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The legacy of heart

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Community-wide celebration of Jewish learning returns this spring

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NAOMI FOX AND JONNIE ROBINSON Community Engagement and Education he Jewish Federation of Omaha will once again bring inspiring Jewish learning to the community through Tapestry: A Celebration of Jewish Learning 2026, a signature initiative designed to engage, connect, and uplift through the study of Jewish texts, ideas, and values. This year’s scholar-in-residence is Dr. Erica Brown, a leading voice in Jewish education and leadership. She serves as Vice Provost for Values and Leadership at Yeshiva University and is the founding director of the Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks–Herenstein Center for Values and Leadership. Known for her dynamic teaching style, Dr. Brown brings together Jewish wisdom, ethical insight, and contemporary relevance in ways that resonate deeply with modern audiences. A prolific author, Dr. Brown has written or co-authored 15 books, including Esther: Power, Fate and Fragility in Exile (a National Jewish Book Award finalist), Kohelet and the Search for Meaning, Inspired Jewish Leadership, Dreaming Bigger: A Leadership Guide for Jewish Teens, and Happier Endings: A Meditation on Life and Death, among others. She also hosts the daily podcast Take Your Soul to Work and has contributed to publications including The New York Times, The Atlantic, Tablet, and The Jewish Review of Books. Her work has earned numerous honors, including the Covenant Award for Excellence in Jewish Education. Dr. Brown will first be in Omaha April 28 to 30 for a series of programs across the community. Sessions open to the full community during April will be: Tuesday, April 28 at 2:00 p.m., hosted by Nebraska Jewish Historical Society, The Jewish Press, and Jewish Family Service with a program entitled,

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SPONSORED BY THE BENJAMIN AND ANNA E. WIESMAN FAMILY ENDOWMENT FUND

“Writing a Better Story for Ourselves and Others.” An interactive workshop on how we talk about our lives and Jewish identity, using storytelling techniques from literature and insights from Jewish texts and modern research to build more meaningful, resilient narratives. To register, please email avandekamp@jewishomaha. org Tuesday, April 28 at 6:45 p.m. at University of Nebraska in Lincoln with the Harris Center for Judaic Studies, Dr. Brown will teach on the topic “Where Have All the Leaders Gone?” A close reading of a unique biblical parable exploring models of virtuous and corrupt leadership, and what it reveals about the enduring “strongman” archetype in today’s world. The lecture will be held in the Unity Room of the Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center, no registration required. Thursday, April 30 at 11:30 a.m., Dr. Brown will teach a workshop with the Jewish Community Relations Council and Institute for Holocaust Education entitled, “Morning Has Broken: Reflecting on Israel and the Diaspora Relationship since 10/7.” A reflective and interactive seminar on how October 7 reshaped Jewish unity, identity, and global antisemitism, with space to explore personal responses and paths toward repair. Register through www.jewishomaha.org for this event. Dr. Brown will return for a second residency in Omaha during June 1–7, offering many additional opportunities for learning and engagement on a variety of topics that will be open to the full community, as well as targeted audiences. More details regarding topics and offers to the full community will be shared in a coming article, through e-mails, and mailings. Our full list of host partners throughout Tapestry 2026 includes: Beth El Synagogue, Beth Israel Synagogue, Chabad of Nebraska, Temple Israel, B’nai B’rith Henry Monsky Lodge Breadbreakers, B’nai Israel Living History Synagogue, Friedel Jewish Academy, Institute for Holocaust Education, Jewish Community Relations Council, Jewish See Tapestry page 2

SARAH FREY There are people who shape a community through structure and leadership—and then there are those who shape it through heart. Hazzan Krausman has always been the latter. For so many of us in Omaha, his voice has been more than music. It has been comfort, joy, familiarity, and connection. Through song, through presence, and through an unmistakable warmth, he has helped create a synagogue experience that felt not just meaningful, but deeply human. The Krausman family arrived in Omaha in 2012, when their sons were still young, Zev entering high school and Zach just beginning middle school. Over the years, they didn’t just become a part of the community; they helped shape it. It wasn’t in Omaha that I first heard of the Krausman family, but at Camp Ramah Darom in Georgia, where our oldest daughter, Liat, was attending while we were living in North Carolina. My mom called to tell me there were two brothers from Omaha—older than Liat—who were also at camp, and that she needed to find them. Liat met Zev and Zach that first summer in 2017, and the connection was immediate. In a place where Omaha families were few and far between, they found each other, forming a bond that would follow them well beyond camp. When we moved back to Omaha in 2019, Liat was so excited that she would know Zev and Zach. It was like a little piece of camp in her new home. They quickly coined the term “Omahomies” at camp, a small but telling reflection of how naturally that bond formed. What began as a camp connection became something much more enduring: a friendship that carried from Georgia back to Omaha and into our daily lives. For our families, it felt like an invisible string had been there all along, connecting us before we even realized. And through that connection, our children, like so many others in the community, found not only friendship, but a rich and meaningful Jewish learning environment shaped in no small part by Hazzan’s presence. One of the more remarkable things about Hazzan is the way he connects with children. He has a gift for making them feel comfortable, welcomed, and seen. In a space that can sometimes feel formal or intimidating, he has created an environment that is approachable and joyful. Children are not expected to be perfect; they are encouraged to participate, to learn, and to grow. See Legacy page 2