Community Briefs

New CSUN Hillel Leader

Rabbi Jordan E. Goldson will become the director of Hillel at California State University at Northridge. Goldson, currently the director of public relations of Kiryat Shemona College of Advanced Jewish Studies in Israel, will begin his new appointment in July.

This position marks the first time Goldson has worked for Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life. Previously, he has served as rabbi of Temple B’nai Tikvah, a 250-family congregation in Calgary, for 12 years before moving to Israel in 1999.

Ordained by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York, Rabbi Goldson holds an undergraduate degree from Tulane University and a master’s degree from Hebrew Union College of Los Angeles.

From 1994 to 1996 Goldson was president of the Canadian Region of the Central Conference of American Rabbis and has acted as the chairman of the Calgary Rabbinic Council. An active member of the community, Goldson has served on the boards of ARZA-Canada, B’nai B’rith of Calgary, Calgary Rabbinic Council, Canadian Council for Reform Judaism, the Community Relations Committee, the Alberta Council of Christians and Jews and Jewish Family Services.

Goldson and his wife, Rebecca, have two children, Tali, 11, and Gabriel, 9. — Staff Report

Educators Return From Israel

Eighteen local Jewish educators recently returned from a four-day visit to Israel intended to help them bring Israel into their classrooms in a more vital way. The group included teachers and administrators from across the Jewish spectrum, representing supplementary schools and day schools. It was arranged and subsidized by the Jewish Agency for Israel, the Bureau of Jewish Education and the Tel Aviv-Los Angeles Partnership, a beneficiary agency of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles.

The travelers met with politicians, academics and victims of terrorist attacks. They made a memorable visit to Jaffa’s Arab-Jewish Center to gain a fresh perspective from members of Israel’s Arab minority. Many of the educators now hope to use modern technology to link their own classrooms with Israeli counterparts.

Keith Miller, Hazzan and education director for Kehillat Maarav’s religious school, came home with renewed determination to integrate Israeli issues into his students’ curriculum. He now plans to circulate daily news updates, as a way of showing youngsters “what happens to Israel affects everyone in this school.” — Beverly Gray

UCLA students also see Israel

More than 30 Los Angeles university students have spent the last three weeks in Israel, touring the country and learning about their heritage in Jerusalem educational programs.

The majority are students at UCLA and members of the campus organization Jewish Awareness Movement (J.A.M). Rabbi Benzion Klazko, J.A.M. chapter head at UCLA, led the tour. Activities on the summer trip included touring Jerusalem’s Old City, Masada and the Golan Heights; visiting archaeological digs; rappelling and kayaking; and daily classes at Aish Hatorah and Neve Jerusalem – Jewish Discovery programs in Jerusalem.

The students also spent one afternoon volunteering their time at Ezer Mizion — a nonprofit health support organization. Others pitched in for the “Meals on Wheels” program preparing sandwiches for families of the sick and hospitalized. About 150 Israelis benefited from the students’ efforts.

Maya Zutler, a political science major at UCLA, said doing the volunteer work actually enhanced her vacation.

“People always assume Jews help other Jews, but what I saw firsthand really opened my eyes,” she said.

Most students said that any security concerns they had evaporated once they had the opportunity to tour the country and see how it functions.

“Israel has been under siege for 53 years,” said Jeremy Schwartz, a junior at UCLA. “If you say you’ll wait until there’s no conflict, you’ll never see the place.” — Staff Report