The evening before the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,  the giant balloons which fly during the parade the next day, are inflated on West 81st Street and West 77th Street which are streets surrounding the Museum of Natural History, this happens  between  Central Park West and Columbus Avenues from about 4 to about 8 pm.

The balloons are held down by sand bags as crews of workers fill the balloons. This becomes a family street party. Vendors sell small balloons and food, there is absolutely no parking nearby unless you come very very very early in the day, and ¨driving by¨to see this is absolutely not an option.

Try to come early, at about 4 or 5 pm because it does become very crowded, but it is fun. Bundle up it will be cold.

Attention Suburbanites. Vehicle traffic crawls along Columbus Avenue and you will see nothing from your car, plan to come into town early, visit the museum, and stay for the balloons and you will not be frustrated but have a good time instead and please do not try to drive down Columbus Avenue between 4 and 9 pm.

Currently there are two museum exhibits featuring the work of Mark Chagall in Manhattan. This post is about the Chagall only show at the Museum of Biblical Art.

For notes and comments on the current superb show at the Jewish Museum which includes work by Chagall and many other fine artists, and places their work in the context of  time and place and most interesting in politics as well, please see my previous post by scrolling down below past this post. The interaction of the art work and the intelligent notes are excellent.

The MOBiA show titled Chagall’s Bible: Mystical Storytelling,   has beautiful works of art by Chagall which includes the lithographs of his famous windows and paintings, the works are well displayed, and you can pay as you wish when you enter the museum. No problem- all nice.

But there is a tremendous problem with the information cards which are part of this show. Perhaps this is the best that a museum usual devoted to Christian themes can manage, but I saw this exhibit with two friends, one of whom is an author and Holocaust scholar,  and we all shared the same dismay at the “information” which explained Marc Chagall and his work which were on display.

The exhibit explained the Pale of Settlement of eastern European Jews as “a huge multi-sect Jewish Ghetto spanning thousands of miles”, really wrong and it is a very strange definition- part the the extreme dumbing down of education, I guess, distressing… The exhibit cards refer to “Hasidic Jewish” imagery when referring to symbols from the Torah that are common to all Jews throughout time, that means it is common to Jews for thousands of years. Hasidism is a modern movement originating in what is now Belarus and Ukraine in the 18th century.

Another card refers to the “Yiddish religion”, there is no such thing… and “Yiddish Hasidim” (is there some other kind of Hasidim perhaps?)  It makes one wonder what on earth they have against calling the religion of the Jewish people  ”Judaism”? No mention was made of the Kabbalistic imagery in Chagall’s work, thankfully, I guess.

The beautiful lithograph called ”Mystical Crucifixion“ on display is dominated by the lush deep colors and  has a crucified figure, presumably Jesus, the full moon, and the Red Heifer in the center of the painting.

In Judaism, The Red Heifer is an absolutely rare and perfect animal, without blemish, never yoked, with perfectly straight hairs all of the same color, used in a mystical ritual sacrifice. The ashes of the sacrificed and burned animal are mixed with water for a purification ritual. The portion of the Torah describing the Parah-Red Heifer- are read at special times during the year in the synagogue. It is also an example of a law that has no apparent logic and demands faith.

The  Red Heifer clearly has very special status in Jewish tradition. Certainly Chagall’s painting deals with the special, rare, mysterious, irrational, sacrifice of Jesus and the Red Heifer.

Nothing about this symbolism appeared in the cards.

Neither did the snippet of information that the little goat that dances around Chagall’s world is often the symbol for the Jewish people, or any other cogent explanation of Jewish symbols. I guess it would be asking just to much.

See the art work and spare yourself from reading the  “information” cards about the exhibit.

There is an exhibit booklet written by art historian Tom Freudenheim which is available at the counter (only $4) and it does not suffer from any of these short-comings, of course.

On our way out of the museum, we passed the gift shop which featured large posters which were pro-Creationism vs Darwinism, etc, this is very exotic for the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Also, if you walk just a few blocks north from the museum, Marc Chagall’s tapestries hang in the Metropolitan Opera House in Lincoln Center.

Also, the MOBiA wesite explains it’self as follows:

“Unlike many other museums, MOBIA looks at art through the lens of religion, carefully explaining the original context of the artworks on exhibit in order to illuminate symbolism, ritual and history. As an educational institution that takes no position on religion, MOBIA provides a neutral meeting ground where visitors, of all faiths and none, can learn about the history and significance of art that has been have been inspired by the Bible, and explore the symbolism and traditions which, though profoundly influential, have frequently been left unexplained by many of the worldís museums. Here, audiences gather to openly discuss the complex impact of the Bible on art, culture, and society. “

Judge for yourself.

JUST IN!

Marc Chagall’s Biblical Visions:
Echoes of Loss, Promises of Renewal Chagall’s Biblical Imagination

Jean Bloch Rosensaft, director of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Museum in New York discusses Chagall’s interpretations of biblical characters and narratives. Co-sponsored with and held at the Museum of Biblical Art, 1165 Broadway at 61st Street, by the JCC of Manhattan.

