Pop Chassid’s Elad Nehorai with his daughter

Last night marked the 3rd week of the University of Jewish Learning – our new Monday night program. It’s been really wonderful so far – new faces, a room full of people participating in One-on-One learning, people shmoozing and eating delicious food, really great classes and workshops which have been getting such great responses. Between the two class slots, we had a real treat – live jazz, and it added such a lovely dimension to the evening. This particular slot is one of the funnest parts of UJL, please each week, it’s totally different. This coming week, we’ve invited Elad Nehorai – the writer behind Pop Chassid, to come and speak. I caught up with Elad to find out a bit more about him, his excellent blog and his plans for the future.

Hi Elad! How are you? 
Thank G-d, I’m good!

You’re the dude behind Pop Chassid, a pretty compelling blog. How did the blog come about?
Funny you should ask.  The idea actually started when my wife and I were on a layover on a flight from Israel and we watched Mary Poppins.  I spent the whole time talking about all these Jewish ideas the movie reminded me about, and all of a sudden I had this idea to do a blog analyzing movies from a Jewish perspective.  Funny thing was that the more I wrote the blog, the more I eventually veered away from writing about movies.  I guess it was worth it to get the ball rolling on my writing in the public sphere.

My advice to people looking to make money from blogging: do it because you love it, not because of money.  There are a lot smarter ways to make money than by writing or blogging.  If it makes you money somehow, awesome.

What can we look forward to hearing you speak about when you come to UJL?
I’m gonna try to give over my idea of living a life with a mission.  I want to shake people up and get them thinking about why exactly they were put on this earth.  I hope it helps!

Come here Elad speak at UJL on Monday May 20 at 7.45 – 8.15pm. The University of Jewish Learning is a weekly project of the Aish Center, featuring food, entertainment, and a whole range of learning opportunities, including One-on-One mentoring and learning, for a suggested donation of $10. Read more about the UJL schedule here and if you’ve got any questions or suggestions, feel free to contact us at center@aish.com.

Yosef shows a young friend of the Aish Center how solar energy works.

“The purpose of the Jewish people, and, by extension, of the Jewish state,” says Yosef Abramowitz, “is to be an on-going, distinctive catalyst for the advancement and evolution of morality in civilization. And a catalyst needs to show leadership by example, even a small one.”

These are big words, with implications of even bigger ambitions. But coming from Abramowitz – CEO, activist, solar energy pioneer, 3-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee, educator, father, husband, and proud Jew – you can begin to understand how one might begin to embody the very crux of this idea.

Last Wednesday night, with the help of Aish Center supporter Seth Horowitz, we held a cocktail party to honor Yosef, and got to hear, first-hand, about the amazing and meaningful work he does. Based with his family on a kibbutz in Israel, Yosef is the founder and CEO of Energiya Global, a company that strives to help developing nations run on safe, clean and renewable energy.

We all know that fossil fuels are harmful, but in many developing countries, they also come hand-in-hand with companies who are corrupt, and unethical. Conducting business safely and ethically, in addition to doing what’s environmentally sustainable, is extremely important to Abramowitz.

Yosef Abramowitz with Aish Center director, Rabbi Adam Jacobs.

He mentioned a project involving a youth village, populated by orphans left after the Rwandan Genocide, and how creating a solar field next to the village wouldn’t just power the village, but it would also create revenue that would help support that village. All of this while wearing a kippah – because he believes that helping people, no matter who or where they are, is a uniquely Jewish responsibility.

Because, isn’t it? Judaism is full of practices and ideas that have a common subtext – be better. Rules and obligations aren’t something that we should feel burdened by. Rather, the idea underlying them is that no matter where we are, or what we’re doing, we  can always aim higher. Yosef mentioned the Mishnaic adage – “you’re not obligated to finish the task, but you’re also not permitted to free yourself from it“. All the work Yosef has under his belt, and very humbly so – solar energy activism, Jewish education, fighting for the release of imprisoned members of Soviet Jewry, starting his company – points to a steadfast commitment to his own idea of being an on-going and distinctive force of good.

