GOSSIPS: PEOPLE IN THE NEWS                                by Maximillien de Lafayette editor@worldjewishnewsagency.org

 

GLOBAL EXPERTS TO EVALUATE ROLE OF RELIGIOUS UNIVERSITY AT BAR ILAN U.

Photo: BIU President Prof. Moshe Kaveh (at right) awards PM Sharon his honorary doctorate  in Tel Aviv. Sharon received several standing ovations.

Bar Ilan University, Israel's traditional religious institution of higher education, and the U.S. government's Fulbright program, administered in Israel by the United States-Israel Educational Foundation, will next week host a special conference on “The Role of the Religious University." The conference takes place at a time in which widespread debate sweeps Israel concerning conscientious and religious objectors to the Israeli Government’s Disengagement Plan and the role of religious soldiers in the plan's implementation. Critical questions have been raised regarding the impact of faith-driven universities in democratic societies with special regard to the election of national leaders, protest movements and violence in society. The conference will explore the academic world from a religious perspective, compare different such universities around the world, and examine the uniqueness of the Jewish people in academia. Conference participants include: Prof. Moshe Kaveh, President of Bar Ilan University, Prof. Yosef Yeshurun, Bar Ilan Rector, Rabbi Prof. Norman Lamm, Yeshiva University USA, Prof. Marshall Breger, Columbus School of Law, the Catholic University of America, Prof. Bernard Dobranski, Ave Maria School of Law, Prof. Michael James, Association of Catholic Collages and Universities USA, Dr. Faruq Mawasi, Qasimi Collage Baka Al Gabia, Bar Ilan Dean Faculty of Jewish Studies, Bar Ilan Dean Faculty of Life Science, Prof. Yaacov Iram, and others. Media are Invited to Attend the Conference: "The Role of Religious Universities". Bar Ilan University Campus. 16-17 May 2005. The conference concept was proposed and developed by Prof. Marshall Breger, guest expert from the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law. Prof. Breger is available to share his ideas on the ‘role of the religious university’, and to reveal the religious level of different universities around the globe.  Bar Ilan is one of Israel’s most thriving universities, linking the rich textual history of Judaism with Israel's emphasis on a liberal education. Known for its excellence in education, Bar-Ilan University prides itself on the symmetry it has created between science and religion. The United States Israel Educational Foundation (USIEF) established and supported by the American and Israeli governments, has enabled outstanding American and Israeli scholars and students to pursue research and study at leading institutions of higher learning in the two countries. USIEF also houses an educational/ counseling Information Center on study opportunities in the U.S.  Both Bar Ilan University and the united States Israel Educational Foundation are currently celebrating their 50^th year anniversary.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg spoke at the annual meeting of the American Jewish Committee

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg spoke at the annual meeting of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) on Wednesday evening, June 15^th.  During the program, the Mayor remarked, “Ensuring that everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed is our greatest challenge, and the key to all opportunity is a good education. But for generations, our City’s public schools failed to instill that same focus in the lives of many of our kids – and graduated them into the world without the skills they needed to participate in the ‘American Dream.’  Our Administration is now committed to ending that failure…. But complete success requires a commitment from our entire community, which is why AJC’s ‘Hands Across the Campus’ leadership program in our public high schools is so vital.  I want to thank you for everything that your organization has done to improve our communities and strengthen our city, particularly in the area of education.”  The American Jewish Committee was established in 1906 by a small group of American Jews deeply concerned about pogroms aimed at the Jewish population of Russia. The group determined that the best way to protect Jews in Russia and other countries would be to work towards a world in which all peoples are accorded respect and dignity. Photo credits: Kristen Artz

Spring Women's Luncheon Benefit Honors Jewish Women in the Military

New York, NY - The Museum of Jewish Heritage-A Living Memorial to the Holocaust will hold its annual Spring Women's Luncheon Benefit on this Thursday,  from 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at The Pierre Hotel. This year's luncheon will recognize the contributions made by Jewish women in the military, and commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II and the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps. Marie Brenner, writer-at-large at Vanity Fair, will interview 1st Lieutenant Charlotte Chaney, a US Army nurse at the 127th Evacuation Hospital in Germany in 1945, who cared for survivors after the liberation of Dachau. A new element of this year's luncheon will be a silent auction featuring vintage jewelry, luxury accessories, and lunch for four with Dr. Ruth Westheimer. Tickets for this event start at $350. For additional information, please call Shari Segel at (646) 437-4322 or e-mail ssegel@mjhnyc.org  Event at The Museum of Jewish Heritage-A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. Location: The Pierre Hotel - Fifth Avenue at 61st Street, New York, NY, on Thursday,  2005 from 11:30 a.m. -2:00 p.m. Cost: Tickets for this event start at $350

The Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, located at 36 Battery Place in Battery Park City, uses a core exhibition of more than 2,000 historic photographs and 800 historical and cultural artifacts, as well as 24 original documentary films, to educate people of all ages and backgrounds about the broad tapestry of Jewish life over the past century-before, during, and after the Holocaust. In fall 2003, the Museum dedicated its 82,000-square-foot Robert M. Morgenthau Wing, which contains the state-of-the-art Edmond J. Safra Hall, Andy Goldsworthy's Garden of Stones, a catering hall, classrooms, and expanded gallery space for special exhibitions. The Museum of Jewish Heritage- A Living Memorial to the Holocaust is one of 15 cultural and historic attractions that make up the Museums of Lower Manhattan. For more information, visit http://www.mjhnyc.org  or call (646) 437-4200. Call or email Ari D. Geller, Public Relations Manager, Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust at 646.437.4339  - ageller@mjhnyc.org

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg symbolically launched the “9/11 Unity Torah

This week, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today symbolically launched the “9/11 Unity Torah” by dipping a feather in a quill and filling in the first letter of the Torah, which is the letter “Beis” of the word Bereishis (meaning Genesis, or beginning). The SoHo Synagogue, the first ever Synagogue in the Lower Manhattan community of SoHo, is dedicating its inaugural Torah to the victims of September 11^th.  The event took place at City Hall, and was attended by Rabbi Yossi Jacobson, and Dovi and Esty Scheiner, the founders of The SoHo Synagogue. Dovi and Esty Scheiner were married on September 11, 2001, and have since committed themselves to cultivating Jewish life in Lower Manhattan. Photo credit: Kimberlee Hewitt.

"ATOMIC IRAN" AUTHOR TO ADDRESS ISRAELI KNESSET

"Atomic Iran" author Dr. Jerome Corsi has accepted an invitation to address the Israeli Knesset as it weighs options for protecting the Jewish state from a potential nuclear attack by Tehran. Dr. Corsi is a Harvard PhD who founded the Iran Freedom Foundation to help promote peaceful, democratic change in the country. He is scheduled to testify next month at a two-hour hearing by the Knesset's Forum on the Middle East. "I'm going to tell the Knesset that the threat from Iran is severe," Corsi said. "The Mullahs have a secret weapons program and I believe they intend to show the world they have it by exploding a bomb over Tel Aviv." The hearing will include top Israeli experts, representatives of the country's Foreign Ministry and members of the diplomatic corps stationed there. Corsi will be accompanied by Ed Lubin and Craig R. Smith of Swiss America Trading Corporation, who will be at the Knesset to meet with other government officials. In response to Iran's nuclear threat, military action is the last recourse, Corsi said. "We should explore every diplomatic solution short of war," he explained. "But in the final analysis, Israel has sworn 'never again' and will have to defend itself." Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is making it clear no war is planned, Corsi notes, "but that does not mean one won't be planned tomorrow." The Bush administration also has indicated the military option is "not off the table." Meanwhile, Dr. Corsi is in the second and final week of the Iran Freedom Foundation's "Iran Liberty Walk," a 209-mile journey from The Liberty Bell in Philadelphia to Washington, D.C., to promote regime change in Tehran. The Walk is scheduled to culminate with a large demonstration on the Capitol Mall. Corsi said the reception from local people along the route has been "just tremendous." "Everyone has been very positive, very favorable, very supportive," he said. In addition to interviews with American news media, the event is being covered each day by the Voice of America's Iran service on both television and radio and by Radio Free Europe's Radio Farda, which has a reporter on the walk. Also, KRSI - a Farsi-language service in California that reaches Iran via satellite - is following it. The coverage includes the themes of The Walk, interviews with the marchers and profiles on American life as seen in the cities and towns on the route.

