IN THIS  ISSUE:

• WORLD UNION HONORS HUMANITARIAN LEADERS IN U.S.

• WORLD UNION CO-SPONSORS FIRST INTERFAITH RELIGIOUS LAW CONSULTATION

• LONDON SEMINAR BRINGS JEWS AND MUSLIMS TOGETHER

• UPCOMING EVENTS

WORLD UNION HONORS HUMANITARIAN LEADERS IN U.S.

In recent weeks, the World Union honored five individuals with its highest prize, the International Humanitarian Award, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to society and to building a pluralistic and more just world. The awards were presented at two separate gala dinners, one in New York City and the other in Burlingame, California, the first time this event was ever held on the U.S. west coast. Combined attendance at the dinners neared 1,000 guests.

Previous recipients have included Nelson Mandela, Leah Rabin, Ehud Barak, Governors Mario Cuomo and Ann Richards, Ambassador Maxwell Rabb and John H. Slade, as well as prominent clergy and civic activists.

Betty B. Golomb and Rabbi Jonathan A. Stein were the honorees in New York on September 10 at the world-famous Waldorf Astoria hotel. World Union president Rabbi Uri Regev said: “Betty’s and Jonathan’s leadership, dedication and caring have made them invaluable assets to our organization and to the Jewish people as a whole.” Presenting the awards were several leaders of the Reform movement: author and activist Al Vorspan; Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union of Reform Judaism; Rabbi Harry Danziger, president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis; and Dr. Aaron D. Panken, dean of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in New York.

The dinner in Burlingame, which moved to a larger venue at the last minute due to the overwhelming response, honored Rabbi Roberto D. Graetz, Joanne Harrington and Lorry Lokey on October 8. "This was the first time that the San Francisco Bay area Jewish community hosted this event," said World Union chairman Steven N. Bauman, "and it was a success in every possible dimension: We raised the community's awareness of the work of the World Union, we honored three amazing people, and we raised much-needed funds to continue our work in Israel and around the world.  We see this as just the beginning." Presenting the awards that evening were Rabbi Regev; Rabbi David Ellenson, president of HUC-JIR and Rabbi Bob Samuels; speakers included ; Rabbi David Saperstein, executive director of the Religious Action Center in Washington, D.C.; Rabbi Gilad Kariv, associate director of the Israel Religious Action Center in Jerusalem and RabbiRegev.

Honoree Profiles

A long-time officer and member of the World Union’s executive board, Betty B. Golomb spearheaded the World Union’s efforts to revive Jewish religious and cultural life in the former Soviet Union, and mobilized the arms of North America’s Reform movement in supporting the growth of World Union congregations and communities in that region. She also has been a leader in interfaith efforts, in building Progressive Judaism in Israel, and in advocating for a strong Reform Zionist movement in North America.

Rabbi Jonathan A. Stein, Senior Rabbi of Temple Shaaray Tefila in New York City, is a member of the World Union’s International Interfaith Task Force and its Rabbinic Cabinet, and an ardent supporter of global Reform Judaism. He has dedicated his personal and professional life to advancing Jewish peoplehood, Reform religious leadership and intergroup relations, and through his tireless efforts has deepened the rabbinate’s understanding of critical community issues as well as his congregants’ spiritual and religious lives.

New York honorees Betty B. Golomb and Rabbi Jonathan A. Stein with World Union

president Rabbi Uri Regev (l) and Chairman Steven M. Bauman (r).

The spiritual leader of Temple Isaiah in Lafayette, California, Argentina-born Rabbi Roberto D. Graetz has served, and continues to serve, in key World Union and community leadership roles. He is a strong advocate for building Reform Judaism worldwide. His personal and rabbinic leadership in his native South America, where he risked his life speaking out against Argentina’s totalitarian regime, has inspired a new generation of rabbis and community leaders in the region. He also founded Chazit Mitkademet, the Brazilian branch of ARZENU.

Joanne Harrington's contributions to child and youth development have spanned more than a quarter of a century. Embracing family, friends and society with a truly ecumenical approach, Joanne has served on the Board of Fellows at Santa Clara University and on the Board of Notre Dame High School, and has been actively involved with Peninsula Volunteers, Little House (Menlo Park), senior subsidized housing, Meals on Wheels, I Care, and the San Francisco Symphony Auxiliary. She is both an inspiration and an avid supporter of her partner and fellow honoree, Lorry Lokey, and his visionary philanthropic achievements (see below).

