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JReleases

What is JRelease?

JRelease is a press release service of AJPA. Our goal is to provide the timely distribution of press releases to all AJPA members. AJPA publications represent an ideal forum for companies and organizations to announce important developments and news. JRelease is the ideal resource for clients who wish to reach the Jewish press and through it the wider Jewish community.

How Do I Submit A Press Release?

JRelease submissions should be emailed to amirah@ajpa.org. Please include "JRelease" in the subject line of your email. Submissions will be reviewed and approved within 48 hours after receipt and distributed upon receipt of payment. Please indicate your preferred date of distribution at the top of your press release submission. Acceptance of submissions for distribution is at the sole discretion of AJPA and as is the case with all material submitted to newspapers, the decision to publish the material is that of the newspaper. It's also a good idea to follow up with editors individually to maximize the number of "hits" for your story. AJPA does not provide direct contact information to member editors.

How Do I Pay?

Payment for distribution is accepted online or in the mail following approval of submitted material for distribution.  We will contact you once the submission has been approved and provide further instructions for payment. Material will not be distributed prior to receipt of payment.

Each press release distributed is only $300. Purchase multiple press releases and each release is discounted. Please email AJPA headquarters for package pricing.


Recent JReleases

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  • February 15, 2024 3:38 PM | Anonymous

    New Podcast,TEXTing with Dr. Elana Stein Hain, produced by the Shalom Hartman Insitute delves deeply into Jewish texts to guide and inspire as we grapple with the concerns and meaning of this moment.  

    New York, New York – February 2024 — Dr. Elana Stein Hain, a Senior Fellow of the Shalom Hartman Institute and author of Circumventing the Law (University of Pennsylvania Press), is proud to introduce her latest venture – TEXTing.

    On each episode of TEXTing, Dr. Stein Hain collaborates with esteemed Hartman scholars, including Dr. Christine Hayes, Rabbi Yonah Hain, or Dr. Leora Batnitzky. Together, they delve into Torah texts, exploring the intersection of ancient wisdom with contemporary relevance.

    Dr. Stein Hain, renowned for creating Talmud from the Balcony, a learning seminar uncovering the profound ideas, questions, and issues shaping rabbinic discussions, employs Jewish faith, ethics, and practices to illuminate the path towards more meaningful lives in the present day. Her unique perspective introduces traditional Jewish ideas to elucidate the social and emotional ethos of our current moment.

    Dr. Stein Hain shared, "One of the things we're trying to do in this podcast, and one of the roles that Torah plays right now, is providing people with a mirror to what they're feeling, and experiencing, and--hopefully a window into where they want to go."

    For all media inquiries and interview requests with Dr. Stein Hain, please contact Jan Greenfield at jan.greenfield@shalomhartman.org.

    Dr. Stein Hain serves as the Rosh Beit Midrash and Senior Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute. She earned her doctorate in Religion from Columbia University and is an alumna of the Yeshiva University Graduate Program in Advanced Talmudic Studies (GPATS), as well as the Consortium in Jewish Studies and Legal Theory Graduate Fellowship at Cardozo School of Law.

    The Shalom Hartman Institute, a leading center of Jewish thought and education, is dedicated to exploring the significant and relevant ideas impacting Jewish communities today. The Institute is committed to ensuring that Judaism remains a compelling force for good in the 21st century.

    Listen to TEXTing at shalomhartman.org/TEXTing or wherever you get your podcasts.

    Disclaimer: JRelease is a press release service of AJPA. AJPA does not endorse and cannot vouch for material distributed by this service.

  • January 31, 2024 9:35 AM | Anonymous

    Rabbi Dr. Donniel Hartman's Pioneering Work, Who Are the Jews—And Who Can We Become? Receives Prestigious National Jewish Book Award

    New York, NY – January 26, 2024 - Rabbi Dr. Donniel Hartman, President of the Shalom Hartman Institute and host of the highly acclaimed top Judaism podcast, "For Heaven’s Sake," has been named a National Jewish Book Award Finalist for his exceptional work, Who Are the Jews—And Who Can We Become?.

    The National Jewish Book Award finalist award underscores the profound impact of Hartman's scholarship on Jewish communal life and leadership.

    As the Israel-Hamas war enters its 4th month, moral, ethical, and philosophical questions continue to dominate the discourse. Hartman, a distinguished scholar and thought leader, recently described as “the soundtrack of the American Jewish experience of this war,” engages in a profound exploration of challenges facing the Jewish community today.,

    His examination of the critical question — How can we, as Jews, shape a cohesive collective identity in the face of increasing denominational divisions? — makes Who Are the Jews? an indispensable contribution to the ongoing discourse on the Jewish future.

    The Shalom Hartman Institute, under Rabbi Hartman's visionary leadership, continues to be a trailblazer in Jewish thought and education in Israel and North America. The Institute's commitment to innovative ideas ensures that Rabbi Hartman's vision becomes a catalyst for positive change, offering a compelling narrative for the Jewish community in the 21st century.

    For media inquiries and exclusive interviews with Rabbi Dr. Donniel Hartman, contact: Jan Greenfield Email: jan.greenfield@shalomhartman.org

    About Rabbi Dr. Donniel Hartman: Rabbi Dr. Donniel Hartman is a visionary leader, distinguished scholar, and host of the top Judaism podcast, "For Heaven’s Sake." His latest work, "Who Are the Jews—And Who Can We Become?" has been recognized as a National Jewish Book Award Finalist, solidifying Rabbi Hartman's position as a trailblazer shaping the future of Jewish thought.

    About the Shalom Hartman Institute:

    The Shalom Hartman Institute is a leading center of Jewish thought and education, serving Israel and North America. The Institute is committed to developing ideas for Jewish communities to address the most pressing issues of the day, ensuring that Judaism is a compelling force for good in the 21st century.

    Who Are the Jews―And Who Can We Become? - Shalom Hartman Institute

    Disclaimer: JRelease is a press release service of AJPA. AJPA does not endorse and cannot vouch for material distributed by this service.


