Hadassah town hall meeting Oct. 16: Be an informed voter
We all need to understand how the upcoming election will affect us at home and here in our community. The Dallas Chapter of Hadassah will hold a town hall meeting, in the Zale Auditorium of the JCC, on Thursday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. The chairs of both the Democratic and Republican Parties of Dallas County will answer your questions, from the parties’ perspective, on the issues that are important to you. The event will be moderated by Dr. Calvin Jillson, professor at the Center for Political Studies at SMU.
A very large number of Jewish voters remain undecided at this time. In additional, there are very small percentage points separating the candidates. Your informed vote could truly sway the outcome of the election.
Never before have the issues been as critical as they are today. For Jewish voters the election is about many things: the economy, the environment, Iran, Iraq, health care, prescription drugs and, of course, Israel. The most pressing issue on most people’s minds is which leader will be most capable in handling the economy. The meltdown on Wall Street, debt, job losses, bank failures and retirement losses are at the forefront of most American voters’ concerns.
This town hall meeting will be your opportunity to ask the representatives exactly how they stand.
Each attendee will be handed a card to write down their questions to the moderator. The chairs will give equal time to answer the issues that are important to you.
There are basic Constitutional rights at stake with this election, among them: Roe v. Wade and the principle of separation of church and state. There seems to have been an erosion of the separation of church and state, and candidates are too often now required to demonstrate their support of a particular religious belief in order to win political support from church leaders to be vetted as a “credible” candidate.
From this political forum, all who attend will learn how the candidates will go about reducing our dependence on oil from unfriendly countries in the Middle East and elsewhere around the world. The goals of energy conservation, reducing oil dependency and stepping up the fight against global warming are major policy concerns of the American Jewish voter.
We have the opportunity to ask these representatives about their party’s strategy on these issues. This will help ensure that our choices will be intelligent.
Attend and become an educated voter.
Beth Torah Men’s Club
wins prestigious award
Congregation Beth Torah’s Men’s Club has won the Quality Club Award from the National Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs.
The Richardson synagogue was recognized for activities and accomplishments during the 2007–2008 program year. They included a breadth of programming ranging from monthly Sunday breakfasts with engaging guest speakers, to the World Wide Wrap to promote use of tefillin, to the Remember the Names Holocaust memorial.
Only about 30 synagogue men’s clubs throughout the country received the honor.
“We’re delighted and thankful to be recognized, and we’re proud to be a meaningful and vital component of the Beth Torah community,” Men’s Club President Rusty Dworkin said. “It inspires us to achieve even more this year.”
Dworkin said the award helps emphasize two main themes in Men’s Club planning: that its programs aren’t just for synagogue members, and that they aren’t just for men.
“I hope people will join us to find that out,” he said.
Lisa Fleisher attends Women’s League Leadership Institute
Lisa Fleisher, of Shearith Israel Sisterhood, Dallas, recently attended the Women’s League Leadership Institute in San Leandro, Calif., Aug. 3–5. Lisa was selected as a candidate for the three-day Leadership Institute based on her volunteer experience, her desire to serve her community and her participation in her Sisterhood. Women’s League for Conservative Judaism is the umbrella organization of 600 Sisterhoods in the Conservative movement, with a membership of 150,000 worldwide.
Together, the 27 women from Sisterhoods across the United States and Canada participated in lectures, seminars and study groups that combined ­acquiring both leadership skills and Jewish knowledge. They studied with Rabbis Bradley Artson and Harry Manhoff, and Educator Carol Booth. They defined their own leadership styles in dynamic interactive workshops and created personalized leadership paths for the future.
The expectation is that those who attend this and future Leadership Institutes will forge a new generation of leaders for the women of the Conservative movement; women who are well prepared and Jewishly knowledgeable. “The purpose of the Institute,” said Women’s League International President Cory Schneider, “is to strengthen the foundation of leadership in the organization as well as to empower Conservative Jewish women to assume active roles in their communities.”