Newest articles on The Sacramento Press written by David Goodman

2010 Jewish Heritage Festival: Thousands Expected to Gather Sunday, May 2nd, 1:00 p.m. at the Capitol West Steps.

2010-04-16T19:55:51Z

(Sacramento, CA)--The Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region will commemorate May as National Jewish American Heritage Month by hosting the 2010 Jewish Heritage Festival. The Festival will celebrate the centennial founding of the Kibbutz movement and Israel's 62nd anniversary. It will include an expanded kid’s zone, an eco-friendly fashion show, and an acclaimed Israeli dance troupe from Los Angeles. This event is the largest Jewish celebration in Sacramento, is open to the public and is free.

"It is wonderful that so many people throughout our region attend this event and demonstrate their support for Israel,” says Skip Rosenbloom, President of the Jewish Federation, "you won't want to miss it."

This cultural event is headlined by acclaimed reggae superstar Matisyahu. Known for blending traditional Jewish themes with reggae, rock and hip hop sounds, Matisyahu has a large following as a Hasidic Jewish musician from New York City singing reggae songs about his religious devotion. Matisyahu's 2009 single "One Day" was chosen as the official theme song for the 2010 Winter Olympics.
In addition to the live music and entertainment, there will also be cultural food, an artist street market, a mediterranean teen lounge, henna tattoos, storytelling and more.

In conjunction with the Presidential decree, Senator Pro-Tem Darrell Steinberg has released a resolution as well as Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's proclamation reaffirming May as National Jewish American Heritage Month.

The Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region strives to serve and enrich the Jewish community and those who support and identify with it in the greater Sacramento region, Israel, and the world.

For more information and a full list of the sponsors, please visit: www.Jewishsac.org

Contact: David Goodman, Director of Communications
Office: 916.486.0906
dgoodman24@gmail.com

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Omri Casspi Makes Mile High Memories

2010-03-04T23:12:20Z

Growing up in the small farm town of Yavne, Israel, Omri Casspi always dreamed of playing in the NBA.

"I remember getting up at like three or four in the morning to watch the Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan," said Casspi. "Having players like him to look up to helped me develop, it gave me some motivation."

It’s obvious that Casspi knows the great responsibility that comes with success and fame. Despite an ever-changing and hectic NBA schedule, Casspi made his first visit to Denver, Colorado one to remember for some local Jewish school children.

Fresh off the plane and straight from DIA, Casspi made the trip to East Denver Orthodox Synagogue for the Denver Academy of Torah (DAT) 8th grade Washington, D.C. fundraising dinner. To the delight and surprise of the students, Casspi spent time, signed autographs and took pictures with the children.

"The children are special to me, I was happy to come and meet them," remarked Casspi.

Omri made sure to fulfill each child’s request; signing jerseys, recording video birthday messages for friends and encouraging the children to practice their Hebrew with him.

"It was so cool" said 5th grader Jacob Wedgle, "I was so excited to meet him."

No doubt a hot topic with the DAT student body for weeks to come, this is not the first time Casspi has engaged his fans and showed his appreciation for them.

Omri has made several appearances with the Jewish communities across the country. From lending his time to the Sacramento Community-Wide Chanukah party, to autograph sessions with regional fans, Omri always makes time for his supporters and embodies the definition of a true mensch.
Casspi displayed the skills he has become famous for by scoring 14 points against the Denver Nuggets on Monday, February 1st. Although the Kings lost in an exciting overtime game, Casspi played well in front of a large Jewish community showing.

Denver residents stood proud and waived their Israeli flags in support of Omri; continuing the trend that has emerged across the NBA city spectrum when Omri and Sacramento come to town.

"It's important. I see the fans at the games waving their flags, wearing my jerseys. I want them to know how much it means to me," continued Casspi.
It is indeed important that Omri and his fans share a reciprocally supportive relationship. They support him as a player and he supports them as a nation or people, giving back to the community when he can. After all, you never know, one of the children he inspires through his kindness just might be the next Jewish NBA star.

From Sacramento to Haiti, the Jewish Federation, your location for community donation

2010-01-20T22:19:35Z

According to Jewish tradition, the highest form of tzedakah, or charity, is to donate to a community fund, or kupah. Whether your donation is in the form of community service hours, survival materials or a monetary donation, it all helps to strengthen and build our community at large.

The Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region, and their overseas beneficiaries, work with a broad set of national and international institutes that span the world to provide relief, rescue, and reconstruction. The federation system is dedicated to inspiring community members to secure the financial and human resources necessary to achieve the mission of caring for those in need, without discrimination. That includes supporting victims of natural disasters and assisting refugees from war-torn countries.

Most recently, the Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region has been at the forefront of relief and aide sent to the victims of the Haiti earthquake in the form of monetary donations. The Jewish Federation has partnered with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) to provide urgently needed aide and relief to victims of the devastating earthquake.

A reputable source of community giving that benefits the world locally and globally, the Sacramento Federation has been a driving force in providing aid overseas. Take a look at the many projects and forms of aide that Federation has taken part of in the past:

* Federation donors provide assistance to victims of natural disasters through UJC rescue and relief mailboxes. That includes assistance to victims of the earthquakes in Turkey, Armenia and Columbia, and hurricanes Georges and Mitch in the Caribbean.

* The federation supported UJC Kosovo Relief Fund, which raised $3.5 million provided humanitarian relief for Kosovar refugees, helped repair and reopen 15 elementary schools, and distributed posters warning children about the dangers of land mines. Through the Jewish Agency for Israel, UJC provided resettlement and relief, including 11 planeloads of goods: 100 tons of medicine, blankets, tents, clothing and other basics.

* In Bosnia-Herzegovina, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee., with support from federations, rescued more than 2,100 Jews, Muslims and Christians from war-torn Sarajevo. Thousands of food packages and 60% of the available medications were distributed free of charge on a non-sectarian basis by the federation-supported Sarajevo Jewish community.

* In Albania, federation support enabled one of the few winterized refugee camps to house the conflict's most vulnerable refugees, and provided bedding and mattresses to 23,000 refugees, recreational kits for over 10,000 children, and arranged for the services of physicians and nurses.

* In Ethiopia, the JDC, with funds provided by the federation system, provided full-scale medical, social and educational services to 15,000 Jews in Addis Ababa, maintaining their health and morale until they were airlifted to Israel by JAFI's 1999 Operation Solomon. In 1999, JAFI brought 2,300 more Ethiopian Jews, 1,400 from Quara, to Israel, all supported by Jewish federations.

* In the former Soviet Union, over 205,000 needy elderly are receiving some kind of assistance from the federations of North America through JDC. In 1999, JDC delivered more than 960,000 food packages, provided four million hot meals, supplied 44,000 clients with fuel, clothing and blankets, loaned more than 26,000 pieces of medical equipment, and mobilized nearly 10,500 welfare volunteers.

* In Morocco, through JDC, the UJA Federation Annual Campaign of United Jewish Communities provides food, clothing, shelter, health care, and Jewish cultural and recreational activities to the most vulnerable of Morocco's Jews.

* In 1999, 411 young Jews from war-ravaged Yugoslavia participated in a two-week pilot trip to Israel developed by JAFI, with funds from federations. Participants were invited to remain in Israel while exploring study opportunities and immigration options. 135 chose to stay.

To donate to the Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region's Haiti Relief Fund or community campaign, please visit www.jewishsac.org

