Sunday, October 18, 5 p.m., Temple Israel
Jonathan Leshnoff, associate professor of music at Towson University in Maryland, has been commissioned to write a new composition entitled “A Righteous Soul,” which will performed by the Aeon Ensemble and Cantor Wendy Shermet. In addition to Leshnoff’s composition, the concert will include healing songs performed by a women’s ensemble and remarks by Dr. Ken Cowan, M.D., Ph.D., director of UNMC’s Eppley Institute, and director of the Eppley Cancer Center. A reception, sponsored by the Women of Reform Judaism, an auxiliary of Temple Israel, will follow the concert. All proceeds will be used to support breast cancer awareness.

Tickets are for sale in the Temple lobby during Religious School, in the Temple office during the week or at the door. Tickets cost $18 for adults and $10 for students. Patron sponsor levels are Will – $50; Spirit – $100; Courage – $250; Strength – $500; Audacity – $1000.

This was shared at our Adult Ed session yesterday, thought you might enjoy it.
Shabbat Shalom

Don’t try to answer these questions: just think about them:

Who are the 4 wealthiest people in the world?

Who are the last 4 people to have won the Nobel Peace Prize?

Who are 4 recent Academy Award Winners?

Who has been Time Magazine’s Person of the Year for the last 4 years?

How would you do on these questions:

Think of a few teachers who aided your journey through school

Think of a few friends who have helped you through a difficult time

Think of several people who have taught you something worthwhile

Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special

Think of a few people you enjoy spending time with…

The second questions were easier, weren’t they??

The lesson:

The people who make a difference in our lives are not the ones with the most achievements, money, fame, popularity…

They simply are the ones who care the most….

And I pray we cherish all those special people in our lives…even if they are of blessed memory.

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ONLINE WEBCASTS

Did you miss Dr. Ron Wolfson at Temple? Check out the webcasts of his presentations below:

April 24, 2009
Calling All Temple Israel Angels

April 26, 2009
Blessings and Kisses – The Power of Family
Dr. Ron Wolfson

Submitted by Rabbi Eric Linder

There is not one definition of what religion “does.” It is different things to different people, and often in the same faith. Of course, this doesn’t stop some from trying; the theologian Paul Tillich defines religion as one’s ‘ultimate concern.’ I like that.

But looking at it closer, it seems vague … ultimate concern? What is that?!

I think about my religious upbringing – going to Hebrew School as a young child, being bribed by my parents to attend a youth group conclave, taking college courses in Jewish mysticism, working at a Jewish Summer Camp … I think about all of these, and there’s one thing they have in common. They’ve helped me get from who I was to who I am. My purpose of religion, then? Religion helps move us from the world that is to the world that can be.

Normally there is a gap. In most areas of life, I can look to what I want something to be, rather than what it actually is, and there is a difference. And like everyone else, I have to make do, hoping for the best.

Last night, though, there was no gap. No separation. The world that is was the world that should be.

Three years ago I was interviewed for this job, as the Assistant Rabbi of Temple Israel, in Omaha, Nebraska. I was off-handedly told of a project called the Trifaith Initiative. Three years later, the dream of a visionary few has become the reality for a hopeful many. Like most meaningful things, change has been slow, as there have been challenges and obstacles. But not to our spirit; not to our hope, and not to the core belief in our souls – that we are stronger because of our diversity, and not in spite of it.

Success will undoubtedly be measured in numbers: 1000 people came to our event last night. Those people witnessed 3 different prayer services. 4 nationally renowned religious figures shared their thoughts on peace.

But, the true success lies between the numbers.

Like other moments that happen, you ‘had to be there’ to experience the sense of hope and strength that we felt last night. The real success of our project, though, is that you can be there. You can be open to hearing the ideas of others, even if you vehemently disagree. You can speak truth to power, while also doubting your own certainty of truth. And you can dream along with us.

The night ended with a version of what Jews call the Priestly Benediction. These words are a special blessing and said during various life cycle moments. They were chanted last night in three languages – Hebrew, English and Arabic. They were chanted by three different faiths, spanning time, geography, and theology. And we realized last night that by blessing each other, we in fact bless ourselves.

May God bless you and keep you.

May God cause a divine light to shine upon you and be gracious to you.

May God always turn his presence upon you, and grant you peace.

The world that can be, indeed.

The Dinner in Abraham’s Tent: Conversations on Peace, was a remarkable night. If you missed dinner, we have a solution for you — a replay of the live webcast.

To watch the webcast which runs just over an hour go to this link:
mms://209.200.118.182/tfi032709

Watch the Tri-Faith Promotion Video

Check out the coverage of our Tri-Faith Event in the Omaha World Herald


“Event promotes understanding among religions” Article in UNL’s Daily Nebraskan

Omaha Project is Attracting National Attention

Coalitions plans interfaith campus in Omaha NEW YORK (JTA)

About Abraham’s Tent
On March 27, 2009, leaders of the three faith groups who make up the Tri-Faith Initiative will be in Omaha to speak at the event. Rabbi Peter Knobel, president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, Dr. Ingrid Mattson, president of The Islamic Society of North America and Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori of The Episcopal Church will meet in Omaha. The evening included evening prayer services for the three faith groups, followed by a dinner and conversation about peace in our time. Large screens and audio systems allowed 1000+ people to sit in on their conversation.

The historic program will bring members of the community together for worship, celebration and a dynamic conversation on the topic of Peace—a common theme in each faith. The Tri-Faith Initiative is a partnership of the three Abrahamic faith groups — Christianity, Judaism and Islam. A remarkable project is taking place in Omaha, Nebraska. The Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska, Temple Israel and the American Institute of Islamic Studies and Culture have come together, planning to build a joint campus which will house a mosque, a temple and a church plus a shared facility on a large campus.

