Gila Silverman The last few weeks have been difficult, as our entire world has changed in response to the coronavirus. There have been times recently when I have been overwhelmed by fear and sadness and grief. At other times, I have savored the quiet of a slowed-down life and been awed… Read more »
Debbie Friedman singing at Kutz camp in 1969 (Rabbi Jeffrey Klepper)
(JTA) — Whether it’s first love or night swimming, many American Jews have nostalgic memories from Jewish summer camp. For the first class of campers to attend the Union for Reform Judaism’s flagship camp in Warwick, New York, those memories just turned 50 years old. The URJ’s Kutz Camp, known… Read more »
A CD set of Christmas and Chanukah music provided the inspiration for the title for the new exhibtion at Philadelphia's Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia. (Courtesy Idelsohn Society for Musical Preservation) PHILADELPHIA (JTA) – In text accompanying a new exhibition at this city’s National Museum of American Jewish History, Sammy Davis Jr. is quoted on why he converted to Judaism. “I became a Jew because I was ready and willing to understand the plight of a people who fought for… Read more »
(Forward) — About two weeks before she died, Debbie Friedman stood with Rabbi Joy Levitt at the piano in Levitt’s Manhattan apartment, and she shared with her friend a melody that the legendary singer and composer would never have the chance to record. It was a new version of… Read more »
The Maccabeats, Yeshiva University's a capella group, with their 2010 YouTube sensation "Candlelight" freshens up the Chanukah story. (Courtesy Jewish Community Center of Paramus, N.J.) NEW YORK (JTA) -- My 3-year-old son is obsessed with showing people his room, sidling sheepishly over to guests and asking, “Can I show you my room?” My son reminds me how important our "place" is -- "A Room of One's Own," in Virginia Wolff’s words. Our rooms make us… Read more »
Messages and tributes left by Tucsonans in front of University Medical Center on Jan. 15, 2011 (Sheila Wilensky) It’s been nearly three weeks since the assassination attempt on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, the murders of six Tucsonans, and the wounding of 12 others. For many members of the Jewish community, the singing of the Mi Shebeirach, a prayer/song of healing, framed the week following the shooting rampage. On… Read more »
In addition to the tragic shootings that occurred at Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ “Congress on Your Corner” event last Saturday, the Jewish world experienced the untimely loss of a beloved star, composer and performer, Debbie Friedman, 59. She was best known for writing music that expresses healing and accessibility to… Read more »
