Jewish Deaf Tidbits |
Rabbi Milton Weinberg, who was the first rabbi of Temple Beth Or of the Deaf, the first New York City congregation for the Deaf, passed away May 12th at Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern,NY according to 'The Journal News'. Weinberg also founded Beth Am Temple in Pearl River and led construction of Beth Am Temple, a reform synagogue, just five years after it was founded. A Philadelphia native, Weinberg was a graduate of City College of New York and Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion in New York.Philadelphia HAD Purchases Community Center
The Philadelphia Hebrew Association of the Deaf, Inc., now in its 92nd year of service, has purchased The Rose Olanoff Community Center. Escrow closed on July 22, 1999. HAD had been leasing the building from the Friends of the Deaf for the past eight years.
Jewish Concert Interpreted
Sternberg's Sign Language CD-ROM 'Hot'
Multimedia 2000 announced on July 30th that The American Sign Language Dictionary v2.0,
available on CDROM, has sold over 100,000 copies! Based on Dr. Martin L.A. Sternberg's
reference book of the same name, it teaches American Sign Language (ASL) in a multimedia
format which is ideal for the movement-based ASL. This approach allows users to see
exactly how each sign is performed rather than relying on graphic representation.
Multimedia 2000's ASL CD-ROM contains video demonstrations and illustrations for over 2600
signs, covering a wide variety of categories and situations. The program also features
learning games, lessons on fingerspelling, and a look at the history of sign language.
Enjoying a rate of growth unusual in the software industry, sales of the ASL CD-ROM have
risen steadily since its release; sales over the first six months of 1999 have outpaced
1998 same-period results by 55%, and total 1999 sales are on target to be over 65% higher
than 1998. Part of this increased popularity can be attributed to the rising profile of
ASL, the fourth most used and fastest growing language in the United States. There has
been substantial growth this decade in the number of state legislatures supporting the
teaching and acceptance of ASL as a foreign language, and as a result ASL is now taught in
many high schools for foreign language credit. In addition, nearly 100 colleges and
universities, including Harvard, Yale, Stanford and two dozen state universities, now
accept ASL in fulfillment of foreign language requirements. Rising social and educational
interest in ASL has greatly contributed to the success of Multimedia 2000's unique and
invaluable program with a suggested retail price of $29.95.
Law Firm Seeks Deaf & Disabled Holocaust Survivors
Karessa Cain with Disability Rights Advocates, a nonprofit law firm
in Oakland, CA is launching the Holocaust Project, an international effort to promote
recognition and understanding of the Holocaust experience of deaf and disabled people.
"I have found that there are many persistent historical myths surrounding the
disability Holocaust experience", Cain says, "For example, most people
erroneously believe that the systematic extermination and exploitation of disabled people
ended well before the end of World War II, or that the numbers involved are small, or that
people with disabilities were not subject to forced labor. Furthermore, this element of
the Holocaust has often been overlooked and forgotten both in restitution measures and in
public remembrance. We hope to reach as many people as possible. If you know of any
Holocaust survivors with disabilities or other persons who may be interested in
participating in our campaign or contributing to our research efforts, they can contact
me". Cain can be reached at Disability Rights Advocates, 449 15th Street, Suite 303,
Oakland, CA 94612-2821, voice: 510/451-8644, TTY: 510/451-8716, FAX: 510/451 -8511 or
small to: general@dralegal.org
New 'Protect Yourself from Missionaries' Pamphlet
Several years ago, Jewish and non-Jewish missionaries attempted
to influence deaf students at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. In an effort to
frustrate these missionaries, David Kastor, Maryland regional representative for Our Way,
organized a group with help from Jews for Judaism in Maryland to challenge this group. Now
Kastor has written a pamphlet 'How to Protect Yourself from Christian
Missionaries'. Copies of this 16-page booklet is now available for $3.99 each through Our
WAY, 333 Seventh Avenue, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10001.
Larry Greenbaum and Cassia Margolis has informed JDCC News that, with the help of Beatrice Pfaff an ASL instructor at Vincennes University, they have produced a videotape on PURIM. This tape, signed in ASL, was funded by Jack and Charlotte Line of Indianapolis, IN. Free copies of the tape is available by contacting Larry Greenbaum and Cassia Margolis at 629 Golf Lane, Indianapolis, IN 46260. Jewish Mother Of Deaf Finds A Way For Son
Sharyn Perlman with
Orthodox Union says that it is because of Libby Chernoff of Buffalo Grove, IL, mother of a
15 year old son Daniel who is deaf, that the Our Way National Convention took place in
Chicago, IL on June 36th. Our Way is sponsored by the National Jewish Council for the
Disabled (NJCD), an agency of the Orthodox Union (OU). Chernoff is determined to create
religious opportunities for her son, Daniel who attends Twin Groves Junior High because
the local Jewish Day Schools cannot afford to pay for full-time interpreters. What does
she do? She hires a religious studies tutor and sends Daniel to a Sunday school and a
religious summer camp for the deaf. She says that Our Way is a "religious
lifesaver" for Daniel who has attended Our Way conventions since he was 4 years old.
