From hellman@teleport.comFri Jul 28 20:21:06 1995 Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 22:16:54 -0800 (PST) From: Walter Hellman To: hj@teleport.com Subject: Introductions Collection #2 Hello hj list subscribers, Finding out who we are in HJ is one of the most important functions of this list! We will occasionally re-post introductions for those who may not have been on earlier or missed earlier postings. This is the second such collection. Collections will be rotated for occasional re-posting. Walter Hellman List Coordinator Introductions Collection #2: Titus C.R. Mendell Bob Fried Libby Bottero Katz Michael Kleiner Frances Markower Kiera Aviya Koester TITUS C.R.MENDELL Birmingham Temple <73517.3133@compuserve.com> Rec'd Jan. 31. 1995 I am a member of the Birmingham Temple since 1978, I was the first adult to go through the adult confirmation ceremony. I retired from the Unemployment Bureau in October 1993. I was born In Vienna, Austria and left there with my family in August 1938 after the Anschluss. We first made our way to Torino, Italy and then to Bogota, Colombia and then to Saginaw, Michigan. I graduated from Arthur Hill High School in 1947, the University of Michigan in 1957 (US Air Force 1948-1951). I was a charter faculty member of the Interlochen Arts Academy. In 1969 I entered the Civil Service in 1969. Politically I am New Dealer, unremorseful,without regrets dedicated to welfare of all the peoples of the world. One for all and all for one is my motto. ........................................................................... BOB FRIED Yarmouth, Maine Rec'd. Jan 31, 1995 I'm responding to the suggestion that listees introduce themselves. I'm Bob Fried of Yarmouth, Maine (a Portland suburb). My wife and I got the Colorado Society for Humanistic Judaism up and running in 1991, and we relocated in the summer of 1993. We are particularly interested in connecting to likeminded people in our part of the world. Our interests also extend to Humanistic Jewish education for children and adults. We also are interested in discussing "liturgy" -- that is, Humanistic services that are true to our values and simultaneously inspire and motivate. Internet address is: friedr.data@office.mmc.org Thanks. ...................................................................... LIBBY BOTTERO Corvallis, OR Rec'd. Feb. 3, 1995 Hi My name is Libby and I've been lurking on this list for a couple of weeks now. I subscribed because I'm kind of curious and would like to learn more about Humanistic Judaism. I tend to feel most at home in the Jewish Renewal movement, but I like exploring too. I am a nurse at a clinic and my husband is an oceanographer at Oregon State University; our kids are grown. I've been enjoying this thread on spirituality in HJ and at this point would just like to listen and learn for awhile. Chodesh tov and Shalom, Libby Bottero ...................................................................... ! ...................................................................... KATZ Fairfield County SHJ KATZ@fair1.fairfield.edu Rec'd. Feb. 8, 1995 Hi; I'm a retired academic with a professional background in Engineering, Computer Information Systems, and Higher Education Administration. I am busy as ever with many exciting projects including volunteer at the Fairfield University Theater for the Arts - Performing and Visual, Education Director for the Fairfield County Congregation for Humanistic Judaism (an SHJ affiliate), a volunteer with the International Executive Service Corps (I will be going to Ukraine in April to help define and set up a business plan for a Busines Information Center - any infor you have about Ukraine would be helpful), a Madrikh in training in the IISHJ Leadership Institute, and a member of the Board of a local Mental Health professional organization); and a folk musician whenever I have time to practice and perform with my group - the Possum Glory String Trio. After attending the third IISHJ Leadership training workshop, I have defined participate in this HJ newsgroup - but hope that I am not overwhelmed by the volume of material... Shalom ...................................................................... MICHAEL KLEINER Philadelphia, PA Rec'd. Feb. 11, 1995 I apologize for not sending an introduction sooner. I am a busy graduate student and I've come home to find my emailbox full of mail from humanistic judaism, liberal judaism and mendele, most of which, unfortunately I haven't had a chance to read. But, finally, here is my introduction. I am Michael Kleiner of Philadelphia, PA. I was raised a Secular Jew, attending the Jewish Children's Folkshul. I also taught there for five years. During the '80s, early '90s, I was active in the Congress of Secular Jewish Organizations (CSJO), particularly around young adult and continuity issues. I was on conference planning committees, delivered a couple of speeches, facilitated some workshops and handled publicity when the conferences were held in Philadelphia in 1988 and 1993. I know that at some of those early conferences I met Miriam