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SERVING NEBRASKA AND IOWA SINCE 1920
Vol. LXV No. 9 Omaha, Nebr.
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26 ChMvan, 5747 Friday, NovMnbw 28,1986
Federation Campaign readies two million dollars
By Steven J. Rod, E Executive Vice President Jewish Federation of Omaha
The 1986 Federation Campaign reached the two million dollar level for the first time in regular Campaign history last week. The as yet unfinished 1986 Campaign reached a total of $2,002,560 in pledges to date. (Our ultimate goal is $2,020,000, based on known outstanding commitments for 1986.)
At the same tune, the 1987 Campaign is well underway wiUi initial gifts in the Men's Division averaging 17 per cent increases over their 1986 commitments. This is a very exciting moment in the Omaha Jewish Federation's history, as it may mean our ability to begin to realize the funding of a number of unmet needs and services. The 1986 Campaign leadership of Men's Co-chairmen Tpm Fellman and Howard Kooper and Women's Chairman Nancy
Chai/Grand Gifts tops 1986 pledge The Women's Division of the annual Jewish Federation Campaign announced pledges of $241,150 from its Chai/Grand Gifts Division, representing an increase of $10,700 over 1986. Joan Lehr, chairman. Women's Division, announced the result during the Chai/Grand Gifts Luncheon Nov. 20 at the Cloud Room of the Peter Kiewit Plaza A total of 70 Division members attended. Mrs. Lehr also reported that the Division had increased from 81 members in
1986 to 94 women at present. She said Chat the Chai/Grand Gifts Division had raised $230,450 in 1986 and that the total 1986 pledge of the Women's Division was $419,000. Bert Lewis, vice-chairman of the Women's Division introduced guest speaker Fran Lebowitz and Beverly Seldin served as luncheon chairman and hostess. Ellen Gordman, Chai/Grand Gifts chairman, welcomed the guests. A photo page of the luncheon appears on page 12.
Greenberg and Co<hairman Joan Lehr have enabled us to attain this landmark achievement. When I called Howard Kooper to inform him of this news, he responded that it was "only through the e^orts of the dozens of Campaign volunteers that we reached this landmark goal." With the exception of 1974, when the Yom Kippur War brought out emergency donations in excess of three million dollars, our Ctunpaign has strived almost 10 years toward this significant goal of two million dollars. The enthusiastic leadership of our 1986 chairmen and their many, many volunteer workers have made this success possible. As a result of not reaching this goal for the past three years, we have been unable to meet the basic program and service needs of our local Federation agencies. In fact, the Federation has been forced to use a regressive budgeting policy: For 1987, the Budget and Allocations Committee, anticipating the two million dollars, allocated the same amount of dollars to our Federation agencies as they did in 1986. This allocation comes after two years
of aUocations to the agencies of only 95 p«cent of the dollars they received the previous year. This has meant a holding-the-line and some 9UtbackB of our programs for three years. The Committee has reconunended to the Federation Board a 1987 budget which is still a hold-the-line budget, as there are still many programs and services within our agencies which 'eie underfunded and/or 'onhold' at the current time. We are fortunate that some of these programs and services are being considered as possible projects by the Federation's Foundation, but this will take a number of years of devel(^ment at this point. (A gift in perpetuity to the Foundation answers the future funding of the endowed program or service in the donor's name.) Our only immediate solution is a successful 1987 Federation Campaign. The community wiU have an opportunity to thank Tom Fellman, Howard Kooper, Nancy Greenberg and Joan Lehr for their dynamic and creative leadership of our 1986 Campaign at the Federation's Annual Meeting on Sunday, Jan. 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Book sale offers gift opportunities
photograph of a ehedv operated by the Orthodox community of Bndapest, Hungary, was takaa by Yak 8tr«m during a recant viait to 28 Eastern European conunnnitiea. Twelve of fifr. Strom's photos will be «i exhibit in the JCC gallery Dec. 2 through Jan. L
Yale Strom to perform, exhibit at JCC On Dec. 7, Yale Strom, a young musidan and etbnognQther who epeat six months living among and photographing the Jews who remain in 28 communities in Eastern Europe, wiQ share his journey with the Omaha Jewish community in music, slides and stories designed for young and old. The program, "From the Shtetls of Eastem Europe to the Subways of New York," includes a hot dog dinner in the JCC auditorium at 6 p.m. with Mr. Strom's perfor' mance following in the theater at 6:45 p.m. Reservations are required for the dinner and must be made to Lois Wine at the JCC by Dec. 1. The cost of the dinner is $2 per person. The program, in celebration of Jewish Book Month, is sponsored by the JCC art committee, the Jewish Cultural Arts Coun»cil, the Federation Library and Hadassah.
