903010-00
60
NE9R HISTORICAL SOC 1500 R ST LINCOLN NE
*
63506
8ERV1NQ NEBRASKA AND IOWA SMCE1920 Vol. LXVH No. n Omatm, HMx.
Grants Committee seeks new ideas By XmUHoMn Fadcratioii EbdowiMBt Dinctor Jewish organizations and inalltutiona tpaoBating programs designed fcr youth, prasduxd through college agee, and for Jewidi ^ults, may apply for funds from the Esttur K. Newman and Carolyn Kul!y Newman Grants Committee. . Tbtf rommittee allocates funds from the Bsthec K Newman Memorial Fund tor programs designed to strengthen Jewish identity and vahiee through educational, religiaua, cultural, aodal and raereatkoa) activitiBS. En^haais is placed on new SIMI innovative progranuning.
Murray Newman, committee chairman, said the deadline for submitting requests is Friday, March 16,1990. Sponaoring groups sre encouraged to participate financially or hi-Und. In addltJOB, it ia hoped orgaoiutions will woric together to provide programs that meet the needs of a cross aecUon of Jewish youth. Application forma have been mailed to organisations working witii Jewish youth. Additinaal forms and asaistanoe in oonqilet* ing the forms can be oi>tahied by contjwting Jer old Roeco at the Foundation office, 334-8200.
National society to hold annual meeting in Omaha The American Jewish Elatorical Society will hold its national convsQtaoa and annual mee^ & OtumkiTtida "m&g, iaP nonnotd Qtoa KWn, dialrman of the event. The convention, to take place May 17-20, is the fitet national Jewish convention to meet in Omaha, Mrs. Klein said. "This is very exciting news for all of us in Omaha," aakl Mrs. Kkia "Our oomnumify can an)y benefit from boating an event of this caliber. We are looking forward to outstanding speakers who will share their knowiodfe, commitment and skills with us." Since it waa founded in int. the AJH8 haa been dedicated to collecting, pnesrving, pubBafaing and eshihjting matei^ale relating to Jews in America. "I have long l{een a supforter of evr Nebraska Jewish Hietorkal Sodety. In the seven years states Ita founding it has grown to become one of UM largest
IkMKWn chaptere in the United States. It plays a vital part in our local community, helping us retrieve and preserve our Midweetem Jewlah heritage, added Mrs. KMn. "I was thrilled to be asked to duJr the national oonventioo to be hsld hi Omaha." The Omaha Marriott Hotel will be headquarters for ths conventioo with evsota echeduled at the Jewiah Coowiunity Canter, Beth El SyntogoB. Beth Israel Ssmafogue and Temple laraeL Deiegatse from throughout the United SUtee wIU attend, Mrs. Klefai added.
Kleins named chairmen Ray Oeidetadn, Beth El Synagogue preai^dent, has announced ths appointment of Ilene and Don Klein aa chafamsn (rf the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Beth El buikiIng. Other committee membenfare Willis Epstein, Marilyn Pred, Rabbi Paul Drassn and Merle Potash, syns-
gogue executive director. Flans for the first of many events connscted with the new buihUng will involve the entire Jewish community, the chahnsn said. The groundbreaking csreow^y ii planned for Sunday, April 1, 2:30 itjn., at 144th and C«Uami* strsets.
STBirFnaiy. FMiwiry 23, iwo
Operation Exodus, Gordman Center opportunities for Jews, board told The Jewish communi^ of Omaha has two immediate opportunities to stroigthen Jewish identity here and in Israel Through a commitment to the Council of Jewish Federations plan for the reeettlement of Soviet Jews snd the Esther and Dan Gordman Center for Jewiah T>iaming, Omaha can intact OB the ftiture of Jews here and in Israal. members of the Jewish Federstion of Omaha board were told at its Tuesday evening meeting. Omaha's portioo of (^ eratkm Exodus, the CJP program fior the reeettlement of Soviet Jews in Israel and the UidtedStatea. is |1.6Mt to be paid over a three-year period. The board was tcid that this la a eommitmsot of the Omaha Jewish conmiunity, "not a goal to which we must s^ve to reach." In additloB, theconununi^ %^ bean asked for a
~ Or. CUnton Bailey, profieasor of Middle Eastern Ustotyi advisor to the Israeii govenMBoent on Bi$tters ^ security and an axpert on the logietics of Rnsaian iweeltleiiieiil. explained iJie preeeot crisis for Jewe in tike Soviet Unkn "iVUIe Jews dki not thrive undw Commnniwm, it kept aattSeittitiam in checL >^^ the weakning of the Conmuniet rule in the Soviet Unkm, all the inhsrant end bask: fsslings of anti-Semitism which our grandparanta knew so wdl are again nmiing to the fore. Jews are bring blamed for everjrthing, even the devastation of the Armenian earthquake..."
pstein a Msedi'X niiskn to the Soviet Unkm and Israel to rdnfmoe the community's support of the rseettlement effort. Operation Exodus will raise tMOM over a three-
araifiplying for eodt vbea every day, Dr. BaOsy told the board. In the peat two montha, ainee the gates have opened, 10,000 have come to larael, he eaid, ad'Coete of reeettle-
year period from Jewish communities around the world. Of this amount, $420MwiUbedeaignated for leraeli reeettlement; •laOMwfflbeearmariced for the United Statee.
