By Sharon Wisch-Ray
Kornbleet Scholar tonight at 7 p.m.
Ariel Feldman, the Rosalyn and Manny Rosenthal Associate Professor in Jewish Studies and director of the Jewish Studies Program at the Brite Divinity School, will present “Reading the Bible With the Dead Sea Scrolls,” tonight, Jan. 15, at 7 p.m. at Congregation Ahavath Sholom.
Feldman, whose Ph.D. in Jewish History is from the University of Haifa, is currently a Newton Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Manchester in Britain. His professional affiliations include Society of Biblical Literature, Association for Jewish Studies, and the World Union of Jewish Studies.
Calling all mitzvah mavens
Laurie James tells us that Beth-El Congregation’s Mitzvah Day 2015 will be held Monday, Jan. 19. And anyone is invited to put on their mitzvah hat.
Beth-El Congregation will partner with Tarrant Churches Together in honor of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. Since 2014, Tarrant Churches Together has led faith groups in a day of service honoring Dr. King. Last year, 425 volunteers across the county were stationed at over 300 service sites.
For its mini-Mitzvah Day, Beth-El’s Great Hall will become the service site for TCT’s Sack Lunch Chuckwagon Sackapalooza assembly. Each year, the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo hires 300 homeless day workers to provide grounds keeping and other services during the Stock Show. The Chuckwagon provides nonperishable meals for these workers.
On Jan. 19, volunteers from Beth-El and other congregations will use our Great Hall to pack these nonperishable lunches for the Chuckwagon volunteers to use in February. Because the food is nonperishable, volunteers of any age are welcome to assemble the lunch sacks.
The event will start at 10 a.m. and last about three hours. If your family wants to volunteer, please sign up directly with Tarrant Churches Together. Go online at www.tarranttogether.org or call them at 817-737-5554. You will be invited to meet the large group downtown at Baker Chapel (on Rosedale Ave., near I-35), which is optional.
Tarrant Churches Together has a program for all the community volunteers from 9 to 9:30 a.m., and then the volunteers split off and go to their pre-selected site. You are of course welcome to simply come to the Great Hall at 10 a.m., but please make sure you register with Tarrant Churches Together!
Dinner will recognize Chevra members
The shul will recognize members of the ladies’ and men’s Chevra Kadisha societies and its cemetery committee next week, Friday, Jan. 23, at a dinner following 6 p.m. Kabbalat Shabbat services.
Cost is $18 per person and you can make your reservations by calling the Ahavath Sholom office at 817-731-4721.
‘My Name is Asher Lev’ comes to Cowtown
I was thrilled last week to hear from Trudie Oshman, who explained the extent to which the Jewish community will be involved with the Circle Theatre Production of “My Name is Asher Lev.”
In fact, Trudie is chairing Beth-El Night at Circle Theatre Feb. 28. All 125 seats of the theatre will be designated for the Jewish community and a panel of rabbis will lead a discussion after the performance.
We will have a larger story on the production in an upcoming issue, but in the meantime, you can get a ticket for the event, which is open to the entire community, by contacting Beth-El at 817-332-7141.
Former Beth-El President Maddie Lesnick is the current Circle Theatre board president.
Don’t forget Showtimes
If you like basketball, or you just like the movies, don’t forget that Congregation Ahavath Sholom is screening its next installment, “The First Basket,” at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 18. This documentary is all about Jewish involvement with the great game of basketball over the years.
The film is free and open to the community.