Rabbi Kenneth E. Ehrlich has been appointed Counselor to the President at HUC-JIR, after completing 31 distinguished years as Dean of its Cincinnati campus. In his new role, Dean Ehrlich will assume responsibility for special academic projects and will help raise the visibility and financial resources of the College-Institute through his work with benefactors, alumni, congregations, and foundations throughout the region. He assumes this new position on September 1, 2011. Rabbi Ehrlich noted, "It has been a privilege to serve as Dean of this campus. I am grateful to the scholars and teachers on our faculty who have shared with me their knowledge and their wisdom; to our students who have inspired me with their drive to learn and to serve; to our dedicated staff for their good work and their loyalty; and to our many friends, here and throughout the country, who endorse and support our efforts."

Gary L. Greenberg, a prominent attorney and communal leader of Cincinnati, OH, was inducted onto the Board of Governors of HUC-JIR at its meeting on June 13 in New York. Rabbi David Ellenson, HUC-JIR President, stated, "We are honored to welcome Gary Greenberg, a distinguished civic leader of the Cincinnati community. His legal expertise and extensive experience in professional and Jewish communal organizations will serve as a great source of assistance to the College-Institute. We look forward to his partnership in our shared mission to strengthen Reform Judaism and secure the Jewish future."

The Executive M.A. Program in Jewish Education at HUC-JIR, a program designed for educational professionals who seek advanced academic and professional training through a part-time program, launched its inaugural cohort of students on May 31, 2011 with a three-day intensive seminar on its Cincinnati campus that began their 24-month-long program of study. The newly established Executive M.A. Program in Jewish Education is made possible by the generous grant support of the Jim Joseph Foundation. The Jim Joseph Foundation has provided $15 million to HUC-JIR to increase the number and enhance the quality of Jewish educators working with Jewish youth and young adults through the development of new certificate and degree programs and training and mentoring new and practicing educational professionals over the next five years. The Executive M.A. Program allows the students to strengthen their skills and knowledge while continuing to live and work in their own communities throughout North America.

Rabbi Julie Pelc Adler, Director of the Berit Mila Program of Reform Judaism and the National Organization of American Mohalim at HUC-JIR's Jack H. Skirball Campus in Los Angeles, writes: It's an interesting time to be the Director of the Berit Mila Program of Reform Judaism. Since the program's inception, more than 300 new mohalim have been trained and certified to perform circumcisions in North America and throughout the world. In the years since the program began and throughout Jewish history there have been movements aimed to limit or abolish the rite of berit mila. San Francisco has always been on the forefront in many important Civil Rights movements. It is important to note that the anti-circumcision movement is not one of them. People of all religions, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds have sought new lives in San Francisco to advance the very frontiers of liberty-- including religious liberty. The proposed ordinance targets a well-established religious practice of Jews and Muslims and denies parents a right to make a fundamental decision about the religious, cultural, and ethnic upbringing of their children. It is not only un-American, it is profoundly un-San Franciscan."

The HUC-JIR/Jerusalem campus was greeted with more than 500 Israeli men and women for an all-night Tikkun Layl Shavuot, a joint program with Beit Shmuel (World Union for Progressive Judaism) and the Israel Religious Action Center of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism, with the support of the New Israel Fund. The evening began in the Blaustein Hall at the Jerusalem campus with a panel on "Families through the Lens of the Book of Ruth" and the successful opening was followed by workshops and text study led by members of the HUC-JIR administration.

On May 12, 2011, the Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Center for Pastoral Counseling at HUC-JIR/New York and NYU Silver School of Social Work co-sponsored an interfaith, interdisciplinary Roundtable exploring the growing impact that aging baby boomers will have upon society and the ways in which social service agencies and religious institutions will need to respond. Nineteen individuals, engaged as clergy, mental health professionals, social workers, social service providers, and funders, gathered to discuss issues of early aging (60-75). Participants at the Roundtable interacted through a series of brief presentations and focused discussions on issues ranging from kinship patterns and story to end-of-life decision making. The Roundtable ended with the participants generating a list of suggestions for next steps and further discussion.

