xt769p2w6w8v https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt769p2w6w8v/data/mets.xml Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass Kentucky Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass 2015-11 Newspaper of the Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass, previously named the Central Kentucky Jewish Association and Central Kentucky Jewish Federation. Published ten times annually. The Federation seeks to bring Jewish community members together through holiday parties, lectures, Yiddish courses, meals, and other celebrations of Jewish heritage and culture. They also host fundraisers and provide financial assistance for Jews in need, both locally and around the world. This collection is part of the Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass records, 2016ms010. newsletters 2016ms010 English Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass Inc. Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass records Jews -- Kentucky -- Lexington Jews -- History Shalom, November 2015 text image Shalom, November 2015 2015 2015-11 2025 true xt769p2w6w8v section xt769p2w6w8v W ,1."

Volume XIV
Issue 9

Cheshvan/Kislev
5776

OF THE BLUEGRASS November 2015

Newspaper of

Lexington, Kentucky Joins Global Day
of Jewish Learning on November 15

What 5 Love Got to Do With
It?

By Talia Smolkin

Since 201 1. our Jewish com—
munity in Lexington has come
together for Global Day ofJew—
ish Learning And we've fallen
' in love with it. Each year we
come together to learn from each other alongside indi-
viduals from 111oum the globe.

On November 15, at 10 am. at Temple Adath Israel,
the whole community will come together to celebrate
both local and world-wide Jewish unity and Jewish
learning.

Global Day of Jewish Learning is based on Rabbi Adin
Steinsaltz‘s mission to provide access to our foundational
texts. Rabbi Steinsaltz is a world—renowned distinguished
scholar. teacher. mystic. and social critic. His works have
been translated into English. Russian. French. Portuguese.
Spanish. Swedish. Italian. Chinese and Japanese. and he
has been on a life—long mission to make the Talmud acces-
sible to all.

is?“ . g1“ ,

Rabbi Steinsaltz explains his love for learning together in
" [LIQJLL‘ H 13/1 Agni

Because so many thousands of people are studying to-
gether. the Global Day of Jewish Learning transforms
a solitary event into a venture that belongs to every-
body. We are uplifted and inspired when people from
all walks of life gather together in study: our neigh—
bors and our friends. our families and those whom we
have never before met. We have not delegated Jewish
knowledge to the professionals. We have made the
claim that it belongs to all of us.

And as much as our community loves to learn from our

professionals. we also love to learn from each other. We
gain new insights. develop our cultural connections. deep
en our spiritual joumeys. and strengthen our community.

But what’s love got to do with it? It’s the focus of this
year’s Global Day of Jewish Learning. This year. we
will explore the theme, “Love: Devotion, Desire and
Deception.”

Using our own resources as well as resources from the

Global Day Curriculum. we will explore several aspects
of love in Judaism. We will also have (continued page 3)

From the Director: Strategic Planning
for our Jewish Community
By Judy Wortman

In early October. a distin—
guished group of 75 Conserva-
tive and Reform scholars and
leaders signed a statement that
was published in eJewish Phi-
lanthropy entitled Strategic Di-
rections in Jewish Life: A call
to Action. The signers included
professors of Jewish Theologi-
cal Seminary. Hebrew Union
College. and Brandeis. mega philanthropists who head
Jewish foundations. rabbis of large congregations in major
American cities. and so on. Their call to action was in
response to the fact that in the two years since the Pew
Study. Portrait ofJewish America. was released. there has
been no sense of crisis propelling American Jewry to act
to stem the tides of assimilation. intermarriage. late mar-
riages. low birthrates, and the (continued page 2)

CAMPAIGN NEWS

2015 Community Campaign to End Soon
By Judy Wortman

The 2015 campaign is drawing to a close next month. and
we need your help to meet our goal. Your gifts give us the
ability to meet human needs and enhance lives both here
in the Lexington area. in Israel. and around the world. As
I write this article. tensions in Israel are heightened. The
number of terrorist attacks on Israelis has become alarm-
ing and the situation is not improving. The funds we raise
for Israel are used for social services — to support those
impacted by terrorism. to help settle new immigrants. to
care for the elderly.

