Past Events
2007
| 4th Annual Be'chol Lashon Retreat, Nov 9th-11th |
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Walker Creek Ranch
Walker Creek Ranch, an inspirational outdoor educational
facility only 1 hour north of San Francisco, in beautiful West Marin.
The Weekend Package is All-Inclusive!
2 Nights Lodging : 6 Healthy Kosher-Style Vegetarian Meals : Drumming : Dancing : Singing : Art : Nature Programs : Kids Camp : Workshops : Ropes Challenge Course : Canoeing : and More!
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Rabbis-in-Residence
We would like to welcome back
special guests
Rabbi Capers Funnye,
Beth Shalom Bnai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation, Chicago and
Rabbi Lisa Edwards,
Beth Chayim Chadashim, Los Angeles.
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Be'chol
Lashon, a program of the Institute for Jewish & Community Research,
seeks to grow and strengthen the Jewish people through racial, ethnic,
and cultural inclusiveness.
Have you checked out our website?
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Want to learn more about Jewish diversity?
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You are invited to the 4th Annual
Bay Area Be'chol Lashon Retreat
for ethnically and racially diverse Jews, families, and friends at Walker Creek Ranch. The weekend begins with a community Shabbat dinner on Friday, November 9th and ends after lunch on Sunday, November 11th, 2007. It is an opportunity to learn together, celebrate our Judaism, and continue to strengthen our growing community.
We are looking forward to another great retreat and hope you can join us.
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New! Rhythm Village
an interactive and educational performance company
will be joining us this year
Rhythm Village founder, Gabe Harris and Naby Bangoura, a native of Guinea, West Africa, will be leading both drum and dance workshops for children and adults. They are accomplished performers and educators, with a dynamic teaching style that conveys their unique understanding of the powerful role of music.
Gabe, Naby and other Rhythm Villagers will be performing on Saturday night, November 10th, at the retreat. This interactive performance encourages everyone to participate and express creative energy!
Rhythm Village is committed to creating positive change through rhythm based on the premise that music has the power to diminish social, racial, cultural, and economic boundaries.
To read more about this great organization, please click here.
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Sign up Today, Space is limited!
If you need financial assistance, please contact us about camperships
To sign up, reply to this email with the following information:
- First and last name of each child, and age
First and last name of each adultAddress and phone number
Type of room (dorm or semi-private)
- Who would you like to room with
We will email more details, driving directions, and payment information.
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THE LONGING: The Forgotten Jews of South America
Aquarius Theatre, Palo Alto
Mon., July 30th at 4:30 PM
Roda Theatre at the Berkeley Rep
Sat., August 4th at 4:45 PM
Be'chol Lashon panel discussion following the film
Smith Rafael Film Center
Sun., August 5th at 2:15 PM
The 27th SFJFF will take place July 19 - August 6, 2007.
July 19 - 26, San Francisco
July 28 - August 4, Berkeley
July 28 - August 2, Palo Alto
August 4 - 6, San Rafael
Tickets and online schedule available at www.sfjff.org
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Be'chol Lashon is pleased to co-sponsor a film at the 2007 San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. Mark your calendar to see The Longing, a moving documentary about the crypto-Jews in South America. We look forward to seeing you there! |
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The Longing: The Forgotten Jews of South America
Gabriela Bohm, Israel, USA, 2006, 75 min.
The poignant and inspiring story of six South Americans who long to affirm their Jewish faith against all odds. They believe they are among millions descended from crypto-Jews, immigrants to the Americas who secretly practiced Judaism despite centuries of draconian prohibition during the Spanish Inquisition. Now their descendants wish to reclaim a heritage and a faith long buried, but face resistance from both within and outside the Jewish community.
Co-sponsored by Be'chol Lashon, a project of the Institute for Jewish & Community Research. |
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2006
Download PDF of flyer
Asian American Jews
Jews in India
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September 17, 2006Be'chol Lashon is delighted to join the 7th annual
To Life! A Jewish Cultural Street Festival in Palo Alto. |
Come help raise awareness about the diversity of the Jewish people by joining us at our Be’chol Lashon Information & Crafts Booths.