Jerris. After a number of years as a journalist and public relations person, I returned to school and will receive a master's degree in educational media from Temple University in August. The program has allowed me to be very creative with a number of projects. During the fall semester, I had a course on Designing Instructional Resources, in which the students had to write a teacher's guide/curriculum or training manual on a topic of their choice, and produce the media -- videos, slide shows, overhead transparencies -- to complement the instruction. I chose Eastern European Jewish Immigration 1881-1924. I produced a slide show, which included my mother singing in Yiddish. This project showed a progression from my shule days. As a student, the teacher had us interview our grandparents who were immigrants. When I taught the course in 1987, I had the students interview immigrants, but we put together a slide show with music and the students presented the reports at the closing assembly. That was before I knew of educational media and how to do it right. In my teacher's guide, I also have the students doing interviews with an end product of a video or slide show or CD-ROM. Although I don't know Yiddish, I am interested in the culture, music and literature. I also recognize the language's importance. In 1969-70, our family spent a year in Norway. We also traveled in Europe. Wherever we came into contact with the Jewish community, it was my mother's Yiddish that enabled us to communicate (with the possible exception of Norway, where they knew English). My mother translated for us. We learned a great deal about the experiences of people during WWII. My grandmother spoke a lot of Yiddish. My aunt is translating Yiddish material for a man who is writing a book about a righteous Gentile. A quick sidelight before I end this long intro, about how valuable e-mail can be. There is a Jewish friend from Norway who I haven't seen since 1970, that I have been interested in contacting. My parents had said if I wrote to friends of theirs, they knew where my friend and his brother lived. My cousin at NYU saw a letter in tikkun-online from a man in Norway, and seeing Norway and Jews, e-mailed it to me. The letter was from my parents' friend! So I e-mailed him about my request; he e-mailed back that he was forwarding my letter to a friend who knew my friend. There were a couple more e-mail exchanges and yesterday I received an e-mail with my friend's telephone number in Paris! All in a space of a couple of weeks. I may have the opportunity to reestablish contact with a friend from 25 years ago! Well, this is enough for you to read! I hope to be able to squeeze in some time to correspond with the people on these Jewish lists. Shalom, Michael Kleiner (mkleiner@astro.ocis.temple.edu) ...................................................................... FRANCES MAKOWER Northern California SHJ Zolie2@aol.com Rec'd. Feb. 12, 1995 An introduction: My name is Frances Makower and I am a charter member of Northern California SHJ (although I dropped out for a time). I was born and raised in San Francisco by non-religious parents who were too busy earning a living to imbue their children with yiddishkeit. I was married for 47 years to a man whose background was socialist-aethistic so had no opportunity to affiliate with Jewish organizations but always felt something lacking in my life. I became a widow about 2-1/2 years ago and renewed my membership in the SHJ. Although I have not been active, I am thrilled to know that this type of organization exists and that I can attend life cycle celebrations without religious content. In spite of my background, my two children have both married in the faith; in fact my daughter is an Orthodox Jew and her four children are following "religiously" in Orthodoxy. So go figure??!!! Looking forward to hearing from more SHJ people. ...................................................................... KIERA AVIYA KOESTER Forest Grove, Oregon Rec'd. Feb. 11, 1995 I'm a happy convert to Judaism (of a "Flexidox" bent, as Lakme Batya Elior would say) and enjoying lurking on this list. Right now, I'm reading THE PLACE WHERE YOU ARE STANDING IS HOLY: A JEWISH THEOLOGY ON HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS by Gershon Winkler with Lakme Batya Elior. To borrow Winkler's words, it highlights ancient but not very mainstream Judaic teachings on Judaism as a way of not blindly following but of actively challenging -- of being in relationship with, rather than subject to, the Creator and the Creation. I am a collagist entranced by mandalas and work by day as a reference librarian in a public library near Portland, Oregon. I live with my husband Richard, a supportive agnostic with a scientific bent, and cat Wilson, a sun-worshipper. Kiera Aviya Koester Forest Grove, Oregon "We can embrace some of the traditions out of love while at the same time interpreting and adding new possibilities and knowing that there are many Judaisms." -- Norma Baumel Joseph hellman@teleport.com Internet Public Access User Hillsboro, Oregon USA