Joseph Telushkin to Present in Omaha Mark Kirchhoff, Program and Communications Assistant with comments from Alan Potash, CEO

The Jewish Federation of Omaha People Ask About is excited to bring to the Omaha that later turned into the community one of the most Nine Questions People Ask influential Jewish thinkers, About Judaism. What a scholars, and authors. CEO for novel idea to add another the Federation, Alan Potash question. shared, I have had the honor of “Along with the hearing him on several synagogues we invite the occasions and look forward community to hear from to his talk in Omaha at Rabbi Joseph Telushkin. Temple Israel on Thursday, There probably isn’t a April 20 at 7:00 p.m.” Jewish home that doesn’t have at least one of his Beginning in November of 2016 books on a book shelf. and extending through February Through the years his work 2017, Rabbi Steven Abraham of has been read, taught, and Beth El Synagogue taught weekly discussed in all corners of classes to two groups of the world. In his spare participants. The topic for these time he writes detective classes was Jewish ethics. The novels (these are also class used Rabbi Telushkin’s A worth reading). Code of Jewish Ethics, Volume 2, Love Your Neighbor as Yourself I first came to understand as the textbook. In addition to the influence of his work the broad topic of loving your when he and neighbor, the book presents wrote Eight Questions such topics as hospitality, visiting the sick, final kindness, tzedaka, book and astuteness in their Judaism’s attitude to animals, reflections. and numerous other topics. Much like the rabbi’s speaking Rabbi Joseph Telushkin was style, the book is filled with named by Talk magazine as one illustrative narrations – many of of the 50 best speakers in the them personal, that elucidate . He was ordained the topics in a straight-forward, at in New insightful manner. Following the York, and pursued graduate ethics classes, Rabbi Abraham studies in Jewish history at has been presenting a course on . He lectures Jewish wisdom, again using a throughout the United States, Teluskin book, Jewish Wisdom: serves as a Senior Associate of Ethical, Spiritual, and Historical CLAL (The National Jewish Lessons from the Great Works Center for Learning and and Thinkers. In his introduction Leadership), on the Board of to this 1994 book, Rabbi Directors of the Jewish Book Telushkin writes, “For many Council, and as spiritual leader of years, I also have written at the the Synagogue for the front of a book the page number Performing Arts in Los Angeles. of passages that I wish to recall, His two books (with Dennis along with a very brief summary Prager), The Nine Questions of their contents. These marked People Ask About Judaism and passages, drawn from some Why the Jews? The Reason for thirty-five hundred Jewish books have been widely in my home library, constitute a acclaimed as two of the most large percentage of the texts influential Jewish books of the cited in Jewish Wisdom.” past decade. His book, Jewish According to Rabbi Abraham, Literacy: The Most Important members of the two classes Things to Know About the Jewish have demonstrated their Religion, Its People and Its wisdom in the reading of the History has been hailed by leading figures in all the major movements of Judaism. A new June 2016 release, Rebbe: The edition was brought out in 2001. Life and Teachings of Menachem Jewish Literacy… has been the M. Schneerson, the Most primary supplementary resource Influential Rabbi in Modern book for the Jewish Federation History. of Omaha’s “Exploring Judaism” class for many years. Rabbi Telushkin’s 7:00 p.m. address at Temple Israel on April Rabbi Telushkin’s presence in 20th is open to the community at Omaha is an example of the no charge thanks also to the commitment the entire Jewish support of the Phillip & Terri community of Omaha has to Schrager Supporting Foundation Jewish learning. The Jewish and the Shirley & Leonard Federation of Omaha is proud to Goldstein Supporting present this evening in support Foundation. Please take this with Beth El Synagogue, Beth early notice of what will prove to Israel Synagogue, Chabad, and be an interesting and Temple Israel. Rabbi Telushkin is informative evening to mark sure to speak on a broad range your calendars. More of topics, in all likelihood importantly, attend and bring including comments from his a friend.