By Sharon Wisch-Ray
sharon@tjpnews.com

Calling all soon-to-be college students

Community members who are thinking about college or interested in Jewish options on campuses they already plan to attend are invited to a free community event Sunday, Jan. 24 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This informative session will take place in Zale Auditorium at the Aaron Family Jewish Community Center, 7900 Northaven Road in Dallas.
Attendees will be able to visit one-on-one with school representatives about their college and the Jewish options and lifestyle on campus. This is a great opportunity for people to see many different colleges at one time while learning what each institution has to offer.
There will also be opportunities to find out about scholarships offered from the universities, as well as the Dallas Jewish Community Foundation, which offers scholarships to Dallas Jewish teens.
“Jewish education is one of our core values and something The J prides itself on,” said Artie Allen, The J’s president. “By hosting a Jewish College Fair, we can ensure that the next generation maximizes their connection to Jewish values whether they continue their studies in Dallas, in Texas or beyond.”
University organizations represented at the College Fair include: University of Oklahoma Hillel, University of Alabama Hillel, Dallas Hillel, North Texas Hillel, University of Texas Hillel, Texas A&M Hillel, Michigan State Admissions, Maryville University Admissions, TCU Admissions, Washington & Lee Hillel, Mizzou Admissions, and Arizona State.
For more information contact Scott Braswell at sbraswell@jccdallas.org or 214-239-7127.

Bonnheim named first recipient of Levine Academy Alumni Achievement Award

Mazal tov to Rabbi Ana Bonnheim, Ann and Nate Levine Academy, A Solomon Schechter School Class of 1995, who has been selected as the recipient of the school’s first Alumni Achievement Award.
Committee chairs Julie Kern Wilkofsky and Loren Jacobson announced the selection following an exhaustive review of remarkable candidates, submitted by the Solomon Schechter/Levine community-at-large.
“The committee was in total agreement on the purpose of this award. We wanted to recognize and celebrate our amazing alumni while highlighting the solid foundation that Solomon Schechter/Levine Academy gave them then, and continues to give students today,” commented Wilkofsky.
After nominations poured in, it became clear that a decision was going to be arduous so the committee invited additional alumni members to be part of the review process. Rabbi Bonnheim emerged as the unanimous award winner. “The most enlightening part of this process,” added Julie, “was seeing how proud the community is of our alumni, and learning about the truly amazing, world-enriching initiatives that are led by Levine alumni in the U.S. and abroad.”
Ana Bonnheim graduated from Levine Academy, then known as Solomon Schechter in 1995, and attended Dartmouth University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in religion, cum laude. She was ordained as rabbi from the Hebrew Union College in 2008, where the subject of her thesis was Israel v. the Nations: In Search of an Ethical Approach to the Ideology of Land and Ethnicity in the Bible.
Also in 2008, Rabbi Bonnheim was awarded the Women of Reform Judaism Centennial Prize, given to the graduating student who most contributes to the expansion and development of the role of women in Judaism. She is currently the director of Year Round Programs at URJ Greene Family Camp, where she has worked since 2008.
“Levine Academy is a foundational part of who I am,” said Rabbi Bonnheim upon notification of her selection. “I spent nine years under the nurturing guidance of teachers. One of Levine’s greatest impacts on me are those relationships, some of which continue to this day. It was at Levine I learned to read and then developed my love of reading and writing in middle school. I learned to ask questions about the world at Levine — whether in social studies or in the science classroom. I learned to live life on Jewish time. It wasn’t until years later, when I was in college, that I began to appreciate how grounded I felt Jewishly. These seeds were planted at Levine and nurtured by my family and many mentors. I feel a sense of great gratitude for my years at Levine.”
Rabbi Bonnheim is married to Rabbi Asher Knight of Temple Emanu-El and they have two children. She is the daughter of Beverly and Dr. Malcolm Bonnheim of Dallas.

36 years of Levine Academy

Ann and Nate Levine Academy will celebrate 36 years of excellence in Jewish education Sunday, April 3 at the InterContinental Dallas Hotel, when it will honor founder Rabbi Ed Feinstein and present Rabbi Bonnheim with her award.
The musical guest that evening will be Levine alum Josh Goldberg. Many surprises are planned to highlight the significant contributions of the numerous community members, past and present, who helped make Levine Academy the educational establishment that it is today.
For more information about Levine Academy’s 36th Anniversary Gala, visit www.levineacademy.org/36, or contact Melissa Gendason, director of advancement, at 972-248-3032, extension 114.