From Prime Minister Netanyahu

View video High Holiday wishes from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

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From President Peres

Message from the President of the State of Israel, Shimon Peres, to the Jewish Communities in the Diaspora on the occasion of the Jewish New Year 5771

As we embark on the New Year, hope for peace appears tangible. While we focus on the summit meeting in Washington, we pray that it will lead to the signing of a historic peace treaty between Israel and the Palestinians, and bring tranquility, prosperity and security to the peoples of the region.

With a common and better future in mind, the Jewish people in the Diaspora and Israel must work together for the benefit of the generations to come and a brighter tomorrow. In this context, it is imperative that a spirit of brotherhood and a close bond with Israel continue to be a part of the Jewish and Zionist education of Jewish youth in the Diaspora. I believe the first hand experience provided by visits to Israel plays a significant role in achieving this objective.

In a period when attempts to delegitimize Israel as a Jewish state are relentless, it is essential that we, in Israel, and the Jewish people throughout the world, jointly seek to thwart these efforts. We must mobilize our forces to expose the lies and highlight the values of the Jewish people through the ages, based on the Ten Commandments, as well as the moral and ethical values that constitute the foundations of our country and our people.

It is also vital that we stand alongside the international community in the fight against fanatic leaders, armed with nuclear weapons, and who deny the Holocaust and call for the destruction of the State of Israel.

In a world where science and technology rank high, Israel continues to stand at the forefront of advances in this domain. Indeed, we are proud of Professor Ada Yonath of the Weizmann Institute, who received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry, and Professor Elon Lindenstrauss of the Hebrew University, who was awarded the prestigious Fields Medal for Mathematics, for their achievements and for bringing such credit to Israel and the Jewish people.

Our mission for the coming year is to strengthen our unity in matters that affect the destinies and future of us all. We must work together in harmony and reach agreements through dialogue. Solidarity, brotherhood, tolerance and understanding are the foundations of a strong and secure family. We cannot, and must not, allow disagreements to tear us apart. We must collectively dedicate ourselves to the well-being of the Jewish people.

In this spirit, I convey my best wishes to our brethren throughout the world for a year of peace, joy, good health and prosperity.

Shana Tova U'Metukah

Shimon Peres

As the High Holy Days approach, people everywhere are beginning to make plans to attend Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services.  Once again this year, anyone in the U.S. and Canada who would like to attend a High Holiday service open to the public will be able to find one listed at a single location on the Internet. JFNA is inviting every community organization hosting services open to the public to submit the following information:

If you're adding a holiday service to the database, please indicate whether your services are free or require payment.

Information about any services open to the public should be filled out here. The services will be listed alphabetically by state and community and the list will be accessible by clicking here.

If you have any questions, feel free to email holidayservices@jewishfederations.org.

The feature below was provided by Susan Thompson of the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas. All photos are by Jeff Rasansky, courtesy of the Dallas Federation.

August 26, 2008

On Sunday, August 22, over 5,000 supporters of Israel attended our Party on the Plaza: A Celebration of Israel. This was the largest outdoor event to promote the State of Israel in the history of Texas! It was an unforgettable experience, full of excitement, enthusiasm, and yes, heat. Sunday was a classic Texas scorcher, but it didn’t deter the fun. Held at the AT&T Plaza at Victory Park, there was plenty of live music, dancing, kosher food and numerous activities and informational exhibits for all ages. 

Through it all Marlene Gorin, Executive Director of the Dallas Jewish Community Relations Council, and her staff, handled this complex event with class and excellence. There were countless details and many volunteers to coordinate. I am very proud of the leadership of Marlene and our JCRC. The Co-chairs for the Party, Stephanie Hirsh and Charles Pulman (pictured below with Dr. Zev Shulkin), worked tirelessly in promoting and handling the logistics for the celebration.

