Shabbat Shalom!
Next Thursday we celebrate Yom Ha’ Atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day. I still remember vividly my first trip to Israel. I was fortunate to have been selected as part of United Jewish Appeal’s inaugural College Cabinet. Part of that experience included traveling to Israel for two weeks during my junior year at the University of Kansas. Members of the newly established College Cabinet joined the Young Leadership Cabinet for an incredible journey to the Jewish homeland. Needless to say, this is a part of my life- long love affair with Israel and the Federation system.
As I grew older, I began to appreciate a deeper personal connection to the state. My great, great grandfather, Shalom Ouannou, was a Moroccan Zionist who had emigrated to what was then Palestine in 1870 and married Esther Ha’Kohen. It is family lore that at the destruction of the second Temple in 72 AD her family settled in Shefr’am, never leaving for the Diaspora. So as you can see my roots in Israel are deep.
I went back to Israel most recently last November. Each time I go, the growth amazes me. In the 1960’s the famous Broadway composer Jerry Herman wrote a little-known musical about the State of Israel aptly named “Milk and Honey” the title song shares the same name. As my plane landed at Ben Gurion, this song hit my playlist and I was taken back to those who helped make Israel the beacon that it is today.
“This is the land of milk and honey. This is the land of sun and song. And this is a world of good and plenty. Humble and proud and young and strong. And this is the place where the hopes of the homeless and the dreams of the lost combine. This is the land that Heaven blessed, and this lovely land is mine.”
Yes, Israel is not perfect. We don’t always agree with her policies, and often there are large disagreements even amongst Jews as to the future of its borders. However, this week let’s celebrate! Let us celebrate the Zionists that laid its Foundation, let us celebrate its existence as a safe haven, let us celebrate those who flooded its doors before and after its statehood as they sought a new life. And let us celebrate the land – the land of Milk and Honey.
There are many ways to celebrate this coming week both locally and nationally. Below you will find information on the amazing programming the LJCC has in store for the community. Additionally, Jewish Federations of North America will be hosting the final farewell address of Israel’s tenth President: Reuven Rivlin in a virtual celebration of Israel’s 73rd birthday. The event will also feature Israeli Olympic-gold-medal-hopefuls and Jewish athletes from around the world who are on their way to Tokyo this summer for the Olympic Games. Join us on Thursday, April 15 at 7 PM ET for a celebration our Jewish homeland in a new way. Please click here to register http://jfeds.org/Israel73.
Also, below you will find information on the State of Alabama’s Yom Ha Shoah programming which will be live-streamed this Sunday featuring the rededication of the Anne Frank Tree in Kelly Ingram Park.
I close as always by wishing you a restful Shabbat and a week of peace.
B’Shalom,
Danny
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See your Federation dollars at work! |
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The Levite Jewish Community Center is bringing the Birmingham community four ways to celebrate Israel's 73rd birthday. There is no need to leave the comfort of your home to celebrate Yom Ha'Atzmaut in 2021 - we are bringing Israel to you! For more information on any of the below programs visit their website. These programs are brought to you in part by the Birmingham Jewish Federation and Birmingham Jewish Foundation.
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-- Special Farewell Address by His Excellency Reuven Rivlin, President of Israel --
On Thursday, April 15 at 7 PM ET The Jewish Federations of North America, the Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Hayesod and additional partners will host a one-hour virtual event to mark Israel’s 73rd Independence Day. The event will begin with a farewell address by His Excellency Reuven Rivlin, President of Israel, and include a look back on his legacy as the Jewish State’s 10thPresident. It will also feature special appearances by Israeli Olympic-gold-medal-hopefuls who are on their way to Tokyo this summer, Jewish athletes from around the world and more.
9 Reasons to Register for this Global Celebration of Israel
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His Excellency Reuven Rivlin, President of Israel will deliver his final farewell to the Diaspora community and viewers will look back on his legacy.
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Mark Wilf, Minnesota Vikings Owner and Chair of JFNA Board of Trustees will give welcoming remarks and discuss how his passions for sports, Israel and the Jewish community connect.
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Amar’e Stoudemire, six-time NBA All-Star and player development assistant for the New York Knicks will join the virtual 73-hoops challenge with the students of the National Hillel Basketball Tournament to celebrate Israel’s 73rd birthday.
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Meet Linoy Ashram, 2021 Olympic rhythmic gymnast sensation, gold medalist at the 2021 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup, and first Israeli to win the gold medal in the Individual All-Around Event at the 2020 European Championships, and
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Marhu Teferi, 2021 Olympic marathon runner and holder of Israeli records in both the half-marathon and marathon.
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Noa Tishby, Israeli actress and producer of the Emmy-winning drama “In Treatment” on HBO will offer greetings and invite you to a talk discussion about her new book.
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Yonina, the Israeli-American husband and wife musical duo will perform.
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Learn the story of Agnes Keleti, a 100-year-old Hungarian-Israeli gymnast and Holocaust survivor with ten Olympic medals, and
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a gang of motorcyclists, who recruited Jewish athletes and brought them to Tel Aviv to compete during the perilous time before World War II.
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Yemenite Culture in Conversation
April 18 @ 11 AM
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Join the city of Rosh Ha'ayin, Israel, for a fun and interactive celebration of Yemenite culture - with a special look at Yemenite history, food, and music/dance – on Sunday, April 18, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. CDT/7:00 p.m. Israeli time. (This event will be held in English.)
Attendees will get a special tour of Rosh Ha'ayin's famed Yemenite museum, from curator Yiska Rave. Chochi Araya will help participants explore the world of Yemenite dance, and Sharon Meydani (who has taught Yemenite recipes to two James Beard Award-winning chefs) will teach attendees how to make Yemenite breads. (Recipes will be provided to attendees.)
This event is jointly hosted by the Rosh Ha'ayin Partnership2Gether Steering Committee, the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, and the Birmingham Jewish Federation, in partnership with the Jewish Agency for Israel's Partnership2Gether program.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
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The Birmingham Holocaust Education Center (BHEC) is seeking an Executive Director. The Executive Director is a key management leader with overall operational responsibility for overseeing the strategic planning, programming, revenue development, and day-to-day administration of the organization. The ideal candidate will require experience in the following areas, including a strong track record in fundraising and resource development, marketing, and community outreach. The position reports directly to the Board of Directors.
To read more, you can visit their website here.
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Jserve Run4Friendship Color Run
April 11 @ 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
J-Serve and The Birmingham Jewish Federation
Since 2005, J-Serve has provided teens with a unique opportunity to band together through service as a united global network committed to fulfilling the Jewish values of gemilut chasidim, acts of loving kindness, tzedakah, just and charitable giving, and tikkun olam, the responsibility to repair the world. This year we are teaming up with Friendship Circle of Alabama for a Color4Friendship Color Run.
The Color4Friendship Run is a 1 mile, un-timed event in which “Color Runners”, are doused from head to toe in different colors at different points throughout the mile. We are running to proclaim love, inclusion, and friendship for all people, regardless of any disability, emotional or physical, one may have.
Yom HaAtzmaut: Virtual Tour of Israel
April 11 @ 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
LJCC
The LJCC invites the community to travel with us to Eretz Yisrael (The Land of Israel). Julian Resnick will be our guide as we virtually tour a few of Israel’s most popular sites and secret gems. After the virtual tour, Julian will host a live question and answer session from his home in Israel. This special program is part of our week-long Israel To-GO Yom HaAtzmaut celebration.
Julian is a highly respected Israeli tour guide who has guided many trips for Birmingham groups in the past. Don’t miss your chance to learn about Israel from one of the best tour guides in the business. Register here!
Alabama Holocaust Day of Remembrance
April 11 @ 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
The Birmingham Jewish Federation,
& Alabama Holocaust Commission
The Holocaust Days of Remembrance (Yom HaShoah) solemnly observes the memory of the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust and honors our Alabama survivors and their families. This year’s meaningful program will feature various speakers including Governor Kay Ivey, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, and Pastor Chris Edmonds, son of World War II hero Master Sgt. Roddie Edmonds, whose fearless bravery saved the lived of Jewish American soldiers in a prisoner of war camp in Germany. Edmonds recently received the designation of Righteous among the Nations from Yad Vashem.
The program will feature the rededication of a newly planted Anne Frank Tree in Birmingham’s Kelly Ingram Park. Anne Frank, a young Jewish victim of the Holocaust who is famous for keeping a diary of her experiences, often looked out upon a large horse chestnut tree in the garden as she and her family hid from Nazi capture. For her, the tree symbolized freedom as well as nature, which she longed to enjoy once again. In this spirit, we will hold the Anne Frank Tree Rededication at Kelly Ingram Park. The new tree, an American beech, will replace the horse chestnut tree planted 11 years ago. Learn more!
"The New Jewish Canon”:
A Conversation about Contemporary Judaism
April 13 @ 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Temple Beth-El
The late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries have been a period of mass production and proliferation of Jewish ideas, and have witnessed major changes in Jewish life and stimulated major debates. Join this class to talk about the book, “The New Jewish Canon,” which came out this year in July. This book offers a conceptual roadmap to make sense of some of this rapid change. The New Jewish Canon is an entry point for the Jewish intellectual and communal zeitgeist of the contemporary period and the recent past, canonizing our most important ideas and debates of the past two generations; and just as importantly, stimulating debate and scholarship about what is yet to come. Join Rebbetzin Bethany with your lunch on zoom to talk about some of these debates. Register here for the zoom link.
