Jewish Herald-Voice (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 106, No. 53, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 20, 2014 Page: 1 of 35
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jhvonline.com $ $2 Per Copy
The Texas Gulf Coast’s Jewish Newspaper Since 1908
February 20, 2014 - 20 Adar 5774 $ Volume CVI - Number 53 $ Two Sections $_Houston, Texas $
Education director celebrated for decades of service
By MICHAEL C. DUKE
A local Jewish educator who has
impacted the lives of thousands of
children and families is being honored for
20 years of service.
Congregation Emanu El will pay
tribute to Marna Meyer, director of
Emanu El’s Helfman Religious School,
during Friday evening Shabbat services
on Feb. 21, followed by a special oneg.
The South African-born Meyer is
among the community’s longest-serving
Jewish education directors.
She has played the central role in
building the largest congregational
school in greater Houston and a
program that has received national
recognition for having the highest post-
B’nai Mitzvah retention rate among
Reform synagogues.
Meyer also is noted for pioneering
inclusive B’nai Mitzvah programming for
students with learning differences and
was an early proponent of incorporating
technology and camp-style teaching in
the classroom.
“One of the greatest joys of my
career is seeing our children grow,”
Meyer told the JHV. □
Marna Meyer
The Evelyn Rubenstein
Jewish Community Center
of Houston and the
Museum of Fine Arts,
Houston present the 10th
Annual Houston Jewish
Film Festival, March 8-23,
featuring 28 of the best
Jewish or Israeli films
from around the world.
The festival opens with Diane Lee will chair
“Bethlehem,” a powerful **?.e H°us*on.
story about an Israeli runs from March 8-23.
secret service agent and
his Palestinian teenage informant. HJFF closes
with “The Zigzag Kid,” a fun, coming-of-age tale
and detective story based on David Grossman’s
beloved novel. Other films range from the
comedy, “Putzel,” a story of Walter, aka Putzel,
trying to take over his family’s smoked fish
emporium, to “The Real Inglorious Bastards,” the
documentary that tells the true account behind
Quentin Tarantino’s mega-hit, and “Glickman,”
the story of the famous sportscaster Marty
Glickman. Author Eric A. Goldman will speak on
his book, “The American Jewish Story through
Cinema,” followed by a book signing, to add a
See Film on Page 23A
“Zigzag Kid” is the closing night film.
Sephardim react
with strong emotions,
skepticism to Spanish
citizenship offer
By MICHAEL C. DUKE & JTA
Local Sephardic Jews have
mixed emotions over the recent
announcement by Madrid to grant
dual Spanish citizenship to the
descendants of Jews expelled from the
Iberian Peninsula, during and after
the Spanish Inquisition, some 500
years ago.
Like several Sephardim
interviewed by the JHV following
the landmark announcement, Rabbi
Johnny Ouzzan described it as a “nice
gesture,” but then expressed serious
skepticism.
“I don’t think this far down the line
that they genuinely feel the pain caused
to Jews back then,” said Rabbi Ouzzan,
a new assistant rabbi at Congregation
Beth Rambam, Houston’s largest
Sephardic synagogue, who traces
his lineage back to Spain by way of
Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. “Jews
were burnt alive publicly in a show of
what was being demanded of them:
Convert, leave or die.
See Skepticism on Page 5A
Gala raises more than $1 million for community’s elderly
On Saturday evening, Feb. 8,
Seven Acres Jewish Senior Care
Services held its most successful
annual gala, raising more
funds than ever before. The
800 guests in attendance
affirmed that There’s No Place
Like the Home. They honored
four community leaders with the
Spirit of Life Award for their many
years of service and support of
Seven Acres and the Houston Jewish
community.
The event at the Westin Galleria
included a cocktail hour, during
which guests visited with “Dorothy”
and other “Wizard of Oz” characters
and shopped at the silent and Big
Board auctions. Dinner and dancing
followed, as well as the award
presentations. The evening
was chaired by Andrea and
David Stein, Gail and Gary
Swartz and Judy and Ronnie
Yambra.
The four honorees were presented
their individual awards by a
community leader and close friend.
Diana Brackman received her award
from former Spirit of Life award
See Gala on Page 5A
See more
photos from
the gala
Page 12A-13A
JOE VELA
S. Conrad Weil Jr., Diana Brackman, Ann Friedman and Amb. Arthur Schechter.
EMERY
EMERY
Emery introduces lacrosse program
Page 24A
_ »
Young adults support Federation’s Boots & Bets.........
Galveston rabbi reminiscent of Texas Jewish history.
‘Got Shabbat’ to share Jews of India story.....................
UH rejects anti-Israel boycott.............................................
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Senior
Planning:
A Jewish
guide to
later-in-life
issues
Section B
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Samuels, Jeanne F. Jewish Herald-Voice (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 106, No. 53, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 20, 2014, newspaper, February 20, 2014; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth544015/m1/1/: accessed May 21, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .