Review of 'Last of the Red Hot Mamas'

Sophie Tucker was one of the queens of show business. With a career that spanned several decades, styles of music, and deeply impacted the likes of Bette Middler, even those of us unfamiliar with Tucker, have likely been impacted by her contributions. When I heard that the New Jewish Theatre was performing a show entitled "Last of the Red Hot Mama's", I figured it would be worth learning more about.
It turns out that everything about Sophie Tucker was large. Her personality, her voice, and apparently, her libido. The NJT's take on her definitely got the first two parts of this equation right. The cast were all solid, particularly the three actresses playing Sophie throughout her life. Each brought a great deal of talent and passion, and songs like 'My Yiddishe Momma' were filled with emotion. The new theater at the Staenberg JCC has top quality lighting, while maintaining an rather intimate feel. A few lines were lost when actors were facing away from us, but in general, being up close to the action was worth it.

The story largely follows the life of Sophie Tucker from young immigrant, working in her parents restaurant, through her career starting off in tin pan alley, to her ascent as an international sensation. The story weaves in songs from the period to help tell the story, as well as to provide background into the sounds of the times.

I can certainly see my grandparents getting nostalgic at the performance. Which brings me to a criticism of the show. Sophie Tucker's performance and persona drew greatly from the risque and often relatively explicit content, hence the name 'Red Hot Mama'. With the exception of a few lines of dialogue, well into the second half of the show, there was little attention given to this aspect of Sophie Tucker.

Overall, the show was well produced and performed. If you are thinking about checking it out, stay tuned for details about a special performance (and price) for young adults. You can also check out dates and prices here.
Read More......

Chappy Hannukah

So the weather has suddenly caught up with the calendar, and just in time, the festival of lights shows up. So, maybe it is worth explaining, just what is this Hanukkah anyways, and why does it have a whole station on Sirius/XM
For many Jews, particularly in America, Hannukah is basically our answer to Christmas ('instead of one day of presents, we have eight crazy nights!'). Except that it isn't, at all. For one, the holiday predates Jesus (and therefore, his birthday), and also, despite being a pretty common story (they tried to kill us and keep us from being Jews, we survived, let's eat), Hannukah is actually a pretty minor Jewish holiday.

Ok, so what is this all about? So, you probably know about Mattityahu (Hasidic Rapper Mattisyahu's namesake), and his son Judah, who revolted against the Syrian king Antiochus after the king sacked Jerusalem, spoiled the temple and effectively outlawed the practice of Judaism.

Maybe you heard that the revolt was successful and the Maccabees pushed the Syrians out of Jerusalem and rededicated the temple. And, I'm guessing that you knew that there was only enough oil to burn for one day, but miraculously, it burned for eight (which was the amount of time it took to harvest, crush, and processes more oil).

But you probably didn't know much about the mystical dimension of an eight day festival. Check it:

It has also been noted that the number eight has special significance in Jewish theology, as representing transcendence and the Jewish People's special role in human history. Seven is the number of days of creation, that is, of completion of the material cosmos, and also of the classical planets. Eight, being one step beyond seven, represents the Infinite. Hence, the Eighth Day of the Assembly festival, mentioned above, is according to Jewish Law a festival for Jews only (unlike Sukkot, when all peoples were welcome in Jerusalem). Similarly, the rite of brit milah (circumcision), which brings a Jewish male into God's Covenant, is performed on the eighth day. Hence, Hanukkah's eight days (in celebration of monotheism over Hellenistic humanism) have symbolic importance for practicing Jews.

Great, but where did all this music come from? Why is Hannukah probably the second most celebrated Jewish holiday in the US other than Passover? Probably because it is fun. I mean, you get to eat fried foods, you get chocolate coins for acting like a kid and spinning a top, and in a lot of families, you get presents.

Particularly in a country like ours, where people trample each other for Black Friday sales, and brag about their holiday present haul, its hard to not want to keep up with the Smith's, right?

Well, either way, here's to eight bright (and crazy) nights! Hannukah Sameach

Read More......

Friendsgiving

Last night, at a cozy house in Dogtown, a number of St. Louis' funkiest musicians came together for an event known as Friendsgiving.
Friendsgiving, at its simplest, is a potlock jam session, where participants bring a dish or an instrument and eat and play well into the night.

Organized and hosted by KDHX's Andy Coco, who plays in numerous St. Louis bands (Gumbohead, Dogtown All-stars, Hot Karl), the evening brought together some great people, food, and music.

Check out two of the Jams below. Apologies for the video quality, this was taken with a mobile phone.





Read More......

Moishe House St. Louis Gets Recognition

The St. Louis Moishe House has done it again, winning Moishe House's House of the Month award. This award, which highlights one of the 33 houses across the world, recognizes the work that the newest combination of residents have done.

In the month of October, MHSTL hosted events for Simchat Torah, Shabbat dinners, attended screenings of an Israeli film, Lebanon, held current event discussions, and a social action Halloween program.

The St. Louis house, which was founded in 2008, is currently located in Richmond Heights. To learn more about the group, check them out here and on facebook, here. Read More......

Sklar Brothers Bring The NSFW, Young Adults Dig It

This past Saturday night at a ballroom at the Sheraton in Clayton, comedy duo, the Sklar Brothers, unleashed their humor on the Young Professionals of the Jewish community.

The event, organized to celebrate the end of the 2010 Federation annual campaign, brought together around 300 young adults (and some not so young) to laugh at the unique tag-team style of the St. Louis natives.

The brothers, known for their work on HBO and elsewhere joked about everything from growing up thinking they were poor, to problems buying the story of the original "Karate Kid" and brought some refreshing vulgarity to a world of Jewish events often known for being rated PG.

Although the language was at times gratifyingly crude, the controversy from the evening came from a decidedly different place: the cost.

The cost of the event, $15, could only be paid once a minimum $52 contribution had been made to the Federation. That brings the cost for two to over $80. In fairness, the donation goes towards the Federation's support of basic social services, agencies, advocacy, and sexier things like Next Dor and Moishe House. Last year, the minimum donation was $100, pointed out the YPD staff person, and truly, for those of us to earn an income a dollar a week isn't really a lot to ask.

But what about all of the graduate students, new arrivals and unemployed young adults living here? Many of them aren't particularly situated here in St. Louis, have little affiliation with the city or the Federation, and tend to simply not have a lot of spare cash. For several friends, they found the required donation distasteful and a turnoff. They felt disenfranchised and saw the whole thing as a reassertion that Federation sees them only as the contents of their pocketbooks.

In my opinion, the whole issue comes down to one of communication, and might have been avoided by a slightly different marketing campaign. A casual perusal through the promotional materials will show that the impetus of the event was communicated in a way that led to a bit of confusion. Many people don't understand what the campaign is and so saying that the event celebrates its close didn't help to disambiguate. Instead, the materials could have pointed out that as a thank you to all of those who enabled Federation to continue its important work in the community with a minimum donation of $52, an event was being organized with famous comedians, candy, and an open bar for $15, which is not a bad deal. From there, communicating that it is not too late to take advantage of the event by making the minimum donation is relatively easy. That clarifies the purpose of the event, the reason for the minimum donation, and includes a call to action to inspire those stragglers to donate.

In the end, I was able, through some finagling (and a larger than minimum donation), to ensure that a friend of mine who couldn't afford it, but loves the Sklar brothers, was able to attend. The event was well produced and put together, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. It was certainly a success, but even from successes, one can draw lessons from the tensions along the way.
Read More......

St. Louis Young Adults Make Waves in NYC

This story is reposted from Jewishinstlouis.org and can be found here

When the St. Louis Next Dor delegates spoke at a Synagogue3000 Conference in New York City recently before 176 attendees representing 53 congregations across the country, everyone listened with rapt attention. The four 20-somethings representing St. Louis - David Elias, Aliza Haber, Ariel Lyons-Warren and Yoni Sarason - were the youngest group of presenters addressing one of the most important issues facing our Jewish community – how to engage young Jewish adults. And they posited a unique model.

Rabbi Aaron Spiegel, CEO of S3000, said of the Next Dor STL contingent, “They not only provided a pilot project voice about what and how they’ve created a successful young Jewish adult engagement initiative, but also demonstrated to the mostly Boomer and Gen X crowd that young Jewish adults really do know what they want and how to go about creating sacred community on their terms.”

