If it were possible to top my celebrity sitings...I did!

Sarah came into town for the long weekend. On Friday Sandy and Terry had Angelo, Charles, Esther, Mikie, Mrs. C., Sandy's sister and brother in law (Ruth and Ira), and Sarah, and me over for dinner. It was an amazing dinner. Sandy grilled Lamb and Beef Tenderloin and Esther brought amazing pastries from the Grand Central Market.

I love Angelo. He has the funniest stories. Angelo grew up on Long Island and went to Massapequa High School (which I have been told the students refer to as Mazzo Pizza High, since most students were Jewish or Italian). Case in point, Angelo was a class mate of Jerry Seinfeld and Joey Buttafuco (talk about the long and short of it) and Alec Baldwin's father was his gym teacher.

Saturday, Sarah and I headed over to the Central Park Zoo. I had never been there before. It is amazing that it is smaller then the John Ball Zoo (in Grand Rapids) and yet oh so much more entertaining. They have a rain forest room with exotic birds and monkeys, sea lions, a polar bear, penguins, and much more then you would expect. After the zoo, we went for a walk on the Upper East Side and had chocolate drinks at Voges.

We later met Esther and Michael way up at the tip of Manhattan. We went to the Cloisters which are part of the Met. The cloisters are remnants of different monasteries and cloisters housed in a beautiful castle at Fort Tyron Park. When you are there it feels as though the city were miles away, when in reality you haven't actually left it.

That evening Sarah and I saw the show The 39 Steps which was a spoof of Alfred Hitchcock films. It was great and amazing how four actors played over 100 roles between them. After the show we went...where else...Bar Centrale.

Okay so we are about the only people there at first because we got out of our show by 10. Then Cliff Saunders who was one of the actors in the show comes in and sits at the table across from us. Then Marisa Tomei comes in, later Mel Brooks comes in, then Frank Langella, then Edward Norton, and finally Patti LuPone. We ended being the only non-celebrity table. At one point Marisa Tomei looked at Sarah like she felt she should have known her but her look changed quickly when she realized that she did not.

Sunday Sarah and I went down to the South Street Seaport for Fleet Week. This is when the USO docks in NYC. Sarah did get her picture taken with some sailors. We then went through China Town and over to the Lower East Side. I did something very touristy that I have always wanted to do. (When I have out of town guests I justify doing touristy things). I went to Gus's Pickles which is the store they use in the film Crossing Delancey. I then made Sarah take a picture of me crossing Delancey street.

We then went up to Little Italy and where there was a street fair. We had the best lunch special and town as far as I am concerned a beer and giant piece of pizza for 6 bucks. We then went over to SoHo for some shopping at Pearl River Mart and some window shopping at Bloomingdales.

Later we met up with Esther and Michael in Brooklyn Heights. Michael's daughter Jennifer is studying in NYC for the summer. Michael and Esther took the three of us and Jennifer's roomate Emily out for dinner at this cute French place.

All in all it was a fantastic weekend.

Wicked Cool!

Okay here is a list of some wicked cool things that I saw, did, and/or observed so far this week. It least they are cool in my head, you be the judge.

1. While grocery shopping I noticed a new machine. It is a peanut grinder so you can churn your own peanut butter, which I did and thought it was so cool that I had to call Tommy to tell him about it.

2. Because Project Runway is filming on the fourth floor of our building some of my favorite faculty members have had to temporarily move into the office next door. We like to yell at each other in Yiddish through the wall.

3. I just discovered that three really dear friends will be visiting me this summer. Chad in June and Elissa and Adam in July, not to mention Sarah arrives on Friday.

4. I have lost 25 pounds since January :)

5. Beaucoup de free food on my block near the office lately. McDonald's gave out free chicken sandwiches, Duncan Donuts and Starbucks gave free cups of coffee, and Nabisco likes to give 100 calorie snack packs out on the corner. Not to mention the free food that the Project Runway crew gives us.

6. I went to the Paley Center tonight with my friend Justin. It was a tribute to the Bergmans who are a married couple and also lyricist partners. Their songs include Nice and Easy, Windmills of Your Mind, The Way We Were, and they wrote the lyrics for the film Yentl. They also wrote the lyrics for the theme songs to Maude, Good Times, and Brooklyn Bridge.

