Sometimes Update gets our best "local" news from readers thousands of miles away. We received a great news story recently from reader Rabbi Reuven Tradburks, who lives in Israel and who once was the rabbi at Birmingham's Knesseth Israel Congregation.

Rabbi Tradburks wrote to tell us that Auburn University graduate Amir Eshel (pictured here) was appointed as the new Commander in Chief of the Israel Air Force. In a reference to football, Rabbi Tradburks quipped, "You can say that the University of Alabama has the best ground game, but now Auburn is the best in the air -- with the appointment of an Auburn grad as chief of Israel's air force."

The BJF thanks Rabbi Tradburks for sharing this news with Update. Rabbi Tradburks was the rabbi of Knesseth Israel from 1987-1994.

Eshel, Israel's new air force commander, was born in Yaffo in Israel in 1959. He received a B.A. in economics from Auburn. (Israelis have come to our state over the years to attend colleges and graduate schools.)

In a story on Eshel's appointment, the Jerusalem Post wrote, "Within the Israel Defense Forces, he has enjoyed the respect of his counterparts for his close-to three decades of service, during which he spearheaded a revolutionary improvement in the level of inter-operability between the Israel Air Force and ground forces."

"The appointment of a new air force chief traditionally makes headlines, but this time it is particularly intriguing due to the possibility that the government will order the next commander to oversee a strike on Iran's well-protected and distant nuclear infrastructure," the Post continued.

"Eshel recently voiced concern over the possible consequences of Iran's success in obtaining a nuclear weapon, claiming it would severely impair Israel's operational freedom. He also warned of the possibility that Syria's chemical weapons would be obtained by terrorist groups like Hezbollah," the story added.

Here's more on Eshel from Wikipedia:

Eshel, the son of Holocaust survivors, in September 2003 led a formation of three Israel Air Force F-15 Eagles on a fly-over of the Auschwitz death camp in Poland. As it flew above the camp, Eshel broadcast this message to an Israel Defense Forces ceremony taking place below:

"We pilots of the Air Force, flying in the skies above the camp of horrors, arose from the ashes of the millions of victims and shoulder their silent cries, salute their courage and promise to be the shield of the Jewish people and its nation Israel."

The Israeli delegation had been in Poland on the occasion of the Polish Air Force's 85th anniversary and had participated in the Radom Air Show.

Many nice emails come our way. One of these came the other day from a woman in Rosh Ha'ayin, Birmingham's sister city in Israel. Now in her mid-40s, she had been to Birmingham in 1983 and 1986 with the Rosh Ha'ayin Mandolin Orchestra. She wrote us after visiting with seven Birmingham Jewish Federation representatives who were in Rosh Ha'ayin last week.

"It was wonderful to see all of you," she wrote. "I came over to speak to you at the end of the short performance of our Mandolin Orchestra. I mentioned that I am a regular reader of the BJF Update and that I'm amazed day after day by your Federation's care for us, here in Israel," she added.

Referring to an Update article headlined "Birmingham's Israeli Homecoming" (see below), which appeared after our Birmingham group visited Rosh Ha'ayin, she added, "After reading this article, all I could think of was one sentence: KOL ISRAEL AREVIM ZE LA'ZE (the Jewish teaching that all Jews are responsible for one another). As you know, we here in Rosh Ha'ayin are Israeli Jews of Yemenite origin. And there you are over in America, caring for us, for our well-being, and our music!"

"You mentioned that it felt like you were coming back home when you arrived in Rosh Ha'ayin. We too felt like we were welcoming great, long-time friends back home."

An uplifting email also came from one of our readers who isn't Jewish. This friend's generosity had been highlighted in a story in Update on Operation Grassroots, a current BJF effort to raise 1000 new gifts or increases of at least $100 to receive a $100,000 challenge gift.

After the story appeared, this friend, who was featured anonymously, wrote, "Thanks so much for the shout-out. I am one of your supporters who does not happen to be Jewish, but I've had the privilege of working with Jewish friends. I have learned so much from them, and admire them so much, that it has made me interested in the discipline and vigor and love within the Jewish culture, tradition and community."

"They have helped me be a better person, and I guess in the end that is what it is all about. Rest assured that I remain a firm supporter. Keep up the good work."