Brenda Brand to receive Shalom Award from Temple Shalom Brotherhood

On the sixth night of Chanukah, the lights will be bright as Temple Shalom’s Brotherhood will “Toast and Roast” its first female Shalom Award recipient, Brenda Brand, this Sunday at the Dallas Marriott Quorum, beginning at 6 p.m. Brand, who with her husband Stuart was a charter member of the congregation, has spent much of her life volunteering throughout Dallas’ general and Jewish communities.
“When I moved to Dallas I didn’t know many people and by becoming involved in Temple and the National Council of Jewish Women, through whom I’ve learned much, I found my new local family,” said Brand, a Houston native. “Through the years, we’ve grown up together.”
“As founding members of Temple Shalom, the commitment and dedication to Temple Shalom that Brenda and Stuart have shared has been incredible and inspiring,” said Temple Shalom’s Rabbi Andrew Paley. “Brenda’s efforts on our behalf have always been with a smile on her face, cheerful supportive words on her lips and a willingness to do whatever needs to be done. She is smart and insightful and somehow always able to bring out the best in everyone.
“Those of us, myself especially, who have had the blessing of coming within the embrace of her heart, are indeed fortunate and we at Temple Shalom could not be more grateful to her and her wonderful family,” Rabbi Paley said. “To honor her in this way is but a small token of our love and esteem.”
“Brenda has done so much for our congregation and for the philanthropic endeavors of our community-at-large,” said Mark Fishkind, co-chair of the event with Dennis Eichelbaum and Kenneth Glaser. “There aren’t enough ‘thank-yous’ to be said. She has passed on that devotion to her children and we will all long benefit from all of their efforts.”
Brand is the mother of Jeff and Sheila Brand, Kevin and Tracy Brand, and Beth and Mark Stromberg, and the grandmother of Kirby, Ariella, Shelby, Benjamin, Bailey, Abby and Tate. The example she has set for her family in her seamless resume of caring includes her efforts serving on the search committees for Rabbi Ken Roseman and Cantor Don A. Croll and on the temple’s board of directors and Executive Committee, as well as her commitment to the congregation’s Project Atideinu to support the expansion and endowment of Temple Shalom.
Brand has been president of the Dallas Women’s Foundation, National Council of Jewish Women and The Senior Source-Senior Citizens of Greater Dallas. She has served on the boards of the Alzheimer’s Association CASA, Chai (Community Home for Adults, Inc.), Dallas Jewish Community Foundation, Dallas Summit, Jewish Community Relations Council, Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas, the National Board of NCJW, North Texas Public Broadcasting/KERA, Planned Parenthood of North Texas, SMU Campus Jewish Network, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and the Women’s Council of Dallas County. She has also been a member of the Dallas County HIV/AIDS Planning Commission and the City of Dallas Commission on the Homeless.
“Women, children and families are my passion and only now are women realizing they too can be philanthropists,” Brand said. “As women earn and inherit their own wealth, we are seeing more dollars donated to these causes but they have always been where my heart, and my time, is. My role as a professional volunteer and fundraising consultant has led to some incredible people and experiences, and I love all that I do.”
For information on the Toast and Roast event, contact Mike Fishkind at 949-678-5329 or Kenneth Glaser at 214-999-4352.

