The worst part of a job search is when everyone wants you!

The following is an excerpt from A New York State Yankee in 21^st Century ‘Merica (The Book!) by Wyler Graham (aka Dan Vollweiler)

Dear schools to which I’ve applied for teaching jobs:

Please stop calling me to schedule interviews!

It’s hard to relax with the phone sounding every other minute, at all times of the day and night, with offers of teaching positions that are geographically and financially ideal. It’s really getting annoying how badly you want me to teach at your school. The reality is, with all of the calls, letters and singing telegrams, chances are pretty slim I’m going to drive to your school to let you ask me questions about my teaching philosophy.

I know you are having trouble filling these positions with remarkably talented and exceptionally good-looking individuals like myself, and I’d love to help you out, but seriously, I really can only take one high-paying, tenure-track job with exceptional benefits and professional development opportunities. I wish I could take more. So please, I implore you: enough with the apple, chalk and ruler-filled gift baskets: yes, they are cute, but seriously, there’s no room in my living room what with the stacks of ready-to-sign contracts, novelty lesson plan books and expanding pile of Smart Boards.

If I am interested in your school, I will contact you…for flip’s sake, stop following up. I will contact those qualified and divinely blessed schools sometime in the near future. Until then, good luck finding someone as pedagogically masterful, pretty on the eyes and blessed with the grace and charisma of the hypothetical offspring of Barack Obama and Audrey Hepburn. And…STOP FLIPPIN’ CALLING ME!

Most Likely Not Yours, Wyler Graham

Wyler Graham, aka Dan Vollweiler

Who in heck is Wyler Graham?

Wyler Graham, also known as Dan Vollweiler, is the grandson of the late Rabbi Michael Szenes of Schenectady’s Temple Gates of Heaven. He grew up at the temple, writing humor for as long as he can remember.

In middle school, he wrote a spoof of “Guys and Dolls” about Geraldo Rivera, which included such hits as “Sit Down, You’re Blocking the Set” and “I’ve Got the Show Right Here [It’s called Geraldo Rivera].” Somehow it didn’t become a Broadway smash.

He is now working to publish a collection of humor on such vital topics as the benefits of cargo pants, and the chipmunk under his apartment. He is using the online fundraising platform Kickstarter to raise money to publish the book, titled A New York State Yankee in 21^st Century ’Merica (The Book!). If you would like to support this project, do it by June 7: please go to http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1781223544/a-new-york-state-yankee-in-21st-century-merica-the.

You can also visit his blog at http://nysyankee21.blogspot.com or visit his Facebook page (Wyler Graham, Author).

Now living in Ulster county with his wife, Lindsay, Vollweiler is teaching middle and high school English in New Paltz private schools.

He said his book is dedicated to his grandfather’s memory. “The tie-in to my grandpa is that there is a very strong emphasis on compassion and social justice in my book.”

The book’s illustrator, Daniel Levine, who was bar mitzvahed at Temple Sinai in Saratoga Springs, attended Baruch College and now lives in Brooklyn. Levine has written, illustrated, and published Every time I check My Messages, Someone Thinks I’m Dead: An Occupy Wall Street Memoir.

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Society president Stewart Sacklow of Niskayuna said, “We’re making the cemetery come alive,” pointing to efforts over the past several years to wash the hundreds of stones, install a new fence, right tilted and fallen stones, and rebuild the chapel with access for the handicapped. He said the May 27 program will be led by Rabbi Moshe Bomzer, and will include a rendition of “Taps” by Steve Weise of Schenectady, representing Bugles Across America.

The Society, incorporated in 1915, began in 1843 as the Society of Brotherly Love and became the Hebrew Benevolent Society in 1855. Members receive burial plots and other benefits. The group plans a remembrance service before the high holidays, with visits to each grave, this year set for Sept. 1 at 11 a.m.

The post Independent Benevolent Society plans Memorial Day program appeared first on The Jewish World .

May is Jewish American Heritage Month, a commemoration first recognized by President George W. Bush in 2006. Since then, hundreds of programs have taken place nationwide annually to honor the rich contributions of Jews to American culture and society.

President Obama added to the annual festivities by launching an annual White House bash. But this year’s party was canceled because of the sequester.

Not to worry: In anticipation of the big month, we’re suggesting 31 activities to keep you busy each day in May. You’ll see some usual suspects, but will also find new ideas in entertainment, food and travel, and overall fun. We’re pretty sure you’ll find something of interest.

If we’ve somehow missed the mark, feel free to participate in the epitome of American Jewish hobbies: kvetching.