Thu, Dec 4, 6:30-7:30 pm Free .This should be a good counterpoint to the inadequate information cards at this exhibit.

9 AM: New Yorkers are full of excitement about finally coming to the polls and voting. Long lines snake around many UWS blocks, a sight I have never seen before in any election. Spirits are very high and happy in spite of the wait.

My polling place on the Upper West Side is a local elementary school, and statistics say that my  Election District votes 92% Democratic in an ordinary election. We will see how these numbers look for this election. The few Republicans I personally know, who are what passes for Republicans in New york, that is moderate, are all voting for Obama.

On the way to vote, I passed many neighbors coming from the polls, all in high spirits, “I voted!! Have You???”" they said,  and I walked along with others on their way to vote. The polls opened at 6 am and when I arrives at 8:15, there was a long line to vote which moved along very quickly, the school PTA has an excellent bake sale with fresh coffee.

I chatted with my fellow West-Siders while on line waiting to vote. We all discussed the New England town of 21 who voted at midnight, return watching parties planned for this evening, the past stolen election, and what type of social rehab we all may need to re-adjust after focusing for so long and so intently on the election.

The Republican poll watcher at my ED said to me just before I voted,  “how wonderful this amazing turn-out is and how historical the election will be”. Ok, Ok, this is an African American woman of a certain age, the closest to a “Republican” that can be found up here. The election board must find someone called “a Republican” to be at each poll along with a Democrat to work at the polls for the day.

Notes from NYGUY: He sent me photo of the lines in the street which I hope to have time to post later. “This was taken before 7:30AM. From getting on line to getting a cup of coffee after voting (the elementary school where I vote, PS 166,  [ 89th St between Amsterdam and Columbus], always has a bake sale) was about 45 minutes. When I walked by, it was still around the block. Also, the line to vote at the Church of St Paul and St Andrew [86th St and West End] was wrapped completely around the block and up Broadway.”

NYer living in Milwaukee: ” I voted!! Have you???” . There was a very long line but it moved quickly and it took longer to get a coffee at Starbucks than to vote- I’ll call in tonight during the party!!!” One of my colleagues is ordering an OBAMA pizza for tonight:
 
Onions or olives
Bacon or broccoli
Anchovies
Mushrooms
Artichokes
 
I was ballot number 43 in Shorewood. The guy behind me said they should just give the district to Obama cos it votes that way all the time and not even stand in line. Interesting. I managed to replicate the UWS in Milwaukee.
 
T

From Teen NYer at school in England: Niece writes to her cousin: Subject: yo momma knows a website that has poll results and a map with shtuffs on it. can you ask her what it is because i don’t have her email address. fankya. oh p.s., VOTE. NOW. B TO THE A TO THE R-A-C-K O-B-A-M-A for the good of your unborn child.

There is hilarious excitement and new hope today!

The New York Public Library will have a great program on Thursday night called: An Evening with Dracula.

There are two Upper West Side streets that invite children to come and enjoy Halloween.

West 90th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West. The West 90th Stree Park West Block Assosciation sponsors decorations and lights, neighbors are on the street with trick or treat candy and some lobbies on the street welcome chiildren as well. Calm, spooky decorations, and fun. Children are invited to Trick or Treat from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Also, West 67th Street between Columbus and Central Park West has lights and decorations. Child friendly.

These happen in the late afternoon.

There is the big Village Halloween Parade as well, of course. This year, they have suffered from some sponsor ’s tight purse strings but I am sure that they will make up for that with homemade, personal creativity. See their site for details and photos.

The new Lansky’s Old World Deli on Columbus and 70th Street is a real winner! At last we have a pleasant deli on the Upper West Side. One of the owners, Robert Ross helped seat us, and our waiter Georgie, was welcoming, helpful, especially for a friend with special dietary needs,  friendly and charming. That itself is noteworthy and earns Lansky’s lots of appreciation. The decor evokes the “old times”, with tiled floors, flocked wallpaper, old time bread slicer, chain flushers in the (clean) bathrooms and a soft 40’s Jazz sound. Some food is on display in cases. Nice. Welcoming.

The really good news is the food. I always judge a deli by it’s corned beef on rye and the meat was beautifully flavored and smokey. A nice sandwich.  Others in our party had delicious chicken soup with matzah balls and the mavens at the table pronounced the soup to be really chicken flavored and not over-salted, as is typical to find in some other restaurants we know. Bubbe’s soup was never-ever over-salted. The baked salmon was excellent as was the unusual fish “schnitzel”. Not really a schnitzel, the fish was not battered and covered,  but quite a delicious dish which might need a different name or menu description. We also enjoyed the Kasha Varnishkas.

