Sabes JCC Experience News

LATE FALL 2009

Letter from Stuart

Tylevich Sculpture Honoring AL Tychman Lights Up the Lobby of the JCC

Twin Cities Jewish Book Fair - Local author Kate Ledger

The 2010 Minneapolis Jewish Film Festival Film Selection Process is Underway

Moss? In the pool?

Puppies in Profile

What is a Swim Team?

Stories of Mother's Circle

New Operating Software Coming in November

Thank you from Health and Wellness

Inclusion Spotlight: Chris Savitt

Excerpts from VOICE diaries

TRIBUTES AND FUNDS

Click here to view tributes and funds through October 9, 2009

UPCOMING EVENTS

For details on any of the following events, or to purchase tickets, visit our website.

Late Fall Classes Registration Now Open

Dr. Charles Small - Live at the
Sabes JCC
Wednesday, October 21, 7 pm

Musical Minyan Concert: Isadorable
October 20-21

Biloxi Blues
Opening Night
Saturday,
October 24
Runs through November 8

Grandparent's Circle
October 13 through November 17

Arts and Bridges Project Event
Thursday,
October 22,
6-8:30 pm

JCC Open House
Sunday, October 18

Wellness Speaker Series
October 22 and November 18

Women's Day of Wellness
Sunday,
November 1,
9 am-4 pm

Twin Cities Jewish Book Fair Events
November 8, 17
and 19

Embracing Change Series
Wednesday,
November 11

Sha'arim Speaker - Adolescent Mood Disorders
Sunday,
November 15,
7-8:30 pm

dear members and friends,

Shana Tova - I want to wish all of our members, participants and supporters a happy and healthy new year. As we come off the Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year) holiday we look forward to an exciting new year at the Sabes JCC. Like so many other non-profits and businesses, this past year has been tough on the Sabes JCC. However, I am so proud of our staff, board and volunteers for all of their commitment and support that not only allowed us to weather the economic storm, but to continue to serve our community and strive to fulfill our mission. I want to share with you our new membership models, some exciting new programs and events coming this year and how we are continuing to reach out to and serve our community in these still challenging economic times.

Starting this year, the Sabes JCC has a new set of membership options that allow you to choose how you can be a member of the Sabes JCC. In addition to the JCC membership we have always had, which gives you access to our wonderful Health & Wellness facilities and program discounts, we have added 2 new membership categories. There is now a Community Membership category designed for those individuals and families who do not have a need or interest in using the health & wellness facilities but do want to be members and get discounts on our exciting programs and events. This membership also includes use of the outdoor pool for the hot summer months. We have also rolled out our new Sustaining Membership category. The Sustaining Membership allows those who believe in and are enriched by the JCC to support us with their donation. This membership is fully philanthropic and tax deductible. For more information on these memberships, visit www.sabesjcc.org. Now there is away for anyone to find a membership that fits at the Sabes JCC!

We are all looking forward to an exciting, enriching and rewarding year. One great vehicle for engaging on many levels is our Janet and Robert Sabes Center for Jewish Arts & Humanities. The Center hosts a plethora of thought-provoking lectures, including an upcoming live lecture featuring Dr. Charles Small, Director of the Yale Initiative for the Interdisciplinary Study of Anti-Semitism. We will also kick off our first literary series this spring with a live lecture by Danny Gordis, the author of "Saving Israel: How the Jewish State Can Win a War That May Never End". Our Theater Or professional performing arts series season opens with Biloxi Blues and a youth production of The Wise Men of Chelm. Our Tychman Shapiro Gallery also hosts some incredible and engaging exhibits this coming year including an exhibit of "The Lights of Hanukkah." New this year will be our first ever Jewish Humor Festival, a week-long festival of live performances culminating with our Center for Jewish Arts & Humanities Benefit featuring a performance by Rain Pryor. This Benefit will honor Evan Maurer, Director Emeritus of the MIA, for his mentorship for our Center for Jewish Arts and Humanities and the great impact he has had on Jewish arts, not to mention arts in general, in our community. This spring we also look forward to another great Jewish Film Festival. There is no shortage of opportunities to connect to the community and art through the center for Jewish Arts and Humanities.

