Dear Chevra:

As of June 1, 2009, The American Seminary for Contemporary Judaism transitioned to a solely distance based institution. This change will be in effect until our campus is restored and reopened with exciting additions.

While we have always offered professional certification and investiture via our not-for-profit educational corporation charter from the State of New York, we will be adding the ability to accept financial aid for accredited degrees. A formal announcement will be made once this has been finalized.

Please note that the address for our Administrative office has changed and is listed below.

Our communications format will also be changing. We have determined that the features of a Google Group would be more beneficial both to you and to us than our standard Constant Contact mailing lists. If you are signed up for any of our lists, you should be receiving a message from us shortly.

We were and will remain a federal 501(c)(3) entity for tax-deductible charitable donation purposes.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.

L’Shalom,
Administration
The American Seminary for Contemporary Judaism
15014 S. 9th Street
Phoenix, Arizona 85048
(877)223-0375 Phone

Who studied under Judah HaNasi and was known for his mental and physical prowess?

The answer will be found in next week’s Trivia post.

Last week, we asked: As a result of the war, who ordered the donations of a half-shekel to be given to Rome and what was that half-shekel used for previously?

As a result of the war, Vespasian ordered the donations of a half-shekel, given by most Jews to the Temple, now be paid to Rome. This marked the first time that a disability was imposed on religious grounds. Anyone who tried to deny their Jewish origin was subjected to a humiliating examination especially under the reign of Domitian, brother of Titus.

Special thanks goes to The History of the Jewish People.

As a result of the war, who ordered the donations of a half-shekel to be given to Rome and what was that half-shekel used for previously?

The answer will be found in next week’s Trivia post.

Special thanks goes to The History of the Jewish People.

1940 April 27, AUSCHWITZ (Poland) 
Under Himmler’s orders, work began on Auschwitz. The first and smallest camp was used for German criminals. Later it was used for Polish prisoners as well. It only began taking in massive numbers of Jews in March 1942. Auschwitz was to become the main killing center for European Jewry. In May, its first commandant, Rudolf Hoess, was appointed. He eventually constructed the camp at Birkenau and developed an assembly line system for murder. At its peak, Auschwitz was able to “process” 10,000 people in 24 hours. Hoess was later captured by the British and hung on April 16, 1947 on the one-person gallows outside the entrance to the gas chamber.

1940 April 27, H. F. DOWNIE (England)
The British Head of the Middle East Department of the Colonial Office stated that “the Jews are enemies just as the Germans are, but in a more insidious way”, and that “our two sets of enemies [Nazis and Jews] are linked together by secret and evil bonds.” A year later (March 15, 1941), he wrote ” one regret[s] that the Jews are not on the other side in this war.”

1913 April 27, LEO FRANK (USA)
The only white man to be convicted on the testimony of a Negro until the 1960’s, he was convicted of murdering Mary Phagan. Though there was little evidence against him, Tom Watson, the editor of the Jeffersonian, used the fact that Frank was a Jew to convict him before the public. Later (see 1915) Georgia Governor John Slaton, believing that the trial had been unfair, commuted the sentence to life imprisonment.

Information provided by The History of the Jewish People.

When this Seminary was founded, the American Jewish Community was in the midst of coming to grips with many social, political, and cultural dilemmas facing Modern American Judaism today. Among them the meaning of a conversion, the importance of a relevant and meaningful Jewish Education for our youth, and the future of the American Synagogue Community as a vibrant and necessary component to American Jewish Life. These, and other related situations and conditions were among the reasons why this institution was established and why we offer the type and tenor of professional training and development that we do.

The Jews who have made The United States their home, have always referred to this country as “The Melting Pot”; a place where all races, cultures and religions can come to live in freedom and democracy, and be able to perpetuate their own ethnic goals and objectives without fear of repression or even obliteration. It has taken the American Jewish Community a long time to establish itself in this country, and to lose our footing would simply be unacceptable in today’s political and cultural arena. By enrolling in and becoming a member of our “Seminary Family”, it is our hope that you will become an active facilitator and motivator for constructive and meaningful change and stability in the future of The American Jewish Community, and that you will take with you much more than just “book learning”, but also the respect and reverence for what and who has come before and where we have the potential yet to go in the coming decades. This, is the crux for all that takes place in our classrooms, in our programs and in our growing relationship with the American Jewish Community of the Twenty-First Century.