  • January 12, 2024 11:44 AM | Anonymous

    Dismal Communication on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: New Research Shows CEOs Need a “Do-Over”

    CHICAGO, IL – University presidents may not be the only ones to come under fire for failing to denounce hate and speak out more clearly against antisemitism. Many corporate CEOs also may have made a big mistake by not communicating to employees about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to new research from The Grossman Group in partnership with The Harris Poll.

    The survey of U.S. employees found that while 51 percent of employees reported being affected by the Middle East conflict, only a small number of employees received any communication about it. Just 1-in-5 employees said their employer shared an official internal statement, and only about 1-in-6 employees reported that their manager communicated with them. For many employees, even the communication they did receive missed the mark.

    “As university presidents have learned, leadership has never been a sideline sport. Especially in times of conflict and when issues arise, employees are looking to their leaders to step up and show that they care,” said David Grossman, founder and CEO of The Grossman Group, a prominent Chicago-based leadership consultancy. “This is not about taking sides on a political issue. Rather, it is about understanding the importance of employee well-being and responding, which is suffering today in our state of permacrisis. When employees are not okay, business suffers.”

    The study also revealed that confidence in leadership, alignment with company culture, and overall employee engagement increased significantly when corporate CEOs communicated to their organization about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict rather than staying silent.

    Grossman argues forcefully for leaders to rethink remaining silent about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict because that silence is communicating something as well – and can be construed by employees as indifference. “Denouncing hate and discrimination in any form and creating a safe workplace for everyone should be a top priority,” Grossman added.

    Last month, University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill resigned following criticism of her testimony before Congress, during which she refused to state unequivocally that people on campus calling for the genocide of Jews would violate the school’s code of conduct. Similar testimony from the presidents of Harvard and MIT caused controversy on those campuses as well.

    The Grossman Group/The Harris Poll Research Highlights

    Among the key findings from the survey of 2,154 U.S. employees, which was conducted over two waves in late October and early November 2023:

    • Large numbers impacted. Research revealed that 51 percent of employees were affected in some way by the events in the Middle East – almost 10 times what you would expect based on the percent of the population Jews, Arabs, and Muslims represent. Moreover, over half of that group had no friends, colleagues, or other direct ties to the region.
    • The more communication, the better. Confidence in leadership, alignment with company culture, and engagement – all critical business drivers – increased four to six times when employers communicated about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and managers reached out to employees. This speaks to the benefits to the business when the issue was handled effectively.
    • Managers generally did well when they communicated directly. When employees reported meeting with their manager, 43 percent felt strongly that the conversation made them feel more engaged, and 42 percent felt strongly that their manager was empathetic. 

    The research also included a quantitative survey of 118 communication leaders to determine key components of best practice communications and a content analysis of 68 internal company statements.

    Communicators identified 12 essential components of effective communication and rated concern, empathy, and authenticity as the most important. When the actual internal statements were assessed for those top components, about one-third of the statements didn’t include concern and authenticity, two of the top elements.

    Grossman said the findings should cause leaders to rethink their approach to communication on critical societal issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and other issues to follow.

    “There’s a need for significant reflection here on the part of all leaders,” Grossman said. “We know better now, given our research results, and thus we must do better as leaders going forward.”

    For additional resources on issues communication, visit: https://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/internal-communications-issues-resource-hub

     

    About The Grossman Group
    The Grossman Group is an award-winning Chicago-based communications consultancy focusing on organizational consulting, strategic leadership development, and internal communication. A certified diversity supplier, The Grossman Group works closely with Fortune 500 companies and other organizations, including Abbott, Blue Cross Blue Shield, General Mills, Kaiser Permanente, SC Johnson, and Lockheed Martin, among others.

    About David Grossman
    A leading consultant, speaker, and author, David Grossman ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA, CSP is one of America's foremost authorities on communication and leadership inside organizations. He is Founder and CEO of The Grossman Group, an award-winning Chicago-based leadership and communications consultancy that focuses on organizational consulting, strategic leadership development, and internal communications for Fortune 500 clients.

    A frequent media source, David provides expert commentary and analysis on employee and leadership issues. He's been featured on "NBC Nightly News," WSJ.com, Today.com, in the Chicago Tribune, the World Economic Forum, LA Times, and CBS MoneyWatch, among others. David's latest award-winning book, "Heart First: Lasting Leader Lessons from a Year that Changed Everything" features interviews with 30+ leaders inside a variety of organizations, each of whom share extraordinarily candid insights and unique leadership lessons. His leadercommunicator blog has been ranked the #1 blog on communication by Feedspot eight years in a row.


    Press Contact:                                                                                     

    Kayla Ellsworth
    The Grossman Group

    312.927.4588 | kellsworth@yourthoughtpartner.com


  • December 13, 2023 3:13 PM | Anonymous

    Employee Confidence in Senior Leadership, Culture, and Engagement Soars When Leaders Communicate Effectively About the Middle East Conflict, New Research Finds

    CHICAGO, IL – Confidence in senior leadership, alignment with company culture, and overall employee engagement increases 4 to 6 times for organizations that delivered effective communication on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to new research conducted by The Harris Poll for The Grossman Group.

    Yet a survey of U.S. employees found only a small number of employees received any communication regarding the conflict. Just 1-in-5 employees reported that their employer had shared an official internal statement, and only about 1-in-6 employees reported that their manager had directly communicated with them.

    Notably, a large group of employees reported being affected by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A majority of employees surveyed – 51 percent – said the issue in the Middle East had personally impacted them. Moreover, half of that group had no friends, colleagues, or other direct ties to the region.

    “We often hear from CEOs and other top-level leaders that they don’t want to speak out on an issue such as the Middle East because it’s a political issue,” said David Grossman, founder and CEO of The Grossman Group, a Chicago-based leadership and communications consultancy. “That has led many organizations to be tone-deaf to the needs of all employees and concern for their well-being at a time when they’re looking to their leaders to respond in some way.”

    “In the case of this Israeli-Palestinian conflict, more than half of employees surveyed reported being affected. That’s almost ten times what you might expect from population numbers and five to six times what you might expect from those who said they were directly impacted.”

