Myriam's Dream

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The Hebrew letters: bet, gimmel, daled, kof, pay, and tav may not mean much to you, unless you are a Hebrew grammarian or, better yet, a fan of American Jewish music. To a grammarian, those are the six Hebrew letters that take a dot (or dageish) when they appear at the beginning of a Hebrew word.

The acronym is pronounced Beg-ed Kef-et. To Jewish music fans, those letters form the name of Beged Kefet, a musical tzedakah project now in its 22nd year!

Beged Kefet began in the city of Jerusalem in the Fall of 1982 when its founding members were students of Hebrew at HUC-JIR. The first-year rabbinic and cantorial students were required to undertake a tzedakah project to benefit the community in which they were living. Six students decided to take their love of Jewish music to the people of Jerusalem, and so they performed American and Israeli music all over the City of Gold. They called themselves Beged Kefet, using the mnemonic device described above, to remind themselves and their Israeli audiences that they were beginners when it came to the Hebrew language. But their music was far from basic. Their songs (primarily in Hebrew and English) featured original compositions, as well as other American and Israeli songs, in sophisticated vocal arrangements by the group’s members. The singers accompanied their vocal harmonies with guitar, piano, flute, tambourine, and tof (hand drum). One of their singing engagements would change their lives and many others forever. In the poorest section of Jerusalem, they met Myriam Mendilow, a retired schoolteacher and founder of Lifeline for the Old in Israel. Myriam dreamed of making all people her partners in the preservation of human dignity and the promotion of understanding, tolerance, and respect for the elderly and the disabled. She deputized the members of Beged Kefet to take her dream back to the United States, and to become her musical ambassadors for her special cause.

For the last 22 years, Beged Kefet has answered Myriam’s call, raising funds and consciousness for the benefit of the elderly and disabled. The members of Beged Kefet are Cantor Riki Lippitz of South Orange, N.J.; Cantor Benjie Ellen Schiller and Rabbi Les Bronstein of White Plains, N.Y.; Cantor Ellen Dreskin and Rabbi Billy Dreskin of White Plains, N.Y.; and Beth Sher and Cantor Leon Sher of Livingston, N.J. They have performed concerts for audiences of all ages all over the United States and in Israel, at synagogues and conferences from Boston to Houston, from Los Angeles to Long Island, from Jersey to Jerusalem.

Beged Kefet has also produced and sold thousands of copies of two recordings, available on CD: Beged Kefet: The First Album and Go Out in Joy. Through their concerts and recordings, Beged Kefet seeks to awaken human hearts and minds to the uniqueness and value of every human being, and to raise funds that support programs here and abroad that translate this dream into reality. To that end, all the money that Beged Kefet raises through its performances and product sales are donated to Myriam’s Dream, Inc., so that they, in turn, can make other peoples’ dreams a reality. Beged Kefet is immensely proud of the tens of thousands of dollars it has raised over the years by partnering with synagogues, educational conferences, clergy groups, summer camps, and other Jewish musicians. Eighteen years, seven successful careers, and eleven children later, Beged Kefet continues to serve as the musical ambassadors of Myriam’s dream, helping to raise the funds that are distributed around the world through Myriam’s Dream grants. They continue their mission to make Myriam’s dream of dignity and tolerance for all people a reality at home and abroad.

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Capetown: “The new stove which you provided is in constant good use. Your support has mad a significant difference in the lives of our seniors…. Our deepest appreciation for the generosity of Myriam’s Dream.”

Jerusalem: “The parcels of pesach food were delivered to hundreds of needy elderly, providing the basic necessities not available to them.”

Bacca, Jerusalem: “Your support of our increasing number of frail elderly has allowed us to continue our specialized programs to prevent functional decline and diminish sporadic memory loss.”

Prague: “The elderly ladies are so happy making the kippot for you and knowing they will go to young people all over America.”

Hod Hasharon: “Many community needs are hidden from view – and you have helped CLICK provide both an elderly day center and enabled work projects for the elderly from local factories.”

Latvia: “The elderly have been cooking hot meals for the elderly who cannot come to ‘Myriam’s Kitchen’ – - and we all say, Thank You, Thank You.”