Omri's Impact- New Website Casspi18.com is International Attraction

2009-12-23T23:17:53Z

The stretch of an NBA player’s reach goes far beyond their measurable wing span. From the internet to television, player’s lives are dissected and analyzed twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Savvy players create charitable foundations, Facebook fan pages and blogs to market themselves and keep the fans “close”.
While the Sacramento Kings Omri Casspi is not your “average” American-born basketball player, it is clear that Omri’s impact goes far and beyond what any might have originally expected.
This past December marked the launch of www.casspi18.com, an interactive website that connects fans directly to Number 18, giving them the chance to write him questions, follow in-depth Omri’s success on the court and even brush up on some Omri Casspi history. The site features both a Hebrew and English option to cater to both American and Israeli fans, and even boasts an official Omri Casspi newsletter that sends fans updates on Omri’s game statistics and future meet and greets with the new found Israeli “King”.
Omri takes great pride in the website, personally answering each e-mail that he receives and dictating the look and feel of the site.
“I am very proud of the site” Omri said, “It really gives the fans an opportunity to ask me questions and learn more about the Kings. “
One of the most interesting tidbits about the new Omri Casspi site is the attention that it has received across the nation. From China to Sacramento and everywhere in-between, fans have logged on and sent their support to Omri by way of Casspi18.com.
It is no surprise that the country of Israel has supplied the site with the most amount of site hits; yet what is surprising is the site has also made its mark in other countries around the world. Neighboring Middle-Eastern countries such as Lebanon and Iraq, India, and Australia all have made the trip to Casspi18.com to learn more about Omri, demonstrating, once again, the international impact that Omri Casspi has made in a relatively small amount of time.
While site hits from neighboring Middle-Eastern countries does not equal peace in a troubled war zone, Casspi18.com is only one display of the impact that Omri has been able to create across the globe.
Recently, the Israel Ministry of Tourisim began to offer Israeli’s the “Omri Casspi Flight Package”. This one-of-a-kind package includes a round trip flight from Israel to Sacramento (with connections in Los Angeles) and provides travelers a ticket to see the Sacramento Kings and Omri play at Arco Arena. Omri’s presence is Sacramento alone has helped international tourisim rise in the Capitol City of California.
On Monday, November 23, 2009 the Sacramento Kings squared off against the Memphis Grizzles in Memphis, Tennessee. Thousands of miles and at least a sixteen-hour plane ride away from the Middle Eastern conflict, history was once again made as the first and only Iranian NBA player, Hamed Haddadi, and Omri took center court, before the game, to shake hands and take historical pictures. Casspi and Haddadi exchanged pleasantries and wished each other luck, snapped a few pictures and then continued on to their normal pre-game rituals. While their meeting only lasted a few moments, its impact proved to be far more significant.
The NBA posted the historic pictures on NBA. com and on its Facebook account for the world to see and comment on. With-in hours, hundreds of comments were posted and the pictures were viewed across the globe. While there were posts of both encouragement and ridicule, the amazing thing was to see how many people and from how many far-away places the pictures had reached. Again, a center court picture between two professional athletes will never solve the eternal struggles in the Middle-East, but to see how many people the picture affected, near and far, was truly profound.
So as we continue to cheer Omri on throughout his successful and amazing first year as a professional athlete, remember the buzz that Omri has created, remember that eyes from across the globe are fixated on his every move, and remember the impact that Omri Casspi has managed to create stretches far beyond the walls of Sacramento and Arco Arena.

Community-wide Chanukah Celebration: Featuring world renowned supernatural entertainer, Lior Suchard and Sac. King Omri Casspi

2009-12-10T19:59:48Z

Join the Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region for the 2009 Community-wide Chanukah Celebration! All are invited to see the one-of-a-kind performance by acclaimed supernatural entertainer Lior Suchard (click here to see exclusive video). The entire community is invited to see the show and stay for autographs and pictures with Israeli NBA superstar Omri Casspi (click here for an exclusive video invite from Omri). In addition, three generations of community leadership will be honored as we "pass the torch" from leader to leader, and hear words from Sacramento Vice Mayor Hammond.

This event will be one you will want to be sure not to miss! For event details visit www.jewishsac.org and for tickets call 916-486-0906. Tickets:$40 or Special Family Pricing: $110

Omri Casspi gives us a reason to stand-up and cheer

2009-11-25T20:03:06Z

Judaism has always left its constituency with an interesting morale dilemma. While we grow up proud of our heritage, appreciative of
our traditions, there is always some sort of inhibition when it comes to public displays of our culture and religion.

Growing up in a Hebrew speaking home, I remember vividly how I would be “embarrassed” when my mother would yell across the grocery store in Hebrew, not because I was being yelled at, growing up with an Israeli mother I became used to this type of public “affection,” but everybody would turn and look with a perplexed look on their face thinking “What language is she speaking in?”

I grew up having to explain over and over to my friends why I had a mezuzah on my front door, why I didn’t celebrate Christmas and why when I was thirteen years old I would be having a big party in honor of my transformation to manhood.

While these feelings are across the board, and I am sure that many of you had the same type of mixed emotions while growing up, loving your culture and traditions, yet at times, uneasy with the public display of your religion, it seems as if times and perception’s have begun to change…at least in Sacramento.

When the Sacramento Kings drafted Omri Casspi with the 23rd overall pick in this past summer’s NBA draft, many of us did not know
what to expect. Will he come to Sacramento? Will he play at all? Will people here even care?