    “By not communicating at all, leaders are sending a message as well. Listening and showing that you care is not political. Companies that communicated effectively prioritized employee well-being, which led to significantly higher trust in leadership, confidence and engagement, critical elements for overall business success.”

    The overall impact of communication versus no communication

    The survey found that the more communication employees received, the better they felt about their employer and the company culture. The impact was the strongest when an internal statement was coupled with a manager reaching out to communicate directly with employees.

    In fact, three outcomes that top leaders strive to foster among their teams – confidence in leadership, a strong culture, and engagement – increased four to six times when employers communicated about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and managers followed up with employees.

    Highlights of the findings from those who strongly agree their company communicated effectively include:  

    • Employees who said their company did not make a statement reported the following:
      • 10 percent confidence in company leadership
      • 10 percent alignment with the company culture
      • 10 percent overall engagement
    • In contrast, when employees demonstrated best practices in issue communication - with both a company statement and manager outreach - key results increased four to six times for employees:
      • 59 percent had higher confidence in company leadership
      • 54 percent felt better aligned with the company culture
      • 45 percent said overall engagement increased
    • Some form of communication was also far better than no communication. When employees received either manager outreach or an internal company statement, the result was the following, respectively:
      • 32 and 30 percent had higher confidence in company leadership
      • 32 and 29 percent felt better aligned with the company culture
      • 37 and 23 percent said their overall engagement increased

    The power of manager outreach

    The survey also found that when employees reported having a meeting with their manager, the results of those meetings among those who strongly agreed were very meaningful:

    • 43 percent said the conversation made them feel more engaged
    • 42 percent said their manager was empathetic
    • 39 percent felt their manager cared about them personally
    • 39 percent felt more aligned with the company culture

    When given a list of key elements of best practice communications when issues arise, employees rated their organizations highest when they received communication from their manager. Simply issuing a company statement had a much smaller impact.

    Key findings include:

    • When leadership issued solely an internal statement, on average, less than a third of employees gave high scores to leaders and strongly agreed that the communication was highly effective
    • With the addition of manager outreach, more than half of employees, on average, strongly agreed that the communication was highly effective
    • Managers do a particularly good job of reinforcing four elements:
      • Showing empathy
      • Clearly explaining the company position
      • Providing additional opportunities for dialogue
      • Following-up on recurrent updates

    “When managers communicate, they make a big difference, yet few reached out,” Grossman said. “That’s a missed opportunity to communicate with employees at an exceedingly difficult time for them and the world.”

    The key components of successful communication

    The research also included a quantitative survey of 118 communication leaders to determine key components of best practice communications and a content analysis of 68 internal company statements.

    Communicators identified 12 essential components and rated a sense of concern, empathy and authenticity as the most important components.

    When the actual internal statements were assessed for those top components, about one-third of the statements didn’t include concern and authenticity, two of the top elements.

    “Moreover, employee perception of their company’s internal statement suggests that most fell short on all the essential components – with none of the 12 scoring above 39 percent for those who strongly agree,” Grossman said. “Some elements, such as concern and reassurance, scored about 30 percent.  This suggests that – even if those components appeared on paper – employees didn’t give credit for their inclusion.”

    Survey Methodology 

    The research included three components:

    •  A survey of 2,154 U.S. employees was conducted online over two waves in late October and early November 2023 and included a sample of both part-time and full-time employees. Data was weighted to the U.S. Census.
    • At the same time, 118 internal communication and senior communication professionals representing a broad spectrum of industries, sizes, and types of organizations were surveyed to determine the ideal elements of internal communication.
    • Finally, 68 internal statements were assessed in a content analysis to determine whether ideal elements were present

    Visit this page to download key findings from the study and The Grossman Group’s thought leadership on the topic: 

    https://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/internal-communications-issues-resource-hub.

    About The Grossman Group

    The Grossman Group is an award-winning Chicago-based communications consultancy focusing on organizational consulting, strategic leadership development and internal communication. A certified diversity supplier, The Grossman Group has worked with leading organizations, including Amazon, Abbott, FORVIS, Grubhub, McDonald’s, Stanley Black & Decker, among others, to drive transformational change through effective leadership and communication.

    About David Grossman

    A leading consultant, speaker and author, David Grossman ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA, CSP is one of America's foremost authorities on communication and leadership inside organizations. He is Founder and CEO of The Grossman Group, an award-winning Chicago-based leadership and communications consultancy that focuses on organizational consulting, strategic leadership development and internal communications for Fortune 500 clients.

    A frequent media source, David provides expert commentary and analysis on employee and leadership issues. He's been featured on "NBC Nightly News," WSJ.com, Today.com, in the Chicago Tribune, the World Economic Forum, LA Times, and CBS MoneyWatch, among others. David’s latest award-winning book, "Heart First: Lasting Leader Lessons from a Year that Changed Everything" features interviews with 30+ leaders inside a variety of organizations, each of whom share extraordinarily candid insights and unique leadership lessons. His leadercommunicator blog has been ranked the #1 blog on communication by Feedspot seven years in a row.

    Contact:  Kayla Ellsworth
    Vice President, Marketing
    The Grossman Group
    312.927.4588 

    kellsworth@yourthoughtpartner.com

    About The Harris Poll

    The Harris Poll is a global consulting and market research firm that delivers proven intelligence for transformational times. Responsible for one of the longest-running surveys in the United States, Harris Poll provides unique context and social insights based on analyzing public opinion, motivations, and social sentiment since 1963. It works with clients in three primary areas: building modern corporate reputation, crafting brand strategy and performance tracking, and data-driven thought leadership. It also delivers industry-leading healthcare insights expertise, specializing in research with patients, caregivers, nurses, physicians, specialists (across over 50 therapeutic areas) payers, hospital decision makers, policymakers, and pharmacists. Its mission is to provide insights and guidance to help leaders make the best decisions possible. To learn more, please visit www.theharrispoll.com.

    Contact:  Rob Jekielek
    Managing Director
    The Harris Poll

    rob.jekielek@harrispoll.com

    Disclaimer: JRelease is a press release service of AJPA. AJPA does not endorse and cannot vouch for material distributed by this service.


