Heather Ross
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Columbia
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Articles by Heather Ross
A Museum Just for Latino Art Celebrates 30 Years
Art & Design|A Museum Just for Latino Art Celebrates 30 Years https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/29/arts/design/latin-art-long-beach.html You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. The Museum of Latin American Art in California is the only U.S. museum solely focused on modern and contemporary Latin American and Latino art.
Reigning Drama: Lisa Cole Brings Hollywood Glamour Home
How do you combine Hollywood glamour with traditional European design? With bold elements, luxury ingredients and a sense of history. Lisa Cole, the owner of Lisa Cole Design, has been creating these scenes for more than a decade. The Baltimore interior designer says this unique style gives people something to discover – and there’s a lot to discover at one of her latest projects in Guilford. The Guilford project started with a longtime client of Cole’s looking to move to a bigger location.
Don’t Quit Quitting: What to Know About Smoking Cessation Today
Quitting smoking is hard — really hard. But quitting is now more attainable than ever with social changes, new treatment options and free programs. Here’s what local experts have to say about quitting smoking — for good. In Maryland, 9.6% of adults smoked cigarettes, according to findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
Then and Now: Valley View Farms
In 1962, Billy and Punkey Foard opened a roadside produce stand on a Friday, April 13. But the store’s growth has been anything but unlucky. Between 1962 and now, Valley View Farms has grown into a sprawling complex, serving the Baltimore metro area’s gardening needs year-round. Valley View Farms is also a Baltimore Style 2024 Reader’s Choice winner.
The Power of People with Michaele Cohen
What does 50 years advocating for women’s and family issues teach you? According to Michaele Cohen, it taught her the power of people. Cohen, who is Jewish, is the president of the Maryland Legislative Agenda for Women’s board of directors and a co-founder of the organization. Cohen has championed women’s and family issues in Maryland across numerous statewide boards and advocacy organizations for 50 years.
Rosh Hashanah on the Right Foot
Eight Jewish women painted shoes together on Sept. 16 in Baltimore Hebrew Congregation’s new art studio as a way to reflect on their personal connections to Judaism and the Jewish New Year. The event, called “Sole to Soul,” was organized in partnership between Jennifer Wolff and Julie Wohl. Wolff is the Parkville Jewish families connector with the Jewish Connection Network and Wohl is Baltimore Hebrew Congregation’s education director.
Baltimore’s Jewish Community Tackles Financial Barriers to Jewish Life
The costs associated with participation in Jewish community life can be prohibitive for a substantial minority of Baltimore’s Jewish community, according to a 2020 community study. The 2020 Community Study, commissioned by The Associated and conducted by the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University, examined the financial well-being of Baltimore’s Jewish community.
How to Prepare for a Parent-Teacher Conference
Meetings always yield better results when everyone involved is prepared for them. Parent-teacher conferences typically take place twice a year, once at the end of the first quarter of the school year (early November) and again at the end of the third quarter (late March). These meetings are an important opportunity to share progress updates, discuss grades and coordinate with the people who spend almost as much time with your child as you do.
Kirk Wisemayer: Jewish Experience the World Over
According to Kirk Wisemayer, the new CEO and president of the Jewish Federation of Howard County, after he first started meeting people connected with the local Federation, “it became clear to me that this was a place I want to be.” Wisemayer officially started the position on Sept. 1, following the departure of Joel Frankel and subsequent interim leadership of Susan Bauman Stuart.
Heirlooms Give the Past a Voice
Like many people, Judy Gartner wears a gold band on the ring finger of her left hand. But her ring is special for another reason – the inside of the band is inscribed with the year 1873. The journey of this little gold band started in Germany, as the ring on Gartner’s great-grandmother’s hand.
Area Day Schools Welcome in the Year With New Programs, Staff and More
The school year is finally here — and Baltimore’s Jewish day schools have spent all summer getting ready with additional programs, campus improvements and new hires. The Baltimore Jewish Times reached out to area day schools to learn what’s new. Here’s what some of them said. New Programs Reeut Singerman, Ohr Chadash Academy’s director of admissions and marketing, shared that OCA has plans to expand its JotPad program, which the school piloted during the last academic year.
