{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/presentation/3/context.json","id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/iiif/mk6542mc54/manifest","type":"Manifest","label":{"en":["Benjamin Brodkey Oral History 19 May 2025"]},"logo":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/184/original/ijhs2_logo.png?1629814295","metadata":[{"label":{"en":["Agent"]},"value":{"en":["Benjamin Brodkey","Susan Jellinger"]}},{"label":{"en":["Date"]},"value":{"en":["2025-05-19"]}},{"label":{"en":["Description"]},"value":{"en":["Benjamin Noah Brodkey shares his full name, including his Hebrew name, and details about his birth in Omaha. He discusses his parents' names and backgrounds, highlighting his mother's career in education and his father's upbringing in a Reform Jewish tradition. This background provides insight into the influences that shaped his early life and religious identity. He recounts his time at Drake University, focusing on his involvement in the Drake choir, Hillel, and other campus activities. Benjamin describes how the COVID-19 pandemic affected his education and work. Then he shares his relationship to Jewish traditions and his future plans in cantorial studies. He offers his thoughts on the importance of maintaining cultural and religious practices and his aspirations for furthering his education and career. Benjamin reflects on the October 7th attacks and the subsequent rise in antisemitism. He discusses the impact of these events on the Jewish community and his personal and professional responses to these challenges."]}},{"label":{"en":["Format"]},"value":{"en":["MPEG-4"]}},{"label":{"en":["Keyword"]},"value":{"en":["South Bend IN","Jewish Cemetery Vicki Chesen","Beth El Synagogue","Orthodox Jews","Stacey (Metz) Brodkey","Jewish Holdays","Lawrence KS","Sioux City IA","Temple Israel","International Tour","Shaare Zion Synagogue","Kansas City MO","Mark Brodkey","imee Beckmann-Collier","Clarkson College","Tefillin Prayers","Sharon Goldford","Education","St. Peter's Basilica","Campus Democrats","Hellel Vice President","Eric Barnum","Maoint Sinai Temple","Boys Town","Des Moines IA","Camp Young Jedea Midwest","Vatican City","Partnership2Gather","Drake Hillel","Mourner's Kaddish","Students Supporting Israel,","Purim Forum","Camp Sabra","Camp Counselor","Vasilica of San Francesco d'Assisi","Drake Relays Painted Street","Engman Camp Shalom","Camp Rainbow","Lake of the Ozarks","Bob Goldberg","International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance","Birkat Hamazon","Family History","Waupaca WI","Hillel Religious Chair","Russel Bremen","Covid-19 Coronavirus","Minnesota","Jewish Pre-school","Swimmng Pool. Golf Lessons","Assistant Director of Education and Programming","Jpb Shadowing","Hy-Vee Grocery Store","Hatikvah","Friedel Jewish Academy B'ni Motzvah","Debbie Friedman","Jewish Composer","St. John's Boys Choir","Lyricist","Holocaust Oratorio","Mark Finkelstein","Vocal Cords (Men's a cppella ensemble)","Jewish Educator","Teaching Methpds","Aisles Online (Shopping Service)","Jewish Foods","Israel","Family Life","Tefillin Wrap","Austria - Vienna","Highland Country Club","David Autry Schuler","Unity Roundtable","Sharon","Antisemitism","JCC Day Camp Omaha","Peggy's Bar","JCC Musical Theater Group","Acco","Student Senate","Caspe Terrace","Campus Republicans","Western Galilee","Omaha NE","Masada Village","Ethan Adato","Benjamin Noah Brodkey","Millard Public School District","Yad Vashem Holocaust eorial Museum","Choic Regional Tour","Oakdale Elementrary School","Student Activities Board","Charles Anthony \"Tony\" Silvestri","Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines","Musikverein","Peter Carney","Drake Choir","Leadership for Emerging Education Professional (LEAP) Fellowship","Dr. Eric Saylor","Masks","Social Distancing","Remote Learniong","Jewish  Community Center","Critical Thinking Skills","War","Oct. 7 Hamas Attacks","Interim Spiritual Learder","Kanye West","Israeli Elections","Curb Your Enthusiasm (TV Series)","Beth Shalom Synagogue","Rabbi Aimee Bachman","Larry David","Cornerstone Fellowship","Kippah","Yarmulke","ShShavuot","Omer","Pesach","Aleph Zadik Aleph (AZA)","Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai","Lag Ba'Omer"]}},{"label":{"en":["Type"]},"value":{"en":["TheirStory"]}}],"summary":{"en":["Benjamin Noah Brodkey shares his full name, including his Hebrew name, and details about his birth in Omaha. He discusses his parents' names and backgrounds, highlighting his mother's career in education and his father's upbringing in a Reform Jewish tradition. This background provides insight into the influences that shaped his early life and religious identity. He recounts his time at Drake University, focusing on his involvement in the Drake choir, Hillel, and other campus activities. Benjamin describes how the COVID-19 pandemic affected his education and work. Then he shares his relationship to Jewish traditions and his future plans in cantorial studies. He offers his thoughts on the importance of maintaining cultural and religious practices and his aspirations for furthering his education and career. Benjamin reflects on the October 7th attacks and the subsequent rise in antisemitism. He discusses the impact of these events on the Jewish community and his personal and professional responses to these challenges."]},"provider":[{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/aboutus","type":"Agent","label":{"en":["Iowa Jewish Historical Society"]},"homepage":[{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/","type":"Text","label":{"en":["Iowa Jewish Historical Society"]},"format":"text/html"}],"logo":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/184/original/ijhs2_logo.png?1629814295","type":"Image"}]}],"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/297/985/small/open-uri20251201-428871-bpu7dh_1764603925.jpg?1764603927","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985","type":"Canvas","label":{"en":["Media File 1 of 1 - open-uri20251201-428871-bpu7dh.mp4"]},"duration":5920.68265,"width":640,"height":360,"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/297/985/small/open-uri20251201-428871-bpu7dh_1764603925.jpg?1764603927","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/content/1","type":"AnnotationPage","items":[{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/content/1/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"painting","body":{"id":"https://aviary-p-jewishdesmoines.s3.wasabisys.com/collection_resource_files/resource_files/000/297/985/original/open-uri20251201-428871-bpu7dh.mp4?1764603882","type":"Video","format":"video/mp4","duration":5920.68265,"width":640,"height":360},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985","metadata":[]}]}],"annotations":[{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["TheirStory Transcript (Paragraphs with Speakers) [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e July 19th, 2025. My name is Susan Jelinger. I'm the oral historian for the Iowa Jewish Historical Society. And today I'm talking with a young man who's mature beyond his, uh, his ages, his age. Uh, Benjamin Brodsky will learn more about him. Uh, we're doing this in English, and we have sponsorships. I like to acknowledge the support that we've gotten, uh, from the state of Iowa. We've had the grant, the Historic Resources Development Project grant, and we've also gotten money. From, um, uh oh, goodness. The Blumenthal said regarding names went by from Margot and Don. They have been supporters of, uh, not just the Oral history project, but scholarships for the community and, well, they've had their fingers. In","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=0.48,65.269"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/2","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e the large the Jewish community at large for a long time.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=65.269,67.75"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/3","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Yes, yes, very much so. And, , we get support from members of the Jewish Historical Society, and I'm not sure that there's much that comes from the Federation for, for the oral history. But we are part of the Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines. So having gotten that. Those sponsorships and intro out of the way, uh, Benjamin, would you introduce yourself? Tell us your full name if you have a Hebrew or Jewish name and when and where you were born?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=67.79,106.71"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/4","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Sure. Um, my name is Benjamin Noah Brodkey. Um, my Hebrew name is, you know, fairly easy because it's, uh, Benjamin. Noah. Ben. Moshe Valera? My, um. My Hebrew name is my given name. Uh, pretty Hebrew hebraicized, if you will. Um, uh, and then, of course, uh, the Hebrew tradition, as we also carry the names of our parents instead of a traditional surname. Um, and so my, my parents, uh, Mark Bradtke and Stacey Metz, um, now, uh, Moshe Lazar. Uh, Valera. So, um, I was born in Omaha on August 11th, 1999. Uh, Clarkson Hospital, if you really want to get specific, my mother worked at, uh, the Clarkson College, which was a nursing college in Omaha for many, many years, um, including during that time.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=107.31,172.17"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/5","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e So she was a nurse herself?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=173.41,175.12"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/6","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e No, actually, she was a she was an educator. She had a background in education. Um, her undergraduate studies. She got an undergraduate degree and a master's degree in education from the University of Kansas. And afterwards she worked with Kaplan, um, University in Omaha. The, you know, the online or quasi online, whatever it was. And then she moved into her role at Clarkson College as the dean of, uh, general education.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=175.44,210.88"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/7","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Uh, I work for Kaplan for, uh, for a while.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=211.52,215.6"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/8","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Oh, yeah.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=215.64,216.24"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/9","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Yeah, I work for a proprietary college that, uh, went through several reiterations and, uh, Kaplan, and then Kaplan got bought by Purdue. Purdue global.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=216.68,230.28"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/10","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Global. Uh huh. Yeah.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=230.64,232.16"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/11","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e So interesting. Ah, well. Well, interconnections. That's not relevant, really. But but it is. That's how we connect.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=232.31,240.95"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/12","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Later in life. She was working for a company that was using some of or they, they used some of Purdue global space for some of their training and in home health care. But whatever.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=240.99,252.47"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/13","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e You had said your mom was from, uh, Sioux City, but you grew up in Omaha. And did you go to the Orthodox or the conservative?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=255.39,264.95"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/14","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Actually, my family belonged to the Reform Synagogue in Omaha.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=265.71,270.67"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/15","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Oh.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=271.19,271.59"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/16","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e I know, it's shock. Um, my family belonged to the Reform Synagogue in Omaha. Um, a lot of steps to get there. My my father, um, so my grandmother on my father's side grew up, uh, in South Bend, Indiana. South Bend, Indiana has a large Orthodox population. Um. Its like the Orthodox Jews and the Catholics. I don't know what it is, but, you know, um. Um. But she moved to Omaha while they were, while she was in high school, and my grandparents on that side were high school sweethearts. My grandfather on that side was a staunch Reform Jew. You know, it was, um, they were classical Reform Jews when, uh, when the synagogue was, um, uh, when the synagogue was in its, uh, other locations and um, uh, the my, my father was raised in that tradition, um, you know, so we had a weird, weird Jewish tradition in our household. My mom, uh, grew up for the most part at the synagogue. However, um, at some point during the. At some point during her childhood, my grandfather had a disagreement or falling out with the rabbi at the synagogue in Sioux City, Iowa. So they switched synagogues. And my mother, uh, had her congregation at, at Mount, uh, Mount Sinai Temple. So, yeah. Um, when they moved to when so when they moved to Omaha, eventually they became members of the reform synagogue.