A new book and traveling exhibition by acclaimed photoessayist Richard Nahmias, "Golden States of Grace: Prayers of the Disinherited," offers insight into how diverse religions are meeting today's...

(PRWeb August 25, 2010)

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/08/prweb4423254.htm

Reuben Gittelman Hebrew Day School (RGHDS) today announced that Lauren Goldman-Brown has joined the administrative staff as principal. In her role, Goldman-Brown will lead the pursuit of educational...

(PRWeb August 23, 2010)

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/08/prweb4405124.htm

As President of JerusalemOnlineU.com, Holtz plans to develop new initiatives that will expand the organization’s reach to reconnect college students and young adults to Israel and their heritage.

(PRWeb July 29, 2010)

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/JerusalemOnlineU/Jewish-Education/prweb4325714.htm

Performance Under the Stars Salutes Music for the Silver Screen with Scores from Memorable Movies that Resonate with Jewish Heritage. Sunday, August 8, 2010, 7:30 pm. Ford Amphitheatre.

(PRWeb July 15, 2010)

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/07/prweb4259574.htm

… Ch’tis.

… New Yorkers.

… musicians.

There are three films, done and in the making alike, I recommend you to look out for.

Dany Boon’s Welcome to the Sticks (Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis) was a smash hit in Europe in 2008/09. People all over the continent loved watching the personal malheurs of several post office employees in the very north of France and their transferred-from-the-south superviser in their quest for love, friendship, contentment and domestic inter-cultural understanding. There’s an English version available with subtitles, but if you know French, it’ll be so much more fun – treat yourself.

Dany Boon is a French comedian and director of Algerian ancestry. He converted to Judaism in 2002. Some of you might know him from his appearance on Merry Christmas / Joyeux Noël, the Academy Award-nominated film on the Christmas Truce of 1914.

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If These Knishes Could Talk trailer from Heather Quinlan on Vimeo.

Heather Quinlan’s currently working on If These Knishes Could Talk, a documentary on NY accents. Take a look at the site. It’s pretty intriguing.
If you know any genuine New Yorker with an accent to treasure, pass on the info.

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Finally, there is The Wandering Muse,

a multi-platform project in development that explores the vibrant array of musical interpretations of Jewish identity. A quest to discover the nomadic soul in a borderless world of harmonies, dance and song, it’s a celebration of the ever-changing music of the Jewish Diaspora.

The variety of styles and musicians featured on the documentary’s site is rather impressive, and we’re proud to say they include several of Jewlicious’ pet musicians such as Y-Love and Yuriy Gurzhy.

Better late than never, eh?

It’s been a hell of a week. We never really thought that we’d actually pull it off. I mean Camp Jewlicious. Four days at the breath taking Brandeis Bardin Institute, 130 participants, endless activity and discussions, music… whatever. We’ve all been in a daze this week so cut us a bit of slack ok? It was beyond. Just beyond. Here are some stand out photos because without photos, it didn’t happen!

Friday included activities like horse back riding, rock climbing, swimming, basketball and sessions on grass roots community building. Fun!

They took my beautiful shirts and tie dyed them like hippies. For shame!

More photos after the bump OR you can blow the whole wad over at our flickr page.

Saturday night havdalah service was SO campy!

...and then we had the Saturday night show and some very innovative dancing, yay!

Standard cheesy WE WENT TO CAMP JEWLICIOUS pic. Sorry.

by Rabbi Marla Feldman
Director of Development, URJ

Several months ago, I received a panicked email from our contact at the International Medical Corps, one of the URJ's grant recipients from our Haiti Relief Fund. The URJ, along with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), had funded a clinic in the underserved coastal region around Petit Goave, west of Port-au-Prince, as well as a mobile clinic - a boat - that provided medical services to nearby coastal villages that have been inaccessible since the earthquake. As the hurricane season approached and the seas became rougher, their boat was no longer sea-worthy. They had a lead on a used boat that could serve their purpose, but only if they acted quickly. The cost was $12,000. "Buy the boat!" I said. We already had authorization from our allocations committee for this project and ample funds remained within the designated allocation. Two days later, just as I was heading to Shabbat services, I received another urgent message - the used boat would not work out, but they found a new boat that could serve their needs. The cost was a bit more -- $19,000. Could they purchase the boat? "Buy the boat!" I said again in my final text before turning off my PDA for Shabbat.

