2000 Jews in the Dessert - Is this a Joke?
TribeFest 2011
I was enticed by a video clip, linked from a December email forwarded to my inbox by my loving mother. She asked if this was real, or maybe just some silly email hoax that I would make her research on Snopes.com to validate. The video featured a 30-something guy in a black suit and shades, immersed in a huge hot tub, welcoming me to Vegas for the "TribeFest" weekend. Cool, very cool. I was 80% sold.
I was pushed over the hump to apply when I learned that my teenage heartthrob, the Barbara Streisand of my generation, Mayim Bialik (aka Blossom - and now star of the hit show Big Bang Theory), would be a speaker.
The convention began promptly at 2pm on Sunday, and prompt was the good word for the convention - there was no Jewish Standard Time on Federation's watch. Each session began promptly, speakers were introduced briefly, orderly, and in as professional a setting as you could ever hope to have. I have self-diagnosed ADD when it comes to conventions, and I can say that my schpilkas (that persistent urge to check your phone, move in your seat, or bounce your knee) was kept in check by the amazing speakers at the convention. Someone from my peer group must have been a screener.
The vibe of the convention was 'Real'...we were all here to speak truths about our culture, both our love of things Jewish, and our distaste for some things Jewish. I didn't expect the honesty and critical assessment of our own character as US Jews. Typically, we like to cheer-lead at Jewish conventions and sell ourselves on everything we do right. Instead, 2000 of us gathered to hear speakers explore real analysis of our own behaviors; small mindedness towards gender equality, hypocrisy on Israel issues, and not considering our role in supporting Judaism beyond our own regions. There was a fair share of back-patting, too, as this was Vegas, and we were all there to have a good time.
Amongst the speakers were Jewish team owners from the NFL...the room shook in laughter when one participant asked "what do you intend to do about footballs being made from pigskin". We were treated to hearing the author of the Social Network and Bringing Down the House (the book that inspired the hit film '21'), the Jewish Mayor of Las Vegas, Congressmen/women from both sides of the aisle, and a cadre of incredible Jewish authors, activists and creatives. Our convocation was lead by the Hebrew Mamita, a sharp-tongued Jewish Latina slam poet, who brought spoken word from Mt. Sinai to us in Vegas. At the evening sessions, we were serenaded by the hip-hop beats of Jewish rappers Diwon and Y-Love, and mesmerized by the incredible talent of hip-hop violinist Miri Ben-Ari, as we made new friends and visited with old camp buddies we hadn't seen in 20 years.
Breakout sessions brought intimacy amongst different affinity groups over the 3-day convention, and through it, I was able to meet other artists and writers within our Jewish world. TribeFest was progressive and intensely enjoyable. I was surrounded by a peer group without equal in the US Jewish world, and I was humbled by the intellect, sincerity and ambition of the people in the room. The casino (TribeFest was hosted at Mandalay Bay Casino) did not welcome me as favorably, but I did appreciate their open bar policy.
Many thanks to our anonymous Federation sponsor who donated to cover our $475 registration fees for the convention - I'm pretty sure I would not have taken the gamble on the hype of TribeFest otherwise. Dallas had 8 attendees...Atlanta boasted about 35, LA and San Francisco each had 100+ attendees, Toronto also had heavy representation. I hope that they will continue to fund this event for participants to attend from Dallas - it was clear that our connection to the greater US Jewish world will be key to keeping our Federation and local Jewish community current and relevant in the lives of our young professionals.
Most sincere thanks to our Federation Young Professional leader, Drew Berliner, and our chairs for this event (Jarrod Beck and Dani Golan), for making us a part of this tremendous program and for networking us with the Austin Federation group.
We are all leaving with a great sense of inspiration...everything else stays in Vegas.
TribeFest 2011
I was pushed over the hump to apply when I learned that my teenage heartthrob, the Barbara Streisand of my generation, Mayim Bialik (aka Blossom - and now star of the hit show Big Bang Theory), would be a speaker.
The convention began promptly at 2pm on Sunday, and prompt was the good word for the convention - there was no Jewish Standard Time on Federation's watch. Each session began promptly, speakers were introduced briefly, orderly, and in as professional a setting as you could ever hope to have. I have self-diagnosed ADD when it comes to conventions, and I can say that my schpilkas (that persistent urge to check your phone, move in your seat, or bounce your knee) was kept in check by the amazing speakers at the convention. Someone from my peer group must have been a screener. The vibe of the convention was 'Real'...we were all here to speak truths about our culture, both our love of things Jewish, and our distaste for some things Jewish. I didn't expect the honesty and critical assessment of our own character as US Jews. Typically, we like to cheer-lead at Jewish conventions and sell ourselves on everything we do right. Instead, 2000 of us gathered to hear speakers explore real analysis of our own behaviors; small mindedness towards gender equality, hypocrisy on Israel issues, and not considering our role in supporting Judaism beyond our own regions. There was a fair share of back-patting, too, as this was Vegas, and we were all there to have a good time.
Amongst the speakers were Jewish team owners from the NFL...the room shook in laughter when one participant asked "what do you intend to do about footballs being made from pigskin". We were treated to hearing the author of the Social Network and Bringing Down the House (the book that inspired the hit film '21'), the Jewish Mayor of Las Vegas, Congressmen/women from both sides of the aisle, and a cadre of incredible Jewish authors, activists and creatives. Our convocation was lead by the Hebrew Mamita, a sharp-tongued Jewish Latina slam poet, who brought spoken word from Mt. Sinai to us in Vegas. At the evening sessions, we were serenaded by the hip-hop beats of Jewish rappers Diwon and Y-Love, and mesmerized by the incredible talent of hip-hop violinist Miri Ben-Ari, as we made new friends and visited with old camp buddies we hadn't seen in 20 years. Breakout sessions brought intimacy amongst different affinity groups over the 3-day convention, and through it, I was able to meet other artists and writers within our Jewish world. TribeFest was progressive and intensely enjoyable. I was surrounded by a peer group without equal in the US Jewish world, and I was humbled by the intellect, sincerity and ambition of the people in the room. The casino (TribeFest was hosted at Mandalay Bay Casino) did not welcome me as favorably, but I did appreciate their open bar policy.
Many thanks to our anonymous Federation sponsor who donated to cover our $475 registration fees for the convention - I'm pretty sure I would not have taken the gamble on the hype of TribeFest otherwise. Dallas had 8 attendees...Atlanta boasted about 35, LA and San Francisco each had 100+ attendees, Toronto also had heavy representation. I hope that they will continue to fund this event for participants to attend from Dallas - it was clear that our connection to the greater US Jewish world will be key to keeping our Federation and local Jewish community current and relevant in the lives of our young professionals.
Most sincere thanks to our Federation Young Professional leader, Drew Berliner, and our chairs for this event (Jarrod Beck and Dani Golan), for making us a part of this tremendous program and for networking us with the Austin Federation group. We are all leaving with a great sense of inspiration...everything else stays in Vegas.
well-written and well-said!! kol hakavod. i'm linking to your blog right now from our blog! letmypeoplegrow.org
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Congrats on getting it out on time too. Been swamped so our full roundup is tardy... I am linking to you on our blog as well. Check it when you can and link to us too. www.elevateyourpresence.com/deliciousdirt
ReplyDeleteHow fun!
ReplyDeleteFantastic! How 'bout a Raleigh (perhaps we'd have to extend to the entirety of NC...) delegation?
ReplyDelete