What: The annual To Life! A Jewish Cultural Street Festival will showcase fine art, traditional Jewish music, dance, and foods through a day-long celebration. Currently celebrating its 7th successful year, the To Life! Festival is the largest Jewish event in Northern California, attracting over 10,000 attendees from all over the Bay Area each year.
When: Sunday, September 17, 2006 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: California Avenue at El Camino Real in Palo Alto, California—35 miles south of San Francisco and 14 miles north of San Jose
Driving directions:
* From Hwy. 101: Exit Oregon Expwy; Follow Oregon Expwy to El Camino Real; turn right on El Camino Real.
* From Hwy. 280: Exit Page Mill; East on Page Mill; Left on El Camino Real.
Link to Map
Who: All are welcome at this fun-for-the-whole family event.
Admission is free!
For more information, click here.
VOLUNTEER
Interested in volunteering at Be'chol Lashon events?
Contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Esther Fishman:
Esther@JewishResearch.org or 415-386-2604
Past Events
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Winner of the 1st Prize for Documentary Film at the Jerusalem International Film Festival Sisai is an emotional and eye-opening portrait of
immigrants caught between two worlds and two
identities. When 23-year-old Sisai, an Ethiopian Jew
living in Israel, learns that his adoptive dad has located his biological father in Ethiopia, the two of them, along with his brother (and filmmaker) David Gavro, embark on an unforgettable journey back to Africa.
Panel Discussions
Sisai is followed by panel discussions in San Francisco and Berkeley on race, adoption, and Jewish identity with director David Gavro, his brother Sisai Bayo, Ephraim Isaac, Ph.D., Dr. Denise Davis, and others.
Note for Families with Children
The film is in Hebrew and Amharic with English subtitles. While the film is unrated, Sisai deals with themes of adoption and death from the perspective of a 23-year-old and may not be suitable for younger children. Older children familiar with adoption may be confused by some of the language used to describe Sisai’s biological family (e.g. referring to Sisai’s birthfather as his "real" father). |
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Wednesday
July 26, 2006
San Francisco
Castro Theater
Film: 6:30
Panel: 7:30 |
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Saturday
July 29, 2006
Berkeley
Roda Theater
Film: 4:30
Panel: 5:30 |
Additional Film Festival Showings of Sisai: |
Tuesday
August 3, 2006
Mountain View Century |
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Sunday
August 6, 2006
Smith Rafael Film Center |
| Buy tickets at http://www.sfjff.org. |
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Ephraim Isaac, PhD, is the director of the Institute of Semitic Studies, Princeton, New Jersey. Born in Ethiopia where he got his early education, Dr. Isaac received a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages from Harvard University, where he was the first professor hired in Afro-American Studies. He knows seventeen languages. He is widely acclaimed as a public lecturer on religion, literature, ancient history, peace and conflict resolution. (July 26 panel only)
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Sisai Bayo, 24, was raised as the adopted child of the Gavro family who immigrated to Israel from Ethiopia in 1990. His biological mother immigrated with them but was lost to cancer shortly thereafter. Sisai, a metal worker, currently lives in the Israeli town of Kiryat Yam with his wife Sivan and two daughters, Maytar (age two) and newborn Tal-Or. |
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David Gavro was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 1977. He immigrated to Israel alone at the age of seven. His parents arrived six years later during Operation Salomon. He is a graduate of the Film and Television School at Sapir Academic College, Israel. He participated at the Haifa Film Festival 2004 in a Reshet TV project in which various directors created short films interpreting ''Hatikva'', the national anthem. Gavro has also directed a short poetic film about Jerusalem from the perspective of an Ethiopian Jew and his debut film Sisai, won the Best Documentary Award at the Jerusalem Film Festival 2005. |