Funds are needed here for so many programs that our
Federation offers such as Camp Shalom. The fees that
families pay cover only a part of our costs. Funds are also
needed to buy books for 150 children each month who
are enrolled in PJ Library and to sponsor frequent activi—
ties and programming for PJ Library children. Your gifts
give us the ability to provide social work services and
emergency funds for those in need in our own community.
Through Jewish Family Services. we offer counseling.
referrals. scholarships for Jewish overnight camps and
Camp Shalom. scholarships for Israel (continued. page 2)

(From the Director. continued from page 1 ) disafﬁliation
of 2 million Jews. Unlike the frenzy of activity fol-
lowing the release of the 1990 National Population
highlighting the fact that the intermarriage rate was
52%. the signers say there has been “near in-action
that bespeaks a self—imposed helplessness and the time
to mobilize the Jewish community to adopt effective
policies and programs is now." They then suggest
strategies that have been proven to counteract the
trends such as Jewish education through adolescence.
day schools. Jewish overnight camps. Israel trips. and
youth groups.

As might have been expected. in the following week.
numerous articles were printed in response to this call
to action — half applauding the piece and half criticiz—
ing it. Some criticism came from younger Jewish
professionals who were. in fact. children of intermar—
ried families. unmarried. and/or childless. One rabbi
noted that there were almost no rabbis or scholars
from the Reconstructionist or Renewal movements
who were on the list and he suggested that they had
not been invited to sign. A frequent criticism was
that the piece was hostile to intermarried families and
rather than suggesting policies of inclusion. suggested
more efforts at conversion. One rabbi expressed his
belief that the problem is too much real estate in the
Jewish community. and if we could divest ourselves of
the millions and millions of dollars of Jewish insti—
tutional real estate built in the last 60 or so years. we
would have plenty of dollars to redirect into effective
programming to make Jewish living affordable to all.
not tojust the wealthy.

It is interesting that this ﬂurry of activity calling for
action and strategic planning comes just as our own
Jewish community is embarking on a research proj-
ect to help us determine our own strategic directions.
By the time this issue of Shalom is published. Dr.
Jacob Ukeles. President of Ukeles Associates Inc..
will have made his first visit to Lexington to begin an
assessment of our Jewish community. His initial visit
will be highlighted by meetings with the Presidents~
Council. the community's rabbis and Jewish profes-
sionals. a number of major donors and lay leaders.
JFB‘s Executive Committee. etc. In addition to this
visit and two others later this year. we will be distrib-
uting a questionnaire to everyone for whom we have
email addresses. We hope that once this research is
completed. we will be able to create a road map for the
future that will help us put into place strategies that
will ensure that we have a vibrant Jewish community
in the future. In future articles. I will keep you ap—
prised of the process as it unfolds. We hope you will
complete the survey when you receive it and make
sure we have your up to date email address so your
voice can be heard.

October Events with The University of
Kentucky Jewish Studies Program

*Moosnick Events Nov. 4, 2015 Dr. Lawrence H.
Schiffman. Professor of Hebrew and Judaic Stud-

ies and Director of the Global Institute for Advanced
Research in Jewish Studies at New York University
"The Dead Sea Scrolls" Carrick Theatre. Transylvania
University 7 pm.

Nov. 5, 2015 Dr. Lawrence H. Schiffman. Professor of
Hebrew and Judaic Studies and Director of the Global
Institute for Advanced Research in Jewish Studies at
New York University "The Bible and Interpretation

of the Dead Sea Scrolls" (Off Campus) 7 pm. Temple
Adath Israel

Nov. 18, 2015. Prof. Lee Levine “How and Why Did
Jewish Art Flourish in Antiquity as Never Before"
4:30 pm. W. T. Young Auditorium

Nov. 19. 2015. Prof. Lee Levine “Jews and Judaism

in Late Antiquity (70 CE to 640 CE) - Decline or
Vibrancy: A New Historical Paradigm" 7 pm. Confer-
ence/First Lady’s Room. Boone Center

Dec. 9, 2015. JHFE Scholars and Dr. Jan Fernheimer.
Director of Jewish Studies "UK Jewish Life Celebrat-
ing the Sesquicentennial: A Report from the JHFE
Jewish Kentucky Oral History Project"

(Campaign News. cont. from pg. 1) programs for teens.
family life education. and cultural and social programs
for retirees.

