Chelsea Clinton, the only child of former U.S. President Bill Clinton and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, is a powerhouse in her own right. The world saw her grow up as "first daughter" in the White House; today Chelsea is harnessing her own power to mend a broken world.

She currently is pursuing a doctorate at Oxford University, reporting for NBC News, and working with her father at the Clinton Foundation. The organization seeks to improve global health; strengthen economies; promote healthier childhoods; and protect the environment by fostering partnerships among governments, businesses, nongovernmental organizations, and private citizens.

Chelsea proved an inspirational guest speaker for more than 1,000 women attending the Jewish United Fund Women's Division Spring Event luncheon, a JUF campaign event held three days before Mother's Day. The theme of the luncheon, "The Power of Caring," emphasized that for the more than 1,000 women in attendance, there are 1,000 different ways to care, 1,000 ways to give back.

The power of caring

During the luncheon, several women—all Jewish leaders in the community—spoke about the power of caring in their lives, and why they give to the Jewish United Fund.

Among the handful of speakers was Olga Abezgauz, who immigrated to Chicago with her family from the Soviet Union just after the fall of Communism in 1992. A host of Jewish organizations supported by JUF/JF—including HIAS, JCFS, JVS, ORT, and the JCC-helped Abezgauz's family adjust to life in the Windy City.

Agnes Schwartz, a hidden child during the Holocaust, spoke about her struggles with her husband's mental illness, and how the Jewish Vocational Service helped her find employment and the Jewish Children's Bureau counseled her kids.
Chelsea told the audience how moved she was by these women, especially Schwartz, who reminded Chelsea of her maternal grandmother.

"I'm so grateful to hear from someone [like Schwartz] who is many generations wiser and a couple generations older than I am," Chelsea said. "That, in some ways, captures the mystery of caring. We never know what we give to the world—whether it's our stories, our dollars, our power, our energy—we never know what those gifts will yield in other people's lives."

Then, Chelsea shared with the women the story of her late maternal grandmother, Dorothy Emma Howell Rodham, who passed away 18 months ago.

Born in Chicago to teenagers aged 15 and 17, Dorothy was abandoned twice by her own family before she was eight. She and her two-year-old sister were put on a train from Chicago to go live in Los Angeles with their grandparents, who told Dorothy she'd have to earn her keep.

She worked in the orange groves with immigrant children until, at 13, her grandparents kicked her out of their house. She moved in with a family where she cared for children in exchange for room and board. Dorothy earned straight A's in school and later returned to Chicago to study at the University of Chicago. Back in Chicago, she eventually put herself through secretary school, where she met her future husband, Chelsea's grandfather.

Her grandma thrived, Chelsea said, because certain teachers and other role models outside the home believed in her. In the home she and her husband built, she nurtured her children, including her daughter Hillary Rodham Clinton, to be anything they wanted to be.

"Who would have ever known that her [mentors'] gift of faith in [my grandma] would manifest in my mother who would one day run for president?" Clinton said. "…That is the power of caring…we have no idea what gifts we give to the world will have for future generations. I find that mystical and magical and really from the hand of God."

On the other side of the family tree, Chelsea's father was raised in a "dirt poor" home by his single mother, the late Virginia Clinton Kelley, who believed in her son and spent what little money she could on him. Besides "putting food in his belly—and he ate a lot back then," Chelsea said, her grandma would give him books to read. "That investment by her," Chelsea said, "…would one day help him grow up to be president."

The power of Chelsea

After Chelsea spoke, Helene Diamond, president of the Young Women's Board, asked her questions from the audience.

Chelsea was asked what Jewish traditions she shares with Marc Mezvinsky, her Jewish husband of three years. "We're developing our own family traditions," she said. Chelsea also told the women how much she loves sharing Passover seders with him. In fact, she had planned to travel to Israel with him this past Passover, but canceled her trip after her mother became ill late last year. She said she hopes to travel to Israel someday.

She also spoke about her work at the Clinton Foundation, which tackles problems including childhood obesity and lowering the price of HIV/AIDS drugs around the world. She currently is trying to educate mothers about childhood diarrhea, which she said "unconscionably" kills a million children around the world each year.

When the question of having children inevitably surfaced, Chelsea told the women that "there's no pressure" from her husband's side of the family (he has 10 brothers and sisters and his mother has 18 grandchildren). But she said she's feeling the heat from Bill and Hillary. As anyone who watches TV can glean, "my parents embarrassingly talk about becoming grandparents frequently."

And does Chelsea hold any political aspirations? As a little girl, she said, when her dad was Arkansas governor, she'd be at an "international duck calling contest," for example, and someone would ask her if she, too, wants to be governor one day. Chelsea said she'd think, "I'm 3-years-old. I just want some watermelon."

But as she grew up, and later assisted on her mother's presidential campaign, she became more engaged in politics. Still, she said, politics isn't her calling—at least not yet.

Listen to the podcast interview here.

In this week’s portion, Naso, we find the language Aaron was instructed to use when blessing the Israelite nation: 

יְבָרֶכְךָ  יְהוָה  וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ  

(Y’-va-re-ch’-cha A-do-nai v’-yish-m’-reh-cha) 

May God bless you and guard you;  

יָאֵר יְהוָה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וִיחֻנֶּךָּ 

(Ya-eir A-do-nai pa-nav ei-leh-cha vi-chu-neh-kah) 

May God make God’s face shine upon you and be gracious unto you;  

 .יִשָּׂא יְהוָה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם 

(Yi-sah A-do-nai pa-nav ei-leh-cha v’-ya-seim l’-cha sha-lom.) 

May God lift up God’s face unto you, and give you peace.   

[Numbers 6:24–26] 

We find this blessing still being used regularly today.  For example, this is the blessing traditionally offered by parents to their children at the Shabbat dinner table on Friday nights.  It is often recited for a bride right before her wedding, and sometimes under the chupah as well for both bride and groom.  It is part of the standard repetition to the Amidah, and thus for many years has been recited (or at least heard) by observant Jews on a daily basis.  

Is the blessing one that is familiar to you?  

If not, what are your initial reactions to it?  

If so, does it hold any meaning or power?   

Perhaps the power of the blessing comes less from the words themselves, and more from the fact that we know Jews have been offering this blessing to one another for over 2,500 years? For me, knowing that the words being offered are the same as those my ancient ancestors used and received is quite moving, even if theologically I’m not quite sure that those are the words I’d come up with if tasked with crafting a blessing to offer to my children in the future.  

What is the value of offering a blessing today?  Do we believe that blessings really contain any sort of power?    

On a metaphysical level, many would argue that a blessing is a form of putting positive energy out into the universe.  

On a more practical level, I know that before I proposed to my fiancée, I made sure to ask her parents for their blessing…  

If asked to compose the words that you would use to bless your children, what would they be and why?  

How do they compare to the blessing we’ve inherited from our ancestors?  

This Shabbat, reflect on the power of blessings – both in form and function.  Be in awe of just how far back in history some of our blessings go.  Resolve to explore meaningful ways to incorporate and when necessary, to create, blessings that speak to you today.  

We want YOU, the young leaders, humanitarians, educators, social activists, and movers and shakers of Chicago to be part of Double Chai in the Chi: Chicago's second annual Jewish 36 under 36 list.

Presented by YLD and Oy!Chicago, this venture will shine a spotlight on the faces of Chicago's Jewish future and recognize the amazing contributions of our generation.

What we're looking for:

People who are making a difference through their work, who give back in their free time, are entrepreneurs, innovators, leaders within the Jewish community, or just Jews we should know.

Nominate an extraordinary Jew you know to be a part of Chicago's second annual Jewish 36 under 36 list. Winners will be announced and profiled July 16 on Oy!Chicago and highlighted at YLD's WYLD party on August 8.

How to apply:

To submit your nomination, please complete the application form and email it to DoubleChai@oychicago.com by noon on Tuesday, May 28.

For updates and to find out how you can be the first to see who makes the list, sign up to be a JUF Superstar and "like" YLD on Facebook.

Photo credit: Robert Kusel

On Sunday, more than 8,000 revelers gathered at Ravinia Festival, in Highland Park, for the Jewish United Fund's 2013 Israel Solidarity Day (ISD) featuring the Walk with Israel, in honor of Israel's 65th birthday.

This year, the Chicago-area Jewish community came together for a Sunday in the park—a brand new venue—for one big event filled with exercise, gemilut hasadim (acts of loving kindness), music, food, family fun, and tons of Israeli spirit.

Photo credit: Robert Kusel

The celebration, in which the sun broke through the clouds halfway through the day, was co-chaired by Rabbi Carl Wolkin, spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Shalom in Northbrook, and Miriam Lichstein, a member of the JUF Women's Board. Honorary co-chairs were longtime friends of the community Gov. Pat Quinn, Sen. Mark Kirk, and Roey Gilad, Consul General of Israel to the Midwest.

The ISD rally kicked off the Walk and featured sentiments from Wolkin, Lichstein, and Gilad. Cantor Amy Zussman, of Temple Jeremiah in Northfield, sang the Israeli and American national anthems.

Photo credit: Robert Kusel

"As I stand here, looking out into a sea of blue and white, it's clear our ruach, our Israeli spirit, has taken over Ravinia Festival today," said Wolkin, energized after his trip earlier this month to Israel on the JUF Israel@65 Mission. "…Israel has been through so much and come so far. It is a place that is wise beyond its years."

Gilad discussed the bond between the Jews of Chicago and the Jews of Israel. "This [day] is for everybody who feels for the State of Israel, everybody who believes Jewish people have the right to establish their own sovereign nation-state…I'd like to send a strong message to our brothers and sisters 6,000 miles away in the Middle East. From the Midwest to the Mideast, you have friends and you should never walk alone."

Photo credit: Robert Kusel

The day of celebration served up an eclectic mix of music and dance--a cappella by the Yeshiva University-based all-male vocal group called the Maccabeats, which culminated with the song "One Day" about their hope for peace in Israel one day; a spirited session of Israeli dancing; plus, the rhythms of the King David Drummers; and, finally, a performance by Matisyahu, the Jewish reggae and rock musician, who's inspired Jews and non-Jews around the world with his unique sound.

More than 400 teens, from across the spectrum of youth groups, joined in a service project called the Teen J-Serve 2013, in which they collected books in honor of Israel@65 for at-risk Chicago-area children through Bernie's Book Bank. After the service project, the teens participated in an Israel advocacy program, led by Write On for Israel senior fellows.

Photo credit: Robert Kusel

Dollars raised at the walk benefit Israeli children with the supplies needed to enrich learning and literacy. For example, just $18 supports the Israeli PJ Library early education literacy program by providing Hebrew-language children's books to Israeli preschoolers in JUF's Partnership Together region of Kiryat Gat-Lachish-Shafir.

Members of the Supported Community Living Initiative, a grassroots movement for people with disabilities and a collaboration between Jewish Child and Family Services, Jewish Federation, and Keshet, turned out for the event as well.

Social media played a prominent role at the celebration. ISD revelers used Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to show their love for Israel. Participants were also invited to share their own photos throughout the day on the Jewish United Fund Facebook page. Favorite photos will appear in the June issue of JUF News.

Lichstein says she was thrilled with the success of the day. "What an honor it was to be a part of an event that unites the entire Chicago-area Jewish community," Lichstein said. "Israel Solidarity Day is an incredible celebration—and American Jews must continue to support Israel!"

Photo credit: Christine Lupella

Photo credit: Travis Shinn 

As a devoted “How I Met Your Mother” fan, I was super excited to learn that Josh Radnor would be visiting Chicago in April to speak to Fiedler Hillel at Northwestern University students. Since 2005, Radnor has been most widely known for his role as Ted Mosby on the popular, Emmy-nominated CBS sitcom, which recently announced that its upcoming ninth season will be its last.

Because we know him best as Ted, it’s easy to mistake the character for the man. But after talking to him, I discovered that the man behind Ted Mosby is a talented writer and director who feels most alive on a Broadway stage and comes from a strong Jewish background.

Radnor’s career goes beyond the sitcom—he has written, directed, and starred in two independent feature films, “happythankyoumoreplease,” and "Liberal Arts" both of which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. And he loves the stage, recently starring in the Broadway production of “The Graduate.”

Growing up near Columbus, Ohio (about two hours away from Ted Mosby in Shaker Heights), Radnor and his family were very active in their Conservative synagogue and both he and his two sisters attended Orthodox Hebrew day school. He has visited Israel three times, including a six-week teen tour with Federation when he was 15 and a nine-week solo trip during his time at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

With his time as Ted Mosby soon coming to an end—will we ever find out who the mother is?—Radnor plans to return to the Broadway stage in 2014 and is also writing his next movie.

Radnor took some time to speak with Oy!Chicago before his visit to Evanston about playing Ted (who is half Jewish), his newfound writing and directing career, and how his Jewish identity plays into it all:

Oy!Chicago: Can you tell us a little about your Jewish background and how Judaism plays a role in your life today?
Josh Radnor: In between 1st and second year at NYU I got this hankering to go back to Israel so I went for nine weeks by myself. That time in Israel was really powerful for me. It actually threw me into a state of questioning whether I wanted to be an actor or not. And I came out the other end feeling like I really should be an actor and that it was okay to do this. But I was worried I was in this kind of narcissistic loop of maybe perhaps having my attention on the wrong things, but I [made] peace with that.

Judaism today is something I’m constantly wrestling with but I guess that’s part of the point of it, I suppose.

How does your Jewish identity influence your acting, writing, directing?
Tony Kushner, the playwright, was asked why he thought so many Jews were attracted to the theater and have played such a role in the American theater at least and he had a really interesting answer. He said the process of studying Talmud and being a Torah scholar is digging beneath the surface of the words and finding out the deeper meaning underneath the surface. And he said that’s exactly what playwrights, directors and actors do. You have this text and you read it on the surface and you’re also digging beneath it for clues and other meanings. So I think studying Talmud, having a proper Jewish education is actually a very good primer for being a part of the theater. That’s always stuck with me and I’ve always thought that was an interesting parallel.

Are you an actor or more of a director at heart?
I always feel like I’m being asked to choose and I don’t know that I can. I feel like if I had to retire from acting today I could look back and feel like I’ve done some really incredible things that not a lot of people get to do and I feel very satisfied with that. I want to keep doing it. The writing and directing feels more new to me and more exciting I suppose in a bigger way just because it draws on more of me. I always describe acting as playing the violin in the orchestra and directing as conducting the orchestra so you have a fuller sound at your disposal as the director.

I’m a big “How I Met Your Mother” fan. Do you have a favorite episode or moment from the show?
At this point it’s so hard, we’ve done over 180 episodes. A lot of times the fans know the show better than we do in a weird way because we shoot it once and maybe we’ll watch it or not watch it and fans watch and rewatch and study and talk about it so they're actually much better scholars of the show than we are.

But I have certain things that stick out. Like I love episodes that fill in the history. I’ve always loved “Arrivederci, Fiero” where we all say goodbye to Marshall’s car…I love the one with the character of Blah Blah where we’re explaining how we all met each other. I like the episode where Ted and Victoria meet at the wedding in the first season. And then there are other bits, running bits that really amuse me. I love the intervention banner. Even just little things that writers start throwing in like running gags—little throwaways that reward longtime viewers like Lily shoplifting or something like that.

I know you can’t give too much away, but for those of us who’ve been watching since 2005, will it be worthwhile for fans who’ve waited so long to see how the story ends?
I would hope so! I think it’s always been building to that. I half don’t know a lot and also don’t want to give anything away, but yeah they’re not going to not answer the central question of this show, I’ll tell you that. 

While a great deal of international and media focus has been placed on Israel's military conflicts, the country quietly has become an energetic, ambitious incubator of entrepreneurialism and invention. What follows is a timeline chronicling some of the most important and interesting innovations produced by Israelis during their country's 65-year existence.

RUMMIKUB (1940s): Ephraim Hertzano invents the smash hit board game Rummikub, which goes on to become the best-selling game in the United States in 1977.

UZI MACHINE GUN (1948): Major Uzi Gal develops the Uzi submachine gun. Gaf builds in numerous mechanical innovations resulting in a shorter, more wieldy automatic. It is estimated that more than 10 million have been built; the Uzi has seen action in numerous wars and in countries throughout the world.

SUPER CUKE (1950s): Esra Galun's research into hybrid seeds leads to his creation of the world's first commercial hybrid cucumber. Their descendants and the techniques Galun pioneered account for the majority of cucumbers cultivated today. Galun went on to develop early-blooming melons and disease-resistant potatoes. His work continues to inform and influence crop genetics.

CANCER SCREENER (1954): Weizmann Institute pioneer Ephraim Frei begins groundbreaking research on the effect of magnetism on human tissue. His work will lead directly to the development of the T-Scan system for the detection of breast cancer, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration described as a "significant … breakthrough."

EARLY COMPUTER (1955): The Weizmann Institute's WEIZAC computer performs its first calculation. With an initial memory of 1,024 words stored on a magnetic drum, it is one of the first large-scale stored program computers in the world. In 2006, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers recognizes WEIZAC as a milestone achievement in the fields of computers and electrical engineering.

SOLAR ENERGY BENCHMARK (1955): Harry Zvi Tabor develops a new solar energy system that today powers 95 percent of Israeli solar water heaters and is the standard for solar water heating around the world.

AMNIOCENTESIS (1956): Weizmann professor Leo Sachs becomes the first to examine cells drawn from amniotic fluid to diagnose potential genetic abnormalities or prenatal infections in developing fetuses. His work becomes known as amniocentesis, a routine procedure now conducted on pregnant women worldwide.

LAB-BRED BLOOD CELLS (1963): Sachs becomes the first researcher to grow normal human blood cells in a laboratory dish. This breakthrough leads to the development of a therapy that increases the production of crucial white blood cells in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

DRIP IRRIGATION (1965): Founding of Netafim, developer and distributor of modern drip irrigation.

COLOR HOLOGRAM (1966): Asher Friesem produces the world's first color hologram. He goes on to explore 3-D imaging through work that leads to the development of "heads up" displays for pilots, doctors and other virtual reality systems.

DESALINATION (1967): Sydney Loeb takes a position at Ben-Gurion University, where he will develop the reverse osmosis desalination process, now the worldwide standard.

ADVANCED CELLULAR RESEARCH (1970): Ada Yonath establishes the only protein crystallography laboratory in Israel. She begins a course of research on the structure and function of the ribosome, the sub-cellular component that produces protein, which in turn controls all chemistry within organisms. Her work lays a foundation for the emergence of so-called "rational drug design," which produces treatments for several types of leukemia, glaucoma and HIV, as well as antipsychotic and antidepressant drugs. Along with two colleagues, Yonath is awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

BLOOD DETOXIFICATION (1972): Meir Wilchek demonstrates that "affinity chromatography" -- a method he developed for separating biological or biochemical materials -- can be used to detoxify human blood. The work leads to the development of present-day technologies, employed around the world, that are used to remove poison from a patient's blood.

DRONE AIRCRAFT (1973): Israeli fighter jets sustain serious damage during the Yom Kippur War. In response, Israel initiates the development of the first modern Unmanned Aerial Vehicles - also known as UAVs or drones. The new Israeli drones are lighter, smaller and cheaper than any of their predecessors, with capacities such as real-time 360-degree video imaging, radar decoy capability and increased operating ceilings. Drones enable Israel to eliminate Syria's air defenses at the start of the 1982 war with Lebanon without losing a single pilot. Drones descending today from Israeli designs conduct military, civilian, research and surveillance operations around the world.

COMPUTER PROCESSORS (1974): Computer heavyweight Intel sets up an R&D shop in Israel, leading to the development of the globally ubiquitous 8088 processor and Centrino chip.

COMPUTER SECURITY (1977): Adi Shamir, working with two American colleagues, describes a method of encryption. Now known as RSA, it is the single most important encryption method used worldwide to secure transactions between customers and banks, credit card companies and Internet merchants.

DIGITAL AGE INFORMATION SHARING (1977): Abraham Lempel and Jacob Ziv develop the LZ data compression algorithms. Aside from their trailblazing academic applications, the algorithms become the primary basis of early computer information sharing. Today, LZ algorithms and their derivatives make possible our ability to send many types of photos and images between computers quickly and easily.

FARM-SCALE FOOD STORAGE (1980s): Shlomo Navarro invents a simple yet paradigm-shifting food storage system intended to help farmers in developing food-poor and resource-poor areas to keep their crops from spoiling after harvest. The system evolves into GrainPro Cocoons, water- and air-tight containers used around the world to prevent the damaging effects of spoilage and parasites without the use of pesticides.

LEUKEMIA TREATMENT (1981): Elli Canaani joins the Weizmann Institute. His research into the molecular processes leading to chronic myelogenous leukemia, or CML, will result in the development of Gleevec, a drug now provided to CML patients around the world. The molecular processes discovered by Canaani were subsequently discovered to be at work in other leukemias, as well as certain tumors and lymphomas.

UNDERSTANDING CELLULAR ACTIVITY (1981): Avram Hershko and Aaron Ciechanover -- along with American counterpart Irwin Rose -- begin work that will lead to the discovery of ubiquitin, a molecular "label" that governs the destruction of protein in cells. The discovery produces a dramatic improvement in the understanding of cellular function and the processes that bring about ailments such as cervical cancer and cystic fibrosis. In recognition of their work, the team receives the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

A NEW FORM OF MATTER (1982): Israeli scientist Daniel Shechtman discovers Quasicrystals, a "new" form of matter that had been considered not only nonexistent but impossible. Shechtman becomes the object of disdain and ridicule, but his discovery eventually is vindicated and earns him the 2011 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Applications of Quasicrystals range from the mundane (nonstick cookware) to the arcane (superconductive and superinsulative industrial materials).

COMPUTER "LANGUAGE" (1986): Computer scientist David Harel develops Statecharts, a revolutionary computer language used to describe and design complex systems. Statecharts are used worldwide in areas from aviation to chemistry. Harel's work is also being applied to the analysis of the genetic structures of living creatures with hopes of applying subsequent discoveries to the analysis and treatment of disease, infection and other biological processes.

IMMUNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT (1991): Weizmann Institute professor Yair Reisner announces the creation of mice with fully functioning human immune systems. Described from an immunological perspective as "humans with fur," the mice provide for the first time a real-world arena in which to study human ailments and represent a major step forward in the search for a cure for AIDS, hepatitis A and B, and other infectious diseases.

BABY MONITOR (1991): Haim Shtalryd develops the BabySense crib monitor, which becomes standard child safety equipment in millions of homes worldwide.

OFFICE PRINTER (1993): Rehovot-based Indigo Inc. introduces the E-Print 1000. The device enables small operators to produce printing-press quality documents directly from a computer file, revolutionizing the operations of work environments of all stripes.

COMPUTER SECURITY (1993): Gil Shwed, 25, and two partners establish the computer security firm Check Point. Within two years, Check Point signs provider agreements with HP and Sun Microsystems. The company experiences phenomenal growth, and in 1996 it becomes the leading provider of firewall and security services -- including anti-virus, anti-spam and anti-data-loss security components - to businesses of all sizes around the globe.

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS TREATMENT (1996): Teva Pharmaceuticals introduces Copaxone, the only non-interferon multiple sclerosis treatment. The world's top-selling MS treatment, Copaxone helps reduce relapses and may moderate the disease's degenerative progression.

INSTANT MESSAGING (1996): Mirabilis launches ICQ, the first Internet-wide instant messaging system. America Online adopts the technology and popularizes the world of online chat.

COMPUTER DICTIONARY (1997): Introduction of the Babylon computer dictionary and translation program. Within three years the system will boast more than 4 million users. Babylon eventually becomes integrated into most user-level Microsoft programs, allowing for seamless cross-language translation of millions of words at the click of a mouse.

"PORTABLE" SLEEP LAB (1997): Itamar Medical Ltd. is founded, and soon brings to market its WatchPAT sleep lab, representing a paradigm shift in the treatment of sleep disorders.

PILLCAM (1998): Given Imaging develops the PillCam, now the global standard for imaging of the small bowel.

FIRST AID (1998): Bernard Bar-Natan makes the first sale of his Emergency Bandage. A giant leap forward in field dressings, it has become standard equipment in both civilian and military first aid kits worldwide.

NANOWIRE (1998): Researchers Uri Sivan, Erez Braun and Yoav Eichen report that they have used DNA to induce silver particles to assemble themselves into a "nanowire," a metallic strand 1,000 times thinner than a human hair. In addition to staking out new ground on the frontier of electrical component miniaturization, the wire actually conducts electricity, marking the first time a self-assembling component has been made to function and laying a path to exponential advances in the field of nanotechnology.

VISION-BASED CAR SAFETY SYSTEMS (1999): Amnan Shashua and Ziv Aviram found MobilEye, a company that provides advanced optical systems to car manufacturers to increase safety and reduce traffic accidents.

FLASH DRIVE (2000): M-Systems introduces the flash drive in the United States. Smaller, faster and more reliable than floppy disks or CD-ROMs, they will go on to replace those technologies worldwide.

ADVANCED UNDERWATER BREATHING TECH (2001): Alon Bodner founds Like-A-Fish, a manufacturer of revolutionary underwater breathing apparatuses that extract oxygen from water.

GROUNDBREAKING SPINAL SURGERY SYSTEM (2001): Mazor Robotics is founded and goes on to introduce its SpineAssist robotic surgical assistant, the most advanced spine surgery robot in use today.

URBAN AIR COMBAT/RESCUE (2002): Rafi Yoeli develops the initial concept for the AirMule urban carrier, combat and rescue vehicle.

TERRORIST DETECTOR (2002): In the wake of renewed terrorist activity against Israel and the United States, Ehud Givon assembles a team of researchers to develop an advanced and foolproof "terrorist detector," resulting in the WeCU security system.

MICRO-COMPUTER (2003): Weitzmann scientist Ehud Shapiro develops the world's smallest DNA computing "machine," a composition of enzymes and DNA molecules capable of performing mathematical calculations.

BREAST TUMOR IMAGING (2003): The FDA approves 3TP, an advanced MRI procedure, for use in the examination of breast tumors. The brainchild of Hadassa Degani, 3TP distinguishes between benign and malignant breast growths without requiring invasive surgery.

ANTI-BACTERIAL FABRICS (2003): Aharon Gedanken becomes involved in the treatment of fabrics to prevent bacterial growth, which eventually will lead him to develop the technology for treating hospital fabrics with an anti-bacterial "coating" that will dramatically reduce hospital infection rates.

CENTRINO COMPUTER CHIP (2004): Intel Israel releases the first generation of Centrino microprocessor. Centrino is Intel's mobile computing cornerstone; it drives millions of laptop computers around the world. Successive generations of Centrino have improved laptops' function, speed, battery life and wireless communication capabilities.

TUMOR IMAGING (2005): Insightec receives FDA approval for the ExAblate® 2000 system, the first to combine MRI imaging with high intensity focused ultrasound to visualize tumors in the body, treat them thermally and monitor a patient's post-treatment recovery in real time, and non-invasively. Thousands of patients around the world have been treated.

LAB-GROWN HUMAN TISSUE (2005): Dr. Shulamit Levenberg publishes the results of her work in the development of human tissue. Working with mouse stem cells, Levenberg and her partner Robert Langer produce the first lab-generated human tissue that is not rejected by its host. Levenberg goes on to use human stem cells to create live, beating human heart tissue and the circulatory components needed to implant it in a human body.

WATER FROM THE AIR (2006): Researcher Etan Bar founds EWA Technologies Ltd. In 2008 he produces a clean, green system that "harvests" water from the humidity in the air. The technology represents a boon not only to residents of water-starved desert areas, but also to farmers and municipalities around the world. Each device has the potential to provide two average American families with their entire year's supply of water without contributing to global warming or pollution.

PARKINSON'S TREATMENT (2006): The FDA approves AZILECT, a breakthrough treatment for Parkinson's disease developed by John Finberg and Moussa Youdim. AZILECT dramatically slows the progression of Parkinson's in newly diagnosed patients, increasing the longevity of body and brain function and improving the quality of life for millions worldwide.

BEE PRESERVATION (2007): Rehovot-based Beeologics is formed. The company is dedicated to the preservation of honeybees, which are under threat from Colony Collapse Disorder and vital to the world's food supply.

AIRPORT SAFETY (2007): Boston's Logan International Airport begins testing of a new runway debris detector developed by XSight Systems. XSight uses video and radar monitors to identify and track runway debris, which has been identified as the cause of several airline accidents, including the 2000 crash of a Concorde jet that killed 113 people. XSight has the potential to save upwards of $14 billion per year and an untold number of lives.

TRAUMA VICTIM STABILIZER (2007): Dr. Omri Lubovsky and his sister, mechanical engineer Michal Peleg-Lubovsky, introduce the LuboCollar, a device designed to stabilize trauma victims while maintaining an open airway. The device replaces the standard procedure of intubating trauma patients before transport, saving an average of five critical minutes between the field and the hospital.

HISTORICAL SOLAR ENERGY PROJECTS (2008): Brightsource Energy Inc. begins formalizing agreements with California power companies to develop the world's two largest solar energy projects.

SEPSIS MONITOR (2008): Tel Aviv's Cheetah Medical introduces the NICOM, a bedside hospital monitor that can detect and determine the treatment for sepsis, which occurs in approximately one in 1,000 U.S. hospital patients annually. Sepsis previously had been treatable only after an invasive exploratory treatment, which itself could result in sepsis. The device goes into immediate use by hundreds of hospitals around the world.

ADVANCED FISH FARM (2008): GFA Advanced Systems Ltd. launches Grow Fish Anywhere, a sustainable, enclosed and self-contained fish farming system that is not dependent on a water source and creates no polluting discharge.

A TWIST ON SOLAR ENERGY (2008): Yossi Fisher co-founds Solaris Synergy, a company that creates solar energy panel arrays that float on water.

TOUGH POTATO (2008): Hebrew University Professor David Levy caps 30 years of research with the development of a powerful strain of potato that can be grown in high heat and irrigated with salt water. He shares his findings -- and discussions of where they might lead -- with scientists from Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Morocco.

LUGGAGE LOCATOR (2009): Yossi Naftali founds Naftali Inc. and begins distributing the Easy-To-Pick Luggage Locator, a remote luggage tag that alerts travelers when their luggage has arrived at baggage claim.

ARTIFICIAL HAND (2009): Professor Yosi Shacham-Diamand and a team of Tel Aviv University researchers succeed in wiring a European-designed artificial hand to the arm of a human amputee. In addition to conducting complicated activities including handwriting, the human subject reports being able to feel his fingers. Achieving sensation represents the culmination of Shacham-Diamand's work and a breakthrough in the evolution of artificial limbs.

WATER PURIFICATION (2010): Greeneng Solutions launches the first of its ozone-based water purification systems. Designed for commercial, industrial and domestic applications, Greeneng's product line uses ozone-infused water to eliminate germs on kitchen equipment, household surfaces, swimming pools and more. Purifying with ozone is faster and more effective than the global-standard tap water additive chlorine, and ozone produces none of the harmful side effects of chlorine such as asthma and contaminated runoff.

VISION LOSS TREATMENT (2010): VisionCare Opthalmic Technologies debuts the CentraSight device, a telescopic implant that addresses age-related macular degeneration. CentraSight is the first and only treatment for AMD, a retinal condition that is the most common cause of blindness among "first-world" seniors.

MINIATURE VIDEO CAMERA (2011): Medigus Ltd. develops the world's smallest video camera, measuring 0.99mm. The device provides for new diagnoses and treatments of several gastrointestinal disorders.

HELPING PARAPLEGICS WALK (2011): The FDA approves clinical use of ReWalk, a bionic exoskeleton developed by Argo Technologies that allows paraplegics to stand, walk and climb stairs.

BREAST TUMOR TREATMENT (2011): IceCure Medical launches the IceSense 3, a device that destroys benign breast tumors by infusing them with ice. The procedure is quick, painless, affordable and is conducted on an outpatient basis. Soon after, clinical trials begin to study the efficacy of the treatment on malignant breast tumors.

MISSILE DEFENSE (2011): Iron Dome, a short-range missile defense system developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, shoots down a Grad rocket fired at Israel from Gaza. It marks the first time that a short-range missile has been intercepted, opening up new possibilities for military, civil and border defense in the world's conflict zones.

ENDANGERED SPECIES STEM CELLS (2012): Israeli scientist Inbar Friedrich Ben-Nun leads a team of researchers in producing the first stem cells from endangered rhinos and primates in captivity. The procedure holds the potential to improve the health of dwindling members of numerous endangered species, as well as staving off extinction.

DIABETES TREATMENT (2012): DiaPep277, a vaccine based on the work of Irun Cohen, is shown to significantly improve the condition of Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes in newly diagnosed patients.

HELPING THE BLIND TO "SEE" SOUNDS (2012): Dr. Amir Amedi and his team at Hebrew University demonstrate that sounds created by a Sensory Substitution Device (SSD) activate the visual cortex in the brains of congenitally blind people. MRIs of blind people using the device show that it causes the same brain responses of sighted people. This discovery allows the team to adapt the SSD to allow blind individuals to "see" their surroundings by learning to interpret audio signals visually.

FUTURISTIC FOOD PACKAGING (2012): Israeli computer engineer Daphna Nissenbaum creates a revolutionary, 100 percent biodegradable food packaging material. Her company, Tiva, produces materials for drink pouches, snack bars, yogurt and other foods - all of which provide a minimum of six months of shelf life, will completely decompose in a landfill, and can be composted industrially and domestically.

THE "GOD PARTICLE" (2012): Switzerland's Large Hadron Collider produces the Holy Grail of physics - the Higgs Boson, or "God Particle," a subatomic particle that accounts for the existence of matter and diversity in the universe. A team from Israel's Technion was charged with building and monitoring the collider's elementary particle detectors, without which the discovery of the Higgs Boson would have been impossible.

From top left: Roey Gilad, Matthew Silberman, Yaakov Katz and Stephanie Sklar

The 68th annual Holocaust Memorial Service, held Sunday, April 7, in Skokie, certainly was about remembrance and the past.

But it also was about the future - about whether the messages of the Holocaust would survive once the survivors are gone. About who, when no one remains to offer first-hand testimony, would remind the world what hate can do when even the most modern, most civilized, most educated societies do nothing to stop it.

And so it falls increasingly not just to the survivors, but to their children and grandchildren, to carry those messages.

At the service, several of them did just that. Excerpts of some of their speeches are offered here:

Roey Gilad, Israel's Consul General to the Midwest 
Today I would like to speak about what I consider to be a great challenge to all of us. This ceremony today is organized indeed by Sheerit Hapleitah— the Holocaust Survivors. However, In 20 years or so there will be no living witnesses to the Holocaust. The candles will be lighted by the children or the grand children of the survivors. There will be no one to tell the story. Nobody to say: "I have been there. I have seen the inferno in my own eyes"…. Read more 

Yaakov Katz, a Chicago-area native and the military correspondent/defense analyst for the Jerusalem Post 
I was only six years old but I remember the day like it was yesterday. We knew it was special and my mother got us dressed in our nice outfits, the ones usually reserved for going to synagogue on Shabbat, and we had to wear our rain coats.

27 years ago, on a rainy April 8, 1986, I had the privilege of standing not far from here, on Oakton Street, together with a group of several hundred others, many of you in the audience here, to break ground for the Holocaust monument which stands there today. Read more

Stephanie Sklar, Director of Domestic Affairs for JUF's Jewish Community Relations Council   
I stand before you today not only as a representative of the Jewish United Fund, but also as the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors. My grandfather, Abraham Borenheim, and my grandmother, Gusta Berghut Borenheim, both of blessed memory, are no longer with us and since they could not be here today, I stand here to honor them. They were the only survivors in each of their respective families, so I also stand here in the shoes of their parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins, spouse and children whose lives were so brutally taken for nothing other than their religion. Read more

Matthew Silberman is a senior at Ida Crown Jewish Academy
"My father is Jewish. My mother is Jewish. I am Jewish." These were among the final words of Daniel Pearl, an American journalist, before he was murdered by the terrorists who kidnapped him, in Pakistan, in 2002. He was killed, in part, for a reason we know all too well: he was a Jew. And yet, with his last breaths, he affirmed the deep Jewish pride that his parents instilled in him.

Just like Daniel Pearl, I am proud to be the Jewish son of two Jewish parents. And I am proud to be the grandson of four grandparents, all of whom were Holocaust survivors. Read more

One day, Chicago entrepreneur Adam Hyman was looking at the entangled wire hangers stacked perilously high on his shelf closet and decided it was time to dispose of them. Moments later, they were a jumbled mess on his floor. Wanting to do the environmentally responsible thing and recycle them, Hyman couldn’t find a metal recycling container and ended up taking them back to the dry cleaners.

It got him thinking. With all the environmentally-friendly products readily available in today’s market, shouldn’t there be a cardboard hanger that could go out with the daily newspaper and other junk mail?

And so the idea for TreeHangers was born.

“I’m sort of a “go for it” type of guy,” said Hyman. “I subscribe to Hillel’s maxim, “if not now, when.” There’s nothing I enjoy more than the creative endeavor in whatever capacity it may be, and I was energized by the possibility of developing a new product from concept to commercialization. I resigned from my sales job and went full speed ahead with my idea.”

Designed to provide eco-conscious consumers and retailers with a durable, sustainable, and visually appealing alternative to traditional garment hangers, the patent pending, stylishly simple, uniquely earthy hangers are made from recycled paper, soy based inks, and all natural glues.

“The amount of waste produced from the disposal of consumer products is staggering,” said Hyman. “By producing the hangers from recycled paper, we promote the conservation of our namesake.”

Hyman’s advice to others looking to follow their entrepreneurial dreams is do your research and find a mentor. “Most entrepreneurs, I’ve found, have very generous spirits and are more than willing to share their knowledge, offer advice, and even open up their network to you.”

He also stresses the importance of learning to deal with rejection and setbacks. “…See them as part of larger process, a process of growth and development. There are many insightful and inspiring books to cultivate this. One of my favorites is Failing Forward by John Maxwell,” said Hyman.

There is no typical day for this new entrepreneur.

“I usually have a set agenda on my calendar for the day, several things I want to accomplish to keep the momentum,” said Hyman. “I check to see if any orders came in. I could exchange e-mails with my manufacturer about shipping or logistics. Often, I have meetings set up with prospects, but sometimes this is all done online. I do a great deal of networking, attending Chamber of Commerce events and those of other business oriented organizations. There has been a lot of shipping of samples to retailers. Last week, I visited several Whole Foods to meet with the buyers of their Whole Body department. And then, there are days spent researching prospects or potential business partners. It really varies.”

Giving back to the Jewish community also occupies a good chunk of his time. Hyman recently participated in a JUF Hurricane Sandy Relief Mission to New York.

“At the risk of sounding falsely magnanimous or grandiose,” said Hyman. “One of my dreams is to eventually have the capacity to give back substantially to the Jewish community and the community at large. This is really the ultimate vision for any business endeavor I undertake and one of my prime motivators. I’ve got a long, long way to go before reaching that mountaintop, but that’s the goal. For me, I suppose you could say that it all boils down to tikkun olam and I try to find ways through business, in whatever modest capacity I can, to participate in that.”

For more information and to purchase your own TreeHangers, visit http://www.tree-hangers.com.

Joe's Prime Steak, Seafood & Stone Crab (60 East Grand Ave.) is inviting guests to enjoy their classic Passover Dinner on Monday, March 25 and Tuesday, March 26 from 4:00 to 11:00 p.m. Guests will begin their meal with homemade Gefilte Fish with Red Beet Horseradish, followed by a Bib Lettuce and Chive Salad with Chopped Liver. Non-meat eaters aren't left out as Suzy Friedman's Vegetarian Chopped Liver will be offered as well. And since no Passover is complete without traditional Matzo Ball soup, Joe's will be serving theirs before offering the choice of either Herb Roasted Chicken, Braised Brisket of Beef or Wild Alaskan Halibut en Papillote. Up for the sharing are delicious side dishes including Potato Pancakes and Ginger Glazed Carrots. Topping off this Pesach feast is the Chocolate Macaroon Pie. The price is $45.95 (plus tax and gratuity) per person and reservations are required. Guests are encouraged to call (312) 379-5637 for more information and to reserve their spot.

If cozy bistro dining is more your style, Mon Ami Gabi (2300 N. Lincoln Park West) is also serving up dishes for Passover on Monday, March 25 and Tuesday, March 26 from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The multi-course menu includes timeless favorites like a Seder Plate with Artisan Matzo Crackers, Matzo Ball Soup, Homemade Gefilte Fish, Suzy Friedman's Vegetarian Chopped Liver and Chopped Liver with Eggs and Onion. Main course offerings include Slow Braised Beef Brisket served alongside Potato Pancakes with Applesauce. Ending things on a sweet note is the Flourless Chocolate Cake with Fruit Compote. The price is $36.95 per person and $15.95 for kids 12 and under (plus tax and gratuity). If you'd rather entertain at home without the stress of pulling off a perfect meal on your own, then simply pick up one of Mon Ami Gabi's Passover carry out platters! No mess, no hassle, and all the traditional delicacies are included. Carry out orders must be placed by Thursday, March 14, at 5:00 p.m. Guests are encouraged to call 773-348-8886 to make their reservation or place carry out orders. Both locations are Lettuce Entertain You.

If you aren't in the city, there are several deli's like Max's, Max and Benny's (2 locations), or The Bagel (2 locations), however I suggest gathering your family and friends around a table at Glenview House to feast on traditional Seder favorites. Chef Grant Slauterbeck will feature a 3-course unleavened Passover Tasting Menu including his twist on celebratory dishes eaten during the week-long holiday.

3-Course Passover Tasting Menu:

First Course:
Chicken and matzah ball soup

Second Course – choice of:
Lemon and olive roasted chicken or
Sweet brisket served with potato kugel and red cabbage

Third Course:
Apple and cherry crumble

The Passover menu will be available Monday, March 25 through Tuesday, April 2 from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. for both lunch and dinner. $35 per person, not including tax and gratuity.

If you know of other Passover favorites that are serving up your favorite dishes, please comment on this article.

"Giving back to the community through volunteer work is not a noble deed," said Eryn Bizar, a site leader for YLD and TOV's Feed Chicago, "it is just simply the right thing to do."

Eryn's words were put into action on Sunday, March 3, when more than 130 young adults volunteered throughout the Chicago area. In just one day, more than 15 projects were completed at 13 different organizations and hundreds of lives were touched. From sorting food donations to cooking meals and decorating cupcakes, young adults from around the Chicago area showed that- together-the younger generations can make a difference.

Last fall, in response to the rising interest in volunteer efforts, the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago's Young Leadership Division and the Tikkum Olam Volunteer Network decided to act. Last year alone, 4,900 Jews received daily and/or weekly food assistance from a JUF agency. A whopping 522,614 meals, food bags, and grocery cards were provided to those in need through JUF. Feed Chicago was launched in the fall to provide a way for the young adults to volunteer and see the work of JUF first hand. This second time around, the young Jewish community made an even bigger impact.

"The cooperation, teamwork, and sheer enthusiasm of the group were contagious," said Caroline Musin Berkowitz, director of Volunteers and Outreach at The ARK. "We value our partnership with TOV and JUF."

"It means so much to see other Jewish groups coming together in a spirit of Tikkun Olam," said Amir Zadaka, who hosted a group of volunteers at the Jewish Relief Agency. "We are looking forward to the next time we can partner!" 

And he is not alone. Chicago Chesed Fund, Sarah's Circle, The Center for Enriched Living, and other organizations are all excited to host more volunteers from YLD and TOV.

"The volunteers should pat themselves on the back for a job well done," said Matt Gaines, YLD Board member and co-chair of the event. This was just one day. Imagine what young adults can do over the course of a year!

To learn about more opportunities, visit www.juf.org/yld and www.juf.org/TOV.

Caryn Fields is Campaign Associate of the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago's Young Leadership Division.

While he was growing up in Glenview, Judaism and Israel remained two separate conversations for 26-year-old Scott Frankel.

"Israel was intimidating for me, primarily because I hadn't yet had an understanding or relationship with Israel. Then in college I saw a study that concluded that as each new generation of American Jews continues to pass, there's a greater disconnect with Israel. When I saw this, I realized it was time for me to begin to understand what my Jewish identity consists of, and Israel's place within that."

So after graduating college in 2009, Frankel took off to Tel Aviv with his camera in hand. While working at a documentary production company, he decided to create a film of his own.

"I wanted to create an original film that accomplished three main things: First, I wanted to tell a story that was non-political--to present a story from Israel that might be unknown to many, and framed in a fresh and creative style. Second, I wanted to capture this moment in time. Israel is very young--only 65 years old--and as it continues to develop, I wanted to take a snapshot of early 21st century life. And last, I wanted to understand what it means to be a Jew today, and the importance of Israel to that definition."

Over the next 10 months he shot more than 65 hours' worth of interviews with eight young Jews from six continents and "From the Diaspora" was born.

Oy!Chicago talked with Frankel, who now works for the iCenter here in Chicago, about his film and what it taught him about Israel, Jewish culture, and identity.

Oy!Chicago: How did you find the olim (immigrants) featured in the film?
Scott Frankel: In Tel Aviv, it's so easy to meet people. Chatting in line, or at the coffee shops, on the beaches, and hearing different dialects and accents all over the city…I was naive to how the Jewish communities and culture that existed around the world, and even though their stories were so much different than mine, there was a common thread that strung across them all.

What was the most surprising thing you learned during this process?
Something that has been significantly strengthened is my understanding of the community of Judaism. Everyone has their own practices and customs and culture and beliefs, and no matter what they are there's this underlying connection that can't be described, only felt. The magnitude of this was something that was known to me, but not yet understood until my arrival in Israel. And now it's in the forefront of my life, no matter where I am.

On your website, you say this is "a documentary unlike any other about aliyah (immigration to Israel), Judaism, or Israel. How so?
"From The Diaspora" is less a story about aliyah, and more a story about Jewish identity. Aliyah makes a great narrative spine because it's a big decision in one's life. It inherently forces one to dig deep to answer difficult questions about who they are, what they want with their life, and why it all matters. Aliyah is an entry point into a journey of self-discovery, and that's what this film is really about and why it's very different from other films surrounding aliyah.

What's next for you?
Now comes the film's distribution. "From The Diaspora" is a launching pad for discussion, and the goal is to host screenings and discussions in circles around North America and overseas. Bringing together Israelis and Americans, parents and children, students and educators, etc. I have some ideas about a 5 year follow up with the characters, and also perhaps a new group spanning 8 new countries, but one step at a time...

What else should we know about the film?
Before heading to Tel Aviv and starting this project, I was indifferent about Israel…But this experience has really opened a world of new understanding and conversation for me. I realized that my indifference was the biggest threat to Israel, and I hope to open some doors for others like me. Documentaries are a medium that have always spoke loudest to me, so I'm hoping to empower others to continue exploring through their own lenses.

For more information, including where you can order or download your copy today and how to book screenings and discussions, visit www.fromthediaspora.com.

Ofer Bavly, director general of JUF's Israel office, just returned from Ethiopia, the source of a modern-day exodus of impoverished Jews seeking a better life by making aliyah. There he and the group he travelled with – which included several Chicagoans – were immersed in the people, their stories, and the work of JUF's partner, the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI), which is aiding the immigrants at every stage of their journey.

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Below is Ofer's journal:

Monday, Feb. 11, 2013 11:04 a.m.
At the JAFI office, Gondar

Families are interviewed before clearance to make aliyah. A nurse will give them inoculation shots. The family interviewed when we were there will go within a few weeks. The family is made up of a Christian father, his wife and three kids. The wife comes from a Jewish family who converted to Christianity in the early twentieth century. The verification determined that she is of Jewish descent and therefore eligible for aliyah, giving eligibility to her husband and children. 

However, a problem arises when it turns out that the eldest son, 16, is in fact from a different mother, a Christian. He is therefore the child of a Christian father and mother – and ineligible for aliyah. Unless...

Unless his biological mother passed away. The father will claim it is so, and a court will have to approve it. Then, Asher Saiyum, JAFI representative in Gondar, will try to convince Israeli authorities to allow the son to make aliyah with his family on a humanitarian basis and despite his ineligibility.

*****

Monday, Feb. 11, 2013 1:35 p.m.
Gondar – piazza

*****

Monday, Feb. 11, 2013 1:35 p.m.
Visiting Jewish Homes

Gondar. Visiting homes of families awaiting their eligibility to go to Israel. The poverty is the first thing that strikes you. These are mud huts, baked in the sun, rented for $20 a month (an exorbitant expense) from landlords out to make a buck. In a mud hut of ten feet by eight, 5 people live together. The common kitchen serving seven families is another hut made of three metal planks serving as walls and a tin roof above. The kitchen consists of an open fire on which bread is baked. The toilet is a similar hut in the yard with no door and no running water nor sewer. The Jewish Agency, funded by JUF, assists the poorest olim (Jews making aliyah) with a small subsidy to help them pay the rent. Some of them have been waiting for seven or even ten years for the aliyah certificate.

*****

Monday, Feb. 11, 2013 2:27 p.m.
Fenter and Seramle

Jewish villages outside Gondar. The Jews left these villages in 1991 and local residents moved in.

***** 

Monday, Feb. 11, 2013 3:21 p.m.
Ambober

The former Jewish village of Ambober, which was home to over 150 Jewish families. The school was a Jewish school. Now that there are no more Jews here, the village is a Christian one and the school is a state school teaching 1150 children in two shifts. While one shift studies at school, the other shift works in the fields, helping to provide for their families.

Across the street from the school stands the synagogue with the Star of David on the roof.

In the school, there are no blackboards and much of the material is written on the walls.

*****

Monday, Feb. 11, 2013 4:38 p.m.
Report from Gondar

The JAFI mission to Ethiopia began with an overnight flight to Addis Ababa. On the flight with us was an Ethiopian prisoner transported to Ethiopia by two Israeli plainclothes policemen. Shackled in the wrists and ankles and gagged, he nevertheless tried to throw a tantrum, calming down only once we were in the air.

Gondar airport is a quaint building and we walked from the plane to the tiny terminal where the group was briefed by JAFI's Micha Goldman, who was the agency's man on the ground for Operation Solomon.

*****

Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013 8:22 a.m.
Shacharit prayer, Gondar synagogue

Our mission joined the morning prayer at the Gondar synagogue. Hundreds of men covered in talitot and wearing tefilin, hundreds of women covered in white linen cloth, many of them with babies strapped to their backs, prayed in this synagogue without walls. The ground is sand, the roof is metal sheet, the congregants sit on long backless metal benches. A curtain separates men from women. On the bimah, a rabbi leads the prayer in Amharic and then in Hebrew. The congregation sings loudly and they all know the prayer text.

These are the falashmora. Their forefathers converted to Christianity at the turn of the 20th century. They now wish to return to Judaism and make aliyah to Israel. Asher, the JAFI envoy, tells them twice a month that many of them, whose Jewish roots are in serious doubt, will probably not be approved for entry by the Israeli government. The concern is that many will present themselves as Jewish, simply to improve their conditions of life. Once someone is approved, they can then bring in their extended family on the basis of "family reunification." Their relatives might then bring THEIR own relatives and the wave could turn into a huge migration.

It is sad to see many of these faces, hopeful of making it to the Promised Land and yet knowing that their chances are slim.

Our mission spent time with the children, bringing them stickers, markers, coloring books and soap bubbles. The kids were ecstatic, enjoying the visit and adoring the cameras pointing at them.

*****

Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013 8:29 a.m.
JCC Kitchen

Feeds the youngest kids and pregnant mothers

*****

Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013 8:39 a.m.
At the JCC kindergarten

The kids learn Hebrew with Israeli volunteers spending three months here on JAFI's "TEN" program. They sing Hebrew nursery rhymes!

*****

Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013 9:16 a.m.
The Israeli School

The school in Gondar, where kids of all ages learn Hebrew. In September there were 700 students. Thanks to aliyah, that number has come down to 300.

JAFI pays for everything in this school; staff (many of whom are brought in from Israel), books and materials.

The teacher in this picture is Sarah, wife of Asher, the JAFI representative in Gondar.

*****

Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013 9:30 a.m.
Gondar School

Computer class

*****

Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013 9:38 a.m.
Gondar School

Learning a Hebrew song about dreams coming true.

*****

Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013 10:15 a.m.
Hebrew School

The teachers used to be Ethiopians who had learned a little bit of Hebrew but couldn't even converse in it. In 2010, JAFI took over the school from NACOEJ.

When Asher, a native of Gondar who came to Israel many years ago, was sent here from JAFI, he replaced all the Hebrew teachers with Israeli volunteers, some of them Ethiopian born. Some are TEN volunteers.

130 of the 300 students presently here are not approved for aliyah. JAFI decided that anyone already in the school when JAFI took over would not be asked to leave, but their families know that they will not make aliyah. However, the school does not enroll new students so as not to give false illusions of going to Israel.

When the olim at this school go to Israel, JAFI will give the school as a present to the Ethiopian government.

It is amazing to see these kids, some of whom came from tiny villages far away, who have been waiting in Gondar for years to go to Israel. They learn Hebrew, they sang in Hebrew, and the walls of their classrooms are covered with pictures of Israel. Israeli flags and Hebrew words are taped on every wall.

Ghazion is a 15-year-old student we met in a classroom. Each student was asked to tell their dream. All said they wanted to make aliyah. One said he would be a soccer star in Israel. Another said he wanted to be a doctor in Israel. One bright girl whose teacher said was the best in the class wanted to be a scientist in Israel. They all spoke in Amharic, but Ghazion wanted to speak Hebrew. He said he dreams of being a pilot for the Israeli Air Force. He said you need strength and courage, and he has both. He also said that he is aware of the tough competition, with 500 people competing for one position, but he will try and he will succeed . He said it all in perfect Hebrew. 

Later I found out from Asher that Ghazion was rejected and will not be making aliyah because his family could not prove its Judaism. Ghazion knows this. But he continues to dream.

*****

Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013 3:45 p.m.
Asher

Asher, the JAFI representative in Gondar, told us his personal story. 

He grew up one of seven siblings in a small village outside of Gondar. As a child he never went to school, working instead on the family farm as a shepherd. At first he tended sheep, and when he was 10 he "graduated" to cows, a responsible position for a farmer.

When Asher was 12, the family was told to prepare to go to Israel. It was a big secret because Ethiopia was a communist country at the time and emigration was illegal. 

The day came when someone from the Jewish Agency told the villagers to sell their property and pack up for the march to Sudan. Asher was sad to be separated from his cows, but his father told him that God would lead them to Jerusalem, just as he had led Abraham to the land of Canaan. 

Nobody in the village had ever seen a map, and they had no idea where they were going. Non-Jewish guides showed up and charged them 70 birr (about $35) per person to take them to Sudan. That was an exorbitant sum, but they felt that they would be realizing their dream.

On the day that was set by the guides, hundreds of Jews showed up at a pre-determined meeting point. The guides said there were too many. It would be dangerous to march all together. Hundreds had to return to their village and wait for the next march. Asher's father volunteered to stay back with his family, but asked that his eldest son be allowed to go, as his wife was pregnant and there was fear that if she stayed back she would miss the next march. 

Ten days after the first group left, it was time for 12-year-old Asher and his family to go. They packed water, food and a shovel on their donkey. When Asher asked his father about the shovel, he was told it would be used to bury those who would die on the road. 

The group of 150 marched to Sudan. Some died on the way. They would march at night and hide during the day, and they were warned not to utter a word on the march as they would be heard and denounced to the police. 

The march took three weeks and they walked hundreds of miles. When they arrived at the Sudanese border, they were arrested by Sudanese soldiers. The Jews denied being Jewish and were placed in a refugee camp. They ended up staying at the camp for ten months. When Asher's father tried to find out what had happened to the first group and his eldest son, he was told that they had been arrested inside Ethiopia and put in Gondar prison. They ended up spending three years in jail before being released and going to Israel. 

When Asher arrived in Israel, he and his family were placed in a JAFI absorption center. At thirteen, for the first time in his life, he attended school. At 18, Asher completed his matriculation exams, graduating from high school. His natural path was to go to the army. He asked to be a combat soldier in the paratrooper brigade. The army had other plans for him, so he negotiated with them and they allowed him to go to college first. He studied physical education and graduated. It was then time to enlist... in the paratroopers. 

Asher served for three years, training paratroopers in a combat unit. He then got his undergraduate degree and started working for JAFI, receiving more and more responsibilities. He directed two absorption centers and, two years ago, was sent to Gondar to run the JAFI operation here. 

About six thousand Ethiopian Jews made it through Sudan in Operation Moses. Two thousand died on the way, trying to realize their dream and that of their forefathers, to arrive in Jerusalem. The Jewish Agency, with the generous support of the Jewish communities in America, made the dream come true for thousands. 

*****

Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013 4:34 p.m.
Walaka Village

We visited Walaka Village near Gondar, which used to be a Jewish village. After all the Jews left, others came in and continue to live in what tourists know as the Jewish Village. They sell little trinkets with the Star of David to all visitors.

Outside the village we visited the Jewish cemetery. The oldest tombstones date back about 250 years.

The Jewish Agency placed a memorial sign and a traditional pile of stones to commemorate the 2000 Jews who died making aliyah through Sudan. By the memorial, we recited the Kadish and prayed for their souls. It was a moving moment of remembrance and reflection.

The tombs carry inscriptions in Amharic and a Hebrew word here and there, but one tombstone carried a whole inscription in Hebrew, giving the name of the deceased who passed away in 1990 and then describing him thus: "He was a simple man who always helped those who were really poor. But what can you do, at the end he died."

*****

Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013 7:14 a.m.

I asked Kim Shwachtman from Chicago to write this one. 

Begin forwarded message:

As I thought about our entire day today, words like overwhelming and incredible come to mind.

I'm exhausted beyond belief, but I also feel very energized. I think back to our experience this morning and the sight of a whole community of Ethiopian men, women, and children davening at the Jewish Agency's Jewish Community Center. Amazing!

And then to sit in on the childrens' classrooms and the adult classrooms and watch the dedicated Israeli teachers teach their Hebrew lessons and computer skills classes to these students. It filled me with tremendous pride to be a Jew and to see the passion and dedication of those teachers who were so clearly committed to helping their students prepare to make aliyah.

I was so moved to learn how the school got started and why the clinic was moved to Gondor. It truly begins with transmitting our Jewish values of treating people with dignity and compassion. Thank goodness for people like Asher, who made his vision for the school a reality.

Then, later in the day, to see the vast mountainous landscape and try to grasp what it must have been like to be a family making the daunting and dangerous journey through the night, for weeks, until they reached Sudan, with the hope of eventually getting to Israel. It was hard to imagine.

I thought the day ended on an incredibly powerful note, as we listened to young adult volunteers from Israel who have come to Ethiopia to do tikkun olam. It was clear from the expressions on their faces and from the words they spoke that in just the three months' time that these volunteers have been working with those in need and at risk, it has been a life-changing experience for them. This new Jewish agency program is doing far more than reinforcing the Jewish identities of these young adult volunteers. This experience is allowing them to see and feel the impact of their work, and they know they have been an important part of helping to change the future lives of those they are helping. What a priceless reward!

*****

Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013 12:15 p.m.
In Addis Ababa

In Addis, we visited the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (another JUF partner agency) transit station, where the 73 new olim are awaiting their flight tonight. They arrived from the Gondar region, a 14-hour drive, by buses. It took two days. There are elderly men and women, obviously dazed and confused, yet happy, knowing that something very big will happen tonight. The children are very excited, spending their time playing ping pong and table soccer, or playing on the swings.

The olim spent the night here and are preparing themselves. Our mission gave out brand new clothes to everyone, which they will wear for the flight tonight.

In the pictures you will see our Chicago Federation members giving out clothes to the new olim.

*****

Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013 12:18 p.m.
At the Israeli Embassy

At the Israeli Embassy in Addis Ababa. JAFI's Micha Feldman, who was point man for Operation Solomon, tells us the story of the operation to airlift 14,000 Ethiopian Jews. 

*****

Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013 10:07 p.m.
Walking to the Israeli Embassy

Without a doubt, the most moving moment of the day was walking with the new olim from the JDC transit station to the Israeli Embassy, where they were welcomed and where they boarded the bus for the airport.

We saw them loading their suitcases and few personal belongings onto a truck and then the procession passed through the neighborhood and to the embassy. Hundreds of locals lined the alley and waved goodbye. They had seen these processions many times and knew that the Jews, dressed in new clothes, were going to their new home.

