Norman Krivosha...A Shem Tov

 

Yesterday many of us attended the zoom funeral of a long-time friend and former congregant, the honorable Judge Norman Krivosha.  I always recognized that Norman’s greatness did not just lie in the fact that he occupied high positions in government, industry, and in the Jewish world. It’s true he was the chief justice of the supreme court of Nebraska from 1978-1987 . It’s true he served as a lay-leader on the United Synagogue’s Committee on law and standards for many years, helping produce the material that resulted in the movement’s Emet V’Emunah, the statement of Conservative Judaism’s principles. It is true he served the Ameritus Financial Corporation as its General Counsel.  Those positions reflected his attachment to the pursuit of truth and justice and his quest for maintaining Jewish traditions and scholarship.  What set Norman apart from many others who have attained such stature in their work, however, was that positive relationships dominated his life.

He was the loving father of two daughters whom he inspired to be independent thinkers and urged to follow their passions.  He created relationships with his two sons-in-law who thought of him as they would think of their own fathers.  He sustained a 65- year loving relationship with his wife, Helene, that included tending to her when her own health waivered a few years ago.  He was acutely aware of their love for one another and Helene's support of  his endeavors.

And basically, Norman  was a down-to-earth sort of guy.  Charlie and I would walk by his house frequently in Lincoln since he and Helene lived near our own home.  Norman would step out into his yard to chat with us after seeing us through his windows.  He and Helene opened their home to us for Shabbat dinners, supported our small synagogue by taking on leadership roles, and several years ago when he decided that he would not be buried in Lincoln near his parents, he contacted me to donate his burial plots to a family in need.  He did so anonymously and with great concern for the family that was faced in their sudden grief with needing a plot to bury their loved one. Norman was a true mensch. The twinkle in his eye and pleasant smile said it all!  He loved life.  May Norman’s memory be for a blessing.  May Helene, Teri, Rhonda, and their families all be comforted in the days and months ahead.