BYU president to speak about direction of university

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      The president of Brigham Young University is scheduled to address Las Vegas professionals who are in the the fields of business, law and communications at a luncheon at noon on Friday.
      The event is scheduled at the Church of Latter-day Saints, 3400 W. Charleston Blvd.
      Merrill J. Bateman, who also serves as a general authority for the LDS church's Second Quorum of the Seventy, will discuss the current state of the university and the direction it is going, and answer questions.
      Bateman's professional background is far-reaching in the areas of business and higher education.
      He ran his own consulting and capital management companies and was an executive with Mars Inc., in the United States and England.
      His academic assignments have included the University of Ghana, the United States Air Force Academy and Brigham Young University School of Management.
      Bateman earned a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Utah and his doctorate, also in economics, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
      The luncheon is hosted by the Las Vegas chapters of Brigham Young University's Management Society, J. Reuben Clark Law Society and Communications Society. For more information on attending the luncheon, call Carma Mahn at 255-1718.
      -- Orchard Baptist Church has outgrown its meeting place at the Regency Village Clubhouse, 230 N. Sir George. The congregation now gathers at Goldfarb Elementary School, 1651 Orchard Valley Drive, adjacent to the church's new building site.
      Bible study is scheduled for 9:45 a.m. and worship service at 11:45 a.m. Sundays. For more information contact church pastor Tony Mayberry at 432-3711.
      -- The membership of Midbar Kodesh Temple ratified its new board of directors slate on Dec. 18.
      Officers are Barry Fieldman, president; Gerald Welt and Karen Simon, vice presidents; Neal Lewis, treasurer; and Dr. Edward Goldman, secretary.
      The board also includes Gail Alcalay, Terri Baskin, Barry Eisen, Amy Fieldman, Dr. David Kahan, Louis Kaminsky, Jo Laurens, Dr. Hal Rothman, Janet Stein and Cheryl Weisberg.
      The 170-family and growing congregation, a member of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, is located at 33 Cactus Garden Drive. Its permanent facility will be built in Green Valley Ranch.
      -- Adad Ari El's Men's Club will be holding a Murder Mystery Night on Feb. 14. This is a professionally staged event which includes dinner. The cost is $25 per person. There are a few openings for participants at a cost of $35 per person, including dinner. Reservations are required. For more information, call 221-1230.
      -- The Salvation Army Women's Auxiliary will host a Have a Heart homeless shower at 9:30 a.m. Feb. 2 at the Army's Administrative Center, 2900 Palomino Lane.
      The Meadows School's Theater Group will present a one-act musical "Adam and Eve." A Valentine food taste sampling will follow in the Army's Fellowship Hall.
      Shower articles needed include small toiletries and warm clothing for men, women or children. For more information, call 870-4430.
      -- Congregants and friends of the 170-family Midbar Kodesh Temple received building campaign brochures in December to begin the drive toward construction of the Conservative congregation's permanent facility in Green Valley Ranch, president Barry Fieldman announced.
      The congregation has seen a remarkable and continued increase in membership in the past six months, and includes those from the Henderson-Green Valley area, as well as the west side, northwest and Boulder City.
      The synagogue is designed by architect Larry Robbins of Los Angeles. Construction is expected to begin in about one year.
      The facility will ultimately include a sanctuary, social hall, classrooms, kosher dairy and meat kitchens, administration and clergy offices, and other essential areas.
      Under the leadership of the Midbar Kodesh officers and board, Rabbi Isaac Soncino and Cantor Bob Fisher, the congregation offers weekly Friday and Saturday Shabbat services, all holiday services, the only licensed Jewish preschool on the east side of the valley and an afternoon enrichment program.
      The synagogue offers a full education program for pupils in grades first through sixth, the Ma'ayan program for pupils in grades seventh through twelfth, a full youth activities program (USY, Kadima and Katan) and adult education.
      For more information, call 454-4848.
      -- Colorful wall charts with numbers, letters, shapes and animals, and educational materials of all kinds fill Denise Schnitzer's room at the Midbar Kodesh preschool in Henderson.
      Schnitzer has joined the staff of the only licensed Jewish preschool on the valley's east side, after eight years as the director of the day care center at the Green Valley Athletic Club. She also taught at the Temple Beth Sholom for three years.
      The Midbar Kodesh program anticipates a waiting list for preschool enrollment.
      Also joining the staff is Bernardo Werner, a UNLV senior, who was previously Schnitzer's aide for seven years. Born in Argentina, he is fluent in Spanish, which will be part of the preschool program, in addition to Hebrew and Judaica subjects.
      Schnitzer joins lead teacher Yvonne Weiss and Lois Bergman in offering a creative, nurturing educational environment for children ages 2 to 5.
      The afternoon enrichment program is now offering enrichment classes in computers, dance, gymnastics, martial arts and other areas. Hours and days vary.
      For more information on the the preschool, enrichment program or the full educational program of the congregation, call 454-4848.
      -- The Jewish Genealogy Society of Southern Nevada (JGSSN) is scheduled to meet again, with groups on both sides of the valley.
      The organization believes two groups will more effectively serve the growing number of people interested in Jewish family research, and encourage more people to attend meetings and access resources closer to home.
      The JGSSN-East will meet from 7-9 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month at Midbar Kodesh Temple, 33 Cactus Garden Drive, behind Ethel M Chocolates in Henderson. The first meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. today. Schelly Dardashti is the president and coordinator of the group. For more information, call 896-1899.
      The JGSSN-West will meet from 1-3 p.m. on the third Sunday of each month at the Sahara West Library, 9600 W. Sahara Ave. The first meeting will be Feb. 15. For more information, call Carole Montello or Mary Barkan at 871-9773.
     
      Religion notes are compiled by Tina Allen. Send announcements in her attention to: View, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125-0070. She can be reached by telephone at 380-4531 or by e-mail at Tina_Allen@lvrj.com. The deadline for the Feb. 4 Views is Friday.