Hazak-2023-24

Rabbi David Moster:  Was Jonah Afraid of the Whale?

Join us for a discussion of text and art in order to determine whether Jonah's whale was friend or foe. Led by special guest Rabbi Dr. David Moster of the Institute of Biblical Culture and JTS.

From Rabbi Moster's website: "I am the founder and director of the Institute of Biblical Culture, an online community of learners dedicated to studying the Bible and its world from Jewish, Christian, and Academic perspectives. I received my PhD in Hebrew Bible/Old Testament from Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan, Israel under the tutelage of Professor Yigal Levin, a world expert in biblical geography, society, and history.

Before attending Bar-Ilan, I spent two years in Israel and a decade in New York City, where I received a B.A., M.A., M.S., and Rabbinical Degree from Yeshiva University, and an M.A. from New York University. I have written dozens of articles for publications such as The Journal of Biblical Literature and The Encyclopedia of the Bible and its Reception. I live in Yonkers, New York with my wife, a Psychiatrist, and our two children."

Rabbi Steve Glazer: Issues at the End of Life

Thanks to advances in medicine and technology people are living longer and healthier lives than ever before.  While this is wonderful, there are downsides! One example: We have the ability to keep individuals “alive,” but at what cost?

In this session Rabbi Steve will examine some of the many issues related to end of life including advance directives, palliative care, hospice, and the very definition of “death” itself. 

Rabbi Steve was the spiritual leader at CBE for 18 years. For more about his current endeavors, see our Rabbi Emeritus webpage.

Sharon Canner of Reston for a Lifetime 

Sharon Canner is president of Reston for a Lifetime , a nonprofit organization with a mission to educate and inform Reston’s older adults about how to age in place. According to a 2021 AARP survey, 84% of older Americans want care at home if they need long-term help with daily activities and 79% want to stay in their community as long as possible. Living in Fairfax County, we have access to a rich number of resources that can help you age in place. We offer a website, a free monthly newsletter, a webinar series, and in-person educational events that fulfill our mission. Sharon will talk about the organization’s planned future and share written information that may be useful to those who may want to create a plan for aging in place.

January 9, 2024,
7:30 PM
(In person & Zoom)

Gadeer Kamal-Mreeh: Warts and All

I am an Israeli but not a Jew. I am an Arab but not a Muslim. I am a minority within a minority. My mother tongue is Arabic, my religion is Druze, and I am an Israeli citizen. Good luck! My name is Gadeer Kamal-Mreeh. I was the first non-Jewish anchorwoman to broadcast the main evening news in Hebrew and Arabic languages in Israel. I was the first Druze woman to become a Member of the Knesset. Today, I am the first non-Jewish Senior Envoy of the Jewish Agency of Israel to the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. I symbolize the diversity and complexity of Israeli society. My identity is a mixture of factors full of challenges and potential. My story is full of glass ceilings breaking. Come listen to my unique story and learn about the Druze people, the Arab minority, and Israeli society. 

Kamal-Mreeh, Senior Envoy of The Jewish Agency for Israel to The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, began working for the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation in 2011, where she hosted a program in Arabic focusing on the social and cultural issues concerning Arab youth in Israel. In 2015, Kamal-Mreeh was selected to host the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation’s daily newscast in Arabic, and in 2017 she began anchoring its main
Hebrew Saturday evening newscast, as well as a nightly newscast, becoming the first non-Jewish anchorwoman to broadcast a main evening news in Hebrew- language in Israel. 

In April 2019, Kamal-Mreeh was elected to the Knesset as a member of the Blue and White party, making history as the first Druze woman to become a Member of the Knesset. During her tenure, she chaired the Caucus for Planning, Zoning and Industrial Areas, and the Caucus for the Advancement of Druze Women. She was a member of the Interior and Environment Committee, the Advancement of Women’s Status and Gender Equality Committee, and of the special committee for fighting crime within the Arab sector. Kamal Mreeh co-chaired the Israel-Germany friendship group and chaired the Israel-Switzerland parliamentary friendship group.

Kamal-Mreeh holds a degree with honors from Bar-Ilan University in Medical Imaging and Social Sciences, and a master’s degree with honors in International Relations from Haifa University, specializing in negotiations and making decisions in international relations.

In 2021, Kamal Mreeh became the Jewish Agency’s first Druze emissary to the U.S. Based in Washington D.C.

Gadeer is a “Munich Young Leaders” Alumna and in 2021 was chosen by the “World Economic Forum” as one of the young global leaders. In the same year Gadeer was also awarded the knight of Government Quality by “The Movement for Quality Government in Israel”.

Kamal Mreeh was born and lived in the Druze village, Daliyat al-Carmel. She is married to Shadi and a mother of two children. Gadeer enjoys cooking, art, nature, and quality time with her family which is the key for her pure happiness.

Stay tuned for more great Hazak speakers in 2023-24!