Y1612

Page 1

3 SIVAN 5776 • JUNE 9, 2016 • VOLUME XXXVII, NUMBER 12 • PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID, SYRACUSE, NY

Installation of Rabbi Drazen at Temple Adath Yeshurun BY BARBARA S. SIMON AND SONALI Y. WIJESURIYA Temple Adath Yeshurun will celebrate the installation of Paul S. Drazen as rabbi on Sunday, June 26, at 1:30 pm. Organizers feel that the installation of a rabbi is “a time for the congregation and wider community to come together.” The event will mark the first time in nearly 40 years that the synagogue has installed a rabbi. The tradition of formal installation of leaders is said to trace back to Joshua being appointed to succeed Moses. The installation will be officiated by Rabbi Daniel Pressman, a colleague and good friend of Rabbi Drazen. Also participating will be Rabbi Gerald Skolnick, past president of the Rabbinical Assembly and chazzan Henry Rosenblum, past president of the Cantors Assembly, both now serving the Forest Hills Jewish Center. Clergy from all Syracuse synagogues have been asked to participate to make it “a memorable community event.” Leaders in the Jewish community and Greater Syracuse community have also been invited to attend. TAY President Howard M. Weinstein said, “After less than one year as the rabbi of Temple Adath Yeshurun, Rabbi Drazen has made an enormous impact on our synagogue and the entire Jewish community. He has brought innovative thinking, fresh ideas and energy to our community. His kindness and respect for all has brightened

and enlivened our synagogue. Susie to our community. They We are incredibly fortunate are genuine people and authento have ‘snatched up’ Rabbi tic Jews who have individually Drazen and his wonderful wife, and collectively transformed Susie, from their positions in our temple community and New York City. Their contrihave made significant changes that will serve our community butions will assuredly continue well for generations to come.” long into the future.” For the installation, the Rabbi Drazen has a bachsynagogue will publish a comelor’s in philosophy from memorative program, which Columbia University, another will be available throughout the bachelor of arts and a master Rabbi Paul S. of arts, as well as rabbinic weekend and sent out electronDrazen ordination, from the Jewish ically to the TAY membership. Theological Seminary and a doctor of The program will display messages from divinity, honoris causa, from JTS. He was friends, family and colleagues, as well as an assistant rabbi at Beth El Synagogue in local businesses. It will be an opportunity Minneapolis for three years and was the for the TAY membership and the Syracuse rabbi for 20 years at Beth El Synagogue Jewish community to “officially” welcome in Omaha, NE. He was considered an Rabbi Drazen and his family to Syracuse. “integral” part of the United Synagogue of Funds raised from the program will be used Conservative Judaism for 14 years, during to create a scholarship fund for children which time he guided congregations in to attend informal Jewish educational programming, leadership development experiences such as Camp Ramah and and operational excellence. He has served United Synagogue Youth. on hospital ethics committees, committees The installation will be one part of a scholto curb domestic violence and was presi- ar-in-residence weekend featuring Rabbi dent of a religious broadcast consortium. Pressman. He will present three learning Rabbi Drazen and his wife, Susie, have opportunities at Temple Adath Yeshurun two children, Gila and Yonah, as well as between Thursday-Saturday, June 23-25. a daughter-in-law, Yonah’s wife, Megan. He served Congregation Beth David in Chair of the Installation Committee Saratoga, CA, as senior rabbi for 33 years. Chaim Jaffe said, “It is a pleasure and hon- During his tenure there, Beth David won or to formally welcome Rabbi Drazen and numerous Solomon Schechter awards and

Pro-Israel heavyweights press hard for two states BY RON KAMPEAS WASHINGTON (JTA) – In a rare and sharp split with Israeli government policy, a group of Jewish community leaders wants to get a proposal for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the next president’s desk. Two complementary U.S. and Israeli working papers, which were to be launched the week of May 25, propose immediate actions Israel can take to prepare the ground for two states and a longer-term security structure that aims to satisfy Palestinian ambitions for sovereignty and Israeli security needs. Elements of the proposals, including relocating settlers and preparing for Palestinian sovereignty in Jerusalem, are considered radical departures from the policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s current government, perhaps the most right wing in Israeli history. Tactically, getting the next president to kick-start new talks is also anathema to Netanyahu, who regards outside pressure as counterproductive. The organization behind the push, the Israel Policy Forum, is not new to such initiatives. It was established in the early 1990s at the behest of then-Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who went over the head of what was then a hawkish pro-Israel establishment to seek U.S. Jewish backing for his peace talks with the Palestinians. This time, however, the party doing the