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=271.91,392.56"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/17","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Um, what's the name of the reform synagogue in Omaha?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=393.52,396.28"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/18","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Omaha. It's temple Israel.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=396.4,398.32"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/19","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Israel. Okay.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=399.36,400.36"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/20","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e But I. So it was interesting. My grandparents on both sides were temple members. Temple Israel members. Um, my great grandparents on that lived in town. We had uh, I had my great grandparents from the Omaha side all lived in town, but they were they had all passed away before I was born. They were all temple members on the other side. Um, my grandfather's parents were members of Beth El, the conservative synagogue in Omaha, because that's where they had belonged in Sioux City as well, the Sha'ar Zion, the conservative synagogue there. And so, um, it was a big deal when my grandmother passed away, where where she was going to be buried, was she going to be buried at the, um, they had they had still owned plots in Sioux City at the, uh, conservative or the Jewish Cemetery in Sioux City. Um, the other option was to buy plots at the Conservative synagogue where, you know, my grandfather's parents were buried or to buy plots at the, um, temple, uh, Israel Cemetery. Uh, and they bought plots at the temple. That's where she's buried.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=400.76,476.65"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/21","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e And that's that's Vicki.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=477.09,478.41"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/22","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Vicki.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=478.73,479.29"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/23","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Mhm. Okay.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=479.69,480.65"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/24","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Vicki was buried at temple. She was insistent that she were to be buried there because that's where she was a member when she lived in town. And she was uh, they moved to Omaha in 1994 ish, 1993 94. Somewhere in there. So, yeah, she'd been a long time, a long time, 2020. So.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=480.97,505.61"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/25","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e A good chunk of her life? Yes. Yeah. So you grew up in Omaha?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=508.29,513.65"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/26","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Mhm.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=514.049,514.49"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/27","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Reform temple.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=514.61,516.33"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/28","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Mhm.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=516.53,517.049"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/29","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e And what were some of the traditions that you learned there that you participated in your family did.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=517.13,527.72"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/30","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Yeah, it was interesting. So our, um, so the synagogue, uh, was one, you know, the main mainstays in our family going regularly on typically on, you know, Friday nights was, was the big night, uh, in the reformed tradition. Um, so we went regularly. It wasn't, you know, it wasn't every week, but, you know, maybe once a month or whatever it might have been. Um, I went to the Jewish preschool in Omaha. They have a Jewish preschool at the JCC. Um, uh, and I went there for, uh, many years and, um, and then matriculated into the Jewish day school, uh, Friedel Jewish Academy. And I went there for one year before my family wanted to, uh, send me to public school. Um, I was like, this weird. Because I'm in August birthday. It was, like, strange. I could either be the youngest kid in my class or the oldest kid in my class. Um, so my parents decided that, uh, they'd rather have me be the one of the older folks in my class. My father was a September birthday and was young in his class, so he didn't want to do that to me. So they sent me to kindergarten at the Jewish Day school for a year, and then went off to public kindergarten, uh, where there were a handful of Jewish families. Um, so I learned a little bit from all of that. Uh, I was always curious to to ask about the why we do what we do. Um, but, you know, we as a kid, I remember, you know, lighting candles and whatever else on a somewhat regular basis. We celebrated all the holidays, uh, for sure. And, um, you know, those holiday celebrations are always, um, you know, those. Stay with me. Uh, especially, you know, as I'm sure you've heard a billion times, the food. Right? It's the that's what you know. It's what connects us over so many of the years. And, um, and so, uh, that was one of the things my I remember my grandmother's favorite holiday was not because of the actual meaning of the holiday of Shavuot is the holiday where the Jews received the Torah. Um, it's 50 days after Passover. But she loved it because it was the dairy holiday. So it was cheesecakes and blintzes. And my grandmother made a dairy kugel with like, um, uh, so like, that's, uh, that was one of her favorite things. Everything's again, not because of. But of course, you know, Passover was, was was a big tradition in our household. Um, my mother was always good about making sure that we had lots of people over, um, and that we had a beautiful Seder. Um, uh, we ended up like we had a large dining room table and, uh, and then from the dining room table, we would just add on extension, like table after table after card, table after six foot table after whatever the rest of kind of that hallway that led to like the living room and den. Um, and so we would just be piled up in there for, for Seder on, on, um, uh, Passover. Um, then of course, the Hanukkah candles and whatever else, the High Holidays were a big deal, and. So be it and so forth. The synagogue moved in 2012. No. 2013. I was one of the final B'nai mitzvah in the what I call the old synagogue, but what my father would call the last synagogue, or my grandparents would call the last one. They remember the the old one. But, um, uh, the Cass Street synagogue closed in 2013. They moved out to, um, their current location at Sterling Ridge. Um, Sterling Ridge used to be the Jewish Country Club. Uh, it was the Highland Country Club in Omaha. Um, uh, and it was the Jewish one, because that's the the Jews couldn't join the other clubs. So the Jews joined. You know, this club was out quite a ways when it was first, uh, when it first came to be, it was, you know, it was way out. It was near Boys Town, and Boys Town was like, way West Omaha. Now it lives Boys Town. So like to tell you how Omaha has expanded over the years is like, whatever. Like my I grew up west of Boys Town. Um, but, um, the country club later became Ironwood and was was open to everybody, of course. Um, and that's where I remember going to the pool as a kid and whatever, um, taking really, uh, mediocre golf lessons as well. Um, I was never great. Uh, but the synagogue moved out there in 2013, and I remember parading, we paraded one of the scrolls when the Torah scrolls all the way from 72nd and Cass Street, which is um, or two 131st and, and, uh, just south of Pacific Street. And so, you know, that's a handful of miles.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=528.64,887.39"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/31","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Yeah.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=887.63,888.15"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/32","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Um, I was one of the few, you know, I actually did the walk, uh, from one to the other. Um, yeah, it was it was long, but it was it was a good time. Um, but I was involved in the synagogue quite a bit. Um, during my time as a kid, I was, uh, interested in all the different things that they were doing in third grade or so. Um, we had an assignment where we had to, you know, kind of job shadow for a day. So I shadowed the rabbi for a day.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=888.55,931.78"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/33","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S3:\u003c/strong\u003e Mm mm.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=931.82,932.94"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/34","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Um, I'd seen some of the ritual objects in his office that I'd never seen before. I'd never seen a pair of to fill in before. Because, you know, the reformed tradition, it's not a daily minyan is not one of the, uh, one of the core components of of ritual life. Um, I met with one of the synagogue members that he was having coffee with. Uh, um, you know, there there are different parts of that day that, that, that ring out to me. And I still remember. And then a few years. Later,","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=933.66,970.5"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/35","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S3:\u003c/strong\u003e I had a real effect.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=970.5,971.7"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/36","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e On you because now.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=971.98,973.74"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/37","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Right.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=974.1,974.78"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/38","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S3:\u003c/strong\u003e To fill a.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=975.18,975.98"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/39","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Teacher.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=976.34,976.94"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/40","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Well, now I teach. Now I teach, uh, tefillah a prayer, uh, to fill in. Ah, the the the the ritual garments and I do on those on a regular basis. But I do and I do teach people how to use them. But um, but I yeah, I teach tefillah, which is Jewish prayer. Um, and so it was interesting, you know, I during my bar mitzvah time, I had a real interest in like, actually diving deep into what these prayers mean for us. What, um, all of that meant to us, and especially later in high school. But before that, I was, uh, playing guitar for a number of years. And, um, the cantor asked me in fifth grade when we were doing every, every year, each grade had to lead good chunks of the service or whatever it was. And I don't remember exactly what it was in fifth grade, I think there was some sort of service that we, the religious school, was helping out with. I don't remember if it was the service that our class was leading or if it was like a special one. They did a special one, like honoring teachers. Um, just general public school teachers, whatever. Um, and I think there was a time where we had to, um. We were seeing Debbie Friedman music because she had just passed away. Prominent, prominent Jewish composer.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=977.46,1068.71"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/41","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S3:\u003c/strong\u003e Yeah.