The S3000 event brought together Jewish organizers, rabbis, congregational leaders, federation representatives, experts in communal initiatives and others committed to community building for Jews in their 20s and 30s. The goal of the conference was to have a free-thinking and honest conversation about how to reach the next generation of Jews. And underlying that was to explore the relevance synagogues will play in the future of Jewish life. Next Dor, which is a national initiative for engaging young Jewish adults, is typically organized by rabbis that forge connections, build community and launch peer-driven initiatives – both in and around the congregations that host their endeavors.

But Next Dor STL takes a different approach.

Sarason, founder and a current staff member, explained it this way. “We tap young local talent to reach post-college and pre-marriage Jewish adults (ages 21 to mid 30s). Most other Next Dor sites are ensconced with a synagogue; we are independent. Other sites use their funds to hire a professional while we use it to renovate the space – we have our own house near Central Reform Congregation with whom we have a special exchange. We also focus on non-traditional programming that doesn’t take place within the confines of an institutional setting such as a synagogue or Jewish organization.”

Rabbi Susan Talve of CRC, who accompanied the Next Dor STL delegates, explained the laissez-faire set up between Next Dor STL and her congregation. “Our hope was that Next Dor STL would provide a space for young adults to find meaningful relationships, conversations and experiences.” There were contingencies in setting it up, she noted. “There were core values we expected the young people to build on like embracing the LGBT community, Jews of color, open to interfaith relationships and Jews by choice. I hope also at this critical time in their lives, in an economy that is tough for many of them to find work, they know they can still be part of something bigger than themselves, find ways to help each other and serve the common good.”

Lyons-Warren , one of the initial founders and a current board member, pointed out that Next Dor STL is indeed a Jewish community space that serves the common good. Available to and welcoming for young Jewish adults, it’s non-denominational and independent of any one synagogue. “The most important goal is providing a safe comfortable place to be…the Jewish identity will follow. Our generation does not respond to the same types of outreach as our parents’ and grandparents’ generations.”

Next Dor STL has empowered young people to form their own community. “It’s about letting us have the reigns, the power and the resources rather than conforming to someone else’s concept. Young people are full of ideas, but they’re not necessarily listened to. Here our ideas have come to fruition without the typical roadblocks,” said Sarason.

Elias, a program director and board member, said he views Next Dor STL as a success “if there are a plethora of options out there for young, Jewish adults to explore. I want young people to realize that St. Louis has a lot to offer and I see Next Dor STL as a resource for young adults and a conduit to other organizations within the city."

Haber calls Next Dor STL her lifeline to the Jewish community. “I moved back to St. Louis from Chicago, heard about Next Dor and went to a couple of events. I started to think, ‘Hey, this is pretty cool.’ I went to more and this led to other involvements. I’m more involved in Jewish social life and living than ever. Now I’m a youth director for USY, I have new friends and networking opportunities that helped me find work. In fact, my whole life revolves around things I’ve done and people I’ve met at Next Dor.”

Since opening, hosting its first event a year ago on Nov. 10, 2009, more than 300 young adults have made 1,500 visits to St. Louis’ Next Dor, participating in more than 100 programs that include social action projects, educational events and social and recreational programs. This is the tip of the iceberg. Sarason wants to ignite more relationships with existing organizations which have had not as much success with young adults in the past. “For instance, we did an interfaith dialogue with ADL that was successful. We’re doing a movie series with them. In essence, we’re taking the programs out of the institutional setting and having conversations that allow young people to express themselves and do something meaningful.”

Next Dor STL’s model has put the St. Louis Jewish community on the map, said Sarason. “I’ve heard from people in Houston, Detroit, New York. We’ve had initial conversations and many have said, ‘Wow, I would like to visit St. Louis. It sounds like a great community.’” Read More......

Eyal Kless, World-Renowned Violinist to Speak at Next Dor

Eyal Kless, born in Israel, has performed and taught throughout the world, fast establishing himself a dynamic and versatile musician. During his visit to St. Louis, to play at Powell Symphony Hall, he will also be speaking at Next Dor.