We enjoyed our food , talked and laughed throughout dinner, and the manager came by and introduced himself. We suggested that since this restaurant is named for Meyer Lansky, perhaps they should invite his grandson Aaron for dinner.

A friend was eating there at the same time and came by our table to schmooze a bit and said that this was his 4th meal there in a week…he said that he’s become a “regular” and is now totally hooked. This is a welcoming place.

The lovely desserts come from Magnolia Bakery and Citarella…hmmm…yummy and pretty.

They open very early in the morning, about 6 am, for breakfast, which includes eggs with turkey bacon, and they have a good brunch menu as well. The menu does not include any obvious treif (pork and shellfish).

And you will find this very hard to believe, but they are extremely reasonably priced. They are a really a welcome addition to our neighborhood and we all hope that they are a big success. Bring friends and family, we want them to succeed and be around in spite of the bad economy.

Mazal Tov to Lansky’s. Good Luck and congratulations.

After this coming election our society will have many profound changes and since I am optimistic, I believe these will be clearly positive changes. I would like us to consider the following very positive possibility:

One unexpected effect of their campaign may be that after being repulsed by an unqualified, uneducated  Palin on the public stage, when an accomplished, capable woman does come forward for public office in the future, the voters may accept her with  more respect than in the past.  Just try to imagine that she will be judged by her accomplishments and talents and not by her gender or gender roles.

Yes, I do mean that she could be treated with more respect than Hillary received and perhaps the future female candidate will receive much less derision for being a strong person. 

Perhaps the public will have had not only enough of the extreme right wing and the mess they have made of America, but the votes for the very capable and positive ticket of Barack Obama and Joe Biden, may turn out also to be a vote against derision and abasement based on color, and surprisingly, even the gender issue will have been advanced.

We are on the verge of a possitive new chapter.

Barack Obama should consider Hillary for an important role in the new administration based on her qualifications, ability and support in America.

It would be a very welcome step in a new future.

* NYCGuy suggested that this post, originally titled “After The Lipstick Fades”, might be better called After “The Lipstick Smears”, considering the behavior of Sarah Palin during this campaign…he is right! Thanks, NYCGuy.

The Days of Awe are,  thankfully, not another US government military project, and they are not an advertising campaign for “Fashion Week”. The 10 days between the Jewish New Year, Rosh ha-Shanah and the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, are called the Days of Awe. This is a time for introspection, apologizing to those we have hurt and “paying our debts”, both financially and personally. The purpose of this is to be able to be personally “renewed”, free of past mistakes, ready for a positive future.

This year, these days have also been a reminder of the fragility of personal finances and of the fragile nature of truth in public discourse. Yes, I am referring to the presidential campaign and McCain/Palin’s desperate descent into lies and fabrications meant to work up a deep fear of “otherness”, that is at the core, completely racist.

Shame on them.

So far, the people of America have not bought into this and I hope that they do not during the next short weeks to the election.

I wish there was a constitutional way we could start the transition to the new government before January 20. 

We neeed renewal and change so deeply.

Today we can learn in detail from the New York Times‘ extensive coverage, of the extraordinary involvement of John McCain, and his staff, with the gambling industry which is troubling enough. But we also learn of McCain’s personal gambling problem which is very deeply troubling. 

This completely explains his recent erratic behavior. When the gambler feels he is losing, he will bet all he has to try to win back “something”, or “anything”…

We have seen him gamble on Sarah Palin, “suspending” his campaign and posing as a savior etc,. 

Only one question remains: What would you like to see him gamble on if he were elected president?

Iran? Another war? The economy? Health care coverage program? These 2 current wars? It is so chilling to think that he has any chance of being elected.

One more question: Should Americans be asked to gamble on McCain’s health? Should this be a gamble that the people of America are willing to make, especially considering the ineptitude, lack of experience and complete cluelessness of Sarah Palin, the Lipstick Governor?

Now we know about the gambling problem, let’s now learn the true facts about McCain’s health. Even through the cosmetics, he isn’t looking too well lately.

In the last month , John McCain has impulsively chosen an unqualified, inexperienced running mate, cancelled part of the Republican National Convention due to a weather event and cancelled his participation in a highly anticipated debate due to the financial crises which is being taken care of by others. What did he imagine the US Senate would be doing at 9pm on Friday night? Has he forgotten the way the senate operates? Has he forgotten the senators directly involved and empowered in this situation?

I hope that these three weird, impulsive actions should be enough to help any of you who are  “undecided” to realize that we can not take such an extreme gamble by voting him into office. We have all been warned by his very unstable actions.  Perhaps the pressure of the campaign is too much for him to bear and he is coming apart. So sad to see a hero run away.

If he beleives so strongly in his running mate, the Lipstick Governor, Sarah Palin, why doesn’t she stand in for him at the debate? On the Letterman Show? In DC? Anywhere at all?

We all know why.