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=1068.95,1069.35"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/42","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Um, and in fifth grade, I was asked to play guitar and, uh, at the service and help lead or sing or whatever. One of the songs, uh, that we were going to use during the service. Um, and through that, I built a good relationship with the cantor, who would then, you know, become a great mentor for me during, uh, preparation for my bar mitzvah. And then later in high school, I remember an argument that was, I was in the cantor's office. Just. I don't remember what. Probably just schmoozing or asking about something. And I was about to leave. No, we were probably rehearsing something. I was in the, um, First Friday band, uh, that played first Friday night of every month. Whatever we were, we were in her office getting something prepared, and she had to go. And the rabbi had his door open on the other side of the, you know, the very small hallway and the clergy wing. She said, you're going to become a cantor someday. He and the rabbi heard this and yelled from his desk, no, he's going to be a rabbi. Only one of them was correct, and it wasn't the rabbi. So.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=1069.47,1151.1"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/43","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Well.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=1158.42,1158.98"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/44","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S3:\u003c/strong\u003e Yes. You","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=1159.54,1160.06"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/45","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e went on to music education, so that's good too.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=1160.1,1162.89"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/46","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S3:\u003c/strong\u003e All right. Well.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=1163.33,1165.01"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/47","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e You so you were you were pretty embedded, uh, within your Jewish community there in Omaha.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=1165.81,1172.89"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/48","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Mhm.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=1173.09,1173.57"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/49","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Um, did you experience you had that support with people there when you were in public school? Did you experience any, um. Ignorance. Uh, discrimination?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=1173.61,1190.97"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/50","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Yeah, yeah. There was always like a couple, right. There was always a couple of things. However, you know, I went to a public school that had, uh, a good sized Jewish population. You know, my parents were very careful about where they wanted to send me to school, um, which elementary school I would go to. There were kind of, um, a handful of options. Um, there was one school in the Millard Public School District that had a decent Jewish population. Um, and I actually live I the first house that we lived in was kind of across the main road from that school, so very close. Um, however, when we moved, I, we moved when I was in that one year of, of, um, uh, Jewish kindergarten, if you will.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=1191.33,1250.39"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/51","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S3:\u003c/strong\u003e Okay.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=1250.91,1251.23"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/52","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Um. The, the one year I was at day school, we moved to the West Side district, and there were kind of three schools in the West Side district that had significant Jewish populations. When we moved into, um, the one that had, uh, you know, we moved into the Oakdale community. Um, and It was a nice school to grow up in, and a lot of classmates that were Jewish over the years. I was never the only Jewish kid in my class, which. Was.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=1251.27,1287.18"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/53","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Really, really nice. And I know that's not the experience for everybody. Yeah, you know, my mother.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=1288.38,1295.38"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/54","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S3:\u003c/strong\u003e A few. Years.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=1295.86,1296.78"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/55","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Yeah.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=1296.82,1298.18"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/56","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e You had.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=1298.22,1299.5"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/57","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S3:\u003c/strong\u003e A.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=1299.54,1299.78"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/58","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Good growing up time and grounding experiences in Omaha. Uh, what brought you to Drake?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=1300.3,1308.66"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/59","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e You know what? Um. When I was in. I was in high school. You know, I was still involved with a lot of Jewish organizations. Um, and I wanted to make sure that I found a school that had a decent Jewish population. Um. Um, but it also wasn't, uh, that had a good music education program, uh, because I wanted to become a music teacher. Um, that had, um. You know, uh, that I was looking at I was looking at schools all over. I was looking at, um, I looked at, you know, uh, what was it in, um, Indiana Butler in Indianapolis. I looked at, um, uh, a couple of the big public schools near me. Um, Nebraska, whatever. And, um, I had some auditions out to some smaller colleges, uh, with Jewish populations, um, in New York as well, Whatever. I think I liked Drake because it was a solid music education program. Um, thanks to the the work of the music faculty there. And they had a really, really wonderful director of choral activities at the time, Amy Beckman Collier, who is just a really, really great recruiter. Um, and also just a wonderful person. It was close to home. It was about two hours. So it was like far enough that I could get there and no one was going to come bother me. But it was also close enough that I could, um, uh, go home when I needed to go home. Um, my grandmother wasn't all that well at the time, and I wanted to make sure that I was able to get home when I needed to. And fortunately, that did happen. I needed to get home and, um, uh, when she passed away. And in 2020, I was able to be there. Um, uh, when I got the call.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=1310.46,1455.1"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/60","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e So tell us. Tell me more about your time at Drake.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=1458.82,1463.38"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/61","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Sure. Um, when I was.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=1463.98,1467.02"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/62","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Very active with Hillel. Right?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=1467.5,1469.1"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/63","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Yeah, I was active. Well, I was active with Hillel. I was active with, um, the Drake choir. Um, you know, being that it was a, you know, as a music education major, um, I had to be in, uh, I had to be in ensemble, and I was in the Drake choir for all four years. Um, and during that time, um, we had, uh, after my first year, we went on tour. International tour? Um, it was also the, uh, director's final year at Drake. She was going to go into retirement. Doctor Beckman Collier went into retirement in 2019. Um. After many, many years serving Drake University. And so we went on international tours to, um, Italy, France and Austria. Um, uh, kind of hitting some of her favorite places, but also just some of these really just wonderful places to sing, um, some really beautiful churches, uh, parishes and music halls, um, including the famous Musikverein in Vienna. The, uh, major, major music hall in Vienna, Austria. Um, we sang on the Brahms, Brahms, the Brahms stage there. Um, uh, we also had some other beautiful, you know, churches that we sang in, in, uh, throughout uh, the area through in, in Italy and Rome and in, um, uh, Assisi, uh, just one of these little tiny villages with this, you know, basilica that was with all this pastel artwork. Um, imagine, like this little Jewish kid, um, going and singing all these, uh, Catholic places of worship. It was, uh, unique experience, but, um, and we sang mass in, um, at the Vatican, at Saint, uh, Saint Peter's Basilica on Sunday afternoon while the Pope was outside, um, doing his one of his Sunday visits. Um, so it was a really interesting, um, And, uh, tour for me. Um, and both that and the regional tour that we did, uh, was also in, in, uh, the States, uh, to kind of uh, was, was kind of a recruitment tour that we would do every year. But the regional tour that we did that year, our major performances were all of these, uh, churches in Minneapolis, in Minnesota, Wisconsin, wherever it was. And so, again, feeling just a little out of place, but it was a piece of music that we did that year that was, um, I don't remember the name of the tune or the name of the larger work. I was just talking about this the other a few weeks ago. Um, but it was an oratorio that was written, um, Then commissioned us in remembrance of the Holocaust. And so some of the, uh, music and the text from the music, uh, or music was inspired by, um, you know, remembrance and whatnot. And some of the text came from, uh, places in camps. And one one of the texts came from Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Jerusalem. And, uh, there was one there were a couple of pieces. It was meant it was originally arranged for cantor, choir and and orchestra and boys choir. Um, one of the pieces had the cantor reading Mourner's Kaddish. The, uh, the mourner's prayer. Um, out loud amidst the choir and me being the person who knew how to do that, I ended up being the person reading that Aramaic, uh, during the piece. And so that was an interesting piece to perform as we went on our regional tour, um, in, uh, in the Midwest. Throughout the Midwest. Um. Uh, we didn't bring a full orchestra with us. We used a piano reduction. Of course, we did have a boys choir at one of those performances. We use the we we got to sing with the Saint John's Boys Choir, a very prominent choir in, um, uh, Minnesota. So, um, but then I was also, uh, after that year, we had a new director by the name of Eric Barnum. Um, Eric is a composer himself and wrote a handful of pieces that we did, of course, but, um, had a very different approach, uh, than Doctor Beckman. Collier. Um. Eric, uh, and I and, you know, got to speak a lot. He was my he was also my conducting professor and whatever else. But I sat in his office for many hours during office hours and whatnot, just chatting and schmoozing about, uh, Faith. Um, he has a, you know, devout Christian and me as a, you know, proud, uh, proud Jew and and whatever else we got talking, uh, a variety of different topics, um, reaching across, to be able to do so. Um, so that was always a treat with Eric. Um, so I was involved with the choirs. I was also in the vocal cords, which was our men's a cappella ensemble. Um, and so, you know, that was a treat. I was in that for all four years in school. Um, we rehearsed on Sunday nights and Wednesday nights at 10 p.m.. Uh, imagine our voice is, like, gone and all the things. Um, and we were just tired and but it was just a nice kind of, um, a little bit of a rejuvenation at the end of a busy week or in the really dead middle of the week where you're just trying to get through. It was, uh, it was strategic, I guess.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=1469.14,1914.8"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/64","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Were young and able to do those things.