For years I have attended Truck Time at Congregation Shearith Israel, sometimes with all three of my boys. This year I will be with family celebrating my nephew Jacob Wisch’s bar mitzvah, but you should definitely check out the scene on Nov. 20 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. rain or shine at Shearith, 9401 Douglas Avenue.
Tickets are $5 per person and children under 2 are free.
Earlier this week Truck Time was prominently featured on Good Morning Texas, when Stevens Transport and World Wear Project brought their vehicles to publicize the event and Louis Okon shared an antique fire truck with the audience.

Learn about OU and its Hillel on Nov. 13

For those of you thinking about where your soon-to-be high school graduate may go to college next year, the University of Oklahoma might be an option. OU Hillel is hosting an event this weekend for prospective students, parents, and alumni to showcase Jewish life at OU. You can learn about Hillel, and what it is like to be a Jewish student at the University of Oklahoma.
According to OU Hillel’s Jason Oruch, there are about 300-400 Jewish students currently enrolled. Oruch says that at the event, how Hillel provides opportunities for students to be a part of the Jewish community and to grow as student leaders will be highlighted. There will be snacks free t-shirts and scholarship information about OU. The gathering will be this Sunday at the JCC from 3 to 5 p.m.

TTI to dedicate Haymann Family Campus

Friends, supporters and community members will come together at) on Nov. 13, as they celebrate the dedication ceremony of Texas Torah Institute’s (TTI’s) new Haymann Family Campus. TTI, the only boy’s yeshiva high school and rabbinical college in Texas, opened in Dallas in the fall of 2003 with only eight students. The school now has almost 70 students enrolled in its seven year program.

TTI is an affiliate of the Rabbinical Seminary of America (RSA), the third oldest rabbinical school in the country, and is one of over 75 international institutions connected with the seminary. One of the Roshei Yeshiva (Deans) of RSA, Rabbi Dovid Harris, will be in attendance for the dedication ceremony.
The new 2.3 acre campus has been generously dedicated by Basil and Dot Haymann of Dallas. The Haymanns have been supporters of TTI for a number of years, recognizing the importance of training young Jewish men in Dallas to become future Jewish leaders.
The campus boasts a large study hall, kitchen and dining facilities, classrooms, labs and administrative space, and will enhance the learning experience for all TTI students.
The entire Jewish community is invited to share in this simcha which will be held at the new Haymann Family Campus, 6506 Frankford Road, on Sunday, at 2 p.m. For more information, contact Rabbi Yaacov Cohen at 972-250-4888.

Eleventh Nate and Ann Levine Endowed Lecture in Jewish Studies at SMU

An educational opportunity not to be missed next week, Nov. 17, is the Ann and Nate Levine Lecture in Jewish Studies. Zvi Ben-Dor Benite will speak on “The Truly Other Jewish World History: The Ten Lost Tribes between Jews and Christians.”
He will introduce the audience to a little-known but intriguing episode of Jewish and Christian history, recounting how in the early 16th century Pope Clement VII and the Ten Tribes (almost) defeated Islam and won the Holy Land.
Dr. Benite is professor of History and Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies and acting director of Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies, New York University. An internationally renowned expert on Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in East Asia and the Middle East, he is the author of two books and numerous articles.
His recent publication, “The Ten Lost Tribes: A World History,” upon which the talk is based, traces the enduring and colorful legends surrounding the fate of the ancient Israelite tribes that were exiled by the Assyrians in the eighth century BCE and vanished from the pages of history but not from popular imagination. The program begins at 7:30 p.m. in McCord Auditorium, Dallas Hall on the SMU Campus (3225 University Blvd., Dallas).
For more information, contact Dr. Serge Frolov at 214-768-448 or sfrolov@smu.edu.

Herzl Hadassah news

“Things You Never Learned in Sunday School” will be the topic, delightfully told by Gail Stolovitsky, at the Herzl Hadassah meeting on Monday, Nov. 14. The meeting will begin promptly at 10 a.m. in the Senior Assembly Room at the JCC, 7900 Northaven Road.
All Hadassah members and guests are invited to attend. Coffee and desert will be served. Hadassah plans will be discussed and those who wish may bring a sack lunch and stay.

It’s not too early to think about school for 2012-2013

Akiba Academy of Dallas will host its first Parent Preview Evening on Nov. 15 at the school campus, located at 12324 Merit Drive, Dallas, TX 75251. The event’s program will begin promptly at 7 p.m.
All lower and middle school parents and other community members are welcome. The Parent Preview will feature campus tours and teacher presentations where visitors can learn more about the entire Akiba experience.
Akiba is a Modern Orthodox school for children pre-kindergarten through 8th grade that offers a stellar dual-curriculum program, with exceptional general and Judaic studies for motivated students that wish to excel. Accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Akiba develops ethical and responsible members of the Jewish people and American society, knowledgeable about and committed to their Jewish heritage and the state of Israel.
The school also provides opportunities for students to develop their intellectual, artistic and physical abilities with music programs, fine arts, drama, languages, sports and much, much more offered through Discovery and other Enrichment Programs.
“Akiba Academy of Dallas is an exceptional school where students can learn and grow,” said Akiba’s Head of School Rabbi Zev Silver. “We are thrilled to be able to open up our doors and showcase to the entire Akiba experience,” he added.
For additional information about Akiba Academy of Dallas or to RSVP to the Parent Preview, please contact the Admissions Department at 214-295-3419, or at admissions@akibaacademy.org.

The CSI Professional Network tackles gender issues in the workplace

Author, trainer and professional salesperson Judy Hoberman will present “Selling in a Skirt” on Nov. 15. from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Shearith’s Douglas campus.

As a former sales manager, trainer and veteran salesperson, Judy Hoberman has created a company that finally addresses the gender issues and differences that affect corporate America.
Her company, Selling in a Skirt goes beyond a standard training program — it presents a method, a philosophy and a way of life for the next generation of winning sales women.
Judy’s objective is to change the culture of sales teams so they are more effective at addressing the differences between men and women — both in the workplace with each other and in the field with their clients.
She is committed to helping women in sales to use their own gender-based talents to make more sales; to help male managers recruit, train, and retain female sales professionals; and to teach both genders how to sell to the lucrative female market.
Judy has created a suite of workshops, seminars and coaching programs that compliment her highly successful book.
Her 30 years in sales has given her both the knowledge and sense of humor about the gender differences that we should all understand and embrace instead of feeling unable to communicate.
Judy’s humorous stories about how men and women sell, manage, recruit and supervise differently will enlighten you in learning how both genders can support each other’s successes in a more productive way.
The event is free for congregants and prospective members, $5 at door for guests. RSVP to mallen@shearith.org or 214-939-7318.

Rock ‘n’ Roll pioneers to appear at Beth Torah

The Big Beats, a pioneering Rock ‘n’ Roll band with a five-decade legacy, are joining forces for a rare reunion show at Congregation Beth Torah.
The concert, sponsored by the synagogue’s Chai Lights group, is set for Saturday night, Nov. 19, at 8 p.m.
The band was formed in 1957 and became the first rock ‘n’ roll group signed by Columbia Records. A smash hit appearance on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand show launched The Big Beats on 20 years of concert tours with such superstars as Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash, Gene Vincent, Roy Orbison, Ricky Nelson and Bobby Darin.
The original band members — C.W. Kendall, Jr., Bobby Rambo, Earl Slocumb, Billy Mitchell and Larry Randall — reside in North Texas and occasionally reunite for a great show.
Tickets are still available to catch their classic, but still thrilling act. For more information, call the synagogue at 972-234-1542. Beth Torah is located at 720 W. Lookout Dr. in Richardson.