92nd Street Y will present Elie Wiesel on April 15

Beth-El Congregation will present “Live from New York’s 92nd Street Y, ‘Elie Wiesel, A World in Crisis: What are our moral obligations?’” Wiesel, Holocaust Survivor and prize-winning author, will be broadcast at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 15 at Beth El Congregation. The program is brought to the community by the Jewish Federation of Fort Worth and Tarrant County and Beth-El Congregation.
You will hear the obligations of humans in general, and the Jewish community in particular, in responding to the crises around us – from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the looming threat of a nuclear-armed Iran, from an unstable Pakistan to genocide in Africa.
Additional information can be found at the Beth-El Web site www.bethelfw.org by clicking on “Lifetime Learning” under “Education”.
Born in Sighet, Romania, Wiesel’s works provide a sober yet passionate testament of the destruction of European Jewry during World War II. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1986. Some of his famous books are “Night,” “The Testament” and “Twilight.”
Wiesel, his parents, and three sisters were deported to Auschwitz in 1944, where his mother and a sister were killed. He and his father were sent to Buna-Monowitz, the slave labor component of the Auschwitz camp. In January 1945 they were part of the death march to Buchenwald, where his father died on January 28. Wiesel was liberated in April.
After the war, he settled in France, studied at the Sorbonne and wrote for French and Israeli newspapers. He went to the United States in 1956 and was naturalized in 1963. He was a professor at City College of New York and beginning in 1976, taught at Boston University, where he became Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities.
All of Wiesel’s works reflect, in some manner, his experiences as a survivor of the Holocaust and his attempt to resolve the ethical torment of why the Holocaust happened and what it revealed about human nature. He became a noted lecturer on the sufferings experienced by Jews and others during the Holocaust, and his ability to transform this personal concern into a universal condemnation of all violence, hatred, and oppression was largely responsible for his being awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. He is a firm supporter of Israel and world peace.
In 1978 President Jimmy Carter named Wiesel chairman of the President’s Commission on the Holocaust, which recommended the creation of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Wiesel also served as the first chairman of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council.
Like Jews everywhere, Wiesel hopes and prays that “Never Again” will there be tyranny and suffering.

‘Daytimers’ will hear about Texas Politics

The next event for the ‘Daytimers,” at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, April 14, at Beth-El Congregation, will feature TCU Professor Dr. James W. Riddlesperger, Jr., a frequent consultant to the news media concerning politics and elections.  He will speak about “Texas Elections 2010: Republican dominance or Democratic resurgence?”
Political pundits say that this will be the closest Governor’s race in 20 years, and Riddlesperger, will clue us in to what is really happening in Texas politics.  He says his commentary has engaged dozens of people on radio, and has provided newsprint that would help line the finest of birdcages.
Riddlesperger has taught many government courses, though he hangs out mostly in the arena of American politics, focusing on the presidency and Texas politics.   His book, “The Austin-Boston Connection,” analyzes the importance of the friendships (especially mentor-protégé relationships) and enmities within congressional delegations, regional affinities, and the lynchpin practice of appointing the Democratic Whip.
He co-edited “Presidential Leadership and Civil Rights Policy,” co-authored the Texas edition of “The Challenge of Democracy,” and edited a symposium entitled “The Delicate Balance between Congress and the President” (forthcoming).  He has published an assortment of research articles, chapters in edited books, and encyclopedia entries.
His research has filled gaps in the academic literature, and his record has assured Riddlesperger one of the biggest names in the discipline.
Lunch will be catered by Chopstix Express and guests have a choice of Beef Pepper Steak, Chicken Moo Goo Gai Pan, or Tofu Beancurd Homestyle, plus eggroll, rice, fortune cookie, coffee or tea.  Lunch is $9 person, or guests may attend for $4 for program only.
For reservations, call Barbara Rubin, 817 927-2736, or Sylvia Wexler, 817 294-1129, or checks can be mailed to Daytimers, Beth-El Congregation, 4900 Briarhaven Rd., Fort Worth, TX 76109.
The Sylvia Wolens “Daytimers” is a program of Beth-El Congregation with financial support from the Jewish Federation.

Hillel Holocaust Museum

Texas Christian University Hillel will again present its Holocaust Museum in rooms C and D of the Brown Lupton Student Union Ballroom from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday, April 12 and Tuesday April 13; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday April 14. This is the 3rd year that Hillel will sponsor this event.  It has been very well received in the past, and this year additional exhibits are planned. Everyone is welcome; there is no admission fee or request for donations.  Free parking is available in the visitor lot across from the Student Union on Stadium Drive just south of Berry Street and east of the football stadium.  Hours are tentative at this time.  For any questions or further information, please contact Arnie Barkman, TCU faculty advisor, at 817-257-9898.

News and notes

Daughters of Abraham were treated to a mini seder at Beth-El recently. Around 30 women attended to learn the meaning of the Passover seder and the various symbols. A traditional Passover meal was served thanks to the Jewish women in the organization.  Corrine Jacobson was in charge.
Corinne enjoyed speaking at Continuity of Care on her book “A Handbook for Windows.” She will speak at a tea this month at Franklin Independent Living. Enjoying her granddaughter’s 6th birthday in San Francisco was a treat for the Jacobson family Audrey, Grant and Janine and all to share.