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=1916.31,1919.63"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/65","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Well, you know, it was also mug night Wednesday night. So sometimes, you know, Peggy's the the the local college bar was, uh, had their mug specials on Wednesday night, so we might have gone over there a couple of times, definitely not regularly, but every so often. Um, and then, uh, of course, I was involved in Hillel. I was, um, brought in as the or, I joined Hillel and was the religious chair for a year or so. During that time, we kind of switched our bylaws around to change the date of elections. Um, so I served one term as religious chair, starting middle ish of my freshman year, and then I served two terms as vice president. Um. which was, uh, an honor. Um, you know, we we made sure that, uh, we were engaging with, uh, Jews across campus. We didn't really know exactly how many Jewish people were on campus. Uh, we could only guess, uh, we knew that there were probably well over a hundred, but we didn't really know who all all these people. So we did active work trying to bring people in, and we were somewhat successful. Um, we got the school to sign on board and some of the larger groups, including the Unity Roundtable, which is the multicultural, uh, organization that had um, uh, representatives from each of the different multicultural groups, um, sign on and help us sponsor Seder, uh, for Passover. We had, um, the Student Activities board help us sponsor some forum event once or twice. Um, imagine a bunch of, uh, um, people coming to celebrate Purim, some of whom knew what it was and others who didn't. It was it was it was a good time. Um.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=1919.99,2052.159"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/66","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e It just it was a party, huh?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=2052.48,2054.239"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/67","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e And we we, you know, we took time during the celebration to explain here is what Purim is, right? It wasn't just a come all and let's jump in a bounce house. It was come all learn about this thing and celebrate it with us. Learn about how, um, our ancestors were able to persevere through hardship and trouble. And now we almost died. Now let's eat right. Like one of those one. You know, you've heard that expression. They tried to kill us. They didn't. Let's eat. It was very nice. We explained what that was, right? So, um, that was a blessing to share with everybody. Um, I was also involved for a little while with, um, students supporting Israel. Uh, when we had that on campus, um, it was kind of led by these two, uh, folks that were a year older than me, one of whom I went to high school with. And so that's kind of how I had the in with that group as I went to high school.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=2055.679,2120.11"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/68","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e What was their names?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=2120.63,2121.71"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/69","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e David Autry Schuler, um, was from Omaha and Sam from Chicago area. Funny enough. Of course, being the Jewish world so small, I knew his cousin from Omaha because we went to camp together growing up and all the things, um. Uh. We were involved with SSI and we did some, uh, did quite a few successful things on campus, was more of a group that was trying to bring in Jews and non-Jews together, uh, to talk and engage with Israel. Um, it was interesting. We had a little bit of pushback from both Hillel, who didn't really want to, to take a stance on Israel. Um, we had some meetings with the federation at that time being run by, uh, Sharon Goldford. And, um, I remember Mark Finkelstein was at that meeting as well. Um. Uh, but they were, uh, supportive and also just, uh, many folks. Um, we tried passing the IHRA definition of antisemitism on campus. Um, and it got a little bit of pushback from, uh, a variety of folks, primarily Hillel, for whatever reason. And, uh, so I never tried to bring it back up, but, um. It was.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=2121.75,2234.56"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/70","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Controversial.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=2234.88,2235.84"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/71","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e They're controversial. Um. I'm not, you know, I have my own opinions, but, um, I don't know why it was so controversial. Maybe because it said something about Israel in it, right? Um. And so we tried doing some edits to appease folks and whatever. We knew that it probably couldn't have made it past, um, parts of the student Senate. I remember there were some issues with, um, other groups that were, um, even slightly conservative, uh, having issues at student Senate and other, I don't know. I mean, there were a handful of issues I remember, um, and this wasn't obviously a conservative thing. Like I say that just to kind of show you that the leanings of the community were were mixed. Um, the student senate kind of leaned to the left of where the larger great Drake Drake community was. Um, so it was interesting. And I do remember years where the Campus Republicans, campus Democrats came together to do a square on Painted Street together, rather than two separate ones for each individual club. Um, we had a tradition During relays, the Drake Relays. Each student group could apply to do uh to to paint one of the squares on Painted Street, on on the um, uh, large sidewalk that went through the middle of campus. Um, and there were years, you know, Drake Hill had one every year. The Drake choir had one every year. Um, and the political groups had one every year. And I just remember there were years where, um, uh, some of the political groups like to work together on that. And I thought that was very special, that we could reach out across the aisle, um, at Drake only only in Iowa, I guess. 20, 20 or whatever.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=2236.12,2374.61"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/72","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e I don't know that it would happen now, but yeah, I.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=2374.81,2377.05"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/73","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Don't think so. I don't think it. I don't think it is happening now. I think, um, I think they have two separate squares now, based on what I saw when I was on campus a few weeks ago. But so be it.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=2377.09,2389.84"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/74","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e So after Hillel. Did you do you have you talked about going to camp? Um.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=2392.88,2403.68"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/75","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e I don't know that I talked. To","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=2406.4,2408.0"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/76","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e immediately get a job out of the Federation.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=2408.0,2410.32"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/77","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e I don't think we did talk about camp. Do you want to talk about camp?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=2410.96,2414.28"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/78","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Well, I head down that you you, uh. Um.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=2415.56,2418.96"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/79","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e I mean, we talked prior to our prior to us recording.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=2419.92,2424.44"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/80","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Well, I had okay, I had done on my notes here that, uh, you did a camp when you were in high school that, um, where you worked with fourth and fifth graders who had cancer or were impacted by cancer.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=2425.08,2441.62"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/81","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Yeah, I did that. That was Camp Rainbow. Um, so during high school. You","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=2441.66,2449.54"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/82","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S4:\u003c/strong\u003e said you went to.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=2449.54,2450.34"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/83","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e You went to Jewish camps as a participant?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=2450.54,2454.18"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/84","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Yes. Yeah. So let's start with that and then I'll work on on Camp Rainbow. So, um, as a kid, I, I don't remember a summer without summer, without Jewish summer camp, I just don't. Um, as a kid, um, I went to the JCC day camp in Omaha, the J. Camp Omaha. And actually, I have a if you look closely, there's a scar on my face from one of those summers at camp. Um, they still my parents still sent me back after. So, uh. Uh. Um.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=2454.7,2496.93"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/85","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S4:\u003c/strong\u003e But you got the scar.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=2497.45,2498.89"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/86","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e How? Come on. You got.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=2498.93,2500.05"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/87","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Yeah. No, I'll tell the story. Uh, on my fifth birthday. On my fifth birthday. Um, we were on the playground. So this is, you know, this is August, right before the right before the school year was to start. And, um, so must have been, like, the last week of camp or something like that. But we were outside on the playground, and I decided there was, like, this big, uh, part of the play structure that went down and up and, uh, metal, metal bars and whatever else, um, like metal ladders with, you know, space in between each. And so I, being the smart, you know, freshly five year old, decided to stick my head in between two of the two of the bars, and I knocked my chin right on one of the bars. Uh, five stitches for my fifth birthday. It was a great gift. So be it. You know, I still went back summer after summer. And I remember some of the counselors that I had and the impact that they had on me, um, as a person, you know, uh, bringing that positive ruach, that energy to, to camp, um, and, um, I wanted to, you know, I wanted to be like them. Right. And so, um, and some of those folks I still know and run into every once in a while, um, you know, I run into, you know, being in Omaha, whenever I'm back in Omaha, I run into somebody that I went to two day camp with or was a counselor or whatever at camp. Um. After going into third grade, we started going to residential camp. My family went to Camp Sabra in Lake the Ozarks, Missouri. Um, my mom had gone there as a child, and so that's why we decided to go there. My mom didn't love it. She actually wrote home one summer. Um, how can camp ruin a grilled cheese sandwich? Um, yet, um, we did not figure out about that letter, and we did not find out about that letter until, um, a couple years into our time at camp. My sisters and I, um, we all loved camp. I was at Sabra for nine summers. I went eight summers as a camper. Um, Starting going into third grade all the way through going into 10th grade. And during that 10th grade year, we had a special unit called Masada, where we would spend two weeks in Colorado in the middle of our session, camping and hiking and whatever else around the state. And that was a really, really, um, impactful trip. And I still, of course, keep in touch with a lot of the folks that I went to camp with. Um, I was in New York earlier this year, and I was on the subway and one of one of my, uh, one of the people I went to camp with for eight, 8 or 9 years, you know, eight years or whatever came up to me on or saw me on the subway and said, Brodsky, is that you? Um, we I, we use my last name at camp because there were two of us bands that went from Omaha? Uh, there were two. Uh, so, um, to differentiate between the two of us, there were actually three, uh, there ended up being three bands, Benjamins, whatever, in our unit, because there was another one that came from Saint Louis. Uh, most of the kids that camp came from Saint Louis. And then there were a handful from Kansas City as well. Uh, and then Omaha from our, you know, generally, of course, there were a handful, you know, there or whatever. But, uh, Saint Louis made Saint Louis, Omaha and Kansas City were the majority of campers were from. And so my sisters ended up going my each for eight years as campers as well. And then they've both been on staff since my sister, um, I guess her last summer would have been as a camper. 20 C -2015. So my sister would have been 2017. She's been on staff since 2018. Um, uh, this will be her first summer, not on staff, and she's very excited about it, but she's doing bigger and better things. She's in graduate school. She's studying to be an occupational therapist. My other sister who's in high school now, I think this will be her first summer on staff.