February 2021 Bentson Bulletin

740 Kay Avenue * Saint Paul, MN * 55102 * 612-328-2000 * www.sholom.com

Celebrating February Vaccine Clinic for Bentson!

Black History Month January 28th we hosted a clinic for Bentson tenants and staff with pharmacists from CVS. Bird Feeding Month Our systems worked well and over 150 people were served, including 96% of Assisted Living Mend a Broken Heart Month tenants. Nursing staff had paperwork well prepared ahead Women’s Heart Week of time and will keep track of vaccination cards February 1–7 for each tenant until our follow-up shot clinic on February 25th. It was quick and almost painless! Groundhog Day February 2

Canadian Maple Syrup Day February 6

Chinese New Year: Year of the Ox February 12

Valentine’s Day February 14

Mardi Gras We will continue to do February 16 frequent hand washing, masking and social Justice for Animals Week distancing as part of the February 21–27 MN Dept. of Health guidelines, but our dining International Toast Day room is open and we can February 25 gather in the Nosh Nook with up to 10 tenants for Purim programs. We hope to February 26 stay at this level for the next several months.

February 2021

Preparing for the New Year Chinese connections

February 12 rings in the Chinese New  Feb 17th and 24th – Documentary Year, the Year of the Ox. A visitor to China series “Ancient China from Above” – will find homes decorated in red. Come This documentary series was midnight, loud fireworks will boom and produced in 2020 and relies on new crackle. technologies to see the past in a whole new light. There are three These time- episodes that will play each honored Wednesday afternoon at 2:00 pm. traditions  Feb 10th – Movie “The Joy Luck spring from Club” (1993) Based on a best-selling the myth of novel by Amy Tan, this is the story of the monster Nian, half-dragon, half-kirin, a four women born in China raising hooved and one-horned beast. Nian lived their daughters in America. Strong at the bottom of the sea but would rise depiction of thematic material led to from the depths each New Year’s Eve to an R rating. ravage the villages. So, each New Year’s,  Feb 13 – Musical “Flower Drum the villagers would flee to the mountains. Song”– After a run on Broadway, Rogers & Hammerstein’s work was One year, a beggar arrived to find the translated to film in 1961. In this love village deserted. Only an old woman triangle, James Shegita’s character remained, and in return for shelter, the must choose between a traditional beggar promised to scare Nian away. The Chinese girl or a more modern beggar busied himself decorating the Chinese-American girl. Nancy Kwan woman’s house with red. When terrible sings “I Feel Pretty”. The film was Nian arrived at midnight, it roared in anger nominated for 5 Oscar awards. when it saw the red door. The beggar lit firecrackers to terrorize Nian. Dressed all in Yinghua Academy’s 2020 red, he laughed in Nian’s terrible face, and “Year of the Rat” Celebration the monster fled. The villagers returned to learn that Nian was scared of the color red Yinghua Academy is the only full and the loud firecrackers. To this day, immersion Mandarin Chinese K-8 every New Year’s Eve, the Chinese still school in Minneapolis. It opened in drape their homes with red and light 2006 and was the first public charter firecrackers at midnight. school of its kind in the USA. Each year, all 800 students participate in an This month our virtual programming will enormous demonstration of their include a focus on China and Chinese- language and culture studies. We will be watching parts of last year’s event on American stories. See the pink box on this th page for a listing of dates and times of February 12 beginning at 1:45 pm on these presentations! our closed-circuit channel 33. Watch for Liz’s son, Liam doing kung-fu!

Making Black History Black History Connections

In 1915, historian and st  Feb 1 - Movie “Soul” (2020) is the journalist Dr. Carter G. first by Pixar Animation to star an Woodson founded the African American protagonist. Joe is Association for the Study of a jazz pianist who lands the gig of his African American Life and life, only to be waylaid finding the History (ASALH). He was just meaning of life. the second African American after W. E.  Feb 3rd - Video “Reconstruction: B. Du Bois to obtain a Ph.D. from Harvard America After the Civil War” is a two University and one of the first scholars to hour PBS documentary on the legacy study the African diaspora. of racial injustice in America.

