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A PR I L 2 5 , 2 02 5 | 27 NISA N 578 5 | VO L. 1 05 | NO. 27 | CANDLELIGHTING | FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 7:57 P.M.
Community Service Award An evening with Matti Friedman Page 6
Friedel Jewish Academy annual plant sale Page 7
ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor ne performance can change the world. In 2024, the Institute for Holocaust Education (IHE) and the Jewish Community Relations Council ( JCRC) collaborated on the Willesden READS project. This initiative stands as a shining example of cre-
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ativity and innovation, seamlessly combining literature, Holocaust education, and live performance to deliver an unforgettable educational experience. For these reasons, the program is the recipient of the 2024 Jewish Federation of Omaha Community Service Award. Please join us on Thursday, June 5 at 6:30 p.m. when the Jewish See Community Service Award page 3
Why is this Gap Year different? Page 12
Fireside chat with Gary Green
REGULARS Spotlight Voices Synagogues Life cycles
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JAY KATELMAN JFO Director of Community Development On Friday, April 4, Union Omaha’s Gary Green joined us for Jewish Business Leaders’ first fireside chat, moderated by Alex Epstein. It was fascinating to hear about Gary’s life before his entry into the world of sports. One particularly memorable story he shared was about his father, Stephen Green, who was once owed $5,000. The debtor couldn’t pay in cash, so in-
stead handed over a box of wigs. Stephen turned those wigs into $10,000 — and the Green family business legacy was born. Stephen Green went on to vertically integrate his wig business, eventually selling it for $6 million. He then used that capital to start a travel company focused on chartering airliners and planning ski vacations, which he later sold to American Express for $20 million. In the 1980s, he shifted to commercial real estate. Today, that venture is known as S.L. Green — Manhattan’s largest owner of office buildings. Gary Green, determined to build his own legacy, founded Alliance Building Services. Under his leadership, the company became one of the largest privately-held building service providers in North America, employing over 5,000 people and servicing iconic clients such as Yankee See Fireside chat page 3
J-Serve Omaha: Compassion in action
HEIDI HEILBRUNN NEEDLEMAN JFO Assistant Director of Community Engagement and Education It was a sunny, yet cool day; the ideal temperature for twenty-two Jewish teens from the Omaha community to gather and participate in The International Day of Jewish Youth Service, J-Serve, on Sunday, April 6, 2025. The teens, comprised of the Jewish Federation of Omaha’s Tzedek Teens and BBYO program, decided their project this year would benefit an animal non-profit. The Town &
Country Animal Rescue welcomed the additional support for a spring cleanup of their facility. Upon arrival, the teens unloaded many donations collected from generous community members at the Staenberg Omaha JCC and were promptly divided into groups to begin their work. While one team sorted through and organized collars, leashes, and animal clothing, another team constructed a new kennel. A third team moved items to the trash and cleaned to make room for more donations. The last group of teens See J-Serve Omaha page 2