Haifa: “To enable the elderly to stay in their homes as long as they can. . . or, the clubs for blind elderly.”

Ukraine: “Thank you for giving us the means to distribute food and medicine to the poor elderly Jews who survive in our region.”

Eilat: “Because we absorb large numbers of elderly immigrants, as well as an aging population from the earlier waves of immigrants in the 1940′s and 50′s, Myriam’s Dream has helped the elderly to express crafts, cooking and music/dance from their former countries. The Ethiopian Moadon serveds 30 elderly and more than 25 children in your intergenerational program. The folklore group, in particular folk dancing, is a healthy and popular expression of costumes, narration and performance.”

DIPLOMAT HOTEL, JERUSALEM
To over 600 hotel aged, poor, and declining residents most from the former Soviet Union, Myriam’s Dream has aided Alice Jonah and her volunteer corps to provide transportation, food, advice, Torah study, library, choir, handicrafts, medical checkups, dental assistance, etc. Once devoid of services and community spirit, the residents now have an active productive communal fellowship.

THE RABBANIT, JERUSALEM
To the poor and elderly, the Rabbanit provides Passover food packages, clothing, kids’ summer camp, a used clothing warehouse, and more. One longtime highly appreciated aspect of her inventory is the supply of wedding dresses which a bride may borrow for this special occasion. Myriam’s Dream is providing funding for some administrative and operations assistance.

MOGILEV
From our liaison with Mogilev, we are told that there are twenty elderly remaining in this area but because they now have some funding – via Myriam’s Dream – there is a new dynamic: the students visit the elderly regularly reading to them, talking with them, and of course bringing them food, medications, repairing their apartments, and stepping in when needed. These older people have been left alone by their children, and now the students of the Jewish Cultural Center are filling the need. Myriam’s Dream also aids in providing medical supplies and equipment, linens, food and summer camp for children who must still cope with after-effects of the Chernobyl explosion.

YITAV 109, JERUSALEM
David Zehavi, Chair
P O Box 3998, Jerusalem 91039 Israel
David Zahavi and his cadre of volunteers daily check on almost 1,000 isolated elderly, ill, and disabled persons. If there is no answer, or if someone needs assistance (even including minor household repairs), a volunteer visits the home to take appropriate steps.

AMIT, JERUSALEM
The program called Shirsheret comprises a group of young people who become pen pals with a group of elderly, often wheel-chair bound people. The two groups meet together about five times a year, having formed a joint choir which performs each June for a festive, well-attended concert. Myriam’s Dream gave support for their transportation assistance.

BEIT FRANKFORTER
Ms. Sima Zini, Director
80 Beit Lechem Road
P O B 10074Jerusalem 91100 ISRAELFax 011-972-2-672-5395
Beit Frankforter does impressive good works for the elderly including social activities, inter-generation programs, health care, visits to the ill, handicrafts, and language classes to name only a few. It has a web site at http://frankforter.hypermart.net/index.htm which you may want to visit. Myriam’s Dream is supporting a teacher for computer classes for the elderly and handicapped to enhance fine motor, eye-hand coordination and their memory abilities. Quickly noticed is that use of the internet and e-mail helps bridge the generation gap between the elderly and their children and grandchildren. Our grant also includes funds for an instructor to create quality gifts with the elderly participants, such as baby sweaters and hats, aprons, quilts, and artisan crafts.

MYRIAM’S DREAM BOOKBINDERY
1102 Atlantic Avenue
Atlantic City NJ 08401
Telephone: 609-345-3350
Officially opened in its new Atlantic City location in February, 1999, the Myriam’s Dream bookbindery trains elders in the skilled craft of repairing and rebinding books. As Myriam once commented, “The young tear; the old repair.” The quality of the elders’ work is excellent: complete, precise and creative. Numerous schoolchildren come to visit and see the skilled elderly at work. This year the Bookbindery re-bound more than 2,500 books for schools, synagogues, and individuals, including some large print dictionaries for elders with visual impairment. Myriam’s Dream continues to support the Bookbindery’s community service by funding much-needed bindery supplies and training expenses.

