Spring 2006 V5

Spring 2006 V5

Newsletter for The Japan Exchange and Teaching Program Alumni Association, New York Chapter Vol. 15, Issue 2 SPRING 2006 THE “RELIGION” ISSUE What’s Inside?! HOLY JET PROGRAM! FINDING GOD IN JAPAN 2 Letter from the Editor Stories of Religion from Our How One JET Unexpectedly Days as JETs Found Himself 3 Comings & Goings by Brian Hersey 4 JETAA Society When I was in Osaka in the mid-1980s while a On my first day as an ALT, as my supervisor student at Kansai Gaidai, I was living with a showed me from the principal’s office to my 5 Japanese & Jews Japanese family. It was spring and Passover new desk, he suddenly turned to me and by Paul Golin season arrived. My parents sent over a Passover asked, "Are you a Christian?" Survival Kit, complete with matzah. The father of 6 Intelligent JET this family had nominally converted I hesitated, wondering where to Christianity while a young man this was going. “Yes,” I said Design and had a Japanese-English Bible uncomfortably. His eyes lit up. by Bruce Feiler in the house. Using the Bible as a Takao-sensei had spent a guide and my then-rudimentary year in an Arkansas home- 9 Museum of Sex: Japanese, I held a makeshift seder stay with a Christian family. one night in our home. We then "Good." He replied, “I like Japan Exhibit went to bed and I awoke the next Christians, although I can't be- by Alexei Esikoff morning to find that Takashi, the lieve myself since I was not father, had eaten the entire remain- raised that way." Phew! 13 If You Knew Sushi ing box of matzah. I wrote a letter to my parents recounting this story My view, I thought, to myself, Like We Knew Sushi and my father passed it on to the was a bit more ambivalent. I by Stacy Smith makers of Manischewitz saying had been raised “that way” they should consider marketing and attended church (Baptist matzah in Japan. Some weeks then Presbyterian) weekly 13 Loudness Concert went by and my father got a letter in from the time I can reviewed by return. "Dear Mr. Feiler, Thank you very much for remember. Some of my earliest memories are your son's letter. But please leave the marketing of my parents holding me in the pew to stop Justin Tedaldi to us!" me from running down the aisle to "give my life Bruce Feiler to Jesus" as I had the week before. Although 14 DVD Review: Pink devout, my parents were never pious or legal- Lady...And Jeff When I was on JET I dated another JET who was istic. They had always encouraged me to ask reviewed by going through his own soul searching (for lack of questions, confident that their faith could with- a better word) and we spent a lot stand scrutiny and that God would answer Lyle Sylvander of time discussing religion and its questions raised. meaning. I think he felt even SEE JAPAN 15 Top 12 List more compelled to do so be- When I entered the JET Pro- cause to him Japan and the vs. CROATIA gram in 1994, however, my faith Japanese appeared to have no seemed barely relevant to every- religion (generally speaking). I Details on p. 15 day life. Oh, I knew the theo- wanted him to see that it wasn't logy, God reaches out to mankind in the person of Jesus (“Religion” continued on page 10) (“Christianity” continued on page 7) The “RELIGION” Issue WARNING! Religion is a darn sensitive issue to get into, but hey, let’s give it a shot. As a notable JET likes to point out, we’re often told not to discuss religion in public, and yet it’s such a significant part of our society, our politics and our lives (even for atheists), how can we not discuss it? Editor Japan is often viewed as a non-religious country, but, as you’ll see in this issue, Steven Horowitz we had plenty of religious experiences. Some people go over to Japan to bring newsletter@jetaany.org their religion to others. Some go in search of Eastern religiousness. And others find their sense of religion challenged and changed by their experience Assistant Editor in Japan. Justin Tedaldi In this issue you’ll read some deep and moving experiences, and you’ll also President read about the lighter side of religion and Japan. We’re hoping that whatever Jennifer Olayon you read, it’s a religious experience for you. president@jetaany.org Steven Horowitz Vice President Katrina Barnas Newsletter Editor vicepres@jetaany.org P.S. Did you hear the one about the minister, the rabbi and the Shinto priest? Secretary Carey Lynn Asselstine BE ONE WITH THE secretary@jetaany.org UNIVERSE. Treasurer Tony McCormac WRITE FOR THE NEWSLETTER! treasurer@jetaany.org If the spirit moves you, e-mail Social Coordinator newsletter@jetaany.org with Newsletter ar- Anyone? ticle ideas, feedback, letters to the editor, social@jetaany.org etc. Philadelphia Representative Therese Stephen