This past Sunday and Monday, I smiled and laughed a lot.
Sunday afternoon and Monday morning featured performances by Yarden the Magician. I first met Yarden Shalev when he was in high school. I was on a mission to Israel visiting our sister city, Rosh Ha’ayin, and I was having dinner at his home. His parents, Sigal and Kobi, are very involved with the committee that promotes our people-to-people relationship known as Partnership2Gether (through the Jewish Agency for Israel).
Yarden has been a magician from a young age and is now based in the U.S. When Stan and Ellen Kessler offered to cover the costs of Yarden’s visit to New Orleans, Federation jumped at the chance to bring him here. In this way, we were able to both strengthen the Partnership and entertain our community.
Tana Velen, our Chief Program & Engagement Officer, introduced the Sunday afternoon program by welcoming everyone to a joyful Jewish experience. Over the course of the two days, a total of 200 children and 150 adults cheered, applauded, and were truly amazed by Yarden.
Then on Monday night, New Orleans hosted Modi the comedian. This past summer, while on my Mah Jongg girls’ week at the beach, we watched videos of Modi and laughed and laughed. When it was announced that he was coming to New Orleans, we all immediately bought tickets. So did much of Jewish New Orleans! That night, I went up and down the aisles hugging and kissing so many people. Then all of us enjoyed an hour of immeasurable humor. It was funny, joyful, and exactly what we all needed.
Thank you to the venues that hosted these events: Manning Family Children’s Hospital on Sunday morning, Rosie’s Jazz Hall on Sunday afternoon, Shir Chadash on Monday morning for Yarden the Magician, and the Orpheum on Monday night for Modi the Comedian.
Thank you as well to Stan and Ellen Kessler, whose sponsorship of Yarden allowed all his performances to be presented free of charge. And thank you to Rabbi Levi Partouche, who brought in Modi and helped raise funds for Bikur Cholim, the organization he oversees.
Unfortunately, there were also two incidents over those two days that made the need for laughter and joy feel even more important.
On Sunday, the Louisiana Children’s Museum hosted a Jewish American Heritage Month program where they invited antizionist Jewish singer David Buchbinder, who performed with a Palestinian man wearing a keffiyeh. When a representative of our community asked why these individuals had been chosen for the event, the museum’s response was very negative and deeply disappointing.
Similarly, the Orpheum—which ultimately proved to be a perfect venue—was not the original location for Modi’s performance. When the Joy Theater learned that the comedian was Jewish, they declined to host him. Aaron Bloch, our Jewish Community Relations Council Director, and Lindsay Friedmann of ADL are looking into both of these troubling incidents. The Jewish Federation does not tolerate hatred directed toward our Jewish community–or anyone.
Still, these isolated incidents cannot diminish the fact that Sunday and Monday were full of Jewish joy. As we move into Shavuot and Shabbat this weekend, we hope that joy continues. May your holiday be filled with family, laughter, learning, and love.
Chag Shavuot Sameach and Shabbat Shalom,
Sherri Tarr
CEO
Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans