newish Press
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Serving Nebraska and Iowa Since 1920
10CHESHVAN, 5753 Friday. Novembei
Vol. LXX No. 7 Omaha
Schrager, Fellman fire up Men's Campaign goal for 1993 is to inBy Morris Maline The 1993 UJA/Federa- crease the percentage of tion Campaign is off and the community which running fired up by gen- gives in an attempt to eral co-cliairmen Phil achieve 100 per cent parSchrager and Tom Fell- ticipation. "It is our hope that man and more than 100 leaders of the Men's every family gives something even if it's five dolDivision. Two Israeli women, one lars or one dollar, we'd rescued from Ethiopia, like to have every family and the other from in the Jewish community Leningrad, joined Mr. participate," Mr. SchragSchrager and Mr. Fell- er said. Ella Tsveyer, who emiman in urging the workers to increase their ef- grated from the Soviet forts toward saving en- Union to Israel, said dangered Jews througti- "Russia is more and more dangerous." out the world. "Operation Exodus (the ongoitig campaign to save "...her four-yearSoV'iet Jewry) is the biggest mitzvah in the old son was whole world," Mr. Fellbeaten because man said, adding that Campaign workers would he was Jewish. be able to tell their children and grandchildren of She described her life participating in the resas a "refusenik", saying cue of the Jewish people. Speaking tp the work- that her four-year-old son ers at the new Fine Arts was beaten because he building of the University was Jewish and that the of Nebraska at Omaha, KGB threatened her for Mr. Schrager told the organising Jewish celegroup they should be brations. "Remember, you have a proud of Omaha's Jewish small son," was what the community. "Omaha is a leader in KGB said in an attempt per capita giving, in the to stop her from Jewish percentage of the commu- activities," Ms. Tsveyer nity which gives, and in 'pointed out. Ms. Tsveyer, who is 39, the total amount given," said she.protected herself Mr. Schrager said, He pointed out that the by writing letters to Jews
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This wide-angle display showing how the Jewish Federation of Omaha helps its various agencies provide services for the Jewish comunity greeted members and guests of the Men's Division as they attended a dinner program at the Fine Arts building at UNO. in America and members of the United States Congress. "I can't teJIKyoTrhtrw wonderful it felt to have my daughter bom in freedom, in Israel." Meseret Shibru, who arrived in Israel during a rescue operation in 1984, thanked the Jews of the world for providing money which was used to get her mother out of prison
Her mother, a nurse, had been imprisoned because of he work for and affiliation with the Jewish Agency. She also thanked the Campaign workers for the life of freedom she, her mother, sister and brother now et\joy in Israel. "We are all reunited with our relatives." Ms. Shibru, 23, a graduatp social worker, now
provides counseling for Ethiopian immigrants in Israel. Mr. Schrager and Mr. Fellman thanked the workers for turning out for the function during a cold and wet evening. Mr. Fellman made a special point of welcoming Shirley and Leonard Goldstein who happened to be celebrating their .'idth wedding anniver-
sary on the day of the event. Before the program, those attending were escorted on a tour of the Fine Arts building by Cindy Duggin and Barbara Hewins-Maroney. The tour included a visit to the art gallery where several selections from the Schrager collection were displayed. Ipicturf< nil lii-i fi )
Dr. Kader pieces together his childhood "It's an ongoing revelaBy Deborah Fellman More than a year ago. tion," he said. "I'm learnDr. Fred Kader learned ing things that give crethat as a yqung child, he dence to vague memories Was hidden from the I've had for years." It's also bittersweet, Nasit at • .youth, camp called Wexembeek In forcing Dr. Kader to consider the awesome coinciI Oarman-occupted uar dences that allowed him iuro. _ ince then, ha hat to survive while his parrekindled rrL«nd*hlpii ents and at least three with other children from brothers perished at Waxembeek and together Auschwita. In ld42, Frans was a they are compiling phot«» and infortnation to better chubby-cheeked blond understand Uutir common boy, dressed in shorta and a Pater Pan-collared histoiy. •I'm putting my pMt to- shirt, according to photos er," Pr. Kadef said. taken at Wezembeek. l^e m finally figuring out photoa, sent to Dr. Kader ^m what happened to me from another man who during oeveni yearaof my lived at Wesembeek dur . ing the war, came from Ufe.' The year* in question the now-elderly camp diwere 104^ u, 1049, whan rector. Marie Albert Dr. K» called Blum Somehow she manPrant Jaiui.x'-xi, arrived aged to arrange group •t Weaambeek and itayad photoa during the midst until an unoU heard that of tha war. Madame Blum haa kept ha survlvad and ratriavad him from the camp. In tha photoa ovar tha yaan 1949, that uncle sant and she's maintained conyoung Frana to lira with tact with several of the hit great aunt in Mon- children she long ago traal and thaia ha took on guarded at Waaambaak. For aoma of thoaa nowk..r ..,me, Kadar. prooeas of discover• grown childran,' mamorlaa ii\g me (MSt is stunning, of those years are so dsaply rapraaiad that Dr.Kadarsatd. •l«t__>SUJLUI_LLJI
even photos of themselves appear unfamiliar. Dr. Kader, for one, didn't know which youngster was him. "There were two blond boys and 1 knew I had to be one of those, but I didn't know which," he said. He learned to idantl^ himself after discussing the photos with another Weiembeekhidden child. Marcel Chojnacki of Montreal. Dr. Kader says.he stlU doesn't see any resemblance between himself and the child Madame Blum and Mr. Chqjnacki say is Frans. But he trusts their memories. The photos help illustrate his childhood; a book Dr. KMlar calU tha walk Ing cemetery" helps •«• plain it. The book, publla))ad from Naii records, lists the names of all Belgian Jews daportad to Auachwiti and tha dates thay wars daportad. Bawuaa ha laamed the data of his own deportation. Dr. Kader knows that he is four yMra old in the photos He and th* other chUdian at Waaam baak look like any gmtp
Al WMtnbeck in IMS, Dr. Kadar la In the fh>nt row at Air right of children posing for i
photognphfT drawail in their bast clothaa, aome are smiling, some look distracted. But in these photos, many also look One shot ahowa Frans standing with about 60 other kids and sev«ri)l nuns In fVont of a large, insltutionlike building. Tha kids range firoro preschoolers to teenagers, eomlimtttd on fgf If
Senate honors war camp head Marit> Albert Blum, who ran the children's camp at Weiembaek IVom 1942 to 1947, was honored by tha U.S. Senate In April as "the heroine of Wesambaak. Balgium ' San. Alphonsa D'Amato (D-N.Y.) Introduced a sUtaoMnt that calia Madaroa Blunt > vary apodal lady* who Vent to graat lengths to protact...Innocent chlldran. risking har Ulb to protect tham." DAmato's statement ><-knnwl*agee that throughout the war Madame > nggled children in and out of (Waaambeek' mui mtu the hands of the undergound or into other homes throughout Balgium * She alao hid tham at a convant. •
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