A DREAM FOR ISRAEL America-Israel Cultural Foundation, Inc. Board of Directors CHAIRMAN IN MEMORIAM Isaac Stern CHAIR EMERITA Vera Stern OFFICERS William A. Schwartz, PRESIDENT Youth to Youth Margalit Meidar, VICE PRESIDENT Ronnie Ackman, SECRETARY Creating New Cultural Harvey E. Rothenberg, TREASURER Ties For Our Children BOARD OF DIRECTORS Among the most important Ronnie Ackman Sanford L. Batkin Jewish concepts we pass along Diane Belfer to our children is tzedakah, Ann Bialkin generally translated as giving Samuel Biscay Amira Chadwick* or charity, but whose meaning Renée Cherniak* is more the obligation to live Lonny Darwin Debby B. Edelsohn* a righteous and charitable life. Jonathan E. Goldberg Equally important is ensuring Charlotte S. Hattenbach* that the arts and culture of Joseph E. Hollander Jane Stern Lebell our people be taught and Bradley Lubin strengthened. Many grandparents Wendy Marks have expressed to AICF that Marguerite Perkins-Mautner* Margalit Meidar they see this next generation David A. Oestreich more focused on social, political, Helen Sax Potaznik Harvey E. Rothenberg Tamar Rudich Linda Schonfeld Renée Schreiber “If 1,000 young William A. Schwartz Romie Shapiro Jewish Americans Dorit Straus Ralph Tornberg supported 1,000 *Chapter President young Israeli kids, EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ties could be David Homan, USA strengthened that Orit Naor, Israel “ would last forever.” ARTS ADVISORY COMMITTEE Jacques d’Amboise Milton Babbitt Menashe Kadishman Joseph Kalichstein and environmental issues than Pearl Lang culture and the arts. They fear Zubin Mehta their grandchildren will grow Above: (Top) Gabe Katz Napoli on the cover of Henry W. Meyer Cleveland Jewish News June 2008 Bar/Bat Mitzvah Itzhak Perlman up without strong ties to their magazine reproduced with permission from the Dina Recanati cultural heritage. CJN. (Bottom) Gabe Katz Napoli, who raised over 4 John Rubinstein scholarships through AICF for young Israeli violinists. Robert Sherman An important way to create Joan Miklin Silver these strong cultural and artistic Neil Simon Stephen Sondheim ties could be through a young on such a personal level. Beyond Frances Sternhagen person’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah the lesson of tzedakah is the Eugenia Zukerman project. Imagine your child or Pinchas Zukerman lifelong bond formed between grandchild raising funds for music youth to youth, America to Israel, lessons for a young cellist in the culture to culture. Negev or a brilliant young film Contact David Homan at OLUB. 51 East 42nd Street, Suite 400 director in Tel Aviv, and then 212.557.1600 or [email protected] G New York, New York 10017 Tel: 1-212-557-1600 having the opportunity to meet to discuss getting your child Fax 1-212-557-1611 that artist later. Imagine a young [email protected] | www.aicf.org involved in a Mitzvah project person connecting with culture with AICF. OGRAPHY MARC BY America-Israel Cultural Foundation, Inc. T HO is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of P the Internal Revenue Code (tax ID: 13-1664048) Cover image by Hermin Abramovitch, [email protected] www.ahermin.deviantart.com TOP: Youth to Youth Profile: Shiri Tintpulber EDUcatinG A neW GeneRation on THE ARTS It is everyone’s concern by facilitating opportunities that interest in and support to directly experience Israel’s of the High Arts is fading. culture. Furthering the From “Opera at the Movies” understanding of culture to symphonies with visual through Israel and her artists accompaniment, the arts are can develop future generations being redefined to engage a of cultural support in every new generation. The younger local community. generation is focused on Shiri Tintpulber, cello, born in Israel in philanthropy that results in an 1993. She has studied the cello for the immediate impact, and most past 5 years under the guidance of Hillel of this is done through a social Zori. Shiri had recitals at the Israel and the Givatayim Conservatories. Recently she has context. How we engage participated in a tour of the Thelma Yellin people through the arts is of “The arts are High School of the Arts Orchestra in Paris utmost concern. Add to this the and Zurich. Shiri is a member of the Young being redefined Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and of the framework of Jewish identity, to engage a new Jerusalem Music Centre Young Musicians Program where she has played in a trio and we are faced with the issue generation . of not only getting younger coached by Nitai Zori. She is a former 1st How we engage player of the Young String Coast Orchestra donors to attend, but to have (Matan – 2006, 2005). Shiri has participated “people through the them participate in a way that is in master classes of Uzi Wiesel and Emanuel arts is of utmost