Michelle Shapiro Abraham (MAJE, L ’96) wrote the book Shabbat Shalom!, which was published by the Union for Reform Judaism Press.

Rabbi Richard F. Address (C ’72) edited Caring for the Soul: R’fuat HaNefesh, which was published by the Union Press. With Rabbi Hara Person (N ’98), he edited That You May Live Long: Caring for Our Aging Parents, Caring for Ourselves, which was published by the Union Press.

SSM students Lauren Bandman, Kat Hastings, and Natalie Young, and Temple Emanu-El’s Adult and Junior Choirs performed at Temple Emanu-El’s annual Spring Concert in Edison, NJ in May. Lauren Davidson and David Young (rabbinical student, HUC-JIR/NY) emceed the evening, which included compositions by Natalie Young.

Matt Biers-Ariel (MAJE, L ’91) wrote the book The Seven Spices: Stories and Recipes of Food from the Bible, which was published by the Union Press.

Dr. Michael Chernick (Arthur-Dora-Morton Deutsch Professor of Jewish Jurisprudence and Social Justice; Professor of Rabbinics, HUC-JIR/NY) wrote an article, “‘Turn It and Turn It Again’ – Culture and Talmud Interpretation,” which will be published in a book entitled Turn It and Turn It Again (ed. Dr. Sheila Delany, Fall 2003).

Dr. Norman Cohen (Provost, HUC-JIR/NY), and Rabbi Peter Rubinstein (N ’69) of Central Synagogue addressed the participants at the ELEM Benefit in Memory of Marla Bennett in June; Israeli Consul General Ambassador Alon Pinkas was the keynote speaker.

Dr. Tamara Cohn Eskenazi (Professor of Bible, HUC-JIR/LA) wrote the introduction, contributed an article, and edited, with David Jobling and Gary Phillips, the book Levinas and Biblical Studies. Her book, The Missions of Ezra and Nehemia, will be published by Eisenbraun in the fall. Her article, “Song of Songs as an ‘Answer’to Clines’s Book of Job,” was published in Reading from Right to Left: Essays on the Hebrew Bible in Honour of David J.A. Clines, ed. C.J. Exum and H. Williamson by Continuum/Sheffield Academic Press.

Dr. Shaul Feinberg (Associate Dean, HUC-JIR/Jerusalem) was invited for the second consecutive year to the 17th Annual Conference of the Network for Research in Jewish Education held in Cincinnati, where he presented his ongoing research on a Ministry of Education curriculum entitled, And You Shall Choose Life, The Value of Human Life in Israeli Society, specifically addressing the question, “Beyond Competence, the Teacher As Living Text.” His paper “What a Jew Needs To Know: The Educated Jew -- The Reform Perspective” (2003) was published in Knowing What: Jewish Culture, Identity, and Language (and was presented originally at this invitational symposium), David Zisenwine, ed., Studies In Jewish Culture, Identity, and Community by the School of Education, Tel Aviv University. His review, “50 Ways To Be Jewish or: Simon and Garfunkel; ‘Jesus Loves You Less Than You Will Know,’” was published in the CCAR Journal (2003-04) by Hewlitt, New York, Gefen (2002).

Kari Hofmaister Field (rabbinical student, HUC-JIR/Cincinnati), was accepted into the Ph.D./Ordination program at HUC-JIR/Cincinnati in the field of Modern Jewish Thought.

Yuval Gadod (Research Associate, Nelson Glueck School of Biblical Archaeology, HUC-JIR/Jerusalem) delivered a paper, “Philistines and Israelites at Tel Aphek in the Transition from the Late Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age” at the Aharoni Memorial Symposium at Tel Aviv University, “Sea Peoples and Philistines: The Current State of Affairs.”

Rabbi Hillel Gamoran (N ’56) wrote the book Talmud for Everyday Living: Insight Into Buying and Selling, which was published by the Union Press.

Cantor Rita Glassman (N ’85) was named Cantor of Congregation Sherith Israel in San Francisco.

Maxine Segal Handelman (MAJE, L ’94) wrote the book The Shabbat Angels, which was published by the Union Press.

Ron Hardin (graduate student, HUC-JIR/Cincinnati) was awarded the Diana Mossip Memorial Scholarship by the Mensa Education and Research Foundation.

Malka Hershkovitz (Keeper of Antiquities, Nelson Glueck School of Biblical Archaeology, HUC-JIR/Jerusalem) wrote the following articles: “A Carved Bone Plaque from Tel Dan” which was published in Qadmoniot 35 and “Looking at Oil Lamps in Antiquity” which was published in Et-Mol 160; she delivered a paper, “Painted Pottery in Jerusalem at the End of the Second Temple Period” at the 29th Annual Conference of Archaeology in Jerusalem.

