The Pico Union Project
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February 23, 2015
Seder2015 hopes to bring millennials to the Passover table
Millennials, what are you doing this Passover? If you’re not sure, perhaps look to Seder2015.
Seder 2015 is the latest brainchild of Michael Hebb, 39, a self-described “food provacteur” who last grabbed national attention for launching “Death Over Dinner,” a movement that brought people together around the dinner table to discuss end-of-life issues.
[Passover recipes available now, visit jewishjournal.com/SEDER2015]
Currently raising funds on the crowd-funding site, Indiegogo, Seder2015 is a one-stop-shop for “how to host a modern seder,” Hebb said in a phone interview. As of press time the campaign has raised $11,000 toward its overall goal of $25,000, and the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation has pledged to match every dollar raised.
Seder2015’s official website launches on March 13 during 2015 SXSW Interactive Festival. Hebb, a teaching fellow at the University of Washington’s Digital Media Department, will be on-hand to discuss the project, which will provide users with digital haggadot that feature interactive Hebrew script calligraphy, Passover-themed playlists culled from trendy musicians, recipes from leading chefs, holiday anecdotes from thought leaders and more. It is the pilot project of a three year effort – Hebb anticipates Seder2016 and 2017 – and it is one close to Hebb’s heart.
“I have always wanted to know what it would be like to invigorate and tangle with and create a major inquiry into Passover and see how the digital word can help the fact that it’s in a state of decline,” he said. “It’s a big conversation effort in some ways, a way to bring in new voices and new experiences.”
Hebb’s concern is based on statistics. According to the 2013 Pew survey, “Portrait of Jewish Americans,” 70-percent of American Jews said they had participated in a seder in the past year. In the 1990s, that number was around 90 percent.
To reverse the trend, Hebb has garnered a wide array of support. The Reed College Calligraphy Initiative; Seattle artist Cathy Shiovitz and the cutting-edge design company, Civilization, are involved.
Stories about Passover that can be used during a seder will be posted on the Tablet web site, and JewishJournal.com will host to a repository of cutting-edge seder recipes from a new generation of chefs, including Ari Taymor of Alma. The Jewish Journal’s Rob Eshman and David Suissa are on Seder2015 advisory board, as is Wilshire Blvd. Temple Rabbi Susan Goldberg. Significant initial funding for the effort came from the Los Angeles-based Glazer Family Foundation.
Beyond wanting to reinvigorate Passover for new generations, Hebb cites his fascination with the dinner table and its role in society as additional motivation. And because Passover is in many respects the ultimate dinner-party, with its seemingly never-ending meal and ability to convene family members who often do not see each otherwise, Passover was the perfect focus of Hebb, a non-practicing Jew.
“I’ve been on an almost 20-year trek inquiry adventure to understand the role that the table has played historically in shaping culture and how it can have a transformative effect going forward, the basic context being that we have forgotten how to eat together,” he said.
“My father got ill when I was young and scattered our family into various parts of the house,” he said, when asked if he had had family dinners as a child. “Dinners were not an important part until later.”
Meanwhile, he delivered a talk at the 2013 TEDMED conference on his previous national campaign, “Death over Dinner,” and told the Journal that “70,000 people or more have had these experiences, ‘death dinners,’ in under a year-and-a half.”
Its success made him confident that he can change Passover.
“‘How can we use that same thinking around Passover?’” he said, recalling his thinking at the time of starting the project, last September. “What happens when you apply the process we went through with ‘Death over Dinner,’ bringing in leading experts in the field, artists, designers and thoughtfully producing a digitally platform — could it deepen and make more transformative the Passover experience, could it speak to teenagers, could it speak to Gen-Y and millennials, could it make them feel like they had more agency and more voice?” he said.
We’ll find out. Until then, visit Indiegogo for more information.
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Shas spiritual leader: ‘Hatikvah’ a ‘stupid song’
The spiritual leader of the Sephardic Orthodox Shas party said at a party convention that “Hatikvah,” Israel’s national anthem, “is a stupid song.”
