December 2019 You're Invited to Attend the Knoxville Jewish Alliance
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December 2019 IN THIS ISSUE KJA Ha’Kol KJA Last Call…….......................2 KJA Proposed Slate/Bylaws.......3 Friendshippers....…….................4 AJCC Preschool News……….....4 You’re invited to attend the Sundown in Sukkah...………..….5 Knoxville Jewish Alliance Temple Beth El Times 2019 Annual Meeting Rabbi’s Message....………..……10 Sunday, December 8 — 1:00 p.m. President’s Remarks..........…….11 Religious School News...............12 Arnstein Jewish Community Center, 6800 Deane Hill Drive Hanukkah Dinner……................13 New Members....…….….….……14 Learn about KJA activities and programs, then KJA members Contributions…..…….….….……16 will vote to elect 2020-21 officers (see page 3) Light refreshments will be served. Heska Amuna HaShofar Rabbi’s Remarks……….............18 Chanukah Brunch.……….……...18 The Schwarzbart Art Gallery Committee invites the community to enjoy President’s Remarks....………...19 The Art and Sculptures of Israeli Religious School News….....…..21 Artist Aharon Bezalel, z’l Lights & L’Chaim Dinner.......22-23 The exhibit opens January 18, 2020. Find times and details in the Community News January Ha’Kol. KJCFF……………………..…..…25 Jewish Congregation/OR….….26 Born in Afghanistan, Aharon Bezalel, z’l, lived and worked in Jerusalem. His sculptures - works of Chabad of Knoxville…..........…28 wood, bronze, aluminum, Plexiglas - can be seen Hadassah Highlights…........….30 in many public places, both in Israel and worldwide. Knoxville Jewish Day School..34 In 1950 he founded the arts department at the Seligsberg Vocational School in Jerusalem where Community Calendar………....….7 he taught for 20 years. In 1962, Bezalel’s exhibits Happenings………...…...…...….8-9 garnered worldwide attention. He also wrote an autobiography and two art books. 6800 Deane Hill Drive Knoxville, TN 37919 865.690.6343 www.jewishknoxville.org Knoxville Jewish Alliance Ha’Ha’Kol Kol Last Call December 2019 By Chip Rayman, KJA President The Knoxville Jewish Alliance initiated a #KnoxvilleAgainstHate Campaign. In con- KJA Ha’Kol junction with LAMAR Advertising, the KJA created a billboard currently located at I-40 KJA Last Call…….......................2 and James White Parkway. Our theme features the well-recognized COEXIST poster. KJA was awarded a $1,000 grant for this effort to support diversity within our KJA Proposed Slate/Bylaws.......3 community by The East Tennessee Foundation. Friendshippers....…….................4 The KJA has been working with outgoing Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero and the AJCC Preschool News……….....4 Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation to erect a marker to honor Master Sgt. Roddie Edmonds, a Knoxville native who saved 200 Jewish prisoners of war by Sundown in Sukkah...………..….5 refusing to give them up to a Nazi commandant who pressed a pistol against his temple. His declaration, “We are all Jews here,” will resonate forever with me. In a speech to President Randy Boyd and Chancellor Donde Plowman of the University of Tennessee, I thanked the Chancellor for her immediate, condem- nation response to the anti-Semitic graffiti on The Rock. (Our Hillel at UTK students met with the Chancellor immediately after the rock incident and appreciate her quick response.) I further provided her with history and con- nections between the university and the Jewish community. We represented Knoxville at the State of Tennessee Legislative Resolution in Nashville, expressing support for Israel. Rabbi Erin Boxt and I met with Knox County Board of Education represent- atives concerning Knox County Schools scheduling the city-wide band jambo- ree on Rosh Hashanah. Our Milton Collins Day Camp achieved a five-year high camp attendance. We hosted four Israeli teens as part of our P2G Israel Partnership this summer. The KJA hosted a Seeds of Abraham summer camp coordinated with the Seeds of Abraham program and attended by approximately 20 Muslim, Jewish, and Christian teens. Our Smokin’ Salmon swim team had 112 swimmers, a five year high, and won its category at the GKAISA championship swim meet. Our AJCC Preschool is at an all time high in enrollment and remains a Three-Star rated preschool (state’s highest rating). Our addition of infant care services has been very well received. The State of Tennessee is raising the standards needed to earn a 3 Star rating and we plan to comply although it will cost us some money. There will not be a tuition increase in 2020. Thanks to Adam and Angie Brown and family’s generous matching donation to our Project Playground campaign, we raised almost $95,000 to expand our AJCC Preschool playground and replace aging playground equipment. A memorial area honors Logan Brown. Our girls BBYO Weinstein