905010-00 60 ^^, NEBR HISTORICAL SOC
-^500-R St^ ' LINCOLN NE
—-;
68508
savMQi Vol. LXVII No. 36 OiMlM, Itobr.
•tUmuino Prtdiy, JMay 21, ItM
Annual meeting recognizes leadership By Lywia Frank For the first time, Chtlfer Leadarship graduatea will be recognlxed at the Annual Meeting of tlie Jewish Pectavttkp nOthitha on June it. The 7:30 p.m. event will be hdd in the Jewiah Community Canter ilmalw 3%e "Challenge for Leaderali^" program was eetabliahed to train knowledgeable and skilled leaders for the Omaha Jewish community. During the past year, ipartkipants in the 1939^ program became acqohiiited with the purpoaes and functions of the •gndM of the Federatian. indnding woridng on Super Sui^y and serving "intendi^" on the variq|is ageodes and committees of the FederatioiL They w^ginwi iuaUuotion OB group dynamics, fandraising, budgeting and tiw proceas of allocatiag fmx^ » waO at laam-
ing about Jewish values and traditions, religion and public policy, world Jewry and how to deal with anti-Semitism. On June 10, program chairmen Steve and Bunny Rothenberg will present certificates of achievement to Mark and Cory Cheaen; A. Justin Cooper, Dennis and Pam DePorte; Stan and EOene Edelstein; Madene Fuller; •|-;veVr:;>4a*<'.*''--:'!v'.i^M,' 1 Bruce and Cindy Gold- ^B&<. '' o. * ^^^^^^A .* 4 ^^i^a%£S^\^^XM^ -^Bk ' berg; Ltwreoos and M'Lee Hasslinger; John and Sandy Ldir; Todd and Wendy Manvitz; Joe Meyers; Allen and Cindy Morris; Mark and VicU Sanfbrd; l/liA and Kris Scholman; Robin Spindler; Mark and Lori ^eet; and R. Thomas^id Ledie Venn. 'The next Challenge fw Leedershlp groiq> is schedYelsM Plaetoky aiid Viktoriya DoUa are aMi« the Bwseat arilvata to the Oauha Jewiah eonmoB^ uled to b^n trahiingin the fall of 1991. Thoae inipotod fat aa iafetnatiowd meeti^ with peraoMel SMI voioatem fatHB the Jewiah FethratioB of Omaha. See tc^fated in participating page 17. slieakl«oDtaetB|liaPa» ' -v tt»* j • ' ' Bar,8S44800.
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Beth Israermvites Omaha community to help honor Rabbi and Mrs. Nadoff By Lonada Frank prognosis is good. They A backochs in the ming feel this is due, in part, to oflMtohaagodthelifeof good doctors and to the a man and a cotigregatian. emotional aupport tiiey reOn Juno 4,1990, that ooo- ceived. "I had a lot of gregatiop ia honoring the moral support from the num who gave than 26 mugiogathiB and my famjWWB of dented sarvice. Qy, wiikh givsa you the enWhsoRabbi Isaac Na- couragoment to overdoff waot to the doctor come,'^aakl the rabbi, who last ininc oompUaiag of was hoq>italiaad foe twoa baaracha he wao ana- and-e-hilf mooths. ware of what tiw tinal diMrs. Nadoff aakl they agnoaiB wookl min. That alao received messages of dtagBosis was multiple prayars throui^ut the B—a fona Of bone warid from personal and profeasional contacts he said ho they've made. "The regtod and his body wards of service came has responded woU to badt in an unaxpectad and liMilliiiUJ "trrY "" ui¥Si wbdming way fma itr^sMrvotheooagraga- Hvsowa had touched." ahe tiMi adequately any k»g- said. RocalUag their entry ar,*' was the roaaoo he stepped down oa Nov. 1, iato Omaha, the rabbi after serving u rabbi of aakl, "Wo came to a warm BMh Israel Sj^nagogoe for aad frioidly and embracing coBgregatioa which 26 years. "It was not a difficult haa been demonatrated in decision," he said, "be- many waya over the cauae I am doee to the years." When the Nadoffs congregation and want moved here in 1966, one (Mr needs fnlffllad It was reason was l>ecause there the only right thing to do was a Jewish day school for their tliree diilidren and (or tham and for me." X>iiring the firet six another was the challenge numths of his illness he of revitalizing a congregawas very aick, totally in- tion. canadtatad. He is still unToday, their oldest able to •!