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=2500.33,2818.18"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/88","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Oh.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=2818.7,2819.1"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/89","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e No. She was on staff last summer for half, for just a season, for just a for just one session. So she'll be, I guess, second session back at camp. This will be her 10th summer at camp. So, um, they they spent a lot more time there than I did. However, when I was in college, I worked at I worked at Sabra for one summer, uh, Going into my senior year of high school, but when I was in college for three summers, I worked at, uh, the day camp in Omaha. I worked at JCC Camp in Omaha as a day camp counselor, and that was a great time. I relive, you know, um, you know, I hope that I made an impact on on those kids, too. Um, just as my counselors did for me and I worked.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=2819.86,2869.97"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/90","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e A lot of that has probably transferred over.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=2870.21,2872.77"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/91","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Exactly.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=2873.01,2873.93"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/92","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Doing with.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=2874.05,2875.97"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/93","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Education and all the things I do here at Federation. Right. So the last summer before I graduated, I was the Jewish education director at Camp Young Judea Midwest in Waupaca, Wisconsin. Um, and, uh, that's one of those pivotal moments for me of becoming a Jewish educator. I felt very secure in my role as a Jewish educator as I had been working in the, uh, religious school both at Casp terrace and before that, when I was in Omaha as a high school student, I volunteered, you know, I was a I worked for the religious school at the synagogue. And so when I was here, I worked throughout all of college at the Federation, uh, teaching in the religious school. I taught music and tefillah prayer. Um, started with a team, and then it just ended up being me after that, um, I taught trope, uh, and then I taught sixth grade with, um, Peter Carney. And, um, this past year I co-taught or I've also co-taught, um, middle school, seventh and eighth grade for the last couple of years as well. Um. with Russell Breman and Ethan Adato. Um, uh, it was been it's been really, really nice. Um, when I was getting ready to graduate, I was looking for jobs kind of all year. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I knew that I wanted to go back to cantorial school, but I wasn't sure when. Um, I had decided by that point that I wasn't going to finish, um, my student teaching. I wasn't going to do my student teaching, instead just get a music degree. So I got my music degree. Um, but I, you know, I had a good number of education courses as well. Um, at the time here at the Federation, Bob Goldberg was the executive director, and I had known Bob for a long time. Bob was from Omaha And being that Omaha connection, I was in musical theater, the JCC Musical Theater group, with his daughter when we were younger. Um, so I knew Bob for a long time. Bob brought me in, um. Three quarter time while I finished up my last semester at Drake. Um.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=2876.09,3043.81"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/94","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e And then I remember you coming. Yeah.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=3043.93,3047.41"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/95","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Yeah, that next Monday, I was full time. It's been three years now that I've been full time here. It's been really, really wonderful. I'm the assistant director of education and programming, um, which was kind of a hodgepodge name of trying to figure out all of exactly what I did here, which is a little bit of this, a little bit of that. Uh, I work with all of our education programs, the religious school, the summer camp, um, and the preschool to a degree. And then I also do a handful of our other community programming, such as, um, JCR work with, uh, advocacy and also, um, larger community programs. Uh, Partnership Together is one of my big projects, something that I love because we get to build those connections with, uh, with friends and family living in Israel. Um, I've been to our partnership region, which is the, uh, Western Galilee. Sharon Akko in the north. I've been there now three. I've been there on three separate occasions now twice with, um, twice while I've been working here in Des Moines. And it was also the partnership region for Omaha when, when growing up and.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=3047.61,3133.43"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/96","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e For.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=3133.94,3134.26"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/97","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e High school. We took a hour. The 11th and 12th graders from all three synagogues go together, uh, to Israel. Um, and we went to the partnership region during that time as well. That was a meaningful trip, too. But.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=3134.66,3152.38"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/98","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Um.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=3153.38,3153.86"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/99","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e It's it's been us time working here at Federation. I'm kind of sad to see, uh, sad to leave the community. It's been a really. I mean, it's a beautiful place to live. Beautiful place to to be.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=3155.34,3167.78"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/100","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Well, what are some of the what are what are some stories you can share about, uh, lessons that went well with the kids? Uh, things that surprised you? Um.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=3171.14,3184.06"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/101","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Sure. I mean, my role changed quite a bit over the last couple of years. Like my first summer here. I was kind of, like involved with summer camp all the time. I was here 50 hours a week during the summer. It was not sustainable for. Us, but we ended up scaling back and allowing some other folks to step into camp leadership, which was, uh, great. Um, we have a director's team now that that, uh, I've been sitting on for the last couple of summers, and it's been really, really nice. Um, I've been able I've been successful in bringing some of these Jewish aspects back into camp that that seemed to have gone by the wayside, um, over the years. And so that's been really, really beautiful, um, even seeing the non-Jewish kids sing Hatikvah and Birkat Hamazon, the, the Israeli national anthem and the prayers after our meals just as loud, if not louder than the Jewish kids. Um, it's been, uh. And then the same thing with the preschool, too. Uh, you know, I teach music class in the preschool every week, and, uh, you know, it's not just teaching music and music literacy, but it's also through a Jewish lens. I have a certification in, uh, Jewish early childhood music through, um, an organization called Tekiah, um, run by New York. Um, and, um, that was very helpful for me trying to figure out how we do, how we how we do Jewish music, um, and engagement for our young learners. Um. The I've also been a participant over the last couple of years in the Leap fellowship, the leadership for emerging education professionals, um, folks that are in the first five years kind of of synagogues or other Jewish education jobs, um, going to their annual conference, first year as a participant in second year, not just as participant, but also teaching, uh, a session at the, at the conference. And so last year, last summer, I taught two sessions at the conference. One was a session that I ran on my own, um, about, um, finding gratitude and a variety of different spaces, um, and trying to allow ourselves to find gratitude throughout our days. And how do we tie that to our Jewish tradition practice, or else? What does Judaism have to say about this. Also, I bought a session with some of the folks that I'd gone to Israel with in the wake of October 7th. We went April 2024. So about six months after the war began, um, and we taught a session, um, kind of reflecting on, uh, some of our experiences and how we've started to and continue to bring that back to our classrooms. Um, and think about ways that I brought it back with my students here in the middle school, particularly, um, so interesting subject to kind of approach with.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=3185.3,3410.24"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/102","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Your education time and your time here at the Federation. I mean, you had Covid.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=3410.72,3419.32"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/103","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Yeah.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=3419.88,3420.36"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/104","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e And then we had October 7th, the Hamas attacks on Israel.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=3420.84,3428.11"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/105","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Right.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=3428.27,3428.71"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/106","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Um. Those are major things that impacted the youth. Impacted you, I'm sure. Um, do you remember when you first heard about Covid because you were still in re getting ready to.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=3429.03,3447.91"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/107","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Yeah.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=3448.51,3449.07"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/108","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e In college. Right.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=3449.19,3450.15"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/109","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e I'm still in school. And it was interesting. So I was living on campus that year because they were still requiring, uh, Drake had this policy where if you were two years out of, uh, high school and you weren't and you didn't, um, live in Des Moines area, you were required to live on campus for the first two years out of high school, unless. Yeah. It was unless you were married or lived in, I lived in Des Moines, uh, already? Um, so I was living on campus, um, uh, March of 2020. March is when our choir went on our regional tour. Uh, that was an annual occurrence rather than, uh, the international tour was every four years. Um, the annual the regional tours were annually, and we were on our regional tour. We had gone to Kansas City area, gone to Lawrence and then Kansas City because we were, um, premiering a work that was commissioned by one of the major high school, one of the large high schools in the Kansas City area, um. And the, Um, composer was Eric, our director? Um, and the librettist was, uh, Tony Silvestri. Charles Anthony Silvestri, who is, um, lives in, I believe he lives in Lawrence, Kansas. He's a major, uh, well-known librettist for choral music, um, and has published many, many works over the last 25 years or so. Um, and so it's always, you know, we actually got I got the opportunity to work with Tony quite a few times during over the last, um, seven or so years I've been in town. But we were working on that piece. Uh, we had gone to Kansas City. We were in Kansas City that week of March 14th or whatever it was when the world shut down Now, when we had gotten notification that Kansas City was shutting down, we were supposed we were performing and then we it was Wednesday night or whatever it was we were to perform in the a church that night. We were going to be the next day at the Umkc campus, uh, with their choir, um, and their phenomenal director. And then the next and then the following day was to be our, um, premiere of the piece with the other participating, um, commission fellows. We had already sung the piece earlier in that week at some other performances, but not with the choirs that actually commissioned work. Um. We were told that we were to go back the next day. We were to go back to campus the next day to kind of pack our things and go home for two weeks. Uh, so we sang the concert that night. We the next day, we kind of hung out a little bit in the plaza area. It was pretty empty, the plaza. And then we went back to campus. We packed up our things, and I. I had a car on campus that year, so I kind of packed up my stuff and drove home, um, expecting that I'd be, you know, there was this hell of. We'd be back on campus in two weeks. Um, and then that two weeks turned into much longer. Um, I got home and we realized that it was going to be a while. Uh, so my parents were. You know, lovely to take me back in, but they said, you know, if you're going to be living here, you have a job. So I started working at Hy-Vee, um, the large grocer. And, uh, there was one, you know, very close to my house. And I was doing aisles online, as you can imagine, aisles online really, really started picking up.