We hope that you have made your annual gift already.
If for some reason we have not reached you. please
call us at the ofﬁce. We would love to talk with you
and tell you more about where your contributions

can go. In addition. during November and December
you will have the option of making your gift on line
through the GoodGiving campaign sponsored by the
Blue Grass Community Foundation and Smiley Pete
Publishing of which we are a part. For further infor-
mation. please call Judy Wortman at 268-0572 or

email 1le 'c\\ ishlc\inuton.oru.

“Like” us on our

page

@J FedofBluegrass

www.twitter.com www.facebook.com

ASK J FS
By Mimi Kaufman

There was a recent article
in the Courier-Joumal
about Kentucky nursing
homes seeking less regula—
tion. because they believe
regulations are heavy—
handed and excessive.
There probably are some
issues with the regulatory
, process and ﬁnes associ-
ated with violations; however it concerns me when I
hear that we are questioning regulations for the care
provided to our most vulnerable citizens. There are
roughly 23.000 frail. elderly and disabled people liv-
ing in Kentucky nursing homes. Through years of
personal and professional experience. I have witnessed
patients getting wonderful and sometimes not so won-
derful care. I could ﬁll the entire November Shalom
edition with stories. This is a serious matter.

The point of this article is not to discuss and pick apart
the problems and lobbying of the nursing home regu—
latory process. but just to take a minute and remember
that those in nursing homes are vulnerable. As com-
munity and family members. we should visit our fam—
ily and friends often. Check in to be sure that needs
are getting met. "rattle some chains" as an old friend
of mine used to say when referring to checking in on
her elderly mother. But the key is rattling chains in a
nice and respectful manner. I would recommend visit-
ing as much as you can and also becoming friendly
with the staff so that they know you.

There are some things you can do if you know that
you are going to need a nursing facility for your loved
one. Typically. patients are in the hospital first when
they need continued nursing care. The hospital dis—
charge planner should ask family if they have a prefer-
ence to which nursing facility they would like to try.

It is totally appropriate to visit and tour facilities so
that you can make an informed choice. Ask questions
about issues that concern you.

Here are some helpful websites that keep tabs on how
facilities are doing:

The Federal Government offers a rating system for
facilities at 1111 Ex; 11. 1.1 11 \lCLllC 11.1.1111 11111s1111.l111111e-
9.131%»:

The Inspector General‘s ofﬁce for Cabinet for Health

£l‘:i\.l\‘1 1111. 11m11l1,
-.-,. W. wag—T

JFS: At Your Service is a monthly column covering a
wide range of issues. If you have a problem or a con-
cern that you would like addressed in this Shalom col-
umn. please send them either by mail to Jewish Family
Services at 1050 Chinoe Road Suite 112. or by email
to jfs @jewishlexingtonorg. You can also always call
with your conﬁdential questions at (859) 269—8244.

(Global Day continued from page 1) several workshops
to choose from. led by community members. and of
course a workshop sponsored by Jewish Family Ser-
vices.

Our children will also have opportunities for great
learning. The religious schools from Ohavay Zion
Sygagogue and Temple Adath Israel will come togeth-
er to explore the theme. We will have a PJ Library
program.

Click here to see all the partners of Global Day of
Jewish Learning. such as Jewish Federations of North
America. PJ Library, Rabbinical Assembly: The
Worldwide Association of Conservative/Masorti Rab-
bis. Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association. and
Union for Reform Judaism. Contact taluM 'e1_1_1_sl1|e\7
111211111111‘1 with questions about our local Global Day
of Jewish Learning.

Parental love. sibling rivalries. true love. love of God -
there's a lot to learn. You‘ll love it.

Make a Donation to JFB in Some-
one's Honor or Memory

Make a donation to the Jewish
Federation in honor or memory of
someone. or in celebration of a special
occasion. and help JFB nurture the values
of tikkun olam (repairing the world).
tzedakah (charity and social justice) and
Torah (Jewish learning) within our Jewish
community at home and abroad.

Send us your special contributions with a
note specifying its intent. Also. let us
know if you would like your contribution
published in this box in Shalom. You may
also make your special contribution online.
Celebrate your loved ones and support
our Jewish community by giving a special
contribution. Thank you for your support.