Jews have been considered to be the religious group least supportive of the Tea Party. But at least one researcher thinks the community is warming up to the movement. "Historically, we've seen the community as being liberal, but now a counter voice is emerging," said Steven Windmueller of HUC-JIR. A recent Internet survey of Jews, conducted by Windmueller, found that about 42% thought the Tea Party movement was "refreshing" versus an equal percentage that found it "alarming." More support for the Tea Party idea came from Republicans, Orthodox Jews and males, and less from Democrats, Reform Jews and females. Even Windmueller cautioned that his study "does not permit one to make any defining conclusions." Nevertheless, Windmueller argues that his study shows "a distinctive Jewish conservative voice emerging on Israel-related matters and an array of domestic social issues" among "highly engaged Jews."

Rabbi Marci Bellows (HUC-JIR/NY '04) writes, "As fortunate as we Jews are, there are still many who are not able to live equally in peace or openness. It is our responsibility to ensure that freedom and justice are possible for all not just in the country at large, but also to ensure that this takes place on a state level. To that end, the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, together with the URJ Commission on Social Action, created a project a number of years ago called "Reform Jewish Voice of New York State," meant to advocate for the many issues relevant to residents of our fine state, and to offer meaningful local programming. Through the RJVNYS, 100 congregations are represented, totaling over 100,000 Reform Jews. Nationally, there is no other group like it."

Is Twitter a good medium for Judaism? Two articles were recently posted on the Web that took opposing viewpoints on this question. Donniel Hartman, President of the Shalom Hartman Institute and Director of the Engaging Israel Project, penned a critique titled "Judaism is not a Twitter-able Religion" in which he explained that the ideas of Judaism cannot be tweeted using the social networking site Twitter. An opposing viewpoint was blogged by Rabbi Ruth Abusch-Magder in a post (above) for HUC-JIR's Tzeh U'llimad. Both Rabbis Hartman and Abusch-Magder make valid points regarding Judaism in the 21st century. Hartman is correct that we shouldn't allow ourselves to water down Judaism into soundbites (or tweets). Our millenia-old Tradition should not be squeezed into 140-character messages. However, there are important opportunities to utilize Twitter (and other social networking sites) for the promotion of Judaism in positive ways. This medium shouldn't be quickly rejected as useless when it comes to bolstering Judaism and having our religion compete in an open marketplace of ideas.

HUC-JIR alumni are cordially invited to "Teaching Israel: Challenges and Opportunities" on Shabbat afternoon, July 9 at 4:30 pm, for an afternoon of learning, discussion, and community. The afternoon will begin a welcome in the library courtyard with Rabbi Naamah Kelman, Dean, HUC-JIR/Jerusalem. The program will continue with "Here and There" with Dr. Steven M. Cohen, Research Professor of Jewish Social Policy, and Dr. Dave Mendelsson, Head of Israel Studies; moderated by Rabbi Josh Zweiback, Director, Year-in-Israel Program. Small group discussions and learning will follow with Rabbi Dr. Marc Rosenstein, Director, Israel Rabbinical Program; Rabbi Dr. Dalia Marx, Assistant Professor of Liturgy and Midrash; Rabbi Dr. Michael Marmur, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Assistant Professor of Jewish Theology; and Rabbi Naamah Kelman. Seudah shlishit followed by Havdallah will be led by Rabbis Ken Chasen and Josh Zweiback. Please RSVP to Iris Ben-Zvi at IBen-Zvi@huc.edu

Shabbat services will be held on the following dates:

• June 2011: 18 and 25
• July 2011: 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30
• August 2011: 6 and 13

• Kehillat Har El, 16 Shmuel HaNagid, 054-4742314
• Kehillat Kol Haneshama, 1 Asher Street, 02-6724878
• Kehillat Mevakshei Derech, 22 Shai Agnon, 02-6792501