Can you imagine  how the press would take apart any female candidate that did what McCain has done? She would be fried! called unstable and unready. Well, this is true of McCain, and we have been warned.

Vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden. There is no other reasonable choice.

Update: The building crews have been at work on 535 West End Avenue (see previous postings) and there is now visible construction above street level.

Can’t help but wonder how will they sell these $14 Million  dollar apartments during this economic downturn and crisis?

Perhaps they will have to redo their plans and make more apartments that are smaller than 10 bedrooms with 7 baths…time will tell.

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The new Van Gogh and the Colors of the Night exhibit now at the MoMA is a lesson in the beauty and skill of painting- like notes from one painter to all others. The show has a small number of works and is in small galleries, and although I saw it at a member’s preview, it was still crowded. But go, and have some patience, it is so worthwhile. 

Each  inch of canvas seems alive. The incredible emotion and color of his work are still, and always, so moving. It is there until January 5, 2009.

If you are not a MoMA member, order your tickets on line in advance and you will be able to see the show on the day of your visit, otherwise you need to get a special timed ticket when you enter the museum and you can not be sure to get in to this special exhibit.

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Put this on your go see list:

on Sun, Oct 5, 3 pm

Performing Arts: Sin: A Staged Reading

Starring Academy-Award winning actor F. Murray Abraham
Based on a work by Nobel Laureate Isaac Bashevis Singer and adapted by Mark Altman from The Unseen. Directed by Robert Kalfin.

A hilarious and moving tale of devilish deeds by a master storyteller who has dwelt in both the old world and in modernity. Co-sponsored with Highbrow Entertainment.

Sun, Oct 5, 3 pm at the JCC of Manhattan

Vacation is over and we are getting ready for the new season of arts in New York City; art exhibits, concerts, films, theatre, readings and other events. Shortly, I will be updating interesting and/or unique listings that might be easily overlooked among all of the events happening in New York City. Please send me information about an event you would like me to list.

The New York Philharmonic has it’s opening night concert tomorrow and tickets are still available. Also, there is a FREE open dress rehearsal in the morning.

Andy StatmanTrio (Andy on clarinet and mandolin, Jim Whitney on bass and Larry Eagle on drums and percussion) are back at the Charles Street Shul (Congregation Derech Amuno)  on Charles St at West 4th most Mondays and Thursdays at 8:30 PM. They play klezmer, of course, and very wicked bluegrass.

The MoMA will have a new exhibit of Vincent Van Gogh titled: Van Gogh and the Colors of Night opening September 21. Hmmmmmm. Paintings of in New York at night need  that soft red sky of summer…or the deep blue sky of October.

The new Museum of Art and Design will September 27 to the public.  Att NYERS: This is the new museum in the former “lollipop” building on Columbus Circle that has had the very beautiful extreme makeover.  I can’t wait to go inside and see this museum and the new interior. Their old museum on 53rd is closed, and they will soon open with 3 new exhibits: Remixing the Old, a Jewelry exhibit and their permanent collection.

An indescribable friend sent me this note: “Hope you’re feeling and doing as close to optimally well (according to your self-definitions) as humanly possible. I expect that this event will be particularly enjoyable if you’re into this type of thing; and even if you’re not. I hope to see you there. ” Havdalah Kirtan this Saturday: Themes of Forgiveness and the High Holy Days with Rabbis Andrew Hahn and David Ingber combines yoga, chanting and Havdalah, which is the Jewish end of Shabbat.
Actually, it is not my cup of tea but I think that I will go once.  Sounds like fun.

High Holidays check list: make appologies, pay up debts, study something worthwhile, decide on which shul you will attend, get tickets, invite friends and family, reply to invitations, give some Tzedakah (Charity)….. try to think about something in addition to the presidential race and the financial markets.

That’s all for now.

This date is always a sad day in NYC and a difficult day of painful memory and so much loss.

I always think of how we felt on September 10, 2001. That evening we were with a happy group of a dozen friends in a favorite neighborhood restaurant, Fred’s on Columbus Avenue, and we laughed and lingered over dinner. Fred ’s is named after a dog, and it’s motto is “Come, Sit, Stay”- we did.  An old friend was in town and at about 11pm we dropped her off to catch the train back to Boston. We were happy and light-hearted and safe.

The next day our world profoundly changed.

I do not want to write at this time about the specific people we lost, the exact events of the day or following days and not about our government or politics.

Each year just before September 11, just before the official events,  a small circle of friends has gone to the WTC site together to remember quietly together. Today, on the 11th,  I listened to the names, especially for certain names, and then joined up with a friend to do errands and try normal life.

Both presidential candidates were in town and a convoy made up of police cars, probably a secret service bus (?), and an ambulance (just in case, I guess) passed us by on crowded 57th Street with spinning lights and sirens blaring… perhaps it was them… someone in the crowd waiting for the light said, “boy, do I feel safe”, and the NYers in the crowd laughed.

It was a beautiful, crisp clear morning.

