The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Inside Press

Middle Schooler’s Bar Mitzvah Project Raises $18,000 for Northern Westchester Hospital Breast Cancer Support

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Ben Goldenberg with his mom Brandi  Photo Courtesy of NWH

Ben Goldenberg, an incoming 8th grader at Seven Bridges Middle School in Chappaqua raised $18,000 for the Bruce and Andrea Yablon Cancer Health and Wellness Program and the Breast Health Initiative for Underserved Women, both at Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH), through his Bar Mitzvah project at Bet Torah Synagogue in Mount Kisco.

Ben’s March Madness Basketball Tournament, a three-on-three basketball tournament for boys and girls in fifth through eighth grades, was held at Horace Greely High School in Chappaqua.

Ben held the fundraiser in honor of his mother, Brandi, who was diagnosed with breast cancer last summer. He says she was fortunate to receive annual imaging exams that caught her cancer at an early stage. Ben selected Northern Westchester Hospital to receive the donation because his mom had such a good experience at the Cancer Center and the services offered at its Health and Wellness Program helped his mom through her cancer journey.

Ben, who enjoys basketball and soccer in his spare time, lives with his parents Brandi and Adam Goldenberg, and his sister Gabi.

 

A Grandmother’s Joy at Graduation

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… and capturing the milestone moments.

By Gloria Raskin

From the first strains of the graduation march, “Land of Hope and Glory,” my eyes started to tear. The audience, under a beautiful white tent that allowed whatever few breezes around to enter, craned their necks to see the class of 2017, all 330 graduates enter the tent.

Graduation programs with the familiar H and G, in school colors, were used as fans.

All we could see were the blue hats they wore but that was enough for the audience who clapped wildly. They were graduating… this was actually happening! 

As they filed in and took their seats, cameras and IPhones clicking, family and friends, beaming with pride, managed, sometimes easily, sometimes with a little ingenuity, to get a picture of their graduate. 

Photo By Connie Whitehouse

The high school band continued the song until the very last graduate was seated, and then a thunderous roar of clapping from all the relatives, friends, and graduates themselves.

The graduation continued, as all graduations do with speeches from Board of Education officials and the speeches from the 10 young women (Girl Power!) selected as Valedictorians of the class of 2017.  Finally the time came for the graduates to go on stage and receive their diplomas, or a stand-in until they received the actual diploma, and we waited eagerly for our graduate.

The moment came when her name was called, and went by too quickly and we tried to make as much noise as we could but we were drowned out by everyone else’s clapping , hooting and whistling.  

Too soon we were walking outside the tent to even more photos and kisses and hugs every place one looked. Flowers were presented to graduates from their families.

Photos were taken and families hugged their graduate hard, knowing how momentous and fleeting this day was in their lifetime, and ours. Maybe this was so special to me as this was our first graduation for one of our grandchildren.

Graduations have always been important to me as we proudly watched our daughters graduate from high school and then college but this day was even more so because it was our oldest grandchild (one of four), and I look forward to future moments every bit as beautiful as this one.

Gloria Raskin is a retired school teacher who enjoys freelance writing, mostly about her family. She has published more than 50 essays in over 25 different publications.

If Only You Spoke This Way

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Trump’s Tweets, revisited–and rewritten into a positive message of truth, unity and solidarity.

By Julia Bialek      

The real story of America.

It is for the people,

where we join together to protect humans,

in absolute solidarity.

It is time to remember that

peaceful protests are a hallmark of our democracy-

the people have the right to make up their own minds

as to the truth.

So we will.

When the American people are divided, angry, and untrusting,

when the rights of the people to express their views are

falling apart,

when the hatred is too deep,

the journey begins to reflect on what truly matters

and rebuild,

with dignity and conviction,

our nation.

Our glorious history will spark movements

that address the barriers

that threaten peace in our world,

and eventually,

the natural beauty of our nation

will be restored

for all.

 

Welcome to America,

my America,

the home of the free

because of the brave,

where acceptance, love, and honor,

know no borders,

speak no language,

but breathe the same air.

Julia Bialek will be entering her junior year at Greeley High School in the fall.

Editor’s Note: Julia told the Inside Press that she wrote this poem for school. “All the words came from Trump tweets. It is slightly satirical as it gives a positive message (as opposed to Trump’s rather negative tone).”

 

A Summer Solstice and ‘Interconnected’ Energy at the On Your Mat For Mental Health Yoga Event!

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 ‘A calm, peaceful, introspective evening’ lead by Beryl Bender Birch continued MHA of Westchester’s work in spreading awareness and removing the stigma

By Amanda Kraus

Nearly one in five Americans experience mental illness first hand. Considering this staggering fact, it is likely that everyone is affected by psychological diseases in one way or another. We all know someone–a sister or brother, parent, friend, or coworker–who struggles with one or more of the myriad of mental illnesses. But if mental illness is so prevalent in our society, then why are we so reluctant to talk about it?

