As some of you probably know, there is a small Jewish community in Joplin, Mo., which has one Reform temple, United Hebrew Congregation. Before moving to University City from Joplin four years ago, Angela and Zvi Tannenbaum, who are now Orthodox and members of Young Israel, were involved with United Hebrew because, as Angela explains, “there are beautiful people (connected to the temple) and it’s the only game in town.” The couple also met in Joplin where Zvi still teaches at Missouri Southern State University. During the academic year, he spends Monday through Friday in Joplin, then comes back to St. Louis on weekends.

When the devastating tornado hit Joplin last Sunday, the Tannenbaums were particularly distressed because they know so many people in the community; in fact, their daughter and her family live in the home the Tannenbaums still own there (and where Zvi stays when he is in Joplin). Luckily, the home is still intact, as is the United Hebrew building. But Angela says she knows of one congregant who is in a shelter and several families who are OK but lost absolutely everything.

Angela says that while it’s frustrating not to be there physically to help, she has heeded the advice of the Red Cross and other disaster agencies to let experts take care of the clean-up efforts and restoring some semblance of normalcy to the community. Her daughter said that while her street is OK, “if you go two blocks you literally don’t know where you are. There are no buildings, no fences, no street signs, no trees.”

In the wake of the disaster, the Jewish Federation in St. Louis and Kansas City and the Jewish Federations of North America as well as Hebrew Union College (HUC) are monitoring conditions and have set up a website for people to contribute. Go to www.jewishinstlouis.org/joplin, and click on the Donate Now button.

In addition, several local congregations are doing what they can to help. Between now and Tuesday morning (May 31), Central Reform Congregation is collecting blankets, new underwear, new T-shirts, flip flops, water, baby supplies, non-perishable food items, new toiletries, pet items and Visa and Mastercard gift cards for the YMCA, United Hebrew Congregation of Joplin and other Joplin agencies working to help survivors. CRC is located at 5020 Waterman Boulevard in the Central West End.

Also, if you can help organize and load donations for transport to Joplin on Tuesday and/or drive trucks to Joplin on June 1 or 2, contact Jen Bersdale at [email protected] or call 314-361-1564 ext. 116.

Interfaith diplomacy

When Leslie Vineyard realized that fellow student Albina Sukhodolsky, who is an Orthodox Jew, would be missing her graduation from Fontbonne University last week because it fell on the Jewish Sabbath, Leslie felt she had to do something about that. After all, the 25 students graduating with their master’s degree in speech/language pathology are a close-knit group. Besides, between working fulltime and having a baby daughter two years ago, it had taken Albina about four years to complete the master’s program. If anyone deserved to celebrate, Leslie reasoned, it was Albina.

Leslie talked to adviser Gale Rice about the situation, who in turn consulted the university’s Academic Vice President Joyce Johnson and President Dennis C. Golden. Upon hearing the dilemma, all decided something needed to be done.

So last Friday afternoon, at a department luncheon numbering 40 people, Golden conferred upon Albina her diploma with plenty of pomp and circumstance.

“It was a beautiful little ceremony and the right thing to do,” said Golden, adding that it was the first time in his 16 years at the university he had encountered these circumstances.

Albina said she was “floored” at the outpouring. “It was very magical,” she said, adding that her husband, Yuri, and 22-month-old daughter, Rivka, were in attendance at the luncheon ceremony. “I couldn’t have thought of a better substitute.

“I did get up and say that I felt a little bad because I didn’t deserve any of this more than my classmates. But it really was very special.”

Albina added that while she was “a little bummed out” when she realized she wouldn’t be able to walk at her graduation, she felt Fontbonne had been very accommodating of her religious convictions throughout her tenure there.

“I knew when I went there that it was a Catholic University,” she said. “But my professors understood when I had to miss classes because of Shabbat and religious holidays and always accommodated me. That they made my graduation a special event was that much more amazing.”

Now, says Albina, the next step is getting a job.

New Jewish dating website

Reader Dana Cohen sent word of a new, free Jewish dating website at www.supertova.com. According to the website, membership has grown to over 14,000 active members in less than a year, and is responsible for three engagements, one marriage and “countless dating success stories of relationships evolving that would not have evolved otherwise.” It also promises “Supertova will never transition into a paid online dating site EVER.”