Original Article in The New York Jewish Week:

The power of sharing stories while biking and hiking through Israel to benefit National Ramah Tikvah Network

From Wednesday through Friday during the second week of May, bike riders and hikers on the fourth biennial Ramah Israel Bike Ride and Hiking Trip pedaled and hiked through the 108 degree Western Negev sun and the Judean Hills. These riders and hikers from the United States, Canada, and Israel represented the Ramah Camping Movement’s nine overnight camps and five day camps, and were on their way to raising nearly $470,000 for the National Ramah Tikvah Network of programs for campers with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Participants got to know each other as they ascended hills and descended through valleys, shared snacks and meals, and lounged by the pool after a strenuous day.

Something very special happened Shabbat evening that changed the ride and hike experience for everyone. Following Kabbalat Shabbat services overlooking Southern Jerusalem and a sumptuous Shabbat dinner, riders and hikers attended an evening program to learn more about Tikvah, founded in 1970 and now part of all Ramah camps. As director of the National Ramah Tikvah Network, I provided an overview of our programs and shared stories of my 21 years with Tikvah. Ralph Schwartz and Orlee Krass, fellow bike riders and Ramah Tikvah directors, recounted stories of their Tikvah programs at Ramah Wisconsin and Ramah Poconos. Then, four very special people changed the evening—and the entire trip—for everyone.

One by one, Mark, Ben, Jeff, and Ethan shared heartfelt stories of their children’s participation in Tikvah.

“Adam and Eric both got to go to Israel with Ramah on a Tikvah trip. Eric came back and told the story of visiting an Israeli army base where people with disabilities [through the Special in Uniform Program] serve in the IDF. He was amazed and impressed that people like him get to serve in the Israeli army.”

“We are happy that Jacob got to attend camp for so many years—just like his older and younger brothers. Camp is something all of our children share.”

“Sam has friends he met at camp, and he gets together with two of them regularly during the year.”

“We have two sons in Tikvah. Our younger son, Jacob, is mostly non-verbal. We were excited that, when he became bar mitzvah, we would have three adults for a mizuman [the introductory part of Birkat Hamazon, the grace after meals]. During a Friday night dinner right after camp, when we started singing the first paragraph, Jacob blurted out, ‘Rabotai Nivarech.’ We were so touched and amazed. We asked if he learned it at camp and he said no—he was just surrounded by benching (grace after meals) every meal!”

Up until this informal Shabbat gathering, Mark, Ben, Jeff, and Ethan were just fellow riders, having a good time in a special place as they raised money for a good cause. Now, the ride and hike had new meaning for everyone. As one of our special funders, Jay Ruderman of the Ruderman Family Foundation, often notes, “We are all connected to disability. You can’t sit at a table at a simcha where someone is not closely connected to someone with a disability. And we will all know someone with a disability.”

As the riders and hikers got back on their bikes and put on their hiking shoes for two more days of hot, strenuous riding and hiking in and around Jerusalem, Arad, the Dead Sea, and Masada, we can all proudly say that we are connected to disability. We are so proud that the money raised will help families of children with disabilities benefit from an amazing summer in a Jewish summer camp!


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The Original Article Published On The Jerusalem Post

Jewish filmmaker Amir Bar-Lev’s epic documentary is required viewing for Dead Heads

In 1978, Deadheads secretly prayed that the Grateful Dead would cross the border from Egypt into Israel and perform in the Sinai Desert after their three-day gig at the Great Pyramid of Giza. Their wish for a miracle never panned out and the Dead never played a concert in Israel – though Jewish Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart performed in Jerusalem in 2013.

Thanks to director Amir Bar-Lev and his new film Long Strange Trip: The Untold Story of the Grateful Dead, Deadheads worldwide and those who have long been curious about Dead shows and Grateful Dead culture can now experience this world – if they are willing to devote four hours to this important new film, presented in six acts.

The film covers a lot of ground and features interviews with the Core Four (Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart – who are all credited as executive producers); Dennis McNally, the band’s publicist and biographer; daughter Trixie Garcia; Donna Jean Godchaux (band member from 1972 to 1979); Sam Cutler, the tour manager from 1970 to 1974; girlfriend and later wife Barbara Meier; and such celebrity Deadheads as Senator Al Franken.

Viewers are treated to rare clips and archival images of Jerry Garcia’s teenage years, the band forming and living together in the Haight Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco, meetings with members of the Rolling Stones, performances in the US and around the world (including the famous Europe ’72 Tour) and even underwater video of Jerry scuba diving in Hawaii.

There are many sweet, poignant and historically significant moments throughout the film, including black and white footage of Garcia patiently teaching Lesh and Weir the harmony to the song “Candyman.”  The audience learns all about the Dead’s famous sound system, known as the Wall of Sound, meets Deadheads outside concert venues on Shakedown Street, experiences the rampant LSD culture of band members and fans, and watches Jerry battle lapse into a diabetic coma, battle drug addiction and ultimately die of a heart attack at age 53 in 1995.