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=3450.19,3738.48"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/110","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Um.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=3738.88,3739.36"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/111","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Uh, as everybody wanted to do online grocery shopping and not have that face, you know, step into the store. Um, around the same time that I started, they were this was already planned prior to Covid, but they were closing the large warehouse where they were doing all the shopping in Omaha and starting to do it back in the stores, in the individual stores, rather than just doing the warehouse shopping and then shipping it to each individual store. Um, but that caused all sorts of chaos because of course, that's when it was in highest demand. I worked, I started hoping to do 30 hours a week. I ended up doing about 50 hours a week, uh, every week while still maintaining my full time student status. Um, it was not helpful. I actually ended up needing to, um, retake one of my courses. That or retake one of those courses. Uh, actually, I was kind of given the out that I could just kind of take an incomplete and finish the work later, I never did. I ended up retaking the course and doing a lot better the second time. So I, I don't regret that at all. Um, and that professor, um, as well. bottle. So I, you know, it was it was wonderful. Um, but it also it did impact some of my other courses, um, some, you know, um. One of the nice things that came out of all of that was the shift of, um, the way some of our professors approached learning approach, testing or learning. Um, I did not love classes or whatever it might have been. I thought those were terrible. And, um, some of our professors did zoom during that time and others didn't. It was kind of dependent on the professor, and we were also using whatever blackboard curriculum, you know, was. So it was like, not as on, you know, not as fancy and nice as zoom and some of whatever, but, um. One of my professors kind of switched his entire approach to testing. Uh, because of because of that, um, rather than memorization and just being able to fill in, um, uh, the blanks on, on the test, um, we switched to kind of an open book model for testing, where it was a real, um, it was all about the critical thinking skills behind each question. And so rather than a couple of short essays and a bunch of multiple choice and short answer, um, he switched the tests to, um, long format and long format questions. So, um, uh, you know, multiple paragraph essay answers. Uh, and it was a handful of questions each. And we chose between X and Y question. Whatever. Um, Doctor Saylor was really smart for, for for making that shift, and I think that has stuck even since Covid. Um, but one of the things that's really significant is, uh, we talk about living through history, right? Um, we're living through these large historic moments. Um, that's, uh, you know, there was what was that? There was a the office, uh, had like a line of, I wish I knew what the the good times were when, when we had them or the good old time. Whatever. Um, but we're we're living through these large historic moments that will be in textbooks in the future. And so that's really interesting to see. ","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=3740.72,4012.21"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/112","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S5:\u003c/strong\u003e Do you remember. What","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=4012.61,4013.57"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/113","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e you felt?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=4013.57,4014.37"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/114","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Yeah, it was interesting, I wasn't sure. I was, I was, um, I was sure that it was going to be more than two weeks. I knew it was going to become a long, long time thing. I don't think I was as afraid as some of the other people that were around me. Um, and I don't even know if that's really the right word. Afraid I don't. Whatever. Um. I still realize that I had to. I was still busy during that time, I didn't stop, um, I still, I was in public facing roles during all that time. Um, Hy-Vee took a really weird stance and changed their stance quite a bit during that time. During the beginning, we weren't allowed to wear masks because we didn't want to scare off the customers. And then we were in welcomed to wear masks, and then they provided masks for us that we were supposed to wear, and then we had to start wearing them when we were in the store. And then we had to wear them all the time, even when we were outside handing out groceries to customers. But they had given us these black, super heavy like masks to wear outside in the middle of July.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=4015.25,4105.279"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/115","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S5:\u003c/strong\u003e Mhm.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=4106.279,4106.68"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/116","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Um, that was really uncomfortable. Um, more just outside than inside? Of course. Right. So, um, um, I also worked that summer. Uh. That was my last summer at camp. That the day camp. We still ran camp that summer. Um, most everything was outside. Everything was, like, socially distanced and spaced. We never switched the counselors, never really switched groups. Uh, we kind of had the same group of kids as we could throughout the entire summer with, you know, kids coming in now based on the weeks that were registered. But, um, uh, there was only one real Covid scare at that camp during the summer. One of the counselors, I think, got it. Um. Uh, kind of near the end of the summer. And, uh, the counselors that came back, even after all of that, um. Uh, were felt supported Um, and then it also allowed for me as one of those counselors who came back to work during the school year. Um, remember our the school Drake shut down in November again, November 2020, when we went home for Thanksgiving. We went home for, uh, winter break. Um, and actually, we went home a week before Thanksgiving. They moved our fall break from October to November. Um, and then I think they actually closed down maybe a week earlier than that, even because of extra cases or whatever. We went home for November and we did in November. We had a week off, and then we had like the last week of classes and finals all remotely. Um. and then, uh, during that time, I worked again at the JCC as they were doing their remote schooling program. The kids were like, alternating days, you know, whatever. However that worked. Um, and so I would be there supporting students who were doing remote learning from November to, I want to say, the end of January, whenever we went back to whenever we went back to campus. I think our first day back on campus was like January 31st or February 1st or something like that. Um. So we went back and then I think the kids went back to school full time around the same time I did. So yeah. It was interesting. I it was, um. Yeah, it was a. Weird.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=4106.96,4297.26"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/117","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S5:\u003c/strong\u003e You were out.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=4297.38,4298.14"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/118","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Working at the Federation with the school here at the time for the October 7th attacks?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=4298.46,4305.54"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/119","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Yes.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=4305.58,4306.14"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/120","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e And how do you remember how you worked with the kids around that?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=4307.06,4313.22"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/121","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Yeah. So I.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=4314.3,4318.58"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/122","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Changed because, I mean.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=4319.62,4320.82"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/123","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e It was significant. So, um. You know, there was a joke in the Jewish education community of the that we had, or rather in the Jewish professionals community, that our jobs all changed after October 7th. We had significant, you know, we we shifted so much towards Israel and just Jewish professional life after October 7th. Um. It was, uh, for us, you know, we we kind of gathered a. Well, we had an event on October 9th, I think, at the Tifereth Israel in support of Israel. Um, uh, with the kids. You know, we recognized the moment as, um, this really tough time for the Jewish people. Um, it was not something that was easy to talk about with our students originally. We didn't really know. How were we? How were we supposed to talk to our kids about war? Um, and so often we kind of didn't necessarily bring it up Sometimes. Sometimes we actively did and other times we didn't. And we allowed our students to to guide the conversation around October 7th. What did they need to know? What did they want to know? And that especially was true with our high schoolers. Um, earlier in 2023, I was leading the high school program, and we were talking about the political turmoil that was going on in Israel. Um, Israel was contentious in 2023. You had, um, uh, reelection or, uh, you had another election. It was like the fourth election or fifth election and in the last six years or whatever in Israel. Um, Bibi was reelected at the end of 2022, and he was sworn back in the first week of January 2023. And I was in Israel at that time. Um, there was the the left wing was not great at, at building a coalition in the same way that the right was able to do. Um, and so that caused a lot of tension in Israel at the time. And so we were talking about all of that actively with our high school students. What does this mean for our land? What does this mean for our for our beloved country? What does this uh, uh, and then on top of that, we were having these antisemitism conversations, especially at the end of 2022 when Kanye had gone off the walls. Um, and so that kind of lingered. And then this October 7th happened, and we recognized it as a moment of, um. We recognized it as a moment of, uh, um, hardship and pain, uh, for our fellows, um, that were living in the land of Israel. And it broke our hearts here to, um, also to see the destruction that was happening in, um. Uh, in, in, in the land of Israel on that day. And then to see war happening in the region, uh, following is is hard. Um, we don't want any lives, any innocent lives lost. Right. And so that was a conversation at the same point, antisemitism took a major, major, uh, spiked majorly after October 7th. Of course, it was already at some all time highs. And then after October 7th it was, um, uh, you know, 400 times what, 400, 400% or 400 times. I don't remember what it was, but it was.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=4320.9,4604.44"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/124","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S5:\u003c/strong\u003e It was drastic. Yes.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=4604.96,4606.52"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/125","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Drastic shift in anti Semitism. Um, and it was coming now instead of from. We liked to pretend that it just came from the far right. Prior to October 7th, we started seeing it come from, um, people all over. We started seeing antisemitism just come out of people, um, on all sides of the spectrum. Um, but but largely from the far left and the far right. I've described it as this horseshoe. And I'm not I'm not the only one who uses this analogy, but the far right and the far left are a lot closer than the, um, the center of each of those parties. So or, you know, or the moderates in each of those parties. Uh, it's an interesting, uh, it was interesting trying to help our students navigate, um. Their emotions and dealing with all their questions after October 7th. Why is this happening to us now? What was the provocation of this? Um, but I also remember on October 7th, I was in Sioux City, um, for nine months. I was in, uh, I was the interim spiritual leader, if you will, of the congregation in Sioux City, Iowa. Uh.