In just a few weeks we will be celebrating at the 9th annual Adrienne Cooper Dreaming in Yiddish Memorial Concert and Award.
The Dreaming in Yiddish event is something I look forward to every year. It's an evening of poetry, theater and music in the memory of our dear friend, colleague, and mentor, Adrienne Cooper. The Award is a sort of combination MacArthur Genius and lifetime achievement award for folks in the prime of their careers. The program is unlike any other award ceremony you've ever seen, and never fails to bring me to tears.
I'll admit, I'm especially excited because this year, the award is going to my very dear friend (and sometime gay Hawaii husband), Shane Baker. I'm thrilled to say I was invited to speak about Shane and the important work he does.
I want to encourage all of you to buy tickets to this year's award ceremony and concert, which will be on Sunday, December 27th at 8:00 p.m., live streamed from the Safra Hall at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. Dreaming in Yiddish will be part of the Yiddish New York festival program, and you can buy a one night pass to YNY, which includes admission to the DIY concert live stream. Or, you can donate to the Dreaming in Yiddish fund, via PayPal link here or mail a check to GOH Productions, 309 E. 4th St. Suite 3B, NY NY 10009.
Every donation goes directly to the Dreaming in Yiddish fund. All funds raised are given to the award recipient, enabling them to pursue a project which might otherwise be financially out of reach. Too often, when an artist passes, we lament that they were not celebrated while they had a chance to hear it. The DIY award is our chance to support the very best of our community, and our chance to celebrate with them.
