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SERVING NEBRASKA AND IOWA SINCE 1920
18 Twnmux, 5746 Friday, July 28, l»M
Vol. LXIII No. 46 OmaN, N«br.
Top executives support Holocaust Museum drive
Chrfs BrMstad (center) diseiuseB her experiences in the Soviet Union with Shirley GoMatein of Omaha's Committee for Soviet Jewry and Steve Rovner, A Soviet Jewry activist in Des Moines.
Branstads meet Misha By MoiTis Maline DES MOINES-At three o'clock in the morning, Chris Branstad touched her husband and whispered, "Twry, someone's in the room." , The Governor of Iowa turned on the light and jumped to his feet to see two men stumbling about the Moscow hotel room. "Get out!" he shouted. The intruders, seeminf^y intoxicated, mumbled in a foreign language and left. "The only word we understood was something that sounded like 'Mericens'," Mrs. Branstad recalled. Iowa's First Lady described her experience to the JewWi Pwes of Oiarii* in an intarlew here last week. She and the Governor and seven others had journeyed to the Soviet Union June 22-29 to promote grain trade.
After the uninvited visitors had left the hotel room, the Branstads re-locked the door, discovering that the locks were different than the ones in American hotel rooms. "We had to turn the bdt with the key and leave the key in the lock," Mrs. Branstad said. Another lesson learned early on the tnp was that if they were to fulfill their unpublidzed goal of meeting a Jewish refusenik, Moscow was not the place. "The grain conference to<4; up all the time and was so structured and surveillance was so heavy, there just wasn't a good opportunity," she said. "We might have been able to contact a r«fttaenik if we had been willing to sneak out of the opera one night, but it seemed too dif• feult to accomplish," she added. (Continued on Page 8)
Israel Bon(ds names leaders
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By Patricia Newman Women's Division Publicity Carol Parsow and Julee Katzman have been appointed chairman and associate chairman, respectively, for the 1986 Israel Bonds Women's Cabinet. Carol Parsow brings her experience and leadership abilities from numerous community projects and organizations to tha Cabinet. Mrs. Parsow has been a board member for the Dr. Sher Home and tha Jewish Federation of Omaha. She currently serves on the board of the Beth El Women's League. She is active within the Jewish Community Center, Hadassah and the National Council of Jewish Women — Omaha Se^ion. Julee Katanan U accoo^wnied by equal dedicatkn and talent. Julee has e»chaired various divisions for Israd Bonds in past years. She has served as an officer and vice ivesident for Hadassah, B'nai B'rith Women and Beth Israel Sisterliood. Akng with iier community invdvement, Mrs. Katz-
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' Carol Panow Jalee Katsman man is employed part-time by Travel Associates Inc. Ed Joseph, director of the Omaha Israel Bonds Office sUted, "The Omaha Jewish Community is fortunate to have two such capable and caring women to lead the Israel Bonds Women's Cabinet." He added. "We are pleased to have their leadership and look forward to a very successful campaign."
Hyman Polsky chairs Lincoln Bond drive
now serve as genJoe Kirahenbaum. Nebraska State chair ieral chairman." man for the State of larael Bonda, enMr. Polsky conBOonGad that Hyman Polsky will be chairtinned, "This man for this year's Israel Bond driye in year we are planLincoln to be held on Sept. 7. |ning one of LinMr. Kirshenbaum said, "Hy Polsky is [jMD'e tnoat sucvery well qualified for this position. He is . issful dinners, a past vice president and president of [and with the new Tifereth Israel Synagogue, a past Dinner strutnents now chairman for the Lincoln State of Israel 'available this Bonds and was the recipient, along with his should be a recwife, of the State of Israel Bonds 'David Hyman Polsky ord year fdr Israel BenGurion' Award." Bonds." In accepting this position, Mr. Polsky Invitations will be sent to the entire Linsaid, "As a past honoree and Dinner chai^ man for Israel Bonds, it is only fitting to coln community In the next few weeks.
