Jewish Federation of Omaha

Being a Good Ancestor
2025-09-07 16:00 - 17:00 UTC | Jewish Federation of Omaha, 333 S 132nd Street, Omaha, NE, 68154, United States
Join us for a special community event on Sunday, September 7 at 4:00 PM, featuring renowned author and speaker Rabbi Steve Leder of Wilshire Boulevard Temple. Rabbi Leder will explore the theme “Being a Good Ancestor,” offering powerful insights into how an awareness of our mortality can inspire a more meaningful and intentional life. Through moving stories and thoughtful reflections, he will lead us in conversations about legacy, the importance of ethical and financial wills, and the ways we can live with purpose. Rabbi Leder’s message is clear: how we live now shapes how we are remembered.
REGISTER HERE

Aftermath - Artist's Talk
2025-08-24 15:00 - 17:30 | Jewish Community Center, 333 S. 132nd Street, Omaha, NE, 68154, United States
The Eisenberg Gallery at the J is honored to present Israeli artist, Sam Griffin and his recent body of work Aftermath. The exhibit will be on display July 28th through August 25th. The community is invited to attend the artist’s talk and dessert reception on Sunday, August 24. Held in the Eisenberg Gallery at the J.
RSVP Required. Please RSVP here
Artist Lecture & Reception
3:00-3:30 p.m…..Guest Speaker & Remarks
3:30 p.m….. Artist Talk with dessert reception to follow
Made possible by generous support from the Albert and Eleanor Feldman Family Israel Foundation, the Staenberg Family Foundation, and the Kiewit Companies Foundation.

Artist Workshops with Sam Griffin
2025-08-22 08:00 - 17:00 | Jewish Community Center, 333 S. 132nd Street, Omaha, NE, 68154, United States
The Eisenberg Gallery at the J is honored to present Israeli artist, Sam Griffin, and his recent body of work Aftermath. The exhibit will be on display July 30th through August 25th. The community is invited to meet the artist through a series of special events, including free workshops with the artist.
In these workshop, Sam will demonstrate his mark-making and erasure technique, layering paper with vibrant colors or dark shading, then erasing to create striking light-dark contrasts. Sam will also share how he applied this method in his current exhibition, Aftermath, offering deeper insight and a closer connection to his artistic process. Participants will engage hands-on, experimenting with the technique under Sam’s guidance, drawing on his extensive knowledge and experience.
Open to ages 8 – adult. Children must attend with an adult. The same material will be covered at each workshop. Please only register for one. Held at the Staenberg Omaha JCC. Workshops are free. Space is limited.
Registration required. Please register here or at (402) 334-6426.
Friday, August 22
Workshop 1…10:00 a.m.
Workshop 2…2:00 p.m.
Sunday, August 24
Workshop 3….10:00 a.m.
Made possible by generous support from the Albert and Eleanor Feldman Family Israel Foundation, the Staenberg Family Foundation, and the Kiewit Companies Foundation.

Hair for Hope benefitting Wigs for Kids
2025-08-10 11:00 - 14:00 | Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, 323 South 132nd Street, Omaha, 68154, United States
Join us for a fun and meaningful event supporting Wigs for Kids, a nonprofit that provides high-quality, human hair wigs to children experiencing hair loss due to medical conditions—at no cost to families. Each hair donor will receive a complimentary basic haircut (with minimal styling) after their ponytail is cut. Haircuts by Beverly Seldin’s Hair Design.

HAIR DONATION REQUIREMENTS: -12 inches minimum
-Must be clean, healthy, and uncolored (grey hair is okay)
-Select a time slot when you register (walk-ins are welcome)

Don’t want to donate any hair? There will be additional opportunities to make a difference: Purchase raffle tickets to win a gift basket supporting the Israel Cancer Association.
Help create fidget kits and encouragement cards for newly diagnosed pediatric cancer patients through the Angels Among Us organization

Register Now!

Tzedek Teen Foodbank project
2025-07-31 12:45 - 15:30 | Foodbank For The Heartland, 10525 J Street, Omaha, NE, 68127
For the next Tzedek Teens project, we are volunteering at Foodbank For The Heartland. Activities during our volunteer shift include packing food boxes, sorting donated items, and splitting bulk items into family sized servings. Please register! We will also be taking donations for Foodbank For The Heartland. Drop off your canned meats, toilet paper, dish soap, paper towels, laundry detergent, and other canned & boxed food at the JFO’s main entrance from July 7-31!