Rabbi Shlomo Cohen, head of the Council of Torah Sages of the Shas Party, made the comments Sunday at a party convention, the Israeli news website Walla reported. Walla also put a recording of the statement on its website.
Cohen told the convention that in 1955, at the ceremony appointing Yitzhak Nissim as Sephardic chief rabbi of Israel, those gathered stood and began singing “Hatikvah.” Cohen said he did not stand for the anthem, but that his popular predecessor, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, did. Cohen said he asked Yosef why he stood, and Yosef replied that he said the Aleinu, a Jewish prayer recited while standing.
“A real man. Why did he say Aleinu? He didn’t want this stupid song to influence him,” Cohen said.
Cohen has served on the Council of Torah Sages since the founding of Shas in 1984.
In response to the airing of the video clip, Shas said, “No one will teach the wise man Shalom Cohen, who grew up all his days in Jerusalem, what Zionism is and what his relationship is to the Land of Israel. It is his right and duty to think that the sources of the Torah in Israel are 10 times more important than a poem composed only in the last decades.”
Shmira Imber, daughter of Naftali Herz Imber, the composer of “Hatikvah,” responded to Cohen’s remarks in an interview with Walla.
“It is stupid to say that,” she said. “I am sorry that the spiritual leader of Shas does not walk in the way of Rav Ovadia, his teacher and rabbi.”
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Shin Bet arrests Hamas cell in Hebron planning attacks on Israel
Israel’s Shin Bet security agency arrested 11 members of a Hamas cell in Hebron that was planning terrorist attacks on Israel.
The arrests, in a joint operation with the Israel Defense Forces, took place last month, the Shin Betannounced Monday in a statement.
Under questioning, the suspects admitted that they had planned attacks in Jerusalem and Hebron, including suicide bombings. One on the Tel Rumeida settlement near Hebron in early December targeted Israeli soldiers.
The suspects turned over explosives and two weapons that they planned to use in the attacks, according to the Shin Bet.
“The cell’s activities show the real threat of Hamas in Hebron, in particular from military operatives who had been detained in the past and who had returned to the cycle of terror,” the Shin Bet said in its statement.
The Shin Bet has requested that the men be held until their trials in military court.
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Stoking my Inner Cowgirl
I must’ve been a cowgirl in a previous life, because nothing can quite explain the immediate attraction and connection I experienced on a recent trip to Cody, Wyoming.
From immersing myself in Western culture at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West and exploring Old Trail Town to attending a night rodeo in the “Rodeo Capital of the World” and tracking wild mustangs, I felt as if I connected with my inner cowgirl.
Then I saddled myself up at Blackwater Creek Ranch on a sturdy horse named Bob. Here I had an unforgettable ride in the clouds for a top-of-the-mountain panoramic view of the Absaroka Mountains – territory that the Crow and Shoshone Indians once claimed as hunting grounds.
And at night, I went for some cowboy culture, listening to classic country and cowboy poetry at Dan Miller’s Cowboy Music Revue.
What happened to me remains an inner mystery, but of one thing I’m certain: Cody cast its spell on me through a special blend of Western spirit, rodeo thrills, wild horses and breathtaking wide-open scenery. Here’s how it happened:
Buffalo Bill Center of the West
Buffalo Bill Cody used to roam this area and was so stricken with its innate beauty he decided to build himself a town. The year was 1896. Today, Cody is known as a place where cowboys, Western culture and a tough work ethic prevail. It’s also the eastern gateway to Yellowstone National Park, less than an hour away.
The first stop for many, including me, was Buffalo Bill Center of the West – where for the price of one admission you can see five different museums over a two-day period. My favorite was the Plains Indian Museum, featuring an array of Plains Indian art, clothing and artifacts.
The Buffalo Bill Museum explores its namesake legacy while the Whitney Gallery of Western Art displays masterworks of the American West – including Remington and Thomas Moran. The Draper Museum of Natural History is an excellent overview of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem, and the Cody Firearms Museum contains an exhaustive collection of American firearms.