The procession walked and sang "Am Yisrael Chai." For us, this was a tearful moment as each and every member of the mission tried to imagine what it was like for these 73 olim to leave everything they knew behind and embark on what is literally a life-changing adventure.

When we reached the embassy, we gathered them around us and Debbie Tananbaum from New York greeted them on behalf of our mission. "We are one people, standing together, and we wish you a safe journey home," said Debbie. Asher translated her words to Amharic, and when he said the words "we are one people," the new olim burst in spontaneous applause.

We saw them off to the bus and would meet them later, at the airport.

*****

Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013 10:12 p.m.
At the Ambassador's Residence

Our mission's final dinner was hosted by Blainish Zabaydeh, Israel's ambassador to Ethiopia.

Blainish, daughter of a "Kess of Kesses" (Chief Rabbi of the Jewish Community of Ethiopia) came to Israel at the age of 17 from Gondar. She is the first Ethiopian-born diplomat in Israel, the first Ethiopian-born Israeli ambassador, and the first Ethiopian-born ambassador from anywhere in the world to be sent to Ethiopia.

Blainish gave us a briefing on Israeli-Ethiopian relations and told us her personal story, one of achievement and success. She is a role model for all Ethiopian olim, who see her as a hero and as representing the highest level of achievement for any new immigrant from Ethiopia.

*****

Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013 10:17 p.m.
At the airport

At Addis airport, our mission members sped the long wait talking to the new olim and playing with the kids. We brought crayons, soap bubbles and coloring books, and converted the gate area at the airport into a makeshift and very happy kindergarten.

*****

Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013 5:45 a.m.
Arriving in Israel

The new Israelis have arrived home. The flight arrives at 3.30 a.m., so everyone is slightly dazed, but their faces tell the story: They are very, very happy.

At the Ministry of the Interior office inside the airport, we join them as they are processed and receive their Israeli ID and their "absorption packet," which includes explanations of all the benefits they will receive, as well as a cash stipend to keep them until they open a bank account and receive, on March 1, their first monthly stipend for new immigrants.

We completed our journey. It was an exciting mission, opening our eyes, our minds and our hearts to a part of the world where our fellow Jews spent centuries, and learning about the fantastic way in which JAFI, with JUF funding, is bringing our sisters and brothers home.

It was an emotional journey as we traced the path of the Ethiopian Jews from the villages to the city and finally to their flight to Israel. Seeing their faces as they marched to the embassy in Addis Ababa, dressed in "Shabbat clothes," was unforgettable. Their gratitude to the Jewish communities in America was obvious as they realized that we were standing with them and supporting them, and uniting them with their fellow Jews in Israel.

And for the members of our mission, it was also a chance to meet and get to know each other, caring and generous Jews from Chicago, New York, Detroit, Atlanta and even Canada, exploring our Judaism, our background and the things that bind us together as we visit our sisters and brothers in a far away land. 

It’s amazing the changes one goes through over the course of a lifetime. For example, I am now never without a book, however when growing up you couldn’t pay me to read for pleasure. I was also never very devoted to academics and yet recently I willingly enrolled myself in grad school. It seems like my younger years were filled with doing the bare minimum, but with my uncanny ability to do the unexpected I suppose it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I’m now packing my schedule with responsibilities, possibly to make up for lost time.

One of my most recent missions involves volunteering for the Canine Therapy Corps (CTC). I got involved in CTC though my aunt, who volunteers with her dog and serves on the Board of Directors. Last year we founded a Young Professionals Board in an effort to boost awareness and fundraising in a younger demographic. If we’re friends on Facebook you have no doubt been assaulted by my posts asking you to participate in this event or that. Facebook averages over 500k posts every 60 seconds, so who can blame you for ignoring or missing the message. Luckily as an Oy! blogger I have the opportunity to set the record straight.

The most common misconception about CTC is that it is an animal shelter. In Chicago, where rescuing a dog is so popular, it’s easy to see “Dog” in your feed and think it involves rescues. However CTC is not a shelter. Some also mistakenly believe that CTC helps dogs who need therapy themselves. Now, as a dog owner I’ve been in contact with dogs of all shapes and sizes. And many, in my assessment, need therapy. Therapy to stop barking constantly, therapy to stop humping other dogs, but mostly they need therapy to help them cope with their crazy owners. However CTC does not provide therapy to dogs. So what does Canine Therapy Corps do? They provide animal-assisted therapy USING dogs. 

Bethany Tap, Canine Therapy’s Office and Volunteer Manager, is a true believer. “We talk a lot here about the human-animal bond. You really see the intuitive nature of the dogs exhibiting this unconditional bond. As they’re working with patients there are certain things that don’t need to be explained to the dogs, they are just inherently understood.” Debra Hadelman, CTC volunteer and member of the Board of Directors, offers an example from working with a patient afflicted with spastic cerebral palsy who loved to hug her dog Daffy. “This patient would hug Daffy and the dog would stay completely still. Daffy wouldn’t do that for a family member, she’d always run away, but she let the patient put her in a headlock without complaint.” But Therapy Dogs offer more than just emotional support to the wide range of patients visited by CTC. Where a normal therapy session for these patients would be arduous and ominous, working with an animal makes therapy easier and even fun. An example comes from another one of Hadelman’s volunteer sessions:

“Amanda, a patient with cerebral palsy, was afraid to start practicing walking. So we made a game out it, asking the patient to hide treats for Daffy. With the help of a physical therapist Amanda would now willingly walk to a cone and squat down to hide the treat. (Walking and squatting were both integral activities in the patient’s therapeutic regimen.) Daffy would then find the treats, and Amanda was thrilled. When her Mom came into the room Amanda said to her, ‘You won’t believe what Daffy did!’ completely unaware of the progress she herself had made. Using a dog for physical therapy completely took the fear and anxiety out of the exercise and put Amanda’s focus on the dog.”

And there are hundreds if not thousands of anecdotes just like these. I’ve been involved in several types of philanthropy in my adult life. What I love about volunteering for Canine Therapy Corps is how much impact one person can make. If you’re interested in learning more about Canine Therapy Corps or attending the annual event on Saturday, February 23rd go to http://caninetherapycorps.org.

The Great Chicago Fire of 1871, though horribly tragic, ushered in an era of architectural innovation and creation, responsible for the acclaimed skyline Chicago has today. In homage to that remarkable moment in history—when talented individuals seized a moment and rebuilt a city—space 1871, which opened last May in the Merchandise Mart, was created to provide local startups with an affordable workspace, access to mentors, educational programs and like-minded thinkers.

It was the ideal setting for the Jewish United Fund’s Trades, Industries and Professions event “Fueling the Future: An In-Depth Look at the Chicago Tech Start-Up Ecosystem,” which was held Feb. 13.

More than 200 people attended the sold out event to hear four distinguished Chicago entrepreneurs and industry experts engage in a panel discussion about the Chicago tech ecosystem, where it is now and where it is headed in the future.

Steven Miller, principal and co-founder of Origins Ventures, moderated the discussion which featured two successful impresarios, Gregg Kaplan, the founder and former CEO of Redbox, and Talia Mashiach, the CEO and founder of Eved, an event commerce company that automates the buying and selling for meetings and events. Representing the Venture Capitalist side of the start-up equation was Bret Maxwell, the managing general partner for MK Capital.

The focus of the evening was growing the Chicago startup community. All of the panelists sit on the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center board, which is responsible for 1871 and supports entrepreneurs on their path to building high-growth, sustainable businesses that serve as platforms for economic development and civic leadership. With 220 start-ups building companies out of 1871, Chicago is competing with the tech heavy coasts.

One way to stay local is to find funding from Chicago-based venture capitalists like Maxwell.

“Being local helps you met every month,” Mashiach said. “The expectations versus outside of Chicago and inside Chicago are much more manageable….And I just really believe in this awesome city and this community here and I wanted to be Chicago based.”

“My goal is to stay in Chicago [with my next business] from a money perspective,” Kaplan said. “…What is the compelling reason to go out of Chicago? This is a small community, you know the people here and you are connected to them and the prestige, so to speak, about the firms on the east coast is not really an issue for me. I want somebody who I know.”

Maxwell, who has spent 27 years in the venture capital world and founded MK Capital, shared several insights on what venture capitalists are looking to invest in.

“Think about the search business,” Maxwell said. “Most people here remember Yahoo. At the time Yahoo first got funded, the Google guys were using it as their search engine. And they felt like they had a lot more to add like ad words, and everything else that they did. And yet, if you asked 99 percent of the investment community, the venture community, people would have said Yahoo has done everything and it’s over. And clearly, it wasn’t over. It wasn’t even close to being over. In a lot of these IT sectors, people think we are in these mature states…sometimes it’s the subtle little things…that may be technology enabled but that may not be pure technology and that can cause the dynamic growth.”

Jewish values played a large role in shaping all of their identities as entrepreneurs and business owners. “Being an entrepreneur is challenging the status quo,” Kaplan told the audience. “Red Box is a real example of that. We came from an industry that has a whole lot of can’t dos— where you could not charge a $1 for a DVD. Blockbuster has 6,000 stores and you weren’t allowed to return a DVD to any other stores and we said that doesn’t make any sense. Successful entrepreneurs are constantly challenging status quo and I think that’s part of Jewish culture where you are taught to raise questions.”

“The other part that people find very interesting is that I keep Shabbat,” Mashiach continued. “A lot of people say [to me], “you have a startup, you have five kids, how do you do that?” And I tell you, I think it’s my little secret sauce. I would probably work seven days a week all the time. I wouldn’t have balance to be with my kids and I wouldn’t recharge. So from Friday night till Saturday night, I shut off my phone and my complete focus is on my family and things that are totally not work related. It’s my revival and it gives me the opportunity to come back in on Monday—or Saturday night usually—and start all over again.”

During the panel discussion, participants “facebooked” their questions to the Jewish United Fund fan page and “tweeted” @JUFChicago.

Participation at the event required a gift to the 2013 JUF Annual Campaign. For more information about the Trades, Industries and Professions Division, visit www.juf.org/professionals. For more information about JUF’s Chicago Entrepreneurs Forum, visit http://www.juf.org/professionals/cjef.aspx. 

Idan Raichel, Israel's musical superstar of the decade, arrives in Chicago for two performances in February. Since emerging in early 2003, The Idan Raichel Project   has changed perceptions of Israeli music. Fitting for February, love is a motif in Raichel's life and music; the composer/keyboardist's biggest hits are love songs; "Hinech Yafah" (הינך יפה / "Thou art Fair") from Song of Songs, "Boi" (בואי / "Come") and  "Im Telech" (אם תלך / "If you go"). This is rooted in a broader love for all peoples and cultures he encounters.

Raised in a secular family in Kfar Saba, Raichel first witnessed colorful customs from Yemenite families living up the street. After serving as musical director of the Israeli Defense Forces Band, Raichel taught music at school for Ethiopian immigrants. Many young olim sought to leave behind folkways to assimilate into Israeli society, but some passed Raichel recordings of traditional Amharic singers like Aster Awekem. The experience opened his ears to the musical potential of rich ethnic diversity.

Soon thereafter, Raichel began recording in his home studio, inviting numerous musicians to participate, including many Ethiopian Jews, Arabs, Africans, and singers from Yemen and South Africa as well as  Israelis. His debut album, The Idan Raichel Project was released in January 2003 by Helicon Records to critical and commercial success owing to its fusion of traditional Middle Eastern sounds with pulsing contemporary musical forms.

Adding to his appeal are seeming contradictions that defy narrowly categorizing him or his music. He seems to embody a spirit among Israelis of his generation, at once at tension and at home in the Middle East, informed but not constrained by religion and culture. Though Raichel himself is spiritual without being religious, his early lyrical sources were Hebrew Psalms and texts familiar to most Israelis regardless of background. Raichel's primary language is Hebrew, but he includes lyrics in Arabic, Swahili, Zulu, Spanish, Portuguese and notably, Amharic. Raichel likewise defies definition in appearance, sporting dreadlocks bound by a black turban and designer baggy pants. His openness, tolerance and desire for cross-cultural contact seem to reflect a worldly and open Israeli outlook.

Raichel's collaborations exemplify this. A chance meeting with Malian musician Vieux Farka Toure in an airport led to his visiting Raichel in Israel to play and record, resulting in the "Toure-Raichel Collective" and The Tel Aviv Session, a remarkable, critically-hailed collection of original music reflecting various traditional influences that altogether is an unlikely, beautiful fusion. In 2008 Raichel recorded Ben Kirot Beyti (Within these Walls),collaborating with musicians from Latin America. His relationship with the Ethiopian community, however, remains his hallmark. In 2012 Israeli President Shimon Peres asked Raichel to set his own poem "The Eyes of Beta Israel," about Israel's Ethiopian community, to music.

More recently Raichel recorded with Grammy-award winning singer India.Arie, whom he met during her 2008 visit to Israel. They performed at both the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize gala and 2011 Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial dedication, singing "Gift of Acceptance," from a forthcoming joint album, Open Door. The track is posted on KFAR Jewish Arts Center's website at www.kfarcenter.org/video. Hopefully it opens a door to the music of this important Israeli artist and, in the process, your heart.

The Idan Raichel Project performs on Feb. 17 and 18 at the City Winery in Chicago. For more information, visit www.citywinery.com.

Adam Davis is the founder and executive director of KFAR Jewish Arts Center, a leading presenter and advocate of contemporary Jewish arts, music, and culture programs in and around Chicago. For future arts suggestions and feedback, e-mail Adam at adam@kfarcenter.org.

Let’s face it. You meet a guy or a girl at a bar. What do you really know about them? They like to drink. That’s about it. But you meet a fellow counselor at a Jewish day camp and before they say hello, you know you’ve met a kindred spirit.

“You can assume if they’re working at a day camp that they like kids, they’re outgoing and athletic,” says Jeff Silver, a former counselor at the JCC Chicago’s “Z” Frank Apachi Day Camp. “Everyone has the same values. They like kids and they’re family-oriented,” says Adam Sax, another alumnus.

“It’s a magical spot,” says Terri Blenner, the camp’s director. “Kids have a chance to be who they want to be while they enjoy their Jewish heritage. I don’t think anyone can quite understand it who hasn’t been there.” 

All of which explains why romance is so likely to blossom at camp. Blenner, who has been with the JCC for over 35 years, says last summer a dozen counselors left the camp as couples. “We tried to make a list once of all the couples who met here and got married, but we gave up.”

Debbie and Jeff Silver at a 1950s-style camp dance in 1986, shortly after they met.

When Debbie Schwartz first saw Jeff Silver, she thought he was “full of himself.” He was an older man, 21, a senior at the University of Illinois, and a premed. Debbie was 18 and had just graduated from Niles West. “He gave a speech on first aid. I don’t want to say he was arrogant, but he was very confidant. I thought, ‘Who is this guy?’” 

This was in 1986 at Mayer Kaplan JCC Day Camp. Since Debbie was working with second grade girls and Jeff was working with second grade boys, they spent a lot of time together, teaching swimming, and cooking. “There was a lot of mingling,” says Debbie. 

“There were a lot of parties that summer, a lot of couples pairing off,” says Jeff. “That’s what happens when [counselors work] together in an informal setting…they mingle and flirt with each other.”

As the summer wore on, Debbie saw the way Jeff interacted with the campers. “The kids adored him. He got down to their level.” 

After four weeks of hanging out, they went on their first date. They married 22 years ago, live in Northbrook, and have three kids, 16, 14, and 13, who have all attended Apachi Day Camp. 

Debbie and Jeff at their son’s bar mitzvah earlier this year. 

When the kids were little, Debbie hired Amanda Plotkin to babysit. In 2007, when she was a sophomore in college, Amanda worked at Apachi in the office. Adam Sax worked there, too. They met at the photocopier. “There was a spark,” says Adam. 

Amanda and Adam, at Apachi Day Camp in 2007, the summer they met. 

“He was the unit head, in charge of the counselors and all the campers from four to six. I saw how he interacted with the staff and the supervisors. This guy he was a leader. People respected him, parents respected him. We saw each other every day, and I got to know him on a much different level than meeting someone at a bar,” Amanda says. 

“When I was first hired as a counselor-in-training in 2002, the director at the time was joking around and said, ‘You’ll meet a lot of girls here. You might even meet your wife,’” Adam says. 

Terri Blenner got a call one day from Adam. He needed her help. He wanted to propose to Amanda at the Xerox machine where they’d met. “I called Amanda and told her I needed her to come in and help with scheduling,” Terri recalls. “When she got there, I said, ‘I just printed something, would you get it for me?’ She lifted up the lid on the Xerox machine and there was a sign that read, ‘Will you marry me?’ Adam was waiting in the other room.”

Amanda and Adam Sax today. 

“I had it all set up with roses and an engagement ring,” Adam says. They’ve been married almost two years and live in Vernon Hills.

“We had one couple who got engaged on Apachi Hill,” says Gayle Malvin, director of JCC day camps. “Now their kids are in day care at Mayer Kaplan JCC.”

The Jewish Community Center of Chicago (JCC) is a partner in serving our community and receives support from the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago.

Cheryl Lavin writes the “Tales From the Front” column which appears Monday, Tuesday and Thursday in the Chicago Sun-Times. Her website is askcheryl.net. 

In the eighth grade, Joel Chasnoff, admits he was the only kid cut from the Solomon Schechter basketball team. 

This was all the more shameful because “I’d been cut not just from a sports team, but from a Jewish sports team,” he writes in his book, The 188th Crybaby Brigade. But in his early 20s, despite his lack of athletic prowess, Chasnoff—a burgeoning Jewish comedian in New York City—decided to put his comedy career on hold to join the Israel Defense Forces, out of love for the Jewish State.

An Evanston native, married to an Israeli woman, Chasnoff returns to Chicago on Saturday, Feb. 16 for his solo show “G.I. Joel: A 24-year-old Stand-up Comic from Chicago Gets Drafted into the Israeli Army” as part of the Limmud Chicago lineup.

The 70-minute performance, adapted from his book The 188th Crybaby Brigade, chronicles Chasnoff’s experiences in 1997 and 1998 as a tank gunner in the Israel Defense Forces Armored Corps. His unit was responsible for defending Israel’s north, including the Golan Heights and the Syrian border. His service included two months of Basic Training, two months of Tank School, and three months of Advanced Warfare training, followed by a tour of duty.

Oy!Chicago recently interviewed the comedian in advance of his Chicago visit.

Oy!Chicago: How did G.I. Joel come about?
Joel Chasnoff: I've been speaking about the book for a couple years now. And whenever I have, I tried to make the stories I told as compelling and funny as possible. Those book presentations, combined with my stand-up comedy background, led me to create an actual show, with beginning, middle and end, that tells the story—in a comedic way—of my IDF experience. 

Why was it important to you to write Crybaby Brigade in the first place?
As a stand-up comedian and actor, I'm a firm believer in the power of stories. I'd even say that we human beings are our stories: how we think of ourselves, others, and our lives is a reflection of the stories we tell ourselves. I truly felt that my experience in Israel—everything from the actual military service to the eventual questioning of my Judaism by the Israeli rabbinate—was a story that would resonate with others who think about, value, and struggle with Israel as I do. 

How does the work lend itself to a one-man show? What’s different about the process as a book versus a performance?
The book is, in a way, a one-man book, since it’s first-person, non-fiction. I simply told my stories on the page, as opposed to the stage. The big difference is that in the book, I can take a lot of time and space to describe my feelings at certain moments, and descriptions of places and people… Onstage, the action needs to be quick; no one wants to spend 10 minutes hearing what a mountain looks like. 

Why did you join the IDF? After all, many American Jews love and support Israel, but you took it a step further.
One, I felt a bit guilty that we American Jews call Israel the homeland but let Israelis bleed for it. I remember during the first Gulf War that bombs were falling on Israel and my synagogue recited Psalms and mailed care packages—which didn't seem like enough. And two—I was enthralled with Israelis from my visit at age 17 on—they were exciting, outspoken, and strong—and I wanted to be one of those Uzi-toting heroes like them. 

What is the most important lesson you learned while serving in the IDF?
On a personal level, I learned that if one is passionate to do something (as I was to join the army), the best thing to do is simply to do it and take the risk that it won't work out. I would have felt something was missing from my life had I decided not to do it. On an army level, I learned a lot about friendship and what it means to both love a group of guys and, at the same time, not be able to stand them—and yet my platoon-mates and I emerged friends despite all the ups and downs…

How is your wife, Dorit? What does it mean to her as an Israeli that you served and to her family as well?
She didn't want me to serve at first—she thought real Israelis (not like the good ones they send to summer camps) would eat me alive. But now, it's allowed us possibly living in Israel one day to be more of a reality. 

Are you excited to return to Chicago for the show?
I'm very excited to premier the solo show in Chicago, since I'm a native myself. The show will be a semi-workshop so after the performance I'll open up the room to notes, feedback, etc. This should be a fun experience for the audience. 

Looking back, what is your favorite memory of the IDF?
Sitting on a mountain with my best buddy, Tomer, giving him advice about women after his girlfriend broke up with him during basic training—this despite the fact that I still know barely anything about women.

Joel Chasnoff will perform his one-man show “G.I. Joel” as part of Limmud Chicago’s evening program on Saturday, Feb. 16, at UIC Student Center East. For more information, visit www.limmudchicago.org.

To learn more about Chasnoff, visit www.joelchasnoff.com.

I first learned of Jonathan Safran Foer in college, when I read his debut novel, Everything is Illuminated, in a course titled, "New Voices in Jewish Fiction." And he was just that—his unique writing style was fresh and the story he told, though fictionalized, reflected a Jewish journey of self-discovery. After his first book was named "Book of the Year" by the Los Angeles Times and was made into a feature-length film, he wrote his second novel, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, also made into a film, which uses 9/11 as the backdrop for the story. He is also the author of the non-fiction book, Eating Animals, and the editor of theNew American Haggadah, which came out last Passover.  

Foer is the winner of numerous awards, including the Guardian First Book Prize, the National Jewish Book Award, and the New York Public Library Young Lions Prize. He's been named one of Rolling Stone's "People of the Year" and Esquire Magazine's "Best and Brightest." Safran Foer, who is working on his next novel, is currently the Lillian Vernon Distinguished Writer-in-Residence at New York University.

Foer came to Chicago earlier this month for a session titled "Jonathan Safran Foer on Judaism, Writing, and Inspiration," part of the Spertus Prime series.

Oy!Chicago had a chance to talk with Foer leading up to his Chicago visit:

Oy!Chicago: Can you give us a preview of what we can expect to hear when you come speak at Spertus next month? 
Jonathan Safran Foer: I'm going to talk about two heroes of mine and the way that they informed my thinking about both writing and art but, also, religion and the intersection of the two. 

The program is titled, "Jonathan Safran Foer on Judaism, Writing, and Inspiration"—where do you find inspiration? 
I don't find it really—I try to make it. It's not like I have lots of great ideas and I sit down to write them. It's through the act of filling pages that I force myself to have ideas—most of them are bad and some of them are okay and I keep the okay ones and I try to make them better. I think there is a misunderstanding about the process that first you find something and then you share it. For me, you create the thing in the process of looking for it.

Age-old question: Are you a Jewish author or an author who is Jewish? 
I think time will tell better than whatever I will say. I think the question of what we consider ourselves is not as important as the question of what we do with ourselves. People are all the time wrong about who they think they are. I've been surprised by the way that Judaism as surfaced in my writing, continually—it almost can't be suppressed. Not that I try, but it's just constantly there and I wouldn't have guessed that before it happened. I wouldn't have described myself as somebody to whom that would happen. 

I understand that you took time away from your own writing to write the New American Haggadah. Why the need for a new haggadah and why was this an important project for you? 
I didn't see a need—writing isn't really guided by need as much as instinct, curiosity or just desire, and I had all those things for this project. For a number of reasons—one is it's just an interesting book. If you divorce it, if that were possible, from its religious context, it's one of the oldest continually told stories, one of the most dramatic moments in any kind of literature or book, so the idea of spending time with that was exciting. But also, personally I've been going to Seders my whole life and been somewhat underwhelmed by Seders my whole life, and I wondered if there wasn't a better way to think about [them].

As someone who completed your first novel in your 20s, what advice do you have for young, aspiring writers? 
I think the people who are going to end up writing books don't really need advice. Ultimately what separates published writers from unpublished writers is not talent, or often it's not—it's energy and wherewithal and willingness to write despite all those many, many reasons not to. I think people have to make their own mark, and find their own reasons—one thing I often say to my students is making your story better is a lot easier than making it longer. Really truly, the biggest challenge for a writer is to keep writing.

For more information for the Spertus Prime event, visit www.spertus.edu.

You know that one house were all the kids want to play after school because they have the best toys?

In my case, it was my friend Cara’s house. Her mom, Diane Bronstein, created the best art projects for us to do and she would let us rummage through her art collections. We spent hours in her mom’s jewelry studio in the basement making necklaces and bracelets out of her “extra” beads and playing with art materials that were deemed “too messy” in my own home.

Diane is the cool mom. A painter, photographer, jewelry designer and all around artistic maven, she fills her home…and businesses with art and creativity.

“My loves are painting, drawing, photography and design,” Bronstein explained. “Somehow I manage to always incorporate that in every business.”

Bronstein has had an eclectic career. From heading up advertising for a decorative accessories company, to owning several of her own business, including Mrs. B’s Quality Kits, to painting furniture, she has traveled extensively and studied art throughout Europe.

Last summer, Cara got married and with it a new idea was born.

“I had already been painting and sketching every type of dress you can imagine” she said. “I had been doing that for years now.”

Then she went wedding dress shopping with her daughter.

“There is that one dress... that perfect dress .... that many girls have thought about since they were little,” she said. “It dawned on me, a painting preserves that very special dress in a very special way.”

And so the notion for Custom Wedding Dress Paintings was born. With Cara her first customer.

“We thought it would be a beautiful keepsake,” she said. “And also thought it would be pretty for her to use as thank you cards from her wedding as one last homage to her beautiful dress.”

The concept has since taken off.

“Everyone who saw the dress portrait loved it,” she said. “Requests started coming in to make paintings of the wedding dresses for brides from photos of their weddings. Today I wrote my first "gift certificate" that is being given to a bride at her wedding.”

“It does not matter how old we are or how long ago we got married,” she said. “We will never forget our dress. And wouldn't it be lovely if we all had a painting of that special dress....”

To learn more about Custom Wedding Dress Paintings, visit http://dianebronstein.com or http://www.etsy.com/shop/DianeBronstein.

For some Russian-speaking Jews in Chicago, this New Year's was special. Besides traditional salad 'Olivie' and a champagne toast at midnight they also performed a mitzvah.

Russian Jewish Division helped to engage close to 40 volunteers who packed and delivered 400 gift packages to the Russian-speaking WWII veterans several days before the New Year. Many of the visits didn't end just with a smile and a gift. Volunteers got to hear stories of struggles and courage, of heroism and tragedies. When we talk about World War II and the Jewish people what often comes to mind first is Holocaust—many people simply do not know of the thousands of Jewish soldiers who fought on the battlefields. 

Julia Bikbova, an attorney by profession, who led this initiative said: "I consider myself very lucky when I get to meet so many courageous people and learn their stories, and my son does that with me too—this is real-life history and real-life heroes, as oppose to comic books and Hollywood-made ones. I get a lot of inspiration from them and that makes it easier to overcome certain challenges in [my] life. I thus try to spread the word and give opportunities to others to volunteer so they gain as much. And based on the feedback and thank-yous from volunteers, they do."

The Russian Jewish community in Chicago is very tight. You would think almost everyone knows everyone. But there is a group of people share more than just a Russian background—they share another story, a very sad and heroic story of World War II. There are about 400 Russian-speaking veterans who live in the Chicagoland area. While many of them are fortunate to have families and friends, many of these seniors are lonely and have low mobility. They mostly live in subsidized apartment buildings around the city and the suburbs, watch Russian television and read Russian newspapers keeping their memories in thick albums with photographs.

The veterans shared with the young generation stories from the war and their amazing life journey. "I heard so many stories today, overwhelmed...Also never was I kissed by so many women and men in one day!" said Genady Yoffe after his visits last week.

Last summer Russian Jewish Division of Jewish Federation started a project called 'L'Dor VaDor,' from generation to generation. In cooperation with the Board of WWII Veterans Association in Chicago, RJD's volunteers visit veterans on their birthdays, bringing them a very special gift—a warm smile and an appreciation for all they had to go though during the war. This project engaged many: sponsors who donated money for flowers to veterans, students, young professionals and young families from Russian-speaking backgrounds.

Get involved and learn more about Russian Jewish community at our new website www.juf.org/RJD. 

Happy New Year, friends!

The Russian Jewish Division, a new division at the Jewish Federation, serves Russian-speaking Jewish young adults between the ages of 18 and 40. RJD focuses its work on student engagement, Israel advocacy, outreach to young professionals and young families, leadership development and fundraising. While continuing to tailor to the specific needs of the Russian-speaking Jewish young adult community, Russian Jewish Division utilizes various available resources and serves as a resource and 'connection' to the JUF and the Jewish community at large.

Josh Schonfeld is a partner and general manager of Grass Fed, a new, chic, modern steak restaurant in Bucktown. The star of the menu is their grass-fed sirloin steak, which comes with fries for just $25, but they also offer yummy sides and desserts. 

Before opening Grass Fed, Josh was most recently manager for Chicago based Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, at Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab in Las Vegas. Prior to moving to Las Vegas, Josh was General Manager for Vail Resorts at Beaver Creek’s high volume on mountain restaurant, Spruce Saddle Lodge. 

A Chicago native, Josh graduated from American University in Washington, D.C. and he holds an MBA and master’s degree in hotel and restaurant administration from the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

So whether you’re a steak eater, love the show Private Practice or have been to over 75 countries, Josh Schonfeld is a Jew you should know!

1. What is your favorite blog or website? 
Anything that has to do with food or travel. I read the Eater and RedEye every day! I know, really I should watch the news more!

2. If time and money were limitless, where would you travel? 
Well, I have been fortunate to have been to over 75 countries, but nowhere in Africa or Asia. I would have to say South Africa, Thailand and Vietnam are all next on my list.

3. If a movie were made about your life, who would play you? 
Jason Alexander for his mannerisms and quick wit (not the belly :) ) 

4. If you could have a meal with any two people, living or dead, famous or not, who would they be? Where would you eat or what would you serve? 
Dr. Addison Montgomery from Private Practice. Not gonna lie, I have the biggest crush on her! And Rich Melman. I have learned so much about the restaurant business from him and really love what he has done with his restaurants in Chicago for the past several decades. 

5. What's your idea of the perfect day? 
Getting up around 9 a.m., hitting the gym, working a lunch/early dinner shift at Grass Fed, leaving work around 8 p.m., dinner with some good friends, and then head home to catch up on DVR.

6. What do you love about what you do? 
I love the daily interactions with my staff and my patrons. I could never sit at a desk from 9-5, I'd kill myself. I love being on the restaurant floor, talking with guests, running food, tasting wine with my staff, and never knowing what to expect the next minute. Every moment is unexpected—my flat top grill could be on fire, or a customer could be buying me a shot of tequila that I really don't need to be having!

7. What job would you have had if not the one you have now? 
I'd love to own a hotel/resort with several restaurants on site.

8. What's your favorite Jewish thing to do in Chicago? In other words, how do you Jew? 
I love going to the Bagel with my friend, Victoria, on Thursdays for lunch and having a good ole bowl of matzo ball soup and a turkey/pastrami sandwich. All their servers have known me since I was a baby. 

Photo credit: Jeff Ellis

For the fifth year in a row, Young Leadership Division's (YLD) Big Event was the place to be for young Jewish adults in Chicago this past Saturday night.

A whopping 2,400 young Jews came together to support the Chicago Jewish community and the Jewish United Fund, celebrate Chanukah together, and watch entertainment by standup comedian and Parks and Recreation star Aziz Ansari as well as young local Jewish singer, Edon Pinchot. YLD's Big Event, held at the Sheraton Chicago, kicked off YLD's 2013 Annual Campaign. 

Photo credit: Bob Kusel

Big Event revelers rang in the first night of Chanukah together, entering the ballroom to the sounds of Adam Sandler's "Chanukah Song." Then the crowd lit up the room with the first candle on the menorah--and thousands of waving glow sticks too.

'Doing our generation's part'  

YLD's Big Event is JUF's premier fundraising event for the next generation of Jewish Chicagoans, and marks the first YLD event for many guests in attendance.

David Goldenberg, 2013 YLD Campaign Chair, addressed the crowd. He discussed the belief that all Jews are responsible for one another, exemplified in the important work of the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, which he said has touched everyone in the room directly or indirectly.

Photo credit: Bob Kusel

In addition to showcasing great comedy, YLD's Big Event offers the millennial generation something more, according to Goldenberg. "[We're here] to do our generation's part in building a strong Jewish community and take care of those in need in Chicago, in Israel, and around the world," he said.

He recalled the recent terrorist attacks directed at Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Ashkelon, and cities throughout Southern Israel, and how overnight, JUF advanced $1 million to its partner agencies that operate in Israel.

"I am so proud to look out into a room of 2,400 people celebrating and supporting JUF's efforts," said Jimmy Sarnoff, YLD President. "The Big Event has become bigger than anything we ever could have imagined. It's clearly the 'can't miss' Jewish event of the year." For many in attendance, the Big Event also marked their first YLD event.

'YLD's Got Talent'

Next up was a performance by Pinchot, a freshman at Ida Crown Jewish Academy--who made headlines recently as one of the feel-good Chicago Jewish stories of 2012. Pinchot, who earned a spot last summer as a semi-finalist in the hit show America's Got Talent, brought a special performance home to Chicago to the delight of the crowd. 

Photo credit: Bob Kusel

He sang three powerful songs, the David Guetta/Usher hit "Without You," Elton John's "Your Song," and a Chanukah song called "Miracle," written by past Big Event alum, Matisyahu.

'The funniest man under 30'

Then Ansari came to the stage. "I'm excited to be here with so many Jewish leaders. I don't know what happens when there are so many Jewish leaders in one room together: 'We're going this way.' 'No, we're going this way,'" said Ansari, moving in different directions across the stage. 

Comedian Aziz Ansari entertaining the crowd. Photo credit: Bob Kusel

The comedian, who Rolling Stone recently named "the funniest man under 30," was  born and raised in South Carolina to immigrants from southern India.

Ansari told the audience a bit about himself, including that he was a double major in business--and biology--during college. "First, I hit you with the business. You think it's all done. Then, I come back and I hit you with the biology," he said. "What was I going to do with this stupid double major? Sell organs on the black market very efficiently?" 

In addition to performing standup, the comedian co-stars in the NBC series Parks and Recreation, currently in its fourth season. On the big screen, Ansari has starred in films including 30 Minutes or Less, I Love You, Man, and Funny People.

Ansari, a 29-year-old bachelor, spent the bulk of his act reflecting on the varied life stages that 20 and 30-somethings experience, some married, some single. 

The comedian referred to peers who have met their spouses online. He asked one of his Jewish friends what key search words he used to find his wife, expecting his friend to say something super romantic. But, instead, his friend told Ansari he simply typed in the word "Jewish" and his zip code.

"What? That's all you were looking for? Just someone Jewish and close by so you didn't have to drive too far?" Ansari replied. "I found a Wendy's that way a few weeks ago. I typed in "Wendy's" and my zip code and then got some nuggets. He got a wife the exact same way." 

And once people get married, Ansari said, then it's all about the babies. He poked fun at Facebook for being a reservoir of baby pictures and baby milestone status updates by braggadocios new parents. He said a friend will boast, for instance, about "Baby Brian's first steps."

"I walk all the time," Ansari said. "I'm not impressed."

For a list of upcoming YLD events and to view pictures from the Big Event, visit www.yldchicago.org.

A special thank you to YLD's Big Event Presenting Sponsor Eleven City Diner; Supporting Sponsors AMS Staffing Solutions, LLC, Associated Agencies, Inc. and Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, Charles E. Dobrusin and Associates, and The Great Escape; and Event Sponsors Chicago Apartment Finders, Durable Packaging International, Hub 51, JFS Realty Capital, Paris Club, RJ Grunts, RPM ITALIAN, Sarnoff and Baccash, Steve's Deli, and Wicker Park Veterinary Clinic, and Media Sponsor Splash: A Chicago Sun-Times Publication; Thank you also to Mercadito Hospitality and Spin Spun All Natural Confections for their support of this event. Another special thank you to the 150 Table Hosts whose support of this event made it an enormous success.

In 1987, I was 17 years old. I got on a bus in Cleveland with many of my friends from school, synagogue, camp, and my youth group. We were bound for Washington D.C., to send Mr. Gorbachev a message: We, the Jews of the United States, stood with the Jews of the Soviet Union. We wanted them to stop being refuseniks… and start being olim to Israel or immigrants to America. 

As we arrived, my busload was mingled with others from Ohio. As we marched, alphabetically by state, we passed the National Archives. Our signs waved in the same wind that blew through the banners on that building’s columns, declaring the 200th anniversary of the Constitution. 

When our march arrived before the White House, I could not see or hear any of the speakers, from back in the “Os” with Oklahoma and Oregon. I could barely make out some strains of Peter Paul & Mary, who were playing at the event. But I held my “Glasnost for Soviet Jews” sign as high as I could. “Glasnost” being the Russian word for “openness.” (The sign now hangs on the wall of my house.)

I also found a poster that said “B’nai B’rith Youth Demands: Open Your Iron Gates!” It seemed to me that the mighty Soviet Union might not exactly quail before some Midwest suburban Jewish teens. But you know what? Every voice joined in the chorus makes it harder to ignore. 

I later learned that Gorbachev did not make his scheduled visit to the White House that day. Message received.

Just before Rosh Hashanah this year, my great-uncle’s brother, Isaac-Mordchah, passed away in his late 90s. He had been stuck behind the Iron Curtain after surviving the Holocaust. But for decades before he died, he sat between my great-uncle and grandfather in synagogue every Shabbat, worshipping as a Jew in the land of the free. 

So on this 25th anniversary of that rally, I say: God bless America. Thank God that I live in a country that teaches me that I can use my voice to make sure other voices are heard. And that because I can, I must. And so I hold high my 25-year-old sign, and write these flickering words, and I raise my single voice. 

Until all eyes and ears are open. Until all hearts and minds are open. Until all iron gates are open: Glasnost!

In a Jewish world obsessed with continuity, the millennial generation is an enigma. Age-old norms that defined what it means to be Jewish don't seem to fit. Yet "being Jewish" often is seen as cooler and more accepted than ever.

The public-affairs television show "Sanctuary," which first aired on Nov. 18 on ABC7-Channel 7 and now you can watch it below, examines every angle of this generation. On the program, millennials look closely at themselves and, in the process, reveal a deep commitment to a Judaism rooted in tradition and community, but lived in ways that often challenge 20th century structures and lifestyles.

The show features Oy!Chicago blogger-in-chief, Stefanie Pervos Bregman, editor of the newly published Living Jewishly: A Snapshot of a Generation. The book is a collection of revealing, incisive personal essays by a diverse group of young adult Jews from Chicago and around the country.

Bregman will be joined by an array of millennials offering insights into what “living Jewishly” means to them, from the role of ritual and the importance of choice, to the significance of denominations and the transformation of dating in the era of JDate. Guests include Jenna Benn, Rachel Kohl Finegold, Rachel Friedman, Jonny Imerman, Rabbi Jason Miller, Rabbi David Russo, Benjamin D. Singer, Elizabeth Wyner and Alyssa Zeller.

This episode is hosted by Cindy Sher, editor of JUF News.

"Sanctuary" is a joint production of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and the Chicago Board of Rabbis, in cooperation with ABC7-Channel 7.

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Photo credit: Robert Kusel

Around 2,000 Chicagoans—and even a few people from out-of-state—gathered at the James R. Thompson Center today to show their solidarity with Israel as it defends its citizens against the terror of Hamas in Gaza.

The Jewish United Fund and JUF's Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), in cooperation with the Chicago Board of Rabbis and JUF's Rabbinic Action Committee, sponsored the Rally for Israel, one of many rallies organized in communities around North America this past week. (see photos from the event)

Community members waved Israeli flags and held signs proclaiming "I Stand with Israel," "Israel has the right to defend itself," and "Hamas the Aggressor, Israel the Beacon of Freedom." High school students spontaneously sang, "Am Yisrael Chai" and "Hatikvah," Israel's national anthem, as they waited for the rally to begin. News helicopters hovered overhead as the crowd chanted, "Israel! Israel!"

Cantor Alberto Mizrahi of Anshe Emet Synagogue then opened the rally, singing the National Anthem. David Sherman, JCRC Chairman, welcomed participants (watch a video of Sherman's remarks).

"We have all come together to say with one voice, Am Yisrael Chai—the people of Israel live," Sherman said.

"Let me be clear. Our support and our prayers are focused on Israel. But neither Israel nor we harbor hatred of the Palestinians. The Tribune today described yesterday's rally as 'anti-Israel.' This rally is pro-Israel, not anti-Palestinian."

More than 1,000 rockets have been fired into Israel from Gaza in the past few days, he said. "Millions of Israelis—Jews, Muslims and Christians—are now in harm's way.

"At the root of Hamas rockets is hatred and their belief that through terror they can deny the Jewish people a peaceful life in our homeland," Sherman said. "Hatred is the root, but fueling, funding and arming that hatred is Iran…As Israel fights for peace for its citizens, the world dare not lose sight of Iran's march toward a nuclear weapon. A nuclear Iran threatens the entire world, not just Israel."

Rabbi Sidney Helbraun of Temple Beth-El and co-chair of JUF's Rabbinic Action Committee, talked about his visit to Israel during the second intifada in the early 2000s. Twice during the trip, there were bombings in places he had been. "I felt as though I was being hunted…Everywhere I was going seemed to be blowing up behind me.

"Today, some 4 million Israelis are living with the sound of sirens," Helbraun said. "We pray not for victory, but for peace."

Rev. Chris Harris of Bright Start Church said Jews stood with African Americans during the civil rights movement. "Just as you stood with us…in this challenging time, we will not fail to stand with you as well," he said.

Elected officials express solidarity

Andy Hochberg, Chair of the JUF Government Affairs Committee, acknowledged public officials in attendance: State Sen. Ira Silverstein, State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, State Rep. Robyn Gabel, City Treasurer Stephanie Neely, Ald. Ed Burke, Ald. Debra Silverstein and Ald. Michelle Smith, as well as letters of support from Sen. Mark Kirk, Gov. Pat Quinn, Rep. Bob Dold and Speaker of the Illinois House Michael Madigan. (read their letters)

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel sent in a statement of support that was read at the rally: "There is no country on Earth that would tolerate missiles raining down on its citizens from outside its borders. So we are fully supportive of Israel's right to defend itself," his statement said. 

A number of other officials expressed their solidarity with Israel:

Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, said, "We stand with the men, women and children in southern Israel who have 15 seconds to find shelter." (watch her full remarks)

Congressman Mike Quigley said, "We are united by so many things. Israel and the U.S. are the greatest of allies and the greatest of friends." (see his full remarks)

Congressman Bill Foster talked about his visit to Sderot during a JUF mission. "We saw children playing in a playground (that was) a shielded, missile proof bomb shelter.

"Nobody should have to raise their children like that. Today, the message is simple: the U.S. stands with Israel."

Congressman-elect Brad Schneider said, "This situation is unacceptable. Like many of you, I have friends and relatives living in Israel, serving in the IDF and wondering what's next."

State Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka captured the sentiment of the crowd: "I'm tired of Israel getting rocketed and bombed and picked on," she said. "Let's get it straight. Israel has the right to exist. Israel has the right to defend itself.

"It's my honor to stand with you today," she said.

Roey Gilad, Consul General of Israel to the Midwest, said, "You have no idea how proud I am currently [of the rally]. Enough is enough. Since we pulled back from Gaza…we have hardly had a day without rockets.

"Our brothers and sisters are not the only ones suffering…Hamas is an organization who is committed officially for the destruction of Israel.

"To this we have one simple answer: we are not going anywhere. We are still willing to extend our hand and try to live in peace with you." (see his full remarks)

Israel has continued to supply Gaza with necessities like food, water and electricity during the conflict, as well as transport sick and injured residents into Israel for treatment.

Two of JUF's top leaders will return from Israel Nov. 21 after traveling there to assess the situation and show Chicago's solidarity with the Israeli people at a time of great threat.

David T. Brown, chairman, and Steven B. Nasatir, president, toured endangered areas of the country and met with key government and civil officials. JUF had immediately advanced $1 million in emergency assistance to its partner agencies in Israel to provide critical humanitarian aid to those impacted most by the ongoing terror attacks.

Rabbi Carl Wolkin, Congregation Beth Shalom, and President of the Chicago Board of Rabbis, suggested ways Chicagoans can take action during this time of crisis:

Give to the JUF Israel Terror Relief Fund;

Read and watch all news channels—including those with Israeli perspectives;

Write to family and friends in Israel so they feel supported;

Don't cancel trips to Israel;

Buy products made in Israel;

Pray; and "Stay with it. This crisis will be ongoing. Don't let your support waver," Wolkin said.

For current updates and to contribute to JUF's Israel Terror Relief Fund, visit http://www.juf.org/help_israel

Showing their support

Marissa Steinhofer came from Milwaukee to join her friend, Lauren Sandoval of Chicago, "to express support for Israel."

Joceb Dnamar, Aurora, attended the rally "because I'm Jewish. A friend of mine called me yesterday to tell me about it." His friend, Noussy Nathan, also of Aurora, learned about the rally through email messages. "I've got a lot of family there," he said, noting that his family members are safe in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. "But, it's been pretty scary the last few days."

Laurie K., Highland Park, attended the event "because I strongly support Israel and I think what Hamas is going on the Gaza strip is terrible."

Victoria Kofman, Buffalo Grove, lives in Israel during part of the year and has relatives there. "A bomb came close to their house. They all are OK," she said. "They could see it went through (the neighbor's) roof."

Emergency medical personnel carrying the body bag of one of three Israelis killed in a rocket attack on their apartment building in Kiryat Malachi, Nov. 15, 2012. (Moshe Milner/GPO/Flash90/JTA)

Chicago’s Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation stands in solidarity with the people of Israel, especially the residents of Southern Israel, who have suffered hundreds of rocket attacks within the past four days, the latest salvo in a decade during which Islamist terrorists have launched some 10,000 missiles and rockets. More than 40 Israeli civilians have been injured, homes and businesses destroyed, and schools closed. Hundreds of thousands have been forced into shelters and safe rooms, terrorized yet again by those committed to the destruction of the Jewish State.

Israel, like any nation, has an obligation to defend its citizens, and is fully justified in taking action to protect innocent lives. We hope and pray for the peace and safety of all peoples in the region, and support all measures to put an end to indiscriminate terror. We want our Israeli brethren to know that, as always, we are there with them, and will determine how best to apply the resources of our JUF/Federation system to provide all forms of support.

Author Mary Glickman was not born in the South, nor to a Jewish family, but her passion, connection, and dedication to both Southern culture and Judaism inspires and informs her writing.

Born on the south shore of Boston, Glickman was always fascinated by faith. Though she attended Catholic school as a child and wanted to become a nun, her attention turned to the Hebrew Bible and she began what would become a lifelong relationship with Jewish culture. She later converted to Judaism.

Glickman's first novel, Home in the Morning, published in 2010, has been optioned for film by Jim Kohlberg, director of The Music Never Stopped (Sundance 2011), and is currently in development. One More River, a finalist for the Jewish Book Award, is her second published book. She is working on her next novel, a continuation of this series which welcomes the reappearance of Aurora Mae, ready for publication next fall.

Mary and her husband Stephen now live in North Carolina with their cat and a horse named King of Harts.

You've said: "Joseph Campbell said that religion is the poetry that speaks to a man's soul and Judaism was my soul's symphony" How has Judaism impacted your life and your writing?
Recently, scientists have concluded that humans are hard-wired for religious belief which makes a spiritual life an organic need. Campbell's dictum adds a mystical element to the discussion. He seems to say that religion goes deeper than familial training or social environment: it goes to the bone.

I was raised by an observant Irish Catholic mother. Much of my education was under the guidance of the good sisters of that faith. But it never took with me. I felt that innate need for a spiritual life and always, I was drawn to the Tenakh along with the geniuses of Jewish literature. The first time I heard Ashkenazi melodies, I had tears. If that's not the pull of religion on one's soul, I don't know what is. My identity is 100 percent Jewish. It's been so for more than 40 years. How could my identity not influence my work as a writer?

And tell me about your love for the South?
When I first came to live in the South, I was bowled over by the beauty of the Southern landscape, its intense devotion to history and family, its emphasis on civility in social discourse. I found a gorgeous wealth of inventive idiom in Southern speech (catnip to an author!). And I noted an ease of relations between the races I didn't find up North. That was a revelation. My Southern life is a constant learning experience about both its priceless cultural traditions and how a society can struggle to and succeed in conquering the legacy of an ugly past.

What was your inspiration for this book?
I began writing in a Southern voice as a corrective of the Hollywood stereotype of the South as a quaint and unsophisticated place stocked like trout in a pond with race-baiting thugs, bigots in seersucker, and melting belles. The protagonist of One More River, Mickey Moe Levy, was born in my first novel, Home in the Morning, where he had a strong but supporting role. I just wasn't done with him. Knowing the Southern fixation on family trees, I thought a mystery around his father's identity would provide an interesting conflict to hang a plot on. And then the Flood of 1927 came into my purview. As Mickey Moe is part of the Civil Rights Era generation and his father was the right age to experience the Great Flood, it seemed interesting to pair the two revolutionary events that shaped the South in the 20th Century. That one was man-made and the other natural only made them more interesting to pair.

What do you hope your readers will take away?
I hope they'll share a sympathetic view of the South, one more accurate than that the media generally allows. And of course, I hope they're moved and enriched by the experiences of my characters. For me, fiction should be character driven. If the reader bonds with one's characters, the goal has been attained.

Why did you choose to make your characters Jewish in the book?
The Southern Jewish Experience has been underreported in fiction and it was quite different from the Northern one. Jews have prospered in the South since colonial days and with a greater degree of acceptance by the dominant culture than that experienced in the North. Jews have played significant roles in Southern politics, economies, and culture from the 17th century onwards. I wanted to both pay homage to that experience and help bring it to the forefront of American Jewish consciousness.

The book is full of themes of self-discovery, race relations, historical lessons, civil rights, women's rights and so much more, but the overarching theme is love. Is the message that love can conquer all?
I don't know if love conquers all but it survives all. The noblest acts of men and women are committed in its name. You'll notice that not all the great love in One More River is requited. But it endures and commits itself honorably. Something that not every reviewer has noted but something very important to me is One More River's theme of the very powerful form of love called friendship. It's my contention that friendship is as essential to a well-lived life as domestic love. A loving friendship endures in the same way that romantic love endures, sometimes to a greater degree. So I prefer to think of River as a meditation on love, on the many forms of the emotion, and how they play out as a measure of character.

Visit spertus.edu/OneBook for information and reservations.

We all know parking in Chicago can be a drag…especially once the snow starts falling. Between street cleanings, parking permits and meter limits, finding a home for our cars is no easy feat. But have no fear, your parking heroes are here!

Chicago MOTs Mark Lawrence and Jeremy Smith make up two-thirds of the SpotHero team.

SpotHero, a rapidly growing startup founded by Smith, Lawrence, and Larry Kiss, was launched to remove the hassle for drivers finding a parking spot. SpotHero allows drivers to compare and reserve spots from the web and their iPhone and helps their parking partners fill their unused inventory by putting drivers in their spots.

Lawrence, the co-founder & CEO, has been an entrepreneur since 2nd grade. Through his career, he quickly realized his passion for innovation, both in technology and in everyday living. This drive ultimately led Mark to the Chicago parking industry, where he found an entire industry ripe for innovation. Prior to his professional experience, Mark graduated with BS in Finance from Bradley University.

Smith, SpotHero’s co-founder & COO graduated from the University of Illinois in 2008. Out of school he worked at Motorola and he eventually ended up becoming roommates with Lawrence. During his short time in Chicago, he amassed $3,500 in parking tickets! That's when SpotHero was born. When he's not out being a SpotHero for Chicago residents, Jeremy loves catching sporting events with friends, checking out new places around the city, and frequenting local dive restaurants.

So whether you love Schmidt from New Girl, have a thing for breakfast at Manny’s or just want to find a damn parking spot, Mark Lawrence and Jeremy Smith are Jews You Should Know!

1. What is your favorite blog or website?
Jeremy: My favorite website is ESPN. I’m constantly traveling and on the go for business and it helps me stay up to date on the latest sports news.
Mark: My favorite website is National Geographic. In my spare time, I love surfing the site to read the latest issue.

2. If time and money were limitless, where would you travel?
Jeremy: Before a personalized excursion to outer space via a Richard Branson spaceship, I would take a good six months in Thailand to fight Muay Thai.
Mark: If time allowed, I would bike and safari in Africa.

3. If a movie were made about your life, who would play you?
Jeremy: Schmidt from FOX’s New Girl. He is a young professional who is eager to climb the social ladder and become a lady's man, but his heart is in the right place.
Mark: Charlie Day

4. If you could have a meal with any two people, living or dead, famous or not, who would they be? Where would you eat or what would you serve?
Jeremy: Living: Shaquille O'Neal; Dead: Abe Lincoln. We would be eating really unhealthy, juicy burgers at Kumas Corner.
Mark: Living: Heidi Klum; Dead: Alexander the Great. We would be eating Mediterranean food on the beach.

5. What's your idea of the perfect day?
Jeremy: The perfect day would begin with ideal weather – 80 degrees and sunny, no wind or clouds in the sky. It would be a Saturday, and I would wake up to a healthy omelette, and then go out for a long bike ride. The rest of the day would be running into friends and sharing laughs. In the evening, I would be at a big college football game that would of course end in overtime fashion! After that, I would go out and celebrate in style by hitting the dance floor. I’m an amazing dancer.
Mark: My idea of a perfect day would be spending time with my family and friends. They are very important to me and I’m not able to see them as often as I’d like to. Also, trying something new I haven’t done before.

6. What do you love about what you do?
Jeremy: I love my job because I’m getting to face completely new situations and challenges every day. Additionally, I constantly get to interact with highly successful, motivated people whom I continue to learn from. It's more than I could ever ask for!
Mark: Waking up every day with a mission. Solving a problem we all experience or know somebody that does. I work with incredibly amazing people and love the challenge of each day. 

7. What job would you have had if not the one you have now?
Jeremy: Starting NFL Quarterback
Mark: Volcanologist. That's a job right? I’d also like to be a professor to help educate our future generation.

8. What's your favorite Jewish thing to do in Chicago? In other words, how do you Jew?
Jeremy: My favorite Jewish thing to do in Chicago is having breakfast at Manny’s. There's nothing better! Also, I like giving back to my community by speaking at local colleges and high schools, helping to educate students on business and technology.
Mark: I like celebrating the Jewish holidays, especially Purim.  

Photos of storm damage, like this one from Astoria, Queens, were shared widely on Facebook and other websites. (Peter Romano via Creative Commons)

The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago is accepting donations to help those impacted by the devastation of Hurricane Sandy and its related storms along the Eastern seaboard.

"Millions are being affected by these storms and their associated widespread damage," said Federation President Steven Nasatir. "Chicago's Jewish community is ready to respond, as we have so often in the past, to provide support to those most in need."

Damage to New York City infrastructure, like this one inside a New York subway station, was extensively documented online as Hurricane Sandy washed ashore. (@HeyVeronica via Twitter)

Chicagoans may contribute online at www.juf.org/relief, by calling (312) 444-2869, or by sending a check to the Jewish Federation Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund, Room 3022, 30 S. Wells St., Chicago, IL 60606.

All funds collected by the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago will be directed to social welfare agencies in the affected areas serving both the Jewish and general communities. The Chicago Federation will absorb all administrative costs, ensuring that 100% of all donations go directly to aid those most grievously affected. 

The Jewish Federations of North America is conducting an initial damage and recovery survey with every federation from Virginia to New England. Damage assessment continues at the local level through contacts with federations, agencies, and our Jewish communal partners through the Jewish Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (JVOAD) partnership. We are also actively participating in the National VOAD partnership, which convenes national and local disaster relief agencies with FEMA and state emergency management agencies.

The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and Federations across North America have a long track record of caring for victims of global natural disasters. Last year, Jewish Federations raised funds for those affected by widespread storms around the U.S., and more than $1 million for victims of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis in Japan. Donors to Chicago's Jewish Federation Earthquake Relief Fund provided some $725,000 to assist Haitians in the wake of the catastrophic earthquake there in 2010. 

Other recent fundraising efforts included $30 million to help those affected by Hurricane Katrina, and $10 million to address the aftermath of the southern Asia tsunami in 2004.

It’s lunch time in the Loop and you’re a fashionista looking for a great deal, where do you go? State Street? Nope. Michigan Avenue? No. These days, those in-the-know make sure to stay right at their desks. Because every day at noon, daily deal site Gilt blasts out an email packed with amazing designer finds at great prices that sell out within minutes of going up.

Founded by Alexandra Wilkis Wilson and her best friend, Alexis Maybank, in just five years, Gilt Groupe has grown into one of the hottest luxury lifestyle brands— with more than 1,000 employees and a billion dollar value— putting Wilson and Maybank in the same category as the Zuckerbergs of the world. Wilson and Maybank detail their journey in the new book By Invitation Only, How We Built Gilt and Changed the Way Millions Shop (Portfolio).

Ahead of Wilson’s upcoming visit to Chicago for the JUF Young Women’s Board Fall Campaign event on Nov. 29, Oy!Chicago interviewed Wilson by phone.

Oy!Chicago: How did you come up with the concept for Gilt Groupe?
Alexandra Wilkis Wilson: We launched Gilt back in the fall of 2007. We were a team of five co-founders and one of them was my best friend from college and grad school. Alexis and I were avid sample sale shoppers…We used to go together to New York City sample sales where we could shop and find little treasures, but often at inconvenient times and in inconvenient locations…The idea really came about by thinking through what if we were to take that concept and bring it online. We thought about our friends that live all around the country in places like Chicago and San Francisco and Miami. Wouldn’t they love to have access to these incredible brands and these prices also?

What is your professional background?
After undergrad at Harvard, I had worked for Merrill Lynch in New York and then in London. Then I went back to business school and worked very hard during business school to get into the fashion and luxury world. I worked very hard for more than three years at Louis Vuitton and then at Bulgari. And then I was off to the races with an idea for a crazy start-up.

What advice do you have for other entrepreneurial-minded women looking to launch their own businesses?
I think it’s really important to support other entrepreneurs and build mentors. Think about people you know and ask for help. Build your network where you can. Think about people you don’t know, but who you’d like to know. Try to seek them out whether it’s attending conferences where you might meet them or one day sending them an email, you never know, they might write back to you.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
My family. For me a measure of success is happiness and being happy with the choices that I’ve made in my life. Success isn’t something you show on a piece of paper; it’s more in your heart and the inside.

What kind of role does Judaism play in your life?
I was raised Jewish. My father is Jewish. My mother converted. I think a lot of the important values and messages that I learned as a little girl in Hebrew school stuck with me. The notion that tzedakah and giving back [is not] only limited to monetary charity [is important to me]. But thinking about helping others, that was largely why we wrote a book. [We wanted] to share our entrepreneurial message with others thinking about trying to start their own businesses and helping them take the plunge.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell our readers?
I’d like to see more people, especially other women, starting businesses. I think now is as good a time as any to think about entrepreneurship. There is funding out there from venture capitalist right now. Despite what we sometimes read about the economy, now is not a bad time to be an entrepreneur.

Alexandra Wilkis Wilson will be speaking at the JUF Young Women’s Board Fall Campaign event on Thursday, Nov. 29. There is a $750 minimum individual gift to attend. For more information, visit  www.juf.org/women/valor.aspx. 

Maxwell Street supported hundreds of Jewish businesses.

Photo courtesy of the Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema.
"My Australia" (Poland)

In 2006, a group of local film lovers decided to organize an annual program focused on Israeli cinema. Their timing was prescient. After decades of near invisibility, Israeli films were suddenly winning accolades at festivals all around the world, and last year, an Israeli film was a contender for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar for the fourth time in five years.

The first "Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema" (CFIC) was also an important event in my own life. In October '06, I was just beginning my second year as Arts & Culture critic for JUF News, and covering the CFIC has been a highlight of every year since. But as many readers already know, my husband recently took a new job in Brooklyn, so this will be my last monthly column.