reaching over is not the Israeli prime minister, but Jewish community heavyweights who have helmed major Jewish organizations, from the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations to the Anti-Defamation League. In the last 18 months or so, the Israel Policy Forum has signed to its board Alan Solow and Robert Sugarman, past chairmen of the Presidents Conference, the Jewish community’s foreign policy umbrella group. Sugarman also is a past president of the ADL. On board, too, are Robert Elman and Robert Goodkind, past presidents of the American Jewish Committee, and Susie Gelman, a past president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and an early funder of The Israel Project. Solow, Sugarman and Gelman, with Israel Policy Forum staff, met recently with JTA. The Israel Policy Forum has never disbanded, but the new heavyweights represent the kind of clout it hasn’t seen in years. The initiative formally launched at a conference in Washington, DC, on May 31, showcasing proposals for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from veterans of the Israeli and American diplomatic establishments – represented by commanders for Israel’s Security and the Center for a New American Security, respectively. Mainstream Jewish groups have long been resistant to openly challenging Israel on security issues. Solow said that was

less of a consideration in Israel’s volatile political climate. “One doesn’t know what Israel’s government is going to look like in a week,” he said. Solow also noted the stasis following the collapse of the last round of Israeli-Palestinian talks in 2014 that has driven Democrats to criticize Israel more freely as they see the prospects of two states diminish. “Taking on the perspective from those in the pro-Israel community, the only reasonable Zionist solution is to have two states for two people,” Solow said. Both likely presidential nominees, Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton, have said they would like to address Israeli-Palestinian peace. “Every time a new administration comes into office, these issues get a fresh look, that’s a historical fact,” said Solow, probably the Jewish leader who has been closest to President Barack Obama. The board members lend the initiative political clout in an election year in which much media attention on pro-Israel voices is focused on Republican mega-donors

was known for its innovative programming. Rabbi Pressman graduated from University of California, Los Angeles, and was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. He is the author, with Rabbi Ronald Isaacs, of several prayer books. Many synagogues around the world have used Rabbi Pressman’s “Torah Sparks,” a weekly discussion guide to the Torah portion distributed by the United Synagogue. He was also on the commentary committee for Chumash Etz Hayim. Rabbi Pressman will discuss “Civil Discourse in Jewish Tradition” on June 23 at 7:30 pm, immediately following the annual meeting. A “brunch and learn” will be held on June 25 at 10:45 am, after the Torah service. The topic will be “I Don’t Believe the Torah is the Literal Word of God; so Why Should I Care what it Says?” Finally, there will be a study session that evening at 7:45 pm, before Mincha and Ma’ariv, on “Murphy’s Law and Jewish Law.” It will be followed by services at 8:45 pm. All of these learning opportunities will be free and open to the community. Reservations have been requested for the brunch and learn on June 25 and for the installation on June 26, which will be followed by a dessert reception. Reservations can be made by contacting 445-0002 or info@adath.org. To send a message or place an advertisement in the commemorative program, contact Sonali Wijesuriya at sonali@adath.org.

2016 Federation Annual Campaign Goal: $1,200,000

1,052,660

$

as of June 6, 2016

To make a pledge, contact Marianne Bazydlo at 445-2040 ext. 102 or mbazydlo@jewishfederationcny.org.

See “States” on page 3

C A N D L E L I G H T I N G A N D P A R AS H A

June 10......................8:25 pm.....................................................Parasha-Bamidbar June 11......................after 9:37 pm.................................................... Erev Shavuot June 12......................after 9:38 pm.............................................................Shavuot June 17......................8:28 pm............................................................ Parasha-Naso June 24......................8:30 pm...............................................Parasha-BeHa’alotcha

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Congregational notes

Shavuot

Community Guide

PLUS

Talks, concerts and more are Chabad presents an online course, The annual Community Guide is B’nai Mitzvah........................... 3 announced by area congregations. “Scroll Down,” for Shavuot. included in this issue. Calendar Highlights............... 4 Story on page 3 Stories on page 2 Stories on pages 1A-20A Obituaries................................. 4


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.