Hewlsh Press Serving Nebraska and Iowa Since 1920
28 Kiilev, 57M, December 10, lUS
Vol.LXXI No. 12 Omaha
Jewish community to celebrate Mrs. B's 100th birthday By Morris Maline There are aot many people who can be compared to Rose Blumkin, a living legend in Omaha — and a role model for entrepreneurs throughout the world. With each passing day, and at this writing the figure is something like 36,500 days, she defies statistics and probabilities — enjoying every minute of her precious time on earth. Not many live to be 100. Not many continue working at 100. Not many — regardless of age — reach that enviable status of being a self-made millionaire. Mrs. B is all of the above and more. While writing this tribute, I looked for help in a book called Jewish Wisdom, and found the following quotes which I would like to share with you: "If you love the things you do, you don't age, you always remain young. Age is for the calendar." ... Sol Hurok "Old age is like a plane flying through a storm. Once you're aboard, there's nothing you can do."... Golda Meir I like the first quote particularly, because Mrs. B obviously loves what she does and to those of us fortunate enough to have known her for many years she always will remain young. As much as I respect the wisdom of Golda Meir, I can visualize Mrs. B on the plane flying through a storm, but I don't believe she would sit still and do nothing. It wouldn't surprise me at all, if she went into the cockpit, took over the controls and brought the plane to a safe landing — nuts to the storm. There is much to be said on this 100th birthday. The story of this Jewish woman's life is a matter of public record and when new history books are written, she'll be there. With humility and pride, and on behalf of the Jewish community of Omaha, we wish Mrs. B the blessing of 120 years with continued health and happiness.
Happy birthday Mrs. B The Jewish Federation of Omaha and the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society will present gifts to Mlrs. Blumkin on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Jewish Community Center. The public may attend.
-1 NJHS looking lor Mrs. B memories jAnyone having stories, anecdotes, memories of. I Mrs. B during the past years are asked to write | I them up and submit them to the Nebraska Jewish j I Historical Society for a scrapbook to be given toj Iher along with a giant birthday card which will bel 'in the Jewish Community Center gallery. Call' 1334-8200 ext. 277 for details. '
A gala "Happy Birthday" reception honoring internationally recognized business entrepreneur Rose Blumkin on her 100th birthday will be held Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Jewish Community Center. "We hope many members of the Jewish community will come to celebrate with Mrs. B and her family," said Louise Abrahamson, president of the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society. The NJHS is sponsoring the reception and opening of the exhibit on "Jewish Women in Business" in the JCC Gallery. In addition to a mfyor display about Mrs. B, the stories and pictures of more than 50 women who have been presidents, founders, and heads of businesses during the past 100 years will be included in the exhibit. The display is being prepared by Roger Reeves of the Historical Society of Douglas County and members of the NJHS Board. The exhibit will be available until Jan. 23,1994. There is still time for those desiring to bring in more pictures and stories about their business or company. Arrangements are being made to exhibit these in the "Corridor of Jewish History" at the JCC. Call 334-8200 ext. 277 or come to the NJHS office at the JCC. - - Mary Fellman
Endowment fund planned The Jewish Community Center Child Development Center (CDC) is working to establish an endowment fund to supplement programs which will benefit educational and social welfare needs. Programs'provided at the CDC for children aged six weeks to six years include preschool, full-day and afternoon care. Endowment funds will be utilized once an initial $5,000 base has been established. (Continued on page 7)
Family changes not recognized By Larry Yudelson NEW YORK (JTA) — Here's the plan: Take all the parents juggling two careers and raising a family, put them on the boards of synagogues, federations and community centers, and tell them the future of Jewish life is in their hands. If it sounds crazy, it is. But that is exactly what is happening, delegates to '*<• recent General Assembly of the Council of Jewish Federations were lold. Despitf! two decad'is of change in the structure of t^e American family, the Jewish community sticks to organisational patterns of a generation ago, Rela Monson GefTen, coordinator for programs in Jewish communal studies at Gratz College in Philadelphia, and Barry Kosmin, the CJF's research director, said in two sepQrate sessions at the CJF meeting The thern^f^^^)«eting,j|^^yuaught thousandt of J«AHHMWI)I Am^NNIMIontreal for several days in mid-November, was "Jewish Community Through Diversity," and one of the messages of Geffen and Kosmin was that the Jewish community has failed to understand the demographic diversity of it* members. The Jewish community is continuing to pile burdens on the increasingly overworked, and decreasingly common, so-called traditional family, even as it neglects groups with time and energy to spare, such as unmarried and childless adults and couples with grown children. Only a minority of Jewish households have children at home, said GefTen. The most common household type is one person living alone, followed by two adults without (hildrmt.
The 1990 National Jewish Population Study found only 14 percent of the households surveyed consisted of two married Jews with children. "We have the largest proportion of any ethnic group who live on their own," said Kosmin. But the Jewish organizations, he said, remain "traditional and very family oriented" in their outlook. "Most things are done in couples. The Jewish community considers it very hard to sell an individual ticket to anything," he said. Kosmin recently conducted a study on women in federation leadership. "Only 7 percent of women involved in women's divisions of federations are single," including divorced and widowed women, he said, Similarly, Geffen told of being approached by a woman who, despite 17 years of involvement in a synagogue that she helped found, still felt like an outsider because she wai not married. "The cadre of adult single Jews under 35 is particularly important for Jewish institutional life," said Geffen, and yet it is an "abandoned group." But it is precisely the adults, straight out of college, who are looking for connection, frequently seeking to meet other young Jews, and to be taken seriously by the community for the skills and time they can contribute. This group has the fewest proportion of their closest friends who are Jewish, said Kosmin, And this is the age when people marry. The median age of Jewish women getting married today is 26; that for Jewish men it 28. "These people are not in social networks as much aa in oth«r points of their lives," uid Kosmin.
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A Hanukkati play Jacob Katxmfln and Daniel Davidson light the Hanukkah Monorah as Zev Eiaeabarg and Rachel Katzman play with a dreidal la a Friedei Jewiah Academy productloa. 8«c story on page 7. Photo by Jo CarrolL