Category Archives: June
GREAT FALLS INTERFAITH ASSOCIATION MINUTES FOR JUNE, 2017
Those present:
Pastor Ray Larson, Benefis Healthcare
Stephen Boyd, GF Hebrew Association
Udo Wozney, Bethel Lutheran Church
Jim McCormick, Rescue Mission
Cherrie Kelly, Opportunities Inc.
Dusti Zimmer, Center for Mental Health
Shane Etzwiler, GF Chamber of Comerce
David Colpepper, Foothills Cummunity Christian School
Gringer King, Family Connections MT
Rick Allison, Big Sky Baptist Church
Dave Strand, Big Sky Baptist Church
Tamy Lacey, GF Public Schools
Lee Barrows, New City Church
Focus: Great Falls Chamber of Commerce and Foothills Community Christian School
Pastor ray opened with a reading from Deuteronomy and a prayer.
Shane – GF Chamber of Commerce – The Chamber is all about business, creating a great environment where businesses can thrive. There are many employment
issues in Great Falls, one of which is workforce. About a third of employable people in this city are not working.
An apprenticeship program in Great Falls gives a $750 tax credit to all businesses who hire through the program every year up to five years if the employee
stays.
Also, there is a program that helps adjust military who are getting ready to retire, for 180 days the military will pay the salaries; completely free to
the employer.
The Ad Banquet gave eight scholarships to students last year. Graduation Matters, because the kids’ future and the future of Great Falls matters.
The military is planning to upgrade the missiles on all three bases starting in 2023. If the companies tell us what kind of jobs they need in six years,
the Chamber can relate the information to graduating students now to so that Great Falls has many eligible employees in 2023.
Tami – GF School District – ESA (Every Student Succeeds) replaces NCLB (No Child Left Behind) because the program wasn’t succeeding. The purpose is to
ensure Montana Schools are achieving Federal Standards. ESA provides more flexibility, allows for more local control. Great Falls gets Federal dollars
to help At-Risk students. There is accountability, they have to account for every dollar spent. The long-term goal is still the same, 100% student proficiency.
“Adulting” is something they are looking at, whether it’s a class or some kind of course to teach kids how to be an adult, show up for meetings, be on
time, make phone calls, reach goals, etc. This message isn’t being taught at home anymore, but is vital to student’s ultimate success.
Many of the most challenging schools are on Reservations where extreme poverty and lack of work opportunities prevail.
David – Foothills Christian School – David has been involved in Christian schools for 34 years. The goal and purpose of the school is to provide Christ-centered
education to Christian families. They try to establish good biblical moral foundations with which to build on.
The English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge who wrote The Rime of The Ancient Mariner was involved in a discussion about religion. The other person believed
that children should not be given formal religious education of any kind. They would then be free to select their own religion when they were old
enough to decide. Coleridge did not bother to debate the point, but invited the man to see his rather neglected garden. “Do you call this a garden?” asked
the visitor. “There are nothing but weeds here.” “Well, you see,” said Coleridge, “I did not wish to infringe on the liberty of the garden in any way. I
was just giving the garden a chance to express itself and choose its own production.”
They emphasize exceptional academics, service to others, and strong moral character. In Great Falls, there is a common goal that our children deserve the
very best education. They are accredited by Advanced Ed and the Association of Christian Schools International. They feel they have succeeded if they create
responsible church members. Not isolating them from the world, but providing a “greenhouse” of sorts to give them a better start.
Pastor Ray adjourned the meeting. Next one is July 27th at 12pm.
Submitted by Stephen Boyd
Save Their Stories: Undiscovered Diaries of the Holocaust by United States Holocaust Memorial Museum — Kickstarter
This World Refugee Day, make sure the world never forgets.
It’s been just one week since we launched our first-ever Kickstarter, and I have wonderful news to share with you: 2,720 people have pledged to Save Their Stories. It’s a strong start—but to share over 200 Holocaust diaries in the Museum’s collection with the world and make them accessible, we still need your help.
In the years leading up to and during World War II, the world turned a blind eye to the fate of refugees who were fleeing unimaginable circumstances such as forced labor and starvation at the hands of Nazis and their collaborators. Never again can any of us turn a blind eye.
Today, on World Refugee Day, help share the stories of people who survived the Holocaust as refugees.
Visit our Kickstarter project page to bring these stories to light and help the world learn from these first-hand accounts.
At every level of support, you will receive meaningful, inspiring rewards you won’t find anywhere else.
If we reach our goal, you’ll not only help us catalog hundreds of personal accounts and make them searchable on our website, we will also translate and publish online three diaries in their entirety. One was written by Hans Vogel who, at the age of seven, escaped from Germany to France with his parents and elder brother. They initially settled in Paris, but in May 1940, just 24 hours before the invading German forces reached their city, the Vogel family fled south. They traveled among a stream of other refugees, mostly by foot, as the Luftwaffe fired at them from the sky. Hans kept an extraordinary diary of their flight, including photos and hand-drawn and colored maps tracing the family’s journey.
