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Anita Silverman Hirsch Z"l

JOFA: Notes from the Front: conference 3/11 - 3/14/2010

JOFA: Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance:

JOFA conference quick notes: 3/11 - 3/14/2010


Last Thursday Sonia Sarah Lipsyc and I flew to New York City to attend the JOFA  (Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance) conference. For those of you who are not au courant, Sonia Sarah Lipsyc and I have embarked on a series of video interviews of important Jewish feminists.

Wow!!! Were we blown away!!!


Saturday night was film night. Films were shown by Maale Film Studio, (PBS) Public Television, and independent filmmakers. I interviewed Yetta Silverman, a young orthodox, shetel wearing filmmaker from Boropark, Brooklyn sharing about her film Arranged.  I have since edited and posted the interview to CUTVnews.
(youtube CUTV Concordia University Television)


During the conference, we met and I have full hour video of Reb Mimi Feigelson,
secretly ordained by Shlomo Carlebach many years ago. She did an amazing Hassidic teaching session. You had to be there, and through the magic of video - you can be. (I hope to post this)

For those of you interested in the Halachic underpinnings of Jewish Orthodox Feminism, I videotaped Daniel Sperber, the Posek: a 45 minute lecture on all of the gory details.

Also, I met and interviewed Susan Weiss, attorney and executive Director of Center for Female Justice, an organization working to ameliorate the Agunah problem in Israel through the Rabbinic and the secular courts and she showed me their installation: "Hanging Out Our Laundry". The Savta Bikorta videos were also shown during film night and can be seen on Youtube.



And I had the pleasure of listening for a full 45 minutes and videotaping Judy Klitzner, author of "Subversive Sequels in the Bible". She gave a class based on her book. She is a creative interpreter of the torah for our time. She is a student of Nehama Leibovits and a teacher at Pardes, an institution of higher Jewish learning for women. Judy Klitzner brings new and original insights into the traditional texts of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Deborah, the prophetess, judge and warrior, Sarah, Rachel, Rivka and Leah.

The last session was with Tova Mirvis, a contemporary Jewish female author of fictional books who grew up in an orthodox community in Memphis and whose first books are set in that setting. She considers herself Orthodox, a working writer, and mother.

By the way she will be coming to MONTREAL this spring to the Jewish Public Library: Don't miss it. info below.


Also ran into Barbara Nirenberg and her husband,  Raba Sara Hurwitz and Raba--in-training, Rebbetzin Schier.
and three college students from Montreal, who drove down and stayed in the student hostel and spent Shabbat at Chabad Columbia.

PRIOR TO THE CONFERENCE: MEETINGS WITH DR. MICHELLE FRIEDMAN AND DR. SHERA TUCHMAN

Thursday, we interviewed two female powerhouses, both working physicians in Manhattan and also important female Jewish leaders in Judaism, who both consider themselves part of the Orthodox kehillah.

Dr. Michelle Friedman, Psychiatrist and Psychoanalyst made time to meet us between 3 and 3:30 in her private office on the Upper West Side.

At 3pm we were waiting in her spacious lobby. She rode up on her bicycle and ushered us into her office.

She is a young Jewish Orthodox working mother, the instructor on  Pastoral Counseling for all the Rabbis, mostly male, ordained by Yeshivat Chovevei Torah. She explained that it is her task to prepare male rabbis to meet the demands that are inevitably thrust upon them by all kinds of human dilemmas,
as they fulfill the role of Rabbi. She explained that they are all eager to "help" and it is her job to train them how best to do this.

She meets with them once a week for a year and starts each class with a dvar torah, based on the traditional sources of Talmud, Torah and Midrash.

Earlier from 1: 30 to 2:30 we met Dr. Shera Tuchman in her own home on the East Side.

She too is a Physician in private practice, and also a Jewish Scholar who has been leading a women's study group 7:30 - 8:30 most Thursday mornings at Kehilat Bnai Jeshurun for 18 years. She has published two books of Biblical commentary and is working on a third.

She is also about to publish the translation, (from Hebrew,Yiddish, and Polish), of the 35 notebooks of her dear departed grandmother which span the last century from the time her grandmother arrived in New York (1905) to her death about ten years ago.

She showed us her library and her bagful of Jewish texts which she uses each week to prepare for her morning class, which happens regularly on Thursdays and is free and open to the public.


Info about Tova Mirvis coming to Montreal:

The Outside World with Tova Mirvis
Tova Mirvis will discuss the wise, funny, and
wholly unforgettable, The Outside World, a story
of isolation and assimilation, faith and doubt,
destiny and true love – a fascinating glimpse into
a closed community from a writer of singular wit
and charm.       
Tuesday
June 8, 2010
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Spaces are limited



The other lecture is:

Rashi’s Daughters - Rachel with Maggie Anton
Award-winning author Maggie Anton will speak
about the research behind her best-selling
Rashi’s Daughters trilogy, set in the household
of the great medieval Talmud scholar.
Tuesday
April 20, 2010
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.


Jewish Public Library
5151, Côte Ste-Catherine Road
Both sessions:
$36 members/students*
$45 non-members
Individual session:
$20 members/students*
$25 non-members
Advance tickets: (514) 345-6416
Registration: (514) 345-2627 ext. 3042
Refreshments



Abigail Hirsch
514-792-6065

Blogger: http://askabigail.blogspot.com/
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Shalom Foundation for Healing Communities
Fondation shalom pour le bien être des communautés

Qui es-tu?

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Finally, the play "Qui es-tu?" will be performed live at:

Location:http:www.sallerichardsauvageau.com
1100 Blvd. Tascherau, La Prairie

Time:7:00PM Tuesday, March 16th
A bus is leaving from Herzliyah High School at 5:45 Sharp, cost $10.
Tickets cost $5. at the door.

