Compiled by Sharon Wisch-Ray
sharon@tjpnews.com

Congregation Shearith Israel appoints Rabbi Daniel Pressman to serve as transitional senior rabbi

Congregation Shearith Israel has named Rabbi Daniel Pressman, transitional senior rabbi, to serve the community alongside Associate Rabbi Adam Roffman, Associate Rabbi Shira Wallach, Hazzan Itzhak Zhrebker, and Ritual Director Avi Mitzner.
Rabbi Daniel Pressman was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He had a rich Jewish upbringing. His parents, Rabbi Jacob and Marjorie Pressman, modeled devotion to Judaism and community. Camp Ramah and United Synagogue Youth gave him formative Jewish experiences. He graduated from UCLA, while also attending the University of Judaism, and was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York.
Rabbi Pressman served Congregation Ner Tamid in Palos Verdes, California for seven years before coming to Congregation Beth David in Saratoga, California, where he served for 33 years until his retirement in 2014.
During his tenure, Beth David won over 15 Solomon Schechter Awards, and was known for innovative programming. He has served as president of the Pacific Northwest Region of the Rabbinical Assembly, as chairman of the Rabbinic Association of Greater San Jose, and on the executive board of the Rabbinic Cabinet of the United Jewish Appeal, the national board of the United Synagogue for Conservative Judaism, and the national executive council of the Rabbinical Assembly, as well as numerous local boards and committees.
Rabbi Pressman is the author, with Rabbi Ronald Isaacs, of several prayer books. He also served on the commentary committee for Humash Etz Hayim, which is the humash Shearith has used for close to a decade. Many synagogues in North and South America have used his Torah Sparks, a weekly discussion guide to the Torah portion published by the United Synagogue, which will appear in book form later this year.
Rabbi Pressman was married to the late Beverly Auerbach Pressman for 39 years. He has three children: Aliza, Benjamin, and Rebecca, and five grandchildren. Rabbi Pressman will move to Dallas with his fiancée, Helen Tieger, this month and looks forward to meeting the community at Shearith Israel’s Back-to-Shul Shabbat on Aug. 26. Services are open to the public, but there is a small cost for Shabbat dinner, and reservations are required. Please call the shul at 214-361-6606 or visit www.shearith.org for more details and to register for Back-to-Shul Shabbat dinner.
“The rabbinic staff and leadership of the synagogue believe Rabbi Pressman is the ideal spiritual leader to help guide us through this time of transition and growth. We all look forward to the opportunity of welcoming Rabbi Pressman and Helen into our Shearith family!” said Gail Mizrahi, president of Congregation Shearith Israel.
— Submitted by Judith Tashbook-Safern

Solis joins fashionistas for tour of Israel

Robbin Raskin Solis, art director at Neiman Marcus, joined a group of 35 Jewish fashionistas from around the world to tour the “chic side of Israel.”

The eight-day tour, organized by the Maryland-based Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project (JWRP) and the Israeli Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, included visits to key fashion sites and meetings with some of the country’s top fashion designers, merchandisers and marketers. Participants also attended a JWRP Fashion Week in Tel Aviv.
JWRP said beforehand, “The trip is intended to awaken your inner beauty, creating a Renaissance of Jewish values for you to take home, enhancing your family and personal journey and inspiring you to greater creativity in your chosen field.”
For eight days, from July 26 to Aug. 3, the participants, included women from the U.S., Canada, Australia, Estonia, Panama and South Africa, bonded together spiritually in their chosen profession.
Robbin, who grew up in Dallas, is married to Michael Solis and has two sons, Gus, 14, and Roman, 11.
— Submitted by Sandy Raskin

Calling all start-ups

The Addison TreeHouse and Southwest Airlines are helping female- and/or minority-owned startups to help their businesses take off — literally. Saturday, Aug. 6 at 11:59 p.m. is the deadline for the first Soar to Success Business Pitch Competition with a prize of 24 one-way airline passes.
“The opportunities are endless for the winner as they will have the resources to get to that conference or a national investor meeting that might otherwise have been an out-of-pocket load to bear. The Dallas Etrepreneur Center, the Addison TreeHouse and Southwest Airlines will all follow the winner with blogs, social media, and other opportunities. The doors this will open are endless,” said Shelley Widom, director of the Addison TreeHouse, whose parents Pam and Steve are both entrepreneurs.
“Whether you just have an idea, or a full-blown business — if you’re just starting out or cash positive — everyone has a chance. The application is easy and quick so we hope everyone who meets the requirements will get online and give themselves the chance of a lifetime.”
The Addison TreeHouse was founded by the Town of Addison and the Dallas Entrepreneur Center as a resource-centered co-working space focused on providing aspiring entrepreneurs with the education, programming and mentorship that are vital for the growth and sustainability of businesses.
All entrants must be at least 19 years old, with company headquarters in Collin, Dallas, Delta, Denton, Ellis, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, or Wise counties.
Visit http://bit.ly/2aiaIBa to complete the application. Again, the deadline is 11:59 p.m. this Saturday, Aug. 6. For more about the Addison TreeHouse, visit addisontreehouse.com.
— Submitted by Deb Silverthorn