FRIDAY
Shabbat Pre-Game
&
Pre-Shavuot Sundae Bar
in honor of the upcoming holiday!

Stop by after work or on your way from the gym. We’ll be in the 16th St Lobby for a quick
Glass of Wine, Taste of Challah,
and Ice Cream & Fro Yo Bar!

Tomorrow Friday May 18 in the Washington DCJCC 16th Street Lobby 
5:30 – 6:30 pm
FREE, Just Stop By!

Contact Ilana Weltman at
ilanaw@washingtondcc.org if you are looking for places to go for Shavuot services/dinner or find out at the Pre-Game!

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Many thanks to all of our competitors, and a special thanks to the Jews who made videos for the final rounds.  All finalists will receive a prize.  The Jews of the Year will receive a larger prize.

Also, thank you to our celebrated panel of judges hailing from Washington Jewish Week, DC JCC, The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, Washington Hebrew Congregation, Mr. Yogato, as well as a number of critical, but unaffiliated, Jews in the DC community.

Come see our winners crowned tomorrow (Thursday) at our happy hour!

Now… finally.., the two Jews that will be joining Rachel and Uri in the history of Gather the Jews are:

LAZAR

and:

ARIANA

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• Israel Bonds Ambassador’s Ball, June 3
• JUFJ Community Meeting, June 4
• JCRC annual event,  June 13.
• Jewish Federation of Greater Washington Annual Meeting, June 13
• PJLL Annual Meeting, June 18

But most recently in the spotlight was the American Jewish Committee.  Approximately 1,500 Jews participated in the half week conference (May 2 – May 5), so if you’re still wondering why you saw a sudden increase in the number of kippahs around Metro Center, now you know.

The conference divided into two parts:  The AJC Global Forum and AJC ACCESS 20/20.  Global Forum boasted over 1,200 attendants, and it featured an array of policy luminaries including: Barney Frank, William Kristol, Jacob Lew, Dennis Ross, and foreign ministers from Brazil, Germany, Cyprus, and Canada.  To read summaries of the three day conference, and to watch the week’s speeches, visit this website.

Dr. Michael Oren, Ambassador of Israel to the United States. From ACCESS 20/20

I didn’t make it to Global Forum (real work always interfering!), but I did, along with 400 others from 31 different countries, attend the ACCESS 20/20 portion, the Friday through Sunday conference meant especially for young adults.

Summaries of this conference can be found here, but I’ll quickly note my two favorite parts:

1. Seeing the look of shock on a co-attendant’s face when she saw me and exclaimed:  “You’re wearing a suit!  I’ve never seen you wear anything but basketball shorts and a hoodie.”  Too true I’m afraid.  But I’m from the west.  That’s how we roll.
2. Listening to Israel’s Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren deliver the keynote speech.

The first point doesn’t merit any further discussion, and it probably didn’t deserve to be brought up in the first place, but I’m writing this quickly, and the backspace key slows me down!

The second point does deserve more detail.

Oren’s speech – I strongly encourage you to read it here – didn’t tiptoe around egg shells.  He targeted – bluntly and successfully – the Jewish American youth who are content to sit in the safety of the United States while working to undermine Israel as alleged punishment for the measures Israel has taken to defend itself.

I was shocked, then, that on the very day that I spoke with my kids about their concerns in Israel, some American Jews were discussing a call to boycott products made by Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

But what most struck me—not as an ambassador but as an Israeli and as an Israeli father, was the fact that, on the same day that my son was worrying about his raw recruits and my daughter about rockets in Beersheva, a portion of the American Jewish community was debating whether or not to buy Ahava hand products.

Peter Beinart's new book. From Amazon.

The speech is especially powerful coming on the heels of Peter Beinart’s new book The Crisis of Zionism, in which Beinart argues that young American Jews are becoming detached from, or hostile to, Israel due to the immorality of the state and the Jewish U.S.-based institutions that support it.

Criticism of Israel, Oren argues, is certainly welcome, but at the same time, unity of the Jewish people is needed, and there are a few lines which the pro-Israel person must never cross.

When I grew up in this country, the slogan of the United Jewish Appeal was “We are One.” Today, that same logo is more likely to raise eyebrows than funds.

No doubt, a majority of American Jews care deeply about the security of Israel and oppose those seeking to undermine it. And even some of those calling for boycotts do so out of a sense of caring—I’d say misplaced sense of caring—about Israel.

