ABOUT THE PROGRAM

We are thrilled to introduce to you our Festival Honoree of the Year Program. As many of you know, countless details must coalesce, both on and off the stage, in order for the Israel Folkdance Festival of Boston to be a success. Our Festival Honoree of the Year Program will recognize individuals who have dedicated significant amounts of time and effort to the Festival. Without their outstanding contributions, the Festival would not be what it is today.

The Festival Honoree of the Year Program also serves another purpose. For over 30 years, through the sponsorship of MIT Hillel, we have been fortunate to be able to hold the Festival in MIT’s Kresge Auditorium while operating on a shoestring budget managed by an all-volunteer production committee. Ticket sales, our primary revenue source, have covered our minimal production costs to date. In other words, we break even, or come close to doing so, every year. As we prepare for our 34th annual show, to be held on Sunday, March 14, 2010, we face dramatically increased production costs. Ticket sale revenues will not be enough to keep our Festival running. We hope that you will support our Festival Honoree of the Year Program, not only to recognize a distinguished community leader and contributor to the show, but also to keep our Festival, an institution of Israeli culture and performance art, alive.

We encourage you to read about our first Festival Honoree of the Year, Miriam Rosenblum, both in our initial letter and below.

MIRIAM ROSENBLUM, 2010 FESTIVAL HONOREE OF THE YEAR

It is our great privilege to announce that our 2010 Festival Honoree of the Year is Miriam Rosenblum. Miriam has dedicated a tremendous amount of her life to Israeli dancing and our Festival in particular. As Miriam explains, “Folk dance is in my genes–my parents are both folk dancers; I have been involved in Israeli folk dance since childhood; and now my daughter is a folk dancer. In my perfect world everyone would be dancing.” Miriam has helped to create pieces of that perfect world for over three decades. She has directed Israeli dance performance troupes, staffed Fred Berk’s Israeli dance camp, created and produced Cincinnati’s Israel Folk Dance Festival, and taught workshops both in the U.S. and abroad.

Miriam with Hamakor 1980

Here in Boston, Miriam has been a pivotal participant in, and supporter of, our Festival since the 5th performance in 1981, when she graced our stage as a member of the legendary Hamakor Israeli Folk Dance Troupe, a robust group with so much talent in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s that its own annual show filled Kresge Auditorium. Miriam continued to dance with Hamakor in 1982 and 1983, while simultaneously working on the Festival behind the scenes through her position as the Director of Student Activities at MIT Hillel. In 1993, Miriam became the Director of MIT Hillel, a position she held for 15 years. As one of the many innovative programs she led at MIT Hillel, the Israel Folkdance Festival of Boston was always near and dear to her heart. Throughout her 27-year career at Hillel, Miriam served as the Festival’s primary contact with MIT, booking our space at Kresge (not a small task!), managing our relationship with the institution, and supporting the Festival from within MIT and Hillel. Her experienced eye has provided the Festival with feedback on each year’s performance that has improved the show immeasurably.

With her recent retirement, and as we lose her valuable oversight, it is especially appropriate that we take this opportunity to honor Miriam Rosenblum as our first Festival Honoree of the Year, in recognition of her many years of support without which the ongoing existence of the Festival would not have been possible.

I am honored to have had a role in sponsoring the Israel Folk Dance Festival of Boston during my almost three decades at MIT Hillel. The Festival is important not only as a showcase for Jewish and Israeli culture, but as a forum for new generations of dancers to share in the great tradition of Israeli dance. I hope that this spectacular event will continue to flourish.

- Miriam Rosenblum

Miriam with Sabra Dancers 1979

As Bob Randolph, MIT’s first Chaplain to the Institute and one of Miriam’s long-time colleagues said, “Miriam has made much of balance, energy and a sense of beauty, and like the Israel Folkdance Festival, she is a treasure!” We hope that you will help us honor Miriam and keep our treasured Festival alive.

MAKING YOUR CONTRIBUTION

Contributions made to our Festival Honoree of the Year Program will help to ensure that the Festival, about which Miriam and all of us care so passionately, will continue for many years to come. We know and appreciate that times are tight. We also know that without your contributions to the Festival Honoree of the Year Program, we will not be able to continue producing the Festival.

Contributions can be made here, via our website, or by printing out this donation form and submitting the form and your check via postal mail. Mailing instructions can be found on the form itself. Contributions to the Festival Honoree of the Year Program are tax-deductible to the extent provided by law.

No contribution is too small – we need your support! We will gratefully acknowledge in our Festival program all of our donors whose donations we receive by February 19, 2010.

Donation levels:

Hora level donors have the option of receiving two complimentary tickets to this year’s Festival, with the value of your donation diminished by the face value of the tickets, or refusing the tickets without diminishing the value of your donation.

Thank you for your contribution!