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Sirak M. Sabahat was born 5 December 5th, 1981 in Walita, north of Ethiopia. He and his family survived a several thousand kilometer trek, by foot, to Awassa (South of Ethiopia) and in 1991 they arrived in Israel via "Operation Solomon". Sirak went to a prestigious boarding school near Kefar Saba and served in the military after he graduated in 1999. He went on to study acting in the University of Haïfa and In 2004 he participated in a reality show on Israeli TV and, a project that earned him an award for as best actor. He eventually starred in Radu Mihaileanu's film Live and Become (2005) and is currently a presenter for a children’s show on Israel’s Channel 1. |
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Dr. Denise Davis is a physician and volunteer clinical faculty at the University of California-San Francisco School of Medicine. Much of her work focuses on the relationship between patients and their physicians. Dr. Davis serves on the Advisory Council of Be’chol Lashon of the Bay Area, the Advisory Board of the Institute for Jewish & Community Research, and the Board of Directors of Elat Chayyim, a non-denominational Jewish retreat center in the Catskill Mountains of New York. Balancing her role as the mother of her five-year-old daughter, Aviva Ruth, with her career, is her life's work. (July 29 panel only)
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The Institute for Jewish & Community Research Is Sponsoring
Be'chol Lashon at Israel in the Gardens 2006
Sunday, June 4
11:00am- 5:00pm
The Yerba Buena Garden
701 Mission St @ 3rd, San Francisco
FREE!
Come celebrate the diversity of Israel and of Jewish peoplehood with Be’chol Lashon at the Israel in the Gardens Festival:
The Institute for Jewish & Community Research invites you to the first-ever Be’chol Lashon Theatre Stage at Israel in the Gardens 2006. The Be'chol Lashon Community is celebrating with and educating the general Bay Area community about the racial and ethnic diversity within Judaism in the United States and Israel. In past years, Be'chol Lashon has celebrated Shavuot at the Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center. This year we will be celebrating Shavuot within the larger format of the annual community-wide Israel in the Gardens festival by sponsoring the:
Be'chol Lashon Information Tent
Be'chol Lashon Arts & Crafts Tent
Be'chol Lashon Multicultural Theatre Stage |
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Read more about: |
> Rachel Factor
New York Times
February 15, 2005
"True to Her Orthodox
Beliefs, If not to Her
Roots"
In many ways, Rachel
Factor's show is typical of
one-woman performances:
there's the microphone, the
bar stool, the empty stage;
several original songs; autobiographical
monologues
full of humor, pathos, bittersweet
memories.
And if the title, "J.A.P.,"
might be offensive to Asians
or to Jews, who may recognize
the shorthand for
"Jewish American
Princess," then that is not
so unusual either. ... More |
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Be'chol Lashon Information Tent
It is important that Be'chol Lashon be a strong and visible presence at Israel in the Gardens! While Israel in the Gardens does not require an RSVP, as with all Be'chol Lashon events, let us know if you are coming. RSVP to 415.386.2604 or Danielle@jewishresearch.org. And then be sure to check in at the Be’chol Lashon Information Tent when you arrive.
Please help us get the word out. Invite family and friends, as well as your synagogue, school, and other communities.
Be'chol Lashon Arts & Crafts Tent – Come make Shavuot gifts to share with your whole family!
African/Jewish Art – Besamim Havdallah Project
Come celebrate the emergence of spring by breathing in the spices of renewal! "Besamim" (spices) remind us of the beautiful fragrance of the season. Use a variety of African, West Indian, and European spices to create a potpourri sachet or a spice box for Havdalah. They make a great gift for Shavuot.
Latino/Jewish Art – Paper Cuts & Tissue Paper Flowers
Called "papel picado" in Spanish and "shavuoslech" in Yiddish, colorful cut paper flowers, plants, and other designs have been used as holiday decorations in Jewish homes in Mexico, Europe, and North Africa for centuries. Make your own bright tissue paper flowers or colorful construction paper "picado" to adorn the walls of your house.
