AJOP Update: Religious Belief is Human Nature, Huge New Study Concludes

May 19, 2011 - 15 Iyar 5771

AJOP Convention January 15-17, 2012 Save the Date!

Star-K Summer Kashrus Training Program

New Sefiros App From Torah Lab

Adoption Alternative for Jewish Mothers

OUTREACH

Israel Trips: Transformative Experiences

LA Charter Tests Genre

Is It Racist to Want a Jewish Spouse?

PHILANTHROPY/FUNDRAISING

Taxing the Tax Exempt

The Founding Conference of Israel's Association of Fundraising Professionals

Find Your Asking Style By Taking the Asking Style Assessment

NORTH AMERICA

Anti-Sharia Law Stirs Concern that Halacha Could Be Next

United Synagogues Announces Leadership Training Program

ISRAEL

Conversion Roundtable Convenes for First Time

Tzipi Livni to RA: Democracy in Israel Cannot Exist Without a Pluralistic Judaism

Massive Anti-Israel Rally in Egypt Organized By...Facebook

INTERNATIONAL

Munich: Demjanjuk Released From German Prison

Out of Africa

Italy Will Not Recognize Unilateral Palestinian State, Berlusconi Says

ARTICLES OF INTEREST

Religious Belief is Human Nature, Huge New Study Concludes

Treasured Judaica Library, Feared Lost is Back on Market

The Push to Outlaw Circumcision

The Schechter Institute's Labor Woes

Norman Finkelstien Proves No Match for this Anti-Semitic Semite

Is Your Religion Your Financial Destiny?

The Michelangelo Code

To View Our Archives of Past Newsletters

AJOP Board

RABBINIC AUTHORITIES

HaRav Shmuel Kamenetsky

HaRav Yaakov Perlow

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Rabbi Ilan Feldman

Atlanta, GA

Rabbi Yaacov Haber

Jerusalem, Israel

Mr. Richard Horowitz

Los Angeles, CA

Rabbi Yehoshua Karsh

Northbrook, IL

Dr. David Lieberman

Lakewood, NJ

Rabbi Yitzchok Lowenbraun

National Director

Rabbi Shlomo Porter

Baltimore, MD

Mr. Jeff Schachter Esq.

Passaic, NJ

Mr. Frank Storch

Baltimore, MD

HaRav Michel Twerski

Milwaukee, WI

Mr. Jerry Wolasky

Baltimore, MD

ADVISORY BOARD

Mr. Mark Bane

Lawrence, NY

Mr. Jonathan Beren

Denver, CO

Dr. Robert Edelman

Baltimore, MD

Rabbi Avraham Edelstein

Jerusalem, Israel

Dr. Michael J Elman

Baltimore, MD
Rabbi David Felsenthal
New York, NY

Mr. Howard Tzvi Friedman

Baltimore, MD

Mr. Joseph Friedman

Olney, MD
Mr. Harvey Hecker

Toronto, ONT

Mr. Stephen Rosedale

Cincinnatti, OH

Rabbi Simcha Scholar

Brooklyn, NY

Rabbi Dovid Refson

Jerusalem, Israel

Mr Gary Torgow

Detroit, MI

Rabbi Abraham Twerski, MD

Teaneck, NJ

Star K Kashrus Summer Training Program-LAST DAY TO APPLY

Star-K will be holding its 8th annual Summer Kashrus Training Program July 25-28, 2011. This program will enhance the kiruv professional's understanding of kashrus to better assist the community with its kashrus needs. There is no charge for the course but the course is limited to 25 attendees.

For more information, please contact Rabbi Zvi Goldberg at 410-484-4110 ext. 219.

Click Here for the Application
Click Here for the article describing the program.

New Sefiros App From Torah Lab

Sefiros-the best selling day-by-day guidebook to Sefirat Haomer, by Rabbi Yaacov Haber has helped thousands make the time between Pesach and Shavuot a time of amazing personal growth. Now Sefiros can be part of your life on your iPhone of iPad.

The Sefiros app will not only remind you to cound the Omer, but it will make everyday of the Omer count. The fine print which until now has been reserved for the Kabbalists is available for your spiritual growth.

Click Here to Access the App

Adoption Alternative for Jewish Mothers

Embrace a Jewish Child fills an exclusive role by reaching out to women facing unplanned pregnancy and families in crisis by informing them of the various options available. It offers personalized support and guidance to assist them in pursuing the path they choose. In addition Embrace a Jewish Child works with a network of professionals across the country to advocate for Jewish birth mothers and families in their time of need.

For more information, visit embraceachild.org or call
855-2-EMBRACE

Director of Engagement Towson University Hillel Towson, MD

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The username is ajop. The password is ajop613.