Beersheba — A War of Independence Vet-
eran Returns

By E ric W. Blaustein

In May 2015. I was ﬁnally able to go on my long—
planned nostalgic visit to Israel. My ﬁrst entry into
Israel was in 1948 when I volunteered tojoin the
Israeli army to help in the defense of the newly inde—
pendent Jewish homeland. Since then I have visited
Israel many times. but this trip was different. I am ap-
proaching the 90th decade of my life and I wanted to
see once more some of the places I helped to conquer.
Lieutenant Blaustein was ready for action again. only
this time with a cane.

My son had made the arrange-
ments for the trip. and little did I
know that everywhere I went he
had arranged a welcoming com—
mittee for the old War of Inde-
pendence veteran. It was some—
what embarrassing but. I admit.
it was also enjoyable. I visited
many of the old battle locations.
and most of them had changed
beyond recognition. It was “pure
fun in memory-land".

The last stop. also the most
enjoyable one. was a visit to
Beersheba. In 1948. my army
unit had played a major role in

visit 67 years later was full of
anticipation. As it developed. the visit started with a
whimper and ended on a very high note. Here is the
story:

Our first stop in Beersheba had actually nothing to do
with my military experiences in the city. My escort
insisted that I ﬁrst visit a new museum dedicated to the
biblical Patriarch Abraham. The place was really very
new. and all it had to show was a ten-minute movie

my turn
«on

My; « ".

... ,,.‘—. c ' -~
Eric Blaustein in front of the old Turkish railway
station in Beersheba. Israel. The station is now a
capturing the city. and my return restaurant and entertainment venue. Photo by: Oded
° Blaustein.

about Abraham‘s sojourn in Beersheba and an old
well. supposedly dug by Abraham himself. Well.
maybe. There are a few wells in Beersheba. at least
seven. why not this one?

Yet the place outside the museum looked familiar.
After I got my bearings I realized that in 1948. about
200 feet south of here. I had spent two weeks in a fox—
hole which after the capture of Beersheba constituted
the new Israeli frontline in the south. Even the old
Turkish viaduct was still there. The ﬁrst night in the
new position we mistook the support columns of the
viaduct for advancing enemies ready to attack us and
we blasted them with withering flre. Sure enough.
’ the bullet-chipped stones
. of the viaduct columns still
' ' attested to the trigger-happi-
ness of the B—Company.

' Turn 2

But this was all that was

left here of my presence
. in 1948. Where there had

. once been only a desert

landscape there was now a
whole district of apartment
buildings. with tree—lined
streets. Oh Beersheba. you
have changed for the better?
I even forgive you the tacky
Abraham museum.
Since there was nothing else
to see here I suggested we
move on to the real battle
sites. northwest of the present old city. The old Turk-
ish railroad station which my company had stormed in
1948 is now a railroad museum. It has a nice Middle
Eastern restaurant and the grounds around it are used
for outdoor entertainment.

The tank trench which the Egyptians had dug in front
of the railroad station and which had stopped the ﬁrst
attack by Israeli forces has been (continued page 6)

Connect. Learn. Belong.
Take a Step Ahead.

The Global Day of Jewish Learning—November 15, 2015

Global Day of Jewish Learning
Sunday. November 13
10:00 am at Tample 9%!th Israel

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(Beersheba. t'mrtl’lmedfmm page 4) ﬁlled in and is nOW
a busy city street. The whole area which used to be
open desert land is now part of the city and is built up
with rather fancy high-rise apartment buildings. Even
so. the place had retained enough of the old features
to allow me to visualize myself popping out of the
old tank trench and running after the fleeing Egyptian
defenders.

After snapping out of memory land. my travel com-
panions and I did the sensible thing and had lunch at
the station restaurant.

The ﬁrst surprise happened before we even had ﬁn-
ished our lunch. A local reporter arrived to talk to the
visiting War of Independence ofﬁcer who had fought
in the conquest of Beersheba. at this very railroad sta-
tion. It turned out that she was looking for me.