A particularly interesting theme of the movie was Garcia’s fascination with the 1948 film Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. Garcia notes that the movie both delighted and terrified him; he first saw it as a child at age 5, just after his father died.

The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and has been screened this past week at select cities across the United States. The film arrives to Amazon Prime Video on June 2.  Footage of camels, Jerry Garcia and band, and Deadheads at the pyramids can be seen approximately 2-1/2 hours into the film.

Bar-Lev, son of Israeli parents, got into the Grateful Dead growing up in the 1980s in Northern California. He playfully notes that it took 14 years to create the film. “Getting the Core Four on board was a process of do, die, do again, die again – for eleven years! I always wanted to make the film. It was pure persistence.” He continues, “We set out to make a 90 minute film – but at two hours, we were only at 1974, so we went back to our financiers!”

Bar-Lev’s other films include The Tillman Story about the NFL star-turned-US Army ranger Pat Tillman, My Kid Could Paint That, and Happy Valley, a film about the Penn State Jerry Sandusky scandal.

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Welcome to Tikvah Connects, a new publication of the National Ramah Commission, connecting you several times a year with news about members of the Tikvah community and exciting Tikvah events.

Nearly every Rosh Hashanah and Passover since 1984, I have received beautiful handwritten cards from Matthew, a former Tikvah camper. Several Friday afternoons and erev chags a year, I receive lovely phone calls from Jeremy, another former camper from Camp Ramah in New England. Matthew, Jeremy, and hundreds of other former Tikvah campers from across the United States and Canada have grown in so many ways since their camp years.

Members of the larger Tikvah community are quite diverse. They work part time, full time, and volunteer. They live in apartments, group residences, and houses. They participate in various social and recreational activities. Yet, they all have one thing in common: They cherish precious memories of summers in various Tikvah programs. They feel deeply connected to Tikvah and Ramah, and many are looking for ways to stay connected.

Tikvah is truly special! There has been so much growth in the world of inclusive camping since Herb and Barbara Greenberg started the first Tikvah program (with 8 campers!) in Glen Spey, NY, in 1970. The Tikvah program soon moved to Ramah New England. Now, all of our Ramah camps include campers with disabilities. Each time I travel to Israel, I am fortunate to visit with the Greenbergs in their home in Ra’anana. They are delighted when I share stories of Tikvah’s ongoing development. So much has happened in 47 years!

Our Tikvah programs offer camping, vocational training, employment opportunities, family camps, Israel trips and more!

Our National Ramah Tikvah Network, founded in 2011, connects Ramah staff, families, and alumni from across camps and from across the decades. Our alumni staff, campers, and families live in many parts of the US, Canada, Israel, and even other countries around the world. We have had successful local reunions in such places as Washington, DC, Chicago, Los Angeles, and at Camp Ramah in Ojai, California. Some of our camps hold weekly or regular video chats with such names as “Shabbos Is Calling” and “Shavua Tov.”

We are particularly excited to share our inaugural issue of Tikvah Connects at this time. Just this week, Tikvah staff members for summer 2017 met for training at the National Ramah Spring Leadership Training Conference (“Winer”) at Ramah New England. And earlier this month, 101 representatives of our Ramah camps participated in our 4th Ramah Israel Bike Ride and Hiking Trip and have thus far raised almost $470,000 to support our Ramah Tikvah programs.Three of our Tikvah Directors (Ralph Schwartz, Wisconsin; Orlee Krass, Poconos; and Howard Blas, Northern California/NRC) were riders! There’s still time to support this important cause.

Enjoy this inaugural issue of Tikvah Connects. In each issue, we will share news of staff, alumni, and programs. Feel free to send ideas, feedback, and updates to me at howard@campramah.org or (413) 374-7210.


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The Original Article Published On The Jerusalem Post

Jews seem to be fascinated by the topic of Jews in sports – regardless of the sport, team, country or time period in history

If you present a program entitled, “Jews in Sports: Beyond Sandy Koufax,” they will come.

When the event is free, in New York City and features legendary baseball player Art Shamsky of the 1969 Miracle Mets World Series Championship team, the people will definitely come out in great numbers. Jews seem to be fascinated by the topic of Jews in sports – regardless of the sport, team, country or time period in history.

The evening program last week at the Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center on Manhattan’s Upper East Side also included such sports personalities as Bruce Beck, lead sports anchor at WNBC-TV in New York, host of NBC’s Sports Final and sideline reporter for New York Giants preseason football, Gerald Eskenazi, former New York Times sportswriter of 44 years and author of sixteen books, and Dr. Jane Katz, member of the 1964 United States Olympics Synchronized Swimming Team in Tokyo, Japan.