AM ECHAD
http://www.amechad.net/
With its focus in the FSU primarily in St. Petersburg, Russia. Am Echad has aided 103 recipients this past year via volunteers who visited over 300 people. MYRIAM’S DREAM grant is to help over 100 elderly and bedridden clients still on the “Waiting List” for the bare necessities of food, medicine, clothing and warmth (both calorific and personal).

CLICKE
Community Leadership & Intervention of Crisis for Kids and Elderly
Linda Mosek, Director
P.O. Box 6337
Hod Hasharon 45241
ISRAEL
Telephone: 972-9-7414974
Fax: 972-9-7414974
E-mail: linda@roshhelp.co.il
Operating since 1997, Click operates four centers for the aged in different neighborhoods and a day care center for the disabled elderly. The Myriam’s Dream grant this year will support a CLICK neighborhood outreach social worker whose duties will include supervising and recruiting the essential corps of volunteers, creating outreach programs for the home-bound, and continuing and developing community intergenerational projects. One of the most amazing results of the intergenerational program is the partnership and reciprocal relationship that developed between children and elderly in the community. For example, the elderly cook a hot lunch one day a week for the children in the respite care program.” The Director noted the changed attitude toward the elderly by the youth and the “improved feeling of self-worth” which the elderly realized.

EILAT, ISRAEL
Ms. Norma Gaines
Little Wonders Hot Lunches
P.O. Box 1081, 88110 Eilat, Israel
E-mail: paula@eilatcity.co.il
Many new immigrant grandparents in poor families primarily from Ethiopia, are babysitting for their grandchildren. Except for feeding the babies, these grandparents know little about games, exercises, nutrition, etc. “Little Wonders” for grandparents and little ones, a new program to provide “grandparent education in child care,” will be funded by Myriam’s Dream. This generation-to-generation project will enrich the health and lives of the grandparents as well as the babies.

YAAKOV MAIMON VOLUNTEERS, ISRAEL
Joel Dorkam
Kibbutz Palmach Tsuba, D.N. Harei Jehuda 90870 Israel
Tel: 02-347871 Fax: 02-347955
More new Olim keep arriving at Mevasseret-Zion absorption center and caravan camps on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Myriam’s Dream was requested to increase our support of activities there, particularly among the elderly Olim. Teaching Hebrew and the routines and customs of the immigrants’ new homeland of Israel have become important immigration services from this all-volunteer group.

L’VUV, UKRAINE
We are told that most of these elders are survivors of WW2 — single people, invalids and people with terrible chronic diseases Last year this volunteer group nursed 8 people and gave out to 119 Jewish people 1309 medicines. They write that they “are constantly in debts and your help is very very important. We often become the last point for the needy Jews to get help which no one else can do.” Myriam’s Dream grant will be used to give medicines, food essentials and health care to the home-bound elderly.

ACTION FOR POST-SOVIET JEWRY
Active in 42 communities in the Ukraine, three in Belarus, and one in Moldova, APSJ is a major contributor of life’s basic necessities, particularly medical aid and food. It has recently improved the seniors’ handicraft program. “This is really an outgrowth of the original suggestion we had from Myriam’s Dream to develop handiwork to benefit our clients,” recently wrote its Executive Director.

MATE YEHUDA DAY CENTRE FOR ELDERLY, ISRAEL
Attention: Ruth Yanay or Yuhudit Katz
c/o Mate Yehuda Regional Council
P O Box 6835
Jerusalem 94467 Israel
Fax: 011-972-2-9900-902
Mate Yehuda has fine examples of top-notch intergenerational and intercommunity activities (e.g.: Abu Gosh high school). Myriam’s Dream funded the newly developed enabling garden for senior gardeners who use wheelchairs or braces. This year Myriam’s Dream will aid youths who will be working with the elderly on ceramics, silk painting, candle making, weaving, and traditional baking. New this year will be an attempt to grow Biblical plants to dovetail with group discussions about Biblical vegetation, both regarding their uses and their place in literature.