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=4606.56,4705.05"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/126","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Jimmy Sherman's place.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=4705.41,4706.65"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/127","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Yeah. So, uh, where where, um, Jimmy had, uh, um, was the spiritual leader of the conservative synagogue when he left until he left Sioux City. Um, this was actually formed as the synagogue I was serving was the merger.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=4707.29,4730.85"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/128","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S5:\u003c/strong\u003e Oh.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=4731.45,4731.77"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/129","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e That's right.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=4732.37,4733.25"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/130","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S5:\u003c/strong\u003e Was. The","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=4733.29,4733.69"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/131","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e synagogue. Um, so I was at Beth Shalom, the merged synagogue. Um, they had a rabbi for 18 years named Guy green. And, um, Rabbi Green, um, resigned suddenly in July of 23, um, due to illness. And I got a phone call saying we need some help. Um, and so I. Alongside Randy or sorry, Rabbi Andy Bachman, who is originally from Wisconsin. Um, but who has lived, uh, significant period of time in New York City and now. In, uh, now in Maine, um, Andy and I led high holiday services together at Beth Shalom. In Sioux City. And I took on for the next nine months, uh, as their, uh, interim spiritual leader. Um, while they were searching for their next rabbi. I was there every other weekend, essentially. You know, I was there twice a month. So pretty much every other weekend.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=4734.13,4818.82"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/132","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S5:\u003c/strong\u003e And I know that you were.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=4818.86,4820.3"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/133","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e All over the place. I didn't realize that you had that role also. Wow.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=4821.06,4826.22"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/134","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Uh, but October 7th was a holiday. I was officiating services that morning. Um, and I went to go officiate services that morning. But I had also woken up and seen on my, you know, seen what had happened. And I was like, how do I approach this festive day while also holding in my heart the pain and suffering that the Jewish people are going through at this moment, our brothers and sisters, because the Jewish people are a people, not a, you know, more than just a religion. We're a people. And so I had to hold that while I was also trying to hold community. Um, it was difficult. Um, I also had given, um, I gave my sermon that I had given on Yom Kippur was all about, um, holding on to our Jewish pride, holding on to our Judaism amidst rising antisemitism. And I had started the sermon off with this quip from, uh, Curb Your Enthusiasm. I don't know how familiar you are with that show. It's Larry David's TV show that was on HBO for many years. And there was an episode called Palestinian Chicken, um, where there was this restaurant owned by Palestinian woman. Chicken. The chicken restaurant. And you walk into the place and they You know, it was obvious that they did not like Israel nor the Jews. So Larry found this, his friends, as a perfect place for the Jews to, like, go hide and eat chicken. And, you know, a great place for Jews to go with their cheating on their partner. But I didn't get into that.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=4827.26,4955.87"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/135","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S5:\u003c/strong\u003e But it was.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=4955.91,4956.51"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/136","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e But there was a part of the episode where they were taking their friend, Marty Funkhouser, who had started to become more observant and more proud of his Judaism. And he showed up at the restaurant in a kippah and a yarmulke and, um, Larry and Jeff, the were telling him, take off your take off your yarmulke before you go inside, you know. You know, don't don't like, wave your Judaism around here at this place. So, uh, Larry, I think, actually threw the yarmulke on the ground and then walked in and was cheered for us. It was, you know, I talked about that and how we should, you know, um, be proud of our identity and not waver just because of the peer pressure from the people around us. And I talked about the fact that we choose to be Jewish every single day, and we should, uh, keep that. And, um, I also brought up this, uh, idea in Jewish tradition that the, um, uh, there's a teaching in the Talmud that, um, a rabbi would keep in his pocket two slips of paper, one in each pocket, one that said the world was, um. The world was made for me. Um, each person is worth an entire world. And then the other part in the other pocket. I am but dust and ashes. I'm just a small speck of what's in the world. How do we balance both? How do we know when to take out of which pocket? Right. Um, but we talked about the humanity and the world that was built for every single person. And the way that each one of us has that intense, intense weight of worth and entire world, they are part of each other. You know, if one person dies, that's a part of somebody's world die, right? And so how do we hold.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=4957.79,5102.33"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/137","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S5:\u003c/strong\u003e That.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5103.93,5104.17"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/138","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Idea and that ideology Alongside these thousands and thousands and thousands of worlds dying for October 7th. Um, so it was hard to, like, think about what I had said a few days prior. Um. Uh, when when October 7th came around. And unfortunately, the. You know, the the attacks, the war, um, didn't start officially until a few weeks after the attacks. Um, the war. War is terrible. There's no question there. Um, I have my own opinions on whether or not, the way the war is going is right, whatever it might be. But, uh, my concern and the concern of most, but definitely not all Jewish people is the fact that, um, there are still hostages. Um, hundreds of men, women and children were taken hostage on October 7th alongside, you know, including some who were killed and held hostage after they were killed or killed in, in in captivity. Um, there's still 58 years now captivity, many of whom are dead, uh, and were killed by their captors. Um, and I still pray every day for their return. For their return home. And it's hard because those are my brothers and sisters. Those are my family members. Those are our family members. The Jewish people?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5105.05,5237.44"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/139","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e No I'm not. The reality in a somber note. There isn't a. Trying to pull gratitude out from something of that.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5244.08,5257.96"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/140","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e You know, I still had to. I mean, I said I six months or. Sorry. The summer after October 7th, I led a session on how do we find gratitude and all the things. Right. Um, I actually pulled that session. I worked with, uh, cornerstone, uh, fellowship, um, in summer of 2024, 24. Actually, the you know, we started in winter, um, planning the seminar. I was, um, cornerstone as a fellowship for returning camp staff, returning camp counselors, um, from camps, Jewish camps all across the country, mostly residential camps, but a couple of day camps as well. And I was I served on the faculty of, uh, of cornerstone last summer, um, as a faculty assistant. Um. So I co-led a couple of sessions with, uh, um, with, uh, the song writing, uh, faculty member, um. Uh, and that was kind of our main, uh, intensive session that met each morning for a couple hours. And then, of course, and then, um, I led some other sessions, some with folks and others not, but on a variety of other topics. One was, uh, or I read, I led two what we called prayerful moments. Um, not necessarily um, services, um, but moments where we are to kind of think jewishly, um, creatively, whatever it might have been, one was kind of more of a musical experience in the arc of a service, but not necessarily using all the liturgy. Um, and one was this moment of gratitude and, uh, finding gratitude throughout our day. And so I adapted that to teach at um, at New Cage, at the, at the, uh, um, larger conference that I went to later in the summer. Um, so we, we still have to find our gratitude in in light of all that's happening in the world. We are thankful that, um, our soul was returned to us every single morning and that we have another day to live. Um, it's it's a really beautiful way, um, of thinking, especially in Jewish practice, starting our morning. Um, traditionally, in Jewish practice, we're to start our morning with the words I am. Thankful I am , not I am thankful we use incorrect grammar on purpose. Um. Thankful I am that you have trusted me and returned my soul to me this morning. Um, for your, uh. Thank you. God, we actually say God's name during this because we haven't washed our hands. But, um. But thank you for trusting me with with my soul and and returning it to me this morning that we have a new soul to or that we have our souls to. To live a new day. So we start our mornings traditionally with gratitude or anything else. And that's been a practice that's.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5258.84,5479.79"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/141","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e When I have one last well, almost one last question.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5485.51,5488.95"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/142","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Sure.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5489.39,5489.91"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/143","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e You look a lot different today.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5490.43,5491.95"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/144","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S5:\u003c/strong\u003e You shaved?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5495.27,5495.99"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/145","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Yeah, I shaved. So, um, some of that, uh. Yeah. Uh, I I'm in this weird, uh, place where I've been kind of growing it out and shaving, growing it out. And that's kind of what I. What I do is like, I let it grow and I shave it, but, um, actually, um, I shaved on Friday. Um, and the reason I did. So, um. It's this period in the Jewish calendar called the Omer. Uh, the omer is the time that we count between, um, uh, Pesach, between the exodus from Egypt and Shavuot, the revelation at Sinai, uh, the the giving of the Torah. And so there are 50 days that we count between Pesach and Shavuot. And during that time, we we take on some mourning practices at the beginning because, uh, during that time, there was violence against the Jewish people. Um, and there was also sickness amongst Jewish people. Many students of some of our great sages died during the, um. Uh, beginning of the Omer period. And the last of that happened on the 33rd day of the Omer lag Omer. Um, additionally, um, uh, the, uh, Kabbalist Shimon bar Yochai, also, uh, who had been living out in a cave, um, had died, uh, on lag Baomer. Um. But lag Baomer has turned into a day of celebration, a day where we honor those people, but also a day where we start to shift in hope and and, um, readiness for, uh, revelation. And so we turn that morning into a bit of excitement. And so log2 Ulmer has become a day where people, uh, get haircuts and shave. And get married. And, yeah, it's the only like, it's one of the only days in the spring where people get, uh, traditionally were able to get married. You don't get married during the Omer period, except for on Omer. Um, there are bonfires and campfires. Um, and so, um, the only times where some of those restrictions are lifted a little bit was on Omer. But, uh, another time where you could, um, kind of not shave, but, like, prepare yourself for Shabbat. Um. On Fridays. On Fridays you could, like, shave to prepare for Shabbat or whatever it might be. And so I'm like, oh, it's auspicious that Omer and, uh, falls on a Friday. Um, my beard was getting unruly. This is a great excuse to shave and to prepare myself physically and mentally for Shabbat. Um, also to look nice for whatever this conversation is going to be. Um, and, uh, I wanted to get rid of it anyway. So, uh, it felt like a good time.