This coming year also brings many wonderful programs and services in a variety of other departments of the Sabes JCC. Our Health & Wellness Center continues to expand its service offerings with the new Pilates Reformers Studio, our metabolic testing programs, family group training, masters swim program and our ever expanding youth swim team. We are happy to announce the hiring of our new Sports & Recreation Director, Elisabeth Fischbein. Elisabeth will look to expand our sports and recreation offerings. We also have new enrichment programs for children and adults. Our Early Childhood Center continues to be close to capacity. It will be focusing on new enrichment opportunities and continue to focus on quality education, creating an inclusive Jewish environment and creating enriching experiences for the children and their families. Be sure to check out our website for up to date information on these and other programs and services.

The JCC also continues to reach out to those in our community that may need advocacy or reside in isolated populations. In it's second year, our VOICE program is a cooperative program with Jewish Community Action that continues to make a great impact with individuals from the former Soviet Union living in subsidized housing in Minneapolis. Our Inclusion program continues to grow and make all of our programs more accessible to children and adults with disabilities. We are grateful to the Federation for their help in securing funding for our VOICE and Inclusion programs. Without their help and the generosity of the donors these programs could not happen. We also continue our Whole Health Plan, a pay-what-you-can membership for those that have recently lost their jobs, as well as providing scholarships for memberships and programs for those that need financial assistance.

So, as we start this New Year, we are excited about all that we will be able to do to educate, enlighten, enrich and improve the health of those in our community. We are also focused on providing as much assistance as we can to those in need in our community in an inclusive fashion. With the hard work of our staff and volunteers, along with the support from the community, this will be a great year!

B'Shalom,

Stuart Wachs,
Chief Executive Officer

tylevich sculpture honoring al tychman lights up the lobby of the jcc
By Diane Pecoraro, Tychman Shapiro Gallery Committee Member

Walking into the Sabes JCC is not the same since the sculpture by Alexander Tylevich was installed last month. The lobby has come alive with colored reflections of light that beam from ceiling to walls. The sculpture soars above the entrance of the Tychman Shapiro Gallery on the first floor. Its design leads us, visually and physically, to the balcony where we can view it from a higher vantage point. Constructed in three sections and from an array of materials - bronze, brass, glass, cables and acrylic - the work can be appreciated in its entirety and as well as studied section by section. This is a two-level experience: seeing the sculpture from downstairs and upstairs is a MUST.

I had the opportunity to talk to Alexander Tylevich about his sculpture. We discussed location, materials, meaning and the relationship of history and community. Born in Belarus, Tylevich is very connected to his native country's history and major art movements. His classical training and broad knowledge of traditional and modern art have allowed him to experiment with a variety of different approaches. His work looks very contemporary, but there are words, letters and objects that add a concrete quality to the abstract portrayal of ideas.

Looking at art makes us see things in a fresh way. It is a mind-expanding experience, one that often invites questions. As you walk around this sculpture, it is helpful to understand something about its context and the artist's intent. Such information often enhances the act of looking. We don't need to know too much to appreciate a work of art. This installation stands on its own very well. However, for those who would like a deeper understanding of the sculpture's three "movements" (to borrow a musical term), I offer some additional information about certain aspects of its construction.

Images and Symbols
Jewish symbols are central to this work: the six-point Star of David made of suspended cables and soft-colored acrylic and glass; the violin reminiscent of Klezmer music; the male and female figures inspired by Chagall; the building drawn from the artist's interest in old wooden synagogues that once existed in Europe. Tylevich says, "Jewish tradition is filled with symbolism." He echoes the broken violin theme several times and tells me that it alludes to the "broken" history of the Jews in Europe.

Time is expressed in the three sections in different modes. We see the past (best seen upstairs) depicted in a more narrative form, through a window. By contrast, the suspended cables of light move us ahead in time. Perhaps the reflection of the glass also speaks to the elements of time. Here the light changes. Light can be reflective, altering, and transient depending on the perspective of the viewer and where he/she is standing. The central figures of a woman and man with the floating flower are not time-bound; they unite the past, present and future.

Context within the JCC
The sculpture was commissioned in memory of Al Tychman, one of the forward-thinking founders of the Sabes JCC. His initials in Hebrew (Aleph, Bet, Tet) are suspended from individual cables; they remind us that the history of the JCC is honored here. In addition, when Aleph and Bet are used together, they represent the entire alphabet.