CITY COUNCIL HONORS JCC OF GREATER CONEY ISLAND’S NONPROFIT HELPDESK AT GALA JEWISH HERITAGE CELEBRATION

As part of a gala celebration of the Jewish community’s commitment to intergenerational programming, the New York City Council paid special tribute to the Nonprofit Helpdesk, a program of the Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island that disseminates computer technology for the benefit of New York City’s nonprofit organizations as well as its senior and youth populations. The large audience of community leaders attending "L’Dor Va Dor / Generation to Generation," a Jewish Heritage Month event held at City Hall under the auspices of Council Members Gale Brewer and Michael Nelson, heard from both Councilmember Domenic M. Recchia Jr. and an audiovisual presentation about the vital community services offered by both NPHD and its parent organization. Presenting an award to Rabbi Moshe Wiener, Executive Director of the Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island, Recchia praised him for his visionary ability to precisely assess the needs of New York City’s underprivileged communities and implement the requisite programming to meet those needs. As the Councilmember noted, the JCCGCI provides thousands of homebound seniors with home care, transportation to essential appointments, friendly visiting, home-delivered meals, shopping assistance and telephone reassurance; operates five senior centers that offer daily meals, case assistance, and educational and recreational activities; and administers an array of services that improve the lives of educationally at-risk youth (through after-school programming), vocationally disadvantaged poor (through work experience, vocational training and job placement services), and recent immigrants (through ESL and citizenship instruction, occupational skills training and job placement assistance). Recchia separately lauded the Nonprofit Helpdesk, citing its thirteen-year history of providing New York City’s diverse community-based organizations with professional computer technology services that include development and installation of customized office software, networking of computer systems, website development, workshops on information technology, and much more. "Thanks to the Nonprofit Helpdesk," Recchia noted, "our nonprofits have been enabled to significantly increase the quantity and quality of service delivery to their disenfranchised communities." Extolling the leadership of NPHD Director Kayza Kleinman and Assistant Director Chaya Abelsky, the Council Member further commended the program for its farsighted intergenerational seminars educating both senior citizens and youngsters in the productive use of computers and the Internet. "We appreciate the New York City Council’s honor, recognition and crucial support of our many efforts," stated Rabbi Wiener in accepting the award. "The theme of this special gathering – a celebration of intergenerational programs – echoes the timeless Jewish exhortation for the present generation to guide and teach the next one in the proper ways of living and building a productive, compassionate society. The Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island will continue to utilize all available resources to elevate the quality of life for the less fortunate members of our communities."

DR. EUGENE HABECKER LEAVING AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY TO BECOME PRESIDENT OF TAYLOR UNIVERSITY

 The board of trustees of the American Bible Society (ABS) has announced that ABS President Dr. Eugene B. Habecker is leaving his post after 14 years to assume the post of president of his alma mater, Taylor University in Indiana.  The school is an evangelical, independent, interdenominational Christian liberal arts college, with campuses located in Upland and Fort Wayne. “The announcement of my resignation is a bittersweet one,” said Dr. Habecker. “My tenure at American Bible Society has been nothing but a productive and pleasant one.  I will never forget the wonderful bonds I’ve made over the years with my colleagues at ABS.”  Dr. Habecker said that his move to Taylor is “not about a diminished passion for the Bible cause, it’s about a calling,” adding that he and his wife, Marylou, met while students there.  “When the opportunity to return to Taylor unexpectedly presented itself, I had no doubt this was where I should go next,” he said. “I’m excited about the opportunity to connect the next generation of leaders with God’s love for the world.” Dr. Lamar Vest, chairman of the board at ABS, said that he and the trustees wished Dr. Habecker much success in his new position, and that an international search would be undertaken to identify Dr. Habecker’s successor. “Gene has built an incredible foundation and we are looking for a person to take the American Bible Society to the next level,” Dr. Vest said. Dr. Vest continued, “Under Gene’s helm, ABS’ reputation has grown, not only in America, but around the world, in countries where we continue to lead the way in Bible distribution, youth outreach, literacy and advocacy.”  While at ABS, Dr. Habecker helped establish the Opportunity 21 Program and MOBIA (Museum of Biblical Arts), forged relationships with the United Bible Societies, and helped establish 25 Bible societies in the former Soviet Union and in Central and Eastern Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall.  Prior to joining ABS, Dr. Habecker spent 10 years as president of Huntington College in Indiana.  He holds degrees from Taylor University and Ball State University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.  He earned a law degree from Temple University School of Law in 1974 and is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar.  He is also a graduate of Harvard University’s Institute for Educational Management, and he holds honorary doctorates from several colleges. Founded in 1816 and headquartered in New York City, the American Bible Society is a non-profit, interdenominational organization that works to transform lives, particularly among the young, by promoting personal engagement with the Holy Scriptures. The American Bible Society web site is www.americanbible.org.