phillyrep@jetaany.org Webmaster DON’T GET MAD Scott Norman BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T webmaster@jetaany.org GET A HARDCOPY OF DATABASE COORDINATOR Shannan Spisak THE NEWSLETTER ... database@jetaany.org Please check out e-mail from our Secretary and Just e-mail your snail-mail the web site address to: www.jetaany.org for updated announcements All material contained in this newsletter is DATABASE@JETAANY.ORG the sole property of JETAA New York, Inc. COMINGS & GOINGS SAYONARA HIDA-SAN & SAKAEDA-SAN! YOKOSO ONO-SAN & AHAREN-SAN This month we say goodbye to We are also sad to say good- Meanwhile, we warmly wel- Additionally, JETAA is fortu- Naofumi Hida, the Director of the bye to Lisa Sakaeda, JET Pro- come Hirotaka Ono of the nate to have Takao Aharen Japan Local Government Cen- gram Coordinator for the Con- Consultate General of (an experienced New York ter who returns to Tokyo after 5 sulate General of Japan in New Japan to New York. Ono- veteran) as its new liason years in NY. Hida-san has been York. Lisa has been instrumen- san replaces Noriko Iida, with the Japan Local Gov- extremely supportive of JETAA tal in the coordination of JET who returned to Tokyo last ernment Center. Aharen- NY for the past five years, and we recruitment, interviews, and month, as the Consulate’s san replaces Masahiro will miss his caring spirit, his pre-departure orientation over liason with JETAA NY. We Nagumo as Assistant Direc- knowledge and his friendly nature. the last three years. Shes stay- look forward to working with tor responsible for JETAA JETAA NY would not be where it ing in New York, so we wel- Ono-san and to benefitting NY activities, and we are ex- is today without his efforts and come her to transition into a from his guidance. tremely appreciative of his encouragement. taisetsu FOJ, friend of JET! efforts to date and to come. O-SEWA NI NARIMASHITA!!! YOROSHIKU ONEGAI SHIMASU!!! 858-832-1378 Effectively serving the JET community for over 15 years! “We look forward to helping you find the positions you’ve been searching for!” Our clients need your skills!! Contact us for finance, imp/exp, research, media, fashion and more. Be sure to visit our homepage for a listing of open positions at WWW.BREMAR.COM New York Office San Diego Office 420 Lexington Avenue, Suite 660 Tel: (858) 832-1378 New York, NY 10170 Fax: (858) 832-1379 Tel: (212 )661-0909 Fax: (212) 856-0989 JETAA NEW YORK SOCIETY PAGE by Yoku Shitteiru First off, Yoku Shitteiru wants to say a big yokoso to all the new JETs, aka Future JETAA NY Members. Have a great time over there and, would it hurt to write us every now and then? When you’re back in NYC you can join in on great events like March’s Young Professionals Meishi Exchange at Coco Sushi, featuring work by JET alum artists Yasmine Awais and Manya Tessler and JET alum playwright Randall David Cook sharing a video clip of Sake With the Haiku Geisha, his hit off-broadway play inspired by his experience on the JET Program. Did I mention a special cameo sighting of former JETAA Treasurer Jo Sonido who then promptly jetted back to Australia? ...... The fun continued April 30 at the JETAA Sakura Matsuri at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Vice-Prez Kat Barnas not only pulled together an excellent picnic crew — including Earth Bennett, John Hyon, Cindy “Mc”Hoffman, Stacy Smith (well, she would’ve been there if her phone battery hadn’t died), Olayon accepted a special plaque from the Japan National Tourist our fearless Prez Jennifer Olayon, her suteki boifurendo Tristan, our Organization, which has named the JETAA NY chapter as a “Special super rockstar new Secretary Carey Lynn (who was on time even Representative for Visit Japan Campaign.” The JNTO has set a goal though she went to sleep at 6am!) and our new friend Doug, as well as of attracting 10 million foreign tourists to Japan by 2010. There are Friends of JET (FOJs) Ayano, Sakura, Takuya (Murakami), and JE- about 1,000 New York JET alums, so that means if we divide up the TAA’s favorite FOJ couple, Keiko and Keiichi Suzuki — Kat also work, each of us is only responsible for 100,000 tourists each. Sore de, supplied the Poland Spring “water.” There was plenty of natsukashii stop reading and get cracking! Ganbarou! ...... Meanwhile, one notable hanami tradition including koto, taiko and shamisen music and Japanese JET alum attendee was Brooklyn native and Inuyama City Councilman cultural demonstrations, but the group was really more interested in Anthony Bianchi who happend to be in town with an entourage of absorbing the good weather and beautiful ambiance of the cherry artisans from his region on a cultural exchange.

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