Asian/Jewish Art – Block Printing
In the Torah, Shavuot is celebrated as the Festival of the First Fruits of the Spring Harvest. Asian cultures have also traditionally celebrated the first harvest of the year. Make block prints of typical "bikkurim" (harvest fruits and vegetables) from China and Israel using hand-carved linoleum block prints. For younger children, we will provide paper copies of the harvest fruits to color in with markers and crayons. Adults are welcome too!
Volunteers
We are also looking for volunteers to help throughout the day. Call 415.386.2604 or Danielle@JewishResearch.org to learn about how you can help.
Be'chol Lashon Multicultural Theatre Stage
• Jewish voices from Ethiopia, Russia, England, Israel, and the United States
• Drama, Stand-Up Comedy, Slam Poetry, Music, and Dance
| Vladimir Friedman - I Was Born There (Russian) |
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Standing in the center of the stage, accompanied by a guitar and a
speaking into a microphone, Vladimir Friedman tells about immigration to
Israel in this one-man show. An actor in the theatre of life, he
immigrated from Russia in 1991, and has since acted in over 40 films in
Israel and abroad, such as the award winning films Yanna's Friends and Broken Wings. Friedman is the winner of the Russian "Person of the
year" award for film and theatre and is one of the top ten most
successful actors in Israel. |
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| Yossi Vassa - It Sounds Better in Amharic (Hebrew & English) |
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It Sounds Better in Amharic is Ethiopian-Israeli writer and comedian Yossi Vassa's moving, personal account of his 700-kilometer journey on foot from Ethiopia to a refugee camp in Sudan, followed by an airplane flight to a new home in Israel. Co-written and directed by Shay Ben Atar, the acclaimed one-man play mixes nostalgic memories of life in Ethiopia with hilarious perspectives on adjusting to life in modern-day Israel. On the Be'chol Lashon Stage, Yossi will perform the play twice, once in Hebrew and once in English.
Yossi Vassa was born in Ethiopia and emigrated to Israel in 1985 at age 10. After graduating from Haifa University's Theatre Arts department, Yossi completed his military service, where he was an actor in the IDF Theatre Company. He also has acted in numerous Israeli films, including "Danny Wolman's Foreign Sister" and "Go, Be and Die." |
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| Vanessa Hidary - Spoken-Word Artist (English) |
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In her poetic spoken word performances, actress/poet/playwright Vanessa Hidary seamlessly blends the multicultural hip-hop of her New York youth with her family’s strong Sephardic/Mizrahi heritage. Her solo show, "Culture Bandit", chronicles her coming-of-age as a Jewish woman who weaves bonds between seemingly unlikely ethnic and religious communities. She has appeared at urban and women’s theatre festivals across the United States, has been a featured poet on HBO’s award-winning series Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry, and is a member of the NYC-based troupe, "Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad." For the Be’chol Lashon Stage, Vanessa will be performing selections from her spoken-word and poetry series. |
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| Robbie Gringras & Adam Mader - Why Am I (Still) Here (English) |
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Robbie is world-renowned solo theatre performer whose Jewish-themed plays have been performed globally and on London's West End. He is also an educational consultant, inspirational speaker, and graduate of the prestigious Jerusalem Fellows program. He grew up in the Jewish community of Britain and has been living in Israel since 1996. His work bridges the Israel-Diaspora connection with empathy and insight. Robbie lives in the secular world, while his knowledge base and research specialties are deeply religious. Why Am I (Still) Here is a celebration of the complexities of life in Israel through stories and songs. Personal anecdotes and woven stories combine with great Israeli songs of the last ten years to create an unforgettable experience of humor, emotion, and warmth. "In the end Aliya isn't about arriving. It's about staying." |
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| Rachel Factor - J.A.P. (English) |
