thejewishpress AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA
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A lasting tribute to Ruth Erman
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Gabby bLaiR Staff Writer, Jewish Press e’re all familiar with it: sending memorials to honor someone whose presence will be missed. Upon the passing of Ruth Erman, many friends and family members sent memorial tributes to The Jewish Federation of Omaha, who in turn worked with the Erman family to identify a cause that would have been meaningful to Ruth. It was agreed by all that these donations would be directed to the Jewish Family Service (JFS) Food Pantry in her honor. At this year’s Annual Meeting, Ruth’s husband, Joe Erman, shared with JFS Executive Director, Karen Gustafson, they would not only donate the memorials to the JFS food pantry, but the family would also match them. “Ruth and I always felt that in a country as wealthy as the United States, no one should have to go without food or health care,” he said. “We have supported the Food
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karen Gustafson, Joe erman and Linda cogen Bank of the Heartland in the past and will continue to support them as well as the JFS food bank.” Daughter, Dana Erman Kaufman, explains, “As a mental health counselor, providing counseling services and other resources to families in need
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inside Viewpoint Synagogues Life cycles
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SPonSoRed by the benJaMin and anna e. WieSMan faMiLy endoWMent fund
MaRk kiRchhoff Community Engagement and Education, JFO The 17th Annual Omaha Jewish Film Festival begins Sunday, oct. 14 with a special doublefeature night. The curtain goes up at 7 p.m. in the Jewish Community Center Theater with the showing of Wendy’s Shabbat, a 14 minute comedy/documentary. In this film, a group of Jewish senior citizens gathers for Shabbat dinner at a local Wendy’s fast food restaurant. There they say prayers and light candles over hamburgers and fries. The feature film for the evening is the
comedy, Humor Me. The protagonist, Nate Kroll, (Jamaine Clement) is an award winning playwright who suddenly finds himself wifeless, jobless and homeless. With nothing else to lose, he moves in with his eccentric father, Bob (Elliot Gould), and gets a job at an old folks home where he helps the elders put on a new play. The stage is set for some great humor. This year’s film selection committee members are (alphabetical order), Rabbi Shlomo Abramovich, Jared Berezin, JohnCarl Denkovich, David Golbitz, Margie Gutnik, Gloria Kaslow, Ophir Palmon, Matthew Reinarz, Ariella Rohr, Joe Rohr, Joel Schlessinger, and Eitan Tsabari. Jennie Gates Beckman, Director of Community Engagement and Education, Scott Littky, Director of the Institute for Holocaust Education, and Amanda Ryan, Administrative Assistant for the Institute for Holocaust See omaha Jewish film festival page 2
within our community was extremely important to my mom. She was very passionate about the work being done by the JFS staff; providing mental health services, ensuring children have gifts to open at Hanukkah, providing See Ruth erman page 2
NJHS honors Michael Staenberg and Rocky Lewis
Michael Staenberg
Renee RatneR coRcoRan Executive Director, Nebraska Jewish Historical Society Mary Fellman represented someone whose whole heart was invested in the Jewish Community. She was a founder of the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society. is award named for her will be presented to Michael Staenberg at the annual meeting, because of his generosity to the society through the years. rough the Staenberg Family Foundation, he paid for a new
Rocky Lewis camera for the Oral History Project and underwrote our Hot Shops fundraiser to bring awareness to our organization. It featured Shana Novak, the Heirloomist. Michael provided funds to redo the youth exhibit in the hallway of the JCC. He is an outstanding contributor to the organization. e Volunteer of the Year Award honors a community volunteer who gives their time “quietly” over a period of years, without expectation of See nJhS honors page 2