6a. This crazy lady came down the aisle and was yelling at her young escort because he walked too slow. The crazy lady ended up being Elaine Stretch.

6b. The guy sitting behind her and across the aisle from us was Joel Grey!

6c. Regis and Joy Philben were also there.

7. Justin treated me to Soba Napon afterwords, yummy.

Resources

I know that some of you have been asking me for good resources to help you get a basis for Judaism.

Rabbi Brent (my teacher) recomends the website www.myjewishlearning.com

If you are looking for an actuall book, Jewish Literacy by Teluskin is a good place to start. It is a collection of short essays on different aspects of Judiasm.

If you have particular things you are interested in learning more about please let me know and I will try and pass on some resources.

I have to say it really makes me happy that some of you are so interested in learning about what I have been studying (formally for a year, informally for over three years now). I am so pleased that all of you have accepted that I am doing this and have been supportive. It means the world to me.

Change of Pace

Well the students graduated on Friday so things are much quieter now. There is still some end of the year issues to deal with but things will be somewhat slower this summer. It won't be completely dead though. My co-worker Melissa and I have to advise high school students who are here as part of the summer institute. We will also be developing our programs for next year, planning orientation, advising transfer students in July, and filling in a bit with career services over the summer. Not to mention Project Runway will begin filming here next week so everything will be crazy.

Graduation was huge. It was at Madison Square Garden and was pack. I was the bouncer placed outside the VIP lounge. Earlier this year I served on a committee that reviewed the submissions from Parsons student nominees for commencement speaker. Each year the New School selects one or two students to address the graduating class at commencement. The New School is currently comprised of eight different colleges. It was exciting because one of our Parsons nominees (along with a Drama College nominee) were chosen as the student speakers this year.

Wednesday we had a smaller commencement for the graduating BFA Fashion Design Students. After commencement our new Dean of the Fashion Design Department treated the administration to dinner at Jack's. Jack's is the little restaurant in the Garment District that I must pass every day but never had been to before. It looks like a hole in the wall from the outside but was actually very nice. They serve tapas dishes.

After dinner we all headed to Saks Fifth Avenue (no not for shopping). Our seniors who were featured in the Senior Show were featured at Saks that evening. The top ranking students had their garments on display in the windows of Saks. Our other high achieving seniors had their garments displayed in the second floor lobby near the Ralph Lauren Black Label, which is where we had the reception. It was very nice and the way shopping should really be: walking around, looking at beautiful clothes, enjoying wine and other refreshments. :)

Thursday night was a real treat. Esther and I went to an event at the Paley Center for Media on the Music of Kay Swift and George Gershwin. The program featured radio, television, and film clips featuring their work. This included clips from two of my all time favorite movies, An American in Paris (which is going to be coming to Broadway next season!) and Funny Face. But the best part of the evening was that it included live performances. The performers included Klea Blackhurst, Jimmy Ray Bennett, and the divine Christine Ebersole (whom Esther and I saw last season in Grey Gardens, for which she won her second TONY). After the Paley Center we had dinner at Soba Nippon which is this great Japanese restaurant next door to the Center.

This weekend was very low key which was great. I slept in, cleaned, and read for pleasure which was fantastic. On Sunday I participated in the AIDS walk in Central Park. Our team has raised just under $9,000, although they have only calculated on-line donations. None of the cash or checks we brought the day of have been added to the tally yet. It was a beautiful, if crowded day in Central Park. Speakers included Kenneth Cole and Sara Ramirez among others. Over 7,000,000 dollars was raised at the event which breaks the record for this 23 year annual event.

Yesterday was my last day of my Intro to Judaism class. I will really miss this class. I have been in this course since October so we have all really bonded in the course. I will still see some of my fellow classmates. I have made several good friends in that class and summer plans are already in order for BBQs, Shabbat Dinners, and future outings around town. The second half of the class last night we all had an opportunity to share what we have got out of the course and for those of us who entered thinking about conversion it was an opportunity to share where we were in the process.

