RABBI CRAIG LEWIS INSTALLATION WEEKEND — Rabbi Craig Lewis’ installation as rabbi of the South Street Temple in Lincoln, Neb., was featured in the June 1 edition of The Jewish Press in Omaha. In the article, reporter Sarah Kelen noted that he is the congregation’s 29th religious leader since its founding in 1884. The Temple’s historic sanctuary was full, as Temple members, a number of Lincoln’s Christian clergy and other members of the Jewish and general community joined together to welcome Rabbi Lewis and to share in Shabbat prayer. Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler welcomed Rabbi Lewis, who is a native Kansas Citian and the son of Stu Lewis and the late Hilary Lewis, as a new addition to Lincoln’s interfaith leadership. David Polson, head of the Lincoln chapter of the University of Kansas Alumni Association, was also on hand to greet Rabbi Lewis (KU 1996) with a “Rock chalk.” Rabbi Lewis’s mentor and friend, Rabbi Kenneth Kanter, director of the Rabbinical School at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, officiated at the installation. Other events that weekend included the dedication of a tree on the Temple’s grounds in honor of Rabbi Lewis.
RABBI MANDL RETIREMENT TIDBITS — During Rabbi Mandl’s retirement dinner last Sunday night, he mentioned two things in his speech that are especially worth repeating in this column. A representative of the book company Simon & Schuster recently called the rabbi to discuss a possible book deal. Apparently the publishing company monitors newspapers from across the company and found the article The Chronicle published about Rabbi Mandl last month. He told the crowd he’ll know more soon about whether or not a book deal is on the horizon for him. On another note, Rabbi Mandl has received final approval to conduct research in the Vatican library in February of 2013. He recently learned he’s the only rabbi in the history of the Vatican to receive approval to conduct research there.
CELEBRITY SIGHTING — Ben Wilinsky, a Prairie Village resident who graduated from KU earlier this month with degrees in journalism and Spanish, visited his sister Lara in New York City over the Memorial Day weekend. (Lara currently works as associate producer for the HGTV show “Selling New York,” which airs on Thursday nights). While in New York, Ben went to Barnes & Noble where he met Jimmy Fallon, who was signing his new book, “Blow Your Pants Off.” Ben plans to move to Chicago soon and teach kindergarten through eighth-grade English in the inner city schools as part of the Teach for America program.