Introduction to Judaism with
Rabbi Adam Wright
April 13 @ 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Temple Emanu-El
Join us for an engaging 12-session course for anyone interested in exploring Jewish life. Open to all, this course is perfect for interfaith couples, those rearing Jewish children, spiritual seekers, individuals considering a “return” – (conversion), and Jews who want a meaningful adult Jewish learning experience. Our programs welcome people from all backgrounds. Topics include holidays, life cycle celebrations, theology and core beliefs, prayer, Torah, history, antisemitism, and the Holocaust, Zionism, and Israel, the North American Jewish experience, and the tapestry of the Jewish people today. Register here.
The Tikkun Middot Project
April 13 @ 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Temple Beth-El
The Tikkun Middot Project is an innovative, national program to promote character development through mindful engagement with the Jewish Mussar tradition. Beth El is participating by building a small group that will meet to study, discuss, and practice character-forming techniques. Created by the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, the purpose of the program is to bring positive communal change by helping individuals acknowledge and reduce negative behavioural patterns. The course will help you be more skillful at navigating challenging situations by building up your wisdom and compassion. Beginning November 17th, Rebbitzen Bethany will be leading a group through this program using a curriculum created by Rabbi David Jaffe.
Zoom registration can be found here.
JewCurious?
April 14 @ 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Temple Beth-El
Are you JewCurious? Have you heard that Judaism is about asking questions? Questions are the start of a great conversation. I would say, Judaism is about a great conversation. Come learn more about what that conversation sounds like by joining this JewCurious Class. This class is for everyone looking to get a broad overview of Judaism. This 101 class lasts for 20 weeks and is open to anyone who is curious. We’ll explore the major narratives, history, practices, theology and values of Judaism. You can expect that the learning will happen with curiosity and open-mindedness and respect for one another’s boundaries and beliefs. Taught by Bethany Slater from Temple Beth El. To register: Click here to register!
Yom HaAtzmaut: Virtual Paint Night
April 14 @ 7:00 PM
LJCC
Grab a glass of wine, your computer, and your creativity. We will supply the paints, brushes, and a canvas so you can create your own piece of art.
Birmingham’s own Sari Menaker will lead us through a painting class inspired by Menashe Kadishman. Kadishman was an Israeli sculptor, painter, and graphic artist best known for his colorful paintings of sheep and large-scale metal sculptures. Not an artist? No wories. There is no need to be a great painter for this project. Sari will take us step-by-step and encourage you to make your art your own.
This program is part of the LJCC’s week-long celebrations of Yom HaAtzmaute. The entire community is invited to celebrate Israel with us! Learn more here!
Hadassah Zoom Panel Discussion –
Rosenwald Documentary
April 15 @ 6:30-7:30 PM
Birmingham Chapter of Hadassah
Please join Hadassah for a panel discussion after screening Aviva Kempners Rosenwald : The Remarkable Story of a Jewish Partnership with African American Communities. Register here!
Bearing Witness: Stories of the Holocaust – “Second Generation/First Person:
Memory, History and Poetry”
April 20 @ 7:00 PM-8:30 PM
Birmingham Holocaust Education Center
Anna Wrobel, American historian, teacher, and Holocaust Studies educator, uses original poetry as a creative means for historical and cultural transmission. Family events and memories are framed in scholarly, historical contexts. Student inquiry and commentary will direct discussion after the reading of several poems on diverse aspects of the Shoah. The presentation includes related references to the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., assassinated in the often tragic month of April. Anna’s love for Dr. King was established in early childhood as a result of her survivor mother’s deep respect and admiration for the civil rights leader. Learn more and sign up here!
JCRC Lunch & Learn: The Morgan Project
April 21 @ 12:00-1:00 PM
JCRC
Each month the JCRC offers programs to educate and raise awareness on community organizations and initiatives. This month, Lisa McNair and Charles Morgan III will talk about The Morgan Project, a local initiative founded in the summer of 2020 to provide meaningful actions and programs to help eradicate systemic racism through education and difficult conversations. Register here!
Financial Assistance Available
for Jewish Community Members
Thanks to a grant from the Greatest Needs Fund of the Birmingham Jewish Federation’s COVID Relief Campaign, Collat Jewish Family Services is offering financial assistance to Jewish community members who are facing financial insecurity because of job loss, caring for family or other issues. Confidential assistance is available to members of the Birmingham Jewish community who need help with rent or mortgage payments, utilities, prescription costs or other needs. To learn more, please email CJFS Clinical Director Marcy Morgenbesser LICSW, marcy@cjfsbham.org or call 205.879.3438.
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The Birmingham Jewish Federation
@jewishbirmingham
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