Old Trail Town
Old Trail Town is a collection of 26 pioneer buildings reflecting the frontier history of Wyoming. I walked inside Butch Cassidy’s Hole in the Wall Cabin as well as Mud Spring Canyon, the infamous hideaway of Kid Curry and the Sundance Kid.
With curiosity, I also checked out the cabin of Curly – a Crow scout for General Custer just before the Battle of the Little Bighorn. The story goes that Curly sensed something ominous and had the foresight to move on before the big devastating battle.
Bulls and Bucking Broncos
There’s nothing quite like a rodeo to celebrate the spirit of the West. Held since 1938, the Cody Nite Rodeo is the longest running nightly rodeo in the United States, with bull and bronco riding, steer wrestling, calf roping, barrel racing and more. Cowboys and cowgirls compete in amateur events to hone their roping and riding skills, for bragging rights, and for the thrill of competition.
Mesmerized by the rodeo spirit, I yearned to try barrel racing, but wisely chose vicarious contentment through my camera’s telephoto lens.
Wild Horses
A personal favorite was the Red Canyon Wild Mustang Tour with Ken Martin. For about two hours, I was immersed in the natural habitat of wild mustangs. We got close yet stayed within the legal distance of 500 feet, using tour-provided binoculars to observe the wild bands.
With an encyclopedic knowledge and purposeful passion, Martin educated us on everything we ever wanted to know about these wild horses. “I am passionate about mustangs because they touch you with their wild freedom and majestic beauty. They are a part of our living legacy,” he said. He reminded that “these wild mustangs are on public lands and are part of our Western heritage.” They belong to the land and to us.
Make your reservations, grab your hiking boots, and be prepared for a wonderfully wild, haunting encounter with the mustangs of McCullough Peaks.
Blackwater Creek Ranch
Blackwater Creek Ranch is the answer to every wannabe cowboy or cowgirl’s prayer. Located minutes from Yellowstone National Park’s east entrance and less than 40 minutes from Cody, it offers the ultimate family vacation and Western experience.
With an emphasis on horseback riding and excellent cowboy grub, the ranch’s horses take guests on some of the most beautiful, breathtaking trails in the country. Teddy Roosevelt once called this area “the most scenic 50 miles in the United States.”
I was admittedly a tad nervous about my riding skills, but our experienced wranglers – soon put my mind at ease. (Both looked as if they might have come straight off the set of an old Western flick.)
I was matched with a horse to reflect my interest and ability. “Bob” was sturdy, yet gentle, and took care of me during our ride to the mountaintop. Even though I was saddle-weary after our 2-hour ride, this was a trail ride par excellence.
Singing Cowboys and More!
For some of the best in family entertainment, be sure to save an evening for Dan Miller’s Cowboy Music Revue. Located in the historic Cody Theatre across from the Irma Hotel, it’s a summer-season music varietal show featuring traditional Western music, cowboy poetry and great guitar playing.
The host – Dan Miller of Nashville fame – simply wins you over with his harmonious melodies, great looks and magnetic charm as he sings the classics of Roy Rogers, Gene Autry and more. Accompanied by his talented Empty Saddles Band, this is a wholesome show for all generations to enjoy.
Stoking my Inner Cowgirl Read More »
FoodTech festival, $1bil deal with India, hackers attack and more- This Week from the Startup Nation
Dr. Google, meet Medivizor
Doctors often warn patients and their families against searching the Internet for medical information. But that’s exactly what Israeli inventor Tal Givoly and med-tech serial entrepreneur Dr. Oren Fuerst did when serious illnesses hit their families. Together with world-renowned urologist Steven Kaplan, who had too many patients bringing him printouts of disinformation they found online, Givoly and Fuerst created Medivizor – a company that uses patent-pending technology to sift through thousands of content articles and find the most essential information applicable and personalized for each person’s medical situation.
Israeli farming reaches Vietnam
Refusing the invitation to remain working for big farms in Israel after a year of training there, three Vietnamese engineers returned to realize the ‘Israeli farming dream’ in Da Lat in Vietnam’s Central Highlands. With knowledge of the high-tech farming style of Israel, they have created a difference and gained initial success in their hometown of the red basalt soil in Da Lat, where they choose to work for newly-established farms.