By now, I was smart enough to know that all this

had been prearranged by my son who was my tour
guide and driver. Happily I played along and enjoyed
every minute of it. I dutifully provided the very young
reporter lady with my memories of the battle at the
railroad station. That evening I saw myself on Face-
book news.

After lunch we moved on. keeping to the way along
which my unit had advanced in 1948. This led us
through the British World War I cemetery. Here my
unit had drawn ﬁre from an Egyptian rearguard unit.
The grave stones provided plenty of cover. and I had
ducked behind one of the stones. I remembered that
the name on the stone was Captain Rosenberg. of the
2nd Australian Light Cavalry. who died in battle in
1915. I also remembered that the grave was either in
row 4 or row 5. After some searching. I located the
place.

While I was ducking behind the grave stone in 1948.
two bullets had hit it. By now the chips in the stone
had been repaired. From the location of the chips it
was obvious. though. that Captain Rosenberg‘s grave
stone had kept me out of harm‘s way. Or was it Cap—
tain Rosenberg himself? I thanked the good Captain
by saying Kaddish in his honor.

We moved on in the direction of the citadel. the Brit-
ish Taggart Fort. which was not easy going. In 1948
this had been an open area. Now it was built up with
houses. The concrete wall around the fortress was
also gone and replaced by a double chain link fence.
topped with barbed wire. In 1948 we climbed over
the six—foot—high concrete wall. This time we walked
around the fence and looked for a public entrance.

The ofﬁcial entrance was now from a city street. a part
of the inner city. I remembered the location as outside

of town. on the highway to Gaza. My real surprise
was that the building was now a prison. Well. I was

disappointed. because one cannot go sightseeing in—
side a prison. In my disappointment I had not noticed
that one of my travel companions had disappeared
into the prison office. He reappeared a few minutes
later with a police ofﬁcer who addressed me directly:
"Lieutenant Blaustein. welcome to Beersheba. Come
with me. It will be a pleasure to show you the old
fortress." And this is how I came to see the inside of
the prison of Beersheba.

My primary interest was to get to the roof of the for-
tress where the Egyptian commander had surrendered
in 1948. and where my unit had lowered the Egyptian
ﬂag and had hoisted our own ﬂag with the Star of
David.

I was daydreaming and looking up to the ﬂagpole
when the police ofﬁcer asked me: "Were you the one
who hoisted our flag?" I told the ofﬁcer that it had not
been me. but that I had handed the ﬂag to the guy who
did. The police ofﬁcer thought for a moment and then
asked suddenly: “Want to hoist the flag this time?"
Noting my surprised look. he said with a smile: "I can
give permission for you to do that. I am the ofﬁcer of
this shift."

With that the officer lowered the ﬂag a few feet.
handed me the draw chain and told me: "Go on. hoist
the flag." Now I can actually boast hoisting the flag
of Israel over the Citadel of Beersheba. Do I have to
mention that it was not in I948. but 67 years later?

(In l948-49 Eric W. Blaustein participated in the
battle of Hulikat which forced the Egyptian forces to
mass their army in defense of Gaza. leaving Beersheba
open to attack. He later participated in the conquest
of Beersheba. In 1949. he served in the engineering
corps. building the road from Beersheba to S‘dom.)

806-1932

Charitable Contributions
By Marry Solomon

A very cost effective way to pay your dues to charita-
ble institutions and make money at the same time is to
donate appreciated stock that has been held for at least
one year. Some people own shares of corporate stock
that have risen in value over the years. For example.
suppose that a person bought 10 shares of IBM stock
in 1992 for $22 per share or a total of $220. Today.
the value is almost $150 per share. If those 10 shares
are sold. the owner would receive $1.500 but would
be required to pay federal and state taxes on a gain of
$1.280.

But if the stock is donated to Temple Adath Israel.
Ohavay Zion Synagogue or the Jewish Federation.
the owner of the stock could claim a charitable deduc-
tion of $1.500. plus the donor would pay no federal or
state taxes on the transfer of stock.

According to IRS documents. the federal income tax
deduction for cash and non—cash deductions is cur-
rently limited to 50 percent of adjusted gross income
in any one year. The stock must be transferred di—
rectly from your broker to the charity‘s broker. Each
organization. The Temple. The Synagogue and The
Federation has a stockbroker that receives stock dona—
tions. Contact each organization for details.