Finding Inspiration in Nature: Columbia Artist Ellen Corddry Expresses Herself Through Watercolor and Woodcuts
Ellen Corddry, 66, is an artist with an eye for detail and a heart for the natural world. The avid hiker and artist has illustrated books, won awards and has had her work featured in shows throughout Maryland. Corddry primarily creates in two mediums: watercolors and woodcuts, which she creates in her Columbia home studio.
LGBTQ Jews Navigate Their Identities Amid Israel-Hamas War
Navigating the intersection of being Jewish and being part of the LGBTQ community has often been challenging, but since Oct. 7, some LGBTQ Jews have been left feeling isolated. In recent years, the 2019 DC Dyke March barred Israeli symbols and Pride flags with the Star of David. This year, multiple Pride celebrations adopted “Dykes Against Genocide” as their theme.
S.F. arts collective She Bends is shining bright, bending the norm
Christen Baker held a narrow tube of black glass over a flame. With one end of the tube in each hand, she began coaxing it into the shape of a cursive letter — until it shattered with a ping, sending shards tinkling to the floor. But her teacher, Victoria Ahmadizadeh Melendez, reassured her that it’s all part of the process of learning to make neon lights.
Functional Yet Elegant
Valeria Coster recently transformed a Reston, Virginia, kitchen from a morning traffic jam into a symphonic and multifunctional space that makes no sacrifices when it comes to elegance and entertainment capability. Coster, a native Brazilian architect, founded her Baltimore-based business, Valeria Design Studio, in 2012. She developed her eye for art over more than 15 years in the architecture and interior design industries.
Juneteenth: Refocusing on Inclusivity in the Jewish Community
This Wednesday, the United States will celebrate its newest federal holiday — Juneteenth. Juneteenth, which takes place on June 19, commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. The holiday is described by the National Museum of African American History and Culture as “our country’s second Independence Day.” While Juneteenth is a time for celebration, it’s also a time for reflection — on how far society has come and how far it must go in fighting racism.
Mother-Daughter Duo Take Different Approaches to Their Sculptures
Michelle and Emily Lamb are a mother-daughter duo, living and creating at Artists’ Housing, Inc., Baltimore’s oldest residential art cooperative. Gallery 1448 is an art space owned and operated by Artists’ Housing. Emily Lamb was the first half of the duo to come to Baltimore, having officially moved to the city five years ago. Her mother hopes to join her in Baltimore permanently following the sale of her Denver home and the completion of her commitments to Denver galleries.
Yossi Klein Halevi Speaks on Antisemitism at Beth Tfiloh Congregation
More than 450 people gathered last week to hear a renowned American Israeli author and journalist offer his thoughts on the current political and religious divisions in Israel, American support for Israel, Israel’s future and the nature of today’s antisemitism. Yossi Klein Halevi is an American-born Israeli author and journalist, who is particularly well known for his books including “Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor” (2018), “Like Dreamers” (2013) and other titles.
New Jewish Organization to Open at Historic Shaarei Tfiloh Synagogue
A new Jewish nonprofit organization is breathing life into a historic Jewish space at Shaarei Tfiloh Synagogue. The synagogue, also known as The Shul in The Park, sits across from Druid Hill Park in the Mondawmin neighborhood of West Baltimore. Third Space, a new center for Jewish life and learning, will open at Shaarei Tfiloh on June 4 with a “Taste of Third Space.” This opening event will be a day of learning and will function as an open house for the broader Baltimore community.
70 Years on the Stage
Donald Owens, 77, fell in love with theater as a young boy—playing outside, doing art and creating games with his friends. “I grew up during segregation and everything; I found a lot of outlets in the segregation,” Owens says, recalling how he had discovered theater. These outlets, Owens explains, were often in theater. “[It] could be in church theater, could be in the building theater, quite often within what we played in the streets,” Owens says.
These Jewish Community Members Went From Attending Camp to Working at Camp
For some members of the Baltimore Jewish community, their Jewish camp experiences shaped their identities so profoundly that they came back to camp as adults to light the way for the next generation. Scott Black, Marji Arnheim, Josh Singer and Ally Feldman all went from camper to counselor and beyond. Today, Black works as the director of operations for Camps Airy & Louise, a role he’s been in for more than two years now — but he’s been at camp for much longer.