The small gathering, taking place at 7 PM on Tuesday, November 2nd, will be an intimate conversation with this fantastic musician. For more information about the event, click here.

Eyal's performances will take place Wednesday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m. at the next “On Stage at Powell” program at 7 p.m., and on Monday, Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m., at Washington University’s New Music Building, 560 Music Center. Read More......

Do Synagogues Have a Future?

Institutions are always a product of the times in which they are created. Jewish Institutions, doubly so. Lately, many of these institutions, which form the backbone of the organized Jewish world, have had their very need questioned by young adults and others who see them as relics of another time.

Jewish hospitals, community centers and specific social services were all created to provide services for Jews which they often could not receive elsewhere. Fast forward to the present day and we find few institutions from whose most inner sanctums we are excluded. Conversely, when barriers and quotas fell, Jews enthusiastically embraced these institutions.

But surely, synagogues, which are very specifically Jewish, and whose purpose is not made redundant by other institutions have remained essential, right?

With young adults choosing not to affiliate, synagogues are getting pretty worried.
Enter Synagogue 3000, an organization seeking to help imagine and create the next generation of synagogues and young adult engagement.

S3K has encouraged what they call a 'relational' approach to Jewish engagement, stressing relationships over membership (sound familiar?), capacity building over pocketbook pandering, and a long term and more national view of the Jewish community.

This past weekend, S3K hosted a 'Next Dor Conversation', in which they invited Rabbis, Jewish professionals, and lay leaders to learn from the five initial Next Dor sites, including our very own in St. Louis. In addition to presentations by each site as to its approach and results, Steven Cohen, Sociologist of American Jewry, presented some early findings from a survey conducted of participants of all sites. His results showed increased participation, increased identification, and increased integration into the Jewish community across all sites.

Cohen's main point was this: young adults are waiting longer to get married, synagogues' main demographic are married couples, and therefore, the work that needs to be done is to keep people engaged long enough so that when they get married, the synagogue is an obvious next step.

Four of Next Dor St. Louis's crew were flown to New York to attend the conference, to present, participate, and schmooze. This opportunity provided them the opportunity to both showcase their work and the city, while exposing them to new ideas and individuals.

Judging by the enthusiasm and compliments received by the St. Louis delegation, it is clear that Next Dor STL is not only making an impact locally, but is getting the attention of serious Jewish thinkers, activists, and professionals around the country.

What will this mean for the future of traditional Jewish institutions, synagogues in particular? We aren't quite sure, but it certainly is exciting.
Read More......

Muslims Who Saved Jews: Groundbreaking Exhibition Hits St. Louis

In the dark story of the Holocaust, some of the few bright spots were the lives saved by individuals who put their own safety at risk. In the case of Jews being saved by those outside the faith, the State of Israel honors them as 'righteous among the nations'. Rarely, though, have we heard of the Albanian Muslims who saved some 2000 Jews during this period.

A new exhibition of photographs of these brave individuals is coming to St. Louis.

From the press release:

In 2003, renowned photographer Norman Gershman embarked on a project to find and photograph Albanian Muslim families who had sheltered and saved Jews - both Albanian nationals and refugees from neighboring countries - during World War II.

By 2004, after two photographic journeys to Albania and Kosovo, he had discovered roughly 150 Muslim families who had taken part in the rescue of the Jews due to their belief in Besa, or honor, an ancient code which requires Albanians to endanger their own lives if necessary to save the life of anyone seeking asylum.

Besa is, to this day, the highest moral law of the region, superseding religious differences, blood feuds and tribal traditions.

The result of Gershman’s journey, striking images of these families, as well as their stunning stories, will be on display for the first time in St. Louis at Temple Emanuel from October 21 to December 1, 2010.

The free exhibit can be viewed at Temple Emanuel, 12166 Conway Road, in Creve Coeur Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m., and by appointment.

Read More......

Visionaries, Opulence, and Cold Hard Cash

One of the classic tactics in fundraising (and many other types of businesses) is to throw a big event. You make it the place to be, create an experience, and then watch the money flow in.