  • November 30, 2023 9:00 AM | Laura Herring (Administrator)

    The 31st Annual
    Kung Pao Kosher Comedy™


    Jewish Comedy on Christmas in a Chinese Restaurant


    Info: www.koshercomedy.com

    Press Room (hi res photos): www.koshercomedy.com/press-room

    For Immediate Release

    Media contact: Lisa Geduldig
    Lisag@igc.org
    Cell: 415-205-6515
    Do Not Publish

    The 31st Annual Kung Pao Kosher Comedy™
    Jewish Comedy on Christmas in a Chinese Restaurant

    In-Person in San Francisco (AND livestreamed)!

    With Wendy Liebman, Rich Aronovitch, Talia Reese, Lisa Geduldig, and her 92-year young mother Arline Geduldig (by video by Florida)

    Saturday, December 23 thru Monday, December 25, 2023

    Two shows a day:

    5pm Dinner Show (5-6pm Dinner / 6-7:30pm Show)
    Live-stream: 6pm PST (7pm MST / 8pm CST / 9pm EST)
    8:30pm Cocktail Show
    Live-stream: 8:30pm PST (9:30pm MST / 10:30pm CST / 11:30pm EST)

    Imperial Palace Restaurant, 818 Washington St., San Francisco’s Chinatown

    Info: www.KosherComedy.com
    Tickets: $30 - $100  • www.CityBoxOffice.com/KungPao

    Partial Proceeds Benefit: Hebrew Free Loan AND Chinatown YMCA Food Pantry

    San Francisco, CA… Kung Pao Kosher Comedy™ is celebrating its 31st Annual Jewish-Comedy-on-Christmas-in-a-Chinese-Restaurant extravaganza on December 23-25, 2023. This San Francisco institution returns to San Francisco’s Chinatown this year to its new home, the Imperial Palace Restaurant, just steps away from the new Chinatown-Rose Pak MUNI Station. (New Asia Restaurant, where Kung Pao Kosher Comedy™ had taken place since 1997, its 5th year, closed during the pandemic and converted into a supermarket. The shows were live-streamed in 2020 and 2021 and took place in a synagogue as well as virtually last year for its 30th Anniversary.)

    Kung Pao Kosher Comedy™ returns to its pre-pandemic format over the course of 3 days, with 2 shows a day in a Chinese restaurant banquet room with family-style dining at tables of 10 (appropriately named Barbra Streisand, Jackie Mason, Joan Rivers, Kvetch…) with Lazy Susans. All 6 shows will take place in-person AND virtually (on YouTube Live) again this year, thus catering to the national and international online audiences developed since 2020 as well as to those who prefer to watch from home.

    Spanning three days (and three decades), this year’s shows feature Wendy Liebman (Carson, Letterman, Leno, Fallon, Kimmel, Hollywood Squares, America's Got Talent), Rich Aronovitch (The Tonight Show, The Food Network’s Beat Bobby Flay), Talia Reese (The Wendy Williams Show; Orthodox comedian; former bankruptcy lawyer), Lisa Geduldig (Kung Pao host), and Arline Geduldig (Lisa’s 92 year young mom, by video from Florida).

    History:

    Kung Pao Kosher Comedy was created in 1993 by accident by San Francisco comedian, Lisa Geduldig, who was booked to perform at a women’s comedy night in South Hadley, Massachusetts at the Peking Garden Club, what she naturally thought would be a comedy club. But upon her arrival, she discovered that the venue was actually a Chinese Restaurant. After telling Jewish jokes at a Chinese restaurant, a conversation the next day between Lisa and her old summer camp friend, Tobi Sovak, about its irony led to the creation of Kung Pao Kosher Comedy: Jewish Comedy on Christmas in a Chinese Restaurant — a take off on the tradition of Jews going to a Chinese Restaurant and a movie on Christmas. And the rest is history. Kung Pao, which answers the age-old question “What are Jews supposed to do on Christmas?” has garnered both national press and a national following. Now in its 31st year, Kung Pao was the country’s first Jewish comedy on Christmas in a Chinese restaurant show and is one of San Francisco’s longest running comedy shows.

    Many of the great household name Jewish comedians have graced the Kung Pao stage. Henny Youngman performed his last show there in 1997 at 91 years old. Shelley Berman has headlined, as has David Brenner, as have many others in the Who’s Who of Jewish Comedians including Elayne Boosler, Carol Leifer, Wendy Liebman, Cathy Ladman, Judy Gold, Jeff Ross, and Gary Gulman. www.koshercomedy.com/past-comedians.

    Kung Pao had been operating in San Francisco’s Chinatown every December since its inception in 1993 until the pandemic hit in 2020. The show managed to continue virtually despite Armageddon. Kung Pao began on December 24, 1993 with one show at the Four Seas Restaurant, and then was held for the next three years at Hunan Restaurant. With 91-year old Henny Youngman booked to headline in 1997, Kung Pao moved to New Asia Restaurant as Hunan was up a flight of stairs with no elevator. Many audience members have attended this San Francisco institution for 20+ years while others have attended every year since 1993.

    Kung Pao has been featured in the NY Times, LA Times, Chicago Tribune… The virtual show was a Pick in the New York Times, The Forward, and Jewish newspapers in cities including Atlanta, Tampa and St. Louis, in addition to the SF Bay Area press.

    Feeding the soul as well as the stomach. – New York Times

    A San Francisco institution. – San Francisco Examiner

    The Dinner Show Menu will feature our signature dish, Kung Pao Chicken, along with 5 other dishes. The Cocktail Show menu consists of a light fare of egg rolls, pot stickers, and dim sum. In-person attendees will receive a custom-made Yiddish proverb fortune cookie with their dinner. Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory in San Francisco Chinatown’s has made Kung Pao’s fortune cookies since 1962 and Kung Pao’s since 1994). The Yiddish proverbs include the infamous “With one tuchus, you can’t dance at 2 weddings.” (You can’t be in two places at once.)

