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AUGUST 8, 202 5 | 1 4 AV 578 5 | VO L. 1 05 | NO. 41 | CANDLELIGHTING | FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 8:13 P.M.
In Memoriam: Howard Kooper Kaplan Book Group to virtually host bestselling author Rosen Page 2
Confronting Trauma LYNN BATTEN JFO Content Coordinator/Gallery Manager From July 30 through August 25 the Eisenberg Gallery at the J will present Aftermath by Israeli artist, Sam Griffin. Griffin was raised in England, immigrated to Israel and enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces when he was 20 years old. After his initial two years of service with the infantry combat unit, he started to focus on art. He graduated from the Bezalel Academy with a bachelor’s degree in art and devoted his professional life to painting.
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ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor oward Kooper passed away peacefully on July 20, 2025, surrounded by love, dignity, and the people who meant the world to him. A lifelong Omahan, Howard was the only child of Dorothy and Robert Kooper and a proud graduate of Central High School and the
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University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Howard began his career at H.A. Wolf Co., working alongside his father and uncle before co-founding Broadmoor Development in 1978 with his business partner and best friend of 48 years, Tom Fellman. Together, they built an extraordinary development and management company that helped shape the landscape of Omaha and beyond. See In Memoriam page 11
Alex Epstein Joins JFNA National Young Leadership Cabinet
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ANNETTE VAN DE KAMPWRIGHT Jewish Press Editor The Jewish Federation of Omaha is proud to announce that Alex Epstein has been selected to join the Jewish Federations of North America’s National Young Leadership Cabinet (“Cabinet”), the premier leadership development program in the Jewish philanthropic world. Cabinet educates,
connects, and inspires emerging and established global leaders and philanthropists, preparing them to lead Jewish communities at the highest levels. “Knowing that someone like Alex will be representing Jewish Omaha in the national orbit is great news,” said JFO CEO Bob Goldberg. “It really means taking his leadership qualities to the next level.” Alex was nominated for this prestigious position by Stacey Rockman and Louri Sullivan. “Joel Alperson is the only other Omaha community member who has served on Cabinet,” Louri noted. “We are thrilled to have Alex step up. This is a great way to engage the next generation and help them truly understand the breadth of Federation’s work. I began working with Alex on this before COVID, so I’m thrilled it’s
happening — and he’s the perfect person to represent Omaha. But truly, Stacey Rockman deserves all the credit for making it happen!” “It’s incredibly meaningful for more young people from Omaha to be exposed to the broader Jewish Federation system,” Stacey added. “We want strong representation from See Alex Epstein page 3
“Road 232, Sunrise,” by Sam Griffin, 2024, oil on paper. Image by Sam Griffin
Along the way he settled into his life in Israel. He met his wife. They had children. He continued to grow his career by participating in numerous group exhibitions. In 2021 he had a solo exhibition of his work in the Jerusalem Biennale. Griffin was thriving as an artist, husband, and father. Then, October 7 happened. On Oct. 8, 2023, Griffin was called back to serve in the IDF. In an instant, his role changed. He, along with the many others who were called back to serve, had to transition from their civilian lives to military roles instantaneously. Griffin's assignment included two and a half months in the southern Gaza Envelope and one month in the Southern Gaza Strip. The hyper-vigilance required during his time in Gaza was mentally and emotionally exhausting. In a May 2025 interview with The Forward, Griffin said, “At the beginning I was stationed in a settlement in a small village in southern Gaza to secure the area and border. We were concerned that Hamas would go from southern Gaza to Egypt and then back into Israel. We moved from settlement to settlement, entering buildings not knowing if we’d be ambushed by terrorists at any moment. And at night, I’d follow the news on my phone, seeing the horrible images and listening to the lies. We were all See Confronting Trauma page 3