Your Sparkling Video

Michael Skolnik, (center) a member of NYPV (New York Professional Videographers Association — Kathy and Al Ritondo, co-presidents) and works at The People’s Court, gave our group an interesting behind-the-scenes look at what goes into the taping of a TV show. We sat in the audience for a while (look for us sometime in November, 2008), we got a tour of the control room, and explanation of the lighting and camera setups. As usual, anything coordinated by Kathy and Al is a great learning experience, and fun, too! There were definitely tidbits to bring back to enhance local event shooting! Thank you again to Michael Skolnik and to all the staff at the People’s Court for such a wonderful opportunity!

Our schedule is busy, but when we can, we like to help out in the community in ways that matter. Most people know about how difficult life in Sderot, Israel has been with the incessant attacks on their town. A talented Queens woman, Susan Davis, composed a choral piece about what daily life is like hearing the warning, “Red Alert,” on a daily basis. The song was written in Hebrew, but a translation is as follows:

Song of Sderot, Isolated from the whole nation. They aren’t eating, they aren’t sleeping, they are trembling in their beds. And each day and every day “Tzeva Adom,” Red Alert. Song of Sderot. Why is the nation silent? They don’t see, they don’t hear, they’ve suddenly become mute.
Kassam rockets are falling and exploding. Why? Kassam rockets are falling on us, on our children, on our homes. Where is our Matriarch Rachel? Because we hoped for your salvation, strengthen us and we’ll be strong.
He will bring peace upon us; upon us all. Swiftly and in our time, when will He bring peace? Song of Sderot, in each and every day, He’ll bring peace. Israel lives…

The choral piece was performed by Shir Chadash, the Brooklyn Jewish Community Chorus, conducted by Cantor Natasha Hirschhorn, with soloist Cantor Sam Levine. There is also a version on YouTube, but here should be slightly better resolution.