PJ Library Family Picnic
2025-07-27 04:00 - 18:00 | NE
As the PJ Library Taste of Jewish programming comes to a close, come celebrate Israeli children’s cuisine with a kosher picnic, curated by Mika Mizrahi and Ayelet Geiger. Bring or make a card to wish our community schlicha well before she returns to Israel in the fall.

Sip • Create • Connect
2025-07-20 16:00 - 18:00 | Shirley & Leonard Goldstein Community Engagement Venue, 333 S. 132nd St., Omaha, NE, 68154
Sip • Create • Connect
Sunday, July 20 | 4-6pm
WINE, ART & JEWISH LEARNING
An evening for people in their 30s & 40s to connect, learn, and create art together with Rabbi Mordechai Geiger and Shiri Phillips. Combining artistic expression with Jewish learning, this event will feature a guided creating session and a discussion on the significance of wine and art in Torah and Jewish tradition. As one of the most frequently used ritual foods in Judaism, wine plays a central role in religious life, while artistic expression reflects divine creativity.
Space is limited. REGISTER HERE
All artistic abilities welcome!
Free childcare is provided for ages 1-10.
Includes dinner for child(ren).
Questions? Contact:
Naomi Fox
Director of Community Engagement and Education
nfox@jewishomaha.org
This program is supported by the Special Donor-Advised Fund of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation

Pride 2025
2025-07-12 08:00 - 15:00 | NE
Pride 2025!
Join JCRC Omaha on July 12 for Omaha’s annual Pride Parade! Celebrate the diversity of our Jewish community by joining us as we walk the parade route- more details coming soon. If you would like to assist with this event, please contact Pam Monsky at pmonsky@jewishomaha.org.

Learn more about Heartland Pride

RBJH Groundbreaking
2025-06-22 10:30 - 23:30 | Jewish Federation of Omaha, 333 S 132nd Street, Omaha, NE, 68154, United States
Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Expansion Project
Groundbreaking Ceremony
The community is invited to attend the groundbreaking ceremony on Sunday, June 22, at 10:30 AM, to celebrate the exciting expansion of the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home!
Staenberg Kooper Fellman Campus – 333 S 132nd St • North East parking lot
Rain or shine, this event will be held outdoors on the east side of the RBJH facility near the construction area for the new expansion.

Beit Midrash
2025-06-04 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-05-14 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-04-02 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-03-05 12:00 - 13:00 | Staenberg Kooper Fellman Campus, 333 S. 132nd St., Omaha, NE, 68154
Embracing our desire to be together and learn together, this exciting Beit Midrash (house of study) gives all of Jewish Omaha the opportunity to engage in spirited and challenging cross-denominational study with local rabbis and cantors. During each Beit Midrash, a different clergy member from our community synagogues will select and present a pertinent topic of their choice. Classes will be held in-person at the Staenberg Omaha JCC.
Drop in for one session or become a regular attendee – everyone is welcome.
Light Kosher refreshments served at each session. No cost to attend.

Tapestry: Why Do American Jews “Need” Israel?
2025-05-10 11:30 | Beth Israel Synagogue, 12604 Pacific Street, Omaha, NE, 68154, United States
The community is invited to  Kiddush Luncheon at Beth Israel  Synagogue.
Topic: Why Do  American Jews “Need” Israel?

Tapestry: Loving Your Friends, Your Neighbors, and Your Enemies: On Community and Conflict
2025-05-09 18:00 - 19:30 | Temple Israel Synagogue, 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive, Omaha, NE, 68144
The community is invited to Shabbat Evening Services with Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer at Temple Israel.
Topic: Loving Your Friends, Your Neighbors,  and Your Enemies: On Community  and Conflict
Tapestry is an investment into strengthening our Omaha community’s Jewish literacy. Each year, the Jewish Federation of Omaha will bring a Jewish scholar to Omaha to collaborate with our congregations, JFO agencies, and partner organizations.

Tapestry: American Jews and Judaism in 2025 (and Beyond!)
2025-05-09 12:00 - 14:00 | Jewish Federation of Omaha, 333 S 132nd Street, Omaha, NE, 68154, United States
Community-wide lunch and learn with Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer.
Topic: American Jews and Judaism in 2025 (and Beyond!)
Tapestry is an investment into strengthening our Omaha community’s Jewish literacy. Each year, the Jewish Federation of Omaha will bring a Jewish scholar to Omaha to collaborate with our congregations, JFO agencies, and partner organizations.

