News from the JULC - Issue 7

Dear Friends:
Once more, we are bringing you news from our communities. In February. upon our return from the Fifth conference in Jamaica, we were ebullient. Now,  that energy runs deeper, and we are more focused on our respective communities, although always keeping our strong connection to UJCL.

A lot is happening at the UJCL communities:

ARUBA: The community is presently involved In the search for a new spiritual leader. Cantor Irving N. Spenadel will be moving back to the States at the end of June. He has accepted a position at Congregation B’nai Shalom, in Westborough, MA.During his tenure in Aruba he has done great work with the youth, and with the community in general. His contribution to the Fifth UJCL Conference
Youth Encounter has been greatly appreciated. The UJCL joins the Jewish Community of Aruba in wishing him great success in his new position, and in all his endeavors.

COSTA RICA: The youth of the B’nei Israel Congregation is very busy preparing to host their friends from the other UJCL member communities at the Youth Encounter that will take place in San José, from July 7 to the 14th.They plan to make it fun and an enriching Jewish experience. Meeting new
friends and sharing ideas, they will be able to plan for a stronger Youth Department. These young adults can play a pivotal role in the growth of our Union, and they are filled with wonderful energy and creativity. So, mark your calendars, and wait for more news and the final plans!

CUBA: The UJCL Board is presently planning to hold its next meeting in Cuba in September. This meeting will also involve a mission of support for our Cuban friends at the Patronato (Beth Shalom), and at the Sephardic Hebrew Center. In the course of next month, we’ll have more details to give you.
Be on the lookout for our communication.

CURAÇAO: Our friends at Mikve Israel-Emanuel are still searching for a rabbi for their community. They’ll make a final decision soon. In the meantime, the congregation has examined their vision for the future. Several committees have been formed to work on social activities, greater participation of members in the life of the community, enrichment of religious services, etc. With the arrival of a new rabbi, these committees will be activated. The exquisite pipe organ from Amsterdam that is about 140 years old, and used to be played at services, is presently being restored in the Netherlands, thanks to a generous donation of the House of Oranje, in honor of the 350th. anniversary of the community. They hope to have it ready by April 2003.

EL SALVADOR: As of Feb. 20, this community enjoys the presence of a new young and energetic Rabbi from Argentina, who was ordained at the Machon Schechter in Jerusalem in July 2001. Rabbi Daniel Zang has also taught Hebrew at the Seminario Rabínico Latinoamericano, and at different Jewish institutions. Rabbi Zang is married, and is the father of two young children, Jonathan
Adam and Federico Uriel. He edits a weekly Kehilaton-on-line that speaks volumes about his commitment to his community, and his enthusiastic, innovative projects for it. We wish him much success, and wonderful accomplishments. All of us at UJCL are looking forward to meeting him at our upcoming Feb. 2003 Encounter in Panamá where, undoubtedly, he will be making valuable contributions.

HONDURAS: Blueprints for the new synagogue in Tegucigalpa, that will replace the one that was destroyed by Hurricane Mitch, are complete. The Community is getting ready to start construction. Hopefully, in the not too distant future, we will congratulate them on the completion of this wonderful
project, that was made possible thanks to the support of a number of Jewish institutions, as well as private donors.

JAMAICA: The controversial leader of the Nation of Islam, minister Louis Farrakhan, who has Jamaican roots, (his father was born in Jamaica), visited the island in March.
During his visit, he sought and was granted permission to visit the Shaare Shalom synagogue, accompanied by his entourage. He met the leaders of the Congregation of Israelites in the adjacent hall after the service. Minister Farrakhan responded frankly to the hard questions that were put to him.
Transcripts of the exchange are available to anyone who may be interested.
(Please contact Ainsley Henriquez : ainsley@cwjamaica.com)

PANAMA: This is where the action will be on Feb. 6 – 9 ,2003. Our friends are preparing the Sixth UJCL Encounter on this date. With great enthusiasm they are working out the details so that, by approximately the month of July, we can announce the name of the Hotel and perhaps the theme of the Conference. We wouldn’t miss it for anything! We still have fond memories of the Second Encounter, which Panama so graciously hosted. This is a weekend you must reserve for your Jewish growth, and for the exhilarating experience of meeting old friends, and adding new ones.

*** On April 18, our Executive Director, Rabbi Gustavo Kraselnik, was installed as Rabbi of Congregation Kol Shearit Israel. We wish him much satisfaction in his work with the Community, and great accomplishments to add to his growing list. We are sure that, just as he was so loved in his previous Congregation in El Salvador, he’ll build ties of friendship amongst the members of his new
community. His charismatic leadership, his humanity, and his constant efforts to re-vitalize our small congregations, are already earning the appreciation of Kol Shearit Israel members.
We wish him much success in his new home.

N.B.: If you are interested in reading an interview to Rabbi Kraselnik that appeared in La Prensa of Panamá, please send us an e-mail to ujclinfo@yahoo.com

PUERTO RICO: From these pages we congratulate Cheryle Thacher on her appointment as
President of Congregation Beth Shalom. This is a well-deserved distinction, and we are sure that Cheryle will rise  up to the challenge of leading this active community, energizing it even
more. The community is presently involved, with the cooperation of the UJC (former
UJA), in trying to re-settle some needy Argentine families in Puerto Rico.

A NOTE ABOUT TRINIDAD: Nicole Bland, from Trinidad, is a wonderful example of what can be
accomplished with perseverance and hard work. For more than a year she has been working hard to revive, after two decades, the Jewish community  there, but lack of funds and other obstacles have made it very difficult. Undeterred, she continued to champion her cause. Today Nicole can proudly
announce that, on October 22, a historic exhibition will be unveiled in Trinidad, one that she organized and designed: Trinidad and World War II: A History for Today. It is a multimedia presentation with documentation on: The Holocaust, Trinidad’s strategic role and importance, Jewish history in
Trinidad. Jewish refugee migration to the island, etc. As a component of the exhibition, Nicole has also been commissioned by the Anne Frank House of the Netherlands to present their internationally
acclaimed traveling exhibition. This is also a fund raising event, and part of the proceedings will go to
their newly formed community, Beth Shalom. Beth Shalom is a non-profit organization, dedicated to preserve the Jewish heritage and presence in Trinidad and Tobago, Nicole has been trying to join us for almost two years now, but her community still needs much financial support. We can help! If you would like to get more information on the project or make a much needed donation, please contact Nicole at tikkunolam@tstt.net.tt

Martha E. Lichtenstein
Aruba

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