B’Shalom,
Robert E. Cohen, M. A., Ed., C. A. S., Ed. Admin.
Executive Director - A. S. C. J.

Parents, are you seeking a Day School Program Experience for your youngster in 2010 that will:

• Foster an environment that will allow your child to fully explore their own Jewish Heritage?
• Encourage your child to excel in all areas of both Judaic and Secular Academic Study and Instruction?
• Prepare your child for their future involvement in and commitment to the American and World Jewish Communities?

The American Seminary for Contemporary Judaism is exploring the possibility of opening a K’lal Jewish Day School in September 2010, for Grades K-6 in either Nassau or Suffolk County.

For more information about this Unique Day School Venture, please contact Dr. Robert E. Cohen at (877)223-0375 or complete our Online Information Request Form.

The ASCJ is now scheduling the first round of Informational and Intake Interviews for all prospective students interested in either our Summer or Fall 2009 semesters.

Please call (877)223-0375 to schedule your one-on-one session with ASCJ Administration.

Dear Chevra:

As a reminder, the ASCJ maintains two separate electronic mailing lists.

The first list is for our site feed. This list provides instant notification of site updates including job board changes, community announcements, changes to our calendar, additions to our class offerings and event invitations or reminders.

If you are not currently signed up to receive our site feed and would like to, you may do so here: http://americanseminary.org/about/instant-updates/

The second list is for our monthly newsletter. This is where you will find more detailed information about the coming month’s events, Seminary activities and our Chevra Member of the Month.

If you are not currently signed up to receive our site feed and would like to, you may do so here: http://americanseminary.org/newsletter/

If you have any questions or experience any difficulty either signing up for or receiving messages on either of our electronic mailing lists, please do not hesitate to contact us.

L’Shalom,
Peninah Lane
Director of Operations
peninah @ americanseminary.org

Is there a Life Cycle Event in your future? Baby naming? B’nai Mitzvah? Wedding? Anniversary?

The American Seminary for Contemporary Judaism is pleased to announce that they can help you arrange for your family’s Life Cycle Event Ceremony Celebration and any preparations or studies needed.

For information, please call the Seminary office at (877)223-0375.

The American Seminary for Contemporary Judaism is pleased to announce a new class for children interested in Jewish music beginning in September 2009.

The Cantorial Arts for Children will introduce children to the beauty and broadness of the scope of both traditional and modern Jewish music used both in the synagogue and the home.

Parents interested in enrolling their children in this new program should call the Seminary office at (877)223-0375 for additional information and registration materials.

The American Seminary for Contemporary Judaism’s Adult Learning Institute is pleased to announce a new study program for Fall 2009 entitled Discovering Judaism.

This course will explore and examine the beauty and majesty of Judaism from a variety of perspectives and protocols from its earliest beginnings to modern day.

Course study is to begin in September 2009. Space is limited for this unique exploration of Jewish Life, Culture, and Heritage.

For information, please contact the Seminary’s Adult Learning Institute at (877)223-0375.

Dear Chevra,

Are you ready for Passover? No matter what your level of knowledge is, Aish has a wonderful Passover section with many free, fun and informative features that are almost guaranteed to help you reconnect, rediscover and/or simply begin the process of Passover observance. You will find several topics under The Haggadah, Laws, Themes, Cookbook, Family and Multi-Media headings.Click here to be automatically directed to Aish.com’s Passover resources.

If you would like to attend services for Passover 5769-2009 but aren’t sure where to attend, the Baldwin Jewish Center will be having services as follows:

For directions or to request more information, please call the Baldwin Jewish Center at (516)223-5599.

L’Shalom,
Peninah Lane
Director of Operations
peninah @ americanseminary.org

Dear Chevra:

Our Job Board has been updated. It can be found by looking under the “Student Services” section on the menu to your left or by navigating directly to http://americanseminary.org/student-services/job-board/.

Please note that this electronic job bulletin board is meant to augment the resources available to you on campus and does not replace the physical board located in our halls.

L’Shalom,
Peninah Lane
Director of Operations
peninah @ americanseminary.org

Dear Chevra:

As part of our on-going effort to provide our faculty, staff, students and community with readily available resources and opportunities for growth and fulfillment, the ASCJ is proud to announce the addition of an online Job Board. It can be found by looking under the “Student Services” section on the menu to your left or by navigating directly to http://americanseminary.org/student-services/job-board/.