For a rundown of official Jewish American Heritage Month events, visit www.jahm.us. You can also follow@USAJewish on Twitter. Here are 30 more things to do to celebrate this month:

1. Make cholent
Our people are into stews. So is it really surprising that the great American Crock-Pot originally was coined the Naxon Beanery All-Purpose Cooker after its Jewish inventor, Irving Naxon? Naxon, who died in 1989 with more than 200 patents in his name, conceived an inexpensive and safe heating element inspired by his mother’s tales of making the traditional Sabbath meat-and-potato stew — a nearly 24-hour process — in her Lithuanian shtetl (his daughter recently wrote about her family memories for the Beyond Bubbie online food project). Not into the idea of cholent? Toss anything into a Crock-Pot, from lentils to grits to an entire chicken, and thank Mr. Naxon for making cooking so darn easy.

2. Celebrate Hollywood’s female showrunners
In case you hadn’t heard, Jewish American women are taking the entertainment world by the beitsim. Writer-director-producer Jill Soloway won the 2013 Sundance Award for U.S. Dramatic Directing for her debut film, “Afternoon Delight” (she also founded the Los Angeles community organization East Side Jews). Allison Silverman, the former co-executive producer of the“Colbert Report,” has been penning episodes for “The Office” and “Portlandia,” the IFC show starring hipster Jew Carrie Brownstein. And creator-star-writer-director Lena Dunham, she of the $3.6 million book proposal, has turned the HBO series “Girls” into a cultural sensation along with showrunner Jenni Konner. Buy a movie ticket, subscribe to HBO or tune in to NBC, and thank the ladies for the laughs.

3. Start a book club
Put down the Angry Birds and dive into a tale written by a young American Jewish author. Some ideas to start out the list: “What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank,” Nathan Englander’s elegant and darkly humorous collection of short stories; “Jujitsu Rabbi and the Godless Blonde,” Rebecca Dana’s debut memoir about living with a lapsed hasidic rabbi in Crown Heights while nursing a broken heart; and “Tomorrow There Will Be Apricots,” Jessica Soffer’s (no relation) debut novel inspired by her love of cooking and her Iraqi Jewish heritage. All are available on Amazon, Kindle and Audible.com.

4. Take a Philip Roth bus tour
Novelist Philip Roth, a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winner, turned 80 in March, and his hometown of Newark, N.J., has rolled out the red carpet for celebrations. For a man referred to as the greatest living American writer, the Newark Preservation and Landmarks Committee is running a bus tour showcasing highlights from his novels and early life in the city. It’s not too late to check out “Philip Roth: An Exhibit of Photos From a Lifetime,” a show of some 100 photographs running through Aug. 31 at the Newark Public Library. Can’t get to North Jersey? Check out the next PBS “American Masters” airing of “Philip Roth: Unmasked,” a documentary featuring the author discussing intimate aspects of his life, or just reread “Portnoy’s Compaint” and call your mother already. For all things Roth, visit rothsociety.org.

5. Go shopping
From Marc Jacobs to Zac Posen to Rachel Zoe and beyond, American Jews are some of the biggest players in the fashion design industry. In honor of Jewish American Heritage Month, treat yourself to some retail therapy at Bloomingdale’s, Loehmann’s (the legendary discount haven started by Frieda Loehmann, an American Jewish woman, in 1921) or any store near you. And after you schlep your overstuffed bags home, watch “Schmatta: From Rags to Riches to Rags”, the 2009 documentary about the once vibrant but now fading Garment District in Midtown Manhattan, and marvel that the population of Jewish fashion talent and workers was so dense that the area warranted its own place of worship, the Millinery Center Synagogue.

6. Write a poem
American Jews have produced a rich variety of poetry, including Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl,” Robert Pinsky’s tributes to baseball, and Adrienne Rich’s feminist and lesbian fury. A notable example is Emma Lazarus, a New York Jew and early Zionist of Sephardic descent who wrote the sonnet “The New Colossus” in 1883 at age 34, shortly after witnessing the Russian pogroms. If you don’t recognize the title, how about the lines: “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” They appeared on a bronze plaque in the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty in 1903, 16 years after her death. Compose your own poem on Smith Mag’s online Six Words on Jewish Life page. You can also read a compilation of its best submissions, including Nora Ephron’s words of wisdom: “Secret to life: marry an Italian.”

7. Rock out
American Jews have long embraced pop, rock and hip-hop. We all know about the Beastie Boys, Van Halen and the Bangles (Susanna Hoffs is a nice Jewish girl from L.A.). Discover some newer bands this month, such as the San Francisco-based punk duo Happy Fangs featuring singer Rebecca Bortman, a Pittsburgh Jew; New York City’s The Sway Machinery, whose amalgamated style is rooted in band leader Jeremiah Lockwood’s early experience singing in the choir of his grandfather, Cantor Jacob Konigsber; and L.A.’s indie-folk pop duo The Wellspring, whose members Talia Osteen and Dov Rosenblatt had an official showcase at this year’s SXSW festival and who are scoring tracks for the upcoming feature film “Coffee Town.”