Wednesday night’s event was inspiring, and his message was clear. When you stumble upon an opportunity to be an agent of positive change, it’s your responsibility to give it a shot. Don’t feel daunted by tasks and challenges; rather, see them as something to aspire to. Thanks for joining us, Yosef, and we wish you complete success in all of your endeavors!  You are a true inspiration.

Check out our photos from the event here, and a happy Shavuot to everybody!

This past Monday saw the launch of the University of Jewish Learning – our newest weekly event here at the Aish Center!

UJL runs from 7-9pm, features an array of classes to choose from, opportunities to learn any topic you’d like in a one-on-one learning setting, personal mentoring, delicious food, and a lounge where you can hang out and shmooze with fellow UJL-niks. The launch was great – the entire center was buzzing with old and new faces, going from class to class, enjoying beers and burgers and the company of each other. Between classes, we heard from Craig Dershowitz – founder of Artists 4 Israel – one of the most creative and compelling pro-Israel activist groups around.

This Monday will be UJL Week #2 and our guest speaker will be Bethany Mandel. Bethany is a pretty impressive lady; the social media editor of Commentary Magazine, political blogger, fundraiser, activist, world traveler and proud NYC-based Orthodox Jew. I checked in with Bethany to find out a little bit more about what she does!

Bethany Mandel

Hey Bethany! You’re pretty active on Twitter. Do you have a favorite/most exciting/cool and famous follower?
I have a lot of really cool followers and I’ve made an incredible amount of friends on the medium. It’s even landed me my last two jobs, at The Heritage Foundation and here at Commentary. My coolest follower (with whom I’ve never interacted) is SNL’s Seth Myers. I almost accidentally tweet him whenever I mention my husband Seth, which I’m anticipating will happen at some point. I watch Weekend Update somewhat fearfully since he started following me last year, afraid something stupid I’ve said will end up on national TV.

The Xylopholks!

We’ve been talking a lot about this Monday’s launch of UJL (University of Jewish Learning) up here at the Aish Center. We’ve talked about some of the fantastic teachers who’ll be offering an array of 6-session courses on topics ranging from Yiddish to Kabbalah. We’ve talked about some of the really impressive speakers we’ve got coming to speak to break up the classes. We’ve mentioned how Monday’s launch will also include delicious burgers, beer and sushi.

But we haven’t talked much about the super-exciting downtown component of UJL.

WELL. We decided to do something totally different for UJL Downtown. But what? Enter David Lizmi. David is a seriously connected guy. He’s played, recorded, toured with and managed an impressively long list of bands. And now something else to add to his resume; a 4 week curated series of shows at Aish Downtown for UJL. Each concert will follow a class on Kabbalah, given by Rabbi Stuart Shiff. Hence, the East Village Class & Concert Series. David’s found some amazing musicians and bands to play for us, and their music ranges from jazz, to World, to Traditional, to Experimental. In short, it’s going to be awesome.

The first band on the roster, scheduled for the Downtown UJL launch this Tuesday (7pm April 30, 325 E 6th Street) is The Xylopholks! These guys are so awesome. Comprised from some really talented jazz musicians, The Xylopholks play xylophone-heavy classic ragtime music from the 1920s. It’s a lot of fun!

Other bands and musicians we’ll be hearing from throughout the series are Sleeper’s Work (electronic/experimental), a traditional Moroccan Gnawa band, and Avi Fox-Rosen. Each class & concert costs just $10.

Let us leave you with a little sample of what The Xylopholks do – here’s a really great video they made with WNYC! We hope to see you at the big launch on Tuesday!