Chapter won best chapter at the BBYO Regional Convention. We hosted another successful Knoshville event thanks to our community partners. We partnered with Temple Beth El, Heska Amuna Synagogue, and UT Judaic Studies to host scholars and lecturers. The Yom HaShoah’s The Suitcase presentation was well attended and more than 50 percent of attendees were not Jewish. Twenty-five of our seniors are in independent or assisted living. Our Jewish Family Services visits monthly and each major holiday. Our Friendshippers program entertains seniors once a month with plays, lectures, tours, music, and trivia. The Knoxville Jewish Alliance has been awarded three significant grants. Under Rabbi Yossi’s guidance, the major institutions with buildings came together under the Knoxville Jewish Alliance and will share a community security grant of $100,000. PJ Library was awarded an $8,000 grant from the Grinspoon Foundation. The East Tennessee Foundation awarded the KJA a $1,000 grant for our #Knoxville Against Hate billboard campaign. Think about how the KJA serves you and represents the Jewish community in Knoxville. Put a value on it. What are we worth to you? $18? $180? $1,800? Decide, then send us a check and do your part! LAST CALL! 6800 Deane Hill Drive Knoxville, TN 37919 865.690.6343 www.jewishknoxville.org Knoxville Jewish Alliance Ha’Kol December 2019 2 Knoxville Jewish Alliance Annual Meeting Sunday, December 8 — 1:00 p.m. — AJCC Caller Auditorium Members will learn about KJA activities and projects and elect the 2020 KJA Board of Directors. Light refreshments will be served Reminder: Camp - Jonathan Branton board members (delete subsection B To vote at the KJA Annual Meeting, Community Relations Committee- and rename the subsequent subsec- you must be a member in good Arnold Cohen tions)—the congregations have repre- standing. KJA members include KJA Cultural Arts Chair - Raphe Panitz sentation through their board chairs annual campaign donors and AJCC Israel Partnership - Dr. Renee' Hyatt In current subsection C, renamed members. To be a member in good Jewish Family Services and subsection B, change “chief elected standing, one shall be current in their Friendshippers - Nancy Becker officer” to “chief officer (volunteer)” payment of fees, dues and other assess- UTK Hillel - Dr. Greg Kaplan and include Chabad of Knoxville and ments. (Fees paid for services, such as Long Range Planning - the Jewish Congregation of Oak Ridge those paid for classes, preschool, or Stephanie Kodish in the list. The new subsection would MCDC are not considered a contribution Membership - Lev Comstock read as follows: to the KJA annual campaign.) Missions - Lee Wertheim Chief officer (volunteer) of Heska Personnel - Melissa Feinbaum Amuna Synagogue, Temple Beth El, 2010 Board of Directors Slate Publications- Jean Begue Chabad of Knoxville, the Jewish (term ends at the annual meeting Congregation of Oak Ridge, and the AUTOMATIC BOARD MEMBERS of the year indicated) Knoxville Chapter of Hadassah; by virtue of community position President of the Board of Directors of EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (2 Year Term) Jeff Becker, Chairman of the Board, the Knoxville Jewish Day School; and President: Chip Rayman (2020) Heska Amuna Synagogue the President of the Knoxville Jewish President Elect: Bryan Goldberg Steve Lewis, President, Community Family of Funds Interim Vice President-Campaign: Temple Beth El (“KJCFF”), if not already elected Chip Rayman Gloria Greenfield, President, members of the Board. Vice President-Administration: Knoxville Jewish Day School Add Archives (current subsection D, Wes Johnson (2021) Andrea Cone, President, Hadassah renamed subsection C) to the list of Vice President-Children & Youth: Stephen Rosen, President, committee chairs that are automatic Martha Iroff (2021) Knoxville Jewish Community Family board members Vice President-Education & Culture: of Funds (as of January 1, 2020) Change “Jewish Student Center” to Shannon Martindale (2021) Mary Beth Leibowitz, “Hillel at UTK” in the list of committee Vice President-Jewish Community JFNA Board of Trustees chairs that are automatic board mem- Services: Bryan Goldberg (2020) bers (list is alphabetized, so the place- Vice President-Public Relations: Breakdown of amendments ment would move) Sarah Frankel (2021) to the KJA bylaws to be voted on Article VIII (Committees) Secretary: Debbie Abrams-Cohen at the KJA Annual Meeting: Section 3, Subsection F (Vice (2020) President of Jewish Community Treasurer: Bernard Bendriem (2020) Article IV (Meetings), Section 1 Services) 2, rename “Jewish Student Immediate Past President: Adam Change the notice requirement for Center” to “Hillel at UTK” and change Brown annual meetings to 30 days “the JSC” to “Hillel at UTK” (instead of 15) BOARD MEMBERS AT-LARGE Article VII, Section 3A calls