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1120 20th Street NW, Suite 300N Washington, D.C. 20036

info@bnaibrith.org

202-857-6600

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The first Omaha Jewish Reunion offered an opportunity for reflection on the history of the small but vibrant Jewish community in Omaha, Neb. 

B’nai B’rith International was a galvanizing force for Omaha Jews at the turn of the 20th century, and remains a leader in the community of nearly 5,500.

An article on the history and accomplishments of the community was written by The World-Herald in the lead-up to the reunion, and appears on Omaha.com.

Read an excerpt from the story, below:



[…]

The first Jews arrived in Omaha soon after the city’s founding in the mid-19th century. Today the community numbers about 5,500, and its history is intertwined with much of the rest of Omaha.

Henry Monsky, who became international president of the Jewish fraternal and service group B’nai B’rith, played an important role in helping Father Edward Flanagan start what became a famous Omaha home for youths.

Monsky, a lawyer, is widely believed to be the anonymous donor who loaned the Catholic priest $90 to pay the home’s first monthly rent. Boys Town today considers Monsky, who remained a supportive friend of Father Flanagan, to be one of its “founding fathers.”