Gruber. She is a first time winner of the meaningful to them. AICF scholarship. Her mother is the pianist AICF works to create a concern.” Michal Tal and her father the conductor and broader understanding of Israel musical director Shlomo Tintpulber, both former AICF scholarships recipients. Profile: Ofri Nehemya Ofri Nehemya, jazz-drums, 14 years old, born in Israel. Ofri has studied drums for the past six years, starting with his father, the drummer Naor Nehemya, and his current teacher is Eitan Itzkovich. Ofri is a natural talent, starting to play the drums at the age of two while watching instructional drums videos. He learned on his own to identify and play the exact musical OLUB. G segments that were presented on the videos. Ofri has played with chamber and jazz ensembles at the Givatayim Conservatory, big-band and Dixieland ensembles at the Jaffa Music Center and a jazz ensemble under the guidance of Doron Tirosh. Ofri has won AICF scholarships since 2004. His sister, OGRAPHY MARC BY T Hadar is a former winner of the scholarship for jazz-voice, and his mother for HO P voice as well. TOP: TOP: An Interconnected Jewish System for the Arts Israeli artist engagements in the US tend to involve JCCs, federations, consulates, foundations, or synagogues. Often times an artist will play an event in one location, fly back to Israel, and then return to play a 2nd event in a neighboring city. Each venue pays for the full travel costs and promotion for its individual event, which lowers the fee they can pay the artist. AICF has embarked on a program to make it possible for these Jewish organizations to coordinate their programming of Israeli artists. By working together, we will save time and money, and get higher caliber artists. The artists will also receive higher fees and get better exposure. This interconnected Jewish system for the arts will benefit many people, strengthening Jewish Identity in local communities in both “The minute Israeli the US and Israel and artists know they bettering the lives of have an opportunity, Israeli artists. “Since its inauguration in October The tools AICF has many reach out to 1989, The Suzanne Dellal Centre begun working on to the AICF.” has enjoyed ongoing support make this vision a reality “ from AICF for its young creators in the are: field of dance. There is no doubt that the continuation of AICF support for the arts in Israel will tremendously assist in Artist Database: Online, searchable database of Israeli artists, strengthening and developing all forms of with sample material and links to their websites. the art, and for us at the Suzanne Dellal www.aicf.org/artists Centre, the form of dance in Israel and around the world.” Israeli Cultural Calendar: Online, searchable calendar by date, city, artist, and medium to find Israeli artists. www.aicf.org/calendar Yair Vardi, Director UJC/Federation Feeds: Soon to come: Look, Listen and Read Suzanne Dellal Center Jewish at www.ujc.org. AICF will be providing regular Israeli artist features and events to Federation websites all around the country. “I was 28 years old, a fresh T.A.U. graduate, when I was “I believe what the AICF is trying awarded an America-Israel to accomplish could make our Cultural Foundation grant. The $2000 touring dreams come true. Being an stipend (when the dollar was a dollar..) international touring band from Israel, booking enabled me to work with leading writers our last tour of the USA was not an easy task. and directors in Hollywood and New York, While many organizations invited the band west and east. Over those nine months, to perform, there was no link between them I gained insights that vastly influenced and no serious cooperation in order to make a my worldview and future career in film successful tour happen that would be logical in directing. Ten years later, this “film terms of traveling and would also cut costs for Americana” had shaped my vision to everyone involved. establish the now-renowned Sam Spiegel Film & Television School- Jerusalem. The most important thing is to realize that we’re all trying to work for the same cause and that’s Throughout the past decade as the bringing young quality culture from Israel to school’s director, I’ve gained great the communities across the US and the rest of appreciation for AICF’s generous support the world. There’s so much great fresh culture for our programs. And I’ve had the honor coming from Israel. The only right thing to of seeing hundreds of our students do is to create this network that will connect awarded AICF stipends, strengthening all these great artists with the communities them as I was strengthened by my own nationwide that are so thirsty for it. Everyone grant. Thank you, AICF, for your crucial, could benefit from this and find what they’re ongoing role in cultivating and supporting looking for.