Kosher-Dinner Effort Impresses Rabbi

When Rabbi Sol Landau arrived at Temple Beth Shalom in February, volunteers were already baking for the annual kosher dinner held on March 9.

Landau says he was impressed that a group of volunteers could put on such a large dinner.

“I don’t think I’ve seen it anywhere else,” he said.

Landau is filling in for Rabbi Jacob Izakson, who is on sabbatical until the end of July. Landau is rabbi emeritus of the Beth David Congregation in Miami, Florida, and teaches psychology at the University of Miami.

Born in Berlin, Landau left Germany at age 13 and attended school in London. At the age of 17, he arrived in the United States.

Raised in a family that had had one rabbi per generation for the past 200 years, Landau had no intention of becoming a rabbi.

“I grew up in it,” says Landau. “I was nurtured in it.”

He joined the U.S. Army when he was 19, at the end of the Nazi era. During his four years of service, he experienced a change of heart.

He saw that the men he was fighting with were spiritually lost.

“I thought maybe I could do something to help along those lines,” he said.

Landau was ordained in 1951.

Now Landau is semiretired from his work as a rabbi. When asked to come to Spokane for six months, he accepted.

“In one of my many weak moments, I said yes,” he laughs.

Coming to 6-degree weather from a 76-degree area created little climate shock, however.

“It’s a very warm congregation, so they make up for the other kind,” he says.

Landau says he enjoyed meeting Izakson before he left on his sabbatical and calls him “active and efficient” and a “charismatic man.”

Sunday brunch scheduled

First Presbyterian Church, 318 S. Cedar, is hosting a brunch on Sunday.

Serving times are 9:30 and 10:45 a.m and noon. Tickets can be purchased in the church office in advance but not at the brunch itself.

Tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for children ages 5 to 12. Children under the age of 5 are free.

For more information, call the office at 747-1058.

Spaghetti dinner will be Friday

Emmanuel Lutheran Church and the Browne’s Addition Neighborhood Group are hosting their annual spaghetti dinner Friday at Emmanuel Lutheran, 314 S. Spruce. Dinner will be served from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for seniors and children under age 12. Tickets will be available at the door.

All proceeds will benefit the neighborhood group.

For more information, call the church at 838-4409.

One-act musical planned

“The Cross,” a one-act musical, will be presented at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. The musical will address the questions of whether Christ walks with people during contemporary times and, if so, what would he say?

The public is invited to attend the production at the church, 5720 S. Perry.

A $2 donation will be requested at the door. All proceeds will benefit the music and drama department at St. Stephen’s.

For more information, call the church office at 448-2255.