Method and Materials
Trained in Russia as an architect, Tylevich explains, "there is a lot of engineering" in creating such a work. Elements of balance, space and technology come into play. Tylevich describes how water jets cut metal with a thin stream of water, and why one item has a patina rather than a polished surface. There are visual "tricks" suggesting that the viewer is part of the work. The dichroic* glass which makes up the Jewish Star reflects colors from the acrylic pieces in a mirror-like way. Standing at some angles, you, the viewer, can be seen in the piece. When you are on the second floor and look through the frame, you become the subject of the piece and create your own story.

New materials always intrigue this artist because they "open up new possibilities." From up above, it is possible to see how much hardware is used in the cables. I jokingly ask him if he hangs around in hardware stores. He said he doesn't, but after talking to him, one might suspect he scouts everywhere, endlessly fascinated by finds which will give form to his concepts.

The entrance to the JCC has been transformed. Hopefully all of the people who come to the building - members as well as guests from the larger community - will stop to look and consider this work. Tylevich intended that his sculpture would appeal to children and adults who visit the building and that anyone at any point in their lives would find themselves in this piece.

Go see this new addition to the JCC for yourself. Look up. Go up to the balcony. Circle it. Look down. After a while, visit it again. It is impossible not to be caught up in those bands of light!

Click here to see more photos of the installation process and the dedication event held on August 2,2009.

*"Dichroic" is defined as the property of having more than one color, highly visible when viewed from different angles.

Note from Gallery Director, Robyn Awend: A plaque dedication will be held in the upcoming months where the title of the sculpture will be announced. We have received over 70 title submissions from the community to help us craft the final name for this sculpture.

local author and upcoming book fair speaker kate ledger explains her connection to the sabes jcc and completion of her novel

The 2009 Twin Cities Jewish Book Fair, presented by the St. Paul JCC, in partnership with Friends of the Saint Paul Library and the Sabes JCC, is coming this November. This year, the Sabes JCC will host three events with writers throughout the month of November. The final event will feature local author, Kate Ledger, who has a strong connection to the Sabes JCC. In anticipation of her program here on Thursday, November 19, Kate is sharing with us the story of her move to Minnesota, how it led to the completion of her novel, and an excerpt from her novel.

To buy tickets to see Kate Ledger speak about her novel, visit our website or call the Sabes JCC box office at 952.381.3499.

When my husband and I moved our family to Minnesota three years ago, we drove from the east coast in a minivan. Our daughter, Talia, was three, and our twin sons, Zander and Jonah, were only three months old. The car was packed knee-high with diapers, toys and the clothes we'd need when we arrived. Additionally, in the trunk of the minivan was the novel I'd been working on for nine years, through more than four moves and three cities. I was determined to finish it.

We knew almost nothing about Minnesota when we arrived. We had no family in town. Joining the Sabes JCC was one of the first things we did to get our bearings. We hoped we'd find a community to become part of, and we discovered that community at once. Talia began pre-school at the Early Childhood Center, and came home singing songs about Shabbat and other holidays. She attended Camp Olami and made many great friends. We knew we'd landed in just the right place, and our new home started to feel familiar.

A year later, I completed the novel that had been with me for so long. I was amazed, and yet not amazed, when the ending I'd grappled with for so long brought me to a place of reflection about the power of Jewish connection. Writing Remedies offered the opportunity to think on the page about what we gain through tradition and ritual and through belonging to a community-wherever we may be-that we can call our own.

- Kate Ledger

From Remedies, A Novel:
One detail he had never told Emily was that he had visited the cemetery after Caleb died. He'd gone alone. The weather had not been pleasant, the sky measureless and dull as the inside of a jar. The wind whipped at him, and he first realized he was underdressed for cold and then thought he was deserving of the discomfort. As he walked to the gravesite from the car, the chill began to punish. It took time to find the site, and he grew anxious as he stepped along the plots, looking for the little gray stone. But there it was. The rectangle in the ground bore only his son's name, Caleb Joseph Bear, and the digits of the year, no month, no day, and Simon was relieved they'd decided to leave the information off, because reading the brevity of that short lifespan would have been too painful...

