NCSEJ WEEKLY TOP 10 Washington, DC October
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NCSEJ WEEKLY TOP 10 Washington, D.C. October 19, 2018 Dedication of the Frances Aaron Hess Memorial Library at the Institute for Modern Jewish Studies in Moscow World Union for Progressive Judaism, October 18, 2018 https://wupj.org/news/2018/10/10010/hess-library-at-institute-moscow/ On October Monday October 15th, the World Union, and its partners in the Institute for Modern Jewish Studies – Russian State University, Abraham Geiger Kolleg, and Potsdam University – came together to dedicate and open the Frances Aaron Hess Memorial Library at the Institute. Now in its third year of operations, 21 students are pursuing BA and MA degrees, with continued rabbinic certification studies, to serve as Russian-speaking Progressive Rabbis and Jewish Educators for the growing Progressive Jewish congregations across Belarus, Ukraine, Russia and more. Below is the moving speech delivered by Dr. Alex Kagan, Rector of the Institute and Head of Global Strategic Planning for the World Union at the event, in the presence of distinguished guests including donors from the Hess family, students from the Institute, leaders from our partner institutions and Rabbi Daniel Freelander, President of the World Union. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Tonight we celebrate the dedication of the Frances Aaron Hess Memorial Library of the Institute for Modern Jewish studies in Moscow. The Institute for Modern Jewish studies in Moscow. Who would have believed five years ago that there would be a library wholly for the Institute? Who would have believed that there would be an Institute at all? The joint program of WUPJ, RSUH, Geiger College, and Potsdam University is: – A four-year B.A. at the RSUH Institute for Philology and History in Moscow in a track called, “Arts and Humanities”. – An M.A. and Rabbinic studies in Germany first completing the MA, with a thesis, in Abraham Geiger Kolleg and Potsdam University. Then going to pursue an M.A. and Rabbinic ordination from Geiger Kolleg. – An M.A. and Ph.D. in Russia or Germany for students with high academic potential and achievements to continue studies for a PhD at RSUH or Potsdam University as an extension of their studies. Who would have thought this was possible? As the great Rabbi Dick Hirsch, Honorary President of the World Union, whose own library books are also kept here in the Institute’s library, taught me: if you believe in an idea, go with it all the way because you will always find partners, money and all the possible support. And so, I went with it, even ran with it. Now, five years after launching, we have: • 21 students in the four-year study program, among the finest students in any university. We carefully searched and reviewed each one of them, selecting the most promising for our program. • Agreements of partnership and collaboration signed with Potsdam University and RSUH University, Geiger Kolleg and WUPJ • Five of our students have already been accepted to continuing studies at Geiger Kolleg • A grant has been received from the Erasmus Plus fund making it possible to start an exchange program between universities. One of our students is studying in Berlin, and a German student has come here. • We are advancing in our negotiations with Abraham Geiger Kolleg to expand the cantorial program. We have a number of talented students with beautiful voices and great talent. • This year, 2018-19 academic year, five students who began their studies in the first year of the Institute will receive their BA. I am sure that this is only the beginning and these achievements will continue to multiply with time. Why are we doing so well? Because this is program meets the most essential need: training local Russian-speaking Reform rabbis, professional educators, and community organizers to support the entire Jewish community (not only Reform) across the FSU and the world. We of course owe some of our success to our partners in Russia, RSUH, and in Germany, Abraham Geiger Kolleg and University of Potsdam. Additionally, without a doubt, the Institute’s success can be attributed to our dedicated staff. But none of this have been possible without people like Frances Hess of blessed memory, who volunteered in a variety of positions at HUC-JIR, as an officer of the American Jewish Committee, and trustee of Vassar College. She chaired Temple Emanu-el Philanthropic committee, among many others and served on WUPJ NAC (now the North American Advisory Board NAAB). She endowed the Frances Aaron Hess Award at Vassar College to encourage volunteerism. I met Frances in 2012 during one of my visits to the U.S. when I was to speak before the committee that provides assistance for the World Union’s FSU operations. She met me at the entrance of the