    In July 2020, a few months into the pandemic, Lisa Geduldig, introduced her audiences to online comedy shows with the monthly Lockdown Comedy every third Thursday of the month (and ending on the monthly basis in November 2023 after 3-1/2 years) on Zoom hosted from her mother’s retirement community in Florida where Lisa accidentally found herself marooned for 17 months after going to visit for two weeks that March, just before the pandemic hit. (Lisa has been “commuting” between Florida and San Francisco for the past two years.) Lisa’s 92-year old budding comedian mother, Arline, has been a special guest on Lockdown Comedy and Kung Pao, performing stand up on the show. The duo has received accolades and press: The LA Times ran How A California Comic Launched A Virtual Stand-Up Show and Discovered A New Star: Mom; the San Francisco Examiner ran the article, Kung Pao Kosher Creator Introduces “Lockdown Comedy”: Lisa Geduldig and Her Mom Stream Standup, with Guests, from Florida, and in September, the San Francisco Chronicle did a feature S.F.’s Lisa Geduldig Happily Sharing Comedy Spotlight with A Fresh Talent, Her 90-Year-Old Mother.

    COMEDIANS’ BIOS:

    Wendy Liebman took a class called "How to be a Stand-up Comedian" at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education in 1985. Since then, she has performed on Carson, Letterman, Leno, Fallon, Kimmel, Ferguson, and Hollywood Squares, and in clubs across America. Wendy has done specials for HBO, Comedy Central and Showtime, and was a Semi-Finalist on NBC’s America's Got Talent, Season 9.  She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two rescued Jindo dogs, produces “Locally Grown Comedy” at Flappers Comedy Club in Burbank — a monthly show featuring her favorite stand ups, and plays Jonathan Katz’s therapist on his podcast And We’re Back…  Check out her DVD Wendy Liebman: Taller on TV on Amazon. www.WendyLiebman.com.

    Rich Aronovitch, known for appearances on NBC’s The Tonight Show, The Food Network’s Beat Bobby Flay, and HBO's Bomani Jones, is a regular at New York City's Comedy Cellar and Gotham Comedy Club. He gained social media fame for his dances, which led to features on NBC's Access Daily and a Tiesto music video, performing with Limp Bizkit at Madison Square Garden, and for the New York Islanders. Recently, he featured on TNT's March Madness Sweet Sixteen Pre-Game Promo and The Food Network’s Worst Cooks In America Season 25 Viral Sensations. www.RichIsFunny.com.

    Talia Reese ditched the exciting world of bankruptcy law to pursue a more stable path as a stand up comedian, which thrilled her parents to no end. Luckily, her career move has worked out. She been featured on The Wendy Williams Show and Sirius XM and regularly performs at the hottest comedy clubs and events in the US and Canada, and recently performed in Israel. The Orthodox comedian’s jokes have appeared in major news publications and are mentioned frequently on Page Six. The Times of Israel says Talia’s “a rising comedy star who has a polish, panache, and a gift of jab reminiscent of her childhood hero, Joan Rivers.” Her parents were most proud when Talia’s comedy show was called a “Hot Ticket” by the NY Post. www.TaliaReese.com.

    Arline Geduldig (joining by video from Florida), 92 year young mother of Kung Pao producer, Lisa Geduldig, is a Florida-based budding comedian who took to the (virtual) stage for the first time in July 2020 on her daughter’s monthly Zoom comedy show, Lockdown Comedy; she has been charming audiences on the monthly show ever since. Arline grew up in Brooklyn, raised her kids on Long Island, and retired to Florida, as is Jewish law. She offers her keen observations on aging, hearing aids, and hot young firemen and reminisces about her first kiss. Arline has always been funny, and it was time for her to share her natural humor with her daughter’s audiences. 

    Lisa Geduldig is a San Francisco-based comedian and the creator, producer, and MC of Kung Pao Kosher Comedy™ — Jewish Comedy on Christmas in a Chinese Restaurant. Before the pandemic, Lisa had been running Comedy Returns to El Rio, a monthly decade-long comedy show at El Rio in San Francisco where her comedy career began 30+ years ago. Since July 2020, she has been producing Lockdown Comedy every 3rd Thursday of the month on Zoom from the underwear drawer in the guest room at her mother’s retirement community home in Florida, where she accidentally got marooned (in Florida, not in the underwear drawer) for 17 months during the pandemic (and became a fan of the Early Bird special). She has been commuting between Florida and San Francisco for the past two years. Lisa appeared in a Canadian documentary, Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas, which aired on Canadian and European TV in December 2017. She is also a freelance arts publicist in both English and Spanish. SFPublicist.com.

    BENEFICIARIES: 

    Over the past 30 years, Kung Pao has raised 10’s of 1000’s of dollars and awareness for countless organizations. In keeping with the Jewish tradition of tzedakah (charity, in Hebrew - tied in with a sense of duty and social responsibility), each year Kung Pao donates partial proceeds to organizations and causes in which we believe.

    THIS YEAR’S BENEFICIARIES

    Hebrew Free Loan is a nonprofit that provides interest-free loans to help Jewish individuals in Northern California overcome financial challenges or pursue life dreams. In addition, it offer loans to those in Northern California who meet one of the following criteria, regardless of religious background: Student from a lower income home who is referred by a partner agency; employee of a Jewish organization; business partner or immediate family member of a Jewish individual. As loans are repaid, funds are recycled to make new loans. The organization has proven the success of this model with a repayment rate over 99%. www.hflasf.org/apply/loans-we-offer.

    Chinatown YMCA Food Pantry: The Chinatown YMCA serves 245 households from the Chinatown area every week through the support of staff and volunteers. The food pantries directly address food insecurity in our community where there is a rising concern. Many of those who reside in our neighborhood experience significant obstacles due to language barriers, knowledge of social services as well as uncertainty of the receipt of these supports will affect their immigration status. With the added complication of the corona virus and an increase of people experiencing uncertainty in income, housing, and health, providing food will address at least one major concern. The food provided by the food pantries support the overall well-being of the individuals receiving it. Enrollment is not based on income, immigration status, or employment. www.ymcasf.org/chinatown-ymca-food-pantry.

    Some Random Kung Pao Kosher Comedy Facts:

    • Henny Youngman, The King of One-Liners, headlined in 1997, performing at what ended up being his last show; the 91 year old comedian died two months later in February 1998.