Standing at the grave, he had imagined the spiritual Caleb, more animated, fuller, rosier, than he'd been as a newborn-Pre-Raphaelite in color, rounded and dimpled with the succulence of infancy. Little stinging pins of rain had dotted his hands and his shirt, prompting his sense of urgency, and yet hastening his conviction of futility and waste. He stubbed around in the grass with the toe of his shoe until he saw a small pebble, which he knew, from Jewish funerals he'd attended, to place on the corner of the headstone, simply to say that someone had been there. That was all that happened at the cemetery: He'd moved a pebble. Then he departed, and on the drive home he'd gotten a ticket for running a red light. (At another time, he might have tried to talk his way out of a fine, but he'd sat, tongue-tied, unable to look up at the trooper, certain that if he looked into the face of punishment, he'd cry.) He'd not mentioned the ticket to Emily and then not paid it, and then forgotten about it, as it accrued fines and additional fees and finally came to Emily's attention because she was unable to renew the registration. And it was with this long chain of [mistakes] that he'd tried to tell her the simplest thing: I went to look for Caleb.

the 2010 minneapolis jewish film festival film selection process is underway
By Walter Elias, Minneapolis Jewish Film Festival Co-Chair

Every year since the mid-'90s, a tight-knit group of Minneapolis Jewish film enthusiasts has pre-screened dozens of Israeli and Jewish-themed movies. This year the group has expanded to some additional members due to the large number of entries for the 2010 Festival.

After evaluating many films, the group whittles down their choices to a list of their top 20 movies, which then becomes the Minneapolis Jewish Film Festival's lineup.

Though the festival is now in its 17th year, the event maintains its homegrown vibe, driven mainly by volunteers - and with the help of festival director Miryam Kabakov and other dedicated Sabes JCC staff.

"Around 3,000 people attend the screenings each year," says Kabakov, mentioning that there is now year-round programming. The 2010 festival kicks off on April 8, 2010 and runs through April 18.

The submitted films for next year's festival hail from all over the world with possible choices from England, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, The Czech Republic, Russia, Kazakhstan, Australia, the U.S. and Israel.

The group learns of possible movies through film distributors, word-of-mouth and constant research into popular films playing at the more than 80 Jewish Film Festivals around the world. Kabakov says the volunteers began watching more than 150 screeners they received this year around June and won't be finished until November. In addition the film committee meets regularly to go over film evaluations and decides on possible candidates. Thankfully, the meetings have not yet led to any shoe-throwing.

The committee is especially excited about many potential films for 2010, hoping to achieve a balanced program that reflects the tastes and desires of Twin Cities' movie buffs.

Check the website for more updates on the Minneapolis Jewish Film Festival.

sabes jcc serves as test site for new moss filtration system

The Sabes JCC has exciting news for those that use any of our pools. We have been selected as a test site for an all natural water treatment system in public pools. This has been made possible by the Minnesota-based company called Creative Water Solutions, LLC. The system uses sphagnum moss to significantly reduce chemical usage in our pool, while providing cost savings and benefits to swimmers, staff and pool equipment.

Bruce Margolis is the director of the Barry Family Campus, which houses the Sabes JCC. He is in charge of all facility issues and all mechanical operations of the pool and water facilities. Bruce was approached by Alan Schwartz, a member of the Sabes JCC, who introduced him to this phenomenal new system. He explained that reduced chlorine and chemical usage provides a much better environment for the swimmers.

The other great benefit of this system, according to Bruce, is that it is more cost effective, saving the JCC money on the purchasing of chemicals. This in turn reduces the labor needed to maintain the pools. Currently, the system has been installed in the four pools and two whirlpools. This is a huge breakthrough in the pool industry and we've heard nothing but positive feedback.

If you would like to learn more about the sphagnum moss system please check out the Creative Water Solutions website. There you will find many articles on the benefits of moss and how it can stop the growth of bacteria. See you at the pool!

puppies in profile
By Damon Brook, Sabes JCC Staff Writer

I wandered down to the lower level of the Sabes JCC, looking for the opportunity to meet some members who've joined in the last three years. I found myself in the Early Childhood Center's Puppy classroom. The children were busy gluing corn kernels onto a letter C (sometimes the alphabet song was needed to remember what came after B) but they were able to give me a few minutes of their time. As a small argument broke out in the background over a monster truck, I sat down with 3 year old Danny, Ari and a few others to find out what it's like to spend time in the Puppies room.