And yet, sometimes it seems that we, Israelis and American Jews, not only inhabit different countries but different universes, different realities.

Professor Steven M. Cohen. Hebrew Union College.

It’s unknown just how many young American Jews could desperately do with a dose of Oren’s medicine.  Beinart, who sees young American Jews as drifting away from Israel, points to a study by Steven Cohen (NYU) and Ari Kelman (UC Davis) who said that “non-Orthodox younger Jews, on the whole, feel much less attached to Israel than their elders.”  Those scholars asserted that only 54% of non-orthodox Jews under 35 are “comfortable with the idea of a Jewish state” (as compared to more than 80% of non-orthodox Jews over 65).  Another poll found that only 20% of young Jews labeled themselves as “highly attached” to Israel (Slate).

But there’s other studies that come to drastically different conclusions.  The American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise and The Israel Project recently released a survey of 400 American Jewish college students which found that:

• 90% agree that Israel is the spiritual center of the Jewish people.
• 83% said caring about Israel is an important part of being Jewish.
• 73% said American and Israeli Jews share a common destiny.
• 89% have warm/favorable feelings toward Israel.
• 78% sympathize with Israel vis-a-vis the Palestinians.
• 84% think America should support Israel.

(Mitchell Bard, The Jerusalem Post)

Perhaps we’ll do a little poll of our own here at Gather the Jews.  But in the meantime, read Oren’s speech and give it some thought.

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By now, we should all know the five rules of thumb for photos:

1. Less is more
2. Have at least one clear “face” photo
3. Be by yourself in the shot
4. Have one photo where you’re doing something interesting
5. Be accurate

Even if you don’t follow the rules above, some photos should never make it onto your online dating profile.  All of the photos below miss the mark.

I spy a fanny pack… and how many years ago was this taken??  Is this the ‘80s?

Does that say 1997 in the corner????

Am I going out with him???

Really?  She’s looking for a serious relationship with those hanging out?  I’m sure she’ll get some upstanding guys.

The mirror picture’s a no no… at least he has his shirt on!

And my personal favorite:

Did I mention she’s 73?

In online dating, making a good first impression is key.  People can easily pass over your profile if they don’t immediately see something they like.  And a recent study confirmed what we already know, that men are extremely visual, and look mainly at the photos and less at the profile itself.  So choose wisely!

If you’d like to contribute any photos/profiles you find or e-mails you (or friends) receive to “From Bad to Worse,” please e-mail date411@alittlenudge.com.

Erika Ettin is the Founder of A Little Nudge, where she helps people stand out from the online dating crowd and have a rewarding experience. An archive of all of Erika’s columns is also available.  Want to connect with Erika?  Join her newsletter for updates and tips.

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Michael Lipin -- Dance Party Organizer Extraordinaire

After a wide range of dance styles were featured — from clogging to hiphop — the evening wrapped up with an open hour of dance, including lights, speakers blasting, and massive audience participation.

The crowd gathers

“The Circle almost had the feel of a night club, but with everyone invited – especially the moms, who got some special shout-outs from the MC in honor of Mother’s Day,” Lipin told GTJ.

Co-organizer and design director Alex Emmerman in action on the Dupont Circle fountain as part of Hoop Dance DC's performance

“Dance in the Circle was a personal dream of mine, given my passion for dance,” he said, “but its success was the result of excellent teamwork, particularly with my fellow-volunteers Daniel Kramer and Alex Emmerman. Daniel had been working with me on the planning of DITC since April 2011, while Alex came on board last December and did an amazing job as DITC graphic designer and webmaster.”

Yala Fitness leading the crowd in their energized dance fitness program

“In producing DITC, we all experienced ups & downs, but we were determined enough to overcome the obstacles. A key to the success of the event was building a broad coalition of supporters in the community, from non-profit groups like Historic Dupont Circle Main Streets and the Dupont Circle Citizens Association, to local businesses such as Attache Property Management and BGR The Burger Joint, and even DC Councilmember Jack Evans,” Lipin added.

Robb LaKritz of LaKritz | Adler Real Estate, one of the sponsors, enjoying the dance party led by DJ Baronhawk and MC Russell Campbell of Urban Artistry

According to event organizers, some 500 people turned out for the event during the day. The event had been postponed from its original date on April 21^st due to inclement weather, but Sunday’s warm weather attracted many passers-by. The event was such a bit hit, it caught the attention of the Washington Times.

