AIPAC dessert reception May 23: Make your reservations today!
There is still time to join AIPAC for its 2010 Annual Dessert Reception featuring Dr. Daniel Gordis, senior vice president of the Shalem Center, where he is also a senior fellow. The event will be held Sunday, May 23 at the Westin Galleria. Doors open at 7 p.m.
The author of numerous books on Jewish thought and currents in Israel, Dr. Gordis was the founding dean of the Ziegler Rabbinical School at the University of Judaism, the first rabbinical college on the West Coast of the United States. He joined Shalem in 2007 after spending nine years as vice president of the Mandel Foundation in Israel and director of its Leadership Institute.
Since moving to Israel in 1998, Dr. Gordis has written and lectured throughout the world on Israeli society and the challenges facing the Jewish state. His writing has appeared in magazines and newspapers including the New York Times, the New Republic, the New York Times Magazine, Moment, Tikkun and Conservative Judaism. His latest book, “Saving Israel: How the Jewish State Can Win a War That May Never End,” was published by Wiley last year. He is presently at work on a volume about 19th- and 20th-century rabbinic responsa on conversion, which he is writing together with Rabbi David Ellenson of the Hebrew Union College.
Dr. Gordis received his B.A. from Columbia College (magna cum laude), a master’s degree and rabbinic ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California.
He lives in Jerusalem with his wife, Elisheva, and three children.
Cost of the event is $36 per person. Tables of 10 can be purchased for $360. For more information, contact Drew Berliner at 214-741-6759.
Bagel Run this Sunday
The 24th Annual Bagel Run – 5K/10K/Kid’s K will be held this Sunday at the Aaron Family JCC, 7900 Northaven Road. Race day registration begins at 7 a.m. Races begin at 8 a.m. with the Kid’s K. Awards will be held at 9 a.m. Race day fee is $25 and $8 for the Kid’s K. For more information, call 214-739-2737.
‘Standing with Israel’ at Temple Shalom
On Tuesday, May 18 at 7:30 p.m., Temple Shalom will host a panel discussion on “Standing with Israel: Exploring Her Future in the 21st Century,” centering on Jerusalem. The panel will include Charles Pulman, Dr. Elizabeth A. Oldmixon and Ronnie Porat, JNF Israel emissary to the Southern and Florida zones.
Dr. Oldmixon (Ph.D., University of Florida) is associate professor of political science at the University of North Texas. She also teaches courses on Israel in association with UNT’s Jewish Studies Program, the only such program at a public university in the DFW metropolitan area. Dr. Oldmixon was recently awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Ireland this fall. She was formerly a fellow at the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies, Brandeis University (2008), an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow (2001–2002) and chair of the APSA Religion and Politics section. She is a UNT Honor Professor and winner of the 2007 Paul J. Weber Award the Best Paper in Religion and Politics. Next month, she will serve as part of a UNT delegation to Israel, with the goal of forging cooperative relationships with Israel’s top-tier universities.
Ronnie Porat served in both the IDF and the Israeli Foreign Service. In recent years, he became one of the Israeli military experts in Israeli Arab affairs. During his diplomatic career, Ronnie served as the Israeli consul in Cairo, Egypt (1991–1994) and was deeply involved in the Israeli-Palestinian Oslo Peace process. In December 1994, he was a member of the advanced team that established and opened the Israeli Embassy in Amman, Jordan, and became the first consul in Jordan. His wide experience as a strategic analyst in the intelligence branch as well as in the Southern Command Military Headquarters (Intelligence Department) in Beersheva, combined with his diplomatic (Arab) experience, made him one of the first-line analysts within the IDF and the Foreign Service.
This event is free and open to the public.
JWV speaker, Maj. Gen. Eugene Fox
Speaking at the May 23 meeting of the Jewish War Veterans will be Major General Eugene Fox. General Fox retired from the U.S. Army in 1989 after 33 years of service. He commanded Field Artillery and Air Defense units from the platoon to brigade level. His experiences include manager in the Department of Defense weapons acquisition program. He was chief of the Missile Division in the Office of Research and Development and an executive on the staff of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Research, Development and Acquisition.