I am excited to share with all of you that my Rabbi feels I am ready to officially enter the Jewish Faith. I am in the process of writing my statement for the Beit Din. When you convert to Judaism the Beit Din is the body that oversees the conversion. It is made up of three Jewish people (if you are converting to the Orthodox branch they would have to be men but I am not) in my case it will be made up of three rabbis. They will review my statement and ask me questions. If they approve me as a candidate for conversion I will then go to the Mikva where I will be "reborn". I am going to review my statement with my Rabbi, Esther (not my sister but an actual Rabbi named Esther) next month and then edit it. We will probably have the actual conversion in Mid-July. I am really excited because Rabbi Brent (who taught my class) has agreed to be part of my Beit Din.

I know that some of you have asked me for resources to help give you a basis for Judaism. I will post those in the future so keep reading the blog if you are interested in that.

Where to begin?

Well last weekend Sarah and I went to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden for the Japanese Festival. Most of the gardens were at their peaks and it was beautiful. In addition to the standard attractions at the garden there was a Bonsai exhibit in the greenhouse, a samurai show, the festival tents served sushi and sake, and we even got our pictures taken with giant sushi pillows. I know I have mentioned the Brooklyn Botanical Garden in several posts. It is one of my favorite places. It is a great place to go think and reflect but it is equally as fun to share the experience with friends.

After the gardens closed, Sarah and I headed to Park Slope for tasty Mexican food at Santa Fe. Park Slope is this great neighborhood filled with brownstones, townhouses, unique boutiques, affordable restaurants, and independent coffeehouses.

Wednesday Esther and I saw A Catered Affair on Broadway. The show was very sweet and we got autographs from Harvey Fierstein (whom I heart), Tom Wopat, and Faith Prince.

My juniors had their fashion show on Thursday. The show was great fun but the best part was the awards. These students work so hard and really give up a lot of the social time that most college students would have. It was wonderful to see the excitement on their faces when they found out they would be receiving scholarships, fabric money, or exclusive summer internships.

Thursday night I met up with my friends Dave, Joey, and Will who were in town. We went down to Irving Place near Union Square and had dinner with Esther and Michael at Pete’s Tavern. Afterwards we hung out at Sushi Samba.

Friday another friend, Luke came into town. After I got out of work Dave, Joey, Will, Luke and I went to the Time Warner Building (which is sort of like a mall…but prettier). They went off to the theater and I went uptown to meet Esther and Michael at Shul. After service we went to Dock’s for tasty seafood. I then met up with the guys at one of my favorites, Bar Centrale.

Saturday I took the guys to SoHo, the West Village (where we had awesome pizza in the park), and then the guys introduced me to Café Grumpy’s in Chelsea where we had really awesome coffee. The guys went to another show and I went to see Smart People at the movie theater. It was okay but its not one of those films I feel compelled to see a second time. I then met the guys at Don’t Tell Mama’s which is a Cabaret in the theater district. They encourage people in the audience to perform. Yours truly made her Broadway debut singing Wouldn’t It Be Loverly. It may very well have been my final performance as well J

Sunday Luke and I went for a walk and then headed up to the Upper West Side. We had hot dogs at Grey’s Papaya and picked up cupcakes at Buttercup Bake Shop. That evening I met up with all the guys to see Spring Awakening. It was my second time seeing it and it reinforced that it is my favorite show of all time. I just love it! It was great to share the experience with friends who appreciated it. We then all had dinner at Angus McIdoe’s. I think my favorite part of this jam packed weekend was just getting to spend time with friends whom I don't get to see that often They are incredibly fun and also dear to me.

Monday I had my third one-on-one meeting with my Rabbi, Esther. We talked about where I am in the process and she told me that she feels I am ready for conversion. I have to write an essay for the assembly of three rabbis who will review it and then ask me questions about why I am choosing to convert. It is funny of my sisters and first cousins; I am the only one whose name is not of Hebrew Origins. (Paula is a Latin name). So I had to choose a Hebrew name which I will use during my conversion and during any formal ceremonies in the future.

I actually put a lot of thought into my Hebrew name. Most women who convert choose Sarah or Ruth since they both converted to Judaism. But in Judaism traditionally you don’t choose names of living relatives. I have a sister Sarah and a cousin Ruth, so I wanted to choose a different name. The name I chose is Judith.