Please note that this electronic job bulletin board is meant to augment the resources available to you on campus and will not replace the physical board located in our halls.

L’Shalom,
Peninah Lane
Director of Operations
peninah @ americanseminary.org

Thank you all for coming out last night to the very first ParnasaFest. We had over 60 people come to network and help each other out. We hope you enjoyed this event and format.

We want to thank all of our sponsors and partners without whom this could not have happened with such success.

We are already planning for ParnasaFestNY II in a month or so. We do not yet have a set time or location. If you have any ideas, connections, or thoughts for us please be in touch ASAP, we really do need any help and support you could offer.

We will be hosting similar events in the coming weeks and months in other cities as well. Please help us by passing on good people and ideas for us related to those as well.

If anyone is a web developer or designer and wants to donate some of your time to helping us build out a great site for everyone’s use and enjoyment…please send us a quick note.

Hatzlacha and thank you!
Dave Weinberg, Dani Klein, and Susanne Goldstone Rosenhouse
parnasafest @ gmail.com

Parnasa, which is Hebrew for livelihood, is more on people’s minds today than it has been in many many years.

ParnasaFest NY was thought up after the news of mass layoffs in the Jewish Non-Profit world spread on Monday. So many have lost their livelihood, their Parnasa, in the past few months. Now is the time to stand up and help each other. Whether its a kind word, making others laugh or just passing on a good lead… ParnasaFest is for you.

This event is being organized to help you meet different people, companies, organizations, and recruiters to hook you up with fresh job opportunities.

Please bring your business cards and your willingness to network and meet new people.

Date: Thursday, February 12, 2009
Time: 8:00pm - 10:00pm
Location: Mt. Sinai Jewish Center
Street: 135 Bennett Ave. Social Hall
City/Town: New York, NY

More Info Here …

Dear Chevra:

Our Spring 2009 semester is about to start! Please remember that classes will begin promptly as scheduled beginning Monday, February 9, 2009. The final day to register is Sunday, February 8, 2009. If you have not already enrolled, please do so as soon as possible in order to secure your place in your selected course(s).

As always, if you ever have any questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact us. To schedule a one-on-one consultation session with Administration, please mail, email, fax or phone in your request. Make sure you mention what days and times you are available. Your feedback will most likely be part of a future notice, training or other service that could help students, faculty, and the administration.

For the latest ASCJ news – including updated schedule changes and to hear us brag about our faculty, staff, students, and contributors – head over to the “What’s New?” page on our website: http://americanseminary.org/new/

L’Shalom,
Peninah Lane
Director of Operations
peninah @ americanseminary.org

The American Seminary for Contemporary Judaism is scheduled to resume classes for the Spring 2009 Semester on Monday, February 9, 2009, for both our Campus-based and Distance Learning Students.

If you have not already done so, we suggest that all those students looking to begin or return to their studies in Rabbinics, Cantorial Arts, Jewish Education, and Synagogue Management, register for classes no later than Friday, January 30, 2009 so that we can plan accordingly, and give you your schedule of classes prior to the start of classes.

All students will be required to attend one of the mandatory Orientations held the week of Monday, February 2, 2009 - Friday, February 6, 2009. A schedule will be provided to you upon registration.

Should you have any questions concerning your class schedule or the schedule of classes in general, please call our Administrative Offices toll free at 877-907-6767, and we will be able to work with you to answer all of your course concerns and plans.

L’Shalom,
Peninah Lane
Director of Operations
peninah @ americanseminary.org

Dear Chevra:

We are currently working on the Spring 2009 class lineup and will be posting a notice about the offerings hopefully by no later than Friday, if not, early next week. Please continue to check back on this page (”What’s New?“) for the latest updates and information.

If you have any questions, comments, concerns, suggestions, or if there is a class you would like to see offered, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.

L’Shalom,
Peninah Lane
Director of Operations

Dear Chevra:

The Official Spring 2009 - Fall 2009 Academic Calendar has been added to our website. Any changes or modifications to our calendar will be posted here.

To receive these notices automatically, please subscribe to our newsletter (News and Updates plus information for specific groups like students, faculty, etc.) or to our site feed (News and Updates [website posts] only).

L’Shalom,
Peninah Lane
Director of Operations

Dear Chevra:

Due to circumstances that have arisen, classes are being suspended until the Spring Semester begins on Monday, February 2, 2008. All grades will be contingent upon where there were on Friday, December 19, 2008. Any assignments that are being worked on – papers, observations, etc. – are still due and will be expected to be submitted by the date your instructor indicated.

