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Irwin Engelman Inducted as Chairman of HUC-JIR Board of Governors
Irwin Engelman was inducted as the Chairman of the HUC-JIR Board of Governors on Monday, March 22 at HUC-JIR/Los Angeles. A member of the Board of Governors since 2005 and prominent Jewish communal leader, Mr. Engelman has spent his career in executive level management positions, frequently serving in senior roles at major corporations that were going through periods of dynamic and profound change. He succeeds Barbara Friedman, who served as Chair since January 1, 2007. "Irwin Engelman is a passionate advocate for the College-Institute's mission of preparing leaders for the Reform Movement and the Jewish people," said Rabbi David Ellenson, HUC-JIR President. "His expertise in finance, extensive experience leading institutional change, and commitment to the Jewish future are a source of tremendous guidance and support as we begin the implementation of our new strategic plan that will advance our mission as the academic, spiritual, and professional leadership development center of Reform Judaism." More...
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Lynn Magid Lazar Inducted onto HUC-JIR Board of Governors
Lynn Magid Lazar, President of the Women of Reform Judaism, was inducted onto HUC-JIR Board of Governors on Monday, March 22 at HUC-JIR/Los Angeles. Lazar was installed as WRJ President at the WRJ's 47th assembly in November 2009. She joined the WRJ Board of Directors in 1993, served as Chair of the Youth Committee and WRJ Treasurer (1997-99), was Vice President for the Departments of Programming and Advocacy and Service to Sisterhoods and Districts, served as the program Chair for the WRJ 44th Assembly in Minnesota, and was first Vice President (2005 - 2009). Born and raised in Cumberland, MD, Lazar graduated from Goucher College and earned the M.Ed. from the University of Pittsburgh. She worked with blind and visually impaired children as an orientation and mobility specialist. She is currently co-owner of an aerobic exercise franchise and teaches classes as a certified instructor. More...
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James E. Bowley Inducted onto HUC-JIR Board of Governors
James E. Bowley was inducted onto HUC-JIR Board of Governors on Monday, March 22 at HUC-JIR/Los Angeles. Bowley received his Doctor of Philosophy in Hebraic and Cognate Studies (1992) and his Master of Philosophy in Hebraic and Cognate Studies(1990) from HUC-JIR/Cincinnati. He is the Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Millsaps College in Jackson, MS, teaching courses in biblical studies, Abrahamic traditions, and religion and literature. Bowley has served on various Boards, providing leadership and sharing his administrative experience. From 2005 to 2009, he was the President of HUC-JIR's School of Graduate Studies Alumni Society. Bowley has been awarded many grants, awards, and honors in his field, most recently, the 2009 Dead Sea Scrolls Foundation Research Grant. He is widely published and has presented at scholarly presentations, educational presentations, and seminars. More...
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Pesach Project in the Former Soviet Union
Fourteen Year-In-Israel HUC-JIR students will be traveling to Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus to conduct Passover seders and engage the renascent Jewish communities -- from early childhood to the elderly -- in Jewish learning, worship, and heritage. Allison Tick and Molly Plotnick are the student coordinators of this effort, which has raised $31,000 in grants to underwrite the program, and is organized in partnership with the World Union for Progressive Judaism. For more about the Pesach Project, please go to http://www.pesachproject.com. More...
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GLBT-oriented Haggadah
In 2008, JQ International and HUC-JIR's Institute for Judaism & Sexual Orientation collaborated to develop this wonderful Seder. The goal was to create a comprehensively GLBT-oriented Haggadah and GLBT Passover experience that attempts to bridge traditional and modern, old and new, historical and contemporary. They sought to create a text that was inclusive on many levels, offering leaders a great degree of flexibility regarding the essence of their Seder. Please click here to visit the Jeff Herman Virtual Resource Center and view the Haggadah. More...
