"The ideals that form the moral compass of Western civilization, the belief that every human being has value, the belief that no one is above the law, the belief that how each of us treats our fellow human beings matters — these were all the gifts of the Jews."
Aside from the exposure to new music and techniques and the camaraderie of being with peers, one purpose of the convention is to explore the role of cantor as klei kodesh (literally, holy vessel), or clergy member, a position that transcends music-making, said Joseph Gole, senior cantor of Sinai Temple, a local co-chair of the convention.
In 1998, Alice Elliott received a disturbing call from Larry Selman, the remarkable man with developmental disabilities she was profiling in her Oscar-nominated short documentary, "The Collector of Bedford Street."
CBS feared that the early Hitler would be \”humanized\” into a sympathetic figure as an abused child and misunderstood artist or as a German Rocky who overcame tremendous odds, and even that the film might trigger pogrom-like outbursts.
Carole Levine had been a member of Temple Israel of Hollywood for 28 years. During that time, she attended temple only during the High Holidays. Recently, Levine has started going to temple more often. As a flautist for The Chai Tones, a 10-piece temple band, Levine finds herself at the temple now at least once a month, playing jazzed-up versions of the regular synagogue melodies.
For Jonas Basom\’s students, a vocabulary lesson might involve a game of charades, and learning about the water cycle might entail moving around like an ocean wave and grumbling to mimic thunder. Instead of lecture notes, Basom\’s teaching tools include his trusty tambourine and a black \”magic\” hat.
If one follows the traditional Jewish philosophy that a lifetime is 70 years, Dr. Hy Goldman was symbolically reborn on April 22, 2000. It\’s a philosophy Goldman likes, and thus followed to the next logical conclusion — that he should reaffirm his commitment to Judaism with a second bar mitzvah at the age of 83 (age 70 plus 13). That his grandson, Jason, decided to join him by becoming a bar mitzvah for the first time, at age 21, only added to the uniqueness of the occasion.
Erin Falkowitz, 25, daughter of Ellen and Michael Falkowitz, and Jake Jundef, 26, son of Bracha and Moshe Jundef, met in the summer of 1997, long after the laws of probability say they should have. Both of them went to UC Santa Barbara and had numerous mutual friends — Jake had even dated a few of them. But it took some random circumstances to get the two acquainted and dating. Six years later, they\’re engaged to be married.
Please follow me through a short exercise (choosing from the options in parentheses to tailor it to your own experience): Your friend (since elementary school/from graduate school/of the family) calls to tell you that she\’s gotten engaged.
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