The Convert
A Catholic who became a Reform, then a Conservative and, finally,
an Orthodo x Jew will get you laughing to look at your own life.
KAREN SCHWARTZ
Special to the Jewish News
y
Israel Campbell has a story to tell, a story
about an unexpected journey from
Catholicism to Orthodox Judaism and a
path marked by three conversions and
continuous explorations of religious identity.
Campbell, who now lives in Jerusalem, is traveling
with his wife, Avital Hochstein, to share his story as
part of a 12-performance U.S. tour that will take
him to the Birmingham Uptown 8 at 7 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 5, and to the University of
Michigan Hillel at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6. His free
monologue is titled "It's Not in Heaven."
Campbell describes his performance as "part
stand-up," a reflection on his experiences, funny,
serious and thought-provoking. He hopes people
leave him more engaged in their own lives.
Campbell, who trained as an actor at Circle in the
Square in New York City and began doing stand-up
comedy in Los Angeles, put his stand-up and acting
interests on hold when he went to Israel three years
ago. He planned to stay for a year.
In the middle of the second year, he married and
realized he was going to stay in Israel. His mono-
logue is his first piece since that decision.
He started performing it last spring in Jerusalem and
at the Schusterman Hillel Leader's Assembly in
Scene Happenings
For college age through 30-something. Send
information to ahitsky@thejewishnews.corn
Jan. 31 Saturday, 8 p.m. Federation YAD "Roll Your
Own Sushi" party at Specialties Showroom, 2800
W. 11 Mile, Berkley. Demonstration by chef Justin
Kops. Kosher. Cost: $70 per couple. RSVP:
Jonathan Goldstein, (248) 203-1471 or
goldstein@jfmd.org
Feb. 1 Sunday, 5 p.m. MSU Hillel Super Bowl party
at Harpers, $5. RSVP by Jan. 30: (517) 332-1916.
Feb. 3 Tuesday, 7 p.m. Project Otzma meeting at
MSU Hillel. Ten-month Israel volunteer program for
ages 21-26.
Feb. 4 Wednesday, 8 p.m. EMU Hillel laser tag at
Zap Zone, 2809 Boardwalk, Ann Arbor. RSVP:
Aaron Kaufman, (734) 482-0456 or
hillel@emich.edu
1/30
2004
34
Honnesville, Pa., in the summer.
U-M Hillel Program Director
Ben Berger saw Campbell in
Israel. His issues speak to Jews
regardless of denomination or
connection to Judaism. "I
thought the show was absolute-
ly wonderful. It's at the same
time touching and heartbreak-
ing but also hopeful and hilari-
ous," Berger said. "He really
deals with the struggles that
many Jews experience."
Berger is impressed by the
way Campbell tells his story.
"It's totally honest. Throughout
his conversion, he's been corn-
Yisrael Campbell
pletely honest with himself and
can share that honesty with his
audience," Berger said.
The monologue reflects on the journey that took
Campbell through a Reform conversion in May
1994, a Conservative conversion in 1996, then an
Orthodox conversion in 2001.
The comedy puts people in the mindset to laugh,
Campbell said, but also helps people look at their lives
from a different perspective. "It's not set out to be a
serious talk about your identity. A good deal of the
time is spent laughing and that opens people up and
Feb. 6 and every Friday. 6 p.m. Shabbat service, 7
p.m. free dinner. MSU Hillel. RSVP by preceding
Wednesday: (517) 332-1916.
Feb. 6-8 MSU Hillel ski trip to Boyne Mountain.
Call Jeff Lazor, (517) 332-1916.
Feb. 8 Sunday, 6 p.m. BBYO reunion dinner for
U-M students who are BBYO alumni. At
University of Michigan Hillel. No charge. RSVP:
BBYO, (248) 788-0700.
Feb. 10 Tuesday, 5:30 p.m. EMU Hillel Book
Club and dinner discusses Tough Jews by Rich
Cohen. RSVP: Heather Soloman, (734) 482-0456
or hillel@emich.edu
Feb. 11 Wednesday, 7 p.m. MSU Hillel "Loaves of
Love" challah baking, Shakespeare in Love movie.
RSVP by Feb. 8: (517) 332-1916.
Feb. 13 EMU Hillel Shabbat dinner. $5. RSVP by
Feb. 11: Rachel Fauman, (734) 482-0456 or
hillel@emich.edu
you can insert a serious message under the laugh."
"But it's still funny," he emphasized. "It's cer-
tainly not an outreach piece to live an Orthodox
life. It's both loving and critical. All along the
way, I've found both tremendous openness and
generosity and also things I've been critical of
with each [religious] group."
The Thursday night performance is co-spon-
sored by Hillel of Metro
Detroit, the Jewish Federation
of Metropolitan Detroit's
Young Adult Division, the
WZO and the Agency for
Jewish Education.
Campbell's search for spiritu-
ality led him down an unex-
pected religious path. But he
hopes audience members have
more intense experiences with
their own lives after hearing his
story.
"I didn't go into my high
school guidance counselor at
Archbishop John Carroll High
School for Boys [in Radnor,
Pa.] and say, 'Hi, I'd like to end
up an Orthodox Jew in 20
years.' So it's very much a story
about the unfolding of how that all happened," he
said. "But obviously it's not the kind of thing that's
rehearsed — you couldn't have planned this life if
you sat down and tried to plan this life." Ill
To RSVP for the Feb. 5 performance, call
Jonathan Goldstein, (248) 203-1471, or Karen
Urman, (313) 577-3459.
Feb. 15 Sunday, 1-3 p.m. MSU Hillel brunch and
Build A Snowman Contest. To register a team or RSVP
for brunch by Feb. 13: Jeff Lazor, (517) 332-1916 or
pd@msuhillel.org
Feb. 18 Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. MSU students from
Cong. Shaarey Zedek Southfield, free dinner with
Rabbi Jonathon Berkun. RSVP by Feb. 16: Jeff
Lazor, (517) 332-1916.
Feb. 18 Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. EMU Hillel free din-
ner, Matrix movie and discussion of its Jewish spiri-
tuality. RSVP by Feb. 17: Allison, (734) 482-0456
or hillel@emich.edu
Feb.18 Wednesday, 7 p.m. Gap Bar Crawl for
MSU students older than 21. RSVP by Feb. 15:
Jeff Lazor, (517) 332-1916.
Feb. 21 Saturday, 8 p.m. MSU Hillel Charity
Gala at the Marriott for Israeli fellowships
University of Michigan Hospital. $20, or $30 per
couple. RSVP: (517) 332-1916.