The founder and chairman/CEO emeritus of Business Wire, a leading worldwide news service, Lorry Lokey has dedicated his life to providing individuals, primarily youth, with endless opportunities to learn and gain the skills necessary to live meaningful, productive lives. His vision, creativity and generosity have led to the development of the Lokey International Academy of Jewish Studies at Haifa’s Leo Baeck Education Center; the Israeli Progressive movement’s mechina military preparatory program for high school graduates (see WUPJnews #233); the Argentine Progressive movement’s Arlene Fern School; and such institutions of higher education as the Technion, Stanford University and the University of Oregon.

 Rabbi Roberto D. Graetz         Joanne Harrington                    Lorry Lokey

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WORLD UNION CO-SPONSORS FIRST INTERFAITH RELIGIOUS LAW CONSULTATION

The World Union was one of the co-sponsors of the first-ever interfaith symposium to study and compare Jewish law and Catholic Canon law, which took place last week at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. The three-day event culminated when the organizers and lecturers were received by Pope Benedict XVI.

Experts from numerous countries and religious affiliations presented the Jewish and Christian perspectives on legal interpretations of religious law, pastoral practices, the relationship between religion and state, the status of women and the concepts of mercy and righteousness.

The historic discussions grew out of a March, 2005, meeting to discuss ways of widening the impact of inter-religious endeavors in previously unexplored areas. Participating in that meeting were Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger – today Pope Benedict XVI - and Rabbi Walter Homolka and Rabbi Walter Jacob, director and president, respectively, of Germany’s Abraham Geiger College. The college, an affiliate of the World Union, made international headlines last month when it ordained the first new rabbis on German soil since the Holocaust (see WUPJnews #230).

Other bodies sponsoring or coordinating the tri-lingual symposium were the World Union’s Interfaith Task Force, Tel Aviv University, Jerusalem’s Shalom Hartman Institute, and the University of Judaism in Los Angeles. Catholic partners included the Vatican, the Pontifical Gregorian University, the Canonical Institute of Potsdam, and the Canonical Institute of Munich University. The endeavor was also supported by the German interior ministry. The organizers hope to make this interfaith consultation an ongoing initiative.

Among those leading the discussions were Prof. Elliot Dorff of the University of Judaism in Los Angeles; Peter Cardinal Erdo, the primate of Hungary; Rabbi Mark Winer, head of the World Union's International Interfaith Task Force; Prof. Daniela Piatelli of Pontifica Universita Lateranense; Prof. Admiel Kosman of Abraham Geiger College; and former Israeli justice minister Shimon Shitreet.

A protocol on the conference proceedings in English, Italian or German can be obtained by contacting abraham.geiger.kolleg@t-online.de.

Rabbi Mark Winer presents Benedict XVI with ritual lulav and etrog following the symposium.

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LONDON SEMINAR BRINGS JEWS AND MUSLIMS TOGETHER

Leo Baeck College in London, in conjunction with the Muslim An Nisa society, held a joint seminar September 28 on the Jewish and Islamic aspects of ritual fasting. The 40 participants included students in LBC’s rabbinic track and students at the Muslim College in Ealing. It was organized by LBC’s interfaith committee, whose members include Jewish, Christian and Muslim consultants.

Due to its timing, the seminar focused on the fasts of Yom Kippur and the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The study sessions were led by Rabbi Sybil Sheridan and Sheikha Halima Krausen, both of whom are on the LBC interfaith faculty, and used various texts to compare the nature of each religion's fasts. The seminar ended with the Iftar ceremony, in which Muslims break the daily Ramadan fast at sunset with dates and water.

Rabbi Dr. Michael Shire, vice principal of LBC, said the college is “leading the way” in Jewish-Muslim dialogue in Britain. “At a time when the media pushes us further and further away from our Muslim neighbors,” he said, “we were once again gratified that our Jewish-Muslim seminars are a means to bring people together, to share ideas and issues about their religious lives and, of course, to eat together!”

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UPCOMING EVENTS

• Register now for Connections 2007 – the 33rd International Convention of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, March 15-20, 2007, in Jerusalem

• Installation of Rabbi Burt Schuman as spiritual leader of Beit Warszawa, Poland’s first post-war Progressive community, by World Union president Rabbi Uri Regev in Warsaw, October 20, 2006

• Special World Union Mission to South America, November 9-20. (Adobe Reader required for this download)

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