Shalom,

We are certain that you have heard about the Association of the Deaf in Israel at the Helen Keller Center in Tel Aviv. However we wanted to tell you have we now have a web site: www.deaf.org.il in both English and Hebrew where you can find information on many of our activities and projects.

As you know Israel is in a difficult situation primarily due to the Palestinian intifada and the economic turndown. Our Association which shortly will celebrate its 60th anniversary, desperately needs your support in order to keep its doors open and provide services to thousands in the Deaf Community in Israel.

We know that Jews all over the world are looking for ways to help Israel through "Israel Emergency Campaigns" etc, but we are turning to you on a personal level, who are aware of the special problems of the Deaf, in the hope that you can help us with your donations.

For further information on how you can contribute, please contact us. Association of the Deaf in Israel, Helen Keller Center, 13 Yad Lebanim Blvd. Tel Aviv 61090, Israel Tel: 972-3-7303355, Fax: 972-3-7396419 E-mail: deaf-israel @ barak.net.il
 

Ina Merhav, Head of Special Projects

Hi,

Maybe you can help. I moved to Georgia 2 years ago and I was hired at a local school to work with deaf and hard hearing high school students. I had no experience with ASL. I started to take some classes and I fell in love with ASL. However, being Jewish I would like to work with the Jewish Community. There is a big deaf ministry here but it doesn't include Jews. Can you tell me if you know of anything here in Georgia or someone I can contact. Thanking you in advance for your assistance.
 

Karen Frankel
krfvictorian@comcast.net
 

Hi there,

I was (pleasantly) surprised to see your article about me in your last bulletin. You got some minor details mixed up, but the article was essentially correct.

Lauren, my 15 year old daughter wants to take the article to her ASL class at her high school. Who ever thought that ASL would be taught as a language in high schools and colleges as well as be accepted as a "foreign" language for college admission?! Remembering my struggles with French in high school (especially dictation and aural comprehension which is hard enough in English) I would have loved to have been able to take ASL.

Thanks again and a Happy Chanukah (we are recovering from LARGE first night Chanukah party)
 

Frank Hochman
 fphship@aol.com

Dear Editor,

I am writing this to let you know that I could not let the quote in the article, Deaf Woman Studies Kabbalah on page 10 of November/December 2003 issue, go unnoticed. The quote, stating at the end of the article, was "The Deaf are thirsty because there are no deaf educators in (Jewish) religious fields. They just don't exist. know there is a Deaf woman who completed Masters Degree in Jewish Education from Jewish Theological Seminary, is actively involved in doing consultation work regarding the Jewish Deaf community throughout the country. She exists! Moreover, she is co-founder of the Jewish Deaf Resource Center, Inc. in New York City. She is very much alive! I am dismayed with the quote printed in the JDCC News. I believe you wouldn't want to deny the fact that Marla Berkowitz is the first Jewish Deaf with formal education training in Jewish Education in the Conservative movement.

I trust your professionalism and responsibility as an editor of JDCC News that all articles printed are true. I would appreciate it if you could clarify this in your forthcoming issue.
 

Charisse Heine
Gahanna, OH

Editor's response: Unfortunately, that's exactly what Rabbi Goldhamer quoted in his interview that was printed in the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper on August 31st, "Deaf Woman's Rare Path b Rabbi." We hope you will contact him and get his apology for making this quote. We cannot change his quote.
 

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