If you haven’t already heard about UJL (The University of Jewish Learning),
then let me fill you in. For years, one of our main regular events at the Aish Center has been our Monday night programs. Various classes and one-on-one learning opportunities have drawn new faces and old faithfuls to our doors for a long time now. People come, talk, learn and have something to eat – it’s rather nice, and we really enjoy it. But a short while ago, we decided that we were ready to make some really big changes. What if we truly had something for everyone? What if people could come and have the freedom to engage in compelling and high quality learning and dialogue on a really wonderful range of topics offered nowhere else in the city? And a lounge for people to learn on their own, chill out with other people, or form their own learning circles? What if classes were broken up by really great musical performances, or mini-lectures from really interesting and exciting people? And what if Aish Downtown had it’s own UJL as well? We had so much fun just envisioning the possibilities. And now, as the launch party on April 29th comes closer, we thought we’d announce some of the awesome people who’ll be teaching the first series of classes at UJL.

Originally from Australia, Tal Segel left the sun and surf to study Torah and education, first in Israel and more recently New York. He studied at the historic Mir Yeshiva of Jerusalem and Novardok Yeshiva of Brooklyn, focusing in particular on the study of character refinement techniques and Chassidic thought. He has a BA in Information Technology from the University of Technology Sydney and a Masters in Education from Yeshiva University. When not teaching at Aish, Rabbi Segel is making Torah educational software at Gaon Education for a new generation of techie Jews. Rabbi Tal’s 6-part series at UJL is the Positivity Workshop.

Kurt Stein in a Senior Vice President at Merrill Lynch.  He was a finance major at the University of Florida and was fortunate enough to spend six years learning at Aish in Jerusalem. He is a popular speaker and has lectured across North America for schools, colleges and Jewish organizations. Kurt’s 6- part series at UJL is entitled Jewish Daily Living.

Marganit Ramon, who we’ve previously profiled, was raised in a Yiddish speaking home in Israel. She calls New York home these days and is proud to be teaching both Hebrew and Yiddish at UJL! She’ll be teaching Yiddish during the first slot of classes (7 – 7.45pm) and Hebrew during the second slot (8.45 – 9pm).

Adam Jacobs is the Managing Director of the Aish Center and one of the center’s most popular teachers, as well as the driving force of Jew U. He also blogs for the Huffington Post, and his weekly podcasts are downloaded but hundreds of people every week. He’s also the author of  ”128 Reflections: Judaism’s Essential Wisdom on Personal Growth”. He’ll be teaching Introduction to Kabbalah as part of a 6-session series at UJL.

These guys are just some of what’s going to be on offer every Monday night, from April 29th and on wards. The launch alone will be great, and to celebrate, we’ll be serving beer, sushi, and burgers! So that’s a delicious bonus. We’re all booking in some really compelling people to speak between the slots, and we’ll be writing an awesome feature on them very soon. Until then, here’s the UJL Facebook event page, and here’s the UJL page on our site. If you’ve got any questions, comments or suggestions, then let us know! And we cannot wait to see you at UJL :-)

Spring seems to be running a tad late this year. Things got a little warmer and sunnier about two weeks ago, and everyone got all excited, but not for long. Then we changed the clocks – also exciting. But fast forward to today – it’s the end of March and we’re stuck in a few days of a sort of miserable hybrid of rain and snow, and it is not pleasant. But the weather will turn soon, I’m sure, and even though it’s miserable in Manhattan, there are definitely changes afoot elsewhere.

Lissa & Kim up at Eden Village Camp!

This past Sunday, we went upstate to visit our friends up at Eden Village Camp in Putnam Valley, we’re they’re well into Spring mode. The event of the day was maple sugar tapping, a traditional end-of-winter activity. We’ve all enjoyed maple syrup many times before, but what a thrill to actually see where it comes from, and how it got into those whimsical little bottles that line supermarket shelves. Having friends in places like Eden gives up the opportunity to live with the seasons and observe nature’s own special timetable.

