Donor Stories

Our donors, and the beneficiaries of their generosity, have stories to share.

Read their inspiring stories below:

 

Benjamin and Anna Wiesman

Wiesman Family Continues to Generously “Give Back”

For many years the Benjamin and Anna Wiesman family has had a strong connection to the Jewish community.
Anne and Arthur Grossman

Grossman Charitable Remainder Trust Established By Dedicated Volunteers to Provide Scholarships to Jewish Youth

Anne and Arthur Grossman, of blessed memory, shared a deep love and commitment to Omaha’s Jewish community.
Robin and Bennett Greenspan

Greenspan’s Strong Connection to Omaha Ensures Jewish History for Generations

“You know, you can take the boy out of Omaha but you really can’t take Omaha out of the boy,” Bennett Greenspan said.  The son of Bud and Rosalie Greenspan, Bennett was born and raised in Omaha, and now lives with his family in Houston.  
Sandy and Stuart Kutler

Generous Kutler Gift Ensures Meaningful BBYO Experiences & Encourages Others to Do the Same

Fond memories of their years as BBYO members left a lasting impression on Sandy and Stuart Kutler. Stuart said that BBYO gave him the opportunity to develop his social and leadership skills and helped build his confidence.
Etta and Harold “Bae” Epstein

Epstein Brothers Honor Parents by Providing Security for the Jewish Community

Etta and Harold “Bae” Epstein were blessed to share 70 years of marriage, three sons, Paul, Gary and Steven, their love of the Jewish community and their generosity to both the Jewish and secular communities.  

Greenberg Bequest Makes the World a Better Place – No Place for Hate®

Caryl and Bucky Greenberg shared a strong commitment to Omaha, and to the youth in the community.

Annie and Alan Fleishmann

Annie and Alan Fleishman

It all started in a bowling alley many years ago. Dorothy Ann “Annie” Blair, born and raised in Webb, Iowa, first met Alan Fleishman, the Omaha native, when they both were bowling in invitational leagues.

Bernie & Roie Meyers

In a loving tribute to their parents, Bernie and Roie Meyers, Vicki Perlmeter, Bruce and Mike Meyers established the Meyers Family Legacy of Laughter Endowment Fund at the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation.

Ephraim Marks

Ephraim Marks grew up in a poor immigrant family, worked his way through Creighton University, graduating law school in 1932, then served in the Army during World War II.

Lenore Aronson

In 1997, the late Bob Aronson honored the memory of his mother, Lenore Aronson, when he established the Lenore Simon Aronson Educational Fund, commemorating her college education and teaching career.

Marty Ricks

Marty Ricks established his legacy at the Foundation through his 14 years of dedicated service, and he is also leaving a lasting financial legacy to Omaha's Jewish community by establishing a Perpetual Annual Campaign Endowment (PACE) fund with the Foundation.

Milton & Corinne Livingston

The Milton S. & Corinne N. Livingston Foundation, Inc., a long-standing independent philanthropic foundation in Omaha, ceased operations as a private foundation and became a donor-advised fund of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation.
Phil and Ruth Sokolof

Phil and Ruth Sokolof

Phil Sokolof always said he made two journeys in his life — one as a successful business man and the other as a crusader striving to improve the lives of others. Those journeys merged in Sokolof's legacy to the Foundation through a three million dollar bequest.

Rose Lillian Fine

Rose Lillian Fine, who passed away in 2009, left a bequest that included instructions to establish three Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation endowment funds to benefit Omaha's Jewish community.
Stanford Lipsey

Stanford Lipsey

Throughout his life, Stanford Lipsey described himself as, “just a little kid from Omaha.” In fact, he was an award winning publisher, community leader, photographer, philanthropist, and visionary.

Steve & Patty Nogg

To honor the memories of loved ones, Steve and Patty Nogg established three endowment funds at the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation, and made arrangements to create future endowment funds to support the Jewish Federation of Omaha in perpetuity.
Rodick Young Family

The Leo and Frances Rodick Memorial Fund

Frances Rubinstein and Leo Rodick were among the many thousands of people who went to a Displaced Persons camp after World War 11. Frances, who was originally from Poland, survived the concentration camps of Bergen Belsen, Auschwitz and Majdanek.
Jule Newman

Jule Newman

Jule Newman had what most would consider an impossible dream. As he told his young bride-to-be, Esther Kaplan, he would someday own a chain of grocery stores.