250 Marylanders Participate in Jewish Advocacy Day
More than 250 people from across the state traveled to Annapolis for Maryland Jewish Advocacy Day, which took place in person for the first time since the pandemic. The day, which happened on Wednesday, Feb. 21, was organized by the Baltimore Jewish Council, The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore, the Jewish Federation of Howard County, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Howard County, JCRC of Greater Washington and the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington.
For Non-Jewish Employees of Jewish Organizations, Work Is a Learning Experience
As the senior director of fitness at the JCC of Greater Baltimore, Justin Dominick oversees fitness, personal training operations and sports and recreation programs at the Owings Mills and Park Heights JCCs. He’s been in the position for six-and-a-half years and in the fitness industry for two decades. Even though he holds a role at a Jewish community organization, Dominick isn’t Jewish. And he’s not the only one.
Jewish Federation of Howard County Discussion Focuses on Hostages in Gaza
The Jewish Federation of Howard County hosted a Zoom discussion on the past, present and post-war future of the Middle East with Dennis Ross and Ghaith al-Omari, moderated by Joel Frankel. Discussion on the hostage situation dominated the evening – with guest experts thoroughly exploring possible solutions, likely outcomes and contributing factors. The session, which took place at 7 p.m. on Jan.
Interim CEO Will Lead Howard County Federation Following Joel Frankel’s Impending Departure
Susan Bauman Stuart, the Jewish Federation of Howard County’s director of development, will serve as the federation’s interim president and CEO, beginning Feb. 1. She will be taking over from Joel Frankel, the federation’s current president and CEO, who announced last month that he would be leaving his position on Feb. 2. Bauman Stuart has been part of the Howard County Jewish community for 23 years and has been the federation’s director of development since 2018.
Choosing Your Camp Adventure
Choose your own adventure novels conjure up an image of a worn paperback book with sticky notes and bent page corners, ready in case you need to go back and make the right choice. When kids are getting ready for camp season the choices ahead can be daunting. Day camp or overnights? Athletics or arts? The choices only get more complex when it comes to picking out a schedule – but the camp directors are here to help.
Jewish Federation of Howard County Announces Interim President Beginning February
Susan Bauman Stuart, the Jewish Federation of Howard County’s director of development, will serve as the federation’s interim president and CEO, beginning Feb. 1. Stuart will be taking over from Joel Frankel, the federation’s current president and CEO, who announced last month that he would be leaving his position on Feb. 2. Stuart was the federation’s board of directors unanimous choice for this role, as well as the executive committee’s recommendation.
Janelle Diamond Opens Her Doors to the Community
Every year since the Pittsburgh Tree of Life synagogue shooting in 2018, Janelle Diamond has opened her home for Chanukah. “I was obviously very upset about it, and I just kept thinking, if people know us, how would they hate us?” said Diamond, 47. Diamond lives in Towson with her husband and their four children — a 17-year-old, a 14-year-old and two 12-year-olds. Diamond is the managing editor of Baltimore Weddings and the Home Features editor and a writer for Baltimore magazine.
Havdalah Ceremony Part of Initiative To Create Programs for the 7th of Each Month
More than 100 people have already registered to attend a communal Havdalah ceremony at The Gordon Center on Jan. 6, 90 days after the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. The event, dubbed “The Braided Candle,” will take place from 7-8:30 p.m. and is free to attend with online registration. There will be songs, words of inspiration and light kosher refreshments.
Doing Mitzvot for Baltimore With Alan Elkin
By day, Alan Elkin works in IT for the Social Security Administration. But by night, he’s a serial volunteer with organizations like the Macks Jewish Connection Network. Elkin, 63, has helped craft winter care packages in December for 18 years. This volunteer program is now called Mitzvah Month, and it’s a project of the Jewish Connection Network. It was formerly called Mitzvah Day and used to be a project of Jewish Volunteer Connection. Elkin lives in Reisterstown with his wife.