8. Make springtime pickles
At least that’s what Jeffrey Yoskowitz will be doing. He helps run The Gefilteria, a Brooklyn-based purveyor that re-creates Old World Jewish foods such as gluten-free gefilte fish made with sustainably sourced fish, kvas (a naturally fermented beet tonic) and carrot-citrus horseradish. Try it with cukes by using lacto-fermentation, a process that preserves vegetables simply with salt, water and spices. Alternate plan: Order some Gefilteria products online and enjoy while watching “Crossing Delancey,” which was released 25 years ago.

9. Listen to “Little Orphan Annie”
Before “Annie” was revived on Broadway — heck, before “Annie” was on Broadway the first time — that lovable red-headed scamp from the funny pages was primarily played by Shirley Bell Cole on the “Little Orphan Annie” radio show, which was broadcast nationwide by NBC to the afterschool set from 1931 to 1942. Cole, a Chicago-born Jew, supported multiple immigrant Jewish families in her Chicago neighborhood with her salary, which reached a whopping $7,514 in Depression-era 1937. The Paley Center for Media has several archival episodes available to members and My Old Radio has dozens for free online. Ironically, according to her obituary, Cole hated the taste of Ovaltine, the show’s main sponsor. Leapin’ Lizards!

10. Practice yoga
Next time you do a downward dog, chant an ohm to Ruby Blue, aka Swami Neeladevananda. Blue was born Ruth Thaler in Poland and as a child immigrated to Washington with her parents. She was named a swami, the Hindu honorary title for master, in 2003 at age 86. Known for her inspirational lectures, tiny frame and ability to get everyone from naval officers to housewives into contorted positions during her classes at a D.C.-area Gold’s Gym (where she began teaching at age 81), Blue stood on her head daily until 83 before grudgingly scaling back to a more conservative shoulder stand until her death at 89.

11. Laugh with the classics
Pray that a rainy day in May gives you an excuse to enjoy some classic American Jewish wit on film. Choose any or all of the following for a guaranteed better day: Mel Brooks’ “History of the World Part I,” Adam Sandler’s “You Don’t Mess With the Zohan” or Woody Allen’s “Purple Rose of Cairo.” Speaking of Woody, check out this clip showing his infamous stammers recorded on film. It was edited together by two guys at the Huffington Post with what we assume must be a large amount of free time on their hands.

12. Visit South Florida
Though the old haunts like Wolfie’s and Rascal House only live on in nostalgic anecdotes, one can easily re-create a classic Miami Beach Jewish experience with a little creativity. Step 1. Fly to Miami Beach. Step 2. Change into pastels. Step 3. Play some shuffleboard at North Shore Park and Youth Center. Step 4. Start a mah jongg game at the new JCC. Step 5. Enjoy a bagel and schmear at the 40-year-old Sage Bagel and Appetizer Shop in nearby Hallandale Beach. Step 6. Take a respite from the heat by splashing around in the Atlantic while shrieking “What a mechaya!” Rinse and repeat.

13. Go to therapy
According to a 2012 issue of the Journal of Religion and Health, American Jews are significantly more open-minded to therapy and more tolerant of the stigma associated with it than participants in other groups. Jewish openness to psychological treatment shouldn’t come as a big surprise, given Woody Allen’s love affair with psychotherapy and the groundbreaking work of such American Jewish psychologists as cognitive behavior therapy pioneer Aaron Beck and social psychologist Thelma Alper. There’s also the generations-long tradition of Jews dispensing shrewd and practical advice through therapy’s more accessible cousin, the advice column: examples include Esther Pauline Friedman Lederer (aka Ann Landers); Emily Yoffe’s Dear Prudence column on Slate.com; and the Jewish Daily Forward’s Bintel Brief, where editors for more than 60 years addressed the profound and humorous quandaries of the Yiddish-speaking immigrant population.

14. Ask questions
Do you know your mother’s earliest memory? What about your grandmother’s? Embrace the most Jewish of traditions by asking questions about a relative’s life while he or she is still around to tell his or her stories. Whether it’s a conversation about a wartime experience, being a teenager in 1950s America or how they would like to be remembered, you’ll be thankful you took the time to get an oral history from someone you love. To record an interview, head to the nearest StoryCorps booth. If there’s not one nearby, it’s easier than ever to become your own sound studio: Check out The Next Web’s recommendations for DIY recording. You may even want to ask a son or daughter.

15. Learn about “Hava Nagila”
You’ve danced the hora at hundreds of bar/bat mitzvahs and weddings. But do you really know anything about the song you’ve been dancing to — including the rest of the lyrics following the first two words? See director Roberta Grossman’s documentary “Hava Nagila: The Movie,” which has been working its way through the domestic Jewish film festival circuit and is currently playing in select theaters nationwide. The film traces the song’s evolution from a Ukrainian shtetl to the blockbuster piece that Jewish American Olympian Aly Raisman used in her 2012 floor routine. It includes interviews with numerous celebrities including Connie Francis, Leonard Nimoy and Harry Belafonte, who recall how the United States claimed “Hava Nagila” as its own in the second half of the 20th century (even Elvis took a stab at it).