Me: What is your name?
Danny: Danny
Me: What is your last name?
Danny: the Man!
Me: What did you just make?
Danny: Letter C!
Me: What is your favorite snack?
Danny: Grapes
Me: Do you prefer playing inside or outside?
Danny: Inside
Me: What is your favorite toy in this whole classroom?
Danny: Cars

I turned to my right to find Ari at an earlier stage in the process of his letter C project, he said he could talk with me for a few minutes while he worked.

Me: What is your name?
Ari: Ari
Me: What are you currently working on?
Ari: Letter C (Points at Glue and Corn Kernels)
Me: How do you make it?
Ari: (Points at Kernels and Glue and then smacks the paper letter C. I understood.)
Me: What is your favorite snack?
Ari: Oranges
Me Do you prefer playing inside or outside?
Ari: Outside
Me: What is your favorite outside activity?
Ari: Run!
Me: What is your favorite toy in this room?
Ari: Art Projects
Me: Who do you like to play with in this room?
Ari: Liam
Me: What do you do together?
Ari: Art Projects
Me: Your teacher told me you have a baby brother, what is his name?
Ari: Max!
Me: How big is he?
Ari: (Thrusts hands in the air)
Me: Thank you, Ari.

Soon, Liam joined us. He was reluctant to share, but was happy to let me in on a few small details.

Me: What is your name?
Liam: Liam!
Me: What is your favorite toy?
Liam: Orange
Me: I hear you have a sister, what is her name?
Liam: Ella
Me: What do you do with Ella?
Liam: Toys. Trucks.

My interviews took me down to the carpet where I met a few more puppies busy playing. As soon as the children on the floor discovered I was a friend of teachers Nikki and Marnie, my attempts to conduct an organized interview went out the window. In a flurry of 3 year old excitement I met Isaac, who's dad's name is Noah. He was playing with Big Bird, Cookie Monster...uh...Bert and Ernie (thanks Max and Marcus for helping Isaac remember all of the names.) He explained that he enjoyed cheese crackers and his brother Jacob was his favorite and only brother.

I soon discovered that both Max and Marcus loved Mac and Cheese. Both rose to their feet in excitement at the thought of it. Soon Ari joined the group and we realized that both Max himself and Ari's brother were named Max! When I asked how many Max's that was, three excited little hands went up into the air with two fingers extended to show me that yes, indeed, that meant TWO Maxes!

Then it was my turn to be the interview subject. Max, Marcus and Isaac all asked me what my name was followed by an inquiry into why that was my name, but before I could explain any further I realized it was time to go. I didn't even get to try any of the famous Puppy orange and grape snacks.

I felt like I had just started getting to know the Puppies of the ECC, but the Sabes JCC e-newsletter called me back up into the land of adults.

what is a swim team?
By Sharon Gustafson, Sabes Rays Swim Coach

At first glance, most see it as a group of kids or adults coming together to practice swimming in a controlled environment with the end goal of becoming better and faster. This couldn't be further from the truth.

In actuality, a swim team is a culture, a way of thinking and a way of living life. Our team at the JCC, The Sabes Rays Swim Club, promotes the values of commitment, good sportsmanship, dedication and discipline. We combine fun and hard work to build self-confidence and a sense of self worth and belonging. It is our intention to teach important life lessons through the sport of swimming that will be carried throughout life both in and out of the water.

All these young swimmers will learn to handle a myriad of emotions: from fear and excitement to pressure and pride in themselves and their team mates. It is really amazing how we ALL just want a place to belong and call home. This is probably the most important component to our team. We are a safe place for these young people to come and let loose and learn without fear of judging and comparison.

