Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day)

Another Deaf-friendly Jewish event coming this Sunday April 11th here in New York City. [Excerpt below taken from Deaf News Network]

Tifereth Israel-Town & Village (T&V) Synagogue (www.tandv.org) will be hosting sign-language-interpreted event on Sunday afternoon, April 11th, when the Downtown Kehillah (a collection of Synagogues in Lower Manhattan) gathers together to commemorate Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) and we hope you can join us!

The ceremony will include remarks from Rabbis from several of the Kehillah's Synagogues, along with songs from the CBST/Downtown Kehillah choir, a candle-lighting, and a reading of names of some of the victims, and will be held from 5:00 PM -- 6:00 PM at 334 East 14th Street, between 1st and 2nd Avenues in Manhattan. Author Johanna Reiss, who's written books about her experience as a child in hiding during World War II, will speak, and our interpreting team will include Cathy Markland and Bram Weiser.

A reception (refreshments and social hour) will follow the event, and all are welcome to participate!

For additional information, please contact Bram Weiser at bramweiser@usa.net or (212) 677-0368v.

Thanks, and we’ll hope to see you there!

Last Saturday (4/3) I attended Town and Village Synagogue for another ASL terped services which occurred during Passover otherwise known as the Jewish Independence Holiday in which the Jews were freed from slavery in Egypt, you know "Let my people go!" Imagine to my surprise when several people including Rabbi Sebert came up to me and complimented me on my blog posting of Purim. Apparently in California an online site called Jewish Deaf Community Center picked up my post and added it to their website. I was blown away! Little old me? Nonetheless I was please at the response I received and am honored to be able to advocate such a great Temple!

I was also told how the ASL terped services at T&V Synagogue began. Bram Weiser had shown a great appreciation for ASL(who recently became a RID Certified Terp) and one of the members who attended regularly at the Synagogue was Deaf. Of course she was left out of the services. So Bram would sit next to her and inform her of the page nbrs from the Torah readings or other readings, or what prayer was being said etc etc... He expressed to his mother (Marcia Weiser) about his desire to see more Deaf Jews involved at T&V Synagogue so for his birthday about 5 years ago (don't worry Bram your age will remain a secret!) his mother surprised him by paying for interpreters at that particular Jewish services and she also provided "seed" money for the possibility in making ASL terped services more regularly. And so it began with 4 ASL terped services a year and now has grown to almost 1x a month! I am very grateful to both Bram and his mother for making this a reality for me and other Deaf Jews to be able to attend, a mitzvah!

In addition to all of this, Rabbi Sebert in his sermon mentioned about including the Deaf in the Jewish community and that more efforts must be made. I couldn't agree more because ASL terped Jewish Services are so few and far in most of this country! I honestly didn't think in my lifetime I would ever be able to be an active member of the Jewish community until now (in the past year or so) attending T&V Synagogue has renewed my faith and my Jewish ties. I was also thrilled to sign "A Prayer for Our Country" last Saturday, boy was I nervous. I enjoyed it all so much! The kiddush (reception) afterwards served the best lox spread I have had in ages! I met the Cantor's Postman's young cutie-pie daughter who signed to me "Shabbat Shalom" which translated in ASL is "REST PEACE."

Before I sign off, I have an old joke to share

What's the difference between an Italian Mother and a Jewish Mother?
An Italian mother says "if you don't eat that, I will kill you!"
a Jewish mother says "if you don't eat that, I will kill myself!"
Ov vey, the gift of guilt that keeps on giving ;-)