Emotional Art - Baltimore Style
When the door swings open to Lidiya Kanovich’s cozy Baltimore apartment, canvases come into view. Paintings are layered and stacked along the walls, and more than 100 sculptures adorn every flat surface. Kanovich, a Russian-Jewish immigrant in her 90s, is the creator of these pieces of art. She moved to Baltimore from Moscow just over 20 years ago with her husband, Emanuil. The pair moved to the United States and joined Kanovich’s sister.
Beth Tfiloh’s Gift Boutique Returns to Raise Funds for the IDF
On Sunday, Nov. 19, community members and local artisans and vendors came together to raise funds for Israel with a holiday gift boutique. The Shop ‘Til You Drop Gift Boutique, organized by Beth Tfiloh Congregation’s sisterhood, was held at the synagogue. The proceeds from the boutique are going toward supporting the Israel Defense Forces and Matan Shefler, a shaliach at Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School and father of four who has been serving in the IDF during the ongoing war.
Baltimore Breast Imaging Expert Rachel Brem Talks Cancer Detection at Chizuk Amuno
When she was 12, doctors said her mother had just six months to live. They were wrong. This year, Rachel Brem — whose mother ultimately lived for more than four decades after her terminal breast cancer diagnosis — published her first book, “No Longer Radical,” with co-author Christy Teal. Brem, who is Jewish and a longtime Baltimore resident, spoke on Oct.
Volunteers Pack Brown-Bag Lunches for Day of Service
Repair the World’s National Day of Jewish Service involved more than 3,000 people across the world. Nearly thirty of those people were right here in Baltimore. Repair the World Baltimore partnered with the Macks Center for Jewish Connections and Har Sinai-Oheb Shalom Congregation to tackle food insecurity. On Sunday, Oct.
At the Howard County Israel Solidarity Gathering, the Message Was of Unity
Police directed traffic, buses arrived, cars lined the roadsides and no parking spaces were available for a quarter mile. This is the scene when the Howard County Jewish community shows up to support one another. More than 1,000 people — 800 in person and 300 online — attended the Israel Solidarity Gathering organized by the Jewish Federation of Howard County on Wednesday to show unity and support the resilience of the Israeli people in the midst of war.
Baltimore-Ashkelon Partnership Co-Chair Morry Zolet Supports the Next Generation
When war broke out in Israel over the weekend, Morry Zolet, co-chair of the Baltimore-Ashkelon Partnership, was in touch with Yehuda Halfon, his counterpart in Ashkelon. Through the Baltimore-Ashkleon Partnership, community members from both cities check in with each other virtually every week. At these check-ins, they discuss relevant topics and share stories of survival around Yom HaShoah and current events.
5 Ways to Help Israel From Baltimore
The war in Israel and the continued fighting has left many Jewish community members reeling – locally, nationally and globally. In dire times like these, it’s important to remember the things we can do to support one another. Here are some ways to help from home. Donate to The Associated’s Emergency Fund for Israel at War In the face of growing casualties and destruction, The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore has initiated an emergency fund to help provide support for victims of the war.
The Associated Starts Emergency Fund to Help Israel
In the wake of the attack on Israel, The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore has started an emergency fund to address the humanitarian needs of the victims. Some of these needs include food, medicine, shelter, trauma counseling, triage and emergency supplies, according to an email from Marc B. Terrill, president of The Associated. “The lives of innocent civilians — women, men, elderly, children, disabled and the infirmed — are now under attack,” Terrill said in the email.
Beyond Meat Executive Discusses Intersection of Judaism, Ethical Food Production
The intersection of ethical, sustainable business practices and Judaism — both in business and in the home — was the topic du jour at a virtual “fireside chat” hosted by Ignite Career Center on Sept. 28. Seth Goldman, the executive chairman of Beyond Meat, joined Joan Grayson Cohen, the Jewish Community Services executive director, for the hour-long discussion before an audience of about 30 people.
Foundation to Combat Antisemitism Director Discusses Blue Square Campaign
At a recent event at Howard Community College, Matthew Berger emphasized the importance of allyship in fighting antisemitism. Speaking to a crowd of 150 people at Howard Community College’s Smith Theater on Sept. 20, Berger — executive director for the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism and a close friend of the foundation’s founder Robert Kraft — discussed FCAS’s blue square campaign and how the organization is reaching out to allies to combat antisemitism.
