2009 Jerry Davidoff Sermon Award
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
6/8/09
Unitarian Universalists for Jewish Awareness is delighted to announce the following winners of its second annual Jerry Davidoff Sermon Award, for the best sermon delivered in 2008 that best illustrators or exemplifies the contributions of Jewish theology, thought or culture to our liberal faith tradition:
First Place:
“Hear O Unitarian Universalists,” by Rev. Ana Levy-Lyons, delivered at Unity Temple, Oak Park, IL, on August 23rd, 2008.
Honorable Mentions:
“Keeping the Faith,” Rev. Catherine Torpey, Minister, South Nassau Unitarian Universalist Congregation, on October 12, 2008
“Finding Forgiveness,” by Rev. John Gibb Millspaugh, Parish Co-Minister, Winchester Unitarian Society, delivered on October 5th, 2008
“On the Seventh Day,” Rev. Anthony David, Senior Minister, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta, on August 31, 2008
The First Place award comes with a $500 honorarium, and will be presented at the General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association, in Salt Lake City, June 24-48, 2009.
The UUJA award is named in honor of Jerry Davidoff, a longtime leader in our UU movement and one of the earliest members of the UUJA, which was founded over 20 years ago by UUs of Jewish descent or interest who wished to create a voice for the often overlooked Jewish presence in our faith community and to highlight one of our source traditions.
Judges for the first annual UUJA sermon award competition were Leah Hart-Landsberg, UUJA Board member, Rev. Patricia Guthman Haresch, winner of the 2007 Davidoff award, Mark de Solla Price, UUJA Board member, and Jay Wolin, UU seminarian and UUJA Board member.
In addition to this new sermon award project, UUJA has an active e-mail list for interested participants at: http://lists.uua.org/mailman/listinfo/uuja-l, and an interactive website at www.uuja.org with materials on Judaism relevant for Unitarian Universalism, and the organization will have a presence at the upcoming UUA General Assembly.
This year UUJA will conduct Shabbat services at 5:30 pm, Friday, June 26, 2009/4 Tammuz 5769, at Salon 3 at the Hilton Salt Lake City Center, which will include a reading by Rev. Mark Morrison-Reed, from his memoir “Integration Baby,” published by Skinner House, which describes his first Passover seder, and how his perspective as an Afro-American informed that experience.
To view the award winning sermons, go to www.uuja.org.
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For more information, contact: Rev. Marti Keller, President, Unitarian Universalists for Jewish Awareness, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta, (404)634-5134 x215, mkeller (at) uuca (dot) org
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