The choice of inexperienced, gun-toting, creationist, anti-choice, under investigation, Sarah Palin as a VP candidate illustrates McCain’s quirky and poor judgment. Did he imagine that a poster child for the anti-choice movement would attract Hillary supporters? If so, he has no sense what-so-ever, and no understanding of who supported Hillary’s candidacy or why they did.

This photo is making the internet rounds and it seems to be a photoshopped version of the real Sarah Palin with the addition of someone else’s body in the swimsuit. I print  it as an artistic expression of Sarah’s pro NRA stance and her patriotism. Let’s see what statement the McCain campaign makes about the authenticity of the photo. As artistic expression, it does rate.

Did he imagine that selecting a Creationist would bring any NEW support to the Republican party? Selecting a governor under investigation for abuse of her office (Troopergate) would be attractive to any voter?

Perhaps he thinks that she can attract the severe right-wing of his party. They vote on such thin, puffed up small issues that perhaps he hoped that her feminine hair will attract them. Perhaps they will find her a very non-threatening type.

They may imagine that this choice makes them attractive to young people, which is extreemly doubtful…clearly the young have chosen Barack Obama. 

So, perhaps McCain was sending a message in favor of oil drilling, and is this a message about his ties to oil interests ( a continuation of Bush policies)  and of not facing the need for alternative energy sources and the problem of global warming?

Choosing Palin demonstrates extraordinarily bad judgment, and total lack of care for the country’s well-being on McCain’s part. For him, a 72 year old candidate,  to choose a political unknown with absolutely no experience to qualify for the presidency, and to place her in the position to step into his shoes should he not be able to complete his term in office if elected demonstrates the poorest of judgment. This woman could lead our country? Perhaps the Republicans want a puppet for president and she is their candidiate for this role.

In addition, a controversy is still emerging over her behavior as governor of Alaska, for which she is currently under investigation.

McCain certainly has demonstrated that he does not have plain common good sense and shows a contempt for the American people.

Perhaps everyone else he asked just said no.

Sure hope this makes those independent voters think carefully and choose Obama/Biden.

As I write this, NYers are about to exit the city in huge numbers for the Labor Day Weekend and tourists have been streaming into the city for the weekend. Where do the NYers go?  To the great beaches of Long Island and Jersey, to the countryside north and west of the city and all over the country and world.

But something much larger happens at this time of year. Many people move into the city to live at this time of year. Some come to attend the universities and other specialty schools, and others to start new chapters of their lives. The city has a history of accepting new comers, of course, and the idea of re-inventing oneself for a totally new direction life is considered exiting but quite normal.

My friend who owns West Side Movers says that business is BOOMING. Since many people move into the city at this time, many leases are up at the end of August, also, families try to get settled in before the school year begins for their children. People are moving into upper Manhattan, Harlem and Brooklyn especially.

Next week the school year begins, people have returned from their summer vacations, myself included, and the focus on work intensifies.

The Fall is the most beautiful season in New York. Crisp clear air, trees will turn colors, perfect temperatures and the start of the “season”: new exhibits in the galleries and museums and the new schedule of concerts, etc. and for us personally, the Jewish High Holidays which is a  full month of holidays, not just a day or two,  starting the evening of September 29 with Rosh Ha- Shanah, the New Year.

This Fall will be dominated by the Presidential election. New York State is solidly in the Democratic camp supporting Barack Obama, and  NYers are very intensely watching the campaign.

My neighborhood is extreemly diverse demographically, ethnically, in income, and by age but my election district generally votes about 92% Democratic.  Senator Pat Moynihan once said that this is the only neighborhood with it’s own foreign policy. Very clever.

The bars and clubs here had the convention on their screens instead of the usual sports or gossip and this is the topic everywhere. The interest started during the primaries has remained very high.

This is truly seen as the most crucial election for the direction of our country, this is not just some kind of rhetoric but there is a great deal of anxiety over the election. People express over and over again the terrible damage done to our country and constitution by GW Bush and his presidency and how we must win this election and start the repairs.

People also express how they believe America is resilient enough to do these repairs.

Professor Ofer Tchernichovski of The City College of New York very graciously extended an invitation to visit his research lab in the quixotically suffering science building on campus. His research involves the study of birdsong. Ofer met us outside of the building on a lovely summer day and led us to the lab.

The lab itself is a wonderful expression of human creativity and imagination. The lab  studies the song of Zebra Finches. They breed in normal cages and the lab has refitted large picnic coolers into sound isolated environments, each with controlled light and fresh air to be used for specific studies and analysis. Each of these sound insulated coolers also has sound recording instruments installed inside. Stacks of these refitted coolers fill a large room. Hundreds of birds are in this room but they can just barely be heard. Each sound they make is electronically recorded and analyzed.  In an adjacent room, stacks of computers are used to save and analyze the data from the finch’s song. 

The purpose of this research is to understand the origins of human speech and the biological basis of speech.