Israelis bank accounts status – nearly empty
Over half of all Israeli households – 54 percent – overdrew their bank accounts in 2013, according to an Israel Central Bureau for Statistics survey whose results were released on Thursday. The survey found that for 34 percent of households, the situation was not temporary. These households reported that they were in overdraft for at least ten months in 2013. 10 percent reported being in overdraft for up to three months, and another 10 percent reported being in overdraft for a period lasting between four and nine months.
UPDATE – Tim Cook will only inaugurate Apple's offices in Israel next week
Despite reports that Tim Cook would arrive in Israel for the inauguration of Apple’s office, the CEO did not arrive. The opening of the office will reportedly occur next week, when Cook will arrive to inaugurate the company’s largest research and development center outside of the United States.
Read more “>here.
Israel to launch $4 billion wave of privatizations in 2015
Israel will begin selling major stakes in a number of state-owned companies in November or December despite any political uncertainty created by elections next month, the country's privatization chief said. A decade after its last privatization program, the government aims to sell all or part of eight companies and two ports by 2017, raising around 15 billion shekels ($3.9 billion) in a plan announced in October.
Medical marijuana may soon get kosher stamp of approval
Kosher marijuana could soon be available to Orthodox Jews in New York State — but only on doctor’s orders.
Rabbi Moshe Elefant, COO of the Orthodox Union’s kosher certification agency, said he has held “preliminary discussions” with several companies interested in obtaining a kosher seal of approval for medical marijuana.
Read more at Forward.
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Norway’s Muslims form protective human shield around synagogue
More than 1,000 Muslims formed a human shield around Oslo's synagogue on Saturday, offering symbolic protection for the city's Jewish community and condemning an attack on a synagogue in neighboring Denmark last weekend.
Chanting “No to anti-Semitism, no to Islamophobia,” Norway's Muslims formed what they called a ring of peace a week after Omar Abdel Hamid El-Hussein, a Danish-born son of Palestinian immigrants, killed two people at a synagogue and an event promoting free speech in Copenhagen last weekend.
“Humanity is one and we are here to demonstrate that,” Zeeshan Abdullah, one of the protest's organizers told a crowd of Muslim immigrants and ethnic Norwegians who filled the small street around Oslo's only functioning synagogue.
“There are many more peace mongers than warmongers,” Abdullah said as organizers and Jewish community leaders stood side by side. “There’s still hope for humanity, for peace and love, across religious differences and backgrounds.”
Norway's Jewish community is one of Europe's smallest, numbering around 1000, and the Muslim population, which has been growing steadily through immigration, is 150,000 to 200,000. Norway has a population of about 5.2 million.
The debate over immigration in the country came to the forefront in 2011 when Anders Behring Breivik killed 77 people and accused the government and the then-ruling Labour party of facilitating Muslim immigration and adulterating pure Norwegian blood.
Support for immigration has been rising steadily since those attacks, however, and an opinion poll late last year found that 77 percent of people thought immigrants made an important contribution to Norwegian society.
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Richard Dreyfuss to play Bernie Madoff in ABC drama
Academy Award winner Richard Dreyfuss will play Bernie Madoff in a multiple-episode drama on the ABC network.
The drama will be based on the book “The Madoff Chronicles: Inside the Secret World of Bernie and Ruth,” the Hollywood Reporter wrote last week. ABC’s chief investigative correspondent, Brian Ross, wrote the book.
Several high-profile actresses are in the running to play Ruth, Madoff’s wife, who was the director of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
A premiere date and the number of episodes to be screened has yet to be determined.
In 2009, Madoff, 70, pleaded guilty to 11 felonies for fabricating nearly $65 billion in profits to attract investors. He is serving a 150-year sentence at a federal prison in North Carolina.
His Ponzi scheme hit numerous Jewish philanthropies and investors particularly hard. Among those that suffered were Hadassah, the Elie Wiesel Foundation and the American Jewish Congress.
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