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Dispatches from the network and updates from the Foundation.
Oct 2015
Reposted with thanks to The Forward Sunday was the 12th of Cheshvan, a grim anniversary: 20 years since the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. He was shot on a Saturday night after the world’s synagogues read the Torah portion Lech Lecha, the first night of the week looking toward the next reading, VaYera, the “binding of Isaac.” But in real life, unlike in the biblical story of human sacrifice, no angel
Jews plan to land a spacecraft on the moon. Sounds like an Ephraim Kishon satire, a Mel Brooks screenplay or perhaps a Sholem Aleichem short story that could have been titled – “Yidden Shikn a Kleyn Shifl Tsu di Levona”. But this is no satire and, as time will tell, no fiction. This is the very serious goal of SpaceIL (pronounced Space-ai-el) — an Israeli NPO/NGO (non-profit/non-government organization), and one
Oct 2015
Collaboration begins with the assumption that everyone is a potential ally. Valley Beit Midrash and PJ Library in Phoenix recently joined forces based on the principle that we deliver more to the Jewish community as ALLIES than we could do alone. Our organizations are now partners in the Phoenix community for delivering educational content & programming to families, children and adults. Imagine our Jewish communities where we all view each
Oct 2015
I just returned from Belarus. I went back to my father’s hometown of Brest Litovsk, to shoot segments of a documentary, “Sacred Names”, that I have been working on for the past couple years. As I continue my discovery into this opaque part of my past, I started helping the local Jewish community to build a memorial. Out of the 32,000 Jews who lived in Brest during the war, only about
Oct 2015
One of my proudest triumphs in Jewish leadership may sound insignificant to some, but I am acutely aware of its impact. Wearing my lay leader kippah, I became the president of the JCC of Greater Ann Arbor in May 2014. Upon my installation, the wealthiest donor in our community approached me with a promise. The donor is a good man, enormously successful in his professional pursuits. He believes that, no
Oct 2015
Pictured from left to right: Amy Beren Bressman (NY/Sidley), Adam Beren (Chicago II-99, commuting from Wichita), Nancy Beren (Houston) and Julie Beren Platt (LA/Bear Stearns). In a recent conversation with WHA Nancy Beren (Houston), she mentioned in passing that her sisters and brother were ALL Wexner Heritage alumni. “How many are you?” I asked with an excited smile. “Four,” she answered. “What?” I said incredulously, “all four?” It dawned on me
Oct 2015
From left bottom up and around to right bottom: Jay Liberman, Greg Schwartz (spouse), Jason Schwartz, Paul Rubin (spouse), Howard Rubin (spouse), Ashley Grossfeld (spouse), Sue Schwartz, Staci Rubin, Melani Rubin, Manuel Rajunov, Debbie Rajunov (spouse), Zev Shulkin, Dan Feldman (spouse), Lindsay Feldman, Julie Liberman (spouse) “Dallas Wexners reunited last Saturday night to celebrate Sukkot in our sukkah. To honor the holiday brings a joy all its own, and to celebrate with fellow Wexner “brothers and sisters” elevated its significance through our shared experience and
Little did I know when I began working in the education department at the Columbus Museum of Art (CMA) in 1985 that my life as a Jew would be so greatly enriched by my burgeoning career path. This was the same year that I was a participant in the first-ever Wexner Heritage program. My identity as a Jew blossomed and grew exponentially through the Wexner experience. Simultaneously, I had opportunities
Oct 2015
In this week’s Torah portion Toldot we read an interesting yet strange story. Isaac is getting on with his years, and his eyes are dim. He wishes to bless Esau his son, and he tells him “bring me some food, and then I will bless you”. His wife Rebecca overhears the conversation, and in an effort to ensure that Jacob gets the blessing and not Esau she comes up with
Looking at Israel, from numerous vantage points, there is much to be concerned about. I founded The Sacred Rights, Sacred Song Project (SRSS) in 2010 with the mission to use choral music to spotlight abuses of power by narrow-minded religious authorities in Israel, with the goal of strengthening the voices of moderate democracy within our Jewish conversation. In the past 5 years, SRSS has done important work for the Modern