Since that time, the "URJ boat" has ferried doctors, nurses, mental health professionals and supplies to five isolated communities and transported critical patients to the hospital in Petit Goave. The IMC mobile clinic team provided primary health care and education, stabilized emergency patients and assessed mental health needs. Since May they offered 1,624 primary healthcare consultations, public health programs serving 1,868 individuals, dozens of reproductive health consultations, including pre- and post-natal care, and successfully advocated for local health authorities to begin immunization for all children under five years old. They brought essential pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, water, hygiene kits and other items to thousands of villagers. They integrated community-based mental health care and nutrition programming into primary health services for villages that had never seen a doctor before, let alone a psychiatrist or nutritionist.

Many thanks to the generous donors to the URJ Haiti Relief Fund who made this possible. Together we bought a boat. Together we made life a little easier along the earthquake ravaged coast of Haiti. Together we save untold lives. Not a bad way to start the New Year!

A healthy, happy 5771 to all!

This looks rad! 

Reclaiming the "SI SE PUEDE!" (YES, WE CAN!) of Cesar Chavez Da Urban Butterflies (DUB) and the Dominican Women’s Development Center in Washington Heights will be holding the "SI SE PUEDE! Cultural Festival, which will focus on Immigrant Rights.

Join us and celebrate with us the immigrant communities that continue to strengthen this nation in all its dimensions- culturally, economically, spiritually, politically, etc.

LIVE Music (HIP HOP/ BACHATA/ SON JAROCHO/ REGGAE and much more) DJ, Visual Art, Arts and Crafts, Face Painting for the babies, and much more...

PERFORMANCES BY:

REBEL DIAZ* REYES DEL BAJO MUNDO * HACHE ST* BOCAFLOJA* NUEVA MELODIA* RAS CEYLON* WHAM!* JARANA BEAT* ... LIST IN FORMATION

There will be tents providing FREE legal services/counsel on immigration and housing issues. FREE HIV/AIDS testing... and tables with resources COMPLETELY FREE!

THIS IS AN EVENT ORGANIZED BY DUB IN COLLABORATION WITH: THE DOMINICAN WOMEN'S DEVELOPMENT CENTER, IGLESIA SAN ROMERO DE LAS AMERICAS- UCC, CITY COUNCIL MEMBER YDANIS RODRIGUEZ, WASHINGTON HEIGHTS ARTIST MOVEMENT (WHAM)

12:00pm - 5:00pm
Highbridge Park (173rd and Amsterdam Avenue)

For more information: 646 942 2444 or 917 655 0552

by dcc

I was recently asked by someone I very much respect to address "the" question. So I started to write the answer in a post...about five times without any luck. The "Why does a 20-something join a Reform Congregation" question. I have no kids and am Jewishly connected in my life, so why join a congregation?  Some may say it is a legitimate question. I say you are missing the point of congregational life.

The myth that young Reform Jews are not joining a temple because they don't find it useful or meaningful is bunk. The real issue is that Reform Jews as a whole aren't joining congregations because they don't find something useful or meaningful within membership. In many communities within our Movement, synagogues have become bar and bat mitzvah factories. We are, in fact, in great danger of becoming what our more conservative and closed-minded co-religionists call "Judaism Lite."  If we challenge our communities to learn, grow and take responsibility, my bet is we will see some more folks filling the seats on Shabbat.  

I originally joined Temple Shaaray Tefila in New York City for three reasons. 1) I needed a place for the High Holy Days and my sister couldn't get me into Hillel services at Columbia anymore.  2) The location is three blocks from my apartment. 3) The congregation values young people making a commitment to the community so much that they set membership costs for people in their 20s at only $18 a year. (For a few years...)

But that isn't why I stayed. 

Temple Shaaray Tefila is big and it has its traditional "big" issues.  It is dominated by middle aged and older people.  But there is also a strong group of 20 -30 somethings, with and without kids, called "JeTSeT" or Jewish Twenties and Thirties at Shaaray Tefila. We mostly attend the cohort-based alternative rock-n-roll inspired services called Shabbat Unplugged (if you are in the City during one of these you should come by), but we also participate in Mitzvah Days, Purim Parties, Chanukah Events and other stuff.  I don't think we do enough of it but there are a number of us (probably about the same percentage as that of the "general population" taking part in these programs) who participate in the community wide events.

Just like anyone who remains a member of an organization, I like being a member of my temple and I am proud to support it.

The issue at hand is the possibility of not providing anything of meaning in our congregations.  So I guess this is a challenge that must go back to our leaders. Stop trying to tweet to us. I don't need to be your friend on Facebook and the "turn off your cell phone" jokes at the beginning of services were never funny. Teach me something. Make me think. Make me repent. Don't play to our collective weaknesses, play to our strengths and make us stronger.  Then I will come back to your services and even read your blog. But first, be my rabbi, cantor or teacher.

