Jonah Maccabee Concert - The Jonah Maccabee Foundation

THE FIFTH ANNUAL
Jonah Maccabee Concert
March 8, 2014
7 Adar II 5774
PRODUCED BY
woodlAnds coMMuniTy TeMPle
50 worThingTon roAd, whiTe PlAins, ny 10607
“Music gives
a soul to
the universe,
wings to
the mind,
flight to the
imagination,
and life
to everything.”
2
— Plato
The Fifth Annual
Jonah Maccabee Concert
A celebration of Jewish music,
camping, and community
FEATURING
Julie Silver
and
Ken Chasen
Woodlands Community Temple
Saturday, March 8, 2014
PROCEEDS SUPPORT SCHOLARSHIPS FOR URJ CAMPS
AND OTHER JEWISH SUMMER EXPERIENCES.
The evening begins with Havdalah, led by
Rabbi Billy and Cantor Ellen Dreskin.
There will be a 15-minute intermission after the first music set.
Delicious home-baked goods and water are available for purchase.
Every nosh you buy goes to summer scholarships for
Woodlands children and teens, so eat and drink!
Representatives from URJ camps are here to answer your questions.
Please look for their displays.
You can also buy the musicians’ CDs and take home
the magic and music of this special night.
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From the Dreskin Family
March 8, 2014
7 Adar II 5774
Dear Friends,
It’s been five years since the night Jonah died. In that time, you’ve mourned with us, cried
with us, and, when we were ready, helped us rebuild the joy in our lives. Thank you.
You’ve also joined us in celebrating Jonah’s life through this annual Jonah Maccabee
Concert. Jonah was a great lover of music. As unique a guy as he was, however, this
wasn’t what made him stand out from our pack. Music is dear to our entire family.
And whether we’re singing around the piano or just listening to iTunes, Jonah’s love
was our love too. We’re so pleased to share the music of Julie Silver and Ken Chasen
with you this evening — two super musicians and wonderful friends whom we’ve
wanted you to meet for a long time.
In one of his college applications, Jonah wrote: “Although school made its own
contribution to my musical career, a bigger influence still was the time I’ve spent at
Jewish summer camps. Every summer of my life was spent at either Kutz Camp in
Warwick, NY, or Eisner Camp in Great Barrington, MA. A little-known fact in this
day and age is that Jewish summer camps give birth to incredibly talented musicians.
As I developed, the big thing was guitar. Either you knew how to play it or you
loved someone who did. The first 12 years I just got to watch. At the end of my 12th
summer, I bought my first guitar.”
Jonah’s story is a common one. His dad fell in love with Jewish music at the URJ
Goldman Camp in Indiana. His mom fell in love with it at Kutz. It happened to Julie
Silver at Camp Pembroke in Massachusetts. And to Ken Chasen also at Goldman
Camp. Summers spent listening to ghost stories around campfires, drinking bug juice,
and sharing communal bathrooms offer so many gifts to our kids. For a lot of them,
the musical soundtrack of those carefree days will accompany them back home and
shape the journey of their entire lives. The melodies may change, the back-beats shift,
but the accompaniment plays on forever. And life is better for it.
Jonah loved making music. In doing so, he reflected one of humankind’s greatest
loves. As Plato taught, “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to
the imagination, and life to everything.” Who wouldn’t want to be part of that?
Thanks for coming tonight. Enjoy the music ... always!
Ellen, Billy, Katie, and Aiden Dreskin
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About the Artists
Ken Chasen
is a rabbi, composer, guitarist, and part of the beloved
contemporary group Mah Tovu. The band has released three CDs and two
books that guide Jewish families in creating meaningful Jewish rituals in
the home — Days of Wonder, Nights of Peace and Day of Days. Mah Tovu’s
hilarious rendition of “Pharaoh, Pharaoh,” a parody of the ‘60s Kingsmen
hit “Louie, Louie,” is a YouTube favorite.
Ken spent six years composing and editing music for television and film
before beginning studies for the rabbinate. He was ordained as Rabbi
from Hebrew Union College in 1998. He served as Associate Rabbi at
Westchester Reform
Temple in Scarsdale
before becoming Senior
Rabbi at the Leo Baeck
Temple in Los Angeles.
There he introduced
the musical Shabbat
Alive! monthly service.
He serves on the
Reform Movement’s
Joint Commission on
Worship, Music, and
Religious Living, and
he is a member of
the Synagogue 3000
Leadership Network, a group of rabbis, cantors, and spiritual visionaries
whose congregations exemplify what 21st century synagogues can be.
Ken is married to Allison Lee, the Associate Director of the Western Region
for American Jewish World Service. They have three children and live in
Los Angeles.