Bringing the High Holidays to Jews Behind Bars
Preparing for the High Holidays requires a certain degree of creativity when the population you serve is in one of the most restrictive environments possible. As preparations for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot are underway in the Jewish community at large, some rabbis, like Rabbi Sholom Reindorp, are brainstorming ways to bring the High Holidays to Jews behind bars. Reindorp is the executive director of Jewish Incarcerated Family Services.
Panel Addresses Gun Violence Concerns
So far, in 2023, there have been more than 400 mass shootings, according to the Gun Violence Archive. If that number disturbs you, you aren’t alone. How can people feel safe in the grocery store? Sending their kids to school? Going out? These are the questions speakers sought to answer at a panel called “How to Cope with Stress in a World Where Gun Violence Exists,” hosted by Baltimore Jewish Council and Jewish Community Services, agencies of The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore.
Lidiya Kanovich Tells Her Life Story Through Art
When the door swings open to Lidiya Kanovich’s cozy Baltimore apartment, canvases come into view. Paintings are layered and stacked along the walls, and more than 100 sculptures adorn every flat surface. Kanovich, 91, who attends High Holiday services at Har Sinai-Oheb Shalom Congregation, is the creator of these pieces of art. She moved to Baltimore from Moscow just over 20 years ago with her husband, Emanuil. The pair moved to the United States and joined Kanovich’s sister.
Music in the Meadow Concert Weathers the Storm
Nearly 200 people came together to support The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore and enjoy a summer concert in the meadow on Pearlstone’s campus. The Music in the Meadow concert took place Sunday, Aug. 6, from 6 to 9 p.m. Featured bands included Nelly’s Echo, The Sidleys and Ed & Company. Several agencies of The Associated tabled at booths at the event, where they gave out information on their organizations and provided crafts and other activities for participants to enjoy.
Keith Forman Serves on Repair the World's Board
Repair the World, a national movement with local chapters that encourages acts of service, announced on July 25 that four new members had joined its board of directors. One of those members is Keith Forman, 43, a lifelong Baltimore resident. Forman is a managing partner at Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman, LLC, and a Ravens, Orioles and Terps fan — passions he shares with his wife, Stacy Forman, and their three children, Mara, Tali and Elliot.
New Program Puts a Face on Judaism to Combat Antisemitism
A student-centered program designed to combat antisemitism in schools will be coming to Howard County’s public school system this fall. As part of the program, called Student to Student, teens representing the four branches of Judaism will give presentations to peers in local high schools, youth groups and other locations.
Be open to using open educational resources in your teaching — University Affairs
The Skills Agenda These learning materials can be freely shared and usually allow for the ability to adapt them to meet student needs. BY LOLEEN BERDAHL & HEATHER ROSS | JUL 17 2023 Your students don’t buy the textbook because it is too expensive. The textbook has the same errors as the last edition. The bookstore is still waiting for the textbook to come in. Many instructors have faced one or more of these problems — but they don’t have to.
New Chapter: Overcoming Mental Health Challenges of Retirement
Retirement is the proverbial goal post for many Americans, but what happens when you score? Many don’t anticipate the ways that retirement can negatively impact their mental health. Retiring can leave people with a sudden lack of identity, structure and regular social interaction. “When people think of retirement, oftentimes they imagine it to be a kind of vacation that lasts forever,” Catonsville psychologist Trent Evans says.
Suiting Their Tastes
A bachelor pad should be a place to entertain — and if it happens to be located somewhere special, it should also showcase its unique location. That’s the thought that inspired Susan Sunderland DeFelice, founder and owner of Sunderland Interiors, when she recently designed a bachelor pad at Silo Point. The apartment now features natural comforts alongside the industrial style of Silo Point, an award-winning high-rise converted from a railroad grain elevator.
Queer Jewish Arts Festival Returns With Theme of Inclusion
The Queer Jewish Arts Festival is returning to Baltimore for the third year this June. This year’s festival will include a storytelling series, a performance by comedian Judy Gold and a gallery show. June is Pride Month, a time where communities come together to celebrate the contributions LGBTQ people have made to history, society and culture. The month commemorates the Stonewall riots of June 1969, a turning point in recent LGBTQ history.
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