Tapestry: Interfaith Allyship in Contentious Times
2025-05-08 18:00 - 19:00 | Tri-Faith Commons, 13136 Faith Plaza, Faith Plz,, Omaha, NE, 68144
Tri-Faith Initiative hosts Fed-U-Cation featuring Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer.
Topic: Interfaith Allyship in Contentious Times
Tapestry is an investment into strengthening our Omaha community’s Jewish literacy. Each year, the Jewish Federation of Omaha will bring a Jewish scholar to Omaha to collaborate with our congregations, JFO agencies, and partner organizations.

Tapestry: Going West: “The Journey” as the Jewish Story
2025-05-08 10:00 - 11:00 | B’nai Israel Living History Synagogue, 618 Mynster St, Council Bluffs, IA, 51503, United States
B’nai Israel Living History Synagogue (Council Bluffs) hosts a special event featuring Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer.
Topic: Going West: “The Journey” as the Jewish Story
Tapestry is an investment into strengthening our Omaha community’s Jewish literacy. Each year, the Jewish Federation of Omaha will bring a Jewish scholar to Omaha to collaborate with our congregations, JFO agencies, and partner organizations.

Tapestry: The Growing Divide Between American Jews and Israel (And How to Repair It)
2025-05-07 12:00 - 13:20 | Jewish Federation of Omaha, 333 S 132nd Street, Omaha, NE, 68154, United States
The community is invited to B’nai B’rith Breadbreakers featuring Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer
Topic: The Growing Divide Between American Jews and Israel (And How to Repair It)
Tapestry is an investment into strengthening our Omaha community’s Jewish literacy. Each year, the Jewish Federation of Omaha will bring a Jewish scholar to Omaha to collaborate with our congregations, JFO agencies, and partner organizations.

Tapestry: The Moral, The Political, and The Partisan: Jewish Community in a Partisan Age
2025-05-07 08:30 - 10:30 | Jewish Federation of Omaha, 333 S 132nd Street, Omaha, NE, 68154, United States
Jewish Community Relations Council and the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation invite you to a community breakfast with Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer.
Topic: The Moral, The Political, and The Partisan: Jewish Community in a Partisan Age
Location: Benjamin & Anna E. Wiesman Reception Room
Tapestry is an investment into strengthening our Omaha community’s Jewish literacy. Each year, the Jewish Federation of Omaha will bring a Jewish scholar to Omaha to collaborate with our congregations, JFO agencies, and partner organizations.

Tapestry: Are We at the End of a Golden Age? American Jewry, In Transition
2025-05-06 19:00 - 20:00 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Swanson Auditorium in the Nebraska Union, Lincoln, NE, United States
Harris Center for Judaic Studies hosts a special event featuring Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer.
Topic: Are We at the End of a Golden Age? American Jewry, In Transition
Tapestry is an investment into strengthening our Omaha community’s Jewish literacy. Each year, the Jewish Federation of Omaha will bring a Jewish scholar to Omaha to collaborate with our congregations, JFO agencies, and partner organizations.

Tapestry: Beyond the “Big Tent:” Models of Community for a Complicated American Jewry
2025-05-05 10:00 - 12:00 | Jewish Federation of Omaha, 333 S 132nd Street, Omaha, NE, 68154, United States
Jewish Family Service invites you to a community conversation with Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer.
Topic: Beyond the “Big Tent:” Models of Community for a Complicated American Jewry
Tapestry is an investment into strengthening our Omaha community’s Jewish literacy. Each year, the Jewish Federation of Omaha will bring a Jewish scholar to Omaha to collaborate with our congregations, JFO agencies, and partner organizations.

Tapestry: Liberal Jews in the Rebbe’s Christian America
2025-05-04 09:00 - 11:00 | Chabad of Nebraska, 1866 South 120th Street, Omaha, NE, 68144, United States
The community is invited to Sunday Morning (Tefillin) Wraps  at Chabad of Nebraska with Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer.
Topic: Liberal Jews in the Rebbe’s Christian America
Tapestry is an investment into strengthening our Omaha community’s Jewish literacy. Each year, The Jewish Federation of Omaha will bring a Jewish scholar to Omaha to collaborate with our congregations, JFO agencies, and partner organizations.

Tapestry: Reclaiming Jewish Power Without Losing Jewish Values
2025-05-03 09:30 - 11:30 | Beth El Synagogue, 14506 California Street, Omaha, NE, 68154
The community is invited to Beth El Synagogue for Shabbat morning services to welcome Guest Speaker Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer.
Topic: Reclaiming Jewish Power Without Losing Jewish Values
7:45 pm – Havdalah learning with Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer
For those who are unable to attend in person, Havdallah will be available at 8:50 pm via Zoom.
Tapestry is an investment into strengthening our Omaha community’s Jewish literacy. Each year, the Jewish Federation of Omaha will bring a Jewish scholar to Omaha to collaborate with our congregations, JFO agencies, and partner organizations.