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Born "Christine Masaye Horii" to a non-religious Japanese-American family in Honolulu, Rachel Factor attended a private school founded by Christian missionaries until, as a young woman, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a dancer, singer, and actress. From there she appeared on Broadway in Shogun, the Musical and Miss Saigon, and at Radio City Musical Hall as a "World Famous Rockette." Then she met a nice Jewish boy and converted to Judaism, first by a Conservative and then by an Orthodox beit din. For the Be’chol Lashon Stage, Rachel has created a special version of her acclaimed one-woman show, J.A.P., which tells the story of her journey to Judaism. Rachel, her husband, Tovia, and their two children now reside in Jerusalem. ... More |
ISRAEL IN THE GARDENS ... More
In addition to the special Be’chol Lashon activities described above, there will be:
• Headliner Performance by Israeli musician Rami Kleinstein featuring Shiri Maimon
• An Israeli Fashion Show
• Israel In Motion Film Festival
• "Shuk Yerushalyim" Craft Market
• Israeli Style Food
• Tzavta Young Adult Zone & After Party at Ruby Skye
| Body Percussion Event for Children |
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As part of the Israel in the Gardens event, children and teenagers will be performing body percussion on stage with Chen Zimbalista, a famous Israeli percussionist. Body percussion does not include drumming – it is the art of using your body to create rhythm. If your child is interested in participating, please arrive at 10:15am at the HOWARD STREET entrance to Yerba Buena Gardens (close to the corner of Third St.) There the kids will check in to receive a t-shirt, attend rehearsal, and perform on the Main Stage at 11:30am. You may pick up your child at the East Garden after the performance. |
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2006 Abayudaya Tour: Health Services, Economic Development & Peace!
 In the spring of 2006, JJ Keki, a community leader of the Abayudaya Jews of Uganda, and his brother Seth Yonadav, principal of the Abayudaya High School, toured the United States to promote two projects in their community--a medical clinic and a coffee-growing cooperative--and their vision for peace among peoples of different faiths.
Medical Clinic - According to a recent assessment by Dr. Alan Spira, a tropical disease specialist, the overall health of the Abayudaya and neighboring communities is fair to poor. He noted numerous severe and neglected diseases among the population, including malaria, scurvy, and bilharzia. Patients had to travel great distances in order to be seen by a health professional. The Abayudaya leadership have requested assistance from the Institute for Jewish & Community Research in building community infrastructure, including health, sanitation, education, water, electricity, and small businesses. Given the critical nature of the community's health, the first project the leadership has requested is a medical and dental clinic. The Institute has established a philanthropic fund at the Joint Distribution Committee to receive donations (100% of all donations go directly to the Abayudaya community).
Economic Development - Improved health services must go hand-in-hand with economic development . For the community to thrive, they must generate income to pay for water, electricity, and other ongoing infrastructure costs. One project providing jobs for all the communities in the region is the Mirembe Kawomera coffee cooperative, a joint effort of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim coffee growers. JJ Keki is the director of the cooperative. In the United States, the Thanksgiving Coffee Co. is selling Mirembe Kawomera "Delicious Peace" Coffee. It is Fair Trade Certified, guaranteeing the farmers a fair price for their coffee and supporting the 400 family farmers of the Mirembe Kawomera Cooperative.
Peace - Both the medical clinic and the coffee cooperative help promote peace in the region. The medical clinic will serve all the people of the region--Jewish, Christian, and Muslim--helping to promote goodwill towards the minority Abayudaya Jewish community. The farmers of the Mirembe Kawomera Cooperative are a courageous example of people of faith working together for peace, tolerance, and economic justice. Join us in support of the Abayudaya Jews of Uganda and their commitment to a better world.