For more pictures, click here.

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The group of young professionals has spent the last two months fundraising over $3,000 to sponsor the repairs needed to a Trinidad row house, home to two local DC mothers.  Run much like a fundraising walk or run, each Yachad Uniter, as they are called, asked their friends and family to sponsor their efforts.  With the funds raised, Yachad was able to pay for the professional work needed on the home such as roof repairs, drywall repairs and plumbing repairs.  Now, this Sunday, the group will finish up the repairs needed such as painting and doing small carpentry tasks.  Accessibility modifications will also be made in the home which is sponsored by The National Fair Housing Alliance.

“I was a bit nervous to inform my mom that I wouldn’t be spending the day with her, but then I realized that giving back is something that she instilled in me from birth.  There’s no better way to honor her on this day” said Jason Kastner, Yachad Board Member and co-leader of Yachad United. Jason will be joined by about 30 other Yachad Uniters and they will be working side-by-side with the homeowners and their family.  “We can’t wait to roll up our sleeves and work alongside these wonderful volunteers.  This is the best Mother’s Day we could ask for,” said one of the homeowners.

Yachad, which means ‘together’ in Hebrew, encourages partnership between volunteer and homeowner.  “Yachad brings people together through good work.  How better to make our communities stronger than to work together to repair them,” says Alexandra Barnett, Yachad Board member and co-leader of Yachad United.  Together they will be, and after the home repair, the entire group and the family will celebrate down the street at the H Street Country Club, sponsored by Goose Island 312.

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Jeremy receiving his award

Congratulations to Jeremy Rosen, former Jewish Guy of the Week (not to mention one of DC’s most active and featured Jews) and Rachel Cohen Gerrol, former Jewish Girl of the Year.

These two outstanding members of the DC Jewish young professional community were recently awarded the 2012 Jerome J. Dick Young Leadership Award in recognition of their commitment to leading and motivating the young adult community in the Greater Washington area.

We’d also like to take this opportunity to wish Jeremy the best of luck as he leaves DC for nursing school in Alabama. Jeremy, we’ll miss you and your unceasing positive energy!

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————

From the NEH:

Upcoming Celebration of Jewish Heritage Month, Downtown at the Old Post Office Building

On May 23^rd, head over to the Old Post Office Building after work for a free 6pm happy hour reception hosted by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) for Jewish Heritage Month. Although relatively new, Jewish Heritage Month turns May into a time to look back at our history, share stories from our ancestors, and celebrate the diversity within our community. The NEH will serve happy hour style refreshments and host the President of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum (a great stop during your next visit to Manhattan), Morris Vogel, to talk about how the Museum recreates families’ tenement apartments and stores as they were during the period now considered icon in Jewish immigration to New York. Visiting the Museum might be described as entering a life size, interactive doll house, which lends itself nicely to Vogel’s engaging dialogue. This free reception will be a great opportunity to network with other young people in the District and hear about nontraditional ways Jewish history is shared with all Americans.

To learn more about the Museum, the NEH and this event please visit this website. If you think you may attend, please RSVP to cgreen@neh.gov.

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But don’t feel like a bad Jew if you didn’t know!  Of the Jews I just surveyed, 40 responded “no” and only 9 responded “yes” to the prompt:

“Survey question:  Did you know it’s Jewish Heritage month?”

That’s 18% that knew.

To appreciate the depth of the month’s pathetic promotion, consider that the survey’s respondents were Jews on my gchat list at 2:30 pm, a large percentage of whom are active Jews, and some of whom are even Jewish professionals.  Others on the list work for the federal government – the designator of this month.

Based on this, I would imagine that under 10% of Jews nationwide know that we’re celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month.

Why such a low percentage?  And what does it mean for the Jewish community?

Undoubtedly it doesn’t mean much, but in the spirit of modern academia, I’ll try to spin together a few thoughts for next week.

Congratulations to those who answered “yes”:

• Ben W.
• David M.
• Diane H.
• Kenny A.
• Sala L.
• Sara G.
• Sarah B.
• Scott W.
• Shira S.

So what can you do for Jewish American Heritage Month?  You can:

• Go to this official JAHM event hosted by the National Endowment for the Humanities
• Follow Moment Magazine’s twitter feed which showcases a new article each day for JAHM.
• Help crown the Jewish Guy and Girl of the Year during this special month.

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