Texas Friends of RMC to honor David Wiessman, founder of Alon USA

The Texas Friends of Rabin Medical Center (RMC) will host a tribute event honoring David Wiessman on Dec. 15 at the Wyly Theatre in the AT&T Performing Arts Center. Mr. Wiessman is founder and executive chairman of Dallas-based Alon USA, and president and CEO of Alon Israel, the largest trade and services company in Israel, comprising a nationwide network of gasoline service stations combined with commercial centers. Also, the company has a majority ownership in Blue Square, a leading Israeli supermarket chain, in addition to ownership in Israel’s first toll road operation; has holdings of rights in natural gas off the coast; and is a leading franchisee in Israel of Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut. Alon USA Energy, Inc., was formed in 2000 and has acquired several refineries. It is the largest 7-Eleven licensee in the United States.
The honor for Wiessman, RMC’s Israeli ambassador to Dallas, will highlight an evening commemorating a partnership between RMC and several of Texas’ leading cardiac specialists. The theme of the celebration is “Hand in Hand and Heart to Heart.”
Following a 6:30 p.m. reception, guests will be treated at 7:30 to a two-act play titled “Hard Love,” which examines the religious-secular divide in Israel society and the compromises experienced in marriage.
Proceeds will be used to acquire a much-needed echo cardio machine for the Adult Congenital Heart Disease Unit at RMC and for research and further collaboration among Texas and Israeli medical specialists. There will be no further fundraising at the event.
Wiessman helped establish the Texas Friends of Rabin Medical Center in the belief that North Texas and RMC could benefit from sharing resources and advancements that lead to an innovative health care collaboration. Together, the Texas and Israeli medical communities intend to advance medical practices through conferences, exchanges and programs with area medical institutions and leading cardiologists.
Honorary chairs for the tribute event are Jackie and Steve Waldman, CPCU. Steve is partner, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Waldman Bros. insurance and financial services, past president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas and chairman of the Dallas Jewish Community Foundation. Professionally, Mr. Waldman served on the board at Independent Insurance Agents of Dallas, plus numerous regional and national insurance carrier/agency executive councils.
Jackie Waldman, co-founder of Dallas’ Random Acts of Kindness™ Week, is the celebrated author of five books, the mother of three healthy children and a grandmother. She inspires others to give through volunteering. In 1991, Mrs. Waldman was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and since that time has been devoted to sharing her message about the power of giving. “True survival,” she emphasizes, “is how we treat each other.”
Rabin Medical Center, founded in 1996 in memory of the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, was formed by merging two existing hospitals: Beilinson (1936) and HaSharon (1942). RMC is at the forefront of Israel’s health care system, and is a major tertiary referral center for patients from all over Israel and beyond. Affiliated with the Tel Aviv University–Sackler Faculty of Medicine, RMC is a prestigious teaching hospital ranking among the top choices of Israeli medical school graduates for internship, residency and fellowship placements. A center of excellence in medical sub-specialties, RMC has Israel’s only dedicated transplant facilities capable of performing kidney, lung, heart and liver transplantations, and boasts an active multiple organ and living-related donor program. Its Cardiothoracic Surgery Department and its Oncology Institute are the largest in the country, and its heliport and Emergency Level 1 Trauma Center stand ready to assist with critical services in times of war and peace.
With over 1 million patient visits, 35,000 surgical procedures and 8,500 births every year, RMC’s outstanding staff, numbering 4,500, strives to offer state-of-the-art medicine, combining the use of advanced equipment and technologies with humane and compassionate care.
For more information and sponsorship opportunities, please call Ayala Oster, 469-951-9532, or e-mail ysolel@clalit.org.il.

Emanu-El Couples Club party Dec. 12

Temple Emanu-El Couples Club will have its annual holiday party on Sunday, Dec. 12. Wine social will be at 6 p.m., followed by Italian dinner at 6:45 and showtime at 8. Entertainment will be an outstanding variety show performed by “Jorge and Jewel,” a talented husband-and-wife team who have performed all over the country. Jorge is an operatic tenor singer, and Jewel, an accomplished piano accompanist. Music will be opera, Broadway, old standards and international favorites.
Theme of the party is “Giving,” and a portion of the admission will be donated to needy families selected by the temple.
Cost is $15 per person for members. If you are interested in attending, please contact Sandra or Dan Gorman, 972-549-2500, or Club Presidents Joan and Malcolm Shwarts, 972-239-6677. The Club is open to couples age 55+.