    • A chapter in the book, A Kosher Christmas: 'Tis the Season to be Jewish focuses on Kung Pao.

    • One couple, after 25 years, got married at the show by a rabbi they met at their table.

    • One year someone brought a rooster named Vern as an emotional support animal. Really.

    Calendar Listing:

    WHAT:
    The 31st Annual Kung Pao Kosher Comedy™
    Jewish Comedy on Christmas in a Chinese Restaurant

    With Wendy Liebman, Rich Aronovitch, Talia Reese, Lisa Geduldig, and her 92-year young mother Arline Geduldig (by video by Florida)

    WHEN:
    Saturday, December 23, Sunday, December 24, and Monday, December 25

    2 shows a day:
    In-person Dinner Show: Dinner: 5pm.
    (Show: 6-7:30pm)

    Show (in-person and Livestream): 6pm PST /7pm MST / 8pm CST / 9pm EST

    Cocktail Show
    In-person and Livestream: 8:30pm PST (9:30pm MST / 10:30pm CST / 11:30pm EST)

    WHERE:
    In-person:
    Imperial Palace Restaurant
    818 Washington St. (between Grant & Stockton)
    Chinatown
    San Francisco, CA 94108

    AND
    Virtually (on YouTube Live)

    TICKETS:
    $30-$100  

    6pm or 8:30pm Livestream: $30-$75 (pay what you want)
    5pm Dinner Show: $90-$100
    8:30pm Cocktail Show: $65-$75

    www.CityBoxOffice.com/KungPao

    INFO:
    www.KosherComedy.com

    PARTIAL PROCEEDS BENEFIT:
    Hebrew Free Loan Association AND Chinatown YMCA Food Pantry



    Disclaimer: JRelease is a press release service of AJPA. AJPA does not endorse and cannot vouch for material distributed by this service.
  • October 11, 2023 10:34 AM | Anonymous

    Camp Ramah Sasson Welcomes Families Facing the Challenges of Childhood Cancer

    Ramah New England is thrilled to announce the launch of “Camp Ramah Sasson (Joy),” a trailblazing initiative aimed at providing comfort, support, and an immersive Jewish experience for families facing the challenges of childhood cancer. Camp Ramah Sasson, which is open to the entire family at no cost, will be held April 12-14, 2024 on our beautiful campsite in western MA. Through a combination of Shabbat celebration, outdoor fun, and therapeutic activities, Camp Ramah Sasson will provide a nurturing environment for families to come together and forge lasting connections with each other and to the greater Jewish community.

    Rabbi Ed Gelb, CEO of Ramah New England, shared, “Over the eighteen years of directing Ramah, I have met many families that are facing the challenge of having a child with cancer. Up until now, we have not been able to provide them with the Ramah experience. Now, we hope to bring the community, support, meaning and joy of camp to the entire family and let them know they have a home here.” Camp Ramah Sasson welcomes these families into our larger Ramah New England community.

    Through the celebration of Shabbat, traditional camp fun, therapeutic activities, and a supportive environment, Camp Ramah Sasson seeks to uplift families and provide them with a respite from the daily struggles associated with childhood cancer. Families will experience camp together, and will also have opportunities to attend separate programs designed specifically for parents, siblings and children living with cancer. The camp will provide a framework for families to share Jewish experiences, foster emotional healing, and establish an invaluable network of support.

    Camp Ramah Sasson extends an open invitation to Jewish families that have children in cancer treatment. This program is free of charge to all participating families.

    We are looking for community partners to help spread the word and recruit families for this unique retreat experience. We are also recruiting camp counselors and medical, therapeutic, and educational professionals who would like to volunteer to staff this life-changing weekend.

    For more information about Camp Ramah Sasson, inquire about enrollment or volunteer to staff this incredible weekend, please go to campramahsasson.org.

    About Ramah New England:

    Ramah New England (RNE) is a non-profit organization that serves over 1,400 Jewish children and teens each summer at its three summer camps. Camp Ramah New England, an overnight summer camp in Palmer, is situated on the shore of a beautiful lake and is surrounded by 100 wooded acres. Each summer, this camp serves 900 campers from across New England, the greater Washington, DC area, Virginia, as well as parts of Maryland and New York. Ramah Day Camp Greater DC and Ramah Day Camp Greater Boston serve hundreds of younger campers in the DC and Boston areas. Additionally, RNE  holds two family camp experiences on its Palmer site. Acceptance and belonging in an immersive and joyful Jewish setting are the hallmarks of the experiences at the RNE camps. www.campramahne.org

    Press Contact:

    Riki Wiederhorn

    Director of Year-Round Programming

    Ramah New England

    rikiw@campramahne.org


  • June 08, 2023 9:00 AM | Laura Herring (Administrator)

    IN A DIVIDED ISRAEL, WE’RE LEARNING HOW TO ARGUE BETTER

    There is a well-known wisecrack in Israel, that everyone argues passionately because we all think we should be Prime Minister. For anyone who has spent time here, the vehemence is palpable, especially lately. As tensions in Israel continue to rise due to the proposed judicial reforms, the nation is growing more and more divided. With elections on the horizon in the United States, there too, the polarities that exist between citizens feel greater than ever.

    In this increasingly tense environment, two educator-researchers are actually encouraging people to argue. Yes, you’ve read that correctly: Abi Dauber Sterne and Robbie Gringras are actively teaching people to argue. Moreover, their experience is showing that professionals in all sectors are finding it more and more difficult to address the situation in a constructive way.

    Dauber Sterne and Gringras have dedicated the past few years of their careers to training educators and organizational leaders to engage in arguments about contentious issues relating to Israel. Unlike most of us who shy away from confrontation, they see argument as an important and valuable tool not only for mutual understanding, but also to understand more clearly the issues at hand.

    Last year, with financial support from The Jim Joseph Foundation, Gringras and Dauber Sterne launched “For the Sake of Argument”, an educational initiative that offers a fresh approach to arguing. To date, they have run training sessions for over 2,000 people around the globe, a mixture of organizational leaders, educators and students. They use fictional, reality-based “argument-stories” to facilitate difficult conversations using tools for healthy confrontations. 