To be 100% safe. you should consult with your ﬁnan—
cial advisor.

f getan and ,
Hanukkah ceuﬁhtmnz ,

5:30 pm at Ohavay Zion 1‘

Synagogue
following December
of JELIJ: Jewish

Hadassah: The Doll Project

For many years the Lexington Chapter of Hadassah
has been donating handmade dolls to the UK. Chil-
dren’s Hospital. Doctors and nurses use the dolls to
explain to patients what procedures and/or surgery
will be performed. The child can express his or her
feelings by drawing a face on the doll. There‘s also
the comfort that the doll itself brings.

Several people have been involved as "buddy build-
ers" throughout the years. We still have two women
who are making dolls. One of these women. who
makes and donates many dolls. needs to cut back. We
want to continue providing these dolls for the benefit
of the children and as a way to help the community
learn about Hadassah.

Ruth Scott has made several connections within the
Lexington community to help keep this project going.
but more people are needed. If you can sew and/or
stuff dolls or would like to contribute for the purchase
of materials. please contact Ruth at rascoHM‘xahm;
coim or 859—277—3391.

Show Your Support
Help us keep Shalom solvent.
You may contribute online or mail a
check to JFB, 1050 Chinoe Rd
Ste 1 12, Lexington, KY 40502.
Please make checks payable to JFB
and write ”Shalom" on the memo line.

Giving levels
Chai — $18; Double Chai — $36;
Three Times Chai - $54; Haboneh
(Builder) - $72; Gibor (Hero) - $90

Kentucky Theatres Team Up to Revive
LOVEMUSIK

LEXINGTON.
Ky. (August 8.
2015) — Two
of Lexington‘ s
most dynamic
theatre organi—
zations. Bluegrass Opera and Balagula Theatre. are
joining forces to mount a newly revised script of
Alfred Uhry’s Lovemusik. Featuring Kurt Weill‘s
original music (“Speak Low". “September Song".

and "Surabaya Johnny“. amongst many other songs).
Lovemusik tells the unusual love story of brilliant
composer Weill and his wild muse. actress Lotte
Lenya. during the 1930s and 40s as they ﬂee Nazi
Germany and establish themselves as giants of the
American stage. Directed by Gordon Earl Thomas.
this play with music features some of Kentucky‘s

best known performers. including Lorne Dechtenberg
as Weill. Rachel Lee Rogers as Lenya. Pete Sears as
Bertolt Brecht. and Robert Parks Johnson as George
Davis. Pulitzer—. Oscar-. and Tony—winning writer Al-
fred Uhry will attend this Kentucky premiere produc—
tion. Performances will be at the Parish Theater in the
Lexington Public Library on Main Street with perfor-
mances on November 13. 14. 19. 20. 21 at 7 pm. and
November 15. 22 at 2 pm. Tickets available October
1st. Visit \\ \\ \\ ,blucgrassopcraoru. xx \\ \\ .balagulathd

atrcorg. or call (859) 338—4323. $25. $15/students.

BLUEGRASS

.\’ z A /

, , ‘4 _
x v/ _) it, ' _‘3

\e/ Balagula Theatre /

Kentucky Vision for Musical that Broadway Got
Wrong

When Lovemusik premiered at Broadway‘s Biltmore
Theater in 2007. it seemed impossible for the show to
fail. Its creator. cast and crew were a who‘s—who of
stage legends. Yet the show was universally panned by
critics. and its run closed in less than two months. This
November. The Bluegrass Opera. which has made an
international name for itself by championing new and
under-recognized musical stage works. and Balagula
Theatre Company. an established troupe dedicated

to avant-garde and non-traditional theatre. will join
forces to mount the ﬁrst professional run of the show
since its ill—fated Broadway debut.

The musical. written by Pulitzer-. Oscar-. and Tony-
winning writer Alfred Uhry (best known for Driving
Miss Daisy) is based on the book Speak Low (When

You Speak Love): The Letters of Kurt Weill and Lotte
Lenya. and it tells the story of the German composer
and his complex relationship with the famous actress.
Using a score comprised entirely of Weill’s songs
(orchestrated by Tony-winner Jonathan Tunick). the
piece tells the moving. often—funny tale of a love that
withstood inﬁdelity. ﬂight from the Nazi regime. and
the brutality of the American entertainment industry.
It was directed on Broadway by Tony-winner Harold
Prince (Phantom of the Opera) and starred Tony—win-
ners Michael Cerveris and Donna Murphy in the roles
of Weill and Lenya. respectively.