Help share his story by becoming a Kickstarter backer. Your support is instrumental to making one-of-a-kind diaries like his available to the public for the very first time. Plus with your pledge, you can choose from special rewards, exclusive to this Kickstarter project—rewards such as “Save Their Stories” tote bag, limited-edition watercolor prints from Holocaust survivor Simon Jeruchim, a “Save Their Stories” journal, exclusive behind-the-scenes tours at the Museum, and much more.
But even more so, you’ll be helping the world learn from and remember the individual experiences of Holocaust victims and survivors: their hopes and fears, their courage in the face of unspeakable terror, their suffering and resilience.
Check out the Kickstarter project page now to see how your support is essential to preserving the stories of survivors for the whole world to see. And if you’ve already made your pledge, thank you again for your support! Please help us one more time by spreading the word about this project on Facebook and Twitter to family and friends today, in honor of World Refugee Day.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ushmm/save-their-stories-undiscovered-diaries-of-the-holocaust/
Thank you again for building this momentum and for your dedication to Save Their Stories.
Sincerely,
Dana Weinstein
Director, New Audience Engagement
US Holocaust Memorial Museum
UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM
100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW
Washington, DC 20024-2126
202.488.0400
Contributed by Meriam Nagel
PARENTS AND CHILDREN … HOW IT BEGAN
As we grow older, and sometimes wiser, we can also lose our perspective on things that are just TOO immediate. For
instance: Kids!
Whenever your kids are out of control, you can take comfort from the thought that even God’s omnipotence did not extend to God’s kids.
After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve, his kids. And the first thing he said was: “Don’t”.
“Don’t what?” Adam replied.
“Don’t eat the forbidden fruit.” God said.
“Forbidden fruit? We got forbidden fruit? Hey, Eve…we got forbidden fruit!”
“No way!”
“Yes way!”
“Don’t eat that fruit!” said God.
“Why?”
“Because I am your Father and I said so!” said God, wondering why he hadn’t stopped after making the elephants.
A few minutes later God saw his kids having an apple break and was angry.
“Didn’t I tell you not to eat the fruit?” the First Parent asked.
“Uh huh, ” Adam replied.
“Then why did you?”
“I dunno” Eve answered.
“She started it!” Adam said.
“Did not!”
“Did too!”
“DID NOT!!”
Having had it with the two of them, God’s punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own. Thus, the pattern was set and it has never changed. But there is reassurance in this story … If you have persistently and lovingly tried to give them wisdom and they
haven’t taken it, don’t be hard on yourself. If God had trouble handling children, what makes you think it would be a piece of cake for you?
Advice for the day: If you have a lot of tension and you get a headache, do what it says on the aspirin bottle:
Take two and keep away from children.
WEEK END HOSPITALITY
Todah Robah to the following Congregation members who have offered their hospitality to Rabbi Ruz Gulko and to provide the oneg:
- Friday, 06/23/2017: airport Pickup: Marty Foxman
- Friday Evening, 06/23/2017: Dinner hosts: Don and Helen Cherry
- Friday evening, 06/23/2017, following Shabbat Services, at The Bethel: Oneg: Laura Weiss
- Saturday lunch with Rabbi Ruz Gulko, after Morning Torah Study: Rabbi Ruz has asked that as many of us as can meet for lunch at Teriyaki Madness, 1710 Tenth Avenue South
- Sunday return to airport: Meriam Nagel
PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR RABBI RUZ’S NEXT VISIT: JUNE 23, 2017 (30 SIVAN, 5777)
Please mark your calendars for these upcoming events.
- Friday, 06/23/2017, 7:30 P.M.: Erev Shabbat Services, led by Rabbi Ruz Gulko, at the Bethel. Oneg to follow.
- Saturday morning, 06/24/2017, 10:00 A.M.: Morning Torah Study, led by Rabbi Ruz Gulko, at the Bethel
- Saturday evening, 06/24/2017, 5:30 P.M.: Milchig (dairy) Potluck and adult discussion, led by Rabbi Ruz Gulko, at The Bethel. Please bring a dairy dish to share.
- Sunday morning, 06/25/2017: To be decided
The address for the Bethel is 1009 18th Avenue Southwest. click here for map and directions.
We are looking forward very much to Rabbi Ruz’s visit!
Rabbi Ruz has asked for some opinions regarding topics of discussion for her visit. Please take this brief survey to rank your topics of interest. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/G6L5RGQ
FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS MONTH
(Produced by BBC in 2007)
“This is a very well done documentary with some great archival footage. It not only documents the war itself, but more importantly, events leading up to it and the dilemmas faced by main characters on both sides of the conflict — Israeli PM Levi Eshkol on one side and Egyptian leader Nasser on the other. Both of these leaders were exposed to some pretty intense pressures and the documentary does a terrific job retracing all the steps, exposing the sources of pressure, motivations behind them, etc.