This is a joint production between Classe Hélène, a group of high school students diagnosed with autism and volunteer students from Herzliyah Highschool and École de la Magdeleine in La Prairie. (In French)


Une bonne occasion de découvrir le talent des adolescents autistes et de participer à leur action pour venir en aide aux enfants soldats et aux enfants sorciers.

Mme Alby De Barra Baramoto, chanteuse congolaise et M. André André Michel que l'on surnomme le peintre des amérindiens participent à cet événement.

Bienvenue à tous !


Quand le rêve côtoie la réalité…


La pièce de théâtre « Qui es-tu? », une création collective regroupant des élèves autistes et non-autistes de l’école de la Magdeleine, ainsi que des élèves de l’école Herzliah de Montréal sera présentée le 16 mars prochain à la Salle Richard-Sauvageau de l’école de La Magdeleine, à La Prairie, sur la Rive-Sud de Montréal. Réalisée avec la participation des classes régulières ou adaptées, cette production a été mise en scène par Hélène Massé, titulaire d’un groupe d’élèves autistes à haut niveau qui ont mis leur talent à contribution pour créer cette pièce de théâtre.

Julien partage avec ses amis un rêve étrange où se côtoient des personnages réels et imaginaires qui lui feront prendre conscience des idées, des sentiments et du vécu des personnes qui l’entourent. Ses amis lui dévoileront leurs préoccupations et leurs espoirs d’adolescents. De ces échanges naîtra un projet qu’ils partageront avec le public. Des effets visuels et auditifs informatisés créés par les élèves soutiennent cette création théâtrale où la fantaisie et l’humour côtoient le désir d’apprendre, la sensibilité et l’engagement.

Les artistes invités, Mme Alby De Barra Baramoto, chanteuse congolaise, et M. André Michel, surnommé le peintre des amérindiens et directeur de la Maison Amérindienne au Mont-St-Hilaire, se joignent à eux pour les soutenir dans leur projet.

Cette pièce de théâtre se termine avec une invitation adressée au public afin de les soutenir dans la demande qu’ils veulent faire à nos représentants à l’ONU concernant la défense des droits des enfants soldats et des enfants sorciers.

Parrainé par le Ministère de l’Éducation dans le cadre de son programme interculturel en milieu scolaire, cette activité s’inscrit dans une pédagogie différenciée par projets où l’intégration des matières est privilégiée. Une vidéo, dont le titre est « Dans sa bulle, qui ça ? ou l’autisme vu par des adolescents autistes » est en voie de réalisation. Elle témoignera de cette démarche et servira, espérons-le à démystifier l’autisme.
……………………………………………………..

« L'an passé, nous avons découvert les réalités de la 2e guerre mondiale et les génocides africains. « Que pouvons-nous faire devant tant d'horreur? » « Nous pouvons au moins apprendre notre histoire, pour ne pas se faire conter des histoires. » est la conclusion de Simon Cyr. Nous avons décidé de faire un diaporama et d’informer nos camarades de ce que nous avions découvert. Le 18 février, nous présenterons notre diaporama à La Conférence des Droits de l'Enfant, organisée par le groupe Human Promise au Centre Gelbert, à Montréal. Nous avons aussi correspondu avec les élèves juifs de l’école Herzliah. » Marc-André et Pierre-Olivier

« Je suis Olivier Demers et je suis autiste. Vous savez, certaines personnes sont bouddhistes, d’autre sont sikhistes, moi je suis autiste. Non, ce n’est pas une religion. En fait, j’ai ce qu’on appelle le Trouble Envahissant du Développement, mais ça ne me trouble pas beaucoup, rassurez-vous! J’suis un peu distrait et j’avoue que j’aime bien me laisser envahir par mes passions : entre autre, le théâtre et l’humour ! Beaucoup de gens croient que les personnes autistes sont dans leur bulle. Ce n’est pas si vrai que ça. Venez voir notre pièce de théâtre pour nous découvrir sous un autre angle. C’est un rendez-vous à ne pas manquer ! » Olivier

http://monteregieweb.com/main+fr+01_300+Des_autistes_demandent_la_paix_a_l_ONU.html?ArticleID=626976&JournalID=27












Posted by AskAbigail at 12:48 AM 0 comments

3/10/2010 tweets going to NYC

These are my tweets for this morning - a quick way to update you on what I am doing now that could be of interest.


Today, third to last rehearsal: "Qui-est tu" play to be premiered next Tuesday, 6pm in La Prairie, in French, by HS students, autistic+ non


Also videotaped short segment of Rabbi Steinmetz speaking about the son of Hamas who chose to spy for Israel and what it teaches us. 5 minutes ago via web



videotaped Sara Hurwitz, THE female orthodox rabbi doing what she does best, teaching Jewish texts and ideas to MEN AND WOMEN OF all ages.


Tomorrow will be in in New York City for capturing more segments on Jewish feminism with Sonia Sarah Lipsyc and attending the JOFA conf wknd


Now I have to research my sister's situation. She is dealing with unexplained swelling one year after successful lymphoma treatment. ideas? half a minute ago via web

My nephew, Eliav is visiting from Israel and will be here till Sunday.
I spoke to two of the in-charge doctors: Anita's doctor is on vacation.
So far all tests are negative for cancer and even the test for inflammation is not confirmed and yet she has been experiencing swelling all over the body and even it has extended to the brain which is why she is in the hospital right now for symptomatic treatment and continuous assessment.

Have to get going,

To be continued,

best to you all,

Abigail

Blogger: http://askabigail.blogspot.com/
Youtube:http://www.youtube.com/user/askabigail
Twitter:http://twitter.com/AskAbigail
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AskAbigail Productions
Shalom Foundation for Healing Communities
Fondation shalom pour la bien être des communautés