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Community Supports Campaign Dinner A Review by Marilyn KonJgsberg The dinner that few thought could be, became the event that few will ever forget, when the man who "will not be undersold" addressed a capacity crowd of 722 people last Sunday night, at the Jewish Community Center. Cookie and Jerry Hoberman, dinner chairmen for the first Men's Federation Campaign Invitational Dinner, promised at lot and delivered on all fronts. Sunday was a warm day, but the Warmth
generated inside the "J" was a feeling, not a climate. Don Rice and his group provided a musical background as a group of host couples greeted arrivals at the front door. Drinks were served by zealous volunteers In the social hall and the art show, by In the Beginning, Limited was on display in the gallery and in the cocktail area. One couldn't miss the call to dinner heralded by an energetic group of children marching through with large placards announcing "dinner
^COUNCIL BLUFFS. LINCOLN, OMAHA Vol. LIXNo.32
Omaha, Neb., Fit, April25,1980
Dr. Gerson D. Cohen, Chancellor of The Jewish Theological Seminary, conducts an open forum at Congregation Tifereth Israel In Lincoln.
Dr. Cohen Discusses Conservative Agenda The Chancellor of The Jewish Theological Seminary said there is np perceptible difference between the lifestyles of Jews and non-Jews In America today. "The Conservative movement needs an agenda that will allow Moses to speak to the Atomic Age," said Dr. Gerson D. Cohen. • Dr. Cohen spoke at Tifereth Israel Synagogue, In Lincoln on April 15. Nearly 100 persons, Including 25 from Omaha's Beth El Synagogue attended. The Seminary's Chancellor visited Lincoln on a national tour which, he said, resulted from the recent action by the
faculty senate tabling the vote on the ordination of women. He said that research on the subject of ordination disclosed that 70 percent of Conservative Jews were "apathetic" on the subject and that the 30 percent Who cared were sharply divided. Dr. Cohen pointed out that although ordination Is not possible at this time, the Seminary has Initiated a new program for women, "This program involves full rabbinic training, but does not Include ordination as rabbis," Dr. Cohen added. Dr. Cohen said the Conservative movement has
achieved niaturation, scholarship, and academic recognition over the past 100 years. "We are reproducing our own rabbis and lay leadership with Jewish experiences that are American . . . there is scintillating scholarship going on from the Bible to present t i m e s . . . and Judaism has become part of the academic agenda at major universities throughout the country." He said that as pioneers in developing a Conservative lifestyle, the Movement must now address Itself with responses to the challenge of modern life.
is served." What followed was a bit of magic. The gym, which had to present a major challenge to the entire committee, had the ultimate facelift. Skip White, along with Marsha Cohen and her decorations committee, did for the gymnasium what set designers do for a stage. Excellent track lighting was installed to highlight the table settings which shimmered with mylar runners and lighted candles and were decorated with centerpieces which turned out to be dessert cakes. The meal, planned by Mary Bernstein and her committee and cooked by Irwin Selgler and his staff was another major obstacle which turned out to be a minor miracle. It was more than hot and ample; it was beautiful and delicious. Cookie and Jerry delivered on their major promise — no hard sell, just some basic facts and a video presentation which was as moving as it was professional. Cookie dedicated the film to her father, Sam Epstein, whom she acknowledged as a guiding force in her life, but unfortunately he was too 111 to be at the dinner. Scenes of the Holocaust and Jews In Russia were followed by interviews Cookie did with Omaha residents and we learned in well-paced scenes about the services the Federation provides with our donations. The material was well-selected, edited and scored. The
Rabbi David Wolf Sllverman, associate professor of philosophies of Judaism at The Jewish Theological Seminary of America, will address a Beth El Synagogue dinner, 6:30 p.m., Sunday, May 4, at which the Seminary will honor Beth El's past presidents. The major dinner event will conclude a Torah week-end at Beth El at which Rabbi Sllverman will serve as a scholar-ln-resldence. In addition to his faculty position with the Seminary, Rabbi Silverman is chairman of the board and executive committee of the Religious Education Association. After receiving his BA in philosophy from the University of Chicago, he attended the Seminary, receiving a master of Hebrew Letters degree and rabbinic ordination in 1952. He also has a master's from the University of Chicago and a doctorate from Columbia University. He has been on the faculties of Swarthmore College New York University and Fordham University. Rabbi SUverman has published In the Jewish and scholarly press. He |s a department editor of Conservative Judaism, managing editor of JUDAISM, A QUARTERLY, the -UNITED SYNAGOGUE REVIEW, and a contributing editor to JUDAISM. Articles by him have •appeared In JUDAISM, CONSERVATIVE JUDAISM and
Dave Hoberman congratulates son, Jerry, on a Job well done. sound was excellent and the on the dinner. use of the theatre-size screen When the results of the tabprovided every seat in the ulation were announced, they house with a good view. were impressive. The final figPledge cards were distrib- ure was $486,000, a 13 per cent uted and filled out and Men's increase over last year's efCampaign Chairman Jimmy fort. Farber proclaimed this "a critical year for gifts." While As .the Sabra was being the pledges were being total- served upstairs in the art galled Jewish Community Center lery, the skeptics turned into president Jay Lerher and Is- believers. In a year when a raeli Independence Day hockey team captures the Chairman, Randl Katelman, imagination of an entire counreminded the audience of the try, the love, spirit and dedicaTuesday night celebration and tion of our Jewish community Cookie and Jerry graciously can pull off an evening that thanked everyone who worked shouldn't have been but was.
include "A Reader In Medieval Jewish Thought," translations from German and Hebrew articles by A. J. Heschel on Medieval Jewish philosophy. He has also translated works by Rotenstreich, Livneh and Blinzler. A contributor to the volume, "Ethics and Business," edited by Lasswell and Cleveland, Rabbi SUverman also wrote the article, "Judaism," which appears in the New Catholic EncyclopeRabbi SUverman dia for School and Home, and other periodicals. that on "Judaism and The He has written "The Reli- Jews" in the annual edition of . gious Press In America" and the World Book Year Book. translated a modern classic, "Philosophies of Judaism," He resides with his wife, the which has been reissued in pa- former Sylvia ZIon, and their children, in Riverdale, New perback. Forth-coming ' publications York.
Mrs. B on TV A documentary on Mrs. Rose Blumkin wiii be shown Saturday 7-7:30 p.m. on KETV Channel 7. The program is titled, "The Dream that Mrs. B Built: The Nebraska Furniture Mart." A spokesman for the ABC affiliate told the Jewish Press that the documentary is public affairs programming recognizing Mrs. Blumkin as the "epitomy of the American dream." She literally started with nothing and fought for the consumer and her family — becoming a monumental success, the spokesman said. Nebraska Furniture Mart is perhaps one of 12 such enterprises In the United States and It is the intent of the program to give Mrs. Blumkin recognition as the national businesswoman she really is, the spokesman added.