In order to get Westchester County thinking, The Mental Health Association of Westchester (MHA) hosted an “On Your Mat For Mental Health” yoga event, in which Beryl Bender Birch, a renowned yoga instructor, lead a yoga class for all ages and abilities, in White Plains’ J Harvey Turnure Memorial Park.

It was meant to be; the rain held out, giving way to a beautiful, temperate evening, that also happened to be the summer solstice and the International Day of Yoga. The park was graced by the soothing, unique sounds of the Brooklyn-based group, House of Waters, preceding the yoga class, as well as a Yoga Marketplace, which featured local vendors, businesses, and organizations.

Before handing over the stage to Beryl, Charlotte Ostman, the CEO of MHA shared a few words. The purpose of hosting this event was to raise awareness of the issues surrounding mental illness as well as funds for their organization, and most importantly, to start a conversation within the community. “Shame, stigma, and discrimination have no place in our organization,” said Ostman. What better way to bring the community together than through yoga, a practice that not only benefits us physically, but also mentally and spiritually.

“Yoga isn’t just what you do on the mat, it’s what you do in your community to keep mentally and physically healthy,” remarked Birch upon gracing the stage. She spoke about the mental and spiritual benefits of yoga, and how it can help us keep in touch with ourselves and the present moment. Accompanying the conversation of mental health is the spread of practicing yoga. When we can acknowledge that yoga and health are undeniably connected, we can make more progress in our communities and our lives.

Even Beryl couldn’t deny the incredibly interconnected energy that was flowing throughout the park.  I even forgot that we were in the middle of a bustling city. It was a calm, peaceful, introspective evening, that unfortunately had to draw to a close. But it doesn’t have to end there; the conversation is just starting. It takes one to influence many, to influence many more. A community is only great if it supports everyone in it. Since everyone is affected by mental illness, it is important that we get everyone talking about it. Once we normalize mental illness, we can begin to rid of its stigma.

Inside Press summer intern Amanda Kraus is a rising junior at Tulane University studying English, Philosophy, and Psychology.

Tom Petty: Breaking Hearts at Mountain Jam

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By Amanda Kraus

Before the preceding performance began to cease, hundreds of people crowded to the front of the main stage at Mountain Jam, on Hunter Mountain, where Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers would be headlining — I was just one among many. The 45-minute wait time between the performances didn’t seem to faze any of his crazed fans; in fact, we were well lined up at 8:30, an hour and a half before he would take to the stage.

A distinct energy that had permeated the entire day began to condense in the crowd and intensify as his appearance drew nearer and nearer. I looked around: middle-aged women (the original fan girls), older men, entire families, and little children ran the gamut that was his audience. Despite our clear differences in age, origin, and livelihood, it was evident that we all shared a common enthusiasm for the band and their music, which had at one point gripped us all and infatuated us up until this moment.


 

And then it was time. The buzzing crowd erupted into a roar as the group made their way into the spotlight, opening with “Rockin’ Around (With You),” and proceeding to please with a wide variety of songs. When the air wasn’t being filled with a cascade of sultry notes, it saw endless appreciation in the form of applause, screaming, and whistling, to which the smiling Tom Petty expressed his gratitude. He didn’t need to say much; we could all feel it. The enchanting, ethereal scenery of the Catskill Mountains induced the magical feeling that encompassed his performance and the entire weekend. I had seen Tom Petty at The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, where a mass of people distanced me from the stage and the band. At Mountain Jam, you didn’t have to stare up at the huge screens to get a good look at him; the intimate setup allowed anyone to get close to the stage.

Photo by Matt Taylor

At one point in the set, Tom asked the crowd to sing along with him to his next song, which turned out to be the infamous “Free Fallin’.” It was the audience and the band, singing every word together, making music, and an unforgettable two hours. In the middle of the set, Tom welcomed Marty Stuart, who had performed earlier in the day, to the stage to play “Crawling Back to You,” with the rest of the Heartbreakers. There is no doubt that these rock legends got the audience moving and grooving for the entirety of their set — and especially me during my personal favorite, “You Got Lucky.” They closed the show with two encore’s, “You Wreck Me,” and, “American Girl,” leaving the audience fulfilled and elated.

After 40 years, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers still got it. Their music and conspicuous passion on stage enthrall the older and younger generations alike, keeping us coming back for more, time and time again — just as the ski slopes of Hunter Mountain do when they are magically transformed into the peaceful, bewitching festival grounds of Mountain Jam.

Inside Press summer intern Amanda Kraus is a rising junior at Tulane University studying English, Philosophy, and Psychology.