5/26/23

Update from Mike Siegel

May and June are always busy months at the JFO. The campus is transitioning from school programming to camp programming, the leadership teams are finalizing their budgets, and the JFO Board is prioritizing what to accomplish in the next fiscal year. Amid this flurry of activity is one of the highlights of the year, the JFO Awards Night & Annual Meeting.

This year’s Awards Night & Annual Meeting is Monday, June 5th, and the program consists of “something for everyone.” There will be a pre-reception at 6:00 pm. The evening’s program will begin at 6:30 pm and end by 8:00 pm, followed by a dessert reception. Both receptions, with food provided by Star Catering, will be hosted by the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation in honor of their Fabulous at 40 anniversary.

This year’s annual meeting will spotlight the JFO Foundation and its many accomplishments over the last 40 years. It is remarkable how generous our Omaha Jewish community has been. Having previewed their presentation, I guarantee you’ll enjoy it. Attendees will walk away impressed with the numerous avenues the Foundation has taken to secure our Jewish community’s future.

If the Foundation’s spotlight does not inspire you to attend, this will be Bob Goldberg’s first annual meeting as our CEO. Bob’s leadership has been incredible for our community ever since he stepped into his new role. He started the job in January and hasn’t taken his foot off the gas. Bob brings a wealth of knowledge of the Federation system as well as original ideas to increase the engagement of our community. I encourage you to show your support for Bob and our dedicated staff by attending the annual meeting.

If you are still unsure about attending, I ask you to join us in welcoming our new JFO Board members for 2023/2024: Sharon Kirshenbaum, Seth Schuchman, and Justin Spooner. These three community leaders bring a wealth of knowledge to the Board to set up our community for even greater success.

At this meeting, we will also be voting on the JFO Board’s recommendation to make the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society (NJHS) an official agency of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. NJHS has played a key role in preserving Jewish Omaha’s history and artifacts. As an agency of the Jewish Federation of Omaha, NJHS will be able to make our history more available for our community to access through a variety of platforms.

Finally, the Awards Night & Annual Meeting is a chance for our entire community to celebrate our achievements, thank our volunteers, and honor those who have made a unique impact on our community. It’s important to recognize our accomplishments, and I always look forward to this special evening as an opportunity to do just that.

Hopefully, you’ve already paused while reading this and marked your calendar for Monday, June 5th. We will join as one to celebrate your Jewish Federation of Omaha. Wouldn’t it be inspiring to see the Alan J. Levine Theater packed with our community members? I look forward to seeing you there!

Shabbat Shalom,

Mike Siegel
JFO President