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The Question of Morality

Jewish Stories in Sports: Strength, Space, and Visibility (Part Two) Page 2 From Baghdad to Brooklyn:

A Journey of Identity, Memory, and Jewish Storytelling Page 4

Quilts of Valor Page 7

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor Are “Good” and “Evil” merely human constructs, designed by the most powerful among us to keep humanity in line? Or is there a deeper truth? For fifty years, Dennis Prager, renowned author, radio host and speaker, as well as one of the bestknown public intellectuals in the Western world, has explored the vital role Judeo-Christian values play in shaping individual lives and entire societies. He is the New York Times bestselling author of nine previous books, including The Rational Bible, Why the Jews (with Rabbi Joseph Telushkin), and The Rational Passover Haggadah. In his latest book, If There is no God…, Prager addresses the question of morality without divine revelation. In doing so, he takes on secularism, and all its implications. Every day, we all see stories on the news about otherwise unremarkable people doing awful things. Just like Dennis Prager, we sometimes wonder to ourselves: Why? How? We cannot imagine how people could possibly justify the evil deeds they commit. But, it’s an uncomfortable question, and perhaps we’d rather not know the answer. Prager, on the other hand, does not look the other way.

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AMY BERNSTEIN SHIVVERS JFO Foundation Executive Director Legacy giving is often introduced through financial conversations—but it quickly becomes something much more personal. Families come to the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation with practical questions about funds and planning, and just as often with unspoken hopes, memories, and emotions. In this special Q&A, we share the questions we hear most frequently — both the ones’ people ask out loud, and the ones they carry qui-

Stories of Legacy, Healing, and Impact AMY BERNSTEIN SHIVVERS JFO Foundation Executive Director Where philanthropy meets the heart, legacy giving takes on its deepest meaning. For many families, fulfilling a parent or loved one’s wishes is not a financial transaction, but a profoundly personal act of remembrance. Rooted in gratitude and guided by shared values, these gifts reflect moments of care, survival, and devotion — transforming private loss into lasting communal impact. The Leo and Frances Rodick Memorial Fund

Instead, he delves deeper into the notion of why humankind is capable of great evil. Prager worked on the book with the assistance of close friend Joel Alperson, who says this “directly and powerfully addresses the most important issues of our time.” “A little over 14 months ago,” Joel said, “Dennis suffered a catastrophic fall rendering him quadriplegic and tying him to a See Prager page 2

Ask the Foundation (From the Heart)

Spotlight Voices Synagogues Life Cycles

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

etly in their hearts. What’s the difference between a donor-advised fund and an endowment? At its simplest, both are tools to help people give thoughtfully and intentionally. One offers flexibility in the present; the other offers permanence for the future. What matters most isn’t the structure — it’s the clarity it provides. These vehicles help donors translate values into action, whether

for today’s needs or for generations to come. Why do people choose to give this way? Most people don’t begin with a balance sheet. They begin with a story. A parent’s quiet generosity. A moment of care during illness. A community that showed up when it mattered most. Legacy giving becomes a way to say, This mattered. This still matters. See Ask the Foundation page 3

Frances Rubinstein and Leo Rodick, z”l, were among the thousands of Jews displaced by World War II. Frances, originally from Poland, survived the concentration camps of Bergen-Belsen, Auschwitz, and Majdanek. Leo, also from Poland, was conscripted into the Red Army after the Soviet Union annexed his hometown. Their lives—and survival—were shaped by extraordinary hardship. In 1996, their children, Bennett Rodick and his wife, Gretchen Klein Rodick, together with Bennett’s sister and brother-in-law, Helen and Jack Rabinowitz, established the Leo and Frances Rodick Memorial Fund in their parents’ memory. The fund was created to assist Jewish immigrants to Omaha from the former Soviet Union and other troubled regions, helping with day-to-day living expenses and resettlement needs. As immigration patterns shifted and fewer new arrivals required assistance, the family thoughtfully amended the fund. Bennett added, “Today, any unspent income may also be used by Jewish Family Service to provide general help and support to Jews in need throughout the Omaha community—ensuring our parents’ legacy of resilience and compassion continues to respond to real and evolving needs.” The Alan & Annie Fleishman Scholarship Fund Alan and Annie Fleishman, z”l, See Philanthropy page 3