Eight Amazing Storytellers Perform at the 3rd Annual Tales from the 'Dale and Beyond
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There was complete silence …. interrupted by loud guffaws -- when eight talented local storytellers took the stage at Heathcote Auditorium on Thursday March 14 to share their tales. The Scarsdale Adult School’s third annual Tales from the ‘Dale and Beyondtm drew an enthusiastic audience to listen to a diverse line-up of locals – including a rabbi, a teachers, a visiting student from Memphis, a Pakistani immigrant and the father of a soldier in the Israeli army. Produced by Leesa Chalk Suzman and hosted by Sandi Marx, the event was well orchestrated, well timed and well received.
Each storyteller took full command of the stage with stories that were in turn heartwarming, heartbreaking, amusing, embarrassing and revealing.
Former Scarsdale resident and storyteller extraordinaire Sandi Marx started out with her own story before introducing the evening’s talent, sharing what happened when she thought she won a quick $10,000 on a Christmas lotto scratch-off card. She had big plans for those winnings.
Rabbi Jonathan Blake wondered aloud how he could get this big a crowd to attend Shabbat services at Westchester Reform Temple and told the story of a chance encounter with a well-coiffed stranger at Shakespeare and Co. and the happy family reunion that ensued.
SHS English teacher Jennifer Rosenzweig had the room close to tears when she revealed how her own chance encounters with a crow and a butterfly turned out to be signs from nature that helped her through a serious health crisis.
Afghani immigrant and Connecticut College student Wali Harin gave a hilarious interpretation of “The Three Little Pigs,” as he understood it as an eight-year-old boy struggling to interpret the illustrations.
In an encore presentation, Scarsdale mom Victoria Assa looked back at her upbringing as the only child of ambitious Russian immigrants who gave new meaning to the term “helicopter parents” in the lengths they went to ensure her success in their adopted land.
Paul Warhit left us hanging on the edge of our seats after he explained what happened to his son when he joined the Israeli army and ended up in a violent confrontation with Hamas in Gaza. The experience caused traumatic psychological wounds and Warhit left us all in a dark place.
Visiting STEP student Frederick Smith said, “Football is a different game in Memphis,” and explained how people take bets on the high school games and exact revenge on the players when they lose money. Even though Fred became estranged from his father after his parents divorced, Fred found that he was not alone. After a football game, when Fred was threatened by one of the gamblers, his coach came to his defense and restored his faith that someone had his back.
Last, a Moth Grand Slam winner was brought in to tell the final tale. Micaela Blei shared an endearing tale from eighth grade, when she found herself friendless and isolated. Though she came from a conservative Jewish family, salvation came in offers of companionship from a group of students at a Christian Youth Group who invited her to learn German folk dancing. How to tell her folks….?
The stories were so engrossing and moving that the evening flew by.
This is one Scarsdale tradition that I hope will continue in years to come.
Congratulations to Sandi Marx, Leesa Suzman, the Scarsdale Adult School and all the storytellers for their brave and honest performances.
Commenting on the night, Scarsdale Adult School Director Jill Serling said, "Tales from the 'Dale tm was yet again a wonderful gathering of many from our Adult School community and newcomers to our program as well. The emotional and provocative stories highlighting family, faith and destiny were enjoyed by the 230+ in attendance. SAS Board Co-Chair Leesa Chalk Suzman selected a terrific line-up of storytellers. Moth Story SLAM winner Sandi Marx entertained and delighted us once again as the master of ceremonies. We are deeply grateful to all who volunteered their time to the show and to those who were able to join us at this special event."
Leesa Suzman added, "I couldn't be more proud and in awe of the eight amazing storytellers who bravely said yes when I asked them to tell a true story in front of hundreds of people without any notes. Their stories took the audience on a heartfelt transcontinental journey from Scarsdale and Queens, NY, to Memphis, TN, and then Israel, Russia and Afghanistan-all over the course of 90 minutes. I am particularly grateful to the evening's host, Sandi Marx, who always lends an especially comic and human touch to this event, and to Jill Serling, Executive Director of the Scarsdale Adult School, for unhesitatingly supporting the idea for Tales From the 'Dale and Beyond tm from the get-go three years ago."
News from the Court
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Here’s basketball news from Westchester Reform Temple’s 11th grade team and the fourth grade girls from Greenacres:
Westchester Reform Templel 11th Grade Basketball Team
Congratulations to this year’s 11th Grade Westchester Reform Temple (WRTA) basketball team for winning their bracket in the Westchester Basketball Temple League. They advanced through the regular season to win three straight playoff games against 11th and 12th Grade teams from area synagogues. Each player is a Scarsdale resident and most of the boys have been playing basketball together since sixth grade.
