|
|
|
|
|
The Latest Achievements, Honors, and Recognition February 2010
|
| |
|
|
Dear Friends,
It is with great pride that I inform you of the latest achievements and recognition garnered by the Academy and those affiliated with it. May we all get much nachas from these accomplishments and may the Academy and all of those associated with it continue to go from strength to strength.
Best regards,
Jacob Zighelboim, MD
Chairman, Board of Directors
|
|
|
Acknowledging their work in furthering the success of the  Academy, AJR, CA President, Rabbi Mel Gottlieb, PhD has announced that Cantor Perryne Anker, has been promoted to Associate Dean of the Cantorial School, Rabbi Lynn Brody, '05 to Associate Dean of Internships and Placement and Reesa Rotman to School Registrar.
|
Beth Lieberman, a second year Rabbinical student, is an industry-prominent editor who has acquired, edited and managed more than 500 published books. Her most recent project, The Prophet's Wife, by Milton Steinberg with a forewo rd by Ari L. Goldman and essays by Rabbi Harold S. Kushner and Norma Rosen, will be published this March by Behrman House. The book is being published at a time when works of Biblical fiction have seized the imagination of the reading public, as evidenced by the success of Maggie Anton's Rashi's Daughters series, another of Ms. Lieberman's projects.
|
Rabbi Diane Elliot, '06, led the workshop "Spiritual Strategies for Hard Times: Cultivating Joy in the Midst of Hardship" at the OHALAH conference held in St. Louis from January 10th -13th. In addition, Rabbi Elliot's Rosh Hashanah sermon "Hannah's Tears," written while she was in a student pulpit at San Diego's Elijah Minyan, will be published this Spring in the upcoming Golden Anniversary Anthology of The American Rabbi.
|
 Rabbi Min Kantrowitz, '04 has had her book, Counting the Omer: A Kabbalistic Mediation Guide, published by Gaon Books. Released in January, the book is a path through the 49 days of Counting the Omer, with mediations, exercises, kavvanot and activities for each of the days, according to the traditional pairings of the Sephirot. Unlike any other published material, this book has a specific focus on each of the four worlds for each of the 49 days.
|
Rabbi Stan Levy, JD, Vice-Chair of the AJR, CA Board of Directors and one of the co-founders of the Academy, had an article published in the January issue of Shma: A Journal of Jewish Responsibility. The issue's focus was on tzimtzum, the kabbalistic notion that G-d "contracted" as part of the process of creation. Rabbi Levy's piece addressed the spiritual level one attains in any given moment or any given situation, which is based on how "present" one is in that moment or situation.
|
 Cantor Birdie Becker, a fifth year Rabbinical student, was noted for her work providing the religious training and officiating at a B'nai Mitzvah ceremony of a married couple in their 70's. The article, "The BEGINNING, at LAST" which detailed the story of Norma and Don Neyman ran in The Pueblo (CO) Chieftain. In August of 2009, Cantor Becker became one of seven "Mile High Storahtelling Mavens." Storahtelling has 70 certified international performers and brings a twist of the arts into the Torah service. Over the past ten years, Storahtelling has provided programming for more than 1,000 synagogues and organizations, reaching more than 100,000 people worldwide.
|
Cantor Phil Baron, '05 was the main soloist at a January 22nd
event honoring AJR, CA Professor of Liturgical Studies, Dr. Michael Isaacson. The Erev Shabbat program was held at Valley Beth Shalom where Cantor Baron serves as a Hazzan.
|
 Rabbi Ira Rosenfeld, '08, a long-time Jewish educator, has been invited to teach two Adult Education classes at Temple Ramat Zion in Northridge. "How Did We Get Here?" will examine the people and events that led us to where we are now as a Jewish Community and "Why We Do What We Do" is a review and explanation of how Jews celebrate holidays. The four week courses will begin in early February.
|
Marvin A. Sweeney, PhD, Professor of Bible at AJR, CA, delivered the "Ann and Nate Levine Endowed Lecture in Jewish Studies" at Southern Methodist University on October 28, 2009. His topic, "Reading the Bible after the Holocaust," drew upon his book, Reading the Hebrew Bible after the Shoah: Engaging Holocaust Theology (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2008). On November 22, 2009, a panel review of Sweeney's book was presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature in New Orleans. The panelists' remarks and Dr. Sweeney's response will be published in the Review of Biblical Literature. A second panel presentation considered Dr. Sweeney's earlier works, Isaiah 1-39, with an Introduction to Prophetic Literature (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996) and King Josiah of Judah: The Lost Messiah of Israel (Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2001).
|
 Dr. Michael Isaacson, AJR, CA Professor of Liturgical Studies, has completed an audio-book version of his book Jewish Music as Midrash: What Makes Music Jewish? The audio-book (containing two CDs of music included) can be downloaded from Oysongs.com.
|
 Rabbi Steve Finley '09 and fourth year Cantorial student Jonathan Friedmann have created the Teen Chesed program and are currently working with three L.A. based synagogues. The program includes field trips to retirement homes and class time for study and reflection. The teenagers are gaining a mastery of em pathic listening, acquiring skills for providing spiritual comfort and healing, and have a great opportunity for their own spiritual growth. Rabbi Finley and Mr. Friedmann presented two workshops on their program at the Bureau of Jewish Education's School Educator Conference, which was held at the American Jewish University on January 17th.
|
|
Academy for Jewish Religion|CA
Yitzhak Rabin Hillel Center for Jewish Life at UCLA
574 Hilgard Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
phone: 310-824-1586 email: office@ajrca.org
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
