Issuu

llewish Pres Serving Nebraska and Iowa Since 1920

VoLLXXNo. 36 Omaha

6 Tamnmz, 5763, June 2S, 1988

Pilgrimage to Mauthausen

'...Home with a heart' , 1

Gary Kaplan presents a Bible to Juanita Sally Kaplan (left) and Margo Rosen, co-chairGeorge and her family after completion of her men, put flnisbing touches on the house. The HabiUt home by Ibmple Israel and AM.E. Bethel project was called," Building a Home with a Church and Countryside Christian Church. Heart."

By Marta S. Halpert VIENNA (JTA) — Delegates from several human rights groups attending the U.N. World Conference on Human Rights here made a solemn pilgrimage to the Mauthausen concentration camp this week, in a trip arranged by B'nai B'rith International. The delegates were escorted through Mauthausen, the most notorious death camp in Austria, by Peter Fischer, counselor at the Interior Ministry and director of the site since 1985. Fischer said the Nazis sent Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, political prisoners and prisoners of war from all over Europe to Mauthausen. Harris Schoenberg, B'nai Brith's director of U.N. affairs, led a memorial service at a Jewish monument near a ravine where Jewish inmates were forced by Nazi SS guards to push one another off a cliff at a stone quarry at the edge of the camp. "We came to this memorial to renew our vow that we will never give up the battle against bigotry, never be silent in the face of fanaticism," Schoenberig said. Jewish officials said they thought the Monday visit to the camp by human rights activists was particularly relevant at this time, when the world was witnessing ethnic cleansing and other human rights atrocities in the former Yugoslavia. Schoenberg reaffirmed B'nai B'rith's commitment to arouse the conscience of humanity against genocide anywhere and to combat the forces of Holocaust denial so that the blameless souls will never be forgotten. "Their Holocaust is forever engraved in our history. Nothing shall ever purge their deaths from our memories, for our memories are their only grave," he said. The delegates from human rights groups agreed that all representatives at the U.N. World Conference would benefit from seeing Mauthausen firsthand and oontem(Continued on Page 5)

The uniqueness of the Omaha Jewish Community r

Editor's note: Donald A. Yale, outgoing president, Jewish Federation of Omaha, spoke at the recent annual meeting of the Jewish Federation. His remarks are as follows: By Donald A. Yale What is the Jewish Community? What is unique to us internationally, nationally and in Onnaha? Joel Kotkin, in his recent book. Tribes, states "A strong ethnic identity, with a sense of mutual dependence and emphasis on the family structure,* is part of the defining characteristic of the Jewiah tribe." We are reminded daily of our ethnic identity. The non-Jewish world wont let us forget that even if we wished to. Much is written today about the assimilation of the Jews into American Society. Life has been too good to us, it is said, which has sUowed us to forget we are Jews. I'm not sure iodety has been that land, or if so, will continue to be so kind. As Leon Urii said, he could never deny his Judaiim, much as he tried in his youth. He was bom Jewiah and that was a fact he oould not hide. Qthem would not let him. The sense of our heritage and tradition, 3,600 years of tradition, keep* alive the consdouaneas of who wa are and what we stand for. ^ Our int«rdepeni)enoe is le^ndary. Jaws take care of Jewa. We dont ask others to take care of us. We take cars of each other. This ia not a new concept It ia not a rsault of anti-Semitic behavior in the Diaspora. It is iagrained in our philosophy and culture. Yet, today, tbat job is becoming Rtore diflkult When we review our Federation's financial picture over the paat six yean, we ••• tha following trends. By hard work and foodwill, the campaign haa been up by about 6 per cent per yaar, on average. This was aooompliihed during years of simultaneous rescue and resettlement campaigns and synagogue building and indemnity campaigns. However, at the samo limo, wr hsve seen Inlsrsat rales drop. I dont expect them ia inrrease above the current 4-6 par cent returnn tn •' <nt returns we ware gcttirtg Thin hat §uUui mpnrtM) niir mvenuea to 'fuiiii mgrams. The ir uncertain!,. . .1 with a mor* •• urulntion strategy, has made It aven ntom dilDcult for us to keep paos. Ifour total rovnnite* urn up on nn nnnual avernge nfn

are additionally constrained by maintaining our Israel allocation. We cannot continue to reduce that allocation, nor can we stop supporting the maintenance of our campus facility. Thus, the elasticity comes in the programa and services provided by us to the community. All of these factors necessitate increased pressure on our agencies to maximize their revenues. We will also have to look very carefully at our expenditures so we can live within our means. We are going to have to be more imaginative in the Foundation and in the Agencies in order to maximize the money we can raise as the annual campaign cannot continue as the only monetary engine for the federated community. Given these factors, we must redouble our efforts to the prioritization of our services given the consensus nature of our community. We must realize that budgets cannot be cut without severe diminution of service and program. If we must cut allocations, we need to do this with as little damage possible to communal sensibilities and the effect on our fund raising and endowment activities. Yet, reality dictates we cannot do everything and must concentrate on the essential and important Donald A. Yala endeavors. give when they are getting and not when they "A strong ethnic Identity, with feelPeople issues critical to them are being ignored or tama sense of mutual dependence pered with. Priorities are a very complicated and delicate matter, and we need to be sure we do not engage in and emphasis on the family the short term balancing of the budget and destroy the structure. That is what makes long term needs of our community. Our role, as a Federation, is to reconcile competing us unique." demands of the communities diverse constituencies with the financial resources available for local and cy and for the Federation/Foundation are up by an Israeli needs. average of 4.6 per cent, it doesn't take an accountant to After four years of planning and soul searching, I am reaiiu we are going to be financially squeexed. pleaae to report to you that we have finally determined In Addition to the factors already mentioned, we have to go ahead with the Dan and Either Gordman seen Uith demographic attrition and economic set baicks Educational Center. I balleve we have succeeded in which further raduoa our revenue base. ' crafting a solution which addresses needs in concert In tho pnst few yean, w« have seen the passing of with the financial resources available. The scaled down proii 'I'prcnour* in our community, nnd we are facility will be approximately 9,000 square feet and will hnril ' rpplnce Ihoir gills. Tho trpniU show the house the Friedel Jewish Academy. youi. oflendoni In commtmitlps arn less «Wo The Arsdemy is formally committed lo paying all' and I ni'd to provide the lovol of support that occupancy costi4, and KUnrHntm-iiig puyiix NI I'V niodg their parents supplied. ing Ihit income from t)u<ir (>nd)>wm<>nt. I will IVrefore. it is unlikely the annual campaign will h« also be available for other oduiutuinul w i ~ This able to offsrt lhi< d)<clin<iH prujiw!tcd for invnslnienl and hai h««n done through Dan and Kslher's and others, iCunhnutd on Pogt 6)