On Monday night, the Jewish Federation of St. Louis threw a bash to celebrate the three supporting family foundations, Lubin-Green, Krazberg, and Staenberg, who provide a huge amount of funding to the community.

The ritzy event took place at.. well the Ritz, and was quite a production. In addition to the open bars, and who's who (including the Mayor of St. Louis, the County Executive, the Senator, and the Governor), the $250 per seat dinner included entertainment from Michael Feinstein, famous singer, pianist, and music revivalist. Feinstein, at 54, was ever the entertainer, laying on the Jewish pretty thick for the audience. His smile, sealed against his teeth by what appeared to be a fresh session of Botox, was both endearing and frightening.

As one of the 30 under 30 there (not as in the award, but as in there probably were seriously only 30 people there under the age of 30), I have to say it was a totally different world.

But behind the glitz and glamor, the opulence and spectacle was a clear purpose. The Federation was looking to do what it does best: raise money. The event hoped to bring in $300,000, as well as to encourage people to set up gifts to Federation as part of their estate, as something they are calling 'Legacy' gifts.

In the current economy, not only has Federation's fundraising take been down, the needs have skyrocketed.

And so, the Visionaries event was put together and, as productions go, it was nearly flawless. Sure, the community wanted to honor some of the largest philanthropists, but in doing so, the Federation is sending some clear messages that it expects other well resourced-families to step up and pull their weight. As a former student of psychology, I can appreciate the modeling effect. Not only do you encourage a behavior by rewarding it, you can also use this reward to socialize others as to what is expected behavior.

Whether or not the Federation pulls in quite as much as they initially planned for, the event will likely be seen as a huge success in the community and put the Federation back at top of mind for many of those present.

Read More......

NEXT DOR STL SEEKS YOUNG JEWISH LEADERS FOR YEAR-LONG COMMUNITY BUILDING RESIDENCY

NEXT DOR STL SEEKS YOUNG JEWISH LEADERS FOR YEAR-LONG COMMUNITY BUILDING RESIDENCY Read More......

Nu Campaign Connects with Mattisyahu for Haiti Relief

While the initial outpouring of support for victims of Haiti's devastating earthquakes was immense, the world's attention span is short. And though the aid has decreased, the need has not.

One group that was on the ground immediately after the disaster was the Israel Center for the Treatment of Psychotrauma, which set up a field hospital to deal with the most pressing needs on the ground.

The Nu Campaign, which designs and sells shirts to raise awareness and dollars for Israeli causes has just launched a new shirt targeting this issue.

In a video clip launched by NU Campaign this week, Matisyahu explains his motivation to support ICTP: "It's not about Jewish or non-Jewish or where you are from. It's about human beings helping other humans".



"In the wake of the 250,000 deaths and a dire humanitarian situation, Professor Danny Brom, Director of ICTP and other staff flew into Haiti, working with parents and teachers, teaching them coping and resilience skills and providing support to the volunteers.

They are now in the process of launching a three-year therapy program within the Haitian education system.

Among their responses to global disasters, ICTP have sent teams to Sri Lanka in the wake of the Tsunami and the USA in the wake of Hurricane Katrina."

David Kramer, the force behind the Nu Campaign, was a fellow this summer at PresenTense where we had the chance to work side by side. His shirts are unique in that, not only do the proceeds benefit non-profits, but the front design rarely explains the message, an intentional omission, due to the full message being contained on the inside of the shirt. As David explains it, the outer message is meant to encourage dialog, while the full message is carried close to the heart of the individual wearing the shirt. Learn more about the Nu campaign here

Read More......

Simchat Torah Asks, Why SO Serious?

The Jewish High Holidays are a rollercoaster of emotion. We are happy with the start of a new year, yet pensive and introspective as we reach Yom Kippur, reaching that spiritual high that only comes after a certain amount of emotional agony. During Sukkot, we again rejoice, while thinking about the temporary status of this corporeal life and the possessions we cannot take with us. And so, the sheer unabashed joy of Simchat Torah is a bit of a relief.

Simchat Torah, literally the joy of, or rejoicing in the Torah, is one of these holidays in which we seek to approach an ecstatically joyful state, without the 'on the other hand' which characterizes so many of our experiences.