16. Send the kids to camp
There truly are two types of people in America: camp and non-camp. If you’re the former, chances are that some of your best childhood memories involve hoarding money for canteen purchases, awkward first kisses and running someone’s underwear up the flagpole. Consider giving your kids the chance to run amok for a summer while also building independence, learning teamwork and maybe even meeting the loves of their lives when they’re not terrorizing the counselors (Ramah has a page on romantic success stories). Go to the American Camp Association and Foundation for Jewish Camp websites to find a good fit. After you’ve shipped them off, indulge in your own nostalgia with“Camp Camp,” a compilation of essays, letters home and more awkward photos than you can shake a color war stick at.

17. Make Bob Dylan a birthday cake
Embrace all things Robert Allen Zimmerman during his 72nd birthday month. Visit his birth town, Duluth, Minn., for Dylan Days, a lineup of Dylan-inspired activities running May 23-26. While you’re there, drive by his childhood home in Hibbing, Minn. Listen to “The Essential Bob Dylan,” available on iTunes. Read his autobiography, “Chronicles One.” Watch “I’m Not There,” the 2007 musical biopic starring six actors as different versions of Dylan (Cate Blanchett won a Golden Globe for her performance). And try to spot the Jewish influences throughout his works, from “Highway Sixty One Revisited” to his 1961 yodeling in “Talkin’ Hava Nagila Blues.”

18. Get to know a sports hero
That scene in “Airplane” was an exaggeration: the list of famous Jewish sports legends would fill much more than a pamphlet. Watch last month’s DVD re-release of “The Life And Times of Hank Greenberg,” a documentary on the “Hebrew Ruth.” Pick up “Jewish Jocks: An Unorthodox Hall of Fame,” the recently published compilation of essays on Jewish male and female sports figures edited by Franklin Foer and Marc Tracy. And check out “The First Basket,” a documentary about the enormous role played by American Jews shaping the sport of basketball, including the first points scored in the Basketball Association of America (the NBA’s precursor) by the New York Knickerbockers’ Ossie Schectman in 1946.

19. Visit a museum
Make time for some structured culture. The Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco will unveil its “Beat Memories: The Photographs of Allen Ginsburg” exhibit on May 23. The new National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia houses several special exhibitions, including “Beyond Swastika and Jim Crow: Jewish Refugee Scholars at Black Colleges” (through June 2), and an enormous permanent collection. The Jewish Museum of New York has “Six Things: Sagmeister & Walsh,” the first exhibition of the Stefan Sagmeister and Jessica Walsh’s newly founded design firm. Plan an adventure to the Kansas City Jewish Museum or the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage in Beachwood, Ohio. If you need some lead time, the Alaska Jewish Museum will open in July. Go to www.cajm.net for more locations.

20. Get on Twitter

21. Go to a deli
David Sax charted the Jewish delicatessen’s heyday and steady decline in “Save the Deli,” but he also documented some jewels that are alive and kicking. Work up an appetite while reading and then head to Hymie’s Merion Delicatessen outside Philadelphia, Langer’s in L.A., or, of course, Katz’s in New York. Looking for something new? There’s a fresh crop of delis putting a twist on traditional Jewish comfort fare, such as Wise Sons in San Francisco (try the pastrami cheese fries) and Stopsky’s Delicatessen (latkes Benedict, anyone?) in Mercer Island, Wash., and Kenny & Zuke’s (organic rye bread) in Portland, Ore.

22. Grow something
Tap into the locavore movement by spending a day — or a week — at a center promoting Jewish sustainability, organic farming methods and spiritualism. The Isabella Freedman Retreat Center in Falls Village, Conn., offers an array of weekend program themes, and you can also pitch in making the farm’s goat cheese and pickles. Urban Adamah’s one-acre educational farm and community center in Berkeley, Calif., has numerous workshops integrating Jewish tradition, including composting workshops, skill-share community exchange markets and volunteer work days. Kayan Farm in Reisterstown, Md., offers courses on such Jewish agricultural topics as “botany and prayer,” and has its own goats, chickens and Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA. Go to www.hazon.org for more ideas on creating and sustaining your own community.

23. Find your match
Spring is finally here, so rewrite that dusty profile, or write up one for the first time, and dive into the online dating world. Need further convincing? One in five people are now finding love online (possibly even more after counting the ones who don’t admit it). As long as you avoid the statements, “I’m just as comfortable in Converse as I am in stilettos,” you’ll likely be better equipped to take charge of meeting your bashert than a shadchan (traditional Jewish matchmaker). Pick up some tips from “Spin Your Web: How to Brand Yourself for Successful Online Dating”by JDate.com columnist and dating coach Damona Hoffman.

