Jewish Deaf Tidbits
Conflicts With Jewish Holidays
Deaf organizations still continue to schedule their events that conflict with Jewish Holidays... Passover falls on Friday evening, April 10th this year. We know of two events, so far, that interfere with Jewish people who are involved in these events and may miss their family or community seders:
- Deaf West Theatre in Los Angeles, CA starts ROMEO and JULIET; Circus Verona on April 2 - May 10.
- Chicago's Victory Gardens Theatre will be doing a full Equity production of Stephen Sachs' SWEET NOTHING IN MY EAR opening on April 4 through May 24.
- New Jersey Deaf Awareness Week, Inc. had planned to host their next DEAF FEST on September 12, 1999 which is during Yom Kippur. This has been brought to President Phil Jacob's attention and they are investigating how this happened.
Jewish Deaf Actors
The popular theater production of 'Sweet Nothing In My Ear' will be coming to Chicago. Liz Tannebaum-Greco will star as "Laura" . It will run from April 4 through May 24th at Victory Gardens Theatre.
Jackie Roth, of New York City, is currently starring in Deaf West Theater's production in Los Angeles, CA. She plays the role of "Rosannah DeLuce" in the play 'Brilliant Traces'.
Roxanne Baker of Portland, ME participated in New Theatre's annual 'NeWorks' in Boston, MA where she presented 'My Hands Remember' at the Boston Center for the Arts on January 24 and 25th. This play was based on the life of Rose Steinberg Feld Rosman. Baker played the role of "Rose", an actual Holocaust survivor.
Wolk Center
The National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) recently received a commitment of $250,000 from the Louis S. and Molly B. Wolk Foundation. This grant, which will be spread over five years, will be used to establish a scholarship fund "to support deserving deaf and hard-of-hearing students enrolled at RIT who require financial assistance to complete their program requirements and earn their college degrees." The Wolk Foundation, based in Rochester, has a record of assisting deaf students through the establishment of the Wolk Center for Jewish Cultural Enrichment for the Deaf at RIT. NTID is part of the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). "The continued involvement of the Wolk Foundation in assuring the success of deaf and hard-of-hearing students in college through scholarship assistance addresses our top priority in meeting the needs of our students. We are deeply grateful for their support," says Dr. Robert Davila, RIT vice president for NTID. JDCC has learned that Melinda Weinrib of New York has been hired as program director.
Ten Inducted In JDC Hall of Fame
Jewish Deaf Congress (JDC), the new name for the National Congress of Jewish Deaf, has announced the following people will be inducted to the JDC Hall of Fame during the 22nd NCJD/JDC convention at Universal City, CA on August 14, 1998: Rabbi Fred Friedman, Shirley Lerner and Ben Estrin (deceased) for the Religion Category; Myron Goldman, Richard Myers and Lawrence Yolles (both deceased) under the General Leadership category; Martin Florsheim and Lee Brody (deceased) for the Professional Category, and Richard Balk & Ronald Stern for Sports. JDCC News wishes them Mazel Tov!
Keynote Speaker At Upcoming JDC Convention
Temple Beth Solomon of the Deaf (TBS), host of the JDC Convention, has announced that Alan Abarbanell of Chicago, IL will be the keynote speaker at the Convention. Abarbanell, 35, is the hearing son of deaf parents. He studied for four years at Hebrew Seminary of the Deaf (HSD) and one year at Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York. He is currently exploring options to formally complete his studies. He is also the student rabbi for Hebrew Association of the Deaf and Temple Beth Or of the Deaf, both in New York. Alan uses his unique brand of storytelling and fluency in sign language to weave the history and traditions of Judaism into a living tapestry for the Jewish Deaf Community. This 22nd biennial Jewish Deaf Congress convention takes place at the Sheraton Universal Hotel in Universal City, CA on August 11-15, 1998. The theme is 'Being Jewish in the 21st Century, Our Heritage, Our Future'. JDC organizers say this six-day gathering will include religious, educational and recreational activities for families, youth, singles and senior citizens. Friday night Sabbath Dinner and a Grand Ball on Saturday night conclude the festivities. Special programs for children, teens and young adults are planned for August 12-14th. For information, contact Fred Lovitch, chairman at TBS, 13580 Osborne Street, Arleta, CA 91331, TTY: 818/896-6721, Voice: 818/899-2202, FAX: 818/899-2123 or e-mail to flovitch@aol.com
Deaf Hungarians Get Holocaust Restitution
The Associated Press announced on February 12th that a Swiss Fund, 'JOINT Hungary', has disbursed money to 18,000 Jews in Hungary who survived the Holocaust. Among the survivors was one deaf man who told JOINT Hungary director Israel Sela that he would use the money to buy a fax machine since he couldn't use the telephone. About 600,000 of the more than one million Jews living in Hungary before the war were killed in the Holocaust. Currently the Jewish population in Hungary is estimated at 100,000.