We all met at Aish Downtown in the East Village, and drove up all the way to Putnam Valley. Our group joined with the other groups who’d come out of the day, and we got to see how it all works. Basically, in cold climates, maple trees store starch in their trunks and roots before the winter. The starch is then converted to sugar, which rises in the sap in the spring. Maple trees are tapped by drilling holes into their trunks, allowing the sap to come out. The sap is processed by heating to evaporate much of the water, and you get left with a golden-hued syrup to douse your pancakes with. And that’s just what we did! Thanks for the lovely Sunday, Eden Village Camp!

And of course, we’re only days away from the real opening event of Springtime – Passover! We’re going to be hosting two Passover Seders – one at the Aish Center on 83rd St on the second night, and one at the Spanish Portuguese Synagogue, together with JICNY on the first night. The second night Seder is going to be hosted by our good friend and longtime supporter, the aptly-named Ari Moses, together with his wife Shaina and their two children.

“Aish is a great place to experience Judaism for those who have had limited experience in the past,” says Ari. “Passover and the Seder have always been a very enriching and meaningful part of our family’s life and we look forward to sharing this special evening with the Aish community!”

It’ll be a great Seder – complete with props, delicious food, a great crowd and a whole lot of wine and matza. It’s not too late to sign up to join us! Here’s how. Wishing you all a beautiful Passover and a lovely spring!

We decided to go all out for the Jewish month of Adar this year. Adar is most famous for hosting the festival of Purim – officially the most joyful holiday on the Jewish calendar. The Talmud tells us that when Adar comes ’round, we’re commanded to ‘increase in joy’. How strange – being commanded to feel something. But sometimes, putting yourself in joyful situations actually creates real happiness. We become aware of the importance of being positive and openhearted, our perspective changes, and as a result, outcomes are affected. And that stuff is contagious – a smile, laugh, positive comment or good deed has such a ripple effect. Adar is a great time to focus on how important happiness is. We decided to name Adar 2013 the Jewish Month of Joy!

We kicked off the month with a fun little project – we set up a booth outside the famous Zabar’s on the Upper West Side, brought along a few cartons of delicious hamentaschen and set up a banner reading “Tell a joke, get a cookie!” We had New Yorkers of all kinds approach us with their favorite jokes. And then we turned the whole thing into a sweet movie, which was later featured in Jewcy’s Top 5 Purim videos! Thanks Jewcy. Here’s the video – we’re so proud of it!

Next up was Shabbat ShaLOL! – a comedy-themed Friday night dinner at Aish Downtown in the East Village. We featured UCB comic Aaron Glaser, who performed a great stand-up set during dinner. The next night was our big Purim party, which was preceded by a reading of Megilat Esther. Thanks to everyone who showed up in wonderful costumes, ready to party with us! My personal favorite? An impressive hot air balloon costume! Here’s a photo. And then last night hosted a Laughter Therapy Workshop with the wonderful Saranne Rothberg, founder of Comedy Cures. Saranne’s organization aims to bring laughter to those struggling with illness and depression. Saranne is a vibrant and charismatic woman who truly lives her mission – making those around her happy. Her workshop drew a huge crowd – the Aish Center was full of smiling people!

We’ve got one more event on our Jewish Month of Joy roster. This Saturday night, we’re hosting an awesome night of cocktails and comedy with one of our favorite comedians. Modi entertained us at our Gala last year, and he was such a hit that we’ve decided to have him back, to end our Month of Joy with a bang, and lots of laughs. Join us this Saturday night for this wonderful event – fill your joy quota, and let’s keep the smiles and laughs coming for as long as we can :-)

Details of Saturday night’s event with Modi can be found here. See you there!