    They also published a book entitled Stories for the Sake of Argument which features short stories and questions designed to guide groups discussions about some of the most controversial issues facing Israel today. They continue to email a new story to their followers on a monthly basis to keep the content timely. Recently, stories have focused on the proposed judicial reform and its opponents in Israel. With people around the world trying to understand what all the fuss is about, the new stories help to explain – in a non-pedantic way – what the different approaches may be to aspects of the proposed changes.

    “What we’re seeing is that when these conversations are not conducted well, these issues have the potential to break apart the fabric of organizational life and tear apart communities,” Dauber Sterne says. “Our hope is that the story itself will be a facilitator because it’s one step removed. It serves as a buffer in a way and gets us to ask ourselves how the issue plays into our ideological stance,” she explains.

    The two colleagues are also in the midst of conducting research on the use of argument. As they create their content, they’re also developing metrics to see which tools work best.

    “It may seem ironic, but the more we advocate that argument can be a useful tool, the less tension there will be because people will understand each other more,” says Gringras. “We’re learning so much about the use of argument that want to share what we’ve learned with the world, starting in Israel and amongst Jewish organizations.”

    While most of their training sessions have been conducted amongst English-speaking groups from outside of Israel, more Israel-based groups have turned to them recently for workshops.

    “Professionals in every sphere, whether they’re teachers or managers in an organization, are finding it more and more difficult to address the situation in a constructive way. They feel that they’re personally and emotionally invested. We have tools that can help them untangle some of the complexity,” says Gringras.

    To be sure, Dauber Sterne and Gringras are not starry-eyed. “It doesn’t solve the problem, but it does help create perspective,” Dauber Sterne explains. “We are trying to help people understand how others come to their decisions so that they can learn from each other. It’s vital that we all take an active role in understanding other people’s views in order to hone our own, and to be able to engage more deeply with the subject matter, whether history, culture, or modern-day politics.”

    For more information on these workshops and to receive new stories monthly, see https://www.forthesakeofargument.org/.

    For all media inquiries, contactYehudit Singer-Freud, Yehudit@SingerPublicity.com.

  • May 17, 2023 12:57 PM | Anonymous

    On Israel's 75th Anniversary, the Decade's-Long Odyssey of an Historic World's Fair Sculpture is Commemorated


    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    CONTACT: ERIC ASCALON
    PHONE: 856.220.0522
    EMAIL: eric@ascal.one

    ---PHOTOS LINKED HERE---

    MAY 17, 2023

    FROM THE BRITISH MANDATE, TO THE 1939 NEW YORK WORLD’S FAIR, TO CHICAGO; NEXT STOP ISRAEL: AN 84-YEAR ODYSSEY FOR AN HISTORIC ISRAELI SCULPTURE IS COMMEMORATED

    On May 28, 1939, at the New York World’s Fair – 84 years ago this month – the Jewish-Palestine Pavilion was dedicated. The pavilion was intended to introduce the world to the concept of a modern Jewish State; which a decade later – after the atrocities of the Holocaust – would become the State of Israel. The pavilion’s façade was adorned with an imposing 14-foot-tall relief sculpture, an Art Deco representation of three figures created by a 26-year-old Israeli sculptor by the name of Maurice Ascalon (1913-2003) (born Moshe Klein). Maurice would go on to become a pioneer of modern Israel’s decorative arts movement. Ascalon’s hand-hammered copper World’s Fair sculpture, entitled “The Scholar, The Laborer, and The Toiler of Soil”, depicted the three vocational facets of a successful civilization: scholarship, industry, and agriculture; three facets that the State of Israel would eventually come to embody.

    The pavilion’s opening ceremony featured speeches by its guest of honor Albert Einstein, and New York mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, both of whom spoke from a podium standing beneath Ascalon’s sculpture to a crowd of 100,000. During the fair’s run, the pavilion saw some 2 million visitors. With the start of World War II, logistical and legal constraints made it impossible for the sculpture and the exhibits from the pavilion to make their way back to Israel as originally intended. The sculpture was therefore auctioned off and found a new home at the Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning & Leadership in Chicago, where it has remained ever since. Today, the Spertus, together with Maurice Ascalon’s family and a Toronto-based Israeli memorabilia collector and historian David Matlow, are in the process of making arrangements to finally see to the return of Ascalon’s sculpture to Israel for long-term display – completing a round trip that began in the late 1930s.

    In honor of the 75th Anniversary of the State of Israel, and to commemorate the unique artistic and historic importance of Ascalon’s sculpture, a limited edition of 250 replicas of “The Scholar, The Laborer, and the Toiler of Soil”, produced as a 1KG resin cast, are being released for sale this week by Piece of History, an Israeli-based studio that creates unique decorative items with Israeli history and Judaic themes. The intent for this project is to raise awareness among Jewish communities worldwide about the artwork, and to promote its return to Israel.

    For more information on the commemorative edition, visit https://www.piece-of-history.com/limitededitions . Additional biographies, historic information, and images are attached/enclosed below.

    ABOUT MAURICE ASCALON 

    Maurice Ascalon (born Moshe Klein) was born in the eastern Hungarian town of Fehérgyarmat. From an early age, he was drawn to art, which was frowned upon in the Hassidic "shtetl" in which he was raised. When he was 15 years old Ascalon left his boyhood home to study art at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. He took with him an understanding of Jewish rituals and traditions which knowledge he later incorporated in his work.

    In 1934, after undertaking his formal artistic training in Brussels and later Milan, Maurice Ascalon immigrated to the land of Israel (then the British Mandate of Palestine). There he met his wife-to-be, Zipora Kartujinsky, a Polish-born Jew, granddaughter to the distinguished cartographer and scientist of the same surname. (Zipora, who died in 1982, became a sculptor in her own right late in her life, creating bas reliefs depicting the shtetl life of her childhood).