Dr. Lawrence A. Hoffman (Barbara and Stephen Friedman Professor of Liturgy, Worship, and Ritual, HUC-JIR/NY) edited My People’s Prayerbook – Traditional Prayers, Modern Commentaries, Vol. 7 – Shabbat at Home, which will be published by Jewish Lights Publishing; contributors include Dr. Michael Chernick, Dr. David Ellenson, Dr. Alyssa Gray, Dr. Joel Hoffman, Dr. Lawrence A. Hoffman, and Rabbi Lawrence Kushner.

HUC-JIR/Cincinnati Team Members participated in the Race for the Cure in April and raised funds to celebrate, remember, and honor friends and family members who have/had breast cancer.

Dr. David Ilan (Director of the Nelson Glueck School of Biblical Archaeology, HUC-JIR/Jerusalem) delivered the following papers: “Egyptians at Megiddo in the First Age of Imperialism, the Early Bronze Age I” at the Israel Museum, marking the opening of a new exhibition, The Chalcolithic Noble from the Judean Desert in April; “Cypriot Sea Peoples at Tel Dan in the Early Iron Age?” at an archaeological conference in Vienna in May. Dr. Ilan also traveled to Auschwitz as part of a group of 300 Israeli Moslems, Jews, and Christians of the Remembrance to Peace group.

The Joint Commission for Sustaining Rabbinic Education’s on-line and on-site educational programs attracted 328 CCAR members, HUC-JIR staff, and rabbinical students; 80% were first-time participants. Their most recent Sefirah offering, “Lo Bashamayim Hi: Text in a Modern Age,” attracted 118 participants and featured the work of Dr. David Aaron (HUC-JIR/Cincinnati), Dr. Marc Bergman (HUC-JIR/Jerusalem), Dr. Michael Chernick (HUC-JIR/New York), and Dr. Dvora Weisberg (HUC-JIR/Los Angeles). Working with HUC-JIR’s Department of Distance Education, the Joint Commission will offer more opportunities to study with top scholars next year. For more information, contact Rabbi Ellen Nemhauser at (513) 221-1875 or go to www.huc.edu/jointcomm.

Rabbi Samuel K. Joseph (Professor of Jewish Education and Leadership Development, HUC-JIR/Cincinnati) was the Conference Chair at the 17th Annual Conference of the Network for Research in Jewish Education in Cincinnati. He contributed the article, “The History of Jewish Education in the Midwest” to The Encyclopedia of the Midwest that will be published by Ohio State University. Rabbi Joseph was asked to teach a special module on “Diversity and its Implications for Jewish Schools and Their Curriculum” at this summer’s CAJE Conference in Columbus, OH. In addition, he is working on a book entitled Leading with a Jewish Heart.

Sandra Kazan (Speech and Communications Coach and Consultant, HUC-JIR/New York) adapted Edith Wharton’s Roman Fever, which she also directed at the Food for Thought Theatre at the National Arts Club in New York City in the Spring.

Dr. Leonard Kravitz (Professor of Midrash and Homiletics, HUC-JIR/NY) and Rabbi Kerry M. Olitzky (C ’81) translated and wrote a commentary for Kohelet: A Modern Commentary on Ecclesiastes, which was published by the Union Press.

Dr. Ron Kronish (rabbinical ordination, N ’73) wrote an article, “Sitting Down for a Trialogue,” which was published in the Points of View section of Israel21c (March 2003).

Rabbi Steve Leder (C ’87) wrote the book More Money Than God: Living a Rich Life without Losing Your Soul, which will be published by Bonus Books.

Dr. Amira Meir (Lecturer on Bible, HUC-JIR/Jerusalem) wrote an article entitled “On the Study of Pentateuchal Poetry,” which will be published in the DeVries Commemorative Volumes (Feb. 2004).

Dr. Michael Meyer (Adolph S. Ochs Professor of Jewish History, HUC-JIR/Cincinnati) delivered the annual Braun Lecture at Bar Ilan University in May on the subject “’Without the Critical Study of Judaism, There is No Judaism’ -- The Life and Thought of the Jewish Historian Ismar Elbogen.” He edited, with Bärbel Such, Leo Baeck Werke, Volume 6: Briefe, Reden, Aufsätze, which was published by Gütersloher Verlagshaus.

Dr. Philip Miller (Director of the Klau Library, HUC-JIR/NY) wrote an article entitled “Corporal Hohenzollern: A Memoir” which was published in Midstream (April 2003).

Rabbi Linda Motzkin (C ’86) wrote Tav Is for Torah: Hebrew for Adults, Book 4 (Rabbi Hara Person, Series Editor), which was published by the Union Press.

Dalia Pakman (Curator, Skirball Museum, HUC-JIR/Jerusalem) wrote “Mask-like Face Reliefs on a Painted Stand from the Sacred Precinct at Tel Dan,” which was published in Eretz-Israel 27.