2008 AIDS Walk New York

Hello all:

I will be participating in the 2008 AIDS Walk in NYC on May, 18th. The money raised for this event will go towards Gay Men's Health Crisis and 40 other AIDS organizations. These organizations provide services for men, women, and children living with HIV and AIDS. This is a cause that is very dear to my heart. If you have a couple of dollars you would like to donate towards this important event you can do so at my fundraising website. Just click on the sponser a walker link and type in my name.

https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=262058&lis=0&kntae262058=B34626E0B89047F08F2C31B22FC05DFC

Thank you in advance for your support whether monetary in spirit. For those of you in the NYC area if you are interested in walking, send me an e-mail and I'll get you the info.

Hotels, Sex, and Fashion...Oh My!

Well this week has already been exhausting but in a good way. Monday was the Senior Fashion show at the Hyatt Ballroom. Last week the seniors got to show their collections to a panel from the fashion industry. They voted on the looks they felt were the strongest and those looks were sent down the runway in Monday's fashion show. It was great to see what the students we advise have accomplished this year. I had a front row seat and Kirkie went as my guest which made it all the more fun.

Tuesday I was on a high because I am number 3 on the Top Looser Board at Curves. I have lost 20 pounds since January. I can't really tell but I feel the difference so that is what is important. I decided to go for a walk after working out. I tend to avoid Midtown in the evening because it can be very crowded and I have already become one of those New Yorkers who get annoyed when tourists don't understand why pedestrian traffic doesn't stop for them to take a picture. Anyway I forget that once you get past the Empire State Building, just how lovely the Flatiron district is. Madison Square Park was gorgeous and it is always fun to go by the dog park there. On my walk down fifth avenue I had to stop and make a detour because I saw the Museum of Sex...it's like a two headed snake people, when you see there is a Museum about sex you stop.

Anyway the museum has three exhibit halls. One is sex in art and design. The most interesting thing there was the juicer chair. Lord knows if I went to see a lap dancer the fact that she or he could make me so OJ while straddling the chair is just sexy (people I am really sorry if my sarcasm does not translate into blog lingo).

Next is the film room where they show how sex is dealt with in film from the days of censorship, to films like Lolita and Blue Velvet, and porn. They also had a video about sex. Let's just say it was not the video I had to watch in sixth grade at St. Bernadette's when they made the boys leave the room. I believe that film was called, "Sex is dirty and you'll go to hell if you get any."

Anyway the last room had various toys and also explored the history of sex. They had devices from the Victorian era when people were put in the insane asylum if they were too frisky. Oh New York, sure puts Sodom to shame (line from the Contrast)

Yesterday we had a very exciting event take place. Our Mikie (Esther's beau) was awarded an Honorary PhD from Hebrew Union College. Anita Diamant, the author of the Red Tent gave the commencement speech. She was amazing, and so is that book. She has this amazing program she started in Boston called Mayyim Hayyim which I believe is Hebrew for Living Waters. It is a Mikveh that is also used as a learning center.

The Mikveh is traditionally used as a ritual bath. Men would use the Mikveh before services and women would use the Mikveh after their cycles and for occasions like their wedding day and after giving birth. Converts also use the Mikveh in order to be reborn as Jews (you will hear more about that when I go through the process myself, probably sometime in the next few months).

Anyway back to Mayyim Hayyim, it is very progressive. The Mikveh is encouraged to be used for all major life events such as before a bar/bat mitzva, after getting a new job, when going through a divorce or death of a loved one, or coming out of the closet. The education center has thousands of visitors both Jewish and non Jewish. It is a really phenomenal program and I would love to pop up to Boston and see it sometime.

Well the ceremony was nice. Michael truly deserves this award for all of the community service he has participated in and lead over the years. Esther being the amazing hostess that she is, had a post commencement party at Town (a restaurant in the Chambers hotel). It was lovely, Michael's family was there and so were a lot of Michael and Esther's friends. It was great seeing Bob, Susan, Mark, Thomas, Lee, Lisa, and Linda because it had been months. We all had a wonderful time celebrating Michael's big achievement.