The URJSouthwest Council, with its offices located in Dallas, Texas, serves 73 Reform synagogues in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas and Western Tennessee. The Council provides the direct link from the URJ to congregations by providing technical expertise, resources and personal counseling on the numerous issues that congregations may require in the management of their synagogues. The regional office also coordinates the activities of the regional council, the regional committees and the Regional Biennial.
Union for Reform Judaism Southwest Council 12720 Hillcrest Road, Suite 830 Dallas, Texas 75230 Toll Free: 1-888-234-8242 Tel: 972-960-6641 Fax: 972-960-6655 Email: swc@urj.org
SAVE THE DATE
REGIONAL BIENNIAL November 7 - 9, 2008
Reform Judaism: Diverse Pathways to Wholeness & Community
Featured Guests: Rabbi Daniel Freelander, Sr. Vice President, URJ Rabbi Stacy Offner, Vice President, URJ Rabbi Andrew Davids, Executive Director, ARZA Rabbi Jan Katzew, Director, Lifelong Jewish Learning, URJ Rabbi Hara Person, Editor in Chief, URJ Press Rabbi Jonah Pesner, Director Just Congregations, URJ
MarriottQuorum by the Galleria 14901 Dallas Parkway Dallas, TX 75254
Watch for more information and registration materials.
NFTY Lifetime Membership
The Southwest Council is proud of two of its staff members, Jonathan "J.C." Cohen and Eugene Krupitsky, who recently received the NFTY Lifetime Membership Award at the NFTY board meeting held in mid-February. The Reform Youth Movement's highest honor is awarded to those whose gifts to NFTY are without measure.
The Rabbi Lawrence Jackofsky Youth Scholarship Fund
Information regarding the Rabbi Lawrence Jackofsky Youth Scholarship Fund, which was established to honor Rabbi Jackofsky's thirty years of devoted service to our region, can be found below.
Steve Donchin presented his vision for the region...
To Renew the Old and Sanctify the New
When discussing the programming portion of the biennial we thought it was very important that our final session addressed the question of where do we go from here?
Before we can decide where to go I think it is important to know where we have come from.
As leaders of our movement each of us is here today because someone we encountered in our journey stopped and noticed us along the way, was there to encourage us, and was there to lead us by example.
Rabbi Zimmerman's speech following his installation at the Regional BiennialOctober 2006.
I want to talk you today about the power of Jewish community, the biggest threat to a strong American Jewish community, and a tenth grade student sleeping on the rabbi’s office couch. You see, I grew up in the greatest intimate Jewish community. I am not talking about New York City. I grew up in the offices of Central Synagogue where my father was a senior rabbi. I would roam the halls, bother the secretaries, slide chairs across the social hall floors (not something I am recommending), and hang out with the Shabbat service ushers. I lived in an intimate, caring, and embracing Jewish community.
