OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Barry Zoob is a regular at the Jewish Community Center. But this day, he made a point to visit the new Milton Mendel and Marsha Kleinberg Jewish Omaha Heritage Center.
"I didn't know how I would feel when I saw it when it opened," Zoob said. But it's spectacular."
The exhibit is a tour of Jewish history including the contributions of Jewish people in fields like science, medicine, arts and more.
"It talks about the early history of Jewish life in Omaha... The first groups of settlers that came here and how they established themselves," Jane Rips, executive director for the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society said.
One of the sections tells stories of Holocaust survivors who moved to Nebraska.
For Zoob, these stories are a connection to his family.
"It's so deeply rooted in our soul," Zoob said. "We tracked my great-grandparents back to the Holocaust. It brings back a lot of difficult memories. But also a lot of strength memories."
Rips said the center is more important now than ever.
"In Judaism, we are compelled to re-tell our stories. Like for example, at our Passover Seder every year, we tell the story of the exodus from Egypt... Every single year... So that our children and the next generation don't forget what our lives were like... what our history was like," Rips said.
"It's emotionally engaging. It tells the story of our history, not just Jewish culture in Omaha but Jewish culture in America," Zoob said.
This is a permanent exhibit. The JCC plans to invite schools and other groups to visit and learn about this history. It's completely free and open to the public.
