The upcoming showdown between Alabama and LSU is not the only thing on Bob Witt's mind. The University of Alabama President, an Update reader, took the time to send us a great email after reading Daniel Odrezin's Saturday night Update piece on the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

"Daniel has written several excellent pieces for The BJF but the best yet is his extraordinary piece on the release of Gilad Shalit," wrote Dr. Witt. "You are fortunate to be able to draw on his talent. I am very proud of Daniel and of our partnership." Dr. Witt and his administration have worked closely with The BJF to draw more Jewish students to the Tuscaloosa campus.

Daniel, who went to Alabama for undergraduate school and who is now in his third year at Alabama's law school, will be joining our BJF staff after graduation. During his time at Alabama, Daniel has been a great asset to the school and a wonderful connection between the University and our Birmingham Jewish community.

In his piece (see below link), Daniel offered perspectives on the prisoner exchange that led to Shalit's release, reflecting on the semester he spent at Tel Aviv University's law school earlier this year through an exchange program with Alabama's law school.

Daniel, 24, is part of a growing wave of young volunteers and professionals helping to lead The BJF into the future. They are passionate, talented and already are supporting The BJF at a generous financial level.

Among other initiatives, these young adults are being provided opportunities to serve at the highest levels of The BJF, guide its policy-making, and, through our new Leadership Writing Project, affirm their leadership voices by writing for Update and other media.

"We are so proud of Daniel," said BJF President Jimmy Filler, who has made recruiting young people a top priority of his presidency the past two and a half years. "He already is an outstanding communicator, a great fundraiser and a wonderful and passionate representative of The BJF. He will be among those who lead us into a great future."

Photo is of UA President Bob Witt and Daniel Odrezin. It was taken at the Levite Jewish Community Center where Dr. Witt spoke to Jewish high school students to encourage them to come to Alabama. Daniel, then an undergraduate, also spoke at the meeting.

The recently-completed Bloom Hillel Center at the University of Alabama will host its culminating dedication event on Sunday, Nov. 13, at 1 pm. The event will celebrate the return of Hillel's restored Torah.

Birmingham's N.E. Miles Jewish Day School has housed Hillel's Torah for the past three years while Hillel was in a temporary facility waiting for the completion of its beautiful new student center. Hillel is the Jewish student organization.

The Torah dedication ceremony will be followed by a dessert reception open to the students and the community. Religious leaders from Alabama and other southeastern states as well as representatives from major Jewish organizations have been invited to a luncheon before the ceremony.

Rabbi Bernard Honan, who served as Alabama Hillel's rabbi from 1970 to 1983, will officiate along with Rabbi Steven Jacobs of Tuscaloosa's Temple Emanu-El. Rabbi Honan's son, Birmingham Jewish community member Dr. Michael Honan, is a co-chair of the University of Alabama Hillel Board of Directors and Foundation. Rabbi Jacobs is also an Associate Professor in the University's Department of Religious Studies and holds the Aaron Aronov Chair of Judaic Studies.

OVER 50 YEARS AGO

Hillel's Torah was donated over 50 years ago to the UA Hillel and has been restored by Rabbi Honan, the only rabbinic Torah scribe in the Reform Judaism movement. It will be housed inside the Bloom Hillel Center in an ark, which will feature beautiful hand-wrought iron doors created by artisan blacksmith Steve Davis of Sunheart Metalworks of Tuscaloosa. Plans for the celebration include dancing the Torah into the Bloom Hillel Center and live klezmer music.

UA Hillel's Torah Dedication event is open to the public. For more information email bamahillel@gmail.com.

The Birmingham Jewish Federation's Director of Community Relations, Joyce Spielberger, also serves on UA Hillel's Board of Directors and in her BJF position works closely with Hillel, helping to increase Jewish student enrollment and strengthen Jewish life at the University of Alabama. Over the past few years, the estimated number of Jewish students at Alabama has more than doubled -- from approximately 350 to 750. (Total UA enrollment is approximately 31,000.)

Joyce also works with Auburn's Jewish Student Life Organization and BJF Director of Outreach Caren Seligman works with Jewish students at UAB and Birmingham-Southern College. Funds from The BJF Annual Campaign help support our work on these college campuses. The Birmingham Jewish Foundation also has funded programs on our college campuses.

The BJF's outreach to college campuses is an outgrowth of Our Next 100 Years, a historic Jewish community project. (See below link.) By strengthening Jewish life on our campuses and by encouraging more in-state and out-of-state students to attend college in our state, The BJF believes we will enhance the prospects of these students staying in Alabama and building their careers and raising their families in our state.

Photo is of Rabbi Honan restoring the Hillel Torah.