Update's story Tuesday on The Birmingham Jewish Federation's role in supporting Jewish life at Auburn University drew some feedback. The story was headlined, "War Eagle: Fall, Football and Jewish Life at Auburn." (See below link.)

A staffer in the Atlanta-based Southeast regional office of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) responded immediately. "WAR DAMN EAGLE!" he wrote, proudly noting that he was a 1987 graduate of Auburn.

An email also was received from one of our Jewish community volunteer leaders who is a passionate fan of Auburn's rival, the University of Alabama. "As much as it pains me to say this, I really enjoyed this Update article. It sounds like Jewish life on Auburn's campus is vibrant and thriving. Keep up the good work!" she wrote.

In response to the thank you we sent to this reader, she wrote back the following -- perhaps afraid that she would be mistakenly portrayed as a closet Auburn fan! "I wasn't kidding when I told you that I have Bama Sports Report on my phone and iPad! It's a little bit obnoxious, but I can't help myself!"

Another reader, also a diehard Alabama fan, was jokingly told in advance of the Auburn story appearing that she would hate Tuesday's Update. And then the old adage "don't assume" kicked in.

"You are wrong. Although I hate the colors [orange & blue -- Auburn's colors, same as today], it's a great Update piece!" she wrote. "I love the dress she made!" this reader added, referring to the dress one of the young women in the picture was wearing which the student had made out of her orange t-shirt that say Auburn in Hebrew.

To complicate matters, the picture accompanying the story, featuring five Auburn students in t-shirts that say Auburn in Hebrew (see link), appeared sideways on many iPhones and iPads. For the record, we must state that there was no intent to do that, despite the fact that The BJF staffer who edited Tuesday's Update also is a diehard Alabama fan. We must attribute the sideways picture (honestly!) to some kind of computer malfunction.

While our state's Alabama-Auburn rivalry remains just as intense as ever, it's nice to know that fans of both schools can come together, rally around The BJF and appreciate the efforts we are making to strengthen Jewish life on Alabama's college campuses.

By Samantha Dubrinsky, BJF Projects Assistant

Now, more than ever, the United States' relationship with Israel is crucial. The Birmingham Jewish Federation is constantly looking for new ways to strengthen our bond with Israel within our Jewish community and beyond.

On a recent rainy morning, about 15 Jews and Christians gathered in the Levite Jewish Community Center's board room for a chat with John Somerville, of Christians United for Israel (CUFI).

John is retired from the U.S. Marine Corps and has dedicated the past ten years to strengthening the United States' relationship with Israel. The BJF has been working with CUFI the past several years and John serves as the Central States Coordinator for the group. His hard work on behalf of the Israeli-American relationship has resulted in him receiving recognition and awards.

Though the weather delayed John's arrival by quite a bit, the audience sat dedicated and eager to hear what he would tell them about CUFI and why the group supports Israel. The time during the delay was not wasted as Birmingham Jewish Federation Executive Director Richard Friedman gave a brief introduction into the world of CUFI.

"We need to advance the Israel cause in anyway we can, regardless of the differences between Jews and Christians," explained Richard. John, when he arrived later, would echo these same sentiments.

However, CUFI meets some resistance from Jewish communities in other parts of the United States. Many Jews disagree with the CUFI leaders on social issues, especially in Jewish communities that tend to be more politically liberal than Birmingham's. However, it is important to recognize all the good that CUFI has done in strengthening the United States' relationship with Israel.

In just five years, thanks to John's work and the work of others, including many in Alabama, CUFI has become the largest pro-Israel group in the United States. Modeling its format on the effective grassroots model developed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), CUFI sends Americans to Israel to become advocates for the country and also holds an annual conference in Washington D.C. where the attendees visit with US House and Senate members to educate them about the importance of US support for Israel.

In the end, John's message was simple and well-received: Strengthening our partnership with Israel means strengthening our partnership as Jews and Christians.