Prince William, the Jerusalem Fund for Alyn and an opera house for Jerusalem
By GREER FAY CASHMAN
LOBBYISTS FOR the construction of an opera house in Jerusalem should carefully whether it is worth the investment.Listeners to veteran broadcaster Yaron Enosh know that above all he is a Grecophile who can speak endlessly about Greece and plays the recordings of Greek singers and composers on his weekly two-hour show on Reshet Bet. A friend of his who belongs to the Friends of the Hebrew University, whose activities include traveling as a group from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv to enjoy the operas staged by The Israel Opera, found himself with a spare ticket and invited Enosh to join him. As has been the case for years, they traveled by minibus from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv and back, but it transpired that this was the last time they would do so. Enosh learned along the way that only a few years ago there had been two full busloads of opera lovers; this had gradually been reduced to one, which had then been reduced to two minibuses, then further reduced to one minibus, and now, due to falling numbers, this would be the last run.Most opera lovers are also lovers of classical music. Enosh learned during the ride that whereas the Israel Philharmonic used to come to Jerusalem and play for two consecutive nights, it now comes for one performance only, because unlike the situation in Tel Aviv, it cannot fill the hall for two nights in a row. Over the past decade, Jerusalem has become much more cosmopolitan, but in the process has apparently become less cultural in the traditional sense.SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS that run fund-raisers during the year have discovered that one of the more popular events is a group quiz competition that not only taxes the pocket but also the mind. It’s great for the egos of people with broad general knowledge to be able to make meaningful contributions to the success of their teams, but no one knows everything, and sometimes a question that may stump the most wellread and well educated member of the group is answered correctly by someone who barely finished high school.As far as supporters of the Jerusalem Fund for Alyn are concerned, it’s that time of year again, with an evening of food, fun and entertainment being part and parcel of their 29th annual supper quiz to be held on Thursday, July 5, at 7:30 p.m. at Alyn Orthopedic Hospital and Rehabilitation Center in Kiryat Hayovel. Master of ceremonies this year will be Rabbi Michael Klein-Katz. Participation cost is NIS 150 per person; all proceeds will benefit the children of Alyn.Participants can make up their own 10-member teams or join a table and become part of an impromptu team of 10. Payment should be made in advance and checks made out to Alyn should be sent c/o Mark Sherman, 13 Ben Hillel Street, Jerusalem 9423115. Payment can also be made at: Alyn-Hospital.activetrail.biz/SupperQuiz2018When paying and registering, participants are asked to specify whether they want individual or team tickets and to include their return address with their registration. Seating is limited to 12 team tables of 10 people.For additional info: Jody Garfinkle, 054-546-0536 (jagarfinkle613@ yahoo.com).IT’S BEEN a busy time at Yad Vashem this week, with the visit by Prince William, preceded by the opening on Monday of a 10th international conference attended by some 350 teachers from 50 countries. This year’s conference was titled “Teaching the Holocaust: Time, Place and Relevance.” Participants of this four-day learning and networking event included, among others, teachers and educators from China, Poland, Australia, Canada, Germany, Sweden, France, Lithuania, Turkey and Israel; directors of education departments in museums and Holocaust memorial institutions; representatives of education ministries from several countries; as well as graduates of Yad Vashem international educational seminars..More than 40 experts from Yad Vashem and abroad participated in various lectures, workshops and panel discussions. Yad Vashem chairman Avner Shalev and Dr. Piotr Cywinski, the director of the Auschwitz- Birkenau Museum, held a special discussion on the challenges facing museums that preserve Holocaust remembrance. Other timely topics raised at the conference included “The Holocaust: Shifting Definitions, Misrepresentations and Comparisons;” “The Phenomenon of the New Antisemitism;” “Shifting Narratives of the Holocaust in Contemporary Societies;” and “Women in the Holocaust.” Among the teachers’ panels was one that discussed how to make the Holocaust relevant in the classroom.