“I always knew that music was the most spiritual thing I could do,” said Greg Wall, celebrated world-class jazz musician and rabbi, last Wednesday night at Jews with Horns: Jazz & Spirituality at the Aish Center. Rabbi Wall, together with Tzvi Gluckin and the Aish Center’s very own Adam Jacobs, spoke about the powerful and significant connection between music and spirituality – Judaism in particular. Each speaker present was, amazingly, both a rabbi and a conservatory graduate, if not a musician. What led us to create this event? Jazz is a famously spiritual genre;  greats like John Coltrane, Alice Coltrane, and Duke Ellington were deeply spiritual people. Jazz has its roots in gospel, so it’s no surprise that the music has a real devotional streak to it. But there have always been a disproportionate number of brilliant Jews in the  mix – Stan Getz, Bennie Goodman, John Zorn, Alfred Lion (founder of Blue Note Recordings), Dave Brubeck and Irving Berlin, to name a few. What draws Jews to music, and to jazz especially? How is music inherent to Jewish history and practice? And what can we learn from it?

“One of the unique things about Judaism, and especially the Torah – which is unlike any other fundamental text written before, is that it’s an auditory language. It’s meant to be listened to, and each word has so many levels of interpretation. It’s the only system where you can get three or four words and go on and get layers and layers of meaning,” continued Rabbi Wall, comparing the language of Torah to that of music.

“Ultimately, the reason why you connect to rhythm is because music bypasses your cognitive intellectual faculties and speaks to you on an intuitive level,” said Tzvi Gluckin, who went on to describe a Jewish law pertaining to a certain prayer which can only be sung – and never plainly recited. Judaism acknowledges this transcendent power of music, and how it can actually help us be better and stronger human beings.

“When I study and learn and contemplate spiritual ideas,” said Adam Jacobs, “I feel the same kind of experience that I did as a musician. Musicians, I think, are just looking for transcendence. They just don’t know it.”

The panel was followed by an outstanding performance by the Daniel Dor Trio. You can see some really great photos from the event here!

This week’s Challah for Hunger NYC launch party!

“Volunteering dates get a higher response rate than other suggestions; they’re also more popular in winter,” says a recent Buzzfeed piece titled How To Date Anywhere in the Country. I thought about this week this past Wednesday  night, during our Challah for Hunger NYC launch party at our downtown location. If you haven’t already heard of it, Challah for Hunger is an amazing social justice organization. Founded in 2004 by a handful of college students in California, it brings people together to bake and sell challah, to raise money and awareness for social justice. There are well over 40 chapters around the world, and it’s an organization that continues to grow every year. Chapters are made up of volunteers who get together regularly to bake and sell challah – and the profits go to amazing causes, like the American Jewish World Relief Service’s work in Darfur. The whole project is an unlikely but really wonderful combination of hands-on work, activism, leadership, socializing, community and Jewish identity. So, we were really excited to launch our own chapter at Aish Downtown.

I decided that we needed to have a little launch party to get the word out. The event drew a really nice crowd – a group of young, vibrant, community minded individuals who’d been looking for a social volunteer project. We brought in the Challah Fairy – another truly vibrant mover and shaker who started delivering her challahs to friends’ houses a number of years ago and now runs a bakery and mobile challah class. Challah is truly a symbol; of Jewish identity, tradition and continuity. It’s bread that sustains people physically and spiritually. It’s a symbol of family, Shabbat and the love Jewish people have of helping those in need – no matter who those people  might be. Challah for Hunger lets people bond, help other people, and fuse new communities everywhere. It’s also super fun. We had music, some drinks and everyone got to take home beautiful challahs braided with the help of the Challah Fairy.

Our chapter is going to begin to operate within the next few weeks. We’ve got some great volunteers geared up and ready to help us make it happen, and we’re always looking for more. If you’re interested in being a part of our brand new Challah for Hunger NYC chapter, drop us a line and let us know! And now, back to how I began this article – I think Challah for Hunger is a perfect date opportunity. What a wonderful way to get to know someone! So come help out, bring a date or a friend, and have an awesome time, doing something fun, meaningful and charitable! Buzzfeed also says New Yorkers love frozen yogurt dates – I suggest making challah and then going out for some fro-yo :-)

Shabbat Shalom! Wishing you all a peaceful and restful (albeit snowy) Shabbat!