We have two focuses within our team - a competitive and non-competitive program. It is exciting to watch the kids who were never interested in attending swim meets gain the confidence in themselves to give it a shot. It is equally rewarding as a coach to watch my competitive swimmers wear their team sweatshirts and cheer one another on at our local meets. As a swimmer competing in the water, it is absolutely the best feeling to know you have your team mates behind you and cheering you on. Parents who have been at our meets also get in on the cheering. Everyone supports everyone. I honestly can't say that you can find that in every sport out there. These kids are swimming for themselves while being supported by team.
In the months to come our swimmers will learn many things about themselves as well as the sport of swimming. We will be rich with personal achievements and growth. I hope to be able to spotlight a few stories as we build a lasting foundation to our team, the Sabes Rays Swim Club.

For more information on the Sabes JCC swim team, e-mail Aquatics Director Becky Birnell.

stories of mother's circle

The Mother's Circle is a free educational and welcoming program empowering non-Jewish mothers to create Jewish homes. The Sabes JCC and the Family and Parenting Center of Jewish Family and Children's Service (JFCS) brought this program to Minneapolis this past winter, led by Barbara Rudnick. Created by the Jewish Outreach Institute through a grant from the Marcus Foundation, The Mothers Circle began as a pilot program in Atlanta, but is now a national program. Starting this fall, the Sabes JCC and JFCS are now offering the Grandparent's Circle for the first time. The Grandparent's Circle is an educational and support experience designed to teach techniques for nurturing Jewish identity in interfaith children. For more information go to the Grandparent's Circle website or call Barbara Rudnick at JFCS at 952.542.4825.

The following are testimonials from local participants in the Mother's Circle Program:

My first apartment with my husband was upper west side Manhattan-easy walking distance to bagels, Zabars, my husband's parents. We now live in Savage, MN.

I joined the Mother's circle because I missed the support I felt in NY. I want my children to understand and love their Jewish heritage. I was hoping to learn some songs to teach my kids and find out what books to read.

The course was more than I expected. Information about rituals, traditions, ethics is given each class, but that is just the beginning. Seeing how others mothers manage their families and faiths is inspirational. Barbara Rudnick, the preceptor, is great-kind, caring, encouraging. I feel that I can safely talk there.

Since joining the mothers circle, I think I am more likely to try new traditions-like building a sukkah with my family (a first for everyone as there wasn't much room in a NYC apartment). This bravery is both from having more information and not being as nervous about getting every single detail right.

I am thankful for the mother's circle and everyone who helped make it possible.

My husband and I have been together since 1992. Our religious "situation" didn't matter much until we had our first child in 2000. Prior to that, I was tolerated by my husband's family, afterward, my motives and ability to raise a Jewish child was questioned. Additionally, my husband and I hadn't really strived to make our own traditions, so while we appreciated and adopted his family's traditions, they weren't a good fit.

The need to figure out how to make Judaism and Jewish traditions my own and the need to create a meaningful Jewish experience for my family, led me to the Mother's Circle. I was looking for other people with similar circumstances as mine. I have been pleasantly surprised by what I have gained. Through the instructor and the other participants, I feel much more comfortable with the modifications my husband and I have made to his family traditions, I feel validated in my efforts to make a place, for my family, in the Jewish community. I feel more confident in my involvement and position in the community. I also learned a great deal about my non-Jewish family's confusion about my choice, as a result of conversations with the other women of the group. All of these have had a profound affect on me and my family.

I thought it was insightful to have the class taught by someone not originally from the Minneapolis Jewish community. She was able to provide insight and validation regarding our feelings of being outsiders in this community. The curriculum wasn't as in depth of Judaism as some of the "Intro to Judaism" courses I have taken, but it offered much insight into how to make a Jewish home and traditions. The group also has a bit of "support group" flavor to it, because of that, I would like to see the group continue.

new operating software coming in november

We are in the process of converting our current operating systems to a new software system that will allow us to provide you with better account information as well as a number of added benefits over the next several months. Among these features are:

Line item detail for your open accounts receivable balances. Our old system did not allow us to provide you with immediate information on any outstanding balance on your account. We will now have the ability to post payments to specific purchases, which will make your monthly statements much easier to understand and allow us to more readily answer your billing questions.
Child care statements available online for flex-spending reimbursement requests and for year end tax reporting.
Improved systems for online registration that will allow you to see what openings are available by class session at the time you register, and to confirm you are either registered or wait listed at that time.
A system of reserving and tracking personal training and massage sessions...eventually we plan to allow reservations to be made online for these services - tentatively planned for second quarter of 2010.