Too often, we put restrictions on ourselves, on the degrees to which we will experience or partake of certain emotions, experiences, or opportunities. And usually this is a good thing. Unreturned love causes pain, so we feel out our partners to make sure we aren't somewhere they aren't. Overindulgence in food, alcohol, or just about anything else has both immediate and long terms consequences. Even on other festive holidays, we rejoice, but often almost cautiously, remembering the evil we had to overcome in order to survive (and thus be able to eat and rejoice). Simchat Torah, though, is different.

One of my first memories of St. Louis comes from 'parent's weekend' at Wash U my freshman year, which happened to coincide with Simchat Torah. I was still fresh on campus, but at Bais Abe, the modern Orthodox Shul on the Delmar Loop, I felt able to let my guard down and boogie. Joy is contagious in that way.

While many religious rituals are heavy, somber, and often beyond our powers of understanding, the simple joy of celebration is one of the easiest traditions to follow. Chag Sameach. Read More......

The Federation's Annual Meeting... A Live Blog

That's right, The St. Lou Jew will be in the building for the Jewish Federation of St. Louis' annual meeting and we'll be live bloging at twitter.com/thestloujew

Some might (appropriately) ask, "just what the hell are you doing liveblogging the Federation's annual meeting? Isn't it absurd to apply web 2.0 technology to a 1.0 organization's meeting?"

Yes. It totally is. But at least this way you'll get to hear an alternative, younger voice as we present updates through our perspective. Stay tuned. Read More......

Shanah Tovah, an Obligatory Reflection on the Past Year

This time of year, all Jewishly connected organizations are sending out there reflections from the past year.

Parents send out yearly wrap ups in mass-emails, facebook profiles are updated and viral Rosh Hashanah clips are passed around.

For me (and I rarely write as 'me'), this year has certainly been one of transitions, of building, and of stepping away from traditionally defined roles, even as I move closer to tradition.

A year ago, I had just moved out of the Moishe House to help Next Dor get off the ground, the house was still undergoing renovations, and our ideas about Jewish community were about to be put to the test.

Now, looking back, our community has grown, with more than 300 people having stopped in to share a meal, learn, discuss, hang out, stretch, breath, etc. We've turned an idea into a movement which has gained the notice of many in the top echelons of the Organized Jewish Community. We've helped people feel at home in St. Louis, helped them find friends, roommates, community, and even jobs. And yet, I'm not satisfied.

We have so much further to go. Our commitment to an arts and culture component has yet to be realized, and our cohort is still underemployed. We are meeting so many people, that it has been a challenge to make sure we really build relationships with them and follow up on those relationships. We have to fight the temptation to be complacent and settle into cliques. We have to be vigilant for those individuals who have not been made to feel fully comfortable.

In this new year, I want to see the individuals who we've connected with be able to come together to create a community.

You might have also noticed over the last year that the St. Lou Jew as a blog has tapered from posts every day to a few per week, or even less. To some extent, this has been due to my success in other areas which have left me far less time to post.

On the other hand, this is due to a lack of other writers, so consider this an open invitation to put your name in the hat to be come a contributor.

As this holiday passes and we find ourselves in these days of awe and reflection, I hope we all have the courage to actually look at ourselves objectively, to identify what we've done well, and where we can and will improve. May you all be inscribed in the book of living to the fullest. Read More......

Got the Office Blues? Maybe Co-Working is for You

In Tim Ferris' smash, "Four Hour Workweek", he argues that getting out of the office is the first step to becoming part of the live anywhere, do anything 'new rich'

At the same time, as more people take jobs that don't require them to be in a specific cubical in a specific office, many people are lamenting the lack of opportunities for social interaction that come with working from home.

Enter St. Louis Co-working, a new organization that has taken over the historic Shell building downtown.

St. Louis Co-working provides space for, "web designers, graphic designers, creatives, artists, bloggers, and even attorneys, CPA’s, architects, real estate agents. . . and the underemployed." The space is provided based on monthly or daily rental fees and provides various amenities and the opportunity to work in a more social environment, to help the creative energies flow.