The other great thing about this documentary is that it also brings in a number of eye witnesses from both sides, who are all pretty frank about their assessment. It’s interesting to hear the commentaries from the point of view of Nasser’s secretary, high-ranking Soviet officials, a Syrian student in Cairo, an Egyptian soldier, a U.S.-born Palestinian journalist in Jerusalem, Jordanian commanders, the UN commander in the Sinai, CIA officials, U.S. government officials, Israeli generals, soldiers and fighter pilots as well as Israeli civilians. This really puts it in even greater perspective.
The other interesting thing is how this documentary illuminates the misinformation and bias about the real state of affairs perpetuated by many Arab governments and media. It’s interesting to hear Nasser’s boasts of almost sure victory in a conflict he instigated based on flawed intelligence from the Russians. He’s touting the strengths of his armies which are ready for war, unaware that the war had already begun. Yet, when it’s all over he refuses to take responsibility, blames the British and the Americans for intervening on behalf of Israel even when the Israelis have clear evidence from an intercepted phone call between Nasser and King Hussein of Jordan plotting how to find a scapegoat for their own folly.
But it also looks at the war and its outcome as the seed of the current conflict, the occupation of the West Bank and Golan Heights, the “land for peace” principle and the general trauma that the war inflicted on the Arab world. It effectively illustrates how we got to where we are now.
The producers got access to some pretty unique archival war footage, most of it from the Israelis. The one incident the documentary does not cover or even mention is the controversial Israeli attack on the USS Liberty, a US Navy electronic intelligence ship.”
MONTANA HAS UNLIMITED WATER, DOESN’T IT?
Israeli water experts share technology, conservation in Missoula
7 June 2017
By Martin Kidston/Missoula Current
A delegation of Israeli water experts met with state leaders in Butte this week before stopping in Missoula to discuss water scarcity and the leading technologies developed by the desert nation to address the shortage on a global scale.
Led by Israeli Consul General Andy David and the Montana World Affairs Council, the delegation came to observe Montana’s varied water practices and hear the concerns of state officials confronted with a future where water could become scarce in a shifting climate.
“I hear in the U.S. that whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting,” David said before joining KGVO Talk Back radio for an interview. “The world does face a water shortage already. There are policies that need to be in place and planning to ensure there is no shortage of food or water.”
While clean drinking water and rich aquifers are currently abundant in Montana, climate experts, including those at the state’s two flagship universities, project that may change later this century as rainfall tapers off and temperatures rise.
The situation is even more dire in other parts of the West, where prolonged drought and reckless water usage has prompted massive changes to both policy and practice. Some suggest Montana may not be far behind, and that could have dire consequences on both an economic and ecological scale.
“It’s the No. 1 issue,” said Robert Seidenschwarz, president emeritus of the Montana World Affairs Council. “Every industry, all our agriculture, all of our population centers, they cannot function unless we have secure, clean water.”
David, accompanied by global water experts Avner Adin and Anan Adin of Israel, spent the past week in Montana observing the state’s water practices, from irrigation to municipal consumption.
Touring Butte with Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney, they found that nearly 40 percent of the residences were unmetered. The state’s irrigation practices also remain somewhat antiquated in a water-scarce world.
“When it comes to irrigation here, we’ve learned a lot of it is just sprinklers or flood irrigation,” David said. “Drip irrigation in Israel has proven to save on the water, but you also increase the yield. We’re basically here to try and understand the challenges and offer our friendship.”
Since its independence in 1948, Israel has been forced by geography and circumstance to address its water shortage. Avner Adin, an emeritus professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and an environmental engineer, said water was the catalyst of change that enabled Israel to thrive in the desert.
“Three thousand years ago, Moses hit a rock with a stick and water came out, but today, we don’t have miracles like this,” said Adin. “With climate change, we’re facing more troubles. We have to work out and develop more water resources.”
The U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence now ranks water scarcity as a major threat to national security. David and his Israeli delegation have seen the risks first hand, from the Middle East to the American West.
To address the problem, Israel has developed new, cost-effective technology to produce drinkable water, including desalination. But it’s the nation’s conservation practices that could best apply to Montana, and that has the attention of state officials.
“As chair of the Governor’s Drought and Water Supply Advisory Council, I know firsthand how important water is to our economy, quality of life, and the health and safety of Montanans,” Cooney said Wednesday. “It was a great opportunity to engage in a unique partnership between Montana and Israeli water experts, and to discuss innovative ideas to conserve and protect our precious resources and safeguard the right to clean water.”
David described the meeting with state leaders as a “first date,” and said his country’s delegation of global water experts will return if requested.
“We’re thinking about the next steps and the value we can bring to Montana when it comes to planning, or creating a demonstration project somewhere to show some of our new agriculture techniques, or what we call precision agriculture,” David said.
“People are used to paying for food, but they’re not used to paying for water in many cases,” he added. “They look at it as a resource that has no limits, but it does have limits.”
FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK … SURVIVAL OF A NATION
One fateful week in June 1967 redrew the map of the Middle East.
Fifty years later, Israel continues to face numerous existential threats.
Experience an inspiring and thrilling account of what was then considered the most improbable and astonishing victory in all of military history.
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