Watching CFIC films year in and year out, I have immersed myself in Israeli history and culture, walking many metaphorical miles in the shoes of those who brought a wide variety of languages and traditions with them to Eretz Yisrael. I intend to continue my commitment to Israeli cinema in the future, and I hope you will too.

 NEW THEMES 
Israel's expanded presence on the world cinema scene has created new opportunities for collaboration with filmmakers from other countries. This year, you will hear a lot of Polish, as well as a surprising amount of Spanish.

For years, actor Vladimir Friedman kept busy playing displaced Russian physicians. But this year, in Salsa Tel Aviv, Friedman plays a Hebrew-speaking landlord renting to a group of illegal immigrants from Mexico. This tells me the huge influx of Jews from the former Soviet Union has been more or less absorbed, and newer arrivals are causing bigger cultural hiccups.

 NEW STARS 
One of the Spanish speakers is beautiful Natalia Faust who plays an Argentine immigrant named "Anna" in Dusk (written and directed by Alon Zingman). Dusk, a Crash-type film with multiple storylines, stars well-known Israeli actresses like Orly Silbersatz (my pick for Best Supporting Actress last year), yet Faust more than holds her own.

 NEW FILMMAKERS 
Ami Drozd was one of the co-creators of the documentary The Name My Mother Gave Me (shown in 2010). This year he excels as writer/director of his first feature film, the semi-autobiographical My Australia.

 TOP PICKS: Features 
My top pick in the Feature category this year is My Australia. Told from the point of view of "Tadek" (Jakub Wroblewski), a kid growing up in Lodz in the early 60s, My Australia answers all those who wonder why Jewish Holocaust survivors didn't just "go home" after the Allies defeated the Nazis. Tadek thinks of himself as a devout Catholic, but mother "Halina" (Aleksandra Poplawska) has secrets. When Tadek and his older brother fall in with a group of anti-Semitic hoodlums, Halina decides it's time for them to leave Poland and join their relatives in Australia. Only after she has them safely at sea does Halina reveal the fact that their actual destination is Israel.

 TOP PICKS: Documentaries 
Three wonderful BioDocs that have already played in metro Chicago will be returning for encore screenings at this year's CFIC: Follow Me is the story of Yoni Netanyahu (commander of the 1976 raid on Entebbe), Incessant Visions is the story of Erich Mendelsohn (the architect who designed many of the first "important" buildings in Tel Aviv), and Torn is the story of Romuald Jakub Weksler-Waszkimel (a Catholic priest who discovers that his birth parents were Jews who perished in the Holocaust).

Of the new documentaries showing in Chicago for the very first time, my top pick is Lost Love Diaries. One year after losing her husband Elmie (to whom she was married for 62 years), Elisheva Lehman returns to Holland with her Israeli-born daughter Shula to look for traces of Bernie—the fiancé she lost in 1943.

And while she searches, we learn all about her. Elisheva's remarkable spirit is captured in this voiceover: "You know me, Bernie, forever the optimist. When you disappeared after the War, I ran ahead. I didn't look back, not even once. I decided to live, and I made every new day a festival." With four children, 10 grandchildren, and 13 great grandchildren at the time of filming, Elisheva Lehman is a true mother of modern Israel!

 TOP PERFORMANCES 
My Best Actor pick for 2012 is Yehezkel Lazarov who plays "Dov Markovsky" in Dina Zvi-Riklis' Yishuv drama The Fifth Heaven. Markovsky is a Russian-born physician who runs a small orphanage. As 1945 begins, the Jews of Palestine have ceased to fear a Nazi invasion, and they are eager to return to the business of statehood. But Markovsky, an idealist, can't turn his back on those already dependent on him for their minimal sustenance.

Most of the action takes place in the orphanage, and the large cast of women and girls who live there under his wing is terrific. My Best Supporting Actress nod goes to Rotem Zisman as "Bertha," a young woman engaged in a way too public affair with a British officer, but a close second is Esti Zakheim as "Paula," an older woman remembering the Warsaw in her glory days.

At the opposite end of the cinematic spectrum is Salsa Tel Aviv staring Angelica Vale as "Vicky," a Mexican woman who sneaks into Israel in search of a ne'er do well boyfriend. Vale is a very well-known singer/actress with a long list of Latin American film and concert credits. On the other hand, her counterpart, Israeli actor Angel Bonani, is a relative novice. And yet this bubbly confection is the closest thing I've seen to the Hepburn/Grant screwball comedy classic Bringing Up Baby in years. Gracias!

 TZIVI'S 2012 "BEST OF FEST" LIST

Best Feature Film: My Australia

Best Documentary Film: Lost Love Diaries

Best Actress in a Feature: Angelica Vale in Salsa  Tel Aviv

Best Actor in a Feature: Yehezkel Lazarov in The Fifth Heaven

Best Supporting Actress: Rotem Zisman in The Fifth Heaven

Best Supporting Actor: Angel Bonani in Salsa Tel Aviv

And here is my personal ranking of films on this year's schedule:

 Narrative Features—Highly Recommended:
The Fifth Heaven
My Australia
Salsa Tel Aviv

 Narrative Features—Recommended:
Dusk
Melting Away
Off-White Lies
Yossi*

 Docs over 60 Minutes—Highly Recommended:
Dolphin Boy
Follow Me
Incessant Visions

 Docs under 60 Minutes—Highly Recommended:
Life in Stills
Lost Love Diaries
The Secret
Torn

About Yossi*… Yossi is a sequel to Eytan Fox's enormously successful film Yossi & Jagger. If you've seen Yossi & Jagger, then you will certainly want to see Yossi, but sorry to say, it doesn't really stand alone.

CFIC 2012 opens with a screening of Dolphin Boy at the Shedd Aquarium on Tues Oct. 23. Additional events are scheduled in Chicago on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Then CFIC 2012 moves out to the AMC Northbrook Court for a week of screenings from Sunday, Oct. 28 through Sunday, Nov. 4. For complete details, visit: http://ChicagoFestivalOfIsraeliCinema.org.

I will be in Northbrook on Sunday, Oct. 28 to lead the Q&A after the 3:30 screening of The Fifth Heaven. I will also introduce the three films by women filmmakers scheduled for Monday, Oct. 29 (Lost Love Diaries, Life in Stills, and Off-White Lies). If you would like to meet there to discuss Israeli film, please contact me at tzivi@msn.com. Signing out now—thanks for the memories!

 Jan Lisa Huttner (Tzivi) has served as the Arts & Culture critic for JUF News for the past 7 years. After 35 years in Chicago, Jan recently relocated to Brooklyn. Visit Jan's blog, www.SecondCityTzivi.com, for a complete online archive of all JUF News columns and posts plus additional interviews and reviews. Jan's Blog will also keep current with reviews of new films of special interest to Jewish viewers.

Jonah is the last of my three boys/men to go off to college. I started worrying and grieving about two years ago. The thought of an empty nest terrified me. But, two years is a long time, I told myself, and I put off thinking about it. Sure, the reality crept in every now and then as I watched him tower over me and mature, but denial is a powerful thing to a mother.

This summer was a reality check. I had three, in the blink of an eye, months to drink in all I could and to impart whatever last minute wisdom I had on my youngest son.

Since Jonah is my third son, I learned a long time ago that the way to get a message across is as part of a larger conversation. Anything that seems and sounds like a lesson is going to get tossed in the discard pile if even heard at all.

Some of my messages would come as a sneak attack, like: ‘so how was school and, oh and by the way did you know that drinking your weight in alcohol will kill you?’ Others would be more of a plea, for instance: ‘you are so handsome and I love you and hope you don’t drink your weight in alcohol.’

Most of my messages were never verbal though. As a chef, I communicate through food. I pour my heart and soul into my creations. I show my love through small touches that have big flavor and carry messages of love and affection.

As my husband, who is also a chef recently said, EVEN YOUR GARNISHES HAVE GARNISHES! I have always cooked over the top, at work and at home. I don’t know how to stop potchke-ing and as the three months before Jonah left for school seemed to dissolve away, my cooking became more elaborate, all in an effort to say what I felt.

I was like this as each of my kids went away to school. I cooked favorite meals and poured my love into soufflés, soups, stews and roasts. I was determined that each kid miss my cooking and me.

I knew I had run out of time when I a trip to the farmer’s market yielded, end of the summer, tomatoes. I love tomatoes and normally celebrate their arrival. This year, I dreaded seeing them. The mom/chef in me took over and I grabbed tomatoes and concentrated my feelings into tomato soups, sauces and other tomatoey dishes.

All this culinary communication poured into meals and then Jonah left for college. Bittersweet times and flavors.

A mere 10 days after his departure, I received a text. I MISS HOMEMADE FOOD. Success was mine. I know the text indicated missing homemade food and not necessarily me, but I will grab the moment and run with it. My love went into every bite and that message was heard loud and clear,

This week, after the holiday, I am going to make some of Jonah’s favorites and when I go to visit him next week, I will arrive loaded with my love carefully packaged into small freezable containers.

Here is some of what I am taking with me.

MACARONI AND CHEESE CASSEROLE

My oldest son Zachary is also a champion for this recipe. I used to make this dish weekly. It is as comforting as a pair of fuzzy slippers, or a big hug from MOM.

Serves 6 generously

1 pound macaroni or favorite pasta shape (I use whole wheat pasta)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups milk (I use whole milk for this)
½ teaspoons fresh grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons hot sauce
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese or a mix of favorite cheeses (I use white sharp cheddar, Swiss and blue)
1 cup sour cream
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

For the crunchy topping

We have had family conversations regarding the pros and cons of a bread crumb topping for the casserole. After much discussion, the bread crumbs are in due to their texture and salty crunch.

½ cup bread crumbs (Panko* is perfect for this)
2 tablespoons melted butter
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Pre-heat oven to 350. Bring a large saucepan with water to boil. Cook the pasta until al dente (about 10 minutes depending upon size of pasta). Drain and set aside.

2. Place a large sauté over medium heat. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter. Add chopped shallot and garlic. Cook until light golden brown (about 3 minutes) Add flour and stir together. Cook the mixture for several minutes to cook out the raw flour flavor.

3. In a separate pan heat the milk until simmering. Add all at once to flour mixture. Whisk to prevent lumps. Cook until thickened (about 3-5 minutes). Add the nutmeg and hot sauce and whisk until combined.

4. Remove from heat. Add grated cheese and stir until melted.

5. Stir sour cream with cooked pasta. Add cheese mixture and stir to combine. Place in a lightly greased casserole.

6. Combine bread crumbs with melted butter and sprinkle on top of casserole. Bake at 350 until bubbly and golden (about 30 minutes).

7. Serve with salad. The macaroni and cheese casserole can be made 1 day ahead of serving and can be assembled but not baked and held in the refrigerator.

BOEUF BOURGUIGNON

I start craving this dish in the autumn when the nights are cool. The dish is easily doubled or tripled for a crowd. It is perfect for your Sukkah or anytime.

Serves 5

2 ½ pounds beef chuck-cut into 2 inch pieces
1 bottle red wine (I like a hearty Pinot Noir for this)
1 spring rosemary
Several sprigs fresh thyme
½ cup flour
2 leeks-light green parts only-sliced thinly
2 carrots-peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 stalk celery-cut into large pieces
4 cloves garlic-peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup chicken stock
2 cups mushrooms-cut into ½ (use cremini, button or shiitake)
1 cup pearl onions-blanched, shocked and peeled

1. Place the meat and the wine in a zip-loc bag or container with a tight fitting lid. Be sure each piece of meat is covered by the wine. Let the meat marinate over night or at least 4 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 300.

3. Heat a large Dutch oven or sauté pan, lightly coated with olive oil, over medium heat.

4. Remove the meat from the wine and pat dry, reserve the wine. Salt and pepper each piece of meat. Dredge the meat in the flour and brown on all sides (about 5 minutes per side). Do this in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan.

5. Brown the vegetables in the same pan and cook until they are browned (about 10 minutes).

6. Add the wine to the pan with the tomato paste and lightly stir to gather the browned bits left in the pan by meat. Add the chicken stock and stir together.

7. Place the meat and vegetables in a large Dutch oven or casserole with a lid. Pour the wine over the meat and add the fresh herbs.

8. Braise the beef until it is tender and releases easily when pierced with a fork (about 2½-3 hours).

9. Sauté the mushrooms and onions until lightly browned and caramelized (about 5-7 minutes).

10. Add the mushrooms and onions to the beef.

11. Serve with pasta, mashed potatoes or roasted garlic-potato galette

ROASTED GARLIC-POTATO GALETTE

This is really a pretty potato dish and is my son Ari’s favorite. It has all the crispiness of potato chips with a creaminess of mashed potatoes. It is a snap to make and can make any cook look like a pro! I recommend using a Teflon or non-stick pan to make this dish as it makes flipping the galette easier. I have pans that are dedicated for specific uses and this is one of those dishes that has its own pan!

1 head garlic
¼ cup white wine
4 Russet potatoes-peeled
1 t. fresh thyme-chopped
1 t. fresh chives-chopped
1 t. fresh flat leaf parsley-chopped
Salt and pepper
Extra Virgin olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350. Cut the head of garlic 7/8 of the way off the flowering end. Salt and pepper the large piece of garlic as needed. Sprinkle a tablespoon of olive oil on the garlic. Place the garlic in a small baking dish or small sauté pan. Pour the white wine in the pan and cover tightly with foil. Roast the garlic until the cloves are very soft and can be squeezed out of the head (about 1 hour).

2. Cool the garlic before handling. Squeeze the garlic cloves from the head and mash with a fork. Using a mandolin or Asian slicer, slice the potatoes into paper thin rounds. Place the cut potatoes into a large bowl and liberally toss them with Extra Virgin olive oil. Salt and pepper as needed. Add the herbs, the roasted garlic and toss the mixture. Place an 8-10 inch sauté pan over medium-low heat. Coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil. Layer the potatoes in the pan so that they overlap and cover the bottom of the pan. The bottom layer is the layer that will be seen, so make it fairly even. Add the rest of the potatoes and spread them evenly. Slowly brown the potatoes until the bottom layer is browned and can be shaken loose (about 30 minutes).

3. Invert the potatoes onto a plate and slide the uncooked side into the pan, or, flip the potatoes over and place the pan into the oven.

4. Continue cooking the potatoes until the under side is browned and can be shaken loose (about 30 minutes).

5. Remove the potatoes and cut into wedges. Place a wedge on a plate or shallow bowl and top with beef Bourguignonne and some of the braising liquid.

Alison Levine has made it to the top, both literally and figuratively.

Born with a life-threatening heart condition, Wolf-Parkinson-White Syndrome, that prevented her from driving a car or walking up a flight of stairs, today Levine climbs mountains and the corporate ladder.

Thirteen years after her initial diagnosis, Levine had surgery that changed her life. As one of the most experienced female mountaineers in the country, she has climbed peaks on every continent. In 2010, with her successful expedition to the top of Mount Everest, she became one of the few climbers to complete the Adventure Grand Slam—claiming the Seven Summits and skiing to both Poles.

Levine's personal career has encompassed healthcare, technology, and finance. After earning her MBA from Duke University, she worked for Goldman Sachs, and left in 2003 to serve as deputy finance director for Arnold Schwarzenegger in his successful bid to become Governor of California.

She currently serves as an adjunct professor at the United States Military Academy at West Point, has her own consulting firm, Daredevil Strategies, and in 2005 founded the Climb High Foundation.

Levine will visit Chicago Thursday, Oct. 11, for JUF's Women's Division Lion Luncheon at the Standard Club.

In advance of her visit to Chicago, Oy!Chicago chatted with Levine about climbing mountains, Judaism, and what's next for her:

 Oy!Chicago: How does your Judaism influence your life, both personally and professionally? 
Allison Levine: In all areas of my life I work hard for the things that I want and I stand up against the things I believe are wrong. Not speaking out against things you know are wrong is the same as advocating those things. I also know that each of us has the responsibility to leave this world a better place than it was when we got here. Those are things ways Judaism has influenced my life.

Is there one thing you can pinpoint as your greatest accomplishment? Your coolest experience? 
YES! Coolest experience would be training the first group of Ugandan women to work as trekking guides in the Rwenzori Mountains. There had been a longstanding cultural belief that it was taboo for local women to go to the mountains so prior to this climb the local women had never been permitted to climb. Working in the mountains as trekking guides or porters is the main source of income for the men in this region, and because women were not allowed in the mountains they had no way to earn money. After much negotiating with the head of the local village, the head of the park service and the head of the trekking service I convinced them to allow the local women to climb for the first time. Breaking down this barrier was a huge step forward for women's rights in this area.

After our climb I returned six months later and founded an organization called the Climb High Foundation which trains jobless women to work as trekking guides and porters in the Rwenzori Mountains. This work allows them to earn a sustainable living wage and to improve their quality of life. They have made great strides in gaining equality as a result. This is by far my greatest accomplishment and is a legacy I am really proud of.

What is next for you? 
I am currently working on my first book which will be published in late 2013. It feels like the toughest mountain I have ever climbed as this is the first time I have tried to tackle writing anything beyond a humorous blog for an expedition. The book will be about the leadership lessons I learned while climbing the world's highest peaks and how these lessons apply to the business world and beyond.

What skills from the business world also apply to your expeditions, and vice versa? 
The ability to act quickly and make critical decisions is important in both arenas. Sometimes you have to toss well laid-out plans out the window and take action based on the situation at the time rather than on the plan. Plans are outdated as soon as they are finished in environments that change very rapidly. Another key to success that applies to both business and the mountains would be empowering everyone to think and act like leaders regardless of title or tenure or experience level, because everyone needs to realize that they have a responsibility to the people on either side off them. And I think that the number one lesson I have learned in the mountains and in business (which I think also applies to life in general) is that it is okay to feel scared or intimidated as long as you take action, because complacency will kill you. You have to be able to act/react as things around are shifting and changing.

What advice do you have for others who dream of climbing mountains?
Don't let anyone discourage you from pursuing your dreams. Surround yourself with people who are more skilled/stronger than you are—you'll learn faster and they will push yourself harder.

Do you have any Chicago connections? 
Matter of fact, yes! I am currently working with an outdoor apparel company called HUM which is based in Chicago and the founders are Danny and Aaron Feuerstein. Aaron Feuerstein was the CEO of Malden Mills (which made Polartec fleece). His factory burned down in 1995 and he used much of the insurance money to pay all of his factory workers wages and benefits for six months while the facility was being re-built. He spent millions taking care of his people. If that isn't a fabulous example of the generosity and selflessness of Judaism I don't know what is.

For more information about the Lion Luncheon, visit www.juf.org/women.

Larry Tye is the author of a new biography of the first great superhero, Superman: The High-flying Story of America's Most Enduring Hero. He has also written Home Lands: Portraits of the New Jewish Diaspora. Recently, he flew through Chicago to discuss his new Superman book at both comic-book stores… and also congregations, as much of the book discusses the Jewishness of its super subject.

Aside from loving comics, what is your background? 
I was a journalist for 20 years, 15 of them as a medical and environmental writer at the Boston Globe. I won most every award there was in journalism for series on everything from the environmental nightmare the Soviets left behind to the end of privacy.

Did you grow up with comics or is this a recent interest?
 [I] grew up a Superman fan— in comics, TV and movies— but never an over-the-top one. I was interested in Superman for what he tells us about our love of heroes, since he's our longest-lasting hero of the last century. I also wanted to be 10 again, and I was during the two years I was writing this book. 

What about Judaism? What has been your experience?
I grew up in a Jewish family that was one of the most active in the Boston area, and my second book was a look at the thriving Jewish diaspora, a story I told through the stories of seven Jewish communities worldwide and that I spoke about at a dozen venues in and around Chicago. I remain a committed Jew— culturally, religiously and spiritually.

What made you first see the Jewish/Superman connections? What are some of these?
I read about it, then researched it, then couldn't resist writing about it. Here are a few:

Superman's creators were Jews (Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster). So were his publishers, Harry Donenfeld and Jack Liebowitz. So were many of his best writers and artists and editors over the years.

Smart Jewish kids like Jerry and Joe got into comics partly because anti-Semitism closed off other, more lucrative and esteemed writing jobs at ad agencies, magazines and elsewhere.

But my favorite connection is the fact that Superman himself was a Jew. We can see the evidence in his name on Krypton, Kal-El, which roughly translates into vessel of God. Another hint: his parents saved him by floating him in outer space, then watching him be adopted by two gentiles… who raised him as their own and discovered he was a very special boy (if that's not the Moses/Exodus story than I don't know what is).

There's lots more— from the watchwords of the Mishnah, truth, justice, peace, being nearly identical to Superman's "Truth, justice and the American Way"— to his home planet exploding at the same time Jerry and Joe's familial world in Eastern Europe was exploding at the hands of the Nazis.

Last hint: any name ending in 'MAN' is a superhero, a Jew… or, in this case, both.

Which other superheroes do you see as particularly influenced by Jewish ideas?
Batman was created by Jews, too, as were Spiderman and most of the other early comic superheroes. Many, like Stanley Lieber, saved their real name for the great American novel they dreamed of writing. In the meantime, he decided to make a living writing a few comics that happened to hit pay dirt (his pen name was Stan Lee, his heroes ranging from Spiderman to others of Marvel's best). 

They all drew about what they knew, which was things Jewish, which is why their heroes are fraught (Spiderman), driven (Batman), and, to a man, intent on repairing the world.

When you speak in non-Jewish settings, like comics stores or conventions, about Superman, do you focus on the Jewish aspects of his story?
I do, always, although it's not necessarily the opening of my talk there. It's mainly a matter of emphasis and tone, but the substance is nearly identical everywhere since it's the centerpiece of the Superman story and the part most people don't know.

Of all the many, many TV and movie portrayals of Superman, which is your favorite? Which do you think is the most "Jewish"?
I'm a sucker for George Reeves, the Superman of the original Adventures of Superman TV series. That's mainly because I grew up with him. The most Jewish, to me, was Christopher Reeve, because his Clark Kent was so awkward but the Superman inside him was so convincing. He was, like me, a schlub on the outside hoping that everyone— especially the pretty girls— were smart enough to see beyond my awkward exterior.

Which Jewish actor, living or dead, would you have picked to play Superman?
Paul Newman, assuming you count him as Jewish. His dad was and he called himself a Jew. He had the strength and elegance and presence to be a very convincing superhero.

Do you have other books? What about?
Please have a look at my website to see my five other published books and the one I am working on now, which is a bio of Robert Kennedy.

Rosh Hashanah is my favorite holiday for so many reasons. Each year for the holidays families and friends often gather together to share meals.

After the candles are lit and blessing are recited we enjoy a beautiful service called Yehi Ratzon, which means "May it be Your Will." This service is one of the most special parts of the holiday for me. Most of prayers during the holidays take place in the synagogue. This symbolic and fun service takes place in the home, around the table with family and friends.

Foods consumed with the Yehi Ratzons vary depending on the community. Some of the symbolic foods eaten are dates, black-eyed beans, leek, spinach and gourd, all of which are mentioned in the Talmud. Pomegranates are used in many traditions. The use of apples and honey is a late medieval Ashkenazi addition, though it is now almost universally accepted. It is traditional to dip apples or challah in honey to symbolize a sweet new year. As apples can be somewhat sour, they symbolically signify the times that Jewish people had to endure bitterness, and dipping them in honey symbolizes a hope that the bitter will become sweet. Honey also represents Israel, "the land of milk and honey."

Typically, round challah bread is served, to symbolize the cycle of the year. Gefilte fish is commonly served by Ashkenazi Jews on this holiday. On the second night, new fruits are served to warrant inclusion of the shehecheyanu blessing.

During this service you truly are what you eat. The food in combination with the prayer brings all of our senses to our hopes for the New Year and in a sense you are eating your hopes and intentions for the coming year.

Shana tova u'metuka!

Apple dipped in honey
... that you renew us for a good and sweet year!

Gourds (e.g., pumpkin or squash) (Aramaic: kara, meaning 'to proclaim' or 'tear')
... that our merits be proclaimed before You, and our sentences be torn up!

Mini Pumpkin Muffins

2 ¾ cups sugar
4 whole large eggs
2 cups pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Spray mini muffin cups with non-stick spray.

3. Whip eggs and sugar together until light, fluffy, and forms a ribbon. Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla and mix to combine.

4. Fold in dry ingredients making sure they are well blended and no lumps of flour remain.

5. Divide the batter between the cups and bake for 8- 10 minutes or until center of cake springs back when pressed.

Black-eyed peas (Aramaic: rubia sounding like yirbu, meaning 'to increase')
... may our merits increase before You!

Serves 6

2 cups dried Black-Eyed peas or canned

For the vinaigrette

¼ cup pomegranate molasses
¼ cup apple cider
2 tablespoons honey
¾ cup best quality extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

For the salad

2 beets, roasted, peeled and diced
2 shallots, minced
3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
½ cup golden raisins
½ cup pomegranate arils (seeds)

1. Sort the Black-Eyed Peas and remove any debris. Soak the peas in cold water in the refrigerator overnight.

2. Drain the water and boil the peas for 1 ½ hours until they are cooked through and have a creamy center. Drain the peas and cool them.

3. Whisk together the vinaigrette and toss the peas and remaining ingredients together in a bowl. Chill before serving.

Leeks (Aramaic: karasai sounding like kares, meaning 'to cut off' or 'destroy')
... may our enemies be destroyed!

Karti (Leek Patties)

3 large leeks, white and light green parts only, diced small
Extra virgin olive oil
3 large eggs
¼ cup bread crumbs
Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper

1. Sweat the leeks in a small sauté pan, lightly coated with olive oil, over medium-low heat until the leeks are very soft but not browned at all.

2. Transfer the leeks to a mixing bowl and add remaining ingredients. Form the mixture into loose patties.

3. Fry the patties in a sauté pan, lightly coated with olive, over medium heat until they are browned on both sides.

4. Serve at room temperature.

Beets (Aramaic: silka sounding like siluk, meaning 'to remove')
... may our adversaries be removed!

Roasted Beets

1 large red beet
1 large golden beet
Extra virgin olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Wrap the beets in foil and roast in the oven until easily pierced with a knife (about 1 hour). This can be done several days ahead of serving.

3. Drizzle the beets with olive oil and salt and pepper. Serve chilled with chopped mint leaves.

Dates (Aramaic: tamrai sounding like sheyitamu, meaning 'that they be consumed')
... may our enemies be consumed!

We love to eat our dates dipped in a mixture of powdered sugar and cinnamon.

Carrots (Yiddish: mehren meaning 'increase'. Hebrew: gezer, meaning 'decree')
... may our merits increase before You!
... may the evil decree be removed.

1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and crushed
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cups shredded carrots
½ cup golden raisins

Whisk together the ingredients for the vinaigrette and toss with the carrots and raisins.

Pomegranates
... that our merits be as numerous as [the seeds of] a pomegranate!

Chef's hint: gather the pomegranate arils (seeds) by putting a cut pomegranate in a bowl of water. Pick the seeds out while in the water and you can avoid pomegranate juice spattering your clothing, cabinets, walls, household pets etc…

Fish and Fish Heads
... that we be fruitful and multiply like fish!
... that we be like a head, and not like a tail!

Fish Tagine

Moroccan spice mix

Two 2-inch cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon chili flakes
½ teaspoon ground turmeric 
½ teaspoon ground ginger 
½ teaspoon anise seeds
Seeds from 1 cardamom pod

Place the cinnamon, coriander, cumin, chili flakes, turmeric, anise, and cardamom seeds in a spice grinder or coffee grinder and process until completely ground. Store in a tightly-covered container, away from light, for up to 3 months.

For the fish

Extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, diced
1 red pepper, julienne
2 medium carrots, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 medium fresh-ripe tomatoes with their juices, grated on a box grater
2 tablespoons Moroccan spice mix
¼ cup golden raisins
½ cup water
1 1 ½-pound snapper or striped bass, head on and scaled and dressed

1. Sauté the onion, pepper and carrots, in a large sauté pan, lightly coated with extra virgin olive oil, over medium heat, until the vegetables are soft and lightly caramelized (about 5-7 minutes). Add the garlic and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for another 2 minutes until the garlic has softened.

2. Add the tomato paste and stir to coat the vegetables. Add the grated tomatoes and their juices, spice mix, raisins and water.

3. Stir to combine. Nestle the fish into the vegetables and sauce. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes until the fish has cooked through.

4. Serve the fish warm on a platter with vegetables and sauce spooned around. Garnish with cilantro leaves and sliced lemons.

Head of a sheep
... that we be leaders (heads) of nations!

Gaze at the sheep's head while reciting the prayer!

It's another Saturday night in the city. You've got plenty of friends to hang out with-but no date, with no particular prospects on the horizon. So, what's a nice, single Chicago Jew to do? You're mother constantly nags you about the grandchildren she claims she will never see, while you'd just like to find another nice, Jewish single with whom you connect-enough so that maybe, someday, the two of you will smash the glass beneath a chuppah, dance the hora, and start your life together.

"Dating is really hard," said Ammi Dorevitch, a former Chicago single. "I got married at 32. It was the right time for the right one, but I dated for a lot of years. It was a challenge." Dorevitch is among a number of matchmakers working through a newly-launched Jewish dating website, JChicago.com.

The site is different from other dating services because it's a "modern twist on an old fashioned way of dating." Clients register by filling out an online form, answering questions about their interests, lifestyle, references, religious background, and level of observance and other criteria they might look for in another person. A matchmaker then contacts the clients to establish a personal relationship through phone calls, Skype, emails, and face-to-face interviews.

"We take the time to get to know them," Dorevitch said.

The matchmaker selects profiles of potential matches and gives them to the client for review. In turn, the matchmaker shows the client's profile and photograph to potential matches. Clients accept or decline a potential match through a confidential system. When two clients agree to a match, JChicago forwards their respective contact information so they can arrange a conversation and plan a date. Matchmakers continue screening members, recommending matches and assisting during the dating process. It is up to the client to decide which matches to date and how involved the matchmaker should be.

"Dating should be fun for people. It shouldn't be so tense," Dorevitch said. "Our hope is that we can make it an easier, more comfortable experience for people."

JChicago is part of a larger network of Jewish matchmaking sites--JRetroMatch.com and SawYouAtSinai.com. JRetroMatch is geared toward Jews of all levels of observance. SawYouAtSinai focuses on but is not limited to helping Traditional, Yeshivish, and Modern Orthodox Jewish singles find an appropriate mate. JChicago and its network serve Jewish singles of numerous lifestyles, including young professionals, single parents, divorcees, and widows.

"The site is for everyone, of all ages," Dorevitch said. "It's really a community initiative."

JChicago is unique from other Jewish dating/matchmaking services because it operates as a community project with support from a number of local partners: Taglit-Birthright Israel Next Chicago (a JUF affiliate), JCC's Sidney N. Shure Kehilla, The Living Room, Anshe Sholom B'Nai Israel, Hillel at Loyola, Club 1948, Chabad on Campus, and Free Synagogue of Chicago.

Dorevitch, a former executive director for Hillels of Illinois, met her husband through a matchmaker. "I know what it's like to go through the dating process and I also worked with matchmakers," she said. Her matchmakers' encouraging words provided the blueprint for her own matchmaking role with JChicago.  

"My work with Hillel was really about Jewish continuity," she said. "Matchmaking is also Jewish continuity. People want to get married. It's very hard to meet people these days.

"People work so much more, so many longer hours than they used to. People are disconnected somewhat," she said. "Chicago has so much going on in terms of Jewish life…it's also intimidating. Bars and clubs are not always the best venues for meeting people."

Other modern complications add to dating difficulties. Younger adults, especially, often lack basic social skills because of their primary communication form is texting or through the Internet. "They don't know how to read body language anymore…For many people, a relationship is what they build on Facebook," Dorevitch said. For other singles, "there was a time when everything was getting put on hold because of societal pressures to build a career first … I think that there's a shift back.

"It's OK to be marriage minded," she said. "People really do want to be married and they really want to be connected … [They're] looking for a partner for life that they can grow with and have a family with and have good communications with … Someone to be their best friend."

Those are high expectations, but JChicago's matchmaking team is ready to meet them for single Jews throughout the area.    

Dorevitch currently lives in Israel with her husband and children. While she will do some of her Chicago matchmaking via phone and Skype, there are local matchmakers ready to help make those face-to-face connections.

"This time of year, during the High Holidays, people are evaluating their goals and thinking about the future. This is a great time to give it a chance, to see if the online dating scene will work for them," she said.

Visit JChicago's website at www.jchicago.com.

Christine Sierocki-Lupella is the senior marketing communications manager for JUF.

We wanted to let you know about a very exciting new book: Living Jewishly: A Snapshot of a Generation, a collection of personal essays and memoirs from Jewish 20- and 30-somethings from across the country.

Edited by Oy!Chicago blogger-in-chief Stefanie Pervos Bregman, the anthology features many of your favorite past and present, Oy! bloggers including: Blair Chavis, Sharna Marcus, Rivka Nehorai, Rachel Friedman, Rabbi Taron Tachman, Paul Wieder, Chai Wolfman, Abby Sher, Libby Ellis Lowe, Stacey Ballis and Alyssa Latala.

Actress and author Mayim Bialik had the following to say about the anthology:
"At once confrontational, comforting, and hilarious this is the definitive 'Who am I? and why am I?' book for Jews of our generation. I can only hope to one day contribute to a collection this rigorous, this touching, and this important for the question of our identity as Jews."
— Mayim Bialik, Ph.D., author of Beyond the Sling

Each contributor brings a unique perspective as they tell their self-defining Jewish story. In his essay, “Shomer Negiah in the City,” Matthue Roth tackles the conflicted and sometimes hypocritical nature of the modern Orthodox dating world. In “To Be a Jew in the world” Stacey Ballis makes the Passover Seder her own. “My (Jewish-Interfaith-Lesbian) wedding,” by Chai Wolfman explores the challenges of same-sex and interfaith relationships today. Other essay topics include JDate, connection—or lack thereof—to Israel, issues surrounding conversion, and the seemingly impossible task of defining what it means to be a young Jew in America today.

However it is that we young Jews express ourselves Jewishly, I‘m certain that every Jewish 20- or 30-something has an interesting story—and maybe all we need is the opportunity to tell it.

For more information about where to buy the book, the contributors and how you can share your Jewish story, visit www.livingjewishlybook.com or at www.facebook.com/livingjewishlybook.

A congregant with special needs reads Torah on Shabbat.

In 1987, Ronald Reagan authorized a Presidential Proclamation, designating March as "Developmental Disabilities Awareness" month.

In light of the former president's national initiative, the Jewish community is now taking the lead in realizing a vision of heightened sensibility toward those with mental and physical disabilities. Keshet, a non-profit organization dedicated to personal, religious, and communal growth for the developmentally disabled, is introducing "Abilities Awareness Shabbat," a program geared toward Chicago area synagogues, temples, and shuls, to be held on the first Shabbat in September as a way to launch into the High Holiday season.

Abilities Awareness Shabbat is concurrent with a similar program instituted by Congregation Beth Shalom in Northbrook. Recognizing the need for inclusion in the community, the synagogue planned a hands-on Rosh Hashanah service based around accessibility for disabled members. Featuring easy entrance and exit to the synagogue, a picture-based prayer book, and opportunities to touch the shofar, participants will worship together in an accessible, inclusive, and sensitive environment.

Soon after Beth Shalom conceived the service, its staff contacted Keshet's Leventhal Professional Development Center, drawing attention to its efforts to showcase awareness of disabled congregants. Leventhal, which produces a growing corps of educators and professionals to teach methods for working with the special needs population, drew further inspiration from Beth Shalom's Rosh Hashanah program in creating Abilities Awareness Shabbat.

Rabbis are the target educators for the September service. They are urged to foster a discussion about the acceptance of individuals with developmental disabilities and their right to feel welcome in synagogues, temples, and shuls in the Chicago area. "The rabbinical community of Chicago is very accessible, caring, and addresses a variety of community needs," said Susan Levin-Abir, director of Strategic Development at Keshet. "We appreciate its incredible commitment and generosity of spirit in helping create an inclusive environment for those with special needs."

Keshet will give rabbis free consultation and information on how to provide abilities awareness for the Shabbat service, but they can choose how to participate.

In addition to communicating to congregants the need for acceptance of the disabled in the sermon, rabbis may reach out to families and invite parents of a child with special needs to speak at the service about being part of the synagogue and what it means to their family. Encouraging members to start a buddy group, through which a family with a disabled child is paired with another family and go to synagogue and attend community events together, is a great way for rabbis to start a trend of inclusion. For parents with special needs children unable to sit through an entire Shabbat service, rabbis can create an option for them to attend part of the Shabbat ceremony and participate in activities outside the sanctuary for the remainder of the time.

Abilities Awareness Shabbat will be educational for congregants who have felt uncomfortable in the presence of disabled individuals during services or seen them as a disruption to the flow of worship. "Synagogues need to think consciously about addressing being comfortable around people with disabilities," said Rabbi Michael Balinsky, executive vice president of the Chicago Board of Rabbis. "It's a moral obligation for congregations to face and do."

Though primarily a rabbi-driven affair, Abilities Awareness Shabbat needn't end with the sermon. Congregants are encouraged to start dialogue targeting acceptance of the developmentally disabled that transcends the one September Shabbat service. Keshet will also provide opportunities for synagogue members to volunteer at area non-profits servicing people with special needs. This is an activity they can take advantage of in September and throughout the year.

Abilities Awareness Shabbat opens the door for Jews to recognize that developmentally disabled individuals are able to fit right in to their communities.

"Jewish tradition shows that its people are accepting and understanding of all God's creatures," Balinsky said. "When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, people of all types were present. This is why embracing people with disabilities to include them in the synagogue is a defining commitment."

Abilities Awareness Shabbat will be held on Saturday, Sept. 1. For more information about how to be involved, visit www.keshet.org/content/rabbis-abilities or contact Susan Levin-Abir at (847) 205-1234 or susan@keshet.org.

Keshet is a partner in serving our community, supported by the JUF/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago.

The Chicago Board of Rabbis is a partner in serving our community, supported by the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago.

Michael Dorf, CEO and Founder of City Winery in New York, is bringing his popular concert venue and winery to Chicago's West Loop.

"Chicago's [a great] if not better, a city for what we want to do," Dorf said. "There's an incredibly passionate food and cultural scene here. I'm constantly amazed at how veracious people eat and drink."

The new, 33,000 square foot Chicago facility, which opens mid-August, is located at 1200 W. Randolph Street. A former refrigerated food distribution warehouse is being transformed into a contemporary winery producing more than 20 in-house wines, a restaurant and bar serving small and large plates meant for sharing and wine pairing, private event spaces, an outdoor event space and a performance venue that will seat 300 with beverage and dining service.

"This is our 2.0," Dorf said. "We learned a lot in NY...Everything [in Chicago] is improved."

For example, City Winery Chicago will feature a tap wine system, where some of their wines will skip the bottle and go directly from the barrel to the glass, a green and efficient way to serve wine. In addition to their in-house wines, City Winery Chicago will also have a wine list of over 400 different wines from all over the world.

"We will bar none have the largest selection of Israeli wines in Chicago," Dorf said, noting that the wine industry in Israel is "exploding." "We're very proud of Israel's wine industry."

According to Dorf, 15 percent of the wine produced at City Winery Chicago will have OU Kosher certification. They also have a special Shabbos tank with a timing system set to work on fermenting without being touched. Though they won't have kosher food as an option on their regular menu, they will have the ability to bring in wrapped kosher food upon request.

In addition to an eclectic mix of some respected names in pop, rock, jazz, blues, and world music, the concert lineup for City Winery Chicago also includes many Jewish and Israeli musicians and artists like Asaf Avidan, an Israeli-folk musician and David Broza, an Israeli singer-songwriter and guitarist. Jewish Comedian Lewis Black will officially inaugurate the venue with a five-night engagement Aug. 15-19. Music, spoken word and comedy will be presented 20-25 nights per month.

There will also be a weekly Sunday Klezmer Brunch, a popular event at City Winery in N.Y., which joins musical performances by local klezmer bands like the Chicago Klezmer Ensemble, Maxwell Street Klezmer Band, Jutta & the Hi Dukes and more, with a menu of schmears, scrambles, and Nova Scotia salmon. The first Klezmer brunch will take place Aug. 19, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

City Winery Chicago's Jewish inspired lineup stems from Dorf's love of Jewish music.

"I can't help that part of my DNA," Dorf said. "I've been a music promoter for 25 years and somehow early on I got really into Jewish music. I love Jewish music. I've always felt a connection to the lineage through the cultural parts of what we do."

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.citywinery.com.

Presenting Chicago's first ever Jewish 36 under 36 list! From innovative rabbis, to cancer survivors now helping others cope, to restaurant owners striving to make Chicago healthier, this city is full of young Jewish leaders, humanitarians, educators and social activists striving to make the world a better place each in their own unique way. Take a look at the list!

The economic downturn has had a devastating effect on Illinois, with more than1.5 million people struggling each day just have enough to eat. On Sunday, Sept, 9, the Young Leadership Division and the Tikkun Olam Volunteer Network of the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago will host the first Feed Chicago, a citywide day of service providing food assistance to those in need.

"All of us know someone who has been affected by the recession," said Michelle Kallick, a YLD board member. "As the young Jewish community, we have a responsibility to help those in need. It's our turn as a generation to step up and make a positive impact in communities all across Chicago."

Around 100 young adults will join the day-long fight against hunger. With 14 projects scheduled throughout the city – starting early in the morning and ending late in the evening – more than 3,000 lives will be touched by day's end.

"From delivering Rosh Hashanah food packages to elderly Jews in need, to serving meals to impoverished pregnant teens, to sorting and restocking food pantries, Feed Chicago will help thousands of people in need in a single day," said Mara Unterberger, site leader.

Twenty- or 30-something volunteers still are needed. They can sign up for one or more projects at http://www.juf.org/tov/feed_chicago.aspx

Volunteer opportunities include:

Inspiration Café 
Where: 4715 N. Sheridan Road, Chicago - Accessible via the CTA Red Line Lawrence stop or the #136 bus
Time: 7:30 - 9:30 a.m.
Volunteers needed: 4
Details: Serve breakfast at the Inspiration Café.

Lincoln Park Community Shelter 
Where: 600 W. Fullerton Parkway, Chicago - Accessible via the CTA Red, Purple and Brown Lines Fullerton stop
Time: 7:30 - 9:30 a.m.
Volunteers needed: 5
Details: Buy, cook and serve breakfast to residents of the shelter. Volunteers must buy food. 

Maot Chitim 
Where: 5821 N. Broadway, Chicago - Accessible via the CTA Red Line Thorndale stop or the #136 bus
Time: 8 - 10 a.m.
Volunteers needed: 10
Details: Deliver Rosh Hashanah food packages to residents in the building.

Maot Chitim 
Where: 6400 N. Sheridan Road, Chicago - Accessible via the CTA Red Line Loyola stop or the #136 bus
Time: 8 - 10 a.m.
Volunteers needed: 15
Details: Deliver Rosh Hashanah food packages to residents in the building.

Maot Chitim 
Where: Starting from a north suburban warehouse location TBD
Time: 9 - 10:30 a.m.
Volunteers needed: 100
Details: Deliver Rosh Hashanah food packages in Chicago and its suburbs. Volunteers must have a vehicle to make deliveries.

JUF Uptown Café 
Where: 909 W. Wilson Ave, Chicago - Accessible via the CTA Red Line Wilson stop or the #136 bus
Time: 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Volunteers needed: 10
Details: Set tables, serve a restaurant-style meal, clear tables, and visit with guests.

Cornerstone Community Outreach 
Where: 4628 N. Clifton Ave, Chicago - Accessible via the CTA Red Line Wilson stop or the #136 bus
Time: 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Volunteers needed: 9
Details: Serve lunch to residents at the shelter.

Connections for the Homeless 
Where: 1458 Chicago Ave, Evanston - Accessible via the CTA Purple Line Dempster stop or the Metra UP-N Line Evanston (Davis St.) stop
Time: Noon - 2 p.m.
Volunteers needed: 12
Details: Sort food and toiletries. Volunteers are asked to bring in their own food donations to add to the food pantry.

A Just Harvest 
Where: TBD
Time: 1 - 3 p.m.
Volunteers needed: 18
Details: Pack a minimum of 150 sack lunches to be distributed to clients of A Just Harvest. Volunteers are responsible for purchasing food.

Campus Kitchen at Northwestern University 
Where: Allison Dining Hall, 1820 Chicago Ave., Evanston - Accessible via the CTA Purple Line Davis stop or the Metra UP-N Line Evanston (Davis St.) stop
Time: 1:15 - 2:45 p.m.
Volunteers needed: 5
Details: Repackage unused dining hall food into both individual meals and large, family-style meal dishes.

Interfaith House 
Where: 3456 W. Franklin Blvd., Chicago - Accessible via the CTA Green Line Clark/Lake stop or the #82 bus
Time: 3:15 - 5:30 p.m.
Volunteers needed: 15
Details: Buy, cook and serve meals to 64 residents as part of the Share-A-Meal program. Meal should include an appetizer, entrée and dessert. Volunteers are responsible for purchasing food.

A Just Harvest 
Where: 7649 N. Paulina St., Chicago - Accessible via the CTA Red Line Howard stop
Time: 4 - 6 p.m.
Volunteers needed: 6
Details: Distribute pre-prepared sack meals to clients of A Just Harvest.

Open Door Youth Shelter - Response-Ability Pregnant and Parenting Program (RAPPP) 
Where: 3262 N Clark St., Chicago - Accessible via the CTA Red Line Belmont stop
Time: 5 - 7 p.m.
Volunteers needed: 1
Details: Make and serve dinner to teens participating in RAPPP. Women volunteers only.

Lincoln Park Community Shelter 
Where: 600 W. Fullerton Parkway, Chicago - Accessible via the CTA Red, Purple and Brown Line Fullerton stop
Time: 6 - 8:30 p.m.
Volunteers needed: 11
Details: Buy, cook and serve dinner to residents of the shelter. Volunteers are responsible for purchasing food.

Sometimes, life is so absurd that all anyone can do is laugh, even through tears.

Laughter gets Robyn Michele Levy through her days and nights-and her tears. Levy, 48, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease about seven years ago. Six months earlier, doctors determined that her father had the same illness. Eight months later, Levy found two lumps in her breast-cancer-that resulted in mastectomy and a prophylactic oophorectomy.

This was beyond a mid-life crisis, but Levy—a Jewish Canadian visual artist, radio broadcaster, and writer, took it on, sometimes with grace, sometimes with anger and frustration, often with her caliginous sense of humor. "You have to kind of laugh at it," Levy said. "What else could possibly happen to me in the course of this time?"

While recovering from her mastectomy, Levy experienced an outpouring of love and support from friends and family. She wrote darkly amusing email updates about her progress that found their way into a publisher's inbox-and a book was born. Levy tells her story in her newly-published memoir, Most of Me: Surviving My Medical Meltdown, in which she chronicles the characters that have become an integral part of her life, from the uncontrollable Cry Lady, perky Dolores the Prosthesis, and ever-dependable Big Pharma, to her caring husband, a daughter wise beyond her years, and one very loyal canine companion. An assortment of friends and an ongoing parade of medical personnel provide support, helping Levy take life day-by-day, though she readily admits that some days, she doesn't stride well at all-courtesy of Parkinson's.

"I think that my humor is definitely a self-defense mechanism, but it's also a way to connect with people and a way for me to absorb some of the shock," Levy said. She credits her parents for her dark wit. She grew up in Toronto in a culturally Jewish home under the tutelage of her father's one-liners and her late mother's high-voltage personality.

Despite her positive outlook in the worst of circumstances, Levy forced herself to be truthful straightforward throughout the book. "The first draft that I sent into my editor—she said it was funny, but she just didn't connect with me on an emotional level as a reader," Levy said.

She reworked some of the chapters, including the opening: "I wasn't always like this: so moody, so anxious, so volatile," she wrote. She blamed her symptoms as premenopausal—but as they worsened and depression set in, she was hurting her relationships.

The hardest part was consulting with her husband and daughter about her memories of that stressful time. "They were very candid. It was difficult to hear just how awful I was," she said. The process helped her family heal.

Levy appreciates people's response to her story. "People often say they can relate to it, even if they weren't sick. In some ways, there's some universality to it," she said.

Most of Me has been shortlisted for the 2012 Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humor and is on the Jewish Book Council's Summer Reading List. Her radio documentary, Cruel Coincidence—about how both she and her father have Parkinson's disease—is a finalist at the New York Festival's International Radio Awards.

For information on Robyn Levy's art, blog and multi-media presentations, visit www.robynlevy.ca.

Two years ago, Tziporah Gelman weighed almost 300 pounds and knew she needed to make a change, so she stepped into her first Zumba class at her local gym.

Today, Gelman is a Zumba instructor, in great shape and changing the lives of Jewish women in the community for the better. It was love at first dance move, when Gelman took her first Zumba class.

"To me it didn't feel like a workout, it really felt like a party," she said. The Zumba program, which was created in 2001, is like a fitness dance party that uses Latin-themes and international music to create a fun, dance party vibe that gets people moving and burns calories.

Over the next year-and-a-half, Gelman lost more than 130 pounds. When her class at the gym no longer worked with her schedule, Gelman, a schoolteacher and rebbetzin (rabbi's wife), hired her instructor to host private classes for Jewish women, many of whom didn't feel comfortable exercising in front of men. When the response became overwhelming, her instructor encouraged Gelman to become the teacher.

"She kept telling me, 'You have it, Tziporah, you've got the gift. You have it, your community needs it." And when her instructor moved out of town, Gelman thought seriously about becoming a Zumba instructor herself. "Maybe I really could do this for the Jewish community and get my community moving," she said. "I know for myself I was so heavy and couldn't get out of the rut, and maybe I could inspire other people to get in shape and to do it in a fashion that was actually really fun."

So she became a licensed Zumba Instructor and AFAA (Aerobics and Fitness Association of America) Certified Group Fitness Instructor and found a small space to open Frumba Chicago, LLC. Fifteen Jewish women came to her first class, 20 came to the next, and, within a month, she had 50 students. So she rented a bigger space at the Bernard Horwich JCC, and currently rents from the Lincolnwood Jewish Congregation on Touhy and Crawford. Eventually her classes got so large that she hired three of her students to get trained and become instructors as well. She now attracts some 300 students.

For people who didn't have an active social life in the Jewish community, Frumba Chicago is their connection. "They can now be in Jewel or Hungarian [Kosher Foods] and see somebody and they smile because they're part of this secret club," Gelman said.

And while many of her students are from the Orthodox community, there are other Jewish women with no affiliation and even women who are not Jewish.

"It's just so beautiful because I could have 90 women in the room and there are just so many parts of the community that are represented," Gelman said. "If we were sitting and talking Judaism, it would probably be a very heated debate, and yet here we come and we exercise and we just have an amazing and great time and it's just pretty magical."

Gelman has been described by women in the community as a crusader to improve the health and lifestyle choices of Jewish women. "I think a lot of women in the orthodox community very often have a lot of kids and they sort of get put on the back burner. Their health and their well-being very often [aren't prioritized] because life happens and it happens very quickly," she said. "My mission and my dream have always been to get the Jewish community moving."

While she says Zumba is not for everyone, she encourages women of all ages and backgrounds in the community to check out a class at least once. "You'll never know unless you come and try."

For more information and class schedules, email frumbachicago@gmail.com, or visit the Frumba Chicago page on Facebook.

Jewish writer A.J. Jacobs used to be a self-described “mushy, easily winded, moderately sickly blob.”

Then, at age 41, while vacationing with his family in the Caribbean, the Manhattan-based writer caught pneumonia and wound up in an island hospital. Getting sick was a wakeup call for Jacobs that he had to take his health into his own hands so that he could live a life of longevity for his wife and three young sons—ages 8 and 5-year-old twins.

Known for diving head-first into the research for his books, Jacobs has strove to conquer his mind, spirit, and body. First, he expanded his mind with the 2005 book The Know-It-All, where he wrote about everything he learned from reading the entire encyclopedia. Then, in his 2008 book The Year of Living Biblically, he made over his spirit by following every precept in the Bible for a year.

Finally, he completes his trilogy by improving his body with his current book Drop Dead Healthy: One Man’s Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection (Simon & Schuster). The Esquire editor-at-large, Jacobs set out on a two-year journey to become the healthiest man in the world by remaking every aspect of his body—his biceps, stomach, private parts, sleep, stress levels, immune system, and more.

He assembled a team of medical expert advisors, a group that included doctors, researchers, nutritionists, and trainers, and he heeded the wisdom of his 96-year-old grandfather too. In the book, Jacobs is funny, informative, and inspiring, and wrestles with the deeper issues of our own mortality.

Oy!Chicago recently reunited in a phone interview with Jacobs, a past speaker to the Chicago Jewish community.

Oy!Chicago: Why did you out set out on this ambitious project?
A.J. Jacobs: I was in terrible shape—I had ignored my body for 40 years. And I was ‘skinny fat,’ which means that I had a body like a snake that swallowed a goat. And my wife was not happy with me. She said, ‘You’ve got to get in shape. I don’t want to be a widow in my 40s’… So I turned it into a project and tried to [take in] every piece of medical advice and see what works and what doesn’t.

What were the most important lessons you learned?
One big surprise was just how bad sitting at your desk all day is for you. One doctor said, ‘sitting is the new smoking.’…I’m actually talking to you right now on my treadmill desk. I bought a desk and put my laptop on top of it and I do most of my work while walking slowly. It took me about 1,200 miles to write the book.
Another big takeaway was portion control. I ate way too much as Americans do. A great portion control advocate was Maimonides, a Jewish philosopher. He said you should only eat until you’re three-quarters full….although a friend of mine said that eating until you’re three-quarters full does not sound very Jewish.

Does living a Jewish life contribute to your health?
After the year of living biblically, my wife and I did join a synagogue. It turns out that being in a synagogue is probably good for my health because there is a lot of research that says that people who are involved in a religious community have a longer life span. Most scientists think that having a close-knit social network is so crucial to your health…So Judaism is probably overall good for your health. I don’t know if it’s any better than other religions, but [Judaism] is good for you.

Have you stuck with many parts of the health regimen now that the project has ended?
I move around and that’s a big thing. I try to incorporate exercise into every little part of my life…I try to take the stairs … or when I talk to my kids, I squat down at eye level with them. I also changed my diet. And I hopefully spend more times with my friends and family, which is healthy.

Which health tips have you given up on?
I tested out a juice fast and I gave that up pretty quickly. The science is on my side about that one—there’s very little evidence that juice cleansing has any benefits. My wife hated it. I convinced her to do it with me and she literally lasted three hours rather than three days.

I was sorry to hear about the death of your grandfather, who died at age 96. What did he, one of your greatest mentors, teach you about longevity?
He taught me that you want to continue to be engaged in your community. Studies show if you have a reason to wake up in the morning and are passionate about something, you are going to live longer…even in his 90s, he was trying to start new businesses and write editorials for the newspaper.

What do we do about the health crisis and obesity epidemic in this country?
It’s the lack of exercise and the standard American diet is just the worse diet ever created by human beings—all this white flour and sugar. One of my mini crusades is breakfast. Somehow breakfast in America has turned into dessert. You look at what kids eat—waffles, pancakes, pastries, and cereals. I try to reframe breakfast….I have eggs and dairies and nuts and vegetables. That would go a long way in preventing the obesity epidemic.

What was your ultimate goal with living healthy?
The whole point of being healthy is to be around for your family. It’s nice to have six-pack abs, but that’s not my goal. I just want to be around to feel good and be with them. Having a close network of friends and family is so linked to longevity. As long as you have people to confide in and support you—that’s crucial to your health.

Have you brainstormed your next project?
My kids have an idea for my next book: I should eat nothing but candy for a year—and they said they would join me.

Pictured from left is Patricia, a survivor who works with CAASE, and Rachel Durchslag.

As a graduate of a small liberal arts college in upstate New York, it's not often I hear about other Skidmore alumni living in the city. So when I learned about Rachel Durchslag and her non-profit, Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE)—which is currently receiving grants from the Jewish Women's Foundation of Chicago: Hear Our Voices, an independent project of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago—I knew I had to meet her.

Durchslag has spent the past six years fighting against sexual exploitation in Chicago by raising awareness, implementing prevention curriculum in our schools, advocating for policy and legislative reform, and building community engagement and providing legal services to victims. Durchslag invited me to her office for an interview with Oy!Chicago.

Oy!Chicago: How did you become involved in this issue?
Rachel Durchslag: In 2003, I was at the International Film Festival and I saw a film about a women trafficking from Bosnia to Chicago and it struck a chord with me. I went home that night and I thought…if this were going on in Chicago, I would know about it. I discovered that Chicago is considered to be a hub for traffickers in the United States. I went…to a meeting [where] I met with survivors and heard their stories, I just said, 'this is it.'

What is CAASE?
When I started CAASE, though there was some work being done on demand, there was not a single organization dedicated to demand elimination. I decided this would be the organization that would take this little piece of the puzzle. [At the time,] there was only one research report on men who purchase sex and there were hundreds on women and the sex trade, which I think is very indicative in this country on how we look at this issue.

We raised money and interviewed 113 men who buy sex in Chicago…The vast majority of them purchased sex during their college years. We realized that if we were going to prevent this, then we needed to talk to high school age boys. But there was no curriculum that existed… so we created curriculum, "Empowering Young Men to End Sexual Exploitation." It launched in March 2010, and we've reached probably 1,500 men and are in 12 different schools.

We [also] had to get people to understand that this was even an issue. Everything in the media says that prostitution is glamorous and between consenting adults, which isn't true for the vast majority of women. We started raising awareness by producing plays, film festivals, and lecturing.

Part of [starting to] hold perpetrators accountable was utilizing the legal system. We launched the "Sex Assault Justice Project," which provides pro bono legal help to all people who have been victims of sexual harm.

Finally, what about real systemic change? We created a policy project called "End Demand Illinois," which is striving to overhaul Illinois laws to shift our focus onto pimps, johns, and sex traffickers.

The Jewish Women's Foundation recently renewed your grant for the End Demand Illinois campaign—tell us about it?
It is very exciting for me as somebody who comes from a very Jewish-identified family, but does secular work to be able to engage with the Jewish community. We have some amazing volunteers who connect us to synagogues in the city and suburbs where we go and do presentations with a survivor and then we do a call of action for "End Demand Illinois."

We also recently created an anti-trafficking Passover haggadah.

Also, working with JWF has really helped change the image of this issue. Some people think this is such a taboo issue. Because JWF is championing this, people are more open to talking about it.

What would surprise Chicagoans the most to learn about sexual exploitation in Illinois?
On any given day, 16,000-24,000 women and children are impacted by the sex trade in the Chicagoland area.

What role has Judaism played in shaping who you are today?
I grew up in a family that cared about social justice and tikun olam (repairing the world). Growing up with the world's biggest haggadah collector, Passover was the holiday. You talked about being enslaved and what that was like for our people. And then I chose my life fighting modern day slavery. I don't think that's random, that's absolutely connected.

What can our readers do to help stop sexual exploitation?
Go to "End Demand Illinois" and sign up for our list serve. We provide a whole list of tools for colleges, religious groups, parents, teachers, and every day people to give them the tools to be activists. Call your representatives—it really makes a difference.

Also, challenge the language and help establish that this is a problem. Until we understand that this is problem, people aren't going to be willing to take action.

Jewish Women's Foundation of Chicago: Hear Our Voices is an independent project of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago.

One would be hard pressed to find instances of Orthodox Judaism and LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) occupying the same sentence. Yet for the women whose stories appear in the anthology, "Keep Your Wives Away from Them: Orthodox Women, Unorthodox Desires," reconciling the two is a familiar task.

After coming across "Lesbian Nuns: Breaking Silence," a collection of stories from women in convents coming to terms with their sexuality, editor Miryam Kabakov was inspired to publish the first Jewish equivalent of the anthology. She began by conducting an experiment to elicit responses from Orthodox Jewish women as to how they build integrated religious and sexual or gender identities. Kabakov connected with 13 women whose stories comprise "Keep Your Wives Away from Them." The contributors boast a range of backgrounds and lay claim a host of different experiences, yet each of their essays affirms the possibility of being a member of both LGBTQ and Orthodox Jewish communities.