Storyteller Eric Kimmel coming to Dallas

Eric Kimmel is coming to the Story Book House on Dec. 4 as part of the Arlington Speaker Series. Kimmel, born in 1946, is an American Jewish author of more than 50 children’s books. His works include Caldecott Honor Book and Newbury Honor Book, “Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins” (illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman), and Sydney Taylor Book Award winners “The Chanukah Guest” and “Gershon’s Monster.”
All proceeds from ticket sales benefit the Arlington Public Library. The Story Book House is located at 2925 Fairmount St. in Dallas. For more information, please call Matthew Abramowitz, owner of the Story Book House at 214-740-9400 or e-mail mabook1@msn.com.

J Youtheatre to present Disney’s ‘Aladdin Jr.’

The J Youtheatre is delighted to present Disney’s “Aladdin Jr.” on Saturday evening, Dec. 4, at 7:30 and again on Sunday afternoon, Dec. 5, at 2. Both performances will take place in the Zale Auditorium at the Jewish Community Center of Dallas, 7900 Northaven Road, Dallas.
Disney’s resourceful young hero and wise-cracking genie come to life in this special Broadway Junior adaptation of one of the most popular animated movies of all time. With songs such as “A Whole New World,” “One Jump Ahead” and “Friend Like Me” it’s great entertainment for the whole family.
Included in the cast are Erin Beuerlein, Shayna Daniel, Hannah Fritts, Megan Genecov, Samantha Harberg, Sam Horowitz, Sydney Horowitz, Claudia Hurst, Will Naxon, Kyle Prengler, Nessa Raskin, Diane Scheinberg, Lily Shane, Lauren Sinz, Jared Steinhart, Jetlyn Toledo, Normandy Toledo, Raleigh Toledo, Samantha Ungerman and Avery Yoss.
The production is directed by Linda Leonard with music direction by Larry Miller.
Tickets are $10 in advance / $14 at the door for students; $12 in advance / $16 at the door for adults. Purchase them online at www.jccdallas.org or by calling 214-739-2737.
For additional information, contact Judy Cohn at 214-239-7115.

Bringing Baby Home™ workshop offered at the J

Parenting, although hugely rewarding, can often be a source of stress on a relationship. Couples generally receive little preparation for the challenges of maintaining a healthy marriage and find themselves struggling to preserve intimacy as they transition from a couple to a family. The Bringing Baby Home™ workshop is the program that prepares couples for this transition and provides them with the tools to help strengthen their marriage, create a loving co-parenting relationship and provide an atmosphere that nurtures healthy infant and child development.
The Bringing Baby Home™ workshop is being led by Certified Educator and Relationship and Parenting Coach Elizabeth Aloni of EJoy Coaching. Elizabeth has been coaching individuals and couples for over 10 years on how to create and maintain loving and fulfilling relationships. Elizabeth has authored “The Mating Manual” and has been seen on NBC’s “Average Joe” as the relationship coach.
he Bringing Baby Home™ workshop is now being offered locally at the Aaron Family JCC. “We are thrilled to offer this program with Elizabeth. Offering the tools to new and expectant parents to foster loving families is so important and a critical part of fostering healthy child development,” says Tara Sutker Ohayon, director of the J Early Childhood Center.
The Bringing Baby Home™ workshop is offered as a five-week series where couples participate with one another in exercises, hear valuable information, receive tools to take home and watch videos that demonstrate the power of these skills on their infant. Registration is now being accepted at www.jccdallas.org for winter and spring sessions. “The greatest gift a couple can give their baby is a loving relationship,” Dr. John Gottman said.
“Expectant and new parents find a wealth of information on birthing baby, feeding baby, clothing baby and on all the baby accessories but now there is the information that will ensure that this powerful transition to parenthood happens with love, understanding and communication which will serve the family deeply for years to come,” Aloni said. For more information, please reach out to Elizabeth at elizabeth@ejoycoaching.com or at www.ejoycoaching.com.