Goals of The Birmingham Jewish Federation's Iran Action Initiative are to provide information and action strategies regarding Iran's continued pursuit of nuclear weapons which has dangerous consequences for the US, Israel, the Jewish people and the Western world.

Our BJF efforts are animated by the belief that, thanks to technology and the means we have of communicating, people in smaller communities, such as Birmingham, can make an impact when it comes to national and international issues.

As part of this effort, BJF Executive Director Richard Friedman has a letter in today's USA Today responding to a column by the paper's founder, Al Neuharth, downplaying the Iranian nuclear threat. The column was headlined, "Why Iran's nuclear plans are no big deal." (See below link.) The flaws in Neuharth's column were discussed in Update the day his piece appeared. We thank USA Today for running Richard's letter. Below is the text:

Al Neuharth's column on Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons misses the mark. The piece notes nine countries (including Israel) already have nuclear weapons.

Neuharth states: "It's so simple: Countries that have nuclear weapons and know when or how to use them -- or more likely not use them -- will be the survivors and leaders. Those who misuse them will die as other countries with nuclear weapons retaliate."

Neuharth overlooks the widespread death and destruction such confrontations would cause, and more specifically, he fails to take into account the ideology that is driving Iran's quest for such weapons. Iran, unlike the other nations on his list, has repeatedly stated that it desires to destroy another country: Israel.

One might imagine Neuharth writing in the late 1930s and saying the world should not worry about Germany's quest for military might because other countries also are building up their armies.

"Live from The Plains, It's Shabbat Night!" Friday evening, Feb. 24 the Auburn Jewish Student Organization (AJSO) will join newly-ordained rabbi Barry Altmark at Congregation Beth Shalom for a Shabbat service that also will be streamed live via Rabbi Barry's website (see below link).

Auburn will be Rabbi Barry's first collegiate appearance since he created "Deep South Rabbi," his online Jewish community. Many in Birmingham know Barry (pictured here) in his role as a professional photographer, but few may know that his journey to becoming a rabbi started while he was in college.

After graduating with a BA degree in Religious Literature, Barry began his rabbinic studies at The University of Judaism in California. He left the program after three years and received a degree in Fine Arts Photography and for 20 years worked in the field. Over the years, Barry has been especially helpful to The Birmingham Jewish Federation, taking pictures at programs free of charge.

The BJF's Director of Community Relations Joyce Spielberger asked Barry why he decided, after so many years, to go back and complete his rabbinical studies. Barry answered in an email, "More and more over the years I kept finding myself drawn back to being a rabbi -- the time had come to finish what I started."

In 2012, Barry completed his studies at the Jewish Spiritual Leaders Institute in New York. Rabbi Barry conducts Shabbat services every Friday night and hosts "Breakfast with Rabbi Barry" on Saturday mornings from the Deep South Rabbi website.

Thanks to funding from The Birmingham Jewish Foundation's Martin Moss Freeman Auburn University Hillel Fund, the Auburn evening will begin with a traditional Shabbat (Sabbath) dinner for Jewish students and faculty at 5:30 pm. Services will follow at 7 pm.

PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS

Auburn University also will be coming to Birmingham as the Auburn Jewish Student Organization hosts an informational meeting for all prospective and incoming Jewish students and their parents. The meeting will be Tuesday, April 17, at 7 pm at the home of Fran and Lee Godchaux (4916 Spring Rock Road). Fran and Lee's son Scott is a freshman at Auburn.

Auburn currently has an estimated Jewish student population of nearly 100 and the number is growing. Representatives from the Office of Undergraduate Recruitment, current students and alumni will be in attendance to talk about Auburn, Jewish life at the school and answer questions. Watch Update for more details.

The BJF is committed to helping to strengthen Jewish life and expand Jewish enrollment on our Alabama college campuses. If you know of a Jewish student at Auburn or any of our other state schools, please let us know so that we may help them connect with Jewish life and other Jewish students on their campuses.

Joyce Spielberger and BJF Director of Outreach Caren Seligman are the staff people who work with our colleges and universities. They provide outreach, programming support and resources. They can be reached at 205- 879-0416 or joyces@bjf.org or carens@bjf.org.

As always, we thank those who contribute to The BJF Annual Campaign. Your dollars provide the staffing, organizational structure and funding to underwrite these important college campus efforts.

The BJF believes that encouraging both in-state and out-of-state students to attend school in Alabama, and ensuring that Jewish life on their campuses is rich and vibrant, will enhance the chances of them staying in Alabama after graduation and helping us build an even stronger Jewish future here for all of us.

We received a wonderful comment from an Update reader in response to our recent story on a Baltimore, MD couple married 71 years who are believed to be the oldest couple to immigrate to Israel.

Phillip and Dorothy Grossman, 95 and 93 respectively, arrived in Israel on a Nefesh B'Nefesh group flight in cooperation with the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption and the Jewish Agency.

Funds raised by The Birmingham Jewish Federation help support the work of the Jewish Agency, including the agency's efforts and programs to help Jews immigrate to Israel. The photo here is of the Grossmans on their flight to Israel. The Grossmans were met at the airport by some of their grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren living in Israel.

"I am so moved by your Update article about the elderly couple moving to Israel and being met at the airport by generations of their family," wrote one of our community's older members, a long-time donor to The BJF. "I am crying while writing this. What a brave, strong, wonderful happy couple they are, fulfilling their dream at their ages. They must be so happy and so proud to have the guts to go through all this takes. May G-d bless them!"