Marty and I are singing in this concert this weekend. We are both in the choir on Saturday and Marty has a solo that opens the concert both nights. Please join us ----- Original Message --- Dear friends, This is a very exciting time for the Holocaust Project: Born to Remember. Most of you know that for the past several years we have been working on a DVD based on the experiences of Holocaust survivor Dr. Fred Reif and utilizing the decision process that he created (See below for more information). I am very pleased to announce that the DVD will be done before the upcoming benefit concerts! Fred plans on being at the concerts and, if you come, he can show you what we've accomplished at the intermission. Invitations are being mailed out this week, if you know of anyone who would like to receive one, please e-mail me their address or call me at 412-427-5500. Thank you, Debbie Maier Orefice ps - please forward this e-mail! Born to Remember Music of Remembrance Saturday, April 1, 2006 8:00 PM (Silent Auction opens 7:30) Rodef Shalom, 4905 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh Sunday, April 2, 2006 7:00 PM (Silent Auction opens 6:30) Temple Ohav Shalom, 8400 Thompson Run Road, Allison Park Ticket prices: $7 students/seniors, $15 adults, and $25 reserved The line up for the concert is complete and the performers are outstanding, see attached bios. Cantor Stoehr, who lives in Illinois, is volunteering his talents at this performance. His father is a local holocaust survivor and he is doing this to help us raise much needed money and to honor his father. He is currently president of the Cantors Association of America and we are honored that he has agreed to do this for us. Joining Cantor Stoehr, and also volunteering their time are: Candace Otto, Soprano, who as Miss PA 2003, won an award for being the non-finalist contestant with the highest talent score. Nancy Rubenstein-Messham (Saturday only), piano, has the reputation as a pianist who is among the best in the Pittsburgh area. John A. Cannon III, piano, is an alumnus of the Juilliard School and currently director of Worship and Music of the Mount Lebanon United Presbyterian Church. Michele Gray-Schaffer, mezzo-soprano, is the cantorial soloist at of Tree of Life. Marty Sivitz, bass Shara Taylor, flute Liza Valley, violin Kenneth Hirsch, announcer Kol HaKavanah: Julie Newman, Deb Taylor, Shara Taylor. Greg Siegle, (Sunday only) Temple Ohav Shalom's Teen choir (Sunday only) Holocaust Project Interfaith Choir: John Paul Cappa, Baron Fogle, Sherry Goldman, Maggie Hackett, Linda Heron, Sue Myers, Linda Patterson, Marty Sivitz, Maureen Stephen, Bruce Thomas, Aletha Thomas, Liza Valley, & Bev Watt (Saturday only). Maureen Stephen is the choir director. The completion of the DVD, as well as the fantastic performers, makes this our most important benefit concert to date. It is not too late to take out an ad in the program book, donate an item for the silent auction or order tickets. Program ad costs: 1/4 page - $60.00 1/2 page - $110.00 3/4 page - $160.00 Full page - $200.00 Inside front and back covers - $400 Back cover - $1000.00 2 tickets included with front or back inside covers - 4 tickets with back cover Ticket orders, ads and checks, made payable to Holocaust Project, should be sent to: 2688 Orchard Court, Murrysville, PA 15668. Anyone donating an item for the silent auction will be listed in the program book. Proceeds benefit the Holocaust Project: Born to Remember, a non-profit corporation with 501C3 status EIN# 25-1899432. For additional information, I can be reached at 412-427-5500 or DebO1960@aol.com. Please forward this e-mail to your friends and family. HAZZAN (Cantor) STEVEN STOEHR Hazzan Stoehr is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh where he received his Bachelor of Arts Degree. He continued his studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary's Cantors Institute, attaining his Sacred Music Degree and Diploma of Hazzan in 1988. Hazzan Stoehr arrived in Northbrook, Ill., at Congregation Beth Shalom, to serve his first full-time pulpit eighteen years ago and has served the Jewish community on many levels. Hazzan Stoehr has been called upon by various arms of the Conservative Movement to perform throughout the United States and has been a featured lecturer as well. He has served on committees for the United Synagogue, Federation of Men's Clubs, Solomon Schechter Day School, Mercaz USA, the Chicago Association of Cantors, and the Cantors Assembly of America. For the Cantors' Assembly he has served as President of the Midwest Region, chairman of the Ambassador's Program, member of the Ethics Committee and co-chair of the 1994, 1997 and upcoming 2006 National Conventions. In relationship to his dedicated efforts, the Jewish Theological Seminary's