Jewish Deaf Tidbits
FILM HAS DEAF CHARACTER
Hearing Jewish actor Richard Dreyfuss stars in this film "Mr. Holland's Opus" as Glenn Holland, a music teacher who becomes father of, ironically, a sonwho is deaf. Mr. Holland's Opus will be available on home videotapes on July 2nd with closed captions.
LATEST INDUCTEES TO NCJD HALL OF FAME
Five persons will be formally inducted at the 21st NCJD Convention in Chicago on August 2, 1996: Sally (Sylvia) Auerbach(Religion), Isadore Zisman(Leader), Dr. Martin Sternberg (Professional), Norman Finkelstein and Harry M. Jacobs (Sports). This will be the last convention under the old name 'National Congress of Jewish Deaf' (NCJD), as starting with this convention, the new organization 'Jewish Deaf Congress' (JDC) takes over.
RABBI LEAVES DEAF TEMPLE
Rabbi Miriam Biatch, who had been Rabbi at Temple Beth Solomon of the Deaf in Arleta, Calfornia for the past years leaves on June 30th for another job in Elmira, New York. The TBS Board has hired Rebecca Schorr, a student rabbi on a part-time basis.
NEW HEBREW SOFTWARE
The team of Deborah Potash Brodie, Judaic special educator and Jay W. Brill, adaptive technology specialist at Dor L'Dor Interactive Judaic Software and related products has announced a Fingerspelling program, 'Print-Letters, Vowels, Sounds' available in both MAC and WINDOWS versions which shows the English fingerspelling for Hebrew letters and also pronounces how the letters sound. For information, contact Dor L'Dor at 301/963-9303 Voice, e-mail address is: dor_l_dor@radix.net , or visit their web site at http://www.radix.net/~dor_l_dor/
JEWISH EDUCATION FOR DEAF CHILDREN
Ten deaf Jewish children between 5 to 8 years old are enrolled in the 'Sefat Yad' program at Tifereth Israel Congregation in Washington, D.C. 'Sefat Yad', (Hebrew for language of the hand), gives an opportunity for parents of deaf children to find an appropriate religious schol program for their children. The Board of Jewish Education and the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington helped to make the program possible. An article on the program recently appeared in the December 1995 issue of the Hadassah Magazine.
JEWISH DEAF LIFE SHARED ON PUBLIC RADIO
Rabbi Eliezer Lederfeind, Rabbi Fred Friedman and Rabbi David Edleson recently appeared onNational Public Radio to talk about Jewish worship using the Hebrew language. This broadcast on 'All Things Considered' broadcast on January 2nd. During the show, Rabbi Friedman, a deaf Orthodox rabbi from Baltimore, Maryland shared his experience when in the early 1980's he appeared at a Baltimore synagogue. There were ten men present which would make a minyan possible. However the people continued to wait. He asked what they were waiting for and was told "You're not counted in the minyan." Show reporter John Kalish said that many deaf Jews were anticipating a miracle, that they would be healed when the Messiah arrives.
FREMONT STUDENT CELEBRATES BAT MITZVAH
Marissa Anne Cohen, deaf since she was 18 months old, will sign at her bat mitzvah in August. A resident of Pleasanton, California, Marissa is currently enrolled at the California School for the Deaf in Fremont and likes to study ballet, tap, jazz and hip hop dancing! Her future goal: a carrer in television or film industry. She was one of three children who appeared in an AT&T TV commercial in 1993. She was featured in the Exceptional Parent Magazine in June 1996 as one of the 25 Future Role Models.
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