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Organization Presidents Meet To Discuss Community Issues
JCC Closed For Shavout
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The presidents or representatives of fourteen major Jewish organizations in Omaha met recently to form a Presidents Council of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. The meeting was called, acSaturday, June 10 at 7 cording to Mary Fellman, P.m. ;,?>' president of the Jewish Federation, "to open the lines of Sunday, June 11, All Day communication between the organizational leadership of Monday, June 12, All Day ; the community .and Feder' atlon leadership". Discussion at the initial meeting of the council centered about ways of mutual relationship, assistance in reaching .out to new membership for the organizations, ways in which the Federation facilities and staff can be made available to the organizations. Plans were,discussed for a "Showcase of Organizations" to be held In September under the direction of the Federation. All Omaha Jewish organizations • for adults and youth will be invited to set up displays explaining their particular activities, enabling non-affiliated and newcomers to learn more about the work -and purposes of each organization. The presidents and representatives agreed to extend their cooperation to newRabbi Eisenstein comers also by publishing and distributing a welcome broUnited Hebrew School System chure through the Newcomin Dallas. He was a graduate er's Committee, of Mlzrachi Teachers Training College In Jerusalem. ~r Mrs.' fellman.informed-the" organization leadership about the avaljablllty of the Federation's Workroom for mailings and about the forthcoming plans to purchase a new mailing machine for specialized brew lesson. He noted that the mailings,. Information about Hebrew ' word for access, the community calendarK'neesa, was the root word^or under the direction of Mrs. the Hebrew words meaning Paul Alperson was discussed church, synagogue and Knesset, the Israeli Parliament. In observance of the holiday of Shavout the Jewish Community Center facilities and all Federation administrative offices will be closed on:
with the pre-schedllng of dates The agencies of the Federstressed In order to avoid con- ation were Identified, and exflicts. iplalned as was the status of ithe new Central Planning and All presidents and their •Budgeting Committee of the membership were invited to Federation. Those attending attend Federation Board were also brought up to date meetings which are open to on the newly formed Camp members of the Federation. Committee and the progress
ontheVaadHakashrut, ' The second meeting of' the President's Council will be held in July In keeping with the plan to meet several times during the year to keep open the lines of communication In the Omaha Jewish community.
Rabbi Eisenstein 80, Dies at Home Rabbi Abraham Eisenstein, spiritual leader oi B'nai Jacob Adas Yeshuron Synagogue, and a resident of Omaha almost 23 years, died at his home last Tuesday. He was 80. Services took place Wednesday in Omaha with burial in Pleasant Hill Cemetery. In addition to his widow Fannie, he is survived by: a son, Dr. Reuben Eisenstein, of Chicago; two daughters, Miriam Heifer of Hamden, Conn., and Sarah Eisenstein, of Chicago, and seven grandchildren. Rabbi Eisenstein joined the teaching staff of Beth Israel Synagogue in 1955. A native of Dallas, he had served previously as a principal In the
Omaha. Neb., Frl., June 9,1978
Rabbi Bromberg Speaks To 3200 Omaha Graduates By Stu Chapman Rabbi Kenneth Bromberg of Beth El Synagogue told the 1078 graduating class of the Omaha Public Schools that all members of American society can obtain the benefits and privileges which America has to offer.
JpC Members' Council The first meeting of the Members' Council of the JCC took place recently. The Council wasestabIlshed to give members of the Center an opportunity to critique operations and programs. (JP photo by Mallne) ^ i,
Jewish Population Shows Decline
He mentioned that, "What this suggests to us Is that religion and government are, at their best, open and receptive and welcome, but they do not remain that way of -themselves. We must keep the access ways free and open in an unselfish way."