H. L. Miller Cantorial School has been endowed by his friend and congregant Harvey L. Miller. In 2002 he was granted the Hazzan David Putterman Award by the Jewish Theological Seminary for excellence in his career. In 1998 Hazzan Stoehr produced an international concert on Ellis Island and sang in Carnegie Hall as part of the Assembly's Jubilee Celebration. He currently serves the Cantors Assembly as its President and is a member of the International Cantorial Foundation's advisory board. Through Hazzan Stoehr's leadership and foresight his community has established several watershed programs. He had aided his synagogue in developing their own Chevre Kaddishe and Chesed Community which attends to those who have been touched by illness or loss. As well, Hazzan Stoehr has helped to formulate a multi-media event entitled, Wednesday Night Alive which has enhanced his congregation's programming. Through Hazzan Stoehr's initiative, the Northbrook Jewish community has been enhanced by the formation of a philanthropic endeavor with JUF, the B'nai Tzedek Fund, which will intensify the overall effect of the rite of passage for Bar and Bat Mitzvah children. Hazzan Stoehr has edited several educational booklets for his community, primarily in the realm of mourning rites and traditions. His passion for the Jewish communities of Eastern Europe has led him to lead a synagogue mission and has continued doing philanthropic projects for towns in several countries in which he has visited. As an affiliate member of the National Jewish Chaplains Association he also serves as chaplain for a local police department. Hazzan Stoehr's congregation has been active in the commissioning of several new synagogue compositions. His first cantorial album, A Mosaic of the Spirit, was released in 1999 and his second, An Audience of One, a High Holiday recording of prayers, in 2002. He is honored that a selection from each has been chosen for the prestigious United Synagogue/Cantors Assembly joint CD project. He is presently awaiting the approval of the publishing of his first book. Candace Otto is a 2002 graduate of Northwestern University. She is currently a student of Claudia Pinza, daughter of Ezio Pinza. She has spent the past four summers in Italy studying with the Ezio Pinza Council of America Singers of Opera. She has performed with Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, and was a soloist for the Mother of Sorrows concert tour of Italy, which included performing before 250,000 people at a Papal mass. She was a soloist at a U.S. Naval Academy memorial service following the events of September 11th, and has sung at the Grotto of Lourdes, France. As Miss Pennsylvania 2003, Candace was awarded the Bernie Wayne Performing Arts Award and a non-finalist talent award at the Miss America Pageant. The Bernie Wayne Performing Arts Award is given to the contestant with the highest talent score among those women wishing to pursue a career in the performing arts. She is the first Miss Pennsylvania to receive the award. She was also awarded a year-long performance tour which included over 150 appearances. In August 2004, she was honored by Pittsburgh magazine as a member of Pittsburgh's Fifty Finest in recognition of her professional accomplishments and charitable commitments. As a professional model and voiceover artist, she can be seen or heard in advertisements for National City, Sheetz, The Children's Health Insurance Program, U.S. Steel, Dick's Sporting Goods, Saucony, Fisher Price and Pampers. Nancy Rubenstein-Messham performs throughout the area as collaborative pianist. She earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Tampa and a Master of Music degree in Piano Pedagogy from the University of Colorado, Boulder. While a graduate teaching assistant in Colorado, she was an active performer, and was invited to play Ravel's Concerto in G during the Denver Symphony Orchestra's In-Residency Program. She serves as Music Director for the Holocaust Project, researching Holocaust-related 20th Century repertoire, and organizing performances. Nancy works as an accompanist, teaches piano, and assists in music programs held in the public schools. She enjoys chamber music and exploring new and unusual repertoire. John Cannon was born in Ypsilanti, Michigan, John Cannon now resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where he is the Director of Worship and Music of the Mount Lebanon United Presbyterian Church. Mr. Cannon has appeared frequently as piano and organ recitalist in many venues. In New York City he has performed five times in Saint Patrick's Cathedral, four times at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine, a number of times at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center, and Saint Peter's Lutheran Church in the