Ofer played the a Veery song for us at very slow speed and it was a lovely melody in a major key. At normal speed it was a sweet chirp. Ofer told us about the work of David Rothenberg, author of Why Birds Sing: A Journey Into the Mystery of Bird Song. On David Rothenberg’s site, you can listen to the wonderful slowed down bird song.

Later I walked the around the campus and recalled my student days at CCNY and stood at the spot where thousands of students gathered to protest the invasion of Cambodia and to stop all classes in protest of our governments policies and actions.

But today, in spite of an unpopular war, the trashing of our constitution by the administration in Washington, despite the use of terrible torture that even our military opposes, now there were students just walking and birds singing in the sunshine of a lovely summer’s day…and a sign in front of Shepard Hall warning these very same students not to play frisbee or other sports on the lawns, supposedly for their safety.

 Red Tail Hawk on Shepard Hall of CCNY

We drove 90 miles west from Manahattan to Nazareth, Pa in to visit the CF Martin Guitar Factory. Our mission was to pick up the custom made guitar which was made for one in our group, meet the people who used their considerable skills to create the guitar, and to take the tour of the factory. If you are a musician, especially a guitarist, you know why this is a type of pilgrimage and  you would appreciate how this is an extremely exciting event. We had waited eight months for the guitar to created. Over 60 skilled craftspeople worked on it. Only about 30 custom made guitars are produced by Martin each year, and about 200 regular instruments each week.

We were greeted by Dan, the wirey and warm and charming head of the custom department and he took us through the large building which is divided into sections and cubby work stations, into the section of the factory devoted to custom production. 

Dan put the case on the table and our guitarist opened and saw his new instrument for the first time. Love, love at first sight and love, love at first play. A new instrument actually improves with time which is amazing to consider since this guitar has such a rich tone and is so responsive. The guitarist’s signature and date of birth are in-laid on the head and neck of his new guitar.

Then we took the tour of the factory. We started at the beginning, we passed the many different woods which are used in guitar making, ready to be cut , shaped and glued, and finished into an instrument. We passed through all of the different stages of the process.

The most moving aspect were the workers. The majority seemed to be women, although there were plenty of men as well. All focused on the particular skill. Making bridges, shaving interior braces, bending the pieces for the sides, assembling and gluing pieces, gluing in the carefully cut slivers of Mother-of-Pearl for decoration, sanding, finishing, etc.  Some looked up for a moment as we passed and smiled. The last people in the process test the guitars by playing them. This is their job…to play guitars all day…it is considered the best of all of the jobs. The factory is one of the two largest employers in Nazareth and some families have worked for generation at this factory.

Photos of famous guitarists holding their Martin’s line the factory walls, and the tour ends at a display of guitars that visitors may play and try out.

The factory building has a museum on the history of guitar making and the history of Martin guitars. There is also a shop selling lots of Martin paraphanalia but no guitars which are only sold through dealers and not directly from the factory. 

It is wonderful to see that skill and craft still exist, and that such a wonderful pleasure-giving instrument is made of a precious natural material, wood. The Martin factory believes that many woods used in guitar making will not be available in just a few years and they are developing instruments made of composite materials…

The Martin Guitar and the Martin Guitar Factory are an American treasure.

The Actor’s Temple (339 West 47th Street in New York) is in an 90 year old, long narrow building on West 47th St in the Theatre District. This congregation was founded in 1917 by local business owners in what was then a very tough area of Hell’s Kitchen. The Rabbi and Cantor of that time, reached out to others working in the area-the theatre community of actors, comedians, writers working on Broadway,  in vaudeville, cabaret, nightclubs etc.  The membership also included singers, dancers etc.

These individuals made an enormous contribution to show business and the  shul was truly an “Actor’s Temple” at that time. The stained glass windows in the little shulare dedicated in memory of many famous performers, such as Sophie Tucker, and signed photos of the former members who were stars line the walls in the synagogue building. Just imagine spending the High Holidays with the Three Stooges, Edward G. Robinson, Red Buttons, and Sandy Koufax.

Now, the front of the shul has the traditional ark holding the Torahs,  and the eternal light, and stained glass dedication windows, but the shul also has a stage light scaffolding for performances held by the congregation as part of their programming. There is also a  long wall of mirrors for the dancers who rent the space for rehearsals during the week. These mirrors are covered by curtains during services.

The shul was full this past Friday with over 100 people for an eclectic evening.  First an excellent  Shabbat buffet dinner open to all which also drew some local residents who were happy to have a meal offered. This was held in the worn social hall below the sanctuary level and was sponsored by friends celebrating their anniversary.  

These friends can celebrate anywhere they choose but selected this community and this authentic old space which does not have one true right angle, has that awful old time faux “wood paneling,” an ¨improvement¨of the 1950´s and the autographed photos of the stars. In a few more years these odd historic spaces of New York City will have been eliminated and all replaced by modern condos. We have to relish them while they are still here.

