By Sharon Wisch-Ray

It’s the Chili Cook-off this Sunday… need I say more? Head out to Tiferet Israel and get your fill of red and more.
This is one of my favorite events of the year, as it seems as though every facet of our vibrant community is represented and engaged in this unifying event.
The TJPers will be at Tiferet, snapping pics, looking for story ideas and promoting our current subscription promotion. Subscribe or renew for three years ($95) and be entered into a drawing for an iPad2 which will take place on April 30, 2012. Diane Kleinman of Fort Worth was the winner of our drawing in August.
Hope to see you there!

Young professionals meet pro boxer, rabbinical student Yuri Foreman

On Feb. 29, nearly 50 people gathered to hear the inspirational story of professional boxer Yuri Foreman. Foreman studies Talmud and Jewish mysticism in the mornings, trains for boxing in the afternoon and attends rabbinical classes in the evening. He entertained a captivated crowd with stories of his upbringing and present day life.

Since 2008, the New Leadership Division of Israel Bonds has hosted substantive programs geared toward the Dallas young professional community, ages 25 to 45.
To learn more about this and future programs, “LIKE” the Israel Bonds Facebook page by searching for “Atuda” or contact the Dallas office at 972-661-9191 or email dallas@israelbonds.com.

Raising resilient teens

If you have children of any age, but especially pre teens or teens then Kenneth Ginsburg’s presentation Monday, March 19 at the JCC is not to be missed. “Letting Go with Love and Confidence” offers practical advice on everyday challenging decisions and addresses how to talk to your teen about the really tough issues.
Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg speaks to parents, clinicians and teens regularly and strives to translate the best of research and practice into practical approaches to build adolescent resilience. Empowering and groundbreaking, this book is a one-stop resource to parenting teens in the twenty-first century. Dr. Ginsburg is an adolescent medicine specialist at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the author of more than 90 publications.
“You’re already the expert on your own kid; ‘Letting Go’ helps you learn how to use your intuition and good intentions to raise kids who will be responsible, resilient, and self-sufficient in the 21st century. And learn to like them at the same time,” said Susan Sugerman, M.D. of Girls to Women Health and Wellness.
This event is co-sponsored by Girls to Women Health and Wellness, P.A. Cost is $10 in advance or $12 at the door. The program begins at 7.

DHM/CET’s Anne Frank Initiative

The Dallas Holocaust Museum is launching a new initiative aimed at providing every student who wishes to read “The Diary of Anne Frank” a free copy of the book, which is a primary resource for teaching the Holocaust.
The museum’s new Anne Frank Initiative will collect and redistribute copies of “The Diary of Anne Frank” through 2012 to students who are 13 and older at schools that do not have resources to purchase copies. The public may drop off donated copies of the book at selected locations.
Special workshops and programs on the significance of the diary, written by Anne Frank while hiding from the Nazis during World War II, are planned for both students and adults and will be announced in the Spring.
“Ultimately, we hope the Anne Frank Initiative will refresh the reading and understanding of “The Diary,” enhance the overall education that we can provide to the community, and highlight how fortunate we are in North Texas to have our own Holocaust Museum,” said Maria MacMullin, senior director of advancement for the Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education and Tolerance.
“The Diary” is used by teachers across North Texas to educate students not only about the Holocaust, prejudice and hatred, but also about the nobility in human compassion of those who hid Anne Frank, her family and four others during the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam. The book has a universal appeal for teens, as Anne shares her struggles with adolescence, her relationship with her mother and her desire to find a friend she can relate to in a meaningful relationship.
“The Diary” is an honest, intimate portrayal of a unique individual in an extremely difficult and dangerous time in history. Anne Frank shows that no matter what is occurring in the world around us, we as humans share many of the same qualities — emotion, passion, love, desire, hope, fear and strength. Not only does the story educate us about an important historical event, but it reminds us of the importance of learning to accept our differences and embrace diversity.
New or used copies of “The Diary of Anne Frank” may be dropped in special collection bins at: Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education and Tolerance, 211 Record Street, Dallas, TX 75202; Jewish Community Center JCC (Foyer), 7900 Northaven Road Dallas, TX 75230-3392; Old Red Museum. 100 South Houston Street Dallas, TX 75202; and the Tycher Library, 7900 Northaven Road Dallas, TX 75230.

Behind the Scenes: Meet the women who conceptualized and created the JFGD’s Centennial Exhibit

The Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas, the Jewish Community Center and the Dallas Jewish Historical Society will offer a fascinating panel discussion with the creators of the Federation’s Centennial Exhibit that is now on display in the Aaron Family JCC. The conversation and coffee is scheduled for Tuesday, March 20 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Carol Aaron, Centennial chair, was the visionary behind this monumental effort. She brought talented and capable researchers and organizers to see this vision through; culminating in the exhibit now on display. Many hours of work in the archives of the Dallas Jewish Historical Society was spent in the research and creation of the exhibit. The exhibit chairs included Becky Bruder, Cynthia Feldman, Robin Sachs, and Krista Weinstein.
Join the DJHS for coffee and conversation and take this opportunity to peruse this powerful display of 100 years of Dallas Jewish history.

Soloveichik at Shaare Tefilla this weekend

Congregation Shaare Tefilla will welcome Rabbi Meir Y. Soloveichik as its scholar in residence this Shabbat, March 16-17. Rabbi Soloveichik is associate rabbi at KJ and director of the Zahava and Moshael Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought at Yeshiva University. He graduated summa cum laude from Yeshiva College, received his smicha from RIETS, and was a member of its Beren Kollel Elyon.
In 2010, he received his doctorate in religion from Princeton University. Rabbi Soloveichik has lectured throughout the United States, in Europe and in Israel to both Jewish and non-Jewish audiences on topics relating to Jewish theology, bioethics, wartime ethics, and Jewish-Christian relations. His essays on these subjects have appeared in Commentary, First Things, Azure, Tradition, and the Torah U-Madda Journal.
The schedule is as follows: Friday Night Dvar Torah: Parshat Parah in the Twilight Zone; Shabbat Morning Lecture: The Iron Lady’s Rabbi: Margaret Thatcher and Rabbi Jakobovits; Shabbat Afternoon Lecture: Adams, Jefferson and the Jews: A Reflection on Religion in America; Seudah Shlishit Talk: Can You Make a Taco out of Matzah & Chili? A Pre-Pesach Rumination. The weekend is sponsored by Karen and Mike Zucker.
We love to hear from our readers. Send your news to sharonw@texasjewishpost.com.