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Dispatches from the network and updates from the Foundation.
May 2014
In honor of Shavuot, when you may have some extra time to study, here is a Dvar Torah by WGFA Rabbi Shai Held (Class 7) about something most of us do: bless people. It was originally sent out by Mechon Hadar, an organization founded by three Wexner Graduate Fellowship Alumni, as a weekly email. To download a recording, click here. To subscribe to Shai’s weekly dvar, click here. Pictured above:
The following address was given last night at the Class 27 Graduate Fellowship Orientation by WGFA Shaul Kelner (Class 8, and Chairman of The Wexner Graduate Fellowship and Davidson Scholars Selection Committee): This Shabbat we begin reading B’midbar, the sociologists’ parashah — when my colleagues and I all get a special aliyah, and we claim Biblical mandate for our work: “On the first day of the second month, in the second
This week Ukraine happens to be off the front pages, but the Jewish communities continue to be concerned about provocations, particularly from pro-Russian militants or secret agents ahead of the elections scheduled for May 25. Accordingly, they are forming teams of “shomrim” – quick response units, which are dedicated to ensure the safety of Jews and Jewish sites in Kiev. If you would like to learn more about their efforts
I wanted to let the Wexner network know about something special we are hosting at the Shalom Hartman Institute on June 12, 2014. We’ll be holding a one-day iEngage conference for rabbis, educators, board chairs, and Jewish communal professionals. Faculty from diverse disciplines including Wexner alumni Jill Jacobs (Class 11), Ethan Tucker (Class 11), and Yehuda Kurtzer (Class 15), President of SHI North America, will address such questions as: How does the
May 2014
Throughout my life, I have listened to the stories my grandmother has shared of her Jewish life in New York City growing up in the 1930s. I have listened to the tales my mother has told about growing up in Brooklyn in the 1950s. I’ve reflected on how their experiences were similar to and different from my own Jewish life growing up on Long Island in the 1990s. Three generations
May 2014
WHA’s from East Bay 10: Lisa Sadikman, Nicki Gilbert, Julie Matlof Kennedy, Michael Sosebee , Mark Hoffman WHA’s from East Bay…
May 2014
Reprinted with permission from Sh’ma: A Journal of Jewish Ideas (www.shma.com) May 2014 issue, as part of a larger conversation about self and community. How can it be that the most narcissistic, self-absorbed, self-indulgent, materialistic generation that the world has ever known is also capable of causing social revolutions in any number of countries and mobilizing the masses in countless political campaigns — perhaps even saving the planet from environmental
May 2014
The visit of Pope Francis to Israel on May 25 – 26 will mark an important milestone in the deepening relationship between the Catholic Church, Israel , and the Jewish people. In 1965, the Second Vatican Council adopted Nostra Aetate (“In our time”), a statement of doctrine which rejected the charge of deicide, condemned all forms of anti-Semitism, and reaffirmed the permanence of spiritual relationship between God and historic Israel. But
May 2014
Pictured: Wexner Service Corps members prepare a greenhouse for an organic garden at a local community center. Click here to watch a brief video and learn more about the Wexner Service Corps. I am grateful for a very rewarding and beautiful completion of our Wexner Service Corps year (you can see all of my WSC posts here).Today, we had our final volunteering session. We went to St. Stephens Community Center
It was a snowy day in February, but that did not deter forty Jewish communal professionals and rabbis from coming together for a retreat sponsored by The Wexner Graduate Fellowship Alumni Collaboration Grants created in partnership with the Jim Joseph Foundation. In Philadelphia, a team of Wexner Graduate Fellowship alumni convened a day of learning and sharing of professional expertise stretching across denominational lines and loyalties. When the call for Wexner