With this first entry on my new blog, I will attempt to enter the 21st century. This blog will make posting of news and pictures accessible to the BHC congregation, especially our kids.
Professor Edwin and I are busy preparing for our upcoming trip to Russia. We will be there for a couple of weeks in February. BBBRRRRRR!!! Most of the time will be spent in Moscow but we do plan to travel to St Petersburg for a long weekend.
Professor Edwin will be teaching a course on Jewish music (what else?!) at the Hebrew University in Moscow. He will teach in Hebrew as the students there know that language pretty well.
I plan to visit the modern (liberal) synogogues in both cities. Hopefully, I will visit their betei sefer and meet some of the Russian Jewish kids.
We’ve heard that access to the internet may not always be possible, but when it is, I will send reports and pictures of our trip.
I thought some of you may want to quick refresher course on the Jews of Russia. There are two excellent web sites with information, maps and pictures. They are: www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/russia.html and one called “Beyond the Pale: The History of the Jews of Russia,” www.friends-partners.org/partners/beyond-the-pale.
While both of the these web sites are great, they may be too grim for our younger kids. Carol Wagner suggested that “Fiddler on the Roof” would be a great introduction and I agree wholeheartedly. This would be a good time to see it or see again for the 100th time. Also there is the wonderful book, I Am Marc Chagall. It is based on Marc Chagall’s autobiography but written for children ages 7 and up. It is a beautiful book and offers a flavor of life in a shetl.
If anyone has any other recommendations, please feel free to add them. Also if you have any advice for our trip, please pass that on as well.
Dasvadanya,
Cantor Marlena
