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February 18, 2005/Adar 1 9 5765, Volume 57, No. 25
Jewish Unity 2005 makes world debut
LEISAH NAMM
Managing Editor
An international event celebrating Jewish unity debuts March 1 in Jewish communities and U.S. military bases around the world.
Jewish Unity Live 2005 is a "one night celebration of Jewish unity," said Rabbi Ariel Shoshan of the Phoenix Community Kollel, the local host organization.
The event stems from a program called Daf Yomi, started in the 1920s by Rabbi Meir Shapira of Lublin, Poland. As part of this program, Jews from around the world study one page of Talmud a day. The cycle is completed every seven-and-a-half years and culminates in a celebration - a Siyum Hashas. This year, about 100,000 Orthodox Jews around the world join in this celebration, Shoshan said.
Several months ago, Jewish community leaders in the United States wanted to spread this aspect of Jewish unity to all Jews and began planning a program with the goal of "Jewish learning for all Jews." Through this effort, Jewish Unity Live was born.
Flagship communities participating are in Atlanta; Long Island, N.Y.; Newark, N.J.; Ottawa, Canada; and Phoenix.
The kollel hosts the local celebration, which features Hadassah Lieberman, who has dedicated her career to generating awareness of health issues and supporting nonprofit organizations. She is the wife of Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut. The event is 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 1, at the Scottsdale Center for the Arts.
The program includes performances by songwriter Peter Himmelman and vocal ensemble Kol Zimra, and the film debut of "Passover with the Wellmans," a look at issues facing contemporary Jewry, produced and directed by filmmaker Ricky Magder.
Also that evening, the kollel will present five community leaders with Am Echad Awards for Jewish Unity. Those to be honored for their commitment to Jewish unity and community are Ilene Blau, executive director of the East Valley Jewish Community Center; Leo Kelman, Jewish National Fund board member; Lanny Lahr, president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix; Jennifer Schwarz, member of the United Jewish Communities National Young Leadership Cabinet; and Michael Schoor, a UJC young leader cabinet member and JNF board member.
Bill Straus, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, will emcee the event.
"I'm excited that we're going to host it here, and I think it's going to be a spectacular evening," said Jeffrey Becker, who is co-chairing the event with his wife Aileen and Larry and Beverley Zier.
The U.S. Armed Forces are making Jewish Unity 2005 available to 100 bases in 28 states - including Fort Huachuca near Tucson - 13 countries, including Iraq, and 10 ships at sea. Chaplains will receive a package that includes the film "Passover with the Wellmans," video coverage of different celebrities talking about the impact that Torah has had on their life, and a discussion packet, said Shoshan. "It's designed for Jewish soldiers wherever they may be, but it's open to any soldiers who want to participate in the event."
Plans for a 2006 celebration include college campuses and Jewish senior living facilities, he added.
"We're going to continue it every year to focus on one night of Jewish unity," he said.
According to press materials, Jewish Unity Live is "designed to bring Jews of all backgrounds together in celebration of that which truly unites us - our Torah."
Mort Zuckerman, international chairman of the event, said in a press release, "As not every Jew studies or appreciates the Talmud, Jewish Unity Live was created to enable every Jew around the world to participate in a celebration of the pursuit of Jewish knowledge and Torah, the common bond we share."
To help teach the concept of peace to schoolchildren, using the Talmud as the source, Phoenix Community Kollel rabbis developed an interactive workshop, which they're implementing at The King David School, the Phoenix Hebrew Academy and Hillels at Arizona State University and the University of Arizona, Shoshan said. "It's a one-time opportunity to learn more about what's happening in terms of the culmination of the Talmud study that's specifically focused on unity and peace in the Talmud."
Celebrations in other cities include appearances by singer Dudu Fisher and actor Josh Malina in Newark, N.J.; a presentation of the inaugural International Medal of Jewish Unity to author and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel in Atlanta; inspirational speaker Gavriel Sanders in Long Island, N.Y.; and Rabbi Joseph Telushkin in Ottawa, Canada.
"I'm very pleased to be part of this tremendous event," said Larry Zier, Arizona chairman and national co-chairman. "It is unprecedented in Arizona and will give all Jews the opportunity to participate in this worldwide celebration."
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Details
- What: Jewish Unity Live 2005
- Who: Phoenix Community Kollel
- When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 1
- Where: Scottsdale Center for the Arts, 7380 E. Second St.
- Cost: $25-$100
- Call: 602-334-4640 or 480-994-ARTS
- Online: www.jewishunitylive.com
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