This is the only undertaking of its kind we know of in the world. On this site we will keep you in touch with the progress on the plans for the Tri-Faith campus and other news of successful interfaith projects around the nation and around the world.

If you can’t join us at the Qwest, consider organizing your own Dinner in Abraham’s Tent, inviting some interfaith friends over for dinner and to watch the webcast.

BREAKING NEWS
We have been able to make arrangements to webcast the “Conversation on Peace” live from the Qwest that night. Just before 8 p.m. Central Time Friday night, log onto this website and you will be able to click through to the webcast at mms://209.200.118.182/tfilive. (If you try to go there now it will just come up as a Windows Media screen.)

WE NEED YOUR HELP
To get the word out about the webcast to everyone you know – around Nebraska, around the country and around the world. Send an email to at least five friends who would be interested, and ask them to send it on to at least five friends and on and on. If everyone receiving this sends it to 5, they send it to five, they send it to five and they send it to five – we can reach over 30,000 in the next 24 hours.

ABOUT THE EVENT
The Tri-Faith Initiative is host for a conversation on peace with national faith leaders Rabbi Peter Knobel, president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori of the Episcopal Church, and Dr. Ingrid Mattson, president of the Islamic Society of North America. A worship service will include a traditional evening prayer service from each faith.

After gathering the names and addresses of 21 Jewish soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, we were able to send wonderful packages containing many “comfort items.”

Thanks to Religious School students and Al Rieder for making cards to the soldiers, as well as helping us pack the boxes to be shipped. Special thanks to Omaha Steaks for donating gourmet beef jerky for each box, an item often requested by those serving overseas, also to Gordman’s, for donating many pairs of athletic socks, a necessity for our soldiers.

Thank you also to the many families who donated food and personal items to make our packages even more special.

If you would like to help defray the costs of shipping these gifts, please contact either Danielle Gordman or Susie Norton, or the Temple office.

“Somewhere Over the Rainbow”
Annual Youth Group Spaghetti Dinner and Auction
Sunday, March 1, 5 p.m.
Click those ruby slippers three times to get the winning bid on dozens of great baskets up for auction. Will you be bringing home a Wii? Creighton basketball tickets? A gift certificate to El Basha? Only the wizard knows for sure. Silent auction bidding starts the morning of March 1 during Religious School.

Let us know your coming to the dinner!

Adults $10.00
Children (3-12 years old) $4.00
Children (2 years and younger) No Charge

Auction Items:
Two night stay at Arbor Lodge, 2 Husker Football Tickets, Day at the Lake (Jon Meyers), Rock Band at Rabbi Linder’s House, 5 course dinner for 6 people, Barista Basket, Sports Tickets, Challah a Month, Omaha Symphony Tickets, Judaica, Flat Screen Television, Ipod, GPS System, Omaha Steaks Basket, Movie Night Basket, Chocolate Basket, Night in Dundee Basket, Numerous Local Restaurant Gift Certificates, Parking Spaces and more.

My Jewish Journey- by Jan Schneiderman, President Elect of Temple Israel. Jan shared her journey with the Board of Trustees at the February meeting.

Some of you heard my Jewish journey last summer but this will be a much shorter version.
I was brought up in what I call a secular orthodox home. We didn’t keep kosher and my parents worked on Saturday. We observed some of the Jewish holidays certainly not all. My parents belonged to Beth Israel, which was, then at 18th & Chicago.

We spent Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur in Omaha staying at the Fontenelle Hotel so that my father could walk to the synagogue.

As a female, we were not expected to go to Hebrew school nor have a bat mitzvah. And Sunday school at the JCC on 20th & dodge became my only experience in Jewish education which i now know i did not take very seriously.

Being the only Jewish family, life in a small town was often painful for me as I was a frequent victim of antisemitism I believe today that my Jewish identity became stronger because of these abusive incidents.!!

I married les in 1959 at Beth El synagogue where his family belonged and where we then became members.

We have been blessed with three very special children and seven grandchildren.
It was at the beginning of Robin’s Hebrew school year that we decided to join Temple Israel. This quickly became my spiritual home

Our children went to Sunday school, to Hebrew school – all were Bar and Bat Mitzvah. And in confirmation class with Rabbi Brooks.
Being a volunteer was a very important in my Jewish journey. I began this part of the journey with NCJW and in 1999, I was proud to have been elected national president of the oldest Jewish women’s organizations in America. I have been taught to be a leader, an advocate for social justice, and a fund raiser.

It has always been very important to me that my volunteer life center somewhere in the Jewish world. Because if we as Jews don’t do for ourselves, no one else will do it for us. I now serve as an honorary national president of NCJW. I am leadership development chair for the international council of Jewish women. , I have served on the Jewish Federation board both as a board member and as a vice president and have chaired the Federation Women’s Campaign twice. I am a member of the local ADL board and serve as a national commissioner of ADL. I have co-chaired the Nebraska AIPAC council. And am now president elect of Temple Israel.

I travel to Israel each year – sometimes twice. I have traveled on missions with the Jewish Federation, NCJW, ICJW, and with the conference of Presidents of major American Jewish organizations. But probably the most meaningful trip was traveling to Israel with my two older grandsons and seeing life in Israel through the eyes of teen-agers.

There is so much that has shaped my life and my journey and passion as a Jewish woman. My soul was molded by the example set by my parents. And it has been enriched by my family, my friends and my volunteer life. And I continually nourish it by paying my rent to the Jewish community in any way possible.

Listen Now [17 min 7 sec]

Talk of the Nation, February 11, 2009 · Last week, President Obama announced that he will continue the Bush administration’s faith-based initiatives through a new Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Eboo Patel, founder and executive director of the Interfaith Youth Core, talks about the new council and whether hiring practices will be different on Obama’s watch.