -/V;: ;.-::;-';:v:".:-;;.f