LA Charter Tests Genre
An Article from The Jewish Week

"How do you say 'cheerleader' in Hebrew?" The question comes in the middle of a beginning Hebrew class at Albert Einstein Academy for Letters, Arts and Sciences, a new charter school in this affluent Los Angeles suburb in the canyons northeast of the San Fernando Valley. Continue Reading

Is It Racist to Want a Jewish Spouse?
An Article from Chabad.org

I was explaining to a non-Jewish work colleague that I only date Jewish men, because I would not marry a non-Jew. He accused me of being racist. I was caught on the spot and had nothing to say. Continue Reading

Israel Trips: Transformative Experiences
An Article from Hamodia

At this time of the year, with trees sporting their greenest finery and flowers blooming on front lawns, many of us are
beginning to think about summer plans. Continue Reading
Outreacharticle4

Taxing the Tax Exempt
An Article from eJewish Philanthropy

The leaders of the 1.8 million non-profit organizations in the United States need to brace themselves for the next budgetary shock. Continue Reading

The Founding Conference of Israel's Association of Fundraising Professionals
An Article from eJewish Philanthropy

Last year I wrote an article in eJewish Philanthropy announcing the founding of the Israel Association of Professional Fundraisers. Continue Reading

Fundraising3

Find Your Asking Style By Taking the Asking Style Assessment
From Asking Matters

There are many effective ways to ask for gifts. Some people take great care preparing well-organized and complete presentations. Others prepare with just a few talking points and then use the energy of the prospect to guide the conversation.

Anti-Sharia Law Stirs Concern That Halacha Could Be Next
An Article from The Jewish Week

With conservative lawmakers across the United States trying to outlaw sharia, or Islamic religious law, Jewish organizations are concerned that halachah could be next.

United Synagogue Announces Leadership Training Program
An Article from eJewish Philanthropy

The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism has announced an innovative partnership with The Alban Institute, that will bring the expertise of Robert Leventhal, to a United Synagogue team working to create a new continent-wide leadership development program.

Conversion Roundtable Convenes for First Time
An Article from The Jewish Agency for Israel

The first meeting of the Conversion Roundtable chaired by Natan Sharansky, Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel and Zvi Hauser, Secretary of the Government took place today at the Jewish Agency.

Tzipi Livni to RA: Democracy in Israel Cannot Exist Without a Pluralistic Judaism
An Article from eJewish Philanthropy

Israel's Education Minister Gideon Sa'ar of the Likud and the Israeli opposition leader Tzipi Livni of Kadima recently flew to the United States at the invitation of the Conservative Movement's Rabbinical Assembly to attend the R.A. convention in Las Vegas. Continue Reading

Massive Anti-Israel Rally in Egypt Organized By...Facebook
An Article from Rubin Reports

Repeatedly we were told about the alleged absence of anti-Israel rhetoric and signs in Tahrir square during the revolution. I don't think it was true then. I certainly don't think it is true now. Continue Reading

Munich: Demjanjuk Released From German Prison
An Article from Vos Iz Neias

John Demjanjuk left prison in an unmarked vehicle on Friday for a nursing home after a judge ordered him released pending an appeal of his conviction for serving as a guard at a Nazi death camp.

Out of Africa
An Article from Jewish Action

When one thinks of countries like Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Djibouti, African tribes, civil wars and famines come to mind. Certainly one does not think of Jewish communities. Yet, traditional Jewish communities existed in all of these African countries.

Italy Will Not Recognize Unilateral Palestinian State, Berlusconi Says
An Article from JTA

Italy will never recognize a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said. Continue Reading


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Religious Belief is Human Nature, Huge New Study Concludes
An Article from CNN

Religion comes naturally, even instinctively, to human beings, a massive new study of cultures all around the world suggests.

Treasured Judaica Library, Feared Lost is Back on Market
An Article from The Forward

One of the world's largest and most valuable private Judaica libraries is up for sale, again. To the consternation of Judaeophiles and scholarly libraries around the world, public access to the Valmadonna Trust Library was feared to have been lost last December. Continue Reading

The Push to Outlaw Circumcision
An Article from The Forward

A group in San Francisco has collected enough signatures to force a vote on a law that would make it illegal to "circumcise, excise, cut or mutilate the foreskin...

The Schechter Institute's Labor Woes
An Article from eJewish Philanthropy

Some 30 employees of the Schechter Institute for Jewish Studies demonstrated Wednesday in front of the organization's Jerusalem headquarter, threatening to continue an open-ended strike they started last week. Continue Reading

Norman Finkelstein Proves No Match for this Anti-Semitic Semite
An Article from Tablet Magazine

Outside my window in Moscow everything is frozen, the thick ice-coated ground, the wind whining through alleys between the gray apartment buildings that stick out from 5-foot bases of hard snow, the orange dump trucks full of snow chugging along the street. Continue Reading

Is Your Religion Your Financial Destiny?
An Article from The New York Times

The economic differences among the country's various religions are strikingly large, much larger than the differences among states and even larger than those among racial groups.
Continue Reading

The Michelangelo Code
An Article from Aish.com

In the heart of the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel is the site of the conclave where every new pope is elected. Continue Reading

Please note: The views expressed in the articles featured in this newsletter reflect the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the thinking of the Association for Jewish Outreach Professionals. AJOP serves to disseminate pertinent news to its subscribers.

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