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OU President Stephen J. Savitsky To Visit Omaha’s Beth Israel Synagogue, 9/12-13

August 19, 2008

The Omaha trip will be the first visit of the 2008-2009 year for the New York-based OU leader in a tour of North American OU member congregations, as he brings the OU’s message far and wide. The tour will emphasize emerging Jewish communities; in the last year, Mr. Savitsky visited Vancouver, BC; St. Louis, MO; Charleston, SC; Highland Park, NJ; Southfield, MI; Atlanta, GA; Memphis, TN, and Oakland, CA.

Omaha was one of the featured places in the OU’s “Emerging Communities” Showcase that took place this past April in New York, and which highlighted vibrant Jewish localities across the United States and Canada.

On Friday night in Omaha, Mr. Savitsky will speak at a dinner for the Beth Israel board and past presidents given especially in his honor. The topic will be “The Beth Israel/OU Partnership: An Open Discussion with President Savitsky.” On Shabbat morning, Mr. Savitsky will speak about “The OU: Our Mission,” while after lunch, he will discuss, “Our Voices, Our Votes: Perspectives on Israel, Jerusalem and Election ’08.” Finally, Mr. Savitsky will speak on “Can One Man Make a Difference?” at Seudah Shlishit.

Rabbi Gross declared, “Beth Israel is very proud to be an OU synagogue. In previous generations, our membership sacrificed to ensure that Beth Israel maintained the standards and integrity of an OU membership shul– the Gold Standard for an Orthodox synagogue. This visionary achievement established the foundation upon which our present burgeoning community is built.”

For more information on Mr. Savitsky’s visit, and for locations of future visits, contact Rabbi Bini Maryles, Director of the Pepa and Rabbi Joseph Karasick Department of Synagogue Services, at 212-613-8226.