Priorities: Gas Mask Vs. Beeper?
Omer Zak shared information about an experiment during the first Gulf War in 1991 when beepers was distributed to deaf persons in order to alert them to take shelter against scud attacks. The experiment was successful and the Israel Association of the Deaf has been lobbying since then to make beepers a part of the civilian defense budget. However, due to budgetary considerations, the government did not include it in their budget. This set off a controversy within the deaf Israeli community when it was announced that the civilian defense command has agreed to issue more expensive gas masks (with blowers) to Ultra-Orthodox Jews so that they do not have to shave off their beards. One person responding to the Jewish-Deaf discussion on the Internet pointed out that the reason the Ultra-Orthodox Jews succeeded in getting the more expensive masks is "because they have the political clout to do so. Since the Deaf Community doesn't, it has a harder time getting what it needs. In the February 5th issue of the Ma'ariv publication, it was written that the inexpensive gas mask costs 350NIS and the more expensive gas mask with a blower costs more than 2000NIS. And the cost of the beeper? Just 430NIS...
Washington, D.C. Temple On The Internet
Eliot Goldberg has announced that Tifereth Israel Congregation in Washington, DC, which has a "Siman Tov" hebrew school program for deaf children and provides an interpreter for holiday services, is currently developing their own web site with information on the Siman Tov program under the 'Education' section. They can be reached at: http://www.tifereth-israel.org/info.html#edu
Milken To Fund National Deaf Education Project
The Milken Family Foundation has agreed to provide funding for the 'National Deaf Education Project', a collaboration of Gallaudet University, National Technical Institute of the Deaf (NTID), National Association of the Deaf (NAD), CEASD, CAID and American Society for Deaf Children (ASDC) to focus on raising educational standards in programs for the deaf.
JHS 47, New York To Have High School?
Martin Florsheim, the school's first deaf principal, outlined ambitious plans in a recent issue of their '47 Alumni News' publication regarding the future of JHS 47. On the agenda: a high school program! Exactly what is JHS 47? In its heyday, this Manhattan day program, had over 600 students enrolled. Some of the most illustrious graduates are Bummy Burstein, the Deaf Parliamentarian, Alexander Fleischman, a long time deaf community leader, Alfred Sonnenstrahl, the former TDI Executive Director and Eugene Hairston, a former top ranking middle weight boxer. JHS 47 has fallen on hard times in recent years, but is on the upswing now. The first three graduates are Jewish. This information was shared by Barry Strassler, editor of Deaf Digest, who is also a 47 proud grad.
New 1999 Calendar
Temple Beth Solomon of the Deaf (TBS) in Arleta, CA has announced that they are putting together a 1999 calendar. Calendar chairperson Elaine Aikins says she is asking all Jewish Deaf Congress (JDC) affiliates around the country to submit any photos from their organizational events or people. "These pictures can be historical or funny or anything you would like." The deadline is May 1st, as they hope to have the calendar ready by the 1998 JDC Convention in August. For information, contact TBS at 13580 Osborne Street, Arleta, CA 91331.
Deaf Singles Registry Changes Address
The Jewish Deaf Singles Registry now has a new address. For those of you using the registry, please update your address book: JSDR, P.O. Box 2005, New York, N.Y. 10159-2005.
Camp Ramah Welcomes Deaf Campers
Marcia Tilchin, director of Camp Ramah in the Poconos is now welcoming applications from Jewish deaf children and adults to participate in the third season of Kesher Family Camp. This program, offered under the Ramah camping movement, is designed to enable Jewish deaf children and adults to begin or further develop their Jewish identities within the format of a family camp program. Two sessions are offered this year from June 24th through July 2nd. For information, contact Camp Ramah in the Poconos, 101 Greenwood Avenue, #290, Jenkintown, PA 19046, voice: 215/885-8556 and e-mail: schapira36@aol.com.
Scholarship To Visit Israel
Elizabeth Stone has been awarded a $1,000 scholarship from the San Diego United Jewish Federation and will be going to Israel for six months. She will write a report on her experiences for JDCC News.