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Local Briefs

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By FJN Staff

Various Local news briefs from our 10/27/06 issue.


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Stand-up for Peace: Arab and Jew face off with humor

The Jewish Community Center of the Greater Palm Beaches, the Jewish Federation’s Young Adult Division and the Ewa & Dan Abraham Project have joined forces in sponsoring a comedy festival series called, "Jew Wanna Laugh?" Tickets are $18.

The series opens at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4 at the Florida Atlantic University John D. MacArthur Campus AD Auditorium, 5353 Parkside Dr. in Jupiter with "Stand Up For Peace: The Two Comedian Solution to Middle East Peace," featuring Scott Blakeman and Dean Obeidallah. The pair formed "Stand Up For Peace" in June of 2002, when they organized shows to benefit "Seeds of Peace" which promotes understanding between Palestinian and Israeli teenagers by bringing them together at a summer camp in Maine. "Just by standing on stage together, and bringing Arabs and Jews together in the audience, we’re making more progress than they are right now in the Middle East," Blakeman said of the pair’s performances.

Blakeman has performed on Comedy Central’s Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, and was the warm-up comedian for CBS’ "Late Show with David Letterman.’’ He also has appeared on Air America and National Public Radio. Obeidallah has been featured on ABC’s 20/20, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer Reports, CNN International’s "Inside the Middle East," MSNBC’s Nachman, Comedy Central’s "Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn," as well as in numerous sketches on NBC’s Saturday Night Live and Late Night with Conan O’Brien.

For tickets and information, call 561-712-5201 or visit: http://www.jcconline.com

Aaron Davidson Hebrew Academy 11th grader set to premiere new film

Aaron Davidson a 17-year-old eleventh grader at Hebrew Academy on Miami Beach will present the world premiere his new documentary film "An Interview with Great Grandma Tillie" at the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival (CICFF) on October 29. The Chicago International Children’s Film Festival is North America’s largest and most celebrated film festival devoted to films for and by kids, and it’s the only Academy award-qualifying children’s film festival in the world. Aaron’s film was selected from a field of nearly 600 entries from 40 different countries as one of the 220 finalist films and videos for kids.

The film is a documentary about Aaron’s Great Grandma Tillie who is 96 years old and lives in Monsey, New York. In talking about the film, Davidson said, "Growing up, my great grandma always told me these wonderful stories. As I got older I appreciated them more, and wanted to document it, and keep those memories. My great grandma didn’t travel much once she came to America. Now because of my film, she will be seen in Chicago, and other places."

The Chicago International Children’s Film Festival is the latest accomplishments for Davidson, who is having a banner year, with five of his films screened at film festivals around the country and in Canada including the Atlanta Film Festival, the San Diego Children’s Film Festival, the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, and the Freeze Frame Film Festiva in Manitoba, Canada. He is currently working on a film that will premiere at the Miami Jewish Film Festival in January 2007.

Weinbaum Yeshiva High School Students Give Back to Their Communities

In the wake of the recent violence and shootings in schools across the country, students at the Weinbaum Yeshiva High School decided to show their commitment to the community through a Chesed ("kindness") Day on Wednesday, October 18th. The 142 students of the 9th, 10th, and 11th grades at WYHS were divided by grade and gender and sent to day care centers, preschools and hospitals in the Ft. Lauderdale area. All of the activities were hands-on, kids helping kids. The day proved to be very meaningful for everyone involved. Junior Alexa Bryn, who volunteered at Windsor Pre-school, commented, "I went into the classrooms thinking I was going to do all the helping, all the teaching, all the nurturing. But the four year olds in those classrooms had such a love of life, such a love for one another, and such a love of learning that they were the ones teaching me. I volunteered to help change someone else’s life, but in the process, I was the one who had changed." Daniel Shimansky, a Junior who visited Broward General Medical Center, agreed, "In putting a smile on a sick child’s face, you come out smiling. It’s a reciprocal relationship." Staff members at all of the locations were so moved by the students’ connection with the children. "Miss Nicole," a pre-kindergarten teacher at Windsor Park Preschool, remarked as to how "great it is to see students coming down and making an effort to reach out to younger kids." In many cases, these children became attached to the students, inspiring them to return. Freshman Amiel Abir recounted, "As I was about to leave, this boy named Michael pulled on my arm and asked if I was coming tomorrow to play. He made me want to come back and volunteer permanently." Community Service Coordinator, Heather Andron, described the energy of Chesed Day as "contagious," as she has made Chesed an integral part of WYHS – the school where the students never stop giving back.