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5496.03,5725.57"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/146","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Well, thank you for sharing all of this.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5727.21,5729.57"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/147","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e I have plenty more to share if you ever want to talk further. You know my family's history in Iowa.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5729.89,5735.25"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/148","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Well, I think, um, for now, I think I've touched on most of the highlight parts. I know you didn't go into all of the stuff with your mother up in Sioux City. Um.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5738.01,5749.12"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/149","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e I didn't even talk about Asa, which was a big part of, uh, high school for me and my sisters. And we were all our family was very involved and in bio and, uh, or what became bio. My great grandfather's brother in Omaha was one of the founding members. And so, um, all of us were involved in that organization. It was a great excuse for me to see my camp friends from, uh, um, but it was also cool because all of my family members, uh, before that, were also members. My my grandfather, both in Sioux City and Omaha, were members and all the things. So I know yeah, there's there's a lot to discuss, but.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5750.04,5795.96"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/150","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S5:\u003c/strong\u003e I know.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5796.0,5796.32"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/151","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e I've heard I've heard a lot of people talk about Asa and and, uh, the connections that are brought between people, between communities. Uh. Between the traditions? Yeah.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5796.36,5813.51"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/152","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Mhm.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5813.83,5814.35"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/153","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Um, well, thank you for your time today and for all your sharing. And I wish you. Good luck. Yes. But I think it's good luck using your good skills as forward. Uh, in your not rabbinical, your cantorial.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5814.95,5835.59"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/154","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Uh, yes. My cantorial studies.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5836.11,5838.67"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/155","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S5:\u003c/strong\u003e Yeah.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5839.07,5839.43"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/156","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e I hope you get the chance to, um, uh. To hear a little bit more about, um, some of the family contributions, uh, of my family in Iowa, but at another time, um, I know there's there's there's a lot there. Uh, and I know that we didn't get to talk about all of it. Even the stuff that some of you brought up before we started speaking. So, uh, we'll talk, and it's always good to chat and share, and I. I'm glad that.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5840.03,5882.33"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/157","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e If we can get you another time before you leave to just, uh, talk about your Sioux City stuff. That would be good.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5882.37,5889.77"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/158","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e I think I could I could arrange for that.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5890.21,5892.93"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/159","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Okay, great.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5893.37,5894.57"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/160","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Thanks.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5895.33,5895.85"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/161","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Thank you for today. And, um. Let's see, I sent you.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5895.89,5901.17"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/162","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e I think it's in your mailbox.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5901.69,5903.49"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/163","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Yeah.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5905.81,5906.25"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/164","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e It's in your mailbox. Uh, the, um, the agreements in your mailbox.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5906.65,5910.09"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/165","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e Great. Thank you so much. And. Well, I will see you soon.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5910.21,5914.05"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/166","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S6:\u003c/strong\u003e Thank you.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5914.33,5914.97"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/167","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Jellinger:\u003c/strong\u003e And.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5916.05,5916.53"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/transcript/87309/annotation/168","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Brodkey:\u003c/strong\u003e Goodbye.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5916.89,5917.37"}]},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/index/90256","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["Auto-generated Index (2025-05-19 20:21:28) [Index]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/index/90256/annotation/169","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Introduction to the Interview","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=0.0,67.0"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/index/90256/annotation/170","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"The speaker introduces herself as Susan Jelinger, the oral historian for the Iowa Jewish Historical Society, conducting an interview with Benjamin Brodsky. The interview is sponsored by various supporters including the state of Iowa and private donors. The context sets the stage for a detailed discussion about Benjamin's experiences and insights into the Jewish community.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=0.0,67.0"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/index/90256/annotation/171","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"October 7th Attacks and Rising Antisemitism","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=67.0,71.0"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/index/90256/annotation/172","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Benjamin reflects on the October 7th attacks and the subsequent rise in antisemitism. He discusses the impact of these events on the Jewish community and his personal and professional responses to these challenges.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=67.0,71.0"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/index/90256/annotation/173","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Benjamin's Personal and Family Background","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=71.0,175.0"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/index/90256/annotation/174","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Benjamin shares his full name, including his Hebrew name, and details about his birth in Omaha. He discusses his parents' names and backgrounds, highlighting his mother's career in education and his father's upbringing in a Reform Jewish tradition. This background provides insight into the influences that shaped his early life and religious identity.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=71.0,175.0"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/index/90256/annotation/175","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Educational Influences","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=175.0,265.0"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/index/90256/annotation/176","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Benjamin elaborates on his mother's role as an educator rather than a nurse, which influenced his educational path. He discusses his schooling experiences, including attending a Jewish preschool and day school before transitioning to public school, which was chosen carefully by his parents for its significant Jewish population.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=175.0,265.0"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/index/90256/annotation/177","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Religious Affiliations and Practices","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=265.0,1310.0"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/index/90256/annotation/178","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Benjamin discusses his family's affiliation with the Reform Synagogue in Omaha and their religious practices. He details the history of his family's involvement with various synagogues and how these affiliations influenced their religious life and community activities.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=265.0,1310.0"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/index/90256/annotation/179","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"College Experiences and Activities","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=1310.0,3450.0"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/index/90256/annotation/180","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Benjamin recounts his time at Drake University, focusing on his involvement in the Drake choir, Hillel, and other campus activities. He describes how these experiences enriched his college life, provided leadership opportunities, and deepened his engagement with the Jewish community.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=1310.0,3450.0"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/index/90256/annotation/181","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Impact of COVID-19 on Education and Work","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=3450.0,5496.0"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/index/90256/annotation/182","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Benjamin describes how the COVID-19 pandemic affected his education and work, including the transition to online learning and his job at a grocery store during the pandemic. He reflects on the challenges and adaptations required during this unprecedented time.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=3450.0,5496.0"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/index/90256/annotation/183","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Personal Reflections and Future Aspirations","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5496.0,5920.68265"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985/index/90256/annotation/184","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Benjamin discusses his personal grooming habits in relation to Jewish traditions and his future plans in cantorial studies. He shares his thoughts on the importance of maintaining cultural and religious practices and his aspirations for furthering his education and career in this field.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163702/file/297985#t=5496.0,5920.68265"}]}]}]}