Opera house in Odessa, Ukraine
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I am a Ukrainian Jew. My heart is so heavy from all that is happening there right now. My grandfather fled Ukraine in 1916, when he was 15 years old. He was put in the back of a hay truck by his father, and told to go to America and make enough money to bring the rest of his family there. My grandfather landed in Detroit and sent money home each month. He learned later that most of his family had been killed in the pogroms and then the Holocaust.
When I met my husband Ken, we quickly discovered his family had fled the same Ukrainian town: Odessa. In its day, Odessa was called the “Paris of the Black Sea.” Ken and I named our first daughter Odessa, in honor of our family's roots. She is now a freshman in college and wrote a poem, “Homeland” that you can read here.
And Zelensky, what a powerful story. His grandfather’s brothers were killed by the Nazis. A Jewish comedian, he went from playing the president to actually being one and has shown unusual bravery. His courage has inspired the people of Ukraine and all around the world.
Our younger daughter Blooma did a bake sale with friends to raise money for Tikva Odessa Children’s Home (a wonderful Jewish organization that has helped with emergency evacuations for children and students). She also just started an online campaign to raise more. You can donate here.
Some bright spots:
Our Future of Work + Wellbeing program guiding companies toward a thriving, productive, fulfilling hybrid/remote workplace is going very well. We have just completed it with Coca-Cola and Clif Bar and have great new organizations signing up. As Emma Goldberg brilliantly framed it in The NYTimes, our two-year, 50-million person experiment showed it’s clear that five days a week one size fits all doesn’t work best for everyone. It’s time for a new chapter – one that works better for everyone. Find out more about our program here. Write to sawyer@letitripple.org to book.
We are also lauching a program called "Permission to Unplug," with the terrific organization One Table. This 4 week program designed for Jews in their 20's and 30's is supported by The Covenant Foundation, so it is free to participate. Join us or forward to someone who would enjoy-> Permission to Unplug.
Lastly, I called my brother Dr. Jordan Shlain to share with all of you his input on the new variant. His response made me feel hopeful...which I needed.
"We know how to ride the wave! BA.2 will bring a new wave of covid infections to the US soon but not to worry; if you’re triple vaccinated, you have good protection. If you’re still nervous, wear a mask in crowded places. If you’re anxious, there are many new treatments available at most Walgreens and CVS. Here is the database to search where treatments are near you."
In this newsletter, films, art shows, podcasts, books, online events and more to give you inspiration as we try to make sense of it all.
Until next time, I know we are all helping where we can, doing what we can, and doing the best we can, as we continue to live through this experiment of living in the 21st century,
Tiffany
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| Support Tikva Odessa Children's House
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If you're looking for ways to support the people of Ukraine, consider giving to Blooma's Gofundme campaign for Tikva Odessa Children's House, a Jewish home for displaced children that is doing important work during this time of crisis. You can learn more about the organization here.
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"Permission to Unplug" Free Four-Week Program with OneTable Starting March 24 5 pm PT / 8 pm ET
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We're doing a very special program with OneTable beginning March 24. Similar to Couch to 5K, the program walks you through the process of unplugging regularly. If you're a Millennial/Gen Z Jew who wants to know more, click here.
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| For Women's History Month: 50/50 and Unstoppable
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| Belly of the Beast by Erika Cohn
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Erika Cohn's documentary about incarcerated women giving birth is incredibly powerful. Learn more here.
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| Ai Weiwei: Yours Truly by Cheryl Haines
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I'm a huge fan of Ai Weiwei fan and Cheryl Haines and can't wait to see this new documentary. Learn more here.
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| Science on Screen at Smith Rafael
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I was so sad to learn that William Hurt passed away. He was in so many of my favorite films, from Altered States to Broadcast News. You can watch Altered States and other science-themed films like Soylent Green at Smith Rafael Film Center's "Science on Screen" festival. Learn more here.
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| Building Forgiveness Around the World by Richard Sergay with Templeton World Charity Foundation
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In this powerful film created by Richard Sergay with the Templeton World Charity Foundation, Dr. Everett Worthington, psychologist and Commonwealth Professor Emeritus at Virginia Commonwealth University, shares how his research and experiences led him to develop the REACH method, which has helped thousands of people reap the mental and physical benefits of forgiveness. Learn more here.
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Shannon Jackson: Ecological Time in Time-Based Media Art
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UC Berkeley professor of Rhetoric and of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies Shannon Jackson has made this powerful film on the intersection of climate change and art. Watch here.
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| "A Father-Daughter Dance . . . in Prison" by Angela Patton
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Angela Patton's TED talk is so moving. Watch here and support her nonprofit Girls for a Change here. Girls for a Change offers school programs to teach skills, leadership camps in the summer to build confidence, and immersion labs throughout the year. In the past 5 years 100% of their high school seniors pursued a higher education.
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| ONLINE EVENTSArt, Activism & AI
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Don't miss this great talk by Kate Crawford featuring Marion Fourcade, Sonya Katyal, and Trevor Paglen, moderated by Ken, on truth and artificial intelligence. Watch here.