New interesting projects like St. Louis Co-working are popping up all over the country in response to many of the new realities faced by workers in today's economy so it is extremely exciting to have something like this in St. Louis

Rosa Mayer, one of the MOT's involved in helping to open the space gushed about the sense of fun, community and creativity that she has already seen develop in the month that the space has been open.

St. Louis Co-working will be throwing a party on Thursday the 2nd to celebrate being open for a month. You can find out more about the party here.

Stay tuned for more exciting STL developments. Read More......

HUUUMMMUUUUS!

St. Louis.... Prepare yourself. Something so immense is about to take place, you probably won't know what hit you.

Ready? Cafe Natasha, The St. Lou Jew's favorite Kebab and Persian food spot is starting a Hummus Happy Hour.

That's right. You can now eat Hummus to your heart's desire.

Cafe Natasha, home of some of the best beef kebab in the city, and to the off-the-menu, and out of this world misa rhosamee eggplant is starting up an all you can eat Hummus Happy Hour, every Tuesday from 4-7.

If you remember our interview with David Lizzo, you'll recall just how important access to Hummus is as one of the main reasons people choose to live where they do.

See you there behind mountains of pillowy pita! Read More......

Emerging Adulthood: Sense of Possibility

The NYTimes recently published an article looking at Emergent Adulthood, a 'new' developmental period characterized by continued dependence. For many young adults the article hits close to home.
As a result of the economic downturn, the ubiquity of college education, as well as some large cultural attitude shifts, a lot of us young adults aren't rushing into careers or marriage and family life as quickly as many of our grandparents and parents did.

In the Jewish community, this has produced a crisis, as many organizations are built around a now outdated family and life cycle. This is witnessed by the falling numbers of young adult representation in synagogues, Federations, and the collapse of more and more well established Jewish institutions.

While many in the organized Jewish world are kept up late at night worrying about the future of the Jewish people (or at least their beloved institutions), there may yet be a great source for optimism.

One of the pieces of this Emergent Adulthood phenomenon is a 'Sense of Possibility', an entrepreneurial and positive outlook that isn't beset by an acceptance of the harsh reality of life. If we look around us, we find young adults are already solving many of the problems and filling many of the needs they have identified for themselves. The independent Minyan movement is one such indicator of this, as are the number of interesting and innovative start up ventures popping up all around the country.

The challenge, at this point, is the cross generational cultural differences between young adults who are solving their own problems in unorthodox ways, and members of previous generations who are seeking to reinforce or maintain the status quo to which they have grown accustomed.

For many outside of the Gen Y and Millennial cliques, these innovative approaches don't make sense and seem redundant. Also, for someone who has been doing things a certain way, change can seem pretty terrifying.

So how do we come together and leverage the experience and resources amassed by those with a few more years under their belts with the new ideas, approaches, the 'Sense of Possibility' that we as 'Emerging Adults' bring to the table?

The solution lies in not seeing ourselves as pitted against one another but to realize that we are looking to solve the same issues, and have complementary resources that we bring to the table. Seeing this as a balanced yin-yang situation is as (hopefully) easy as not focusing on the two parts, but on the whole which they combine to form.


Read More......

The Well, a New Group for Women

As part of our efforts to showcase new and exciting things in the Jewish community, we give you 'The Well'.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

The Well: New Women's Group at CRC

Central West End - August 10, 2010

This exciting new group will explore topics such as body image, female rituals, Jewish baking, our connection with nature, celebrating our creativity, moon cycles and the Jewish calendar.

Additionally, this Rosh Hodesh group will be an opportunity for women to learn, discuss and grow together through Jewish teachings and rituals.

Each month on the evening of the new moon we will laugh and learn together while building a network of women who can support each other through different phases of life.

First New Moon: Tuesday, August 10th from 7:30p-9:00pm in the CRC library

Contact:
Elizabeth Tucker
elizabeth [at] alivemag [dot] com Read More......

Interview with Yaniv Rivlin, co-founder of Comtribute

Sometimes an opportunity creates itself to take advantage of some powerful forces and use them for a good cause. In this interview with Yaniv Rivlin, co-founder of Combtribute, you can learn about a fantastic new way to support your favorite non profits. In a shameless plug for Next Dor, you can help out by visiting here

Read More......