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June 17, 2013

Rabbi Simcha Weinstein: Black to the Future: American Apparel Gets Biblical

Patrik Jonsson: Minnesota Nazi: How did Nazi hunters miss Michael Karkoc?

Kate Irby, Ali Watkins, Trevor Graff and Kevin Thibodeaux: All the ways you're being watched
Don Lee: G-8 meeting will test NSA leaks' effect on U.S. influence

Patrik Jonsson: Fort Hood shooting: Judge nixes Nidal Hasan defense strategy. What now?

Stacey Burling: Why the stigma for migraine sufferers?

The Kosher Gourmet by Lisa Abraham: Does it work? 5 new kitchen gadgets put to the test

June 14, 2013

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: A spiritual budget: Religious economics and being a ruler

John P. Martin: Hitler insider's missing diary found

Matt Pearce: NSA surveillance disclosure could affect court cases
Peter Tinti: US bounties changes strategy on (Wild, Wild) West African jihadis

Daniel Pendrick, M.D.: Memory loss? Old age may be the least of it

Lauren F. Friedman: But it's all natural! Should we have an instinctive preference for herbal remedies?

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Streisand and Alicia Keys in Israel; "Girls" Stuff; Mel Brooks, Another TV special; Superman (who is Jewish) returns --- Israeli plays his mom

The Kosher Gourmet by Sharon K. Ghag : Bored with salad? Bling it up a bit (4 effortless recipes that will result in a 'WOW!')

June 12, 2013

Stephanie Hanes: Little girls or little women? The Disney princess effect

Fred Weir: In tweak to US, Russia would 'consider' asylum for Snowden

Sharon Palmer, R.D.: What's so special about Omega-3 supplements?
Morgan Housel: What newspapers were saying when you should have been buying

Pete Spotts: How cockroaches evolved so as to bypass 'roach motels'

The Kosher Gourmet by Anjali Prasertong: Deep-dish cookie: Warm, gooey and a little over the top

June 10, 2013

Joseph A. Slobodzian: Faith healing and third degree murder: Thorny legal case
Lindsay Wise: Few options for online users to avoid spying, experts say

Sharon Palmer, R.D.: There are plenty of nutritional food bargains out there
Harvard Health Letters: Can bariatric surgery control diabetes?

Zach Murdock: Superglue helps doctors save infant's life

The Kosher Gourmet by Celebrated chef Mario Batali : As good as grilling gets: Rib eye with dry mushroom spice rub

June 7, 2013

Rabbi David Aaron: Beating jealousy

Caroline B. Glick: Wounded . . . and dangerous

Clifford D. May: Al Qaeda vs. Hezbollah
Harvard Health Letters: Fighting back against allergy season

Kimberly Lankford: Grandparents who use FSA to cover grandkid's braces and other must-know info

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom:J ewish Tony Nominees/Tony Awards; Jewish Teen Actor In Sci-Fi Flick; Jewish singer in "Voice" finals

The Kosher Gourmet by Anjali Prasertong: A tart filling so good it might not make it to the crust

June 5, 2013

John Rosemond: Mom, Dad: Talk More and listen less

Kristen Chick: Egypt court sentences 43 pro-democracy workers to prison

Sharon Palmer, R.D.: Mushrooms Have Medicinal As Well As Culinary Value
Morgan Housel: Why you never learn from your investment mistakes

Don Lee: In China, kindergarten rivalry takes deadly turn

The Kosher Gourmet by Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan: 30-Minute Coq au Vin isn't a dream

June 3, 2013

Molly Hennessy-Fiske: Military judge to consider letting Fort Hood shooting defendant represent himself

Richard A. Serrano: Pvt. Bradley Manning's WikiLeaks trial also a test for government

Mark Trumbull: Have degree, driving cab: Nearly half of college grads are overqualified
Kim Lankford: What to do when long-term care insurance premiums rise

Deborah Netburn: Study: Adults' mouth bacteria may help babies

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom: Jewish Contestant on 'The Voice'; Will Smith's 'Jewish movie family'; Bravo Gives Long Island Jews the Jersey Shore Treatment; Magicians and More

The Kosher Gourmet by Bill Ward: How to be as refined as the wines at a wine tasting

May 29, 2013

Andrew Connelly and Helene Bienvenu: The Little Synagogue that Refused to Die

Dennis Prager: The 'Muslims-Killed-by-the-West' Lie

David Clark Scott: Open war on teachers?
Morgan Housel: If you know only five things about investing, make it these

Sara Reardon: AGenome detectives change the donation game

Deborah Netburn: A one-way ticket to Mars? 78,000-plus and counting apply by video

The Kosher Gourmet by Bev Bennett: CHEDDAR AND CHERRY MUFFINS --- your mouth is already watering

May 24, 2013

Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb: When I didn't so 'humbly disagree'

Caroline B. Glick: Thank you, Hafez al-Assad

Diana West: From the Brooklyn Bridge to London
Morgan Housel: Why spotting bubbles is so much harder than you think

Environmental Nutrition editors: NuVal labeling to the rescue?

