• Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion is renaming their School of Sacred Music in memory of Debbie Friedman. It will now called The Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music. Rabbi David Ellenson, President of HUC, said:

  A beloved member of our faculty since 2007, Debbie Friedman, z”l, inspired our students through her creativity and musical talents, helped guide their spiritual and leadership development, and provided them with innovative strategies to transform congregations into communities of learning and meaning. Our students were blessed by her devotion, and our faculty was enriched by her gifts and talents. Her words and her music will live on and shape the world of prayer in our synagogues and in the larger Jewish community for this and future generations.

• Lilith has a great blog series called Feminists in Focus. Recently they discussed “Barney’s Version,” the screen adaptation of Mordecai Richler’s novel, and “The Klezmatics: On Holy Ground” at the 20th New York Jewish Film Festival.

• In 2011, do we have a different kind of "Jewish American Princess" to worry about? Peggy Orenstein's new book Cinderella Ate My Daughter takes a critical look at "Princess culture" in the US--the booming toy industry it supports and its toll on young women.

• In the fall of 2009, the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco launched the project “As It Is Written,” which allowed visitors to watch Julie Seltzer, a soferet or female torah scribe, complete the painstaking process of writing the 304,805 Hebrew letters of the Torah. The Contemporary Jewish Museum recently shared new photos of the proofreading process on Facebook. Julie Seltzer blogged about the experience on Jewesses with Attitude in October, 2010.

• On January 23 at the 92nd Street Y, former Planned Parenthood CEO, author of No Excuses, and JWA Board member Gloria Feldt moderated a panel of three women – Salon senior writer and author of Big Girls Don’t Cry Rebecca Traister, commentator and writer Katha Pollitt, and Rep. Nita Lowey of New York’s 18th district. The topic was "Women, Power and Politics." Read more about the event at Feministing.

And in JWA news:

• We are now taking applications for the JWA 2011 Summer Institute for Educators! The Institute is four days of intensive professional development designed to enrich your teaching with the stories of American Jewish lives, past and present. The 2011 Institute will focus on the role of Jews in the Civil Rights Movement in America. Deadline for applications is March 1, 2011. Apply now!

• On Sunday, March 13, 2011, JWA is holding its first benefit to commemorate the 100th annviersary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. Held at the New York Fire Museum, the luncheon will include a program and walking tour. Visit the website to learn more about the event and reserve your place!