 Feb 9th - Movie Ruby Bridges (1998) In 1926, Woodson brought prominence to “ ” is a Disney live-action film about a his movement by championing “Negro  six-year old girl who is the first student History Week” during the second week of to integrate her local elementary February. He wanted the week to coincide school. with the birthdays of abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass and President  Feb 15 - Author Wayne Gannaway Abraham Lincoln. This event was an shares his article “The Perils of opportunity for schools and communities Peace: Fredrick Douglas, Winona, to organize celebrations of African and Civil Rights in Minnesota after Americans and their contributions to  the Civil War” published in Minnesota American society by offering free lectures History magazine in 2018. and performances and establishing black  Feb 15 - Movie “The Immortal Life of history clubs. Henrietta Lacks” (2017) a story that took a decade of research and led to During the coming decades, mayors from a Times bestseller. Oprah cities all across America proclaimed the Winfrey and Rose Byrne reveal a second week of February “Negro History story about medical ethics and leaving Week.” Then, in 1970, the Black students a legacy for all of humanity. and educators at Kent State University  Feb 22 - Movie “Chisholm ’72: expanded on Woodson’s vision and Unbought and Unbossed (2004) is a declared the entire month of February documentary on Congresswoman Black History Month. In 1976, President Shirley Chisholm’s 1972 presidential Gerald Ford followed suit, officially bid. See behind the curtain on recognizing Black History Month financial, racial and sexual politics. nationwide. The theme that year was  Feb 25 – Melanie DeMore and America for All Americans. This year’s VocalEssence Witness was a concert theme is The Black Family, offering, in the in Minneapolis celebrating spirituals words of the ASALH, “a rich tapestry of and the stick pounding tradition of the images for exploring the African American Gullah sea islands of South Carolina. past and present.”

February 2021

For the love of a friend February Birthdays

The Odd Couple is a 1968 buddy comedy In astrology, those born between February 1–18 film written by , adapted from are the Water Bearers of Aquarius. These deep-thinking intellectuals have big dreams. The his 1965 Broadway play of the same world is full of possibilities, and Aquarians seek name. It stars Jack Lemmon and Walter freedom to reach their greatest potential. Those Matthau, was produced by Howard W. born between February 19–28 are Pisces’ Fish. Koch and directed by Gene Saks. It is the Pisces are friendly, wise, and selfless, making them excellent friends. Their intuitive natures story of two divorced men who try sharing also make Fish creative and expressive artists. an apartment, but their personalities clash with comical result. The film was Sally Orren – February 13 financially successful, garnered several award nominations and a television Rosa Parks (activist) – February 4, 1913 Hank Aaron (ballplayer) – February 5, 1934 . Laura Ingalls Wilder (writer) – February 7, 1867 Thomas Edison (inventor) – February 11, 1846 Frederick Douglass (reformer) – February 14, 1818 Smokey Robinson (singer) – February 19, 1940 Nina Simone (singer) – February 21, 1933 Julius Erving (athlete) – February 22, 1950 Jackie Gleason (comedian) – February 26, 1916 Elizabeth Taylor (actress) – February 27, 1932

The Odd Couple movie earned praise from critics as well as box-office In casting for the film version, Walter success. It was produced for $1.2 Matthau reprised his role as Oscar million dollars and grossed over $44.5 Madison, a fun-loving sports writer and million dollars in the United States. poor housekeeper. Jackie Gleason, Jack It opened at New York's Radio City Klugman and Mickey Rooney were also Music Hall on May 2, 1968 and played considered to play Oscar. Jack Lemmon there for the next 14 weeks, a record was cast as Felix Unger, a neurotic and breaking run! meticulous housekeeper who is distraught We will be showing this film on at the breakup of his marriage. This role Saturday, February 6th at 6:00 pm on was played on Broadway by Art Carney Channel 33. Watch for evidence of the and for the film, casting directors also movie's Broadway origins, for example considered Frank Sinatra, when the players in the poker game are and Tony Randall. In the television gathered around the table, they leave version, played Oscar and one side bare as the 'downstage' side! Tony Randall was Felix. That show ran They are oriented toward an audience from 1970-1975 on ABC. even when the camera angles change.