    In 1939, Maurice Ascalon designed and created the enormous 14-foot-tall hammered repoussé copper relief sculpture of three figures, "The Scholar, The Laborer, and The Toiler of Soil", which adorned the façade of the Jewish-Palestine Pavilion of the 1939 New York World's Fair. Ascalon was commissioned to create this work for the historically significant Pavilion which introduced the world to the concept of a modern Jewish state. (The work is now part of the collection of the Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership in Chicago.)

    In the late 1930s, Ascalon founded an Israeli decorative arts manufacturing company, Pal-Bell, which produced trademark bronze and brass menorahs and other Judaic and secular decorative art and functional items that were exported in large numbers worldwide. Maurice Ascalon's designs, some art deco, others more traditional, introduced the use of a chemically induced green patina (verdigris) to Israeli metalwork. During Israel's War for Independence in 1948, he designed munitions for the Israeli army and, at the request of the Israeli government, retrofitted his factory to produce munitions for the war effort. In 1956 Maurice immigrated to the United States.

    During the latter part of the 1950s through the 1960s, Maurice resided in New York and Los Angeles. He gained a reputation as a master silversmith, creating for synagogues Torah crowns and other objects of Jewish ceremonial art. For a time, he taught sculpture on the fine arts faculty of the University of Judaism (now the American Jewish University) in Los Angeles.

    In the late 1970s, Ascalon relocated to the Philadelphia area where he co-founded Ascalon Studios. It became (and still is today, under the direction of Maurice's son, David Ascalon (b.1945)) a multifaceted art studio dedicated to the design of and creation of site-specific art for worship and public spaces.

    In February 2003, Maurice Ascalon celebrated his 90th birthday as a resident of Cuernavaca, Mexico, where he lived with his eldest son, Adir Ascalon (Adir was a surrealist painter and sculptor who collaborated with the noted Mexican muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros). In August 2003, Maurice Ascalon succumbed to complications related to Parkinson's disease.

    Maurice Ascalon's commissions include permanent installations at worship and public spaces throughout the United States, Mexico, and Israel. His works have been exhibited at and are among the collections of institutions including the Jewish Museum (New York), the Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia, Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership in Chicago, the Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv, and the University of Judaism in Los Angeles. www.ascalonstudios.com

    ABOUT DAVID MATLOW

    David Matlow is a lawyer at Goodmans in Toronto, the Chair of the Ontario Jewish Archives and is the owner of the world’s largest private collection of Theodor Herzl memorabilia (www.herzlcollection.com).  Through his collection he became interested in the Jewish Palestine Pavilion of the 1939 New York World’s Fair, whose existence was in furtherance of Herzl’s dream for a Jewish homeland.  In researching the Pavilion, Matlow learned that the sculpture still exists, and has been working with the Ascalon family to find a permanent home for it in Israel in order to compete its  80+ year round trip.

    ABOUT ASAF HARARI / PIECE OF HISTORY

    Piece of History is an Israeli based company which designs and distributes original Zionist memorabilia, merchandise and limited-edition items. It was established in 2009 by souvenir designer Asaf Harari, with the goal to produce contemporary style items that would help strengthen Zionist identity, and make Israel’s history more accessible to people of all ages. For more information, visit www.piece-of-history.com

    PHOTO ARCHIVE LINKED HERE:

    https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1jw-opSHpjWh5ajQiSPRHFKoz08Lu40C1?usp=share_link

  • April 13, 2023 9:33 AM | Anonymous

    SPECIAL SCREENING OPPORTUNITY FOR AJPA MEMBERS OF LIONSGATE UPCOMING FILM ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET, BASED ON THE JUDY BLUME BOOK LOVED BY MILLIONS

    IN THEATERS APRIL 28TH

    For any AJPA  members who would like to attend an upcoming screening for this film, please follow the link below to view a list of screenings. If you do not see a screening in your area and you would like to preview the film, please inform Corby Pons and he will follow up with you directly.

    Watch the trailer HERE

    Press materials available to download from EPK.TV HERE

    In theaters April 28, 2023

    REVIEW EMBARGO:
    ALL REVIEWS ARE STRICTLY EMBARGOED UNTIL THURSDAY, APRIL 20TH AT 8AM PT / 11AM ET

    SOCIAL EMBARGO:
    SOCIAL SENTIMENT IS EMBARGOED UNTIL SATURDAY, APRIL 15th AT 8PM PT / 11PM ET

    For Upcoming Screenings Click Here
    Enter PW: WITPR
    Click: Get Tickets

    Note:  If you are interested in interview opportunities, please email corby@witpr.com.
  • March 13, 2023 9:24 AM | Anonymous

    "The Haftarah and Its Parsha"
    by
    Richard W. Golden

    For some two thousand years, the practice at every Jewish congregation on Shabbos mornings has been to read a weekly portion, the “parsha,” from the Torah followed by a reading from the books of the prophets, the “haftarah.”  Despite the haftarah’s antiquity and universality, we know little about its origin or purpose.  We have no record of who decided which verses would make up the haftarah for each parsha, the reasons for each pairing, or even when the schedule in use today was established.

    “The Haftarah and Its Parsha” came about because its author, Richard W. Golden, became curious about the reason for each haftarah-parsha pairing.  A quick review found only cursory discussions of the subject.  A more comprehensive search found that neither traditional nor contemporary writers fully addressed these connections.  After deeper study, Golden discovered that the parsha and haftarah verses themselves provide the best explanation for each pairing. 

    This newly released book sets forth what is known about the haftarah’s origins, identifies the relationship between each haftarah and its parsha, and explores how this connection remains pertinent today.  So far as Golden could find, no previous author has given these questions the consideration they merit.

    The book’s discussion of each pairing may be read week-by-week in about ten minutes.  It should not be necessary for the reader to have already reviewed that week’s haftarah and parsha, or to be familiar with the text’s original languages.

    For further information or to purchase the book, visit www.haftarahparsha.com.   

    The book may also be purchased on Amazon.

    To contact the author, write to: info@haftarahparsha.com

    ---

    Richard W. Golden retired in 2007 after serving for twenty-eight years as an Assistant Attorney General in the Office of the New York State Attorney General.  Since his retirement, Golden has had more time for his long-standing loves of study and travel.  He and his wife, now empty nesters, live in Brooklyn.
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