We are so GLEEful...

They call Northampton, "Paradise City" for many different reasons. It is quite a unique place to live. The richness of living in an area where there is a plethora of academia has its' privileges. The arts and culture that pervades many different parts of this valley is prevalent everywhere. We get many performers that much larger metropolitan areas don't because of the intimacy of our space.

LGA has taken advantage of this by hosting an evening called A Night Around the Table: Dinners and conversations with local luminaries. It is modeled after Boston's Jewish Community Day School's Matters of Taste. For this annual fundraiser, members and friends of the LGA community open their homes for an evening of delicious food and enlightening conversation in a more intimate gathering of usually 10-20 people depending on the size of the space. The hosts of the events went all out for their guests and provided unique menus.

Last Sunday, LGA hosted nine dinners. This list of acclaimed speakers captured guests minds and hearts in what can be classified as just a "great night out on behalf of LGA" was so impressive:

Lou Cove, executive director of Reboot

John Darnton, Pulitzer prize winning reporter for The New York Times

Rabbi Art Green, a preeminent scholar of Jewish spirituality and mysticism

Fraidy Katz, Performer of classic Yiddish songs

Patricia MacLachlan, award-winning author of picture books and novels for children (including Sarah, Plain and Tall)

Richard Michelson, Prizewinning poet and children's book author, and art gallery owner

Estela Olevsky, Internationally acclaimed pianist

Eugene Pogany, author of In My Brother's Image

Ilan Stavans, cultural critic, who has been dubbed "the czar of Latino culture in the U.S."

The highlight of the evening for me was the premiere of a new LGA pictorial that LGA board member and executive director of Avoda Arts (a national Jewish arts and culture educational organization), Debbie Krivoy and her partner, Jen Einhorn, who is director of marketing at the Clarke School for the Deaf. Shana Sureck who is a new parent in the school and a professional photographer really got the right shots to make this presentation pop! Marla Shelasky, who is LGA's admissions and marketing professional also got a lot of great shots and lent her advise and eye to the final production. It was a collaborative effort. This short 3 minute presentation captures the school so unbelievably well!

It captures the essence of what I am trying to do...build a community school that highlights educational excellence in a Jewish atmosphere.

Thank you Debbie, Jen, Shana and Marla for helping me memorialize the vision. I hope you enjoy the presentation!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTtQzpQL-bE