24. Learn about the civil rights movement
An indirect effect of the Holocaust’s vicious hatred on American Jews, combined with Jewish ethical teachings, was to spur great levels of participation in the American civil rights movement. Approximately half of the civil rights attorneys in the South during the 1960s and half of the white Freedom Riders who fought segregation were Jewish. They comprised nearly two-thirds of the whites who traveled to Mississippi in 1964 to challenge Jim Crow laws, including Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman, two of the three activists in the campaign who were murdered by the Ku Klux Klan (the case inspired the 1989 thriller “Mississippi Burning”). Through June 2, the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia is exhibiting “Beyond Swastika and Jim Crow: Jewish Refugee Scholars at Black Colleges,” which tells the story of Jewish academics from Germany and Austria who found positions at historically black colleges and universities in the Jim Crow South. It was also the subject of a 2011 documentary.

25. Watch your back
The pursuits of Jewish American gangsters encompassed a cornucopia of criminal activities, including murder, racketeering, bootlegging, and prostitution. Read “Tough Jews: Fathers, Sons and Gangster Dreams,” Rich Cohen’s investigation and anecdotal collection about the Jewish mafia, including one mobster who refused to whack anyone on the Sabbath. Watch the 1991 Bugsy Siegel film “Bugsy.” Plan a visit to the new The Mob Museum in Las Vegas, where you can learn more about infamous figures such as Siegel, Monk Eastman, Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal and the ruthless Meyer Lansky, the cat’s-eye, pinky ring-wearing mobster who established an international gambling empire but, in true Jewish form, was still concerned with his grandson’s math grades.

26. Go to the market
You can easily make your next food shopping trip a nod to Jewish American contributions. Need hot sauce? In 1920, Jacob Frank and his business partner introduced Frank’s RedHot (fun fact: Frank’s RedHot Cayenne Pepper Sauce was the secret ingredient for the first Buffalo wing in 1964). Making a sundae? Thank Aaron Lapin, a reformed clothier from Missouri whose 1947 Reddi-wip® whipped cream was the first aerosol food product on the market (hence earning him the title “The Whipped Cream King”). Roasting a chicken? Look for one from Empire Kosher, founded in 1938 by Austrian immigrant Joseph Katz in his adopted home of Pennsylvania. Put all the ingredients in Oklahoman Sylvan Goldman’s shopping cart, which was first introduced in 1937 at his supermarket chain Humpty Dumpty.

27. Take in female Jewish comedy
The contribution of funny Jewish American ladies to American culture could fill a thousand articles. Watch Goldie Hawn on an old “Laugh-In” episode or Madeleine Kahn’s scene-stealing Lili von Schtupp in “Blazing Saddles.” Pull up Gilda Radner’s “Baba Wawa” on a “Saturday Night Live” compilation. Catch Joan Rivers in anything from a mid-1960s “Tonight Show” appearance to a current airing of “Fashion Police” on E! Listen to a podcast starring Ronna & Beverly, the outspoken fiftysomething Jewish Bostonians played by comedians Jessica Chaffin and Jamie Denbo, or discover a new talent like New York-based Emily Heller, who performs stand-up across the country. The list goes on in Yael Kohen’s 2012 book “We Killed: The Rise of Women in American Comedy,” a collection of oral histories from female comic performers, television executives, talent scouts and writers, including anecdotes on the rampant sexism running through the industry.

28. Watch TV
This may be the easiest suggestion of the list: Grab the remote and watch an iconic, Jewish-created sitcom. Meet “The Goldbergs,” the 1949-1956 series created by and starring writer-actress Gertrude Berg that inspired shows from “The Honeymooners” to “Roseanne.” Hum along with the “Sanford & Son” theme song or hang with Archie Bunker during an “All in the Family” episode, two of Norman Lear’s masterpieces. Watch “M*A*S*H,” Larry Gelbart’s Korean War dramedy starring Alan Alda. Brew an oversized mug of coffee and catch “Friends” in syndication, courtesy of co-creator Marta Kauffman. And take your pick from sitcom creator and showrunner extraordinaire Chuck Lorre’s roster, including “Two and a Half Men,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “Dharma & Greg” and “Mike & Molly.”

29. Swing the night away
Invite some friends over for a night of American Jewish big band dancing. Prepare a soundtrack with “King of Swing” Benny Goodman’s soaring clarinet in “King Porter Stomp” and “One O’Clock Jump,” “King of the Clarinet” Artie Shaw’s “Begin the Beguine” and “Interlude in B Flat,” and Gene Krupa’s energetic drumming in “Sing, Sing, Sing” and “Drum Boogie.” Finish the night with a viewing of “The Jazz Singer,” the story of a young man who defies the traditions of his devout Jewish family to pursue his dream.

30. Learn a show tune
Watch the new PBS documentary “Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy,” which investigates why the Broadway musical has proven such a long-standing success for Jewish artists (Cole Porter not among them, contrary to what many people assume). The list of composers reads like an embarrassment of riches: Stephen Sondheim (“West Side Story,” “Merrily We Roll Along,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Company”), Leonard Bernstein (“On the Town,” “West Side Story,” “Candide”), Jerome Kern (“Showboat”), Irving Berlin (“White Christmas,” “Easter Parade”) and Frank Loesser (“The Most Happy Fella,” “Guys and Dolls”), to name a mere few. Keep an eye out for local professional, community or high school productions of these musicals. In the meantime, several film versions are available on Netflix or iTunes.

Rebecca Soffer is a New York-based writer and producer who has worked at “The Colbert Report” and Reboot. She tweets from @rebeccasoffer.

The post 31 things to do during Jewish American Heritage Month appeared first on The Jewish World .

The tribute includes dinner and a concert by Into Wishin’—an a cappella quartet consisting of Capitaland Chorus members.

The event highlights the work of 74 volunteers. Volunteers have helped with the senior dinner program, taught a class, led a discussion, escorted a trip, made phone calls, worked on a mailing, or have lent support to a committee, program or event.

The honorees include: Helene Ainspan; Judy Arian-Eson; Martin Becker; Gerri Binger; Michael and Susan Boivin; Diane Bollman-Buyer; Mary Bruno; Cheryl, Scott, Marissa and Harrison Burack; Bea and Don Cohen; Donald Cohen; Shirley Cohen; Gail DeMarco; Joan Dober; Veronoica Drislane; Leslie and Erika Feinman; Joyce Feiring; Anita Fitzpatrick; Janet Fleming; Flora Geller; Ilene Goldman; Tillie Grant; Ken Grau; Marcia Greenberg; Matthew Greenblatt; Susan Gulack; Ellen Hallen; Marilyn Hauss; Paul Hohenberg; Sylvan Israels; P. Lynne Kaido; Keith and Sherry Juman; Betty Kelly; Tom Kelly; Lenore Kesten; James Kiepper; Mimi Kolker; Hyman Kuritz; Ida Leberman; Rhoda Levine; Madeline Lincourt; Nancy Looby; Beverly Magidson; Asya Markova; Grace Marmulstein; Helene Marmulstein; Rhoda Morrison; Carl Myers; Helen Pak; Seymour Peltin; Joel Phillips; Lillian Rappaport; Nancy Remick; Phyllis Ross; Julia Roylance; Jack Ryan; Cynthia Schips; Norman Shapiro; Beverly Shor; Faye Silton; Marilyn and Ron Silverman; Don Treble; Barbara and Harry Ungerman; Ruchel Weitz; Elaine Wilcove; and Alex Wynnyczuk.

The cost is $13, and prepaid registration is required in the Center’s senior adult office.

Information and reservations may be obtained by calling Claire Sigal at 438-6651, ext. 112.

The band Into Wishin’

The post Albany JCC to honor 74 volunteers on May 22 appeared first on The Jewish World .

Douglas Bloomfield

I was in high school when I went to Indianapolis for my first regional AZA Conference. I almost didn’t make it back alive because of what happened that Shabbos. I couldn’t believe it when the rabbi called a woman to open the ark.  A woman!  But that wasn’t all. I was shocked when she pulled back a corner of the curtain, pushed a button, a motor began to whir, the curtain parted, lights went on, a choir began to sing and I knew right then and there God would strike me dead for being a part of the revival of the gold calf.

I survived my first encounter with Jewish observance different from what I’d been brought up to believe was the one true form.

Revolutionary Concept In Israel 

My home shul, the one where I was bar mitzvah, Agudas Achim, in Columbus, Ohio, was what some today call conservadox.  Men sat on one side, women on the other, separate but equal, and in the middle, true integration.  But it was a long way from egalitarian.  Years later, when I became a husband and then had a daughter, I wanted an egalitarian congregation and found one where the rabbi believed and taught that all Jews are created equal. Today egalitarianism is widely practiced throughout the United States, where nearly 90 percent of Jews are non-Orthodox.

Egalitarianism, however, is still a revolutionary concept in the only Jewish state and unless that changes it could drive a further wedge between Israel and American Jewry, which feels increasingly alienated by the excessive influence of the ultra-religious establishment over daily life.

Israel’s Future?

The debate in Israel over keeping women in their place— at the back of the bus, off the stage, dressed properly, seen but not heard (especially if they sing) and, above all, obedient —is about much more than religious practices.  It reaches into what kind of country Israel is and wants to be, and its relationship with or alienation from the rest of the Jewish world.  Does it want to be a 21st century democracy or a 17th century theocracy?

It is one thing for the ultra-religious to practice their belief system as they wish among themselves, and something wholly different when they try to impose it on the majority of the society, which is also expected to financially support them because so many do not have jobs or pay taxes.

A poll out this week shows 56 percent of Israelis support (34 percent oppose) a Supreme Court ruling that women have the right to pray at the Western Wall “as they see fit,” even if some religious groups object.

Is This What God Wants?

Women of the Wall holds a Rosh Chodesh service the first of every month at the Kotel.  And how do the pious religious gentlemen who claim control of the Kotel respond?  They spit at the women, throw rocks, curse them, toss chairs, yell and physically assault them.  All in the name of God.