“This is a wonderful piece of Brechtian theater." says
Lorne Dechtenberg. Artistic Director of The Bluegrass
Opera. "1 have tremendous respect for the artists who
brought it to life, but unfortunately. they didn't pres-
ent it as Brechtian theater. They tried to make it into

a spectacle. and that‘s why it failed. I think we can

do a betterjob." And he may well be right. Dechten—
berg has already been in touch with Uhry directly.
and he has also talked to Daniel Kutner. Associate
Producer with the Harold Prince Organization (who
was Prince’s assistant during the Broadway produc-
tion). Uhry and Kutner provided a revised version of
the script (which has not been ofﬁcially published). as
well as their enthusiastic blessing and their promise to
attend the Lexington production in person.

"Uhry‘s writing is absolutely brilliant." says Dech-
tenberg. "and Weill’s music is masterful. But no

one wants to produce Lovemusik because of the bad
reviews that it received. They‘re not willing to take a
risk—not to mention pay the hefty licensing fee that a
Broadway show commands—for a work that wasn‘t
successful with all those big names behind it. We’re
grateful to both Mr. Uhry and the Harold Prince Orga—
nization for entrusting us with this new version of the
work. and we're confident that we can help to bring it
the recognition that it so richly deserves."

“I returned to my home state of Kentucky a few years
ago and was overjoyed to find such a thriving theatre
scene. but I've grown increasingly concerned with
the sometimes fractured atmosphere of Lexington
theatre." says Rachel Lee Rogers. Artistic Director of
Balagula Theatre Company. “Theatre is the most col—
laborative of art forms. and our local audiences de—
serve a coalescing of the best that the area has to offer
in terms of actors. singers. designers. and resources.
To this end. I'm over the moon to help Balagula
Theatre and Bluegrass Opera. two of our city’s most
popular and active producing entities. join forces on
LoveMusik."

Rogers. who trained as a Meisner actor at Rutgers

University and subsequently earned certiﬁcation in
Jacobean and Shakespearean Styles from the London

Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. also founded
the New Jersey company Shaking Will. which spe—
cialized in unique interpretations ofclassic material.
She has been a long-time performing member of
Balagula (which was founded in 2003) and. since
assuming the position of Artistic Director last sea-
son. has been instrumental in guiding the company
through adminis—trative changes and increasing its
viability as a producing Lexington arts entity.

Dechtenberg. an award—winning singer—actor who
holds degrees in music composition and conducting.
co-founded The Bluegrass Opera in 2008. In 2010.
he and his Honeymoon Symphony were chronicled

in the PBS documentary Composer at Work. an effort
that brought together members of three orchestras

at Lexington‘s Singletary Center for the Arts (and
that continues to be broadcast on KET and KET-KY.
channels owned by Kentucky's PBS afﬁliate).

The joint production of LoveMusik. in which Dech-
tenberg and Rogers will portray Weill and Lenya re—
spectively. will be the pair‘s first time acting together
but not their ﬁrst time working together. They met
during late 2014. when Lexington artists suggested
that Rogers read for a role in BgO’s world premiere
of William Diebels‘ operetta ILLYRIA (based on
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night). She played the
leadrole of Viola in that production. which
Dechtenberg directed. Rogers is scheduled

to appear in at least one other BgO show this
season. and Dechtenberg will be appearing in

a Balagula production. Both Balagula Theatre
Company and The Bluegrass Opera are 501(c)

(3) non—profit performing arts organizations.
Lovemusik will take place on November l3.

14. 15. 19. 20. 21. and 22 at the Farish Theater

in the central branch of the Lexington Public
Library. During the run. Dechtenberg will also

give a lecture on Weill and his music. and Rog-

ers will host a discussion based on her advanced
training in Brechtian theater. Tickets are $25.

$15 for students. and will go on sale Oct. 1.

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