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Understanding Them, Understanding Ourselves: InterSem 2010
Jaclyn Fromer, a second-year rabbinical student at HUC-JIR, writes: "InterSem - a two day interfaith retreat at the beautiful Steve Breuer Conference Center on the Camp Hess Kramer campus in Malibu - was founded in 1971 as an annual gathering of Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant seminary students as an opportunity to step outside the daily grind and taste a different form of interfaith dialogue. Its purpose is to foster authentic and meaningful interactions between its participants; for students of various religious backgrounds to learn and grow from each other while sharing common space. The retreat was a chance to look more closely, and from varied angles, at different religious practices while articulating passions and struggles within one's own faith. It espoused the virtues of tolerance and respect, and promoted the necessity for building bridges across the religious divide." More...
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Berit Mila Program of Reform Judaism Certified Dr. Felipe Ojeda, the First Liberal Mohel in Spain
This month, the Berit Mila Program of Reform Judaism proudly certified the very first liberal mohel in Spain. Dr. Felipe Ojeda is a prominent surgeon and head of the department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at the General Hospital of Granollers (Barcelona, Spain). He is a member of the progressive Bet Shalom congregation of Barcelona. The Berit Milah Board has trained and certified hundreds of liberal mohalim now serving communities throughout North America and the world. Dr. Ojeda was honored last week for this accomplishment at the World Union of Progressive Judaism conference. More...
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National Leadership Symposium to Honor Dr. Norman J. Cohen, Provost Emeritus, HUC-JIR
"Moses and the Journey to Leadership: Visions for the 21st Century" -- A National Symposium Honoring Dr. Norman J. Cohen" will take place across HUC-JIR's stateside campuses on Sunday, April 18, 2010. The program will take place at 1 pm on the New York and Cincinnati campuses, and at 10 am on the Los Angeles campus - with the presentations and discussion nationally linked through HUC-JIR's e-classroom technology. Organized in tribute to Dr. Norman Cohen, Provost Emeritus and Professor of Midrash, the symposium will feature a keynote address by Dr. Cohen on Moses and leadership. Distinguished faculty scholars will respond in a national dialogue, live from their campuses in New York, Cincinnati, and Los Angeles, on leadership in the American Jewish community and preparing HUC-JIR's students for their leadership roles. The participants include Rabbi David Ellenson, President; I.H. and Anna Grancell Professor of Jewish Religious Thought; Rabbi Jerome Davidson, National Coordinator of Leadership Initiatives, New York; Rabbi Sam Joseph, Professor of Jewish Education and Leadership Development, Cincinnati; and Professor Sara Lee, Director Emerita, Rhea Hirsch School of Education, Los Angeles. A special reception for alumni, students, and friends will take place at 2:30 pm in New York at the conclusion of the symposium. At 2:45 pm in Cincinnati, there will be a panel discussion with leaders of the Cincinnati Jewish Community on "Cincinnati's Jewish Community: Past, Present, Future." To register for the symposium, please contact: Cincinnati: jgreer@huc.edu; Los Angeles: mrousson@huc.edu; New York: aglazer@huc.edu. If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to the Dr. Norman J. Cohen Chair, please visit http://huc.edu/support/ncohen_chair or send your check to: Dr. Norman J. Cohen Chair, HUC-JIR, One West 4th Street, Room 418, New York, NY 10012. For questions, please call Eve Starkman at 212-824-2285. More...
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How to Perk Up Passover's Plagues? Twitter, Charades and 'Jewpardy' - The Wall Street Journal
Rabbi Oren Hayon (HUC-JIR/Cincinnati '04) launched a two-week project, Tweet the Exodus, to re-enact the Passover story on Twitter with fellow Rabbis. And Rabbi Hayon thinks he has just the way to integrate this 21st century TV contest into the ancient tale. Building on a growing movement to add a bit of fun to the plagues and pestilence, he has recruited a handful of fellow rabbis to act out the Passover story in 140-character Twitter messages, accessible at www.twitter.com/tweettheexodus. The idea is to immerse Jews in the age-old text by giving it a modern spin, connecting the trials of the past with the touchstones of the present. More...
