G-dcast On Parshat Vezot Habracha

It's The End ... Only Not: It's Simchat Torah! Tune in for the final parsha (portion) in the Torah ... in which some things are resolved, and some things are opened anew.

Guest narrator superstar youth writer David Levithan talks about having an ending worthy of a life...and a life worthy of a story.

This is not the last episode of G-dcast ... tune in next week to see how everything starts, again.

Each week, a different G-dcast storyteller - some musical, some poetic, some just straight-up - tells the story of the current Torah portion. And then G-dcast animates.

G-dcast is one of Abq Jew's favorite educational resources. Click here to donate and keep their good work coming!

 

Hag Sameach, Albuquerque!

Good Yontif, New Mexico!

Sophie Milman

Jews & Jazz: There is a strong connection, in the United States (of course) - but also, Abq Jew is happy to say, in Israel. And ... Canada!

Sophie Milman, Wikipedia tells us:

is a Russian-born jazz vocalist who lives in Canada. After emigrating from Russia in the early 1990s, Milman, who is Jewish, spent most of her childhood years in Israel where she listened extensively to jazz.

Her self-titled debut album was released on October 12, 2004, in Canada via Linus Entertainment and in 2006 in the United States on Koch.

Milman is a student of commerce at the University of Toronto.

And there's Gergedan, about whom Abq Jew knows virtually nothing. Back in June and February, Abq Jew wrote:

And there's Gergedan (Turkish for rhinoceros), a creative entity of unknown origin, derivation, or any form of address that seems to have produced a series of artistically stunning music videos.

Do you know Gergedan?  Inquiring minds (and minds like Abq Jew's) want to know! In the meantime, visit GergedanFilKedi's YouTube channel! 

Anyway - here, for your Shabbat enjoyment, is Sophie Milman, in a video by Gergedan:

 

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Shabbat Shalom, Albuquerque!

Good Shabbos, New Mexico!

Rabbi Min on Pe'ah

Dignified Helping The Poor - Basic Jewish Value #6:  The mission statement of Jewish Family Service of New Mexico reads: “Guided by Jewish values, we offer targeted social services that help preserve and improve the quality of life for New Mexicans.” What are these Jewish values? How do they help guide the day-to-day work that we do at JFS? When new employees join the staff of JFS, they are introduced to eighteen of these basic Jewish values.

The sixth Jewish value that underlies JFS' work is called Pe'ah, which we describe as "Dignified helping the poor." The word Pe'ah literally means 'corner' - so how is this related to the concept of helping poor people while respecting their dignity? How does this relate to the work of JFS?

The Torah requires farmers to leave the corners of their fields unharvested, left to be picked by "the poor and the stranger" ( Leviticus 19:9-11). Fruits from the trees and grapes from the vines were treated similarly. The crops at the corners were of equal quality as the rest of the crops: the poor were not given bruised fruit or spoiled wheat. Since leaving a portion of one's produce for the poor was required, society did not have to depend on the inconsistent generosity of the well-to-do in order to provide welfare for those who lacked basic necessities. Dignity of the needy was preserved, since people could come at any time of day or night to glean the corners of the fields.

At JFS we protect the dignity of those we serve, while providing for their needs, in a number of ways. We stringently follow guidelines for protecting the identity of our clients, following strict guidelines for keeping client files locked and accessible only to staff with a 'need to know' - sharing information among staff only to the extent necessary to help the client. We do publicize the names of our donors, since knowing that other people are giving is crucial in order to maintain widespread support for any system of support. Thank you!

Portrait of Wally

Santa Fe Jewish Film Festival:  It's October! Time for the first film in the new Santa Fe Jewish Film Festival!

Skype Q&A with director
Andrew Shea following the film

Portrait of Wally

Sunday October 7 @ 4:00 pm

Center for Contemporary Arts (CCA)

1050 Old Pecos Trail  

Santa Fe, NM 87505

Egon Schiele’s tender picture of his mistress, Walburga (“Wally”) Neuzil, is the pride of the Leopold Museum in Vienna. But for 13 years the painting was locked up in New York, caught in a legal battle between the Austrian museum and the Jewish family from whom the Nazis seized the painting in 1939.

The film traces the history of this iconic image – from Schiele’s gesture of affection toward his young lover, to the theft of the painting from Lea Bondi, a Jewish art dealer fleeing Vienna for her life, to the post-war confusion and subterfuge that evoke The Third Man, to the surprise resurfacing of “Wally” on loan to the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan in 1997 and the legal battle that followed.

Tickets: Available from the Santa Fe Jewish Film Festival

The Santa Fe Jewish Film Festival (formerly the HaMakom Jewish Film Festival)
brings to Northern New Mexico films that inform and foster an understanding of Jewish culture, religion, history and/or identity. Film selections are an eclectic mix of award-winning documentaries, narrative first-run features, Israeli cinema and more, and represent some of the very best films playing the Jewish Film Festival circuit. Interviews with the film’s producer/director, facilitated discussions,
and talks by experts create an added dimension, transforming simply
“going to the movies” into a “movie going experience”.