synagogue and I felt that we had known each other for years. She asked about my family and my children and then started introducing me to all the congregation members. These are of course all the virtues of a Jewish mother and grandmother, however she was so proud of what she believed in: supporting the renewal of Jewish life in the FSU. It was so obvious and so moving. Now, it is most symbolic that with the participation of her son, daughter in law, grandson and relatives, we are dedicating the Institute’s new library in her memory. Frances’ soul, faith and pride are captured and present in this library. I would like to thank Frances for what she did for us, because without her support and faith, this would not have been possible. I would also like to thank the dear Hess family for your efforts to be here, it is most appreciated and treasured, as is your continuation of France’s legacy. We will continue our work, because we are not required to complete it, especially since so many good people believed and continue to believe in us. Thank you very much. Mail-Bomb Blast Leaves Russian Jewish Group Leader in Hospital in Kazan RFERL, October 15, 2018 https://www.rferl.org/a/mail-bomb-blast-leaves-russian-jewish-group-leader-in-hospital-in-kazan/29544335.html A businessman and Jewish civic group leader in Russia's Tatarstan region has been hospitalized along with his assistant after a package they received by mail exploded in his office. The parcel exploded in Mikhail Skoblionok's office in Kazan early on October 15, the regional branch of the Investigative Committee said. It said Skoblionok and his female assistant were hospitalized with burns and eye injuries. The committee said it is investigating the blast as an attempted murder. Skoblionok is president of the Jewish Cultural Autonomy, a local nongovernmental organization he has led since 2008. He founded and heads a company that sells oil products and is involved in construction. Arkhangelsk Welcomes Russia’s Northernmost Synagogue By David Israel The Jewish Press, October 14, 2018 http://www.jewishpress.com/news/jewish-news/arkhangelsk-welcomes-russias-northernmost- synagogue/2018/10/14/ North Star, Russia’s northernmost synagogue, was officially inaugurated in Arkhangelsk on Thursday, TASS reported. The new synagogue is housed in a three-story building, which hosts a Jewish cultural center with a concert hall and classrooms. Arkhangelsk is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, in the north of European Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina River near its exit into the White Sea, and spreads along the banks of the river and the numerous islands of its delta. As of the 2010 Census, the city’s population was 348,783, down from 356,051 recorded in the 2002 Census, and further down from 415,921 recorded in the 1989 Census. “North Star is, first of all, a cultural center, which welcomes not only Jews – they (Jews) are few in Arkhangelsk – some 600 people only,” Chairman of the local Jewish community Anatoly Obermeister told TASS. “As for the synagogue, it is a place for praying and for reading the Torah, which will host about 40-50 people.” Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar affixed a Mezuza to the door post at the inauguration ceremony. “I am sure this place will host many events to enable people, including Jews, see the traditions, culture, values of our people,” Lazar told reporters. “This would promote mutual understanding […] and help local Jews learn more about the Torah, about our people’s religion and history,” Rabbi Lazar said. “I believe it is the northernmost [synagogue] in the world, at least in Russia,” he noted. The synagogue’s construction began in 2010, paid for by the local Jewish community, according to TASS. Arkhangelsk Region’s Governor Igor Orlov told reporters: “In February, we opened the northernmost mosque, and today the North Star synagogue began shining in our sky. The synagogue is open, and the Jews have received their spiritual home.” Before the October Revolution, there was a wooden synagogue in downtown Arkhangelsk, and another on the Solombala Island. Despite Rise in Aliyah from Russia, Overall Numbers Slightly Down in 2018 By Cnaan Lipshiz JTA, October 12, 2018 https://www.jta.org/2018/10/12/news-opinion/bucked-traffic-russia-aliyah-drops-slightly-2018 Jewish immigration to Israel dropped slightly in the first eight months of 2018 over the corresponding period last year, despite a 35 percent increase in traffic from Russia. The 1% overall drop owed to a decrease in immigration from countries with major Jewish populations, including Ukraine – which saw an 8% drop to 4,094 immigrants in 2018 – and France, which dropped by 31% to 1,862 newcomers between January 1 and Sept. 1, an interim report by the Jewish Agency for Israel showed.