Fox has published numerous articles about his specialty, missile defense. He and his partner, Dr. Stanley Orman, are currently consultants to various companies and government agencies.
The general is a graduate of the United States Military Academy, holds an M.S. degree from the University of Arizona and attended the National War College.
The meeting will take place at 9:30 a.m. at the Aaron Family JCC, 7900 Northaven Road. As always, the public is invited. A brunch will be served for which there will be a modest charge.
Laura Matisoff receives youth award
Laura Matisoff, a May 2010 undergraduate psychology major from the University of Arizona, in Tucson, receive the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona College Youth Award today. This award is presented annually to a Jewish college senior from the University of Arizona who exemplifies outstanding leadership skills and dedicated community involvement, in addition to being an active member of Hillel.
Laura is an intern for the Tucson Jewish Federation’s community relations council. She is also a facilitator for Divorce Recovery, leading support groups for children of divorce. In addition, she is a mentor for ATLAS (Applied Tailored Leadership Adventure for Success), guiding college students and the community, through workshops and counseling, on principles of leadership.
She has served as assistant to the director and as a group leader for A-Town, a social justice diversity program for college students. Laura is secretary for the Alpha Phi Omega Service Co-ed Fraternity, where she received the President’s Award for outstanding qualities in leadership, friendship and service.
She is a member of the University of Arizona’s Hillel board of directors, and has served on the student board as Holocaust education chair and coordinator of college senior programming.
Laura is the daughter of Linda and Ed Matisoff of Plano, and they are members of Congregation Beth Torah in Richardson.
In step with Josh Goldberg
Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Josh Goldberg, son of Cyndi Heller and Marshall Goldberg, will perform two original songs on WFAA’s “Good Morning Texas” on Tuesday, May 18, between 9 and 10 a.m. Over the summer, Josh will be songleading at the URJ’s Greene Family Camp. He will sing the national anthem at the Frisco Rough Riders Stadium on Aug. 12. Josh is currently a senior at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. He was recently accepted into University of Southern California’s prestigious Popular Music Program as a singer and songwriter, and will attend in the fall.
As a result of a generous grant from the Goss-Michael foundation, and in honor of the opening of the new AT&T Performing Arts Center, Josh was recently chosen to perform his original arrangement of John Lennon’s “Imagine” on the same piano Lennon used to compose the masterpiece in 1971. He was also one of the first recipients of the BTWHSPVA Advisory Board’s Songshop Scholarship, which allowed him to write and produce a song with nationally acclaimed recording artist, Cary Pierce. The resulting song, “Fly,” is now available nationally on iTunes, Zune, Amazon and Rhapsody. More information on this project is at www.booker3.com.
Josh has been a member of Booker T’s prestigious Midi Ensemble for two years, contributing his vocals, piano and original songs, and shared a Downbeat© Award with them in 2009 for best Blues/Pop/Rock Group. Josh was a finalist in the Dallas Songwriters Association 2008 Song Contest, and has performed for their Crossroads Songwriting Festival multiple times.
Other performance highlights include: Frisco Rough Riders, The Deep Ellum Arts Fest, opening ceremonies of the Maccabi International Youth Olympics, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson’s Holiday Celebration, Arts Fest at the Meyerson Symphony Center, Gala at the Wyly Theatre, Aga Kahn Foundation Annual Partnership Walk, One Arts Plaza Block Party, No Tie Dinner (benefiting AIDS Services of Dallas], Texas Rangers’ Foundation Dinner, Lightcatcher Winery, The Door Dallas, Save Darfur Benefit Concert, American Cancer Society Benefit Concert and numerous appearances at coffee shops, corporate events and private parties.
In addition to his musical endeavors, Josh is deeply involved in school and community life; he serves as president of the student council and the creative writing club and is the religious and cultural vice president for the Dallas Area Federation of Temple Youth. He is a National Merit Commended Student, AP Scholar, National Hispanic and is in the top 10 percent of his graduating class.