The event set out to address the question, “Why does the myth of the Jewish athlete still fascinate us?” and noted in the program’s description, “From the Book of Judge’s Samson to the NBA’s Omri Casspi, Semitic strongmen have always had an air of the improbable about them.”

Moderator Eskenazi, referenced the famous decision of Brooklyn Dodger pitcher Koufax to sit out Game 1 of the October 7, 1965 World Series versus the Minnesota Twins when it fell on Yom Kippur.

Eskenazi raised the question, “Would not pitching on Yom Kippur matter in 2017?” He noted that Jews are now quite active and prominent across the professional sports world.

“Ten-and-a-half out of 32 owners in the NFL are Jewish! (Why the half? The New York Giants are owned by the Tisches and the Maras). Eskenazi also pointed out that two out of four commissioners in professional sports – the NBA and NHL (plus Major League Soccer) – are Jewish.

The panelists spent 90 minutes sharing anecdotes, not-so-well known addenda to well-known stories and sports trivia. They brought smiles, chills and even tears to the eyes of members of the packed auditorium, whose insightful questions reflected an incredible collective knowledge of Jewish sports.

The audience learned that Katz, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York, in the Department of Physical Education and Athletics, was born on the Lower East Side, teaches fitness and swimming to New York City police officers and fire fighters, hung out with legendary swimmer, Johnny Weissmuller, and has been a competitor or official at every Maccabiah Game since 1957.

A serious distance swimmer, she joked about what she calls “the Jewish triathlon – the steam, shower and sauna!” Beck reminded the audience that Sandy Koufax’s last name at birth was Braun until he took on Koufax, his stepfather’s name – and that Don Drysdale started in his place in the 1965 World Series when he didn’t pitch on Yom Kippur.

“Drysdale gave up seven runs in under three innings. When manager Walter Alston took him out, Drysdale said ‘You know, skip, I bet you wish I was Jewish too!’” Beck spoke personally of his mother’s arriving in the United States from Poland in 1937 – and becoming the first woman mayor of Livingston, New Jersey.

And he referenced the time when three of eight US Open men’s tennis quarterfinalists were Jewish (1951 US Nationals: Vic Seixas, Herbie Flam and Dick Savitt, who won the Australia Open and Wimbledon earlier that year).

Beck also shared a very moving story of how singing the first three lines of his bar mitzva haftarah convinced Israeli security guards at the 2004 Athens Olympics that he was “legit,” and he became the only broadcaster to land an interview with windsurfer Gal Fridman, Israel’s first Olympic gold medalist.

Shamsky, who grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, attended Hebrew school (“I snuck out many times to play baseball!”), celebrated his bar mitzvah and attended the same high school as Jewish major league pitcher Ken Holtzman.

“I had always thought of myself as a baseball player who happened to be Jewish,” noted Shamsky. “All that changed in 1969.”

Shamsky approached manager Gil Hodges during a tough pennant race and explained that September 21 was Yom Kippur.

Hodges said, “do what you think is best.”

Shamsky did not play.

He shared a less well known addendum to the story: “The next day, I was back in Pittsburgh at the old Forbes Field – no one said anything to me. There was a sign on my locker – “why don’t you stay out the rest of the season!” Shamsky knew they were joking.

While he did recall “some catcalls one summer in Macon, Georgia, while playing on a team with Pete Rose, I had no problems because of my Jewish faith.”

In reflecting on his decision to sit out the Yom Kippur double- header and considering Koufax’s similar decision four years earlier, Shamsky said “Koufax was an icon – but they could just switch pitchers and he could pitch another night. For me, it was a double-header against the Pittsburgh Pirates!”

Shamsky still gets comments about that famous decision. “I get letters to this day, people who weren’t even born then telling me they were proud!” He playfully notes that the story has gotten embellished over the years. For example, one person wrote, “I remember about that week you took off…”

Shamsky, who also managed in Israel in 2007 and is proud of Israel’s recent success in the World Baseball Classic, has been living in New York for more than 45 years and still sports his 1969 World Series ring – and regularly gets comments about the 1969 Mets team.

“I played baseball for 13 years – no one ever asks me about the other 12!” And, he notes proudly, “I get the Jewish thing all the time – it gives me a chance to talk about my past, to reminisce.”

The evening concluded with questions from the audience about Israel’s success in the World Baseball Classic, the Jewishness of pro wrestler Bill Goldberg, the names of the two Mets pitchers who defeated the Pirates in the Yom Kippur double header in 1969 (Jerry Koosman and Don Cardwell) and questions about who the panelists see as current Jewish sports ambassadors.

All fans left pleased, including some with a personally inscribed and signed $30 copy of Shamsky’s book, “The Magnificent Seasons: How the Jets, Mets and Knicks Made Sports History and Uplifted and City and the Country.”

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