Still, that's not to say they effortlessly continued practicing Judaism without sacrificing their sexuality or gender identity. As a lesbian or transgender individual in the world of Orthodox Judaism, struggles inevitably ensue.
One contributor, reflecting on her initial brush with lesbianism, admits that if she were to say she liked girls, the backlash would have felt like a "permanent door was closing on her religious community." Another author reveals the difficulties of being transgender and coming out as female when living in the all-male environment of Chabad. Certainly, the women given a voice in the anthology each attest to feelings of fear and deprivation when first approaching the intersection of religious and sexual or gender identity.

"When you come out in the Orthodox Jewish world, a lot is at stake," Kabakov says. "An adult could lose his or her family and lose status in the community."

The essays in "Keep Your Wives Away from Them" give consideration to life after the struggle to come out, when Jewish LGBTQ men and women are faced with the task of integrating religion and sexuality. A number of the authors seek out and form support groups where they can continue practicing Judaism in a familiar, Orthodox environment and connect with one another, keeping religious communities alive.

Eshel, devoted to creating understanding and support for gay and lesbian people in Traditional and Orthodox communities, is one such group. Formed in 2010, it offers educational initiatives for its members, including training and empowerment of Traditional and Orthodox speakers. Safety and confidentiality are essential components of Eshel, as people involved in its programs are taking a risk by showing their faces and may not be comfortable divulging their sexuality to the greater Jewish community just yet.

Urging Traditional and Orthodox communities to welcome gay and lesbian members is fundamental to Eshel's mission. Kabakov, a member of the Eshel board, says, "It's hard to be different in the Orthodox world. Other Orthodox Jews who are ostracized should show empathy for gays and lesbians."

Eshel is also introducing its first summer vacation retreat this year. The Shabbaton will be held on July 5-8 in Watervliet, Michigan and feature a weekend of educational excursions, prayer, singing, dancing, painting, and leadership projects, in addition to an appearance by gay Orthodox Jewish hip-hop artist Y-Love.

"Keep Your Wives Away from Them" and support groups like Eshel are taking the lead in giving LGBTQ women and men opportunities to speak where they have previously been silenced. "We have to show members of the LGBTQ community that Orthodox Judaism and homosexuality are compatible," says Kabakov. "If we don't provide a model for them, they won't maintain religious observance."

 For more information about "Keep Your Wives Away from Them: Unorthodox Women, Orthodox Desires," visit www.keepyourwivesawayfromthem.com. Go to www.eshelonline.org to learn about Eshel and its upcoming Shabbaton retreat.

Jews have had a long tempestuous relationship with garlic. The Talmud suggests that men eat garlic on the Sabbath because Friday was the night devoted to conjugal love. This testimonial from Ezra the Scribe: “garlic promotes love and arouses desire,” pretty much says it all but garlic was also used as a means to disgrace Jews with the term “foetor Judaicus,” the “Jewish stench” of degeneracy and garlic used as an anti-Semitic stereotype.

Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion family. Dating back over 6,000 years, garlic has been a staple in Asia and the Mediterranean. Used for a variety of medical issues including stabilizing blood sugar, lowering blood pressure and treating infections and cancer, garlic is a useful component in medical laboratories as well as kitchens.

Spring garlic is my favorite. Tender green shoots and a bulb with tiny cloves that do not require peeling and a very soft and sweet garlic flavor makes spring garlic a standard in my spring arsenal.

This pesto is sweet and very herbaceous and not overwhelmingly garlicky. It is perfect schmeared on bread, stirred into potato salad, dolloped on grilled steaks or drizzled on fish and pasta. Make a large batch and freeze some for later this summer. Spring Garlic pesto will keep frozen for up to 3 months.

Spring Garlic Pesto

¼ pound spring garlic, beard and tips removed, cut into 2-inch pieces
½ cup basil leaves
½ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon walnuts, toasted
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Rough chop the garlic (use the green shoots and bulb) and basil. Place a large pan, lightly coated with olive oil, over medium high heat. Quickly sear the garlic and basil leaves for about 10 seconds. (This will help keep the color bright green.)

2. In a blender, mix the basil, spring garlic, and olive oil. Add the walnuts, salt, and pepper, and continue to blend until smooth.

Let’s look at some former Maccabi Tel Aviv players, who are not Jewish, but who played in Israel. As Maccabi Tel Aviv continues to be a European powerhouse, these players have kept them at the top of the league.

Maceo Baston— 2003-2006 were Maccabi Tel Aviv's glory days. We all know about Anthony Parker, but he played alongside Maceo Baston who also had tremendous success for Maccabi. Like Parker, Baston went on to the NBA. Baston played for the Pacers and Raptors but did not have too much success. He then went on to play in the Ukraine and Spain. Baston came back to Israel where he made a name for himself but only played seven games for Bnei HaSharon. He was waived by the Pistons during the 2012 preseason and remains a free agent.

Marcus Fizer— In 2007-2008 Fizer played for Maccabi after six seasons in the NBA. But like most of his career he did not spend too much time in the same place. Fizer, once a top NBA draft pick, left Israel for Puerto Rico and then one game in Taiwan. In 2011 Fizer announced he wanted to make an NBA comeback but faced an uphill battle with three torn ACLs. In 2012 Fizer and his family created a KickStarter, for a creative project called The Rad Ones.

Carlos Arroyo— Arroyo spent the 2008-2009 season in Israel, where he played point guard and was the MVP of the Israeli League Finals. He averaged 15.3 PPG and 5.8 APG. Arroyo had been in the NBA for six years before he went off to Israel, but his great season in Israel warranted a second run in the NBA. Arroyo signed with the Miami Heat. Currently Arroyo is playing in Turkey for Besiktas Milangaz and is considered a solid guard who has had great success on the international level. Arroyo plays for the Puerto Rico National team.

Alan Anderson— After Arroyo left, in 2009-2010 his point production was replaced by Alan Anderson. Anderson was a NCAA star at Michigan State playing for Tom Izzo. After a successful year he went on to sign with the NDBL. This year he finally reached the NBA and is currently under contract with the Toronto Raptors. In 17 games, Anderson averaged 9.6 PPG and became a late season starter.

While it looks like we have probably seen the last of Baston and Fizer in the NBA, and while Arroyo plays overseas let’s hope Anderson keeps progressing and representing Israel through his NBA success.

And Let Us Say...Amen.
- Jeremy Fine

Josh Altman, Chair of JCC PresenTense Chicago, with Courtney Sharpe, a fellow mentioned in the article.

There is no doubt about it— for decades we have seen a slide in Jewish engagement in America, particularly among young adults. Sociologist Steven M. Cohen remarks, "Fewer and fewer Jews see themselves as obligated to support the collective interests of the Jewish people, to feel attached to Israel, or even to relate personally to the very notion of the Jewish people at all." (eJewish Philanthropy, Nov 24, 2009). 

With these troubling trends in mind, the Jewish Community Center of Chicago (JCC) has launched JCC PresenTense Chicago. It's an innovative program that resonates with young Jewish adults by offering an avenue for social justice activism, interpreted through a Jewish lens.  JCC PresenTense Chicago provides a 6-month fellowship to young Jewish social entrepreneurs who wish to develop their socially responsible ideas into sustainable businesses. 

Launched only nine months ago, JCC PresenTense Chicago accepted its first cohort of 12 fellows in December 2011. Each fellow has worked closely with at least one mentor and one coach— Jewish professionals who have volunteered their passion and expertise to provide guidance and support. 

The fellows are developing social ventures that focus on many different social problems, but they all share an idealistic mission and an urgent desire to make our imperfect world a better place:

• Jill Zenoff is co-founder of The Gan Project, which serves as a hub for urban agricultural activity for the Chicago Jewish community and is housed on land at Bernard Horwich JCC. She is launching L'Dor V'Dor, an alternative organic food system. She says, "The conventional food system is broken in every way and is in gross violation of the cornerstones of our Jewish faith."

• Menachem Cohen has served since 2003 as rabbi of Mitziut, an independent, non-denominational spiritual community in Rogers Park. Through his venture, he hopes to expand upon his work with Mitzuit, recognizing that many disenchanted young Jews will not seek connection inside the walls of synagogues. He wishes to find them where they are at— not necessarily with the purpose of bringing them to worship— but to provide them with Jewish-based spiritual guidance at the alternative places they enjoy, such as street festivals, funky dance parties, or drum circles.

JCC PresenTense Chicago fellows are not the only young Jewish adults who have benefited from the program. Their coaches and mentors also have been inspired and enriched by this experience. Jacob Forman is Courtney Sharpe's coach, whose venture, "Grandma's Kitchen," proposes to offer more nutritious alternatives to fast food in communities that have limited access to fresh produce.

Jacob comments, "I admire Courtney's courage to confront one of Chicago's most poignant problems. An estimated 384,000 Chicagoans live in food deserts. My coaching experience has taught me that seemingly insurmountable social problems can feel less daunting if we work on them together." 

Eric Davis, Jill Zenoff's mentor and founder of the "Global Citizen Experience," adds, "JCC PresenTense Chicago generates a flurry of relationships and economic opportunities. We [entrepreneurs] are successful because we have the will to endure."

If you are inspired by these voices, and the social good that JCC PresenTense Chicago aspires to accomplish, we invite you to attend Launch Night. At this event, the fellows will showcase their business ideas through pitches and booth exhibitions.

Josh Altman, Chair of JCC PresenTense Chicago, talks about what inspired him to volunteer his time, and his view of Launch Night. "Launch Night is about solutions posed by those among us who have dared to take a risk by bringing an idea to the table and testing it out," he said. "These 12 fellows are living the lesson taught by our Rabbis in Pirkei Avot: 'It is not necessary for you to finish the task of making the world a better place, but you most certainly are not free from making an effort.' It is incumbent upon us to support them, with our business know-how or our financial capabilities, so that their ideas do not die on Launch Night, but thrive to enrich our city and our world."

Launch Night will be held at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont, on Tuesday, June 26 from 7 to 9:30pm. To register for free-admission tickets for Launch Night, go to www.jccpresentensechgo.eventbrite.com.

Sara Massarik works for JCC Chicago and is Program Coordinator for JCC PresenTense Chicago. Questions? Contact Sara Massarik at smassarik@gojcc.org.

The Jewish Community Center of Chicago (JCC) is a partner in serving our community and receives support from the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago.

We want YOU, the young leaders, humanitarians, educators, social activists, and movers and shakers of Chicago to be part of Double Chai in the Chi: Chicago's first ever Jewish 36 under 36 list.

Presented by YLD and Oy!Chicago, this venture will shed light on the faces of Chicago's Jewish future and recognize the amazing contributions of our generation.

What we're looking for: People who are making a difference through their work, who give back in their free time, are entrepreneurs, innovators, leaders within the Jewish community, or just Jews we should know.

Nominate yourself or your friends to be a part of Chicago's first ever Jewish 36 under 36 list. Winners will be announced and profiled July 17 on Oy!Chicago and highlighted at YLD's WYLD party on Aug. 2.

How to apply:

To nominate yourself or a friend (or two), please email the following information to info@oychicago.com by noon on Monday, June 18.

Your name:
Nominee's name:
Nominee's date of birth:
Nominee's email and phone:
Nominee's occupation:
Relationship to nominee:
Why should this person be on Chicago's first ever Jewish 36 under 36 list? (200 words or less):
Why is this person a Jew we should know? (200 words or less):
What else do we need to know? (200 words or less):

Got questions? We got answers. Email Stefanie@Oychicago.com.

Panelists from left: Rabbi Miriam Jerris, Jared Jackson, Erica Sosa, Nica Jacobson, and Sarah Buxbaum

How will the heirs of intermarriage change Judaism?

Can you be "Jewish and" rather than "Jewish or"?

Can the Jewish world handle "half-Jewish?"

Is being "half-Jewish no big deal anymore?

These questions and others were posited by Rabbi Adam Chalom, dean for North America of the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism, during his kick-off presentation at a three-day colloquium titled, "Half-Jewish?—the Heirs of Intermarriage."

The conference—which took place at Northwestern University in April—gathered some 150 participants from around the country to hear presentations, panels, and discussions about the effects of intermarriage on Judaism with the goal of stimulating new approaches for outreach and acceptance of interfaith families and their heirs.

Host organization The International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism in collaboration with the Newberger Hillel at the University of Chicago Center and Fiedler Hillel at Northwestern University, brought in a range of speakers including Latina-Jewish artist Maya Escobar, University of Kansas Professor of Sociology, Lynn Davidman, and Rabbi Ari Moffic, director of Interfaith Family/Chicago.

Sessions covered everything from identity formation for children of intermarriage to "half-Jewish" and Israel to the power of "half-Jewish." But the centerpiece of the conference focused on Jewish 20- and 30-somethings and how intermarriage has affected and will affect the next generation.

Paul Golin of the Jewish Outreach Institute

Paul Golin, associate executive director of Jewish Outreach Institute, shared results from a 2011 study of young adults who are the product of intermarriage. He found that 70% of the participants who responded to the survey said that "being Jewish" is "somewhat" or "very" important to them, while 65% of them said that they want to pass on "Jewish ethnic identity to their kids."

Golin's research found a strong correlation between having bar mitzvahs or bat mitzvahs and identifying Jewish. Of the participants in the survey who had bar and bat mitzvahs in some capacity, 90% of them considered themselves to be solely Jewish.  

Yoni Sarason, Midwest Regional Director of Birthright Israel NEXT, works with the 300,000 kids who have returned from birthright trips planning outreach events and opportunities to keep them involved in the Jewish community. He's found that, "trying to do outreach or engagement with [someone with] one Jewish parent is not different than a kid with two," he said. "If there are opportunities built on things people like, they will be attracted to it, no matter if they have one or two Jewish parents."

University of Kansas Professor Lynn Davidman has researched and interviewed countless adults of intermarriage and noted similar results in her presentation. She believes that Judaism is going through a period of popularity where people want to be part of the tribe. "Today Jewish people are seen as successful," she noted. "Jewish for them means being a part of a population that is Nobel Prize winners."

At the end of the colloquium, Chalom surmised that it is clear that there is not only growing acceptance towards intermarrying couples over the last 40 years, but more importantly these intermarried Jews are still holding on to and passing down their Jewish identities.

As a pulpit rabbi he has found, "that many of these [intermarried] couples want us to officiate at intermarriages in order to keep a positive connection…many heirs of intermarriage maintain positive attitudes towards their Jewish identities."

In fact, Chalom sees some positive effects of intermarriage. "Being intermarried can inspire the Jewish partner to consider what it means to them to be Jewish," he said, "[whereas] two Jewish partners might be equally indifferent."

It's imperative the Jewish community understand the power of the personal story, according to Chalom. "There is no one template of interfaith family experience or pattern that is THE future," he said. "There will be conversion, and people raised both, and people raised one culturally, and all kids of varieties."

The Jewish tent, he concluded, needs to be made large enough to embrace everyone.

Other speakers at the colloquium included: Rabbi Sivan Malkin Maas, the first Israeli rabbi ordained by the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism, Sarah Buxbaum, a statistical geneticist and Assistant Research Professor at Jackson State University, Jared Jackson, founder of Jews in ALL Hues, Nica Jacobson, a graduate of the Chicago Interfaith Family School, and Rabbi Miriam Jerris, associate professor of Professional Development at the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism.

For more information on the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism, visit www.iishj.org.

What do you get when you place 500 young Jewish leaders together for a five day intensive seminar at a hotel tucked away in the historic hills of Jerusalem?

While my mother would have loved the answer to this question be me leaving with a pretty Jewish girlfriend, in actuality I departed Masa Israel's 2012 Building Future Leadership (BFL) seminar with a vision, plan, and the tools essential for transforming a seemingly unreachable objective of positively altering Israel's ecological landscape into a tangible reality. MASA, which means "journey" in Hebrew, offers participants scholarships that enable thousands of Jewish youth to spend a semester or year in Israel in any of the more than 150 programs.

This story begins long before and far away from my participation in the 2012 Building Future Leadership (BFL) seminar. In May of 2011 I graduated from the University of Illinois; by August, my bags were packed for I was leaving behind my family and friends in Vernon Hills in order to embark on a 10-month journey as an Israel Government Fellow. I have been a resident of Jerusalem and a Fellow positioned in the Israeli Ministry of Finance for the last seven months. From stashing my ties in the far back corner of my closet, to calling tomato, cucumber, and cheese on toast breakfast, I have very much assimilated into life as an Israeli and Jerusalemite.

Over our time in Israel, my friends and fellow Israel Government Fellows Dan, Joel, and Sam have joined me in experiencing all that Israel has to offer. We have spent countless hours running the streets of Jerusalem in preparation for the Tel Aviv Marathon; we have hiked from the Negev to the Galil; we have spent a dozen Shabbats practicing our matkot (paddle ball) skills on the beaches of the Mediterranean Sea.

In each of these experiences, one consistent component of the land stood out to us-trash. It truly shocks us the way in which the land of Israel is being treated. In each of our communities from around the world, every Jew sits down with their family and on Passover reads from their Haggadah, "Next year in Jerusalem!" This simple wish expresses the deep tie between Eretz Yisrael and the Jewish people that has remained a consistent binding force for over two millennia. As four young Jews who have long envisioned Israel as the oasis of natural beauty in the Middle East-the place where the desert blooms-we kept asking ourselves how we, as a people, can sacrifice, and struggle so much for the land of milk and honey just so we can distort and scar its beauty?

With that question in the back of our minds, Dan, Joel, Sam and I boarded a bus for the BFL seminar. The aim of BFL is to equip the Jewish leaders of tomorrow with the tools to cultivate positive change in their communities as well as coach them on how to be a strong advocate for Israel once they return to their respective countries. The BFL's educational components were broken down into tracks focusing on entrepreneurship, coaching, and networking. The workshops were given an injection of energy and know-how with many of the sections being led by the social entrepreneurship experts at PresenTense. To put it simply, the intensive five-day seminar is an incubator for ideas and visions. It is here, surrounded by insightful instructors and energetic future leaders that social initiatives relating to the Jewish experience gain the ability to emerge from a fictitious existence, take root, and become tangible vehicles for change.

Led by Ariel Beery, co-director of PresenTense, the "meat and potatoes" of the BFL seminar began with an idea slam. Reflecting renowned philosopher George Berkley famous query, "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" does an idea exist if it isn't written down on paper, out there for everyone to see?

During the idea slam, Joel was able to capture what all of us had been feeling for so many months when he wrote down on a sticky note his "problem" that he would like to see tackled: the excessive garbage scattered throughout Israel. Flowing from that simple but profound thought, Dan, a Sidney, Australia resident, spoke of Australia's national cleanup day. More than just picking up trash, Dan articulated a national, unifying day where Australians from all walks of life hit the streets, trails, and beaches to beautify their country. It took only a few minutes for the concept of marrying Joel's problem and Dan's solution to marinate in our minds and hearts. Then and there, the four of us decided to use our remaining time at the BFL seminar and in Israel to bring an Israeli national clean-up day into existence.

Realizing the instruction, tools, and platform the BFL seminar offered was the perfect place to construct and launch our initiative, we wasted no time and immediately began developing our concept. Immersed within the networking track-a program focused on concept development and harnessing social media to raise awareness and encourage community involvement-we used our PresenTense instructor's insight and experience on how to take an idea, establish a clear vision, and develop a "future history" or plan for success in order to breathe life into an eco-initiative to benefit Israel. Fueled by a "conquer the world" attitude inspired by the speakers and fellow participants at BFL, we turned a concept espoused at the idea slam into a full blown eco-initiative in just 36 short hours.

By the end of the fourth day of the BFL seminar, we had established a clear vision and goals, developed a plan for leveraging the power and influence of the 10,000 strong Masa participants positioned across Israel, and created a digital campaign that includes a website (www.cleantheland.org) and Facebook page dedicated to the cause. Upon receiving strong support from Masa's top staff at the seminar, we were given approval to formally launch our initiative by addressing all 500 participants of the BFL seminar. Standing up on stage, we illustrated our vision and made it clear that, as a united group of young Jewish leaders, we have the power to take the first step towards instilling a "leave no trace" attitude in the Land of Israel.

The author of the description webpage for the Building Future Leadership seminar misleadingly states that the BFL is only a five-day seminar. My friends and I, along with the hundreds of young Jewish leaders who joined us, are using the creative and insightful means we developed at the seminar to institute change each and every day. In many ways, as each of the 500 BFL seminar participants continue to by the catalyst for positive change in their communities, the seminar will continue to function and never actually end. On May 18, we will be facilitating the inaugural Clean the Land Day where Masa's eager and motivated participants will promote a "lead by example" attitude and take a significant step in creating long lasting change for Israel, one unsightly piece of trash at a time. Every park, sidewalk, and beach restored, as well as every visitor and Israeli who develops a more eco-conscious mindset, will owe their newfound reality to the thousands of passionate Masa participants and the kick in the butt the Building Future Leadership seminar gave to its many thankful attendees.

Masa Israel Journey gives 18-to-30-year-old Jews life-changing experiences in Israel, connecting them to programs that meet their interests, offering scholarships, providing expertise, and supporting them throughout the entire process.Masa Israel is a joint project of the Government of Israel and the Jewish Agency for Israel and is made possible by the generous contributions of the Jewish Federations of North America and Keren Hayesod-UIA. Visit MasaIsrael.org for more information.

Max Friedenberg is currently an Israel Government Fellow working in the Global Debt Capital Markets and Foreign Currency Transactions department of the Israeli Ministry of Finance. Friedenberg, originally from Vernon Hills, is an alumnus of the University of Illinois where he earned a dual degree in economics and political science.

Comedian Susie Essman has been in the stand-up world for over two decades, first appearing on Comedy Central back in 1992. But Essman's greatest success has come from acting on HBO's hit show, Curb Your Enthusiasm. As Susie Greene, Essman entertains with witty, outrageous lines, most of which include expletives and none of which can be printed.

In addition to performing stand-up and acting on television, Essman has authored a book, entitled What Would Susie Say?: Bull**** Wisdom About Love, Life and Comedy.

Susie Essman will be the featured speaker at the JUF Suburban Professionals, Foods & Hospitality, High Tech and Wholesalers, Retailers & Manufacturers Divisions Dinner Wednesday, May 9 at the Westin Chicago North Shore in Wheeling. In advance of her speaking engagement, Essman sat down for a phone interview with Oy!Chicago.

Oy!Chicago: Your character on Curb Your Enthusiasm probably says more curse words than the average teenager. What's it like to play such an in-your-face, outspoken woman as Susie Greene? 
Susie Essman: It's very cathartic. It's very, very therapeutic. It's some primal scream therapy…  I don't really behave like that in real life, unless I'm pushed. It's really fun to play such an angry, over-the-top character… On a day that I have done a screaming or yelling scene, I always go back to the hotel [in L.A., where the show is filmed] and I'm so relaxed. My muscles are relaxed, because I vented. And no one gets hurt—that's the beauty of it. And I get paid.

I never thought that this is what my life would end up being, but so be it.

What's interesting about the show is that it's not quite scripted like most television shows. What's it like being on a show that is mostly improvised? 
I love it. I love not having to memorize lines. It's not free-for-all improvisation—there's a very detailed outline. We know what each scene is about, what has happen to in each scene and where it's going. The only thing that's not written is the dialogue.

It's incredibly creative, fun and different. It's more like what my stand up is. I love it. We just really have as a blast. Larry [David] gets the giggles every time I scream at him, so he always ruins all my best takes.

How and when did you realize you would be well-suited for comedy? 
I always wanted to be an actress, when I was a kid. I wanted to be a comedic actress. I wanted to be like Carol Burnett.

I never thought of doing stand-up. I never knew anything about it. It wasn't a world that I was familiar with. When I was in my mid-20s, my friends forced me to get on stage. I had never been in a comedy club… After a few times on stage, I realized it was what I was born to do.

So I came upon it accidentally. You can't make plans. My grandmother used to say, I think it was a Yiddish proverb, "You make plans, and God laughs."

Your grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. How did that background affect your life, and has that also played out in any way in your comedy? 
My paternal grandmother, Millie Essman, was the funniest person I knew. She had a typical immigrant story… she had a very hard life… But she was always funny. She saw everything through the prism of humor. 

In her final years, she was at a nursing home and had severe dementia, and she didn't know who I was… But I would go visit her, and the nurses would tell me that she kept them laughing all day long.

It was very poignant to me, because I felt like she had really lost everything—her memory, her dignity, everything was gone—except for her sense of humor. That was the one thing she held on to, until the day she died. That had a big influence on me.

What kind of a role does Judaism play in your life, both personally and professionally? 
I wasn't raised religiously at all. But there is an incredible legacy of Jewish comedians in this country. The history of stand-up comedy, in particular, is very heavily Jewish. Those are the people that influenced me when I was starting. Growing up, what I heard in my house was Mel Brooks, Woody Allen, Alan King, so many great comedians that my parents loved…

I think there's something about Judaism itself that lends itself to comedy. The nature of it, to be a religious person, is to study and question… Comedians always look at everything and question it—they don't accept the status quo. So in Judaism, the way you become a learned religious person lends itself to a comedic brain.

A meaningful contribution to the 2012 Annual Campaign is required to attend. Registration for the event can be completed online at www.juf.org/professionals/tip_dinner.aspx. For more information regarding JUF's Trades, Industries and Professions Divisions, email tip@juf.org.

Photo credit: Andrew Eccles

We all know that sometimes TV personalities are different in real life than they appear on television, but that's not the case with TV journalist Meredith Vieira. In a recent phone interview with Oy!Chicago, she acted exactly as she did when she co-anchored the Today show—personable, sharp, self-deprecating, and easy to laugh. In advance of her upcoming speaking engagement for JUF, I spoke with the famous reporter over the phone, who expresses a kinship with the Jewish community. Married to Jewish journalist Richard Cohen for 26 years, Vieira, who is Catholic, knows a lot about Judaism and celebrates the Jewish holidays with her husband and three grown kids.

Until last summer, Vieira co-anchored NBC News' Today show for five years. Currently, she serves as a special correspondent for NBC News and hosts the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Previously, she co-hosted ABC's The View for nine years. Vieira spent a decade at CBS News, where she worked as a correspondent on the newsmagazines 60 Minutes and West 57th. She joined CBS News a reporter in the Chicago Bureau in 1982, but first honed her skills as a cub reporter at local TV affiliates around the country.

Oy!Chicago: You recently announced that you're hosting the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in London with the Today show. Are you excited for that opportunity? 
Meredith Vieira: I'm going to be hosting the opening ceremonies with Bob Costas and Matt [Lauer], which is very exciting. And it's being produced by Danny Boyle, who directed Slum Dog Millionaire…From the time I was little, we watched every Olympics as a family. I would pick my sport—it was always gymnastics—and I would become one of the performers and presume I was getting a gold medal…There's something about the energy during the Olympics and seeing the athletes who have dedicated their lives. They're so impressive and often they have incredible personal stories.

What do you and don't you miss about hosting Today? 
I miss [hosting] the 7-9 o'clock period, I miss the doing of the job, and my friends. I do not miss the time. Everybody will say that. I found it extremely difficult to work those hours. I'm a night person and I never got my clock to work properly. I got up at 2:30 a.m. but I didn't go to bed until 11. The irony was once every two months we'd do a piece with an expert about the health risks attributed to sleep deprivation. I was sitting there like 'hello, we are sleep deprived. Why aren't we learning anything from this?'

Who was your favorite interview in your long career so far? 
It goes back a long way to a boy named Anthony who I met doing a story [on hunger] in Chicago years ago when I was at CBS News. I was interviewing [kids] about a school lunch program that was going to be canceled. I said I would buy them pizza and they invited their friend Anthony to come…This beautiful little boy with a dirty face and dirty clothes opened the door for me to the pizza parlor… He lived in the projects. I went back to New York and I said I wanted to profile this boy…He was an amazing kid. The father had left the mother and the mother was an alcoholic. But he was a survivor… He had this will to live and get out of the situation. When we left him, I grew so attached to him, I told him to call CBS collect and I would talk to him…He ended up being the first kid in his family to graduate from high school and he went on to work in city government. I know you're not supposed to get involved in people's lives [as journalists] but he had such an impact on me. When I would feel upset about this or that, I would think of Anthony and what his life was like…and how he handled [his life] with such bravery.

You've been public about your husband Richard's battle with Multiple Sclerosis. How is he feeling these days? 
He's doing fantastic. Health wise, he's holding his own. He just wrote a book—a history of our family pets. Each pet is a bigger disaster than the one before. It's called I Want to Kill the Dog, and it's very funny. It's coming out in the fall.

How has coping with your husband's illness changed your perspective on life? 
It's sobering because you realize how precious life is. Any time you have a chronic illness, it's part of who you are and it becomes a family disease. You appreciate the moments where your health is strong…We're a family that really is based in humor and that comes from Richard. That's the way we've dealt with a lot of adversity.

How did the two of you meet? 
I was working in the Midwest bureau for CBS News back in 1983. It's called the "crash and burn" bureau, which means they're constantly sending you out on stories that have to air that night…Richard came through the newsroom. He was a producer with CBS…He took one look at me [tired from reporting on a story] and made some snide comment. I truly thought 'A—this is a jerk and B—I'm going to marry this guy'…He took me for a walk down to the Staten Island ferry, which I realized was a very cheap date. We got married in 1986.

What role does Richard being Jewish play in your family's life? 
He's more of a cultural Jew…. [and] we observe the holidays. It doesn't define the kids necessarily but they understand it from a cultural point of view…I love Passover. It's my favorite outside of Thanksgiving. I love it—I love the reading, I love Manischewitz. Give me my gefilte fish and Manischewitz and I'm happy.

Did you face challenges as an interfaith family? 
No, not really…I went to a Quaker school growing up, but I was raised Catholic. I've always embraced the notion of exploring all different religions—they all have something positive to add to your life.

With Mother's Day approaching, and you preparing to speak for JUF's Women's Division, what advice do you have to women trying to juggle a career and family? 
You have to accept the fact that you're going to drop the ball—or one of the balls—occasionally and that's okay. Women are so tough on themselves and they think everything has to be perfect and it doesn't have to be. You can go and buy the store-bought cake. You don't have to bake it yourself. You can lean on friends. You can accept the fact that you're not super human and you should accept that fact. Again, I always go back to humor—keep a perspective, don't take yourself so seriously, and try to face life with a smile as much as you can.

You might call Jason Alexander a modern-day Renaissance Man.

Whether it is television, the big screen, or the live stage, he has tackled it. In addition to acting, Alexander has also taught, produced, and directed. Oh, and along the years, he has managed to nab a Tony Award, as well as a handful of Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.

Alexander is also one of the lucky, as well as gifted, actors to play a character so memorable, so outrageous, that viewers around the globe recognize him on a first-name basis – George. Few characters are as engrained in television comedy history as the neurotic, often nauseating but somehow still lovable, “Lord of the Idiots,” George Costanza on “Seinfeld.”

Oy!Chicago recently conducted an email interview with the actor.

Oy!Chicago: You've been in movies, on television, and on Broadway. Are there any other professional pursuits you have wanted to explore?
Jason Alexander: I am very actively trying to develop two other aspects of my professional life—directing and teaching. . . They are both completely engaging when you are doing it. They are all-consuming. . .

I have come to adore teaching. That moment of epiphany in a student's mind when they suddenly are able to de-mystify their own process and understand how their imagination and emotions and intellect and artistry all come together—it is absolutely thrilling. It's as big a rush as performing.

Despite the variety of work that you have done, most people will always remember you as George Costanza on “Seinfeld.” How do you feel about that? Has playing such a memorable character had any impact on your career post-“Seinfeld”?
Well, it is an indelible impression. George is on TVs all over the world, every minute of every day. So most of the world knows me primarily as that persona. Having made such a strong impression as an actor in a singular way can and has affected my industry's willingness to look and consider me for totally different types of roles. But that is not particular of me.

That has been true for most actors who have a break out role. Type casting is still a real thing and I try very hard not to allow myself to be cast as another variation of George.

However, I love George and I love the ongoing impact that “Seinfeld” seems to have had in people's lives… over the years, I have met or heard from people who have told me how my work has gotten them through terrible times and tremendous loss and how I seemed to be a near constant source of laughter or levity during their dark times…or how now it has become like an old and reliable friend that they love to revisit.

How do you think your Jewish background and Judaism have inspired your work, if it all?
I don't know that I can point to Judaism specifically as inspirational or directional to my work. I think much of my comedic instincts are informed by the urban and Jewish rhythms that I was surrounded with as a child… Jews come from pretty remarkable backgrounds and tend to be pretty colorful people. . . living and growing up in a largely Jewish community helped me create and appreciate the canvass of characters that I draw upon in my work. But Judaism specifically has not colored either my choices or performances terribly much.

You recently traveled to Israel to promote peace in the region. Can you tell me about that experience, and what it meant for you?
I adore Israel and Israelis. And I have to say that I have also been honored to have been invited into many Arab homes and businesses in both Israel and Palestine…. I see so clearly that Israelis and Palestinians could actually be tremendous neighbors and partners. They are so similar in so many ways… People are people. They want normalcy. They want decency and respect. They want purpose. They want happiness and stability and the possibility that tomorrow will be better than today. Israel and Palestine could have this and they could be a beacon to the rest of the world. This trip and all my trips confirm that truth to me. It will take courage and conviction to achieve, but it is there.  

Hope you all have a wonderful Passover full of friends, family and yummy food! Check out this Passover website from JUF for great recipes, videos, (kid-friendly) traditions and more. To get you in the mood for all that matzo, check out these two adorable videos as kids retell the story of Passover and look for the world’s largest afikomen. And while you’re at it, consider making a donation to help those in need this Passover.

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Life—in many ways—was a Jewish Norman Rockwell painting for Linda Pressman, growing up in Skokie in the 1960s and 70s.

Her childhood included all the usual trappings of suburbia of that era—manicured lawns, her beloved banana seat-decked bicycle, and frequent trips to meet the Good Humor truck jingling down the streets of her neighborhood.

Her idyllic upbringing glided along in stark contrast to that of her parents, Holocaust survivors from Eastern Europe. While Pressman grew up in post-war Skokie, one of the safest locales in the world to be Jewish, her parents spent their formative years in the most unsafe place in the world to be Jews.

After immigrating to Chicago following the war, her parents raised a full house of seven daughters, Pressman the second to last. She chronicles her experiences—funny, wacky, and heartbreaking—in her new book Looking Up: A Memoir of Sisters, Survivors and Skokie (CreateSpace), a story offering a unique perspective on the Holocaust, one generation removed from the war. In conjunction with Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), Pressman, who now lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, will return to Chicago to speak about her book in April.

Helene Burt, Pressman's mother, hailed from Lithuania and Poland, and then survived the Holocaust in the forests of Eastern Europe. Pressman's father, Harry Burt (who passed away in 1975), and his family fled their hometown in Poland, and spent the war in the frozen tundra of Siberia. After the war, Pressman's parents met each other at a displacement camp in West Germany, before eventually making their way to the States.

Unlike many Holocaust survivors, in the immediate years following the war, Helene Burt "was loud with the Holocaust, in your face with the Holocaust," as Pressman writes in your book. While her father was more taciturn, Helene talked about the war to her daughters every chance she got. As comfortable as her mother was telling her story, Pressman was just as uncomfortable hearing it, finding it too hard to wrap her mind around a world so removed from her, so overwhelmed by her mom's oversimplified anecdotes that always ended with "…and then the Germans killed them all." It was only in her adulthood that Pressman came to terms with listening to her mother's stories and even sharing them through her writing.

In advance of her visit to Chicago, I spoke with Pressman by phone.

How do you characterize children of survivors?
Linda Pressman: There are different types of children of survivors. There are the types that really attach to their parents' stories and who can talk about it…And then, there are the types like my sisters and I who built a wall and didn't want to hear it. My mom—now age 81—would start talking and we would run out of the house. I heard a filtered amount—I heard the bomb, I heard the grenade—and that was enough.

As time went by, you decided you wanted to tell your parents' story. What changed for you?
As I would share the story [of growing up in Skokie at writers' workshops], the other students would say they want to know more about …I can't talk about what it's like to have Holocaust survivor parents and not say that this story happened. The reason why they…hoarded food and wouldn't spend money on anything that wasn't food or shelter was because of [what they went through in Europe]…To be able to tell what kind of a crazy, miraculous, heartbreaking, and yet funny childhood I had, to tell what that their experiences led to has been an honor to tell.

Describe the dichotomy between your mother's upbringing and yours as a girl in Skokie.
My mom would talk about the war, and I'd look outside and there was no forest and there were no Nazis…Her experiences led her to believe that it wasn't safe to be Jewish. She was very young—11 years old—when the Nazis marched into her town. And then, until she got to the U.S. at 19, it was very much not a good thing to be Jewish. In her stories, every single person ends up dead, every story has a bad ending…But here I am living in the 1960s in Skokie and it seemed like the stories were really obscure. Now I know that the war hadn't happened that long before, [but back then] it seemed like she was talking about a different planet. She was talking about a place where it wasn't safe to be Jewish. In Skokie, everyone—I mean everyone—was Jewish. There couldn't be a safer place to be Jewish than Skokie in the 1960s.

How has being the daughter of survivors affected your worldview?
Finding out that your parents have suffered is a really disconcerting moment in the life of any child. As a [little] kid, my impression was my parents were like other parents. I couldn't hear the accents because they were too close to me to actually hear them. As I left home and went to school, it occurred to me that my parents were different than other parents...I started realizing that my parents came from this different place and suffered and they weren't just safe here being Bobby soxers and dancing to the Big Bands in the 1940s. It has made me feel protective of her all these years.

How does your mother feel about your book?
My mom could never stop talking about the Holocaust. It was a problematic issue for me. I would call her up and we would be talking about dinner or shopping or doing something typical and suddenly she'd change the subject and we'd be talking about the Holocaust…and then when I gave her my book, it was like this huge burden was lifted from her. She feels relief that her story will live on without her having to talk about it all the time. 

As the next generation, do you feel a responsibility to tell their story?
I don't feel that I'm the best person to testify about the Holocaust. I do feel like I'm the best person to testify as to what happens after the war. Here are these two people who come out of Siberia and out of the forest. The question children of survivors can answer very eloquently is 'Did they live happily ever after?' I can't ever tell a Holocaust story as well as a survivor actually could and thank goodness there are so many testimonies about that. But I can tell what kind of parents they were and how sad or happy they were or how they lived the rest of their life. To me, that is a very compelling second chapter to the story.

Let's say the world was your (Jewish) oyster…where in the world would you like to travel to—Israel, the Galapagos Islands, Wilmette?

We posed that question to Jewish Chicagoans with the travel bug.

Here's where they're itching to go…

Marc Wasserman 
Neurologist, former Chicagoan who lives in Denver, Colorado. 
Not just saying this because it's JUF News, but Israel. The tremendous history, the culture, the architecture, the religion—one of those places I really should have visited by now but haven't.

Shari Levine 
Teacher, lives in Chicago. 
Where would I love to travel? I'd Backpack through Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. There is nothing better than the serene landscape of Asia to clear your mind and bring you back to what's important.

Jane Charney 
Assistant Director, AJC Chicago, lives in Chicago. 
Argentina! I have family there that I've never met and my grandmother was born there.

Tamara Koransky 
Teacher, lives in Oak Park. 
I would love to do the wine country trip in northern California; the last time I was in that area I was pregnant-torture!  I would also love to go to New York with my husband; we've both been there but never together. We love going out to see music and trying new restaurants, so I can just imagine the fun we'd have there together. We always talk about it. Maybe one day...

Rebecca Rosenthal 
Attorney, lives in Chicago. 
I want to go to Iceland and explore the natural beauty, see The Northern Lights, and scuba dive the Silfra Rift, a crack between the American and Eurasian tectonic plates.

Steven Dishler 
Director of International Affairs for the Jewish Community Relations Council, lives in Chicago. 
I have always wanted to visit wildlife national reserves in Africa. The animal habitat is shrinking so this is the time to truly experience the beauty and wonder of the continent.

Paul Wieder 
Public Relations Manager, JUF, lives in Chicago. 
I would like to travel back to Israel with my wife. We had to curtail our honeymoon itinerary because she got sick, so she still has not seen the Dead Sea, Masada, Ein Gedi, most of Tel Aviv, or the best beaches.

Frannie Goldwin 
School Social Worker, lives in Glenview. 
There are so many parts of the world I would like to visit. Although the winter season has been mild, in thinking about where I would like to go if I could hop on a plane today, I would prefer to go somewhere incredibly warm, peaceful, and relaxing. That being said, Antigua and Anguilla both seem like ideal Caribbean island destinations for my hypothetical trip anywhere in the world!

Alan Tuerkheimer 
Attorney/Jury Consultant, lives in Chicago. 
I would like to go to Iceland over the summer. It is full of spectacular mountains and glaciers, is volcanically active, has many great rivers, upper 50's temperature in the summer, very unusual nature all around the island, whales, and an interesting Scandinavian culture.

Shari Young 
Senior Private Equity Consultant, a Chicagoan currently living in London. 
Traveling allows me to have completely new experiences I can't find in my own backyard. Traveling through India, I experienced a Brahman ceremony in Varanasi, Christmas Eve Midnight Mass in Hindu and Latin in Agra, and lit a travel menorah to welcome Chanukah close to the Nepalese border. My next adventure will be in Morocco, where I can get lost in the winding streets as I explore ancient Medina and the old Jewish quarter.

David Epstein 
Information Systems Consultant, lives in Chicago. 
Everywhere. Israel, as it is a home and I have friends to see. Italy, well, because it is Italy :). I want to experience India. Argentina again, Brazil, all of South America. Scandinavia, (the fjords, in June or July of course). Australia. China. Thailand. Vietnam. Africa, (safari in Morocco, Tanzania), Russia, Poland, Lithuania (family history), even the Congo or Sudan, and Iran, Lebanon, Syria (highly unlikely I would actually go, but would like to safely see and experience all of the world, the good and bad). Spain, Portugal, Prague, Budapest. I could list every country and city. North Korea would be fascinating, not a beach vacation, but... Yellowstone, Glacier, Arches, Zion, Joshua Tree, Badlands, Bryce, Cape Hatteras, Crater Lake, Death Valley, there are 58 protected areas known as National Parks in the US alone, and I want to see them all. Sorry, was I supposed to pick just one place?

Two families in the Chicago Jewish community need your help. Marc Chibnik, father to four children, suffered last January from high fevers and what was thought to be pneumonia. However, he was blindsided to receive unimaginable news, diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma ALK+ IV (a form of blood cancer). A transplant from an unrelated donor is essential for his survival. He needs the transplant immediately while he is in remission because of the aggressiveness of the disease. His cancer came back within seven months of his last transplant using his own stem cells.

Nine-year-old Lacey Horwich was diagnosed with HLH, a rare blood disorder that causes the blood cells to attack the body's cells and organs. She has been in the hospital since August 1, 2011 fighting for her life. Most recently, Horwich woke and discovered she has permanent, severe hearing loss. Despite all this, she and her family fight on for her to return to the things she loves; spending time with family, dancing, and painting.

The best match for Chibnik and Horwich are members of the Jewish community. Many synagogues and Jewish organizations have been hosting bone marrow donor drives. A quick five minute swab is all it takes to be added to the donor registry. If you are interested in hosting a donor drive, contact Jennifer Baird at Be The Match at (877) 601-1926 ext. 7742.

While it is hard not to think of the current political climate when thinking of Iran, Persia was once the center of the spice trade for the ancient world. Animals, textiles, metals, gems and foodstuffs all passed through its ports. Ancient Persia was quite the cosmopolitan empire with influences from India, Egypt, Syria and more.

Jews have a long, tempestuous history in Persia that dates back to biblical times. The books of Isaiah, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Chronicles and Esther contain references to Persia. Present-day Iran is the home to the largest Jewish community living in a Muslim-majority country.

The foods of Persia are exotic and reflect thousands of years of tradition. Pomegranates, pistachios, rose water and almond pastes are just a few of the flavors of Persia that we cherish today. Persian cuisine is fresh and brightly flavored and seasonal.

Khoreshes are part stir fry and part stew. The simple ingredients are first browned, and then cooked together and delicately spiced with saffron and cinnamon to highlight each ingredient. The end result is a full flavored and delicious meal.

Chicken and Pomegranate Khoresh

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium Spanish onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken
2 large carrots, sliced into julienne 
½ pound shelled walnuts, toasted
1 teaspoon salt 
½ cup pomegranate paste diluted in 2 ½ cups water or 4 cups fresh pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons sugar 
½ teaspoon cinnamon 
¼ teaspoon ground saffron threads, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

1. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the chicken and continue sautéing, stirring occasionally, until golden brown (about 15 minutes). Add the carrot strips and stir-fry 2 minutes longer.

2. Finely grind the toasted walnuts in a food processor and transfer to a small bowl. Add the salt, diluted pomegranate paste, sugar, cinnamon, and saffron water and mix well to create a smooth paste. Transfer the walnut mixture to the pan with the chicken, cover and simmer for 40 minutes over very low heat, stirring occasionally.

3. Taste the sauce and adjust for seasoning and thickness. This khoresh should be sweet and sour, and very thick. Add additional pomegranate paste for sourness or sugar for sweetness. If the sauce is too thick, thin it with warm water.

4. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve. Serve with Jeweled Rice Pilaf.

Jeweled Rice Pilaf

2 cups Basmati rice (I use brown Basmati rice)
4 cups chicken stock or water
2 teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon saffron threads
½ cup chopped toasted pistachios
½ cup chopped toasted almonds
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
½ cup dried barberries* (if not available, substitute chopped dried cranberries)
Suggested garnishes: dried barberries and fresh mint

1. Place the rice, chicken stock or water, saffron and salt in a medium saucepan with a tight fitting cover. Simmer over medium low until the rice is cooked completely (about 25 minutes).

2. Transfer the rice to a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly.

3. Serve the rice garnished with additional barberries (or chopped cranberries) and chopped mint.

*Dried Barberries are the tart and garnet colored fruit from a barberry tree. They are commonly found in Middle Eastern and Persian grocery stores and on-line.

Pomegranate Sparkler

And since tomorrow is Purim, here is a little something to brighten the holiday. This cocktail can easily be made for children by eliminating the vodka.

Yield 4 cocktails

4 ounces vodka
1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons pomegranate paste
1 ½ cups soda water

1. Stir together and serve. Garnish with orange slice.

Why do we go to Israel? What exactly is it that draws us there?

On the airplane, somewhere between Madrid and Tel Aviv, these were the questions I penned in my journal. For the next ten days, I tried my best to write every new word, every smell, and every question. For some I expected answers, and for others, I thought it best to watch and wonder.

Traveling to Israel with Shorashim is like taking a crash course in contemporary Jewry. The minute we stepped off the plane, classes began. We were immersed in the subjects of cultural Judaism, historical and modern Zionism, and contemporary Israeli life. Fortunately, we had an excellent guide and a group of six amazing Israelis who not only acted as tutors, but as companions and friends.

Like many others in our group, I was coming to Israel with my own, somewhat dissolute, Jewish background. I knew that part of the reason Birthright exists is to reestablish and redefine the importance of this Jewish narrative. Knowing this, I tried my best to expect little and anticipate much. I took pages of notes and hundreds of pictures, and I tried to ask the right questions.

It is amazing that such a small piece of land has been the focus of Western history for the past 3,000 years. As we bussed from Tel Aviv to the Golan Heights to Jerusalem to the Negev, and back again, I tried to pay attention to why. The trailhead for the hike by the Jilabun in the Golan Heights winds its way through old, shelled-out Syrian barracks, then working its way into a valley with waterfalls, cool shade and other natural wonders. Some of the hottest temperatures in Israel are recorded near here, though Israel's only ski resort is just a short drive away.

The same went for our hike in the Negev at Ein Avdat. Ibex wandered the cliffs high above. The water at the base of the canyon was cool and calm. The soil for miles in all directions is dry and arid, though through experimental agricultural projects, Israelis have found ways to cultivate the land and make it fruitful.

Perhaps the most significant moment on the trip was the morning we woke up at 3am and drove to the base of Masada, which starts at Dead Sea level and stretches an astounding 1,400 ft. into the air, though it only makes it a few hundred feet above sea level.

We made it to the peak just in time for sunrise, which was contemplative and misty. The Dead Sea glimmered to the east, and we all suspected some profundity in our accomplishment of having made it to this point. A few of those in our group decided to pocket a few rocks from the mountain to commemorate the moment. Noting this, our guide paused and said: "It is okay for you to take a piece of this land, but by doing so, you are making a promise that you will one day return these stones to where you found them."

For a moment I hesitated, but as I looked again over the ancient ruins, which symbolized the stories and memories of our ancestors, I picked up a stone and stowed it away in good faith. One day, I will bring it back. I'm not sure how or when. I'm not even sure why. Maybe it's compulsion. However, what I now understand – and what I didn't understand before – is that this place and time will forever be a part of me and who I want to be.

Registration for birthright trips is closing soon!! To register, visit: http://www.israelwithisraelis.com/

Imagine a room filled with hundreds of Jews, all from different backgrounds, perspectives, denominations and generations, learning together. If you can picture yourself in that room, you should be sure to check out Limmud Chicago 2012.

Limmud is the Hebrew word for "learning" and Limmud Chicago is part of an international, volunteer-run movement which began in England in 1980 and has been replicated in over 50 cities throughout the world. According to a recent study by Steven M. Cohen and Ezra Kopelowitz, Limmud has grown from a UK movement reaching 80 participants per year, to an international movement reaching over 30,000 individuals annually.

Anita Silvert, co-chair of this year's Limmud Chicago 2012 with Shoshana Waskow, was asked to present at Limmud UK years ago and then got involved with bringing the program to Chicago. The third Limmud Chicago, taking place Sunday, Feb. 19 at the University of Illinois Chicago UIC Student Center East, will feature 100 learning sessions, with themes of sustainability and diversity running throughout the day.

This daylong celebration of Jewish learning and culture is filled with lectures, discussion groups, workshops, films, exhibits and performances on a variety of Jewish topics including Jewish body art, Jewish organic farming, Israel's social justice movement, Hebrew feminist poets, Jews and food, Perspectives from the 2010 Jewish Population Study conducted by JUF/JF and more. Presenters range from Jewish professionals to educators to clergy to passionate members of the community.

This year, there is a special emphasis on engaging young Jewish adults. "We paid a lot of attention to the surveys that we got back from the past two years of Limmud Chicago," Silvert said, "...and one of the things that came through loud and clear was we weren't representative across the entire age spectrum and we needed to break more into that young adult demographic."

So they moved the conference into the city this year, and—thanks to generous funding provided by the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and NEXT: A Division of the Birthright Israel Foundation—developed the Young Adult Initiative, a subsidy  to provide significantly reduced registration fees for young adults aged 18 to 30.

"Limmud is perfect for this outreach because Limmud is who shows up," Silvert said. "Limmud itself doesn't have a bent or a slant or an agenda at all, but there's an aspect of Jewish engagement that is really interesting to anybody…It's not anybody's agenda, it's not anybody's denomination—it is completely beyond that kind of scope—so it's perfect for people who are truly figuring out who they want to be as Jewish adults."

Limmud participants can elect to "volunticipate." Empowering the community to build the kind of thing they want to build, "Limmud empowers people to develop their own Jewish identity and to go forward with it on their own terms," Silvert said.

Barry Krost, Limmud Chicago 2012 Program Team Co-Chair, first learned about Limmud from a friend who was one of the founders of Limmud Chicago. At the time, he was not involved in Jewish life, but found his place in Limmud. "Limmud's been a really amazing opportunity for me, a really positive Jewish experience, and I feel like I have a seat at the table as somewhat of a secular Jew," Krost said. "Limmud is a place where I'm welcomed in."

For him, the best part about Limmud is getting together people of so many backgrounds into one room, where everyone is referred to only by their first name. "It's really an opportunity to get Jews to step out of their normal boundaries and interact with other Jews that might live in a different world normally," he said. "Limmud is all about mutual respect…The encounter with other Jews gives [participants] a stronger sense of what it means to be a Jew."

Limmud Chicago will host its third conference on Sunday, Feb. 19 at the University of Illinois Chicago UIC Student Center East at 750 S. Halsted. An evening program with entertainment will also be presented. Reduced rates are available for young adults at www.limmudchicago.org.

For the past few years I’ve been working out at a small gym down the street from my condo. It’s intimate in size, everyone is nice, each machine has its own personal TV and they offer free apples at the door. It turns out my gym, Wicker Park Fitness, is co-owned by Chicagoan Dave Goldman and his partner Mason Goldberg, who’ve been best friends since 7th grade. Who said Jews can’t be athletic!

Dave and his partner are currently in the process of opening a new gym in the Southport Corridor just steps from the brown line. Recently, Dave took a few minutes from his busy schedule— the new gym is scheduled to be open by March 1— to answer our 8 questions.

So whether you love to workout, want to meet Genghis Khan, or dream of traveling to South Africa, Dave Goldman is A Jew You Should Know!

What is your favorite blog or website?
Tmz or Perezhilton. I like the gossip sites.

If time and money were limitless, where would you travel?
Cape town, South Africa. I’d love to go to Seal Island off the coast of South Africa, too. I’m very into sharks and nature. I love National Geographic and travel shows.

If a movie was made about your life, who would play you?
Mark Wahlberg

If you could have a meal with any two people, living or dead, famous or not, who would they be?
My grandfather would be the first one because I loved being around him and seeing him again would be an extra bonus. For the other person, I’d love to meet someone from way back in the past. Just to see what life was like for them. [Someone] like Genghis Khan. Life must have been so different. We stress about parking spots…they had to stress about surviving each day and fighting for land and territory.

What's your idea of the perfect day?
Walking into the gym at 6pm and no one is waiting for a treadmill at a peak hour and everyone is happy.

What do you love about what you do?
Honestly, I love what I do and have been doing this for 17 years. The gym serves a really healthy need. Seeing people do something positive for themselves is a great feeling. You’d have to dig very hard to find something negative about this job. I’m serving a good need.

What job would you have had if not the one you have now?
A professional athlete. Golfer or tennis player.

What's your favorite Jewish thing to do in Chicago?
Eat at a Jewish deli like Manny’s.

Miri Ben-Ari is an Israeli Grammy award-winning violinist who has created her own unique sound by a combining classical with jazz, R&B, and hip hop. Ben-Ari has sold millions of records by collaborating with other world renowned artists such as Jennifer Lopez, Kanye West, Jay Z, Wyclef Jean, Alicia Keys, Wynton Marsalis, Britney Spears, Maroon 5, Donna Summer, and John Legend.

The musician will perform on Thursday, Feb. 9 at Lincoln Hall in Chicago at an event sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Israel Sport Center for the Disabled, and Friends of Magen David Adom. Recently, I did a phone interview for Oy!Chicago with Ben-Ari to discuss the evolution of her work as a musician and a performer, as well as her social activism endeavors.

Oy!Chicago: Please describe your upbringing in Israel and your musical training. 
Miri Ben-Ari: I grew up in Israel and lived there until I completed the army. I started playing violin at an early age and was a part of a gifted group of students that were taught by the legendary Isaac Stern. Throughout my childhood I grew up playing classical music, chamber music, and very early on started winning awards to pay for my classical education. At the age of 16, I traveled to the United States for the first time and immediately fell in love with the American culture and especially with Jazz music. I knew that if I studied jazz I would be able to eventually improvise, compose, and produce my own music. It was the originality that attracted me to this genre of music. After the army I moved to the United States where I studied for two semesters at the New School, and continued my musical learning by performing regularly with great musicians.

Is there a particular artist that you have worked with that you believe significantly shaped you as a musician?
It is hard for me to choose one artist that has significantly shaped my work… all of the artists that I worked with are talented, hard-working, and unique. Of all the collaborations that I have been involved in, my most recent work "Sympathy of Brotherhood" highlights the words of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I chose to highlight this particular speech because it was an historic moment not only for America, but for the world.

If I had to choose one person that impacted my art…it would be Kanye West. I was connected to Kanye very early on—at the start of his career. It was a great experience to watch him turn into the artist that he is today. 

How did you start making connections with such talented and successful artists? 
I started doing a few TV shows [and] concerts, and the public very quickly became interested…One show led to another and pretty soon I was working with everyone.

What has been the highlight of your musical career? Is this where you want to be musically? Could you have gotten to this point without the help of your collaborators? 
My experience made me the artist that I am today. After collaborating with so many artists, my music is now able to stand on its own. I feel that the world has become much more receptive to real art and organic music.

From the Apollo stage to being invited to the White House by First Lady, Michelle Obama, to playing concerts with Jay Z and Kanye West. All of these events and collaborations have shaped me as an artist.

Are you content with where you are and what more do you want to achieve musically? 
This is the music that I always dreamed of creating. Part of being an artist is to never stop progressing. There is always something to learn, always skills to develop—this is the journey. As far as my five-year plan, you can say anything, but the question is are you actually going to do it? I am always chasing my dreams. 

Can you tell us about Gedenk, the non-for-profit organization you founded? Why is the organization's mission if particular importance to you?  
A few years ago I created Gedenk which means 'remember' in Yiddish. Gedenk is a humanitarian movement dedicated to teaching and raising youth awareness about the Holocaust as well as anti-Semitism, racism, and its negative consequences on the world today. I created the organization with two of my best friends. As a third generation of Holocaust survivors, I am emotionally attached and committed to ensuring that this story be told. The organization uses the power of celebrity to help raise awareness about Holocaust education and unconventional campaigns to pique the public's interest.

Are you excited about your upcoming performance in Chicago? 
Yes, very much so! I feel very passionate about the work that your [Chicago Jewish] organizations are doing—and it is a privilege to be able to support your efforts locally.

Miri Ben-Ari will be performing on Thursday, Feb. 9 at Lincoln Hall in Chicago. For tickets, visit www.fiscd.org.

You all know Jeremy Fine as The Great Rabbino— updating us on all the latest Jewish sports news and interviewing our favorite athletes— but did you also know that he is a soon-to-be rabbi? Recently, Oy!Chicago decided to turn the tables on Jeremy and interview him about his Jewish upbringing, why he became a rabbi and as a fellow 20-30something, what he thinks about the future of synagogues and Judaism for our generation. Check out his thoughts below! 

Where did you grow up? What was your Jewish upbringing? 
I lived in Skokie until I was five, but then mainly Deerfield until I left for college at U of I. My home was across the street from Moriah Congregation in Deerfield, which is Conservative. Between Moriah, Solomon Schechter, and Camp Ramah one could make a pretty good argument that I was raised as a Conservative Jew. Highlights were for sure Shabbat dinners with my family and friends.

When did you decide to become a rabbi? Why? 
I was a freshman in college. I had just come back from a transformative summer as sports staff at Camp Ramah. My dream as a young child was to coach college basketball. But after deciding to attend U of I and coaching at the local high school, I realized that I wanted to help the Jewish community and the Rabbi idea fell into place. Coaching and rabbi-ing can be pretty similar. Both professions need creativity, a love of people, and a desire to help others do their best. Also, both professions require life-long learning.

What kind of rabbi do you see yourself being in five years, 20 years? 
That is a tricky question, but ideally in five years I want to be a part of a warm and exciting community. I want to still be growing into my role as rabbi. Right now I would say I am on the path to serve in a pulpit— although Ramah, Schechter, and Hillel are all near and dear to my heart. I would certainly be happy to serve as the director of a Ramah Camp or the rabbi at a Solomon Schechter school. In a synagogue, on a daily basis, I get to educate and deal hands on with people from one to 120 years old— that is a true privilege. In 20 years, I would like to be settled in a position that I love going to every morning, mentoring future rabbis, and have written a few books.

It's a big challenge these days to get your peers (20 and 30somethings) to join synagogues, how do you plan to address that issue/draw them into the fold? 
The saying is, "30 is the new 20." Well, that term isn't just for dating and partying, I think it holds true for their Jewish lives, too. People get bits and pieces of Judaism all over the place and the synagogue, which traditionally was the home for everything Jewish, doesn't have a monopoly anymore. But trends like these come and go. I think there are a few things we need to do. The first is meet people where they are. As a rabbi it is my job to get out there and connect with them on the softball field, at their big social events, and wherever else they might be. Secondly, is to create different access points into the synagogue through social groups, learning opportunities, and experiences. Synagogue can be intimidating; it's the rabbi's job to make it welcoming. Third and finally, if all else fails, use Jewish guilt! Just kidding. Ultimately, everyone in some way or another wants a community. A synagogue is a fantastic place to latch onto a community that celebrates your happiness, comforts you during the hard times, and brings deeper meaning and connection to one's life.