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| Book Launch for The Upgrade by Louann Brizendine, M.D. April 27 at Book Passage
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I'm looking forward to being in conversation with Louann Brizendine at Dominican University with Book Passage on Apri 27 at 7 pm for the launch of this important new book. Welcome to the better half of your life. the New York Times bestselling author of The Female Brain explains how a woman’s brain gets “upgraded” in midlife, inspiring and guiding women to unlock their full potential, and to reframe and rename menopause and perimenopause as an empowering phase of life. Learn more about the event here and the book here.
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| Context Blindiness: Digital Technology and the Next Stage of Human Evolution by Eva Berger
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Eva Berger's fascinating new book wonders if we arewitnessing the beginning of the next stage of human evolution, arguing that since we have delegated the ability to read context to contextual technologies such as social media, location, and sensors, we have become context blind. Learn more.
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| Jim Miller + Melody Chang: Dog Pack, April 15, 6-9 pm
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Visual artists Jill Miller and Melody Chang collaborated on an augmented reality environment inspired by urban legends about packs of feral dogs who roamed the Dogpatch neighborhood of SF (home of the ICA SF) during the 19th century, surviving on slaughterhouse scraps from 3rd street processing plants. View this project throughout the run of Meantime, presented by the ICA San Francisco presents Meantime, a series of takeovers and pop-ups occurring during renovations at 901 Minnesota Street. Learn more here.
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| Coal + Ice at the Kennedy Center
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This immersive 30,000 square foot documentary photography exhibition visualizing the climate crisis will be at the Kennedy Center in DC, March 15-April 22. Learn more here.
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| Living with Scents at SFMCD, Feb 12 - June 5
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This multisensory exhibit features over 40 designers and artists from around the world whose work reflects and participates in the growing culturalization of all things olfactory. Learn more here.
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Jonathon Keats: The Library of the Great Silence at Modernism Gallery in SF
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Jonathon Keats' exciting new show invites intelligent beings from across the universe to help heal Earth. Learn more here.
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| Michael Brennan: Pandemonium at Modernism Gallery
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This vibrant show consists of over a hundred of Michael Brennan’s circus-themed paintings and portraits. The exhibit also celebrates the release of a book (Norfolk Press) by the same title, documenting the full series and accompanied by several critical commentaries. Learn more here.
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| Mill Valley Music Festival with Ben Harper and more
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I love Ben Harper! This is such an amazing lineup. Can't wait for this outdoor arts and culture fest featuring Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Lettuce, Liz Cooper, Los Amigos Invisibles and La Doña. Get tickets and learn more here.
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| The Tokenization of Everything, March 28
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Hosted by one of my best friends, Tina Sharkey, the webstream of the Inaugural USC Iovine and Young Academy conference The Tokenization of Everything: The Future of Arts, Business & Technology in Web3, will be live online March 28 at 5:30 PT / 8:30 ET. Through engaging conversations and case studies, it will explore how Web3 is fueling the creation and reimagination of brands, communities, and industry playbooks. I can'tn wait for this!
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| Think with Pinker Podcast with Steven Pinker
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Steven Pinker is brilliant, and so is his podcast. Learn more and listen here.
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| "Giving Up Screens" with Action Network Live, April 12 4 pm PT / 7 pm ET
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As a lead-up to Screen-Free Week coming up May 2-8, I'll be joining Action Network Live! for this online event explore how turning off screens one day a week can work wonders on your brain, body, and soul. Register free here.
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Holocaust Teachers of America Symposium
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It's so important we continue to teach children what happened, so it never happens again. The Holocaust Teachers of America Symposium is a 3-day intense teacher-created teacher-led professional development symposium where the participants gain priceless knowledge pertaining to the complex history of the Holocaust, 2000 years of Antisemitism in Europe, the roles of imperialism, colonialism, nationalism, economics, and democracy on the sociopolitical changes in Europe and how individuals were affected by these changes and how to accurately and appropriately bring these lessons to the 6-12 classroom. I'll be speaking at the event. Learn more here.
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| Bay Area Cancer Connections' 14th Annual Spring Benefit, April 13
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I'm thrilled to be the keynote speaker for Bay Area Cancer Connections' 14th Annual Spring Benefit, which will be held virtually on April 13 9 -10:30 a.m. PT. Learn more and register here.
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| Live Concerts at Golden Gate Bandshell
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It was great to join in last week's concert at Golden Gate bandshell to raise money for Ukraine. Learn more about Illuminate's upcoming Lift Every Voice free shows at the bandshell here.
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| State of the Kids: Uniting for Youth Mental Health Webinar, March 22
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The past couple years have been hard, especialy for kids. This webinar aims to address the problem. Learn more here.
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Dr. Nancy Snyderman's Lift Women Up movement offers a printable download that contains 52 weeks of simple challenges to step into your power, increase your impact, and work together to build an environment where every person is valued, respected, and equally compensated. Learn more and get the list here.
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| United Nations Association Film Festival Call for Entries
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Submissions are open for the 25th UNAFF, which will run from October 20-30, 2022 in Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, San Francisco, and Stanford University. UNAFF celebrates the power of international documentary films dealing with human rights, the environment, refugees, famine, homelessness, racism, disease control, women's issues, children, universal education, war, and peace. This year’s theme, "Reflections," continues their enduring devotion to the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Learn more here.
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A Two-Year, 50-Million-Person Experiment in Changing How We Work by Emma Goldberg
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"The office was never one size fits all. It was one size fits some, with the expectation that everybody else would squeeze in." This NY Times article by Emma Goldberg is a must-read. Read here.
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