David Palmer (graduate student, HUC-JIR/Cincinnati) won the third place award from the Cincinnati Mensa Group.

Shankari Patel (Financial Aid Administrator, HUC-JIR/LA) will receive the Outstanding Graduate Student Award at the 30th Annual California State Los Angeles Alumni Awards Gala in November. Some of the past recipients of this award include Diane Watson ’67 (California State Senator), Stephen Cooley ’70 (LA District Attorney), William Bamattre ’86 (LA Fire Chief), Billie Jean King ’97 (Tennis Professional), and Donald Sterling ’56 (Owner of LA Clippers).

Rabbi Hara E. Person (N ’98) edited The Mitzvah of Healing, which was published by the Union Press.

Rabbi Lawrence Raphael (C ’74) was named Senior Rabbi of Congregation Sherith Israel in San Francisco.

Jean Bloch Rosensaft (Senior National Director for Public Affairs, HUC-JIR/NY) presented the keynote address at the Yom Hashoah commemoration at Hillcrest Jewish Center, New York.

Rabbi Donald Rossoff (C ’81, MAHE ’79) wrote a book entitled The Perfect Prayer, which was published by the Union Press.

Rabbi Norbert Samuelson (C ’62) wrote a book, Revelation and the God of Israel, which was published by Cambridge University Press (2002).

Rabbi Burt E. Schuman (N ’95) wrote the book Chanukah on the Prairie, which was published by the Union Press.

Dr. Diane Tickton Schuster (Director of the Institute for Teaching Jewish Adults, HUC-JIR/LA) wrote a book entitled Jewish Lives, Jewish Learning which will be published by the Union Press. She and Dr. Lisa Grant received a grant from the United Jewish Communities to prepare an executive summary on the findings from the Melton Mini-School study.

Frances Weinman Schwartz (MAJS, N ’96) wrote the book Passage to Pesach: Preparing for Passover through Text and Tradition, which was published by the Union Press.

Rabbi Rami Shapiro (C ’81) translated and annotated the book Hasidic Tales, which was published by SkyLight Illumniations.

Dr. Dennis G. Shulman (Faculty, New York Kollel) wrote the recently published book The Genius of Genesis: A Psychoanalyst and Rabbi Examines the First Book of the Bible.

Rabbi Moshe Silberschein (Lecturer on Rabbinics, HUC-JIR/Jerusalem) spoke on "Angels, Extra Souls and Other Intangibles: The Mystic Metaphors of Zemirot Shabbat" at the annual "Machshevim u'Machshevet (Computers and Jewish Thought) conference sponsored by Haifa University's Rothschild Institute for Interdisciplinary Applications of Computer Science.

Cheri Ellowitz Silver (MAJE, MAJCS, L ’82) wrote Mitkadem: Hebrew for Youth which was published by the Union Press.

Donna Sivan (Jewish Communal Service student, HUC-JIR/LA) was called to the Torah as Bat Mitzvah in May.

Dr. Ezra Spicehandler (Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Hebrew Literature, HUC-JIR/Cincinnati) with Stanley Burnshaw, T. Carmi, Susan Glassman, and Ariel Hirschfeld, edited The Modern Hebrew Poem Itself, which was published by Wayne State University Press.

Dr. Paul M. Steinberg (Vice President for Communal Development and Eleanor Sinsheimer Distinguished Service Professor of Jewish Religious Education and Human Relations, HUC-JIR/New York) was honored in May by the United Hospital Fund as a “Distinguished Trustee” at the Hospital for Joint Diseases, where he has served on the board for the past 12 years.

Steven E. Steinbock (MAJE, L ’85) wrote the book These Words Upon Our Hears: A Lexicon of Judaism and World Religions, which was published by the Union Press.

Dr. Steven Windmueller (Director, School of Jewish Communal Service, HUC-JIR/LA) wrote a paper entitled “The Changing Winds: American Jewry, a Community in Transition” for the World Jewish Congress (Fall 2003) commemorating the 350th Anniversary (2004) of the arrival of the first Jews on this continent. His article “Developing a Liturgy for the Jewish Communal Profession” will be published in the Journal of Jewish Communal Service (Fall 2003). In addition, his piece entitled “September 11: Its Implications for American Jewry” appeared in Jerusalem Viewpoints which was published by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (February 2003).

Rabbi Paul Yedwab (N ‘86) wrote The God Book: A Necessarily Incomplete Look at the Essence of God, which was published by the Union Press.

Dr. Gary P. Zola (Director, Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives, HUC-JIR/Cincinnati) edited The Dynamics of American Jewish History: Jacob Rader Marcus’s Essays on American Jewry, which will be published by Brandeis University Press.