Jewish Contributions to Humanity #20 #23 in a series MAKING CONNECTIONS Students and mental health profes- sionals agree that feeling connected is key to making a healthy adjust- ment to college life. There are a variety of on-campus organizations such as Hillel, Chabad, peer-led groups such as U-M’s Wolverine Support Network and the newer Spartan Support Network at MSU, as well as a multitude of student groups, clubs and sports activities. “I encourage students to get involved in something; anything where your pas- sion is will make campus life more manageable,” said Robyn Hughey, associate direc- tor of MSU Hillel and the Hillel Campus Alliance of Robyn Hughey Michigan (HCAM), which encompasses 10 universities throughout Michigan. MSU Hillel, like other Hillel organizations located within large universities, offers more than 200 student-driven programs every year in addition to weekly Shabbat din- ners, Sunday brunches and holiday meals and programs. “Hillel provides many students that sense of community, home and belonging they are looking for on a large campus,” said Tilly Shames, executive direc- tor of U-M Hillel, which offers a vari- ety of programs specifically for freshmen. Most campuses also have Chabad- Lubavitch houses Tilly Shames that offer Shabbat dinners, services and holiday programs to students, regardless of religious affiliation or level of observance. Peer support can be very helpful, too. The Wolverine Support Network now has more than 600 members who participate in 30 different groups across the U-M campus on weekday evenings, and the newer Spartan Support Network is attract- ing more and more new members. “The beautiful thing (about WSN) is that everyone wants to be there,” said WSN executive director and rising senior Jordan Lazarus. “People are not only listening, but they’re also nodding their heads, paying attention. It really helps that sense of isolation.” • Campus Resources • NAMI (National Institute of Mental Health) on-campus clubs: nami.org/GetInvolved/NAMI-on-Campus/ NAMI-on-Campus-Clubs. • JED Foundation on campus: jedcampus.org. • Chabad on campus: chabad.org. • Hillel of Metro Detroit: hillel-detroit. org, (313) 577-3459. • U-M Hillel, michiganhillel.org, (734) 769-0500. • MSU Hillel, msuhillel.org, (517) 332-1916. • Hillel Oakland University, Oakland Community College and Lawrence Technological University: See Hillel of Metro Detroit. • Hillels on other campuses: hillel.org/college-guide. • Active Minds mental health aware- ness organization: activeminds.org. • Suicide prevention Lifeline: (800) 273-TALK (8255). • Crisis Text Line: 741741. • CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services) at U-M: caps.umich.edu, (734) 764-8312. • Wolverine Support Network: umichwsn.org. • Spartan Support Network: spartansupportnetwork.org. • Jewish Family Services-Thrive Counseling Services: jfsannarbor.org/programs- services/thrive-clinical-services/ (734) 769-0209. • Andrew Kukes Foundation for Social Anxiety: akfsa.org. • Diane Orley is available to provide support to groups and individuals regard- ing mental health issues for young adults: Dianeorley@gmail.com. How three Jews transformed Western theater. JACQUES OFFENBACH ( 1819-1880). b. Cologne, Germany. d. Paris, France. The father of the comic opera. The son of a synagogue cantor and café violinist, Offenbach was drawn to music from an early age, with his greatest ambition being to write comical works for musical theatre. A cellist and a composer, as a young man Offenbach toured Europe, entertaining audiences in theatres and salons, including permanent appointments at the Opéra-Comique and Comédie-Francaise in Paris. Offenbach is one of the fathers of the operetta—short, comical, and often frivolous operas that emerged from Offenbach’s brand of comical opera that he specialized in in France. In fact, he was so popular in France at one point (before the Franco- Prussian War) that Napoleon III granted him French citizenship. Today he’s considered one of the most influential musicians in the history and development of the musical. OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II ( 1895-1960). b. New York City. d. Doylestown, Pennsylvania. The 20th century’s most renowned librettist. Oscar Hammerstein was born into a family of performers and producers…and he eclipsed them all. His father didn’t want him to go into theater, and Hammerstein actually attended Columbia University pursuing a career in law. But at 19, he joined a group of performers at Columbia and met his future collaborator, Richard Rodgers (Rodgers and Hammerstein). By 1919, Hammerstein became the production stage manager for all the shows of his producer uncle, Arthur. And just three years later, he was writing musical comedies and librettos (operas) of his own. Over the course of his career, Hammerstein co-wrote 850 songs as a playwright and lyricist, and won eight Tony Awards and two Academy Awards for Best Original Song. JEROME KERN (1885-1945). b. New York City. d. Los Angeles, California. Transforming the American musical. Kern was one of America’s top composers for musicals and film scores, having produced about 104 works for the stage and the screen, with 15 of them selling more than 2 million copies. His mother taught him the piano as a child, and Kern studied composition in Germany and England. His most famous work was on the musical “Show Boat”, which Kern conducted and Oscar Hammerstein II wrote. “Show Boat” marked a departure from the often-silly operettas that comprised most musicals, to a form of the art that was both serious and lighthearted. Even at the time, Kern’s and Hammerstein’s production was seen as a turning point in the American musical. Original Research by Walter L. Field Sponsored by Irwin S. Field Written by Jared Sichel jn May 24 • 2018 17