OverZiOotrsnttTileM
ment are hi{^ but the impact of then new Isradi dtisena will eventually be beneficial. It ia a very talented community wiUi Baatem European vafane." Stqiport for Operation Exodus was expreeeed by variooa members of the Federetkm board. Among tinB ctxnments were, "This is a great thing for larael...""Lookttitasan opportunity..." The cloelng coipment waa, "Firet thhigs first; save Jewiah livee." Also on the sgenda at the board mooring was a presentation by Marty Slmkart, architect refireeenting the architectural firm of Wilacam Birge, designers of the Gordmsn Center fw Jewish Learning. Mr. Shukirt expbdned the architectwal concept end plans for the propoeed Center. The building is designed to take advantags-<»t the Jewirii Com1nii£S^CSi(tt.'can^9l&^ poyrstihy and Mend with the existing structure, according to Mr. Shukert "Hie 29,0004quarB-foot facility wiD have an Israeli flavor and the amhiance of a buUding in Jeruaalem us-
ing both brick and a spediJ type of concrete block which will simulate Jerusalem stone. Mr. Shukert pointed out that the materials were chosen both for aeethetic i4>peel and adherence to the obviooi need to keq> costs as low aajpowible. liie maitt coRkkr whfch links the Temple lerari. United Talmud Torah and Friedel Academy classrooms, the Ubriiry and other fadUtiee wiU be daaignad to recreate the fsel ctf the Caido, a majnehopi^ street hi Israel, Mr. Shukert eakL The buildlng^ and ita design is an attempt to make a difiierence m Jewidi education b)r making the tedlity "fun" and a place our children will want to be in, Mr. Shukert conduded. Also included in the plans, if funding becomes available, is a possible reeonstnwtke of the old -B^MJ^Jaeob-Synafogue, uidng artifacts fr«n the original buiUing. Mary Fellman pointed out that the buihling cannot be etarted without total funding, including operational costs, in place.
Israel concerned Arabs may unite over Soviet immigration to Israel By GU Sedan aMlHa^C^el JERUSALEM (JTA)Isrseii offidala are concemed that the normally discordant Arab worid wfil unite over the iasna of large-scale Soviet immi^atioo to Israel and form a new military alliance against the Jewiah state. At the center of their ooooem is Jordan, whkJi has taken the iMd againat the maaeive immiipration wave.
Reports from Amman over the weekend disclosed that Jordan has rsached an agreement with Iraq to form a joint air force fighter squsdron. While laraali offidals aresakl to be not unduly diaturbed by the reports, they are nevertheless hsunted by the "posaibility that an eeatera alliance will be formed and that it wiD introduce a large militaiy force ktto thia area," a military eouroeeaid.
Both Defense Minieter Yitzhak Rabin and Gen. Dan Shomron, the Isrsel Detaiae Force, chief of Btaff, have dismieeed the mihteiy threet of en IraqiJotdaidan air aqoadron, but not the loagitrm impBcatfane of cooperation Iwtwasn Arab statee. Jordan is desperately eeeUng the eunwrt (4 fMkm. Arab statee out of feer thet Israel wm settle large numbers of Soviet Jews in the Weet Bank. King Hus-
sein is quite aware that this has not yet happened, regafdiese ol the meaeive influx of Jews from the Sc^ Viet Unkm hi the peat year. But he feels threatened by the poeeibility that large numbers of immigranU will aettle \a the territory, attracted by the cheap housing Isrsel makee available bi the Weet Bank, compared to the high cost in Israel proper.
U.S. sees little hope Soviets will okay direct flights By Devld Frledauu and Howerd Rusanharg WASHINGTON WTA) - The Soviet Union is refusing to hiatitute direct flights between Moecow andIerael.atltwtforthe immediate fuiurs, Buah administration offidals and Jewish leaders have confirmed. But they sakl the United SUtss is still hoping to persuade Moecow to implement an agreement on direct flighte signed last fall by £1 Al laraal AirUnee and
its Soviet counterpart, Aeroflot. Secretary of States James Baker raiaad the issue with Soviet offidala during his recent visit to Moeoow, but the "Sovk* response to Secretary Baker waa not enoourag' ing," SUU Department spoksewQBUHi Maigaret TutwOer itM. She wouU not reveal what the Soviets actually laid. At the White House, spokswaan Merlin Fitswater eakl that the United
Sutes is "disappointed" that thqr have not approved direct flights, "but we are hopeful that they mey still hsve them." He saul dirsct flights "would be helpful hi increaafaig the number of Soviet emigranta to larael. Mertin Wenick, encutivs director of the National Conference on Soviet Jewry, who just returned from the Soviet Unka,eaklhawaatoklby Soviet Foreign Ministry
offidals that the proepecta for direct flights are not encouraging. The Soviet unwillingness to faistituU the El AlAeroflot sgrsement Is believed to be in part the r%: suit of preesuie tmn 1 nations. The Arsbe hav been lobbying the Sov to curtail Jewish 1 tlon, becauae they fear Israel will settle the new iromlgrants in the Weet Bank and Gaxa Strip, thereby fordng out the Palesthiisns.