Citicorp Building. In Washington D.C. he has played a number of times in the National City Christian Church and at Saint John's Lafayette Square (the church of the Presidents). He has played concerts in Saint Mary's Cathedral and Saint Ignatius Church in San Francisco. In addition, he gave the one-year anniversary recital of the newly installed Austin organ of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. As a pianist, he has performed several times as soloist with the McKeesport Symphony, the Washington PA Symphony, and the North Pittsburgh Philharmonic. In June of 1989 he was a lecturer/recitalist for the Eastern Regional Convention of the American Guild of Organists demonstrating the compositions of Vierne, Tournemire, and Duruflé. At the present time Mr. Cannon is one of the staff organists of Heinz Memorial Chapel and soon will be releasing a CD of wedding music, played on the Chapel's unique 73 rank Reuter instrument.
From 1996 through 2003, John Cannon toured with the Promise Keepers band. He was one of the musicians who played for the Stand In The Gap sacred assembly that was held in Washington D.C. with more than one million men in attendance. He has also toured Portugal, Spain, Korea, India, South Africa and Zimbabwe. John Cannon is an alumnus of the Juilliard School, where his principal teachers were pianists Earl Wild and Beveridge Webster, and organist Leonard Raver.
Michele Gray-Schaffer is a classically-trained mezzo soprano who is studying to become a cantor in the Reform Jewish Movement. She was accepted into the American Conference of Cantors' Certification Program in 2003, and hopes to finish her studies to become a cantor by 2008. She currently serves as the full time cantorial soloist at Tree of Life Congregation. She has also been seen locally in operas and operettas. Favorite roles include "Lucy" in The Beggars' Opera, "Mrs. Peachum" in Threepenny Opera, and "Iolanthe" in Iolanthe. Her directing credits include Orpheus in the Underworld for Tuesday Musical Club, for whom she also envisioned and produced the opera, The Biddle Boys and Mrs. Soffel. This premiere opera was named one of the top ten classical musical events in Pittsburgh by the Post Gazette. Marty Sivitz always wanted to write about music as well as perform it. A student of the English language, Marty received a B.A. in English from the University of Pittsburgh in 1970. He worked in record retailing for years and when he met his wife, Sherry, in 1979, she encouraged him to go to music school. But he was concerned with a "practical" degree. After taking post-baccalaureate credits in music, he enrolled in the school of Education at Duquesne University. But music kept calling him. He began studying voice at the age of 32. His wife, Sherry, encouraged him to begin studying in the new program in Music Criticism launched by Robert Croan, voice teacher and music critic. Marty received an M.M. in Music Criticism at Duquesne in 1985 and an M.ED. In General Education in 1986. He had gained experience singing as a baritone in the First United Methodist Church of Pittsburgh choir (1981-83) as well as Mother of Good Counsel Roman Catholic Church (1982) and Concord Presbyterian Church (1986-87). From 1988-92, he was a substitute classical music critic for the Pittsburgh Press as well as from 1993-94 at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. For his "day job", Marty works at the Duquesne University Gumberg Library. Marty currently sings bass with Friends in Harmony, a volunteer singing group directed by his wife: www.friendsinharmony.net Shara Taylor is a member of Kol HaKavannah, a contemporary liturgical Jewish music ensemble from Temple Ohav Shalom in Allison Park, Pennsylvania. She began studying flute at the age of 12 with Georgetta Maiolo, a graduate of Duquesne University, the principal flautist of the Binghamton Symphony, and a former student of Bernard Goldberg and Marcel Moyse. As a wife, mother of two, and full time Ophthalmologist in Pittsburgh, PA, she devotes free time to the pursuit of music in a Jewish context. She is the director of the teen choir at Temple Ohav Shalom and regularly arranges music for and performs with Kol HaKavannah. Liza Valley was inspired by her grandmother and has studied extensively under the tutelage of Jenny Lou Harris and Kypros Markou. She was a member of the Altoona, Westmoreland, and Johnstown Orchestras. Liza participates in the Monroeville Church of the Brethren's choir and is the churches violinist. Now, a mother of a 13-year old daughter, Liza is a free-lance violinist. Kol HaKavanah Temple Ohav Shalom's intergenerational band. Kol Hakavanah [kOl haka' vehna] is taken from 2 Hebrew words: Kol ("all" or "voice") and Kavanah (used for intention, tuning or aiming). For the members of the band, Kol