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Jewish Groups Work to Fight 'Food Deserts' - Los Angeles Times
Activists from major Jewish organizations focused on what they see as a modern injustice afflicting their fellow Angelenos, marking Passover with a new push to bring quality grocery markets and healthful food to underserved neighborhoods such as East Los Angeles. Jewish community groups aim to broaden the growing local and national campaigns to attract more supermarkets to poor neighborhoods, where limited access to healthful food has been linked to obesity, diabetes and other diseases. The issue has landed on the agenda of First Lady Michelle Obama, who announced a goal to eliminate food deserts within seven years as part of her initiative against childhood obesity. Ilana Schachter, 26, a rabbinical student at HUC-JIR, said the food desert issue was a natural one for Jews, whose traditions are rooted in social justice and religious rituals nearly always involving food -- challah on Sabbath, latkes on Hanukkah, apples and honey on Rosh Hashana, matzo and bitter herbs on Passover. Passover in particular, she said, calls Jews not only to recount their own oppression in Egypt but also to connect it to modern-day struggles against injustice. More...
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Israel by Israelis, Part I: My Homeland, My Self - Reform Judaism Magazine
Israeli Reform Jews-some born in Israel, some via aliyah-share their stories about the agony and the ecstasy of living in this still young and struggling Jewish state. The respondents-many of whom are students, alumni, and faculty of HUC-JIR worldwide-provide thoughtful answer to questions like: "What does it mean to you to be a Jew living in the State of Israel?" What does it mean to you to be a Reform Jew living in Israel? Has Reform Judaism become more accepted among Israelis? How is the experience of living as a Jew different in Israel than in your former country? Are there aspects of Jewish life in your former country you wish you had now in Israel, as well as aspects of Jewish life in Israel you wish your former country would emulate? What do you like most and/or least about living in Israel? More...
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Female Rabbis Find Field Still Not Level - Cleveland Jewish News
The Reform movement became the first denomination in American Jewry to ordain women when HUC-JIR ordained Cleveland-born Sally Priesand in 1972. The Reconstructionist and Conservative Movements followed by ordaining women in 1974 and 1985 respectively. Since then, increasing numbers of women have occupied leadership positions in Jewish organizations. A 2004 study commissioned by the Rabbinical Assembly found that female rabbis earned an average of $42,000 less than male rabbis. The average salary for rabbis ordained since 1985 was $119,000 for men and $77,000 for women. Even when size of the synagogue and numbers of hours worked were statistically controlled, female rabbis were paid less than their male counterparts. Women were also less likely to serve as senior rabbis or to work full-time, the survey found. More...
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Charleston Synagogue Gets First Female Rabbi - The State: South Carolina's Homepage
This July, Charleston's Reform synagogue, Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim, will welcome the city's first female rabbi: Stephanie Alexander (HUC-JIR/New York '03). KKBE's current rabbi, Anthony Holz, is retiring at the end of July. After months of interviews and consultations, the congregation selected 34-year-old Alexander to replace him. "I think she's going to be a very positive asset," KKBE temple educator Amy Horner said. "The fact that we've chosen a women indicates that we are committed to moving forward. I think that commitment to moving forward is probably exciting for young families." Women in the rabbinate are not new, nor are they limited to the most progressive of Judaism's four main denominations. "Women have always had some sort of power within Judaism," Horner said. Since 1972, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) has ordained 582 women rabbis. Since 1975, it has invested 184 as cantors. More...
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Reston Synagogue Selects Michael G. Holzman as Next Rabbi - Herndon Connection
Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation (NVHC) in Reston has announced the appointment of Michael Garret Holzman as the synagogue's next rabbi. An inspirational and compassionate spiritual leader, Rabbi Holzman has a strong commitment to lifelong Jewish education, youth programming and social action and is known for his innovative, energetic and successful approaches to making Judaism accessible and exciting to all. He was ordained in 2003 at HUC-JIR/New York and is a 1995 graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, MO. Prior to rabbinic school, he worked for three years as a paralegal specialist with the Environmental Crimes Section of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, DC. He is also the editor of a collection of essays entitled, "The Still Small Voice: Reflections on Being a Jewish Man" (URJ Press, 2008). More...