Just over one month into the NBA season it seems as if we have many answers to the many questions we first had. Yes, he will come to Sacramento. Yes, he will play and yes, people definitely care.

Although the Sacramento Kings did once boast a healthy fan base, with the recent string of losing seasons, Arco Arena has been left empty. The Kings are without any marquee players and there are rumors swirling about the team relocating to a new city in the near future,
yet there seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel.

With a promising start, which includes the first winning record since the 2006 season, Omri Casspi’s arrival in Sacramento seems to have come at just the right time. Fans are standing up, cheering for their ONLY professional sports team of the three major sports (Football, Baseball, and Basketball) and there seems to be some enthusiasm that has been re-injected into this city concerning its basketball
team. This phenomenon seems to be particularly true when it comes to the Jewish community.

While it is great to see the Kings be competitive and change their image from perennial doormat to a team capable of winning games both at home and on the road, there is a long way to go and many changes are still needed. However, the reach that Casspi’s arrival
has afforded us stretches well beyond the bounce of an orange ball or the height of a ten foot backboard.

Casspi has made us feel proud to be Jewish, in a public setting. I find myself, with reservations still lurking in the back of my mind, standing up, in the company of over ten thousand people, waving Israeli flags, hoisting signs that read “King Omri” in Hebrew and even tolerating a loud, disturbing, yelp for my attention in Hebrew across the hallways.

It is not that Omri has changed the meaning of what it is to be Jewish and the constant struggle to become comfortable with ones Jewish identity. But, for the first few months of the NBA season, the arrival of Omri Casspi has made it more mainstream.

While before we might be “hesitant” to raise a sign in a crowded area with Hebrew draped across it, suddenly, we are proud. People, from all walks of life, are suddenly asking about life in Israel, details about our eating practices, what Mazel Tov means; and this is only in the context of the arena. I have heard stories of young community children, as young as five years old, watching Omri, screaming in joy
at the television, “Go Omri!!! I am Jewish too!!!!” The children are writing him letters, buying his jersey, and coming back to Shalom School after watching the previous night’s game to find out that all of their classmates watched too; Omri’s performance being “the” topic of discussion at schoolthat day, for both boys and girls.

I have met fully grown men, who as birthday gifts to each other, made the trip to Sacramento from as far away
as San Diego, solely to come see Omri play in person.

When Omri made his first home appearance on November 2nd, I found myself in awe as I heard, above the roar of the crowd; his father yell in Hebrew “that’s my boy!” While flashbacks to my childhood inevitably crept in, I was comforted as I looked around and was greeted by smiles and even pictures as the crowd realized it was Omri’s father.

The same evening, before the game even started, I was reminded again of the history of the event as over 250 community members packed into a private lounge on the top level of Arco Arena to hear Omri address the crowd and to participate with a
Q and A session with the fans in attendance.

While many fans, when in presence of their favorite player, ask for autographs and pictures, it was noteworthy that Omri’s fans had a different agenda. When given a moment to address him, they offered support, words of advice, and from one very little girl, even a hug.

This reminded me that to us, the Sacramento Jewish Community, Omri is more than a basketball player, more than athlete that
we pay to see perform on the court, we care what happens off the court too. He is one of us, part of our cultural background, part of our religion and now, part of our community.

So, as the season progresses, and your chance arises to come see this unique and truly talented young man perform at sport’s highest level, remember to support him, for he, unlike anyone else before him, is part of us and part of our community. And when he does well, remember to get on your feet, wave your Israeli flags, and yell-as loud as you possibly can, in Hebrew, and don’t worry, no one will be embarrassed.

2009 Community-wide Chanukah Party Honors Three Generations of Community Leadership

2009-11-23T21:23:10Z

From the distinct smell of cooking Latkas (potato pancakes), the sound of the spinning dreidal against the hard wood floor, to the timeless visual of the burning of the Menorah candles, Chanukah provides us sensual imaginary that is forever emblazoned in our minds and memory.

Derived from the Hebrew verb "חנך", the literal translation of “Hanukkah” means “to dedicate,” celebrating the Jews regained control of Jerusalem and the rededication of the Temple.

This year, as we commemorate the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE, we must also remember our local commitment, our dedication to our local community.

