John Oliver Mason has written for newspapers in the Philadelphia area for over twenty years, covering such events as neighborhood associations, police-community workshops, demonstrations, friends-of-parks groups, and other community activities, writing about neighborhood people making their communities better. He is also a well-known poet.
Israel's Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren
Israel was the featured nation at the Equality Forum, a worldwide LGBT rights conference based in Philadelphia, in May 3-6, 2012.
The forum began with a VIP kickoff reception held at the Gershman Y, Broad and Pine streets. In the lobby of the Gershman, the works of Israeli photographer David Adika were displayed, as part of the 13th Annual Gay and Lesbian Art Exhibit. Titled Equator, Adika's photographs were displayed on the north, east south, and west sides of the lobby, representing similar regions in Israel.
As Penny Kardon, Director of Career Strategies for JEVS, explains,
The program is for current juniors whose families meet a certain income eligibility requirement. This is funded by the Lasko Family Foundation, and it's in its seventh year. It gives students an opportunity to work three days a week in the Jewish community, at a Jewish organization, and two days a week they come to JEVS Human Services' Career Strategies Department, in the Youth Services.
Penny Kardon, Director of Career Strategies for the Jewish Employment and Vocational Service (JEVS) in Philadelphia, explains the Helping Hands program as "a program for underemployed or unemployed Jewish individuals up to the age of 65. They are given intense vocational assessment, ongoing career counseling, and opportunities for us to pay for training programs. There's a free computer program, workshops, lots and lots of support with job placement, (and) it's a one-year program, it's of no cost to the participants, and it's completely funded by the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia."
The impact of racism and fear over immigration on local economics and politics will be the topic of a panel discussion, held at the Liberties Bar, 709 North Second Street, 2nd floor, on Thursday, February 23, 2012, at 7:00 PM.
The panel discussion will be sponsored by the Philadelphia chapter of the Jewish Labor Committee (JLC), the Philadelphia chapter of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), and Philadelphia Jobs with Justice.
JRAid is a new program of the Jewish Relief Agency (JRA), the food distribution program founded by Rabbi Menachem Schmidt, of the Chabad Hasidim.
JRA Director Amy Krulik describes JRAid as
A brand new program...launched on September 18, 2011. The goal of the program is for our JRA volunteers to provide additional assistance and support to people in the community. It's a way to go beyond just providing food support, but to help people with everyday tasks, (such as) changing light bulbs, doing minor home repairs, providing rides to the doctor, (making) friendly phone calls or friendly visits to home bound seniors, really trying to fill in the pieces, primarily for people who don't have family or support networks in the area.
Major movers and shakers in Philadelphia's economy were among the 1500 supporters at Saturday night's 155th Anniversary Academy of Music Concert and Ball, including (left to right) Ron and Rachelle Kaiserman, Robert and Caroline Zuritsky, and Renee and Joe Zuritsky.
The Philadelphia Orchestra's 155th Academy of Music Anniversary Concert and Ball featured the debut on the Academy of Music stage of. Music Director Designate Yannick Nézet-Séguin , with special guests multiple Grammy Award®-winners singer/pianist Diana Krall and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Tipping its hat once again to the first Academy concert, the program was a mix of popular and classical music, just as the 1857 opening concert was.
Jazz performer Krall surprised the audience by calling back on stage her friend and collaborator, Yo-Yo Ma, to the delight of everyone.
"Save Our Stiffel" is the name of a newly-formed group dedicated to keeping the Jacob & Esther Stiffel Senior center, 604 Porter Street in South Philadelphia, from closing due to lack of funds.
Programs held at the Stiffel Center include classes in Yiddish; art, poetry and music classes; cultural and travel experiences; health and exercise programs; traditional holiday programs; daily hot kosher lunches; fitness and wellness classes; medial and legal advice; chaplaincy services; and a thrift shop.
Laurel Katz, actor and radio host, is part of the effort; "No one had organized," she recalls, "a committee to raise the funds that are needed, because we found out fairly recently that that Stiffel is operating on a $200 thousand annual deficit, and they need $200 thousand by June 30th, and a promise for future funding, because they want to close it." The Stiffel Center is a branch of the Klein JCC.
Describing himself as politically in the center, Kirsh displayed beside him on the podium paintings of the presidents playing cards; on his left were Andrew Jackson, Franklin Roosevelt, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter, and to his right were Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Richard Nixon, Dwight Eisenhower, and George Bush I and II.
After his discussion, Kirsh sold and autographed copies of the book.
More after the jump including a preview of the chapter on POTUS #1 George Washington.
Artists whose works have been exhibited include Rita Ackert, Steve Belkowitz, Linda Dubin Garfield, Liliana Life, Carla Goodstein, Peter Reich, and Mordechai Rosenstein, Mickie Rosen, Hinda Schuman, Susan Leonard, Kathryn Pannepacker, Else Wachs, Paulette Bensignor, Susan Forbes, Rachel Issac, B.Leah Palmer, and Barbara Rosenzweig.
The Jewish Publication Society (JPS) celebrated the new edition of the classic Jewish text, Mesillat Yesharim, at a brunch and discussion held at Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel.
Messillat Yesharim is a classic in Jewish Mussar (ethical) literature, written by the Kabbalist Moses Hayyim Luzzatto. It was translated into English by Doctor Mordecai Kaplan, founder of the Reconstructionist movement in Judaism. The new edition has an introduction and commentary by Rabbi Ira Stone, of Beth Zion-Beth Israel.
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Penny Kardon, Director of Career Strategies for the Jewish Employment and Vocational Service (JEVS) in Philadelphia, explains the Helping Hands program as "a program for underemployed or unemployed Jewish individuals up to the age of 65. They are given intense vocational assessment, ongoing career counseling, and opportunities for us to pay for training programs. There's a free computer program, workshops, lots and lots of support with job placement, (and) it's a one-year program, it's of no cost to the participants, and it's completely funded by the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia."
— by John O. Mason
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