Nebraska Exhibit Tells Stories of Female Jewish Settlers

January 26, 2002

Source: Omaha World-Herald

On January 26, 2002, the Omaha World-Herald reported on an exhibit featuring the stories of Jewish women settlers in the Midwest and West. "The challenge for the Jewish homesteader went beyond the bleak, bony landscape and the unforgiving climate. These settlers strove to maintain their culture and customs without the structure and support of the close-knit communities left behind... 'They did the best they could,' said Rita Paskowitz, a professional storyteller and actress, speaking about the Jewish immigrant experience... She said her work with Jewish Family Service to resettle and establish modern-day immigrants from the former Soviet Union taught her to appreciate what people brought with them - simple objects, usually, and a wealth of memory for their recipes, verses, songs and prayers... The exhibit, starting its fourth year on the road, is more than a story of unpacking. It is a story that includes the daughters and granddaughters of those early homesteaders and how they settled in and built a foundation for their religious communities."