By Sharon Wisch-Ray

Hopefully, your cleaning is done, the soup is made, matzah balls are rolled and the brisket is in the oven or cooling on its heels in the fridge. From all of us here at the TJP, we wish you a joyous and kosher Pesach as you embrace your families and retell the story of our exodus.

Stern and Gutow among 50 most influential American rabbis

Rabbi David Stern, senior rabbi of Temple Emanu El, moved up two notches in Newsweek’s list of the 50 most influential American rabbis. Stern settled in this year at No. 20. According to Newsweek’s sister publication, The Daily Beast, Stern is “considered one of the leading lights of the Reform movement,” and he “has been helping Rick Jacobs (#7) on the URJ transition team and continues to work on the RVI with Peter Rubinstein (#3). An active proponent of Christian-Jewish dialogue, this year he took a congregational delegation to Israel along with members of a Baptist church. His community-organizing efforts have focused on providing medical equipment to needy neighborhoods and establishing a community garden to stock a food pantry. He is also an outspoken advocate for women’s reproductive rights and the work of Planned Parenthood amidst the often-hostile Texas political climate.”
Also with Dallas roots, Reconstructionist Rabbi Steve Gutow landed at No. 38. Gutow is the president and CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the umbrella organization for our own JCRC and those around the country. According to the Daily Beast “Gutow’s progressive politics have garnered allies among liberal Christians and African-Americans; he’s been influential in smoothing tensions between Jews and Presbyterians over Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians.”
Among the criteria used to determine America’s top 50 rabbis were their impact on Judaism and beyond the Jewish community; the size of their constituencies; their social/political influence; and their media presence, Abigail Pogrebin wrote in The Daily Beast.
Pogrebin, along with Gary Ginsberg, executive vice president of Time Warner Inc., and Michael Lynton, CEO of Sony Corp., selected this year’s list. The first list appeared in 2007. Topping the list this year was Rabbi David Wolpe, of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, who moved up from No. 2 a year ago

Fifth annual Zweig family end-of-school-year bash scheduled for April 15

More than 200 bowlers are expected to converge on Sunday, April 15, at the 300 Dallas Bowling Center, 3805 Beltline Rd. in Addison, for a day of fun and to raise funds for the Gladys Golman/Faye Dallen (GGFD) Education Fund and the Special Needs Partnership of Jewish Family Service. The fifth annual end-of-school-year bash’s goal is to attract interest and generate funds so educators can be trained about working with children who have learning differences.

Pizza and drinks will be served, and trophies and prizes will be awarded to the top bowlers across age groups. Also included will be a silent auction for valuable prizes.
During the past five years, the GGFD Fund has raised more than $250,000, gifting 15 grants to Jewish Family Service, area schools and institutions. Louis Zweig with his wife, Robin, founded the GGFD Education Fund in honor of their son, David, who has Asperger’s Syndrome. Asperger’s is an autism spectrum disorder that is characterized by social interaction difficulties and behavioral issues.
Participants are encouraged to arrive early to select their game balls and shoes. The event is open to the public and admission is $18, which includes bowling fees, shoes and food. Each AZA/BBG chapter or teen youth group that signs up will be eligible to compete for all the trophies and prizes.

Kreditor and Shor head to Beantown for marathon

Alan Shor and Mark Kreditor are running the Boston Marathon on April 16 to raise money for charity. “It’s the only way I would ever get a number to the Boston Marathon and raising money is a lot easier than qualifying for the Boston Marathon,” says Kreditor, who along with Shor ran the New York City Marathon a few years ago. They are very excited to share another destination marathon together. “Mark and I have known each other for many years and experiencing these races has given us many hours to solve every problem the world has ever known,” says Shor, past chairman of the Aaron Family JCC.

The Boston Marathon reserves a limited number of non qualifying slots for philanthropic fund raisers and Shor and Kreditor are no strangers to the Dallas-area philanthropic playing field. Kreditor serves as co-chair of the Federation annual campaign as well as vice president of development at Yavneh Academy. This will be Kreditor’s 13th marathon and Shor’s third, but there is only one Boston Marathon and besides it’s Kreditor’s “bar-mitzvah marathon,” so Shor has to stay long enough with him at the start to at least hear his d’var Torah.