"Most people just don't understand deafness", Chernoff explains, "The
ignorance is exacerbated because the Jewish hearing community generally has little or no
relationship with the Jewish deaf community..
Jewish CODA To Perform At Event CODA Bonnie Kraft will present a one-woman show 'Tomorrow my Father will Still be Deaf' at Teachers College Horace Mann auditorium on Saturday Oct 23rd from 7 to 10 pm. Following the presentation will be a panel discussion of CODAs (Children of Deaf Adults) regarding their experiences of growing up in a Deaf family. Some panelists are hearing and some Deaf. TBS Property Sale Falls Through
Joe Slotnick, president of Temple Beth Solomon (TBS) in Arleta, CA has announced that an initial offer made for their Arleta property Has fizzled out and so is now 'past history'. In its place we have recently signed a contract with the Agua Viva Ministries to rent space to them. It is a month-to-month contract which will hopefully help us be able to maintain our buildings and continue for some time. In the meantime, people continue to come in and look at the property, as the premises are still listed 'for sale'. And we also have other parties that are interested in renting in time slots other than those we need for ourselves and Agua Viva."
HIGH HOLIDAY SERVICES ACROSS THE COUNTRY
Rabbi David Edleson will lead High Holiday Services at New York HAD this year, replacing Alan Abarbanell. Service will be held on September 11, 1999 with Luncheon. Yom Kippur Services will take place on September 20, 1999. For information, contact Sally Auerbach, #4G, 4331 45th Street, Sunnyside, NY 11104.
Scranton, PA
Temple Hesed, a Reform (UAHC affiliated) congregation in Scranton, PA
will have its High Holy day services interpreted in ASL by Amine Weiss. Services will be
held at 8 pm during the evenings of Rosh Hashanah and Kol Nidre, and at 10 am on the day
of the Holy Days (one day only for Rosh Hashanah). Membership is normally required for
admission on the High Holy Days but seating is family style-- first come, first served. A
member of any other Temple is welcome receive tickets provided they have a letter sent
from their home Temple to us. For more information on arrangements for Jewish Deaf persons
who are not affiliated with any congregation please contact Barbara Graham, President of
Temple Hesed at bjgraham@epix.net
Visit the Temple Hesed website at: http://www.ncx.com/wwi/hesed/
The Philadelphia Hebrew Association of the Deaf, Inc. will have interpreted High Holiday services at Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel in Elkins Park on Saturday, September 11th at 11 am and Monday, September 20th at 10:30 am. Both services will be led by Rabbi David Maharam along with interpreter, Lore Rosenthal. Annual Break-the-Fast (Variety Smoked Fish Buffet) will be held at Rose Olanoff Community Center on Monday, September 20th at 6 pm. Please contact Robert Katz at 215338-2491 or E-mail at Katzbob@aol.com for more details. NTID/Rochester, NY
Rabbinical student David Kay will lead High Holiday services to students at National Technical Institute of the Deaf (NTID) at Rochester Institute of Technology (NTID) in voice and sign. They welcome students, faculty, staff, and community members are welcome and encouraged to participate. A full schedule of services will be held both days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur at the Interfaith Chapel. For information, contact the RIT Hillel Director or David Kay at dakay@jtsa.edu Manhattan, NY
Manhattan's Young Adult Jewish Deaf (MYAJD), an affiliate of The Jewish Deaf Resource Center, Inc., (JDRC), Congregation B'nai Jeshurun (BJ) will be providing ASL Interpreted Spiritual Services. The schedule is as follows: Erev Rosh Hashanah- Friday, September 10th from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, Saturday September 11th from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm, Sunday September 12th from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm, Kol Nidre on Sunday, September 19th from 6:15 to 9:30 pm, Yom Kippur (Yizkor) on Monday, September 20th from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm, Story of Jonah/Havdalah on Monday, September 20 from 4:30 to 7:30 pm. Services will be held at Congregation B'Nai Jeshurun, 96th Street & Central Park West. Entrance cards are needed to attend and all seats must be reserved by September 3rd. For information, contact Marla Berkowitz at mcbnyc@aol.com, 212/452-2766 FAX or 212/3969672 TTY.
Florida
Jewish Community Center Association of the Deaf will have High Holy
Day services at Temple Emanu-EI, 3245 West Oakland Park Boulevard, Lauderdale Lakes, FL as
follows: Rosh Hashana service on September 11th at 10:30 am and Yom Kippur service on
September 20th at 10:30 am. For information, e-mail to Defbrownie@aol.com
A reform congregation in Belmont, MA is providing interpreted services for Erev Rosh Hashanah on Friday, September 10th at 7 pm, Kol Nidre on Sunday, September 19th at 7:00 pm, Erev Sukkot on Friday, September 24th at 7:00 pm and Simchat Tora on Friday, October 1st at 7:00 pm. The following Shabbat services will be interpreted: October 15th, November 19th, December 17th, January 21, February 18, March 17th, April 21st, May 19th and June 16th. More information on their congregation is available on the web at http://uahc.org/ma/betc