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Julie Silver
has sold more than
100,000 copies of her CDs, without
backing from a major label. From 1992 to
2000, she released some of the bestselling
albums of original Jewish music, including
Together, From Strength to Strength, Walk
With Me and Beyond Tomorrow. She
describes her 2009 release, Reunion, as
a collection of “songs from a faithful
heart.” Her CD It’s Chanukah Time was
the first Jewish holiday recording produced
exclusively for Barnes and Noble, and the
only Jewish album ever to be recognized
on Billboard, reaching number 5 in 2009.
Julie also has released a collection of original folk/rock songs and a children’s
CD, For Love to Grow, which has been recognized as a Parents’ Choice Blue
Ribbon Recommended work. The honor was especially sweet for Julie, who
made the recording as a tribute to her childhood music teacher.
These days, Julie devotes her time to mentoring younger singer-songwriters,
participating in social justice projects and working to make the Jewish
experience more meaningful. A New England native, she lives in Southern
California with her wife, Mary Connelly, a television producer, and their two
daughters.
Joining Ken and Julie on stage…
Elana Arian, a featured artist at the Fourth Annual Jonah Maccabee
Concert, returns on mandolin, fiddle, guitar, and vocals. Her latest CD, How
to Stand in the Rain, seamlessly blends the discipline of classical, the freedom
of jazz, and the candor of folk music to showcase her unique style as a singersongwriter.
Yuval Lion, drummer and percussionist, has toured and recorded with
some of the most prominent pop, rock, R&B, and jazz artists and now tours
with acclaimed singer-songwriter Martha Wainright. A native of Tel Aviv, he
lives in New York City.
Dave Phillips, bassist and composer, has traveled the world as both a solo
artist and a collaborator. He includes education as part of every journey, and
teaches bass in the Bronxville area.
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URJ Summer Experiences
Fun, friendships, tradition, Jewish values,
and opportunities to scale new heights
8
Something Special
for Every Child and Teen
URJ offers a rich array of summer programs. Here are great options available to
children and teens in our community.
Eisner and Crane Lake Camps All-around summer fun in the Berkshire
Mountains includes athletics, arts, aquatics, and trips in an environment
emphasizing Jewish culture, history and values.
Camp Chazak 6-day camp, offered by Eisner and Crane Lake, for children
with social developmental delays.
Kutz Camp (NFTY’s Campus for Reform Jewish Teens). For 10th – 12th
graders, emphasizing leadership development, in Warwick, N.Y.
6 Points Sci-Tech Academy NEW! Scientific inquiry meets fun — and
Rabbi Billy will be there for the inaugural week. Pursue robotics, video game
design, environmental science, digital media production and more on a campus
outside Boston. For children entering grades 5 – 9.
6 Points Sports Academy Got game? So does the first Jewish sports camp in
the U.S. Two-week sessions for 4th – 11th graders, in Greensboro, N.C.
NFTY Mitzvah Corps Service and social action in a Jewish ethical
framework. Opportunities across the U.S. and in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and
Israel. For 10th – 12th graders.
Rabbi Billy can answer your questions about choosing the right program for your
child or applying for a Jonah Maccabee Fund summer scholarship. Please call the
Woodlands office to schedule an appointment. 914.592.7070
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Woodlands Family Camp Album
URJ summer programs have been central to the lives of members of our
Woodlands community year after year — and generation after generation.
See how many happy faces you recognize.
lands kids at Crane Lake Camp, 2013
Sunshine and smiles — Ross and Wood
10
iot, to
mes her brother, El
Abigail Loose welco
.
13
20
,
mp
Eisner Ca
his first summer at
Double delight — Estelle and Imogene
Winkleman
attend a Camp Harlam reunion.
How many days till camp?
Sarah and Denali Sagner
stop by this winter.
nah,
iden, Jo
4
nd — A er Camp, 200
u
ro
a
g
Goofin
in, Eisn
sk
re
D
tie
and Ka
Sing on! Ellen (pre-) Dreskin
as
a Kutz camper, 1973
per
For kids of all ages — Kutz cam
bi Billy,
Jonah, Kutz faculty member Rab
2007
e,
Kati
and
n,
Aide
n,
with Elle
Today it’s called Machon.
In 1974, it was a CIT, program,
and Billy Dreskin took part at
Camp Goldman.
11
‘
‘‘
A father should teach his son Torah,
to marry a good woman, and to perform deeds of
loving kindness. And some say: How to swim.
—Babylonian Talmud (Tractate Kiddushin 29a)
Parents should teach their children
to study Torah, to get along with others, to swim,
to row a canoe, some arts and crafts, the ropes
course, a bit of Hebrew, and lots of Jewish songs.
Some say: And how to make a s’more.
12
—Rabbi Billy’s commentary on the text
The Fifth Annual
Jonah Maccabee Concert
is underwritten by
a generous gift from
Herbert J. Friedman and family,
in loving memory of
Elaine Friedman.