Rabbi Adam Raskin, president of the Rabbinic Association of Greater Dallas and spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Torah, said the large crowd, especially given the temperatures, showed the strength of Dallas' support for Israel. "There's so much passion, so much excitement here," Raskin said in a speech at the event, which was shown on several large screens in the plaza. Other speakers included Dallas’ Mayor, Tom Leppert, and Pastor Terri Copeland Pearsons of Christians United for Israel and Eagle Mountain International Church; Meir Shlomo, Houston-based consul general of Israel to the Southwest, spoke exuberantly to the crowd: "It's good to know we are not alone," he told the large crowd. "The message is loud and clear: Dallas supports Israel."

Jodi Barris, spokeswoman for the celebration, said Sunday's event was such a success, organizers may consider making it an annual event. The achievement of having the Party on the Plaza speaks volumes about the strength of our Jewish community in Dallas, and the support we have from so many Christians; many who came to the event are members of Christians United for Israel. It is a tribute to the power of collaboration among diverse viewpoints.

The announcement below was sent out by our friends at the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations; it's a great way to remind the world of the plight of Gilad Shalit, who has been in captivity for over four years. August 28 will mark his 24th birthday.

As announced earlier this week, www.giladgreetings.org  is providing Gilad Shalit’s supporters in the United States and around the world a vehicle to express their solidarity with Gilad by sending birthday and/or Rosh HaShana greetings. 

Please post the attached button on your organizational website with a link to www.giladgreetings.org to help meet the goal of collecting tens of thousands of cards.  The Conference of Presidents will deliver the messages to the International Committee of the Red Cross to underscore the fact that Gilad has been held for four years without access to the ICRC, a right provided under international humanitarian law.

We greatly appreciate your participation in this campaign.

Alan P. Solow, Chairman
Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman

This update is from Steven J. Edelstein, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Nashville & Middle Tennessee. His community coped with deadly flooding in May, and their JCC became a vital shelter for those left homeless by the floodwaters. They have a disaster relief mailbox at http://bit.ly/TennFlood.

Dear Friends: 

I write this now from a perspective of three months out from the horrendous flood which struck this community in early May.  There are and will remain scars from this disaster for years to come; however, most of downtown is open and functional, although the symphony hall remains cordoned off and under repair.  Gaylord Opryland Resort is slated to reopen in November.  Roads are passable.  The flood is still a daily news story.  Over 10,000 homes damaged; 5,500 seriously; $2 billion in property damage, making the flood by some accounts the costliest U.S. disaster not connected to a hurricane.  In many residential sub-divisions building permits are evident, but homes remain shells of what they had been.

      For the 58 Jewish families, 119 individuals, who had catastrophic damage, life goes on, but is and will remain slow for some time.  With the generosity of 443 donations, we were able to provide initial transition stipends totaling $74,200; stipends to those with serious but less than catastrophic damage in the amount of $1,980; and additional grants based on need, which have now been distributed for $115,000.  Four additional applications are being considered. Members of 12 families are receiving counseling from Jewish Family Service directly attributable to the flood.

    The rabbis, who played an immediate and active role out in the neighborhoods, sponsored a Shabbat Unity Service last month attended by over 400.  Jewish Family Service has been instrumental in working with families.  The Gordon Jewish Community Center was an emergency shelter for 200 and a food distribution center for 500, and Vanderbilt Hillel coordinated volunteers to work with Nechama and other outside groups.

    Of the over $234,000 raised in our flood relief mailbox, $148,000 was from 49 Jewish Federations.  Jerry Silverman and Robyn Judelsohn of JFNA were instrumental in offering assistance, as was our own Fred Zimmerman, chair of JFNA's Emergency Services Committee.  The New Orleans Federation and JFS helped us with consultation.

    The strength of this response is further evidence of the importance of a national system.  On behalf of our leadership and Board, we appreciate the outpouring of support which all of friends around the country provided.  With best wishes.

Steven J. Edelstein, Executive Director
Jewish Federation of Nashville & Middle Tennessee
www.jewishnashville.org