How big should the Jewish tent be? Who do we include? 
A Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus size tent. Realistically, I think we are in a very unique time to understanding who is a Jew. As a soon-to-be Conservative Rabbi I believe in a binding set of Jewish laws that inform us of who is Jewish. But I certainly recognize that my opinion and stance is not the only one that counts. We are in a very vital time in Jewish history— where freedom has been so widely felt— which I believe has caused the lines of who is Jewish to waver both in the United States and Israel. I think the key is to be welcoming, understanding, and honest when dealing with these issues.

How do we encourage interfaith families to practice and raise Jewish children? 
I am a big believer in understanding that everyone who walks through the doors of my synagogue has their own story. If that story wants to be shared, I am happy to listen. The encouragement comes when they walk in the door, by setting an example of a Jewish lifestyle and creating a warm and comfortable environment. Each family makes their own decisions and I am happy to help those families formulate a meaningful Jewish life. As for the kids, the importance is providing them with a strong Jewish education, so when decisions have to be made or those children seek out their Jewish heritage they are better equipped to tackle Judaism.

What do you think of the rise in popularity of non-institutional Jewish groups like kehilla and independent minyanim? 
Honestly, I think it is a trend. It's a potentially wonderful and meaningful fad that I have partaken in, but ultimately I believe in the power of the synagogue. I want my future kids to be around many other Jewish kids and to feel that synagogue is a second home. There is a lot of initial appeal to young people to be a part of independent minyanim because they are less intimidating, more laid back, and frankly cheaper (most of the time). But I think the future is still in the synagogue even if synagogues might have to revise themselves along the way.

What do you love about what you do today? 
Being a pulpit rabbi for the last six months has been amazing. My wife and I have been blessed to be at a supportive synagogue that is so welcoming and exciting. I have found so much joy in the little things like our youth basketball and our small group dialogues in congregants' homes. What a great privilege it was to speak to 1,500 people over the High Holidays and share with them the Torah that I have been fortunate enough to have learned. Ultimately, the people make the job.

Switching to your alter ego for a second, The Great Rabbino, tell us who is your favorite Jewish athlete of all time and why? 
Probably Hank Greenberg for sentimental reasons. While I never got to see him play, when I was a child my father took me to Deerbrook Mall to see his documentary. I fell in love with him right then and there. But I am also a big fan of Omri Casspi, Gabe Carimi, and Colt Cabana because they really embrace being Jewish. It means a lot to Jewish people when their athletes wear their religion across their chest.

What's your favorite Jewish thing to do in Chicago? 
Personally, it is to go back to the places that helped me build a strong Jewish identity. I try to visit Solomon Schechter and Ida Crown whenever I get a chance. But right now, I love going back to my parents' synagogue and just being a congregant. Nothing like sitting in back and falling asleep during a sermon! Just kidding, it's nice to see my home rabbi and listen to his words that have inspired me to take my journey through Rabbinical School.

Makeup artist Eric Holt poses with patient Edith Haskin (center) and her daughter (left) after completing a makeover.

Eric Holt makes his living enhancing and perfecting peoples' appearances. As a makeup artist, he knows that when people like how they look, they can't help but feel uplifted emotionally as well.

Last week, in the spirit of the holiday season, Holt wanted to volunteer his services to women he felt could use an emotional boost-cancer patients. "I really wanted to volunteer my time because I can only imagine just how stressful and depressing the holidays can be for these women in treatment," he said. "As a makeup artist, I also know the transformative properties of makeup and its amazing healing abilities… While it might be just creams, powders, lotions, and potions to some, others can testify that one glance in a mirror, with beautiful makeup on, can do something to the soul that medicine can't."

In partnership with JUF's Tikkun Olum Volunteer (TOV) network, Holt and fellow freelance make-up artist Jacqueline V. Ortega, both Jewish, volunteered at Mount Sinai hospital's event for oncology patients on Dec. 12. The event is run in partnership with American Cancer Society's "Look Good…Feel Better" program, which offers free makeup kits and makeup guides to women undergoing cancer treatment. After the "Look Good… Feel Better" session, where a representative went over the makeup guide with the women, each woman got her own makeover. Holt and Ortega explained make-up techniques while attaching fake eye-lashes, drawing in eyebrows, and splashing on eye shadow.

Lacrisha Alexander was the first woman to get a makeover, and was visibly pleased with her new look. "When I went in, I felt bad because I lost my hair, my eyelashes, and my eyebrows," she said. "I lost everything, but now that I got [the makeover], I feel really good." The makeover gave her a good feeling that she says she hasn't had in a long time, and the event gave her a chance to interact with other people, something she said she enjoys but now rarely experiences. "I stay in the house… I come to chemotherapy and I come back home," she said. "This experience made me want to go out, to travel. I feel young again."

For Lolita Williams, the makeover was a first-time experience with makeup. "I go all-natural, wherever I go, all the time," she said. That may change, now that she has seen what she looks like with makeup on. "I'm looking good," she said. "I am looking better than I did when I came here today. When I went to the bathroom and was washing my hands, I looked up and it was like, wow." Williams was excited to show her new look to her husband, who has never seen her with makeup on.

Of the group, Edith Haskin seemed to react most emotionally to her makeover. She has been battling cancer for more than two years, in addition to overcoming two strokes during that time. Once a woman who put on makeup every day, whether at work or at home, Haskin admitted to feeling disheartened about how she looks. Dealing with cancer has taken a great toll on her emotionally, she said. "Since I was diagnosed, I lost interest in my whole appearance," she said. "I wanted to give up, slip away." The makeover seemed to revive her spirit, and give her new motivation to look after herself. "It made me feel brand-new," she said. "It made me feel good about myself. No matter what we are going through in life, we are still human beings. We are all wonderful and perfectly made, and it just gave me a pick-up."

Yael Brunwasser, director of Volunteer Services at TOV, was responsible for arranging Holt and Ortega's visit to the hospital, seeing an opportunity for JUF agencies to partner in doing a good deed. "When approached by a talented makeup artist who wanted to donate his services, I realized that many of our agency's clients would benefit from his expertise," she said. "It was important for me to illustrate the myriad ways our community can volunteer through TOV. We are the connection point for members of our community to those in need."

For more information about volunteer opportunities through TOV, contact Yael Brunwasser at YaelBrunwasser@juf.org or at (312) 357 -4978. Mount Sinai Hospital, an affiliate agency of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, is an integral part of the broader Sinai Health System.

Jimmy Fallon perfoming at YLD's Big Event. Photo credit: Robert Kusel

Jimmy Fallon's everywhere these days.

In the last week alone, you may have seen him interviewed on a talk show; caught him on a commercial; eaten his Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor; heard him deejay the top 40 countdown on the radio; and—oh yeah—watched him host his own late night talk show five nights a week. And next weekend, Fallon returns to his comedy alma mater Saturday Night Live to host the show's big holiday episode.

But this past Saturday night, Dec. 10, Fallon hung out only with us. Check out my interview with Fallon.   

He stopped by Chicago to spread some pre-Chanukah cheer to the more than 2,600 young Jewish Chicagoans at the Young Leadership Division's (YLD) fourth Annual Big Event-the largest event in YLD history. The evening, held at the Sheraton Chicago, kicked off YLD's 2012 Annual Campaign, and featured a performance by Fallon, a comedian, actor, writer, and musician.

Fallon carries on the Late Night legacy, begun by David Letterman and Conan O'Brien, and premiered his NBC talk show Late Night With Jimmy Fallon in the spring of 2009. Born in Brooklyn and raised in Upstate New York, he worshiped Saturday Night Live (SNL) as a kid, which proved prophetic when he was cast on the show from 1998-2004. Later, the Manhattan-based star left the show to pursue film, including movies like Fever Pitch and Taxi.

A crowd as big as a football field

The audience watched two videos: one video described the importance of helping those in need here in Chicago and in Israel. A second film conveyed what being Jewish and giving back means to young Chicago-area Jews.

Jason Chess, YLD president, was thrilled with the size of the crowd. "We never expected to sell out the hotel's main ballroom for YLD's Big Event—it's as long as a football field," Chess said. "Among the record sellout crowd, many of them were first-time donors to YLD and JUF—that's very powerful. The JUF message is being spread widely among the YLD generation and the future Jewish leaders of Chicago."

From left: Chess, Fallon, and Sarnoff. Photo credit: Robert Kusel 

Chess introduced Fallon to the stage, along with Jewish comedian/musician Wayne Federman, a surprise opening act. Federman, who has written for Fallon's show, has played comedic roles in Curb Your Enthusiasm and 40-Year-Old Virgin, among others. During his act, Federman explored his Jewish identity and riffed on the branches of Judaism as well as Chanukah gelt dredging up old Jewish stereotypes. Then, he commented on his own topsy-turvy Jewish migration pattern. "I grew up in Florida," he said, "and then moved to New York City, where I worked, and then I'm going to retire to Minsk-I'm doing the whole thing backwards."

Let's have a 'Carwash for Peace'

After all, Fallon comes across as a grateful person, who feels privileged to do what he does and doesn't take his success for granted. In fact, during the Big Event show, every now and then he'd call out to the crowd how honored he was to be there. "Thank you guys so much," he'd say. "I'm having such a fun time."

The Irish-Catholic comedian, who once considered becoming a priest, expressed his admiration for the Jewish people, including a shout-out to Jewish mothers. "I want to say thank you to all the Jewish moms I met backstage," he said. "I got offered 10-15 dishes of food-I'm not kidding-in the span of five minutes. It was so awesome and cute."

Fallon interspersed his standup comedy with impersonations, sample "thank you" notes from his book, and musical song parodies, including a kumbaya song called "Carwash for Peace." "Well I'm so sick of all the news on TV," his song began. "All this fighting got me going crazy…let's have a carwash for peace. There's trouble in the Middle East. Put down those guns and pick up a sponge-carwash for peace."

The 30-something married comedian—sorry Ladies!—peppered his act with banter with the audience. "Hey, what do you do?" he asked a guy named Jim in the front row. "Investment business," Jim responded. Fallon nodded and simply replied, "1 percent," referring to the "Occupy Wall Street" news headlines.

Fallon continued his dialogue with the crowd. "There are so many good looking people [here]—there's a Jewish Taylor Lautner," Fallon said, referring to the pretty boy star of the teen werewolf movie phenomenon Twilight. Nowadays, he said, teens appropriately play high school students in movies, but back in the 1970s, actors like John Travolta played roles way too young for their real age. Then Fallon morphed into Travolta in Grease. "I can't believe I'm a high school student…" he said. "I'm going to be late for class because I've got to go get my prostate checked…Rizzo's going through menopause."

In addition to his Travolta, Fallon impersonated a slew of celebrities, including Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Cosby, Chris Rock, Robin Williams, and Adam Sandler. Plus, he did musical impressions on guitar and harmonica of singers Neil Young and Bob Dylan crooning the TV theme songs to The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and Charles in Charge.

Before the show ended, the comedian tested some material that he may perform on Saturday Night Live next weekend. "Anyone here on Friendster?" Fallon polled the crowd, referring to a bygone social networking site of five years ago-an eternity in the rapidly changing tech world. Then, he tried again: "You guys are all on Facebook, right?" he asked, followed by his medley of songs by current musicians like Cee Lo Green, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and Justin Bieber, changing their lyrics to Facebook-related themes.

Fallon's play on teen pop idol Justin Bieber's hit song "Baby," went like this: "I got the invite to your event. I ignored it so you resent. I know I'm on your mailing list. But I don't want to go to your nephew's bris. So I'm a maybe maybe maybe oh…"

And speaking of maybes, maybe he'll play that song next week on Saturday Night Live, but the young Jews of Chicago heard it first.

A special thank you to the Birthright Israel Foundation for their generous support of YLD's Big Event. YLD's Big Event Supporting Sponsors were Chubb Group of Insurance Companies and Associated Agencies, Inc., Eleven City Diner, and The Great Escape. The Event Sponsors were Chicago Apartment Finders, Hub51, JFS Realty Capital, LTD, Paris Club, Steve's Deli, and T-Mobile.

There comes a time in a couple’s relationship when the words “we need to try that place” come up. Even if you aren’t dating, you may see a commercial or pass by a restaurant and think to yourself “wow, I need to remember this." For many of you foodies, you have a list and it’s time that you re-order it and place Geja’s Café in Lincoln Park at the very top.

After experiencing what has been dazzling Chicago for over 45 years, I came to the conclusion that you aren’t a real foodie until you’ve hit this hot spot. Geja’s Café is the ultimate in fondue, with an amazing assortment of fresh fish, meats, and a delectable cheese platter that will make your palette dance with deliciousness. While sitting in a dimly lit room, you’ll listen to the sounds of a live Flamenco Guitarists (weekends), or the soft music of the Spanish country. After choosing a drink from the very extensive wine list and choosing your premier dinner, the fun begins.

Geja’s Café offers prefix type dinners, all for around $40-$50, and come with four courses. First, you’ll start with their famous Geja salad that comes dressed in Dijon mustard vinaigrette. Second, an assortment of fruit and bread to dip in their wonderful imported Gruyere melted cheese that is mixed with white wines, Kirsch cherry brandy, and other spices. Next, along with your premier meal that you choose, you’ll have eight different sauces before your eyes along with a large assortment of vegetables to cook yourself to the temperature that you prefer.

The Geja signature platter is the Prince Geja’s Combination that includes aged beef tenderloin, assorted seafood, succulent Australian lobster tail, Gulf jumbo shrimp, St. George’s Banks sea scallops, and the tenderest of boneless chicken breast. If you are a vegetarian or Kosher, there is also a vegetable specific option for you. After finishing your main dishes, the blue flame is re-lit for the most spectacular dessert fondue of your life. In a dish full of pure melted chocolate fudge, you have the opportunity to dip in your favorites, like, marshmallows, pineapple, banana, strawberries, and pound cake among other items. Along with your premier dinner, you will receive a complimentary cup of coffee to close out the night.

In case you were wondering how Geja’s Café got their name, Prince Geja originated in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh in 697 A.D. The Prince spent most of his childhood on Mt. Tizi in the Atlas Mountains, and when he was older, he opened up an establishment that served the finest wines and cheeses from all over the globe. Now13 centuries later, his legacy is here in the Windy City.

Not only is Geja’s Café a restaurant that you need to add to your list, it’s also a place of special celebration as they cater to anniversarys, engagements, and other special nights. The next time you are looking for a restaurant that is the real deal in Chicago, check out Geja. 

Composer/lyricist team—Benj Pasek (left) and Justin Paul

Back in September, when young Jewish composer and lyricist Benj Pasek was touring Seattle with his show A Christmas Story, The Musical! —which comes to Chicago in December—he attended Yom Kippur services. After all, said Pasek, he always goes to synagogue on Yom Kippur-and his mom would have been furious if he hadn't. Then, after shul, Pasek wrote Christmas jingles for the show.

His two Yom Kippur activities seem paradoxical, yet Pasek joins a long history of Jews writing Christmas music. There's Irving Berlin's '"White Christmas;" Mel Torme's "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire;" and Jerry Herman's "We Need a Little Christmas." Apparently, we Jews do need a little Christmas too.

There's something anthropological about looking in at Christmas from the outside, according to Pasek. "We have a longstanding tradition of Jews who wrote Christmas songs," said Pasek, who lives in New York. "There is something about looking in on a culture in a way that being Jewish on Christmas allows you to do. You observe what people love about it."

A Christmas Story, The Musical!, a new musical based on the holiday movie classic, plays the Chicago Theatre just in time for the holidays—Chanukah and that other little December holiday you may have heard of—from Wednesday, Dec. 14 to Friday, Dec. 30.  

I watch the film version of the A Christmas Story on a continual loop on cable every Christmas as many of you probably do-after all, what else is there for a Jew to do on Christmas before going out for Chinese food?

Chinese For Christmas. Photo credit: Kansas City Repertory Theatre.

The 1983 film comedy—and now the musical—are based on the writings of radio humorist Jean Shephard. The plot centers around young, bespectacled Ralphie Parker's Rockwellian existence in 1940s Indiana as he schemes his way toward his ideal holiday gift-a Red Ryder Action Air Rifle BB Gun. Yet, the adults in his life burst his bubble with repeated warnings that "You'll shoot your eye out." Peter Billingsley, who starred as Ralphie in the film, is among the producers of the new musical, while Joseph Robinette wrote the script, John Rando directs, and Warren Carlyle choreographs the show.

Pasek talks about the process of adapting a film into a musical. "Usually, in musicals, the biggest emotional high points are the ones you want to sing," said Pasek, who is half of a composer/lyricst team with his friend and fellow 2007 University of Michigan grad, Justin Paul. "It's expanding the little moments from the movie and making them bigger and broader."

Fans of the movie will be happy to watch beloved elements of the film come alive in the stage version of the story including: a department store Santa, played by Jewish Chicago actor Adam Pelty; a double-dog-dare to lick a freezing flagpole; a dancing leg lamp with backup leg lamp dancers; and some very obnoxious pink bunny PJs Ralphie was forced to wear in childhood.

Old man with leg lamp. Photo credit: Kansas City Repertory Theatre.

Pasek's real-life childhood was very Jewish. He was raised in what he calls a "Conservative Reconstructionist" Jewish Philadelphia home, where his family kept kosher and he attended Hebrew school. When he moved to Manhattan, one of his first jobs was teaching Hebrew school. Eventually, he made his way into the theater business—and has found success at it too. He and Paul were named the youngest winners of the Jonathan Larson Award and listed as part of the "50 to Watch" up-and-coming writers by The Dramatist Magazine.

Now, preparing for the new musical, Pasek says Jews will enjoy the show as much as non-Jews. "A Christmas Story transcends religion in a way that it's just part of American popular culture," he said. "…It's not just a Christian thing—it's the same way my family bickers about Chanukah. It feels very universal."

For ticket information, visit The Chicago Theatre box office, visit www.thechicagotheatre.com, or call 1 (800) 745-3000.

Bubbe and her grandson, Avrom Honig

Since I got engaged almost two years ago, I've been taking cooking lessons from my grandmas, who I call "Nana." In addition to teaching me to make some of my favorite recipes from growing up, these lessons are also intended to make me less inept in the kitchen now that I'm a married lady (though this is still yet to be seen). But most importantly, these lessons provide invaluable Nana bonding time.

As you can imagine, I perked up when a cookbook titled Feed me Bubbe: Recipes and Wisdom from America's Favorite Online Grandmother came across my desk. The book is written by Bubbe, and her grandson, Avrom Honig.

Immediately, I googled Bubbe and watched her first online show, where she taught her viewers how to make her famous Jelly Jammies. After just one episode, I could see why viewers were so entranced by Bubbe-her sweet nature, easy-to-follow recipes, and delicious looking food are likely to evoke memories of everyone's Bubbes.

So how did Bubbe, who finds herself with a new career in her 80s, get into the online cooking video business? 

Honig, Bubbe's grandson, was struggling to find a job and make a successful demo reel. His father suggested he create a show about Bubbe's amazing food. "He gave me all these different names and I hated every single one of them," Honig said. "…He got angry at me and said, why don't you just call it 'Feed me Bubbe?'"  Though his father was being sarcastic, Honig liked the name and called up Bubbe, who happened to be making Jelly Jammies at the time.

"It was quite an unexpected experience," Bubbe said, referring to Honig making a video in her kitchen and posting it on YouTube. "This was a brand new experience for me- whoever knew what email was? At my age do I need all this technology? And before you knew it we started getting feedback and also a call from BBC, they wanted an interview for a talk show…It just mushroomed unexpectedly until where we are today publishing a book."

In the book, which is number on one Amazon's Kosher Cooking list and received a gold "Mom's Choice" award, Bubbe shares 100 of her best recipes, intertwined with stories from her life and Yiddish words. The book is also a kosher guide, and symbols in the book indicate if a dish contains dairy, meat, is pareve, or for Passover. In writing the book, Bubbe began to understand that so many stories relate to food and she hopes people will view the book as more than a cookbook.

If a fortune teller had told her that this would happen to her, Bubbe said she wouldn't have believed it in her wildest dreams. Bubbe and Honig went on to create over 30 episodes of the show, which each feature a kosher recipe and teach a Yiddish word. Bubbe also answers emails, Facebook messages, and Bubbe 911 calls. She ends each episode by saying, "Ess gezunterhait," eat in good health. The show can now be seen online at www.feedmebubbe.com and on JLTV. Honig's production company, Chalutz Productions, produces the show out of Bubbe's kitchen.

"The most amazing thing about our show is no matter if you're from Florida, California, even Chicago, everyone looks at Bubbe as if they're looking at their own Bubbe, no matter where they're located," Honig said. Bubbe said she gets emails from younger people, asking her to adopt them as her grandchildren.

"…To some of them I became like a therapist...if they're asking me I'll give them what i would tell my grandchildren I will tell them and they seem to be so appreciative," Bubbe said. "I encourage them-don't worry if it doesn't come out good. They all needed a little bit of encouragement."  

The biggest reward for Bubbe and Honig, is to get to work with each other. "It is such a grand pleasure," Honig said about working with his Bubbe. "This is a dream and say it over and over again, pinch me I cannot believe this is real.

"The one thing that this shows you is that when you go and you have something with decent values, people love [it]," Honig said. "This is what people want today especially with all the different trash television that's out there currently on television."

Bubbe had the following advice for newly married couples:  "My first big meal, I burnt the pot roast. So, I want everyone to feel comfortable that it happens to all of us, but…a little trial and error brings good results and I want to give everyone encouragement. And for me, she said: "You will be very successful. The funny part of it is that all it takes is a little bit of trying and use your taste buds like an artist develops a painting."

Thanks, Bubbe!

Have you ever seen the YouTube clip of late night talk show host Jimmy Fallon impersonating singer Neil Young—with Bruce Springsteen as himself—singing a duet of Willow Smith’s Whip My Hair? If you haven’t, this article can wait. Go watch it and then come back…

…It’s hilarious, right? The comedian’s impersonations are all that spot-on, from Barry Gibb to John Travolta, Robert De Niro, Eddie Vedder, Jerry Seinfeld, and even Chris Rock.

You can catch Fallon and his many personalities at the Young Leadership Division’s (YLD) fourth Annual Big Event, on Saturday, Dec. 10, at 8pm, which will launch YLD’s 2012 Campaign and feature an evening of stand-up comedy with Fallon, a comedian, actor, writer, and musician. The event, to be held at the Sheraton Chicago, will include dessert reception, open bar, after party, and late night bar food.

Last year YLD’s Big Event, which featured comedian Sarah Silverman, drew more than 1,500 people, making it the single largest YLD event in history. This time around, YLD hopes to attract an even larger crowd—both to entertain and spread the word about the vital work of the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago.“It will be a historical night for the YLD community as we are expecting a record-breaking number of people,” said Jimmy Sarnoff, YLD’s 2012 Campaign vice president.  “Not only is Jimmy Fallon the biggest name to perform at any JUF YLD event, but he is one of the biggest names to perform at any Federation event throughout the country.”

Fallon’s star keeps rising these days. He carries on the Late Night legacy, begun by David Letterman and Conan O’Brien, and premiered the NBC talk show Late Night With Jimmy Fallon in March of 2009. When you watch Fallon’s show, perhaps one last laugh before your head hits the pillow or maybe on DVR the next day, you get the feeling Fallon’s just a really good guy. He’s like a big kid in the best way possible, famous for “breaking,” or cracking up, during his comedy bits. Fallon and his jokes are kind, charming, and playful, and he avoids mean-spirited jabs at people. “I don’t like to kick people when they’re down,” said Fallon in an interview with talk show host Piers Morgan.

Born in Brooklyn and raised in Upstate New York in an Irish-Catholic home, Fallon was an altar boy at his church and almost became a priest. As kids, he and his older sister, Gloria, would reenact the “clean parts” of Saturday Night Live (SNL) sketches that his parents would tape for him. He idolized SNL his whole life, which proved prophetic when he was later cast on the show as a series regular.

Fallon got his big break after his mother told him about an impersonation contest at a comedy club in Poughkeepsie, NY. He created a stand-up routine based on a commercial for troll dolls, inspired by a troll doll he received before graduating high school. He won the contest and, after dropping out of college, toured the country doing stand-up gigs. He later relocated to Los Angeles and joined the famous improvisational comedy troupe, The Groundlings.

After one failed audition for Saturday Night Live, he returned for a second try and landed his dream job on the sketch comedy showfirst as a featured player in 1998 and then as a full cast member in 1999. As both a comedian and musician, who has made a career out of mixing his comedy and music, he incorporated his signature song parodies into the show. In 2000, he became co-anchor of SNL’sWeekend Update with Tina Fey. Then, Fallon left the show in 2004 to pursue a film career. He returns home to host Saturday Night Live’s Christmas episode on Dec. 17, one week after YLD’s Big Event.

Fallon, who lives with his wife in New York City, has acted in a string of films, including a starring role opposite Queen Latifah in the 2004 action comedy Taxi. Then, in 2005, he starred alongside Drew Barrymore in the Farrelly Brothers’ romantic comedy Fever Pitch, about how a man’s obsession with the Boston Red Sox gets in the way of his romantic relationship. He’s also a go-to host for award shows, including the MTV Music Awards and the MTV Movie Awards.

This past spring, he and his fellow Late Night writers released a humor book called Thank You Notes (Grand Central Publishing)—based on a popular segment from his talk show—expressing gratitude for everything from microbreweries for making alcoholism look like a fun hobby to “haters for giving rappers so much to talk about.”

The talk show host isn’t the only one doing the thanking these days. The ice cream guys, Ben & Jerry, wanted to thank Fallon and his late night crew for singing an ode to Ben & Jerry’s by creating a flavor inspired by the talk show host and his show. The new flavor, Late Night Snack, is a combination of the salty and sweet—vanilla ice cream, fudge covered potato chip clusters, and salty caramel swirl. But if the ice cream’s anything like the guy who inspired the flavor, it’s probably less salty and more sweet.

Tickets to YLD’s Big Event—ages 21 and older—cost $80 per person (not tax-deductible) and require a gift to the 2012 JUF Annual Campaign. If you are a Birthright Alum, discounted $25 tickets are available here courtesy of the Birthright Israel Foundation. The minimum requirement is a match or increase to your previous JUF gift. If you have not given to JUF in the past, you are required to make a gift. Attendance to the event signifies your consent to make a donation, which can be paid through December 2012. Advance registration is required and space is limited. Register online here. For more information, contact the YLD office at (312) 357-4880 or yld@juf.org. 

On a chilly October night, 100 women from JUF’s Young Women’s City Council (YWC) got the inside scoop from four women who are living their dream: working for Oprah Winfrey.

On Oct. 18 at the Hotel Palomar Chicago, YWC offered the opportunity to spend an evening with four producers—Lindsay Feitlinger, senior producer for The Rosie Show, Cindy Mori, vice president of booking and talent relations for Harpo Studios, Dana Brooks Reinglass, co-executive producer at Harpo Studios and executive producer  of Oprah's Lifeclass,  and Jill Van Lokeren, executive vice president and executive producer of development broadcast and cable for Harpo Studios— who were all part of the historic 25th season of The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Julie Novack, YWC chair, moderated the discussion, asking the panelists what it was like to work at their dream jobs, to work with Oprah, to go from behind the scenes to in front of the cameras, which celebs are the toughest and more.  

So how did these four women end up working at their dream job?

Brooks Reinglass shared the story of her first interview—all she ever wanted to do was work for Oprah, and she was so emotional over the opportunity to get her dream job that she cried during her interview. Convinced she’d blown her chance, she sent an onion along with a thank you note explaining that she had found it in her pocket and that this was responsible for her emotional outburst. Soon after, she got a call back—and the rest is history.

“Anything can happen—you can turn anything around,” Brooks Reinglass said. “I wouldn’t suggest you send produce whenever you mess up, but it’s up to you. Just think about it and you can make it work.”

Feitlinger, who was always “obsessed with the Oprah show,” says there’s no one like Oprah.  “All the things that she does—it’s amazing how she [has so much] energy and she wants to change the world,” she said. “I don’t know anybody quite like her in the world that wants to do so much.”

Oprah’s “a-ha moment” happened in 1988, after she had skinheads on the show as guests. “I think she just believed ‘I’ll give them a platform and then this will maybe spark a change,’ really hopeful wide-eyed and it ended up being a big disaster,” Van Lokeren said. “She walked away from that and said ‘I swear I will never give a platform to evil on this show ever again and I want to use this for good.’”

The producers also shared stories about the perks of working for Oprah—family vacations, the celebrities, and doing what they love—and some of the tribulations—the long, hard work days, time away from their families, and the pressure to always been on top of their game.

One major change for them was during the show’s final season, which finished up in May, when the cameras were turned, and viewers were invited to look behind-the-scenes at the making of the show’s final season on OWN. The panelists, especially Van Lokeren, found themselves getting recognized on the streets. The 25^th season culminated with a huge event which featured 35 A-List celebrities, 13,000 at the United Center and a surprised and tearful Oprah.

For Mori, the moment it all became real to her was when the “Morehouse Men,” the 415 young men who received The Oprah Winfrey Scholarship at Morehouse College, came out onto the stage while Tony winner Kristin Chenoweth sang "For Good" from Wicked. “It was the moment that it hit me that there is no other phenomenon like this and I am witnessing it and I have been a part of it,” Mori said. “For me, that segment really epitomized what The Oprah Show accomplished in the past 25 years. And that was all I needed to see. I had my moment, I cried tears of sadness and tears of joy at the same time.” 

The four women have now moved on to the next chapter of their work with Oprah through new projects on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), including The Rosie Show.  

For more information about JUF’s Young Women’s City Council visit www.juf.org/women. 

“How do you know who you are if you don’t know where you come from?” This question is posed by author Lisa Pearl Rosenbaum in A Day of Small Beginnings, the novel selected by Spertus, Chicago’s center for Jewish learning and culture, for its new One Book | One Community initiative. 

Starting Sunday, November 13—just in time for Jewish Book Month—Spertus will present a series of programs, all related to A Day of Small Beginnings, in locations across the Chicago region. On Sunday, December 4, author Lisa Pearl Rosenbaum will make two area appearances, first at Spertus at 2 pm and then at the Wilmette Public Library at 7 pm.

Spertus Director of Programming Beth Schenker hopes that individual readers and book groups across the Chicago area’s diverse Jewish community will read A Day of Small Beginnings andtake advantage of the lectures, activities, and resources Spertus will offer to explore the book’s themes. “We selected A Day of Small Beginnings because the novel addresses ideas about Jewish faith on both a very personal level and through the wide lens of political and social change. It examines the loss of Jewish family history and cultural heritage against the backdrop of increased freedom and opportunities in the secular world,” Schenker said.

Acknowledging the community-building potential of this project, JUF News is proud to be the media sponsor for One Book | One Community. “JUF News is thrilled to partner with Spertus on One Book | One Community. A Day of Small Beginnings has something for everyone and will resonate with different generations in the Chicago-area Jewish community,” said Cindy Sher, editor of JUF News and Oy!Chicago blogger. “One Book | One Community is a wonderful way to get our diverse community reading together and discussing with each other Jewish literature and issues of Jewish identity.”

A Day of Small Beginnings was selected with recommendations from Spertus staff and local Jewish librarians. These early readers noted the book’s mystical and sometimes surprising plot lines, the intertwined stories of characters across generations and circumstances, and the vivid portrait the book paints of what life was like for many eastern European Jews in the early years of the 20th century. 

A Day of Small Beginnings starts its story in a small town in rural Poland, with the appearance of a lively 83-year-old ghost named Friedl Alterman. It tracks three generations of an American Jewish family trying to unravel the mysteries of their past. Published to acclaim in 2006 by Little, Brown and Company, it is the debut novel by Lisa Pearl Rosenbaum.

Many people in the Chicago area are familiar with a community coming together to read and discuss a common book through the city’s One Book, One Chicago program. The concept was originated in 1998 by the Washington Center for the Book. Today there are citywide, statewide, and even country-wide reading programs all over the world. Spertus brings this concept to the Jewish community of Chicago with a nod to Nobel prize-winning writer Isaac Bashevis Singer, who said, “I am not ashamed to admit that I belong to those who fantasize that literature is capable of bringing new horizons and new perspectives.”

Spertus is preparing a free reader resource guide perfect for book groups or readers’ own investigation. The guide will include discussion questions, a bibliography keyed to major themes in the book, related web resources, and more.

Program schedule for One Book, One Chicago 

Programs presented by Spertus in partnership with The Book Stall at Chestnut Court.
Each program is $18 ($10 for Spertus members and $8 for students).
As an incentive for book groups to attend together, tickets are $10 per person for groups of ten or more.
Advance tickets are strongly recommended.
Tickets can be purchased online at spertus.edu or by phone at (312) 322-1773.
A Day of Small Beginnings will be for sale at all events. 

Kick-off event—Getting Inside the Story 
Sunday, November 13 at 2 pm at Spertus 

Two treasured forms of Jewish expression—storytelling and papercutting—play parts in A Day of Small Beginnings. Participants will be able to delve into these traditions with two award-winning experts—storyteller Susan Stone and papercut artist Melanie Dankowicz—at this kick-off event. A post-program reception will give attendees an opportunity to purchase the book and meet other readers.

Susan Stone is a professional storyteller who travels around the country telling stories at festivals, museums, schools, and synagogues. Jewish folktales and mystical stories feed her imagination and her neshama (soul) and it is her mission to have these stories nourish yours, too.

Melanie Dankowicz is an artist whose intricate papercut works carry on a tradition that has been a meaningful part of Jewish expression for centuries. She creates dreidels, mezuzot, and ketubot of paper, and also renders papercut designs in stainless steel. 

Lecture and discussion—Revolution and Tradition in Modern Jewish Literature 
Sunday, November 20 at 2 pm at The Book Stall at Chestnut Court, 811 Elm Street, Winnetka 

Modern Jewish literature first emerged as part of a radical rejection of traditional 19th-century Jewish life. As in A Day of Small Beginnings, however, contemporary Jewish literature often draws on the history and language of the Jewish past. Dr. Todd Hasak-Lowy, an adjunct member of the Spertus faculty, will explore this tension in today’s American Jewish writing. 

Dr. Todd Hasak-Lowy earned his PhD in Comparative Literature at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of a short story collection, a novel, and an academic study of modern Hebrew fiction. This fall, he is a visiting professor of Israel Studies at University of Illinois-Chicago.

Lecture and dance demonstration—What Makes a Jewish Dance? 
Thursday, December 1 at 6:30 pm at Spertus  

Dancer and choreographerSteven Lee Weintraubwill draw from his own experience and the history of Jewish dance, to consider—like the character Ellen in A Day of Small Beginnings—what makes a Jewish dance.

Steven Lee Weintraub is a teacher of traditional Yiddish dance and the principal dance leader for Chicago's Maxwell Street Klezmer Band. He has taught at festivals in Krakow, Furth, Weimar, Paris, and London, served as assistant director of New York City’s Israeli Folk Dance Festival, and choreographed theater productions around the U.S. 

Author event—Lisa Pearl Rosenbaum 
Sunday, December 4 
Author Lisa Pearl Rosenbaum comes to Spertus (at 2 pm) and to the Wilmette Public Library (at 7 pm) to discuss A Day of Small Beginnings. The Wilmette Library is located at 1242 Wilmette Avenue. 

Lisa Pearl Rosenbaum was born and raised in New York, where she studied modern dance and choreography. The seed of A Day of Small Beginnings was planted when she traveled alone to Europe at the age of 18. Her shock at seeing a Paris street lined with plaques commemorating the World War II destruction of the area’s Jewish community grew into a lifelong interest in Jewish history and theology. She studied religion and philosophy at New York University and international relations at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and then worked at the Israeli Consulate in Los Angeles before returning to school to study law. As a lawyer, she litigated constitutional cases related to church-state issues in California.

She left law to produce cultural programs for a cable television network. After her first child was born, she took a creative writing class and found that her sensibilities about writing fiction felt much like creating dance—a choreography with words.

In the mid-1990s Rosenbaum traveled to Poland with her in-laws, who are Holocaust survivors. Their experiences, particularly in the family’s hometown, inspired and informed much of A Day of Small Beginnings. Rosenbaum lives in Los Angeles with her husband Walt Lipsman. They have two daughters, Ariana and Maya. She is a past president of the Santa Monica Synagogue, executive producer of the Genesis Arts Council, and has written work produced by the Jewish Women's Theatre in Los Angeles.

Spertus is located at 610 S. Michigan Avenue. Discount parking is $10 with Spertus validation at the Essex Inn, two blocks south of Spertus.

Raffle and resources 

A special section of the Spertus website—accessible at Spertus.edu/OneBook—will link to program information (including additional events as they are confirmed), a downloadable version of the reader resource guide, and a drawing for a beautiful handcut paper dreidel by artist Melanie Dankowicz or one of several gift certificates to the Spertus Shop. 

About Jewish Book Month  

Jewish Book Month is an annual event on the American Jewish calendar dedicated to the celebration of Jewish books. It is observed during the month preceding Hanukkah, thus the exact date changes each year. For 2011, Jewish Book Month falls November 21 through December 21, with events celebrating Jewish literature occurring across North America throughout November and December.

Do you want fries with that? How about a side of mac & cheese? Deviled eggs? That’s what the waitress asked after ordering our burgers at DMK Burger Bar in Lakeview. (2954 N Sheffield Ave, 773-360-8686). 

Venue  

Upon walking into a packed house and learning of a 45-minute wait, I was surprised to learn that DMK Burger Bar is able to quickly turn over tables in such a small space. Unlike the likes of places like Kuma’s Corner where a fantastic burger takes a couple hours to get through, a quick and upscale type burger is great when you’re trying to get to an early movie in Chicago. The bar is owned by MK’s Michael Kornick and David Morton, and pushes the fact that every burger is a flat $8 with lots of cheap side choices. They also offer Veggie, Turkey, and Lamb Burgers among others.

Most recently, DMK Burger Bar was featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Guy Fieri cooked for hours with Chef Michael Kornick in the kitchen, interviewed a restaurant full of diners and ate some great grub. The #5 bison burger and Parmesan truffle fries were among Guy's favorite bites.

Burgers 

One burger that was among the elite was the #6, Grilled Portobello with Blue Brie, Griddled Scallions, and Dijonnaise for $10. The bun was perfection, soft yet kept the burger together, unlike some places that the bun becomes too soft and begins to fall apart. The juices and sauce weren’t messy which made for a nice experience of not having to clean up my hands every time I took a bite. If you don’t plan to come for dinner, the beer selection is extensive with many local and regional craft brews but not a lot of space to socialize unless you are eating.

Sides 

What really sets DMK apart from other burger places is the side dishes. Burgers don’t come with a side of fries but be sure to check out the list of different types they have. I tried the Sweet Potato Fries with Lemon Tabasco Aioli and the Sea Salt & Black Pepper with House Ketchup. Each side is either a small portion of $2, with the larger to share of $4, but you may as well try all the different types and take the small portions.

Etc.

Make sure you stop by Monday-Friday before 7 p.m.; they won’t ask you if you want fries with that. That’s when they are free. If I can offer some advice for a side: Mac & Cheese #1 with Aged Cheddar and a Parmesan Crust, with the Stone IPA beer. The restaurant isn’t 21 and over, and if you are with little ones, they have a great Malted Milk Shake and house-made sodas available.

Over the age of 35 and sick of being told by well-meaning people that she had a better chance of being struck by lightning twice than getting married, Bari Lyman knew something had to change. But after dating the same wrong guy over and over again, Bari realized maybe her problem was really from within. So she embarked on her own personal journey to discover and fix her own “relationship blockages” by understanding how her lonely childhood made the adult Bari feel like there was something wrong with her. This realization led to her personal transformation into a confident, purposeful dater who knew exactly what she was looking for in a marriage partner. Married soon after to Michael, “her soul mate and partner in life,” Bari is now determined to help other “marriage-minded singles” experience similar breakthroughs.

Utilizing her business skills as a former recruiter aka career matchmaker, Bari made the leap to “dating for marriage evangelist,” created the Meet to Marry program and published her first book by the same name. Recently, I sat down with Bari for a phone interview to discuss her dating program and new book and to get advice from an expert.

Oy!Chicago: Why did you write this book?  
I wrote the book because I really learned from my own life experience and wanted to help other singles to find their ideal life partner. I had no problem finding people to date, but I tended to attract people who were wrong for me. I had these relationship blind spots…and though I was attractive, successful, in therapy and self-aware, it didn’t matter when it came to relationships. The guys I attracted were always the same—not appropriate. For instance, I attracted guys who were not Jewish. There was a point in time after all these experiences when I thought, ‘it can’t always be outside of myself. Why is it that I always feel this way in relationships?’ So I started a journey to really figure this out. And it was not about anything outside of me. When I changed, everything changed.

What do you tell singles who say, “there are no good men/women out there to meet?” 
I can tell you assuredly that they are wrong and that it’s never ever outside them. Honestly and truly wherever you go, you are.  Every person needs some kind of person to attract to create a lifetime partner— but they’re not being marriage-minded. One thing singles do wrong is guys and girls are hanging out together. They all say to me, everyone is friends with everyone else and there is a pact mentality. I can take any single and have them stand on their own and uncover their blind spots and when they become aware of what makes them marriage-minded, then they can transcend wherever they are.

Also, men want to get married as much as women do, but since they too are mystery dating they are not attracting the right kind of women for them. For example, take a guy who lives on the Upper West Side of New York, he’s 32 and a lawyer and let’s say he is Orthodox minded, but not shomer shabbos. Here’s a guy who desperately wants to get married, but you’d never know it by the women he attracts or goes for— super model gorgeous women. Who he is authentically, is a marriage-minded, loving, kind guy, but he doesn’t articulate it. He was going to bars and picking up women and asking externally, “why don’t I connect with them? Why do I always attract the wrong women?”

Half the people I coach are men and they are wounded little boys and this is why people are not connecting.  Because we are all wounded from being phony externally to protect ourselves from this scary dating scene we hate. There is a gap the size of the Grand Canyon between who we are being and what we want and what we are sharing when we are out there [dating.]

Do you have any tips for connecting and dating for marriage?  
Dating truly is a numbers game. We need to meet a lot of people [to] find the one. The idea is to go out and be marriage-minded and marriage-ready. You want to know what is involved in getting into a long-term commitment—which is being generous, mature and self-aware. So that’s one of the tips, be marriageable, healthy and available. Another tip: be free of previous relationships. If you want to find the one you want to definitely be completely free from other relationships, so you are a vessel and there is room to bring someone new into your life.

What do you think of matchmakers like Patti Stanger? 
My take, without saying anything negative, is I think that we need to really love ourselves and to not stereotype human beings. When it comes to finding love we need to be sensitive to each other’s needs. And I think constructive criticism is great especially if someone’s true desire is to get married. 

I’ll give you an example.  I was at a Shabbat dinner recently and this woman told everyone how she was working on her PhD and doing medical research. So when you’d see this woman, you’d look at her as this career woman who is really motivated to get her PhD.  So when she heard about my book, she took me aside and said, ‘you know, I really want to get married.  This PhD thing is just really a fall back.’ So I asked her, ‘why don’t you share what you really want and who you are, so you can enroll your community to help you?’ And she said, ‘I’ve had a lot of bad dating experiences.’ So I said to her, ‘So when you eat a bad sandwich do you stop eating sandwiches? Of course not!'

What I’m saying about Patti is that I don’t think when you take a mean approach to dating it's appropriate. I think stereotyping men is awful. I also think it’s very important to be married to coach other people. Someone who hasn’t been married, I don’t think they can really know. I think we need to embrace everyone’s humanity and inspire them to find a meaningful and loving connection. There is nothing more wonderful than being married and to find someone who can love you unconditionally and be there for you no matter what.  I think that’s what is important and that’s how I feel about her. Needless to say, I’m not happy about her.

Do you have anything else you’d like to share with our readers? 
I’d just leave with them this message: There is someone out there for each of your [single] readers. Read the book, check out the website and experience the coaching— see it as a personal support system for dating. I arranged a special webinar event just for your readers! They can visit www.MeetToMarry.com/OyChicago to participate in a special webinar on October 24 on a very special dating for marriage topic.

For more information about Bari and Meet to Marry, and to purchase the book, visit http://www.meettomarry.com/ 

Had her life gone the way she had expected it to, you would never have known Valerie Plame Wilson’s name. 

But on July 14, 2003, her identity as a covert CIA agent was revealed by Washington Post columnist Robert Novak in an article about her husband, former U.S. diplomat Joseph Wilson. More shocking than seeing her name in print was the sense of betrayal she felt—her name had supposedly been leaked by Bush administration officials as retaliation for her husband’s op-ed in the New York Times called “What I Didn’t Find in Africa.” In it, Joseph Wilson suggested that the Bush administration had lacked reasonable cause to invade Iraq and had manipulated intelligence to justify it. After the leak, a momentous scandal ensued, which included a federal investigation.

In 2006, Plame Wilson retired from the CIA. A year later, she published Fair Game: My Life as a Spy, My Betrayal by the White House, which was later adapted into a film of the same name starring Naomi Watts and Sean Penn. She is currently working on a series of fictional spy novels.

The ex-CIA agent will be the featured speaker at this year’s Lion Luncheon, hosted by the Women’s Division of the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, to be held Thursday, Oct. 6. at the Fairmont Hotel. Recently, Oy!Chicago sat down for a phone interview with Plame Wilson.

Oy!Chicago: Have you always known that you wanted to work for the government? Why had you wanted to work for the CIA? 
Valerie Plame Wilson: I never thought of it as ‘working for the government.’ That sounds boring! I thought of it as wanting to serve my country. My father had served in WWII and was a career Air Force officer, and my brother, a Marine, had been wounded in Vietnam, so I’ve grown up with this sense of public service being noble. I didn’t grow up thinking that I wanted to go into espionage. I just knew that I wasn’t really interested in corporate America, and I wanted to travel. I just wanted something different, so when I was given the opportunity to join the CIA, I was so grateful and honored.

Before your identity was revealed and your career ended, how had you imagined your career would go?  
My grandest ambition was to retire as a Senior Intelligence Officer, and I was on my way to doing that… I loved intelligence; my focus was on terrorism and nuclear threats, and I thought the CIA did that best. So I thought that’s where I would continue. 

You found out that your identity had been revealed when your husband showed you Robert Novak’s column in the Washington Post, outing you as a CIA operative. What were your first thoughts and feelings?  
I was in complete dismay. I feared for the assets with whom I had worked, my network. I feared for my young children, and their security. I knew my career was over. I felt outraged, and I just couldn’t believe that Novak had gone ahead and done that. It was incomprehensible.

What lesson do you think the general public, the people of the United States, should learn or understand from your experience, particularly about trusting the government?  
It’s about power and holding your government to account for their words and deeds. I don’t feel that public officials should use their positions to pursue political enemies. In the grander scheme, in the decade since 9/11 and the War on Iraq, this is a small but important piece of that tale.

Joe wasn’t throwing Molotov cocktails. He wrote an op-ed in The New York Times which questioned the [Bush] administration and how they manipulated information to get the country into war with Iraq. It was very civilized. …And the reaction was to out me in retaliation, to belittle him, destroy his business, and destroy my career. Really, is that how our democratic society wants to conduct its dialogue? It’s certainly a cautionary tale.

You published your book with blacked out portions covering the information the CIA had said you couldn’t publish. What was the point you were trying to make? 
The publisher made the decision to keep the redacted portions so that the reading public could see how extensively the CIA made their decisions about what could not be published. It was retaliatory. Nothing there was classified; there were no sources or methods. It was just an attempt by the administration to make sure the book would not be published.

Several years on, have you found meaning in your experience? Because you are doing many worthy things now, but your life certainly did not go the way you had planned it to. 
My husband and I worked hard to rebuild our lives, personally and professionally – that’s why we moved away from Washington, D.C. I am grateful to still be able to work on nuclear proliferation issues, through Global Zero. Weirdly, this whole thing has given us a platform for us to speak about things that we care about deeply, such as post-partum depression for me.

What happened to us was so unexpected, and it marked our lives. But we have two small children that we want to raise well for them to be happy and contributing citizens. We’re not bitter. We’ve just moved on.

I’ve read that this experience has somehow led you to discovering your Jewish roots? Is that true? 
Yes, definitely. I had done a lot of genealogical research on my [maiden] name “Plame,” and had hit a lot of dead ends. But as a result of this exposure, I was able to reconnect with some of my Jewish relatives.

Valerie Plame Wilson will be the featured speaker at the Lion Luncheon 2012, hosted by the Women’s Division of the Jewish United Fund. 

The Samuel A. Goldsmith Award, now in its 24th year, is awarded annually to exceptional young professionals who have shown outstanding performance in their work at a Jewish agency in the Chicago area. This year's award was presented at the 2011 Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago to Becky Adelberg, Executive Director of Chicago's American Zionist Movement, and to Caryn Peretz, for her work as Director of the JUF's Young Leadership Division. (Peretz has since been named an Assistant Vice President and Director of Contributor Account Relations.) See below for an excerpt from Caryn’s acceptance speech.  

Thank you. It is a tremendous honor to receive this award today. It is especially meaningful to me that I am sharing this special day with our revered President Steve Nasatir as he receives the Julius Rosenwald Award. Thank you Steve, for leading this community, and more personally, for your kind words and all of your support. I am privileged to devote my career to an organization that places great value on young Jewish professionals in the community. Mazel Tov to my fellow Jewish communal colleagues Becky Adelberg, Mara Baumgarten and Josh Daitch. I have had the pleasure of working closely with Mara and Josh over the years and I couldn’t have selected more deserving recipients of the Davis, Gidwitz and Glasser Young Leadership Award.

I recently celebrated my 10-year anniversary of graduating from college. My Senior year, after returning from a year abroad at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and living on campus at the University of Wisconsin during the outbreak of the second intifada, I knew all I wanted to do was work in the Jewish community. Concerned friends and family asked me, “is there a future career in the Jewish world?” Indeed there was. My Jewish career began at JUF as a YLD Campaign Associate.

A common question that Jewish communal professionals are asked is “is that your full time job?” After 10 years of working in Chicago’s Jewish community, I can confidently reply that my job is so much more than a “full-time job”, and I don’t just mean the late night hours. I mean that working at JUF has given me a community, a tradition, a life-long passion.

Four years ago I returned to JUF not realizing that as much as I gave to the job, I would get back even more. Winston Churchill said “we make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give”. JUF has allowed me to accomplish both at once.

So many of you here today, both lay leaders and professionals, have inspired me to heights I did not know I could reach and I thank you for always motivating me to work harder on behalf of the Jewish community. It has been an exciting and challenging adventure, filled with many special people who I would like to single out for a moment:

Thank you to Audra Berg and Beth Cherner for this nomination.

Audra – your guidance and mentorship has provided me the opportunity to learn and grow at JUF. You have always helped me find meaningful professional experiences and modeled the highest levels of professionalism that I always strive to emulate.

Beth – you have gracefully and successfully led our fundraising efforts through good times and bad. Your leadership and support through the years have meant so much to me.

Thank you to Rachel Sternberg for helping me find my future path in this organization, for being such a strong and positive role model and for being the kind of supervisor who both challenges me to be better and gives me the support and guidance needed to reach those heights. I have already learned so much from you and am truly grateful for the opportunity to work together.

I am a product of my heritage and my family’s history. I credit my grandparents with everything I have done professionally since college. They were always my Jewish role models and figures of strength, courage, and survival. Of the many lessons my grandparents taught me, Zionism by example was one of the most formative and important.

My grandfather was a Holocaust survivor who personified the path of the Jews from darkness to light, from Eastern Europe to the State of Israel, which for him was truly the Promised Land, a refuge and a safe haven when all other doors were closed. He made it to Palestine with the help of the Jewish Agency and fought in the Jewish State’s War of Independence.

Working in this community has allowed me, in a very different way, to carry on my grandparents’ mission and the tradition of securing the Jewish future. I am proud to be wearing my grandpa’s army ribbons today and I know that he would be very proud to see that I have chosen a career building a better and stronger Jewish community.

Thank you to my parents for raising me in a home that emphasized a love of Judaism and Israel. Thank you to all my friends and family that are here today – you are my community and your constant love and support means the world to me.

I am so proud to work for an organization that carries on the tradition of generations that came before of taking care of our community and those in need. This has been the secret of Jewish survival throughout history. Thank you to JUF for creating miracles every day, for building a Jewish community in Chicago that I am proud to be a part of, and most of all, for giving me the opportunity to turn my life’s passion into my full time job.

Ten years ago, I could have only dreamed that I would be standing here having built a career path for myself in the Jewish community. While this award represents the work that I have already done, it is just the beginning of my professional journey, and I look forward to the endless possibilities that lie ahead. There is no place else I would rather be.

My son Jonah likes to remind me of my age. He pokes fun at my stories of summer vacations spent running through sprinklers, jumping rope, washing my parent’s cars, and playing hide and seek. He seems entertained when I talk about homework done the old fashioned way, by hand, and when I tell him that I distinctly remember the first time I ate a kiwi. Jonah listens patiently, with an amused smile, and then reminds me that it was A SIMPLER TIME.

I suppose it was a simpler time and I am not sure when the world, childhood, and daily life became less simple and very complicated. I do know that we all need a break.

The Jewish calendar is kind to the Jewish people. Just when you think you cannot possibly take any more—less simple days, along comes a batch of holidays that offer a respite and sanctuary from the chaos of daily life.

Rosh Hashanah and the holidays is such a time. Long peaceful days with family and friends and leisurely meals that remind you of A SIMPLER TIME are the order of the day during the holidays.

To help put me in the mood for the holidays, I turn to Jewish Comfort food. I like to pull out family favorites and reimagine them. This year I am turning to a childhood favorite ingredient when IT WAS A SIMPLER TIME.

For many of us, Concord grapes means either peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or Kiddush wine. I do not think I ever really thought about eating the inky colored, fragrant fresh table grapes until they started appearing in markets over the last few years. Concord grapes are a dark blue/purple slip-skin (the skin separates easily from the fruit) variety of grape that is highly aromatic. Concord grapes began appearing in grocery stores in recent years but were previously ignored as most consumers prefer seedless grapes.

The grapes are often used to make pies, jellies, juices, and wine. The early Jews who settled in the North East used the abundant, native North American and local grape to make wine, and Kiddush wine as we know it was born. Fermented Concord grapes do not have a pleasing flavor and the resulting wine is described as a “foxy” or musky in flavor. To overcome that flavor the grapes are fermented to produce a sweet and more palatable wine.

Fresh Concord grapes are aromatic, brightly flavored and addicting. The beautiful dark grape is loaded with antioxidants and flavonoids. The grapes also have the same health benefits as drinking red wine, only without the alcohol. These intoxicatingly delicious grapes are only season for a short time each fall, so scoop them up while you can.

Concord Grape Glazed Spatchcocked Turkey  

Ok, the name is funny, but this is serious cooking. Spatchcocking poultry is the process of removing the backbone and sternum of a bird. The bird is then flattened out by pressing on it. The result is a bird that cooks evenly, quickly and without drying out the breast. Stay with me everyone, this is not difficult!

Spatchcocking is easy and takes only a few minutes and either a very sharp knife or really good kitchen shears. While the process is simple and easy, the time saved in cooking is also a big payback. Because the turkey is butterflied, the heat is more evenly distributed and a 12 pound turkey will take about 1 ½ hours to roast versus a whole turkey will take over 3 hours to roast. A whole spatchcocked chicken takes about 30 minutes to roast while a whole chicken takes an hour.

Whole roasted chicken and turkey are a reasonable possibility for dinner on weeknights. No more slaving over the stove waiting for dinner and a moist, luscious dinner is moments away. No more V-racks, beer cans and other contraptions used in an effort to roast the perfect bird. Just you, a bird, and sharp knife.

This year for the chagim, try Spatchcocking and see if you don’t fall in love with a silly word that means serious cooking. Serves 8+

For the turkey  

1 12-pound turkey
3 tablespoons chopped thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
3 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, rough chopped
2 large carrots, rough chopped
3 celery ribs, rough chopped
Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper

Preheat oven to 450

Place the turkey breast side down on a sturdy cutting board. I like to put a couple of paper towels under the turkey so it does not slide while I am cutting it.

Cut along either side of the backbone from the neck to the tail. Remove the back bone and spread open the turkey. Cut a small slit in the cartilage along the breast bone. With both hands, crack open the turkey by opening it like a book.

This will reveal the keel bone, (cartilage that runs in the middle of the breast.) Pull up on the keel bone to remove it. The turkey is now ready to cook. This whole procedure is very simple, only involves cutting one bone and should only take a couple of minutes.

1. Place the chopped vegetables in a large roasting pan. Season the turkey on both sides with salt and pepper. Rub the bird with olive oil and the chopped herbs.

2. Place the turkey on the vegetables, breast side up. (The vegetables will keep the turkey from sitting in its juices and getting soggy. The vegetables also scent the turkey drippings)

3. Roast the turkey for 20 minutes, lower the heat to 325 and continue roasting, brushing with pan juices occasionally for 1 hour.

4. Brush the turkey with the concord Grape Glaze and continue roasting for another 15 minutes, brushing with the glaze 2 more times.

5. Remove the turkey and tent with foil and allow to rest for 20 minutes before cutting.

6. Discard the vegetables and reserve the turkey drippings. Skim off the fat and set aside.

7. Serve the turkey with Concord grape glaze and butternut squash mash and sautéed kale.

Concord Grape Glaze  

The smell of fresh Concord Grapes is intoxicating. It is similar to an orchard of fragrant blossoms. The flavor of fresh Concord grapes is fresh, crisp and clean with a balanced sweetness. Fresh Concord grapes are a world apart from their canned, jellied and jarred counterparts. The processed grapes are cloyingly sweet with none of bright freshness so much a part of the fresh grapes. This Concord grape glaze is an aigre doux (sweet and sour) sauce with aromatic attitude. Sweet, sour and so fragrant, it is sure to become a family favorite. The sauce can be made up to 2 days before serving and complements the flavor of turkey. The glaze is amazing on duck and chicken as well.

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 shallots, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch of crushed red chili flakes (optional)
5 cups fresh Concord grapes
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
½ cup reserved turkey drippings or chicken stock
Salt and pepper

1. Place a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, shallots and garlic and sweat the vegetables until they are soft and very fragrant (about 3 minutes).

2. Add the crushed red chilies if using and the remaining ingredients. Turn down the heat and cook the mixture until the grapes burst open and begin to thicken the glaze.

3. Remove from the heat and pass the glaze through a mesh strainer.

4. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Sauteed Kale  

Olive oil
3 shallots, sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic, sliced very thinly
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
6 tightly packed cups of Kale, cut into ½ inch wide strips 
¼ cup white wine
¼ water
½ cup golden raisins
Salt and pepper
Extra virgin olive oil for garnish

1. Place a large saucepan over medium heat. Lightly coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil. Add the shallots, garlic and red pepper flakes and continue to cook until they are very soft and fragrant but not browned (about 10 minutes).

2. Add the Kale. Increase the heat to medium high. Add the white wine, water and raisins. Place a lid on the pan and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is very soft and limp about 10 minutes. Remove the lid and continue cooking until the liquid has evaporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Place the kale on a serving platter or bowl and lightly drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Serve the kale with fish, chicken, veal or toss with pasta.

Concord Grape Sorbet  

Concord grape sorbet is deep, gorgeous purple and bright and incredibly fresh tasting. I make a lot of sorbets and have been making them for years and this one is a favorite. It smells like childhood, only better!

Grab the fresh Concord grapes when they come into season this fall and serve this aromatic and rich sorbet at your holiday meals.

Yields 1 quart

2 pounds fresh Concord grapes
¼ cup water
3 tablespoons sugar
Zest and juice of one lemon
1 tablespoon honey

1. Place the grapes, water and sugar in a non-reactive saucepan. Simmer the grapes until they start to fall apart (about 3-5 minutes). Remove from the heat before they gel-this happens quickly!
Strain the grape mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove the solids. You should have 3 cups of grape juice.

2. Whisk in the remaining ingredients and chill the mixture at least 4 hours or overnight.

3. Process the grape juice in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instruction.

Laura Frankel will be teaching a Latke Palooza Chanukah cooking class this winter. Stay tuned for details on this and other cooking events. 

One of the most difficult questions to answer is one of the simplest: How was it?

How was school? How was your date? How was your trip? How was the movie?

“It was great!” “It was ok.” “It was awesome” “I liked it.”

Those answers don’t tell you much, but everyone uses them!