After dinner, we went to the sanctuary for the Shabbat service led by a Rabbi-Cantor with a longer resume in opera and voice than in Rabbinics and a personal warmth con molto dramatic flare.

After the service, the aisle was suddenly transformed into a long, very narrow stage and two modern dancers performed Luxxury Suite by Heidi Latsky,  with Meredith Fages. Surprising and nice.

An extended family donated a baby grand piano to the shul and were thanked and celebrated. Very warm and really nice.

A cantata, The Seven Golden Buttons, written by the Rabbi Ira and Judith Eisenstein, and based on a Hasidic story attributed to the Baal Shem Tov, conducted by Jeanne Krausman, was performed with excellent spirit and fun by about a dozen singers and the newly dedicated piano was used for this performance, as well. This is one of six cantata´s that the Eisensteins wrote. Judith Eisenstein was a musical prodigy and the daughter of Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan the founder of the Reconstructionist movement. In 1923, she was the first woman to be Bat Mitzvah in America.

The Seven Golden Buttons is a story about true love and real value. Very nice and especially fitting for the anniversary celebrants.

This was not yet enough of an evening…after the cantata,  we all had kiddush (and more food) at the back of the sanctuary and some more time for schmoozing. Perfect.

The formal name of the congregation is Ezrath Israel, which means Helper of Israel.

Perhaps a bit too much relaxation and extra oxygen confused the writers and editors of the NY TImes Escape section. This morning’s article about meditating while on a day-trip to Monroe, NY is a great example of myopic vision by a new York City based writer.  Perhaps they thought that since Monroe is north of the city it must be the Catskills, amazing they did not think it was in Westchester County. How does something as incorrect as this get printed? Monroe is about 54 miles north of New York City the Catskills are about 2 hours north of the city.

The Times article puts Orange County NY, the home of Monroe, in the Catskills Region. The great and beautiful Catskill Region consists of Sullivan, Greene, Ulster and Delaware Counties.  If you have not visited the Catskills or the Daks (Adirondaks) which are much farther north, and are spectacular, you should research them and plan a trip.

The region the writer visited is called the Hudson Valley or sometimes the Hudson Highlands.  There is  a great deal to do and see in this area which is quite close to the city and very worthy of more than just a day-trip. If we stay awake instead of letting our minds go to mush, we can enjoy the landscape and sites.

It was the home and inspiration of the Hudson River School of painting and  is now home to the Storm King Art Center, Sugar Loaf, West Point, Bear Mountain, Woodbury Commons Outlet Mall, Harriman State Park, lovely organic farms, boat trips on the Hudson etc, etc, etc.

The vast majority of of New York State is made up of mountains, wilderness and small towns, then add in the the (really) upstate lakes such as Lake George, Schroon Lake,  Saranac, etc, and world class beaches of Long Island, the great lakes and Niagara and you have a tremendous variety and beauty close to home. Ok, you are correct, the Niagara region is a long drive and not so close to the city.

Real New Yorkers should venture outside of the city and visit our beautiful state.  The The NYState’s site, I Love NY State,  is an excellent source of information. 

If you look carefully at your tax return, you may notice that even though you live in NYC, you pay NY State taxes as well.  So, you have paid for many of the parks and sites, perhaps it is time to go visit your truly gorgeous real estate.

The anticipation of Passover starts a month in advance, usually with the arrival of Purim which can be called Passover’s raucous little sister. At Purim there is purposefully no sense of order at all and so, by some ancient and wise logic, we start the planning of the Seder in the midst of the pleasurable disorder of Purim. Seder means “order” in Hebrew, and there are 15 steps to the celebration of the traditional Seder. Here are my 15 steps to the entire holiday experience.

• Figuring out in whose home the Seders will be 
• the guest lists: trying calculate how many are actually coming and how many can possibly fit inside your home
• the menu: traditional vs new dishes
• the house cleaning which can feel like your are preparing to move 
• buying food and figuring out how to fit it in the fridge
• donations of food and funds for the needy
• planning a gift for the child who “finds” the hidden piece of Matzah needed to complete the Seder and express concretely the idea that what is lost or broken will be restored. The outcome of the Matzah search is completely rigged and all children will get a gift
• the arrival of the excited guests
• cleaning up either spilled wine, juice or something that breaks
• finding one more vase for the lovely gift of flowers
• the pleasure of all being together around the table celebrating the Seder with song, questions and laughter. It is our family custom to ask the Four Questions in as many languages as possible and this year a Muslim Iraqi quest asked them in Arabic, a first for us.
• guests helping to disassemble the extra tables and chairs (thank you, again)
• Matzah Brie for breakfast(!)
• blessed friends who  invite you for another Passover meal to spend together during the week of the holiday

• and going out for Pizza to celebrate the end of the holiday and the return of such a humble food we can take so for-granted…bread.