Mr. Strom and friend, Brian Blue, took some 6,000 photographs recording Jewish survival in Eastern Europe 40 years after the Holocaust. The photographs are the foundation of a documentary book A Tree Still Stands: The Last Jews of Eastern Europe and an exhibit opening this month at the SpertuB Museum of Judaica in Chicago. Twelve of the photographs from that exhibit will be on display in the JCC gallery from Dec. 2-Jan. 1. Signed, limited edition prints of the photogri^hs may be purchased through the JCC gallery. The book and a calendar of Mr. Strom's documentary photographs will be included in the Library's book sale. For more information contact Evy Katz, Visual Arts Director 334-8200, ext. 232.
Jewish Book Month has become a widely obaerved date on the calendar of Norih American Jewry, with Jewish community centers, sjrnagogues, schools, and Ubraries staging Jewish Book Fairs and other programs to focus attention on the latest books of Jewish intwest. In Omaha, the Jewish Federation Library will hold its 13th annual Jewish Book Fair at the Jewish Community Center, Dec. 3-28. Books, puzzles, games and cassettes depicting aspects of Jewish culture and life will be available for all age groups. Included in the sale this year are some children's books that have just been published. There are thick-sided books for the very young reader which introduce the holidays: Let's Shop for Yom Tov, It's Chanukah; It's Rosh Haahanah, etc. The book sale also includes books on Jewish customs and festivals. Cookbooks, pq>ular gifts for Hanukkah, and holiday codde cutters are available as well. The book sale will run bom Dec. 3-28, 10.a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays-Fridays and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays.
500 reservations The American Heritage Award Dinner, in tribute to Union Paidfic's John C. Kenefick, has received nearly 600 reservations, according to Jeffrey Y. Santis, director. Plains States Region, AntiDefamation League of B'nai B'rith. The dinner is scheduled for Dec. 2 at Peony Park. Reservations can still be made with the ADL office 333-1303.
JEWISH BOOK MONTH November 27-Oeceniber 27. 1986 . 25 Cheehvan-2S Kislev 5747
Jewish Book Fair Calendar of Events Wednesday, Doc. 3—Women's Conununity Luncheon, noon—Speaker: Myra Chanin—"From Balabusta to Entrqirenair to Television Personality." Sunday, Dec. 7—Bible Qiiiz Contest, 3 p.m.; Children's Activities, 3:30-5:30 Story Hour, Hanukkah crafts, video presentation; Family Dinner, 6 p.m. Yale Strom, 6:45 p.no. "Klezmer Music: from the shtetls of Eastem Europe to the subways of New York," a multi-media presentation. Sunday, Dep. 14—Community Lecture/Reception, 7:30 p.m. Speaker: Martin Gilbert—"Soviet Jewry; Crisis Now."
Bush avows US-Israeli interdependence Addressing the closing plenary session of By Murray Znckoff cago (JTA) — Vice President George the 65th General Assembly of the Council Bush declared here Nov. 15 that the US and of Jewish Federations, Bush told 3,000 JewIsrael "are imited in a long alliance dedi- ish communal leaders from North America cated to insuring not a begimiing but a con-, and abroad that this reaffinnation of the tinuation, not the creation of the State but mutual bQ^d needs to be repeated "as long its survival." The "sheer bottom line con- as Israel is surrounded by those who could sideration," he said, is that the US needs do her in." Israel's friends "have a moral responsiIsrael and Israel needs the US. "This mutual dependence is good, not bad," Bush bility to declare to the world unambiguously and unequivocally: Israel is our friend and stated. 'Jsm-'^if^SEL
ally," Bush said. The Vice President was frequently interrupted by applause as he talked about USIsrael relationB, the need "to be tough in the continued war on terrorism" and the ongoing effort of the US to press the Soviet Union about the rights of Soviet Jews. He emphasized that American support for Israel is unswerving. As an example, he noted the unremitting hostility against Israel in the UN by those
he termed "racists and bullies."' 'You would think that being the target of such obvious hostility, Israd would have been ejected from the UN by now," Bush said. "But of course, she hasn't, and the reason reminds us of how important it is for friends to make their friendship—and their intentionsclear." "Israel is still in the US," he said in a slip of the tonigue, which was greeted by laugh(Continaed on Page 3)