Tapestry: Purity and Pollution for Liberal Jews
2025-05-02 17:30 - 19:00 | Beth El Synagogue, 14506 California Street, Omaha, NE, 68154
The community is invited to Pre-Neg & Kabbalat Shabbat with Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer at Beth El Synagogue.
Topic: Purity and Pollution for Liberal Jews

Tapestry is an investment into strengthening our Omaha community’s Jewish literacy. Each year, The Jewish Federation of Omaha will bring a Jewish scholar to Omaha to collaborate with our congregations, JFO agencies, and partner organizations.

Yom Ha'Atzmaut
2025-04-30 17:30 - 19:00 | Staenberg Kooper Fellman Campus, 333 S. 132nd St., Omaha, NE, 68154
Yom Ha’atzmaut is Israel’s Independence Day! Celebrating it has been a way for people to express solidarity with the state of Israel and strengthen their alliance with it.
Free Admission
Food from Star Catering will be available for purchase.
This celebration of Israel will include activities for all ages! Plus, the B’nai Brith Trivia Contest will begin at 6:15 pm in the Benjamin and Anna E. Wiesman Family Reception Room
Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation: Alan J. Levine Program Endowment Fund, Esther K. Newman Memorial Fund, Fran & Rich Juro Endowment Fund, Special Donor-Advised Fund, and Ruth Frisch & Oscar S. Belzer Endowment Fund

Yom Hashoah
2025-04-23 19:00 - 20:30 | Alan J. Levine Performing Arts Theater, 333 S. 132nd St., Omaha, NE, 68154
Each year it is an honor for the Institute for Holocaust Education, along with our local congregations, to plan our annual Yom HaShoah commemoration.
With participation from our Omaha clergy we are honored to have 2nd, 3rd and 4th Generation Survivors and community members participating in the candle lighting ceremony commemorating the victims and survivors of the Holocaust.
FEATURED SPEAKER: Dr. Christine Erlander Beard, DMA Kayser Professor of Flute & International Studies Coordinator of Woodwind Studies The University of Nebraska at Omaha Artist, Sankyo Flutes & Hernandez Flutes. Who will present, Beauty Behind Walls of Horror: The Role of Music During The Holocaust
OPEN TO ALL
Beth El Synagogue, Beth Israel Synagogue, Temple Israel, The Chesed Fund, Jewish Federation of Omaha
For more info visit www.ihene.org

Tzedek Teens - JSERVE
2025-04-06 12:15 - 15:30 | NE
J-Serve: The International Day of Jewish Youth Service
Schedule of the afternoon:
12:15 p.m. Kosher Lunch at the Staenberg Omaha JCC
12:40 p.m. Bus ride and volunteer project at Town and Country Animal Rescue
Our time volunteering during the spring clean up will include: painting, folding and storing blankets and towels, organizing donations, creating enrichment activities for the animals, and socialization with dogs and cats.
3:30 p.m. Arrive by bus to the Staenberg Omaha JCC for pickup
Participants will receive a specially designed J-Serve Omaha sweatshirt and service learning hours for participating!
Do you have donations for the animal rescue like towels, blankets, dog or cat food, treats and animal toys?
Please bring any donations to the Staenberg Omaha JCC Main Entrance starting March 24th until the day of the project!

JFO NOSH
2025-03-30 15:00 - 17:00 | Champions Run, 13800 Eagle Run Drive, United States
The Jewish Federation of Omaha Women’s Philanthropy and Jewish Author Spring events are uniting this year for a lively, large-scale celebration of food, community, and connection. Featured author Micah Siva will showcase delicious Passover-inspired recipes from her cookbook, NOSH: Plant-Forward Recipes Celebrating Modern Jewish Cuisine. Learn more
Cost: $18
Enjoy cocktails, appetizers, and tastes from the food demo. Kosher options will be served.
RSVP NOW!

REGISTER Film & Friends - Programming for 55+
2025-03-21 13:00 - 15:30 | Alan J. Levine Performing Arts Theater, 333 S. 132nd St., Omaha, NE, 68154
Jewish Family Service invites you to free monthly movie showings at the Alan J. Levine Performing Arts Theater at the JCC.

March 21: “Field of Dreams” | 1 pm

Concessions will be available for purchase.
Register here!