The difficulty in articulating one’s feelings about an experience is the norm from age six to 60. This also holds true for an Israel trip. Whether it be a high school trip, Taglit-Birthright Israel, MASA, a JUF Mission or a family experience, it is hard for everyone when they get home to tell others, “Why was it so great?”

In thinking about answering this question, I thought it might be helpful to read the blogs that participants wrote while on a Taglit-Birthright Israel: Shorashim trip. While truthfully, the blogs were a vehicle to keep parents and family informed of the trip-goers’ happenings, they have become one of the best insights into how an individual actually feels about his or her experiences on the trip.

Below I have included excerpts from 10 blog posts (in no particular order) from our Taglit-Birthright Israel: Shorashim trips with links to the full article. In my mind, these excerpts provide the most articulate answers to the question, “How was it?”

1. There is a pocket in the pit of your stomach you may not know you have. It lies somewhere off the large intestine, a small cavern in which remnants of last night’s dinner tie knots with nerves. This is the spot you feel first when you wake up at 3:30 in the morning. This is the pocket that tightens when you try to force cake down your throat when you know you’re not hungry. It is covered with a flap. If Jerusalem is the heart of Israel, then Masada is this pocket in the pit of your stomach. 
Masada 

2. Early this morning we ate breakfast together and took the bus to the Jilaboon hiking trail where we scrambled over rocks and lent a hand to one another to cross the many streams we encountered. Our goal: the Devora waterfall and pool was worth the wait. It was delectably refreshing to dive into the icy water and splash around under the waterfall. Israeli families and groups of friends were also at the pool and swam around us inquiring where we were from and wishing us a good visit to Israel. Iftak (Israeli tour educator) called us out of the water for at least ten minutes before we got out. Then we all trekked back up the steep trail to our bus.
Day One of the Bus 145 Experience 

3. After a quick breakfast we hopped on bus 144 and headed to that brilliant body of water we’d been ogling from the bus…The Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is the saltiest body of water on earth and also the lowest point below sea level. Upon plunging into the water, we were delighted to discover that all the rumors we’ve heard are true. You can float with no effort and even do synchronized swimming moves on the surface of the water with ease. We all took advantage of the excellent exfoliation options at the sea by slathering up in some bona fide Dead Sea mud, baking in the sun and hopping in the water and rinsing off to reveal the softest, smoothest skin we’ve ever had.
Masada at Sunrise 

4. We spent the next few hours exploring the Old City inching our way closer to the Western Wall. Once there, we each had a very personal reaction to being so close to this historical monument that we’ve all heard and been taught so much about. For many of us, it truly hit that we were really here. We are beginning to feel that intangible feeling that all those who’ve been to Israel express. Next, we went to Machne Yehuda, Jerusalem’s largest market. We knocked elbows with locals buying supplies for Shabbat. Smells of spices filled the air as merchants called out to potential clients. We, too, left the market to prepare for Shabbat. Many of us went to Shabbat services which was a unique experience. We will all relish these incredible experiences connecting to our Jewish faith and identity.
History in Tel Aviv and Shabbas in Jerusalem! 

5. In this cemetery boys and girls are no longer soldiers. Sons, daughters, athletes, future activists scholars and professionals, friends and loved ones lie within sandy stone caskets, plants and flowers blanket each grave, perhaps a photo of a smiling young man or woman. Whether or not we let these ten days in, Birthright will shake us up. Har Herzl was that moment for me.
Bus 140 -- Har Herzel and a visit to the Shuk! 

6. This trip far exceeded my expectations. I was convinced that Israel would be a desert where everyone rode camels and dressed like Moses. But it is not. Israel is a nation of contradictions and an incredibly diverse population. And it is in the Jewish homeland that I have experienced so many differences, places, sights, smells, tastes and sounds. I have made an amazing group of friends and I cannot and will not forget the memories I have made nor the feeling I get when I think about Israel. This has been the most meaningful and invaluable experience in terms of my Judaism, my college experience, and my life.
Bus 140 -- Har Herzel and a visit to the Shuk! 

7. It was interesting to see how Israelis learn about their own culture starting at such a young age, and the pride they have for their country. After this long day, we headed back to the Kibbutz for a long shower and dinner. We also had some more group activities and finally know everyone’s name! Israel so far is one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever seen and we can’t wait to make a deeper connection with the country as the trip continues.
Days 1 and 2: The Beginning to an Incredible Journey 

8. We are excited to have most of our community back together to continue our journey together back home in Chicago, exploring and developing our Jewish identities and connections to Israel and one another. 
That's it! 

9. Although this program (a community center in Kiryat Gat, Chicago’s Partnership City) has grown tremendously in the last eleven years, it still needs constant support and help. It is going to be my goal upon my return to the Chicago area to get involved to do my part in supporting this amazing program. Although this day was the hardest one emotionally for all of us on bus 153, it helped us understand where we can from, what we’ve been through, and what we can do in the future to impact young Jewish lives. 
Sunday: Yad Vashem and Kiryat Gat 

10. It didn't really matter that I wasn't that religious, all that mattered was me, my note, and the wall. I found a spot, put it in, and backed up slowly. After, I felt a kind of peace that only comes from a very spiritual experience. Jerusalem was absolutely beautiful and I know one day I will go back to the old city. 
First Impressions of Jerusalem 

Do you know someone who is eligible for a Taglit-Birthright Israel trip? Tell them to register on Sept. 14 at www.israelwithisraelis.com. For the best chance of getting on a trip, registrants must apply and submit a $250 refundable deposit on the first day of registration. 

While Brad Kleinman was living in Cleveland getting his master’s degree, he’d spend every Monday night having dinner with his grandma and her friends. Dubbed, “dinner with the old people,” Brad really enjoyed spending quality time with his grandma and hearing her and her friend’s unique voices and stories.

An engineer by training with an entrepreneurial streak, Brad knew he had something to share with the world— who doesn’t love their grandma? So he began recording his grandma saying, “Jewish grandma-isms” and put together his first iPhone app iGavolt. Now Brad (and everyone else) can hear his grandma wherever he goes!

And with the success of the first app, Brad caught the iPhone bug. Today, he has several apps on the market including, Groggor Factory, that builds 3d customizable groggors and Amy’s Mom, which shares hilarious answering machine messages from one extreme mother.  With even more apps in the works, Brad, in his spare time, is becoming quite the pro! To learn more about all of his app ventures, click here.

So whether you love your grandma, want to be a pirate, or enjoy creating iPhone apps, Brad Kleinman is a Jew You Should Know!

1. What is your favorite blog or website?
Tie between Mashable and DrudgeReport.

2. If time and money were limitless, where would you travel to?
I would travel around the world, but specifically I’d go to the Amalfi Coast, Australia, the Far East, and Israel. 

3. If a movie was played about your life, who would play you?
A mutant clone of George Clooney, Joe Rogan and Frank Sinatra.

4. If you could have a meal with any two people, dead or alive, famous or not, who would it be?
Albert Einstein and Albert Kleinman (my grandfather).

5. What is your idea of the perfect day?
Not in this exact order, but it would include: eating cupcakes, playing volleyball, and throwing Frisbee… all while hanging out with my fiancé and Busta Rhymes in a castle in the South of France. I will be wearing a cut off T and jellies.

6. What do you love about what you do?
The people I get to work with!

7. What job would you have had if not the one you have now?
Rock Star. Or a pirate. 

8. What is your favorite Jewish thing to do in Chicago?
Hanging out with Jews. Love’em.

Photo credit: Michael Weschler

Like many women, Robin Gelfenbien experienced bullying during her younger years. But Gelfenbien found redemption in the most unconventional of places: behind the steering wheel of Oscar Meyer’s Wienermobile.

During her freshman year at Syracuse University, Gelfenbien was endlessly taunted and harassed by a group of boys. Although she eventually reported them and the bullying stopped, the rest of her college experience was permanently tarnished. Committed to her education, she stayed at school but suffered from low self-esteem and retreated into a shell of her typically outgoing self.

Along came the Wienermobile, and with it, a new beginning. Recruited during her senior year of college, Gelfenbien knew she had been meant for the job. But never could she have predicted that the experience would impact her life as profoundly as it did.

Almost twenty years later, the Jewish comedian documents her story in the critically-acclaimed one-woman comedy show, My Salvation Has a First Name: A Wienermobile Journey, coming to Chicago in September as part of the Chicago Fringe Festival.

Photo credit: Michael Weschler

You’ve said that as a result of being bullied your freshman year, you “lost” your voice during the rest of college. Did you think the Wienermobile job would be the way to find yourself again?
I didn’t realize that I had lost my voice during college when I was driving the Wienermobile, but it’s obvious to me now. I basically shut down during those four years, and I thought the Wienermobile [job] would let me myself again, which is an enthusiastic, outgoing and silly goofball. Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to be on TV, which is why I went to the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Unfortunately, I didn’t take advantage of that education the way I had hoped because of the bullying. … I wanted to be a Broadcast major, but the bullying made me afraid to do the campus TV or radio show, because I didn’t want to be harassed more.

So how did the job end up changing your life?
It allowed me to partially reclaim my old self, who was spirited, exuberant and funny. All of that had been quelled through college. The job allowed me the opportunity to find my voice again, because I was being paid to be myself, someone who is outgoing, enthusiastic, and loves being around people.

Comedy is a popular medium for delving into issues that are less than humorous. Why is it such a powerful art form for dealing with dark or difficult material? 
They say that tragedy plus time equals comedy, and it’s so true. It has always helped me cope with whatever I’m going through. When you share a deeply personal story, the audience will come along for the ride, but if it gets to a point of being really heavy or uncomfortable, a quick joke or aside can lift that tension, and the audience will connect even more. I think comedy helps the audience relax and enjoy themselves rather than have to worry, “Is this person okay?” It helps show that you’ve gotten through something and even though it was painful, you’re okay now, and you can laugh about it. That gives people permission to laugh at our universal flaws and foibles and relate to your story even more.

You have quite a unique religious background. On your father’s side, you have a Jewish grandfather and Roman Catholic grandmother who raised your father in the Catholic faith. Your mother’s side of the family is Jewish. So how do you personally identify yourself? 
I’m a very proud member of the tribe. I was raised Jewish, and I celebrated the High Holidays. I always fast on Yom Kippur. I get offended when someone says that I’m only half Jewish or implies that I’m not Jewish because my father is Catholic. I might have gone to mass a lot, but just to see my uncle [who is a Roman Catholic priest named Father Gelfenbien.] I consider myself 100% Jewish even though I had some unusual Christian influences in my life.

How does your Jewish identity play into your work or affect your comedy? 
You know how stereotypically self-deprecating Jewish comedians tend to be. It definitely runs through everything I do. I never want to do things to make anyone else feel bad, but I could pick on myself all day long. I'm not perfect. I recognize how over the top I was to get the job [driving the Wienermobile] and I can laugh at it.

If there is one thing you want people leaving your show to keep in mind, what is it?
I want people to understand the power of people's words. What might seem like harmless teasing to some can have a profound impact on the person who's on the receiving end. It's an impact that, depending on the severity of the bullying, can last for many years.

My Salvation Has a First Name: A Wienermobile Journeywill be playing a limited run in Chicago, with performances Sept. 3-5, 10 and 11. For tickets and information about the Chicago Fringe Festival, visit www.chicagofringe.org. Information about Robin Gelfenbien and her show can be found at www.wienermobileshow.com. 

This is the first post by our new food critic, Kevin Friduss. You can check out his other reviews here.
 

In January, the building at 400 North State Street, became the newest royalty of Chicago sports bars. Like its brother Bull & Bear, this after-work, beer enthusiast restaurant and bar features some of the most radical new technology in the city. Welcome to Public House.

I recently checked out what everyone was raving about, and wasn’t disappointed. The menu comes in a rustic leather case right out of a Harry Potter movie and includes an index so you don’t have to go looking through every page. I highly suggest looking through the entire menu, as they have some incredible new and twisted items that you may not find at any other venue.

While Public House has bar food like fried pickles and homemade soft pretzels, I tried to stick to the smokehouse flare like the Kobe Beef Brisket Sliders ($11), which come with a spicy barbeque sauce, with crispy shallots on a brioche bun. For those people that don’t know what brioche is, it’s heaven on your taste buds, alone. I spoke with David Rekhson, one of the owners of Public House, who also owns Bull & Bear and Stone Lotus, who said the most popular item is the Multiple Mac & Cheese ($8). Why so popular? You can add items like chicken chili or wild mushrooms along other fun accoutrements into the mix. For the ultimate in Mac & Cheese, add everything for an awesome $30. I hope you like to share your food.

After your first course, check out their grilled flat breads, soups & salads, and an epic list of mouth watering entrees which features the best sandwich I have ever tasted. For those of you who love seafood, the Tiger Shrimp Burger ($12) is so good that you won’t want to put it back on your plate. Delivered on a Hawaiian sesame bun is a sweet and spicy shrimp patty topped with Balsamic glazed red onion arugula, tomato, and smoked jalapeno aioli. Not to be outdone, the hand cut fries leave an aftertaste on your palette that you won’t want to lose.

Finishing off your meal, award winning pastry chef and MOT Mindy Segal has desserts that you don’t want to miss regardless of how full you are. For example, take the Waffles & Bananas ($8), which comes with malted banana ice cream, toasted marshmallows, milk chocolate hot fudge, and a caramelized Belgium waffle.

With 10,000 square feet and 103 different types of beer, Public House is in a separate category of competing for “Best Bar” because of its Tap Technology that is exclusive to Twilight Traffic Controls, LLC. Each booth, like Bull & Bear, has its own Tap system to eliminate having to go to the bar for a drink. Not only can you request any type of 25 tap beers, but you can also hook them up to liquors such as vodka or whiskey. All you need to order is the juice, soda, or shot glasses. One of the coolest things about the menu at Public House is that each beer they offer comes with a description of what you can expect.

David notes that reservations are preferred up to a month in advance for weekends. If you are lucky enough to get a booth, your server will swipe a computer FOB, allowing each guest to consume up to 24 ounces of alcohol.

Reservations for weekly dinner service should be made a week or a couple of days in advance, but David definitely recommends making a reservation before coming. He added “there's plenty of first come, first serve seating in both of our bars, but these seats tend to fill up very quickly right after work.”

If you aren’t a beer drinker or you haven't secured a booth, cocktails still flow with the likes of Monk-y Business ($12) with Absolut vanilla, Bacardi raspberry, Navan, coconut puree, fresh lime juice, Demarera syrup, and acacia honey or a nice list of wines, ports, and sakes. Most of their specialty cocktails imitate a beer that they have on their menu so moving away from that brown ale or Mexican lager might be harder then you think.

Public House is for everyone; not just the tourist and after work drinkers. So come in, grab your friends, have a bite and a drink and relax in the newest hot and sexy sports bar in Chicago. Public House. Grill. Tap. Happy Place. This is a one of a kind, not to be missed, dining and drinking experience.

You all know I’m a bit of a yenta who likes to give sometimes unsolicited dating advice to my friends and Oy!sters and I like to set people up. So from time to time, dating/self-help books like Avi Roseman’s come across my desk. This one wasn’t exactly my favorite. While I get that some of the advice is meant to be tongue-in-check, after a while lines like…

“…We’re women (natural gold diggers) and we care way more about what he gives us than he cares about what we give him…”
“…Play the dumb blonde card…”
“…Let him think he’s smarter than you…”
“…A successful woman is not a plus in a man’s eyes…”

Became a bit much for this feminist.

But my biggest complaint with the book is that Ms. Avi (as the author likes to refer to herself throughout the book) advises the reader to play the dating game. The section on online dating is titled, “Let’s Write a bunch of Lies Shall We?” I don’t believe that “playing games” yield successful relationships, so that’s where I had to draw the line. But if it’s your cup of tea, you’ll enjoy the read— it’s entertaining, funny and cringe worthy all at the same time. I’m just not so sure I’d recommend it with any seriousness to a self-conscious single girlfriend looking for love.

To Avi’s credit, she couldn’t have been nicer during my interview and she admitted from the beginning that she knew her book would be controversial. With the title, “Secrets of Shiksa Appeal: 8 Steps to Attract Your Shul-Mate,” she knew what she was doing. See below for my interview and if you’re interested in learning more about the book, check out her Facebook page: Secrets of Shiksa Appeal.

Is Avi Roseman a pseudonym? Is this because you are expecting backlash?
Yes. I chose Roseman as a pen name so that readers would know that the author was Jewish. My real name is not Jewish-sounding at all. Also, I have a family friend who wrote a book about getting a guy to marry you and that was her one regret, because professionally it hurt her.

I know this your first book, what is your professional background?
I have an engineering background. I was in IT consulting and this is just something that I looked at as a creative outlet. I started it about three years ago, but just didn’t have any time to really commit to it and I was actually kind of afraid of…afraid to work on it, to finish it, just cause I wasn’t sure what people would think. I think it was fear that made it take so long and then I got over it and now it’s being published.

How did you come up with the idea for the book?
I’ve always loved self-help books and I know that a lot of the books written especially for Jewish women aren’t really about what men want. And this book is really about what men want and not what Jewish women like. A lot of the books for Jewish women are, “Rah, Rah go for it and do what feels right” and this book is about men and [what] they want and what we should do to attract them.

Why do you think Jewish women are such bad daters?
That’s a loaded question. I don’t think that they are all bad daters— I just think that some are. But there are a lot of very beautiful, talented, smart, accomplished Jewish women, but not all of that transfers over to the dating world. For instance, a woman can be very accomplished but to a man looking to date her, that doesn’t always mean a lot. It’s not necessarily a plus. Here you have a successful man and that’s always a plus. He’s going to get more women because he is successful. A successful woman is not necessarily going to help her. She might be too powerful, have too much money. She might intimidate men.

Why are Shiksas such better daters?
The book had nothing to do with shiksas at first. And then my boyfriend at the time, who was helping me out with the book, he just said you should call the book, “The Shiksa Appeal.” And I kind of thought about it and I was pissed off at first …this is terrible, but I was pissed off and intrigued at the same time. So I changed the direction of the book to fit the title. I know it sounds bad, but I just thought it was such a catchy title and I thought the theme was really interesting that I thought it was kind of a good direction to move the book into.

How did you come up with your eight steps?
I feel they are pretty logical— the eight steps. I don’t think there is anything there that isn’t normal. Like what you wear and how you act and how you date and how you do online and stuff. It’s all kind of logical…

What do you think is the most important step?
Obviously, the looks are important because that is what is going to spark interest. But holding interest is really the challenge. The chapter about challenge is a lot about attitude and respecting yourself and kind of maybe changing your attitude, so that it’s what is going to attract men. So your looks will attract him, but you have to have that confidence and self respect, too.

What do you think of Jewish dating websites?
Overall, I think online is great cause you meet people you normally wouldn’t in everyday life. People can expand social circles and it can be hard to break out and meet new people. If you live in a location without a lot of Jewish people you can look for them in a nearby place.

What do you think are the best and worst things a person can do on a date?
Best thing a girl can do on a date: Besides putting effort into her appearance, she should be positive, laugh, and accept compliments.

Worst thing a girl can do on a date: Ask him at the end of the date if you're going to go out again. If you like him, be sure to tell him you had a great time, but let him take the lead on the issue. Asking if you're going out again puts too much pressure on him, and he may feel uncomfortable.

What's the worst mistake you've ever made on a date?
I once told a guy on a first date I was writing a dating book for Jewish women. He freaked out. Lesson learned!

Is there anything else you want to tell the Oy!Chicago readers about your new book?
I would like Oy!Chicago readers to know that there are so many great Jewish potential dates out there, especially in an educated city like Chicago. Don't be lazy and say, "I can't seem to meet any nice Jewish guys/girls." Make that effort to go to Jewish events to find them. You may not meet your match at your first or second event, but keep trying. All you need is one.

The good folks at Oy! asked me to write an article about myself.  For that reason I've decided to interview myself as if I am two different people. I guess in a way I am anyway. I am a writer, but I have a good story to tell too. So here goes: 

A few years ago, Lisa Lubin made a radical change. She quit her cushy TV producing job at ABC7 Chicago, sold her car and belongings, broke up with her boyfriend, and left the United States behind to travel around the world solo for 'one' year. She worked and traveled, and three years later, unpacked her bag in Chicago. Now she's building a new lifestyle and business, thanks to her travels and new perspective on life. 

What inspired you to quit your job and travel around the world? 
I have always loved traveling. Since I was little I loved exploring new towns and places. I would ride my bike down new streets mesmerized by something I’d never seen before. A few years after college I went backpacking for a month across Europe. That was it. I got the bug. I fell in love with the world and a world traveler was born. Since then I made a deal with myself to travel somewhere far during my vacation-time every single year and I did do that, but the longest I’d ever been away was three weeks (which was still longer than most Americans). I had never really planned on taking a year off before. In 2006, certain things in my life just fell into place and I realized I was "free" in a way. Then I read a book called One Year Off, by David Cohen. He and his wife took their three (!) kids around the world for a year. Then I realized if they could do it, I could do it. The opportunity was there and I needed to grab it.

A lot of people say that takes guts to do and it seems many want to do something like that, but just never do it. What do you say about that?
Many say I'm living out what others only dream of. And others have also said what I'm doing takes a lot of guts. The way I see it, those two things don’t exactly mix. I think in fantasy this is a dream trip for many. But in reality, the packing, leaving everything behind, quitting, and saying goodbye for a year is way too scary for most. I had thought about doing this awhile back, but even for me it was too much. But then somehow my plan seemed to slowly evolve right before my eyes and I was just going to do it. Kind of like most other big decisions in life, you never really know what the outcome will be until you do it. The biggest emotional obstacles are overcoming the fear of the unknown and also veering off the standard 'beaten path' that society sort of sets up for us. But my passion for travel allowed me to overcome any fear. Life is too short to put something like this off. If I did, many things could come up to prevent me from going. It was truly now or never.

How did you plan a vacation for 2+ years?
You don't. And you don't have to. As I went along, it became my job to sort out the next leg of my trip. Plus I tried to plan different and varied ways of getting to know each place. I didn’t want to be just walking around new cities and towns for a year. That could get old and I would have burned out very quickly. I took Spanish and surfing lessons in Costa Rica, rode through the narrow fjords and icy glaciers of the Chilean Patagonia, hiked up a snowy volcano in Ecuador, swam with dolphins off the coast of New Zealand, climbed high atop the Harbour Bridge in Sydney, sand-boarded the dunes of Dubai, kayaked between pristine islands of Belize, climbed like Moses to the top of Mt. Sinai, and successfully accomplished a two-week bicycle tour through the rice fields of Vietnam. I also found work in many places—I served up coffee and sandwiches in a café in Melbourne, taught private business English lessons in Istanbul, performed proofreading work for a Turkish media conglomerate, volunteered with the homeless at Christmas in London, worked as a research assistant at the University of Cologne, was a pet sitter and an ‘extra’ in Los Angeles, did public relations for a company in Madrid and did some English voice recording for a publishing company in Berlin.  

All these different activities also ensured that I would meet other travelers and also locals. My adventures have been amazing, but the best part would have to be all the wonderful people I have met from all corners of the globe—good, kind people. Connecting with people of all backgrounds has touched me in ways I will never ever forget.

Most people assume this was expensive. What did it cost? 
In a nutshell, my trip cost me less than it would have if I’d stayed and lived my 'normal' life in Chicago (when you take into account my mortgage payments, bills, and other monthly costs such as grocery bills and other random costs that come up each month). It certainly can be costly if you are staying at four and five star hotels and traveling in first class. But it can also be very affordable if you stay in hostels and budget hotels and get all the discounts you can. Most hostels average around $20 per night depending on the country you are in (in Costa Rica I stayed at one that was $6 a night for my own room (albeit tiny) and in Hanoi, Vietnam I had my own room and bathroom at a clean, budget hotel for $10/night. I usually travel alone—if you are able to travel with someone that cuts some costs in half. Now, things come up when traveling that raise costs such as special tours and trips—like taking surfing lessons or a boat cruise of the Galapagos Islands. But by saving money in cheaper countries you can make up for these costs. I cut corners where I could, but also didn’t want to deprive myself of some special ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunities. Plus, in a normal year just living at home, random costs like these often come up as well (car needs repairing, unexpected furnace replacement, etc.)…or even just trips to Target where I never could get out for under $100.

How has your life changed since your trip? 
The cool thing is in many ways my life has changed completely. I have yet to go back to a full time job and my freelance career has taken off around my blog, my writing, and my photography. I still freelance as a TV producer some, but I also just launched my own video consulting business, LLmedia. Since I have 15 years experience in television and now five years experience writing and marketing my own travel blog, it seemed the perfect way to bridge my two worlds and help other websites, small businesses, and entrepreneurs who are now trying to do their own videos for the web or their business.

What advice would you give to someone planning a round-the-world trip? 
Just do it! If you are already planning a trip then good for you! Because the hardest part is over—deciding to do it and figuring out how to make it work. I would definitely say it is not that hard. If you have the opportunity and the freedom to just go—grab the chance now when you can…don’t put if off for tomorrow, because something will always come up to get in your way. If you are organized everything kind of falls into place. I love the logistics, but it’s just a matter of making a ‘to do’ list and prioritizing. What are you going to do with your home? Car? Stuff? Find storage. Get a mover. Notify your friends, family. One of the best things I did was put a ‘call’ out to everyone I knew and ask for their friends or contacts anywhere around the world. I met some really cool people this way and had more local experiences by hooking up with friends of friends. Quit your job—a very fun thing to do! Or be lucky and get a sabbatical! Pack. Shop for travel gear. Buy some tickets and plan out some major things and at least a place to stay in your first country. And just marinate in the fact that you are doing something so many others “dream” of but never really have the balls to do!!!!

If you want more advice, I am hosting the Chicago portion of the second annual national Meet Plan Go event on October 18th. This inspirational night happens simultaneously in nearly 20 cities in North America and gives attendees information, support, and inspiration on taking their own sabbaticals and career breaks.

Lisa Lubin is a three-time Emmy-award-winning television writer/producer/photographer/traveler.  She documents her (mis)adventures on her blog, LLworldtour.com, with photographs and articles from the road/train/rickshaw/camel. 

I practice architecture. Although if you ask my bosses I’m sure they'd tell you that I’m just very good at playing the part. It is true that as a kid I had an extensive Lego collection that caused my mother many stubbed toes. I raided local construction sites for discarded two by fours—they looked discarded anyway—that I would use to fasten a variety of Laugierian Primitive Huts. While I do not dress in all black and do not wear slender framed eye glasses, I certainly have my own tradeMarked (pun intended) fashion quirks. Ninety degree weather is hardly an obstacle for my Patagonia down vest. My dress socks—usually polka-dotted cycling socks—rarely match. I'd like to think that I could easily pick an architect out of a line-up based solely on their stylish oddities.

There are certainly commonalities inside and outside of my profession about what architects do and what defines us as a larger whole. I'm not sure how many times I’ve been told that I must be good at math. I'm not sure how many times I’ve read the terms, 'zeitgeist' and 'vis a vis.' However, the commonality that bridges both of these is the idea that we as architects design and construct spaces that are intended for use by a group of people, a society, and a culture. There is a strong argument to be made that architecture strives to engage and construct the thoughts, feelings, and cultural settings of its period of time.

When I tasked myself to identifying my favorite Jewish architects there was a sense of futility. It is much easier for me to understand architecture, and more specifically an architect through the lens of a period of time, a specific ideology or place. It's much easier to identify something as Scandinavian, Post-Modernist, or contemporary. It is much harder to understand what role heritage plays in a specific individual or work. However, as I began to dig and investigate I got the sense that there was an added amount of importance, pride, and/or brevity to these architects and their works. This is especially true for when they dealt with designing Jewish institutions. With that said, my aim is not to attempt to identify any specific similarities nor is it to identify anything specifically Jewish. This is simply an exercise about listing my favorite Jewish architects with the hopes that you, the reader, may discover for yourself what makes them important to you and to society.

My top 10 Jewish architects (in no particular order): 

Frank Gehry (born Frank Goldberg):
Gehry is one of today's most famous architects. Winner of the Pritzker (architecture's most prestigious prize) and widely considered one of the most important contemporary architects, he changed his name early in his career at the behest of his wife to, presumably, avoid any anti-Semitic views.
My favorite work: DZ Bank in Berlin 

Dankmar Adler:
One of Chicago's greatest architects. He later partnered with Louis Sullivan (another of Chicago's most famous architects) and changed the modern cityscape by using modern steel skeleton structures to express the lightness and openness of modern buildings. He was an important figure within the Chicago School of Architects.
My favorite work: Auditorium Building in Chicago 

Auditorium Building 

Richard Meier:
Meier is a Jewish American architect and winner of the Priztker Prize. He is best known for his pure white rational design style. Meier is the only Jewish architect to have designed and built a church for the Roman Catholic Church.
My favorite work: Jubilee Church in Rome 

Luis Kahn:
My favorite architect and arguably the greatest American architect. Kahn is famous for his monumental style of architecture with focuses on pure form and function. He was commissioned to rebuild the Hurva Synagogue in Jerusalem but sadly politics never allowed his design to be constructed.
My favorite work: The Kimbell Museum in Fort Worth, TX 

Daniel Libeskind:
Libeskind is a contemporary American architect. He won the master plan competition to reconstruct the World Trade Center sites following the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York. Among his many famous designs are his three Jewish museums in Copenhagen, Berlin, and recently San Francisco.
My favorite work: Jewish Museum in Berlin 

Peter Eisenman:
Eisenman is a contemporary architect. He is best known for his fragmented work and as a great architectural theoretician. His design for a Holocaust memorial in Berlin created a lot of controversy for its stark and evocative expression.
My favorite work: Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (Holocaust Memorial) in Berlin 

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (foreground) and DZ Bank (background) 

Marcel Breuer:
Breuer is a famous Hungarian-born architect from the Bauhaus school of design. He is most famous for his furniture designs. While relocating to London in the 30s due to the rise of Nazi party in Germany, he was introduced to one of the world’s leading furniture manufacturers and able to complete and build his most famous chair, the long chair.
My favorite work: long chair 

Moshe Safdie:
Safdie is a famous Canadian architect. He recently completed, The Kauffman Center, in Kansas City to much acclaim. He is best known for, at the ripe age of 24, winning a competition for the World's Fair in Montreal.
My favorite work: Habit 67 in Montreal 

Erich Mendelsohn:
Mendelsohn was a famous German architect whose very expressive works challenged the highly rational and utilitarian works for his contemporaries.
My favorite work: Einstein Tower in Potsdam 

Einstein Tower 

Arieh Sharon:
Sharon was an Israeli architect who was integral in establishing architectural style in Israel. He studied under famous Bauhaus architect, Walter Gropius, and started the Bauhaus style of Tel Aviv.
My favorite work: Jerusalem Master Plan of 1950 

Matt Pais has a cool job. Make that three of them. You might not know his name, but you’ve probably read his articles in the RedEye on your commute to work. A movie critic for the newspaper, he frequently writes witty, spot on movie reviews, interviews celebs and covers red carpet events throughout the city. He also oversees the Chicago.Metromix.com home page as the Metromix senior producer, digital and is a weekly correspondent for WCIU-Ch. 26’s “You and Me this morning.”

A Deerfield native and still under 30, Matt has already made quite the name for himself in the celebrity journalism world. A recent newlywed, Matt took some time out of his busy schedule to answer our AJYSK questions.
So whether you, too, want to be the next Gene Siskel, enjoy your latkes with sour cream and apple sauce or love Michigan, Matt Pais is a Jew You Should Know!

1. What is your favorite blog or website?
I must pick something unrelated to movies or music, so I'm going with SportsIllustrated.com.

2. If time and money were limitless, where would you travel to?
Europe. I've been to Spain (still need to go to Barcelona), London and Scotland, but there are a lot of places (next up: Italy) my wife and I want to go.

3. If a movie was played about your life, who would play you?
Ryan Gosling. No resemblance but he's great in everything, so I trust him to make it work.

4. If you could have a meal with any two people, dead or alive, famous or not, who would it be?
Pat Tillman and Jeff Buckley.

5. What is your idea of the perfect day?
Waking up to lemon ricotta pancakes at the bed and breakfast my wife and I go to every year in Union Pier, Michigan. Then reading and listening to music on the beach, followed by a bike ride along the country road. Mid-afternoon games, with wine. The world's best buffalo chicken pizza for dinner at Stray Dog Bar and Grill. Ending the day by looking at stars and enjoying the sound of the water.

6. What do you love about what you do?
The challenge of devising fun, unique questions for celebrity interviews. The ability to stretch from print to TV to radio to the Internet. A constant influx of new movies to see (free) and albums to hear (free). No complaints.

7. What job would you have had if not the one you have now?
Guy ceaselessly pursuing the job I actually do have now.

8. What is your favorite Jewish thing to do in Chicago?
Eat latkes. Sour cream and applesauce please.

How’d you find your last apartment? Craigslist? Driving up and down streets looking for rental signs? Or maybe you want to one of the many rental companies popping up around the city that specialize in finding people apartments? If so, you might have worked with Kevin Friduss. Kevin, a DU graduate, is a real estate consultant.

Away from work, Kevin, a self-proclaimed, “extreme outdoor enthusiast” can be found at the beach in the summer and on a mountain in the winter. A nationally ranked Triathlete and huge Chicago sports fan, Kevin also has a passion for writing (he just might be the next Oy! blogger) and planning events.

So whether you want to travel the world in a day, enjoy a good grape stomping or need help finding your perfect home, Kevin Friduss is a Jew You Should Know!

1. What is your favorite blog or website?
After attending college at the University of Denver, I became obsessed with college hockey. My favorite blog is letsgodu.blogspot.com, because it is everything DU sports. If I had to choose the website I use most, it would be Weather.com.

2. If time and money were limitless, where would you travel to?
I would start the day by taking a private jet to the big island of Hawaii where I would have an early golf game at one of the islands most expensive courses. Then I would get on a supersonic jet and fly to New Zealand for some adrenalin-pumping and heart-stopping extreme sports that they have to offer. For lunch, I would board a passing cruise ship for a massive buffet of lobster, shrimp and crab. Because I would be consuming so many calories, I would swim a couple miles back to shore and hopefully be greeted with a solid hour of video games in a private movie theater all to myself with my closest friends. After that, we would fly first-class to Disney World for a night of fun at Epcot and finish off at Pleasure Island in Downtown Disney.

3. If a movie was played about your life, who would play you?
Kevin Costner

4. If you could have a meal with any two people, dead or alive, famous or not, who would it be?
Michael Jackson. He had a profound effect on my life. I would also invite Lucille Ball and get in a grape stomping contest with her.

5. What is your idea of the perfect day?
I would start with an early swim in Lake Michigan, then a run over to the Green City Market in Lincoln Park for some brioche bread and crepes. A picnic in the park would be nice, and then a walk on the lakefront. To top it off, a sushi dinner at Toro, and then a movie.

6. What do you love about what you do?
I get to talk to cool people all day while looking at apartments.

7. What job would you have had if not the one you have now?
I have always wanted to be an event planner for major concerts and/or sporting events.

8. What is your favorite Jewish thing to do in Chicago?
I volunteer for the Great Midwest Region of BBYO. I love attending events with my chapter based out of Northbrook!

If you're new to Chicago or just looking for a new apartment, you can reach Kevin at KevinFriduss@gmail.com and he'll help you find your next place!

Photo credit: Joe Davis 

The Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theatre (EESDT) recently celebrated its 35th Anniversary during the ten-day American Spanish Dance and Music Festival. The anniversary celebration concluded with three dramatic shows on June 24, 25, and 26 at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie.

Now based at Northeastern Illinois University, the EESDT was founded in 1976 by Dame Libby Komaiko, who is the Ensemble’s Artistic Director. In 1983, His Majesty Don Juan Carlos I, King of Spain, presented Dame Libby with the highest honor the country bestows on a foreign national, the “Lazo de Dama” de la Orden de Isabel la Catolica (Ribbon of the Dame) to recognize her accomplishments in advancing the artistic, cultural, and educational values of the Spanish tradition through the arts in the United States.

Dame Libby is also, Jewish. This is actually not surprising, as Flamenco—which is commonly known for its Spanish roots—has long been a fusion of cultural influences. There is a strong Jewish imprint in Flamenco-style dance, as well as Indian, Greek, Roman and Persian influences.

I recently had the opportunity to take in a performance of the EESDT anniversary show. Comprised of fourteen fabulous Flamenco inspired dance performances, the show ranged from pieces with the entire cast to duet dances and solos. Watching the dancers perform, was like watching a vibrant painting unfold before me with invigorating movement and music that enlivened my senses.

After the performance, I spoke with Sara Samuels, another Jewish dancer with EESDT and a native Chicagoan.

Sarah began dancing at the early age of 6 with Lilette Rohe of the Lilette Rohe School of Ballet in Evanston. After high school, Sara decided to travel to Spain to study and fell in love with Spanish culture. Upon returning to the United States, she learned about the EESDT and knew from that moment that she wanted to pursue her dancing career there. Sara began studying under Dame Libby in 1991 and became a Full Company Dancer in 1996. She is now a Principal Dancer and recently was awarded the position of Associate Artistic Director of the Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Youth Company. With EESDT, she annually performs across the United States and internationally. She also teaches a variety of classes and workshops on a regular basis.

When asked about the effect her Jewish faith has had on her dance, Sara noted that since there is so much feeling and so many emotions you can go through in Flamenco to express yourself, “any experience you have growing up is going to influence” your dance. Although she does not credit her Jewish background for impacting her as a dancer overall, she acknowledged that she is reminded of her Jewish culture in some of the music she hears while she dances, particularly High Holiday music.

President Barack Obama wrote a letter to the EESDT congratulating it for celebrating its 35th Anniversary. In the letter he stated that dance can, “build bridges and enrich lives … bringing communities together.” Watching EESDT perform, I saw firsthand how culturally infused and emotionally charged Flamenco can be, as an audience of all ages and backgrounds took in the performance. I encourage others to see it for themselves.

Here is the schedule for upcoming Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater performances:
- Ensemble Español returns to the Harris Theater with Global Rhythms to perform Bolero Saturday, Nov. 26
- Ensemble Español will be featured in Hispanic Heritage concerts at Northeastern Illinois University, Oct. 11 – 14
- Family Holiday Concerts at Northeastern Dec. 13 – 15  

For more information about Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theatre and to purchase tickets for any of their upcoming performances, check out their website at www.ensembleespanol.org.  

The mood in Chicago's Daley Plaza was bittersweet June 23, as some 500 Chicagoans gathered to show support for captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

The crowd was somber, noting Shalit's years in captivity, but also prayerful for his safe return to his family.

The candlelight vigil Light the Night for Gilad Shalit was held on the eve of the fifth anniversary of Shalit's abduction from Israel by the terrorist group Hamas. On June 25, 2006, Shalit—then a 19-year-old soldier in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)—was attacked while guarding a place called Kerem Shalom (Vineyard of Peace), one of half a dozen border crossings between Israel and Gaza. Contrary to international law and all standards of decency, the kidnapped soldier also has been held virtually incommunicado, with no right of visitation by any humanitarian body.

In his opening remarks, Oren Dekalo, Vice Chair for the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago (JCRC), thanked the crowd for attending and asked everyone to contemplate all Gilad has missed out on in the past five years.

"I'd like us to take a moment and pause," he said. "Consider some of the life events we've either experienced ourselves or shared with others over the last five years—birthdays, weddings, graduation ceremonies, children being born. Even some of the more mundane parts of life— trips taken, movies seen, books read. The world has changed greatly in its last five years. It is truly a different place than back in 2006. It is now half a decade later and Gilad is still captive. Let us pause and think about what it must be like for Gilad and his family to miss out on the past five years."

The Honorable Orli Gil, consul general of Israel to the Midwest, asked vigil participants to put themselves in the place of Shalit and his family. "Mothers in Israel and everywhere can relate with Aviva Shalit," she said. "Imagine yourselves in a cell alone for a day, a month, a year. It's cold in the winter and almost unbearably hot in the summer. Gilad has remained in the same place."

Gil also explained why his freedom is so important to the state of Israel. "Every soldier leaves behind a mother and father. Gilad has become the symbolic son for all Israelis. We all feel the pain of his family, because all Jews are responsible for one another," she said. "Let us hope the Shalit family is strengthened tonight by the solidarity from Chicago."

"It is a great honor for me to be part of this very moving get together," said The Honorable Graham Paul, Consul General of France speaking on behalf of his country. "Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit is also a French citizen," he said. "Our message today is that we will not forget Gilad Shalit and we will continue to fight for his immediate liberation. Our resolve remains stronger than ever. Our message today is that Gilad Shlait must be released unconditionally."

Dekalo read a message from Gilad's father Noam Shalit asking the Jewish community of Chicago to continue asserting pressure for Gilad's release. (Watch a video message from Noam Shalit)

Alderman Debra Silverstein (50th ward) also addressed the gathering. "It is humbling to be surrounded by so many people who came here for such a worthy cause," she said. "My prayer is next year we come together to celebrate his return."

The evening included a prayer for the safety of captive soldiers led by Rabbi Carl Wolkin, president of the Chicago Board of Rabbis, a poem read by Betsy Katz from the American Jewish Committee, and a powerful rendition of Oseh Shalom sung by the Shireinu Choir from Anshe Emet Synagogue.

The vigil was attended by community members of all ages. Tamara Cohen, a student at Ida Crown Jewish Academy, in Chicago, attended the vigil with friends. "I came here because I feel it is really important," she said. "Every day at school we say a special prayer for Shalit and I feel really connected to him and to Israel."

Shiva Bradley is from Chicago, but lived in Israel for 18 years. Though she worries about whether Gilad is still alive, she came to rally because she is, "a supporter of all Israeli things, and definitely this."

Michael Szanto was there to show solidarity with Shalit. "We need to rescue him from his captivity. His treatment is horrible and it's an act of terrorism and we need to stand up to the extremist just like we did in World War II," Szanto said.

Yunit, a 9-year-old student at Chicago Jewish Day School attended the vigil with her father. "I'm here to support Gilad Shalit and his family," she said. Aton, 11, summed it up best with, "I just want this guy free. "

Steve Dishler, director of International Affairs of JUF's Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), concluded the nights program by asking everyone to "continue showing your compassion for Gilad by talking about Gilad to family and friends," he said. "And by urging your member of Congress to sponsor House Resolution 317, introduced this week through JUF's urging by Rep. Dold of Illinois and Rep. Ackerman of New York."

View the full resolution and send a letter to your member of Congress.

The candlelight vigil was sponsored by JUF's Jewish Community Relations Council with JUF's Young Leadership Division, Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest, AIPAC, the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, Chicago Board of Rabbis, Friends of the IDF, and Israel Bonds. 

For Chicago native David Grossman, it’s all about fresh, convenient and healthy food, which is exactly what his restaurant Freshii embodies. Grossman is the president of Freshii and has opened numerous locations in the Chicago area as well as in 12 other cities including Los Angeles, Toronto and Dubai. Grossman is confident that Freshii is here for the long haul because he has extensive experience in the restaurant industry and knows that choosing to eat healthy food with no preservatives, no grease fat fryers and no open flame is not a fad people are just trying out for a while, but a lifestyle.

So whether you love healthy eats, have dreams of being an MLB ump or want to travel to India, David Grossman is a Jew You Should Know!

1. What is your favorite blog or website?
I am not really the blogging type, but CNN is my default page, it’s where I get my news and sports.

2. If time and money were limitless, where would you travel to?
I have done some traveling in the past, but I would like to go to India. I love the food, the architecture and the history.

3. If a movie was played about your life, who would play you?
Some very handsome man, that’s for sure. I would go with George Clooney.

4. If you could have a meal with any two people, dead or alive, famous or not, who would it be?
My dad and Jim Morrison, because he wrote a great book titled “No one gets out of here alive.”

5. What is your idea of the perfect day?
Wake up and have breakfast with the family, then go golfing with my three closest friends and get a hole in one—Have some beer with my friends after golf, go to dinner with my family and my extended family, and then come home and have some quality time with the wife.

6. What do you love about what you do?
I love that every day is something different—there is always a problem, or an obstacle to overcome and it is my job to deal with it and fix it. I also love teaching my interns and employees and watching them learn and grow as people as well as within the business.

7. What job would you have had if not the one you have now?
I would want to be an MLB umpire or an announcer for the NBA, MLB, or NFL.

8. What is your favorite Jewish thing to do in Chicago?
Going to the Eleven City Diner and getting the Big Macher with diet Dr. Brown black cherry soda. 

Noa has a sunny disposition to match her bouncy, blond ringlets which is partly why I didn’t catch the signs of her deteriorating health. My eyes flew wide open in mid-May when she had an acute asthma episode and turned some scary shades of blue.

Breathing takes on new meaning after watching your 6-year old pull her oxygen tank through the hospital corridors. She pretended it was her dog. She named it Moxie.

My daughter spent four days at Lutheran General with a partially collapsed right lung and IV steroids, sunny disposition fully intact. She licked cherry popsicles around the clock, played Crazy Eights bedside with volunteers named Jenny, and cried just once, only a little, when her IV was removed.

Unlike Noa, I don’t have a sunny disposition (particularly when sleep deprived). But I, too, know asthma. And I, too, am resilient.

I was the kid with sissy, snotty asthmatic lungs and an inhaler. In seventh grade gym class, you could find me schlepping around the track at the back of the pack thinking, Wow, this really sucks. And suck it would to die from respiratory failure at age 12 wearing a school-issued, polyester, pinstriped onesie that snapped at the shoulders. On particularly bad days, I’d go home and my lung doctor dad would pound on my chest to dislodge any residual mucus.

In short, I hated running.

For over three decades, I hated running. So for over 30 years, I did not run, not even for the train. (Except the one time I did. And fractured my left cuboid.)

But – as with many things in life – needs change, tastes evolve, lungs mature. In November of 2009, I started running the streets of Skokie each night after tucking my girls into bed. I was in search of solitude and serenity and running fit my working mom schedule. A colleague with four kids ran a marathon in a skirt. A pair of size 8 lime-trimmed New Balance called out to me from Marshall’s clearance racks. Desperation, inspiration, an amazing shoe sale . . . the next thing you know, I’ve taken up running in the dead of Chicago winter.

With running, I found I could open the door, put one foot in front of the other, and be done 30 minutes later. I didn’t need anything; just my shoes and my thoughts. Whatever I was stressing or swearing about as I laced up those shoes dissipated by the time I got home. I could go further every day. And I could breathe.

I knew what my breath looked like when it was five below zero. I knew what my neighbors watched on their flat screen TVs. Even better, I knew when Orion appeared in the sky. I knew that Devonshire smelled like laundry detergent on Sunday mornings. How far I’d gone or how fast I’d run, I had no idea – but with sweat-drenched shirts in the bitter cold, a Chicago winter has never passed more quickly.

In February of 2010, I ran for the first (and last) time on a treadmill, like a hamster on a wheel going nowhere quickly. I became fixated on the numbers in red, measuring calories, heart rate, speed, converting kilometers to miles and back again, wondering if my ass would expand exponentially the moment I stopped.

I had reached that critical juncture, as with any new love, when it was time to define the nature of the relationship. Do I let myself be wooed by fartleks, Turkey Trots, and negative splits – concepts that two months ago were not a part of my vocabulary? Do I become obsessed with the anatomy of a leg? Do I start frequenting running stores and online forums and buying Garmin gadgets that yesterday I didn’t know existed? Or do I run for the sheer pleasure, because I can?

As I wrote that month in my journal, I look forward to my first spring as a runner (am I a runner?), running in the forest preserve, watching the streams thaw. I look forward to feeling asphalt turn to dirt turn to sand beneath my feet, as I run past dog beaches, sand castles, cloud formations, shades of Lake blue Michigan. With a collegial nod of my head, I’ll acknowledge my fellow runners. (Am I a runner?) Will I ever run in a pack with a number on my chest feeding my ego? Or do I just step outside, take a deep breath, and feel the earth move under my feet.  

For the next year, I stuck with my carefree, sporadic, solo runs. I knew the exhilaration of seeing a deer on the path at dusk. Nature, solitude, and wellness. That was enough.

You’re probably expecting me to say it was the challenge of Noa’s asthma that prompted me to undertake the challenge of a half marathon. To show her that a person with asthma (like her and like me) can learn to manage it, breathe, and run free. That you can be a mom and a professional and a strong active woman who knows she is not perfect, who knows nothing is perfect, who knows the world is beautiful, who knows she is beautiful as she runs.

That’s the version of the story that I will play in my head during the final few miles on Sunday, when I’m at the back of the pack thinking, Wow, this really sucks. That’s the version I’ll be telling Noa when I cross the finish line.

But the truth is in February of 2011 I had my own health scare. Room-spinning vertigo followed by a brain MRI. “You have a brain lesion and need to see a neurologist,” said Dr. Stern. A long, scary wait, followed by a positive prognosis. Collective sigh.

In short, I registered for the North Shore Half Marathon because I didn’t have a brain tumor. I had excess energy that needed to be redirected. 13.1 miles with throngs of spectators should do it.

I don’t think of it as a race. I think of it as my first group run. Everyone asks me my pace and I still don’t know. Yes, I traded in cotton for wicking and developed a fondness for organic pomegranate passion energy chews. I’ve subscribed to Runner’s World, watched Chariots of Fire, read Born to Run, and yes, I even want a Nike Sports Watch GPS for my birthday. But on Sunday I’ll be lining up at the back of the pack and my goal is just to finish.

Yesterday I drove the course in Highland Park. In short, I’m so fucked. But tickled to discover the final two miles take me directly past the house I lived in during my angstiest teen years and the high school I so loathed. If I’m still vertical, I imagine I’ll feel triumphant.

This one is for Noa, Moxie, and Emma. Rachel. Sarah and Brett. And the pediatric staff at Lutheran General (especially Aunt Dr. Karen)! 

Postscript: Dana at the 6/12 finish line with her two daughters – still vertical, slightly nauseous, feeling triumphant. 

“Eating disorders provide opportunity to excel, which is so important in the Jewish community.” Stated Adrienne Ressler— eating disorders and body image specialist for the Renfrew Center— in her opening remarks at a recent conference in Chicago: “Food, Body Image, and Eating Disorders in the Jewish Community.” More than 35 women participated in the half-day seminar from a variety of professional backgrounds including, mental health professionals, educators and rabbis.

The rise  

In recent years, according to Ressler and other professionals at The Renfrew Center, a pioneer foundation in eating disorder treatment, there’s been a 500 percent increase in the number of women in the United States who they treat that identify as Jewish. Though no one denomination attributes to the rise, the number of Orthodox women admitted to the center grew so much in recent years that they recently launched a separate program to accommodate observant Jewish women.

Adult women  

Another unexpected trend— the number of adult women seeking treatment. In 2001, 10 percent of the Renfrew Center’s clientele were over age 35, today that number is closer to 27 percent. Ressler explains, “this is because many young girls don’t get help that they need at a young age [so they] have problems throughout life that don’t get addressed until adulthood.” Ressler’s research examines the relationship between mothers and daughters and how this special bond can influence body image and even perpetuate the cycle of eating disorder from mother to daughter. “It is important to understand what is going on with adult women and how it is affecting the home and their children,” she said. “It’s L'dor v'dor or generation to generation— disordered eating is passed down.”

Eating disorders in Israel  

Marjorie C. Feinson, another speaker at the conference and the principal investigator in the first community study of disordered eating and domestic abuse among women in Israel, shared findings from her study.

Feinson interviewed 501 Jewish women in Israel from all different backgrounds and found that 15.2 percent of the total population in that country has an eating disorder of some kind. She broke the numbers down further by religious denomination and found that whether a woman was secular or Orthodox, the percentages stayed basically the same.

While the study has yet to be duplicated in the United States, Feinson believes that, “other studies show that it’s somewhere between 12-17 percent, so the rates are very similar whether you are a Jewish woman in Israel or the United States.”

Feinson’s research suggests food culture in Israel is a major culprit, especially among the observant. “There are 18 religious holidays not including Shabbat that involve food preparation in Israel and with Shabbat preparations starting as early as Wednesday,” said Feinson. “Women who suffer, have no escape from the kitchen.” In one interview she conducted, an Ultra Orthodox woman told Feinson, “that her bulimia starts at Chanukah each year when she has to bake the Sufganiyah. She’d binge and purge the jelly donuts and it would take her five or six months to break the cycle. When she told her husband that it was no longer healthy for her to bake the treats for him and their six sons, he responded, ‘what kind of Jewish mother are you not to bake for Chanukah?’

But there’s hope  

Still the conference ended on a hopeful note. Ressler concluded by highlighting the number of resources for support and recovery within our Jewish community. She also suggested the importance of “strong female role models, our religious and cultural traditions, and a rich heritage of generational connections and rituals, which can be used for healing.”

If you or someone you know is suffering from an eating disorder, resources are available. Contact the Renfrew Center or the Jewish Healing Network. 

There’s a new Bear in town—and he’s Jewish!

Gabe Carimi, former co-captain and star offensive lineman of the Big Ten champion Wisconsin Badgers was the Chicago Bears’ number one draft pick in 2011. At 6 foot 7 and 327 pounds, Carimi has already been appropriately nicknamed the “Bear Jew” after the character from the movie Inglourious Basterds; his other nickname is the “Jewish Hammer.”

As a former Badger myself, I was excited to chat with Carimi about his time at UW-Madison and his new home in Chicago.

Originally from Lake Forest, Carimi grew up in Wisconsin, which begs the question: Bears or Packers?

“I grew up being a Packer fan, but obviously found the error of my way and now I’m glad I’m on the Bears,” Carimi said. “I really did go into the draft process [thinking] the Bears would have been the best place for me to be. And I was really excited to get drafted by them.”

Going into his first season as a Chicago Bear, he is most excited about playing in his first NFL game.

“I’m always going to try to achieve the best…” Carimi said. “Eventually I want to be working hard enough to be an All-Pro player. I know it’s going to take a lot of hard work [but] it’s nothing I’m not used to. Throughout college I had to work hard to get to where I was so [I’ll] just keep working hard to try to become a great NFL player.”

To say that Carimi worked hard in college would definitely be an understatement. In addition to his many accomplishments on the field—he received the Outland Trophy for his performance as offensive lineman, was named Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year, and he received Marty Glickman Outstanding Jewish Scholastic Athlete of the year award, to name a few—Carimi also made Academic All-Big 10 for all four years, maintaining above a 3.0 as a civil engineering major, which is no easy feat.

Carimi said his favorite football memory at Wisconsin was beating longtime Wisconsin rival Ohio State during a night game—which us Badgers know is the most exciting time for a game. Though he says he will miss Madison—the lakes and the cool college atmosphere of his hometown—he is looking forward to life in a big city like Chicago. He is also excited about getting involved in Chicago’s Jewish community.

“I’m very proud of my Jewish identity,” Carimi said. “I have fasted on game days for Yom Kippur and [broke the fast] right before the game, I know Matt Bernstein [former fullback for the Badgers] did that too. I look up to him and he did it so I felt strongly about doing that too.”

Growing up, Carimi and his family went to a reform synagogue, Temple Beth El in Madison, and Jewish tradition was an important aspect of his family life.

“We always went to Temple on Friday nights,” he said. “Seeing that love and faith made me want to be strong in my religion.”

He does not view his Jewish identity as an obstacle for his professional football career.

“I looked up the next 15 years Yom Kippur won’t happen on a Sunday, so it really helps out.”

And with his height, stature, and skill on the field, Carimi is literally crushing the stereotype that Jews are not good football players.

Lastly, I asked Gabe the question Jewish mothers all over Chicagoland wanted to know—is he single?

“Haha, no I’m not single. I’m sorry, Jewish mothers all over Chicago.”

Bummer. Well, Bear Down, Bear Jew! See you in September! 

Is he or she "the one?"

If you're, well, human, you've probably asked that question about a past or present mate at some point in your courtship. What if you could conduct a scientific experiment to test the answer to that universal question? In the new quirky romantic comedy film, Losing Control, (A PhD Production)—which premieres in Chicago in June—Samantha Bazarick (played by Miranda Kent of TV's Campus Ladies) tests just that.

Samantha, played by Miranda Kent, is a Harvard biochemist, looking for Mr. Right. 

Samantha, a sweet and neurotic Jewish Harvard biochemist working on her Ph.D., has discovered the Y-kill protein. Four years after her discovery, though, she has yet to replicate her results. Outside the lab, Samantha's frustrated as well. Her boyfriend of five years, Ben, (played by Reid Scott, of My Boys) proposes, but Samantha rejects him, and sets out—on a series of dating mishaps—to find proof whether he's Mr. Right.

Written and directed by Valerie Weiss, the film is loosely based on Weiss's real-life experience as a Jewish woman getting a Ph.D. in biophysics at Harvard—minus the part about finding proof that her husband is the one. "I wanted to make a movie about that time in your life when you're dating and thinking about who you're going to end up with," says Weiss, a young Jewish filmmaker living in Los Angeles, who is 9 months pregnant with her second child. "I thought a female scientist would offer a unique perspective to that universal question about love."

Samantha questions whether she should marry her boyfriend Ben (Reid Scott).  

The film comes to Chicago as part of the third annual "Twix Presents: TBS Just for Laughs Chicago" comedy festival, taking place June 14-19. "Just for Laughs" and The Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago will present five nights of independent comedic shorts and feature films, including "Losing Control," playing Saturday, June 11 and Tuesday, June 14. The films will take place within Indie Comedy—The Christopher Wetzel Award for Independent Film Comedy, created at the Gene Siskel Film Center to support independent filmmakers.

Jeffrey M. Loeb, a young Jewish Chicagoan active in the Jewish community, is the executive producer of the film. "As a native Chicagoan, I am excited for all my friends and family to get a chance to see the movie they all have heard so much about," he says. "While film festival and college campus audiences have loved Losing Control, these Chicago screenings are our first opportunity to show that a diverse, big-city audience will love it too."

Weiss wrote Samantha as a Jewish scientist because she wanted to defy the notion that science and faith can't mix. "People always think science and faith are so different or that scientists aren't superstitious but if you grow up a certain way, it's going to affect your way of thinking," Weiss says. "Samantha's an analytical scientist, but she very much has the neuroses and inconsistencies that her mom (played by Lin Shaye, There's Something About Mary) does. There is science but there is also a plan and God and they can both work together."

Valerie Weiss, the Jewish writer/director of the film. 

With so much technology and education out there today, the younger generation of 20 and 30-somethings think they can control their lives—even their dating lives—more easily than their parents' generation, but some parts of life just can't be controlled, says Weiss.

Also in contrast to their mothers, today's generation of young women, Weiss says, have tougher decisions to make when it comes to settling down. "Now that women are just as career-obsessed as men, it's a much harder decision to make about whom they end up with," she said. "It's harder to figure out how they're going to balance everything so finding the right person is more of a puzzle than it ever was."

For tickets to the Chicago screenings of the film, visit http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/losing-control  

A girl’s sexual status is a metaphor for how well she fits into the American ideal of femininity.
–Leora Tanenbaum, author of “Growing Up Female With A Bad Reputation, Slut!”

When I was 10 years old I bought a pin that said, “Trust in God. She’ll provide.” From an early age, I was a self-declared feminist.

I grew up in a house of all women, as one of three daughters, and early on, I became aware of the complexities of gender, with parents maintaining very traditional gender roles, while encouraging us girls to grow up and become president some day—as long as we got married…to a doctor, or a lawyer. None of us are president yet, but we are all feminists. I have my oldest sister to thank for introducing me to feminism at a young age. She was starting college at the time and had discovered the women’s studies program at her school. She came home aglow with information for me. I later followed in her footsteps and got a women’s studies minor at college.

Being a feminist takes on a different meaning for each woman who ascribes to feminist theories, and the movement itself doesn’t judge or measure. However, I do think a little knowledge is a powerful thing. Many young girls and young women accept misogyny, objectification, slut-bashing and even rape as normal elements of society because they can’t put their finger on why they shouldn’t. It’s everywhere. As the feminist phrase goes, “The personal is political.” Perhaps we need to check in with ourselves and with society around us more frequently than we actually do.

As Jewish people celebrate Israel’s independence this month and prepare for Israel Solidarity Day featuring the Walk with Israel at the beginning of June, another walk is under way—a march, in fact.

The level to which women have been “liberated” in America has room for improvement. Canada recently sounded the alarms and the world is listening. Canadians were outraged when a representative of the Toronto police service this past January told women they should avoid dressing like sluts in order to not be victimized. This statement sparked the organization of the first-ever SlutWalk, a sexual assault awareness event, April 3, 2011 in Toronto.