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Memorial Day: Jews Serving and KIA in War on Terror; Liberace Bio-Pic; Jew Wins "Survivor"; Shalom, Dr. Brothers; More

The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen: HIDE THESE FROZEN TREATS FROM THE KIDDIES!: Sangria pops; Irish cream pudding pops; mango Lassi pops

May 22, 2013

John Thorne: They launched the 'Arab Spring' but now yearn for the good old days of a strongman

John Rosemond: 'Disciplinary math' adds up to parental successl

Warren Richey: Are prayers before public meetings OK? Supreme Court to decide
Rick Montgomery: Use of ADHD drugs as study aid raises concern on campuses

Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D.: 6 convincing reasons you should keep carbs in your diet

Eoin O'Carroll: Scientists examine nothing, find something

The Kosher Gourmet by Carole Kotkin: This soup is made from one of the great pleasures of spring: A wonderful pairing of rosy color and earthy tang

May 20, 2013

Richard A. Serrano: Is Meir Kahane's assassin now a changed man?

Hannan Adely: Town raises Palestinian flag at City Hall

Melissa Healy: Genetic copies of living people from embryos no longer science fiction
Morgan Housel: When smart investors do stupid things

Sharon Saloman, M.S., R.D.: Hunger games: Eat more, weigh less, without starving

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Jews Inducted into Rock Hall of Fame; Anton Yelchin co-stars in New "Trek" film; Kutcher (but not Kunis) visits Israel; Jewish TV Star Praises Jewish Rap Star

The Kosher Gourmet by Cathy Pollak: WARNING: This WALNUT CAKE WITH PRALINE FROSTING, perfect for afternoon coffee, is addicting


Jewish World Review July 14, 2009 / 22 Tamuz 5769

I've Found Heaven … in Northern Michigan

By Mona Charen




http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | That is, two of my children have. This piece of heaven is called Interlochen Center for the Arts, and having just visited, I fully comprehend the ecstasy they feel.


In a leveling world, Interlochen is all about two unfashionable concepts that we conservatives revere: tradition and excellence. None of this "everybody gets a trophy just for showing up." Not here (though arguably, just being able to be here — only one in five are admitted — amounts to a valuable trophy). Twenty-five hundred students in grades 3-12 from every state in the union and 40 countries converge on this breezy sylvan enclave between two sparkling lakes for several weeks of intensive training and performance in music, art, theater, opera, dance, motion picture arts, and writing. Even if you've never heard of Interlochen, now in its 82nd year, you've certainly heard from its alumni.


This being 2009, there are kids sporting every kind of fashion — from shoulder-length hair (boys) to mohawks and even the odd nose ring (sigh). But all submit to the camp uniform — light blue polo shirts (white on Sundays) tucked in, neat blue shorts or long pants (no holes or fringes), and color-coded web belts to identify one's division. The girls also wear knee socks to match their belts. For performances, everyone wears a red sweater or sweatshirt. And all thrive on the sense of walking in the footsteps of giants.


To wander the sun-dappled campus is a treat to the ears. Interlochen is dotted with scores of small cabins; they are rehearsal shacks. As you roam, glorious sounds emanate from every direction. Over here a pianist is working on a Beethoven sonata, and from that hut waft the strains of "Aida" on the trumpet. My 13-year-old son, Ben, explained as he squired me around, "Mom, you can't stop every time you hear beautiful music here or you'll never get anywhere."


They rehearse every day and are steeped in what the faculty is not shy about calling "the Western tradition" or "our inheritance." I peeked into a jazz technique class where intermediate boys were watching a video of John Coltrane improvising. There are several performances each night. It might be a jazz quartet, a Baroque chamber group, a chorus, or a dance recital. On weekends, the large ensembles — bands and orchestras and others — perform longer pieces for paying customers (though campers get in free).


I'm most familiar with the music program, as my sons play the trumpet and clarinet. Music students audition for admission. When they arrive in late June, they audition again to be placed in an ensemble. Two to three weeks later, they get the chance to try for a higher group. We had heard before our kids enrolled that Interlochen is based on a "competitive model." If you can move up, you can also move down. Far from a drawback, I regard this as a great boon for kids. If you audition and fail to make it into the group you had hoped to play with, you may be spurred to practice harder and longer. At the very least you will learn the incredibly valuable lesson that it isn't the end of the world when you fall short of a goal. The sun rises the next morning. You find pleasure in the group you're in. And you admire all the more those who excel. Next time, you may make it — and it will be the sweeter for having been hard won.


There is no expectation that every Interlochen alumnus will become a star or even a professional artist. Some go on to careers in business, sports, academia, and other fields (and become patrons of the arts). But a remarkable number do make their mark on the art world as performers. If you look at it through the other end of the telescope — say by examining the members of major symphony orchestras, especially the principals — a significant number will have spent time honing their craft in this idyllic setting. And just to drop a few names, alumni include soprano Jessye Norman, conductor Lorin Maazel, clarinetist David Shifrin, Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul and Mary), actress Meredith Baxter, actor Tom Hulce, actress Linda Hunt, TV personalities Bruce Morton and Mike Wallace, and pretty much the entire Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, widely considered one of the best orchestras in America.


It's still camp. The bunks are rustic. The food is mediocre. The plumbing is, to avoid unnecessary details, temperamental. The children return wearing an extra layer of silt. But their spirits and their minds have been elevated — and that's magical.

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