By Dave Sorter
Yes, the byline is different this week — and this week only — because Sharon Wisch-Ray was on a well-deserved Florida vacation this past week. She’s back in the office now, so Dallas Doings will have its reliable starter delivering next week’s edition.
So, here is this week’s long-relief effort, full of news about upcoming events and people doing great things. Enjoy.
Bnai Zion to honor surgeon, pastor duo at annual gala
The Bnai Zion Foundation will honor Dr. David Genecov and pastors Larry and Tiz Huch when the organization celebrates its 104th year at its annual gala, Sunday, Nov. 4, at the Westin Galleria in Dallas.
Genecov, an international craniofacial, cleft, lip and palate specialist and plastic surgeon, will receive Bnai Zion’s Distinguished Humanitarian Award for his body of work, as Bnai Zion continues to support life-saving humanitarian projects in Israel.
The Huches, pastors of DFW New Beginnings Church, will receive the Bnai Zion America-Israel Friendship Award. The couple, along with 55 church members, took a mission trip to Israel in May and visited the Bnai Zion Medical Center in Haifa. The pastors said they were impressed with what they saw and realized the hospital’s closeness to Lebanon and Syria.
Ritchie Boy to speak at Holocaust Museum
The Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education and Tolerance’s summer exhibit, “The Ritchie Boys,” will come to life at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 9 when one of few remaining Ritchie boys, Guy Stern, will speak at a special program at the Museum, 211 N. Record St. in Dallas.
Stern, 90, will speak about the group of young, mostly Jewish, mostly German and Austrian boys who immigrated to the United States. They were drafted into the U.S. Army, often after first being rejected as “enemy aliens,” and were trained at Camp Ritchie, the military intelligence training center, in Maryland.
They were there because they knew German language, culture, and mentality better than most American-born soldiers. Their existence was a well-kept secret. This is the first exhibit telling the tales of these soldiers.
Stern is the only member of his family who was able to emigrate to the U.S. in 1937. He was inducted in the U.S. Army in 1942. After basic training, he was transferred to Camp Ritchie and became a POW interrogator. Two days after D-Day, Stern arrived in Normandy and helped interrogate German prisoners in France and Germany and received the Bronze Star for his “method of mass interrogation.”
Admission to the event is $10 for museum members and professional educators, $20 for non-members and free for Circle of Remembrance museum members.
Doris Schmidt celebrates 90th
The family of Doris Schmidt — Dov, Ilana, Gallit and Marc Fischman — wrote us to wish her a happy 90th birthday.
Doris is active in the Dallas chapter of Hadassah. She has been affiliated with the organization since she was young, starting with her work in the infant ward of Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem.
She was blessed to see Israel gain her Independence in 1948 and spent many years there before moving to the United States in 1956.
Dallas has been her home for the last 30 years, “so please join us in wishing her a very happy Texas birthday,” the family wrote.
We second that emotion, Doris.
Friedman second in contest
Myk Friedman of Dallas recently earned first runner-up honors in the Union Pacific Railroad’s Great Big Rollin’ Railroad animation contest in Omaha, Neb.
The contest marked the railroad’s 150th anniversary.
Contestants were invited to re-create Union Pacific’s classic 1970s television commercial, “We Can Handle It,” and add a contemporary spin using music genres such as blues, pop and rock, among several others. The contest brought in 180 entries.
Friedman, the May contest winner, added a fun spin to the original commercial, giving tribute to Union Pacific’s history and employees in his remake, titled “The Choo-Choos.”
“As soon as I heard the song, I knew I could have fun with it,” Friedman said. “I always try to make something that is visually dynamic and include hidden things in the background to keep viewers engaged.”
Friedman began his career doing caricatures, and his creative work includes graphic media for comic books, PC game designs, and scoreboard animations. Clips from two of his cartoons have been featured on Conan O’Brien’s late-night show.
Shir Tikvah sets annual open house
Shir Tikvah, the 2-year-old Reform congregation in Frisco, will have its annual open house at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 17, at its location, 7700 Main St.
Guests will be able to meet Rabbi Steve Fisch, STARS religious school director Misty Lewin and congregation president Craig Lewin. The religious school is partnering with the Institute of Southern Jewish Life to implement a professional curriculum, and ISJL education fellow Ben Chaidell from Jackson, Miss., will be present.
For information about Shir Tikvah, visit www.shirtikvahfrisco.org or call 214-500-8304. For information about the religious school, call Lewin at 214-733-1167.
Caregivers support group offered during day
Jewish Family Service and Temple Emanu-El are establishing a new caregiver’s support group.
The group will meet from noon-1:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month — beginning today — at Temple Emanu-El, 8500 Hillcrest Rd.
The group is designed for family caregivers who need support and information, and would prefer a daytime meeting over JFS’ evening group.
The support group will be facilitated by professionals from the JFS gerontology services department.
There is no fee, and the group is open to the community.
For information, contact Sue Reed at sreed@JFSdallas.org or 972-437-9950.