thejewishpress AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA
this week
ADL-CRC collaborates with RESPECT for middle school PEW Page 4
Omaha Jewish Alumni Association Purim celebration Page 9
inside Viewpoint Synagogues Life cycles
MARCH 8 , 2 0 1 9 | 1 AD AR II 5 7 7 9 | V O L . 9 9 | NO . 2 1 | c a nd LeLi G H ti nG | FRID AY , MARCH 8 , 6 : 0 5 P. M.
Remembering Rabbi Brooks
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caSSandRa WeiSenBuRGeR Director of Communications, Temple Israel few months ago, I realized it was my dad’s 20th yahrzeit anniversary, and I thought ‘How did that happen? How could it already be 20 years?’ That’s a big date and I wanted to do something in his honor,” said Miriam Brooks, speaking about Rabbi Sidney H. Brooks, who was Senior Rabbi at Temple Israel for 33 years until his retirement in 1985. Rabbi Brooks will always be remembered as a pillar of Temple Israel. When he arrived in 1952, he took charge of planning for a new building. He was a steadfast leader during his career, especially after the 1975 tornado that forced the congregation to operate from five different locations. He was active in both the religious and secular worlds and had numerous accomplishments. His primary goals were children and education, and it was during his tenure that the congregation swelled in membership and the new position of Director of Education was created. His wife Jane was just as active. She always volunteered her time to help those in need. She, too, worked for religious and secular causes: National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods, Planned Parenthood, Eastern Nebraska Mental Health See Remembering Rabbi Brooks page 3
A soirée in Arizona
Fran and Rich’s excellent adventures Page 16
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SPonSoRed BY tHe BenJamin and anna e. WieSman FamiLY endoWment Fund
Rabbi Sidney and Jane Brooks
Omaha Council reflects on 2019 BBYO International Convention
Gary and Linda Perlman, left, with Howard Gerelick
HoWaRd ePStein On Thursday evening, Feb. 21, 2019, over 90 Jewish former Omahans plus snowbirds who spend the winter in Arizona gathered for a Soirée at the home of
Stephanie Shapiro Cohen and Larry Kelberg in Scottsdale, Arizona. Sponsored by the Omaha Jewish Alumni Association, the Soirée gave everyone who attended the opportunity to connect and reconnect with their fellow Omaha Jews. OJAA founders and Soirée co-hosts, Gary and Lisa Epstein, were thrilled to be at the Soirée. “This is what the Omaha Jewish Alumni Association is all about. OJAA’s mission is to connect Jewish former Omahans with each other and with those Jews currently living, working, studying and playing in Omaha,” said Gary. “It was a great night.” Former Omahans and current Scottsdale See arizona soirée page 3
JacoB GeLtzeR Omaha BBYO/Teen Program Director At BBYO’s 2019 International Convention (IC) in Denver, CO, Feb. 14-18, we celebrated all that BBYO and its members accomplished this past year. With teen par-
ticipants, staff, alumni, adult stakeholders and speakers, International Convention hosted more than 5,000+ attendees this year. Teens from all over the United States and 50 other countries shared their See BBYo convention page 2