Compiled by Sharon Wisch-Ray
sharon@tjpnews.com

24-hour Reading of the Names

For the 15th consecutive year, Congregation Beth Torah Men’s Club presents its annual 24-Hour Reading of the Names and Holocaust Remembrance Vigil, North Texas’ only Reading of the Names event.
Reading of the Names is an annual program in which volunteers sign up to read the names of those who perished in the Holocaust. The names are read continuously for 24 hours.  Volunteers can sign up to read for 15 minutes or more.
Many of the Holocaust victims’ names have not been mentioned or spoken in over 70 years. Most of the time, the victims were only known by a number, and were never given a proper memorial. The Dallas Community has the opportunity to keep their memory alive by reading and/or listening to the names, and honor the 11 million who were mass murdered.
The reading will start at 9 p.m. Saturday, April 30 and end at 9 p.m. Sunday, May 1.
A special program Sunday includes: a 9:15 a.m. Breakfast Program ($7 per member/$10 per nonmember/$5 per student) and at 9:30 a.m. Holocaust Memorial Program. Rabbi Elana Zelony, Congregation Beth Torah will lead a discussion on some excerpts from Victor Frankl’s work, “Man’s Search for Meaning.” Concentration camp survivor, Dr. Frankl, examined the question of resilience and hope in the face of utter darkness. Dr. Frankl writes, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
This research will be studied and discussed in the hope that learning and humanity are capable of finding light — even in the darkest of places.
Dr. Zsuzsanna Ozsvath, professor of Literature and History, The Leah and Paul Lewis Chair of Holocaust Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, will speak about her just-published book “When the Danube Ran Red.”
Dr. Ozsvath’s book deals with her first understanding of the Holocaust. It was then, as a young child, when she heard fugitives from Austria and Hungry talking about the Nazis. Dr. Ozsvath will be available after the program for a book signing. The Blue Cross Blue Shield Voices of Diversity and Congregation Beth Torah Singers will perform and  community members who have participated in the Reading of the Names/Holocaust Remembrance Vigil in the past, will share personal reflections.
Participants will include Mayor Paul Voelker, Richardson; Rabbi Elana Zelony, Congregation Beth Torah; Dr. Douglas B. Skinner, Northway Christian Church; Dr. Robert Chishold, Jr., Dallas Theological Seminary; Dr. Robert Hunt, Global Theological Education & The Center for Evangelism & Missional Church Studies at SMU;  Dr. Michael Perry, King’s Right Hand Ministries; Doc Vranici, Albanian American Cultural Center; Dr. Mohamed Lazzouni, Islamic Association of Collin County; Muhammad Samad, Islamic Association of North Texas; Fussell Diwa, Biblical Community Church; Pride Alliance and Diversity Committees from Blue Cross Blue Shield in Richardson; leaders of the LGBT, Masonic, Esperanto-USA, the Albanian, Christian, Muslim and Jewish communities; and various religious, school, organizations, and youth representatives. Individuals from Israel, Germany, and others around the country will Skype in to the program to read names.
The sign up to read the names of Holocaust Victims is on the board in Beth Torah’s lobby. Those interested also can call the Synagogue’s office at 972-234-1542. Those who prefer to listen to the names can stop by at any time during the 24 hours.
Whether you read names or “give witness” by listening to the reading of the names, please join in this community event to remember all who were lost in the Holocaust.
— Submitted by Laura Matisoff

Temple Shalom continues  50th Anniversary Celebration with Confirmation Reunion

In continuing its observance and celebration of its 50th anniversary, Temple Shalom will have a Reunion of all confirmands from the past 50 years at Erev Shabbat service May 6. This reunion will be celebrated in conjunction with the Confirmation of the Class of 2016.
Rabbi Andrew Paley said that he looks forward to welcoming confirmands from each of the past decades including those who have had their own children confirmed.
The past classes will be welcomed and each group will be able to meet once again with old friends and renew this milestone from their teen years. For more information contact Temple Shalom, 972-661-1810 or worship@templeshalomdallas.org.
Start Mother’s Day with run and bagel at the J
It’s time to celebrate the power of “Mom” while getting the whole family moving.
The 30th annual Bagel Run, hosted on Mother’s Day 2016, promises to be a must-attend event for the entire family.
Coordinated by The J, and managed by Compton Time and Measure, the race has three options: 10k, 5k and Kids K. Runners of all levels and ages are encouraged to participate. The race concludes with a delicious bagel buffet for all runners.
The Bagel Run will be held Sunday, May 8 at 7900 Northaven Road in Dallas beginning at 7 a.m. with registration and packet pick up.
Advance registration is $25. Day of registration for individuals is $30. Special pricing for families (two adults and up to three children) is available for $40 in advance and $55 day of. Kids ages four through 13 are just $8 for any race. Registration is available online. Awards will be presented in several different age categories. All children participating in the Kids K will also receive a medal.
“For 30 years, the Bagel Run has been a Mother’s Day tradition here in North Texas,” said Artie Allen, The J’s CEO and run mascot “Bagel Man.”
“We added the tagline ‘celebrate the power of mom’ to highlight not only the special role moms play in all our lives, but the importance of the whole family getting together to do something healthy and active on her special day.”
Runners and walkers should be adequately prepared for participation in the Bagel Run. Appropriate training and medical review should be completed before participating. Several training guides are available and provide recommendations for training.
Sponsors for the 2016 Bagel Run include: Aid Station —Jack and Janet Baum, Cindy’s Restaurant Corporation, Kahn Mechanical, Key-Whitman Eye Center, Mark and Carol Kreditor & Family, Lieberman Family Wellness Center, PSW Homes, Reagan Chirosport Center, The Julie and Mike Weinberg Family Pacesetter — Carol and Steven Aaron, Neil Beckerman, Barbi and Scott Cohen, Lisa and David Genecov, Zev Shulkin, Wickman Agency of Allstate, Whole Foods; and Contender — Gary Bradshaw Hodges Capital, Hodges Capital Holdings, Inc., Laurie and David Judson, Liz and Robert Liener, Reliable Plant Maintenance Inc., Marilyn and Donald H. Schaffer, Celia and Larry Schoenbrun, Sentry Lacross.

Israel Dallas Center to welcome Yafit Josephson

Yafit Josephson will bring her critically acclaimed, one woman show to the stage at Congregation Shearith Israel when the Israel Dallas Center hosts New Eyes. The program begins at 7 p.m., Sunday, May 8.
Cost is $45. New Eyes, which made its debut in LA in 2010, tells the story of Yafit Josephson, and Israeli woman who after her IDF service travels to LA to pursue her dream of becoming an actress.
“Just as her native country wrestles with the world’s false perceptions, Yafit must decide how far she is willing to go to challenge, change, or accept how others see her, and what she is willing to risk to fulfill her dreams and destiny,” says the shows website. In the play, Yafit portrays 18 characters from more than five countries.
For more information, contact Anat Solomon, director of the Israel Dallas Center at 972-559-9545 or israeldallascenter@shearith.org.