Today is Rabbi Everett Gendler's (z"l) yahrzeit. I assume that like many of you, as I move through my daily life, I'm regularly reminded of Everett. It will happen in surprising and often unexpected ways. I'll think of him when I notice the first rhubarb greens as they begin to poke out of the earth, when a particularly bright [...]
Yesterday was the first day of Nisan. Everett (z"l) died on 1 Nisan last year. Naomi, Tamar, and I had a discussion about on which day we should acknowledge and share some information about Everett on social media - the first day of Nisan or April 1. I said that Uncle Everett would think it [...]
About a month ago, I learned that my uncle, Rabbi Gendler, was given one of the first five rainbow tallitot ever made. For those who don't know, before the 1960s, tallitot were white with black (sometimes blue) stripes. That was convention until Rabbi Gendler's friend, Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, invented, designed, and commissioned the making of [...]
I'm doing some writing about Rabbi Gendler and am looking for vivid, detailed memories people have of him between 1971-1995. If you attended Phillips Academy and/or were a congregant at Temple Emanuel of the Merrimack Valley, I would love to hear your detailed stories or memories about Rabbi Gendler and the impact he had on you. [...]
In April, I had the honor of speaking with Rabbi Everett Gendler and Ambassador Andrew Young. During the discussion, they talked about how they met in Albany, GA, in 1962, and the relationship between the Black and Jewish communities during the civil rights movement. In June, I had the pleasure of following up with the two of them. During our second [...]
A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of talking with Rabbi Everett Gendler and Ambassador Andrew Young. They first met in Albany, Georgia, in August 1962, when Rabbi Gendler participated in an interracial prayer vigil. In the interview, they discuss a variety of topics, including the relationship between the Black and Jewish communities during the civil [...]
Since our first grant cycle in 2013, the Gendler Grapevine Project has supported 43 innovative, effective, and replicable initiatives at summer camps, rabbinical schools, synagogues, and non-profit organizations. This year, we have developed a comprehensive report explaining each project and providing an update on how they are faring in 2019. The report can be found in [...]
Hazon's capstone project, Teva Lessons for the Classroom and Beyond, has already been a great benefit to the Teva program. Over the winter months, they drafted lesson plans for each topic. The ones that were more developed were piloted during the spring Teva season. Silk Painted Challah Covers and Clay Mezuzot were a successful addition to their ritual [...]
When I picked up my daughter (age 12) up from Sunday school last week, she got in the car, handed me a plastic cup wrapped in aluminum foil, and stated flatly, "It's supposed to be a kiddish cup." I turned it over, thinking about how it couldn't even serve its purpose, as liquid would get caught under [...]
While the Gendler Grapevine Project is moving into its sunset phase, we have been busy behind the scenes. One thing we've been working on is our Capstone Initiatives. These larger-in-scope and longer-term initiatives focus on two key aspects of the Gendler Grapevine Project’s goals: replicability and longevity. Both capstone initiatives reach beyond their local communities and strive [...]