HaKavanah means "voice of spiritual intention, voices purposely aimed (with the goal of connecting to the divine)". The group is diverse, alive and embraces on-going change. Current instrumentation includes: vocals, flute, mandolin, guitars, bazouki, banjo, trombone and cello. Kenneth L. Hirsch worked on a college radio station, aside from that, he has limited the use of his magical baritone voice to his students at Duquesne University School of Law. The Holocaust Project is honored that he is sharing his voice with us. Information about the Holocaust Project: Born to Remember First, we must insure that the memories of those who have survived the Holocaust will be preserved. Many of the survivors are now quite elderly and we do not know how much longer they will be available to tell their stories. I have seen the power of those stories change lives. We cannot lose that gift. Next, we will teach about the Holocaust and ask that lessons of the past positively influence decisions made today. People who attend our presentations will learn what happens when some people do wrong and others stand by with indifference. We believe that the lessons of the Holocaust can be translated into the activities of bullies and their victims today. Just as many non-Jews Europe had choices to make in the 1930s and 1940s, we have choices to make today. Will we choose to be a perpetrator, a bystander, a rescuer? In order to reach our objectives, we are creating a series of assemblies, workshops. interactive CDs, DVDs, videos and lesson plans. Teens have been called the MTV generation. They appreciate music, music videos, computers, powerful images, and straight talk. Our materials are being created in order to communicate in a language that folks, especially teens, understand best. We feel that while other organizations are teaching about the Holocaust, it is our approach that makes us unique. We are preparing to distribute our materials so that others can carry our message. The beta version of the DVD was completed a few months ago and several teachers used it in their classrooms. It is based on the life of survivor Dr. Fredrick (Fred) Reif who was on the St. Louis, a ship that left Germany for Cuba where most of the passengers were refused admidance. The ship was forced back to Europe and at the last minute four countries agreed to admit the refugees. The Reif family was sent to France where their ordeal continued when the Germans overran that country. Fred, who graduated with a Ph.D from Harvard and was a professor at Stanford and CMU specializing in Physics and Educaiton, developed a decision process that will accompany the DVD/Cd and videos. Students are asked to analyze the following decisions: 1. When the German army took over France, an agreement was reached whereby France was divided. Part was to be controlled by the Germans and part was left in French control. The Reif family was living in the part occupied by Germans. Students are asked what choices the Reifs had and what were the consequences of the options. Then, they are told how the Reifs successfully crossed the border into the part of France still under French control. 2. The second decision analyzed was one made by Captain Schroeder. Prior to Dr. Reif's voyage, an official came aboard the St. Louis and warned the Captain that if he did not join the Nazi Party, his job as captain would be in jeopardy. Students are asked to identify and analyze the Captain options and their potential consequences. The students are then asked what they thought Captain Schroeder did and are told that the Captain refused to join the Nazi party. 3. Once students have analyzed the decisions made during the Holocaust, the same decision model is used to discuss what options students have when they witness bullying, prejudice or a friend who has been drinking alcohol/doing drugs and is about to get behind the wheel of a car. In the end, students are encouraged to think about people like Captain Schroeder, when they have hard decisions to make. We have presented our programs at churches, synagogues and middle and high schools. One non-Jewish woman wrote, "Your presentation was so wonderful. I was very impressed. It is really about respect for human life and not just about the Holocaust. What happened to the Jewish people can happen to anyone when human life is not respected. I am happy you are teaching respect for life and telling kids not to be indifferent. They need to learn to follow the example you teach, take a position and respect others and their rights to live and live freely." One Orthodox Jewish woman said, "I have seen many survivors speak and have seen many Holocaust presentations and I expected this to be just one more, but you surprised me. You presented it in such a powerful way." Artwork by Madeline Jacknin.