Tour Dates
• Sun, Feb 26, 3pm • Orlando, FL • Congregation Ohev Shalom
• Mon, Feb 27, 7pm • Richmond, VA • Congregation Or Atid
• Tue, Feb 28 • Washington, DC
• Wed, Mar 1 • Washington, DC
• Thu, Mar 2, 7pm • Philadelphia, PA • Janes Methodist Church
• Fri, Mar 3 • New York, NY • Congregation B’nai Jeshurun
• Sat, Mar 4 • New York, NY • NYC Fair Trade Coalition
• Sun, Mar 5 • Yonkers, NY • Lincoln Park Jewish Center
• Mon, Mar 6, 7:30pm • Rye, NY • Community Synagogue of Rye
• Tue, Mar 7, 7pm • Evanston, IL • Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation of
Evanston
• Wed, Mar 8, 7pm • Chicago, IL • Beth Shalom B’nai Zaken, Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation
• Thu, Mar 9 • Detroit, MI
• Fri, Mar 10 • Dallas, TX
• Sat, Mar 11, 7pm • Dallas, TX • Abayudaya Art Auction
• Mon, Mar 13, 6pm • Phoenix, AZ
• Tue, Mar 14, 12:30pm • Orange County, CA
• Wed, Mar 15 • Berkeley, CA
• Mon, Mar 20 • San Francisco, CA
Be'chol Lashon and the SF Israel Center present
Bay Area Tour / Black History Month 2006
Yossi Vassa's "It Sounds Better in Amharic"
February 11 & 12 • Museum of the African Diaspora • San Francisco
February 15 • UC Davis
February 16 • UC Berkeley
February 18 • Congregation Shomrei Torah • Santa Rosa, CA
February 19 • Claremont Hotel • Berkeley, CA
February 20 • San Jose State
Music & Laughter in Hebrew, Arabic, and Amharic (and English, too!)
February 19, 2005, Claremont Hotel, Berkeley, CA
Renowned Ethiopian-Israeli comedian and writer, Yossi Vassa, performs his oneman
comedy, "It Sounds Better in Amharic," a hilarious account of his 700-km journey
across Ethiopia to Sudan and eventually to Israel.
Plus, award-winning Yemenite-Israeli singers, Shirli & Miriam Zafri, sing an extraordinary
array of songs in both Hebrew and Arabic, ranging from traditional Yemenite-
Jewish folk sounds to contemporary music influenced by African-American pop
singers.
2005
Be’chol Lashon Sponsors IDAN RAICHEL PROJECT in New York & Los Angeles
Sensational music in Hebrew, Arabic, Amharic and English
2004
Chicago
CONTACT: Rabbi Capers C. Funnye
Jr.
Phone: 773/476-2924
Fax: 773/476-2259
Web Page: www.Bethshalombz.org
E-mail: bshalombz@sbcglobal.net
BLACK JEWS FIND NEW HOME IN MARQUETTE PARK
(CHICAGO, IL) The second oldest congregation
of African American Jews in the United States moves from the
South Chicago community to Marquette Park, a community once
riddled with racial tension. The new synagogue, which has twice
the square footage of space than the old synagogue, was designated
as a safe house for Martin Luther King Jr. when he marched
in Marquette Park in the mid-‘60s.
The congregation’s former home located at 8927
South Houston Avenue, built in 1902, is the oldest Jewish edifice
in continuous use in the Chicago metropolitan area. Beth Shalom
B’nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation was chartered under
the name, Association of Ethiopian Settlement Workers, in 1915,
a time when very few African-Americans adopted Judaism as a
way of life.
Beth Shalom B’Nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation will join with
approximately 300 friends and well-wishers from Christian and Jewish
congregations around the country and the metropolitan area. We will march
with the Torah Scroll from 67th Street and Kedzie Avenue to 6601 South
Kedzie at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 5, 2004. We will dedicate the
synagogue and unveil the new name plaque. "…Behold, how good and pleasant
it is for brethren to dwell together in unity."
This weekend also celebrates the 10th year anniversary
of the congregation’s reorganization. Following the morning
service there will be tours of the two-story building. The
theme of the commemorative weekend is taken from Joshua 13:1,"…and
there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed," speaks
to Rabbi Funnye’s visionary leadership.
The festivities will kick-off on Friday, June
4, 2004, at 7:30 p.m. with an evening service and culminate
on Saturday evening June 5, 2004 beginning at 9:00 p.m. with
an evening of dinning, entertainment, and dancing. The public
is invited. Tickets are $25.00 per person, and $12.00 for children.
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