{
HERBERT J. FRIEDMAN
EVAN, FAYE, AND RACHEL FRIEDMAN
NORMAN AND PATRICIA FRIEDMAN
TODD, BETH, AND JOSHUA BENJAMIN
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To our entire community of generous supporters,
thank you for making tonight’s concert a success.
golden giFTers
Anonymous
The Boonshoft Family
James Dowdle
Ellen, Billy, Katie, and Aiden Dreskin
Nancy and Chuck Fishman
David and Dayle Fligel
Melissa Frey
Rabbi David and Kathy Gelfand
Cantor Jonathan Ben Gordon
The Grant Family
Larry Hoffman and Gayle Hoover
The Jonah Maccabee Foundation
Judith and Victor Linn
Mickey Milbauer
Julie Newman
Margot Serwer
The Sirkmans
Susan and Jon Stein
Rabbi Mara and Mark Young
List as of February 26, 2014
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silver suPPorTers
Renni Altman
Rabbi Ramie Arian and Merri Lovinger Arian
Adriane and Joel Belmont
The Berlowitz Family
Lori Bluberg
Marcus Burstein and Eric Larson
Michelle Citrin
Joan and Andy Farber
The Flamm Family
Corey Friedlander
Joel M. Hoffman
Greg Kellner
Linda and Les Kellner
Barry and Judith Kessler
Harriet M. Levine
Riki Lippitz and John Schechter
Cantors Jacob and Fredda Mendelson
June and Don Moskovitz
Rochelle Novins
Donna, Roy, and Noah Polayes
Lisa Sacks and Jon Richer
The Selig Family
Benjie Schiller and Lester Bronstein
Leon Sher
Peri Smilow and Budd Mishkin
The Smith-Yarnold Family
TIFTY
The Wiener Family
List as of February 26, 2014
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The Jonah Maccabee Fund
celebrates the legacy of Jonah Maccabee Dreskin
by supporting three things he loved: music, Jewish
camping, and the Woodlands community.
The Fund produces an annual concert of
contemporary Jewish music, and the proceeds provide
scholarships to URJ summer programs for
Woodlands Community Temple members.
Our goals are to create an enduring showcase for
influential Jewish musicians and to ensure that every
Woodlands child and teen is afforded the opportunity
to enjoy a Reform Jewish summer experience.
Featured artists at the
Jonah Maccabee Concert
Josh Nelson and Dan Nichols, January 23, 2010
Craig Taubman, April 2, 2011
Josh Nelson and Dan Nichols, March 10, 2012
Chana Rothman, Michelle Citrin and Elana Arian,
April 13, 2013
Ken Chasen and Julie Silver, March 8, 2014
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We gratefully acknowledge
the following for their
assistance in creating
tonight’s wonderful concert:
Ken Chasen
Julie Silver
Temple Israel of the City of
New York
Rabbi David and Kathy
Gelfand
Melanie Roher
Woodlands Community
Temple Board of Trustees
Patricia Nissim
Liz Rauchwerger
Rabbi Mara Young
Jonah Maccabee Fund
Committee
Lisa Linn, Chair
Karen Berlowitz
Lee Brickman
Lesli Cattan
Billy Dreskin
Ellen Dreskin
Katie Dreskin
Ross Glinkenhouse
Greg Linn
Phyllis Opochinsky
Doug Pell
Geri Pell
Steve Schwartz
Fran Smith
Cantor Jonathan Gordon
Michele Montague
German Franco
Lance Rosenthal
Adam Weber
Volunteer greeters, bakers,
concession workers and
ushers.
URJ Eisner and Crane Lake
Camps
URJ Kutz Camp
Camp Chazak
6 Points Sci-Tech Academy
6 Points Sports Academy
This booklet and Jonah Maccabee
Fund promotional materials
were designed by
Melanie Roher
Roher/Sprague Partners
50 South Buckhout Street
Irvington, NY 10533.
914.591.2500
www.rohersprague.com
Jonah Maccabee Fund Logo design
by Robert Cattan
Camp photos on page 8
courtesy of URJ
NFTY Mitzvah Corps
50 Worthington Road, White Plains, New York 10607
914.592.7070
www.wct.org www.jonahmac.org
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Epitaph
by Merritt Malloy
When I die Give what’s left of me away To children And old men that wait to die. And if you need to cry, Cry for your brother Walking the street beside you. And when you need me, Put your arms Around anyone And give them What you need to give to me. I want to leave you something, Something better Than words Or sounds. Look for me In the people I’ve known Or loved, And if you cannot give me away, At least let me live on your eyes And not on your mind. 18
You can love me most By letting Hands touch hands, By letting Bodies touch bodies, And by letting go Of children That need to be free. Love doesn’t die, People do. So, when all that’s left of me Is love, Give me away.
Photo Credits:
Page 4
University at Buffalo, November 2008
By Katie Dreskin
Page 18
Play Group Theatre, White Plains, NY
August 2008
Back Cover
Annual “Dreskin Family 9th Night
of Hanukkah” photograph, January 2009
In memory of
Jonah Maccabee Dreskin
February 14, 1990 - March 5, 2009