His awards include the receipt in 1985 of "Chevalier in the Order of Arts and Letters," and in 1994, of "Officer in the Order of Arts and Letters,"both presented by the government of France. In 1995, Ferris was given the
Charles Frankel Award by President Bill Clinton, and in 1991, he was named one of the top ten teachers in the nation by Rolling Stone magazine.

     Joan Nathan

Nationally acclaimed cookbook writer, Nathan is also host and producer of
the 26-part PBS television series Jewish Cooking in America with Joan
Nathan. The series, based on Nathan's award-winning cookbook Jewish cooking in America, uses food as a way to portray the culture and history of the Jewish experience in America. A scholar as well as a renowned cook, Nathan in 1995 received a Golda Award from the American Jewish Congress and in 2001 was inducted into The James Beard Foundation's Who's Who of Food and Beverage in America. She holds a B.A. with high honors and an M.A. from University of Michigan and a Master's in Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.


    Ellen Frankel

Currently CEO and Editor-in-Chief of the Jewish Publication Society, Frankel
is herself an author and a scholar of Jewish folklore. Her own publications
include the celebrated work The Five Books of Miriam: A Woman's Commentary on the Torah, as well as The Classic Tales: 4000 Years of Jewish Lore, and The Encyclopedia of Jewish Symbols, co-authored with Betsy Teutsch.

She has also written two books for Jewish teenagers. She has taught
literature and writing at numerous colleges and universities and travels widely
as a storyteller and lecturer. In 2000, she received Hadassah's prestigious Myrtle Wreath Award.


Marilyn and Jack Belz Museum of Judaica    

Jack and Marilyn Belz have been avid collectors of Judaica for forty years.
The works in the Peabody Place Museum, from the Belz's private collection,
accomplish two of the collectors' primary goals: to reflect the richness of
Jewish life and to support the creative endeavors of artists in interpreting Jewish themes.

The diverse collection includes paintings, sculpture, ceremonial objects in
precious metal and enamel, and hand-decorated parchments, scrolls, and
books. Of particular note are Jerusalem sculptor Dani Kafri's series of
bronze plaques memorializing the Ethiopian immigrants who died on their
way to Israel, and Yaakov Davidoff's rendering of a synagogue. The latter work
required more than two years to complete and is one of the most exquisite pieces on display is the Synagogue, made of silver and gold plated silver and Jerusalem stone. This replica of the Synagogue from Szolnok, Hungary has been designed in the Marronos tradition and reveals Jewish ceremonial objects when it is opened.


Clifton L. Taulbert     

Taulbert is a native of the Mississippi Delta who has taken his recipe for
building a successful community to audiences worldwide. He is the author of
five books. One of his books, Once Upon a Time We were Colored was made into a feature film and appeared on the bestseller list; another, The Last Train
North, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Yet another, Eight Habits of the Heart, has been nationally acclaimed and provides the framework on which to build, maintain, and sustain a powerful, effective, caring community.

Gene Dattel    

Dattel spent his childhood in Ruleville, Mississippi, and credits the nurturing
family and community of his Southern upbringing with helping him achieve success. Following graduation from Yale College and Vanderbilt Law School, Dattel, says a noted Wall Street economist, built a broad and exceptional career in finance. He has held management positions with Salomon Brothers and Morgan Stanley in this country and abroad, yet he has maintained his longtime interest in Southern social and economic history. He will share his experiences and insights on the Southern Jewish experience.

Rabbi Harry K. Danziger  

Vice-president and president elect, Central Conference of American Rabbis
(CCAR), Rabbi Danziger served for 22 years as senior rabbi of Temple Israel,
Memphis, Tennessee. He is chairman, Committee on Ethics and Appeal, CCAR,
and on the board of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC),
the governing body of Reform Judaism of North America. Danziger is a
frequent speaker and panelist in programs involving interfaith relations,
community betterment, presentations on Judaism, and life situations throughout the community.


Stephen Whitfield   

Professor of American Studies and Max Richter Chair in American Civilization
at Brandeis University, Whitfield is the author of In Search of American Jewish
Culture, and of Voices of Jacob, Hands of Easu: Jews in American Life and
Thouugh.

He has lectured widely on topics related to Jewish culture, history, and
identity, and has been book review editor of American Jewish History and a contributing editor to Moment and Judaism. Whitfield holds a B.A. from Tulane; an M.A. from Yale; and a Ph.D. from Brandeis.

David Loebel   

Noted for performances that combine innate musicality with interpretive
insight, Loebel since 1999 has been music director and conductor of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. He has conducted numerous orchestras in the United States and made his international debut in Japan with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra.

An equally articulate communicator off the podium, Loebel is frequently
involved in community outreach activities. He is a popular speaker both on radio and with live audiences and his writings on music have been widely published.


Bernard Rapoport   

Bernard "B" Rapoport, Texas insurance executive, philanthropist, and
Democratic Party activist, is the son of Russian revolutionaries. He remained true to his political birthright, championing the underrepresented as he gained clout in the business and political world. A friend of Bill Clinton's and a name on Nixon's "enemies list," Rapoport has written about his rise from poverty in San Antonio to insurance executive for the union rank-and-file.