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Egypt Cancels Ceremony for Restored Synagogue - CNN World
Egypt has canceled the opening ceremony for a restored historic synagogue in Cairo in retaliation for restrictions that Israel has placed on a Muslim holy site in Jerusalem, an Egyptian official said Sunday. The event would have been the culmination of an 18-month restoration of the Rav Moshe synagogue and a 12th-century religious school once used by one of Judaism's most revered figures, a $2 million project that was financed by the Egyptian government. Rabbi Andrew Baker (HUC-JIR/New York '77), an American Jewish Committee official who worked with the Egyptian government on the restoration project said he wasn't surprised that the opening event for the synagogue was canceled. "The Egyptians appreciate the positive reaction internationally for the restoration work, but they are very cautious of how it plays with a segment of the Egyptian population," he said. "They are showing the domestic audience that they are still critics of Israel." More...
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Restoring the Torah, Refreshing the Faith: Vassar Temple Begins Scroll Project - Poughkeepsie Journal
Vassar Temple is mobilizing its entire 700-member congregation to participate in restoring three of its five Torah scrolls in a meaningful and memorable way. Throughout the six-month project, the congregants will not only help ink in the distinctive Hebrew letters on the physical parchment of the scrolls, but meditate on the importance of the sacred scripture in their lives. Rabbi Paul Golomb of Vassar Temple (HUC-JIR/New York '75) said the meaning of the word "Torah" is "to aim" when translated from Hebrew to English. "The idea of Torah is aiming you in the right direction," he said. The scrolls at Vassar Temple are used on a regular basis - about three times a week - during the religious services, Golomb said. And just like a car going into the shop for routine maintenance, he said, the Torah scrolls need to be taken care of. One of the scrolls dates back more than 160 years. More...
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HUC-JIR is proud of our accomplished faculty:
Reuven Firestone, Medieval Jewish and Islamic Studies professor at HUC-JIR, discusses his new book, "Who Are the Chosen People? The Meaning of Chosenness in Judaism, Christianity and Islam," which analyzes the covenant established in the Torah as well as the relationship between the religions' scriptures. Thursday, March 25, 7:30-9 pm. Free. Temple Beth Am, 1039 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 652-7354, ext. 215. For more info, please visit tbala.org.
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Haim O. Rechnitzer, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Jewish Thought at HUC-JIR/Cincinnati, was invited by Eastern Michigan University - Honors College to give a lecture on Hebrew Poetry and Mysticism on Monday, March 22. He discussed how modern Hebrew poets meld allusions to classical, canonical religious sources into mystical texts.
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New at the HUC-JIR Judaica Gallery in New York
This exquisitely handcrafted Miriam Cup comes from the studio of renowned glass and metal artist, Linda Gissen. A gently molded bronze Miriam is holding a large vibrantly painted glass of people standing in unity. The cup is a unique and beautiful reminder of Miriam's resourcefulness in providing water for the Israelites in the desert. Enhance your Seder table with female presence this Passover. $750, plus shipping and handling. To purchase, please contact: 212-824-2218, museumnyc@huc.edu.
Please click the icon to the left for a larger image.
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Founded in 1875, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion is the nation's oldest institution of
higher Jewish education and the academic, spiritual, and professional development center of Reform Judaism.
HUC-JIR educates men and women for service to American and world Jewry as rabbis, cantors, educators, and
communal service professionals and offers graduate and post-graduate degree programs for scholars of all faiths.
With campuses in Cincinnati, Los Angeles, New York, and Jerusalem, HUC-JIR's scholarly resources comprise
renowned library, and museum collections, the American Jewish Archives, biblical archaeology
excavations, research centers and institutes, and academic publications. HUC-JIR invites the community to an array
of cultural and educational programs that illuminate Jewish history, culture, and contemporary creativity, and
foster interfaith and multi-ethnic understanding.
Visit us at
www.huc.edu.
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