A story in Sunday's Update on N.E. Miles Jewish Day School students sending Chanukah donuts to Israel for alumnus Yona Stein and his fellow Israeli soldiers drew some great feedback. The story included a moving thank you email from Yona. (See below link.)

"I think Yona's email is the best piece of the year!" one of our regular Update readers, a long-time Jewish community volunteer leader, wrote in an email.

We also received a great email Sunday from Update reader Jerry Benjamin, who is President of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation. "I feel close to you guys and I don't know anybody in Birmingham," wrote Jerry. "We've learned so much from how you communicate and the things you find important -- we are reshaping our communication in the coming months and you continue to be our teacher."

Update, a project of The Birmingham Jewish Federation, continues to be a remarkable phenomenon and an unparalleled communication and education tool. Six days a week and Saturday night, Update is sent to roughly 7000 people, locally, nationally and globally. Another 1000 people have access to Update through Facebook.

Photo is from Sunday's story on the N.E. Miles Jewish Day School sending Chanukah donuts to Israeli soldiers.

There was a nice story in the Birmingham News Sunday about the continued success of Bayer Properties. Highlighted was Jeffrey Bayer, the company's chief executive. Jeffrey and his wife, Gail, are generous donors to The Birmingham Jewish Federation.

"In a year when new development was virtually non-existent and a sour economy took its toll on many developers and property owners, Bayer Properties Inc. managed to double the amount of retail and office space it manages through deals that have led to the formation of a new division," the story noted.

Bayer Properties is one more successful Birmingham-based business led by a member of our Jewish community that has produced jobs, benefited our region and enhanced Birmingham's stature nationwide. We congratulate Jeffrey and his team on their success.

Pictured in front of one of their company's projects, are, from left, Jeffrey Bayer, chief executive of Bayer Properties; Libby Lassiter, Bayer's head of retail development and leasing; and David Silverstein, a Bayer principal. (Hal Yeager/Birmingham News)

It's not too late to get a 2011 charitable deduction for your gifts to The Birmingham Jewish Federation and The Foundation. Here are some things to remember.

If you are writing a check, it must be mailed and postmarked by Saturday, Dec. 31. If you are hand delivering a year-end check, it must be delivered to us by 3 pm, Friday, Dec. 30. If you want to make a payment via credit card, please do it by 5 pm Thursday, Dec. 29, to allow time for processing and proper crediting.

If you are transferring stock, it must be in the Birmingham Jewish Federation or Foundation account by Dec. 30. If the order to transfer is given, but the stock has not reached our account by then, it will be considered a 2012 gift by the IRS.

In the event you are gifting stock, please notify us that a stock gift has been made and whether it is for The Federation or The Foundation. Please also describe the stock and number of shares, and also tell us the name of your broker. To give us this information, please contact Tiffany Hyche at The BJF at 205-803-1513 or tiffanyh@bjf.org.

As always, The Birmingham Jewish Federation and Foundation appreciate your support. Thank you!

"It's not easy being a political conservative in the most liberal of Jewish religious denominations," contended a story in Jewish Telegraphic Agency in the aftermath of Reform Judaism's recent national gathering.

"Just ask the 40 or so people among the more than 5,000 attendees at the recent biennial conference of the Union for Reform Judaism who showed up for a session on political conservatism," wrote reporter Uriel Heilman.

It's an interesting story worth reading and one that gives insight into a growing national dilemma as well as a dilemma for some Reform Jews here in Birmingham who find themselves much more politically conservative than their denomination overall.