For there to be meaning there must be substance. My generation has grown up in a time of instant information and somewhat lackluster content. Our religious experience should be more than just a Jewish version of what we get elsewhere. I want to be challenged. I want to learn. I want to be made to feel a part of something ONLY if I work at it. The problem isn't why 20s or 30s aren't joining congregations; the problem is the lack of substance, content and meaning in our congregations that results in Reform Jews of all ages staying out of congregational life. 

So please stop asking me why I joined a congregation. Ask me why I stay. That will provide a much more useful answer.

55 Years ago, on September 1, actor, director, early television star, and union leader, Philip Loeb, took a room at the Taft Hotel in Manhattan and ended his life. At that time, for the preceding 6 years, he had been blacklisted from working due to his political beliefs and activities. Philip Loeb starred as “Mr. Jake Goldberg” in the early tv hit, “The Goldbergs” which was written, produced, and starred Gertrude Berg as “Mrs. Molly Goldberg.” He had taught Kirk Douglas and Don Rickles to act, and directed parts of the Marx Brothers film, “Room Service.” You may remember a scene from Woody Allen’s film, “The Front,” in which a blacklisted actor ends his life. The plot was based on Loeb’s demise.

Want to remember a blacklisted actor’s life? Manhatan’s Museum of Jewish Heritage (just blocks from Ground Zero!) will remember Philip Loeb on Wednesday evening, September 1 at 6:30, with a panel discussion including Aviva Kempner, director, “Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg;” Anna Berger, actress on The Goldbergs; Peter Friedman, an actor who is writing a play about Loeb; Dr. Steve Loeb, Loeb’s grandnephew; Dr. Glenn Smith, Loeb’s biographer; and Jim Brochu, actor and playwright Zero Hour (a play about actor Zero Mostel, who housed Loeb during his unemployment)

The State Department says the imam planning to build the Islamic center near Ground Zero is wrapping up his diplomatic tour of the Persian Gulf early, returning to the U.S. on Wednesday.

On Tuesday in Dubai, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf told a group of intellectuals that the fight over the mosque is about more than "a piece of real estate" and could shape the future of Muslim relations in the U.S.

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that a state investigation of the finances behind Park51, as the project is known, would set a "terrible precedent." Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., disagreed, saying it is essential to find out who is behind the project. "A number of terror plots have emanated from mosques," King told the AP. 

A group of teenagers fired a shotgun at a small-town mosque in western New York during two nights of drive-by harassment, according to authorities. Austria's far right Freedom Party has designed an online video game that has players collect points by shooting mosques, minarets, and muezzins, who call Muslims to prayer.

A new Newsweek poll confirms what last month's Pew and Time magazine polls have already shown: About 20 percent of Americans think President Obama is a Muslim.

The president is opening a new round of Mideast peacemaking today in Washington, as he brings Israeli and Palestinian leaders to the White House for their first face-to-face talks since 2008. On cue, a Palestinian gunman opened fire one a Israeli vehicle in the West Bank, killing four passengers, and Israeli settlers responded by vowing to break a freeze on West Bank settlements.

As expected, the Obama administration on Tuesday asked a federal judge to lift a restraining order blocking federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.

A conservative legal group that includes Christians is trying to force California's Gov. Schwarzenegger and attorney general to defend Prop 8 in court. Gay couples cannot divorce in Texas, where they also cannot get married, a state appeals court has ruled. 

A federal lawsuit against the new health-care bill alleges that the legislation violates the religious freedom of the plaintiffs by funding abortion and establishing the "secular religion of Socialism."  

Pennsylvania law enforcement will not bring charges against a 40-year-old Catholic priest who impregnated a 19-year-old girl; the Vatican, though, is looking into defrocking him. The priest and the girl, who has given birth, are evidently living together now, the AP reports. 

James Dobson and Glenn Beck touched their rings together and activated their Wonder Twins powers, Beck said. The conservative commentator noted, though, that several other conservative Christian leaders declined to enlist in his "Black Robe Regiment," saying they'd "lose half their congregation." The RNS story on Beck's courtship of evangelicals is here.

Indonesian Buddhists succeeded in getting a "Buddha Bar" closed, and its owners were fined about $110,000 for causing mental distress, according to Reuters. NPR looks at whether religious belief confers an evolutionary advantage. 

Oklahoma City has rented out a room to a Satanist Church for a public exorcism ceremony; a Rastafarian forgot to say that his dreds were religious, which means the security company that refused to hire him did not discriminate against his religion, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court ruled.