MORE KC-LAS CRUCES CONNECTIONS — Last week when we told you about Rabbi Larry Karol’s installation service at Temple Beth-El in Las Cruces, N.M., we neglected to mention that its rabbi emeritus also has ties to Kansas City and The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah. Rabbi Gerald Kane, who served as B’nai Jehudah’s rabbi educator from 1988-1998, went on to serve as rabbi of Temple Beth-El and has been its rabbi emeritus since 2007. Rabbi Kane also participated in Rabbi Karol’s installation ceremonies earlier this month.
Since his retirement, Rabbi Kane has continued to be an active part of the Las Cruces community. Along with Rabbi Karol, Rabbi Kane continues to serve as a member of the New Mexico State University Interfaith Council. He has taught a course in the NMSU English Department, “Jews on Screen” for the past two years. His reviews of local theatre and the Santa Fe Opera and Chamber Music Festival appear in the Las Cruces Bulletin, and he serves as a member of the patron board of KRWG FM and TV, the NPR and PBS stations in the community.
In addition, Rabbi Kane offers occasional classes at Temple Beth-El and assists Rabbi Karol on the pulpit, when needed.
TRUTH ABOUT REFUGEES — Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon has produced another video. This one, “The Truth About the Refugees” addresses both the Palestinian refugees in Israel and Jewish refugees from Arab lands. The first two videos, “The Truth About the West Bank” and “The Truth About the Peace Process” became a viral success with almost 760,000 views. You can see the video at www.dannyaylon.com. The video was produced in cooperation with StandWithUs, an international education organization that strives to ensure that Israel’s side of the story is told in communities, campuses, libraries, the media and churches through brochures, speakers, conferences, missions to Israel and thousands of pages of Internet resources.
A HOLIDAY CAROLE — Another Jewish singer has release a holiday CD. Carole King’s newest, “A Holiday Carole” features “Chanukah Prayer.” The CD was produced by King’s daughter Louise Goffin. King is quoted as saying “Louise had the brilliant idea to take the Chanukah prayer that I learned from my parents, and they learned from their parents, and back through generations.” The result is a warm, jazz-inflected tune that brings together three generations on vocals: Carole, her daughter and her grandson.
LEVINS IN THE NEWS — Earlier this year we featured Lee and Sunie Levin, who had both recently published new books. Last month the couple was featured in the Naples Daily News about their writing and lecturing. You can read about them at http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2011/nov/17/he-writes-she-writes-north-naples-couple-keeps/. You can read Sunie’s latest advice on grandparenting within an interfaith family in this edition on page 37. Her book on the subject, “Mingled Roots,” was written 15 years ago and then revised 10 years ago at the request of the Union for Reform Judaism (then the UAHC). Sunie reports URJ still uses the book in workshops around the country.