Please be assured that the Seminary is NOT closing it’s doors. We are simply postponing classes to allow Dr. Cohen the time he needs to process your feedback, resolve any underlying operational issues and develop a plan for the ASCJ’s future success.

As always, if you ever have any questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact me. To schedule a one-on-one consultation session with Administration, please mail, email, fax or phone in your request. Make sure you mention what days and times you are available. Your feedback will most likely be part of a future notice, training or other service that could help students, faculty, and the administration.

For the latest ASCJ news – including updated schedule changes and to hear us brag about our faculty, staff, students, and contributors – keep checking the “What’s New?” page here on our website.

We look forward to seeing you in class,
Peninah Lane
Director of Operations
(877)907-6767
peninah @ americanseminary.org

Dear Chevra:

It has been quite some time that I have written any correspondence to our “Family”. However, recent developments have brought me to this point, and I want to share my thoughts, wishes and observations with you before the start of our Spring Semester.

As most of you are now aware, our President, Rabbi Steven Rosenberg is no longer associated with The Seminary. This now means that there will be several changes made with regard to the running and administration of the institution from this point forward. In this regard, I would like to share with you my own expectations and aspirations for our school, our students and the American Jewish Community:

1) As I had written to all of you recently, the economic climate of this country has dictated, if you will, that one’s financial commitment to their chosen educational/professional endeavors be well maintained, both for their own good and the good of the institution that they are attending. I cannot stress enough that our school is not unlike any other educational/cultural institution and we look to our students to maintain and support the efforts of the institution through the timely and appropriate payment of their fees and charges. This allows us to be able to offer the kind of instruction, programs and preparation they expect from us. It is my hope that we can, as we move forward into the Spring Semester, count on your continued and consistent effort to follow through with your financial commitment to your education and to the needs of our growing institution. We, of course, will work with you to see to it that you are able to do so with as little difficulty as possible. However, the responsibility rests with you, and you alone.

2) The American Seminary was founded to serve K’lal, the spectrum of the American and World Jewish Community. For a school as young as ours, we have been rather successful at attaining this goal through our students’ involvement in their own communities and throughout communities across this nation. I ask that you continue to involve yourself in your synagogues, day schools, talmud torahs and Jewish communal organizations, so that the learning you do while attending The Seminary has relevance and substance to your lives outside the school. It is important that your education not just be “book learning” but “hands on” as well. Any way that you can gain from being a participant in the fabric of American Jewish Life is not only a gain for you, but for your community as a whole.

3) Lastly, and to all of you most importantly, the Spring Semester classes and schedule will be both sent to you and posted online in the very near future. Please follow through with the instructions sent to you concerning your individual program(s) so that we can commence the Spring Semester without delay or confusion on anyone’s part. Should you have questions, please contact the Seminary Office, and we will be more than happy to work with you on answering all of your questions.

With my return to the institution and to the work that I founded some six years ago, I anticipate an exciting Spring Semester with a whole new set of students, staff and classes and look forward to officiating at all future ordinations, investitures and commencement exercises as the Chancellor and Founder of the school.

B’Shalom,
Robert E. Cohen, M. A., Ed., D., J. Ed.

Dear Chevra:

Although it is with sadness that I announce the departure of our President, Rabbi Steven Rosenberg, it gives me great pleasure to herald the return of our esteemed Founder and Chancellor, Dr. Robert E. Cohen.

Please expect a letter of reintroduction from him to be posted shortly.

L’Shalom,
Peninah Lane
Director of Operations
(877)907-6767
peninah @ americanseminary.org

With the economic climate as it is, we have tried to be very flexible with respect to tuition.

In addition to payment plans for many students, we have implemented work-study programs and waived portions of both our tuition and fees. However, if this situation does not change soon, the ASCJ will be forced to cut back on the number of classes and resources we offer as an institution.

Your contribution makes it possible to keep high-quality teachers, expand our resources to current and future students, and utilize the technology needed for local and distance learning students alike.

Help rabbinical, cantorial, Jewish education and synagogue management education to continue. In the words of Hillel if not now, when?

The future of the ASCJ, its faculty and students, is in your hands.

L’Shalom,
Rabbi Dr. Steven Rosenberg
President