#( himself phys- daughter, Julia, is a teachically or aAMooaUy. He er in Israel; their son, can no kofH' walk to the David, is an attorney in qmagogas OB Shabbat or Chicago; and daughter, Sharon, lives in Cleveland (hive a car. /However, he and his where she freelances in and Irtte. Jeanotta. said his ^mmunlcations
teachee Jewish studies. llw Nadoffs slso have 16 grandchildren and one on the way. The rabbi said, aside firom the pulpit and taaefahig the nhdameatals of Judaiam, his qncial te>phaaia waa personal dealings aad relationships with Aa eongragatiaB in time* of l4y and taithnee of sorrow. "In tho rabbinate or in public work there are always ups and downs, difficultiee and atumUing blocks. We war^ en't ezed^ But ovarall there has been gnat satisfaction and fulfillmaat from the work," Rabbi Nadoff said. "Judaiam is hare to st«y and u king as it's hfVa to stay, thero will alwaya be different aspocta and a atrong traditional (Orthodox) element," he added. His wife pointed out, "The younger familiee in the congregation, who are now taUng on the leadership responsibilities are very interested in living traditional Jewish lives." The rsbbi also said no rabbi can be succeeaful in (he rabbinate without a aupportive wife and praiisd his wife's involvemeat with the ocngngation and in the Jowish eommunity. Over the Cs Mrs. Nadoff has involved ia Siatir hood and congregational
activities, »M wdl as workhig for larad Bonds and the Federation Caaqiaign. She ia presently flia the board of the Federation Foundation Committee and pfoaklMt <rf the board of Livingston Flasa Apartmanto. Sha it also on the intematioaal Board of AMIT' "Oaoiaaottrafaiedtobe arabU'awilaorarabUao thSBSraoaal levoL RabUa m ttiiaed in Jowiah law liid education. One just doea srtiat ia aeoeeeary," Mrs. Nadoff aaid. Unlike a doctor who heals or a lawyer who whu a case. Rabbi Nadoff said a rabbi dooan't aeo imqtediate toaults. H« is hopeful thsra is some infhiMOS and impact he can take credit for, but he can't pohit to a peraon and ssy that'a hia work. "A rabbi's cUof tssk,' bs said, "is to promote Judaism among his people;' to inttiuify Jswish awsreness among his congregants and htaiMmmuaity, to pohit out the importance of and beauty of Jewish life and have it be reflective of their privau Uvea, and, if to any small dsgrae I was able to do that, that'a ths reward for being a rabbi. And I htye I did." As for tlie future, the Nadoffs said that after 2S
Jeaaette Nadsff
yoara Omaha is hone and this is whsre they wiU stay. Thoy said they wiU try to aervs the community aa beat they can, whan called vpaa. "Our goal, aa ahrays, will be to serve," Mra. Nadoff aakL Meanwhile, aa be continues to regain hia strength. Rabbi Nadoff ia stiU called upon for Us oidnkms *nd advica aodis serving as a counsel as his congregation searches for a now rabbi. He is alao
ttMl laaae Nadoff k>okiag forward to rotatkr ing to hia liobby of the Jewieh-oriented woodworking which adoma thair hona. Tho coagrogation of Beth larael Synagogue ia inviting the cooummtty to help honor ths Nadoffs at a dianar OB Monday, Juno 4, at 6:30 p.m., in the Peony Park BaUroom. Tide eta are 126 a parson. For more information, call Beth larael Synagogue, 666-6288.
Jo Carroll's report on American Jewiah Hlst<nkal Society's Annual Meeting Pagee 8. 9 and 14