On a recent Friday the Haredi bused in hundreds of teenage girls to flood the women’s section of the Kotel so the liberal women were forced far away on the plaza. But something had changed.  Instead of arresting the women for such heinous crimes as wearing a talit, the police protected them from assault by those pious, peace-loving holy men.

Other Anti -women Activity

It’s not just at the Wall. Little girls walking down the streets have been spit upon by Haredi men who disapproved of they way they were dressed; a woman soldier was harassed and called a “whore” when she refused to move to the back of the bus. Haredi soldiers walked out of a military ceremony because women soldiers were singing.

Two female researchers were not allowed on stage and forced to sit in the balcony at a Health Ministry ceremony where they were to receive awards for their work because it would offend some rabbis and the ultra-Orthodox deputy minister who was presiding.

Israel boasts to the world that it is the only democracy in its part of the world, that it has freedom of religion and all citizens are treated equally. But it doesn’t practice what it preaches.  Jews have more religious freedom in the United States and other western democracies than in Israel when it comes to conversion, marriage, worship, burial, divorce, immigration and deciding who is a Jew.

Other Interference

The ultra-Orthodox establishment’s diktat goes beyond religion to encompass public transit, billboard advertising, daylight savings time, public ceremonies and even, or especially, the army. Few Haredi men serve in the military and calls to draft them have been met with protests, threats and calls for violent resistance.

Some who do serve have been told by their rabbis to disobey the orders of their commanders that the rabbis object to, such as removal of illegal West Bank outposts.

Courting Political Partners

A key to Haredi power is their readiness barter their votes for government ministries in any coalition, right or left.  They’ll sell their votes on “minor” issues like defense and foreign policy in exchange for control of ministries important to their agenda, like immigration, housing, education and religious affairs. Not only do they get to dominate policy that affects their institutions, often riddled with corruption, but they also get access to the treasury to pay for the things they want. Leaders of all major parties have gladly paid the price—in shekels and power— for Haredi votes.

The current coalition is one of the few in recent years with no Haredi parties; as a result, the attorney general was recently able to order government ministries to end gender segregation in public transit, cemeteries, health clinics, radio airwaves and even public sidewalks. He also said he would ignore demands by the Haredim to block a court ruling permitting women to pray freely and wear religious garb at the Kotel. It remains to be seen whether the Netanyahu government will back him up or try to avoid offending the religious extremists just in case they’re needed some day to replace a secular coalition partner.

Who controls the Wall or seating on buses may seem unimportant to Jews thousands of miles away, but it is part of a larger picture of the tyranny of a minority and what that says to American Jews who believe in, want to identify with and work to build political support for Israel.  That alienation can do more damage to American backing for Israel than any Arab enemy can hope to achieve.

And that will be the day they begin asking, “Whose Israel is this?”

The post Whose Israel is this? appeared first on The Jewish World .

Attending the opening of Bethlehem Chabad’s new location are, from left, Marc Gronich; John Clarkson, Bethlehem town supervisor; Rabbi Nachman Simon; Rabbi Zalman Simon; Chanie Simon; and Jennifer Kilcoyne, Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce president.

The post Bethlehem Chabad Opens New Location appeared first on The Jewish World .

In order to highlight the talents and visions of our community’s kids we plan to create our 2014 wall calendar with art made by the capital region’s Jewish children.

Please submit artworks that will illustrate the seasons and Jewish holidays.  Please submit art work now (or by August 15th at the latest) to be considered for the 2014 Jewish World Wall Calendar.

Artwork Specifications:

• Entries should be from your children, ages birth through 15.
• If you are scanning your child’s artwork, the artwork must be scanned in high resolution settings at 300 dpi color image.
• Files must be in TIFF format.
• If you are taking a picture of your child’s artwork, please set your digital camera to the highest possible settings for optimal results.
• The size of the artwork will be reduced to 7.25″ width by 6.5″ height, so please make sure the artwork fits those dimensions.
• Please include all information requested on the Submit Form.
• When uploading your files, please name your files in the following format: [Last Name]_2014_Calendar.tiff
• Although we will choose only 13 contestants for the 2014 Wall Calendar, we will be displaying the other contestants’ artwork in our Newspaper, our newsletter, and on our website.

Click the button below to submit your artwork.  If you have any questions, please call 518-344-7018 ext. 311, or contact  Jade Kirsop

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The post 2014 Kids Art Wall Calendar Event appeared first on The Jewish World .