Honoring three generations of community leadership, the 2009 Community-wide Chanukah party will highlight the “passing of the torch” as we honor Lou Weintraub, Skip Rosenbloom and Brian Fischer for their commitment and dedication to our Sacramento community. Through quiet leadership and unwavering vision, our three honorees have contributed to the Medical, Land Development and Business landscapes which have helped shape not only the Jewish Community, but the Sacramento Region as a whole.

Lou Weintraub was Brooklyn born and went to CCNY where he majored in Chemistry. This was depression time and jobs were hard to find in New York, so off he went 2,000 miles away to El Paso, Texas, for a job in synagogue administration which he held for four years.
Eventually he went back to school, to the University of Pennsylvania, where he received his Master’s, just in time to enter the Army. There he spent the next four years honing his skill as a Clinical Psychologist.

Utica, New York was his first post-war job where he spent two years working as a Jewish Federation Executive and went to San Francisco where he spent eight years as a community organization consultant to Jewish Community organizations in the ten Western states and Western Canada.

Next, he moved to the San Francisco Jewish Federation where he worked for the next 23 years and was its Chief Executive Officer upon retirement. He later started his own consulting firm Weintraub Associates, Inc., specializing in fund-raising, community organization and non-profit management.

He served as consultant to the United Way of the Bay Area and managed a campaign for their new building. He was also consultant to the American Red Cross in San Francisco and served as its interim Chief Executive until a permanent CEO could be found.

His move to Sacramento came in small steps. Roslyn, his later to be wife, lived here and the commuting between San Francisco and Sacramento began. And it was during the commuting period that Lou found the time to earn a Certificate in Financial Planning from UC Davis.

Lou has been very active in the non-profit field since moving to Sacramento some eighteen years ago. He has delivered food to the home-bound for Meals-A-La Car and has been on the Boards of both the Community Services Planning Council and the Friends of the Sacramento Public Library. He is currently the Vice-Chair of the Emergency Food and Shelter Board, and is a congregant of Mosaic Law Congregation.

Dr. E. Scott Rosenbloom, better known as “Skip”, is a B’nai Israel congregant, a physician, a former health plan Medical Director, and a businessman, with a broad-based perspective on the health care system and expertise in the issues of quality and medical necessity for care. His experience encompasses a seven-year practice in occupational medicine and emergency medicine. He founded a managed care company, and he provides managing and consulting services for a wide range of regional businesses. Dr. Rosenbloom received his medical degree from Northwestern University in Chicago and his Master of Public Health degree from the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Rosenbloom currently sits as the President of the Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region.

Brian Fischer is co-founder, brand creator, and past Dir. of Business Development, Sales, and Marketing for downtowngrid.com.

After five years of building that well-known online-and-on-the-ground experience in hyper local marketing and community building, he has set new challenges behind the scenes as the current CEO & Chief Inspiration Officer of Playpen Incubator, where work is play, one of Sacramento's most dynamic media, marketing, and technology incubators that will launch new entities for years to come across the region and well beyond.

During its inaugural year, Brian devotes himself to the start-up and evolution of NextDor as a gateway Jewish social network online and through monthly events to develop the next generation of Jewish leadership across the 6-county region. He hopes that NextDor will prove replicable to other regions struggling to be relevant to Jewish young adults and professionals. He acts as co-organizer and brand creator of the Big Nosh for a Better Sacramento.

In addition, he facilitates monthly industry and community discussions for the Urban Design Alliance & American Institute of Architecture's 4th Wednesday Dialogues that fuel Sacramento's vision of its 25-year future.

He is known as an emerging entrepreneur in business innovation and social activist as founder of 100minds, a grassroots economic developer in Oak Park, predicated on his interpretation of Tikkun Olam.

His favorite title is Dad and he considers no challenge greater, sweeter, more human or more humbling than being a father to Violet and step-father to Ahrianna.

Join us as we honor three generations of Sacramento leaders at the Memorial Auditorium on December 10th, 2009 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. We will celebrate the MAGIC of the festival of lights with an exclusive performance by Lior Suchard, an internationally acclaimed “supernatural entertainer” who uses the power of the mind to dazzle and humor the crowd. In addition, new Sacramento King and the first Israeli player in the NBA, Omri Casspi, will join us to comment on his first month in the NBA and to sign autographs and take pictures with the fans in attendance.

For more information, to buy tickets and to see an exclusive community invite by Omri Casspi log on to www.jewishsac.org. Tickets: $36 (early bird price by December 6th) $40 (purchase after December 6th)