Pictured Above: Boys left to right : Riley Schneider,Dean Glucksman, Ian Rothenberg, Evan Kashanian , Oliver Krohn,, Luke Fisher, Brian Plattus, Ian Fisher, Zach Medvinsky , Dylan Wasserberger
Front row:
Coach Adam Glucksman
Greenacres 4th Grade Girls Rec Basketball Team
The Greenacres ‘Green' 4th Grade girls' rec basketball team played their hearts out and won first place among all Scarsdale 4th grade girls with a 9-0 record. No other team went undefeated during this 2018-19 season. The girls are incredibly excited and their parents are, of course, very proud.
Pictured at right:
1st row: Nealie Caldara, Penny Kaplan
2nd row: Caitlin Jeremiah, Juliet Dalton, Oliver Brucker, Mia Yang
3rd row: Rachel Kershner, Katie Brew, Assistant Coach Kurt Dalton
Back: Head Coach, Karin Garvey
Letter to the Editor Re: Traffic in the Golden Horseshoe Parking Lot
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This letter to the editor was sent to Scarsdale10583 by Susan Levine: For those of you who have seen and experienced the chaotic --and often dangerous-- traffic situation in The Golden Horseshoe Shopping Center the solution is clear and simple. The Owner of the shopping center needs to simply revert back to the old traffic pattern of "one way in and one way out"... rather than Two Way Traffic in all traffic lanes.
The situation now is hazardous at all times of the day with lanes that are too narrow for two way traffic and people driving outside the lane markings. Large SUVs that are parked make backing out very difficult due to reduced visibility. Backing out of any space has become a nightmare.
The very nice new Seasons Supermarket will attract many new shoppers to the Golden Horseshoe and the problem of navigating and parking there safely needs to be addressed as soon as possible.
If you would like to contact the manager Rob Fine about this matter, please write to him at [email protected] and express your view. He welcomes input on this matter.
We need to ask him to do something soon in order to avoid continual chaos and anxiety during what should be a pleasant shopping experience.
Susan Levine
Ardmore Road
Register Now to Vote in the Village Election on March 19
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If you are not a registered voter but want to vote in the Village Election on Tuesday, March 19, 2019, the last day to register with the Westchester County Board of Elections is Friday, March 08, 2019.
One may either pick up a mail-in registration form at Village Hall or go directly to the Westchester County Board of Elections, 25 Quarropas Street, White Plains, NY.
In order to register to vote, you must:
• Be a U.S. Citizen.
• Be 18 years of age by the date of the election in which you want to vote.
• Live at your present address at least 30 days before an election.
• Not be in prison or on parole for a felony conviction.
• Not claim the right to vote elsewhere.
For registered voters who will be out of Westchester County on Village Election Day, an absentee ballot may be obtained online, by filling out an application form in-person at Village Hall, or requesting one by phone or U.S. mail. Tuesday, March 12, 2019, is the last day for the Village Clerk to receive an application for an absentee ballot. However, in-person applications will be accepted up until 5:00 PM on Monday, March 18, 2019.
All Election Districts will be voting at the Scarsdale Village Hall, 1001 Post Road, Scarsdale, New York. Hours of the election are from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
For more information, call the Village Clerk’s office at 914-722-1175.
Man Struck by Train at Hartsdale Station Was a Person of Interest in Double Murder in the Bronx
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(Updated at 7:43 pm February 18): The New York Police Department has confirmed that the man who jumped in front of train at Hartsdale Train Station on Sunday morning February 17, was a “person of interest” in the murder of a mother and her 14 year-old son in the Bronx early Sunday morning.
On Monday afternoon, MTA police confirmed the identity of the man who apparently jumped in front of a moving northbound train at Hartsdale Station around 9:45 am on Sunday. They said that 51 year-old Hector Cruz of the Bronx died in an apparent suicide.
Now the NYPD is reporting that Cruz was wanted for questioning in the death of Marisol Ortiz, age 51, and her son Alanche Delorbe, age 14, who were strangled, stabbed and bludgeoned with exercise weights earlier Sunday morning in their apartment in Belmont.
(Posted February 18 at 2 pm) The MTA has identified the man killed at Hartsdale Train Station on February 17. According to Aaron Donovan from the NYS Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the MTA investigation determined that Hector Cruz, a 51 year-old man from the Bronx, was killed when he was struck by a northbound train at Hartsdale Train Station at around 9:45 am on February 17. The cause of death was ruled as “non-accidental” and “non criminal,” suggesting that Cruz intentionally jumped in front of the moving train.
If anyone has further information on Mr. Cruz, please share in the comments section below or email us at [email protected].