The SlutWalk movement caught on like wildfire in a matter of four and half months and satellite SlutWalks are now being organized all over the world, including in our own backyard—and two vocal Jewish women are behind it. Slutwalk Chicago, which is scheduled to take place from 12 to 3 p.m., Saturday June 4 in Chicago’s loop is being organized by Jewish Chicagoans and co-founders Jessica Skolnik, 32, and Jamie Keiles, 19.

“I think we make a pretty great team!” Jessica says. “I'm an older grump who cut her teeth on riot grrrl and Jamie is a whip-smart younger woman who has tons of ideas and enthusiasm.”

Jessica, a DC area native, is a survivor of sexual assault and has been involved with feminist and labor organizing and activism for more than 15 years. Jamie, a first year at the University of Chicago and a Pennsylvania native, is known for her social experiment “The Seventeen Magazine Project,” (a blog project examining the messages in the teen magazine). She’s working on her first book, a guide to media and culture for teens.

Jessica and Jamie met over the blogosphere and decided to join forces in organizing the walk. More than 2,500 people have RSVP’ed on SlutWalk Chicago’s Facebook page.

Check out my interview with Jessica below:  

Why is it so hard for society to get rid of the “slut” label? What does it mean for a 2011 population to “reclaim the word ‘slut’”? What signs will we see when we’ve made progress?
The word "slut" has been thus far a pretty effective way to judge and control the sexual behavior and bodies of marginalized people, which is why I believe it's stuck around so long. Nasty and systemic stuff.

I actually am not personally invested in reclaiming the word 'slut'… I'd like the concept to disappear off the map entirely, as I don't think "sluts" exist (nor do "prudes," on the other end of the spectrum). It'd be really beautiful and liberating to live in a world free of judgments about others' consensual sexual choices and behavior, and that's the world I'm pushing toward.

Is the main focus of the march raising awareness about sexual assault and perceptions, or is there a larger mission about how society perceives women?
It's really both, which is something that can be hard to communicate sometimes. I do believe that the SlutWalk name has the ability to kindle a discussion about the connection between sexual double standards and victim-blaming in a culture that normalizes rape as "just something that happens" and implies that experiencing a rape [is] something the survivor should be ashamed of.

SlutWalk’s mission statement talks about “uniting people across diverse populations.” What types of groups has that included and what groups are you hoping to reach?
We'd really like to reach people across all boundaries—across class lines and color lines, regardless of gender or sexual self-identification, regardless of ability, regardless of creed or religion.

In what ways is this cause personal for you?
I was assaulted by acquaintances at 13 and date-raped at 18, and in both cases had the support of my parents and a few friends but was really hurt by authority figures who were "supposed" to help and support me. I filed a police report at the encouragement of my school counselor when I was 13; my report was never followed up on and the officers who took my statement were extremely judgmental towards me, implying that I had brought the assault on myself because I hadn't been a "good girl." When I was 18, I reported what had happened to me to the college I was attending and was only offered a "mediation" with the people involved in the assault (who refused to be part of it); I still had to share the (small) campus with them until I transferred schools (which I did as soon as possible). (There's more to both stories, but I'd rather not go into the gory and triggering details.) I've seen the system fail over and over again for myself and other survivors. I've had the nastiest slurs hurled my way because of what I've survived. If there was ever a cause for me that was deeply ingrained in my experiences, this is it.

Do any of these efforts fit into your identity as a Jewish woman? What would you hope Jewish women took away from the message of this walk?
My family is Jewish in heritage but I was not raised observant; my ties are mainly cultural. I've always really identified with and liked the fact that there is such a sense of community responsibility and support in the Jewish community, and I see that reflected in this walk. This march is an educational one, one that hopes to push cultural boundaries toward more respectful, thoughtful and healthy territory.

Why do you think the message of this walk is important for a Chicago audience and also for uniting Chicagoans?
First of all, Chicago is a huge and diverse (if not notably stratified and segregated) city with a storied history of socially progressive activism. We've got a lot of really amazing allies in the Chicago area and we're really excited about a coalition of activists and general citizens meeting up and learning from one another at this event.

Secondly, this event feels particularly timely in light of some of the news we've seen recently (the Tiawanda Moore case, for instance, which goes to trial right before the walk, or the Rogers Park police sexual misconduct/assault case) throughout the city. There's never an inappropriate time for an event like this, as (unfortunately) the theme is always resonant, but it happens to be something that's been in the headlines here as well.

Which communities/people do you find are most risk of sexual assault and why?
Honestly, I don't believe that any one community is more at risk than another. Sexual assault is unfortunately something that happens across many different types of boundaries, which is one reason we're so invested in this being an equitable movement that is accessible to all. The thing is, sexual assault isn't about sex, it's about power and control, about gaining a sense of power through the humiliation and pain of another human being—so those who are most at risk are often those who in most situations have less power or are more marginalized because we're viewed as more vulnerable.

Can you talk more on the idea of a culture that teaches “don’t get raped” as opposed to “don’t rape,” mentioned in your literature?
One of the main problems with telling people how to behave in order to not get raped (besides the fact that it's based on myths about what sexual assault looks like, why it's perpetrated and how it occurs) is that it puts the responsibility for the assault onto the survivor as much as the perpetrator. It also presupposes that that's just "how things are," that it'll never change, and that there's no problem with the way things are—when there is very clearly a problem with a world in which women's personal choices, bodies and clothing are policed, and in which simply being a woman in public space is perceived as an invitation to harassment and possibly assault. Moving the responsibility onto the perpetrator—and ONLY the perpetrator—is thus both not only the just response but a mark of a cultural shift away from shame and toward healthy and open discussion of human sexuality as well as sexual violence (though they both contain references to sex, it bears reiterating that sexual violence actually has nothing to do with sex as a motive—sex is a tool in that case used to overpower and control another person). Too many of us aren't taught what it means to make an informed choice to engage in sexual behavior and what crossing the line into nonconsensual behavior looks like.

What do you hope for the next generation?
I'd love to see a world in which consent training is taught in schools as part of sex ed, where nobody is afraid to occupy public space for fear of harassment, where young women aren't taught to compete and to tear one another down, where harmful gender binaries aren't reinforced over and over again by pop culture. I'd hope for thoughtful and nuanced conversation around these topics instead of hate speech and mudslinging. That's probably one hope too far, but, you know, dream big.

I'd also like to see education about sexual assault survivors' support and consent for lawmakers, for lawyers, for medical professionals, for school counselors and psychiatrists, for police—for anyone in a position of authority who might touch a survivor's (or potential survivor's) life. I'd love to see really thoughtful conversations focused on support and understanding come from this march.

As mentioned on Toronto site, they hope this conversation continues. Do you hope that for Chicago too? In what ways do you plan to put that in place?
Absolutely. We hope to continue the conversation through a blog but also through broader coalition-building and further programs with other organizations; one of the projects I'm personally hoping to work on is a consent training curriculum and program with the SHEER Collective.

When Jewish author Bruce Feiler was five years old, he was struck by a car while riding his Schwinn bike, breaking his left femur. More than 30 years later, he was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in that same femur. Whether the accident and his illness were related or mere coincidence, he will never know. Recognizing that his cancer could be life-threatening, he feared that he may not watch his 3-year-old twin daughters grow up, that he wouldn’t be there to guide them through the twists and turns of life. That sparked in Feiler the idea of “The Council of Dads,” where he invited six men from all passages in his life to convey important life lessons to his daughters in the event that he didn’t survive.

Thankfully, Feiler has triumphed over his cancer and been in remission for two years. He writes about his experience and the lessons the men taught his daughters—and ultimately Feiler—in his book The Council of Dads: My Daughters, My Illness, and the Men Who Could be Me (William Morrow, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers). The author spoke in Chicago in March and returns to Chicago on Wednesday, June 15 to speak at Ravinia Green Country Club Day in Riverwoods. Oy!Chicago conducted a phone interview with the author at his home in Brooklyn this spring.

Oy!Chicago: Why did you want to write the book?
Bruce Feiler: I wanted the experience of asking each one of these men the one piece of advice they would give to my girls. I was so inspired by their answers that I wanted to gather it in one place so that my girls could have it some day. [I wrote a letter to my girls] that appears at the end of Council of Dads with all of the wisdom there in one place: Approach the cow, pack your flip-flops, don’t see the wall, tend your tadpoles, live the questions, harvest miracles. This advice was meant for the girls but I’m the one who really needed it.

What were the criteria you used for picking your council of dads?
When I first had the idea, I didn’t want to tell my wife. She’s a very upbeat person and I thought we should focus on the positive. But then, the next day I told her and she loved it, but she quickly began rejecting my nominees. It was an unexpected way to learn what my wife thought of my friends. Then, we made a set of rules to guide us such as no family, only friends—family would already be there—and your friends know you differently. Next, only men because we were trying to fill the male space. Then, intimacy over longevity because some of the newer friends would capture the dad I wanted to be.

You mention that one of the unexpected gifts is telling each of these men what they mean to you. Have you made a practice of this even now that you’re healthy?
This is one of the biggest pieces of advice that I give to people—sit down with your closest friends and tell them what they mean to you. It’s an incredibly rare thing that we do and yet it’s very powerful. Anybody who has ever touched illness or been through a difficult circumstance in life is so moved by the people who come swarming around you in this time of difficulty. I try to use direct emotion and communication with my [loved ones every day].

You talk in the book about this more enlightened type of males who talk about their feelings and their kids. Do you think men are evolving?
Are you suggesting that we’re getting closer to what you women are already? Memo to women: Men have feelings too. We just happen to express them in different ways. In fact, watching sports, fishing, or towel-snapping can be emotional. It’s not that men are evolving, but that men have more permission to speak openly about their feelings today, especially with other men.

What have you learned from this experience?
I don’t wear the experience as a burden on my shoulders. I wear it as an engine on my back that propels me to get out of bed, take a hand, take a walk, make a memory every day.

If you were asked to be in a Council of Dads, what is the most important “daddyism”—as you call it—that you would advise?
I was a walking guy, who had written the book Walking the Bible. But [when I was sick] I didn’t walk for almost two years. I just came to love the idea that in Paris 200 years ago, men of leisure would take turtles for walks and let turtles set the pace…take a walk with a turtle, behold the world and pause.

For more information on The Council of Dads or to learn how you can start your own council of dads or moms, visit www.councilofdads.com. 

Jason Silberman, a grandchild of survivors, paid tribute to the enormous contribution Holocaust survivors have made to the Chicago community in passing their legacy of courage to future generations at the 66th annual Holocaust Memorial Observance held May 1. Sponsored by She’erit HaPleitah of Metropolitan Chicago, the umbrella organization for Chicago-area Holocaust survivor groups, the service traditionally is the largest gathering of Holocaust survivors in the Midwest and one of the largest in the United States.  

“Zachor”—The Hebrew word meaning “remember,” has evolved throughout Jewish history, and has rightfully become somewhat of a commandment and challenge to generations of Jews living after the Holocaust. But as new generations are born into this world, and the generation of Holocaust survivors is becoming smaller and more fragile every day, the commandment of “Zachor” is becoming more challenging and at the same time more important than ever.

All four of my grandparents were survivors of the Holocaust. They were the only members of their families to survive. My father’s parents were Esther and Tobias Silberman, Zichronam Livracha (may their memories be for a blessing), and my mother’s parents were Joseph and Mania Birnberg, Zichronam Livracha. As a third generation of Holocaust survivors, I know the challenge of carrying on my grandparents’ stories and legacies. Because three of my grandparents died before I reached the age of 12, I was unable to ask questions or talk at all with them about their experiences in the Holocaust. Unfortunately, I am one among many grandchildren of Holocaust survivors who never reached out to their grandparents to ask them about their lives in Europe. Which brings me to a question—how can one remember what they don’t yet know?

At our Passover seders just a few weeks ago, we stated that “B’chol dor va’dor, Chayav adam Lirot et atzmo ke’ilu hu yaztah m’mitzrayim,” that “In every generation every person must see themselves as if they were brought out of Egypt.” How do we connect to an event that happened so long ago? We ask questions of our elders and teachers and look at the sources of the Passover story in the Torah. In order to effectively transmit our grandparents’ experiences and legacies, we must not only study history through the textbooks we read in school or during class field trips to the Holocaust museum. We must ask questions of the survivors and of our parents. Survivors—keep telling your stories and stories about your families and your life before, during and after the war. Children of survivors—talk to your children and tell us what you know and what you remember of your early childhood. Tell us as much as you can about our grandparents—what they told you verbally and through their behavior. Like the four sons in the Haggadah, there are those of us who have asked, those who don’t care to ask, and those of us who don’t know to ask, but that doesn’t relieve you of your responsibility to tell us what you know. And to my generation, it is our responsibility as direct descendants of the Shoah to tell our grandparents’ stories to our friends, to our classmates, to our co-workers, to our teachers and to the world.

With social media such as Facebook and Twitter, the sharing and spreading of stories and knowledge of the Holocaust has great potential. But there are also people who use these means to deny the Holocaust and to spread hatred against Israel. It is the responsibility of the third and fourth generations to use social media productively to help others become more aware and knowledgeable about the Holocaust. During this Holocaust remembrance week, for those of you who use Facebook, every day post a status telling a short story about how your family members survived the Holocaust or about others who were lost during the war. It is through these productive methods of sharing stories, that others can know about and thus remember the atrocities of the Holocaust.

Every year that goes by, we become more removed from the Holocaust, and our ability to connect and sympathize with Holocaust survivors becomes harder to channel. However, the obligation to remember becomes more important than ever. Despite the difficulties, I remain confident that the leaders of the third generation will make certain that the legacies of Holocaust survivors and their families will live on in the future. Though the generation of Holocaust survivors is diminishing, my generation and all future generations will grow more determined to zachor…to remember, to carry forward your stories and legacies, and to never forget. 

Coach Mike Krzyewski, known by fans as Coach K, is more than a coach—he’s basketball legend and a motivator of many. The head coach of Duke University men’s basketball team was also the first US National Head Coach in USA basketball history, was named “America’s Best Coach” by Time magazine and CNN, and he has several national championships and Olympics medals he’s got under his belt—not to mention he’s a bestselling author and a native Chicagoan.

Motivated yet? Coach K will talk about what it means to be a team player both on and off the court at the JUF Marketing & Media and Real Estate and Building Trades Divisions Dinner Monday, May 2 at 5 p.m. at the Sheraton Chicago.

Oy!Chicago: What did you think of this year's March Madness and the success of the underdog teams?
Coach K: Well I’m not sure there are underdog teams anymore. I think there are more publicized teams and we’re one of them—just because of the reputation and the conference you’re in…The three point shot [and the age of the players] has been a great equalizer and it’s caused tremendous parity in our sport, which could not have been more evident than in this year’s tournament.

How did it feel to get your 900th win?
We’ve reached 900—and I say we because when a coach does something like that, all his players, and coaches my family—they’re part of it… it’s a collective honor.

I specifically thought about my mentor and my great friend Coach Knight who leads Division one with 902 (wins) for a coach and his point guard, I was his captain at the US Military academy, to be the first two to reach 900 I’m not sure that would ever happen again.. It’s very unique. So I share that time very emotionally and a special moment with coach knight who is a big part of who I’ve become as a coach.

What would you say is the biggest accomplishment of your basketball career?
I don’t want to minimize what has happened at Duke because that’s what I do, but the honor of coaching the national team for our country has been the biggest honor… you see our flag being raised and the anthem being played and your hand’s on your heart and there’s a lump in your throat because you know you’ve been part of a World Championship or the Olympics—those are incredible moments.

Who do you think is the greatest Jewish basketball player of all time?
That’s a difficult question—if you think about it there are many. The most special Jewish player for me is the one who led us to a national championship, Jon Scheyer, who’s on my team. He’s my favorite Jewish player of all time and one of my favorite young men of all time.

How do strategies on the court translate into strategies for life?
It’s better to do something as a team than it is do something as one individual. If you have a group of people who are acting as individuals under the same name you will achieve a certain level of success, maybe. But if you can get everybody on your team to work as one, everybody will prosper, and the team will have the best chance to achieve great success. I tell my guys all the time, two is better than one, if two can act as one.

What was it like growing up on Chicago’s north side?
I grew up almost a mile and a half directly north of the United Center –now Ukrainian Village, but it used to be a big Polish community. I love Chicago. I think it’s the greatest people city in the world. It embodies all cultures, it puts its arm around every nationality. I’ll always be a Chicagoan and pull for our teams—the only thing is Duke isn’t in Chicago. But my heart’s never left there. 

For more information about the JUF Trades, Industries & Professions Division (TIP) dinner season click here.  

This Sunday, May 1, join Birthright Israel NEXT and JUF's Young Leadership Division with support from the Holocaust Remembrance Committee and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum for a very special Yom Hashoah screening of award winning documentary “A Film Unfinished.” Estelle Laughlin, a volunteer with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, will share her account of living in the Warsaw Ghetto, followed by a screening of the film in which Israeli filmmaker Yael Hersonski exposes a long missing film reel from the Warsaw Ghetto— unmasking new dimensions of the Nazi propaganda effort.

Estelle was just 10 years old, living in Warsaw, when the war broke out.

“My family was a middle class family—holidays and friends and just a normal life where I felt secure and loved and, then of course, Warsaw was the center of my universe,” she said. “And then when the war broke out my world, my peaceful street turned into hell.”

Estelle, whose father was one of the organizers of the Warsaw ghetto uprising, reflected on the bravery and tenacity of the resistance fighters.

“I want to emphasize the heroism that the Jewish people in the ghetto mastered and I think that it probably reflects the fact that Jewish people were in ghettos and were persecuted throughout history, but they’ve always managed to create their own culture…that ability to create our own culture under the worst of circumstances…this is our savior. That it’s not a miracle that we survive.”

In the Warsaw Ghetto, Estelle and her family hid to escape the deportations.

“It’s astounding to think that between July 1942, which was my 13th birthday, when the deportations started and Sept. 1942, 99 percent of the Jewish children in the ghetto were sent away never to be seen again. I was among the one percent of the children who have survived.”

Estelle’s family was taken to Majdanek, an extermination camp, where she, her sister and her mother survived—her father was sent to the gas chamber. The three women were later sent to two different labor camps and were liberated from the Czetochowa camp in January of 1945. To escape pogroms in Poland following the war, they moved to Bavaria in August of 1945 and eventually moved to the United States. She now lives in Chicago.

Today, Estelle volunteers at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. She speaks about her experiences during the Holocaust not to reflect on “the curse of darkness of the past” but rather “to illuminate the future.” She discusses her story further in her memoir— set to be released next year by Texas Tech University Press.

At Sunday’s event, Estelle wants to emphasize that which gave her the strength to survive.

“I am marveling at the child that I was through the eyes of an old person. Where did I find the resources to survive with love for humanity, with compassion, with reverence for life?” she said. “I think that the compensation for reliving that pain [is] the reward to recognize that the young people, that children are wise,” she said. “That they know the difference between right and wrong, that they make choices and that there is a goodness in all of us.”

This year, in honor of Yom Hashoah, Estelle has the following message for Jewish young adults: “I would like to pass on that in memory of those who lived and died and paid the highest price to live by their values, to understand, to remember that the purpose of remembering all of that is to touch and hold on to the best that is in us so that civilization can progress. That it is not to curse the darkness of the past, it’s to understand and make the future brighter for everyone in this world. That we are all one family.” 

Chicago: A Film Unfinished: A Yom HaShoah Screening and Reception 

The evening begins at 5:30 pm in the Gene Siskel Film Center café and gallery, 164 North State St, where appetizers will be served. The program will begin at 7 pm with Estelle Laughlin, a volunteer with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, sharing her account of living in the Warsaw Ghetto, followed by a screening of the film. 

Last Friday, April 15, Oy!Chicago turned 3! To celebrate, we asked all of you to tell your friends and family to check out Oy! and help us reach our 100,000th unique visitor. And thanks to all of you, we did it! As of today, Oy!Chicago has reached 100,346 visitors!

Thanks for reading and being a part of Oy! over the past 3 years—we couldn’t have done it without you and we look forward to celebrating many more Oy! birthdays!

The Oy! team 

Christina Noel Photography

Cleetus Friedman has had two professional lives. First he spent years as an actor performing improv and in solo shows across the country. Nowadays, the stage for Cleetus is his monthly Supper Clubs. City Provisions is a delicatessen meets catering company with monthly supper clubs where Cleetus and his staff work hard to provide local, sustainable, organic fare to their clientele. In their world of catering they pride themselves that, “With 48 hours notice [they] can do just about anything.”

So whether you love yourself some local, organic fare, spend summer nights outdoors with strangers or look alike for Chris Daughtry, Cleetus Friedman is a Jew You Should Know!

1. What is your favorite blog or website?
I read the Chicagoist daily. I use Twitter and Facebook to stay on top of things these days. Flipboard on my iPad rocks. I aggregate these [sites], plus wired, uncrate, bon appetite, and more.

2. If time and money were limitless, where would you travel?
Japan, then Africa. Does the moon count as an answer?

3. If a movie was made about your life, who would play you?
Chris Daughtry— it would be his entry into film from music.

4. If you could have a meal with any two people, living or dead, famous or not, who would they be?
Everyone asks this question and I can never pin it down.
Richard Pryor— one of my biggest comedic influences since I was a kid.
James Baldwin— a literary influence.
Chuck D— one of the greatest lyricists of all time in the world of hip-hop.
Rick Bayless— although I consider rick a mentor and we chat frequently, it would be great to sit down and actually have a few hours to talk and shoot the shit about food, farmers, and the biz.

5. What's your idea of the perfect day?
Lately, my perfect day has been Sundays, hanging out with my wife and kids. It has become so rare that I see them due to my schedule. At work, my perfect day is the farm dinner days. Having a cigar by the bonfire, watching 40 people laugh and party that were all strangers 10 hours earlier is the greatest pleasure.

6. What do you love about what you do?
Everything. I have created a company where I look forward to coming in each day. I can work 80 hours in a week and still look forward to coming back the next day. Every aspect of working with local farmers & producers, to my staff, to our product...it's all about passion and I love what I do.

7. What job would you have had if not the one you have now?
A stunt man, car driver.

8. What's your favorite Jewish thing to do in Chicago?
Does eat corned beef count?

Take loads of fresh vegetables, small portions of lean meats, a healthy handful of quinoa and other whole grains, add a sprinkling of cumin and paprika, mix with world flavors, and the result is the essence of Leah Koenig’s new cookbook, “The Hadassah Everyday Cookbook: Daily Meals for the Contemporary Jewish Kitchen” (Universe, $34.95).

“It’s about trying to meld together traditional Jewish tastes with contemporary global palette that we all eat today,” Leah said.

Originally from Oak Park, she has lived in New York City for almost seven years. She writes about food for The Forward and other publications, and also used to edit the award-winning blog “The Jew & The Carrot” for Hazon, the Jewish environmental organization.

Leah embraced the search for great everyday recipes by culling from her own extensive collection and asking family and friends to contribute. The pepper steak recipe on page 152 is her mother’s as is the “Moistest Chocolate Cake,” which was a staple of birthday parties throughout her childhood.

The cookbook is a departure from the Hadassah mold of a collection of members’ recipes. Moreover, traditional fare like chicken cutlets and borscht sits alongside more exotic ingredients like Indonesian tempe, tofu and za’atar.

Divided into eight sections—Breakfasts and Breads; Salads and Spreads; Sandwiches and Pizzas; Soups and Stews; Sides; Mains; Sweets; and Anytime Snacks—the book is full of color photos and useful tips accompany each recipe. The back of the book features several pages of menu ideas, which combine the recipes into meals: a hearty fall dinner or a movie night or a lazy Sunday brunch.

Although most recipes are meant to be prepared quickly by busy home chefs, she tried to avoid limiting herself to the Rachael Ray 30-minute-meal philosophy.

“I tried to select recipes that could be made by a tired person at the end of the day,” she said. “There was a lasagna recipe [that I wanted to include], but realistically, no one would want to make it after work.”

With Pesach coming up, home cooks are likely to scramble to put elaborate fare on the Seder table. But the intermediate days of the holidays are where this book will come in most handy. With recipes like Shakshuka, Quinoa-Stuffed Squash with Pears and Cranberries, or Brown Sugar-Glazed Salmon, Leah offers plenty of dishes for kosher home-style meals during Hol Hamoed—after a few small-time substitutions to keep within the regimens of the holiday.

Leah said compiling the book was akin to a rigorous cooking course; recipe testing played a key role. She shares some of the tricks of the trade in the book, which she hopes will be a point of reference for newer cooks who are less comfortable with the idea of improvisation.

“I’m the type of cook who reads cookbooks more for ideas than for actual recipes. It’s pretty rare that I follow a recipe start to finish without tweaking something or changing ingredients for what I actually have on hand,” Leah said. “I hope people use it as a jumping-off point; find one or two favorites that they make again and again and add to their repertoire.”

Ira Berkow

Did you know “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” ranks as the most frequently played song in America after “Happy Birthday” and the “Star Spangled Banner”? And were you aware that a Jewish writer composed the anthem? Impress your sports aficionado friends with his name, Albert Von Tilzer, at your next cocktail party.

The Jewish love affair with baseball is detailed in the new documentary Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story (Clear Lake Historical Productions). Written by Ira Berkow, directed by Peter Miller, and narrated by Dustin Hoffman, the film chronicles the impact of Jewish players on the sport and the sport’s impact on American Jews.

In the film, Rabbi Michael Paley, a fan of the game, likens the start of the baseball season to the head of the Jewish year. “We can win this year,” he said, “and otherwise, there’s always next year.”

The film is being released with screenings around the world, including in Chicago this spring and summer.

The Anti-Defamation League will present the Chicago premiere of Jews and Baseball on Thursday, April 14, at 6 pm at the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies in Chicago. Berkow, a Pulitzer Prize winner and former New York Times sports columnist, will speak following the screening.

The film will also be screened followed by a softball game at the Holiday Star Theater in Park Forest on Sunday, July 10.

Ever since Jews reached the American shores in droves around the turn of the 19th century, we’ve been addicted to America’s great pastime. Back when Jews were considered the “other,” striving to assimilate into society, the baseball field was the great equalizer.

“The film tells the story of an ethnic group who happens to be Jewish who attempt as immigrants to assimilate into America through the focus of baseball,” Berkow said. “This could be the story of Blacks, Latinos, or Italians. Baseball was a way to become more American.”

When slugger Hank Greenberg emerged as the first Jewish superstar in the 1930s, American Jews rejoiced.

Greenberg’s son Steve and granddaughter Melanie are interviewed in the documentary. “It’s easier for Jews now, but I still think when a Jew accomplishes something that a Jew isn’t supposed to be able to accomplish, they’re acting on behalf of their community,” Melanie said. “I [still] feel a sense of pride when I see a Jewish ball player.”
Then in 1965, every Jewish kid and parent alike kvelled when Sandy Koufax opted not to pitch in Game One of the World Series because it fell on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.

Paley recalls the excitement as a youngster in watching Koufax, a fellow Jew, on the field. “This piece of perfection, a Jew, not imposing, and like one of the kids in your neighborhood,” Paley said. “…You could say to yourself, if Sandy Koufax, maybe me.”

The film—chock full of game footage, vintage newsreels, and archival and new interviews with players, fans including Larry King and Ron Howard, and historians—documents contributions of Jewish players, from Lipman Pike to Moe Berg, Greenberg, Al Rosen, Koufax, Adam Greenberg, Shawn Green, and Kevin Youkilis, spanning the history of the game. In a rare interview, Hall of Fame pitcher Koufax agreed to be interviewed in the documentary.

A poignant moment of the film follows ball player Adam Greenberg, who continues his attempt to return to the majors after being hit in the head in his first and only Major League appearance with the Chicago Cubs in 2005.

The documentary chronicles the full circle journey of Jews making it America from the nascent days of the game when anti-Semitic slurs were chanted at the Jewish players from the bleachers to today when Bud Selig, a Jew, sits at the pinnacle of the sport as commissioner of Major League Baseball. “Forty or 50 years ago, the thought that a Jew cold be the commissioner of baseball would have been significantly far-fetched,” said Selig in the film. “…That might have been the understatement of the year.”

Berkow, who now resides in Manhattan, grew up a Cubs fan on Chicago’s West Side playing Little League and then high school baseball as a pitcher and first baseman. “As kids, we would sneak into Wrigley Field and Comiskey Park on a regular basis,” he said. “And we would play stickball in the allies on the West Side. All of those memories are part of my heritage. Baseball is part of the romance of growing up in America.”

Tickets for the Chicago premiere of “Jews and Baseball” at the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies on Thursday, April 14, at 6 p.m. are available at www.adl.org/jewsandbaseball. For information call Elana Stern at (312) 782-5080, ext. 254. 

“Jews and Baseball” will also be shown in the South Suburbs this summer on Sunday morning, July 10 at the Holiday Star Theater at 340 Main Street in Park Forest. After the show, there will be a community event including a 3-inning softball game at Park Forest's Central Park on Field D. For more information, call (708) 798-1884, email david.m.epstein@earthlink.net, or visit www.c-j-c.org/.  

Shalom Klein facilitating an introduction to one of the networking event attendees.

You might say Shalom Klein was born to schmooze.

In fact, within hours of our interview, I already had several emails from Klein connecting me to people I should know.

It’s this passion for networking and entrepreneurial spirit that makes Klein so successful at what he does. As the chairman of Jewish B2B Networking, Klein spends his days (and most likely his nights) making connections for small businesses in the Chicago Jewish community.

About a year and a half ago, Klein left his PR job in New York to come home to Skokie and work for the family business—Moshe Klein & Associates, Ltd., which handles bookkeeping and accounting for small businesses. Klein said it’s his nature to stay in touch, and so he naturally began connecting people.

In June of 2010, Klein decided he wanted to introduce his clients, family and friends and held his first event at Slice of Life in Skokie. While he expected a small turnout of maybe 20 people, 75 people showed up.

“The outcome was great,” Klein said. “People were already doing business with people they met that day.”

And just like that, Jewish B2B Networking was born. In just nine months, Jewish B2B Networking has a mailing list of 12,000 people and over 3,000 people have come to events—plus, at least two or three dozen people have found jobs thanks to connections made during these events. Each month, hundreds of people show up for monthly networking meetings—175 people showed up to a speednetworking event at 7:30a.m.—and monthly networking open houses held at different businesses. Events are also being organized in Detroit and St. Louis.

“I believe we’ve tapped into the small business community,” Klein said. His events attract a diverse crowd, with about 80 percent looking to connect business to business, and about 20 percent looking for jobs.

A few months ago, Klein launched the website JewishB2Bnetworking.com where members can register for events, create profiles, search for jobs and post to a blog.

“The goal is stimulating the Jewish and Jewish-friendly small business community and people doing business with each other…[to] create that network and create business opportunities around Chicago,” he said.

Jewish B2B Networking and Jewish Vocational Service (JVS), a JUF agency, have been collaborating on programming, presentations and reaching out to the community—and according to Gail Gruen, executive director of JVS; they are planning more collaboration in the future.

Klein is also the publisher of  Jewish Business News , a monthly publication with a circulation of 15,000 that he launched this January available at local businesses synagogues, kosher and kosher-style restaurants.

And in June, just a year after his first event, Jewish B2B Networking is planning a free, all-day event featuring a business trade show, networking, job fair and employment expo with big name speakers.

White Noise, the new raw rock musical, isn’t Mary Poppins—that’s for sure. Don’t expect your usual romp at the theater. An original musical, White Noise, opening in Chicago at the Royal George Theatre in April, is gritty and provocative and explores in-your-face issues of bigotry and hatred.

The show, produced by Whoopi Goldberg, is a cautionary tale examining how the public is exploited into buying into messages of hate, bigotry, and racism. The plot follows a powerful producer at a major record label who capitalizes on controversy and media spin to groom two diametrically opposed bands—a neo Nazi rock band and a gangsta rap duo—into well-branded blockbuster stars.

Whoopi Goldberg and Sergio Trujillo during rehearsal.
Photo credit: CROMCO

Set against the backdrop of modern rock, pop, and hip hop music, the show is loosely inspired by the real life Gaede sisters, twin teens who sing about white supremacy and Hitler. White Noise shadows two beautiful (on the exterior) teenage singing sisters, Eden and Eva Siller, who promote messages of white power through coded lyrics and tunes.

The show explores how anything with good packaging can sell, according to Sergio Trujillo, the show’s director and choreographer, who has also choreographed such musicals as the 2009 revival of Guys and Dolls, The Addams Family, and Next to Normal. “In the show, the public is buying into these beautiful girls who are absolutely perfect with phenomenal music,” he said. “The lyrics are coded so America is really pumping up these girls. We have this celebrity puffing that we do in our society, and the media just manipulates what we want to buy and listen to.”

From left: Actor Douglas Sills, Eric Morris, Emily Padgett, Mackenzie Mauzy, and Patrick Murney. Photo credit: CROMCO

Since Jews are targets of hatred, the creators of White Noise hope the Chicago Jewish community will turn out for the show and start a dialogue. Douglas Sills, an actor in the play, and David Alpert, assistant director of the musical, are both Jewish and find the show an important cautionary tale for Jews.

Sills plays the morally corrupt Max, who discovers the neo-Nazi rock band. “The Jewish value system of questioning explored in the show appeals to me,” he said. “Listen carefully, listen better, and ask questions. Be aware that just because someone says something in a news magazine doesn’t mean it’s news. Just because it’s music doesn’t mean it sends a good message. You have an obligation to sift through messages.”

Being Jewish has always been important to Alpert, too, the son of a rabbi. “Growing up in Sunday school, we would watch Schindler’s List and learn about the Holocaust. These messages are still out there today. We have to understand where hate comes from and how it’s packaged and sold in many different ways.”

Inspired by real life, this musical contains language that may not be suitable for those not yet in high school.

White Noise officially opens at the Royal George Theatre on Saturday, April 9, with preview performances running April 1-8. The show is announced to run through June 5. For more information, visit  www.whitenoisebroadway.com . For tickets, call (312) 988-9000, visit whitenoisetickets.com, or visit   www.ticketmaster.com .

White Noise is offering a discounted ticket special exclusively to the JUF/JF community and Oy!Chicago readers. For all Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday evening performances from April 1 through 28, you can buy tickets at the group ticket rate of $40 (plus fees) as a single ticket buyer. To take advantage of the offer, visit  www.ticketmaster.com and use code “JUFAPR.”

Comedian Judy Gold will perform at the Chicago seder.

Growing up in Milwaukee, Michael Dorf fondly recalls Passover seders with his family. His father would lead, adding supplemental readings with writings by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and texts on black slavery, applying the lessons of freedom from Egypt to relevant current humanitarian issues.

Many years later, Dorf—a successful concert promoter living in Manhattan—created a Passover tradition of his own called Downtown Seder, at the time held at one of his music venues, the Knitting Factory.

Downtown Seder, which Dorf launched more than a decade ago, brings together some 20 artists, musicians, comedians, and political figures to present the classic Passover story to an audience. Performers, seated with guests throughout the room, expound on different sections of the haggadah.

“Matisyahu has sung Chad Gadya (a playful Passover song about a goat), Dr. Ruth has talked about the Hillel sandwich (made of matzah and bitter herbs), and Lou Reed has been the wise child. It’s an all-star event,” Dorf said.

This spring, for the first time, Dorf will transport Downtown Seder to Chicago for a Windy City-style retelling of the Passover story. The seder, to be held on Wednesday, April 13, at 8 p.m. at the Chicago Cultural Center’s Sidney R. Yates Gallery, will feature a mix of Chicago talent and imports from other cities.

“In the classic opening line of the haggadah, it says you should tell the story of leaving Egypt in a language you understand so you can really understand the meaning behind the story,” Dorf said. “For many, like me, the arts—whether it’s music or comedy or even a political form—is a language that we understand.”

Fresh from his victory, Chicago Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel is scheduled to appear at the seder and read a portion of the Haggadah.

Among the entertainers slated to appear at the Chicago seder are Israeli singer/songwriter David Broza, who will perform a set with flamenco guitarist Javier Rubial following the seder meal; New York comedian/writer Judy Gold; and Anshe Emet Synagogue’s Cantor Alberto Mizrahi.

Israeli singer/songwriter David Broza will perform a set with flamenco guitarist Javier Rubial following the seder.

Also expected to perform are the Maxwell Street Klezmer Band, Chicken Fat Klezmer Orchestra, Joshua Nelson & Kosher Gospel Singers, and Stereo Sinai; comedians Good for the Jews, plus Chicago comedian Aaron Freeman and Second City performer Susan Messing. Illinois Holocaust Museum Director Richard S. Hirschhaut also plans to attend, while Minnesota Sen. Al Franken and comedian Lewis Black are expected to call in via video.

Laura Frankel, executive chef of Spertus Kosher Catering (featuring cuisine by Wolfgang Puck), will cater the kosher seder, certified by the Chicago Rabbinical Council.

Dorf is also the founder of City Winery Chicago, the first offshoot of his City Winery in Manhattan, planning to open its doors in the Chicago Loop this fall. The full winery plans to include two wine bars, a restaurant, and a performance and event space. The seder will feature kosher wine, supervised by the Orthodox Union, from the new winery. The wine will be opened and poured by CRC mashgiachs (kashrut supervisors). This is a rare exception that will allow City Winery Chicago to display their new wine.

New York concert promoter Michael Dorf transports Downtown Seder to Chicago this spring.

Gold, who is working on her upcoming one-woman show in Manhattan called It’s Jewdy’s Show—My Life as a Sitcom, has appeared at Downtown Seder in years past. “We [Jews] read the haggadah every year. It’s our tradition, something you can expect,” she said. “For artists whose lives are completely unpredictable, to retell a story that’s been told for thousands of years in our own way is amazing.”

Gold’s role at the seder is to sing Dayenu— “it would have been enough for us.” “Of course I do Dayenu because I can incorporate my mother into it,” said Gold, who also wrote the one-woman show and book of the same name called 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother. “Needless to say, I have a Jewish mother and the phrase “it would have been sufficient” has never come out of her mouth.”

Net proceeds from the Downtown Seder will be divided between JUF’s beneficiary, The Ark and the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Only 400 tickets for the Downtown Seder are available, priced at $118 and $500, with tables of eight available for $1800 and $3600. To purchase a Seder ticket or for more information, visit  www.citywinery.com/seder .

Hikosaemon/CC
Smoke rises from a burning building in a Tokyo neighborhood after an 8.9-magnitude earthquakes hit Japan, March 11, 2011.

In the wake of the worst earthquake in Japan’s history, and the subsequent tsunamis impacting nations across the Pacific, the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago has opened an emergency mailbox to provide humanitarian aid to the survivors on the ground.

Funds primarily will be distributed through the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), with its 97-year history of providing compassionate, effective emergency relief to the non-Jewish world, and IsraAID, the coordinating body of Israeli charities devoted to global relief work.

100% of collected funds will go directly to aid the victims; the Jewish Federation will absorb any administrative costs.

Individuals can contribute online, by phone at 312.444.2869 or by mail, making checks payable to: Jewish Federation Pacific Earthquake/Tsunami Relief Fund, c/o Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, 30 S. Wells St., Room 3023, Chicago, IL 60606

"Our community has a tremendous track record of providing timely, non-sectarian relief through a Jewish conduit in the wake of disasters throughout the U.S. and worldwide,” said Jewish Federation President Steven B. Nasatir. “As the Chicago Jewish community’s central address for meeting human needs, the Federation is proud to provide a vehicle for emergency relief from our community.”

In recent years, the Jewish Federation also has provided critical aid to those affected by the catastrophic earthquakes in Haiti, China and South Asia; the massive forest fires in Northern Israel; Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the Gulf coast, the devastating tsunami in South Asia; wildfires in California; and the September 11 terror attack on the U.S.

Sharon Eyal working with Hubbard Street dancers at Hubbard Street Dance Center. 
Photo by Benjamin Wardell.

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago is bringing Israeli culture to the stage in Chicago this month.

In what they are calling “one of the most culturally significant initiatives” in the company’s history, Hubbard Street will “unite Chicago audiences with Israel in a cultural expression through dance” in a full evening of works by two Israeli choreographers from the Batsheva Dance Company in four performances March 17-20.

The show will include a new collage, currently untitled, by the Batsheva Company’s artistic director, Ohad Naharin and the world premiere of Too Beaucoup, created by Batsheva house choreographer Sharon Eyal.

Naharin, who has choreographed many works for the Hubbard Street company over the past decade, also had the opportunity to work with the company in Israel in 2009. Naharin’s piece will be a collage of past works, all based on and inspired by the synergy of the “Gaga” method of movement researched and developed by Naharin himself.

“Gaga is amazing,” Eyal, a protégé of Naharin said of his style. “It’s dancing from joy and fresh and good material in the body…You move, and you have an instructor who says what to do, but it’s a lot in your imagination, through your body, through the physicality and it’s really deep work. It’s influenced me for my life.”

Hubbard Street dancers Benjamin Wardell, Christian Broomhall and Alejandro Cerrudo in Sharon Eyal’s Too Beaucoup.
Photo by Rose Eichenbaum.

This new medley—a showcase of work that Chicago audiences have not seen before—will feature a uniquely varied soundtrack including music ranging from Vivaldi to The Beach Boys.

Chicago audiences will also experience the world premiere of Too Beaucoup, created by Eyal and her co-creator Gai Behar.

Too Beaucoup, meaning “too too much” in French, aims to manipulate and replicate precise and robotic movement that offers a sense of watching a 3-D video. Costumes—designed by Behar, lighting by Avi Yona Bueno and a soundtrack designed by Israeli musician and DJ Ori Lichtik all contribute to the unique quality of the piece.

When asked to describe their work, Behar said to “expect the unexpected” and to look forward to viewing “authentic Israeli art.”

Hubbard Street dancer Kellie Epperheimer in Sharon Eyal’s Too Beaucoup.
Photo by Rose Eichenbaum.

“For us, structure, composition, dynamics of movements or complex of stuff can be very, very emotional,” Eyal said. “I don’t like to put it in a frame—I don’t know what it is. It’s movement, it’s action, it’s feelings. Maybe it’s more when people dance in the street. It’s a lot of human. There is no frame for it.”

They said the piece does carry some of their Israeli culture, but they are also influenced by daily life and their surroundings.

“Every place that you are, you get inspired,” Eyal said. For me it’s not culture, it’s more about daily life. So it’s maybe [partly influenced by Israeli culture], but it’s part of something bigger.”

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s Spring Series will take place Thursday, March 17 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, March 18 and Saturday, March 19 at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, March 20 at 3 p.m. at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolf Drive, Tickets, priced from $25 to $94 are available for purchase by calling (312) 850-9744, at  www.hubbardstreet.com , or at The Harris Theater box office located at 205 E. Randolph Drive.

***Oy! readers can enjoy a 25% discount on a regular priced ticket (excluding section 5 seating) – use code “Israel”.

By my estimation, Seth Herkowitz is living every Jewish man’s dream—as operating partner of Steve’s Deli in River North, he is constantly surrounded by corned beef and pastrami sandwiches.

Seth, who grew up in the suburbs of Detroit, has always been interested in hospitality. His godparents opened the original Steve’s Deli 1994, and it quickly grew to become the premier deli spot in Southeast Michigan. After completing his undergrad at the University of Michigan and getting a joint law and business degree at Chicago-Kent College of Law, Seth and his godparents decided to open another location in Chicago. When Seth saw a for lease sign in the window of the building across from the East Bank Club in River North, he knew he had the right location and Steve’s Deli opened at 354 West Hubbard in the fall of 2008.

So whether you love yourself some Jewish deli, like to spend your time outdoors on the lake or have connections in Michigan, Seth Herkowitz is a Jew You Should Know!

1.What is your favorite blog or website? 
Detroit Free Press [to stay connected] with home.

2. If time and money were limitless, where would you travel?
Anywhere with my wife—but Italy and Switzerland would be great!

3. If a movie was made about your life, who would play you?
Who better to choose than Mr. George Clooney

4. If you could have a meal with any two people, living or dead, famous or not, who would they be? 
Howard Schultz (CEO of Starbucks) and Abraham Lincoln

5. What's your idea of the perfect day? 
Wake up and water ski in Michigan, followed by spending a day outdoors on a lake in the summer with family and friends

6. What do you love about what you do? 
I love building a business and interacting with our loyal customers

7. What job would you have had if not the one you have now?
Corporate lawyer

8. What's your favorite Jewish thing to do in Chicago? 
JUF’s YLD Big Event.

In recognition of Jewish Disability Awareness Month, Jewish Child & Family Services (JCFS) invites synagogues across the Chicagoland area to embrace this opportunity to increase awareness of the needs and strengths of people with disabilities in our communities. Held in February, Jewish Disability Awareness Month was created by The Jewish Federations of North America and a consortium of Jewish Special Educators to raise awareness and support meaningful inclusion of people with disabilities and their families in every aspect of Jewish life.

JCFS, a leading provider of programs and services for people with disabilities in the Jewish community and beyond, is pleased to share this list of “10 Ideas to Promote Inclusion” for Synagogues and other Jewish organizations.  This list was compiled in consultation with JCFS’ expert clinicians, drawing from guidelines set forth by the Jewish Federations of North America in its Jewish Disability Awareness Month Resource Guide. JCFS is a partner in serving the community with the Jewish Federation/Jewish United Fund.

Speech, Occupational and Developmental Therapies for children, overnight camp for teens with autism or social impairments, Sibshops for brothers and sisters of children with disabilities, and Family Bridges futures planning for aging parents with adult children with disabilities, are among the many services provided by JCFS for people with disabilities and their families.

Jewish Child & Family Services is at the forefront of providing vital, individualized, results-driven services to thousands of children, adults and families of all backgrounds throughout the year.  Services include counseling; therapies for children and adults with developmental disabilities; special educational programs; autism assessment, care of abused and neglected youth; respite and more. For information about our services and programs for people with disabilities, call the Disability Helpline at 773-467-3838, or visit us at jcfs.org.

10 Ideas to Promote Inclusion for People with Disabilities

1. Use People First Language in all communications. Calling someone a “disabled person” puts the disability first, as the sole qualifier of that person. A “person with a disability” is a person first and foremost, and that language emphasizes each person’s individuality, dignity, value and capabilities.

2. Make sure that your facilities are physically welcoming to people with disabilities with accessible entry ways, access to the bima, even as simple as making sure shoveled snow doesn’t block access.

3. Use volunteers or teacher’s aids in the classroom to provide extra attention to young students with special needs. Vary activities so that there is plenty of movement between lessons to help keep active children focused.

4. Create a “buddy system” for congregants with special needs, someone who will introduce him or her to others, make sure he or she is included in Kiddush or other synagogue social activities.

5. Send out a regular newsletter or email message focused on your initiatives and upcoming programs. You can also include a relevant quote in your general congregation bulletins about February and Jewish Disability Awareness. Involve the people with disabilities from your congregation in the creative process.

6. Plan an inclusion Shabbat with other congregations for future initiatives. Creating new approaches may mean adding music, crafting a modified religious service, or bringing in a storyteller. Jewish Child & Family Services can offer resources based on its experience serving individuals and their families who address these issues.

7. After assessing your congregation’s needs, consider special funds or volunteer resources for adaptive technology, special equipment, transportation services, sign language interpreter, large print books, or books in Braille for the blind.

8. Launch a Jewish service-learning project involving children with disabilities and their peers. Incorporating Jewish ideals into service projects strengthens communities and provides volunteers with an opportunity to explore and strengthen their Jewish identities. JCFS offers several collaborative possibilities and resources to increase and reinforce inclusion.

9. Encourage people with disabilities to lead a program or participate in a synagogue services. Help them educate your community on the “do’s and don’ts” of working with people with disabilities. For example, greeting people at eye level is a DO, while mentioning a disability when it is not relevant is a DON’T.

10. February as Jewish Disability Awareness month is an opportunity for Jewish congregations and organizations to engage their communities, volunteers and members to look for new, meaningful “inclusions” in the congregation’s activities on every level.

While applying for a doctorate in clinical psychology, I decided to head to Israel.  I had just spent the year working as an Early Intervention Specialist for toddlers who demonstrated signs of autism or other pervasive developmental disorders.  Yet, I knew that I still needed something else to set me apart from other applicants.  I enrolled in Masa Israel’s Career Israel, to gain professional experience abroad.

My experience during those five months after college could not have been more distinct.  I began Career Israel in September 2008, during the time when Qassam rockets were fired regularly from the Gaza Strip into Sderot and were making their way towards Tel Aviv.  I was in Israel when the army responded with Operation Cast Lead, and saw many of my Israeli peers leave to fight.  Still, despite the fact that I was living in a “war zone,” I felt safe.

Maybe this was because, in Israel, a small country colored with conflict, petty worries are dismissed and life feels immediate.  I experienced this while taking part in discussions about current events and my day-to-day internship responsibilities.  At Kadima, an after-school program for disadvantaged youth with a variety of behavioral and emotional issues, I was able to develop a variety of important skills and truly feel connected to an Israeli team of volunteers.  The sense of community in Israel enabled me to feel emotionally safe.

At Kadima’s Jaffa location, which served Jewish, Arab, Christian, and Ethiopian Israeli youth, I worked with the staff to prepare meals and activities.  Given the opportunity to explore the world of counseling through hands-on work, I took three individual students for one-on-one time each day, helping them with homework, playing games, and just talking in Hebrew.  My students’ resilience amazed me, as did the dedicated staff members, 18-year-olds who postponed army service for a year of community service.

While in Israel, I found that daily life seemed more meaningful.  Surrounded by a diverse community that celebrates the Jewish faith, it was incredible to experience the Jewish calendar as the national calendar.  There was nothing more comforting than seeing Hanukkah lights brightening the entire city or enjoying the weekly tradition of Shabbat dinners followed by a true day of rest.  It was also thrilling to be able to light the Hanukkah candles alongside Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, an opportunity provided to me, thanks to Career Israel.

Being in Israel during a time of heightened conflict allowed me to experience the collective passion and perseverance of the Jewish people whose common goal is to maintain a Jewish homeland.  I found this reality remarkably humbling.

Now back in the U.S., I am in my second year at a Psy.D. program at the Adler School of Professional Psychology in Chicago, en route to becoming a child and adolescent clinical psychologist.  I think about my Career Israel experience frequently and I believe that my letter of recommendation from the Career Israel program helped me gain acceptance to some of the more competitive psychological externships in Chicago.

Last summer, I returned to Israel to interview first-aid responders of Magen David Adom (MDA) as part of a clinical research project.  As I progress with my studies and clinical work, I hope to become professionally involved with the mental health field in Israel.  Israel is one of my homes, forever woven with my identity and I simply can’t get enough of it!

Masa Israel Journey connects young Jewish adults to 5-12 month immersive, life-changing experiences in Israel.  For more information or to find the right program for you, contact Aimee Weiss at aimeew@masaisrael.org and visit www.masaisrael.org.

While talking with 20-year-old Yali Derman, I wondered how it was possible that someone so full of life has had to fight so hard to survive.

A two-time cancer survivor, Yali spoke with poise, elegance and maturity beyond her years about her time at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago and how she used her creative talents to help her combat illness and now is helping other children do the same through her handbag collection.

Yali was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of four and had a recurrence at the age of 10, when she received a life-saving bone marrow transplant from her brother.

“At the time of my treatment, sibling bone marrow transplantation was a new and evolving type of treatment for my condition so it really was a remarkable experience,” Yali said.

During her treatments, Yali was often in isolation, and found comfort in the creative art therapy programs offered by the hospital’s Family Services funded by K.I.D.S.S. for KIDS: Kindness Is Doing Something Special For Kids, an all-volunteer fundraising auxiliary of Children’s Memorial Hospital. It was there that she first began experimenting in handbag design.

“What I always say is that I needed a powerful vocabulary to express my autobiographical voice and I wanted to feel like a person, like a creative, fun-loving kid, and I wanted to be seen for who I was aside from a sick child,” she said. “Sometimes the hardest story to tell is your own and that’s really where the art therapy program helped me and ultimately that’s where the power of the purse came to me.”

She used the concept of the bandana, typically used to cover the heads of cancer patients, for inspiration.  

“My main idea was that I took the bandanas that were intended to cover my hairless head and really defiantly made purses out of them,” she said. “Soon that paisley bandana became the symbol of the cancer experience that I always place in as a design element in my handbags. It’s a symbol of transforming this experience and my situation into something different, something positive.”

Yali, who attended Solomon Schechter Day School, Chicagoland Jewish High School, and Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, says it is part of her personal philosophy to embody the idea of hiddur mitzvah. She first learned the term, which means “beautifying the commandment,” while serving as president and founder of Va’ad Vogue, the CJHS fashion club.

“This was really how I found my voice, the way that I could praise the Almighty and observe tikkun olam,” Yali said. “I would say that my Jewish education and religious background really emphasize to me that when I’m fulfilling a commandment or performing a good deed I can do it in a beautiful way.”

At 17, Yali had an incredible opportunity to design a personalized handbag with Kate Spade to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the organization that orchestrated the experience. The bag raised $50,000 and Yali and Kate Spade were honored as donors of the year.

Soon after, Yali started her own brand of handbags, trademarked Yali’s Carry On ® to signify how cancer survivors carry on in the face of their medical baggage.

While still in high school, Yali created a pink beach tote as part of a school charity project, which marked the alliance between K.I.D.S.S. for Kids and Yali. The beach tote raised $10,000 in just a few months—more than surpassing her original goal of $1,000—for K.I.D.S.S. for KIDS to go toward funding the new playroom being built in the new Children’s Memorial Hospital, due for completion in 2013.

Yali calls her newest bag her “pride and joy so far.” The bag features a peacock, a symbol of renewal with a tail composed of varying paisleys, long to represent each survivor’s story. The tail does not circle the entire bag because Yali’s story is still ongoing. There are 18 colors on the bag “that symbolize life’s vibrancy, chai.” She says the purse encourages “moving forward and carrying on in the face of adversity.”

There are also elements of the bag that come from biblical interpretation and midrashim. “I think that’s really where handbag design relates to Torah, which sounds somewhat hilarious, but it’s true,” she said.

So why purses?

“I really do believe in the power of the purse,” Yali said. “The purse is something that’s very unique to a woman. People don’t necessarily only invest in handbags because they look nice, but they also have to be functional… Bags tell a story about the person that is carrying them…it’s sort of a biography of the woman when you empty out all of its contents.”

So what’s next for Yali?

Currently, she is a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania in the school of nursing. Her dream job is to be an advanced practice pediatric oncology nurse, where she could integrate her creative talents with nursing.

But, she said, handbag design is most definitely still in her future.

“Absolutely,” Yali said. “[It’s] one of the ways that I carry on fashionably, Judaically, philanthropically and really my handbags are carry-ons and they’re a metaphor for the way that I want to carry on with vibrant elegance, vast purpose and a meaningful voice for the cancer experience—I think that’s where my future leads me.”

Yali’s Carry On for K.I.D.S.S. event will take place Sunday, March 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Saks Fifth Avenue Renaissance Place in Highland Park. Meet Yali, and help her support Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago with her limited edition tote bag ($85). All proceeds from the sale of each tote plus 5% of store sales to benefit K.I.D.S.S. for Kids. www.kidssforkids.org. 

To learn more about Yali or to pre-order the bag, visit www.yaliscarryon.com. 

Danielle and Brad Weisberg, co-founders of TheJMom.com, with their matchmaker mom, Barbara.

Siblings Brad and Danielle Weisberg were checking out a dating website one day last year. When Brad left to run errands, their mother, Barbara, also in the room at the time, asked if she could sift through profiles for him in his absence. By the time he returned a couple hours later, Barbara had jotted down a list of 10 Jewish women’s screen names for him to contact. It turned out he was impressed by many of the profiles his mother chose. “My mother had put more effort and time into the process than I ever could or would and she enjoyed doing it,” said Brad.

While some young Jewish singles may think this scenario is the set up for a bad Jewish joke, and would have been mortified at the thought of their mother coaching them on a singles website, not Brad and Danielle. They appreciated their mother’s help, so much so that she gave them the idea to start a website called “The JMom.com” for Jewish moms—and some dads too—to match their single children up on dates with other Jews.

Brad and Danielle’s aunt also inspired them to create the site after she fixed up her own son with a woman, who he later married, so the siblings thought maybe there was something to this matchmaking mother concept.

Brad, age 30, and Danielle, 26—both single Jewish transplants to Chicago from Louisville—launched The JMom in November with their friend, computer programmer Matt Pulley.

Danielle, who initially dreamed up the idea for the site, fends off criticism that it’s geared toward pushy, meddlesome parents. “We’re close to our parents and they’re not overbearing or pushy by any means,” she said. “They care about us and want us to be happy—and that’s who the site is for.”

Their mother, who lives in Louisville, echoes her daughter’s sentiments. “As a parent, you are only as happy as your least happy child,” she said.

Back before the internet, during the Fiddler on the Roof era and much more recently too, it was common for parents to fix up their children. In fact, like so many Jewish couples, Barbara and her husband—Brad and Danielle’s father—met on a blind date more than 36 years ago, and they’ve been happily married ever since.

Unlike when she and her husband met, dating is more challenging today, according to Barbara, with life busier and more complicated for her children’s generation than it was for Baby Boomers. “Younger people today have seen the world—many went away to college and work outside of their hometowns,” she said. “They’ve had more life experiences. They’ve seen so much and they’re not going to settle.”

Brad and Danielle hope to modernize the old-fashioned way of parents fixing up their kids by bringing the setup to the internet, which means parents who live in different cities than their children can still fix them up hundreds of miles away.

Here’s how the site works: A parent—or another relative—writes a profile, including information and a photograph of their child and information about their family as well. Then, if the parent spots a potential set up, they contact the parent of the potential date. Once both parties agree to set up their kids, the profiles are emailed to their children. The kids then take it from there and can choose whether or not to email their potential match.

“There is no negative to it. You don’t have to go on a date with somebody if you don’t want to,” said Brad, “but it opens up a new network of people so you could potentially find the love of your life.”

As hopeful as they are that The JMom will lead people to their beshert, the Weisbergs are also keeping a sense of humor about the site. “The information the mothers are writing about their kids is hysterical,” said Brad. “Every parent thinks their children are wonderful—and they are in their eyes.” Barbara wrote profiles for both Brad and Danielle. “She said stuff like, ‘He’s a great dancer.’ I would never say that about myself,” said Brad.

The Weisberg siblings have had other funny interactions with people using the site. One mother recently e-mailed The JMom with a technical question, and then wrote the following: “I don’t have much time, I want grandchildren!” Another mom said she had signed her single child up without permission to do so and was soon found out by her kid. The busted mom e-mailed The JMom with this: “Take me off! I’m in trouble!” The site’s creators advise that parents get the green light from their offspring before signing them up to avoid conflict.

Ultimately, The JMom offers one more tool to fix up Jewish singles, according to Brad. “If we can match up 100 people and we get one marriage out of that, we’ve done our job.”

Perhaps the most popular time of year for engagements is between the holidays of Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. And so I’ve recently been spending a great deal of time helping clients develop visions for weddings that truly reflect the bride and groom. This may be achieved by customizing the “standard” components of a wedding and choosing to implement a few details to make the evening stand out.

Luckily, the typical structure of a Jewish wedding provides some ideal opportunities for customization. An essential component to any Jewish wedding is the chuppah. Profoundly symbolic and meaningful, the chuppah frames the ceremony in tradition. And yet it can also provide the opportunity to personalize.

Some clients choose to have a very simple, traditional chuppah made of family members’ tallitot (prayer shawls). Another meaningful yet more elaborate option is to send family and friends fabric swatches to decorate and send back to the couple. The swatches are then sewn together to make the chuppah. After the wedding, as a nice memento, it can be made into a quilt. Yet another option is a sculptural interpretation of a traditional Jewish symbol. For example, the chuppah pictured here (by Kehoe Designs) is inspired by the Eternal Flame.

Photo credit: Phil Farber & Kehoe Designs

As the chuppah provides the opportunity to personalize a major component of the wedding, there are numerous smaller details that can be affected. I have had clients add special meaning to their ceremonies by inviting seven significant guests, each to recite one of the seven blessings. Or, in addition to handing out yarmulkes and programs, I have seen guests enjoy small spice boxes while Havdalah is incorporated into a Saturday evening ceremony.

Imaginative musical arrangements can also help make the event distinct. Ceremonies can be personalized with instrumental versions of songs by a favorite band. These favorites sound beautiful and engage the guests when they unexpectedly recognize them.