75^th Anniversary Celebration of NYCLA’s Home of Law and Annual Meeting

The New York County Lawyers' Association (NYCLA) will celebrate the 75th anniversary of its landmark Cass Gilbert-designed Home of Law building on Thursday, May 26 beginning at 5:15 PM at St. Paul's Chapel, which is across the street from NYCLA. In a first for the Association, the Annual Meeting will take place at St. Paul's Chapel, followed by a reception at its Home of Law. Speakers at the event are: Hon. Michael Cardozo, New York City Corporation Counsel (a distant cousin of Hon. Benjamin N. Cardozo, who spoke at the dedication of the building in 1930 when he was the Chief Judge, New York State Court of Appeals); Paul Goldberger, architecture critic for The New Yorker; Hon. Judith S. Kaye, Chief Judge of the State of New York; Norman L. Reimer, NYCLA President; and Hon. John M. Walker Jr., Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit. Robert MacCrate, former ABA President and retired partner at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, will deliver the Charles Evans Hughes Lecture. The five NYCLA officers inducted will be: Norman L. Reimer, a partner at Gould Reimer Walsh Goffin & Cohen, LLP, as President of the Association; Edwin David Robertson, a partner at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, as President-Elect; Catherine Ann Christian, Director of Legal Staff Training, the New York County District Attorneys' Office, Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor, as Vice President; Ann B. Lesk, a partner at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, as Secretary; and Joel B. Harris, a partner at Thacher Proffitt & Wood, as Treasurer. In his remarks, Mr. Reimer will announce the commencement of a Centennial Capital Campaign to raise five million dollars in support of the Association's mission and its Home of Law.  The campaign will run throught the Association's centenial on April 21, 2008. Mr. Reimer will also decry 'multi-faceted attacks by ratings-driven media and an array of ideologues' as posing an ominous threat to America's legal system.  In response, Mr. Reimer will announce the formation of a special working group whose mission will be to develop a long-range strategy to guide the Association's efforts to preserve judicial freedom and the separation of powers in our country. In addition to the officers, the following directors will be elected: Ernest E. Badway, Saiber Schlesinger Satz & Goldstein; Louis Crespo Jr., Special Referee, New York County Supreme Court; Lucas A. Ferrara, Finkelstein Newman LLP; James B. Kobak Jr., Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP; David J. Lansner, Lansner & Kubitschek; Susan B. Lindenauer (retired), former Counsel to the President and Attorney-in-Chief, The Legal Aid Society; Morton Moskin (retired), White & Case LLP; William H. Sloane, Carter Ledyard & Milburn LLP; Anthony L. Soudatt, solo practitioner; Rita Wasserstein Warner, Coblence & Warner; Stephanie G. Wheeler, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP; and Eugene B. Nathanson, solo practitioner. History of the Building: Ground for the building was broken on December 7, 1929, a brave move considering the economic climate of the times. It took a mere five and a half months for the building to be completed. The block had been owned by the Astors, who had a hotel on the corner of Broadway and Vesey Street. William Nelson Cromwell chose the site for the Home of Law because, with St. Paul's Chapel across the street, no building would ever block the view. On May 27, 1930, the building was officially opened at a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Hon. Benjamin N. Cardozo, Chief Judge, Court of Appeals; Hon. Samuel Seabury, former NYCLA President (from 1925-1927); William Nelson Cromwell, NYCLA President (from 1927-1930); and Charles C. Burlingham, President of City Bar, among many other notables. Since the U.S. Supreme Court was sitting that day, Hon. Charles Evans Hughes, former NYCLA President (from 1919-1921), could not be present, but communications were read from him and from Hon. Harlan Fiske Stone, Associate Justice, U. S. Supreme Court. Cass Gilbert, the architect, concluded the proceedings. The New York County Lawyers' Association (www.nycla.org) was founded in 1908 as the first major bar association in the country that admitted members without regard to race, ethnicity, religion or gender. Since its inception, it has pioneered some of the most far-reaching and tangible reforms in American jurisprudence and has continuously played an active role in legal developments and public policy.