By Morris Maline Top executives from five major corporations in the Omaha area will be co-chairmen for the upcoming Nebraska state dinner for the United States Holocaust Museum. The executives and their companies are as follows: Drew Lewis, Union Pacific; Alan Lozier, Lozier Corp.; Paul C. Schorr III, Commonwealth Electric Co.; Phil Schrager, Pacesetter Corp., and Jan Stoney, Northwestern BeU. The dinner, scheduled for Sept, 27, will cap the Nebraska fund-raising campaign fpr the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. A preliminary meeting to develop plans for the state dinner took place recently in Swanson Towers and in attendance were Governor Bob Kerrey, honorary state chaii^ man; U.S. Senator Edward and Cece Zorinsky, and Harian Noddle and Eugene Con-
ley, co<:hairmen of the Nebraska campaign. Corps committee members are Marlene Hechtman, Murray Newman, Stanley (Bud) Slosburg, Nancy Greenberg, Sam Fried, Pennie Davis, and Mr. Schra«er. Mr. Fried, a survivor of the Hcriocaust, said that this meeting was a good example of how something as "untouchable" as the Holocaust itself could be made touchable by dedicated people working toward the building of a national museimi devoted to the study and teaching of such a horror. The mood of the evening, according to volunteer coordinator Mickey Sturm, was set by Joanie Jacobson who sang and coordinated the program. At the Federation Board meeting Tuesday night, Don Greenberg asked for support of the project. He said, in part, "Something very unusual and unique is going to be happening (Cootinned on Page 8)
Thomas P. Neuman named Chattanooga JCC head Thomas P. Neuman, assistant executive director of the Jewish Community Center, has been appnnted executive director of the (}hatt«ancca) -Taim., JCC. Hie will assume his new duties about Sept. 1. Mr. Neuman joined the Omaha JCC as program director in 1981 and was named assistant executive director in 1984. For the past five months, he has been acting executive director. "I learned quite a bit from both colleagues and the lay leadership during my years in Omaha, but now I have an appattunity to move forward in responsibility and opportunity," Mr. Neuman said in an interview with the Jewish Press. "Omaha has been very good to me and shall always remain a special place cbnsider^ ing that I met my wife (EUen Goldstein Tucker) and my stepdaughters (Julie and Susan) here." Mr. Neuman said he also feels good about improvements in the Center compared wiUi the situation when he arrived. — ' "The Omaha JCC now offers top notch programming and has a quality staff," he added. Some of the areas in which Mr. Neuman believes he has made a contribution are in devdopment of the outdow grounds, expansion of the (Cultural Arts Department, innovation in an overnight camp, the stream-
Thomas P. Neuman lining of the budget process and in bringing the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra to Omaha. "I won't be in town for the IPO, but that should be a grand evening for all those attending the concert." Mr. Neuman's resignation is effective Aug. 18. Jeffrey Aiwnberg, executive du-ector of the JCC, said that a search is underway to find a replacement for the position. He said applicants ahould have a master's degree in social work, physical education, or some related specialty with at least five to seven years of experience in Center work.
Federation plans party for Omaha newcomers Newcomers to the Omaha area and members of the Jewish Federation's Newcomer Committee will gather podsi(fe at tl>e home of Nancy and Shel B^M on Aug. 10 at 4 p.m "The committee has planned a wonderful party that includes all the key ingredients — a warm welcome, good food and a relaxing atmosphve," said Connie Slutzky, chairman. "Invitations have already been maili and we hope that we haven't overlooku anyone who is new to Omaha. However, if you know of someone who might not have been contacted, please call Jeanette at the Federation office. We don't want anyone to miss out on the opportunity to get acquainted with our conununity!" Mrs. Slutsky added.
Members of the Federation's Newcomer Committee are: Sigm and Mike Baiun, Debbi and Jonathan Brown, Sandra Belgrade, Joyce and Shelly Cohen, Sandy and Paul Epatdn, Beth and Bill Ginsburg, Judy and Bob Handleman, Donna and Alan Hersch, Toni Kutcher, Bobbi Leibowitz, Diane and Larry Malashock, Berta and Ion Meyers, Lynn and Morris Polonsky, Lori and Ed Sachs, Lynne and Errol Saltzmun, )ev Seldin, Ilene and Howard Shandell,, Judy and Barry Siff, Barb and Jeff Shapiro, Connie and Bob Slutzky, and Tern and Dick Zacharia. A barbeque dinner will be served and dietary laws will be observed. Reservations for the adult pool party and dinner should be made by Aug. 6 by calling Jeanette at the Federation office, 334-8200.
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