The major averages are pointing to a lower open in New York. Dow and S&P 500 futures are down about 0.1% on Globex while the NASDAQ trades 0.2% below fair value. Investors are cautious heading into the session on concerns that a recent uptick in economic data could cause the Fed to scale back its bond buying program. Testimony from central bank chairman Bernanke will garner attention on Wednesday as it could provide insights into the Federal Reserve’s plans to reduce QE measures. Profit taking could also be a factor in the session following last week’s rally. On the earnings front, Campbell’s Soup is higher by 2.5% in pre-market action after the company posted earnings and revenues above analysts’ estimates. In other news, Warner Chilcott is advancing 2.9% on news that the company is being acquired by drug maker Actavis in an $8.5 billion deal. Also on the M&A front, shares of Yahoo! are down 1% after announcing that it was purchasing blogging service Tumblr in a $1.1 billion deal. Turning to fixed income markets, Treasuries are higher along the curve. The benchmark 10-year note is up 1/8 of a point to yield 1.93% and the 30-year bond is adding 1/2 of a point to yield 3.14%.

More Business News

The post Market Open, May 20, 2013 — 8:30 a.m. ET appeared first on The Jewish World .

By Michael Seinberg

Since Apple introduced the iPad several years ago and other companies brought out their competing tablets, the tech industry has been atwitter about tablets taking over the world.

While tablets have taken a big chunk out of the industry with many consumers and businesses buying up millions of the devices, as the technology has matured and improved, many people have been trying to replace laptops with tablets—with varying degrees of success—and many more people would like to.

But that simply will not work for many people. So, when can a tablet legitimately replace a laptop?

To begin, what do you do with a computer? Do you just do e-mail and web browsing? Do you need to run software such as Microsoft Office or Adobe products? Is specialized software part of your daily work? Do you do a lot with graphics, photography, or audio editing? Because a great deal of commonly used software does not exist for or run on tablets. And many websites act differently when you log in from a tablet than when you do from a computer, making even web-based applications a questionable proposition.
While most tablets can work with an external keyboard, almost none works with a mouse or other pointing device, making them harder to use for some people and for many precision applications.

So what are tablets good for? At their very best, tablets work well as an adjunct to a full fledged computer. You could, for instance, take a tablet with you to a presentation in order to show images, movies, or audio files to a client without having to lug a full sized computer with you.

If you attend a lot of meetings, a tablet is a nice way to take notes, again, if you bring along a keyboard or the tablet’s case has one built in. Tablets are very useful for doing e-mail, as long as you don’t have to type a lot (or you get a keyboard), and for casual web browsing. They can be useful for people who do a lot of social media work since there are many apps available to work with things like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.

From an entertainment standpoint, many tablets make great e-readers, movie viewers, game machines, and Netflix viewers. With new apps from cable providers, you can even watch many cable channels. However, keep in mind that most tablets have screens that range from about 7 to 10 inches in size, while most normal laptops have 13- to 17-inch screens. Also, many laptops can be connected to very large desktop monitors, giving you all the screen real estate you could possibly need, something a tablet can’t do.

Finally, tablets need to be connected either via a cellular plan (pricey), or wifi. Many of the functions of a tablet are useless without that connection. And many tablets need to be able to connect to a computer (with a cable) to load software, transfer photos, music, movies and so on.

If you already have a decent laptop, adding a tablet will be useful. But for most people, buying a tablet to replace a computer is going to be unsatisfying. But technology changes rapidly, so by this time next year, we’ll be having a very different conversation!

Michael Seinberg is President of Seinberg & Son Macintosh Consultants, LLC. He can be reached at mseinber@nycap.rr.com.

The post What do you need? —Tablet Versus Laptop: Making a Choice appeared first on The Jewish World .

ALBANY

Jewish Learning Institute, the educational division of the Chabad Lubavitch organization, for her newest book, The Secret Legacy of Biblical Women: Revealing the Divine Feminine.

Through an interview format with women of the Bible, each woman relates her story in her own words, as Ribner imagines them. Ribner attempts to speak to the needs and interests of people today. Through interviews with Eve, Sarah, Rebecca, Dinah, Queen Esther and others, Ribner imparts her understanding of kabalistic wisdom and practical and relevant guidance on love, sexuality, relationships, suffering, and how to understand world events.

Ribner grew up in Albany and was active in Jewish organizations when in high school. She told The Jewish World that she was even president of the Albany Jewish Community Council when in high school. When she was growing up, her family belonged to three synagogues, Reform, Conservative and Orthodox, all at the same time. Her brother Stephen Ribner continues to live in Albany and has been active in the Jewish community. He has served as president of the Jewish Community Center and Jewish Family Services, according to Melinda Ribner.

Known for her pioneering work as a Kabbalistic meditation teacher and author, Ribner is also a spiritual psychotherapist and healer in private practice. She has said, “Kabbalistic wisdom informs my therapy practice. By helping men and women to understand and embody the kabbalistic concepts of masculinity and femininity, couples can more quickly restore passion and harmony to their relationships than in traditional talk therapy.” Ribner writes about her mother in this issue of The Jewish World. See page 18. Ribner can be reached at Beit miriam@msn.com and on her website, www.kabbalahoftheheart.com.

The post Ribner’s newest book explores the legacy of biblical women appeared first on The Jewish World .