The sum of this effort is so much more than any of the parts: a great sense of wholeness,  a renewal of connectedness to family and friends, a renewal of the connection of tradition and the present, the presence of Spring and the feeling of inner freedom.

Happy Passover

The elite New York private school, Horace Mann, is the focus of an excellent expose in New York Magazine. The most shocking aspect is the amount of outright pure racist and anti-woman  hate the article exposes as seemingly tolerated, and even defended (!) by some on the Board of Directors, administration and students.

The school’s website states the school’s purpose and focus:

Horace Mann has changed in many ways but remains steadfastly dedicated to five core values: The Life of the Mind, Mature Behavior, Mutual Respect, A Secure and Healthful Environment, and A Balance between Individual Achievement and a Caring Community.

If there is any truth in the article it would mean that the Horace Mann School has utterly failed in achieving it’s own stated goals.

This brings up some important issues that go far beyond the shockingly bad behavior of a privileged elite that sees itself as entitled to be served and catered to no matter what it does or says.

First: How and why did the City of New York help fund a wealthy private school by issuing a bond when the public schools suffer? How dare they? How many other private schools have been helped this way? Why exactly, was this school helped by the city government?

Second: Look at how this group considers everyone, even professionals such as educators, to be their servants and “hired help”. And this is what they have modeled for their children.

Third: Isn’t there a relationship between the attitude and values taught by this elite and those who feed the extreme disrespect for women which we see in the media in this current presidential campaign? And they have DEFENDED racism as well?

Fourth: Why would anyone send a daughter to this school?

Fifth: How many other private schools behave this way?

New York City is full of wonderful, talented, smart and really goods kids who deserve a good education and preparation for the future. We must support public education as the cornerstone to a healthy, creative, productive society and a continuing good future. Public School should not be treated as an “entitlement program” to be disrespected and underfunded.

Parents should teach children the core value of respect for teachers by their very own behavior.

Money never buys class.

………

Comment by NYCGUY:

A few years ago, while crossing Broadway on the Upper West Side, I overhead the conversation of a young boy and his father.

The child expressed a desire to copy the career of his favorite teacher and his parent replied that that would be an inappropriate pursuit.

To hear something like that and in such a neighborhood was utterly shocking. So maybe the esteem I had learned for Horace Mann was equally ill-placed. This is, after all, an epoch of an all voluntary armed forces subject to stop loss, which is nothing other than involuntary servitude, serfdom if one wishes to give it a polite name.

What really got me was the story inside the story about this prestigious private, tax exempt school getting a substantial tax free loan from the city’s so-called Economic Development Corporation, facilitated by the city’s corporation counsel under its preceding mayor for whom this chap remains a loyal business partner.

This perfectly legal transaction whereby EDC makes like the NYS Dormitory Authority for very high tuition K-12 private schools - parochial schools included - is a hallmark of the current mayoralty that just happens to have saddled Horace Mann with considerable debt.

Ostensibly the beneficiaries provide an undefined high level of scholarships and public service. Apparently, the private schools are better integrated than the city’s own public schools - which have no boards with any effective parental input - because, obviously, they’re creaming from the body of perspective students.

Lost in this is that public schools are intended to create an educated citizenry and that the city is using its federally capped industrial revenue bond authority to benefit elite institutions not subject to endless teach-to-testing while its own system has cut back capital expenditures for school renovations  and new construction. Is something amiss?

Maybe the Horace Mann students understand the “respect” they’re given does not accrue to their teachers or perhaps even the gifted scholarship classmates.

NYCGUY

We ferried out to Ellis Island. What a pleasure it is to be out on the water of the harbor on a cool, clear day. Although Harbor Seals have been spotted as far north as the 79th Street Boat Basin  this season, we did not spot any in the water that Sunday but enjoyed seeing the city, The Statue  of Liberty, and the soaring gulls and many Brandts.

Ellis Island opened a new, temporary exhibit on March 30, 2008, called “Visas for Life” which documents in photos, the extraordinary efforts of many diplomats during the Holocaust to use the power of their offices to issue visas for Jews fleeing Nazi control. They did this against the orders of their superiors and risked a high personal price for their actions. They saved many hundreds of thousands people from being murdered by their moral and courageous action. It is a very worthwhile exhibit. 

I attended as a representative of Remember the Women Institute and serve on the Advisory Board.

There is a wonderful portrait of Chiune Sugihara, the Japanese Consul to Lithuania and his wife, who saved more than 10000 Jews.

Many current diplomats and the families of rescuers, and a few survivors attended the opening event and their stories where told, and awards of thanks and recognition were made.

The Italian diplomat spoke so well when he said that “diplomats are not generally known for being courageous or brave but of hoping for a comfortable assignment”. Several family members of a Papal Nuncio who helped rescue many Jews travelled from Italy to accept an award in his honor and spoke with great warmth and emotion.  The niece of Raoul Wallenberg attended. The Swi