He cited a debate in the ORT Reporter between Mary Gendler, described as a writer on the role of humans In Judaism and The Rabbi emphasized that' Declaring that there are currently more Jewish cjeaths than Rabbi William Berman, a Conservative rabbi who is founder of access was not easily obtained births in the United States, a Conservative rabbi has asserted the Jewish Population Regeneration Union. " ;:;r ,v and that one must "scratch there Is "strong evidence" that the American Jewish) population ' .•• Rabbi Ofseyer quoted Ms. Gendler as arguing that'the real and dig for It". He urged the has started to decline "significantly," not only on a percentage issue was not quantity but quality and.that Jews must turn their class of '78 to keep the doors of basis, "but absolutely as well, perhaps by as much as 100,000 per . focus "towards improving the quality of Jewish life." Rabbi Ofaccess open by continuing year.", . '• • seyer suggested that Ms. Gendler appeared to accept as unalte> their formal education by ei,;." •Those fresh data In the steadily-expanding debate on the de- rable, "the ever-diminishing number of Jews." ther attending college or by Approximately 7500 at- mographic prospects of American Jewry were incorporated in a .' Rabbi Berman, in strong disagreement, rejected application devoting time to study Itself. tended the Baccalaureate cer- plea by Rabbi Jordan Ofseyer of Springfield, Mass., for more of the zero population growth concept to Jews, saying there are Rabbi Bromberg concluded emony held last Sunday at Jewish children per family because American Jews "face a now so few Jews — "a tiny fraction of one percent of the world's his speech with a short He- Civic Auditorium. problem of self-elimination." ' population" — that the self-elimination of Jews "would do virtuDuring the past 20 years, he declared, in the Fajl, 1977 issue ally nothing to alleviate the world's over-population problem." of the United Synagogue Review, the number of children In He commented that in Israel; if present trends continued for a American Jewish families dropped rapidly "from a high point In few generations, Israeli Arabs "will populate Israel out of exis1957 to, the current low level of fewer births than deaths.'' He tence" because the Arab population "doubles every }5years." also asserted that the total number of children In Jewish schools Rabbi Ofseyer, commenting on the debate, said thayiUte "has fallen by 40 percent In the last 12 years." < ,•':•'- • central fact" Is that the issue of Jews having more children than He cited an estimate, by Dr. Sidney Goldstein of fhe Popula- other groups was meaningless because, as a group, American Sandy Friedman, chairman and their anti-Nazi statements tion Study Center at Brown University that the next generation Jews now "are having less children than practically any other of the ^ntl-Defamatlon are in response to visible Jew- of American Jews may be only two-thirds of the present popula- group" in the United States. He noted that the total world population has doubled since the start of World War II while the ' League of B'rial B'rlth/Com- ish concern." said Mr. Fried- tion of 5.5 million to six million. munlty Relations Committee ' man. Rabbi Ofseyer cited apparently current data on tiie Houston world's Jewish population, afflicted by the Holocaust, a falling of (he Jewish Federation of Various community groups Jewish community and on his own congregation,'E e(h El. He re- birthrate and assimilation, "has decreased by more than 20 perOmaha, announced that a will be represented Including ported that the Houston Jewish community has a f irtility rate of cent." rally will be held at 2-3 p.m. on The Most Rev. Daniel E. Shee- 9.4 babies per thousand population, a rate not or ly lower than He declared that to maintain its numbers any group must avSunday, June 25, at Memorial han, Archbishop, Catholic the national average but lower than that of V est Germany, erage about 2.5 children per family — a figure somewhat higher Park. ..:,..••." . Archdiocese of Omaha; Rev. which, with ten babies per thousand, "has the lowest proportion, than the usual estimate of 2.1 children as the replacement level , - ::^ f : ' ; — and that the Jewish birthrate Is estimated at about 1.5, which The rally was precipitated, Jerry D. Elrod, Executive Di- of bijths in the world." He reported that in his congregation, membership has in- Is lower than the general estimate of 1.7 children per Jewish, by the planned Nazi march in rector, United Methodist MetSkokle, Illinois on the same ropolitan Ministries; ReV. V. creased during the last seven years at on annual average of family in this country at present. Among the results already evident, he declared, "is the trend date. "It Is of paramount im- R. Schoonover, Pastor, Augus- about 20 families per year, the difference between new memtoward an older population with less resources to provide for portance that the Jewish tana Lutheran Church in bers and those who leave the community or die. ' ' community be well rep- America; and Mrs. Ruth But during the same time, he added, though the congregation Jewish community services," He predicted that in 15 years, resented at this event. The Jackson, Director, Omaha has grown by 15 percent, "the number of children has decreased there will be a Jewish population with 15 percent of its members' Human Relations. over 65. community leaders involved by almost 40 percent, the national average." '' ByBenGallob
Anti-Nazi Rally Here on June 25
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