Receptions offer countless opportunities for unique details. I have found though that the small details are what really personalize a wedding and are what guests often remember most. A recent groom hailed from Alaska. His bachelor party included a fishing trip with friends back home. The wedding caterer served the fish the guys caught on that trip at dinner! Another couple loves to camp and hike. Instead of table numbers, we decided to name tables after National Parks they had visited. And instead of nuts and toffee on the dinner tables, gourmet trail mix was served and s’mores were part of the dessert. Yet another couple numbered their dinner tables but as a fun spin, at each table they placed photos of themselves at the corresponding age. So Table One had photos of the bride and groom at age one, and so on.

Whether a couple chooses to have a symbolic chuppah, incorporate a unique aspect into the ceremony or an unexpected ingredient into the reception, if the details mirror the couple’s interests and values guests will feed off of that positive energy and enjoy themselves as well, which is really the greatest result of all.

Bambi Caicedo Rogers is the owner of  BCR Events , a Chicago-based event planning company.

The Young Leadership Division (YLD) of JUF is heading to Las Vegas this March 6-8 for Tribefest…and you’re invited!  Every year, YLD participates in the Jewish Federation of North America's (JFNA) National Leadership Conferences and this year’s event, Tribefest, will bring together young adults from across the country to explore why it matters to be Jewish, volunteer, network, and of course, socialize!  TribeFest will offer inspiring programming, music, food, arts, and entertainment, all celebrating the richness of our Jewish culture and heritage.  Please join us for this incredible opportunity in Las Vegas with more than 1,800 of your fellow members-of-the-tribe in attendance.

If you haven’t already started booking your trip, then here are a few more incentives to come.  Meet local Chicagoans, Melissa Burstein, Scott Lieber and Jon Meyer, they’ve all already booked their trips to Vegas and want you to join them in representing Chicago in Vegas this spring!

Melissa Burstein:

Tell us about yourself.  I am a second year YLD Board member from Bloomfield Hills, MI.  I have lived in Chicago for 10 years and love it!  I have been on many trips with YLD and can't wait for this one! 

Why is it important for you to connect with other young Jewish adults?  It is important, because I love meeting new people and creating new friendships.  It's also nice to have the same faith as your friends, so you can share the holidays and attend similar events together.

What are you most looking forward to at the Conference?  I am looking forward to meeting a lot of new people from all over the country, and for the events and speakers that will be at the event.  And of course, Vegas!

Scott Lieber:

Tell us about yourself.  I am a Leo.  I enjoy watching and playing many sports, but my top list includes football, baseball and golf.  Three words that would best describe me are creative, athletic, and funny.  I currently live in the Gold Coast and work at an insurance brokerage firm called Associated Agencies.  I attended Ithaca College where I majored in Sport Management and Finance and graduated in ’08.  I also played football during my time at Ithaca College.

Why is it important for you to connect with other young Jewish adults?  It is important to connect with young Jewish adults because we are the future of the Jewish community.  As long as we stay together and help others in our community, there will always be a sense of Judaism in the US and the world.

What are you most looking forward to at the Conference?  I am looking forward to meeting a lot of new people at the conference.  I have found that the easiest way to meet new people is at conferences.  Plus, this one is in Las Vegas.

Jon Meyer:

Tell us about yourself.  I grew up in a suburb of Chicago and attended Indiana University.  Upon graduating in 2004, I took a job as a trading assistant at a small proprietary trading firm in Chicago where I am still employed and trading my own account.  I enjoy staying active by playing sports and working out.  If there’s a good movie out, I'm generally the first one to see it, and if I've read a good book (which I often do), I'm not shy about telling everyone about it.  My most recent favorites are the Hunger Games Trilogy and City of Thieves.  I love drinking Corona in the summer, but in the winter I go with Guiness to keep me warm on those cold Chicago nights.
 
Why is it important for you to connect with other young Jewish adults?  Because we are such a small segment of the global population, it is so important that we stick together as Jews.  Sometimes you'll see rivalries between American Jews based on what city they are from or what fraternity they were in, etc.  I find this silly.  We all have the same ancestors who have endured the same hardships.  As a group we need to understand that and grow from it.
 
What are you most looking forward to at the Conference?  I'm most looking forward to meeting young people from other cities.  When I've visited Vegas in the past it’s mostly been for a work trip or a bachelor party.  I'm excited to be there with so many different people in a different capacity than I have in the past.  The vibe is going to be electric!

For more information and for all trip details, please visit the YLD website.  Also, you’re invited to join us at a Tribefest Informational Happy Hour this Thursday, January 20.

Back during the women’s lib movement, Marjorie Gelb was part of the first generation of professional women that were climbing the career ladder.

She was a fulltime working lawyer, a wife, and a mother of two. She wanted a fulfilling career, but she still desired to put high-quality food on the table for her family. In fact, Gelb identifies herself as a gourmet, defined by the French as “someone who likes to eat good things.”

Her love of cooking had started many years before having a family when she had taken classes at the prestigious Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris. From her culinary beginnings, she strived to use fine ingredients, fresh produce, vibrant herbs and spices, and the freshest fish, chicken, and meat, and avoid processed foods as much as possible.

After learning to cook the old-fashioned way, Gelb relearned to cook gourmet food, this time in a fraction of the time. Translation: She became a “lazy gourmet.”

“Women like me discovered it was hard to work all day and then come home and have the time and energy to put a nice meal on the table,” said Gelb, who is Jewish, and lives with her husband in Oakland, Calif. “…But I didn’t want to compromise on good food. I wanted to know what we were eating. So I looked for recipes everywhere that seemed to cut corners.” 

In the past 40 years, Gelb has amassed a phenomenal repertoire of fast and easy recipes that meet her high standards. Some of her dishes have been adapted from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, intended for the American cook looking for “something wonderful to eat.” Others have come from other busy moms and chef friends she has met along her culinary journey.

Now, Gelb is a semi-retired grandmother, who has more time and energy for cooking than she used to. But she wanted to teach others—like her daughters and their friends working long hours and establishing households with little time on their hands—her “lazy gourmet” techniques.

So, with the help of her daughter Josie A.G. Shapiro, a writer, an avid “cooking contester,” and a busy working wife and mother herself, Gelb has released a cookbook called  The Lazy Gourmet  (Watchword Press), publishing all her lazy recipes and shortcuts for people who want to eat good food fast. (Gelb’s sister, Stephanie Gelb, drew the illustrations in the cookbook, making the project a family affair.)

Josie A.G. Shapiro takes a break from the cooking and has a drink.

“For me, the most fun part of writing the cookbook was talking to my mom on the phone and learning her stories, tips, and tricks, the origins of her recipes, and her telling me things about her life that I didn’t know,” said A.G. Shapiro, a former Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago employee, who now lives in San Francisco. “I could hear all my mom’s stories and her perspective about what it was like being a working mom with two girls when I had just had my daughter, Naomi.”

2-year-old Naomi follows in her mom and grandma’s cooking footsteps.

Naomi, age 2, it seems, is the next generation of chefs in her family, already cracking eggs for her mom and grandma’s recipes. “Part of l’dor v’dor (from generation to generation) is what my mom did for me—nurturing and loving me through the kitchen,” A.G. Shapiro said. “I want to show my daughter that I care what I’m giving to her and I want her to grow up and love cooking too.”

The Lazy Gourmet defines a “lazy recipe” as one that won’t require an obscure ingredient, won’t call for lots of steps or chopping, and won’t employ lots of dishes, pots, pans, or utensils. Gelb confesses, though, that her husband always does the dishes in her home, but she wants to be kind to others reading the cookbook who aren’t so lucky.

The book of 127 recipes includes tips and tricks from “The Lazy Gourmet,” includes a list of recipes made from “Imperishable Ingredients,” food you can keep stocked in your kitchen to save you a grocery trip after a long day. Another section called “One Dish Wonders,” serves up recipes you can make using you guessed it—only one dish. And “Make Ahead Magic,” offers sauces and marinades to prepare in advance.

The “lazy gourmet” in action.

Gelb shares a couple of her laziest tips of all: Serving breakfast for dinner has changed her life, she says, like her simple Egg Soufflé, which she’ll make in 20 minutes for her family after a long airplane trip when no one has gone to the grocery store.

And, she adds, “I think lettuce in a bag is the best thing since sliced bread.”

To order a book, visit  www.realfoodrealeasy.com .

The event was typical Gabrielle Giffords: no barriers, all comers -- Democrats, Republicans and independents welcome to talk about what was on their minds and in their hearts.

While she was deep in a conversation with an older couple about health care -- the issue for which she was willing to risk her career -- a gunman strode up to the Arizona congresswoman and shot her point blank in the head.

The critical wounding Jan. 8 of Giffords and the slaughter of six people standing near her -- including a federal judge, her chief of community outreach and a 9-year-old girl interested in politics -- brought to a screeching halt the easy, open ambience that typified Giffords’ politics, friends and associates said.

“She's a warm person,” Stuart Mellan, the president of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona, said as he walked away from a prayer service Saturday night at Temple Emanuel in Tucson, one of the southeastern Arizona cities that Giffords represents in Congress. “Everyone called her Gabby, and she would give a hug and remember your name.”

Giffords was the president of the tire company founded by her grandfather when she was propelled into state politics in part because of her concerns about the availability of health care. She switched her registration from Republican to Democrat and in 2001, at 30, she was elected to the Arizona Legislature.

She gained prominence quickly in that body and in 2006, at 36, she became the first Jewish woman elected to Congress from her state.

At the same time, her Judaism was becoming more central to her identity. The turning point came in 2001 following a tour of Israel with the American Jewish Committee, she told The Arizona Star in 2007.

"It just cemented the fact that I wanted to spend more time with my own personal, spiritual growth. I felt very committed to Judaism," she said. "Religion means different things to different people. It provides me with grounding, a better understanding of who I came from."

Her wedding to Cmdr. Mark Kelly, an astronaut, was written up in The New York Times. The item noted that a mariachi band played Jewish music and there were two canopies -- a chupah and one of swords held up by Kelly’s Navy buddies.

“That was Gabby,” Jonathan Rothschild, a longtime friend who served on her campaign’s executive committee, recalled to JTA. “The real irony of this thing is her Judaism is central to her, but she is the kind of person who reaches out to everybody.”

Giffords’ father is Jewish and her mother is a Christian Scientist, and she was raised in both faiths. Her grandfather, Akiba Hornstein, changed his name to Giffords after moving from New York to Arizona, in part because he did not want his Jewishness to be an issue in unfamiliar territory.

The women on her father’s side of the family seemed to guide her toward identifying with Judaism.

“In my family, if you want to get something done you take it to the Jewish women relatives,” she told JTA in 2006. “Jewish women, by and large, know how to get things done.”

Giffords, who last week took the oath of office for her third term in Congress, has pushed Jewish and pro-Israel issues to the forefront at the state and federal levels. She initiated an Arizona law facilitating Holocaust-era insurance claims for survivors, and in Congress she led an effort to keep Iran from obtaining parts for combat aircraft.

She didn’t stint in seeking Jewish and pro-Israel funding. Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.), the premier pro-Israel lawmaker in Congress, fundraised for her, as did Steve Rabinowitz, the Washington public relations maven whose shop represents a slate of Jewish groups.
“She was so heimishe, so down to earth,” Rabinowitz, himself from Tucson, recalled of his fundraiser last spring.

Almost as soon as she was elected to the state Legislature, Giffords was enmeshed in Arizona’s signature issue -- rights for undocumented immigrants -- according to Josh Protas, who directed the Tucson-area Jewish Community Relations Council for years before moving to Washington in 2009 to direct the D.C. office of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs.
Protas recalled meeting with Giffords as part of the area faith coalition promoting immigrant rights.

“We met with her around immigration issues and she was sensitive to the faith community’s concerns,” he said.

Her approach to the issue was typical for the moderate Democrat, Protas said: She attempted to synthesize what she regarded as the valid viewpoints of both sides on the divisive issue.
“Understanding the complexities of the immigration situation was something important to her,” he said. It came from “a sense of the Jewish value around how we treat the stranger, a history of the Jewish community -- but she had recognition of the strong need for security.”

It was a posture that led Giffords to hit both the state and federal governments last year: She blasted the Obama administration for not doing enough to secure the border, but also slammed as repressive a new Arizona law that allowed police to arrest undocumented immigrants during routine stops.

“She was very moderate in her views and willing to meet with folks on all sides,” Protas said. “She took a lot of heat particularly the last couple of years from both the far right and the far left.”

In the end, her greatest vulnerability might have been her openness.

The day Jim Kolbe said he was not seeking re-election to Congress, Giffords told Rothschild that she would run for the seat. Rothschild had one bit of advice for her: Come back every weekend to meet constituents. Not hanging out with the locals had led to the defeat of Kolbe’s Democratic predecessor.

He didn’t need to convince her; she was back virtually every weekend.

And her open, engaging approach appeared to pay off.

Despite representing a swing district, she survived the Republican wave in November. And just three days before the shooting she was back in Washington -- with one hand up and one hand on the Jewish Bible, grinning at her swearing-in at the Capitol.

On Saturday she was back in Tucson, at a parking lot smiling at all comers.

This article originally appeared on  Jewish Telegraphic Agency .

A few weeks ago, a friend sent me the link to a really amazing website that combines two of my favorite things—fashion and reality TV.  Started by local stay-at-home-mom Dana Weiss, the site—which tells readers where to find clothes like those worn on their favorite TV shows—was just meant for Dana and her friends.  But when fashion meets TV, it turns out the fans just can’t keep away and before Dana had even realized it, she was amassing thousands of hits to her site each week.  Now turning a profit while doing what she loves, Dana’s built a thriving empire as the Posessionista.  Recently, Dana chatted with me about being a fashionable couch potato, her celebrity obsessions, where she shops and the Posessionista January shopping hangover giveaway.

Oy!Chicago: What is your professional background?
Dana Weiss: I was a journalism major at Indiana University.  I worked at CNN and FOX and then I moved over to PR.  For years and years, I worked at agencies and my last job, before I became a mom, was the director of PR for Fairmont hotels.  I had a lot of opportunities there to watch bad outfits walk in and out of the hotel.

How did you come up with the idea for the  Posessionista ?
It was an accident, really.  I’m just really compulsive.  I’d say I’m a fashionable couch potato—I watch a lot of TV.  I’d find myself obsessing about what characters I saw [on TV] were wearing, so I would watch these shows and then I would go to Google and I would google and google and google and look for their clothes.  If I still couldn’t find the clothes, I would look on Facebook or Twitter and it was taking up a lot of my time.  I would talk to my friends about it and eventually I just started posting it on this blog thinking no one would ever look at it.  It was just for my three or four friends and just very cathartic for me.

When Jillian Harris was on the Bachelorette, I was obsessed with her.  I was following all of her clothes [on my blog] and people started googling her clothes (and no one was really doing this for reality TV at the time).  There are a lot of sites out there that track what celebs are wearing, but no one was doing it for reality TV.  And people were googling Jillian Harris and they would end up at my site and I was getting thousands and thousands of visitors and I didn’t even know!  It was never intended to be anything and if you go back and look at the very beginning of the blog, it is very different than what it is now.

Were you surprised by the massive response you’ve gotten?
Yes!  Absolutely!  I mean I’m not surprised that people use it [the blog] because I think a lot of women are like that.  We watch TV and we see celebs and we want to wear what they are wearing and we google it.  I’m surprised at how many people come back.  It’s not like a one-time thing.  I get emails all the time from people who really feel connected to me and that’s sort of a really amazing feeling, to know that people like my taste and they like the way I write.

Have you been surprised by the response stores have had to your site?
I’m surprised.  I’ll tell you the first time I was really surprised was I was doing the movie I Love You Man and I couldn’t find this yellow blouse that Rashida Jones was wearing in it.  I couldn’t find it anywhere, so I called the agency that reps Leesa Evans who was the costume designer on the film and she emailed me back directly!  I just couldn’t believe that an Academy Award-winning costumer would call me back.  Lou Eyrich from Glee texts me every single week.  Cary Fetman from the Bachelor and I email back and forth.  Mandi Line from Pretty Little Liars and I talk on the phone.  When Jillian Harris was done with The Bachelorette, I was the first person she emailed to say how much she liked the blog.  I’m doing these 31 days of giveaways in January with 7 for all mankind and Cuba and they want to work with me and I’m always surprised because I feel like I’m just this stay-at-home-mom who is doing this for fun and now everyone wants to be a part of it.  It’s really cool.

Who are your fashion icons?  Who are your favorite designers?
I mean I love Alice + Olivia and I love Elizabeth + James.  You know if I had all the money in the world I would want to wear Louboutin shoes and I would want to wear Prada and I would want to wear Lanvin, but you know, I’m just like a normal girl.  I love Current/Elliot Jeans.  I love modern vintage boots and I’m obsessed with Jeffrey Cambell shoes and I love things that not everyone is wearing.  I love this store arizia that’s Canadian.  Its been around but people don’t know about it.  I like wearing a really current thing that’s not exactly the same as what everyone is wearing.

I know you are a big fan of Nordstrom, what are your other go-to stores for shopping?
Nordstrom is like, it to me,  I cannot get enough of their customer service and their selection.  When Nordstrom agreed to be one of my affiliates, it was like the mother ship calling me.  I was happy.

I love Urban Outfitters.  I think it’s the most underrated store.  They have amazing clothes, if you want to be on trend, but don’t want to spend the money.  I love Barney’s co-op.  I love Cusp.  I love the Gap.  I mean nobody seems to like going to the Gap, but the Gap has great clothes.  Their jeans are awesome right now.  I love Forever 21.  I’m way too old to be shopping there, but if you have an impulse buy, Forever 21 is the greatest place.  They have awesome rock and roll tees and their jewelry is amazing and you don’t care if you break it.  If you want to wear one of those big Muppet fur coats, get it at Forever 21 because I promise you, you are not going to wear it next year.  It looks good on Rachel Zoe, so if you only drink coffee and smoke cigs all day and all night, then you call pull it off.  I have this challenge out there, I don’t believe anyone besides RZ can pull off that fake fur vest look without looking like a ridiculous Muppet and if anyone can send me a pic proving me wrong, I will buy you a venti non-fat latte.  I just don’t think in real life a woman would be walking down the street on Michigan Ave wearing one of those vest and looking really good.

We just interviewed Jill Zarin from the RHofNY about her book “Secrets of a Jewish Mother,” who do you think is the best dressed housewife?  Which cast is the most fashionable?
Omg, Beverly Hills.  The clothes are amazing!  I love Kyle Richards!  I love her hair— she says she uses Dove or Pantene.  Her hair is beautiful.  There’s something so approachable about her.  If you message her on Twitter, she will respond to you and tell you what she’s wearing.  Bethany Frankel is another one who is just an awesome, awesome dresser who gets her body.  If you have enough money, you can dress really badly, but you can also dress really beautifully.

What’s your favorite TV show for good fashion finds?
Well, obviously Glee.  Lou’s created characters in those clothes.  Gossip Girl is amazing.  I love that show Pretty Little Liars, Mandi Line is the costumer.  She has no budget, so she literally took clothes and ripped them apart and sewed them back together.  It’s a really great lesson in reusing and recycling.  I love The Bachelorette because these are just normal girls and not celebrities, so the things that they are wearing, if you like them, you can go out and get it that day.  They just bought it for that show.  Chances are you can go to the mall and get it.  There’s something relatable about that.  Obvi, Sex and the City.  It’s awhile ago, but I think Patricia Fields was the first time that people noticed what the characters were wearing and that clothes became a character themselves.

Being a costume designer is such a thankless job…How many people know name Eric Daman?  He is the genius behind it.  Blake and Leighton are just wearing the clothes, they didn’t pick them out.  Blake Lively is the new face of Chanel and she’s beautiful, but we never stop to think about the people dressing them, the stylists, and the costumers, these are people who are really talented.

What are your future plans for Possessionista?  Where do you see the site in five years?
I don’t know.  That’s the million dollar question.  If you had told me two years ago that I would be talking to Oy!Chicago or that I would have 50,000 weekly readers, I would have said give me your pharmacists number, you are smoking something.  I would love to collaborate with a designer.  I’m working right now with a jeweler who makes bracelets and we’re going to make a Possessionista bracelet for my readers.  I love the partnership that Emily Shuman at Cupcakes and Cashmere got to design a handbag for Coach.  I think it’s really cool that designers are taking note of bloggers and bringing their voices to fruition.  I would love to work with people like Oy!Chicago and get my writing out there and touch new people and that’s sort of it.  Keep writing more places and keep getting my voice out there and collaborating with designers and retailers.

What’s your favorite Jewish thing to do in Chicago?
I love to go for like deli with my kids. I grew up on the East Coast, so being in Chicago, I like to take my kids for knishes and corn beef and just like tell them about what it was like to go visit my grandmother in Brooklyn and have the NY Jewish deli experience.  It’s really fun for me, because it’s my childhood.  It’s not so much religious as it is cultural, but the food was definitely a part of my Jewish upbringing and I love sharing it with my kids. 

Is there anything else you want to tell or preview to the Oy!Chicago readers?
I’d like to tell them and I think it’s really fun…in January, we all get our credit card bills for our holiday shopping and our holiday gifts and everyone kind of goes, “oh, crap” when it shows up…I call it the shopping hangover.  Every day in January, I’m giving away something.  It’s the 31 days of giveaways.  I have 7 for all Mankind, Paige, True Religion, Smash Box, huge, huge names.  Every day one of them is giving something to one reader—so that is a great time to start reading Posessionista, because I’m giving away tons of free stuff.  I’ll be like the Oprah of blogging.

We’ve all been there before: you want to go out, have a good night, hang with friends, and potentially meet that special someone. So where do you do that? Go to a bar? A friend’s party? Sure you end up meeting a bunch of new people, but how can you meet new, Jewish people? One way is through JUF’s Young Leadership Division, which holds many great events throughout the year. Another place to meet fellow MOTs is parties hosted by Afterlight Events.

Comprised of different promoters and party planners and members, Afterlight Events is a group that works to create social scenes and parties for Jews in Chicago. But not only do they work to bring Jews together, they also do it for a cause.

“Our goal is to bring Jewish people together in a networking and social atmosphere, while raising money for Jewish nonprofits,” the group* said. “Our main goal is to help out non profits and charities who don’t have the capacity or the know-how to throw these events.”

Afterlight Events throws about three or four parties a year, including the Matzo Bash, one of the biggest parties in Chicago on Christmas Eve.

“At our Matzo Bash [last] year we had about 1,200 people at Enclave,” the group said. “And we raised thousands of dollars for charities. We also throw a Valentine’s Day party every year. We get sponsored and we raise money and a great portion of the ticket sales get donated to Jewish charities.”

While raising money for Jewish charities is the main goal of Afterlight Events, the fact that they help Jews meet other Jews is a huge benefit of the parties they throw.

“Obviously on Christmas Eve our biggest goal is to bring Jewish people together,” the group said. “We’ve had tons of people tell us that they’ve met their girlfriends or their wives, boyfriends at our parties which is obviously a mitzvah in itself.”

“We wanted to make it clear that understanding our heritage and meeting people in our religion is important and it can be done in a fun and social atmosphere. And up to today’s standards in Chicago, one of the best cities in the world, it’s important to have an opportunity to come together.”

However, sometimes throwing parties like the ones Afterlight Events plans can present a challenge.

“The only obstacle is really getting the word out,” the group said. “And we do a pretty good job of partnering with different organizations and groups to help them spread the word. A lot of times what we’ll do is we’ll throw an event for a charity but then have other non-profits sell tickets and they can make money for it too. So we give non-profits a vehicle to raise money in different capacities.”

The end goal that Afterlight Events is striving toward is  to partner with all the different Jewish not-for-profits in the city and to help them raise money, while having every Jewish person in the city come together at these events and have a great time.

“We have a lot of different events that we’re going to be planning in the next couple of years,” the group said. “If anyone has any interest in allowing us to help them raise money just let us know! We’ll be happy to work with you creatively.”

*Afterlight Events is a group of professionals in the Chicago area, and preferred to keep their names confidential.

“It’s not really about us, it’s about what we do,” the group said. “People are not going to come to a party because certain people are there. People are going to come to a party because we’re raising and donating money, and we’re having a good time.”

It’s not too late to get your tickets to The Matzo Bash 2010: Christmas Eve Gala
Enclave, 220 W Chicago Ave on Christmas Eve from 8 p.m.-2 a.m.

Tickets include:
­• ­Complimentary cocktails from 8-10 p.m.
­• Complimentary hors d'oeuvres & treats
­• Complimentary admission to the after party
­• JJ the DJ spinning all night long

Get your tickets through Oy!Chicago here.

Can you name two past Jewish Supreme Court justices with last names beginning with the letter “F”?

Did you know the comic strip X-Men was created by Jews? And for the most random Jewish fact you’ll read today and probably this decade...Bet you didn’t know the Q-Tip was invented by a Jewish guy who thought the cotton apparatus would aid his wife cleaning hard to reach places?

You’ll learn these facts and others in the new coffee table book For the Love of Being Jewish: An A-to-Z Primer for Bubbies, Mensches, Meshugas, Tzaddiks, and Yentas (Triumph Books), a fitting book for the holiday season, which lists from A to Z the many reasons to love being Jewish.

The book, written by local Rabbi Steven Stark Lowenstein, spiritual leader of Congregation Am Shalom in Glencoe, and colorfully illustrated by Mark Anderson, explores key concepts of the Jewish religion and heritage through the lens of culture, history, ethics, and values—like Exodos, ner tamid (eternal flame), and tzedakah (charity, justice), and notes Jewish celebrities like Mel Brooks, Bob Dylan, Albert Einstein, Sandy Koufax, Golda Meir, and Moses. The book is one in a series of For the Love of ______ books that have been published by Triumph Books, including For the Love of the Cubs and For the Love of Golf.

Each page, corresponding with the letters of the alphabet, is the basis for a short rhyme, accompanied by a colorful cartoon as well as terminology, quotes, and factoids starting with that letter.

While the book is whimsical and humorous, it also examines the weightier topics that come with 5,770 years of Jewish history. “The challenge was to make sure it wasn’t all fluff,” Lowenstein said. “The Holocaust had to be in the book, Zionism had to be in there. I wanted to make sure that these types of concepts—the seriousness of Judaism—were not [treated] in a light matter.”

The book opens with a Mark Twain passage from an 1898 issue of Harpers magazine. He writes: “If the statistics are right, the Jews constitute but one percent of the human race…[The Jew’s] contributions to the world’s list of great names in literature, science, art, music, finance, medicine, and abstruse learning are also way out of proportion to the weakness of his numbers…All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?”

Lowenstein replies to Twain’s inquiry. “What is the secret of the Jews’ immortality?” he said. “How come this small people continues to survive and thrive year after year? The secret is perseverance, determination, and the chutzpah of the Jewish people.”

Rabbi Steven Stark Lowenstein

We're giving away THREE copies of For the Love of being Jewish! Tell us why YOU love being a member of the tribe below. Make sure to leave your email in the comment form (it won't be displayed) so we can contact you if you win. If you don't win, and want to pick up the book on your own, check out  ForTheLoveOfBeingJewish.com  and click on purchase.

I’m not ashamed to admit that I am a fan of Bravo’s Real Housewives series. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, there’s something about those women that makes you just want to keep watching. My favorite cast is definitely the Real Housewives of New York City, which includes Jewish housewife Jill Zarin, known on the show for her big heart—which shows in her devotion to her family, friends and her philanthropic work—and her big opinions—which sometimes gets her into trouble.

On Sunday, Jan. 23, Jill and her sister, Lisa Wexler, an award-winning talk radio host and the creator and executive producer of The Lisa Wexler Show, will speak for the first time in Chicago about the book they co-wrote with their mother Gloria Kamen, who currently writes the “Ask Gloria” column on BravoTV.com. The program, presented by Ida Crown Jewish Academy, will take place at Saks Fifth Avenue in Highland Park. Jill and Lisa will speak together about their book,  Secrets of a Jewish Mother: Real Advice, Real Stories Real Love (Dutton)  released last April, and answer questions about the Real Housewives show, followed by a Saks discounted shopping opportunity.

I had the opportunity to talk to Jill before her visit about Jewish mothers, Real Housewives and not-so-real friendships:
 
Oy!Chicago: What can we expect at the Ida Crown Jewish Academy event in December?
Jill Zarin: We wrote a book called Secrets of a Jewish Mother that came out in April. The paperback version is actually coming out March 1 and with that we’ve added a chapter dedicated to bullying. The book is geared toward anyone—male, female—you don’t have to be Jewish to read the book and you certainly don’t have to be Jewish to be a Jewish mother as we all know, although it is so much more fun when you are. And we talk about everything like friendship, dating, education, marriage, career, money and my favorite chapter, probably parenting.

[At the event] we’ll talk about the book, we’ll read from it, we do a little quiz at the beginning which is ‘are you a Jewish mother?’ where we ask you 20 questions that sort of warms up the crowd.

What do you hope people will get out of it?
Laughs…and it’s a very relatable book [with] some very good wisdom and advice. What’s great about the book is that you can go to any chapter and pick something up about it…it’s the cycle of life interspersed with some comedy.

What would you say is the best piece of advice you’ve gotten from your Jewish mother?
Well my mother gives me advice every day, something as minimal as like ‘don’t forget your sweater, it’s freezing outside’ she loves to say to me, so I don’t know if there’s particularly one piece of advice.

And best advice you’ve given as a Jewish mother?
Well I’m definitely not done yet and Allyson’s still cooking—although she’s 18 now she might be almost medium well, I don’t think she’s well yet. I do think that whatever I have been doing is working because I think she’s a very well-adjusted, happy, loving, caring person. And what I love most about Ally is the heart she has—my daughter has a heart as big as the ocean.

Obviously being Jewish is a big part of your identity and your book. How and why does being Jewish influence what you do on a day-to-day basis?
I think that culturally what I love about the Jewish faith is that we really focus on family and tradition. And it’s those two things that make us happy and secure. Like my mother said in the show, life goes from Passover to Rosh Hashanah and back to Passover again. It’s always these traditions that make us feel part of a culture and loved and important and special.

Watching you on the show, people feel like they know you—like they are one of your girlfriends. Is that weird for you? Do you think your fans know the real you based on how you are portrayed?
Yes and no. I think overall, yes. I think that I’m not perfect, I think that I have a big heart and sometimes that gets me in trouble because I sometimes might put expectations on people because I would do [something] and they disappoint me. Overall I think that the show really does at the end really show who we are. There might be inaccuracies with particular stories or facts, but I think the overall impression is probably correct.

In your chapter on friendship, you mention your relationships with all the cast mates on Real Housewives—are any of them true friends or “front-row” friends as you call them in the book? How difficult is it to maintain true friendships with people you are filming a TV show with?
It’s very hard on a reality show because you don’t know what they’re saying behind your back, and sometimes you say and do things on the show because it’s good TV, or sometimes you’ll say something and they’ll edit it [so] it’s not really what you meant. It’s hard to not get mad at someone when they say something behind your back but you have to know that you all signed up for this TV show. So, it is hard, but I think at the end of the day clearly LuAnn is my longest friend on the show and I adore her. And I do think we will be lifelong friends—will she shift from the front row to the orchestra? Absolutely…I definitely think some of the girls are in my front row right now, will they stay there? Who knows. Only time will tell.

Last season, we saw your friendship with Bethenny [Frankel] unravel.
You know, it was edited in such a way that you don’t really know what I really did behind the scenes, there’s a lot that didn’t play on the show—a lot. I’m not going to get into specifics—but there was a lot of reaching out from Bethenny to me off camera and vice versa, but when the cameras were up you would never have known that. For example, she sent my daughter a birthday present last year right in the middle of filming, a big beautiful present—why? I found out on camera that day she just bashed me and said she never wanted to be my friend again—wouldn’t you call that a mixed signal?

I’ve heard that filming is underway for the fourth season of RHONY—how is that going? Will we be seeing more of your mom and sister on the show?
Yes. You will see Gloria, you will see Lisa. We’ve already filmed together and it’s going to be great. This season I think people are going to really be happier and it’ll be back to what it was. Which is fun, with a little drama.

What’s next for you?
Oh my goodness, glad you asked! I have a new line of bedding at Bedbathandbeyond.com which is doing really, really, really well, so I’m very happy. Prices for the set start at like $179 for a full decorator, gorgeous bedding comforter set. Beautiful. The other thing I’m working on is I have a shapewear and legwear line coming out hopefully in spring. I’m excited about it because all my girlfriends are trying them on and loving them asking me for more, so that’s a good sign. It’s very organic—you know I was in the hosiery business for about 15 years, so I feel like I’m going back to my roots, coming home.

Do you have any Chicago connections? Anything you like to do while you’re here?
Oprah!? Isn’t everybody connected to Oprah? I feel like she’s my friend. I’ve [was in Chicago] 15-20 years ago, so it’s been way too long, I’m really excited. It’s a beautiful city. But I’m excited, can’t wait!

To order tickets or learn about sponsorship opportunities, please call 773-973-1450 or go to  www.ICJA.org .

I admit to being somewhat of a gastronomic and a culinary discontent. I like to push the envelope and play with an idea or recipe and then move on and do it all over again. The same applies to holiday menus. I love the rituals of the Jewish holidays and the foods, but I do not like the routine recipes that often accompany those dishes. This Chanukah I am thinking outside the box and mixing it up a bit.

I love the basic latke of potatoes and onions, all crispy and golden brown with the aroma of crackling onions and fat topped with a generous dollop of homemade applesauce or sour cream. I could eat a whole platter full of them myself—on the first night. And then what? We have eight nights to celebrate. So I started thinking HOW COULD I MAKE THIS CHANUKAH DIFFERENT FROM ALL OTHERS?

I do not want an ordinary Festival of Lights. I want something spud-tacular. I want a LATKE-PALOOZA. An extraordinary celebration of crispy fried goodness. I am going where no chef has gone before. I am going to create an abundance of delights, a different one for each night of Maccabian Madness.

Latke options are infinite. I can stick with the classic potato and onion cake as my base but I want to add some pizzazz, creating endless variations on the central theme. After all, even the little black dress needs a little “bling.” I am adding carrots, parsnips, celery root, roasted garlic, herbs, and more. These latkes will be so amazing we will want to add nights to the holiday.

I also want to play with the toppings. After all, why limit ourselves to just plain apple sauce and sour cream? Like all classics that just need a little tweak, I am updating the humble applesauce and bringing it to new heights. For Latke-Palooza, I am dolling up the modest condiment with crystallized ginger, pomegranate molasses, mango chunks, and even sweet and gooey caramelized onions. Delish!

Chef Laura’s Latkes (basic latke recipe)

I like really crispy latkes that are only slightly creamy inside. I don’t use yolks in my batter as egg yolks make dough and batters tender. Egg whites hold the ingredients together but don’t make it soft or cakey.

2 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and shredded (after shredding the potatoes, place them in a large bowl with ice water-they won’t oxidize and turn rust colored)
Neutrally flavored oil for frying (I prefer canola)
1 large Spanish onion, peeled and grated
3 egg whites, beaten with a whisk until frothy
3-6 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

1. Place the shredded potatoes in a large clean towel and squeeze out all of the moisture; make sure the potatoes are completely dry.

2. Place all of the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and add the potatoes. Mix all of the ingredients together until thoroughly combined.

3. Heat a large skillet with 1-½ inches of oil. Drop spoonfuls of latke batter into the oil. Flatten it slightly with the back of a spoon. Brown the latkes on both sides. Remove to a platter lined with paper towels.

4. To re-heat: Place the latkes on a cookie sheet and heat in a 400 degree oven until hot.

Apple-Cranberry Ginger Sauce

This is a beautiful garnet-colored tart applesauce. It is a perfect complement for the crispy latkes. The addition of ginger adds a deep citrus spice flavor that balances the vegetables in the latke.

6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1-cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1/3 cup sugar
1 whole cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons chopped crystallized ginger
½ cup apple cider or juice
Pinch of kosher salt

1. Place all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cook uncovered over medium heat until the cranberries pop. Continue cooking until the excess moisture evaporates. Remove the cinnamon stick and stir to combine. The applesauce may be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to one week or frozen for up to 2 months.

Chef Laura’s Latke-Palooza Variation 1

I was so excited when I wrote this recipe and even more thrilled once I smelled the latkes sizzling away in the pan. This latke variation is so good and savory that you will want to make these all year round. I served them with a slow cooked pot roast and the Apple-Cranberry Ginger Sauce, of course.

1 ½ pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and shredded (after shredding the potatoes, place them in a large bowl with ice water-they won’t oxidize and turn rust colored)
Neutrally flavored oil for frying (I prefer canola)
1 large Spanish onion, peeled and grated
2 medium parsnips, peeled and shredded
1 medium carrot, peeled and shredded
¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1 clove garlic, finely minced
3 egg whites, beaten with a whisk until frothy
3-6 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

1. Place the shredded potatoes, parsnips and carrots in a large clean towel and squeeze out all of the moisture; make sure the vegetables are completely dry.

2. Place all of the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and add the vegetables. Mix all of the ingredients together until thoroughly combined. The mix should be slightly wet and holding together. If not, add a little more flour.

3. Heat a large skillet with 1-½ inches of oil. Drop spoonfuls of latke batter into the oil. Flatten it slightly with the back of a spoon. Brown the latkes on both sides. Remove to a platter lined with paper towels.

4. To re-heat: Place the latkes on a cookie sheet and heat in a 400 degree oven until hot.

The first thing that struck me upon meeting Ari Engel was just how, well, normal he looks (and, I should add, is).  Standing there in jeans, t-shirt and wearing a kippah upstairs in the Venetian Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, I easily could have mistaken him for any guy in town for a bachelor party, who had probably just lost his last $100 on a badly played hand of Blackjack.  He was very much a nice Jewish boy from Chicago, the son of an Orthodox Rabbi.  My mom instincts immediately kicked into high gear.  I offered him something to eat, and asked if he was single, wondering if I knew any nice Jewish girls living in Las Vegas to set him up with.  (I don’t. If you do, email me.)

Of course, that nice Jewish girl would also have to be completely comfortable with the fact that Ari is a professional poker player who gambles at all hours, day and night, risking sums of money that could buy a nice family home along Chicago’s North Shore.  Hmm, this could be hard.

It’s not surprising that Ari blends in to his surroundings.  After all, his unique ability to “fly under the radar” is something you would expect to be a key asset for his ‘job.’  But you might not expect another thing that has also worked to his advantage: wearing a kippah while playing.

“I always wear a kippah when I play,” says Ari, who is religiously observant.  “I get a lot of ‘shaloms’ and yiddish words.  It is interesting how people respond to me as a religious person—it has been my experience that some people don’t think that ‘religious people’ are that smart, and often these people will treat me as if I don’t know the game.  And this works in my favor, although over the years as people have gotten to recognize me, I don’t get that as much.”

Some people might question if there is an inherent conflict between Ari’s religious beliefs and how he makes a living.  But Ari has made peace between his professional and spiritual worlds.

“I’m comfortable with my decision, and with myself,” says Ari.  “I know that it is impossible to reconcile what I do—gambling—100% with my religious beliefs.  But I go about it in a way that reflects favorably on myself...I am very professional.  Frankly, I’d rather play poker ethically than be a shady businessman.  I’m very comfortable in what I do.  And my parents have been very supportive—my dad will even mention me in his sermons.”

Ari’s religious observance has occasionally barred him from participating in poker tournaments—many which span several weeks with no days off, including Shabbat.  This is one of the reasons why Ari has focused much of his playing online, versus playing in the casinos.  He spends 90% of his time gambling online, and only 10% of the time in casinos.  And when in a casino it’s all business—in and out. 

“Casinos hate people like me,” jokes Ari.  “They don’t make hardly anything off me.”

So just how did a nice Jewish boy, a graduate of Skokie Yeshiva, wind up as one of the most successful online poker players?  Well, that’s easy: college.

Ari was introduced to online poker gambling by his freshman year roommate at NYU.  At the time, he didn’t play, but was interested and learned while watching his college roommate.

“During my second year of college, my roommate, Andrew Brown—Browndog19 online—used to play online poker all the time,” says Ari.  “I began to watch him a lot, and for three months I only watched, never played a hand.”

After Ari graduated, he took an entry level job, making just enough to pay the rent and the monthly payments on his six-figure student loan debt.  After “scraping together enough cash,” Ari decided to play online and within six weeks, he had made enough to quit his job and play online full-time. 

“After college graduation, I completely stopped for about two months, barring my weekly $40 home game with college friends,” said Ari.  “During one of those games, two of my friends were raving about a new site where they both made over 1K.  I signed up for Bodog, and 10 days later quit my day job.”

I admit, listening to Ari, I was tempted to quit my job and go ‘all in.’  But before I could break out my credit card, Ari brought me down to earth, warning about the perils of online gambling.

“This is a 90% failure rate,” warns Ari.  “One year I can make well over six-figures, the next year I could lose money.  It’s part skill, and part luck.  I’ve been very lucky.”

Which is one of the reasons why Ari has started a business teaching others how to play.  Warning shameless plug alert: Ari has opened a successful training academy: The Maven VT (www.mavenvt.com).

And even with all his success, Ari is not sure how long he will stay in the online poker world.

“At 26, I’m one of the old guys,” says Ari.  “I don’t see myself doing this for the rest of my life.  The poker world is unstable; eventually I might need to move on.”

Well, shit, if 26 is old, that makes me… oh, forget it.  One final thought: Ari is indeed single, and you can stalk him online at his blogspot: bodogari.blogspot.com

Question: What little girl grows up without owning even one Barbie doll?

Answer: Me.

I was just never that into her— American Girl dolls were always more my thing. (Mom and Dad, I’m still waiting for that American Girl doll you promised me oh, 20 years ago…) So I surprised even myself when I offered to interview author (and full disclosure, Stef’s aunt) Tanya Lee Stone about her new book the Good, the Bad and the Barbie.

While I may never have owned a Barbie doll growing up, Barbie has affected my life, and arguably every other little girl’s life in America, since Ruth Handler introduced her to the world in 1959. Recently, I sat down with Tanya to chat about Barbie the icon, why she wrote a book about such a polarizing figure and whether or not Barbie is Jewish.

Oy!Chicago: What is your background?
Tanya:  I was a children's book editor for a long time, but when we moved to Vermont 14 years ago, I took that opportunity to try my hand at writing professionally. I have always written, and was an English major at Oberlin. That, combined with my editorial experience, made for a nice transition into a writing life. I have been steadily publishing books for kids and older readers for more than a decade now.

How did you come up with the idea to write a book about Barbie?
I was thinking about icons in our culture and how they come to be. Around the same time, the editor of my book Up Close: Ella Fitzgerald (Viking) had asked me to think about doing another book in that series. When I thought about the criteria for the series—an American icon, 20th century figure, someone that kids would know...I thought Barbie fit the bill pretty well. She laughed, but when I told her I was serious and that there was a really interesting back story there about the woman who invented Barbie and all kinds of meat to get into in terms of topics related to the doll, she realized I was on to something!

As a self-proclaimed feminist writer, why write a book about such a polarizing and some would say anti-feminist figure?
Things that are polarizing are always interesting and thought-provoking, otherwise they wouldn't be controversial. I like to dig underneath and find out where the controversy is coming from in the first place. What's the back story, the origin of the invention, the context of the inventor—why did a woman invent Barbie, and why this woman—this Jewish entrepreneur, Ruth Handler? I was never a Barbie girl, but that is not because the doll struck an angry chord in me. I was just too much of a tomboy to be interested in dolls. And I always thought it was interesting that people could be so up in arms about a bit of plastic. I wanted to explore why a plastic doll could be so vilified and thought of as anti-feminist. What lies beneath such strong feelings? The little I knew about Ruth Handler did not fit in with the urban myth that Barbie was created to make girls feel badly about themselves. I wanted to examine Barbie's beginnings and see for myself what all the fuss was about. 

Do you think Ruth Handler realized she was creating such a powerful icon?
I suspect she had a pretty good idea, and it was certainly her intention to create something spectacular for her company, but she may not have realized the full extent of what Barbie would become, and how influential she would be. Ruth was a very powerful person in her own right. Her picture should be next to the word chutzpah in the urban dictionary.

Why do you think Barbie is such an icon?
I think that Ruth's original intention—to create an attractive yet malleable fashion doll that little girls could pin their hopes and dreams on, and let their imaginations soar—is still at the root of why the doll appeals to kids. Even though Barbie's face and outfits have morphed and changed, she is actually still kind of bland-looking, if you ask me. And that's what Ruth was going for. I don't know, maybe it's the Jewish perspective of both Ruth's and mine, but I find the more ethnic-looking dolls much more interesting and appealing than the regular blonde Barbie with the perky nose. And honestly, I think that's how Ruth saw her, as a kind of blank slate on which girls could impose themselves. 

What do you think Barbie says about our culture?
Well, I think the consumerism Barbie triggers is the part that bothers me the most about our culture. It's not enough to have one Barbie, is it? The materialistic machine is in full gear here, driving the desire for kids to collect more and more and more and more. It's not really about the doll itself, it's about the accessories—all that stuff. I think that says a lot about our culture.

I found the chapter about Barbie as art particularly interesting, what do you think it is about Barbie that inspires artists?
I loved researching that chapter! I was amazed at how many different ways artists manipulated the doll and how she inspires a variety of artists to rethink what she means to them. I think artists are drawn to playing with the stereotypes about women and body image, and re-shaping them to fit their own visions. It's a creative and powerful way to make a statement about feminism, culture, icons...the list is long. And she most definitely brings out the mischievous side in artists. "You want me to play with Barbie? Oh, I'll play with Barbie!"

Is Barbie Jewish or Jew-ish?
Ha! Well, since both of her parents were Jewish, I think she qualifies as Jewish—but I don't think she's very Jew-ish!

Were you surprised by all of the responses you got from people about Barbie? Did it change the direction of your book? Overall, did you find people to be more pro- or anti-Barbie?
I was surprised by the sheer volume of responses I got—probably about 500 emails within a couple of months. For a nonfiction book request, that's a lot! But I think what startled me most of all was the near even split down the middle between love and hate. Passionate responses from both sides of the fence, but even within age groups, the anti or pro was spread evenly. I had 16-year-old girls write and tell me that Barbie never made them feel badly about their bodies, and 16-year-old girls who said they could never live up to the perfection and that it damaged them. And stories came in from people ages 6-70 and from both genders, so I think the 50/50 element was the most surprising of all.

Is there anything else you’d like to say to our Oy!Chicago readers?
I personally took great pleasure in learning that one of the biggest toy giants in the world was founded by a newly married Jewish couple who simply wanted to create their life the way they saw fit. He was an artist, she was a savvy entrepreneur with no lack of confidence whatsoever. She looked at his creations and said (paraphrasing)—those are beautiful and I can sell them. And voila—a toy giant was born. I also love the fact that Ruth never apologized for who she was. She was certainly aware of criticisms of the doll but always stood her ground. She knew her intentions, she knew her goals, she knew what she wanted girls to take from Barbie. Agree or disagree with her, Ruth Handler was one strong woman who shaped her own life and continued to until the day she died.

Photo credit: Robert Kusel

&*#$@*!

What happens at the Big Event stays at the Big Event.

To invoke an overused, yet fitting phrase in this case, those words came to mind while watching comedian/writer/actress Sarah Silverman perform her funny, crass, and sometimes controversial stand-up act on Saturday night at the JUF’s Young Leadership Division’s (YLD) third annual Big Event, held at the Sheraton Chicago. And it really was a “big event.” Launching YLD’s 2011 Campaign, YLD’s Big Event drew more than 1,500 people, making it the single largest YLD event in history.

In her detached, little-girl voice persona, Silverman—consistent with her usual social commentary-brand of humor—tackled taboo subjects like stereotypes, mocking her fellow members of the tribe, Jewish persecution, racism, sexism, and other touchy isms.

Her act makes my task of summarizing her routine for readers an arduous one.

‘Maybe I can write “bleep” or “&*#$@*!” every time Silverman utters something too racy for JUF News publication,’ I thought to myself cartoon bubble-style during a raunchy song she sang during her act.

But then, I figured, every other word would be &*#$@*!

So, instead of relaying every detail of her act, I forewarn you that there might be a few holes in my story.

While the crowd roared during most of her act, Silverman broke the fourth wall between her and the audience when one of her jokes on the subject of stereotypes fell flat. She analyzed the inner-workings of her shtick, explaining why she broaches taboo subjects in her act. “I like to take the air, the power out of words,” she said.

In contrast with the crowd of young Jews in festive attire, the beautiful comedian was clad in her usual casual sportswear, a hoodie, and a messy ponytail, making her look like she’d just gotten off the elliptical machine. Yet that didn’t stop a large contingent of my male friends in the audience from declaring their huge crushes on the comedian.

Her Torah portion would have been off the charts
“Is anyone here Jewish?” Silverman asked the humongous crowd of young Jews at the event.

The youngest of four daughters (including Silverman’s sister, who is a rabbi living in Jerusalem), Silverman grew up in a non-Jewish neighborhood of New Hampshire in a non-observant Jewish household. “I never really felt any different from my [non-Jewish] friends other than being coated in hair,” Silverman said. “I never had a bat mitzvah,” divulged the comedian, “but if I did, my Torah portion would have been off the charts.”

Silverman jokes lovingly about her divorced parents in both her recent autobiography “The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee” (HarperCollins Publishers) and in her act. The best advice she ever got, she told the crowd, came from her mother after Silverman was heartbroken over a breakup. “Don’t let this keep you from falling in love because it’s worth the pain of taking the chance to have love,” her mother told her. “It’s not funny,” Silverman told the crowd, “but it’s true.”

Single and 39, Silverman says she doesn’t want to get married, but she does hope to find love. She also broached wanting to have children someday after her “whimsical” days are over. She said she’s considered adoption and surrogacy. “I feel like I’m so busy and so popular that I would probably have a surrogate have my baby,” she said. “And I’m so busy and so popular that I would probably have a surrogate raise my baby.”

“Are you guys having a good time?” she asked the crowd midway through the show. “I know I’m fishing but…you have a long night ahead. I don’t know how you do it. I have to get home and watch Law and Order immediately…I can’t go to sleep without a rape and murder.”  

At one point in the show, someone heckled Silverman from the audience. “When people yell out,” she said, “I just want to hold them and hug them and tell them ‘it’s okay.’”

Scrabble points
Following her standup, Silverman answered questions in a Q and A format with Brad Morris—a Jewish comedian, actor, and writer originally from Chicago, who has performed at Second City. She also answered questions e-mailed earlier in the week to YLD and from the audience directly.

When asked why so many Jews perform comedy, she replied, “We become funny at a young age because we need to be. It’s a Jewish survival skill.”

Then, Morris read an e-mail from a young Jewish woman. “You don’t want to get married…Why shouldn’t I get married?” “It’s just not my cup of tea,” said Silverman. “…You have to decide what makes you happy…I also don’t personally want to get married because not everyone can. It’s like joining a club that doesn’t allow Jews or Blacks.”

Morris closed the evening with a pressing question, asking the comedian which word she’s more partial to—schmuck or putz. “Schmuck is in my life more,” she said, “but putz is a great scrabble word.”
 
Thank you to YLD’s Big Event Supporting Sponsors Eleven City Diner, CAR Leasing, Inc., Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, and Event Sponsor Steve’s Deli.

You all remember her. The cute little New York Jewish girl was on all of our television screens when we were children. She sang songs, and became one of our favorite characters. You know exactly who I’m talking about.

Lamb Chop.

This sock puppet sheep rose to fame with Shari Lewis, her puppeteer, and was a fixture in most households with young children. In 1998, however, tragedy struck, and Shari died of viral pneumonia at age 65 while undergoing treatment for uterine cancer. It seemed as if Lamb Chop could also be gone for good. And then came Mallory Lewis.

Mallory, daughter of Shari, took over her mother’s legacy and brought Lamb Chop back to the spotlight, performing at state fairs all over the country. While flying through Chicago, in between state fairs and doing a television segment for WGN, Mallory sat down with Oy!Chicago, and gave us some insight into her life as Shari’s daughter, Lamb Chop’s sister, military enthusiast, and skydiving extraordinaire.

Oy!Chicago: So tell me a little about yourself.
Mallory Lewis: My name is Mallory Lewis, I’m a Cancer and I like long walks on the beach…I went to Beverly Hills High School, yes, 90210! And then I went to Barnard College Columbia University. I majored in anthropology, “the study of man!” It has had nothing to do with my life today at all in the slightest! I chose anthropology because I was always interested in evolution but also because at the end of my sophomore year I had the most classes in that. So that worked out.

And what did you do after college?
After college I started out being the eastern regional sales manager for New World Pictures Home Video. This was back in the days when home video first came out, when the choice was beta as the format or VHS. And then I went on to work for RCA Columbia Pictures, and then freelancing with some smaller companies. I moved to Los Angeles, back home, and then I worked in publicity, which most young, talkative, Jewish girls do at some point! And then I started writing. Now I had actually been writing for my mom [Shari Lewis] since I was about 12. And then I started writing for her TV series and Lamp Chop’s Play Along, and then became the producer on that and Charlie Horse Mystic Pizza, and all of the specials. And while I was doing that I started skydiving, for fun, and I met my husband there, and we have an 11-year-old son named James Abraham Tarcher Hood. And when my mom died I started performing with Lamb Chop. So that’s sort of what happened in the last 20 some odd years.

How was it growing up with Lamb Chop?
It was great growing up with Lamb Chop. Mom was very smart and I can only do what I do today because I watched her do it. Because the biggest part of what I do is not the performing although that seems like the biggest part. The biggest part is knowing how to get to the studio on time for a 6am taping, how to deal with the people backstage, deal with agents, deal with the public, deal with very nice interviewers sitting across the table from you who even when they smile don’t have any wrinkles which is kind of irritating! You know my mom led by example, and she really set a very good example for how to be Shari Lewis, I guess would be the way to describe it. She was a good mom, she was fun.

One of the main reasons I started doing Lamb Chop was because I was pregnant when my mom died and I didn’t know how to be a mother without Lamb Chop in my life. And by that I mean my son has had an hour in an F-18 simulator at Miramar Naval Base, he travels to state fairs with me, he has been all around the world because being Lamb Chop’s kid is a great, fun thing to be. And so I couldn’t let that die out of my life and I certainly couldn’t let him not have that specialness in his life.

And how was it growing up with Shari Lewis as your mother?
It was great having Mom as a mom. I didn’t learn as much from her as I should have when I was younger. It wasn’t until I had to be her that I understood the lessons that she was trying to teach me. She used to say things like, “The day begins the night before.” Okay, well that made me want to barf. You know, I was just a normal teenager. But what she meant was, I had a 5:30 wakeup this morning and I was lights out by 9:30 last night because the day begins the night before. I had my clothes laid out, I was ready and I was organized. She set an amazing example on the sets; she was the first one there and the last one to leave. Always. And she and I actually used to have a little contest to see who could get to the set first until finally my producing partner got us both sitting down and goes, “That’s it you two! You’ve made the Kraft Service girl cry three days in a row because you’re here before her! And she can’t get here fast enough!” So she just set a good example and as a mom now, I realize how difficult the number of choices she had to make were. Because you can’t have it all at the same time. Absolutely can’t. I’m so glad that I did not get a TV show with Lamb Chop, which I had been trying for when my son was little, because I wouldn’t have been as good a mom. I wouldn’t have been there. Now my son is older, now my son comes with me. He understands and I had the chance to mold his little self.

When in your life did you realize just how famous Lamb Chop was?
When did I realize how big Lamb Chop was? Well, Mom was off the TV for the sort of crucial five years of my generation. The 4-9, you know when things make an impression on you. And I went to Beverly High, I was at school with huge stars’ kids, so it didn’t feel that big. It felt bigger when we were on the road. Because outside of Los Angeles, you know, in Malibu I don’t feel slim, but when I travel the rest of the country I’m like, “Wow, I am skinny!” But when you live in the shiny bubble, you don’t feel particularly shiny. It’s only when you get out of the shiny bubble that you’re like, “Wow, look at that! I sparkle!” So what’s really sweet is now I do a huge amount of work for the USO and for the troops. And the troops are all 18-30—which is the key pocket for Mom right now because of Lamb Chop’s Play Along. And it’s so nice for me because I have no pretentions that it’s me, I mean it’s this wonderful and amazing character. And so whenever I’m autographing I usually just do Lamb Chop’s autograph which is her little face, and people say, “Oh, aren’t you going to sign your name?” and I’m like, “Oh! Okay!” And sometimes people will call me Shari by mistake and then they’ll go, “Oh, I’m so sorry!” And I’m like, okay, I’ve dyed my hair red, the puppet’s on my hand, I have false eyelashes glued to my face, really, you think I’m going to be offended by that? It’s the ultimate compliment. It’s not like they called me Hitler!

So there are no feelings of competition between Lamb Chop’s character/fame and you?
I don’t know, I’m just not competitive with a sock. But also, she’s mine, so why would I be competitive with her? I’m proud of her! Someone once met me at the airport with a big sign that said Lamb Chop, you know a car company, and the guy goes, “Sorry, is this okay that the sign says Lamb Chop?” And I said, well as long as I don’t have to ride in the trunk then I’m good with it! She’s the one in the trunk! I’m comfortable.

And when did you decide to continue on with Lamb Chop’s performances?
I decided to keep Lamb Chop’s legacy alive. When my mom died I was eight weeks pregnant and I spent most of my pregnancy and most of the first six months of his life accepting posthumous awards for my mom. Until one day my husband looked at me and said, “Sweetie we cannot make a living of this so either go back to producing or put the puppet on.” And so I did. And the first thing she said was at a charity event run by Pat Proft (who wrote Airplane and stuff like that). I put her in the podium because I didn’t want to commit to doing it, and I put her on and just said “Shari would be so proud.” And then in the audience there was silence and then a gasp and then a round of applause. And I thought, okay, I can do this. And then I started by doing like two minutes, a three-minute routine, a five-minute routine, and seven-minute routine, you know I just had to build a routine. Because even though I knew how to do the puppet I didn’t know any material. So that’s the how and when I started.

So how did you figure out the material for the routine?
I was always Lamb Chop’s head writer.  So some of it was mom’s material, more in the beginning—because Lamb Chop is Mom’s daughter, she’s my sister. So now it’s a very different relationship. She has absolutely no respect for me whatsoever.

So what do you do differently with Lamb Chop than what your mother did?
The one thing that I do differently than my mom is that I always have children onstage with me. My mom was an extremely good performer. She was incredibly precise. She ran a much tighter show than I do. She didn’t mess around, I guess. I happen to be a very loose performer. I love having kids onstage. There’s just nothing cuter than a little two-year-old. I once had a little girl who was sitting on my lap onstage after a number, and she holds up this little red bag and goes, “I have a puhse!” I said, “Oh really? What’s in your ‘puhse?’” and the audience starts to laugh immediately, and she goes “Whipstick!” and she holds up a lipstick. And then she goes, “And I don’t know what this is, my mommy gave it to me.” And she holds up a tampon. So the audience starts to roar with laughter, and I go, “Well you can ask mommy about that, here she comes! She’s the one with the really red face!” So I love playing with the kids onstage. So I do that differently than my mom.

What is your favorite part of working with Lamb Chop?
My favorite part of working with Lamb Chop is the USO stuff. It is the most amazing honor to be able to work with the troops. They are all Play Along kids and I had a really emotional experience happen at a fair. There was this very tall guy who came to the autographing. He said that during one of the really bad firefights the guys had started singing the song that doesn’t end, and they didn’t let it stop until they had won. And they sang for four hours, like different people would be singing. And I was told that also by a colonel, and he said that when the guys were on point they were scared. And they would sing, “This is the war that doesn’t end.” So my greatest joy is to do things for the military and their families. That is unbelievable. But it’s just all the love that people give me. It is just like a giant massage, it’s so nice.

Did you ever envision Lamb Chop reaching so many different people, like the troops and their families?
I always knew Lamb Chop had a million ways of reaching people. Because I worked as my mom’s producer, I saw it all. Mom was extremely focused on what she was doing. She never did USO work though—at least not as far as I know—and I feel so sorry for her that she missed that. Because that’s an aspect that it’s just unbelievable, because when you live in the world of “Oh my latte’s too cold!” and then you go to see people who, you know, we have a volunteer military! These are not people being forced to give up their lives and their families’ lives to protect our country, they are doing it because they really believe, even if they don’t believe in the war, even if they don’t believe in the Commander in Chief, it doesn’t matter. They believe in the republic. And they believe that they have a responsibility to protect it. It is so humbling being with members of the military.