NCSY’S NEXTGEN Division was recently granted $10,000 from The Jewish Federation of San Diego County for their “MidraSHOW” program. The MidraSHOW is a theatrical performance which, like a Jewish midrash, is embedded with Jewish values that are relevant, personal and meaningful — all while while being an enjoyable show.
The show will include live actors, music and custom-produced videos. NCSY NEXTGEN is an initiative of the Orthodox Union. NCSY NextGen is planning their first production for the beginning of 2015 which will be geared towards young professionals and families. There will be wine tasting, hors d’oeuvres and baby sitting available.
The MidraSHOW is piloted by San Diego NCSY’s Director Adam Simon, and Josh Cohen, Assistant Director San Diego NCSY and Alumni Coordinator of West Coast NCSY. The concept of employing visual demonstrations and storytelling to relay Jewish values was an idea Josh Cohen wanted to bring over from NCSY to Next Gen.
He explains, “We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to interact with our alumni in addition to our current NCSYers and are looking forward to seeing this initiative in action.” In addition to the production, MidraSHOW will introduce participants to local Jewish institutions and teach those institutions how to employ theatre, visual props and storytelling in their work.