Holocaust Documentation Center to honor special friends

On Sunday, Nov. 12 at the Westin Diplomat Spa and Resort in Hollywood, the Holocaust Documentation and Education Center will pay tribute to four special individuals for their unrelenting efforts to bequeath a Legacy of Remembrance and Hope for present and future generations. The honorees are Cheryl D. Davis, Dr. Abraham S. Fischler, Father Pat O’Neill, and Representative Eleanor Sobel. Cheryl D. Davis, a member of our Board of Directors and a graduate interviewer, is committed to preserving, protecting, and perpetuating the Legacy of the Holocaust. Dr. Abraham S. Fischler, president emeritus of Nova Southeastern University and a founding Board of Directors’ member, has been a guiding force in endowing our community with the first South Florida Holocaust Museum. Father Pat O’Neill represents the Archdiocese of Miami and has been a tremendous supporter of the documentation and educational efforts of the Center since its inception. Representative Eleanor Sobel’s efforts and understanding of the importance and significance of the Center’s work has helped to obtain funding from the state of Florida for the center’s educational outreach programming.

Dr. Deborah Lipstadt will be the featured keynote speaker. Dr. Lipstadt is the Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish and Holocaust Studies at Emory University where she directs the Institute for Jewish Studies. She is the author of three books. History on Trial: My Day in Court with David Irving is the story of her libel trial in London against David Irving who sued her for calling him a Holocaust denier and right wing extremist. Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory is the first full-length study of those who attempt to deny the Holocaust. Beyond Belief: The American Press and the Coming of the Holocaust is an examination of how the American press covered the news of the persecution of European Jewry between the years 1933 and 1945. Dr. Lipstadt was an historical consultant to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and helped design the section of the Museum dedicated to the American Response to the Holocaust.

The luncheon will begin at 12:00 noon. Cost is $75 per person. The Jaime Bronsztein Klezmer Orchestra will perform. Sponsorship opportunites are still available. For reservations and information, contact Rositta E. Kenigsberg at 305-919-5690.

Federation’s Young Leaders to present a ‘Comedy Kick-Off’

Comedienne Jodie Wasserman, called "one of the fastest rising stars on the scene today" by Comedy Central; and comedian Bob DiBuono, who’s appeared on MTV Live and Good Morning America, will be the featured entertainment when the Young Leadership Division (YLD) of the Jewish Federation of Broward County presents a "Comedy Kick-Off," Thursday, November 9, from 7 - 11 p.m., at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW 5th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale. This event is open to the public.

The Comedy Kick-Off event, which costs $36 in advance and $40 at the door, includes the show, an open bar and appetizers. Sponsors include the Drowos Group at Smith Barney; and Associated Financial Consultants, Inc./Associated Investor Services, Inc.

Wasserman, who is also an actress, regularly performs at prominent New York comedy clubs including Caroline’s and The Improv. She was recently the subject of a one-hour documentary on the Discovery Channel.

DiBuono, who’s also appeared at Caroline’s as well as the New York Comedy Club, is a stand-up comic perhaps best known for his impersonations of Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, among others. For information, contact Rachel Goldberg at 954-252-6908



Posted by FJN Staff on 10/27 at 02:00 AM • Hits: 277



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